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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China is a reliable partner for ASEAN in addressing complex challenges: Wang Yi

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Xinhua) — China has always been the most reliable stabilizing force in a turbulent world and the most reliable partner for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in tackling difficult challenges, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said at a China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting here on Thursday.

    Noting that China and ASEAN have similar development concepts, common requirements and integrated interests, he added that Beijing regards ASEAN as a priority area for diplomatic relations with its neighbors and a pioneering platform for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

    “We should support each other and achieve success for each other in advancing the modernization process of Asia,” Wang said.

    The minister spoke about the achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation and put forward four proposals.

    First, it must become a benchmark for upholding international justice. Wang said China and ASEAN must resolutely uphold the global system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law.

    China supports ASEAN’s central position in the regional architecture and its greater role in regional and international affairs. China is willing to work with ASEAN to practice open regionalism and genuine multilateralism and make greater contributions to regional and global governance.

    Secondly, it should be a model for maintaining peace and stability in the region. Peace and stability in the region are extremely valuable and must be reliably protected, and geopolitical conflicts or bloc confrontations should not spread to Asia, Wang Yi said. China is ready to take a leading role in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Southeast Asia, he added.

    The South China Sea is a common home for regional countries, not a “gladiator arena” for major powers, and China is willing to expand cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas such as marine environmental protection, shipping safety, maritime law enforcement and key maritime infrastructure, fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, facilitate consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and always hold the initiative in the South China Sea issue, the Foreign Minister stressed.

    Third, it is necessary to set an example of mutually beneficial cooperation. According to Wang Yi, Beijing is ready to cooperate with ASEAN in building the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, effectively implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and build a high-level free trade network.

    China is willing to continue to use high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative as a core platform, strengthen communication and cooperation with ASEAN in industrial and supply chains, and advance cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation and clean energy, the minister said.

    China highly appreciates ASEAN’s firm commitment to free trade and the multilateral trading system, and holds that economic and trade differences should be resolved through equal dialogue and mutual benefit, while upholding its own dignity and fundamental principles and not encroaching on the interests of third parties, Wang said.

    Fourth, we should set an example in promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning. China is willing to continue to advocate dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations with ASEAN countries, the foreign minister said. The two sides should jointly hold a successful Year of People-to-People Exchanges, intensify exchanges in the fields of education, youth, think tanks, media and other areas, take concrete measures to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and promote mutual understanding, friendship and integration among peoples.

    The participating countries noted that China-ASEAN cooperation is the most dynamic and fruitful. China has always been one of ASEAN’s most important dialogue partners, they said, expressing gratitude to China for supporting the association’s central position. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xizang’s first scheduled cargo flight opens

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    LHASA, July 10 (Xinhua) — China’s SF Airlines on Thursday launched a cargo flight linking Lhasa in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region and Ezhou in Hubei Province.

    The Boeing 757-200 of the company left Lhasa Konggar International Airport at 12:10 p.m., carrying agricultural products including tomatoes, chicken eggs, rapeseed oil and barley to Ezhou, becoming the first scheduled flight in Xijiang dedicated exclusively to cargo.

    According to the plan, round trip flights on this air route will be carried out once a week. The aircraft is capable of delivering more than 30 tons of cargo on the Lhasa-Ezhou route.

    The opening of the flight on the new route will make it more convenient to deliver products from Xizang not only to other regions of the country, but also beyond its borders, said Liu Shuxin, an employee of the Xizang branch of SF Airlines.

    Given Xijiang’s strategic location as the “gateway to South Asia,” the launch of the Lhasa-Ezhou route will help other regions in the country expand their supply of products to the South Asian market, he added.

    According to official data, airports in the Xizang Autonomous Region served 3.7 million passengers in the first half of this year. At the same time, the cargo turnover and the volume of parcels through them amounted to 26 thousand tons. These figures increased by 3.0 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, year-on-year. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OCEANIA/PAPAU NEW GUINEA – Blessed To Rot: An example of faith for catechists and laity

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 July 2025

    Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) – “We celebrated Blessed Peter To Rot on his feast day on July 7 in Port Moresby, with a Mass that brought before the faithful the figure of our first saint, who will be canonized next October 19. And we will continue the celebrations in the various dioceses throughout July. To Rot is for us an example of a catechist and husband: a Christian who was convinced that the personal journey of holiness is a response to the call of every baptized person. Each of us, we recall, receives this call,” Paul Sundu, Bishop of Kundiawa, who participated in the celebration in Port Moresby, which was also attended by the Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea, Msgr. Maurizio Bravi, told Fides.Bishop Sundu said that the Blessed “is an example of the faith in our country today: There are many catechists like him who continue the work of witnessing and transmitting the faith in remote places, without whom the Church’s mission would not continue.” To Rot, the bishop stated, “in a way anticipated the Second Vatican Council by living the mission of evangelization as a lay person. He became a catechist because, given the shortage of missionaries, he recognized that ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’ Today, he is an example of the laity’s participation in the Church.” Regarding the situation of the Catholic community in Papua New Guinea, the bishop said: “We are 16 million Catholics, divided into four macro-regions, in a nation that can still be called ‘Christian’: Faith is of great importance to the people.” Papua New Guinea is largely covered by tropical jungle and is inhabited by very diverse indigenous peoples. Over the past two centuries, the country has been the subject of colonial conflicts between the British, Dutch, and Germans. Foreign powers welcomed Christian missionaries, both Protestant and Catholic, who proclaimed the Gospel to the native population.”Our country is home to very diverse societies and cultures, with hundreds of ethnic groups, traditions, and religions.The challenge for the Church lies in its relationship with the many local cultures whose heritage includes practices that are contrary to Christian values, such as divorce, shamanism, and ancestor worship,” Bishop Sundu continued. “The Church’s witness and mission, on the one hand, thrive on its relationship with traditional and ancestral religions; on the other, it is confronted with secularization and modernization, which are making themselves felt in the general mentality and are particularly noticeable in the cities and among young people.” The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, he adds, “remains a credible and valued institution today, supporting the population in its development and sometimes doing more than the government, especially in areas such as education and health, thus continuing to make a significant and valuable contribution to the country’s public life.” Referring specifically to the situation in his diocese of Kundiawa, a mountain town in the heart of Simbu Province in the Central Highlands, the bishop reports how “the communities of believers are experiencing the Holy Year: especially the young people in various communities and parishes have organized the pilgrimage of the World Youth Day Cross, bringing a message of hope: the hope of living according to God’s heart, living the Gospel each in their own context and territory, in their own life situation, in their own community.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA – “Neocolonialism in fishing”: The fishing industry in West African countries is in crisis

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    photo nigrizia.it

    by Cosimo GrazianiBanjul (Agenzia Fides) – In West African countries, the local fishing industry is in crisis. European countries are also to blame for this. Gambian activist Mustapha Manneh also spoke out at the United Nations World Oceans Conference, which took place this year in Nice from June 9 to 13.The core of the problem is the fishing of local species to produce fish feed for aquaculture farms in Greece and Turkey. The phenomenon affects the entire region and has the same characteristics: local species such as sardines and bonga are caught in large quantities and processed locally into fish feed for aquaculture; the produced material is shipped to Turkey, Greece, and China (these are the currently known destinations), where it is used in fish farms. The fish produced, in the case of Turkish farms, are mainly sea bream and bass. These farmed fish reach the stores of the destination countries and the tables of consumers, unaware that the consumed fillets are causing social and economic problems for entire populations on the African continent, where in the meantime, hundreds of families have lost their only source of income. As Manneh points out, the fishermen can no longer bring home enough fish to feed their families and face ever-increasing fuel costs: Whereas they used to be able to catch large quantities of fish in a shorter time, using only 20 liters of diesel, they now have to stay away longer to ensure a sufficient catch, and the amount of fuel required has at least tripled.The fishermen are not the only ones hit hard: an entire social fabric has been affected by this problem. In Senegal and Gambia, the fish was caught by men and sold by women, a system that, in its own way, also ensured relative social and economic equality. Now that catches are scarce, markets have disappeared in many cases, along with the stalls run by women, who must now find other sources of income. Another problem that fishermen in West Africa have faced in recent years is the presence of fishing boats from other countries—for example, from China—which significantly reduces the availability of fish to catch. In Guinea-Bissau, fishing boats from other countries often use trawling, which is prohibited due to the damage it can cause to ecosystems. The presence of foreign fishing boats in African waters is often regulated by agreements such as those concluded by the European Union with these countries. According to Manneh, their presence in Gambia is viewed with growing hostility by the local population, especially young people. The EU signed the last of a long line of fishing protocols with Gambia in 2019, which expire on July 30. This protocol stipulated that vessels from Spain, Greece, and France could fish in Gambian territorial waters for an annual fee of €550,000, a fee that was intended, among other things, to finance measures to protect the marine ecosystem. Similar agreements have been concluded with other countries in the region: In the case of Guinea-Bissau, the agreement was approved by the European Parliament last April and provides for compensation of up to €100 million per year. Alongside this agreement, the Parliament adopted a recommendation calling on the European Commission and Guinea-Bissau to improve fishing controls in the African country’s territorial waters. The fishing crisis in West African countries is also fueling illegal emigration to Europe. From the coasts of Senegal, it is possible to reach the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain. While reaching the Canary Islands represents an alternative to poverty for many, others become smugglers for the same reason, earning a living by transporting migrants. In Gambia, earnings for a single trip on a boat full of migrants can reach up to €200,000, an unimaginable sum for a Gambian fisherman. (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDONESIA – Camillian Mission on the Island of Flores celebrates the feast of the Order’s founder

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 July 2025

    LG

    Maumere (Agenzia Fides) – The Camillian mission in Indonesia experiences the feast of Saint Camillus of Lellis, patron saint of the sick and healthcare workers and founder of the Order of the Sick, with great joy and gratitude.”July 14, 2025, is a historic day for the Camillian delegation in Indonesia: four new deacons will be ordained, ten religious will take temporary vows, twenty-two confreres will renew their vows, and eleven young men will be received into the novitiate,” Father Luigi Galvani (MI), Camillian missionary on the island of Flores, told Fides.The Eucharistic celebration will take place at the Camillian Philosophical and Theological Seminary in Maumere, on the island of Flores, the beating heart of the Indonesian mission. The solemn liturgy will be presided over by the Bishop of the diocese, Edwaldus Martinus Sedu, while the Provincial Superior of the Camillians, Father Evan Villanueva, and the religious from the various Camillian communities in the country will concelebrate.”These significant events,” the missionary continued, “are not mere dates, but a living testimony to the fruitfulness of the Camillian charism, present in Indonesia since 2009. In just over fifteen years, the mission has taken deep root thanks to the constant work of vocational promotion and formation, service to the sick, especially the poorest and most marginalized, and various important social projects. These include the feeding program and the new shelters for the mentally ill, who were previously chained and lived in atrocious conditions” (see Fides, 24/1/2024).”All of this stimulates us and keeps us young, so to speak,” jokes the missionary, who is over eighty years old. “We pray to Saint Camillus to continue to inspire us with renewed enthusiasm and missionary zeal.””The charism of Saint Camillus, at the center of which is merciful love for the sick, ‘like a mother towards her only sick child,’ continues to attract young people willing to give their lives in generous and radical service,” concludes Father Luigi. “On this feast day, the young Camillian mission in Indonesia thanks the Lord for the gifts received and renews its commitment to live and ever more widely spread the Gospel of charity, following the example of Saint Camillus, in a world in need of peace, solidarity, and hope.” (LG/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Goma: Relics of Blessed Floribert transferred to the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 July 2025

    Goma (Agenzia Fides) – Less than a month after the beatification ceremony at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, the mortal remains of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi were transferred from the city cemetery to a chapel dedicated to him within the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Goma.It was an intense moment of faith for the local Catholic community: more than 6,000 people attended a Mass in the square in front of the shrine, presided over by Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of Lubumbashi, President of the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo (CENCO). Eleven bishops and about 200 priests concelebrated with him.Pope Francis recognized the martyrdom of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi on November 28, 2024. And in Goma, a war-torn city where years of conflict have exacerbated social hardship, the news of the beatification and the ceremony of transferring the remains to the Shrine acted like a healing balm.Some worshipers wore colorful traditional shirts and dresses bearing the blessed’s portrait. In his homily, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu described the recognition of the martyrdom and the beatification ceremony as a “powerful wake-up call” for the entire Congolese society, which “must commit itself to the fight against corruption.”Floribert was employed in the Goma office of the Congolese Control Office (OCC) in Goma, the public body responsible for controlling the quality, quantity and conformity of goods. Quality control consisted of verifying the conformity of products with national and international regulations, through physicochemical and microbiological analysis of the samples taken.In the course of his duties, he opposed the passage of a shipment of spoiled rice from Rwanda, destined for the Congolese market, with serious consequences for the health of consumers. Despite offers of bribes from crooked traders, Floribert stubbornly refused to let the cargo pass. The offers of money then turned into threats, but the young civil servant did not give in.On July 7, 2007, unknown assailants forced him into a car. On July 9, his lifeless body was found in a vacant lot not far from the scene of the kidnapping. It was established that Floribert was tortured and beaten before being killed. Known for his devotion to God and the Catholic Church, Floribert Bwana Chui was linked to the Community of Sant’Egidio. He distinguished himself by his religious fervor and his desire to live daily according to the teachings of the Gospel. His sacrifice is compared to that of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, another Congolese martyr beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.For Congolese society, the Archbishop said, Floribert’s story is “also a message of hope.” He therefore appealed to the commitment of all believers to peace: “No matter how great the challenges we face today, we must build peace, and we must build it together.”Aline Minani, a friend of the Blessed, was also present at the ceremony. Speaking to the local press on the sidelines of the celebrations, she said: “All of this has profound meaning for the local community. What we are celebrating here can be a glimmer of hope for our region and our country.”The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is the scene of a war in which more than 100 armed groups are now involved. Clashes escalated at the beginning of this year, when the M23 movement captured the cities of Goma (see Fides, 27/1/2025) and Bukavu (see Fides, 17/2/2025). (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Erection of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya and appointment of the first bishop

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 July 2025

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has created the new diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, with territory taken from the diocese of Eldoret, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kisumu, Kenya.The Holy Father has appointed Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei, until now auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, as first bishop of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, at the same time liberating him from the titular see of Mons in Numidia.Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei was born on 15 August 1958 in Soy, in the diocese of Eldoret. He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga, and theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi.He was ordained a priest on 26 October 1985 for the diocese of Eldoret.He was awarded a doctorate in theology, specializing in liturgy, from the Universität Wien.He has held the following offices: parish vicar in Suwerwa and Chepterit (1985-1987), parish priest in Yamumbi, Suwerwa, Chepterit and Tachasis, and vicar forane of the deaneries of Kitale and Nandi (1987-1996), parish collaborator at St. Brigitta and Zum Gottlichen Erloser, in the archdiocese of Vienna (1996-2002), parish priest of St. Patrick in Kapcherop (2002-2003) and St. Boniface in Tindinyo (2003-2007), lecturer in the following institutes: AMECEA Pastoral Institute in Gaba (2003-2004); Institute of Development Studies in Kobujoi (2004-2009) and at the St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary-Tindinyo (2003-2008), parish priest of St. Peter’s in Kapsabet (2007-2008), lecturer and formator of St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo (2008-2017), rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi (2017-2023) and vicar general of Eldoret.On 27 March 2024 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, receiving the titular see of Mons in Numidia; he was ordained a bishop the following 25 May. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Erection of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya and appointment of the first bishop

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 10 July 2025

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has created the new diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, with territory taken from the diocese of Eldoret, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kisumu, Kenya.The Holy Father has appointed Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei, until now auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, as first bishop of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, at the same time liberating him from the titular see of Mons in Numidia.Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei was born on 15 August 1958 in Soy, in the diocese of Eldoret. He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga, and theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi.He was ordained a priest on 26 October 1985 for the diocese of Eldoret.He was awarded a doctorate in theology, specializing in liturgy, from the Universität Wien.He has held the following offices: parish vicar in Suwerwa and Chepterit (1985-1987), parish priest in Yamumbi, Suwerwa, Chepterit and Tachasis, and vicar forane of the deaneries of Kitale and Nandi (1987-1996), parish collaborator at St. Brigitta and Zum Gottlichen Erloser, in the archdiocese of Vienna (1996-2002), parish priest of St. Patrick in Kapcherop (2002-2003) and St. Boniface in Tindinyo (2003-2007), lecturer in the following institutes: AMECEA Pastoral Institute in Gaba (2003-2004); Institute of Development Studies in Kobujoi (2004-2009) and at the St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary-Tindinyo (2003-2008), parish priest of St. Peter’s in Kapsabet (2007-2008), lecturer and formator of St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo (2008-2017), rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi (2017-2023) and vicar general of Eldoret.On 27 March 2024 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, receiving the titular see of Mons in Numidia; he was ordained a bishop the following 25 May. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 10/7/2025)

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Celebrating 75 years of Portsmouth’s friendship with Duisburg

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth is celebrating 75 years of twinning and friendship with Duisburg and the many connections forged between the two cities over the years.

    Portsmouth schoolchildren have been busy designing Duisburg 75 logos to mark the major anniversary. And the winners – Amelie Allen and Roxanne Richardson from Springfield School – had their design engraved on a silver salver that’s ben gifted to the German city. Fellow Springfield pupils Ashmika Sujith and Emma Butcher won best concept for their design.

    The salver was presented to the Lord Mayor of Duisburg, Sören Link, as part of his recent visit to Portsmouth with a group of delegates.

    As part of the anniversary trip, Portsmouth Lord Mayor Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson joined to unveil a selection of new German books, available to borrow in Central Library, which have been funded by Snows BMW and MINI Portsmouth. Books have also gone to Portsmouth schools where German is taught, continuing a tradition of exchanging books since the cities were twinned in 1950.

    A display showing the rich history between Portsmouth and Duisburg is also available to visit in Portsmouth History Centre – located on floor 2 of Central Library, Guildhall Square.

    As part of the visit, Duisburg guests visited Southsea Food Festival, toured the new sea defences and took in other Portsmouth landmarks.

    Over 75,000 people from the two cities are estimated to have taken part in exchanges since they were officially twinned in 1950, and over 75 years, many friendships, and even families, have been created.

    Doreen from Portsmouth and Heinz from Duisburg were the first couple to marry after their cities were twinned, having met in Duisburg in 1948.  Heinz died last year aged 102 and Doreen died several years before, and their niece, Rosy Danbar, who had been researching her family history, joined the latest visit to share her family stories.

    Cllr Chris Attwell, Portsmouth City Council Cabinet Member for Communities and Central Services and chair of the twinning advisory group said:

    “Portsmouth and Duisburg were one of the very first Anglo-German twinning links following the Second World War, which left both cities crippled by bombing.

    “Once enemies, a great friendship was forged out of understanding and hope in 1950, and over 75 years that bond has grown ever stronger. Residents of both cities have made life-long friends by taking part in visits, and we look forward to many more decades of friendship together.”

    To further mark the occasion a 75th anniversary flower display has been created outside The D-Day Story museum in Southsea.

    And earlier in the summer, a group of Portsmouth City Council staff travelled to Germany to take part in the Duisburg Fun Dragonboat Regatta, the biggest in the world.

    Anyone interested in the link between the cities can join The Duisburg Portsmouth Twinning Association

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TAK£500+ Community campaign – the public has spoken!

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Stephen Moutray with participants from Bleary Primary School presenting their outdoor learning project at the recent Tak£500+ event held at South Lake Leisure Centre.

    For the last few months, communities from right across every corner of the borough have been putting forward ideas that they think will have a positive impact on their area – with over 150 applications in total coming through!

    Three incredible events were then held at different venues across the borough where these groups came along to showcase their fantastic ideas, in the hope that members of the public would vote for them to receive funding to bring their ideas to life!

    Overall, 3,423 votes were cast by you – residents of this borough – for your favourite projects. And an amazing 116 projects have received funding to the tune of over £114,000 to carry out their projects for the benefit of their communities!

    This was all made possible through the ‘TAK£500+ Participatory Budget Fund’ – a project that has enabled local people to decide how public funds are used to address needs in their area. Communities were able to apply for up to £1,000, with local residents deciding which projects should go ahead!

    The variety of successful projects is quite simply amazing and includes sporting activities for all ages, community gardens, intergenerational initiatives, projects to protect our industrial heritage and so much more!

    “This the fourth year of the Tak£500+ Project and the response this time was even bigger and better,” commented the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Stephen Moutray.

    “We were delighted to see so many residents getting involved – both with ideas for projects as well has coming out to cast their votes. The variety of ideas that were put forward and the reasons why were truly inspirational in how they will benefit communities. I can’t wait to see these projects coming to life over the next few months and seeing the impact they will have across the borough!”

    All ideas were based around the ‘Take 5 Ways of Wellbeing’ – five simple steps to help maintain and improve your wellbeing on a daily basis.

    View the list of successful projects here. 

    Find out more about Tak£500+ here. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Get up and go with free family activities

    Source: City of Leicester

    FREE family activities will be on offer in neighbourhoods across Leicester throughout the summer holidays.

    From Monday 14th July until Friday 22nd August, the city council’s Get Up & Go programme will offer a range of activities at  children, young people and family centres across the city.

    Aimed at children aged 0-11 years, the programme will include lots of outdoor fun, arts and crafts, story time and sensory play.

    There will also be plenty of indoor creative play and lots of opportunities to join in with Story Garden, this year’s nature-themed summer reading challenge.

    On Mondays, there will be Get Up & Go activities on offer at St Matthews, Saffron, Thurnby Lodge and Woodbridge; on Tuesdays at Bewcastle and on Wednesdays at Beaumont Leys. On Thursdays, families can get up and go at centres in Netherhall, New Parks, Belgrave and Highfields, as well as again at Beaumont Leys. On Fridays, there’s a chance to get up and go in Eyres Monsell or at The Grove in Braunstone.

    Times vary at each venue, so check the timetable or call your local children’s centre for details.

    A whole week of special activities will also mark National Playday this summer. Playday activities will take place across all children’s centres on the week beginning Monday 4 August, and will include outdoor games, songs and a baby area.

    The city council’s Get Up & Go programme aims to encourage families to get out and about and enjoy the outdoor spaces around them.

    Assistant city mayor for children and young people, Cllr Elaine Pantling, said: “We know it can be tricky to keep children entertained during the long summer holidays, and that it can be a drain on family finances. Our Get up and go sessions are aimed at a wide age range, they’re free and they take place in neighbourhoods across the city to make them easily accessible for as many families as possible.

    “I hope these events will also give families lots of ideas and inspiration for their own low-cost play activities to try at home, as well as encouraging them to get out and about to enjoy the summer.”

    More information is available at https://families.leicester.gov.uk/get-up-and-go/ and on Facebook at facebook.com/leicesterchildrenscentres

    Details of all the free and low-cost activities taking place at city council venues and other city centre locations are available at https://families.leicester.gov.uk/summer-fun

    Listings are provided for each week of the school holidays, making it easy for families to find a free or low-cost activity in Leicester this summer.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Enphase Energy Expands IQ EV Charger 2 in Europe with New Markets, Certifications, and Smart Meter Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREMONT, Calif., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, today announced that production shipments of its newest electric vehicle (EV) charger, the IQ® EV Charger 2, have expanded across Europe to now include Greece, Romania, Ireland, and Poland. The IQ EV Charger 2 is a smart charger designed to work seamlessly with Enphase solar and battery systems or as a powerful standalone charger. Additionally, in France, the IQ EV Charger 2 has received one of the country’s highest quality standards, the E.V. READY certification, and can now integrate with the “Linky” meter to enable dynamic load balancing for standalone charger installations.

    The Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 is designed to deliver high performance, intelligent energy management, and exceptional flexibility for homeowners and fleets. It supports both single-phase and three-phase wiring with configurable power up to 32 A per phase and features automatic phase switching to enable charging with as little as 1.38 kW of solar production. Smart features include AI-powered optimization using real-time rates and forecasts, dynamic load balancing, and a certified MID energy meter for accurate tracking. The charger is also future-ready, with built-in hardware and software to support AC bidirectional charging for potential vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.

    The IQ EV Charger 2 is available in socketed and tethered variants, featuring a rugged Type-2 connector that is fully compatible with the majority of EVs sold in Europe. Installation is fast and efficient, featuring a 7.5-meter cable for added flexibility and a streamlined setup process that minimizes labor time and installation costs. It is housed in an IP55-rated enclosure, making it weatherproof and safe for indoor and outdoor installations. All IQ EV Charger 2 products activated in Greece, Romania, Ireland, and Poland are backed by an industry-leading five-year warranty and 24/7 customer support from Enphase – ensuring exceptional peace of mind.

    “The Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 uses solar power to help homeowners reduce costs and grid reliance,” said Tomasz Noga, owner of iPowerInstall, an installer of Enphase products in Poland. “It integrates seamlessly with the rest of the Enphase Energy System.”

    The IQ EV Charger 2 now also integrates with the Linky meter, enabling dynamic load balancing for standalone EV charger installations. The Linky meter is France’s leading smart electricity meter technology, developed by Enedis, the country’s main electricity distribution system operator. The IQ EV Charger 2 connects via USB to the Linky meter and reads the entire home consumption data. It dynamically adjusts the EV charging rate based on the total home consumption shared by the meter.

    The IQ EV Charger 2 has received the E.V. READY certification, which is the leading standard for EV charging in France. E.V. READY is designed to help ensure product reliability, safety, and long-term compatibility with a wide range of EVs and smart home systems. Certification from ASEFA, the independent body that administers the program, signifies rigorous compliance with industry benchmarks for manufacturing, performance, and interoperability with vehicles and grids.

    “The new certification and integrations reinforce the high quality of the Enphase IQ EV Charger 2,” said Mickaêl Garcia, general manager at NRJ Ingénierie, an installer of Enphase products in France. “It gives our customers additional confidence in the product’s long-term reliability and compatibility with future energy systems.”

    “Our IQ EV Charger 2 is designed for performance, safety, and reliability, and is now officially certified to meet these key values,” said Jayant Somani, senior vice president and general manager of the digital business unit at Enphase Energy. “Expanding to more European countries accelerates Enphase’s growth strategy, allowing us to bring comprehensive energy management solutions to these dynamic markets as homeowners increasingly demand an intelligent, integrated charging technology. The E.V. READY certification helps give our customers and partners greater peace of mind that the charger can perform in harmony with local grid requirements and future energy technologies in Europe.”

    Enphase launched the IQ EV Charger 2 in 14 European markets in March 2025. For more information about the IQ EV Charger 2 launch, please visit the Enphase websites for Greece, Romania, Ireland, and Poland.

    About Enphase Energy, Inc.

    Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company based in Fremont, CA, is the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems that enable people to harness the sun to make, use, save, and sell their own power—and control it all with a smart mobile app. The company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter-based technology and builds all-in-one solar, battery, and software solutions. Enphase has shipped approximately 81.5 million microinverters, and approximately 4.8 million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in over 160 countries. For more information, visit https://enphase.com/.

    ©2025 Enphase Energy, Inc. All rights reserved. Enphase Energy, Enphase, the “e” logo, IQ, IQ8, and certain other marks listed at https://enphase.com/trademark-usage-guidelines are trademarks or service marks of Enphase Energy, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected capabilities and performance of Enphase Energy’s technology and products, including safety, quality, and reliability; and expectations regarding the features of the IQ EV Charger 2 . These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase Energy’s current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphase Energy’s most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other documents filed by Enphase Energy from time to time with the SEC. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Enphase Energy

    press@enphaseenergy.com

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government seeks new BSL Advisory Board members to break down barriers to opportunity faced by Deaf people

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government seeks new BSL Advisory Board members to break down barriers to opportunity faced by Deaf people

    The British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board is recruiting for a new co-chair and 15 new board members.

    The image shows a meeting of the BSL Advisory Board in progress. It includes members of the Board and The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP.

    • Applications are now open for 15 new Board members and a new co-chair
    • Current terms for BSL Advisory Board members are due to end 31 December 2025
    • BSL Advisory Board plays a vital role in advising the government

    The British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board is recruiting for a new co-chair and 15 new board members.

    The terms of the current chair and members are due to run out on 31 December 2025 after members were recruited for a 3-year term in 2022.

    The BSL Advisory Board chair advert will be live for 4 weeks, and the BSL Advisory Board member advert will be live for 6 weeks.

    Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP, said:

    This Government is committed to championing the rights of BSL users and Deaf people.

    The BSL Advisory Board plays an integral role in advising the government on the day to day issues that Deaf people face and we will work closely with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do.

    I look forward to continuing to work with the Board to deliver on our shared goals of breaking down barriers to opportunity for BSL users.

    Following the passage of the BSL Act, the BSL Advisory Board was created to advise the government on key issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life.

    It is the first dual language board advising the UK government, and operates in both BSL and English. The Board meets regularly and has established subgroups to focus on particular priorities including education and health and social care.

    The Board has also established 2 short term working groups focussing on the Deafblind interpreter shortage and accessible technology.

    Guided by lived experience, the BSL Advisory Board is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. It ensures the government meets its BSL Act duties, advising on key issues for Deaf people in education, health, technology, and Deafblindness.

    The government is committed to a fair, open recruitment process, welcoming diverse skills and perspectives from across Great Britain, particularly under-represented groups.

    BSL version of this press release

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8n-3IdxhgY

    Notes to editors

    An online webinar will be hosted by the Disability Unit to inform the Deaf community about the board member role and the recruitment process. Interpreters will be provided for this event.

    Recruitment will be conducted in both BSL and English and applications will be welcomed in both languages.

    Apply to be a BSL Advisory Board member or co-chair – GOV.UK

    British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board: meeting summaries – GOV.UK

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: China honors international contributors to cultural exchange

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

    BEIJING, July 10 — The second Orchid Awards ceremony was held in Beijing on Thursday, honoring China’s foreign friends and organizations that have promoted the shared values of humanity, facilitated cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world, and strengthened popular support for jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity.

    Among the awardees were nine foreign nationals, including Irina Bokova from Bulgaria, Rashid Alimov from Tajikistan and Maxime Vivas from France. The Philadelphia Orchestra from the United States also received the award.

    In their remarks, awardees stressed the importance of cultural dialogue in a world facing growing uncertainty. They said that the world should seek common ground while shelving differences, deepen mutual learning, and make a shared commitment to peace and cooperation.

    Hosted by the China International Communication Group, the event drew over 300 participants from relevant central departments, international organizations, diplomatic envoys in China, and representatives of Chinese and foreign think tanks and media organizations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Capital City Bank Announces Appointment of William G. Smith III to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital City Bank is pleased to announce William G. Smith III has joined its board of directors, continuing a family legacy spanning four generations. Smith, who is now in his 18th year of service with Capital City Bank, is chief lending officer responsible for driving the lending strategies of the Bank.

    “We are pleased to welcome William to our board of directors,” said Tom Barron, Capital City Bank Group president and chairman of the Capital City Bank Board of Directors. “I have had the privilege of working alongside William throughout his entire career at Capital City Bank, and I have witnessed firsthand his growth, dedication and leadership. His experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of our business will be invaluable as the Bank continues to grow and evolve.”

    With this appointment, Smith continues a proud family legacy, becoming the fourth generation of Smiths to serve on the Capital City Bank Board of Directors. The tradition began in 1919 with the appointment of William Henry Smith. In 1937, his widow, Fanny Smith, was elected to the board alongside her son, Godfrey Smith, who dedicated 62 years to Capital City Bank. The current Capital City Bank Group Chairman and CEO, William G. Smith Jr., began his career with Capital City Bank in 1978 and was elected to the board in 1995.

    Smith joined Capital City Bank in 2007 and has since developed expertise in a range of specialties, including small business, commercial banking, special assets and private banking. He has held several key leadership roles over his tenure, gradually expanding his sphere of responsibility. As a market president from 2020 until 2023, Smith led the revenue and lending functions for Leon County. In 2023, he was promoted to North Florida Region executive, overseeing an operational area that included Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties in Florida and Grady County in Georgia. In January of 2025, he was appointed to chief lending officer, where he now leads the Bank’s lending strategies and operations.

    About Capital City Bank Group, Inc.
    Capital City Bank Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCBG) is one of the largest publicly traded financial holding companies headquartered in Florida and has approximately $4.5 billion in assets. We provide a full range of banking services, including traditional deposit and credit services, mortgage banking, asset management, trust, merchant services, bankcards, securities brokerage services and financial advisory services, including the sale of life insurance, risk management and asset protection services. Our bank subsidiary, Capital City Bank, was founded in 1895 and now has 62 banking offices and 105 ATMs/ITMs in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. For more information about Capital City Bank Group, Inc., www.ccbg.com.

    For Information Contact:
    Brooke Hallock
    Hallock.Brooke@ccbg.com
    850.402.8525

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/43393291-5cbd-44e6-980e-af7a36f76ab9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AleAnna, Inc. Announces Strong Early Production and Revenue Results at Longanesi Field

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • AleAnna and its partner Societa Padana Energia have recorded more than 6 weeks of continuous production history at the Longanesi Field, with steadily growing daily rates.
    • Results have been above expectations, with a stabilized natural gas production rate of approximately 28 MM cubic feet per day, which was achieved well ahead of the anticipated 3-month timeline for this milestone.
    • Strong natural gas prices in Italy, averaging about $13.50 / Mcf over the last 6 weeks, are providing AleAnna > $100,000 / day in revenues.
    • The European Union’s (EU) stated goal of eliminating Russian natural gas imports by year-end 2027 should create a longer-term demand for domestic natural gas in Italy.

    DALLAS and ROME, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AleAnna, Inc. (“AleAnna” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: ANNA) is pleased to announce strong early performance from the Longanesi Field. All five wells in the Phase 1 development are contributing to current daily production averaging 28 million cubic feet per day, which was AleAnna’s budgeted maximum rate for 2025. While striving to prevent damage to the reservoirs from early over-production, the impressive growth rate in daily production over the first 6 full weeks of production nonetheless signals potential for the Phase 1 development to outperform initial expectations.

    Combined with average Italian natural gas prices over this 6-week period of about $13.50 per thousand cubic feet, current production is generating in excess of $100,000 in revenue per day net to AleAnna’s account. In addition, the Company expects further expansions of reserves and additional increases in daily production, highlighting Longanesi’s importance as a driver of mid-to-longer term growth for AleAnna.

    Advantaged Natural Gas Environment in the EU
    About 20% of the EU’s natural gas supply continues to come from Russia. As part of a broader plan to improve energy security and independence, the EU has stated an overarching goal to completely eliminate Russian natural gas supply by year-end 2027. The need to replace this supply, combined with gas storage levels at 34% of capacity, has created an increased demand for new sources of domestic natural gas and a near-to-mid-term increase in the price of natural gas in the EU.

    AleAnna is committed to strengthening Italy’s long-term energy security while supporting the global transition to cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy. By advancing current and future investments at Longanesi, AleAnna aims to address the gap in natural gas supply left by the loss of Russian natural gas imports.

    Management Commentary
    Marco Brun, Chief Executive Officer of AleAnna, emphasized the importance of the positive early results from Longanesi, stating: “Strong early results from Longanesi are a signal of AleAnna’s growth potential and profitability. With an advantaged environment for natural gas producers in the EU, and the opportunity to further grow our Longanesi production, we are excited about the future of the Company.”

    About AleAnna
    AleAnna is a technology-driven energy company focused on bringing sustainability and new supplies of low-carbon natural gas and RNG to Italy, aligning traditional energy operations with renewable solutions, with developments like the Longanesi field leading the way in supporting a responsible energy transition. With three conventional gas discoveries in Italy already made and fourteen new natural gas exploration projects planned this decade, AleAnna plays a pivotal role in Italy’s energy transition. Italy’s extensive infrastructure, featuring 33,000 kilometers of gas pipelines, three major gas storage facilities, and a strong base of existing RNG facilities, aligns with AleAnna’s commitment to sustainability. AleAnna’s RNG projects’ portfolio includes three plants under development and almost 100 projects representing approximately €1.1 billion potential investment in the next few years. AleAnna operates regional headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and Rome, Italy.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    The information included herein contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Certain statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included herein regarding AleAnna’s future operations, financial position, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. When used herein, including any statements made in connection herewith, the words “could,” “should,” “will,” “may,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. However, not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on AleAnna’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of its business, future plans and strategies, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of AleAnna’s control. AleAnna’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those under “Risk Factors” in AleAnna’s definitive proxy statement/prospectus filed by AleAnna with the SEC on November 21, 2024, as well as general economic conditions; AleAnna’s need for additional capital; risks associated with the growth of AleAnna’s business; and changes in the regulatory environment in which AleAnna operates. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact AleAnna’s expectations and projections can be found in filings it makes with the SEC, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by AleAnna. SEC filings are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, AleAnna disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

    Investor Relations Contact
    Bill Dirks
    wkdirks@aleannagroup.com

    Website
    https://www.aleannainc.com/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Attacks that leverage malicious open-source packages are becoming a major and growing threat. This type of attacks currently seems commonplace, with reports of infected packages in repositories like PyPI or npm appearing almost daily. It would seem that increased scrutiny from researchers on these repositories should have long ago minimized the profits for cybercriminals trying to make a fortune from malicious packages. However, our investigation into a recent cyberincident once again confirmed that open-source packages remain an attractive way for attackers to make easy money.

    Infected out of nowhere

    In June 2025, a blockchain developer from Russia reached out to us after falling victim to a cyberattack. He’d had around $500,000 in crypto assets stolen from him. Surprisingly, the victim’s operating system had been installed only a few days prior. Nothing but essential and popular apps had been downloaded to the machine. The developer was well aware of the cybersecurity risks associated with crypto transactions, so he was vigilant and carefully reviewed his every step while working online. Additionally, he used free online services for malware detection to protect his system, but no commercial antivirus software.

    The circumstances of the infection piqued our interest, and we decided to investigate the origins of the incident. After obtaining a disk image of the infected system, we began our analysis.

    Syntax highlighting with a catch

    As we examined the files on the disk, a file named extension.js caught our attention. We found it at %userprofile%.cursorextensionssolidityai.solidity-1.0.9-universalsrcextension.js. Below is a snippet of its content:

    A request sent by the extension to the server

    This screenshot clearly shows the code requesting and executing a PowerShell script from the web server angelic[.]su: a sure sign of malware.

    It turned out that extension.js was a component of the Solidity Language extension for the Cursor AI IDE, which is based on Visual Studio Code and designed for AI-assisted development. The extension is available in the Open VSX registry, used by Cursor AI, and was published about two months ago. At the time this research, the extension had been downloaded 54,000 times. The figure was likely inflated. According to the description, the extension offers numerous features to optimize work with Solidity smart contract code, specifically syntax highlighting:

    The extension’s description in the Open VSX registry

    We analyzed the code of every version of this extension and confirmed that it was a fake: neither syntax highlighting nor any of the other claimed features were implemented in any version. The extension has nothing to do with smart contracts. All it does is download and execute malicious code from the aforementioned web server. Furthermore, we discovered that the description of the malicious plugin was copied by the attackers from the page of a legitimate extension, which had 61,000 downloads.

    How the extension got on the computer

    So, we found that the malicious extension had 54,000 downloads, while the legitimate one had 61,000. But how did the attackers manage to lull the developer’s vigilance? Why would he download a malicious extension with fewer downloads than the original?

    We found out that while trying to install a Solidity code syntax highlighter, the developer searched the extension registry for solidity. This query returned the following:

    Search results for “solidity”: the malicious (red) and legitimate (green) extensions

    In the search results, the malicious extension appeared fourth, while the legitimate one was only in eighth place. Thus, while reviewing the search results, the developer clicked the first extension in the list with a significant number of downloads – which unfortunately proved to be the malicious one.

    The ranking algorithm trap

    How did the malicious extension appear higher in search results than the legitimate one, especially considering it had fewer downloads? It turns out the Open VSX registry ranks search results by relevance, which considers multiple factors, such as the extension rating, how recently it was published or updated, the total number of downloads, and whether the extension is verified. Consequently, the ranking is determined by a combination of factors: for example, an extension with a low number of downloads can still appear near the top of search results if that metric is offset by its recency. This is exactly what happened with the malicious plugin: the fake extension’s last update date was June 15, 2025, while the legitimate one was last updated on May 30, 2025. Thus, due to the overall mix of factors, the malicious extension’s relevance surpassed that of the original, which allowed the attackers to promote the fake extension in the search results.

    The developer, who fell into the ranking algorithm trap, didn’t get the functionality he wanted: the extension didn’t do any syntax highlighting in Solidity. The victim mistook this for a bug, which he decided to investigate later, and continued his work. Meanwhile, the extension quietly installed malware on his computer.

    From PowerShell scripts to remote control

    As mentioned above, when the malicious plugin was activated, it downloaded a PowerShell script from https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt.

    The PowerShell script contents

    The script checks if the ScreenConnect remote management software is installed on the computer. If not, it downloads a second malicious PowerShell script from: https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt. This new script then downloads the ScreenConnect installer to the infected computer from https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest and runs it. From that point on, the attackers can control the infected computer via the newly installed software, which is configured to communicate with the C2 server relay.lmfao[.]su.

    Data theft

    Further analysis revealed that the attackers used ScreenConnect to upload three VBScripts to the compromised machine:

    • a.vbs
    • b.vbs
    • m.vbs

    Each of these downloaded a PowerShell script from the text-sharing service paste.ee. The download URL was obfuscated, as shown in the image below:

    The obfuscated URL for downloading the PowerShell script

    The downloaded PowerShell script then retrieved an image from archive[.]org. A loader known as VMDetector was then extracted from this image. VMDetector attacks were previously observed in phishing campaigns that targeted entities in Latin America. The loader downloaded and ran the final payload from paste.ee.

    Our analysis of the VBScripts determined that the following payloads were downloaded to the infected computer:

    • Quasar open-source backdoor (via a.vbs and b.vbs),
    • Stealer that collected data from browsers, email clients, and crypto wallets (via m.vbs). Kaspersky products detect this malware as HEUR:Trojan-PSW.MSIL.PureLogs.gen.

    Both implants communicated with the C2 server 144.172.112[.]84, which resolved to relay.lmfao[.]su at the time of our analysis. With these tools, the attackers successfully obtained passphrases for the developer’s wallets and then syphoned off cryptocurrency.

    New malicious package

    The malicious plugin didn’t last long in the extension store and was taken down on July 2, 2025. By that time, it had already been detected not only by us as we investigated the incident but also by other researchers. However, the attackers continued their campaign: just one day after the removal, they published another malicious package named “solidity”, this time exactly replicating the name of the original legitimate extension. The functionality of the fake remained unchanged: the plugin downloaded a malicious PowerShell script onto the victim’s device. However, the attackers sought to inflate the number of downloads dramatically. The new extension was supposedly downloaded around two million times. The following results appeared up until recently when users searched for solidity within the Cursor AI development environment (the plugin is currently removed thanks to our efforts).

    Updated search results for “solidity”

    The updated search results showed the legitimate and malicious extensions appearing side-by-side in the search rankings, occupying the seventh and eighth positions respectively. The developer names look identical at first glance, but the legitimate package was uploaded by juanblanco, while the malicious one was uploaded by juanbIanco. The font used by Cursor AI makes the lowercase letter l and uppercase I appear identical.

    Therefore, the search results displayed two seemingly identical extensions: the legitimate one with 61,000 downloads and the malicious one with two million downloads. Which one would the user choose to install? Making the right choice becomes a real challenge.

    Similar cyberattacks

    It’s worth noting that the Solidity extensions we uncovered are not the only malicious packages published by the attackers behind this operation. We used our open-source package monitoring tool to find a malicious npm package called “solsafe”. It uses the URL https://staketree[.]net/1.txt to download ScreenConnect. In this campaign, it’s also configured to use relay.lmfao[.]su for communication with the attackers.

    We also discovered that April and May 2025 saw three malicious Visual Studio Code extensions published: solaibot, among-eth, and blankebesxstnion. The infection method used in these threats is strikingly similar to the one we described above. In fact, we found almost identical functionality in their malicious scripts.

    Scripts downloaded by the VS Code extension (left) vs. Solidity Language (right)

    In addition, all of the listed extensions perform the same malicious actions during execution, namely:

    • Download PowerShell scripts named 1.txt and 2.txt.
    • Use a VBScript with an obfuscated URL to download a payload from paste.ee.
    • Download an image with a payload from archive.org.

    This leads us to conclude that these infection schemes are currently being widely used to attack blockchain developers. We believe the attackers won’t stop with the Solidity extensions or the solsafe package that we found.

    Takeaways

    Malicious packages continue to pose a significant threat to the crypto industry. Many projects today rely on open-source tools downloaded from package repositories. Unfortunately, packages from these repositories are often a source of malware infections. Therefore, we recommend extreme caution when downloading any tools. Always verify that the package you’re downloading isn’t a fake. If a package doesn’t work as advertised after you install it, be suspicious and check the downloaded source code.

    In many cases, malware installed via fake open-source packages is well-known, and modern cybersecurity solutions can effectively block it. Even experienced developers must not neglect security solutions, as these can help prevent an attack in case a malicious package is installed.

    Indicators of compromise

    Hashes of malicious JS files
    2c471e265409763024cdc33579c84d88d5aaf9aea1911266b875d3b7604a0eeb
    404dd413f10ccfeea23bfb00b0e403532fa8651bfb456d84b6a16953355a800a
    70309bf3d2aed946bba51fc3eedb2daa3e8044b60151f0b5c1550831fbc6df17
    84d4a4c6d7e55e201b20327ca2068992180d9ec08a6827faa4ff3534b96c3d6f
    eb5b35057dedb235940b2c41da9e3ae0553969f1c89a16e3f66ba6f6005c6fa8
    f4721f32b8d6eb856364327c21ea3c703f1787cfb4c043f87435a8876d903b2c

    Network indicators
    https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt
    https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/1.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/2.txt
    https://relay.lmfao[.]su
    https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest
    144.172.112[.]84

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Attacks that leverage malicious open-source packages are becoming a major and growing threat. This type of attacks currently seems commonplace, with reports of infected packages in repositories like PyPI or npm appearing almost daily. It would seem that increased scrutiny from researchers on these repositories should have long ago minimized the profits for cybercriminals trying to make a fortune from malicious packages. However, our investigation into a recent cyberincident once again confirmed that open-source packages remain an attractive way for attackers to make easy money.

    Infected out of nowhere

    In June 2025, a blockchain developer from Russia reached out to us after falling victim to a cyberattack. He’d had around $500,000 in crypto assets stolen from him. Surprisingly, the victim’s operating system had been installed only a few days prior. Nothing but essential and popular apps had been downloaded to the machine. The developer was well aware of the cybersecurity risks associated with crypto transactions, so he was vigilant and carefully reviewed his every step while working online. Additionally, he used free online services for malware detection to protect his system, but no commercial antivirus software.

    The circumstances of the infection piqued our interest, and we decided to investigate the origins of the incident. After obtaining a disk image of the infected system, we began our analysis.

    Syntax highlighting with a catch

    As we examined the files on the disk, a file named extension.js caught our attention. We found it at %userprofile%.cursorextensionssolidityai.solidity-1.0.9-universalsrcextension.js. Below is a snippet of its content:

    A request sent by the extension to the server

    This screenshot clearly shows the code requesting and executing a PowerShell script from the web server angelic[.]su: a sure sign of malware.

    It turned out that extension.js was a component of the Solidity Language extension for the Cursor AI IDE, which is based on Visual Studio Code and designed for AI-assisted development. The extension is available in the Open VSX registry, used by Cursor AI, and was published about two months ago. At the time this research, the extension had been downloaded 54,000 times. The figure was likely inflated. According to the description, the extension offers numerous features to optimize work with Solidity smart contract code, specifically syntax highlighting:

    The extension’s description in the Open VSX registry

    We analyzed the code of every version of this extension and confirmed that it was a fake: neither syntax highlighting nor any of the other claimed features were implemented in any version. The extension has nothing to do with smart contracts. All it does is download and execute malicious code from the aforementioned web server. Furthermore, we discovered that the description of the malicious plugin was copied by the attackers from the page of a legitimate extension, which had 61,000 downloads.

    How the extension got on the computer

    So, we found that the malicious extension had 54,000 downloads, while the legitimate one had 61,000. But how did the attackers manage to lull the developer’s vigilance? Why would he download a malicious extension with fewer downloads than the original?

    We found out that while trying to install a Solidity code syntax highlighter, the developer searched the extension registry for solidity. This query returned the following:

    Search results for “solidity”: the malicious (red) and legitimate (green) extensions

    In the search results, the malicious extension appeared fourth, while the legitimate one was only in eighth place. Thus, while reviewing the search results, the developer clicked the first extension in the list with a significant number of downloads – which unfortunately proved to be the malicious one.

    The ranking algorithm trap

    How did the malicious extension appear higher in search results than the legitimate one, especially considering it had fewer downloads? It turns out the Open VSX registry ranks search results by relevance, which considers multiple factors, such as the extension rating, how recently it was published or updated, the total number of downloads, and whether the extension is verified. Consequently, the ranking is determined by a combination of factors: for example, an extension with a low number of downloads can still appear near the top of search results if that metric is offset by its recency. This is exactly what happened with the malicious plugin: the fake extension’s last update date was June 15, 2025, while the legitimate one was last updated on May 30, 2025. Thus, due to the overall mix of factors, the malicious extension’s relevance surpassed that of the original, which allowed the attackers to promote the fake extension in the search results.

    The developer, who fell into the ranking algorithm trap, didn’t get the functionality he wanted: the extension didn’t do any syntax highlighting in Solidity. The victim mistook this for a bug, which he decided to investigate later, and continued his work. Meanwhile, the extension quietly installed malware on his computer.

    From PowerShell scripts to remote control

    As mentioned above, when the malicious plugin was activated, it downloaded a PowerShell script from https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt.

    The PowerShell script contents

    The script checks if the ScreenConnect remote management software is installed on the computer. If not, it downloads a second malicious PowerShell script from: https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt. This new script then downloads the ScreenConnect installer to the infected computer from https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest and runs it. From that point on, the attackers can control the infected computer via the newly installed software, which is configured to communicate with the C2 server relay.lmfao[.]su.

    Data theft

    Further analysis revealed that the attackers used ScreenConnect to upload three VBScripts to the compromised machine:

    • a.vbs
    • b.vbs
    • m.vbs

    Each of these downloaded a PowerShell script from the text-sharing service paste.ee. The download URL was obfuscated, as shown in the image below:

    The obfuscated URL for downloading the PowerShell script

    The downloaded PowerShell script then retrieved an image from archive[.]org. A loader known as VMDetector was then extracted from this image. VMDetector attacks were previously observed in phishing campaigns that targeted entities in Latin America. The loader downloaded and ran the final payload from paste.ee.

    Our analysis of the VBScripts determined that the following payloads were downloaded to the infected computer:

    • Quasar open-source backdoor (via a.vbs and b.vbs),
    • Stealer that collected data from browsers, email clients, and crypto wallets (via m.vbs). Kaspersky products detect this malware as HEUR:Trojan-PSW.MSIL.PureLogs.gen.

    Both implants communicated with the C2 server 144.172.112[.]84, which resolved to relay.lmfao[.]su at the time of our analysis. With these tools, the attackers successfully obtained passphrases for the developer’s wallets and then syphoned off cryptocurrency.

    New malicious package

    The malicious plugin didn’t last long in the extension store and was taken down on July 2, 2025. By that time, it had already been detected not only by us as we investigated the incident but also by other researchers. However, the attackers continued their campaign: just one day after the removal, they published another malicious package named “solidity”, this time exactly replicating the name of the original legitimate extension. The functionality of the fake remained unchanged: the plugin downloaded a malicious PowerShell script onto the victim’s device. However, the attackers sought to inflate the number of downloads dramatically. The new extension was supposedly downloaded around two million times. The following results appeared up until recently when users searched for solidity within the Cursor AI development environment (the plugin is currently removed thanks to our efforts).

    Updated search results for “solidity”

    The updated search results showed the legitimate and malicious extensions appearing side-by-side in the search rankings, occupying the seventh and eighth positions respectively. The developer names look identical at first glance, but the legitimate package was uploaded by juanblanco, while the malicious one was uploaded by juanbIanco. The font used by Cursor AI makes the lowercase letter l and uppercase I appear identical.

    Therefore, the search results displayed two seemingly identical extensions: the legitimate one with 61,000 downloads and the malicious one with two million downloads. Which one would the user choose to install? Making the right choice becomes a real challenge.

    Similar cyberattacks

    It’s worth noting that the Solidity extensions we uncovered are not the only malicious packages published by the attackers behind this operation. We used our open-source package monitoring tool to find a malicious npm package called “solsafe”. It uses the URL https://staketree[.]net/1.txt to download ScreenConnect. In this campaign, it’s also configured to use relay.lmfao[.]su for communication with the attackers.

    We also discovered that April and May 2025 saw three malicious Visual Studio Code extensions published: solaibot, among-eth, and blankebesxstnion. The infection method used in these threats is strikingly similar to the one we described above. In fact, we found almost identical functionality in their malicious scripts.

    Scripts downloaded by the VS Code extension (left) vs. Solidity Language (right)

    In addition, all of the listed extensions perform the same malicious actions during execution, namely:

    • Download PowerShell scripts named 1.txt and 2.txt.
    • Use a VBScript with an obfuscated URL to download a payload from paste.ee.
    • Download an image with a payload from archive.org.

    This leads us to conclude that these infection schemes are currently being widely used to attack blockchain developers. We believe the attackers won’t stop with the Solidity extensions or the solsafe package that we found.

    Takeaways

    Malicious packages continue to pose a significant threat to the crypto industry. Many projects today rely on open-source tools downloaded from package repositories. Unfortunately, packages from these repositories are often a source of malware infections. Therefore, we recommend extreme caution when downloading any tools. Always verify that the package you’re downloading isn’t a fake. If a package doesn’t work as advertised after you install it, be suspicious and check the downloaded source code.

    In many cases, malware installed via fake open-source packages is well-known, and modern cybersecurity solutions can effectively block it. Even experienced developers must not neglect security solutions, as these can help prevent an attack in case a malicious package is installed.

    Indicators of compromise

    Hashes of malicious JS files
    2c471e265409763024cdc33579c84d88d5aaf9aea1911266b875d3b7604a0eeb
    404dd413f10ccfeea23bfb00b0e403532fa8651bfb456d84b6a16953355a800a
    70309bf3d2aed946bba51fc3eedb2daa3e8044b60151f0b5c1550831fbc6df17
    84d4a4c6d7e55e201b20327ca2068992180d9ec08a6827faa4ff3534b96c3d6f
    eb5b35057dedb235940b2c41da9e3ae0553969f1c89a16e3f66ba6f6005c6fa8
    f4721f32b8d6eb856364327c21ea3c703f1787cfb4c043f87435a8876d903b2c

    Network indicators
    https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt
    https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/1.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/2.txt
    https://relay.lmfao[.]su
    https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest
    144.172.112[.]84

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Code highlighting with Cursor AI for $500,000

    Attacks that leverage malicious open-source packages are becoming a major and growing threat. This type of attacks currently seems commonplace, with reports of infected packages in repositories like PyPI or npm appearing almost daily. It would seem that increased scrutiny from researchers on these repositories should have long ago minimized the profits for cybercriminals trying to make a fortune from malicious packages. However, our investigation into a recent cyberincident once again confirmed that open-source packages remain an attractive way for attackers to make easy money.

    Infected out of nowhere

    In June 2025, a blockchain developer from Russia reached out to us after falling victim to a cyberattack. He’d had around $500,000 in crypto assets stolen from him. Surprisingly, the victim’s operating system had been installed only a few days prior. Nothing but essential and popular apps had been downloaded to the machine. The developer was well aware of the cybersecurity risks associated with crypto transactions, so he was vigilant and carefully reviewed his every step while working online. Additionally, he used free online services for malware detection to protect his system, but no commercial antivirus software.

    The circumstances of the infection piqued our interest, and we decided to investigate the origins of the incident. After obtaining a disk image of the infected system, we began our analysis.

    Syntax highlighting with a catch

    As we examined the files on the disk, a file named extension.js caught our attention. We found it at %userprofile%.cursorextensionssolidityai.solidity-1.0.9-universalsrcextension.js. Below is a snippet of its content:

    A request sent by the extension to the server

    This screenshot clearly shows the code requesting and executing a PowerShell script from the web server angelic[.]su: a sure sign of malware.

    It turned out that extension.js was a component of the Solidity Language extension for the Cursor AI IDE, which is based on Visual Studio Code and designed for AI-assisted development. The extension is available in the Open VSX registry, used by Cursor AI, and was published about two months ago. At the time this research, the extension had been downloaded 54,000 times. The figure was likely inflated. According to the description, the extension offers numerous features to optimize work with Solidity smart contract code, specifically syntax highlighting:

    The extension’s description in the Open VSX registry

    We analyzed the code of every version of this extension and confirmed that it was a fake: neither syntax highlighting nor any of the other claimed features were implemented in any version. The extension has nothing to do with smart contracts. All it does is download and execute malicious code from the aforementioned web server. Furthermore, we discovered that the description of the malicious plugin was copied by the attackers from the page of a legitimate extension, which had 61,000 downloads.

    How the extension got on the computer

    So, we found that the malicious extension had 54,000 downloads, while the legitimate one had 61,000. But how did the attackers manage to lull the developer’s vigilance? Why would he download a malicious extension with fewer downloads than the original?

    We found out that while trying to install a Solidity code syntax highlighter, the developer searched the extension registry for solidity. This query returned the following:

    Search results for “solidity”: the malicious (red) and legitimate (green) extensions

    In the search results, the malicious extension appeared fourth, while the legitimate one was only in eighth place. Thus, while reviewing the search results, the developer clicked the first extension in the list with a significant number of downloads – which unfortunately proved to be the malicious one.

    The ranking algorithm trap

    How did the malicious extension appear higher in search results than the legitimate one, especially considering it had fewer downloads? It turns out the Open VSX registry ranks search results by relevance, which considers multiple factors, such as the extension rating, how recently it was published or updated, the total number of downloads, and whether the extension is verified. Consequently, the ranking is determined by a combination of factors: for example, an extension with a low number of downloads can still appear near the top of search results if that metric is offset by its recency. This is exactly what happened with the malicious plugin: the fake extension’s last update date was June 15, 2025, while the legitimate one was last updated on May 30, 2025. Thus, due to the overall mix of factors, the malicious extension’s relevance surpassed that of the original, which allowed the attackers to promote the fake extension in the search results.

    The developer, who fell into the ranking algorithm trap, didn’t get the functionality he wanted: the extension didn’t do any syntax highlighting in Solidity. The victim mistook this for a bug, which he decided to investigate later, and continued his work. Meanwhile, the extension quietly installed malware on his computer.

    From PowerShell scripts to remote control

    As mentioned above, when the malicious plugin was activated, it downloaded a PowerShell script from https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt.

    The PowerShell script contents

    The script checks if the ScreenConnect remote management software is installed on the computer. If not, it downloads a second malicious PowerShell script from: https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt. This new script then downloads the ScreenConnect installer to the infected computer from https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest and runs it. From that point on, the attackers can control the infected computer via the newly installed software, which is configured to communicate with the C2 server relay.lmfao[.]su.

    Data theft

    Further analysis revealed that the attackers used ScreenConnect to upload three VBScripts to the compromised machine:

    • a.vbs
    • b.vbs
    • m.vbs

    Each of these downloaded a PowerShell script from the text-sharing service paste.ee. The download URL was obfuscated, as shown in the image below:

    The obfuscated URL for downloading the PowerShell script

    The downloaded PowerShell script then retrieved an image from archive[.]org. A loader known as VMDetector was then extracted from this image. VMDetector attacks were previously observed in phishing campaigns that targeted entities in Latin America. The loader downloaded and ran the final payload from paste.ee.

    Our analysis of the VBScripts determined that the following payloads were downloaded to the infected computer:

    • Quasar open-source backdoor (via a.vbs and b.vbs),
    • Stealer that collected data from browsers, email clients, and crypto wallets (via m.vbs). Kaspersky products detect this malware as HEUR:Trojan-PSW.MSIL.PureLogs.gen.

    Both implants communicated with the C2 server 144.172.112[.]84, which resolved to relay.lmfao[.]su at the time of our analysis. With these tools, the attackers successfully obtained passphrases for the developer’s wallets and then syphoned off cryptocurrency.

    New malicious package

    The malicious plugin didn’t last long in the extension store and was taken down on July 2, 2025. By that time, it had already been detected not only by us as we investigated the incident but also by other researchers. However, the attackers continued their campaign: just one day after the removal, they published another malicious package named “solidity”, this time exactly replicating the name of the original legitimate extension. The functionality of the fake remained unchanged: the plugin downloaded a malicious PowerShell script onto the victim’s device. However, the attackers sought to inflate the number of downloads dramatically. The new extension was supposedly downloaded around two million times. The following results appeared up until recently when users searched for solidity within the Cursor AI development environment (the plugin is currently removed thanks to our efforts).

    Updated search results for “solidity”

    The updated search results showed the legitimate and malicious extensions appearing side-by-side in the search rankings, occupying the seventh and eighth positions respectively. The developer names look identical at first glance, but the legitimate package was uploaded by juanblanco, while the malicious one was uploaded by juanbIanco. The font used by Cursor AI makes the lowercase letter l and uppercase I appear identical.

    Therefore, the search results displayed two seemingly identical extensions: the legitimate one with 61,000 downloads and the malicious one with two million downloads. Which one would the user choose to install? Making the right choice becomes a real challenge.

    Similar cyberattacks

    It’s worth noting that the Solidity extensions we uncovered are not the only malicious packages published by the attackers behind this operation. We used our open-source package monitoring tool to find a malicious npm package called “solsafe”. It uses the URL https://staketree[.]net/1.txt to download ScreenConnect. In this campaign, it’s also configured to use relay.lmfao[.]su for communication with the attackers.

    We also discovered that April and May 2025 saw three malicious Visual Studio Code extensions published: solaibot, among-eth, and blankebesxstnion. The infection method used in these threats is strikingly similar to the one we described above. In fact, we found almost identical functionality in their malicious scripts.

    Scripts downloaded by the VS Code extension (left) vs. Solidity Language (right)

    In addition, all of the listed extensions perform the same malicious actions during execution, namely:

    • Download PowerShell scripts named 1.txt and 2.txt.
    • Use a VBScript with an obfuscated URL to download a payload from paste.ee.
    • Download an image with a payload from archive.org.

    This leads us to conclude that these infection schemes are currently being widely used to attack blockchain developers. We believe the attackers won’t stop with the Solidity extensions or the solsafe package that we found.

    Takeaways

    Malicious packages continue to pose a significant threat to the crypto industry. Many projects today rely on open-source tools downloaded from package repositories. Unfortunately, packages from these repositories are often a source of malware infections. Therefore, we recommend extreme caution when downloading any tools. Always verify that the package you’re downloading isn’t a fake. If a package doesn’t work as advertised after you install it, be suspicious and check the downloaded source code.

    In many cases, malware installed via fake open-source packages is well-known, and modern cybersecurity solutions can effectively block it. Even experienced developers must not neglect security solutions, as these can help prevent an attack in case a malicious package is installed.

    Indicators of compromise

    Hashes of malicious JS files
    2c471e265409763024cdc33579c84d88d5aaf9aea1911266b875d3b7604a0eeb
    404dd413f10ccfeea23bfb00b0e403532fa8651bfb456d84b6a16953355a800a
    70309bf3d2aed946bba51fc3eedb2daa3e8044b60151f0b5c1550831fbc6df17
    84d4a4c6d7e55e201b20327ca2068992180d9ec08a6827faa4ff3534b96c3d6f
    eb5b35057dedb235940b2c41da9e3ae0553969f1c89a16e3f66ba6f6005c6fa8
    f4721f32b8d6eb856364327c21ea3c703f1787cfb4c043f87435a8876d903b2c

    Network indicators
    https://angelic[.]su/files/1.txt
    https://angelic[.]su/files/2.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/1.txt
    https://staketree[.]net/2.txt
    https://relay.lmfao[.]su
    https://lmfao[.]su/Bin/ScreenConnect.ClientSetup.msi?e=Access&y=Guest
    144.172.112[.]84

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British investment boost in Ukraine to benefit both countries

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    British investment boost in Ukraine to benefit both countries

    British investment boost in Ukraine to support security and prosperity of both countries

    • New UK package of support for Ukraine’s immediate and longer-term needs at Ukraine Recovery Conference.
    • UK and Ukraine conclude historic deal for Thales Air Defence missiles, boosting British growth and jobs and keeping Ukraine in the fight.
    • UK also confirms up to £283 million in bilaterial assistance for Ukraine over the next year.

    Two hundred British jobs will be created and another 700 safeguarded in a major defence deal between the UK and Ukraine to be signed at this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC). 

    The jobs at Thales in Belfast come as the UK and Ukraine successfully conclude the largest export credit agency-backed deal in Ukraine.  

    Supported by a £2.5 billion guarantee with a 19-year financing agreement, the funds can now be released. This enables the delivery of more than 5000 Air Defence missiles from British business Thales – in what is not only a major boost to the UK’s defence capabilities but will also keep Ukraine in the fight, boosting their defence against Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion.  

    Representing the Prime Minister at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Minister for Exports Gareth Thomas will formally sign the agreement with the Government of Ukraine, marking a key milestone in the UK-Ukraine defence cooperation.  

    The deal delivers on this Government’s Plan for Change, by spending more on defence and creating jobs we will keep the country safe and boost economic growth.  

    In a speech at the conference in Rome, the Deputy Prime Minister will also reaffirm the UK’s bilateral assistance to Ukraine for the financial year 2025-2026 of up to £283 million. This will keep the country in the fight and ensure Ukrainians living through Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion have access to vital support across humanitarian, energy, stabilisation, reform, recovery and reconstruction needs.  

    Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

    As we continue to witness the enduring strength of the Ukrainian people, the UK stands by their side to provide the assistance their country needs to not only stay in the fight, but to rebuild and recover.

    This announcement underlines our continued support for Ukraine – boosting their air defences against devastating drone and missile attacks and supporting the critical work to reconstruct this nation and provide the hope that they need.

    This will also provide skilled jobs in the UK and is all part of our Plan for Change – bolstering the UK defence industry and strengthening our international ties.

    Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports Gareth Thomas said on the Thales deal: 

    This landmark agreement is a powerful example of how British expertise is supporting Ukraine’s defence and recovery while creating high-quality jobs at home. 

    By unlocking UKEF-backed finance, we’re enabling the delivery of vital equipment to Ukraine and strengthening our own defence industrial base. 

    It’s a clear demonstration of our Plan for Change in action—backing British business, boosting exports, and standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.” 

    The UK will provide up to £10.5 million for the Governance Reform Programme and up to £1 million in support of Ukraine’s Green Transition Office in financial year 2025 to 2026 to help Ukraine reform for the future. £10.5 million will go towards efforts on rule of law, justice and anti-corruption while £1 million will fund work on green transition and energy, both supporting Ukraine on its path to becoming a prosperous, green and modern European nation.   

    During the conference, British International Investment (BII) will also confirm €30 million for MHP, a leading Ukrainian agribusiness. MHP employs over 30,000 people in Ukraine, with more than 40% being women. The loan will help them to safeguard jobs and boost resilience in the food and agriculture sectors during Russia’s full-scale invasion. MHP, Ukraine’s largest poultry and processed meat producer, exports to over 70 countries.  

    Underpinning much of these efforts, the UK will endorse the Government of Ukraine’s insurance agreement. This initiative seeks to make insurance more affordable and widely accessible for businesses, including those in the UK, helping to derisk their investments into Ukraine. 

    The UK is committed to supporting Ukraine win the war and the peace, emerging as a stronger, more prosperous and free nation, resilient to Russian threats. Our 100 Year Partnership, alongside the commitments made at URC, reaffirm the UK’s iron-clad support for Ukraine now and into the future.  

    In total, the UK has committed £18.3 billion for Ukraine with £13 billion in military support and £5.3 billion in non-military support.  

    Background:  
    • More information on the UK’s overall support to Ukraine can be found here. 
    • The £10.5 million and £1 million funding commitments sit within the £283 million for the financial year 2025-2026.  
    • The UK and Ukraine will sign the UKEF financing agreement on Thales, with representatives from both governments formalizing the deal’s conclusion at URC.  
    • The BII investment will be funded from capital the UK Government has already provided (£250 million) to support BII’s expansion into Ukraine.  
    • More information on MHP can be found here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Export Finance announces backing of major Taiwan offshore wind project

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK Export Finance announces backing of major Taiwan offshore wind project

    UK Export Finance provides support for British exporters supplying a new multi-million pound renewable energy development.

    Greater Changhua 2 is a 632 MW offshore wind farm comprised of both Greater Changhua 2a, which is operational, and Greater Changhua 2b, which is under construction

    • Export Credit Agency provides guarantee to develop one of Asia’s largest offshore wind sites

    • Backing of wind farm will unlock opportunities for British exporters, strengthening Britain’s position as a clean energy superpower

    UK Export Finance (UKEF) is guaranteeing financing for a major offshore wind farm project in Taiwan, creating export opportunities for British businesses.

    In support of the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to kickstart economic growth, UKEF – the UK government’s export credit agency – is providing a €146 million Buyer Credit Guarantee to assist the development of 632MW of renewable energy capacity off coast in the Taiwan Strait.

    The deal enables British exporters Cadeler, CRP Subsea, Ordtek, and Cathie to secure contracts to provide specialised services and critical components.

    It also supports jobs across the UK’s renewable energy supply chain, reinforcing Britain’s position as a global leader in the low-carbon transition – a key ambition set out in the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

    Ørsted, the lead sponsor for this project, is a great example of a business transforming from one reliant on fossil fuels to one based on renewable energy.

    The new wind farm will result in reductions of carbon emissions estimated at 1,118,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

    The project is being financed in collaboration with export credit agencies from Denmark, Norway, South Korea, and Taiwan.

    Minister for Exports, Gareth Thomas, said:

    This shows how Government is boosting exports in our key growth sectors and supporting jobs across the country as part of our Plan for Change.

    This investment will enable British innovation in renewable technology to scale up Taiwan’s clean energy transition and follows our modern Industrial Strategy, which provides up to £13 billion of direct lending for UKEF to help businesses to export.

    Trond Westlie, Group CFO of Ørsted, said:

    We’ve received very strong support from both international and local banks and export credit agencies for the project financing of Greater Changhua 2. This shows that there is a healthy appetite for premium assets with robust contractual structures, and it’s a clear sign that we’re working diligently to deliver on our divestment and partnerships programme.

    Danielle Baron, Global Head of Energy & Real Assets, Credit Agricole CIB, said:

    As the ECA Coordinator and Documentation Bank for the multi-billion financing of the Greater Changhua 2 project, Crédit Agricole CIB reaffirms its strong commitment to the renewable energy sector. This landmark transaction highlights our dedication to supporting our clients and partners in delivering society’s clean energy needs. It underscores the strength of our collaboration with UKEF and the other European Export Credit Agencies, whose contribution have been key to the development of the offshore wind sector in the APAC region.

    This announcement helps to deliver UKEF’s goal to provide at least £10 billion of financing for sustainable and renewable projects by 2030, enabling the UK to build export opportunities in clean growth sectors while supporting global decarbonisation efforts.

    Contact

    Media enquiries:

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni participates in Ukraine Recovery Conference

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    10 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, is participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference today, being held at the La Nuvola convention centre in Rome.
    This morning, after welcoming the Heads of State and Government attending the conference, President Meloni delivered an opening address to the plenary session.

    [President Meloni’s speech]

    [Ukraine Recovery Conference welcome ceremony]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni participates in Ukraine Recovery Conference

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    10 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, is participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference today, being held at the La Nuvola convention centre in Rome.
    This morning, after welcoming the Heads of State and Government attending the conference, President Meloni delivered an opening address to the plenary session.

    [President Meloni’s speech]

    [Ukraine Recovery Conference welcome ceremony]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni participates in Ukraine Recovery Conference

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    10 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, is participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference today, being held at the La Nuvola convention centre in Rome.
    This morning, after welcoming the Heads of State and Government attending the conference, President Meloni delivered an opening address to the plenary session.

    [President Meloni’s speech]

    [Ukraine Recovery Conference welcome ceremony]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following a fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge.

    At 21:24hrs on Wednesday, 9 July officers, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance responded to reports from members of the public of a stabbing in Seville Street, Knightsbridge.

    Officers attended the scene and found a 24-year-old man who had been stabbed.

    The officers gave first aid on arrival but despite the best efforts of all the emergency services, the man sadly died at the scene.

    The man’s next-of-kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

    No arrests have been made at this early stage and a crime scene will be in place for some time while officers investigate.

    Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.

    “Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.

    “We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of enquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.

    “We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns. ”

    Please call police on 101 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL if you were a witness or have any information which might help.

    You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following a fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge.

    At 21:24hrs on Wednesday, 9 July officers, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance responded to reports from members of the public of a stabbing in Seville Street, Knightsbridge.

    Officers attended the scene and found a 24-year-old man who had been stabbed.

    The officers gave first aid on arrival but despite the best efforts of all the emergency services, the man sadly died at the scene.

    The man’s next-of-kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

    No arrests have been made at this early stage and a crime scene will be in place for some time while officers investigate.

    Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.

    “Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.

    “We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of enquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.

    “We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns. ”

    Please call police on 101 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL if you were a witness or have any information which might help.

    You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the latest heatwave

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists react to the latest heat wave in the UK. 

    On buildings:

    Anni Feng, built environment expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology said:

    “When it’s really hot outside, many of us feel uncomfortable indoors too. That’s not just because of the building itself, but also because of what’s around it.

    “Think of it like this: buildings don’t stand alone. The materials used in roads and nearby buildings can trap heat, making the whole area hotter. This extra heat can make people try to cool things down with fans or turn up air conditioning units.

    “But if too many people do that at once, the local energy system might struggle to keep up. That can lead to problems like cooling systems not working properly, which could even affect things like computers and other equipment inside buildings.

    “When considering how we adapt for hotter temperatures, we should ask the questions like what this might mean for surrounding buildings, the environment and people in the communities – both short term and long term – and are they contributing positively to the future we aspire to create?” 

    On infrastructure:

    John Lawrence, Chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Railway Technical Network said:

    “Heat is a significant issue for the railway, affecting infrastructure and trains alike. The management of it is a cross-industry whole year exercise fitting into the seasonal preparation activities done by maintenance teams and planners across the network. The most noticeable areas affected by heat are also the ones causing the most significant disruption. Ambient temperature and solar gain combine to create very high temperatures at track level and in equipment location cases trackside. Track buckles and dewirements are the most significant thing that keep engineers up at night – even with the amount of focus, investment and improvements made in recent years, situations still arise where rails buckle in the heat. This can lead to potential derailment risks and overhead lines can sag and snag on the pantographs of trains leading to train movements stopping or being rerouted for a significant period of time.

    “There are also hidden failures, too. Much equipment on the railway can suffer heat stress, with signalling control, power supplies and telecoms systems trackside particularly affected, switch-creep caused by rail expansion at points can affect detection and stop trains being routed across them, so where the passenger may see signalling failure, this could very well be caused by overtemperature somewhere on the network. Lineside fires can also be a problem, maybe caused by discarded rubbish, sparks from steam locomotives or maintenance trains, causing significant disruption, whether they arise on the infrastructure or even in a lineside neighbour’s premises.

    “Managing these issues is costly and time consuming and with the greater prevalence of high temperatures, it is becoming more of a hazard over time. You may notice rails being painted white to reflect solar gain at specific risk points on the network, improved tensioning equipment on overhead line gantries to managed dynamic tension, fresh ballast dropped to hold rails in position and rail joints lubricated to enable expansion.

    “What you may not see as a passenger, however, is the hidden technology and processes monitoring condition and taking action to provide early warning of failure. Such as, short, medium and long-term weather reporting to give planners a chance to react. Rail stressing to maintain equal tension for expansion and contraction. Vision systems monitoring pantograph contact, yellow trains on the network monitoring dynamic track stability, critical rail temperature sensors providing warning of danger or signalling systems and points being monitored for a range of defects that can affect operation. You might also be surprised to find thermal imaging drones and helicopters monitoring equipment for overheating and visual inspection and defect correction taking place overnight.

    “Temperature management is a huge issue for the railway and the focus of much research, development and activity across the season. But with the changing climate, it is an ever-present issue for the day-to-day operation of the railway.”

     

    Dr John Easton, an executive panel member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Railway Technical Network, said:

    “One of the key ways that networks prevent tracks from overheating is by painting them white.  This can reduce the track temperature by 5°C and reduces signalling failures which lead to significant disruption. 

    “This technique is also used in countries where high temperatures are more commonplace, such as Italy, where engineers often paint the inside faces of the rails white to reflect the sunlight and lower the risk of buckling.”

     

    On weather and climate:

    Prof Gareth Phoenix, Professor of Plant and Global Change Ecology in the School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, said:

    “With climate change, we are already experiencing hotter and drier summers in the UK, and this trend will continue. Events that we once might have thought of as extreme will start to feel more normal. One of the main problems is that although the amount of rainfall the UK gets over a whole year is expected to stay roughly the same, we are getting more of that rain in winter and less in summer. So, we can expect more droughts, like we are experiencing at the moment, and wetter winters with more flooding – something people will also see they are experiencing more of.

    “Droughts, heatwaves and heavy rainfall are also linked. Warm air holds more moisture, allowing it to build up for longer, which creates bigger gaps between rainfall events and can contribute to drought. But then when it does rain, it can rain a lot more heavily. Also, evaporation from the ground is the Earth’s way of sweating – it helps keep the ground cool. But if there is less moisture in the ground, there can be less evaporation and, consequently, less of a cooling effect, adding to the heatwave.”

    All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink: https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/?s=heatwave&cat=

    Declared interests

    Anni Feng: “No conflicts of interest”

    John Lawrence: “No conflicts of interest”

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin gave instructions following the strategic session on the development of the auto industry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The draft Strategy for the Development of the Automotive Industry will be updated taking into account the need to improve support measures for domestic manufacturers. This instruction was given by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin following the results of strategic session on the development of the Russian auto industry.

    State support measures provided to Russian automobile industry enterprises are to be developed for the main segments of motor vehicles. At the same time, the conditions for access to them must be defined, including a high actual level of localization of products, consumer properties of the car, as well as prospects for export deliveries. Performance indicators for each support measure will be fixed in the state program “Development of Industry and Increasing Its Competitiveness”. The authorized ministries must submit their proposals on this matter by the end of November.

    The draft strategy being finalized should also provide for measures to increase labor productivity in the industry and reduce production costs. Another instruction concerns the formation of a forecast for the structure of the vehicle fleet, taking into account the development of the market for transport on alternative types of fuel, unmanned and connected transport. In the process of this work, long-term plans for the development of public transport infrastructure, increasing requirements for environmental protection, changing consumer preferences of citizens should be taken into account, and the segmentation of vehicles by type of fuel depending on the purpose of the transport and types of transportation, taking into account their range.

    In the course of updating the draft strategy for the development of the automotive industry, the authorized ministries will also have to work out issues of forming a technological map of cooperation between manufacturers of vehicles, automotive components and materials, and software developers in a manner similar to that for national projects to ensure technological leadership.

    In addition, Mikhail Mishustin instructed to take into account the need to establish legal foundations for the functioning of the institute of chief designers, bearing in mind their participation in the formation of technological policy.

    The strategic session on the development of the automotive industry took place on June 17. During his speech, Mikhail Mishustin emphasized that in order to strengthen technological sovereignty, it is important to expand industrial capacity, increase the production of domestic vehicles, and generally continue to form a modern ecosystem around the automotive sector.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Caucasus Investment Forum 2026 will be held from May 17 to 19 in Mineralnye Vody.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, who oversees the North Caucasus Federal District, held the first meeting of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the Caucasus Investment Forum in 2026.

    The event was attended by representatives of federal authorities, heads of regions that are part of the North Caucasus Federal District, top managers of the largest state corporations, members of business associations and public organizations, representatives of industry communities. According to the decision of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of KIF-2026, next year the Forum will be held from 17 to 19 May in Mineralnye Vody at the MinvodyEXPO IEC.

    The Caucasus Investment Forum is held in order to increase the investment potential of the North Caucasus Federal District and in the interests of its sustainable socio-economic development.

    Opening the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak thanked the organizers, members of the Organizing Committee, representatives of departments and companies that took part in organizing the Caucasus Investment Forum in 2025, noted the high assessment of the past event by the country’s leadership, the high-quality composition of the participants, including foreign ones. “The Caucasus Investment Forum 2025 in Mineralnye Vody was an important step forward – both in terms of organization and content. We were able to exceed the bar of last year, and this is the result of the teamwork of all participants. I thank the Organizing Committee, the Government of the Stavropol Territory and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia for their contribution to the preparation of the Forum. Special thanks to the Roscongress Foundation, the team and partners – your support made the Forum meaningful and large-scale. The Vershina Award showed an increase in investor interest in the region – 266 applications from 49 regions. I consider it important to continue holding it in 2026. The youth program covered key areas – IT, science, entrepreneurship, tourism. This confirms that the Caucasus has a strong human resource. Today we are already starting preparations for KIF-2026 in order to hold it even more effectively,” noted Alexander Novak.

    Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Caucasus Investment Forum Anton Kobyakov noted that the North Caucasus is a promising region with many growth points. “Among the areas of active development of the regions of the district are tourism, agriculture, employment. Systematic work on the infrastructure development of the North Caucasus continues. Holding the Caucasus Investment Forum opens up broad opportunities for cooperation between the North Caucasus Federal District and other regions of Russia, including in terms of attracting new economic partners and expanding prospects for the development of industrial and agricultural production, as well as strengthening the region’s position in the tourism market.”

    The business program of KIF-2026 will be attended by heads of government bodies, representatives of Russian and international companies, mass media, youth and scientific communities. The forum will become a platform for negotiations and conclusion of business contracts for the purpose of developing investment projects and public-private partnerships in Russian regions.

    The business program in 2026 will place special emphasis on expanding international economic cooperation, primarily with the countries of the Azov-Black Sea and Caspian basins. It is planned that representatives of these states will actively participate in the forum, which will open up new opportunities for creating international transport and logistics routes and implementing joint investment projects in such areas as mining, ecology and cultural interaction.

    The organizer of the KIF is the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

    The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of national and international congress, exhibition, business, public, youth, sporting, and cultural events, created in accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation.

    The Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of promoting the development of economic potential, advancing national interests and strengthening the image of Russia. The Foundation comprehensively studies, analyzes, forms and covers issues of the Russian and global economic agenda. Provides administration and facilitates the promotion of business projects and attracting investments, promotes the development of social entrepreneurship and charitable projects.

    The Foundation’s events bring together participants from 209 countries and territories, more than 15,000 media representatives work annually at Roscongress venues, and more than 5,000 experts in Russia and abroad are involved in analytical and expert work.

    The Foundation interacts with UN structures and other international organizations. It develops multi-format cooperation with 226 foreign economic partners, associations of industrialists and entrepreneurs, financial, trade and business associations in 89 countries of the world, with 358 Russian public organizations, federal and regional executive and legislative bodies of the Russian Federation.

    Official Telegram channels of the Roscongress Foundation: in Russian — t. me/Roscongress, in English — t. me/RoscongressDirect, in Spanish — t. me/RoscongressEsp, in Arabic — t. me/RosCongressArabic. Official website and Information and Analytical System of the Roscongress Foundation: roscongress.org.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: VEB.RF will support the creation of more than 1,000 new jobs in the Far East

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The state corporation VEB.RF will provide preferential credit funds (with a Far Eastern subsidy) in the amount of 16 billion rubles for the construction of the world’s first interstate cable car, which will connect Russia and China across the Amur River. In addition, three more projects in the Amur Region and Primorye will be financed. The implementation of these projects will ensure the creation of more than 1 thousand jobs. The corresponding decision was made following a meeting of the Presidium of the Government Commission on the Socio-Economic Development of the Far East, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister – Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

    “Attracting investment to the regions creates conditions for growth. We help all investors who are ready to work and develop the Far East, invest in the territory of Russia. Investors in the Far East receive a wide range of benefits provided by the conditions of preferential regimes, reimbursement of infrastructure costs. A number of projects significant for the Far East are already receiving preferential lending from the state corporation VEB.RF. We will continue to support investment projects aimed at developing the economy of the Far Eastern regions and improving the quality of life of Far Easterners,” said Yuri Trutnev.

    “VEB.RF will provide preferential financing in the amount of more than 16 billion rubles for the construction of the world’s first interstate cable car, which will connect Russia and China via the Amur. Support will be provided, among other things, for the construction of a production and logistics complex in Belogorsk for the deep processing of soybeans and rapeseed, the creation of a fishing port on the Nazimov Peninsula in Vladivostok, and the construction of the Artem multimodal transport and logistics center in Primorsky Krai. The implementation of these projects will ensure the creation of more than 1,000 jobs,” said Artem Dovlatov, Deputy Chairman of VEB.RF.

    The Blagoveshchensk-Heihe cable car construction project is the creation of the world’s first cable car that will connect not only neighboring cities, but also countries. The cross-border cable car is an innovative and high-tech infrastructure solution that facilitates communication between two neighboring countries. The project involves the construction of cable car stations and passenger terminals on opposite banks of the Amur River on the Russian and Chinese sides.

    The project to create a cross-border cable car is being implemented within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and China dated September 3, 2015. According to the design documentation, the journey along the future cable car from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe should take about three minutes, and the capacity of the cable car terminal will be 6,850 passengers per day, or up to 2.5 million passengers per year.

    The project to build a production and logistics complex in the city of Belogorsk in the Amur Region will also receive preferential financing from the 16 billion rubles allocated by VEB.RF. Deep processing of soybeans and rapeseed will be organized at one of the largest processing plants in Russia. The new enterprise should be launched next year.

    Two projects in Primorye will also receive support. The first is for the development of a fishing port on the Nazimov Peninsula (stage II) in Vladivostok. The project envisages the construction of a modern cold warehouse with a capacity of 25 thousand tons of one-time storage of fish products, a crab holding pool, and a site for storing refrigerated containers.

    The second is the construction of the multimodal transport and logistics center “Artem”. The creation of a high-tech logistics complex includes the construction of modern railway, terminal, warehouse and customs infrastructure: a container site, 70 km long intra-terminal railway tracks with a connection to the Artem-Primorsky-1 and Artem-Primorsky-2 stations of the Far Eastern Railway.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –