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Category: France

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Itinerary for Veterans’ Week – Tuesday, 5 November 2024

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media advisory

    Tuesday, 5 November 2024

    Ottawa, Ontario

    15:30 EST – Minister Petitpas Taylor will join Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence and MP for Orleans, Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and MP for Ottawa—Centre, and Mona Fortier, MP for Ottawa—Vanier to make an announcement regarding support Veterans and their families.

    Note for media: Please arrive no later than 15:15 EST. Media interested in participating must register and can obtain additional information at media@veterans.gc.ca.

    Associated Links:

    Remembrance Day & Veterans’ Week

    Contacts

    Media Relations
    Veterans Affairs Canada
    613-992-7468
    media@veterans.gc.ca

    Isabelle Arseneau
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
    isabelle.arseneau@veterans.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: Congressional Delegation, RIDOT and Amtrak Kick Off Providence Station State of Good Repair Project

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Seth Magaziner, Congressman Gabe Amo, and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr. today gathered with Amtrak leadership and other federal, state and local leaders to kick off a long-awaited project to renovate Providence Station.

    Built in 1986, Providence Station has grown to serve more than two million passengers a year, making it the 11th most utilized train station in the country. While improvements have been made over the years, many station elements are original. Various infrastructure elements and systems are not in a state of good repair, and station capacity is strained. This project will modernize and expand the station in addition to upgrading access to it and making that access safer and easier.

    The project was made possible by a $12.5 million Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) State of Good Repair Grant delivered by Senator Reed in 2019. Amtrak provided $9.75 million and RIDOT put in $7.75 million. This builds on previous funding the congressional delegation secured, including $5.2 million for station enhancements and $3 million for planning, design, and environmental reviews.

    The project includes many improvements for passenger amenities and public spaces. This includes expanding the station floorplan by enclosing the plaza on the western side of the station, adjacent to Caf� La France, and providing additional seating; modernizing and expanding the restrooms; consolidating ticketing and baggage operations; upgrading the public address system with visual displays; making accessibility improvements; and upgrading the station’s mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and plumbing systems.

    “For millions of passengers each year, the Providence Station is a gateway to Rhode Island and our capital city. This project will help Providence Station meet growing ridership with a welcoming space that is more modern, accessible, and efficient,” said Senator Reed, a leading member of the Appropriations Committee. “I was proud to help deliver a $12.5 million competitive grant to advance this critical renovation project. When it’s completed, it will be a major improvement for passengers, tourism, and the community as a whole.”

    “Providence Station currently serves many more passengers than it was originally designed for, and the wear and tear is evident,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “This is an exciting project that will greatly improve the travel experience for the millions of passengers who spend time in the Station every year. Once again, our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is at work delivering convenient and reliable transportation upgrades for Rhode Islanders.”

    “Providence Station is an essential transit hub for Rhode Islanders and is overdue for an upgrade,” said Representative Magaziner. “This federal funding will modernize amenities and improve accessibility to better serve the millions of passengers that pass through this station each year.” “Providence Station currently serves more than two million loyal riders every year. I’m proud to be one of them,” said Congressman Amo. “Thanks to Senator Jack Reed � who played a key role in securing federal funds for this over $30 million renovation � we’re working to modernize this vital transportation hub. Once open, it will signal to residents and visitors alike that Providence is a leader in providing a 21st-century travel experience.”

    “Providence Station is not only the busiest transit center in Rhode Island, it’s one of the busiest in the entire country,” Director Alviti said. “The improvements are well-deserved and will serve passengers for generations to come while encouraging greater use of transit services for trips within Rhode Island as well as out of state.”

    “Providence Station serves as a vital hub for our community. This renovation will enhance and modernize this space for the millions of passengers who rely on this station every year,” said Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “The state-of-the-art amenities and improved safety and access features that will be implemented at this critical transit center will further cement Providence as a top destination for people to live, work and visit. I want to thank Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, the Federal Railroad Administration and RIDOT for their commitment to this important project.”

    “Transforming Providence Station into a more modern facility and expanding the customer amenities and space, while still keeping the original charms of the current station, will simultaneously enhance the customer experience and encourage more residents and visitors to take the train,” said Tom Moritz, Amtrak’s assistant vice president of infrastructure access and investment. “Thanks to Senators Reed and Whitehouse, Congressmen Magaziner and Amo, Mayor Smiley, our partners at RIDOT and the FRA, as well as many more federal, state, and local officials, we are proud to take the next step and begin work to update and upgrade Providence Station.”

    During construction, pedestrian areas may be temporarily blocked with detours established. Amtrak intends to maintain restroom facilities, the Oakwells convenience store, and the caf� operations during the project although some services may be temporarily limited.

    There also will be an increased safety presence with a more prominent Amtrak Police entrance and counter. In an already completed phase of work, RIDOT made improvements to the pedestrian walkways in Station Park in 2023, which connects the station to Francis Street, opposite Providence Place Mall. The total value of all improvements is $30 million.

    All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.

    The Providence Station of Good Repair Project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Watson Lake — Watson Lake Secondary School Youth Hunt

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    This October, students from Watson Lake Secondary School (WLSS)’s grade 12 class participated in an on the land hunting adventure on Kaska Traditional Territory alongside Watson Lake RCMP and Yukon conservation officers.

    Following the success of the youth hunt collaboration in 2023, the First Nations School Board met with key stake holders and purchased canvas wall tents, stoves, and a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), ensuring the program could continue.

    This year, the hunt was held the week of October 7 to 11. David Dickson, Land and Language Connector for WLSS, organized Elders to attend the camp for the week to share the knowledge of the area, traditions, and culture of the Kaska Nation. Elder Agnes Chief, who was born at Frances Lake, told of stories about living off the land and making the long journey down the Frances River to Watson Lake for supplies. Students also learned about the community of Frances Lake and the forts that existed during the fur trade.

    Elder Charlie Dickson, taught the students about traditional methods of preparing a moose head. Elder Agnes Chief taught about local, traditional medicines, where to find them and how to prepare them for consumption.

    The youth were shown how to field dress and care for meat. They learned about giving thanks to the animals and the traditional ways of giving respect to the harvested moose. The harvested meat was shared throughout the community, benefiting Elders, students, community members, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, and the First Nations Health Program. The First Nations Heath Program will use the meat for traditional meals and will be shared among all three Yukon Hospitals for patients.

    “Traditions being passed down to the younger generation is what life is all about, I was very honoured to be apart of such a meaningful hunt. Seeing Elders and youth interact together brought back so many memories from when I was young. Being raised to hunt was always apart of my upbringing, and now that I’m older and able to provide for my family it has taken on a whole different meaning. Being that role model to my kids but also being a strong woman role model for young lady hunters is also very empowering. Seeing the young ladies dive in with no fear of getting dirty was very heart filling and made me proud” – Nicole Donovan from First Nations Health Program

    “The Yukon Territory provides unparalleled access to incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. The WLSS Grade 12 Youth Hunt, with the support of the Watson Lake RCMP Detachment, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, Liard First Nation, First Nations School Board, and local community members, is an impressive joint-effort to ensure that the next generation is exposed to these amazing opportunities. The experiences, skills, ethics, and knowledge shared with the youth will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and hopefully provide some youths with the first step to taking on the age-old tradition of being a provider to one’s family and community. As a Conservation Officer, I believe that there is no experience more fulfilling to a young man or woman than putting hard work into a hunt, and as a result, providing wholesome food for their family and community. There is a deep sense of pride instilled in a young person when they experience the incredible sense of accomplishment that comes from a hunt. That is the greatest benefit of the youth hunt, and I am optimistic that all of the participating youth will carry that sense of accomplishment and pride with them for the rest of their lives.” – Yukon Conservation Officer, Parker Antal

    “The continued success of this program could not have been achieved without the community support of Liard First Nations, First Nations School Board, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, WLSS, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, and the community volunteers. We look forward to 2025. ” – Sergeant Jordan Cropper, Detachment Commander Watson Lake RCMP

    “It’s important for me to be part of this initiative, on my traditional territory. I am happy to participate. Sógá sénlá’.” – David Dickson, Land and Language Connector with the First Nation School Board

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Avoid ‘All Out War’ in Lebanon, Stop ‘Tit-for-Tat Violence’ Engulfing Middle East, Secretary-General Tells Security Council

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, in New York today:

    The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno.  Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon.  Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse.

    As I told the Council last week, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years.  But since October, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.

    I stated that the almost daily exchanges of fire by Hizbullah and other non-State armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces are in repeated violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

    I emphasized that the daily use of weapons by non-State armed groups is in violation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

    And I stressed that Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and the Lebanese State must have full control of weapons throughout Lebanon.

    In the few short days since then, we have seen a dramatic escalation — so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework this Council established with resolution 1701 (2006).

    Israeli forces have conducted relentless air strikes across Lebanon — including Beirut.

    The United States and France — with the support of several other countries — have proposed a temporary ceasefire, allowing for the restart of negotiations.

    Israel refused that proposal and stepped up its strikes, including bombing the Hizbullah headquarters where its leader was killed.

    Hizbullah has continued rocket and missile attacks on Israel.

    And yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces conducted what it stated were “limited incursions” into southern Lebanon.

    UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] peacekeepers remain in position, and the UN flag continues to fly despite Israel’s request to relocate [it].

    I reiterate our deep appreciation to the military and civilian members of our UN peacekeeping force — UNIFIL — and to troop-contributing countries.  The safety and security of all UN personnel must be ensured.

    Civilians are paying a terrible price — which I utterly condemn.  Since last October, more than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon — including over 100 children and 194 women.

    Over 346,000 people are confirmed to have been displaced from their homes.   Government estimates put this number as high as 1 million.  Another 128,000 people — both Syrian and Lebanese — have crossed into Syria.

    The UN has mobilized all its capacities to provide urgent humanitarian aid in Lebanon and I ask the international community to fully fund our appeal.

    Since 8 October 2023, Hizbullah attacks on Israel have killed 49 people — with over 60,000 people displaced from their homes.

    It is absolutely essential to avoid an all out war in Lebanon which would have profound and devastating consequences.

    Yesterday, Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel.  It stated it was in response to the killings of Hassan Nasrallah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp commander, Abbas Nilforoushan, last week — as well as that of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July.

    Millions of people across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory were forced to seek shelter.  One person was killed from the Iranian strikes — a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.

    As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April – and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed — I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.

    These attacks paradoxically do nothing to support the cause of the Palestinian people or reduce their suffering.

    Almost one year has passed since the atrocious 7 October 2023 acts of terror by Hamas and the taking of hostages.

    Since last October, Israel has conducted in Gaza the most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as Secretary-General. The suffering endured by the Palestinian people in Gaza is beyond imagination.

    At the same time, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate with Israeli military operations, construction of settlements, evictions, land-grabs and intensification of settler attacks — progressively undermining any possibility of a two-State solution.

    And simultaneously, armed Palestinian groups have also used violence.  Hamas has continued to launch rockets, and just yesterday seven Israelis were killed in a terror attack in Jaffa.

    The events of the past week, the past month and indeed nearly the past year make it clear:

    It is high time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the effective delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and irreversible progress to a two-State solution.

    It is high time for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, real action towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006), paving the way for diplomatic efforts for sustainable peace.

    It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff.

    Each escalation has served as a pretext for the next.  We must never lose sight of the tremendous toll that this growing conflict is taking on civilians.

    We cannot look away from systematic violations of international humanitarian law.  This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.  Time is running out.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Each Day that Passes Only Deepens Misery, Suffering of Lebanon’s People, Secretary-General Tells Conference, Urging Ceasefire, Hostage Release

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty, in Paris today:

    Monsieur le President, excellencies, friends of Lebanon,

    I welcome this initiative by [France] President [Emmanuel] Macron and underscore our commitment to realizing the aims of this conference and supporting the people of Lebanon.

    We do so in the context of a region that is reeling, and Lebanon in utter turmoil.

    The past year has brought daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line.

    We are gravely concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line — but we must recognize that the conflict has recently taken on an entirely different nature and scale.

    Each day that passes only deepens the misery and suffering of people in Lebanon.

    Since last October, over 2,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, and at least 50 in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan.

    More than half of the deaths in Lebanon have occurred since the dramatic escalation in Israeli strikes on 23 September.

    Many of those killed were children and women.  More than 1.2 million people have been displaced or affected in Lebanon.  And in the last year, more than 60,000 have been displaced in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan.

    We see continued intense aerial bombardment by Israel in densely populated areas in Lebanon — including Beirut — and ground incursions across the Blue Line … as well as ongoing missile, drone and rocket attacks by Hizbullah into Israel.

    An immediate ceasefire is needed now — along with meaningful steps towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006).

    The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.

    Civilians must be protected.

    Civilian infrastructure must not be targeted.

    Obligations under international law must be upheld.

    I urge friends of Lebanon to support the ongoing humanitarian response efforts, including by providing rapid funding of the Lebanon Flash Appeal.

    I call on Lebanon’s leaders to take resolute steps towards ensuring fully functional State institutions to address the country’s pressing political and security challenges.

    And I encourage partners to strengthen their support for those State institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are a vital part of a secure — and peaceful — path forward.

    I salute the brave women and men of our peacekeeping force in Lebanon — UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) — and the UN family across the country, who are striving to implement their mandates in such challenging conditions. 

    Let me be clear:  Attacks against UN peacekeepers are completely unacceptable.

    They are in breach of international law, against international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime.

    I also pay tribute to humanitarian workers working to help communities in dire need.

    Excellencies, we know what is happening in Lebanon today is not an isolated phenomenon.

    We had the abhorrent terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October and the taking of hostages.

    Since then, Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused death and destruction at a speed and scale beyond anything in my years as Secretary-General.

    We have seen the impacts from Syria to Iraq to Yemen.

    Now we see the growing threat of a major conflagration between Israel and Iran that would upend the entire region.

    We need a ceasefire in Lebanon — as we need a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages.

    Escalation after escalation is leading to the unimaginable for the people of the region — including the people of Lebanon for whom we have all come together today.

    Let us show our solidarity with action to ease the suffering and push for peace.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China holds wide appeal for investors

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

    Motivated by China’s complete removal of market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector, executives from multinational corporations attending the seventh China International Import Expo said they will deploy more resources in the country, with a particular focus on high-end manufacturing.

    This year’s CIIE, scheduled in Shanghai from Tuesday to Nov 10, will debut more than 400 new products, technologies and services across advanced sectors, including high-end equipment, advanced materials and marine engineering products, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

    The latest edition of China’s national negative list for foreign investment, which took effect on Friday, has removed the last two manufacturing-related restrictions, further opening the sector to global investors, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

    Attracted by China’s innovation capability, business model transformation and bilateral and multilateral free trade deals, many global manufacturers are increasingly inclined to invest in new innovation centers, expand production capacities and advance digital transformation initiatives within the country, said Sun Xiao, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce.

    For China, the manufacturing industry is the earliest sector to open up to foreign investors, and it is also the most competitive, with a high level of integration with the global industrial division of labor, said Sun.

    Schneider Electric, a French industrial and technology group and a seven-time participant at the CIIE, will present at this year’s event new concepts, products, services and applications that combine digital, automation and electrification technologies, underscoring its commitment to China through its “China Hub” strategy.

    Yin Zheng, executive vice-president of Schneider Electric’s China and East Asia operations, said that China has become Schneider Electric’s second-largest market in the world and one of its four global research and development bases.

    “Through the CIIE, a world-class communication platform, we aim to continuously deepen ecosystem cooperation and work with more Chinese industrial partners to jointly build new quality productive forces,” he added.

    Arthur Xu, president for China at Danfoss Group, a Danish engineering company, said that Danfoss will bring its products and solutions in the data center, water and wastewater treatment, marine, food and beverage, and heat recovery fields, among others, to the CIIE this year. These proven solutions will offer unique value for China’s green transition, he said.

    In addition to plans to begin construction in April in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, on its new manufacturing facility, which will be one of the biggest production sites in Danfoss’ history, the company also announced in September that it has completed construction of a work campus in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

    The new campus is dedicated to the innovation and production of specialized transistor modules as well as electric and hybrid power train systems.

    With the structure of foreign investment continuing to be optimized, China saw the high-tech manufacturing sector use 77.12 billion yuan ($10.87 billion) in foreign direct investment in the first three quarters of 2024, accounting for 12 percent of the national total, according to the Ministry of Commerce. That is an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the same period last year.

    Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, said that China’s well-developed industrial system, commitment to continued openness, and efforts to scale up high-tech manufacturing remain key drivers for foreign manufacturers’ investment in the country.

    Nipsea Group, a Singapore-based paint and coating manufacturer, will make its debut as a participant at the CIIE this week with a 300-square-meter booth.

    “This year, we have officially transitioned from being a witness to a participant at the CIIE, presenting our latest products and technology solutions,” said Eric Chung, CEO of Nippon Paint China, a subsidiary of Nipsea Group.

    “This move not only underscores our unwavering commitment to the Chinese market, but also reflects our firm determination to contribute to the high-quality development of China’s economy,” Chung said, adding that the company will showcase its newest automotive coatings and marine paint products at the expo.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: IP takes lead in western China’s innovation surge

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 8, 2024 shows a partial view of the Shichengzi photovoltaic power station in Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The western regions of China have experienced remarkable economic strides in recent years, and one contributing factor to this success is the progress made in intellectual property (IP). Amidst the country’s green transformation and pursuit of high-quality growth, this once-impoverished hinterland has now taken an IP-driven development path.
    The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has recently reported rapid growth in two key IP types in the regions. By the end of September, the number of valid invention patents in the regions reached 493,000, up 16.7 percent year on year. Registered trademarks also rose by 10.5 percent compared to the previous year.
    Such growth has not been easy to achieve. Comprising 12 provincial-level regions, western China covers two-thirds of the country’s land area and is home to over a quarter of its population. A sparsely populated area with limited infrastructure, the western regions have lagged economically compared to the eastern provinces.
    However, in recent years, these regions have actively promoted emerging industries, such as smart manufacturing, new energy vehicles and low-altitude economy, which in China are considered as new quality productive forces with high-value invention patents. Local departments have provided IP guidance and financial support to enterprises within these industries, facilitating their rapid growth and narrowing the gap with the east.
    From innovation to invention
    Some have even taken the lead in the country, such as clean energy technology.
    In northwest China’s Qinghai Province, a vast photovoltaic power generation park has been constructed in the Talatan Gobi Desert, spanning 600 square kilometers. Amidst the solar panels, flocks of white sheep were spotted roaming around.
    A few years ago, Talatan was a barren land. The locals creatively planted grass to prevent sand erosion and installed a large area of photovoltaic panels. The water used for cleaning the panels infiltrated beneath the surface, nourishing the grass. However, the grass growth-induced shade problem caused the solar panels to malfunction.
    To manage grass without chemicals, the park integrated sheep farming — using the animals to control vegetation and contribute to ecological conservation.
    This “photovoltaic sheep” concept, patented in 2018, has boosted the efficiency of local photovoltaic power generation, with the park now generating up to 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
    Another example is the China-Laos Railway, which links Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, and the Lao capital Vientiane.
    The construction of the cross-border railway was a challenging task due to the complex geological structures along the route. Chinese engineers drilled solid tunnels through delicate mountain terrain and constructed high-pier and large-span railway bridges in earthquake-prone areas. Nearly 30 patents were obtained during the construction process, which has not only greatly improved efficiency and safety but also provided technical references for other major projects in both countries. In October this year, the patent-rich railway has facilitated over 42 million passenger trips since its operation in December 2021.
    The innovative achievements from China’s western regions have also garnered global attention. According to the latest report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, four major cities in the area – Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Lanzhou – continue to lead the top 100 science and technology cluster ranking. These cities have further enhanced their industrial concentration, attracting high-quality enterprises and talent, and establishing themselves as significant regional hubs of innovation.
    “The market economy necessitates us to establish advanced technology as our competitive advantage and transform tech achievements into business resources. Therefore, we have chosen the path of IP,” said Wang Shechang, chairman of Xi’an-based China National Heavy Machinery Research Institute Co., Ltd.
    “Protecting IP is not only safeguarding innovation but also utilizing them as a means to enhance value exchange and facilitate the transformation of tech accomplishments,” Wang noted.
    From local to global
    Geographical indications (GI) are also a key element in the winning formula of development in Western China.
    GI is a type of IP that signifies a product’s specific origin and the qualities or reputation linked to that location. It serves as a mark of quality, setting the product apart from competitors.
    The latest data shows that the western region has recognized 931 GI products, accounting for 38.8 percent of the national total, with a direct annual output value of 429.8 billion yuan(60.36 billion U.S. dollars).
    “The brand value has been greatly enhanced as many products have obtained GI labels,” said Dolkun Awut, head of the Xinjiang IP department. “We leverage this advantage to drive the development of the GI industry and contribute to rural revitalization.”
    The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is a major GI contributor. It has 211 GIs, with a comprehensive output value of over 200 billion yuan and employment for over 5 million people.
    The promotion of GI has also strengthened cooperation between the western region and the world. According to the CNIPA, 36 GI products from the western regions have been included in the first China-EU GI list. In 2021, the two sides signed an agreement to enhance bilateral trade of agri-food products, with recognition and protection of 100 Chinese GIs and 96 EU GIs.
    Taking the wine at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain as an example, since it was included in the first China-EU GI list, the product from northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has been exported to over 40 countries and regions, and major wine-producing areas in European countries such as Britain and France have imported 228,000 liters of this Chinese wine.
    Western China also places great importance on IP exchanges with neighboring countries.
    In Xinjiang, the local IP department has been providing guidance to Chinese enterprises on marketing in Central Asian countries and helping them improve their ability to handle IP disputes.
    Guangxi and ASEAN countries have established forums and conferences on IP cooperation. They have also collaborated on patent technology transfer within the biomedicine and new energy vehicle industries. Moreover, universities in Guangxi conducted academic IP programs with those in Macao Special Administrative Region and Vietnam.
    China’s GDP saw a 5.2 percent year-on-year increase last year, with the western regions outperforming the national average at 5.5 percent. In this remote but robust area, more enterprises and innovators have valued IP, leveraging their innovations to bolster industries with competitive edges and stimulate better economic growth.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: CoinShares Announces Q3 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    5thNovember 2024 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey | CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or “the Group”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), the leading European investment company specialising in digital assets, has today published its results for the quarter ending 30th September 2024.

    Jean-Marie Mognetti, Chief Executive Officer of CoinShares said:

    “In Q3 2024, we concentrated on executing our strategy and preparing for a promising Q4 and the upcoming year. A key achievement was the change in our accounting policy for digital assets. We now record movements on digital assets at fair value through profit and loss, enhancing the transparency of our financial statements. This change enables a wide range of investors to have a better understanding of CoinShares’ financial performance and health.

    We have concurrently implemented bitcoin as a treasury management instrument, thus demonstrating our commitment to our investment thesis. Consequently, we now rank among the select few publicly traded companies globally that have opted to maintain bitcoin holdings (78 BTC at the end of Q3) on our balance sheet.”

    Q3 2024 financial highlights

    • Total Revenue, Gains & Other Income for Q3 2024 of £25.8 million (Q3 2023: £15.2 million)
    • EBITDA for Q3 2024 of £15.4 million (Q3 2023: £8.3 million)
    • Net profit for Q3 2024 of £14.2 million (Q3 2023: £6.7 million)

    Q3 2024 operational highlights

    • Asset Management: The CoinShares Physical ETP platform closed the quarter with nearly $80 million in net flows, marking its second-largest quarterly inflow since 2021. We launched a new multi-asset ETP in partnership with finanzen.net to enhance our visibility in the German retail market. In the United States, the CoinShares-Valkyrie business line had its second-best quarter, achieving $61 million in net inflows, mainly from BRRR and WGMI products. Integration of this business line into the wider CoinShares Group is largely complete, and we anticipate it becoming a meaningful contributor to overall Group value, with full stride expected in 2025.
    • Capital Markets & Hedge Fund Solutions: Following the successful rollout of our algorithmic trading platform, MATRIX, our development team is optimising its performance and connectivity, enabling signal ingestion from multiple sources and opening doors to new collaborations. This allows our quantitative research team to focus on new alpha generation strategies to drive future performance for our Capital Markets and Funds divisions. Concurrently, our Hedge Fund Solutions division is preparing to launch an equity long-short fund focused on crypto equities, leveraging our BLOCK Index expertise; the product is ready to launch pending market demand, currently being assessed by our sales teams in the United States and Europe. 
    • Principal Investments: Despite a decrease of approximately £1.9 million in the Group’s Principal Investment portfolio during Q3—primarily due to an extension of the CS2 fund’s life that delays the receipt of our recognized carried interest and results in a corresponding discount—we have observed positive developments in some of our smaller investments. These include the conversion of one of our SAFEs (Station 70) and the change in status of GTSA to that of an Electronic Money Institution.
    • Accounting Policy Change: An important development this quarter concerns our accounting policies for digital asset holdings; historically, our financial statements were distorted by classifying digital assets as intangibles under IFRS, resulting in profit or loss after tax figures that differed markedly from our total comprehensive income and impacting the readability of our accounts. As our organisation has evolved and our activities have diversified significantly, we are now able to classify our digital assets so that their fair value movements are taken through profit and loss, allowing us to present financial statements that provide a more understandable view of our financial performance—easily reconciled to our EBITDA—a transition we’ve been eager to make and are pleased to have finally achieved.

    Full details of the Q3 results, inclusive of financial information on each of the Group’s business units, are included within the full report, available here.

    Download the Swedish Executive Summary here.

    ABOUT COINSHARES

    CoinShares is the leading European investment company specialising in digital assets, 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. Focusing on crypto since 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, and in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and 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

    This information is information that CoinShares International Limited (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act.

    The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 07:00 CEST on November 5, 2024.

    PRESS CONTACT

    CoinShares
    Benoît Pellevoizin
    bpellevoizin@coinshares.com

    M Group Strategic Communications
    Peter Padovano
    press@coinshares.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: WISe.ART Announces “MINDREAMER” Exhibition from Ylan Anoufa

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WISe.ART Announces “MINDREAMER” Exhibition from Ylan Anoufa

    Exhibition accompanied by Ylan Anoufa art sales benefiting foundation for childhood education

    Geneva, Switzerland – November 5, 2024: WISeKey International Holding Ltd. (“WISeKey” or the “Company”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and Internet of Things (IoT) innovations, today announced that its subsidiary WISe.ART is proud to support Ylan Anoufa’s upcoming “MINDREAMER’ exhibition and new collection of twin phygital art packages. The exhibition is set to premiere November 13 at Geneva-based gallery Gallery Re Source. Proceeds from sale of the packages will benefit Ylan’s foundation for childhood education.

    “MINDREAMER” at Gallery Re Source

    Internationally renowned French contemporary artist Ylan Anoufa captivates the art world with his bold and socially engaged works. For the first time in Switzerland, his creations, including his famous AnoufaBear, will be showcased in the groundbreaking exhibition “MINDREAMER”.

    An Immersive and Interactive Exhibition

    After conquering cities such as New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Nice, Marbella, Monaco, and Paris, Ylan Anoufa will unveil “MINDREAMER” in Geneva’s Old Town from November 13, 2024, to February 10, 2025.

    The exhibition will feature several editions of his iconic AnoufaBear, a symbol of unity and strength, alongside a selection of ultra-dynamic and powerful urban and pop art pieces. By pushing the boundaries of traditional art, Ylan invites the public to dive into a universe oscillating between vulnerability and collective strength, while addressing contemporary issues and celebrating the beauty of human diversity.

    Performances, Digital Art, and Education

    As part of the exhibition, Ylan Anoufa will present a live art performance titled “REALOVE,” offering the audience a unique and captivating experience that combines emotion and interaction.

    Additionally, he will unveil his digital creativity through a series of NFT artworks. To further explore the digital realm, Gallery Re Source and WISe.ART will host two conferences dedicated to blockchain and NFTs during the exhibition.

    Committed to passing on his knowledge, Ylan also plans to lead AnoufaBear creation workshops for children at the Gallery, fostering artistic expression and creativity from an early age. “MINDREAMER” promises to be a participatory experience.

    AnoufaBears & The Digital Revolution
    In collaboration with WISeKey subsidiaries WISe.ART and SEALSQ, AnoufaBears are part of an exciting project set to embrace the digital realm of art. Through incorporation of the SEALSQ VaultIC155 semiconductor, a contactless solution designed to ward off counterfeiting, AnoufaBears will boast features like Open Detection and Privacy mode.

    WISe.ART’s CEO Carlos Moreira, commented “We believe in a future where digital assets are as valuable, if not more so, than physical ones. Our mission at WISe.ART is to ensure that this future is authentic, secure, and accessible to all.”

    Ylan Anoufa – An Artist on the Rise

    Ylan Anoufa’s talent continues to make waves in the contemporary art world. In January 2024, he was named Artist of the Year at the WISe.ART Excellence Awards during the prestigious World Economic Forum week in Davos. This accolade comes in addition to being named NFT Artist of the Year, cementing his status as a major player in the digital art world.

    His works, now fetching record prices at auctions, reflect growing interest from collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide. His unique approach and commitment to social causes have earned him increasing international recognition, making him one of the most influential emerging artists of our time.

    Ylan Anoufa is set to participate in several upcoming major international events, including Art Together at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art on November 18, the Telethon on November 30, and Art Basel Miami from December 2 to 15.

    About Gallery Re Source
    Nestled in Geneva’s Old Town, Gallery Re Source is a space dedicated to contemporary art and design, regularly hosting artistic, cultural, and holistic events. The “MINDREAMER” exhibition, enriched with workshops, performances, and conferences, aligns with the co-founders’ vision to make art a living and accessible experience for all.

    Stay connected with Gallery Re Source on social media to follow the latest updates and discover upcoming surprises.

    About Ylan Anoufa: The Maestro Behind AnoufaBears
    Ylan, born in 1980, is an embodiment of perpetual evolution. His art, found across global cities from Paris to Hong Kong, beams with modernity, humour, and a thought-provoking narrative. With a heart that radiates positivity, Ylan’s artwork becomes a vibrant fusion of colour, harmony, space, and form. Combining his stylistic finesse in painting and sculpture, Ylan’s graphics are a testament to his poetic inspiration. His collaborations with music legends like Lenny Kavitz and the Rolling Stones, as well as commercial endorsements with brands such as Porsche and Barbie, further enhance his global statue.

    About WISeKey
    WISeKey is a Swiss-based computer infrastructure company specializing in cybersecurity, digital identity, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and post-quantum semiconductors. As a computer infrastructure company, WISeKey provides secure platforms for data and device management across industries like finance, healthcare, and government. It leverages its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to ensure encrypted communications and authentication, while also focusing on next-generation security through post-quantum cryptography.

    WISeKey’s work with post-quantum semiconductors is aimed at future-proofing its security solutions against the threats posed by quantum computing. These advanced semiconductors support encryption that can withstand the computational power of quantum computers, ensuring the long-term security of connected devices and critical infrastructure. Combined with its expertise in blockchain and IoT, WISeKey’s post-quantum technologies provide a robust foundation for secure digital ecosystems at the hardware, software, and network levels.

    About WISe.ART

    Established in September 2020, our marketplace is a forward-thinking digital art platform pioneering the intersection of blockchain technology and artistic and/or visionary creativity. With a strong commitment to democratizing access and ownership to unique innovative products, WISe.ART provides a vibrant marketplace for buying, selling, preserving, and discovering original digital creations. By embracing blockchain and NFT technology, WISe.ART ensures provenance, artist recognition, heritage preservation and secure, transparent transactions.

    WISe.ART platform leverages WISeKey’s strong cybersecurity expertise, digital identity technology. As a part of our mission to empower creators and collectors, the launch of the WISe.ART token marks a significant milestone in our journey. By creating a unique digital currency, we aim to foster an inclusive, engaging, and rewarding ecosystem that transcends traditional boundaries of the art world.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd
    Company Contact:  Carlos Moreira
    Chairman & CEO
    Tel: +41 22 594 3000
    info@wisekey.com     		 WISeKey Investor Relations (US)
    Contact: The Equity Group Inc.

    Lena Cati
    Tel: +1 212 836-9611
    lcati@equityny.com

    Katie Murphy

    Tel: +1 212 836-9612 / kmurphy@equityny.com

    		 Gallery Re Source
    Véronika Saporta Tel: +41 78 227 32 70
    Stéphanie Jacob Tel: +41 76 508 03 99
    Instagram.com/lagalleryresource
    lagallery.ch
    info@lagallery.ch
    Gallery Re Source – rue Etienne-Dumont, 5 – 1204 Geneva, Switzerland

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial and Operational Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Nov. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Petroleum Corporation (IPC or the Corporation) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) today released its financial and operational results and related management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024.

    William Lundin, IPC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, comments: “We are pleased to announce another positive quarter of operational performance. IPC achieved average net daily production during the third quarter of 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), following planned maintenance shutdowns during the quarter. We also continue to purchase IPC common shares under the normal course issuer bid (NCIB). We have now almost completed the 2023/2024 NCIB, reducing the outstanding number of common shares by over 6% since the beginning of December 2023. We intend to seek Toronto Stock Exchange approval to renew the NCIB in December 2024. We are also pleased to report on the progress achieved at the Blackrod Phase 1 development in Canada, which remains on schedule and on budget.”

    Q3 2024 Business Highlights

    • Average net production of approximately 45,000 boepd for Q3 2024, in line with guidance (49% heavy crude oil, 17% light and medium crude oil and 34% natural gas).(1)
    • Successful completion of planned maintenance shutdowns at Onion Lake Thermal (OLT) in Canada and the Bertam field in Malaysia.
    • Drilling activity at the Suffield area in Canada continued with four wells drilled in Q3 2024 and completed by October 2024.
    • Development activities on Phase 1 of the Blackrod project continue to progress on schedule and on budget, with forecast first oil in late 2026.
    • 2.6 million IPC common shares purchased and cancelled during Q3 2024 under IPC’s normal course issuer bid (NCIB), on track to complete the 2023/2024 NCIB during November 2024.
    • IPC plans to seek Toronto Stock Exchange approval for the renewal of the NCIB in December 2024.

    Q3 2024 Financial Highlights

    • Operating costs per boe of USD 17.9 for Q3 2024, below guidance.(3)
    • Operating cash flow (OCF) and Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) of MUSD 73 and MUSD 68 respectively in line with guidance for Q3 2024.(3)
    • Capital and decommissioning expenditures of MUSD 102 for Q3 2024, in line with guidance.
    • Free cash flow (FCF) for Q3 2024 amounted to MUSD -38 (MUSD 44 pre-Blackrod Phase 1 project funding).(3)
    • Gross cash of MUSD 299 and net debt of MUSD 157 as at September 30, 2024.(3)
    • Net result of MUSD 23 for Q3 2024.

    Reserves and Resources

    • Total 2P reserves as at December 31, 2023 of 468 MMboe, with a reserves life index (RLI) of 27 years.(1)(2)
    • Contingent resources (best estimate, unrisked) as at December 31, 2023 of 1,145 MMboe.(1)(2)

    2024 Annual Guidance

    • Full year 2024 average net production guidance range maintained at 46,000 to 48,000 boepd.(1)
    • Full year 2024 operating costs guidance revised to below USD 18 per boe.(3)
    • Full year 2024 OCF guidance estimated at between MUSD 335 and 342, assuming Brent USD 70 to 80 per barrel for the remainder of 2024.(3)
    • Full year 2024 capital and decommissioning expenditures guidance forecast maintained at MUSD 437.
    • Full year 2024 FCF guidance estimated at between MUSD -140 and -133 (between MUSD 222 and 229 pre-Blackrod Phase 1 project funding), assuming Brent USD 70 to 80 per barrel for the remainder of 2024.(3)
      Three months ended
    September 30    		   Nine months ended
    September 30
    USD Thousands 2024   2023     2024   2023  
    Revenue 173,200   257,366     598,659   655,446  
    Gross profit 39,505   93,429     167,397   210,559  
    Net result 22,875   71,681     101,804   143,269  
    Operating cash flow (3) 72,589   119,142     263,831   279,414  
    Free cash flow (3) (38,269 ) 34,703     (74,021 ) 67,379  
    EBITDA (3) 68,313   123,054     259,304   284,334  
    Net cash/(debt) (3) (157,228 ) 83,097     (157,228 ) 83,097  
                       

    Oil prices softened in the third quarter with Brent prices averaging USD 80 per barrel compared with USD 85 per barrel in the second quarter. Volatility during the quarter was high with Brent prices ranging from USD 89 per barrel in July to USD 70 per barrel in September. Notwithstanding the volatility in prices, the crude market was in a deficit through the third quarter, aided by the proactive supply management by the OPEC+ group. The continued conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine led to increased oil prices, though these were partially offset by concerns over global oil demand growth, in particular consumer and industrial demand in China. Despite some of these negative factors, the physical market remains tight with OECD crude stock levels below the five-year average, with oil demand expected to be at an all-time high in 2024 and continue to grow in 2025. Approximately 50% of IPC’s forecast 2024 oil production is hedged at USD 80 per barrel WTI or USD 85 per barrel Dated Brent through to the end of 2024.

    The third quarter 2024 WTI to Western Canadian Select (WCS) price differentials averaged just under USD 14 per barrel, in line with the second quarter and approximately USD 5 per barrel lower than the first quarter differential average of USD 19 per barrel. The Trans Mountain expansion (TMX) pipeline continues to support tighter differentials with the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) now having excess spare pipeline capacity for the first time in more than a decade. Crude exports from the new TMX pipeline are flowing off the coast of British Columbia, with deliveries to the US West Coast and Asia creating new end destinations for Canadian heavy oil. Around 70% of our forecast 2024 Canadian WCS production volumes are hedged at a WTI/WCS differential of USD 15 per barrel.

    Natural gas prices in Canada remained suppressed in the third quarter, with AECO pricing averaging CAD 0.67 per Mcf during the period, compared to CAD 1.17 per Mcf average for the second quarter. This has led to some Canadian natural gas producers curtailing production as western Canada gas storage levels continue to sit above the five-year range. IPC implemented hedges during the third quarter for approximately 14,500 Mcf per day at CAD 1.57 per Mcf from August to year end 2024.

    Third Quarter 2024 Highlights and Full Year 2024 Guidance

    IPC delivered average daily production rates of 45,000 boepd for the third quarter. The average daily production for the first nine months of 2024 was 47,400 boepd and the full year Capital Markets Day (CMD) production guidance of 46,000 to 48,000 boepd is maintained. During the third quarter, planned maintenance shutdowns at the Onion Lake Thermal (OLT) asset in Canada and at the Bertam field in Malaysia were successfully completed. High uptimes were achieved across all major producing assets in our portfolio during the quarter and the business benefited from the oil wells drilled within our Southern Alberta assets and the new wells brought on stream from sustaining Pad L at the OLT asset.(1)

    Operating costs in the third quarter of 2024 were below forecast at USD 17.9 per boe. The lower costs were largely driven by lower energy input costs within our Canadian asset base. Full year 2024 operating costs guidance is revised to less than USD 18 per boe, below the CMD guidance range of USD 18 to 19 per boe.(3)

    Operating cash flow (OCF) for the third quarter of 2024 was USD 73 million in line with forecast. Full year 2024 OCF guidance is revised to USD 335 to 342 million (assuming Brent USD 70 to 80 per barrel for the remainder of 2024).(3)

    Capital and decommissioning expenditure for the third quarter was in line with plan at USD 102 million. Our full year 2024 capital and decommissioning expenditure guidance is unchanged at USD 437 million.

    Free cash flow (FCF) was USD -38 million (or USD 44 million pre-Blackrod Phase 1 development funding) during the third quarter of 2024. Full year 2024 FCF guidance is revised to USD -140 to -133 million (or USD 222 to 229 million pre-Blackrod Phase 1 development funding) assuming Brent USD 70 to 80 per barrel for the remainder of 2024.(3)

    Net debt was increased during the third quarter of 2024 by approximately USD 69 million to USD 157 million.(3) This is due to the growth capital expenditure at the Blackrod Phase 1 project and continued funding of the normal course issuer bid (NCIB) share repurchase program. The gross cash position as at September 30, 2024 was USD 299 million. In the third quarter, IPC enhanced its financing position by entering into a letter of credit facility in Canada to cover all of its existing operational letters of credit, giving full availability under IPC’s undrawn CAD 180 million Revolving Credit Facility.

    With a robust balance sheet and strong cashflow generation from the producing assets, IPC is strongly positioned to deliver on our three strategic pillars of organic growth, shareholder returns and pursue value-adding M&A.

    Blackrod Phase 1 Project

    The Blackrod asset is 100% owned by IPC and hosts the largest booked reserves and contingent resources within the IPC portfolio. After more than a decade of pilot operations, subsurface delineation and commercial engineering studies, IPC sanctioned the Phase 1 development in the first quarter of 2023. The Phase 1 development targets 218 MMboe of 2P reserves, with a multi-year forecast capital expenditure of USD 850 million to first oil planned in late 2026. The Phase 1 development is planned for plateau production of 30,000 bopd which is expected by early 2028.(1)(2)

    2024 marks a peak investment year at the Blackrod Phase 1 project for IPC, with USD 362 million planned to be spent in the year. Project progress has advanced according to plan, with approximately USD 245 million spent through the first nine months of 2024. All major third-party contracts have been executed, including but not limited to, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreements for the central processing facility (CPF) and well pad facilities, midstream agreements for the input fuel gas, diluent and oil blend pipelines, and drilling rig and stakeholder agreements. All major long lead items have been procured and pre-operations onboarding continues as the asset undergoes rapid change from a pilot steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operation to a commercial SAGD operation. IPC’s core operational philosophy is to responsibly develop and commission projects with the staff that are going to manage and operate the asset to ensure the seamless transition from development to operations.

    As at the end of the third quarter of 2024, over half of the Blackrod Phase 1 development capital had been spent since the project sanction in early 2023. All major work streams are progressing as planned and the focus continues to be on executing the detailed sequencing of events as facility modules are safely delivered and installed at site. The total Phase 1 project guidance of USD 850 million capital expenditure to first oil in late 2026 is unchanged. IPC intends to fund the remaining Blackrod Phase 1 development costs with forecast cash flow generated by its operations and cash on hand.

    Stakeholder Returns: Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Under the current 2023/2024 NCIB, IPC has the ability to repurchase up to approximately 8.3 million common shares over the period of December 5, 2023 to December 4, 2024. IPC repurchased and cancelled approximately 7.5 million common shares up to the end of September 2024. The average price of common shares purchased under the 2023/2024 NCIB was SEK 132 / CAD 17 per share. IPC expects to complete the 2023/2024 NCIB during November 2024, resulting in the cancellation of 6.5% of the total number of common shares outstanding as at the beginning of December 2023.

    As at September 30, 2024, IPC had a total of 120,751,038 common shares issued and outstanding and IPC held 30,000 common shares in treasury. As at October 31, 2024, IPC had a total of 120,244,638 common shares issued and outstanding and IPC held 44,400 common shares in treasury.

    The IPC Board of Directors has approved, subject to acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), the renewal of IPC’s NCIB for a further twelve months from December 2024 to December 2025. We expect that the 2024/2025 NCIB will permit IPC to purchase on the TSX and/or Nasdaq Stockholm, and cancel, up to a further approximately 7.5 million common shares, representing approximately 6.2% of the total outstanding common shares (or 10% of IPC’s “public float” under applicable TSX rules) following completion of the current 2023/2024 NCIB. IPC continues to believe that reducing the number of common shares outstanding while in parallel investing in material production growth at the Blackrod project will prove to be a winning formula for our stakeholders.

    Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance

    As part of IPC’s commitment to operational excellence and responsible development, its objective is to reduce risk and eliminate hazards to prevent occurrence of accidents, ill health, and environmental damage, as these are essential to the success of our business operations. During the third quarter of 2024, IPC recorded no material safety or environmental incidents.

    As previously announced, IPC targets a reduction of our net GHG emissions intensity by the end of 2025 to 50% of IPC’s 2019 baseline and IPC remains on track to achieve this reduction. During the first quarter of 2024, IPC announced the commitment to remain at end 2025 levels of 20 kg CO2/boe through to the end of 2028.(4)

    Notes:

    (1) See “Supplemental Information regarding Product Types” in “Reserves and Resources Advisory” below. See also the annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (AIF) available on IPC’s website at www.international-petroleum.com and under IPC’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
    (2) See “Reserves and Resources Advisory“ below. Further information with respect to IPC’s reserves, contingent resources and estimates of future net revenue, including assumptions relating to the calculation of NPV, are described in the AIF.
    (3) Non-IFRS measures, see “Non-IFRS Measures” below and in the MD&A.
    (4) Emissions intensity is the ratio between oil and gas production and the associated carbon emissions, and net emissions intensity reflects gross emissions less operational emission reductions and carbon offsets.

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50    		       Or       Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
             

    This information is information that International Petroleum Corporation is required to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 07:30 CET on November 5, 2024. The Corporation’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements (Financial Statements) and management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 have been filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and are also available on the Corporation’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”.

    Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to:

    • 2024 production ranges (including total daily average production), production composition, cash flows, operating costs and capital and decommissioning expenditure estimates;
    • Estimates of future production, cash flows, operating costs and capital expenditures that are based on IPC’s current business plans and assumptions regarding the business environment, which are subject to change;
    • IPC’s financial and operational flexibility to continue to react to recent events and navigate the Corporation through periods of volatile commodity prices;
    • The ability to fully fund future expenditures from cash flows and current borrowing capacity;
    • IPC’s intention and ability to continue to implement strategies to build long-term shareholder value;
    • The ability of IPC’s portfolio of assets to provide a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth;
    • The continued facility uptime and reservoir performance in IPC’s areas of operation;
    • Development of the Blackrod project in Canada, including estimates of resource volumes, future production, timing, regulatory approvals, third party commercial arrangements, breakeven prices and net present value;
    • Current and future production performance, operations and development potential of the Onion Lake Thermal, Suffield, Brooks, Ferguson and Mooney operations, including the timing and success of future oil and gas drilling and optimization programs;
    • The potential improvement in the Canadian oil egress situation and IPC’s ability to benefit from any such improvements;
    • The ability to maintain current and forecast production in France and Malaysia;
    • The intention and ability of IPC to acquire further common shares under the NCIB, including the timing of any such purchases;
    • The ability of IPC to renew the NCIB and the number of common shares which may be purchased under a renewed NCIB;
    • The return of value to IPC’s shareholders as a result of the NCIB;
    • The ability of IPC to implement further shareholder distributions in addition to the NCIB;
    • IPC’s ability to implement its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity and climate strategies and to achieve its net GHG emissions intensity reduction targets;
    • IPC’s ability to implement projects to reduce net emissions intensity, including potential carbon capture and storage;
    • Estimates of reserves and contingent resources;
    • The ability to generate free cash flows and use that cash to repay debt;
    • IPC’s continued access to its existing credit facilities, including current financial headroom, on terms acceptable to the Corporation;
    • IPC’s ability to maintain operations, production and business in light of any future pandemics and the restrictions and disruptions related thereto, including risks related to production delays and interruptions, changes in laws and regulations and reliance on third-party operators and infrastructure;
    • IPC’s ability to identify and complete future acquisitions;
    • Expectations regarding the oil and gas industry in Canada, Malaysia and France, including assumptions regarding future royalty rates, regulatory approvals, legislative changes, and ongoing projects and their expected completion; and
    • Future drilling and other exploration and development activities.

    Statements relating to “reserves” and “contingent resources” are also deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves and resources can be profitably produced in the future. Ultimate recovery of reserves or resources is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

    Although IPC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because IPC can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks.

    These include, but are not limited to general global economic, market and business conditions; the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to reserves, resources, production, revenues, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price fluctuations; interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental and climate-related risks; competition; innovation and cybersecurity risks related to our systems, including our costs of addressing or mitigating such risks; the ability to attract, engage and retain skilled employees; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; geopolitical conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict in the Middle East, and their potential impact on, among other things, global market conditions; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties, environmental and abandonment regulations.

    Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IPC, or its operations or financial results, are included in the MD&A (See “Risk Factors”, “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information” and “Reserves and Resources Advisory” therein), the Corporation’s Annual Information Form (AIF) for the year ended December 31, 2023, (See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, “Reserves and Resources Advisory” and “Risk Factors”) and other reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities, including previous financial reports, management’s discussion and analysis and material change reports, which may be accessed through the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) or IPC’s website (www.international-petroleum.com).

    Management of IPC approved the production, operating costs, operating cash flow, capital and decommissioning expenditures and free cash flow guidance and estimates contained herein as of the date of this press release. The purpose of these guidance and estimates is to assist readers in understanding IPC’s expected and targeted financial results, and this information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    Non-IFRS Measures
    References are made in this press release to “operating cash flow” (OCF), “free cash flow” (FCF), “Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization” (EBITDA), “operating costs” and “net debt”/”net cash”, which are not generally accepted accounting measures under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable with similar measures presented by other public companies. Non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    The definition of each non-IFRS measure is presented in IPC’s MD&A (See “Non-IFRS Measures” therein).

    Operating cash flow
    The following table sets out how operating cash flow is calculated from figures shown in the Financial Statements:

      Three months ended September 30   Nine months ended September 30
    USD Thousands 2024   2023     2024   2023  
    Revenue 173,200   257,366     598,659   655,446  
    Production costs (100,984 ) (130,765 )   (328,110 ) (364,889 )
    Current tax 373   (7,459 )   (6,718 ) (16,045 )
    Operating cash flow 72,589   119,142     263,831   274,512  
                       

    The operating cash flow for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 including the operating cash flow contribution of the Brooks assets acquisition from the effective date of January 1, 2023 to the completion date of March 3, 2023 amounted to USD 279,414 thousand.

    Free cash flow
    The following table sets out how free cash flow is calculated from figures shown in the Financial Statements:

      Three months ended September 30   Nine months ended September 30
    USD Thousands 2024   2023     2024   2023  
    Operating cash flow – see above 72,589   119,142     263,831   274,512  
    Capital expenditures (99,100 ) (76,844 )   (308,457 ) (183,904 )
    Abandonment and farm-in expenditures1 (2,575 ) (2,755 )   (4,938 ) (7,683 )
    General, administration and depreciation expenses before depreciation2 (3,903 ) (3,547 )   (11,245 ) (11,124 )
    Cash financial items3 (5,280 ) (1,293 )   (13,212 ) (3,593 )
    Free cash flow (38,269 ) 34,703     (74,021 ) 68,208  

    1 See note 16 to the Financial Statements
    2 Depreciation is not specifically disclosed in the Financial Statements
    3 See notes 4 and 5 to the Financial Statements

    The free cash flow for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 including the free cash flow contribution of the Brooks assets acquisition from the effective date of January 1, 2023 to the completion date of March 3, 2023 amounted to USD 67,379 thousand.

    EBITDA
    The following table sets out the reconciliation from net result from the consolidated statement of operations to EBITDA:

      Three months ended September 30   Nine months ended September 30
    USD Thousands 2024   2023     2024   2023  
    Net result 22,875   71,681     101,804   143,269  
    Net financial items 4,124   4,257     23,942   16,227  
    Income tax 8,257   25,451     29,473   50,671  
    Depletion and decommissioning costs 30,491   31,687     96,305   71,488  
    Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets 2,023   1,509     6,503   6,503  
    Exploration and business development costs 197   (24 )   344   2,007  
    Depreciation included in general, administration and depreciation expenses 1 346   405     933   1,180  
    Sale of Assets –   (11,912 )   –   (11,912 )
    EBITDA 68,313   123,054     259,304   279,433  

    1 Item is not shown in the Financial Statements

    The EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 including the EBITDA contribution of the Brooks assets acquisition from the effective date of January 1, 2023 to the completion date of March 3, 2023 amounted to USD 284,334 thousand.

    Operating costs
    The following table sets out how operating costs is calculated:

      Three months ended September 30   Nine months ended September 30
    USD Thousands 2024   2023     2024   2023  
    Production costs 100,984   130,765     328,110   364,889  
    Cost of blending (29,818 ) (39,836 )   (116,699 ) (128,523 )
    Change in inventory position 2,755   (8,067 )   3,160   2,228  
    Operating costs 73,921   82,862     214,571   238,594  

    The operating costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 including the operating costs contribution of the Brooks assets acquisition from the effective date of January 1, 2023 to the completion date of March 3, 2023 amounted to USD 245,395 thousand.

    Net cash/(debt)
    The following table sets out how net cash/(debt) is calculated:

    USD Thousands September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023  
    Bank loans (6,431 ) (9,031 )
    Bonds1 (450,000 ) (450,000 )
    Cash and cash equivalents 299,203   517,074  
    Net cash/(debt) (157,228 ) 58,043  

    1 The bond amount represents the redeemable value at maturity (February 2027).

    Reserves and Resources Advisory
    This press release contains references to estimates of gross and net reserves and resources attributed to the Corporation’s oil and gas assets. For additional information with respect to such reserves and resources, refer to “Reserves and Resources Advisory” in the MD&A. Light, medium and heavy crude oil reserves/resources disclosed in this press release include solution gas and other by-products. Also see “Supplemental Information regarding Product Types” below.

    Reserve estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in Canada are effective as of December 31, 2023, and are included in the reports prepared by Sproule Associates Limited (Sproule), an independent qualified reserves evaluator, in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101) and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (the COGE Handbook) and using Sproule’s December 31, 2023 price forecasts.

    Reserve estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in France and Malaysia are effective as of December 31, 2023, and are included in the report prepared by ERC Equipoise Ltd. (ERCE), an independent qualified reserves auditor, in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook, and using Sproule’s December 31, 2023 price forecasts.

    The price forecasts used in the Sproule and ERCE reports are available on the website of Sproule (sproule.com) and are contained in the AIF. These price forecasts are as at December 31, 2023 and may not be reflective of current and future forecast commodity prices.

    The reserve life index (RLI) is calculated by dividing the 2P reserves of 468 MMboe as at December 31, 2023 by the mid-point of the 2024 CMD production guidance of 46,000 to 48,000 boepd.

    IPC uses the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). A BOE conversion ratio of 6:1 is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. As the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

    Supplemental Information regarding Product Types

    The following table is intended to provide supplemental information about the product type composition of IPC’s net average daily production figures provided in this press release:

      Heavy Crude Oil
    (Mbopd)    		 Light and Medium Crude Oil (Mbopd) Conventional Natural Gas (per day) Total
    (Mboepd)
    Three months ended        
    September 30, 2024 21.9 7.8 91.9 MMcf
    (15.3 Mboe)    		 45.0
    September 30, 2023 25.8 7.1 103.4 MMcf
    (17.3 Mboe)    		 50.2
    Nine months ended        
    September 30, 2024 23.7 7.9 94.8 MMcf
    (15.8 Mboe)    		 47.4
    September 30, 2023 25.9 8.6 102.4 MMcf
    (17.1 Mboe)    		 51.6
    Year ended        
    December 31, 2023 25.8 8.1 102.8 MMcf
    (17.1 Mboe)    		 51.1
             

    This press release also makes reference to IPC’s forecast total average daily production of 46,000 to 48,000 boepd for 2024. IPC estimates that approximately 50% of that production will be comprised of heavy oil, approximately 16% will be comprised of light and medium crude oil and approximately 34% will be comprised of conventional natural gas.

    Currency
    All dollar amounts in this press release are expressed in United States dollars, except where otherwise noted. References herein to USD mean United States dollars and to MUSD mean millions of United States dollars. References herein to CAD mean Canadian dollars.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos signs binding agreement to sell Worldgrid to ALTEN for an enterprise value of €270 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos signs binding agreement to sell Worldgrid to ALTEN for an enterprise value of €270 million

    Paris, France – November 5, 2024 – Following its press release dated June 11, 2024, Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, high-performance computing and information technology infrastructure, today announces that it has signed a Share & Asset Purchase Agreement with ALTEN SA (“ALTEN”) for the sale of its Worldgrid business unit for an enterprise value of €270 million.

    Worldgrid provides consulting and engineering services to energy and utility companies. The business currently employs close to 1,100 employees and, in 2023, it generated revenue of circa €170 million from a diverse and longstanding client base.

    ALTEN is a well-recognized IT and engineering player with expertise and product offerings in the energy and utilities industry. The contemplated transaction would ensure full continuity of service for Worldgrid’s strategic clients and employees.

    Relevant social processes with employee representative bodies are completed and approvals from regulators have been received. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2024.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 82,000 employees and annual revenue of circa €10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Contacts

    Investor relations:
    David Pierre-Kahn | investors@atos.net | +33 6 28 51 45 96
    Sofiane El Amri | investors@atos.net | +33 6 29 34 85 67

    Individual shareholders: 0805 65 00 75

    Press contact: globalprteam@atos.net

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos Sustainable Workplace research finds device lifespan can double while still delighting users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                    Press Release

    Atos Sustainable Workplace research finds device lifespan can double while still delighting users

    Research unveils data-driven, condition-based device refresh approach, supported by remanufacturing, can achieve an 8-10 year lifespan versus a standard 3-5 year device lifespan on a fixed refresh cycle without compromising user experience

    Research also demonstrates employees’ engagement: 75% are happy to keep their device for longer if they understand the environmental benefits of doing so

    Paris, France – November 4, 2024 – Atos today releases its research on digital workplace sustainability, providing valuable insights to help organizations enhance their IT decision-making and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. The report, “Increasing digital workplace sustainability: Data-driven strategy to accelerate progress together,” highlights high levels of waste endemic across the IT industry and also identifies a series of actions all can take to turn this around.

    Since 79% of a laptop’s carbon footprint is produced during manufacturing, with each new device creating roughly 338kg CO2eq of carbon before use, life cycle extension can have a huge impact. The report initially points out that device lifecycles can be extended without compromising user satisfaction. For instance, by doing nothing but adjusting the standard refresh cycle from three to four years, enterprises can gain a 25% reduction in related emissions without downgrading device performance or user experience. Further, data-driven, condition-based device refresh combined with remanufacturing can achieve an 8-10 year lifespan.

    Atos research reveals that 76% of large organizations’ laptops can be remanufactured. The remaining 24% of devices could be refurbished or recycled to contribute to the circular economy.

    Atos’ study showcases the key role employees could play in IT sustainability. 75% of employees indicated they would be willing to keep their devices longer if they were aware of the environmental benefits. Nonetheless, 16% of devices are left running continuously without being turned off, emphasizing the need for better employee awareness on energy-saving practices. Additionally, carbon intensity can fluctuate up to 2.3 times during the day, indicating that informing users about the best times to use the electrical grid and switching to battery power could improve energy efficiency.

    Data indicate that 57% of the ICT sector’s carbon emissions originate from devices and workplace environments. Atos, as a global leader in digital workplace, was able to analyze 28.5 million devices used by medium to large organizations, with the help of its partners Nexthink, Tier1 and Circular Computing, to offer crucial recommendations for boosting IT sustainability.

    Leon Gilbert, Senior Vice President Digital Workplace, Atos said: “We wanted to leverage the vast quantities of data available to Atos and our partners to challenge convention and pinpoint new opportunities for enterprises and their IT service providers. Some findings surprised even our experts. We can now see how the financial, environmental and social value of every device can be increased while still delighting users”.

    David Welling, IT Sustainability Governance Lead, National Grid said: “Within our own organization, we are looking at using the data from this study to drive strategic changes in behavior. Today, very few of us would consider using our laptops to impact the demand variability of the grid. Yet nobody would think twice about charging their electric vehicle overnight when demand is lower and energy is greener. If we can connect that kind of demand flexibility with ICT, we have a real opportunity to fundamentally change the greenhouse gas emissions of entire energy systems for entire countries”.

    In summary, Atos research highlights that implementing sustainable management, processes and practices in the workplace doesn’t have to be lengthy or costly. Conversely, organizations may experience swift benefits from the insights provided in the study. Additionally, Atos asserts that “what we can measure, we can change” – which underlines the importance of comprehensive and real-time data to progress toward environmental objectives.

    Atos teams provide end-to-end employee experience solutions through digital collaboration and productivity tools, as well as intelligent customer care services. Atos’ sustainable digital workplace suite includes more than 20 “Tech for Good” services and solutions, encompassing social value and accessibility criteria as well as data analytics and user interfaces. In March 2024, Gartner positioned Atos as a Leader in its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Outsourced Digital Workplace Services (ODWS) for the eighth consecutive year.

    ***

    About Tech Foundations

    Tech Foundations is the Atos Group business line leading in managed services, focusing on hybrid cloud infrastructure, employee experience and technology services, through decarbonized, automated and AI-enabled solutions. Its 41,000 employees advance what matters to the world’s businesses, institutions and communities. It is present in 69 countries, with an annual revenue of c. € 5 billion.

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 82,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contact

    Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s commerce minister urges active role from France in reaching EV trade solution

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has called on France, as a key European Union (EU) member, to play an active role in pushing the European Commission to show sincerity and meet the Chinese side halfway to secure a solution concerning the EU’s anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

    Wang made the remarks during a meeting with French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Sophie Primas, in Shanghai on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Wang and Primas met ahead of the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE), which starts this week.

    The EU’s anti-subsidy probe into China-made EVs has severely hindered cooperation between EU and Chinese auto industries, currently a critical concern for industries on both sides, Wang said, noting that technical teams from China and the EU are presently engaged in a second round of consultations.

    Wang reiterated China’s commitment to addressing China-EU trade friction through dialogue and consultation — based on respect for facts and compliance with WTO rules.

    Wang said that unlike the EU’s anti-subsidy probe initiated without industry applications, China’s trade remedy investigations targeting certain EU goods, such as brandy, pork and dairy products, were launched at the request of domestic industries in full compliance with WTO rules and Chinese laws and regulations.

    He stressed that China would continue to handle these investigations in accordance with laws and regulations, safeguard the legal rights of enterprises from EU member states, including France, and base its rulings on evidence and facts.

    China is ready to work with the European Commission to seek a proper solution in this respect, Wang added.

    Noting that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations, with France featuring as a guest country of honor at the CIIE again, Wang said that over 100 French companies are set to participate in the expo this year — the highest number among EU countries, highlighting French companies’ strong interest in the Chinese market.

    Primas affirmed France’s firm commitment to deepening economic and trade relations with China and expressed her pleasure at France’s role as a guest country of honor at the expo again this year.

    With agricultural and food products being vital elements of France’s trade with China, she conveyed France’s significant concern over China’s investigations aimed at EU products, including brandy.

    France does not wish to see further escalation of current EU-China trade tensions and hopes both sides will resolve trade disputes through consultation, Primas said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nature’s role in economy

    Source: Scottish Government

    Jobs and sectors dependent on sustainable natural world.

    Scotland’s natural assets contribute more than £40 billion to the economy and support around 260,000 jobs, according to new research. 

    The Importance of Natural Capital to the Scottish Economy report highlights the vital economic contribution the natural world makes to Scotland and highlights the value of the ecosystems and the services they provide. 

    Important industries such as agriculture, fishing and aquaculture, forestry, water, food and drink and renewables all rely upon the continued availability of high-quality natural resources.

    The research investigates the economic impact of natural capital, which is defined as “the renewable and non-renewable stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water and plants and animals that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people.” 

    The Scottish Government conducted the research to provide the most up-to-date reflection of the true value of nature to the Scottish economy, as it is often undervalued or not included in economic assessments. The study demonstrates the link between the threats to Scotland’s economic performance, and the economic opportunity associated with increasing nature dependent sectors.

    The Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) makes clear that working with and investing in nature is a top priority of Scotland’s wellbeing economy. 

    Speaking while visiting Blackthorn Salt in Ayrshire, which produces salt through filtering sea water, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:  

    “This research reinforces the vital role of our natural capital in supporting many of our vital industries – a connection that is often under-represented when we look at economic performance. Blackthorn Salt is an excellent example of a business that is dependent on natural capital, using sustainable, traditional methods to produce an exceptional products that provides jobs and can be found in kitchens across the country and beyond.

    “The twin crises of climate change and nature loss are inextricably linked, nature offers some of the best ways to protect us from the worst impacts of climate change, so it is essential that we work with partners across the public sector and private investors to protect biodiversity and reduce our emissions as we support sustainable businesses utilising our incredible landscapes and ecosystems.”

    NatureScot Chief Executive, Francesca Osowska said:

    “Nature is vital for our quality of life and that of future generations. In Scotland we are fortunate to have rich and varied landscapes and habitats, with individuals and businesses willing to step up to the challenge of stopping nature loss with hard work and investment.

    “NatureScot is responding to this urgent need with leadership of vital programmes such as the £250m Peatland ACTION fund, the £65m Nature Restoration Fund and the innovative new Facility for Investment Ready Nature Scotland (FIRNS) which aims to both restore nature and benefit communities. “

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: One month after the tragic school bus crash in Khu Khot, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety to promote and launch the UN-JCDecaux campaign for road safety in Thailand

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is visiting Bangkok from 30 October to 6 November 2024. During his visit, he will meet with the Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, key government officials, representatives of the international community, private, and public sectors to promote road safety initiatives and advocate for enhanced measures, particularly on wearing quality helmets. His visit will be also the occasion to launch the UN-JCDecaux campaign #MakeASafetyStatement in the country.  The Special Envoy will also speak at the UNESCAP/Alliance française Road Safety Seminar on 4 November.  This aligns with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, aiming to halve road fatalities by 2030.

    The visit of the Special envoy comes one month after the tragic bus road crash which caught fire while travelling on an outbound lane in Khu Khot in the Pathum Thani Province, resulting in 23 deaths of which were mainly school students.

    The silent pandemic

    Every year, the staggering toll of road-related fatalities claims the lives of 1.19 million people, leaving countless others with severe injuries. This silent pandemic overwhelmingly affects developing nations, where over 90% of the road traffic fatalities occur. Furthermore, road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.  

    According to the World Health Organization, road crashes kill 18,218 people in Thailand each year, representing a road traffic fatality rate of 25/100,000 population, while the rate is in 15.7/100,000 in South-East Asia and 6.5/100,000 in Europe (WHO 2021). Despite the recent efforts of the country, Thailand is still ranked on the top worst countries in term of road fatalities.  This is therefore urgent to act for increasing road safety in the country.

    “Every life lost to preventable road accidents is a tragedy that reverberates through our communities and our country. This recent tragedy has reminded us of the urgent need for effective and sustained action. Road safety is not merely a matter of law enforcement but a shared societal responsibility. We owe it to our citizens, especially our children, to make our roads safer“, stated the new Prime Minister, H.E. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

    Road crashes have a significant social and economic burden, particularly in Thailand.  “In addition to the human tragedy, road crashes trap countries into a vicious circle of poverty, costing till 6% of the GDP. Given their social and economic cost, road crashes are jeopardizing the entire sustainable development agenda. Now is the time for change, and I am looking forward to working with the Government of Thailand to stop the carnage on the roads.” stressed the UNSG’s Special Envoy Todt.

    Wearing a safe helmet

    If the causes of road crashes are multiple such as the non-reliability of the vehicles and of the road’s infrastructure and design, the lack of post-crashes services, weaknesses in the road safety management, a dangerous road user’s behavior is still one of the main reasons costing lives on the road. On the mitigation of the risk factors for the road users, wearing a helmet responding to the UN standards is definitively a game changer. Wearing a quality helmet can reduce the risk of injuries by 69%.

    Knowing that Thailand has the highest rate of motorcycle-related deaths in the world, representing more than 70% of the road traffic fatalities in the country, wearing a safe helmet is an absolute emergency.              

    #MakeASafetyStatement

    During his visit in Thailand, the Special Envoy will launch the UN Global Road Safety Campaign, which aims to raise awareness of life-saving road safety measures. Launched globally in cooperation with JCDecaux Global under the motto #MakeASafetyStatement, it will run through 2025 in over 80 countries in the world.   

    The campaign seeks to reduce risk factors, especially in urban areas, enabling people to walk, live, and enjoy their environment safely.  Sixteen global, and dozens of national, celebrities have joined forces to advocate for simple and effective road safety rules.  Key messages include wearing a seat belt, driving safely, wearing a helmet, not texting and driving, not driving under the influence or while tired, and respecting pedestrians.

    Participating celebrities in the campaign include Football Legend Mr. Didier Drogba, F1 Driver Mr. Charles Leclerc, Oscar-winning actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Ms. Michelle Yeoh, Tennis Legend Mr. Novak Djokovic, Musician Ms. Kylie Minogue, Motorcycle racer Mr. Marc Marquez, Supermodel Ms. Naomi Campbell, Actor Mr. Patrick Dempsey, Musician and Inspirational leader Mr. Youssou N’Dour, Actress Ms. Julie Gayet, Actor Mr. Michael Fassbender, Football icon Mr. Ousmane Dembélé, Double Olympic Champion Ms. Faith Kipyegon, F1 Driver Mr. Mick Schumacher, Actor Jean Reno and Cyclist Champion Tadej Podacar.

    Risk factors that are too often neglected                                                                                                                 

    Only seven countries in the world (France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden) have laws that comply with WHO best practices for all the risk factors – speeding, drink driving, UN-standard motorbike helmet use, seatbelts and child restraint systems.

    Media representatives are cordially invited to cover the launch of the campaign, mission and Memorandum of Agreement on Road Safety Cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Health at the press conference on 6 November 2024 at 1.30 PM at the Ministry of Transport (Ratcharotsamosorn Assembly Hall) in Bangkok, with:

    • Mr. Suriya Jungroongruangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport
    • Mr. Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Public Health
    • Mr. Jean Todt, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for road safety,   
    • Ms. Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator to Thailand, presents the work of the UN in road safety in Thailand.
    • Mr. Arnaud de Ruffray, President of JCDecaux Thailand presents the UN-JCDecaux campaign for road safety in Thailand.
    • Ms. Saisunee Jana, Paralympic gold Medalist

     

    About the Special Envoy

    The former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed in 2015 Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety. He was reconfirmed in this role by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in 2017 and in 2021. In 2018, together with 14 UN organizations, the Special Envoy launched the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). The Special Envoy contributes, among other things, to mobilize sustained political commitment to make road safety a priority; to advocate and raise awareness of UN legal instruments on road safety; to share established good practices in this area; to strive to generate adequate funding through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Special Envoy brochure and X account.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: US accounts for over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US accounts for over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The US continues to remain the top destination for venture capital (VC) investments globally. Moreover, it also outpaced peer countries by a significant margin for high-value* VC investments and accounted for more than half of deal volume as well as value of those investments during Q1-Q3 2024. The US accounted for 55.4% share of the total number of high-value VC deals announced globally during Q1-Q3 2024, while its share in terms of the corresponding value stood at 56.4%, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The US outpaced other nations in terms of both the volume and value of high-value VC deals by a substantial margin. The dominance of the US for high-value VC deals can also be understood from the fact that it was distantly followed by China, which held 12.7% and 16.6% share of high-value VC deal volume and value, respectively, during Q1-Q3 2024.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that the US saw announcement of 209 high-value VC deals during Q1-Q3 2024 with the total valued of these deals pegged at $48.4 billion. Meanwhile, a total of 48 high-value VC deals worth $14.2 billion in terms of disclosed funding value were announced in China during the same period.

    Bose adds: “Of the top 10 countries by high-value VC deals volume during Q1-Q3 2024, five were from Europe, three were from the Asia-Pacific region, and two countries were from the North American region.”

    The UK occupied the third spot in terms of the volume of high-value VC deals during Q1-Q3 2024, followed by Germany, India, Canada, France, Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

    *Valued more than or equal to $100 million

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Special Rapporteur Albanese highlights the dire situation of Palestinians in Gaza | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    ‘Palestinians risk being erased from northern Gaza’ says UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, as she spoke to journalists on Wednesday 30 October 2024.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj47Nq9O7e0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Padma Awards 2025 announced

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 25 JAN 2025 9:00PM by PIB Delhi

    Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

    2.              These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at RashtrapatiBhawan usually around March/ April every year. For the year 2025, the President has approved conferment of 139Padma Awards including1 duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one) as per list below. The list comprises 7Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and13Posthumous awardees.

     

    Padma Vibhushan(7)

     

    SN

    Name

    Field

    State/Country
    1.  

    Shri Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy

    Medicine

    Telangana
    1.  

    Justice (Retd.) Shri Jagdish Singh Khehar

    Public Affairs

    Chandigarh
    1.  

    Smt. Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia

    Art

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri LakshminarayanaSubramaniam

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri M. T. Vasudevan Nair (Posthumous)

    Literature and Education

    Kerala
    1.  

    Shri Osamu Suzuki (Posthumous)

    Trade and Industry

    Japan
    1.  

    Smt. Sharda Sinha (Posthumous)

    Art

    Bihar

    Padma Bhushan(19)

     

    SN

    Name

    Field

    State/Country
    1.  

    Shri A Surya Prakash

    Literature and Education-Journalism

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Anant Nag

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Bibek Debroy(Posthumous)

    Literature and Education

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Jatin Goswami

    Art

    Assam
    1.  

    Shri Jose Chacko Periappuram

    Medicine

    Kerala
    1.  

    Shri Kailash Nath Dikshit

    Others-Archaeology

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Manohar Joshi(Posthumous)

    Public Affairs

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti

    Trade and Industry

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Nandamuri Balakrishna

    Art

    Andhra Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri P R Sreejesh

    Sports

    Kerala
    1.  

    Shri Pankaj Patel

    Trade and Industry

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Pankaj Udhas(Posthumous)

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Rambahadur Rai

    Literature and Education-Journalism

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Sadhvi Ritambhara

    Social Work

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri S Ajith Kumar

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Shekhar Kapur

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Ms. Shobana Chandrakumar

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Sushil Kumar Modi(Posthumous)

    Public Affairs

    Bihar
    1.  

    Shri Vinod Dham

    Science and Engineering

    United States of America

     

    Padma Shri (113)

    SN

    Name

    Field

    State/Country
    1.  

    Shri Adwaita Charan Gadanayak

    Art

    Odisha
    1.  

    Shri Achyut Ramchandra Palav

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Ajay V Bhatt

    Science and Engineering

    United States of America
    1.  

    Shri Anil Kumar Boro

    Literature and Education

    Assam
    1.  

    Shri Arijit Singh

    Art

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Smt. Arundhati Bhattacharya

    Trade and Industry

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Arunoday Saha

    Literature and Education

    Tripura
    1.  

    Shri Arvind Sharma

    Literature and Education

    Canada
    1.  

    Shri Ashok Kumar Mahapatra

    Medicine

    Odisha
    1.  

    Shri Ashok Laxman Saraf

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Ashutosh Sharma

    Science and Engineering

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Smt. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Baijnath Maharaj

    Others-Spiritualism

    Rajasthan
    1.  

    Shri Barry Godfray John

    Art

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Smt. Begam Batool

    Art

    Rajasthan
    1.  

    Shri Bharat Gupt

    Art

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Bheru Singh Chouhan

    Art

    Madhya Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Bhim Singh Bhavesh

    Social Work

    Bihar
    1.  

    Smt. Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Budhendra Kumar Jain

    Medicine

    Madhya Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri C S Vaidyanathan

    Public Affairs

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Chaitram Deochand Pawar

    Social Work

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Chandrakant Sheth(Posthumous)

    Literature and Education

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Chandrakant Sompura

    Others-Architecture

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Chetan E Chitnis

    Science and Engineering

    France
    1.  

    Shri David R Syiemlieh

    Literature and Education

    Meghalaya
    1.  

    Shri Durga Charan Ranbir

    Art

    Odisha
    1.  

    Shri Farooq Ahmad Mir

    Art

    Jammu And Kashmir
    1.  

    Shri Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid

    Literature and Education

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Smt. Gita Upadhyay

    Literature and Education

    Assam
    1.  

    Shri Gokul Chandra Das

    Art

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Shri Guruvayur Dorai

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Harchandan Singh Bhatty

    Art

    Madhya Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Hariman Sharma

    Others-Agriculture

    Himachal Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Harjinder Singh Srinagar Wale

    Art

    Punjab
    1.  

    Shri Harvinder Singh

    Sports

    Haryana
    1.  

    Shri Hassan Raghu

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Hemant Kumar

    Medicine

    Bihar
    1.  

    Shri Hriday Narayan Dixit

    Literature and Education

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Hugh and Colleen Gantzer(Posthumous)(Duo)*

    Literature and Education-Journalism

    Uttarakhand
    1.  

    Shri Inivalappil Mani Vijayan

    Sports

    Kerala
    1.  

    Shri Jagadish Joshila

    Literature and Education

    Madhya Pradesh
    1.  

    Smt. Jaspinder Narula

    Art

     

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Jonas Masetti

    Others-Spiritualism

    Brazil
    1.  

    Shri Joynacharan Bathari

    Art

    Assam
    1.  

    Smt. Jumde Yomgam Gamlin

    Social Work

    Arunachal Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri K. Damodaran

    Others-Culinary

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri K L Krishna

    Literature and Education

    Andhra Pradesh
    1.  

    Smt. K Omanakutty Amma

    Art

    Kerala
    1.  

    Shri Kishore Kunal(Posthumous)

    Civil Service

    Bihar
    1.  

    Shri L Hangthing

    Others-Agriculture

    Nagaland
    1.  

    Shri Lakshmipathy Ramasubbaiyer

    Literature and Education-Journalism

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Lalit Kumar Mangotra

    Literature and Education

    Jammu And Kashmir
    1.  

    Shri Lama Lobzang(Posthumous)

    Others-Spiritualism

    Ladakh
    1.  

    Smt. Libia Lobo Sardesai

    Social Work

    Goa
    1.  

    Shri M D Srinivas

    Science and Engineering

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Madugula Nagaphani Sarma

    Art

    Andhra Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Mahabir Nayak

    Art

    Jharkhand
    1.  

    Smt. Mamata Shankar

    Art

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Shri Manda Krishna Madiga

    Public Affairs

    Telangana
    1.  

    Shri Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli

    Literature and Education

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Miriyala Apparao(Posthumous)

    Art

    Andhra Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Nagendra Nath Roy

    Literature and Education

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Shri Narayan (Bhulai Bhai)(Posthumous)

    Public Affairs

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Naren Gurung

    Art

    Sikkim
    1.  

    Smt. Neerja Bhatla

    Medicine

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Smt. Nirmala Devi

    Art

    Bihar
    1.  

    Shri Nitin Nohria

    Literature and Education

    United States of America
    1.  

    Shri Onkar Singh Pahwa

    Trade and Industry

    Punjab
    1.  

    Shri P Datchanamoorthy

    Art

    Puducherry
    1.  

    Shri Pandi Ram Mandavi

    Art

    Chhattisgarh
    1.  

    Shri Parmar Lavjibhai Nagjibhai

    Art

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Pawan Goenka

    Trade and Industry

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Shri Prashanth Prakash

    Trade and Industry

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Smt. Pratibha Satpathy

    Literature and Education

    Odisha
    1.  

    Shri Purisai Kannappa Sambandan

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri R Ashwin

    Sports

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri R G Chandramogan

    Trade and Industry

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Smt. Radha Bahin Bhatt

    Social Work

    Uttarakhand
    1.  

    Shri Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Ramdarash Mishra

    Literature and Education

    NCT Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Ranendra Bhanu Majumdar

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Ratan Kumar Parimoo

    Art

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Reba Kanta Mahanta

    Art

    Assam
    1.  

    Shri Renthlei Lalrawna

    Literature and Education

    Mizoram
    1.  

    Shri Ricky Gyan Kej

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Sajjan Bhajanka

    Trade and Industry

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Smt. Sally Holkar

    Trade and Industry

    Madhya Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Sant Ram Deswal

    Literature and Education

    Haryana
    1.  

    Shri Satyapal Singh

    Sports

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Seeni Viswanathan

    Literature and Education

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Sethuraman Panchanathan

    Science and Engineering

    United States of America
    1.  

    Smt. Sheikha Shaikha Ali Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

    Medicine

    Kuwait
    1.  

    Shri Sheen Kaaf Nizam (Shiv Kishan Bissa)

    Literature and Education

    Rajasthan
    1.  

    Shri Shyam Bihari Agrawal

    Art

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Smt. Soniya Nityanand

    Medicine

     

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Stephen Knapp

    Literature and Education

    United States of America
    1.  

    Shri Subhash Khetulal Sharma

    Others-Agriculture

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Suresh Harilal Soni

    Social Work

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Surinder Kumar Vasal

    Science and Engineering

    Delhi
    1.  

    Shri Swami Pradiptananda (Kartik Maharaj)

    Others-Spiritualism

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Shri Syed Ainul Hasan

    Literature and Education

    Uttar Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Tejendra Narayan Majumdar

    Art

    West Bengal
    1.  

    Smt. Thiyam Suryamukhi Devi

    Art

    Manipur
    1.  

    Shri Tushar Durgeshbhai Shukla

    Literature and Education

    Gujarat
    1.  

    Shri Vadiraj Raghawendracharya Panchamukhi

    Literature and Education

    Andhra Pradesh
    1.  

    Shri Vasudeo Kamath

    Art

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Velu Aasaan

    Art

    Tamil Nadu
    1.  

    Shri Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar

    Art

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Vijay Nityanand Surishwar Ji Maharaj

    Others-Spiritualism

    Bihar
    1.  

    Smt. Vijayalakshmi Deshamane

    Medicine

    Karnataka
    1.  

    Shri Vilas Dangre

    Medicine

    Maharashtra
    1.  

    Shri Vinayak Lohani

    Social Work

    West Bengal

     

    Note: * In Duo case, the Award is counted as one.

     

    *****

    Raj Kumar/Vivek/Ashutosh/Rajeev/Priyabhanshu/Pankaj

     

    (Release ID: 2096285) Visitor Counter : 462

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales’s Naval DRAKON solution enhances interoperability and secure connectivity for naval forces

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales’s Naval DRAKON solution enhances interoperability and secure connectivity for naval forces

    • With the return of high-intensity conflicts and an increasingly complex threat environment, naval forces must be prepared to take part in allied operations involving the coordinated deployment of multiple platform types including surface ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned platforms.
    • Thales has developed Naval DRAKON to meet these new requirements, providing a cybersecure, interoperable connectivity solution for deployed forces by tying together multiple communication systems (military and commercial satcoms, VLF/LF, HF, V/UHF, etc.).
    • The new solution enables naval forces to control their electromagnetic footprint at sea and adapt communications to the operational tempo of the mission by prioritising data rate, discretion, resilience or low latency.
    @Thales

    “With Naval DRAKON, Thales is opening a new chapter in naval communications by guaranteeing secure, seamless communications for all the platforms deployed on collaborative combat operations, whatever the circumstances,” said Alexandre Bottero, Vice President, Networks and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.

    With the growing number of platform types deployed (allied naval formations, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned air systems, etc.), the broad array of communication systems available and the multitude of threats (missiles, torpedoes, drones, etc.), naval force coordination is becoming increasingly complex.

    Naval DRAKON was specifically developed to provide high-data-rate, robust and secure communications between naval vessels, airborne sensors and command centres. It is designed around an open architecture to support all the latest and most advanced communications technologies such as wideband HF (HF XL), ultra-compact multi-orbit satcom terminals, high-data-rate LOS radio and software-defined V/UHF.

    This sea-proven solution enables naval forces to control their electromagnetic footprint at sea and adapt communications to the operational tempo of the mission by prioritising data rate, discretion, resilience or low latency.

    Naval DRAKON is the naval version of Thales’s DRAKON solution for land forces, which was presented at Eurosatory in June 2024, and draws on the same operational expertise and proven capabilities.

    Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales” id=”image-4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1″ data-id=”4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1″ data-original=”https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1/-/inline/no/A4+DRAKON+FRESQUE.png” data-mfp-src=”https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4614590f-5154-4c21-9110-0a39ef6080f1/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/” alt=”Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales”/>
    Naval DRAKON: integrated connectivity management for collaborative naval combat operations ©Thales

    Thales is a recognised leader in critical systems integration, working with more than 20 naval shipyards around the world and equipping more than 400 naval platforms, including about 100 submarines, over the last 40 years. Earlier this year, the Jacques Chevallier, the first of France’s new fleet replenishment tankers, completed a deployment of several months equipped with the COMTICS voice distribution system and the PARTNER-C communications management system.

    The other fleet replenishment tankers in the Jacques Chevallier class, as well as the FDI defence and intervention frigates for France and Greece and the UK Royal Navy’s T31 frigates, will be the first vessels to be equipped with this new, scalable solution, which will support advanced functionalities such as spectrum management, decision support, flow management, cybersecurity management and smart maintenance.

    Naval DRAKON will tie together all these services and functionalities to provide a fully integrated solution for naval forces.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader serving the Defence & Security, Aerospace & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets.

    The Group develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    Thales invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales AI developments enhance operational performance of maritime mine countermeasures

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales AI developments enhance operational performance of maritime mine countermeasures

    • At the Euronaval exhibition at Paris Nord Villepinte from 4-7 November, Thales is showcasing recent advances in mine countermeasures with a presentation of its latest AI technologies implemented in the Pathmaster solution.
    • AI has a key role to play in the detection, classification, identification and neutralisation of maritime mines. With Thales’s Mi-Map sonar analysis application, sonar data can be processed up to four times faster than with conventional tools, making it possible to locate underwater mines with greater precision than ever before.
    • Thales’s Pathmaster solution draws on the latest research by cortAIx, the Group’s accelerator for trusted, cybersafe AI.
    @Thales

    At Euronaval (4-7 November 2024), Thales is showcasing recent advances in artificial intelligence with a presentation of its Pathmaster solution, which uses AI to detect and classify maritime mines with unprecedented precision for neutralisation by autonomous underwater vehicles.

    Maritime mines at any depth represent a low-cost, persistent threat to naval operations and compromise the safety of maritime shipping, which accounts for 90% of international trade. According to the latest estimates, several million maritime mines are now deployed worldwide, with particularly high densities in areas affected by major military conflicts or geopolitical tensions. As well as damaging marine ecosystems, they create a significant financial burden because of the need to re-route ships and protect shipping lanes.

    “With the proliferation and growing sophistication of maritime mines, advanced data gathering and analytics capabilities have an increasingly important role to play in countering this global threat. Autonomous mine countermeasures systems implementing artificial intelligence algorithms are now capable of processing data more efficiently and at lower cost than ever before while protecting human operators from the dangers of maritime minefields. Thales’s trusted AI augments the capabilities of its Pathmaster solution to significantly improve sonar data analysis and provide operators with valuable decision support during critical phases of their missions,” said Gwendoline Blandin-Roger, Vice President, Underwater Systems, Thales.

    Pathmaster uses AI to support the key tasks of mine detection and classification, while the Mi-Map application enables operators to analyse high-resolution sonar data covering hundreds of square kilometres, either in real time or after the mission, with greater efficiency than ever before. AI algorithms analyse sonar images to detect and classify potential mines much more accurately and over significantly larger areas. Thales’s Mi-Map solution is up to four times faster than conventional sonar data analysis tools as well as reducing the cognitive load on operators.

    Thales’s AI-augmented Pathmaster system has been proven in comprehensive sea trials conducted for the Franco-British MMCM programme and was certified in 2024 to the International Maritime Organization’s degree 3 autonomy by the Naval Authority Group within the UK MoD’s Defence, Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation.

    AI at Thales

    Thales is a major player in trusted, cybersafe, transparent, explainable and ethical AI for armed forces, aircraft manufacturers and critical infrastructure providers. The Group employs over 600 engineers specialising in AI and around 100 doctoral candidates are conducting their AI research with Thales. Organised within Thales’s AI accelerator for research (AI Lab), systems, including decision support systems, (AI Factory) and sensors, including sonar, radar, radios and optronics, (AI Sensors), these experts are helping to incorporate AI into over 100 of Thales’s products and services. Thales’s AI capabilities draw on the most advanced sensor and system technologies to address the full spectrum of user requirements in the defence, aviation, space, cybersecurity and digital identity industries. Trusted AI is designed to meet the specific security and sovereignty needs of Thales’s customers. It brings greater efficiency to data analysis and decision support and speeds up the detection, identification and classification of objects of interest and target scenes, while taking account of specific constraints such as cybersecurity, embeddability and frugality in critical environments.

    In 2023, the Group was Europe’s top patent applicant in the field of AI for mission-critical systems. Also in 2023, the Group’s Friendly Hacker Unit demonstrated its credentials at the CAID challenge (Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Defence) organised by the French defence procurement agency (DGA), which involved finding AI training data even when it had been deleted from the system to preserve confidentiality.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader serving the Defence & Security, Aerospace & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets.

    The Group develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    Thales invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. exports of ethane and ethane-based petrochemicals rose 135% from 2014 to 2023

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-depth analysis

    November 4, 2024

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly; and the U.S. Census Bureau
    Note: Ethylene derivatives include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and other polymers of ethylene not elsewhere specified or included.

    U.S. exports of ethane and ethane-based petrochemicals reached an all-time high of 21.6 million metric tons (MMmt) in 2023, up 135% since the United States began exporting ethane in 2014 and 17% more than in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The rapid expansion of U.S. ethane and ethane-based petrochemical exports has been fueled by the growth in domestic ethane production, which has increased with the country’s natural gas production and the buildout of export and production infrastructure.

    Ethane is a natural gas liquid that’s primarily extracted from raw natural gas during processing. It’s mainly used as a feedstock for ethylene production, one of the most important building blocks in the petrochemical industry. Ethylene is a gas used to produce a wide range of products, including plastics, resins, and synthetic rubber.

    All elements of the ethane value chain are produced in, consumed in, and exported from the United States, including ethane, ethylene, polyethylene, and other ethylene derivatives. We publish data on U.S. ethane production, exports, and product supplied (deliveries to domestic consumers); the U.S. Census Bureau publishes export data for ethane and ethane-derived products.

    The volume of exports of U.S. ethane, ethylene, and various ethylene derivatives is affected by:

    • U.S. demand
    • U.S. production capacity and production costs
    • Importing countries’ downstream processing capacity
    • Availability of infrastructure necessary to move these products, which in some cases may require special handling such as cryogenic refrigeration

    U.S. ethane exports

    The United States started exporting ethane in 2014 via pipeline to petrochemical plants in Canada. In 2016, the United States began exporting ethane to countries in Europe from marine export terminals. U.S. ethane export capacity has increased since 2016 with the completion of two new pipelines and three more marine export terminals—Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania; Morgan’s Point, Texas; and Nederland, Texas. In addition, the number of destination countries continued to grow along with the fleet of specially built tankers.

    Data source: U.S. Census Bureau

    U.S. ethane exports increased to a record high of 3.0 MMmt in 2023, up 12% from 2022. In 2023, U.S. ethane was mostly exported to China, which accounted for 45% (1.4 MMmt) of U.S. ethane exports, followed by India (16%), Canada (14%), Norway (9%), and the United Kingdom (7%).

    U.S. ethane exports to China increased fastest between 2022 and 2023, rising 35% last year. China’s Satellite Petrochemical has begun ethylene production at two new ethane crackers since 2021, which has increased domestic ethane demand in China. Ethane exports to Norway rose the second fastest, rising 32% to 288,000 metric tons in 2023. Other importers of U.S. ethane include Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Sweden.

    Data source: Bloomberg L.P.
    Note: Ethylene feedstock margins account for coproduct credits, which mainly include propylene, butadiene, benzene, and xylene. Ethane feedstock advantage represents the relative profitability of ethane over naphtha.

    Ethane’s high ethylene yields and cost advantages over naphtha in ethylene production have driven export volumes of ethane higher since 2014. Most petrochemical crackers have some flexibility in switching between ethane and naphtha as a feedstock, depending on the relative profitability of each feedstock. In the United States, cracking ethane to produce ethylene has historically generated higher profit margins compared with the margins from cracking naphtha, the most common feedstock in Western Europe and East Asia. Global petrochemical manufacturers looking to secure low-cost ethane feedstock to produce ethylene are developing new petrochemical crackers and associated infrastructure.

    U.S. ethylene exports

    Data source: U.S. Census Bureau

    In the United States, ethane is heated in a steam cracker to break (crack) the ethane molecule to produce ethylene. Ethylene, like ethane, is exported in specialized tankers after being cryogenically cooled. The United States has two ethylene export terminals—Galena Park and Morgan’s Point—both located in Texas on the Houston Ship Channel.

    Ethylene export volumes fell 9% from 2022 to 2023 to 1.1 MMmt. In 2023, 36 nations imported U.S. ethylene. China was the largest importer of ethylene from the United States in 2023, accounting for 38% (419,000 metric tons) of all exports. Belgium (19%), Indonesia (16%), Taiwan (6%), and France (5%) rounded out the top five.

    As with ethane exports, China was also the fastest-growing destination for ethylene exports. In general, ethylene exports to Asia grew 77% from 2022 to 2023, while exports to Europe fell by more than 50% during the same period amid a weak macroeconomic environment.

    U.S. ethylene prices remain at a discount to international prices on average, providing U.S. ethylene producers with a long-term cost advantage and resulting in expanded manufacturing capacity along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

    U.S. ethylene-derivative exports

    After ethylene is processed by a polymerization reactor or another production unit, petrochemical manufacturers can develop intermediate products such as:

    • Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): a thermoplastic used for more flexible plastic products such as dispensing bottles, plastic bags, and trays
    • High-density polyethylene (HDPE): a thermoplastic used for more rigid plastic products such as piping, water gallon jugs, cutting boards, and motor oil jugs
    • Ethylene alpha olefins: used for products such as flexible packaging, molding, and car applications

    The United States exported ethylene derivatives to over 100 nations in 2023. Unlike ethane and ethylene, which require cryogenic cooling to turn them from a gas to a liquid, ethylene derivatives do not require special handling and can be exported or imported through any port or overland route capable of handling containerized traffic.

    Data source: U.S. Census Bureau

    Total U.S. ethylene-derivative exports grew 20% to 16.9 MMmt from 2022 to 2023, led by a 69% increase (2.2 MMmt) in exports to Asia. U.S. exports to Canada fell by 10% to 1.5 MMmt; exports to Mexico grew 3% to 2.4 MMmt in 2023. Until 2017, North American destinations, particularly Canada and Mexico, accounted for the largest share of U.S. polyethylene and other ethylene-derivative exports.

    Canada and Mexico do not impose tariffs on exports of U.S. ethane-derived chemicals because of reciprocal free-trade agreements. These countries also benefit from proximity and being able to import these products over land at lower cost compared with waterborne imports. However, exports to overseas destinations have also grown since 2017, with the exception of 2021 when the global pandemic led to lower demand.

    Principal contributors: Jordan Young, Josh Eiermann

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Leong Sing Chiong: Tokenisation in financial services – pathways to scale

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning.

    Introduction

    It gives me great pleasure to join you at the inaugural Layer One Summit. 

    In 2023, at the Singapore FinTech Festival, MAS held up a possible future state of financial services, where financial assets can be transacted seamlessly across multiple trading venues through digital assets, digital money and interoperable digital networks.  

    Benefits of tokenisation 

    We saw the potential for tokenisation in financial services, where tokenised financial assets, can be exchanged directly on a programmable platform without the need for intermediaries.

    In allowing for the simultaneous exchange of two assets in real-time, and enabling the exchange of information and value to happen in a single step, this can help eliminate settlement risk, duplicative reconciliation, and increase the efficiency of transaction processing. 

    With a programmable platform that allows for pre-determined conditions to be encoded with the tokenised asset(s), this can also facilitate greater straight-through processing in capital market transactions, and greater efficiency in asset servicing.  

    Industry showcase of benefits of asset tokenisation

    We are seeing greater momentum towards tokenisation in financial services. Let me provide some examples of industry pilots which have been progressing well under MAS’ asset tokenisation initiative, or Project Guardian. 

    First, on FX, 

    • Imagine a scenario where a corporate treasury can initiate and receive payments around the clock (24/7), seamlessly bridging across multiple locations in an increasingly global business landscape. This is precisely what Ant International is striving to achieve through tokenisation to serve their 1.2 billion buyers and 2 million sellers across 200 countries.
    • Ant International is leveraging tokenised deposits of its partner banks such as HSBC and DBS, for real-time payments, across various currencies.
    • The beneficiary within Ant International’s network can receive its funds in its domiciled currency, for instance US Dollar, in the form of a tokenised deposit.
    • This is made possible through an FX provider which provides a price quote and liquidity for the currency pair.
    • The originating currency, for instance Singapore dollar, is then swapped instantaneously through a smart contract to US Dollar. The smart contract also incorporates an automatic anti-money laundering check to meet regulatory compliance requirements.
    • This illustrates how tokenisation can transform how corporate treasuries manage multi-currency assets while offering the promise of faster, more seamless treasury position management, eliminating delays and significantly enhancing overall operational efficiency.

    For Funds, 

    • UBS and Swift, in partnership with Chainlink, are collaborating on an end-to-end payment orchestration capability to automate fund subscription and redemption processes.
    • This industry trial showcases that tokenisation can automate payment initiation and confirmation processes, provide real-time update on payment status, while riding on existing processes and standards for Fund Distributors and Fund Administrators. This can greatly reduce operational risks and costs. 

    Bringing both Funds and FX together, 

    • A solution developed by Citi and Fidelity International combined the properties of two distinct asset classes –  tokenised Money Market Funds (MMFs) and FX swaps. 
    • This solution seamlessly combined yield generation of tokenised MMF tokens with real-time digital currency risk hedging. Today, FX hedging is generally carried out separately from the money market fund investments. 

    Central banks have also been particularly active in exploring the use and development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Central bank pilots have ranged from multi-CBDC arrangements, programming compliance for cross-border use cases, and the use of wholesale CBDCs in the settlement of tokenised securities.

    All these efforts point to the fact that interest and investment in asset tokenisation is deepening across asset classes, jurisdictions and currencies. 

    However, my sense is that we have reached an inflexion point.  Notwithstanding the significant efforts of various players to push the boundaries of tokenisation in financial services, no one has really succeeded in achieving scale.  Many promising use cases have not yet gained industry wide traction.  Further, there is a need for supporting infrastructure to enable good use cases to scale beyond individual networks.

    Pathways to scale

    For tokenisation to scale and achieve industry wide adoption, we need to see tokenised activity span across assets, across key currencies, across networks, and also to interoperate with existing systems. 

    We think there are four jigsaw puzzle pieces that need to come together to support industry-wide deployment of tokenised assets: 1) Liquidity, 2) Foundational Infrastructure 3) Standardised Frameworks and Protocols 4) Common Settlement Assets.

    First, enhancing liquidity.

    When we survey the current digital and tokenisation landscape, we see a real dichotomy. On the one hand, there are good reasons to believe in the potential for leveraging this technology to reap efficiency benefits for wholesale markets. On the other hand, the proliferation of disparate tokenisation efforts has resulted in market fragmentation, and increased funding and opportunity costs. To ensure that tokenisation is viable, we need deeper liquidity across primary and secondary markets.

    To address this, MAS is facilitating industry’s efforts to establish commercial networks for payments, capital raising, and secondary trading of tokenised assets. 

    • An example of this is the formation of the Guardian Wholesale Network Industry Group by Citi, HSBC, Schroders, Standard Chartered and UOB. They are collaborating on the development of a multi-member network to scale their respective asset tokenisation trials. 
    • The involvement of multiple participants, support for multi-asset and multi-currency transactions can engender deeper liquidity across primary and secondary markets for tokenised asset transactions.

    We welcome more commercial networks to be set up to drive greater activity in tokenised assets and payments. 

    Second, developing foundational digital infrastructure.

    To support the formation of commercial networks, and to enable seamless transactions of tokenised assets across such networks, there is a need for a base layer foundational digital infrastructure that can meet the needs of regulated financial institutions. Today, such foundational digital infrastructures lie on a spectrum:

    • At one end, public permissionless blockchains have attracted many types of users and applications.  But the overall governance of such structures suffers from the lack of accountability, anonymity of service providers, and legal uncertainty over who’s responsible for the blockchain performance and resiliency. 
    • Some financial institutions have developed their own private permissioned blockchains to offer digital asset services to their customers. These set-ups are generally designed to meet the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks. But they suffer from a lack of interoperability, leading to fragmentation.
    • So, if not public blockchain, nor private permissioned networks, then what? We think the answer perhaps lies in between: public, permissioned networks. 
      • Public permissioned networks are built on similar principles of openness and accessibility as the public internet, but with robust built-in safeguards for its use as a network for value exchange. 
      • For example, while the network may be accessible to financial institutions that meet eligible criteria, the governing rule may restrict membership to regulated financial institutions only.  This means developing a public blockchain equivalent infrastructure, but serving regulated wholesale financial markets.

    With this objective in mind, MAS launched the Global Layer One (GL1) initiative last year, to foster the development of a public permissioned foundational digital infrastructure, upon which commercial networks could be deployed. 

    Since the launch, MAS and a core group of global banks, namely BNY, Citi, J.P. Morgan, MUFG and Societe Generale-FORGE, have been leading efforts to define the business, governance, risk, legal and technology requirements of the GL1 Platform. These 5 banks represent participation from the G3 currencies, for a start.  

    Beyond global banks, foundational digital infrastructures can also support today’s global market infrastructure players, including global exchanges and custodians, on which high volumes of financial assets are traded, settled and custodised.  This will enable a larger universe of tokenised assets to be traded seamlessly across borders.

    • In this regard, I would like to welcome Euroclear and HSBC as new industry participants to the GL1 initiative.  

    With these new participants, GL1 will also expand its scope of work in the coming year to encompass the following areas: 

    • Developing platform requirements to deploy financial applications such as cross-border payments and collateral management.  It will also design an appropriate business model to ensure that the GL1 platform can be financially sustainable. 
    • Ecosystem development, which includes (i) the development of risk and governance principles, and settlement arrangements on market infrastructures and (ii), asset lifecycle specifications and programmable compliance templates for tokenised assets. 

    As we make further progress on advancing the GL1, we welcome broader participation from other banks, custodians, financial market infrastructure service providers and policymakers who are able and keen to contribute to this endeavour.

    Third, there is a need for common industry standards to facilitate broad based industry adoption of tokenised assets. 

    The absence of globally accepted taxonomies and standards in relation to digital assets, increases the costs of adoption as financial institutions would need to invest and support different types of technologies.

    This can be addressed through industry frameworks.

    • For instance, in fixed Income, MAS has worked with global industry associations such as International Capital Market Association (ICMA), Capital Market and Technology Association (CMTA) and the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA), to develop a Guardian Fixed Income Framework which we are publishing today.
      • The framework integrates the bond data taxonomy, token standards and design principles for tokenised securities, allowing for a standardised approach towards tokenisation in the fixed income market. 
    • In Asset and Wealth Management, MAS is also publishing today a non-prescriptive set of standards and industry best practices for tokenised funds, or the Guardian Funds Framework. 
      • The report provides recommendations for establishing a framework for the tokenisation of the fund lifecycle and activities, including asset servicing, and on-chain share register archetypes and data. 
      • The framework also proposes a composable technical standard, which demonstrates how new tokenised assets, which are a composite of multiple asset classes, can be readily created. This gives fund managers the ability to provide investors with more customised investment options at lower cost and greater flexibility.

    The final piece of the jigsaw puzzle is developing common settlement assets. 

    To ensure settlement of tokenised assets in financial markets, regulated and credible forms of tokenised money is needed.

    • The cash leg of most tokenised asset transactions generally involves tokenised commercial bank money, or tokenised bank liabilities. These are issued by commercial banks and carry the credit risks of the issuing bank. 
    • Apart from tokenised bank liabilities, common settlement assets can also be used to settle tokenised asset transactions. A common settlement asset is one that is agreed by transacting parties, and can be credit-risk free such as a wholesale CBDC. The use of such common settlement assets can help to reduce settlement risk and market fragmentation.
    • Our view is that when asset tokenisation activity grows and eventually hits critical mass in key asset classes, this will drive demand for wholesale CBDCs as a common settlement asset.

    Hence, MAS will be launching a Singapore Dollar (SGD) Testnet, to enable financial institutions’ access to common settlement assets for market testing purposes.

    • The SGD Testnet will offer three features, namely 
      • A Settlement facility where wholesale CBDC can be issued, transferred and redeemed by financial institutions
      • Programmability to automate and programme conditional triggers for transactions involving tokenised assets 
      • Interoperability which facilitates linkages with existing financial market infrastructures 
    • The SGD Testnet will be made available to eligible financial institutions participating in MAS’ digital asset and digital money initiatives, including Project Guardian and Project Orchid. 
    • The first set of participating FIs to access the SGD Testnet includes DBS, OCBC, Standard Chartered and UOB.
    • We welcome more FIs to come forward with interesting use cases and utilise the SGD Testnet.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, asset tokenisation can deliver significant efficiency gains to be reaped in the financial services industry, particularly in wholesale financial markets. 

    Increasingly, we are seeing more FIs which are keen to deploy asset tokenisation solutions commercially. This augurs well for future growth. 

    Given this growing interest, it is imperative that we develop pathways and tools to scale the adoption of asset tokenisation to reap network effects. 

    The initiatives that I have mentioned today are important steps that we see in helping the industry to achieve scale, namely 

    • Wholesale commercial networks 
    • Foundational digital infrastructure 
    • Common industry tokenisation standards and taxonomies 
    • Common settlement assets 

    These initiatives represent pathways to help to scale vertically, from an asset class perspective, as well as horizontally, at a digital foundational infrastructure level. 

    Viewed holistically, we see a possible future architecture of a globally scalable tokenised asset infrastructure that can enable interoperability across commercial networks, while powering tokenised asset transactions seamlessly across borders and markets. 

    This will not be an overnight phenomenon, and will require a whole-of-industry effort and commitment. It will also require close collaboration with policymakers: 

    • Through Guardian and GL1, we engaged early on central banks, regulatory bodies, international standards setting bodies, including the Banque de France, European Central Bank, Japan Financial Services Agency (FSA), Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and staff of the IMF early on to incorporate their insights and experience in this space. 
    • Today, I would like to take the opportunity to also welcome staff of the World Bank and Deutsche Bundesbank to the Project Guardian Policymaker Group.
    • The role of this policymaker group is important as they help provide inputs on governance arrangements, guidance on how GL1 infrastructures can be developed in line with global standards, and advice on appropriate regulatory guardrails for tokenised asset transactions. 

    While this conference is called the Layer One Summit, we are in some ways only really at Everest base camp. There is still some way to go before we get from base camp to the Summit.  But with these building blocks in place, we hope that they serve as the necessary tools for the industry achieve tokenisation at scale, and scale the Summit.

    I look forward to the sharing of great insights these two days, and wish you all a fantastic Singapore FinTech Festival week. Thanks very much!

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – “Mobile Journalism” project of the Salesian missionaries continues with profit

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 4 November 2024

    SDB

    Lubumbashi (Agenzia Fides) – The “Mobile Journalism” project of the Salasians missionaries continues. In fact, there are numerous French-speaking Salesians in the Province of Central Africa who are active as missionaries in digital media, joining the English-speaking ones who have already been trained in Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Madagascar (see Fides, 16/7/2024) and, looking at the rest of the world, also in Sri Lanka, where the initiative of “Mobile Journalism” (MoJo) workshops began in February of this year.The first MoJo training for 18 young Congolese, including 15 young journalists from “Radio Don Bosco Lubumbashi”, a novice and two members of the “La Colombe” multimedia center, was recently held in Lubumbashi at the Salesian community “St. Francis de Sales” in Imar.According to a statement sent to Fides, Father Maciej Makuła (SDB), of the Social Communication Department of the Salesians of Don Bosco, after a two-month French course in Imara, agreed to hold the first workshop in French. The 18 participants learned a series of techniques and received tools to create professional content using Android phones or iPhones, so that they can better respond to the main challenges of evangelization today. They also acquired in-depth knowledge of digital editing and mastered specific applications on their mobile phones and PCs, which will increasingly be part of daily professional practice in their communities.”Most of the four-hour work sessions were devoted to practical work,” the statement from the Salesians continues. The participants also practiced creating content to disseminate, receiving critical comments and suggestions to improve their work and apostolate.In his closing address, Father Makuła stressed that “the Salesian Congregation in general and the Province of Central Africa in particular will have no future without digital technology”. In line with Pope Francis, he explained that the Church and the Salesian Family are called to adopt an integrated approach to social media and urged everyone to do their utmost to create new digital missionaries.(AP) (Agenzia Fides, 4/11/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 30 Years Ago: STS-66, the ATLAS-3 Mission to Study the Earth’s Atmosphere

    Source: NASA

    On Nov. 3, 1994, space shuttle Atlantis took to the skies on its 13th trip into space. During the 11-day mission, the STS-66 crew of Commander Donald R. McMonagle, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Payload Commander Ellen Ochoa, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Scott E. Parazynski, and French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy representing the European Space Agency (ESA) operated the third Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Sciences (ATLAS-3), and deployed and retrieved the U.S.-German Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (CRISTA-SPAS), as part of NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth. The remote sensing instruments studied the Sun’s energy output, the atmosphere’s chemical composition, and how these affect global ozone levels, adding to the knowledge gained during the ATLAS-1 and ATLAS-2 missions.
    Left: Official photo of the STS-68 crew of Jean-François Clervoy, left, Scott E. Parazynski, Curtis L. Brown, Joseph R. Tanner, Donald R. McMonagle, and Ellen Ochoa. Middle: The STS-66 crew patch. Right: The ATLAS-3 payload patch.
    In August 1993, NASA named Ochoa as the ATLAS-3 payload commander, and in January 1994, named the rest of the STS-66 crew. For McMonagle, selected as an astronaut in 1987, ATLAS-3 marked his third trip into space, having flown on STS-39 and STS-54. Brown, also from the class of 1987, previously flew on STS 47, while Ochoa, selected in 1990, flew as a mission specialist on STS-56, the ATLAS-2 mission. For Tanner, Parazynski, and Clervoy, all from the Class of 1992 – the French space agency CNES previously selected Clervoy as one of its astronauts in 1985 before he joined the ESA astronaut cadre in 1992 – STS-66 marked their first spaceflight.
    Left: Schematic illustration of ATLAS-3 and its instruments. Right: Schematic illustration of CRISTA-SPAS retrievable satellite and its instruments.
    The ATLAS-3 payload consisted of six instruments on a Spacelab pallet and one mounted on the payload bay sidewall. The pallet mounted instruments included Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS), Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS), Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM), Measurement of the Solar Constant (SOLCON), Solar Spectrum Measurement from 1,800 to 3,200 nanometers (SOLSCAN), and Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM).
    The Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) instrument constituted the payload bay sidewall mounted experiment. While the instruments previously flew on the ATLAS-1 and ATLAS-2 missions, both those flights took place during the northern hemisphere spring. Data from the ATLAS-3’s mission in the fall complemented results from the earlier missions. The CRISTA-SPAS satellite included two instruments, the CRISTA and the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI).
    Left: Space shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: Liftoff of Atlantis on STS-66. Right: Atlantis rises into the sky.
    Following its previous flight, STS-46 in August 1992, Atlantis spent one and a half years at the Rockwell plant in Palmdale, California, undergoing major modifications before arriving back at KSC on May 29, 1994. During the modification period, workers installed cables and wiring for a docking system for Atlantis to use during the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission in 1995 and equipment to allow it to fly Extended Duration Orbiter missions of two weeks or longer. Atlantis also underwent structural inspections and systems upgrades including improved nose wheel steering and a new reusable drag chute. Workers in KSC’s Orbiter Processing Facility installed the ATLAS-3 and CRISTA-SPAS payloads and rolled Atlantis over to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Oct. 4 for mating with its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. Atlantis rolled out to Launch Pad 39B six days later. The six-person STS-66 crew traveled to KSC to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the launch countdown, on Oct. 18.
    They returned to KSC on Oct. 31, the same day the final countdown began. Following a smooth countdown leading to a planned 11:56 a.m. EST liftoff on Nov. 3, 1994, Atlantis took off three minutes late, the delay resulting from high winds at one of the Transatlantic Abort sites. The liftoff marked the third shuttle launch in 55 days, missing a record set in 1985 by one day. Eight and a half minutes later, Atlantis delivered its crew and payloads to space. Thirty minutes later, a firing of the shuttle’s Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) engines placed them in a 190-mile orbit inclined 57 degrees to the equator. The astronauts opened the payload bay doors, deploying the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight.
    Left: Atlantis’ payload bay, showing the ATLAS-3 payload and the CRISTA-SPAS deployable satellite behind it. Middle: European Space Agency astronaut Jean-François Clervoy uses the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to grapple the CRISTA-SPAS prior to its release. Right: Clervoy about to release CRISTA-SPAS from the RMS.
    The astronauts began to convert their vehicle into a science platform, and that included breaking up into two teams to enable 24-hour-a-day operations. McMonagle, Ochoa, and Tanner made up the Red Team while Brown, Parazynski, and Clervoy made up the Blue Team. Within five hours of liftoff, the Blue Team began their sleep period while the Red Team started their first on orbit shift by activating the ATLAS-3 instruments, the CRISTA-SPAS deployable satellite, and the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or robotic arm in the payload bay and some of the middeck experiments. The next day, Clervoy, operating the RMS, grappled CRISTA-SPAS, lifted it from its cradle in the payload bay, and while Atlantis flew over Germany, deployed it for its eight-day free flight. McMonagle fired Atlantis’ thrusters to separate from the satellite.
    Left: Ellen Ochoa and Donald R. McMonagle on the shuttle’s flight deck. Middle: European Space Agency astronaut Jean-François Clervoy in the commander’s seat during the mission. Right: Scott E. Parazynski operates a protein crystallization experiment in the shuttle middeck.
    Left: Joseph R. Tanner operates a protein crystallization experiment. Middle: Curtis L. Brown operates a microgravity acceleration measurement system. Right: Ellen Ochoa uses the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System to grapple CRISTA-SPAS following its eight-day free flight.
    For the next eight days, the two teams of astronauts continued work with the ATLAS instruments and several middeck and payload bay experiments such as protein crystal growth, measuring the shuttle microgravity acceleration environment, evaluating heat pipe performance, and a student experiment to study the Sun that complemented the ATLAS instruments. On November 12, the mission’s 10th day, the astronauts prepared to retrieve the CRISTA-SPAS satellite. For the retrieval, McMonagle and Brown used a novel rendezvous profile unlike previous ones used in the shuttle program. Instead of making the final approach from in front of the satellite, called the V-bar approach, Atlantis approached from below in the so-called R-bar approach. This is the profile Atlantis planned to use on its next mission, the first rendezvous and docking with the Mir space station. It not only saved fuel but also prevented contamination of the station’s delicate sensors and solar arrays. Once within 40 feet of CRISTA-SPAS, Ochoa reached out with the RMS, grappled the satellite, and then berthed it back in the payload bay.
    A selection from the 6,000 STS-66 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Middle left: Hurricane Florence in the North Atlantic. Middle right: The Ganges River delta. Right: The Sakurajima Volcano in southern Japan.
    As a Mission to Planet Earth, the STS-66 astronauts spent considerable time looking out the window, capturing 6,000 images of their home world. Their high inclination orbit enabled views of parts of the planet not seen during typical shuttle missions.
    Left: The inflight STS-66 crew photo. Right: Donald R. McMonagle, left, and Curtis R. Brown prepare for Atlantis’ deorbit and reentry.
    On flight day 11, with most of the onboard film exposed and consumables running low, the astronauts prepared for their return to Earth the following day. McMonagle and Brown tested Atlantis’ reaction control system thrusters and aerodynamic surfaces in preparation for deorbit and descent through the atmosphere, while the rest of the crew busied themselves with shutting down experiments and stowing away unneeded equipment.
    Left: Atlantis makes a perfect touchdown at California’s Edwards Air Force Base. Middle: Atlantis deploys the first reusable space shuttle drag chute. Right: Mounted atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Atlantis departs Edwards for the cross-country trip to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
    On Nov. 14, the astronauts closed Atlantis’ payload bay doors, donned their launch and entry suits, and strapped themselves into their seats for entry and landing. Tropical Storm Gordon near the KSC primary landing site forced a diversion to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California. The crew fired Atlantis’ OMS engines to drop out of orbit. McMonagle piloted Atlantis to a smooth landing at Edwards, ending the 10-day 22-hour 34-minute flight, Atlantis’ longest flight up to that time. The crew had orbited the Earth 174 times. Workers at Edwards safed the vehicle and placed it atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the ferry flight back to KSC. The duo left Edwards on Nov. 21, and after stops at Kelly Field in San Antonio and Eglin AFB in the Florida panhandle, arrived at KSC the next day. Workers there began preparing Atlantis for its next flight, STS-71 in June 1995, the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission. Meanwhile, a Gulfstream jet flew the astronauts back to Ellington Field in Houston for reunions with their families. As it turned out, STS-66 flew Atlantis’ last solo flight until STS-125 in 2009, the final Hubble Servicing Mission. The 16 intervening flights, and the three that followed, all docked with either Mir or the International Space Station.
    “The mission not only met all our expectations, but all our hopes and dreams as well,” said Mission Scientist Timothy L. Miller of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “One of its high points was our ability to receive and process so much data in real time, enhancing our ability to carry out some new and unprecedented cooperative experiments.” McMonagle said of STS-66, “We are very proud of the mission we have just accomplished. If there’s any one thing we all have an interest in, it’s the health of our planet.”
    Enjoy the crew narrate a video about the STS-66 mission.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Working with INTERPOL to deliver government priorities

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Home Secretary’s speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow on working together to deliver on government priorities.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you very much, good morning. Thank you very much Mr President for your opening words. It is an enormous privilege and honour to welcome all of you here for the 92nd INTERPOL General Assembly.

    And it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the magnificent and historic city of Glasgow – and let me thank our hosts for all the work that has gone into facilitating this hugely important event.

    Can I thank the Interpol Secretary General, Juergen Stock for your years of service, leading this organisation’s vital work and we look forward to congratulating your successor tomorrow and for the future work that all of us need to do together.

    At a time when networks of organised and serious crime span the world, it matters more than ever to have equally integrated and global networks of law enforcement agencies working together to fight crime, and to keep our communities safe.

    The UK is proud to be at the heart of those efforts.

    Every year, our INTERPOL bureau in the National Crime Agency sends out 20,000 requests to partners around the world, and every day, they manage more than 1,000 incoming messages.

    And we see the impact of that cooperation here on our streets. Here on the streets, here in Glasgow.

    Just 4 weeks ago, one of Britain’s most wanted men was jailed for leading a major drug gang responsible for importing tonnes of cocaine into this city in banana boxes from Ecuador– fuelling addiction and gang violence across Scotland.

    Thanks to a joint operation between Police Scotland, and Dutch counterparts, the UK National Crime Agency, he was arrested in the Netherlands, extradited back to Scotland, and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Glasgow High Court.

    International cooperation, work with INTERPOL, delivering results in real life. So to all those working with colleagues on similar operations in pursuit of our collective security – I want to say a heartfelt thank you.

    Over the past century, the success of INTERPOL has been a testament to the critical importance of its mission, to the skill and professionalism of its members, and to the spirit of innovation that has evolved through decades of political, technological and social change.

    But most importantly of all, INTERPOL’s success has been evidence of that enduring belief that, together, we are stronger.

    Britain’s new government is committed to that principle, and – from fraud to drug-trafficking – we believe there are so many crimes and criminal networks which can only be tackled effectively through strong international policing cooperation.

    And let me highlight just 2 areas where we want to see even stronger cooperation in the years to come. First, in tackling the global scourge of violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse.

    The scale of which should continue to shame us all.

    Britain’s new government has set a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, but we know that cannot be achieved by working alone.

    Perpetrators and predators across the world are being enabled and emboldened by new technologies, the use of which is growing at an alarming rate. The scale, complexity and severity of online abuse is increasing in every jurisdiction.

    Tackling these tech-enabled harms is a central priority for the UK, and I am glad it will be one of the topics for discussion here this week.

    We will only tackle these new threats through increased cooperation, and by committing to share not only the best intelligence but the best innovations to protect our children from harm.

    And second, as you will hear shortly from our UK Prime Minister, we must also have a much stronger and more integrated global response to the organised immigration crime, which is growing around the world and profiting from human misery, putting lives at risk, undermining our border security, and destabilising our communities.

    Here in the UK, our new Border Security Command is leading the fight against the criminal gangs who every week are crowding vulnerable people into flimsy dinghies on the coast of France, leaving dozens this year to drown or be crushed to death as they attempt to cross the Channel.

    But we know those gangs operate not just on our shores, but all across Europe and beyond, a network of exploitation stretching around the globe

    So we are also drawing up new agreements with our neighbours to strengthen law enforcement, disrupt supply chains, break the business models of the gangs and bring offenders to justice.

    Because we know that the best way to strengthen UK border security is to work in partnership with other countries. Tackling the shared threats we all face, and preventing the growth of this transnational organised crime.

    On this issue, and on so many others, the challenges we face may vary from nation to nation but the dangers are becoming ever more interlinked.

    The lines between different threats are increasingly blurred.

    And thanks to modern technology, the ability of crime groups to operate internationally has never been greater.

    No single state can tackle these threats in isolation. International security and domestic security are two sides of the same coin.

    That is why INTERPOL remains integral to public safety in every one of our countries.

    That is why, under this government, Britain will always be an active partner and committed friend as we seek to make the world safer to all, and we thank all of you for being part of these efforts this week.

    And we are fortunate to be led in our efforts in the UK by a Prime Minister who has spent many years leading national and international work to enforce the law, prosecute criminals and keep our communities safe.

    So it is my great pleasure to introduce our Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to open up this Assembly today.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: One month after the tragic school bus crash in Khu Khot, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety to promote and launch the UN-JCDecaux campaign for road safety in Thailand

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is visiting Bangkok from 30 October to 6 November 2024. During his visit, he will meet with the Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, key government officials, representatives of the international community, private, and public sectors to promote road safety initiatives and advocate for enhanced measures, particularly on wearing quality helmets. His visit will be also the occasion to launch the UN-JCDecaux campaign #MakeASafetyStatement in the country.  The Special Envoy will also speak at the UNESCAP/Alliance française Road Safety Seminar on 4 November.  This aligns with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, aiming to halve road fatalities by 2030.

    The visit of the Special Envoy comes one month after the tragic bus road crash which caught fire while travelling on an outbound lane in Khu Khot in the Pathum Thani Province, resulting in 23 deaths of which were mainly school students.

    The silent pandemic

    Every year, the staggering toll of road-related fatalities claims the lives of 1.19 million people, leaving countless others with severe injuries. This silent pandemic overwhelmingly affects developing nations, where over 90% of the road traffic fatalities occur. Furthermore, road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.  

    According to the World Health Organization, road crashes kill 18,218 people in Thailand each year, representing a road traffic fatality rate of 25/100,000 population, while the rate is in 15.7/100,000 in South-East Asia and 6.5/100,000 in Europe (WHO 2021). Despite the recent efforts of the country, Thailand is still ranked on the top worst countries in term of road fatalities.  This is therefore urgent to act for increasing road safety in the country.

    “Every life lost to preventable road accidents is a tragedy that reverberates through our communities and our country. This recent tragedy has reminded us of the urgent need for effective and sustained action. Road safety is not merely a matter of law enforcement but a shared societal responsibility. We owe it to our citizens, especially our children, to make our roads safer”, stated the new Prime Minister, H.E. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

    Road crashes have a significant social and economic burden, particularly in Thailand.  “In addition to the human tragedy, road crashes trap countries into a vicious circle of poverty, costing till 6% of the GDP. Given their social and economic cost, road crashes are jeopardizing the entire sustainable development agenda. Now is the time for change, and I am looking forward to working with the Government of Thailand to stop the carnage on the roads.” stressed the UNSG’s Special Envoy Todt.

    Wearing a safe helmet

    If the causes of road crashes are multiple such as the non-reliability of the vehicles and of the road’s infrastructure and design, the lack of post-crashes services, weaknesses in the road safety management, a dangerous road user’s behavior is still one of the main reasons costing lives on the road. On the mitigation of the risk factors for the road users, wearing a helmet responding to the UN standards is definitively a game changer. Wearing a quality helmet can reduce the risk of injuries by 69%.

    Knowing that Thailand has the highest rate of motorcycle-related deaths in the world, representing more than 70% of the road traffic fatalities in the country, wearing a safe helmet is an absolute emergency.              

    #MakeASafetyStatement

    During his visit in Thailand, the Special Envoy will launch the UN Global Road Safety Campaign, which aims to raise awareness of life-saving road safety measures. Launched globally in cooperation with JCDecaux Global under the motto #MakeASafetyStatement, it will run through 2025 in over 80 countries in the world.   

    The campaign seeks to reduce risk factors, especially in urban areas, enabling people to walk, live, and enjoy their environment safely.  Sixteen global, and dozens of national, celebrities have joined forces to advocate for simple and effective road safety rules.  Key messages include wearing a seat belt, driving safely, wearing a helmet, not texting and driving, not driving under the influence or while tired, and respecting pedestrians.

    Participating celebrities in the campaign include Football Legend Mr. Didier Drogba, F1 Driver Mr. Charles Leclerc, Oscar-winning actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Ms. Michelle Yeoh, Tennis Legend Mr. Novak Djokovic, Musician Ms. Kylie Minogue, Motorcycle racer Mr. Marc Marquez, Supermodel Ms. Naomi Campbell, Actor Mr. Patrick Dempsey, Musician and Inspirational leader Mr. Youssou N’Dour, Actress Ms. Julie Gayet, Actor Mr. Michael Fassbender, Football icon Mr. Ousmane Dembélé, Double Olympic Champion Ms. Faith Kipyegon, F1 Driver Mr. Mick Schumacher, Actor Jean Reno and Cyclist Champion Tadej Podacar.

    Risk factors that are too often neglected                                                                                                                 

    Only seven countries in the world (France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden) have laws that comply with WHO best practices for all the risk factors – speeding, drink driving, UN-standard motorbike helmet use, seatbelts and child restraint systems.

    Media representatives are cordially invited to cover the launch of the campaign, mission and Memorandum of Agreement on Road Safety Cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Health at the press conference on 6 November 2024 at 1.30 PM at the Ministry of Transport (Ratcharotsamosorn Assembly Hall) in Bangkok, with:

    • Mr. Suriya Jungroongruangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport
    • Mr. Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Public Health
    • Mr. Jean Todt, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for road safety,   
    • Ms. Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator to Thailand, presents the work of the UN in road safety in Thailand.
    • Mr. Arnaud de Ruffray, President of JCDecaux Thailand presents the UN-JCDecaux campaign for road safety in Thailand.
    • Ms. Saisunee Jana, Paralympic gold Medalist

     

    About the Special Envoy

    The former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed in 2015 Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety. He was reconfirmed in this role by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in 2017 and in 2021. In 2018, together with 14 UN organizations, the Special Envoy launched the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). The Special Envoy contributes, among other things, to mobilize sustained political commitment to make road safety a priority; to advocate and raise awareness of UN legal instruments on road safety; to share established good practices in this area; to strive to generate adequate funding through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Special Envoy brochure and X account.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint communique from International Charity Regulator leaders

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    From 28-30 October, charity regulators from eight nations gathered in the UK for a three-day meeting.

    Representatives and Heads of Regulators from Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, in addition to an observing invitee from the United States, met to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern.

    Regulators recognised the world is currently dealing with substantial challenges including evolving social environments with changing patterns of volunteering, climate change and more natural disasters, cost of living pressures driving higher demand for services and costs of running organisations, and the need to support populations through conflict not seen for a generation. 

    Regulators affirmed that given this current global context, the work of charities and not-for-profit organisations has never been more important. Charities and not-for-profit organisations have a long history of enabling society to adapt, improving the lives of millions globally, and supporting and enabling cohesion where there has been division. Working across sectors to find solutions to the world’s most challenging problems, they are fundamental to world class research, scientific endeavour and policy change that enables health, environmental and animal welfare issues to be advanced.  

    Regulators shared examples of how effective, expert regulation plays a fundamental part in allowing charities to thrive and allows the public to have trust and confidence in the work of charities. Our organisations each contribute to supporting and ensuring strong governance in charities, so that they deliver their charitable purpose for the benefit of all. Regulators have been delighted to advance our shared objectives at this meeting through the exchange of knowledge and best practice. 

    The meeting covered four key themes: 

    Charity registration and charitable status

    Registration is the start of the journey for new charities and trustees, and at the core of each of our roles is making efficient, effective decisions to ensure genuine applicants can begin delivering their charitable purpose.  

    Regulators: 

    • shared improvements to our respective processes for registration, acknowledging the constraints inherent in applying a legal test.  

    • gained valuable insights from other jurisdictions approaches to  improve the quality of applications from prospective charities 

    • shared plans to digitise and improve registration services within jurisdictions 

    • shared trends and case studies on those seeking to abuse charity status but were prevented from doing so 

    • agreed, subject to national jurisdictions laws and restrictions, to improve data sharing to prevent cross border abuse of charity status via the registration process 

    • agreed to explore how to enable simpler but robust registration services for those who work across borders 

    Digital, technology and data

    Regulators are at different stages in their journeys of delivering new digital technologies, with a particular focus across each jurisdiction on using online services to enhance relationships with charity trustees, ensuring we provide charities with the best guidance and tools, as well as driving regulatory efficiency. Regulators discussed experiences in delivering recent innovations, and how charities in their jurisdiction responded, to inform each of our future plans. 

    Regulators: 

    • agreed to share digital and technology plans to enable better cross jurisdiction co-operation and experience for charities and the public 

    • agreed, subject to national laws and regulations, to share emerging trends, issues, impacts of technology on charities, charity regulation and policies to enable the benefits of technology to be exploited whilst mitigating risks and unintended consequences. 

    Communication, education and public trust

    Regulators identified many commonalities in our approaches to using social media, events and guidance to secure greater engagement with charities, particularly those who are traditionally harder to reach or might have less knowledge.  

    Regulators:

    • identified several approaches that have been successfully applied in individual nations and have taken away from the meeting ideas as to how these could potentially be translated into new national initiatives.  

    • welcomed the contribution such work programmes make in delivering our core remit to build public trust and confidence in charity, and in our own effectiveness. 

    Compliance

    Regulators reviewed global trends in charity non-compliance, and how these have been addressed through use of regulatory powers. Discussion of recent domestic cases with international significance, allowed identification of issues in common, that might damage the vast majority of genuine, compliant charities.  

    With many charities and voluntary organisations working extensively across international borders, Regulators:  

    • affirmed that, subject to national laws and regulations, we will continually share appropriate insight so we can each effectively tackle such risks, acting within our legislative frameworks. 

    • affirmed, we each have a central role to play in supporting compliance with The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, to ensure the substantial amount of money that flows across borders to facilitate the vital work of the sector is safe and secure and charities may continue to deliver vital services to the world’s most vulnerable. 

    The group will be hosted by a different member when they next reconvene in the spring of 2026. Until then, Regulators will continue their online quarterly meetings to build on these positive discussions to ensure lessons continue to be shared and the international community of charity Regulators remains united. 

    Delegate List 

    • David Holdsworth – Chief Executive, England & Wales
    • Orlando Fraser KC – Chair, England & Wales
    • Paul Latham – Director of Communications & Policy, England & Wales
    • Sue Woodward AM – Commissioner, Australia
    • Natasha Sekulic – Assistant Commissioner – General Counsel, Australia
    • Sharmila Khare – Director General, Charities Directorate, Canada
    • Madeleine Delaney – Chief Executive, Ireland
    • Geraldine McCarthy – Head of Communications, Ireland
    • Frances McCandless – Chief Executive, Northern Ireland
    • Punam McGookin – Head of Charity Services, Northern Ireland
    • Martin Tyson – Head of Regulation and Improvement, Scotland
    • Desmond Chin – Commissioner of Charities, Singapore
    • Izyana Baharom – Assistant Director, Singapore
    • Observer: Beth Short – President of the National Association of State Charity Officials, United States

    Ends

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Miller celebrates National Francophone Immigration Week by highlighting the vital importance of Francophone immigration to Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    Ottawa, November 4, 2024—The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship made the following statement to celebrate National Francophone Immigration Week:

    “Today, we are proud to mark the launch of the 12th edition of National Francophone Immigration Week, under the theme ‘Our Heritage for Tomorrow.’ This week is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of Francophone newcomers to Canada’s culture and economy. It’s also a time to recognize the key role they play in enriching our communities through their language, culture and traditions.

    “The week is also an opportunity to reflect on our successes, as well as the many challenges we face. Canada exceeded its admission targets in 2023 with the arrival of 19,700 new French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec. We are even more ambitious in 2024 and on track to exceed our target of 6%. These figures show significant growth and reinforce the fact that Canada is a destination of choice for Francophones from around the world.

    “The launch of the Policy on Francophone Immigration and the announcement of a series of ambitious and historic measures to support the growth of Francophone minority communities in Canada in January 2024 were a testament to our commitment to the vitality and economic development of Francophone minority communities outside Quebec.

    “The recently announced 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan also demonstrates our commitment to gradually increasing admissions of French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec. We have set targets of 8.5% in 2025, 9.5% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. These ambitious and realistic targets support progress toward restoring and increasing the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities.

    “During this 12th edition of National Francophone Immigration Week, I would like to celebrate the richness and diversity that newcomers bring to our communities, while emphasizing the importance of preserving our Francophone heritage and fostering the integration of these newcomers who enrich our culture. We must work together to share Francophone culture with future generations. Happy National Francophone Immigration Week!”

    For further information (media only), please contact:

    Renée Proctor
    Press Secretary
    Minister’s Office
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    Renee.Proctor@cic.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Communications Sector
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    613-952-1650
    media@cic.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales: Launch of the 2024 Employee Share Ownership Plan

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales: Launch of the 2024
    Employee Share Ownership Plan

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) announces the launch of its 2024 employee share ownership plan, running from Monday 4 November to Friday 24 November 2024. This offer is available to Thales employees across 36 countries who are participants in the Group Savings Plan and have at least three months of seniority as of 24 November 24 2024, as well as to the company’s retirees. ​

    The plan offers a 20% discount on the Thales share price, along with a 50% matching contribution on personal investment up to a maximum of €500, funded by Thales. ​

    The objective of this plan is to strengthen the bond between Thales and its employees by providing them with the opportunity to become more closely associated with the Group’s goals, performance, and future successes.

    Terms of the 2024 Employee Share Ownership Plan

    This share offer is available to employees in France, South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Spain, the United States, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey who are eligible and participate in the Group Savings Plan. ​

    In the United Kingdom, Thales shares will be offered through a Share Incentive Plan (SIP).

    Offered Shares ​

    The Thales share offer to Group employees will be conducted through the transfer of existing treasury shares previously repurchased by Thales under a share buyback programme authorised by the shareholders’ general meeting in accordance with Article L. 22-10-62 of the French Commercial Code. The transfer of shares to employees and retirees participating in the Group Savings Plan will be carried out under the provisions of Articles L. 3332-18 and following of the French Labour Code, except for the offer in the United Kingdom, where it will be conducted under an SIP. ​

    On 3 April 2024, the Board of Directors decided to implement this employee share ownership plan and delegated the necessary powers to the Chairman and CEO for its execution. In line with the Board’s decision, the offer will cover a maximum of 600,000 shares, with a cost cap of €31 million (including the discount and matching contributions in the employee share ownership plan and SIP matching contributions).

    The Chairman and CEO, by delegation from the Board of Directors, set the subscription period dates and acquisition price by decision on 28 October 2024. The acquisition price is set at 80% of the reference price. ​

    The reference price, noted by the Chairman and CEO on 28 October 2024, is the average of Thales’s opening share prices on the Euronext Paris market over the twenty (20) trading days preceding this date, amounting to €149.61. Accordingly, the acquisition price for employees is €119.69. For the offer in the United Kingdom, the acquisition price will be determined in accordance with the applicable SIP rules. ​

    The shares acquired by offer participants, being existing ordinary shares, are fully assimilated with the existing ordinary shares that make up Thales’s share capital. ​

    Offer Conditions

    • Eligible Offer Participants: The offer is open to employees of the included companies who are part of the Group Savings Plan, regardless of their employment contract (permanent or fixed-term, full-time or part-time) and with a minimum of three months’ seniority. Retirees and early retirees from Thales’s French companies who joined the Group Savings Plan prior to their departure are also eligible, provided they have maintained holdings in the Group Savings Plan since retirement or early retirement. ​
    • Included Companies:
      • Thales, with share capital of €617 825 739, headquartered at 4 rue de la Verrerie, 92190 Meudon, France, and ​
      • Thales Group companies in which Thales holds, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the share capital, with headquarters in France, South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Spain, the United States, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey, who are (or will be) participants in the Group Savings Plan.
    • Participation Methods: Shares will be acquired through employee mutual funds (FCPE) or directly, depending on the country, and via a Trust within the SIP framework. ​
    • Share Purchase Formula: Employees may acquire Thales shares through a classic subscription formula. Employees will receive a 50% matching contribution from their employer on their subscription amount, capped at a maximum contribution of €500. ​
    • Voting Rights: Voting rights attached to the shares will be exercised by the FCPE supervisory board in FCPE countries, and directly by employees in countries where shares are held directly.
    • Subscription Cap: Annual contributions by offer beneficiaries to the Group Savings Plan may not exceed a quarter of their gross annual salary, in accordance with Article L.3332-10 of the French Labour Code. ​
    • Share Retention Requirement: Employees participating in the offer must retain their corresponding FCPE shares or directly held shares for five years, except in cases of early release as defined by Article R. 3334-22 of the French Labour Code or local regulations. For shares acquired through the SIP in the United Kingdom, the retention conditions differ depending on the share type (partnership or matching shares).

    Indicative Operation Timeline ​

    • Subscription Period: From 4 November 2024 (inclusive) to 24 November 2024 (inclusive). ​
    • Offer Settlement Delivery: Scheduled for 17 December 2024. ​

    Listing ​

    Thales shares are listed on the Euronext Paris market (ISIN Code: FR0000121329).

    This press release has been prepared in accordance with the exemption from publication of a prospectus provided for in Article 1.4(i) of Prospectus Regulation 2017/1129.

    International Notice

    This release does not constitute a sales offer or a solicitation to acquire Thales shares. The Thales employee share offer will be conducted only in countries where such an offer has been registered or notified to the relevant local authorities and/or approved by a local authority prospectus, or where an exemption applies regarding the need for a prospectus or offer registration or notification. ​

    More generally, the offer will only take place in countries where all required registration procedures and notifications have been completed, and necessary authorisations obtained. For residents of Israel, the offer is conducted in accordance with the Information Document available on the website dedicated to the offer.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital identity.

    It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

    The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

    Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cook Islands PM calls for easing of tensions in New Caledonia

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has returned from New Caledonia saying it is not a simple “black and white situation”.

    Brown returned from a three-day Pacific fact-finding mission in the French Pacific territory alongside the Prime Ministers of Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji.

    New Caledonia has been going through a period of turmoil with violence and arson since May, resulting in 13 deaths and the destruction of many businesses.

    “There’s no doubt there is a call and a need for the easing of tensions in the country,” Brown said.

    “This would enable more dialogue to take place between the various vested groups to find a pathway forward for New Caledonia.”

    Brown said Kanaky New Caledonia’s population was diverse, made up of indigenous Kanak, French, and Pacific diaspora.

    Almost all of these groups want greater autonomy from France with some also wanting full independence or to remain a French territory, he said.

    “But you have quite a large group between those two extremes that want a way forward that enables New Caledonians, all of them, to be able to determine their own future.”

    Pacific policing France ‘may wish to consider’
     Brown said Australia’s newly proposed regional policing initiative is “an option that New Caledonians may wish to consider”.

    “At the moment that’s being done by the state government through France through its gendarmes and police force.”

    The last time regional policing was used was in Solomon Islands after ethnic unrest in the 2000s, he said.

    When asked whether France had “militarised” New Caledonia, Brown said France sent a lot of support “to help maintain law and order” but the focus now was on the reduction of tensions and dialogue.

    France’s Ambassador to the Pacific Véronique told the ABC she doubted French authorities would see the need for Pacific police to be deployed to New Caledonia.

    Brown said the other issue was the need for an urgent financial package.

    “Unlike most other Pacific countries in cases of disaster whether they be natural disaster or other sorts, Pacific countries have the likes of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, development partners that would support and assist.

    Relying solely on France
    “In the case of New Caledonia, it doesn’t have the association with any of those financial institutions and would rely solely on France for its support.”

    There needed to first be a reduction of tensions so that any rebuild would not be under threat from more civil unrest, he said.

    Brown said Pacific nations had taken different decolonisation paths — with the exception of Tonga which had never been colonised.

    Fiji became a republic after a number of coups and Cook Islands is self-governing in free association with New Zealand.

    “Each of us took a different path to where we are today to gain our autonomy and our sovereignty and it’s something that we were able to share with New Caledonia.”

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –