Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI China: Shanghai Intl Film Festival reveals jury, previews highlights

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

    The organizers of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) unveiled posters, jury lineup and select highlights for the upcoming festival at a press conference in Beijing on May 20.

    Organizers brief media at a press conference for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) and the 30th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF), Beijing, May 20, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

    Pan Min, director of the Shanghai Film Bureau, announced that renowned Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore will lead the jury for the main competition of the Golden Goblet Awards. Joining him are Argentine screenwriter-director Iván Fund, Chinese actor-director Huang Bo, Greek producer Thanassis Karathanos, Indian filmmaker Kiran Rao, Chinese director Yang Lina and Chinese actress Yong Mei.

    Pan revealed that the Golden Goblet Awards this year received a record 3,900-plus film submissions from 119 countries and regions across five competition categories. Submissions included over 2,800 competition entries, with notable growth from the Americas and Africa, as well as an 18% rise in short film submissions.

    As an internationally influential film festival, SIFF has long been a prominent platform for showcasing Chinese-language cinema and a vital arena for promotion and distribution. Approximately 60 Chinese films, including competition nominees, new releases and beloved classics, will be featured this year.

    A promotional image showing Golden Goblet Awards jury members for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

    This year’s SIFF has refined its screening sections to broaden its perspectives, Pan said. For example, the new “Master Duo” format will honor two film masters together, while the Asia Now section will highlight regional cinema with a “Filmmaker in Focus” program. Other additions include the “UK Focus” program in the Contemporary World Cinema section and “Amplify” under the Spectrum section for outstanding genre films worldwide.

    The festival’s Film Panorama screening schedule will be announced June 3, with tickets going on sale on June 5 through major ticketing platforms Damai and Taopiaopiao. The opening film, “She’s Got No Name,” directed by Peter Chan, will have a special citywide screening after the opening ceremony on the evening of June 14 at more than 100 cinemas across Shanghai. The day before the press conference, a selection of the films to be screened during the festival were revealed, including IMAX showings of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” “The Brutalist” and “Nosferatu.”

    Running June 13-22, this year’s SIFF marks both the 130th anniversary of world cinema and 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. The opening session, themed “Era of Splendor: Dreams Ignite New Journeys,” celebrates Chinese cinema’s achievements over the past 120 years while inspiring new creative journeys. The Film Panorama will feature a special section titled “Resonance: A Brief Encounter of Chinese and World Cinema,” showcasing iconic global films to highlight cinematic exchange between China and the wider world.

    Building on the success of the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance initiated by SIFF, this year’s Belt and Road Film Week will incorporate forums and other events. Selected films recommended by alliance members will also be screened across the Yangtze River Delta, with Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Hefei joining Shanghai in showcasing these works.

    A poster for the opening film “She’s Got No Name” directed by Peter Chan. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

    Organizers noted that 2025 also marks several significant diplomatic anniversaries — 50 years of China-EU relations, 55 years of China-Italy ties and 50 years of China-Thailand relations — bringing increased European and Southeast Asian film engagement through exhibitions, screenings and co-productions. The Film Panorama will host an Italian Film Week, showcasing over 20 Italian cinematic classics across nearly 100 screenings, from “Rome, Open City” to “Cinema Paradiso.”

    The festival continues to develop its “6+1” tiered talent nurturing framework. The fourth SIFF Young adds producer roles, while SIFF Project’s new Genre Films category attracted more than 530 submissions. The upgraded SIFF ING focuses on new technologies and formats, featuring special tracks for AIGC and vertical-screen formats to support emerging talent, attracting more than 3,600 submissions. For the first time in 21 years, the Asian New Talent Awards will be officially combined with the Golden Goblet Awards.

    Four official posters inspired by Shanghai’s architecture and culture for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

    SIFF, under the guidance of China Film Administration and co-hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and the Shanghai Municipal Government, will organize 10 to 12 SIFForum sessions and two to four MasterClass sessions. These will cover technological innovation, international cooperation, literary adaptations and IP commercialization, with the aim of exploring new pathways for Chinese cinema’s high-quality development.

    In addition, the film festival will be followed by the 30th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) running from June 23-27, organized by the National Radio and Television Administration, CMG, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. Events include an Ultra HD productions showcase, thematic forums, and a joint International Film & TV Market with SIFF. The International TV Showcase will feature award-winning global programs, while a BBC partnership will commemorate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. The festival’s prestigious Magnolia Awards will honor top productions, having received nearly 1,000 entries from 43 countries and regions, including submissions from the BBC, Sony, HBO, Warner Bros. and Disney.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Margaret Flynn reappointed as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Margaret Flynn reappointed as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum

    The Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care have approved the reappointment of Dr Margaret Flynn as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum.

    The Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care have approved the reappointment of Dr Margaret Flynn as Chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum (NMCF) for 3 years from 7 March 2025.

    The NMCF was established by the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care in 2015, in response to the 2014 House of Lords Select Committee post-legislative scrutiny report of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

    The NMCF aims to raise awareness of the MCA and improve its implementation by joining up stakeholders from a wide range of sectors where the MCA applies, such as health and social care, banking, legal and third sector organisations.

    The Chair of the NMCF is appointed by the Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

    Dr Margaret Flynn biography

    Since 2019, Dr Flynn has been a Trustee of Anheddau Cyf, a not-for-profit charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges across North Wales. She has been a Director of Flynn and Eley Associates Ltd since 2009 and has held various editorial roles for the Journal of Adult Protection since 1999.

    Dr Flynn has chaired and written several reviews concerning people with compromised mental capacity, in particular a review into Winterbourne View Hospital during 2011. In 2013, she was commissioned by the First Minister of Wales to undertake a review of the neglect of older people living in care homes investigated as Operation Jasmine. More recently, Dr Flynn chaired Wales’ inaugural National Independent Safeguarding Board and wrote the review concerning Cawston Park Hospital. She is currently coordinating research activities for TIDE (together in dementia everyday) and is supporting its contributions to the SPIN Dementia Network (Sustainable Prevention, Innovation and involvement).

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First MHRA Board meeting held in Scotland, underlining agency’s commitment to regional health equality and growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    First MHRA Board meeting held in Scotland, underlining agency’s commitment to regional health equality and growth

    The meeting, which took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, centred on the MHRA’s commitment to delivering the agency’s priorities in Scotland

    From left: Greig Chalmers, Prof. Anthony Harnden, Alison Strath and Lawrence Tallon

    The Board of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has met in Scotland for the first time ever, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to delivering its health and innovation priorities across the UK.

    The meeting took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, which is the oldest surgical college in the world.

    Alongside the MHRA’s new CEO Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chair Professor Anthony Harnden and the board members, the meeting was attended by a number of important Scottish representatives from healthcare and government, including Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Alison Strath and Head of the Chief Medical Officer’s Policy Division Greig Chalmers.

    The discussions centred on the MHRA’s commitment to delivering the agency’s priorities in Scotland and served as an opportunity for the MHRA to listen to the experiences and ideas of those in attendance.

    Tour of the Institute of Regeneration and Repair with hosts and Usher Institute staff

    The MHRA Board was one of several engagements between leading MHRA officials and Scottish representatives across the country as part of the trip, including with the Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute Professor Cathie Sudlow, NHS Lothian Research and Development Director Professor Alasdair Gray, and officials from DataLoch and Research Data Scotland.

    MHRA Chair, Professor Anthony Harnden, said:

    This isn’t just a change of location — it’s a meaningful step in our commitment to being a truly national regulator.

    The MHRA’s work serves the whole of the UK, and that means we must spend time in every part of it, listening, learning, and building partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared ambition.

    MHRA Chief Executive, Lawrence Tallon, said:

    It is absolutely vital that the voices of all four nations and regional partners are involved in discussions about the MHRA’s strategic direction.

    Strong regional and national engagement helps ensure that the work the MHRA does to protect public health, drive innovation and boost growth serves not just England but the whole of the UK.

    This isn’t a ‘one-off’, it’s a step change. I look forward to meeting other regional partners in due course.

    The board meeting fell on International Clinical Trials Day and is another example of how the MHRA is driving forward innovation and growth throughout the UK.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.  
    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  
    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Stabilization Notice – Pre Stab – SPIE SA

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    [21/05/25]

    Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

    [SPIE SA]

    Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement

    BNP Paribas (contact: Stanford Hartman telephone: 0207 595 8222 hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014).

    The securities:1  
    Issuer: SPIE SA
    Guarantor (if any): N/A
    Aggregate nominal amount: TBC
    Description: EUR 5 YR
    Offer price: TBC
    Other offer terms: N/A
    Stabilisation:  
    Stabilisation Manager(s) BNP PARIBAS, CREDIT AGRICOLE CIB, NATIXIS, SOCIETE GENERALE, CIC, COMMERZBANK, ING, LA BANQUE POSTALE, JPM
    Stabilisation period expected to start on: 21/05/25
    Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 27/06/25
    Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over‑allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law.
    Stabilisation trading venue: OTC

    In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over‑allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

    This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

    In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, the UK or any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus  Regulation”) (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in the UK or that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the UK or that Member State.

    This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK 🔴 PMQs LIVE: Prime Minister’s Questions – 21 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Watch PMQs with British Sign Language (BSL) – https://youtube.com/live/tTf8vqNJCjY

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    X: https://www.x.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

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

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK 🔴 LIVE: Prime Minister’s Questions with British Sign Language (BSL) – 21 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

    In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

    The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

    Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

    X: https://www.x.com/HouseofCommons
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTf8vqNJCjY

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Residents urged to keep batteries out of household bins

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Residents across Sunderland are being urged to act responsibly and never place batteries or battery-operated devices in their household waste or recycling bins, following a recent fire suspected to have been caused by a damaged battery.

    At the end of April, a blaze broke out at Campground Waste Transfer Station in Wrekenton (a facility operated by the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership), believed to have been started by a battery discarded incorrectly. The fire smouldered before igniting but was fortunately spotted early and extinguished before it spread. However, this incident highlights the very real danger these items can pose.

    Batteries and electrical items containing batteries pose a significant fire risk when placed in general waste or mixed recycling. When damaged, crushed or punctured, as can easily happen during collection or processing, batteries can ignite fires that spread rapidly, putting lives, vehicles, and infrastructure at risk.

    It’s not just loose batteries that are a danger. Many small domestic appliances and everyday electronics have batteries that are difficult to remove, such as:

    • Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices
    • Mobile phones
    • Laptops and tablets
    • Power tools
    • Electronic toys and solar powered items such as garden lights and decorations

    Councillor Maria Hall, Chair of the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, said:

    “Batteries can ignite at any stage of the waste process, including on our refuse vehicles, or at waste or recycling facilities. Once alight, they burn incredibly fiercely and are difficult and dangerous to extinguish. Fires put lives at risk, including those of our hard-working waste collection teams, and can cause devastating damage to vital infrastructure.

    The solution is simple: never put batteries or battery-powered items in your household bins. Recycle them responsibly at designated points in places that sell new batteries, including supermarkets, DIY stores, local retailers, or your local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC).

    It doesn’t matter whether it’s a single-use AA battery or a sealed lithium-ion battery in a vape – all can cause fires.”

    What you can do

    For a full list of local drop-off sites, visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/battery-recycling

    Why it matters

    • Over half of all batteries still end up in the bin – increasing fire risk
    • Batteries are hazardous and contain toxic substances that harm the environment if they leak
    • Batteries also contain valuable materials that can be recovered and reused when recycled correctly

    Let’s protect our people, our facilities, and our planet – one battery at a time.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Free and low-cost things to do over May half term

    Source: City of Leeds

    From gnomes galore at Abbey House Museum to Woolfest at Leeds Industrial Museum – check out our highlighted free and low-cost things to do in Leeds with your family over the May half term break.

    Gnomes Galore at Abbey House Museum
    Help! The museum’s cheeky gnomes have escaped and are hiding all over the Victorian Streets, grab a trail sheet and see who you can find! Be sure to come and join the mischief and also take part in craft activities inspired by our cheeky friends.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, cost: included in admission
    Find out more: Gnomes Galore at Abbey House Museum

    Kirkstall Abbey Scarecrow Festival
    Explore the historic ruins of Kirkstall Abbey whilst looking for fun scarecrows during the Scarecrow Festival! You might find a Hungry Caterpillar in the Kitchen, a ladybird in the library or a horse in the hospital! Wander through the park and woodlands and take a leisurely stroll beside the River Aire whilst learning about the historic Abbey.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, cost: included in admission
    Find out more: Kirkstall Abbey Scarecrow Festival

    Love Your Zoo Week at Lotherton
    Take part in Love Your Zoo Week at Lotherton and celebrate all the animals in Wildlife World. Follow the ‘amazing animals’ trail, hop on board their famous tractor trailer for a deer park tour, get crafty in the House and find out more about the wildlife in the zoo.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, cost: included in admission (crafts and tractor tour are additional costs)
    Find out more: Love Your Zoo Week at Lotherton

    Find Your Happy at Temple Newsam House
    In the big house you will find crafts and activities all inspired by the theme of happiness. Families will be able to enjoy joyful crafts, dreamy dressing up, not so tricky trails and more! There is also a brand new exhibition by Leeds Fine Artists which is on display in different rooms throughout the house. See if you can spot the newest paintings and objects on display and how the artists have been inspired by the country house.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, cost: included in admission
    Find out more: Find Your Happy at Temple Newsam House

    Love Your Zoo Week at Tropical World
    Celebrate Love Your Zoo Week by visiting Tropical World and meeting their new sulcata tortoises. Take part in Tank’s Tortoise Trail, experience keeper talks, take part in craft activities, and treat yourself to a tasty snack in the café.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, cost: included in admission
    Find out more: Love Your Zoo Week at Tropical World

    Half term at Kirkgate Market
    Visit Kirkgate Market over half term to experience pop-up events and free family activities including giant games, colouring, Lego crafts, and Duplo building.
    Saturday 24 May to Friday 30 May, cost: free
    Find out more: Half term at Kirkgate Market

    Half term at the Royal Armouries Museum
    Over half term, the Royal Armouries Museum will be shining a light on the Second World War – with live presentations, battle stories and weapon talks. And experience their new display, Objects in Focus, which marks the 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory in Japan (VJ) Day.
    Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June, 10am to 5pm, cost: free
    Find out more: Half term at the Royal Armouries

    Miffy Crafts at Leeds City Museum
    Delve into the world of Miffy books and create your own bold, colourful Miffy artwork. Come to the museum for Miffy-themed arts and crafts during the half term. There’ll also be finger puppets and Miffy ears for little bunnies to decorate. Activities are suitable for all ages, designed for families to have a go together.
    Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, and Thursday 29 May, 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm, cost: free
    Find out more: Miffy Crafts at Leeds City Museum

    These Are My Rocks with Bethan Woollvin at Leeds Libraries
    Do you collect anything? Everyone collects something! Join award-winning author/illustrator Bethan Woollvin at one of our libraries for an exciting workshop based on her brand-new picture book These Are My Rocks, which is all about the joy of collecting things.
    Tuesday 27 May to Friday 30 May (locations and times vary), cost: pay what you decide
    Find out more: These Are My Rocks with Bethan Woollvin

    Turn Back the Clock at Leeds Discovery Centre
    In this family workshop, come and take a closer look at some of the amazing clocks in the discovery centre’s collection and have a go at making your own wall clock to take home.
    Wednesday 28 May, 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm, cost: give what you can – bookings required via the website
    Find out more: Turn Back the Clock at Leeds Discovery Centre

    Woolfest at Leeds Industrial Museum
    Celebrate the wonder of wool with craft stalls, workshops, live demonstrations, a pop-up tea room and loads more – the city’s original festival of wool is back with a bang in 2025! We have it all from packed out crafting markets to expert demonstrations, talks, performances, tea room pop-ups and loads more. Whether you’re a natty knitter or crackers about crochet, it’s a great day out for all ages.
    Saturday 31 May, 10am to 5pm, cost: £5 for adults, £2.90 for children
    Find out more: Woolfest at Leeds Industrial Museum

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pupils on song for musical spectacular

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Singing In The Halls, organised by Wolverhampton Music Service, saw children from primary and special schools perform at the iconic venue, led by Paul Wilcox and accompanied by a 14 piece Music Service band.

    Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Being able to sing at the city’s biggest performance venue, University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils, and it was great to see so many schools and performers being a part of this very special occasion.

    “Children and teachers spent a lot of time practising their songs in school ready to give their best performances on the big stage, and it is sure to be a day that will live long in the memory of everyone involved.”

    She added: “Music has the power to inspire, uplift and unite, and through these concerts our Music Service is aiming to foster a sense of community and creativity among young performers, and to inspire them to begin their own musical journeys.”

    To see more pictures from the performances, please visit Flickr.

    The Music Service will return to the big stage in July, when 16 groups of young musicians will perform at the Wulfrun Hall at University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, thanks to a £10,000 donation from the Friends of Wolverhampton Music Service.

    Wolverhampton Music Service provides high quality tuition and musical opportunities for youngsters from schools across the city, including the chance to perform with its flagship groups, Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra and Wolverhampton Youth Wind Orchestra. To find out more, please visit Wolverhampton Music Service.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia sole company recognized as a Champion, Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s 2025 Private 5G Market Radar report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia sole company recognized as a Champion, Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s 2025 Private 5G Market Radar report

    • Nokia private wireless portfolio, edge AI capabilities, segment blueprints, and global partner ecosystem recognized for accelerating Industry 4.0 transformation.

    21 May 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it is the sole company recognized as a Champion and a Market Momentum Leader in Omdia’s Market Radar: E2E Private 5G Networks Vendors – 2025. The report highlights Nokia’s 5G Private Wireless vision, strong product portfolio, and continued investment in mission-critical connectivity solutions tailored for industrial enterprises in multiple verticals, including manufacturing, mining, ports, airports, utilities, public safety, and railways.

    Omdia’s Private 5G Market Radar report provides comprehensive analyses of the private 5G vendor landscape, while discussing partnerships, market trends, and strategic insights. According to Omdia, the Market Leader category represents leading vendors that provide advanced capabilities across six areas explored and which Omdia believes is worthy of a place on most technology selection shortlists. Nokia was the only vendor cited as a Champion in the report for “jump starting the market to exploring opportunities in the mission-critical edge where the connectivity at OT world are merging.”

    At a time when private wireless networks have become essential for industries seeking secure, reliable, and high-performance connectivity to support their digital transformation, Nokia’s leadership in the sector is recognized for being the first company to identify the private networks opportunity and engage with the ecosystem to drive market adoption, having already deployed 890 private 4G and 5G networks worldwide as of Q1 2025.

    Omdia highlights Nokia’s evolving its private wireless solutions beyond connectivity to an edge compute and AI platform for industries, verticalized solutions built on years of research, testing, and validation through segment blueprints, as well as a rich ecosystem of applications and partners such as Kyndryl, Telefonica Tech and Verizon.

    “Nokia’s continued leadership in the private 5G market is underpinned by its comprehensive and forward-looking approach to industrial connectivity. By offering an integrated platform that benefits an array of industries, Nokia is setting the pace for Industry 4.0 transformation,” said Pablo Tomasi, Principal Analyst, Private Networks and Enterprise 5G at Omdia.

    “Omdia’s recognition reflects our commitment to delivering robust, scalable, and intelligent networks that meet the demanding needs of industrial environments. From our MX Industrial Edge platform to our vertical blueprints, Nokia is helping enterprises accelerate their digital transformation journeys,” said Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia.

    Nokia’s portfolio supports both campus and wide-area networks, including private wireless solutions such as Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW), and Core Enterprise Solutions. It also features patented innovations like MX Industrial Edge (MXIE), Nokia MX Boost, and AI-powered solutions including Nokia MX Grid, MX Workmate, Visual Position and Object Detection (VPOD), and MX Context.

    Some of Nokia’s most notable private network customer references include Southern California Edison, British Sugar, Husky Terminals, Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Bahia, Butachimie, Lufthansa Technik, Dow Chemical, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Hola Oulu Hospital, and Carrix.

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. 

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About Omdia
    Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a global analyst and advisory leader that helps you connect the dots across the technology ecosystem. Now joined by Canalys, Enterprise Strategy Group and Wards Intelligence, our deep knowledge of tech markets combined with our actionable insights empower organizations to make smart growth decisions.

    Multimedia, technical information and related news
    Product Page: DAC private wireless
    Web Page: Industries
    Web Page: Omdia

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow Nokia on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-Evening Report: New Caledonia, French Polynesia at UN decolonisation seminar in Dili

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    New Caledonia and French Polynesia have sent strong delegations this week to the United Nations Pacific regional seminar on the implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in Timor-Leste.

    The seminar opened in Dili today and ends on Friday.

    As French Pacific non-self-governing territories, the two Pacific possessions will brief the UN on recent developments at the event, which is themed “Pathways to a sustainable future — advancing socioeconomic and cultural development of the Non-Self-Governing Territories”.

    New Caledonia and French Polynesia are both in the UN’s list of non-self-governing territories to be decolonised, respectively since 1986 and 2013.

    Nouméa-based French Ambassador for the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan is also attending.

    After the Dili meeting this week, the UN’s Fourth Commission is holding its formal meeting in New York in July and again in October in the margins of the UN General Assembly.

    As New Caledonia marks the first anniversary this month of the civil unrest that killed 14 people and caused material damage to the tune of 2.2 billion euros last year (NZ$4.1 billion), the French Pacific territory’s political parties have been engaged for the past four months in political talks with France to define New Caledonia’s political future.

    However, the talks have not yet managed to produce a consensual way forward between pro-France and pro-independence groups.

    French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls, at the end of the most recent session on May 8, put a project of “sovereignty with France” on the table which was met by strong opposition by the pro-France Loyalists (anti-independence) camp.

    This year again, parties and groups from around the political spectrum are planning to travel to Dili to plead their respective cases.

    New Caledonia territorial President Alcide Ponga . . . pro-France groups have become more aware of the need for them to be more vocal and present at regional and international fora. Image: Media pool/RNZ Pacific

    Topping the list is New Caledonia’s government President Alcide Ponga, who chairs the pro-France Rassemblement party and came to power in January 2025.

    Other represented institutions include New Caledonia’s customary (traditional) Senate, a kind of Great Council of Chiefs, which also sends participants to ensure the voice of indigenous Kanak people is heard.

    Over the past two years, pro-France groups have become more aware of the need for them to be more vocal and present at regional and international fora.

    French Polynesia back on the UN list since 2013
    In French Polynesia, the pro-independence ruling Tavini Huiraatira party commemorated the 12th anniversary of re-inscription to the UN list of territories to be decolonised on 17 May 2013.

    This week, Tavini also sent a strong delegation to Timor-Leste, which includes territorial Assembly President Antony Géros.

    However, the pro-France parties, locally known as “pro-autonomy”, also want to ensure their views are taken into account.

    One of them is Moerani Frébault, one of French Polynesia’s representatives at the French National Assembly.

    “Contrary to what the pro-independence people are saying, we’re not dominated by the French Republic,” he told local media at a news conference at the weekend.

    Frébault said the pro-autonomy parties now want to invite a UN delegation to French Polynesia “so they can see for themselves that we have all the tools we need for our development.

    “This is the message we want to get across”.

    Pro-autonomy Tapura Party leaders Tepuaraurii Teriitahi (from left), Edouard Fritch and Moerani Frébault, at a press conference in Papeete last week . . . . “We want to counter those who allege that the whole of [French] Polynesians are sharing this aspiration for independence.” Image: Radio 1/RNZ Pacific

    Territorial Assembly member Tepuaraurii Teriitahi, from the pro-autonomy Tapura Huiraatira party, is also travelling to Dili.

    “The majority of (French) Polynesians is not pro-independence. So when we travel to this kind of seminar, it is because we want to counter those who allege that the whole of (French) Polynesians is sharing this aspiration for independence,” she said.

    ‘Constitution of a Federated Republic of Ma’ohi Nui’
    On the pro-independence side in Pape’ete, the official line is that it wants Paris to at least engage in talks with French Polynesia to “open the subject of decolonisation”.

    For the same purpose, the Tavini Party, in April 2025, officially presented a draft for what could become a “Constitution of a Federated Republic of Ma’ohi Nui”.

    The document is sometimes described as drawing inspirations from France and the United States, but is not yet regarded as fully matured.

    Earlier this month, French Polynesia’s President Moetai Brotherson was in Paris for a series of meetings with several members of the French cabinet, including Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls and French Foreign Affairs Minister Yannick Neuder.

    Valls is currently contemplating visiting French Polynesia early in July.

    Brotherson came to power in May 2023. Since being elected to the top post, he has stressed that independence — although it remained a longterm goal — was not an immediate priority.

    He also said many times that he wished relations with France to evolve, especially on the decolonisation.

    “I think we should put those 10 years of misunderstanding, of denial of dialogue behind us,” he said.

    In October 2023, for the first time since French Polynesia was re-inscribed on the UN list, France made representations at the UN Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee), ending a 10-year empty chair hiatus .

    But the message delivered by the French Ambassador to the UN, Nicolas De Rivière, was unambiguous.

    He said French Polynesia “has no place” on the UN list of non-autonomous territories because “French Polynesia’s history is not the history of New Caledonia”.

    He also voiced France’s wish to have French Polynesia withdrawn from the UN list.

    The UN list of non-self-governing territories currently includes 17 territories worldwide and six of those are located in the Pacific — American Samoa, Guam, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Islands and Tokelau.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third man charged as part of investigation into north London fires

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A third man has been charged as part of an investigation into a series of fires in north London.

    Petro Pochynok 34 (25.07.90) of north London, a Ukrainian national [C] has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, namely:

    • conspiring together with Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc and others unknown to damage by fire property belonging to another,
    • intending to damage the property,
    • intending to endanger the life or another or being reckless as to whether the life of another would thereby be endangered.

    Pochynok is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 21 May at 10:00hrs.

    The charge, which was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, relates to a period from Thursday, 17 April to Tuesday, 13 May this year, in which three incidents took place – a vehicle fire in NW5 on Thursday, 8 May, a fire at the entrance of a property in N7 on Sunday, 11 May and a fire at a residential address in NW5 in the early hours of Monday, 12 May.

    All have connections with a high-profile public figure, and therefore officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation into the fires.

    Pochynok was arrested on Monday, 19 May, in the Chelsea area, SW3, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

    As part of the same investigation, Roman Lavrynovych 21 (06.02.04), of Sydenham, a Ukrainian national [A] was charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.

    He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 May and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 6 June.

    Stanislav Carpiuc, 26 (15.07.98) of Romford, a Romanian national, [B] has also been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.

    He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 20 May and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 6 June.

    Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should call police on 101 quoting CAD 441/12 May.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI China: SCIO briefs media on Yangtze River Economic Belt development in Chongqing

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

    SCIO briefs media on Yangtze River Economic Belt development in Chongqing

    China SCIO | May 21, 2025

    The State Council Information Office (SCIO) recently organized a media trip to southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, bringing together over 40 journalists — including foreign correspondents from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, and Japan — to observe the progress of high-quality development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

    A press briefing was held Monday during the trip, where Hu Henghua, deputy secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, briefed the media and answered questions.

    On May 19, 2025, the State Council Information Office holds a press briefing in Chongqing about the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

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    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Counts in Bradfield and Calwell become clearer, while Jacqui Lambie faces a possible problem in the Tasmanian Senate

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    Counting in several extremely close seats continues, but some results have become clearer. In Liberal-held Bradfield, Teal candidate Nicolette Boele has taken the lead, while the Calwell distribution of preferences indicates an independent is on track to pass the Liberals and benefit from their preferences against Labor. Meanwhile, Jacqui Lambie may have a problem in the Tasmanian Senate contest.

    Labor has won 93 of the 150 House of Representatives seats, the Coalition 43, all Others 12 and two remain undecided (Bradfield and Calwell). After Tuesday’s split between the Liberals and Nationals, the ABC has the Liberals on 28 seats and the Nationals on 15, with the Liberals to form the official opposition.

    The Australian Electoral Commission has 18 Liberals, nine Nationals and 16 seats won by Queensland’s Liberal National Party. LNP members can caucus with either the Liberals or Nationals, so they are splitting 10–6 to the Liberals.

    I will continue to use Coalition in my coverage of this election, as the Liberal and National parties contested the election as the Coalition. It would be difficult to split the LNP vote into its Liberal and National components.

    In the close seats, Boele leads the Liberals by 43 votes in Bradfield. She had trailed by 43 votes before the final votes were counted on Monday. The Poll Bludger said the last 181 formal postals counted favoured Boele by 125–56, giving her 69% of that batch.

    Of the just over 14,000 total formal postal votes counted in Bradfield, the Liberals have won by 56.4–43.6. But late postals are often much better for the left than early ones.

    What’s happening now in Bradfield is a full distribution of preferences, in which candidates are excluded from the bottom up on primary votes. If the margin after this distribution is complete is under 100 votes, there will be an automatic recount.

    In Goldstein, Teal incumbent Zoe Daniel’s late surge has fallen short, as she trails Liberal Tim Wilson by 135 votes with everything counted, in from a 292-vote deficit last Thursday.

    As with Bradfield, there will now be a full distribution of preferences in Goldstein. If the margin after this distribution is under 100 votes, there will be a recount. Daniel could also request a recount, but even if there is a recount, Wilson is very likely to win.

    In Labor-held Calwell, which has 13 candidates, final primary votes were 30.5% Labor, 15.7% Liberals, 11.9% for independent Carly Moore, 10.7% for independent Joseph Youhana, 8.3% for the Greens and 6.9% for independent Samim Moslih.

    The danger for Labor is that either Moore or Youhana overtake the Liberals on the distribution of preferences, then beat Labor at the final count on Liberal preferences. The AEC has a page that is updated with each exclusion in the preference distribution.

    After six exclusions, the totals are 32.8% Labor, 17.1% Liberals, 14.7% Moore, 12.1% Youhana, 9.9% Greens, 7.9% Moslih and 5.6% One Nation (to be excluded next). Analyst Kevin Bonham says Moore needs 7.5% more than the Liberals to make the final two, and 67% of overall preferences to beat Labor. For Youhana, these figures are 13.4% and 69%.

    Lambie may have a problem in the Tasmanian Senate contest

    I have previously covered the Senate count. There have only been minor changes to the primary votes since that May 9 article. The Poll Bludger has modelled the state Senate contests using 2022 election preference flows.

    According to this model, Labor will win the last seat in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, but only narrowly in WA. In Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie and the Liberals would edge out Labor. As I wrote previously, this result would give Labor 30 of the 76 total senators, the Coalition 27, the Greens 11, One Nation two and others six.

    For a state a quota is one-seventh of the vote or 14.3%. In Tasmania Labor has 2.48 quotas, the Liberals 1.65, the Greens 1.13, Jacqui Lambie 0.51, One Nation 0.35 and Legalise Cannabis 0.24. One Nation will be the last exclusion, and whichever of Labor, the Liberals or Lambie is last after One Nation’s preferences are distributed loses.

    There’s evidence that One Nation’s preferences have become better for the Coalition at this election than in 2022. In Capricornia, which had a One Nation primary vote of 15.5%, the LNP share of overall preferences increased nine points since 2022 to 62%.

    Lambie wants the salmon farming industry to stop farming in Macquarie Harbour and says they should move offshore. This stance could cost her preferences from One Nation and other right-aligned parties.

    I expect One Nation and other right-wing preferences in Tasmania to go strongly enough to the Liberals to give the Liberals one of the last two undecided seats, with the final seat between Labor and Lambie.

    Labor is pro-salmon farming, so perhaps Lambie could benefit from Greens and Animal Justice preferences (the Greens have a small surplus over one quota and Animal Justice has 0.09 quotas).

    Tasmanian poll and upper house elections

    A Tasmanian state EMRS poll, conducted May 13–17 from a sample of 1,000, gave Labor 31% of the vote (up one since February), the Liberals 29% (down five), the Greens 14% (up one), the Jacqui Lambie Network 6% (down two), independents 17% (up five) and others 4% (up one).

    Tasmania uses a proportional system for its lower house elections, so a two-party estimate is not applicable. Incumbent Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s net favourability was down four points to +6, while Labor leader Dean Winter’s was down one to +5. Rockliff led Winter by 44–32 as preferred premier (44–34 previously).

    Every May two or three of Tasmania’s 15 upper house seats are up for election for six-year terms. The Poll Bludger said Tuesday that current upper house standings are four Liberals, three Labor, one Green and seven independents. On Saturday there will be elections in Liberal-held Montgomery, Labor-held Pembroke and independent-held Nelson.

    European elections wrap

    I covered Sunday’s European elections in Romania, Portugal and Poland for The Poll Bludger. In Romania the centrist defeated the far-right candidate by 53.6–46.4, but the left had a dismal result in Portugal. I also covered recounts in the April 28 Canadian election and polls ahead of the June 3 South Korean presidential election.

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

    ref. Counts in Bradfield and Calwell become clearer, while Jacqui Lambie faces a possible problem in the Tasmanian Senate – https://theconversation.com/counts-in-bradfield-and-calwell-become-clearer-while-jacqui-lambie-faces-a-possible-problem-in-the-tasmanian-senate-257122

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Concerts, trainings and performances: how the large-scale project “Summer in Moscow” will take place

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A large-scale urban project will begin on June 1 “Summer in Moscow”, which will last three months. It will once again unite all the bright charity, cultural and sports events of the next season, which will take place in all districts of the capital. Most of them will be held outdoors.

    From tastings to dancing and plein air

    The festival “Gardens and Flowers” runs until September 7. City sites will be transformed into blooming gardens, and rare plants will be seen on the capital’s streets. Muscovites and tourists will be immersed in the atmosphere of summer, will be able to take bright photo sessions and walk along picturesque routes.

    One of the main gastronomic events of the year will be the festival “Moscow is on the wave. Fish week”, which will take place from May 30 to June 8. There will be fish corners on Shkolnaya Street, and open-air shopping chalets will offer various types of fresh, dried and chilled fish and seafood. Chefs will prepare unusual and classic dishes especially for guests at the festival venues.

    As part of the historical festival “Times and Epochs” From June 11 to 15, visitors will see historical periods from Antiquity to the Great Patriotic War. Children and adults will learn to hold swords in their hands or sit at a loom, and professional reenactors will help them with this.

    The Tastes of Russia festival will take place from July 4 to 13. On the streets of the capital, you can try the cuisine of the peoples of Russia and get acquainted with dishes that have become the calling card of different cities – from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Tastings and culinary experiments will give you new recipes and help you choose combinations of products for your home table.

    The Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve will host vintage market — an exhibition and sale of items from the Soviet and pre-revolutionary eras. Guests will enjoy a varied program with the participation of collectors and historians. Muscovites and tourists will be able to get acquainted with the photography craft of the film camera era, hear the sound of gramophone records from the 1920s, dance a square dance and polka to the sounds of a gramophone, remember Viktor Tsoi and the rock era of the 1980s, learn the history of the Olympic bear and purchase figurines of the mascot of the 1980 Olympics, as well as admire antique items and add badges, postcards, dishes and other things with history to their collections.

    From June 1 to September 7, there will be a summer clubThis is a sports and creative art space that will house beauty trucks, fashion pop-ups, greenhouses, a lecture hall, a climbing wall and many play areas.

    On the same dates, a festival will be held on Chistoprudny Boulevard “Street. Dancing” — a bright event for experienced dancers and those who want to learn breakdance, hip-hop, funk, shuffle and Latin. Within its framework, professional dancers will conduct master classes, organize flash mobs and battles.

    On the same days, a plein air painting will take place on Strastnoy Boulevard “Street. Art”. Art master classes, exhibitions of art objects, painting lessons in an art studio and performances by artists are organized here. Everyone is invited to participate. In addition, the participants of the competition “Moscow life in the summer” will paint unusual art objects: arches, balls and floor lamps – applications are being accepted until the end of May.

    Sergei Sobyanin: Large-scale project “Summer in Moscow” will begin on June 1

    Festival “Moscow Estates” will allow Muscovites and guests of the capital to immerse themselves in past eras in an original interactive format. The previous summer season was a record-breaking one: the event took place on the territory of 40 estates, which were visited by more than 700 thousand people. The festival was also held in winter.

    The capital will also host the Ice Moscow Tea festival, which will bring together more than 500 gastronomic establishments. Throughout the summer, they will offer visitors ice Moscow tea. The drink is prepared according to original recipes. As part of the project “Moscow Tea Party” Restaurants, cafes and hotels will continue to serve special tea sets in a signature service and with signature treats. Tea “Moscow” can be found in popular retail chains, souvenir shops and other places in the capital.

    For participants Russpass gamesusing augmented reality technologies, will offer 100 new sites where you need to look for cartoons as part of the Summer in Moscow project. For each meeting with them, virtual points are given in the form of experience. Using them, you can buy tickets to museums and other places in the capital with a discount of up to 99 percent as part of the Russpass bonus program. The game is available in the Russpass mobile application.

    An augmented reality game has been launched for guests of the Winter in Moscow venues

    Circus, theater and patriotic quests

    From June 1 to August 31, the capital will host an international open festival “Teatralny Boulevard – 2025”. Moscow will be transformed into a single large theater stage, where Muscovites and guests of the capital will be able to immerse themselves in the world of theater, try themselves in the role of an actor, decorator and director, as well as take part in a production or visit a creative workshop, learn more about the history of the theater and take a photo with their favorite artist. And of course, guests will see the best productions of Russia and foreign participants.

    Over the course of three months, more than 600 productions will be presented at 14 venues in the capital, including the amphitheater on Pokrovsky Boulevard and the amphitheater in the Polytech Museum Park. More than three thousand artists from all over the world will take part in them.

    June 1st Museum-Reserve “Kolomenskoye” a large-scale celebration of International Children’s Day will take place. Previously, it was held for many years on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, but this year the beloved event will take place at a new site that will be able to accommodate even more guests.

    Every year, the main theme of the festival is a dedication to beloved children’s poets, artists, writers, legendary films and cartoon characters. In previous years, festivals were dedicated to the legacy of Sergei Mikhalkov, Nikolai Nosov and Korney Chukovsky. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the film “The Adventures of Buratino”, which millions of children in our country have watched and continue to watch. Therefore, the festival will be held in honor of the cult character of Alexei Tolstoy.

    World Festival of Circus Arts “Idol 2025”will be held in Moscow for the ninth time. Its venue will be the arena of the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue, the largest circus in Europe. Guests will be able to attend performances for a whole month. The main events are scheduled from July 17 to 20, and then, until August 17, viewers will be able to enjoy the gala show of the winners.

    Since 2013, the festival has established itself as one of the most significant events in the world of circus arts. It has brought together more than 1,700 artists from 50 countries, including participants and spectators from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Austria, the USA, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba and many other countries. The main awards – “Golden Idol”, “Silver Idol” and “Bronze Idol” are awarded by a professional jury for the most spectacular, unusual, flawlessly performed number. The prizes “Golden Manege”, “Silver Manege” and “Bronze Manege” are presented by representatives of the media. The audience sympathy prizes “Golden Audience Hall”, “Silver Audience Hall” and “Bronze Audience Hall” are awarded based on the results of audience voting.

    The Summer in Moscow project will also feature a tent circus. The structures will be located in several picturesque corners of the city. Guests will be able to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of real magic and fun. Some of the best Russian artists will present their productions and numbers. Spectators will see a show with aerial gymnasts on canvases, acrobats on a swing trapeze, clown duets, equilibrists, and jugglers. There will also be numbers with animals.

    Victory Park will be transformed into an open-air museum. In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory, a large-scale patriotic project has been prepared for visitors. They will be offered walking and bus tours with professional guides, as well as tours in retro cars. In total, four walking routes run through the park, on which 25 monuments of Poklonnaya Gora are located.

    For young visitors, interactive quests along tangled military roads and secret partisan paths will be organized. All comers will be able to receive a stylized Red Army book, in which they can collect star stamps for completing tasks. The most active participants will receive memorable souvenirs and prizes.

    On the territory of Victory Park you can play skittles, chess and laser tag, as well as assemble a soldier’s kit bag, write a letter to the front and much more.

    Moscow Children’s Arts Festival “Sky”will be held for the third time in the capital from May 31 to June 1 in the Muzeon Arts Park. It will unite various types of art (theater, circus, music, dance), as well as science, literature and architecture. Guests will enjoy premieres, children’s operas and tours of leading regional theaters, an architectural workshop, master classes of musicians and choreographers, literary and scientific programs. Theaters and creative groups from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, Tobolsk, Almetyevsk and Kaliningrad will present their performances and numbers. About 90 different productions will be held at 12 venues. Guests will be able to see them from 11:00 to 20:00, admission to all events is free. Last year, the festival was visited by more than 180 thousand people.

    In early July, the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve will celebrate Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. This summer, the festival will be held in a multi-genre festival format for the 11th time. Last year, it was visited by 57 thousand people, for whom more than 250 artists from famous Moscow theaters and groups performed. The venue hosted lectures, over 200 master classes and other events.

    An extensive educational program has been prepared for guests of Zaryadye Park. It will begin on International Children’s Day, June 1. Each participant will be able to try themselves in the role of a physicist, chemist, biologist or engineer. Guests will also be treated to a large quest created jointly with scientists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

    On June 21 and 22, the Zaryadye Park will host the Theatre Weekend festival. This year, the program is dedicated to the 165th anniversary of Anton Chekhov’s birth and the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Spectators will see performances by leading Moscow theaters: the A.P. Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, the Russian Academic Youth Theater, the Moscow Sovremennik Theater, the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army, the Praktika Theater, and others. The festival’s motto this year will be “Make way for the young!” Therefore, groups from the Moscow Art Theater School, the Moscow State Institute of Culture, the Russian Institute of Theater Arts – GITIS, as well as special guests – actors from the Donetsk Republican Academic Youth Theater will perform on stage.

    From classical music to photo exhibitions

    On June 28 and 29, the Zaryadye Park will host the New Classics festival. This year, the program is dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of the avant-garde pianist and composer Alexander Mosolov. Spectators will hear his composition “Factory. Music of Machines” for the first time. Part of the work was lost, and composer Nikolai Popov and director Yuri Kvyatkovsky will supplement it, creating a large festival form. “Moscow. Music of Machines” will connect two musical eras – the avant-garde Moscow of the early 20th century and today’s Moscow. The main theme of the festival will be a dialogue between man and technology, and Zaryadye Park will once again become a space where modern classics meet the future, and traditions intertwine with innovations.

    From June 1 to September 7, film screenings will be held in the atmospheric space of the park under a glass crust as part of the “Cinema Summer in Zaryadye” festival. Viewers will see masterpieces of Russian cinema created by Vladimir Menshov, Tatyana Lioznova, Karen Shakhnazarov, Grigory Alexandrov, Mikhail Kalatozov, Alla Surikova and others. The films of these directors have already become classics. They are still watched with interest by viewers of different ages.

    Guests will be treated to 30 films, ranging from romantic comedies set against the backdrop of summer landscapes to poignant war dramas, exciting space adventures and profound social studies.

    As part of the Summer in Moscow project, two photo exhibitions will be held on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. They are dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of People’s Artist of the USSR Yuri Solomin and the 110th anniversary of the birth of People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Zeldin.

    The exhibition in memory of Yuri Solomin will be prepared by the Moscow Directorate of Mass Events under the supervision of the State Academic Maly Theatre and his granddaughter Alexandra Solomina.

    The exhibition dedicated to Vladimir Zeldin will be organized by the Moscow Directorate of Mass Events together with the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army. Muscovites and guests of the city will be able to get acquainted with the creative legacy of the legendary actors and see photographs from their family archives.

    Events in honor of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War

    On June 21 and 22, Moscow will host two significant events dedicated to preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War: “Memory Line” on the Krymskaya Embankment of the Muzeon Arts Park and “Memory Watch. Eternal Flame” in the Alexander Garden. Every year, Muscovites and guests of the capital come to support them with their entire families.

    For 11 years, on June 21, the day before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Crimean embankment of the Muzeon Art Park is illuminated by the light of 1,418 candles. Each candle is a symbol of one of the days of the war. The burning “memory line” runs from June 22, 1941 to May 9, 1945.

    The first candle in the campaign is symbolically lit from a piece of the Eternal Flame on Poklonnaya Hill. Anyone can join the event and light a candle, thereby reminding themselves and their loved ones of the importance of preserving the memory of the terrible years of the war. Every year, the line lights up in a matter of hours and continues to burn throughout June 22.

    During the event “Memory Watch. Eternal Flame” all those wishing to can remember the events of June 1941 and honor the memory of those who died for their Motherland by laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every year young men and women from youth associations, public organizations and patriotic clubs, as well as Muscovites and guests of the capital, join in. At 04:00 a documentary recording of Yuri Levitan’s message about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will be played. After that, there will be a minute of silence and the laying of flowers.

    On April 26, the Victory Park project began on the territory of the Victory Park. The Main Patriotic Park, implemented by the Victory Museum with the support of the Moscow Government. Until October, on weekends, visitors will be able to take the quest “Forward to Victory!” for free, which is held at more than 80 interactive sites, and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the 1940s.

    From carnival processions to jazz concerts

    From August 28 to 31, the Gorky Festival will be held in Gorky Park. The theme of this year’s event is “Gorky Chekhov”. The theatrical program will be held at the Moscow Youth Theater, the main events, as always, will be presented in Gorky Park and Neskuchny Garden.

    Guests can expect theatrical performances, exhibitions and installations, a theatrical laboratory, a music program and a circus show. Last year, the festival covered 18 venues, which were visited by more than 330 thousand spectators.

    In June, the capital will host the IV Moscow Jazz Festival, one of the largest jazz festivals in the world and the largest jazz festival in Russia. On June 9 and 15, the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in the P.I. Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. From June 10 to 14, festival events will be held in the Hermitage Garden, Zaryadye Park, Muzeon Arts Park, VDNKh, and the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve. Guests will enjoy over 400 hours of live music performed by over 1,000 musicians.

    The III Moscow Summer Music Festival “Zaryadye” will be held from June 2 to July 6. World-class stars and invited artists will present concerts, special and children’s projects on the stage of the Zaryadye Hall. The closing of the festival will take place in the open air in the park’s amphitheater.

    Sports and entertainment in parks

    With the arrival of the long-awaited summer, more than 55 million guests are expected in over 50 capital parks, for whom a multi-format festival program has been prepared.

    Muscovites and tourists can expect large-scale events, including the park festival “Gardens and Vegetable Gardens”, City Day and many others.

    The parks will host over 10,000 local events. Sports enthusiasts will be able to attend daily morning exercises, outdoor training, and much more. Participation in the classes will help improve health, improve physical fitness, and develop teamwork skills.

    The cultural program includes parties in summer cinemas, immersive performances and dances. Professional artists and creative groups will present their numbers and theatrical performances. Every weekend, park visitors will be treated to music, dance flash mobs and open-air karaoke, and the Park Symphony festival will combine musical rhythms of different genres.

    Residents and guests of the capital will be able to attend gastronomic events: open master classes by famous chefs and lectures on culinary trends. Special places will be equipped for picnics.

    Summer Program for Youth: Development and Creative Growth

    Young Muscovites will enjoy an extensive entertainment and educational program. From June 9 to July 19, the Moskino Cinema Park will host the first creative camp, “Youth of Moscow.” Participants will be able to demonstrate their skills in choreography, vocals, humor, and other creative areas. The shifts will be dedicated to different areas of art: KVN, vocals and music, cinema, producing, original genre, and event organization. The “KVN School” shift is aimed at developing skills in humor and teamwork, while the “Original Genre School” will help aspiring circus performers, cheerleaders, gymnasts, and acrobats improve their skills in the performing arts, and learn how to work with props in interactive productions. As part of the “Dance School,” children will develop their abilities and try themselves in various choreography styles, learn to express emotions in dance, and create their own unique productions. In the “School of Vocals and Music” young Muscovites will be able to improve their vocals, work on their voices with professionals and unite into youth musical groups. The shift “School of Cinema, Producers and Event Organizers” will be aimed at developing organizational skills, producing and acting skills.

    The final race will be held in the format of the Art Quarter festival, where an open large-scale gala concert will take place, uniting all directions. It will be prepared by young people from different shifts of the camp.

    From June 28 to August 4, the patriotic camp “Youth of Moscow. Capital. Summer” will operate for the fourth time. The site will be the territory of the recreation center “Red Carnation”. Participants will have six thematic shifts.

    The “Achieve” shift will bring together athletes, “Manage” — representatives of student government, “Improve” — young professionals, and the “Help” shift will bring together Moscow volunteers. Young Muscovites will be able not only to develop their skills in various fields, but also to find friends, realize their creative potential, and gain new emotional experience. Songs with a guitar and meetings around a large fire will become a tradition of the camp. Meetings and master classes with participants of a special military operation are planned. All shifts will also teach how to provide first aid, resist fire, and ensure safety for yourself and your loved ones in emergency situations.

    City residents aged 18 to 35 can apply for participation. Registration is open on the portal “Youth of Moscow”.

    In honor of Youth Day, the capital will host a large number of events — from master classes and intellectual games to creative concerts and events. The flagship event will be held in Khodynka Pole Park on June 28 and 29. This year, the festival concept provides for the synergy of key areas for the comprehensive development of the city’s youth. Eight key zones dedicated to various topics will be prepared for guests: patriotism, career guidance, creativity, personal development, friendship, sports, volunteering and trends. Visitors will enjoy educational lectures, trainings and master classes, a job fair, competitions in various sports and much more.

    Traditionally, on Youth Day, the KVN League Summer Cup “Youth of Moscow” and the “Space Basketball” tournament will be held, in which youth teams will take part. Young performers who want to make a name for themselves throughout the city will be able to perform on an open stage.

    From May 25 to September 7, the Youth Point festival will be held on Bolotnaya Square. The site will host hubs — interactive modern spaces dedicated to art, sports, development, and future competencies. The festival program will include large open discos, master classes in sketching, water painting, sports activities, and much more.

    Charity initiatives

    On July 5 and 6, the Bauman Garden will host the charity festival “City of the Caring”, dedicated to the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. The entertainment program will include activities for the whole family. Guests will enjoy creative master classes, a charity quest, a no-lose lottery and photo zones for summer photos. A play area will be set up for children. At the “Fluffy Friend” site, guests will be able to meet animals from shelters and choose pets for themselves. A charity fair will also open, where goods from Moscow non-profit organizations (NPOs) will be presented. All proceeds from sales will be directed to helping their wards.

    Visitors will be able to get to know the city’s social projects better and take part in them.

    Checkers, table tennis and fitrock

    From May 29 to September 7, Moscow will host a festival of urban sports. Throughout the summer, sports training and entertainment events aimed at popularizing an active lifestyle among residents of the capital will be held in the capital’s parks. The most active participants will receive prizes.

    The project “Summer. Beach. Moscow Sport” will be held from May 31 to August 31. It is organized for those who spend the summer in Moscow. Zumba, stretching, functional training, beach volleyball, yoga and fiery fitrock training will be held in beach recreation areas on weekends. In addition, there will be an opportunity to play tetherball, frisbee and beach tennis.

    From May 31 to September 7, training sessions for the new season of the Sports Weekend project will take place, thanks to which city residents can do sports for free under the guidance of professional trainers on Saturdays and Sundays at more than 50 unique venues in the city, as well as online.

    From June 1 to September 7, the “Chess Square” space will be available near the Metropol Hotel. On weekdays, anyone can take chess sets and play easy games. On weekends, there will be family, open and children’s tournaments, as well as master classes by famous grandmasters.

    From June 1 to September 30, a new season of free training will be held as part of the My Sports District project. Participation in them will be interesting for city residents who love sports and want to do them regularly. Classes are held all year round and change depending on the season.

    On July 5, large-scale sports events “Moscow Sports Day” and “Moscow Sports Night” will take place. Guests will enjoy more than 20 themed sports grounds, master classes, tournaments and a concert with popular artists at “Moscow Sports Day”, as well as more than 15 zones with sports activities and autograph sessions with famous athletes at “Moscow Sports Night”.

    “Green Market” and art pavilions

    From May 25 to September 7, art pavilions of the Made in Moscow project will operate in tourist areas of the capital. Here you can buy more than 70 thousand products from local manufacturers – from clothes and cosmetics to children’s toys and food products.

    The flagship venue will be the Green Market on Bolotnaya Square, where a rollerdrome with a summer cinema will be available for the first time. Guests will be treated to a rollerdrome show, discos and events organized with the participation of the capital’s Committee on Public Relations and Youth Policy, which became a partner of the flagship venue for the first time this summer season.

    Reservation of venues

    The mos.ru portal is resuming its work on the city space booking service “Everyone on the street!”. From May 20, you can submit applications for holding events.

    Representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, individual entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals and individuals can book a site free of charge.

    More than 100 venues will be available for booking, including chalets for master classes, stages, gazebos, sports and dance floors, located in every district of the city.

    Results of the booking service last year

    Last year, the city hosted the festival “Summer in Moscow. Everyone out on the street!” for the first time – a new format of interaction between the city, business and Muscovites within the framework of the event program. Its key feature was that the agenda of summer recreation in the capital was created by Muscovites themselves. About 25 thousand events (every fourth) were organized by residents, businesses or NGOs. About 1.1 thousand entrepreneurs organized about 8.5 thousand events and presented their projects to a wide audience.

    Special project “Time of Opportunities”

    For the capital’s entrepreneurs, a special project called “Time of Opportunities” is starting, previously called “Come on in!” This is an excellent opportunity to vividly tell about your business, making it memorable for a wide audience. Shops, restaurants and cafes, service enterprises, fitness centers and sports studios, educational centers and creative studios can take part in the project.

    Participants will receive a summer business box, which includes a set of free services from market leaders for business promotion, the opportunity to post information about their events on the mos.ru poster, in the Yandex Maps and 2GIS applications, as well as media support in the media: on television, in online publications, print media and Telegram channels.

    The Russpass website will organize a collection of feedback from visitors. Entrepreneurs who have collected the largest number of positive reviews will receive a package for promoting their business, “The Most Active”.

    To become part of the project, you need to prepare a unique special offer. These can be thematic master classes, seminars, shows, performances and much more. You also need to fill out a participant’s questionnaire.

    Results of the special project for the last season

    As part of the special project “Come on in!”, more than 700 organizations from various fields made over 900 offers to city residents and tourists. These were discounts and bonuses, free master classes, gastronomic tastings, tickets to performances and sports classes. More than six thousand people took advantage of them.

    Art pavilions of the Made in Moscow project

    On April 15, a selection began among the capital’s entrepreneurs who will present their products in the art pavilions of the Made in Moscow project market, which is part of the city’s summer program Summer in Moscow.

    The selection will be held for participants of the Made in Moscow project – these are self-employed people, individual entrepreneurs, representatives of small, medium and large businesses that produce children’s goods, clothing and footwear, accessories, household and animal goods and much more in the capital.

    To do this, you need to register in the project on the website business.madeinmoscow.rf, having previously familiarized yourself with the conditions (availability of a capital tax identification number, as well as a full or partial production cycle on the territory of Moscow).

    A large-scale market of local goods will cover the main tourist sites, including Bolotnaya Square. More than 700 Moscow brands will be able to get space on the shelves for selling goods. Entrepreneurs will not only present their products, but will also hold thematic lectures and master classes, organize prize draws and tastings.

    Participation in the summer market “Made in Moscow” is a free measure of support provided to businesses by the capital Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.

    This allows local brands to increase their recognition among city residents, as well as sales of goods that they produce in the city. Thus, last year from August 1 to September 9, as part of the forum-festival “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030” on Bolotnaya Square, the market of the future “Made in Moscow” was open. It was visited by more than 150 thousand people, and the revenue of the market participants reached 50 million rubles.

    It is also worth noting the successful experience of the Made in Moscow magic market as part of the city’s winter program “Winter in Moscow”. It was held from December 20 to February 28 at seven popular sites – from Arbat to Kuznetsky Most. It was visited by more than 570 thousand people. Moscow entrepreneurs sold over 50 thousand goods.

    The market became one of the key measures of city support, which was used by more than 500 Moscow brands. A rich entertainment program was organized for guests, including more than 3.5 thousand thematic events, including master classes and fashion shows.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154057073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • WHO members adopt global pandemic accord, but US absence casts doubts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Members of the World Health Organization adopted an agreement on Tuesday intended to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19, but the absence of the U.S. cast doubt on the treaty’s effectiveness.

    After three years of negotiations, the legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO member countries welcomed its passing with applause.

    The pact was touted as a victory for members of the global health agency at a time when multilateral organisations like the WHO have been battered by sharp cuts in U.S. foreign funding.

    “The agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

    The pact aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access.

    However, U.S. negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. – by far the WHO’s largest financial backer – from the agency when he took office in January.

    Given this, the U.S., which poured billions of dollars into vaccine development during the COVID pandemic, would not be bound by the pact. And WHO member states would not face penalties if they failed to implement it.

    U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the World Health Organization in a video address to the Assembly, saying it had failed to learn from the lessons of the pandemic with the new agreement.

    “It has doubled down with the pandemic agreement which will lock in all of the dysfunction of the WHO pandemic response… We’re not going to participate in that,” he said.

    LATE CHALLENGE

    The deal was reached after Slovakia called for a vote on Monday, as its COVID-19 vaccinesceptic prime minister demanded that his country challenge the adoption of the agreement.

    One hundred and twenty-four countries voted in favour, no countries voted against, while 11 countries, including Poland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovakia and Iran, abstained.

    Some health experts welcomed the treaty as a step towards greater fairness in global health after poorer nations were left short of vaccines and diagnostics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It contains critical provisions, especially in research and development, that — if implemented — could shift the global pandemic response toward greater equity,” Michelle Childs, Policy Advocacy Director at Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, told Reuters.

    Others said the agreement did not meet initial ambitions and that, without strong implementation frameworks, it risked falling short in a future pandemic.

    “It is an empty shell… It’s difficult to say that it’s a treaty with firm obligation where there is a strong commitment… It’s a good starting point. But it will have to be developed,” said Gian Luca Burci, an academic adviser at the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, an independent research and education organisation.

    Helen Clark the co-Chair of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, described the accord as a foundation to build from.

    “Many gaps remain in finance, equitable access to medical countermeasures and in understanding evolving risks,” she added.

    The pact will not go into effect until an annex on sharing of pathogenic information is agreed. Negotiations on this would start in July with the aim of delivering the annex to the World Health Assembly for adoption, WHO said. A Western diplomatic source suggested it may take up to two years to be agreed.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shining a light on the fostering community’s powerful relationships

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Foster Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council’s fostering service, is encouraging people in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas to consider becoming foster carers this Foster Care Fortnight (12-25 May).

    Throughout the two weeks, Foster Portsmouth will be joining others across the UK to celebrate the fostering community, raise awareness of the life-changing impact fostering can have, and highlight the urgent need for more loving foster families in and around the city.

    Foster Portsmouth marked the start of the fortnight by lighting up the Spinnaker Tower in their brand colours and are flying their flag outside the Civic Offices for the duration.

    They will also be holding their spring drop-in foster carer recruitment event on Saturday 24 May between 10am-1pm at the Holiday Inn, Farlington as Foster Care Fortnight draws to a close.

    Councillor Nick Dorrington, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council, said:

    “The drop-in event will enable people, who wish to find out more about fostering and our ‘team around the child’, to talk directly to existing foster carers about the rewards of fostering children and young people.”

    “Our fostering community is one of our key strengths. As a ‘small but mighty’ not-for-profit fostering service, we get to know our foster carers and the children or young people in our care, and they’re able to stay close to their families, friends, schools and community links.”

    “As a result, we’re able to build a strong close-knit community spirit, and our foster carers collaborate closely with social workers and the professionals involved in a child’s care and development.”

    The theme of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight is ‘the power of relationships‘. This highlights the vital connections at the heart of fostering.

    Strong, trusting relationships are the golden thread that runs through every fostering story. Whether it’s the bond between a foster carer and a child, the support of social workers, the friendships built within fostering communities, or the connections with birth families, these relationships shape lives, create stability, and open up new possibilities for the future.

    The bonds formed with foster carers help children and young people grow and thrive. Foster carers play a crucial role in providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children and young people – many of whom have faced difficult or traumatic experiences.

    At the centre of many of these relationships within Foster Portsmouth is their  Mockingbird programme, a unique approach to supporting foster families. This sees up to 10 households create their own support networks, through a dedicated foster carer at a hub home. This approach has led to stronger, more resilient foster families, who are not just supported by professionals, but their own communities.

    Rachel Day, a foster carer in Portsmouth has directly benefited from this model. She said:

    “Mockingbird has created a community that feels like a family. Carers can build positive relationships and friendships with each other. Children and young people are given a sense of belonging where they are not the only child in our care.”

    “This support encourages carers to socialise with their families, to get outdoors and experience fun times together, creating positive memories that children and young people will remember.”

    However, more foster carers are urgently required in and around Portsmouth. 6,000 more are currently needed across the UK, with 820 of these needed in the South East. This shortage leaves too many children without the local homes they need to stay close to family, friends, school and clubs.

    There is a particular need for foster carers to look after teenagers and sibling groups. Fostering services are working hard to find and recruit the foster carers they need locally to look after these children.

    Portsmouth City Council is also spotlighting the team that supports foster families during Foster Care Fortnight. Social care practitioners work with groups of foster families within their community, alongside a lead carer. This distinctive approach aims to strengthen relationships and improve outcomes for children and young people in care.

    Stronger Futures, the children’s social care recruitment campaign, is celebrating Mockingbird liaison workers as they share their experiences from working in the community and the advantages of the Mockingbird model.

    Councillor Dorrington continued:

    “As we celebrate the remarkable work of our Mockingbird liaison workers, we’re highlighting the exceptional support they provide to foster families. Their commitment and the innovative approach of the Mockingbird model focus on building stronger relationships. Portsmouth City Council is proud to recognise these outstanding individuals during this fortnight, alongside our wonderful foster families and carers.”

    Anyone aged 21+ with a spare bedroom could foster with Foster Portsmouth regardless of their age, gender, faith, ethnicitysexualitymarital or work status, or whether they rent or own their own home.

    Fostering could be a short or long term arrangement until they’re ready to live independently or be reunited with family, support for children seeking safety and asylum or children with a disabilitysupported lodgings to develop their independent living skills, a parent and baby placement, or respite care.

    Carers receive local round the clock support and ongoing quality training such as therapeutic care, including through our mentoring scheme and our innovative award-winning Mockingbird programme.. They also receive a  competitive financial package, social activities, and free membership to The Fostering Network.

    People can drop-in to the event on Saturday 24 May at the Holiday Inn, Farlington anytime between 10am and 1pm.

    To enquire now about fostering with Foster Portsmouth, people can fill in their contact form at www.foster.portsmouth.gov.uk/enquire-now, they can call 0300 1312797 or they can email info@lafosteringse.org.uk.

    For more information on Stronger Futures and careers in fostering, please visit www.strongerfutures.co.uk/fostering.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Jeito Capital Leads a USD 65 million Financing in ReproNovo to Develop Transformational Treatments in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Jeito Capital Leads a USD 65 million Financing in ReproNovo to Develop Transformational Treatments in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health

    • Proceeds from the financing will advance ReproNovo’s lead candidates RPN-001 (leflutrozole) and RPN-002 (nolasiban), through Phase 2 clinical trials in male infertility and in the treatment of adenomyosis and embryo implantation, respectively
    • In the context of increasing infertility across the world, this investment reflects Jeito’s interest in highly promising clinical-stage biopharma companies developing breakthrough innovations with strong value-creation potential for patients and society

    Paris, France, May 21, 2025 – Jeito Capital (“Jeito”), a global leading independent Private Equity fund dedicated to biopharma, announced today it is leading a USD 65 million (EUR 57 million1) Series A financing round in ReproNovo, a company dedicated to developing innovative treatments for reproductive medicine and women’s health.

    AXA IM Alts and M Ventures co-led the financing round alongside a syndicate of healthcare funds: Ysios Capital and ALSA Ventures.

    Ksenija Pavletic, Jeito Partner and Chief Commercial Officer with 25 years of experience in reproductive medicine and women’s health, will join ReproNovo’s Board of Directors.

    Founded in 2021, ReproNovo is developing novel approaches to address critical gaps in reproductive medicine and women’s health, including male and female infertility as well as uterine health. The company, led by a team of experts in this space – Jean Marie Duvall, Chief Executive Officer, Joan-Carles Arce, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Officer, and BingMei Hao, Chief Financial Officer – brings a proven track record in successful clinical development and commercial launches.

    Since its inception, ReproNovo has rapidly built a pipeline comprising two Phase 2 clinical-stage assets across three disease areas, and the company plans to use the proceeds from this financing to advance this pipeline across multiple programs:

    • With its lead candidate, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), the company will focus on the development of an oral therapy for male infertility due to low testosterone levels. Low testosterone is becoming more prevalent, including in younger men, highlighting the urgent need for an efficacious treatment option.​ This trend coincides with a broader decline in male reproductive health, now recognized as a major public health problem2.
    • RPN-002 (nolasiban), also orally administered therapy, is a first-in-class compound to manage adenomyosis, an overgrowth of endometrial tissue into the uterus that can result in severe menstrual bleeding and pain. Similar to endometriosis, this is a common gynecological condition, with recent imaging studies identifying features of adenomyosis in nearly one in four women undergoing gynecological evaluation3.

    RPN-002 will also be explored for improving success rates in assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

    The global decline in fertility rates, coupled with the rising incidence of male infertility (sperm counts have fallen by 50% to 60% over the last four decades4) and the significant health risks women endure during fertility treatments underscore the urgent and underserved need for innovative reproductive solutions that address both genders and these global challenges comprehensively.

    Through this investment, Jeito reaffirms its commitment to highly promising companies with transformational science that has the potential to deliver strong value for patients and society. By tackling male infertility and women’s health at a global scale, ReproNovo is addressing not only a significant patients’ concern but also a major societal issue.

    Dr. Rafaèle Tordjman, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital, said:
    “ReproNovo combines strong innovative potential, a seasoned team, and a clear ambition to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: declining birth rates. At Jeito, we are committed to advancing breakthrough innovations with significant value for both patients and society. This investment reflects that commitment. We are proud to support the acceleration of ReproNovo’s clinical development and help unlock its potential to become a future market leader.”

    Ksenija Pavletic, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at Jeito Capital, added:
    “As approximately one in six people worldwide will face infertility issues, we are proud to support ReproNovo, whose commitment to advancing novel therapies in reproductive health aligns well with our focus on accelerating cutting-edge technologies and the commercialization of treatments with transformative benefits for patients. We are highly impressed by the ReproNovo team, whose members have a strong track record in this field, having brought a number of compounds successfully through clinical development and onto the market. Their deep understanding of the field will enable them to effectively address critical unmet needs that have a strong impact on society.”

    Jean Marie Duvall, Co-founder and CEO of ReproNovo, concluded:
    “We are focused on innovative therapeutic solutions for male and female infertility and pioneering management options for conditions like adenomyosis. Our aim is to address critical gaps in the landscape of infertility and women’s health worldwide. We are thrilled to announce the successful closing of our $65 million Series A funding round with this strong, sector specialized group of investors, marking a significant milestone in our journey to becoming a leading reproductive medicine and women’s health company.”

    About Jeito Capital
    Jeito Capital is a global leading Private Equity fund with a patient benefit driven approach that finances and accelerates the development and growth of ground-breaking medical innovation. Jeito empowers and supports managers through its expert, integrated, multi-talented team and through the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, building market leaders in their respective therapeutic areas with accelerated patients’ access globally, especially in Europe and the United States. Jeito has built a diversified portfolio of clinical biopharmas with cutting-edge innovations addressing high unmet needs. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States.
    For more information, please visit www.jeito.life or follow us on LinkedIn.

    About ReproNovo

    ReproNovo is a cutting-edge biopharmaceutical company identifying and developing innovative solutions to address critical gaps in reproductive medicine and women’s health. Our team is composed of proven experts with deep experience in reproductive medicine, drug development, regulatory affairs and business development who have throughout their careers successfully brought multiple therapies to market. Lead clinical compound, RPN-001 (leflutrozole), is initially being developed to treat male infertility. RPN-002 (nolasiban) is a first-in-disease and first-in-class molecular entity to manage adenomyosis and increase the probability of embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Both assets are Phase 2 ready. ReproNovo is financed by Jeito Capital, AXA IM Alts, founding investor M Ventures, Ysios Capital and ALSA Ventures. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the company has its primary development team in Copenhagen, Denmark, and an additional development site in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.repronovo.com.

    Contacts:

    Jeito Capital                                        
    Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder & CEO
    Jessica Fadel, EA
    Tel: +33 6 33 44 25 47

    Maior                                                ICR Healthcare
    Stéphanie Elbaz                                Mary-Jane Elliott / Davide Salvi / Kris Lam
    Tel: +33 6 46 05 08 07                        Jeito@icrhealthcare.com
    Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

                                                    Sean Leous
                                                    sean.leous@icrhealthcare.com  
    Tel: +1 (646) 866 4012


    1EUR/USD exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.1343 USD date May 5, 2025 (source: Banque de France)
    2Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of samples collected globally in the 20th and 21st centuries. Human Reproduction Update. 2022; https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmac035
    3Alson S, et al. Prevalence of adenomyosis features in women scheduled for assisted reproductive treatment, using the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) group definitions. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103:1142–1152.
    4 Fortune “The global ‘spermpocalypse’ proves infertility is no longer just a women’s problem, says male fertility CEO” (May 2024)

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Buys a View: Trump Tower Dubai Embraces Cryptocurrency Payments via Deus X Pay

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Deus X Pay, a licensed institutional stablecoin payment solution setting new standards across the luxury sectors, is now enabling crypto payments for property purchases at the new Trump Tower Dubai, the first Trump International Hotel to be built in the Middle East.

    The new $1 billion Trump Tower Dubai, unveiled through partnership with London-listed Dar Global, marks a breakthrough in global luxury real estate. Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organisation and son of US President Donald Trump, has recently announced that Bitcoin and other digital currencies will be accepted for condo sales.

    Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Dar Global, said the Trump Tower Dubai is among the most ambitious Trump-branded residential towers globally, reflecting the project’s magnitude, stature, and symbolic significance in the region and internationally.

    Trump previously told Gulf Business that Dubai is where luxury real estate and financial innovation intersect, and projects like Trump Tower Dubai are leading the way. By embracing technologies like stablecoins, buyers gain a faster, cheaper and more transparent way to secure exclusive, high-end properties while reshaping how luxury transactions are conducted.

    Deus X Pay, a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Lithuania, offers institutional stablecoin payment solutions, enabling luxury sectors such as real estate, aviation and yachting to capitalise on this new era of finance. Deus X Pay CEO, Richard Crook, highlights that Dubai has created an environment where stablecoins can flourish as a practical, secure tool for international transactions (with Crypto Watch reporting that crypto adoption in the UAE is expected to surge 210% in 2025), giving premium buyers faster, frictionless access to high-value assets.

    “Dubai’s forward-thinking stance has unlocked a whole new economy, and the gold standard for transactions of high-value assets. International buyers seek faster settlements, fewer cross-border complications and seamless access to premium developments. This project is a defining moment — not just for Deus X Pay, but for the global real estate sector. We are thrilled to deliver the regulated rails that make it possible for premium property buyers to transact instantly, compliantly and without the traditional delays or friction.”

    The Trump Tower Dubai, an 80-story architectural icon, offers the highest international standards for ultra-high-net-worth travellers and long-stay residents. The exclusive building boasts 2-3 bedroom apartments and 4-bedroom penthouses valued at over AED 73 million, the highest outdoor swimming pool in the world, and has views of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

    This new skyscraper is part of an expanding trend across private aviation, superyachts, and luxury collectables as high-end sectors embrace digital assets as a payment option to future-proof legacy industries.

    For media enquiries, contact:
    Sarah Tran
    Head of Marketing
    media@deusxpay.com

    About Deus X Pay
    Deus X Pay is a regulated provider of institutional stablecoin payment solutions, revolutionising the authorisation, clearing, and settlement of cryptocurrency payments. We enhance global payment options for institutions, businesses, and corporations by seamlessly merging traditional finance with advanced digital payment infrastructure, enabling faster, more cost-effective, and secure transactions.

    Fully compliant and regulated as a Virtual Asset Service Provider, Deus X Pay operates under a license in Lithuania, supervised by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT), the Czech Republic, supervised by the Financial Analytical Office (FAU), and in Canada, supervised by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

    As a part of the innovative crypto investment firm Deus X Capital, we equip organisations with state-of-the-art financial tools aimed at fostering growth and success in today’s dynamic market.

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Deus X Pay. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4da4d9a6-74af-4322-b030-f4ed0f09eb4f

    The MIL Network

  • EU, Britain go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin brought about neither a ceasefire in Ukraine nor fresh U.S. sanctions.

    London and Brussels said their new measures would zero in on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war.

    “Sanctions matter, and I am grateful to everyone who makes them more tangible for the perpetrators of the war,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.

    He said it “would be good” if the United States added its help, adding: “It is important that America remain involved in the process of bringing peace closer.”

    The sanctions were unveiled without an immediate announcement of corresponding steps from Washington, despite intense public lobbying from European leaders for the Trump administration to join them if Russia rejected a ceasefire.

    “We have repeatedly made it clear that we expect one thing from Russia – an immediate ceasefire without preconditions,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on the sidelines of a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels.

    As Russia had not accepted a ceasefire, “we will have to react,” he said. “We also expect our U.S. allies not to tolerate this.”

    Trump told reporters on Tuesday he was deliberating over what actions to take, but gave no further details.

    “We’re looking at a lot of things, but we’ll see,” he said.

    In a two-hour conversation with Putin on Monday, the U.S. president dropped his earlier insistence on an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and signalled that the war he once promised to end in 24 hours was no longer his to fix – a message that leaves Ukraine vulnerable and its allies worried.

    Asked on Monday why he had not imposed fresh sanctions to push Moscow into a peace deal, Trump said that could make the situation worse and affect the chance of a deal, while adding: “But there could be a time where that’s going to happen.”

    Trump said after talking to Putin he had told Zelenskiy and European leaders that Russia and Ukraine would immediately start negotiations on conditions for a ceasefire, a process Russia said would take time.

    Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in more than three years on Friday at Trump’s behest, but failed to agree a truce after Moscow presented conditions that a member of the Ukrainian delegation called “non-starters”.

    POPE WILLING TO HOST TALKS

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that Pope Leo had confirmed to her his willingness to host in the Vatican the next round of negotiations to try to end the war.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a congressional hearing on Tuesday that Putin had not received any real concessions in the U.S. effort to initiate talks and existing U.S. sanctions on Russia remained in place.

    “The president … believes that right now, you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking, and there’s value in us being able to talk and drive them to get to the table. We’ll see,” Rubio said.

    Ukraine says it is ready for an immediate ceasefire. The Europeans say Russia’s insistence on talks first is proof that Putin, who started the war by invading his neighbour in 2022, is not prepared to end it.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a further package of sanctions was being prepared.

    “It’s time to intensify the pressure on Russia to bring about the ceasefire,” she wrote on X.

    RUSSIA SAYS IT WILL NOT BOW TO ULTIMATUMS

    Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would never bow to what she called ultimatums.

    Putin said on Monday that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord. “Now, accordingly, the ball is in Kyiv’s court,” Zakharova said.

    Brussels and London signalled they have not given up hope of persuading Washington.

    “Let us push Vladimir Putin to put an end to his imperialist fantasy,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

    Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy said “delaying peace efforts will only redouble our resolve to help Ukraine to defend itself and use our sanctions to restrict Putin’s war machine”.

    The latest sanctions are aimed mainly at cracking down on a shipping fleet Russia uses to export oil, circumventing a $60 a barrel price cap imposed by the G7 group of industrialised countries to limit Russia’s income.

    Britain and the EU said they would also work to lower the cap, which imposes far less of a discount on Russian oil now that global prices have fallen this year.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI: CoinShares Expands XBT Provider Platform with Seven New Physical Crypto ETPs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    May 21, 2025 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey | CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or “the Group”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), a leading global investment company specializing in digital assets with over $6 billion in AUM, announces the expansion of its Swedish XBT Provider Platform with the launch of seven new physically-backed crypto Exchange Traded Products (ETPs).

    CoinShares is leveraging its well-established and respected Swedish platform, CoinShares XBT Provider AB, to offer investors access to new digital assets with best-in-class structuration, cost-effective management fees, and staking rewards for proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies. Each product employs physical replication, meaning the underlying cryptocurrencies purchased and directly held in a regulated custodian.

    The seven new products, all denominated and traded in SEK and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, include:

    Name Management Fees Staking Reward
    CoinShares XBT Litecoin 1.50% p.a. Not a proof of stake crypto
    CoinShares XBT Chainlink 1.50% p.a. Not a proof of stake crypto
    CoinShares XBT Polkadot Reduced to 0.00% p.a. 5.0% p.a.
    CoinShares XBT Solana Reduced to 0.00% p.a. 3.0% p.a.
    CoinShares XBT Cardano Reduced to 0.00% p.a. 2.0% p.a.
    CoinShares XBT XRP 1.50% p.a. Not a proof of stake crypto
    CoinShares XBT Uniswap 1.50% p.a. Not a proof of stake crypto

    Jean-Marie Mognetti, CEO of CoinShares, commented on the launch: “We are glad to reinvigorate the CoinShares XBT Provider platform, which made history as the world’s first open-ended crypto ETP when created in 2015 and subsequently acquired by CoinShares in 2016. With this product extension, we’re enabling Swedish investors to access an expanded range of tokens through a pioneering and time-tested crypto ETP platform. The XBT Provider platform has consistently demonstrated its reliability and has become the trusted choice for Swedish investors seeking exposure to digital assets.

    This expansion represents our commitment to developing the Swedish market, providing institutional-grade investment vehicles that can help bridge the adoption gap that currently exists compared to other European markets. By offering these innovative products on a trusted platform, we aim to accelerate digital asset integration within Sweden’s sophisticated financial ecosystem.”

    “We are happy to see CoinShares expand their offering on our markets. The demand for ETPs is continuing to grow and this is an important step for the Swedish market in meeting that demand. With a broader range of locally listed ETPs, we give investors the opportunity to take advantage of cost-effective, transparent investment opportunities.” says Adam Kostyál, President, Nasdaq Stockholm

    About CoinShares 

    CoinShares is a leading global digital asset manager that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Founded in 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Stockholm, the UK, and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, in the US by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.

    For more information on CoinShares, please visit: https://coinshares.com 
    Company  | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com 
    Investor Relations | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com 

    PRESS CONTACT

    CoinShares
    Benoît Pellevoizin
    bpellevoizin@coinshares.com

    M Group Strategic Communications
    Peter Padovano
    coinshares@mgroupsc.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Between Paris and Moscow: Double Portrait in the Interior of the Era

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Exhibition of artists Alexandra Koltsova-Bychkova and Sergey Koltsov “Between Paris and Moscow”— is a cinematic walk. Its geometry is built like a city: wide squares are given over to monumental canvases, and narrow alleys lead to chamber works, sculptures, personal items and photographs. The laconic color scheme: his — deep green and hers — delicate lilac — emphasizes the dialogue of two creative universes. The exhibition is open at the Museum of Moscow until August 24.

    Double Portrait of (Not) Forgotten Artists

    “This exhibition was created following the previous project, ‘Muscovite. Women of the Soviet Capital in the 1920s and 1930s,’ which took place exactly a year ago,” says curator Ksenia Guseva. “One of the heroines was Alexandra Koltsova-Bychkova. Visitors asked questions: ‘Who is she? Why did no one know about her? How did she end up in Paris?’”

    This is how the idea of a personal exhibition was born, which turned into a double portrait – of Alexandra and her husband, sculptor Sergei Koltsov.

    These two artists did not shout about themselves, did not join groups, were not the “main” artists of the era, but perhaps they reflected it most accurately – not in manifestos, but in details and halftones.

    Two retrospectives in one space

    The exhibition has a geography and a clear storyline. The cities act as co-authors. “The story of a married couple is connected with two cities,” explains Anna Trapkova, General Director of the Museum of Moscow. The exhibition begins with revolutionary Moscow, and at its culmination takes the viewer to seething Paris. “This is a combination of a person’s biography, the life of the city and a creative path,” adds Anna Trapkova.

    The exhibition unfolds like a literary script for a good film, divided into four chapters.

    “Obretenie” – Moscow, 1910s, Stroganov School. He is a budding sculptor, in love with the Renaissance, she is a little older – a master of embroidery, unlike her avant-garde peers in red scarves and overalls, feminine and graceful.

    “Paris” is a business trip in the late 1920s, where they discovered the freedom of European modernism and understood that an artist can create for himself and about himself.

    “Outside the Current” – return to the USSR. Koltsov’s recognition – successes in monumental creativity. Koltsova-Bychkova’s rejection of art for the masses.

    “Solitude” – Koltsov leaves life. Creativity became a way to transform loneliness into solitude and contemplation.

    Each of the four sections has its half and its half. And, like in a good movie, there is a plot, a climax, a denouement. There is a general line – the artists’ biographies, their main works. There are details – documents, even Alexandra’s student card from Stroganovka, personal photos: chamber, intimate cards – she in a cambric shirt on a balcony on vacation in Crimea… A beautiful woman who loved to be photographed. She loved to paint her self-portraits and loved it when her husband painted her. She was a muse for him and for herself.

    The exhibition’s graphic design also works to tell the story of two artists who reflected each other in their work. “The inverted titles live in an interesting way – this is a hint at mirrors. You can notice in the writing of the chapters that the capital letters are of an atypical design,” notes graphic designer Rustam Gabbasov, who said that he was inspired by the variety of fonts on Koltsova-Bychkova’s Parisian business card.

    Sergei Koltsov: from Stroganov’s student to sculptor

    The son of a skilled cabinetmaker, Koltsov entered the Stroganov School at the age of 15. During his student years, he created plaster bas-reliefs in the spirit of the Renaissance, a bronze St. George the Victorious, a wooden pagan Bacchus, and showed that he was not afraid of experiments and masterfully worked with different materials.

    The curator points to the only surviving sculpture from the 1920s — a sketch for a monument to Mikhail Frunze. If you remove the Budyonovka, we will see a work that refers to the masters of the Renaissance. “He masterfully juggled various historical styles. Each of his monuments, created in the context of socialism, has a similar source of inspiration,” Ksenia Guseva emphasizes.

    Alexandra Bychkova: Muse, Embroiderer, Artist

    Bychkova came to Stroganov as an experienced craftswoman: she was much better at embroidery than her fellow students. Her diploma work, a panel with three melancholic muses in a flower garden, is a reference to either the Pre-Raphaelites or Borisov-Musatov. In the 1920s, she worked as a costume designer at the theater and headed the embroidery workshop. Among the key exhibits were the elegant hats that Bychkova decorated. Her signature style and color scheme were discernible in them. The hats were brought in worn out, and Alexandra gave them a second life and turned them into art objects rather than wardrobe details. After Stroganov, she entered VKHUTEMAS, but chose the painting department, which determined the direction of her work.

    Unity and independence

    In 1924 they got married, and the exhibition features a touching exhibit – a surviving marriage certificate. She took a double surname – Koltsova-Bychkova, emphasizing their unity and her independence.

    “It’s surprising, but these are completely different artists, sometimes diametrically opposed,” notes Anna Trapkova, director of the Museum of Moscow. “But they are obviously in dialogue.”

    Their dialogue was especially dynamic in their portraits of each other. Koltsova-Bychkova often depicted her husband, drawing parallels, as modernists loved. For example, she paints him with a bandage after an operation, making a reference to Vincent van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with a Cut-Off Ear and a Pipe.” Among Koltsov’s surviving paintings is a portrait of Alexandra: she stands with a brush and palette, immersed in her work.

    Of interest is Koltsova-Bychkova’s still life with a sculpture of her husband, “Portrait of a Wife,” which the Moscow Museum acquired at auction on the eve of the exhibition.

    “Koltsova-Bychkova depicts herself through the eyes of her husband in a sculptural embodiment. This piece is significant in terms of how their creative destinies intersected and what their love story was,” notes Anna Trapkova.

    Moscow – Paris – Moscow

    In the 1920s and early 1930s, long trips abroad for Soviet artists were not uncommon. Koltsov spent two years in Paris on the orders of the People’s Commissariat of Education, his wife stayed for four. He painted pictures of Parisian life – he shared the views of the French socialists. The largest work of that period is presented at the exhibition – “Parade of the Disabled in Paris”: together with the artist, we observe the annual meeting of veterans of the First World War – the atmosphere and color of the work are tense.

    Koltsova-Bychkova is in demand in Paris. She creates embroideries, prints for fabrics, textile panels. The panels are also at the exhibition – bright, contrasting and at the same time very harmonious.

    After Paris…

    When the couple returned from France, Moscow greeted them with a different city. The NEP was replaced by industrialization, the city was being built dynamically. Artists created frescoes, monumental sculptures, ceramic panels – art was supposed to become part of the architecture. Koltsov was looking for a balance between monumentality and chamber, personal art. And his wife completely immersed herself in painting, as she understood it, without looking back at trends.

    “In Paris, they realized that an artist might not owe anything,” notes curator Ksenia Guseva. “After her return, Alexandra withdrew from professional life, but immersed herself in painting.”

    A monumental artist without a monumental legacy

    Koltsov became a sought-after monumentalist: he supervised the creation and installation of sculptures on the roof of the Lenin Library, and participated in the post-war restoration of Moscow. Ironically, almost none of the monumental heritage was preserved or was not implemented. In the 21st century, during restoration, his sculptures were removed from the facade of the Bolshoi Theater – their subsequent fate is unknown. But the chamber works presented at the exhibition surprise with their diversity: the figure of an old fisherman, a female torso made of wood, a bronze sculpture “Motherhood”, paintings, sketches – the master was interested in different aspects of life, styles, materials.

    They loved living outside the city. For him, the dacha became an escape from endless orders, for her, a place of artistic discoveries. She paints a self-portrait in a dacha hat with a reference to Van Gogh, and draws colorful and complex still lifes with flowers that she grew herself.

    (Not) The Finale. Solitude…

    After her husband died of heart disease in 1951, Koltsova-Bychkova continued to paint the same subjects, but the colors became deeper: instead of fresh light green and pink, they were burgundy, violet, and dark crimson. She began the main late cycle with her husband, and finished it alone — views from the balcony of their apartment.

    “This tragic part is reflected in the exhibition: Koltsova-Bychkova remains alone, continues to live in the famous Pertsov House, sees how the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is being demolished, watches how the House on the Embankment grows. In a series of works, we see changes from the same point in different time periods, in different seasons,” says Anna Trapkova.

    This is a reference to Monet, to his views of the Rouen Cathedral. She devoted 30 years to this series of landscapes.

    Return…

    After her husband’s death, the artist devoted herself to preserving his legacy. She donated her works to museums, and in 1974, she organized her first solo exhibition, bringing back interest in the work of Sergei Koltsov. She painted until the end of her days and, according to her relatives, was a “tough nut to crack.” The archive was preserved by her niece Marina Medvedeva, and then by her children. The Koltsova-Bychkova family helped the creators of the exhibition and attended the opening. “These people were devoted to art their entire lives, and only amazingly talented people — my family — could write and create so much,” says Elena Krugova, Koltsova-Bychkova’s niece.

    Absolutely unlimited artists

    For most, Soviet art is Alexander Deineka, Vera Mukhina, Yuri Pimenov — the mastodons of that era. But there is another layer. “I am interested in looking at the Soviet history of art in a non-standard way. Our task is to discover forgotten names, to look at what was happening with art not from one point of view, but from different ones. These are absolutely unlimited artists,” sums up the exhibition curator Ksenia Guseva.

    The exhibition is an example of a multi-layered approach to revealing the artists’ work. The selection of works, the geometry of the space, and even the unusual fonts tell a long story of great love for art, two cities, and each other.

    Buy tickets for the exhibition “Between Paris and Moscow” you can on mos.ru.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154121073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s pizza market to exceed 100B yuan within 5 years: report

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

    Visitors taste pizza at the booth of Italy at 2025 Chengdu Europe Culture Season & European Culture Street in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, April 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s pizza market is projected to surpass 100 billion yuan (about 13.9 billion U.S. dollars) over the next five years, driven by rapid growth in lower-tier cities and rising demand for delivery and ready-to-eat products, according to an industry report.

    The market is forecasted to grow from 48 billion yuan in 2024 to 60.8 billion yuan in 2025, said the report released at the ongoing SIAL Shanghai, an international food exhibition. China had more than 60,000 pizza outlets nationwide by the end of March.

    Between 2016 and 2022, pizza chains in China’s third-tier cities and below grew at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent, outpacing 7.6 percent growth in first-tier cities. An estimated 15,000 new stores are expected to open in lower-tier markets between 2025 and 2027.

    China’s online pizza market share surpassed in-store sales for the first time in 2022, reaching 58.1 percent. The proportion is expected to continue rising in the coming years, according to the report.

    Pizza entered the Chinese mainland in 1990 with the launch of the first foreign-invested restaurant. Initially considered a premium Western offering confined to top-tier cities, the food item has gained traction over the past decades.

    Analysts attribute the market expansion to increased food delivery adoption, rising consumer spending in smaller cities, and growing demand for personalized, healthier pizza options tailored to local tastes.

    The report noted that despite this momentum, China’s pizza store density remains low compared with other countries. As of 2022, China had 11.7 pizza outlets per million people, compared with 232.4 in the United States and roughly one-third the density of Japan and the Republic of Korea, suggesting ample room for further expansion.

    According to industry experts, the evolution of China’s pizza market reflects both the openness of its consumer market and long-term growth potential.

    SIAL Shanghai, an international food and beverage trade show co-hosted by multiple organizations including France’s Comexposium Group and the China General Chamber of Commerce, spans 200,000 square meters and features more than 5,000 exhibitors from 75 countries and regions.

    The event runs from May 19 to 21 in the eastern Chinese metropolis. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: “A devastating record”: New Greenpeace analysis reveals almost half a million blue sharks caught as ‘bycatch’ in Central and Western Pacific in 2023

    Source: Greenpeace

    TASMAN SEA – A new analysis of the latest fisheries data by Greenpeace Australia Pacific has revealed widespread slaughter of sharks in the Pacific Ocean by industrial longline fishers. The analysis estimates that almost half a million blue sharks were caught as bycatch in the region in 2023, the highest number in recorded history since 1991.
    Greenpeace estimates that around 438,500 near-threatened blue sharks, almost 50 million kilograms, were caught as bycatch in the region in 2023 from Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WFCPFC) data. The figure is double the 2015 numbers.
    The analysis of shark bycatch data also revealed that the Lord Howe Rise and South Tasman Sea areas between New Zealand and Australia had some of the highest rates of birds caught on fishing lines – 13% of bycatch from longliners were seabirds like albatross.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans campaigner Juan Parada says, “This rampant destruction of critical ocean life in the high seas between New Zealand and Australia highlights the urgent need for international cooperation to protect the oceans.”
    “The Tasman Sea faces multiple threats from industrial fishing. We’ve recently seen firsthand the destruction caused by bottom trawlers in a similar area of the high seas, where we witnessed graveyards of destroyed coral. Now we see that almost half a million blue sharks were unnecessarily killed in the West and Central Pacific in 2023. That’s so many sharks that if stacked nose to tail, they would reach the International Space Station and back.
    “The international waters between New Zealand and Australia are globally renowned precisely because of the range and variety of ocean life that lives there, from deep sea corals growing on seamounts to sharks, seabirds and migrating whales. 
    “It’s such a significant place that Greenpeace and allies are calling for it to be one of the world’s first global ocean sanctuaries and it must be protected from longlining and bottom trawling so ocean life can thrive,” says Parada.
    The incident happened on Lord Howe Rise, a region renowned for diverse marine life including corals, sponges, whales and seabirds.
    Parada says, “While some countries are working constructively towards protecting the high seas, New Zealand is actively blocking meaningful ocean protection. Shockingly New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling these waters.
    “To protect the Tasman Sea, New Zealand must stop bottom trawling and get on with helping to create global ocean sanctuaries so all the life that lives there can thrive.” Scientists agree that to help stave off the worst of the climate crisis at least 30% of the world’s oceans must be protected from industrial harm by 2030.
    Creating global ocean sanctuaries in international waters like the Tasman Sea, those areas outside of any one country’s jurisdiction, will play a crucial role in achieving this goal. In 2023 the world won the Global Ocean Treaty, which provides the legal framework for these sanctuaries, but first it must be passed into law.
    Parada says, “Now is the time for cooperation in ocean protection. Every day that passes without the Global Oceans Treaty in force, marine species are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction by the industrial fishing fleet in the high seas.”
    Greenpeace Australia Pacific spokesperson Georgia Whitaker says of the shark bycatch data, “The data is deeply disturbing – it’s a devastating record and a testament to the destructive nature of the industrial fishing industry. Sharks and other animals dying by the hundreds of thousands a year in this one patch of ocean, brutally killed by a legal and indiscriminate fishing practice like longlining. This is an appalling legacy our global leaders are leaving while the blue lungs of our planet are already facing chronic decline. Industrial fishing is sucking our ocean dry, fuelling the biodiversity crisis, and pushing prehistoric animals like sharks to the brink of extinction. Healthy shark populations are central to a healthy ocean – this is a loss we can’t afford.”
    Ahead of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France, in June, Greenpeace is calling on governments to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty. Both New Zealand and Australia have signed the treaty but have yet to bring it into force.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: “A devastating record”: New Greenpeace analysis reveals almost half a million blue sharks caught as ‘bycatch’ in Central and Western Pacific in 2023

    Source: Greenpeace

    TASMAN SEA – A new analysis of the latest fisheries data by Greenpeace Australia Pacific has revealed widespread slaughter of sharks in the Pacific Ocean by industrial longline fishers. The analysis estimates that almost half a million blue sharks were caught as bycatch in the region in 2023, the highest number in recorded history since 1991.
    Greenpeace estimates that around 438,500 near-threatened blue sharks, almost 50 million kilograms, were caught as bycatch in the region in 2023 from Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WFCPFC) data. The figure is double the 2015 numbers.
    The analysis of shark bycatch data also revealed that the Lord Howe Rise and South Tasman Sea areas between New Zealand and Australia had some of the highest rates of birds caught on fishing lines – 13% of bycatch from longliners were seabirds like albatross.
    Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans campaigner Juan Parada says, “This rampant destruction of critical ocean life in the high seas between New Zealand and Australia highlights the urgent need for international cooperation to protect the oceans.”
    “The Tasman Sea faces multiple threats from industrial fishing. We’ve recently seen firsthand the destruction caused by bottom trawlers in a similar area of the high seas, where we witnessed graveyards of destroyed coral. Now we see that almost half a million blue sharks were unnecessarily killed in the West and Central Pacific in 2023. That’s so many sharks that if stacked nose to tail, they would reach the International Space Station and back.
    “The international waters between New Zealand and Australia are globally renowned precisely because of the range and variety of ocean life that lives there, from deep sea corals growing on seamounts to sharks, seabirds and migrating whales. 
    “It’s such a significant place that Greenpeace and allies are calling for it to be one of the world’s first global ocean sanctuaries and it must be protected from longlining and bottom trawling so ocean life can thrive,” says Parada.
    In October last year a New Zealand bottom trawler, t he Tasman Viking, pulled up several types of deep-sea coral while trawling in international waters of the Tasman Sea.
    The incident happened on Lord Howe Rise, a region renowned for diverse marine life including corals, sponges, whales and seabirds.
    Parada says, “While some countries are working constructively towards protecting the high seas, New Zealand is actively blocking meaningful ocean protection. Shockingly New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling these waters.
    “To protect the Tasman Sea, New Zealand must stop bottom trawling and get on with helping to create global ocean sanctuaries so all the life that lives there can thrive.” Scientists agree that to help stave off the worst of the climate crisis at least 30% of the world’s oceans must be protected from industrial harm by 2030.
    Creating global ocean sanctuaries in international waters like the Tasman Sea, those areas outside of any one country’s jurisdiction, will play a crucial role in achieving this goal. In 2023 the world won the Global Ocean Treaty, which provides the legal framework for these sanctuaries, but first it must be passed into law.
    Parada says, “Now is the time for cooperation in ocean protection. Every day that passes without the Global Oceans Treaty in force, marine species are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction by the industrial fishing fleet in the high seas.”
    Greenpeace Australia Pacific spokesperson Georgia Whitaker says of the shark bycatch data, “The data is deeply disturbing – it’s a devastating record and a testament to the destructive nature of the industrial fishing industry. Sharks and other animals dying by the hundreds of thousands a year in this one patch of ocean, brutally killed by a legal and indiscriminate fishing practice like longlining. This is an appalling legacy our global leaders are leaving while the blue lungs of our planet are already facing chronic decline. Industrial fishing is sucking our ocean dry, fuelling the biodiversity crisis, and pushing prehistoric animals like sharks to the brink of extinction. Healthy shark populations are central to a healthy ocean – this is a loss we can’t afford.”
    Ahead of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France, in June, Greenpeace is calling on governments to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty. Both New Zealand and Australia have signed the treaty but have yet to bring it into force.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • EAM Jaishankar meets Danish PM in Copenhagen, discusses green partnership, anti-terror cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, currently on an official visit to Denmark, met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen, conveying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal greetings and reaffirming India’s commitment to deepen its Green Strategic Partnership with Denmark.

    Taking to X, EAM Jaishankar wrote, “Thank PM Mette Frederiksen for warmly receiving me in Copenhagen this evening. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM Narendra Modi. Thank Denmark for its solidarity and support in combatting terrorism. Value PM Frederiksen’s guidance to take forward our Green Strategic Partnership and widen the canvas of our cooperation.”

    The meeting held on Tuesday evening, comes ahead of the 3rd India-Nordic Summit, which is scheduled to take place later this year in Norway, which PM Modi was initially expected to attend, but changes in schedule led to Jaishankar representing India.

    During the meeting, Jaishankar and Frederiksen also discussed regional and global issues of mutual concern, including counter-terrorism collaboration.

    Denmark has expressed consistent support for India’s position on global terrorism, a topic that has gained renewed urgency following recent security developments in South Asia.

    India and Denmark share a unique diplomatic framework, the Green Strategic Partnership, launched in 2020, which stands as India’s only such partnership globally. It has become a cornerstone of bilateral relations, with both countries focusing on sustainable development, renewable energy, water management, and climate action.

    Earlier in April, PM Modi had a phone conversation with PM Frederiksen, during which both leaders emphasised the growing scope of bilateral cooperation. “Glad to speak with PM Mette Frederiksen today. Reaffirmed our strong support for the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership and enhancing cooperation across sectors for the benefit of our people,” PM Modi posted on X following the call. (IANS)

  • Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza, international criticism of Israel grows

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians in airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics said, continuing to bombard the enclave despite mounting international pressure to halt military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid.

    Britain announced it was suspending trade talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador over “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, while European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asked for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

    The war, now in its 20th month, has left Gaza in ruins and its population facing a worsening hunger crisis. It has strained Israel’s relations with much of the world and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering.

    The United Nations said no humanitarian aid had been distributed yet in Gaza, although Israel eased its 11-week-old blockade on Monday.

    “Israeli authorities are requiring us to offload supplies on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom crossing and reload them separately once they secure our team’s access from inside Gaza,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

    He said four trucks of baby food were dropped off on the Palestinian side of the border on Monday, and that a few dozen trucks of flour, medicine, nutrition supplies and other basic items entered Gaza on Tuesday.

    Israel’s military said 93 UN aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday via Kerem Shalom “after a thorough security inspection”.

    Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas militants in Qatar appeared to falter again, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he had decided to bring back the senior negotiating team from Doha for consultations.

    Hamas accused Netanyahu of entering the talks in bad faith, pretending to participate in a bid to mislead global public opinion. “No real negotiations have taken place since last Saturday,” the Palestinian Islamist group said in a statement.

    Israel’s military chief said during a Gaza field tour that the army would expand its operations against Hamas, capture additional territory and “clear and destroy the terrorist infrastructure until (Hamas) is defeated”.

    18 DEAD IN AIRSTRIKE ON TWO HOMES, MEDICS SAY

    Israel conducted further airstrikes on Tuesday across the densely populated enclave and medics said the sites hit included two homes where children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families.

    Israel’s military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an “unprecedented attack”, had no comment. Israel says Hamas uses civilian buildings for cover; Hamas denies this.

    In Gaza City, Reuters footage showed men, women and children sifting through the rubble of the Daraj neighbourhood school where they had been sheltering, and where charred pieces of clothing and a red teddy bear lay among scattered belongings.

    At nearby Al-Ahli Hospital, men said prayers over bodies wrapped in white shrouds, before carrying them to their graves.

    “What is our fault? What is the fault of children? What is the fault of the women we found on the stairs with their hair and clothes torn and burned?” said Omar Ahel, who had been sheltering at the school. “By God, this is injustice.”

    Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past nine days as the military campaign has intensified, Gaza medics say.

    SANCTIONS

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament he, along with the leaders of France and Canada, was “horrified” by Israel’s military escalation, repeating calls for a ceasefire.

    The three nations had warned on Monday of “concrete actions” against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid.

    In addition to suspending trade talks, Britain announced sanctions against a number of individuals and groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank over alleged violence against Palestinian residents.

    EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers have been prepared but have so far been blocked by one member state, the EU’s Kallas said, without naming the country.

    “External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein posted on X.

    Israel’s ground and air offensive has displaced nearly all Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and killed more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

    The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza’s border in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

    The hunger crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel imposed a blockade on supplies from March 2. The U.N. says at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods need to enter Gaza every day to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

    Louise Wateridge of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said on Tuesday there was little food left.

    “Everything’s empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they’ve been empty for weeks,” she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people that could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours.

    Israel’s leadership has insisted that it can free remaining hostages and dismantle Hamas through stepped-up military action. Hamas has said it would free the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: Eagle Yang’s reputation soars after US tryouts

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

    A virtual unknown before the draft combine, China’s NBA prospect Yang Hansen has introduced himself, big time, to league scouts, with his impressive outing at the trial camp turning heads.

    Dubbed “baby Jokic” by his Chinese fans, Yang has finally put his intriguing blend of size, skills and basketball IQ on display for club executives in the NBA, after the 19-year-old center, a fan of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, completed last week’s Draft Combine in Chicago with flying colors.

    The Qingdao Eagles’ Yang Hansen (L)  goes for a layup during the game against the Zhejiang Lions at the 2024-2025 CBA league in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on April 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

    After being scrutinized in a series of physical tests, skill drills, interviews and five-on-five scrimmages at the combine event, Yang has significantly raised his draft stock, according to multiple United States media platforms and draft analysts, with the young pro having emerged as a potential first-round pick, from his projected mid-second round slot before the tryout.

    At the combine, which gathered 75 top prospects from the US collegiate system, the G-League and overseas programs, Yang measured solidly.

    He stands at a towering 7-foot-1 (2.16-meters) without shoes (2nd overall), posting a 9-foot-3 standing reach (fourth overall). He also ranked fifth among all the centers in the shuttle run, lane agility and three-quarter sprint at the event, showing excellent mobility and coordination for a post player of his stature.

    Through a total 37 minutes from two scrimmages, Yang showed off his size and all-around game for the first time under the watchful eyes of NBA franchise scouts and front-office staff, after honing his game for two years playing in the CBA with the Qingdao Eagles.

    Despite his current weaknesses in conditioning, strength and speed in defensive rotations, Yang contributed 12 points, on 5-for-7 shooting, and two assists in his first scrimmage, and backed it up with another 11 points on 75 percent shooting, six assists and six rebounds in the second.

    He certainly stood out, to say the least.

    “No matter Yang’s short-term future, it’s clear he improved his standing while in Chicago, and is now firmly on NBA radars, even if he still has work to do on his game,” ESPN basketball insider Jonathan Givony wrote in his draft analysis.

    Another ESPN pundit Jeremy Woo agreed, saying that the scrimmages really worked well to enhance Yang’s draft prospects.

    “Overall, Yang looked like he belonged at the combine, and held his own against an experienced, physical opponent in Michigan’s Vlad Goldin, exceeding expectations for many who were unfamiliar with him coming in,” Woo wrote in his analysis.

    After watching Yang’s performance in Chicago, Derek Parker, a Draft Digest staff writer with Sports Illustrated, listed the young Chinese national team member as one of the surprises of the combine camp.

    And he believes Yang is still just scratching the surface of his huge potential as an all-rounder.

    “Yang likely won’t be able to avoid G-League time if drafted, given how high the skill jump to the NBA will be, and certain negatives like conditioning and foot speed,” Parker wrote.

    “But, there’s a very real chance that, with his feel for the game — and most notably his high passing prowess for a big man — that he could play NBA minutes down the road.

    “Should any singular team fall in love with his skill set as a potential passing hub with scoring and defensive upside, he could very well earn first-round buzz at this year’s draft.”

    Yang’s relatively stronger-than-expected performance at the combine event, however, should be kept in perspective, with most projected lottery picks, such as toppick favorite Cooper Flagg of Duke, sitting out all the scrimmages.

    The humble youngster seems to have dealt all the hype and buzz with a cool head.

    “The small exam has been done. It went quite smoothly overall,” Yang posted on his social media account on Sunday.

    “I appreciate all the encouragement and support. Yet, I should face the gap between myself at the moment, and the highest level, with an objective eye. Whatever result it brings, each step counts on the journey,” said Yang, who will turn 20 on June 26 — the night of the draft in Brooklyn, New York.

    Developed in Qingdao’s youth system, Yang first garnered international attention when he led China to a third-place finish at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in 2022.

    He then tallied 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and a tournament-leading 5 blocks at the U19 World Cup in Hungary, where he was named on the youth tourney’s All-Second Team.

    In only his second professional season in the CBA, Yang has averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game in 45 starts with the Qingdao Eagles in the 2024-25 regular season, before leading the No 8 seed into quarterfinals of the playoffs, where Qingdao was narrowly edged out 3-2 by the league-leading Zhejiang Lions in the best-of-five series last month.

    Having been selected into the All-CBA first team in his first two seasons, Yang’s untapped potential, despite being relatively unknown to fans abroad, became evident in the US when Klutch Sports Group, a sports agency founded by LeBron James’ business partner Rich Paul, signed him in January.

    Yang met Paul right after arriving in Los Angeles earlier this month for the Draft Combine, and will continue attending tryouts after being invited by a growing list of NBA franchises, according to Klutch Sports Group.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ ‘running out of patience’ – Peters lashes Israel over Gaza aid blockade

    RNZ News

    New Zealand has joined 23 other countries calling out Israel and demanding a full supply of foreign aid be allowed into the territory.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report today it was “intolerable” that Israel had blocked any aid reaching residents for many weeks.

    The UN is warning that 14,000 babies are estimated to be suffering severe acute malnutrition in Gaza and ideally they need to get supplies within 48 hours.

    The UK, France and Canada have expressed their frustration, with the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy telling Parliament the war in Gaza had entered a “dark new phase” and the UK was cancelling trade talks with Israel.

    Although the situation had come about because of acts of terrorism by Hamas, for residents in Gaza it had become “intolerable”, Peters told Morning Report.

    “We’ve had enough of this and we want the matter resolved and now.”

    A full resumption of aid should have happened a long time ago and it was essential that the United Nations be involved in delivering it.

    ‘Had enough of it’
    “… we’ve just simply had enough of it, utterly so [from Israel].”

    The statement by the countries reaffirmed what had been said for a long time that Israel must make aid available.

    New Zealand also opposed Israel’s latest expansion of military operations in Gaza, Peters said.

    The Palestinian Authority and countries such as Egypt and Indonesia understood New Zealand’s position.

    “We just want to sort this out and the long-term thing [Palestinians’ future alongside Israel] has got to be resolved as well.

    “Israel needs to get the message very clear — we are running out of patience and hearing excuses.”

    Asked if the Israeli ambassador should be called in so the message could be conveyed more clearly, he said it would be a symbolic gesture that would not help starving babies.

    Israel already knew what this country’s stance was, he said.

    It was an appalling situation that had started with “unforgivable terrorism” but Israel had gone “far too far” in its response, Peters said.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s lesser-known destinations draw more inbound tourists

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

    .

    Basking in the sunshine, John Jammet and his wife sat in the courtyard of a traditional house in the historic Pingyao County of north China’s Shanxi Province, with coffee in hand. Their trip seemingly offered them a glimpse into the lives of Chinese back in the day.

    “Last night we traveled in the main streets and the lanterns were very beautiful,” said the man from France. “What attracted me most were a lot of young girls and boys wearing traditional clothes. It showed that they love their culture and history.”

    Fascinated by the video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” Jammet became interested in the culture behind it, and thus decided to come to China and have a look. The couple carefully planned their trip, with it including China’s capital Beijing, Pingyao, the ancient capital Xi’an in northwest China and the picturesque Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, reflecting their quest to see “both modern cities and traditional culture.”

    “In the Western world, I think there is misunderstanding about China, because our countries are different,” he explained. “It is important to see with our own eyes what’s the truth about China. For me, China is safe and clean, people are kind and helpful.”

    At the mention of China, images that immediately jump into the minds of many foreign tourists are normally the Great Wall, giant pandas and the many skyscrapers in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai in east China.

    Thanks partly to China’s eased visa policies, an increasing number of foreign tourists are now also turning their attention to lesser-known destinations to delve deeper into Chinese history and culture, just like Jammet and his wife.

    Foreign tourists learn to make traditional wheaten food at a homestay in Pingyao, north China’s Shanxi Province, May 15, 2025. (Photo by Qiao Yan/Xinhua)

    OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

    As of the beginning of May, China has granted unilateral visa-free entry to people from 38 countries, and has extended its visa-free transit period to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries.

    In 2024, China recorded 64.88 million border crossings by foreign nationals, an 82.9-percent increase year on year. In the first quarter of 2025, this number stood at 17.44 million, up 33.4 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

    During the five-day May Day holiday, the most recent vacation in China for family outings and tourism, statistics regarding air ticket bookings on Chinese travel services platform Qunar showed that in addition to the megacities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the lower-tier cities of Chengdu, Xiamen, Nanjing, Chongqing and south China’s Haikou were also among the top-ranking destinations for non-Chinese tourists. In addition, hotel bookings made by foreign passport holders in Zhuhai, east China’s Qingdao and central China’s Wuhan grew by 70, 60 and 50 percent respectively.

    Hotels, restaurants and even hairdressers in residential areas not very close to traditional attractions in Beijing are beginning to greet foreign tourists, while small cities and counties are also seeing more inbound visitors.

    Zachary Iziah Smith, an American travel blogger, poses for a photo at Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu Province, April 11, 2025. (Xinhua)

    Kang Mobei is general manager of a shop affiliated to the Gansu Provincial Museum, which sells creative cultural products inspired by items in the museum, like a green fluffy toy based on the iconic copper galloping horse.

    Notably, Gansu Province in northwest China is home to many historical sites, including the Mogao Grottoes UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the May Day holiday, she found more foreign tourists in her shop, many of whom came from countries like Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.

    “Some of them had already been to the museum, and a few even showed me pictures they found on social media platforms like ‘rednote’ when asking for products,” said Kang, who observed that some customers had fluffy toys from other creative cultural product shops dangling from their bags.

    With overseas customers in mind, the store installed POS machines for international bank cards and carried out language training for their staff.

    A foreign visitor (L) learns how to make matcha beverage at a tea industrial park in Jiangkou County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, April 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

    EASIER, FASTER, BETTER KNOWN

    To meet this increasing demand from foreign customers for niche tourist destinations, Chen Wanni and Chen Min last year founded China Explorer Tour (CET), a tour operating company specializing in authentic food, adventure and cultural-immersion themed retreats and experiences across China.

    “It was more successful than we had expected,” said Chen Wanni, admitting that she was prepared for a loss in the first year, but surprisingly they managed to break even. The referral rate of the tourist routes reached 60 percent, with many customers recommending to their friends to come back, while quite a few have come more than once.

    “Tourism is not only an industry, but also a window for overseas travelers to learn about China,” she said.

    Chen Min informed Xinhua that more and more overseas tourists are expressing interest in China’s lesser-known destinations, in addition to the traditional attractions, representing the maturity of the nation’s tourism industry in recent years.

    Tom Peacock-Nazil from Britain last September booked a 10-day tour with CET, and visited not only Beijing and Xi’an but also southwest China’s Guizhou Province, where he saw both the stunning beauty of nature and various ethnic cultures.

    “I realized I had massively underestimated China,” he said. “I think I’ve fallen in love with China. That’s mainly because we’ve been off the beaten track. I’m dying to come back and I’ve been learning about other provinces. I’ve got plans already.”

    Tom Peacock-Nazil (2nd R) and other tourists pose for a photo in Leishan County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, in September 2024. (China Explorer Tour/Handout via Xinhua)

    Sun Weili, a regional manager with the Chinese travel platform Trip.com Group, noted that the surge in foreign tourists for in-depth tours in China is a result of combined efforts. “Along with eased visa policies, they can also feel the convenience in terms of payment and traffic, as well as more diversified tours,” he said.

    For instance, a 16-day luxury train tour from Chengdu to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has attracted overseas visitors, which promises to take them to an in-depth journey to the northwestern region. So far tickets for all the 10 trips between May and October have been sold out, with 70 percent of the customers inbound tourists.

    Meanwhile, thanks to movies, video games and social media, Chinese culture is better promoted across the world, luring more curious overseas visitors to have a closer look. “We are more open and confident,” Sun said.

    Zhang Jun, who is with a travel agency in Datong in Shanxi, has worked as a tour guide for 18 years. He has noted the huge development of inter-city transportation which has made self-guided tours possible. “For instance, we used to sit in overnight trains and transfer to reach Pingyao from Beijing. But now the journey takes less than four hours.”

    John Jammet this time traveled in China for 15 days, which he found not enough to explore the country. “China is big,” he said. “I might need to spend a month here.”

    MIL OSI China News