NewzIntel.com

Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI: A New Chapter Begins! CMS Achieves Secondary Listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board Today

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, CHINA, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On the morning of 15 July 2025, China Medical System Holdings Limited (“CMS” or the “Group”) rang the ceremonial bell to mark its official listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board (Stock Abbreviation: CMS, Stock Code: 8A8).

    Nearly one hundred representatives from global professional institutions, shareholders, business partners and employees gathered to witness this strategic moment. Following its successful IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board in September 2010 , CMS advances with formidable momentum onto the international capital platform, which will attract funds focusing on Asia-Pacific investments and local capital in Southeast Asia to optimize the shareholder structure. This listing also marks a significant milestone for the Group to deepen roots in emerging markets and advance industrial internationalization strategy.

    At the listing ceremony, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of CMS, Mr. Lam Kong stated: “The secondary listing in Singapore represents a crucial step in implementing CMS’s Asia-Pacific strategy, demonstrating our commitment to extending China’s market advantages across the entire APAC region while strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This move not only facilitates CMS’s comprehensive and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific markets, but also enhances our international influence and competitiveness, enabling us to serve broader patient populations with high-quality and affordable medication options.”

    New CMS  New Ascent
    Over the 33-year journey, CMS has continuously challenged and surpassed itself through three strategic transformations to adapt to the external ecosystem: evolving from “China’s largest CSO” (1992-2010), to “transition from CSO to Pharma” (2010-2018), and since 2018, gradually establishing three core strategies of “Innovation-driven, Specialty Breakthroughs and Industrial Internationalization” to promote the upgrading and iteration of “New CMS”, accumulating momentum for takeoff.

    CMS has established a comprehensive pharmaceutical product lifecycle management system, covering every stage from target identification to clinical development, product registration and commercialization. The Group focuses on FIC (First-in-Class) and BIC (Best-in-Class)  innovative products, and has meticulously built a pipeline of approximately 40 innovative products with differentiated advantages, among which 5 innovative drugs have been approved and successfully commercialized in China. With the impact of VBP (Volume-Based Procurement) mostly cleared, CMS has entered a new cycle of high-quality and sustainable development driven by exclusive and innovative drugs.

    In specialty fields, the Group focuses on cardio-cerebrovascular, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and skin health, continuously deepening product portfolios and expert networks. Notably, the Group’s skin health business “DERMAVON” has emerged as a leader in its sector and is proposed for an independent listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

    A Pioneer in Industrial Internationalization  Synergized Development Across the Entire “R&D, Manufacturing and Commercialization” Value Chain
    Since 2022, CMS has initiated its “Industrial Internationalization” strategy by extending the Group’s advantages and resources from the Chinese market to emerging markets. Utilizing Singapore as the strategic pivot, the Group has established a localized cluster comprising CMS R&D, PharmaGend, and Rxilient, achieving synergized development across the entire pharmaceutical value chain from R&D to production and commercialization, driving deeper and broader market expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Internationalization of the Commercialization System: Rxilient serves as a platform for drug introduction, R&D and commercialization, operated by a professional and experienced localized team. Headquartered in Singapore, its business has expanded to 14 countries and regions including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, helping partners from China, the US, and Europe bring innovative drugs to emerging markets while introducing more high-quality and affordable treatment options to local markets. As of now, Rxilient has cumulatively submitted marketing applications for nearly 20 drugs and medical devices across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, covering therapeutic areas such as dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, autoimmune, and central nervous system.

    Internationalization of the Production System: PharmaGend, as an international CDMO platform based in Singapore, has a site spanning 30,000 square meters and is capable of manufacturing dosage forms such as tablets and capsules, with plans to expand production lines for injections, ointments, and nasal sprays. The factory has been certified by international authorities such as the FDA and the HSA, demonstrating its high-standard pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for global export .

    Structural factors including large population bases, healthcare insurance expansion and rising chronic disease burdens are transforming Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets into new growth engines for the global pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated ecosystem, CMS is forming a novel model for Chinese pharmaceutical globalization – not only enabling incremental market conversion for its own products in emerging markets, but also providing global partners with a reliable one-stop solution, thereby generating additional growth momentum for the Group.

    Looking ahead, CMS will continue advancing its three core strategies to build the long-term value system of “New CMS”. By persistently enhancing accessibility to pharmaceutical innovation, CMS aims to benefit more patients, achieve sustainable healthy development, and deliver substantial value returns to investors.

    CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.

    This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.

    Media Contact

    Brand: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    Contact: CMS Investor Relations

    Email: ir@cms.net.cn

    Website: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/home/

    Source: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: A New Chapter Begins! CMS Achieves Secondary Listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board Today

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, CHINA, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On the morning of 15 July 2025, China Medical System Holdings Limited (“CMS” or the “Group”) rang the ceremonial bell to mark its official listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board (Stock Abbreviation: CMS, Stock Code: 8A8).

    Nearly one hundred representatives from global professional institutions, shareholders, business partners and employees gathered to witness this strategic moment. Following its successful IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board in September 2010 , CMS advances with formidable momentum onto the international capital platform, which will attract funds focusing on Asia-Pacific investments and local capital in Southeast Asia to optimize the shareholder structure. This listing also marks a significant milestone for the Group to deepen roots in emerging markets and advance industrial internationalization strategy.

    At the listing ceremony, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of CMS, Mr. Lam Kong stated: “The secondary listing in Singapore represents a crucial step in implementing CMS’s Asia-Pacific strategy, demonstrating our commitment to extending China’s market advantages across the entire APAC region while strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This move not only facilitates CMS’s comprehensive and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific markets, but also enhances our international influence and competitiveness, enabling us to serve broader patient populations with high-quality and affordable medication options.”

    New CMS  New Ascent
    Over the 33-year journey, CMS has continuously challenged and surpassed itself through three strategic transformations to adapt to the external ecosystem: evolving from “China’s largest CSO” (1992-2010), to “transition from CSO to Pharma” (2010-2018), and since 2018, gradually establishing three core strategies of “Innovation-driven, Specialty Breakthroughs and Industrial Internationalization” to promote the upgrading and iteration of “New CMS”, accumulating momentum for takeoff.

    CMS has established a comprehensive pharmaceutical product lifecycle management system, covering every stage from target identification to clinical development, product registration and commercialization. The Group focuses on FIC (First-in-Class) and BIC (Best-in-Class)  innovative products, and has meticulously built a pipeline of approximately 40 innovative products with differentiated advantages, among which 5 innovative drugs have been approved and successfully commercialized in China. With the impact of VBP (Volume-Based Procurement) mostly cleared, CMS has entered a new cycle of high-quality and sustainable development driven by exclusive and innovative drugs.

    In specialty fields, the Group focuses on cardio-cerebrovascular, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and skin health, continuously deepening product portfolios and expert networks. Notably, the Group’s skin health business “DERMAVON” has emerged as a leader in its sector and is proposed for an independent listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

    A Pioneer in Industrial Internationalization  Synergized Development Across the Entire “R&D, Manufacturing and Commercialization” Value Chain
    Since 2022, CMS has initiated its “Industrial Internationalization” strategy by extending the Group’s advantages and resources from the Chinese market to emerging markets. Utilizing Singapore as the strategic pivot, the Group has established a localized cluster comprising CMS R&D, PharmaGend, and Rxilient, achieving synergized development across the entire pharmaceutical value chain from R&D to production and commercialization, driving deeper and broader market expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Internationalization of the Commercialization System: Rxilient serves as a platform for drug introduction, R&D and commercialization, operated by a professional and experienced localized team. Headquartered in Singapore, its business has expanded to 14 countries and regions including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, helping partners from China, the US, and Europe bring innovative drugs to emerging markets while introducing more high-quality and affordable treatment options to local markets. As of now, Rxilient has cumulatively submitted marketing applications for nearly 20 drugs and medical devices across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, covering therapeutic areas such as dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, autoimmune, and central nervous system.

    Internationalization of the Production System: PharmaGend, as an international CDMO platform based in Singapore, has a site spanning 30,000 square meters and is capable of manufacturing dosage forms such as tablets and capsules, with plans to expand production lines for injections, ointments, and nasal sprays. The factory has been certified by international authorities such as the FDA and the HSA, demonstrating its high-standard pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for global export .

    Structural factors including large population bases, healthcare insurance expansion and rising chronic disease burdens are transforming Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets into new growth engines for the global pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated ecosystem, CMS is forming a novel model for Chinese pharmaceutical globalization – not only enabling incremental market conversion for its own products in emerging markets, but also providing global partners with a reliable one-stop solution, thereby generating additional growth momentum for the Group.

    Looking ahead, CMS will continue advancing its three core strategies to build the long-term value system of “New CMS”. By persistently enhancing accessibility to pharmaceutical innovation, CMS aims to benefit more patients, achieve sustainable healthy development, and deliver substantial value returns to investors.

    CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.

    This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.

    Media Contact

    Brand: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    Contact: CMS Investor Relations

    Email: ir@cms.net.cn

    Website: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/home/

    Source: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ethiopia moves toward smarter health and nutrition supply chain management

    Source: APO


    .

    A national dissemination workshop held on May 27, 2025, in Addis Ababa brought together government officials, health experts, and development partners to review the findings of a comprehensive assessment of Ethiopia’s electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS), known as Dagu. The system is designed to enhance visibility and improve efficiency throughout the country’s health supply chain.

    Opening the event, the World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia Dr Patrick Okumu Abok,  Team Lead, Health Emergencies Programme, commended the collaborative efforts that led to the successful completion of the nationwide assessment, which covered 251 public health facilities. The study evaluated the functionality, maturity, utilization, and impact of the Dagu system on health and nutrition commodity availability, inventory management, and decision-making processes.

    The event and the nationwide assessment were funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), reaffirming the EU’s longstanding commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s health system strengthening and digital transformation.

     “This event marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to build a more resilient, data-driven supply chain for Ethiopia,” said Dr Patrick. “Dagu is helping health facilities deliver essential medicines, nutrition commodities and health supplies more reliably—and the data proves it.”

    According to the assessment findings, 63.7% of health facilities currently operate functional Dagu systems. These facilities demonstrated improved pharmaceutical availability—with an average availability rate of 88.3% for tracer medicines—highlighting Dagu’s positive contribution to medicine access across the health system.

    Despite the progress, the assessment also highlighted several challenges, including infrastructure limitations, intermittent internet access, limited management engagement, and human resource constraints, particularly in areas such as training and staff retention. The study identified that facilities with trained pharmacy heads and reliable internet access were significantly more likely to operate functional Dagu systems.

    The Ministry of Health emphasised the government’s continued commitment to scaling up digital health innovations, such as Dagu, to achieve better health outcomes.

     “This assessment reinforces what we’ve known—Dagu has the potential to transform our supply chain. But it also reminds us that sustainability requires more than just systems; it requires leadership, accountability, and integration,” said Teshome Deres, senior advisor for the state minister of the Ministry of Health. “We are committed to working with our partners to ensure Dagu reaches its full potential across all health programs.”

    The workshop emphasized the importance of transforming these insights into action. Recommendations put forth include:

    • Strengthening infrastructure and digital connectivity at health facilities
    • Institutionalizing routine performance monitoring
    • Enhancing interoperability with other national health systems like DHIS2 and ERP
    • Introducing legal frameworks to support mandatory system use
    • Expanding Dagu’s coverage to all health programs, including those currently underrepresented such as EPI and nutrition

    The event was supported in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Service (EPSS), and the Dagu Task Force, with the support from Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), ECHO, Results for Development (R4D), and WHO.

    With a strong political commitment and coordinated implementation, Ethiopia’s journey toward a more efficient and equitable health supply chain continues—powered by innovation, data, and partnerships.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • India captain Gill says Pant should be fit to play in fourth test

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India captain Shubman Gill said the finger injury suffered by Rishabh Pant in the third test against England is not overly serious and the wicketkeeper-batsman should be able to play in the next match in Manchester.

    Pant injured the index finger of his left hand when trying to collect a delivery from Bumrah during England’s first innings at Lord’s.

    Pant completed the over but did not keep wickets afterwards, though he batted in both innings. Dhruv Jurel replaced him behind the stumps for the remainder of the test, which England won by 22 runs to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

    “Rishabh went for scans and there is no major injury there,” Gill told reporters.

    “I think he should be fine for the next test match.”

    Pant is the second-highest scorer in the series with his tally of 425 from six innings, which includes two hundreds, second only to Gill’s 607.

    Tempers flared throughout the contest at the home of cricket and India seamer Mohammed Siraj was slapped with a fine and one demerit point for his reaction after taking the wicket of England opener Ben Duckett.

    Gill said the “heat” had spiced up the series but the teams respected each other.

    “You’re giving everything physically and mentally, so there are going to moments where there’s going to be a little bit of heat from both sides,” the 25-year-old said.

    “I think that’s what makes it so exciting, that’s what makes it more challenging.

    “But the next time we play each other, there won’t be (any bad blood). There’s a lot of admiration within for the two teams.”

    The fourth test at Old Trafford begins on July 23.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More areas of country move into drought with dry weather set to continue

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    More areas of country move into drought with dry weather set to continue

    National Drought Group steps up operational response and asks people to play their part in managing the drought and use water wisely

    The National Drought Group (NDG) met today (15 July) as a drought is declared in the West and East Midlands. Dry weather continues to impact water resources across England requiring water companies to take action to manage demand with the public being urged to use water wisely. 

    Since the group last met on 5 June, the situation has deteriorated, with further areas, including the West and East Midlands, now officially in drought and recently three more areas moved into prolonged dry weather status (Lincs and Northants, East Anglia, and Thames area). A hosepipe ban is set to be introduced from 22nd July by Thames Water following a period of prolonged dry weather in the area.  

    Across England, rainfall was 20% less than long term average for June. June was also the hottest on record for England, with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water. Reservoir levels continue to fall, with overall storage across England at 75.6% and at 53.8% in Yorkshire necessitating a Temporary Use Ban (TUB).

    The National Drought Group heard that without further substantial rain, some water companies may need to implement further drought measures, including more Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) to conserve supplies. The Environment Agency expects and will ensure that water companies follow their drought management plans. Water companies need to step up their work to fix leaks and adjust their operations to conserve water. 

    The public is being asked to think about how they use water at home and in the garden, and to comply with any local restrictions. The less water you use at the home, the more water there is in your local environment.  The National Drought Group is also asking recreational water users – such as anglers, swimmers, and boaters to remain vigilant and report any environmental issues they see, such as fish in distress, acting as important eyes and ears on the ground. 

    Farmers are using water efficiently, supporting one another, and looking to trade water and welcome the support from the Environment Agency. However, without further rain, the agricultural community are facing a range of challenges due to the dry weather including concerns about irrigation reservoir levels. It is likely that yields will be lower than last year, particularly non-irrigated grains and straw  

    Environment Agency teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels, with staff working with the water sector to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment.  Teams are also supporting farmers and abstractors with advice on how to manage abstraction during prolonged dry weather and low flows.  Fisheries teams are responding where necessary to protect fish which are struggling due to reduced oxygen or moving them if the river has dried up and they have become stranded. 

    Impacts across wildlife away from rivers and reservoirs have been seen since March. Wildfires, drying up wetlands and coastal sites, with the loss of breeding seasons for rare species have all been seen.

    Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director for Water and National Drought Group chair, said:   

    This has been the driest start to the year since 1976, and we need to make sure our water supplies can sustain us through the summer.  

    Today I have asked all the partners who make up the national drought group to step up their operational response to manage the drought and use water wisely. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground actively monitoring river levels and working to ensure there is enough water for the people and the environment.

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said:  

    I have asked the National Drought Group to step up its response to ensure we are successfully managing the impacts of ongoing dry weather. Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans – I will hold them to account if they delay.  

    We face a growing water shortage in the next decade. That’s why we are pushing ahead with urgent water reforms under our Plan for Change, which includes £104 billion of private investment to build nine reservoirs and new pipes to cut leaks.

    Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said:

    Although some areas saw rainfall at the start of July,  for many the month so far has been fairly dry, continuing a pattern seen through spring and June. We’ve now recorded our third heatwave of the summer and following a period of fresher, more unsettled conditions it’s likely to turn warmer and more humid again across many parts of England later this week. There’s also the possibility of heavy, thundery showers for some places too.

    It does look as though we’ll see typical changeable weather during the latter third of July and into early August with a mix of rain, showers. Confidence in details inevitably gets lower, the further ahead we look, but this would be consistent with our seasonal expectations.

    The National Drought Group – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers, CRT, angling groups and conservation experts. With further warm, dry weather expected, the NDG will continue to meet regularly to coordinate the national response and safeguard water supplies for people, agriculture, and the environment. 

    Notes to editors:   

    A decision to declare drought is taken based on reservoir levels, river flows, groundwater levels, how dry soils are, environmental incidents and water resources position along with consideration of the long-term weather forecasts. These are based on Environment Agency Area classifications.

    Temporary Use Bans ( TUBs) are a decision for the water companies and must be made in line with their drought plans

    More information on how drought is defined can be found here: Drought: how it is managed in England – GOV.UK

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The First Russian Media Mogul. We Study Ivan Sytin’s Biography on a Tour of the Tverskoy District

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Tverskaya Street, one of the main streets in the capital, bore the name of the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky for several decades of the last century. Here, in house 12, building 2 (the address is modern, the numbering was different before), Ivan Sytin lived until 1934. He knew Gorky, Anton Chekhov and other writers of that time well. Before the revolution, he was a famous entrepreneur, one of the first publishers of the Russian Empire, the man who introduced the peasants to the works of Alexander Pushkin.

    Together with Alexey Shalamov, a tour guide at the I.D. Sytin Apartment Museum, we travel into the past, which “begins” on the second floor of the house, now a 19th century cultural heritage site, at the entrance to apartment No. 274.

    Family portrait in the interior

    “Ivan Dmitrievich and his family moved here in 1928. He lived in Moscow for a long time – from the age of 15, and moved several times. This apartment was his last home. Before that, the Sytins lived in a mansion on Pushkinskaya, but when the enterprises were nationalized, the family was given this apartment as a replacement. They moved some of the furniture here, so now we can show you the original items,” Alexey Shalamov begins the tour.

    The apartment is truly amazing — an interesting layout, high ceilings, burgundy walls in the hallway elegantly set off by Art Nouveau chandeliers and a pear-wood wardrobe, in the mirrors of which outstanding figures of the early 20th century looked at themselves on Pushkin Square. Alexander Kuprin, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Ivan Bunin, Alexander Blok, Ilya Repin, Nikolai Roerich, Ivan Bilibin — invisible traces of their coats and hats are kept on the hooks and hangers in the hallway. The Sytins lived here as a large family of 15 people, the last of which moved out of the apartment only in the 1970s. The museum is currently hosting an exhibition called “Traditions of the Sytin Family,” created with the participation of Ivan Dmitrievich’s great-granddaughter. The exhibition tells about the family’s legacy and memory, gives an opportunity to look into the home world, and touch upon the personal life of one of the main educators of the Russian Empire.

    What was read on the “gulvars”, bazaars and in villages. We study popular literature of the 19th-20th centuries

    Ivan Sytin’s career path is truly impressive – the future publisher came from the Kostroma province and went to work in the bookstore of the merchant Pyotr Sharapov as a 15-year-old teenager, and ten years later he acquired his first lithographic press and started his own business, which later turned into a bookstore at the Ilyinsky Gate, and into the “Partnership of I.D. Sytin and Co.”, and into the publishing house “Posrednik”, created jointly with Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Chertkov. He developed the magazine “Around the World”, which exists to this day, and on Chekhov’s advice acquired the rights to publish the newspaper “Russkoye Slovo”, deciding to increase its circulation at all costs. And he achieved his goal!

    Pushkinskaya Square and its surroundings

    Having learned the family history and imbued with the atmosphere of those years, we go out onto Tverskaya Street and move towards the monument to the sun of Russian poetry, crossing Strastnoy Boulevard. If you leave Pushkin Square on the right, then straight ahead, to the left of the Izvestia newspaper building, you can see the house of I.D. Sytin, where the family lived for more than twenty years before moving to an apartment. The estate, built according to the design of Adolf Erichson, is an example of the Art Nouveau style, very popular at that time. The publishing houses of the Pravda and Trud newspapers were later located here. Due to the fact that the building was moved several dozen meters at one time, the authentic architecture was partially lost, but on the facade you can see details decorated according to sketches by Ivan Bilibin.

    We go deeper into Pushkin Square and stop at the memorial stone to the Strastnoy Monastery. Founded in 1654, it was destroyed in 1937; its territory also housed a necropolis. Ivan Dmitrievich was a religious man, and when his wife died, she was buried here. The monastery’s bell tower offered a magnificent view of the city. Alexey Shalamov explains: “It is known that Nicholas II came here. The King of Sweden and Norway also climbed the bell tower, looked around Moscow and said that all foreigners should visit this monastery.”

    Passing the building of the Izvestia newspaper, on the same side we pay attention to the main house of the city estate of the Dolgorukovs – Bobrinskys. At one time, the president of the Academy of Arts and the Minister of Public Education Sergei Uvarov lived there, Alexander Pushkin and Anton Chekhov visited many times, the Itinerants organized exhibitions, the editorial office of the magazine Novy Mir worked there.

    Along Malaya Dmitrovka

    Around the corner on Malaya Dmitrovka is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Putinki, a beautiful Orthodox tent-roofed church, unique in its kind. Ivan Sytin often came here with his family and was even the church warden of the parish – it is known that two of his sons were married in the church. Literally in the next building is Mark Zakharov’s Lenkom – now a famous capital theater, and once a gentlemen’s club a la russe. “The merchants decided to build their own opposite the aristocratic club – and so that it would be better,” comments Alexey Shalamov. The 1909 building was erected according to the design of the architect Illarion Ivanov-Shits in a style that is difficult to describe unambiguously: a careful look will recognize elements of Art Nouveau, classicism, eclecticism, and signs of Art Deco. Inside is a large concert hall, a library, billiard rooms, a winter garden and, of course, a very good restaurant. Important business meetings and gatherings were also held here, and Ivan Sytin was also present.

    The final point of this part of the route is the building of the Loan Treasury in Nastasinsky Lane, built in the 1910s by Vladimir Pokrovsky, one of the founders of the neo-Russian style (now a cultural heritage site of federal significance). Here, loans were issued to merchants, among whom, probably, could have been the main hero of our excursion.

    Back to the roots

    On the way back, Alexey Shalamov told about the specifics of the publisher’s branded stores – there were five of them in Moscow, all of them were easily recognizable, thus creating additional advertising for Sytin’s life’s work. The talented entrepreneur grew up in a simple family and knew well what people liked. Therefore, he paid special attention to illustrations that attracted the eye more than the text, collaborated with talented artists, as well as with peddlers who delivered books for sale to peasants in remote villages and hamlets.

    And here we are again, the entrance to the I.D. Sytin Apartment Museum. “The house is very old, it has been heavily remodeled. If we talk about the foundation, it is from the 18th century – the Saltykov estate was here. And the house was built in the 1820s for the chief of police Alexander Shulgin – a very interesting person. Firstly, he was a contemporary of Pushkin, and secondly, his namesake. And there are many similarities in their fates,” says Alexey Shalamov.

    Classicism, Art Nouveau, Constructivism — these walls remember everything. After Shulgin, the house was owned by the entrepreneur Shevaldyshev, who opened a hotel here, where Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Tyutchev stayed. On the ground floor there was a stagecoach office — one of the first types of public transport in Moscow, and in the neighboring Kozitsky Lane, taxis now stand, just like carriages a hundred years ago. After the revolution, various editorial offices and studios were located here, in one of them Vladimir Lenin recorded his fiery speech. Since 1928, the house has become associated with the name of Sytin, without whom the map of the Tverskoy District would be incomplete.

    Ivan Dmitrievich was an extraordinary, very hardworking person, a visionary and a pioneer, whose life path deserves a separate book. On excursions in the I.D. Sytin Apartment Museum, you will be told more about him. Tickets can be purchased atMos.ru.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

     

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mosvodostok teams with special equipment are on duty on the streets of the capital

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Due to heavy rains, teams from the State Unitary Enterprise “Mosvodostok” are on duty on the city streets with special equipment. They are working, among other things, on highways and near public transport stops.

    The drainage network receives the bulk of precipitation. To quickly pass rainwater, specialists open the grates of water intake wells. If necessary, they use powerful pumping equipment.

    Showers, thunderstorms and hail are expected in the capital until the end of the day. Wind gusts may reach 23 meters per second.

    You can report any accumulation of water near your home to your district administration, the district prefecture, or to the unified dispatch center by calling: 7 495 539-53-53.

    If water accumulates in underground passages, you should contact the State Budgetary Institution “Gormst” by phone: 7 495 632-58-46. Applications about water accumulation on roads and in yard driveways are accepted by the State Unitary Enterprise “Mosvodostok” by phone: 7 495 657-87-03, as well as on the social network “VKontakte”.

    The project has been opened on the portal “Our City” “Safe Summer”, with the help of which Muscovites can report about unreliably fixed advertising structures and road signs, broken or leaning trees, as well as other potentially dangerous situations. This will allow to quickly and effectively help services to minimize the consequences of bad weather, to protect the lives, health and property of city residents.

    City services respond promptly to all incoming requests.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4595-4596: Just Another Beautiful Day on Mars

    Source: NASA

    Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    Earth planning date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
    In today’s plan, we have a little bit of everything. With it being winter still, we are taking advantage of the ability to let the rover sleep in, doing most of the activities in the afternoon when it is warmer and we need less heating. As the Systems Engineer (Engineering Uplink Lead) today, I sequenced the needed heating and some other engineering housekeeping activities.
    We start off with an extensive remote science block with Mastcam imaging of a nearby trough to look for potential sand activity. There is color imaging of a displaced block, “Ouro,” near a circular depression — could this be a small crater? Mastcam also takes a look at a ridge “Volcán Peña Blanca” to look at the sedimentary structures, which may provide insights into its formation. ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam team up to look at the “Los Andes” target, which is the dark face of a nearby piece of exposed bedrock. ChemCam RMI and Mastcam check out a distant small outcrop to examine the geometry of the layers. We also throw in environmental observations, a Mastcam solar Tau and a Navcam line-of-site looking at dust in the atmosphere. After a nap, Curiosity will be doing some contact science activities on “Cataratas del Jardín” and “Rio Ivirizu” bedrock targets. Looking at two nearby targets for variability can help us understand the local geology. Cataratas del Jardín gets a brushing to clear away the dust before both targets are examined by MAHLI and APXS. Fortunately for the Arm Rover Planner, both of these targets are fairly flat and easy to reach.  Before going to sleep for the night, Curiosity will stow the arm to be ready for driving on the next sol.On the second sol, there is more remote science. ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam will examine “Torotoro,” another piece of layered bedrock. ChemCam RMI will take a mosaic of “Paniri,” which is an interesting incision in the rock that is filled with another material. There are also environmental observations, a Navcam dust devil survey and a suprahorizon movie. After another nap, Curiosity is getting on the road. We’re heading southwest (direction shown in the image) about 50 meters (about 164 feet), but we need to sneak between sandy pits and skirt around some terrain that we can’t see behind. The terrain here provides pretty nice driving, though, without a lot of big boulders, steep slopes, or pointy rocks that can poke holes in our wheels. After the standard post-drive imaging for our next plan, there are some Navcam observations to look for clouds and our normal look under the rover with MARDI before Curiosity goes to sleep for the night.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4595-4596: Just Another Beautiful Day on Mars

    Source: NASA

    Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    Earth planning date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
    In today’s plan, we have a little bit of everything. With it being winter still, we are taking advantage of the ability to let the rover sleep in, doing most of the activities in the afternoon when it is warmer and we need less heating. As the Systems Engineer (Engineering Uplink Lead) today, I sequenced the needed heating and some other engineering housekeeping activities.
    We start off with an extensive remote science block with Mastcam imaging of a nearby trough to look for potential sand activity. There is color imaging of a displaced block, “Ouro,” near a circular depression — could this be a small crater? Mastcam also takes a look at a ridge “Volcán Peña Blanca” to look at the sedimentary structures, which may provide insights into its formation. ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam team up to look at the “Los Andes” target, which is the dark face of a nearby piece of exposed bedrock. ChemCam RMI and Mastcam check out a distant small outcrop to examine the geometry of the layers. We also throw in environmental observations, a Mastcam solar Tau and a Navcam line-of-site looking at dust in the atmosphere. After a nap, Curiosity will be doing some contact science activities on “Cataratas del Jardín” and “Rio Ivirizu” bedrock targets. Looking at two nearby targets for variability can help us understand the local geology. Cataratas del Jardín gets a brushing to clear away the dust before both targets are examined by MAHLI and APXS. Fortunately for the Arm Rover Planner, both of these targets are fairly flat and easy to reach.  Before going to sleep for the night, Curiosity will stow the arm to be ready for driving on the next sol.On the second sol, there is more remote science. ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam will examine “Torotoro,” another piece of layered bedrock. ChemCam RMI will take a mosaic of “Paniri,” which is an interesting incision in the rock that is filled with another material. There are also environmental observations, a Navcam dust devil survey and a suprahorizon movie. After another nap, Curiosity is getting on the road. We’re heading southwest (direction shown in the image) about 50 meters (about 164 feet), but we need to sneak between sandy pits and skirt around some terrain that we can’t see behind. The terrain here provides pretty nice driving, though, without a lot of big boulders, steep slopes, or pointy rocks that can poke holes in our wheels. After the standard post-drive imaging for our next plan, there are some Navcam observations to look for clouds and our normal look under the rover with MARDI before Curiosity goes to sleep for the night.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fires Rage in Arizona  

    Source: NASA

    Lightning ignited two wildland fires on the Colorado Plateau near the Grand Canyon in July 2025 that grew to become large and disruptive. The blazes led to the closure of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, the destruction of dozens of structures, and staff and visitor evacuations from Grand Canyon National Park.
    The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image of smoke spreading from the fires on July 12, 2025. The blaze closer to the Grand Canyon, the Dragon Bravo fire, ignited on July 4, 2025, and flared up on July 11 amid extreme heat and northwest winds that gusted to 40 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. The photograph above, taken from the South Rim by National Park Service staff, shows smoke rising over the North Rim on July 11, 2025.
    According to the National Park Service, the fire destroyed a water treatment facility on the North Rim, which released chlorine gas and hampered firefighting efforts. Other structures lost to the fire included a visitor center, gas station, park service employee housing, and the Grand Canyon Lodge. The historic lodge, built in 1928, was the only lodging available to visitors inside the park on the North Rim.

    Authorities first received reports of smoke from a second fire about 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of the Dragon Bravo fire on July 9. NASA satellites began to detect a fire early on July 10, and the White Sage fire spread rapidly over the next three days in hot, dry, and windy conditions. Standing dead trees left after the 2020 Magnum fire contributed to the blaze’s rapid spread, according to firefighting and forest management teams in the region.
    The OLI (Operational Land Imager) and OLI-2 on Landsat 8 and 9, respectively, captured images showing the fire’s progression on July 12 (above left) and July 13 (above right). Burned area is evident in these false-color images, which show shortwave infrared, near infrared, and visible light (bands 7-5-4). This band combination makes it easier to identify unburned vegetated areas (green) and the recently burned landscape (brown). Bright orange indicates the infrared signature of actively burning fires.
    NASA fire tracking tools such as the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), Worldview, and Fire Events Explorer also show the fire’s rapid spread. By July 14, the fire had charred more than 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) and was 0 percent contained. By that date, Coconino County had issued evacuation orders for communities along State Route 67 between North Rim and Jacob Lake.

    The Bureau of Land Management reported that aircraft, including Very Large Air Tankers, dropped nearly 180,000 gallons of fire retardant along the southern and northern perimeters, helping slow the fire’s spread. Lines of flame retardant appear bright green in the false-color images. (In natural-color versions of the images, those same lines appear red.) The National Park Service photograph above, taken from the South Rim, shows an air tanker dropping flame retardant on July 11, 2025.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison and Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Dragon Bravo fire photo by M. Quinn and courtesy of the National Park Service. Airtanker photo by a BLM firefighter and courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management. Story by Adam Voiland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fires Rage in Arizona  

    Source: NASA

    Lightning ignited two wildland fires on the Colorado Plateau near the Grand Canyon in July 2025 that grew to become large and disruptive. The blazes led to the closure of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, the destruction of dozens of structures, and staff and visitor evacuations from Grand Canyon National Park.
    The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image of smoke spreading from the fires on July 12, 2025. The blaze closer to the Grand Canyon, the Dragon Bravo fire, ignited on July 4, 2025, and flared up on July 11 amid extreme heat and northwest winds that gusted to 40 miles (60 kilometers) per hour. The photograph above, taken from the South Rim by National Park Service staff, shows smoke rising over the North Rim on July 11, 2025.
    According to the National Park Service, the fire destroyed a water treatment facility on the North Rim, which released chlorine gas and hampered firefighting efforts. Other structures lost to the fire included a visitor center, gas station, park service employee housing, and the Grand Canyon Lodge. The historic lodge, built in 1928, was the only lodging available to visitors inside the park on the North Rim.

    Authorities first received reports of smoke from a second fire about 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of the Dragon Bravo fire on July 9. NASA satellites began to detect a fire early on July 10, and the White Sage fire spread rapidly over the next three days in hot, dry, and windy conditions. Standing dead trees left after the 2020 Magnum fire contributed to the blaze’s rapid spread, according to firefighting and forest management teams in the region.
    The OLI (Operational Land Imager) and OLI-2 on Landsat 8 and 9, respectively, captured images showing the fire’s progression on July 12 (above left) and July 13 (above right). Burned area is evident in these false-color images, which show shortwave infrared, near infrared, and visible light (bands 7-5-4). This band combination makes it easier to identify unburned vegetated areas (green) and the recently burned landscape (brown). Bright orange indicates the infrared signature of actively burning fires.
    NASA fire tracking tools such as the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), Worldview, and Fire Events Explorer also show the fire’s rapid spread. By July 14, the fire had charred more than 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) and was 0 percent contained. By that date, Coconino County had issued evacuation orders for communities along State Route 67 between North Rim and Jacob Lake.

    The Bureau of Land Management reported that aircraft, including Very Large Air Tankers, dropped nearly 180,000 gallons of fire retardant along the southern and northern perimeters, helping slow the fire’s spread. Lines of flame retardant appear bright green in the false-color images. (In natural-color versions of the images, those same lines appear red.) The National Park Service photograph above, taken from the South Rim, shows an air tanker dropping flame retardant on July 11, 2025.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison and Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Dragon Bravo fire photo by M. Quinn and courtesy of the National Park Service. Airtanker photo by a BLM firefighter and courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management. Story by Adam Voiland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Sudan: Humanitarian needs deepen amid rising hostilities and heavy rains

    Source: United Nations 2

    Nearly 27 months have passed since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a former ally, the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces (RSF), creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

    The UN voiced grave alarm over escalating hostilities in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur state. 

    Serious risk of renewed violence

    Large numbers of RSF fighters reportedly entered the city on Friday for the first time since the siege began over a year ago.

    Local sources report that recent fierce fighting, particularly in the southwest and east of El Fasher, has led to civilian casualties.

    “The situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable, with a serious risk of renewed violence, as well as further displacement and disruption of humanitarian operations – which are already under severe strain,” OCHA said.

    Insecurity in North Kordofan state

    Meanwhile, in North Kordofan State, growing insecurity forced 3,400 people to flee their homes over the weekend, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

    Local reports indicate that at least 18 civilians were killed, and homes were burned in several villages.

    OCHA reminded all parties that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law, and that civilians must be protected at all times.

    Rainy season constraints

    Meanwhile, heavy rains have been reported in West and Central Darfur states, which may affect road conditions in some locations and worsen the challenges humanitarians are already facing in accessing people in need.

    “With the rainy season continuing through October, the risk of floods, access constraints and disease outbreaks is growing – especially during this critical lean season, a time between harvests when food stocks traditionally run low,” OCHA warned.

    Families return to West Darfur

    The agency said that despite the crisis, signs of small-scale returns are visible in West Darfur state, where displaced families have been returning from Chad to three localities – Sirba, Jebel Moon and Kulbus – to cultivate their farms. 

    Furthermore, local authorities report about 40 people returning daily to Kulbus, with 300 arriving over the past week.

    OCHA urged all parties to enable safe and unimpeded access to all people in need across Sudan, and for donors to step up their support.

    Some 30 million people nationwide – more than half the population – need vital aid and protection this year. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Overcrowded housing – E-002826/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002826/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mihai Tudose (S&D)

    17 % of EU citizens live in overcrowded housing, according to Eurostat data. In Romania, that percentage is 40 %, which is the second highest overcrowding rate in the EU, after Latvia.

    At the same time, between 2015 and 2023, housing prices in the EU increased by an average of 48 %, which was also the case in Romania.

    I welcome the affordable and sustainable housing plan announced by the Commission, but would also like to know whether it specifically envisages targeted actions in countries with high levels of overcrowding, in order to improve this situation.

    Submitted: 10.7.2025

    Last updated: 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Portugal’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan: Latest state of play – 15-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Portugal is set to receive €22.2 billion in grants and loans from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU response to the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This amount corresponds to 3.1 % of the entire RRF, or 10.7 % of Portugal’s 2019 gross domestic product (GDP), and includes REPowerEU grants (€0.7 billion) and Portugal’s share (€81.4 million) from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. The Council approved the latest revision of Portugal’s national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) in May 2025. The plan has a strong focus on the country’s social, economic and environmental resilience, with measures targeting culture, housing, health, broad social responses, and forest and water management. Measures relating to climate transition, including those on industry decarbonisation and energy efficiency of buildings, account for 39.1 % of the allocation. The contribution to digital objectives represents 21.7 % of the allocation, with measures and reforms aimed at public administration and finances, education and businesses. Portugal has so far received €11.4 billion of RRF resources (51.3 % of the plan), which the Commission disbursed in the form of pre-financing and five grant and loan instalments. Portugal’s sixth and seventh payment requests are being assessed. In the context of the 2025 European Semester, the Council has recommended that Portugal accelerate implementation of its plan. The European Parliament has been a major supporter of creating a common EU recovery instrument, and takes part in interinstitutional settings to cooperate, discuss and scrutinise implementation of the Commission’s work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Third edition. The previous editions were written by Henrique Morgado Simões. The ‘NGEU delivery’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. The author would like to thank Amalia Fumagalli and Ana Luisa Melo Almeida, trainees in the Directorate Members’ Research Service, for their research assistance.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Population decline in Europe and challenges from migration flows of culturally diverse origins – E-001644/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Having children is a matter of individual choice. The Commission supports Member States in creating favourable social and economic conditions for all Europeans to create a family.

    Indeed, as outlined, for example, in the Demography Toolbox[1], demographic challenges can be addressed through a wide range of adaptation measures, including addressing gaps in labour markets, reforming pension and health systems, promoting the transition to a longevity society, and addressing territorial imbalances through Cohesion policy.

    The Commission is currently analysing the fertility gap, i.e. the difference between desired and actual children per woman, to explore how its determinants can be addressed, where this falls into the Commission competences.

    The Commission has conducted several studies on the impact of migration on population dynamics, labour markets, fiscal systems, and integration in cities.[2]

    There are no studies ongoing nor planned for the near future, that specifically look at the sociocultural impacts linked to migration from culturally diverse areas.

    The action plan on integration and inclusion 2021-2027[3] lays down the measures to be adopted by the Commission and Member States to support the integration of migrants.

    The action plan emphasises the importance of creating cohesive communities and considers the respect of the common European values an essential part of living and participating in European society.

    In that regard, the action plan promotes the development of civic orientation courses to help migrants gain an understanding of the laws, culture and values of the receiving society as early as possible, and places a specific emphasis on addressing vulnerabilities faced by migrant women.

    • [1] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action,
      COM/2023/577 final.
    • [2] Studies include, for instance, Demographic Scenarios for the EU https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC116398, A Demographic Perspective on the Future of European Labour Force Participation https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141153, Projecting the net fiscal impact of immigration in the EU https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC121937 or Diversity, residential segregation, concentration of migrants: a comparison across EU cities https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC115159.
    • [3] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027, COM/2020/758 final.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU citizens and cohesion policy – E-002825/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002825/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mihai Tudose (S&D)

    The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that EU citizens have a positive view of the impact of EU regional policy. The survey also highlights the areas that EU citizens consider to be priorities: they would predominantly like to see improved health and education infrastructure, job creation, greater energy efficiency and access to housing, and enhanced transport infrastructure and defence capabilities.

    Half of the citizens canvassed call for EU cohesion policy to focus specifically on areas with high unemployment (63 %), disadvantaged urban areas (51 %) and remote rural or mountainous regions (50 %).

    How does the Commission plan to reflect the views of EU citizens in its action in the field of regional cohesion?

    Submitted: 10.7.2025

    Last updated: 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU citizens and cohesion policy – E-002825/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002825/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mihai Tudose (S&D)

    The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that EU citizens have a positive view of the impact of EU regional policy. The survey also highlights the areas that EU citizens consider to be priorities: they would predominantly like to see improved health and education infrastructure, job creation, greater energy efficiency and access to housing, and enhanced transport infrastructure and defence capabilities.

    Half of the citizens canvassed call for EU cohesion policy to focus specifically on areas with high unemployment (63 %), disadvantaged urban areas (51 %) and remote rural or mountainous regions (50 %).

    How does the Commission plan to reflect the views of EU citizens in its action in the field of regional cohesion?

    Submitted: 10.7.2025

    Last updated: 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eritrean Community Festival in the United Kingdom (UK)

    Source: APO


    .

    The 2025 Eritrean Community Festival in the United Kingdom was colorfully conducted on 12 and 13 July in London under the theme “Our Cohesion – Our Armour.”

    The festival, in which about 2,000 nationals from various cities in Britain took part, was officially opened by Mr. Saleh Abdella, Chargé d’Affaires at the Eritrean Embassy in the UK and Northern Ireland.

    Mr. Mulubrhan Berhe, Chairman of the Holidays Coordinating Committee, and Mr. Ahmed Mahmud, Chairman of the National Committee, commended all those who contributed to the successful implementation of the program and thanked the participants.

    Mr. Saleh Abdella stated that this year’s festival was particularly significant as it was held at a time when the Eritrean people are focused on national development programs while confronting and foiling external conspiracies and hostilities. He also called on nationals to strengthen unity, foster deeper connections with their homeland, and enhance participation in national affairs.

    Mr. Tewolde Yohannes, Head of Public and Community Affairs, also conducted a seminar for participants focusing on the objective situation in the homeland and the region. Mr. Tewolde stated that Eritrea, firmly standing by its national principles, continues to make earnest contributions to regional peace and stability.

    The festival featured cultural and artistic performances, sports competitions, and children’s programs.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Work begins on multi-storey refurbishment and improvement programme

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The work is necessary to extend the life expectancy of the buildings so they can continue to provide homes to local residents for years to come. 

    The programme will see significant works carried out to the interiors of communal areas and exteriors of the blocks at Pomarium, Market, Milne, Lickley, and Potterhill. This will enhance the interior areas of the blocks and transform how the blocks look on the outside. Planned work includes upgrading external wall insulation, roof coverings, balconies, handrails, walkways, balustrades, passenger lifts, and fire safety measures. 

    The Council plans to carry out the programme of works through a phased approach starting with Blocks 7-51 and 52-95 Pomarium Street, followed by Lickley, Milne and Market Courts and Potterhill as the final block. 

    Scaffolding will be erected around 7-51 Pomarium Street over the next few weeks as the improvement programme gets underway. Work on the block is scheduled to be completed by May 2026. Work will begin in August on 52-95 Pomarium Street, which is scheduled to be finished in April 2026.  

    The improvement programme will then move on to Lickley Court. 

    The aim of the works is to make all the homes safer and more comfortable to live in by: 

    • Significantly reducing energy demand 

    • Improving ventilation to reduce the build-up of moisture, damp and mould 

    • Improving fire safety 

    • Making homes easier to heat 

    • Reducing carbon emissions 

    • Reducing energy consumption 

    • Extending the life expectancy of the blocks 

    • Improved internal and external visual appearance. 

    The programme also aims to bring all six blocks up to a standard known as Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2). This is the minimum energy efficiency standard for social housing and are targets set by the Scottish Government in the move to more energy efficient homes. 

    We have carried out a programme of engagement with all residents and homeowners ahead of the start of the works. Homeowners are expected to meet their share of the costs, and we have worked to put a range of options and support in place to help them if they need any assistance. 

    Housing and Social Wellbeing Convener, Councillor Tom McEwan, said: “This represents a significant investment for the Council, but the structural maintenance programme is vital for ensuring our multi-storey blocks remain safe, warm, and secure for current and future residents for years to come.  

    “The work will transform the blocks inside and out, enhancing the environment for both residents and the general population.   

    “It will massively improve the lives of people who live in the blocks. People who have bought their homes, and landlords, will be required to make a contribution and we have worked diligently to provide a range of supportive options for homeowners, including Scottish Government grant funding, flexible repayment plans and a buy-back option. Our aim is to assist homeowners through this period and help secure the future of their homes.” 

    More information on the improvement programme is available at: Multi-Storey Refurbishment Works. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping Meets with Heads of Foreign Delegations Participating in SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Tuesday with foreign ministers and officials of the permanent bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), who are in China to attend a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states.

    He noted that over the 24 years since its founding, the SCO has consistently adhered to the “Shanghai Spirit”, becoming increasingly mature and strong, while demonstrating high vitality.

    China always regards the SCO as a priority in its diplomacy with neighboring countries, striving to make the organization more pragmatic and strong, so as to properly ensure regional security and stability, promote the development and prosperity of member states, and build a closer community with a shared future, Xi said.

    He added that since China assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO in July last year, the country has actively held events and developed cooperation, with all parties taking decisive steps to jointly build a beautiful common home for the SCO.

    In connection with the upcoming SCO summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin this year, Xi Jinping expressed hope to meet with leaders of other member states at the event to jointly discuss the future development of the SCO.

    He stressed that in the current circumstances, when the world is undergoing changes and upheavals, the SCO must remain focused and confident, act effectively and play a more active role to bring more stability and positive energy to the world. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No more card surcharges: what the Reserve Bank’s proposed changes mean for your wallet

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University

    That extra 10c on your morning coffee. That $2 surcharge on your taxi ride. The sneaky 1.5% fee when you pay by card at your local restaurant. These could all soon be history.

    The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has proposed a sweeping reform: abolishing card payment surcharges. The central bank says it’s in the public interest to scrap the system and estimates consumers could collectively save $1.2 billion annually.

    But like all major financial reforms, the devil is in the detail.

    The 20-year experiment is over

    Surcharging was introduced more than two decades ago to expose the true cost of different payment methods. In the early 2000s, card fees were high, cash was king, and surcharges helped nudge consumers toward lower-cost options.

    But fast-forward to 2025, and the payments ecosystem has changed dramatically. Cash now accounts for just 13% of in-person transactions, and the shift to contactless payments, accelerated by the pandemic, has made cards the default for most Australians.

    When there’s no real alternative, a surcharge becomes less a useful price signal and more a penalty for convenience.

    After an eight month review, the bank’s Payments System Board has concluded the surcharge model no longer works in a predominantly cashless economy. The proposal now on the table is to phase out surcharges and instead push for simplified, all-inclusive pricing.

    Who saves – and who pays?

    At first glance, removing surcharges looks like a win for consumers. Every household could save about $60 per year, based on the RBA’s estimates. But payment costs don’t vanish – they shift.

    This is where the Reserve Bank’s proposal is more sophisticated than it may appear. Alongside banning surcharges, it plans to lower interchange fees (the fees merchants pay to card networks like Visa and Mastercard) and introduce caps on international card transactions.

    These changes aim to reduce the burden on merchants, which in turn limits the pressure to raise prices.

    Could prices still rise?

    Some worry that without surcharges, businesses will simply embed the costs into product prices. That’s possible. However, the bank estimates this would result in only a 0.1 percentage point increase in consumer prices overall.

    There are three reasons for that:

    1. most merchants already don’t surcharge, especially small businesses. Of them, 90% may have included card costs in their pricing

    2. competition keeps pricing in check. Retailers in competitive markets can’t raise prices without risking customers

    3. transparency is coming. The reforms will require payment providers to disclose fees more clearly, allowing merchants to compare and switch – fostering more competition and lower costs.

    That said, the effects won’t be felt evenly. Merchants in sectors that do currently surcharge, like hospitality, transport, and tourism, will need to rethink their pricing strategies. Some may absorb costs; others may pass them on.

    The winners

    Consumers stand to benefit most. They’ll avoid surprise fees at checkout, won’t need to switch payment methods to dodge surcharges, and won’t have to report excessive fees to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission. Combined with lower interchange fees, this means consumers should face less friction and more predictable pricing.

    About 90% of small businesses don’t currently surcharge and would gain around $185 million in net benefits. These businesses often pay higher interchange fees, so the reform will reduce their costs. New transparency requirements will also make it easier to find better deals from payment service providers (PSPs).

    Large businesses already receive lower domestic interchange rates, but they’ll benefit from new caps on foreign-issued card transactions, which is a win for those in e-commerce and tourism.

    The losers

    Banks that issue cards stand to lose about $900 million in interchange revenue under the preferred reform package. Some may respond by raising cardholder fees or cutting rewards, especially on premium credit cards. But they may also gain from increased credit card use as surcharges disappear.

    The 10% of small and 12% of large merchants who currently surcharge will have to adjust. They may face retraining costs and need to revise their pricing strategies.
    Most will be able to adapt, but the transition won’t be cost-free.

    Payment service providers will face about $25 million in compliance costs to remove surcharges and provide clearer fee breakdowns. For some, this may involve significant system changes, though one-off in nature.

    Will it work?

    The Reserve Bank’s proposal tackles real problems: an outdated surcharge model, opaque pricing by payment service providers, and bundling of unrelated services into payment fees. Its success depends on how well these reforms are implemented and whether they deliver real price transparency and lower costs.

    Removing visible price signals may create cross-subsidisation, where users of low-cost debit cards subsidise those who use high-cost rewards credit cards. Some economists argue this could reduce overall efficiency in the system.

    International experience offers mixed lessons. While the European Union and United Kingdom banned most surcharges years ago, outcomes have varied depending on market conditions. Efficiency gains haven’t always followed, and small business concerns persist.

    The road ahead

    The Reserve Bank is seeking feedback until August 26, with a final decision due by year-end. If adopted, the reform will be phased in, allowing time for businesses to adapt.

    For consumers, this may mark the end of hidden payment fees. But for the broader system, success will depend on more than just eliminating surcharges. It will require meaningful competition, transparency, and vigilance during the transition.

    While not a major omission, mobile wallets (such as Apple Pay) and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services represent a missing component in the broader payments ecosystem that the current reforms do not yet address.

    These platforms operate outside the traditional regulatory framework, often imposing higher merchant fees and lacking the transparency applied to card networks.

    Their growing popularity, especially among younger consumers, means they increasingly shape payment behaviour and merchant cost structures. To build a truly future-ready and equitable payments system, these emerging models may need to be brought into the regulatory fold.

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

    – ref. No more card surcharges: what the Reserve Bank’s proposed changes mean for your wallet – https://theconversation.com/no-more-card-surcharges-what-the-reserve-banks-proposed-changes-mean-for-your-wallet-261165

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Connections Fund open for applications

    Source: Scottish Government

    Fund to support Scotland’s diaspora increased by 50%.

    Applications are now open for the Scottish Connections Fund 2025-26, which helps strengthen Scotland’s international diaspora.   

    Grants of up to £5,000 are available for new projects that help to promote Scotland and bring together our diaspora around the world. This year’s total funding has increased by 50% to £75,000 – supporting a minimum of 15 projects in 2025-26.  

    The Fund aims to promote increased visibility and connectivity with and between Scottish diaspora communities. It offers funding to deliver new and innovative projects outwith Scotland that promote the nation’s reputation and interests around the globe. 

    External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said:

    “The Scottish Connections Fund has increased by 50% to £75,000 for this year – meaning that even more new and innovative projects will be able to benefit and engage Scotland’s diaspora community.

    “The Fund is open to bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.

    “We see Scotland diaspora as an extension of Scotland itself – and we want to support this thriving community around the world.”

    One of the Fund’s beneficiaries last year was the Africa Scotland Business Network which received funding to set up a new Future Leaders business network for under 30s.

    Director Claire Alexander said:

    “The Scottish Connections Fund has played a pivotal role in launching a powerful legacy initiative that’s making a real difference in the lives of young people. Africa Scotland Business Network (ASBN) was honoured to receive a grant from the fund, which enabled the creation of ASBN Future Leaders – a dynamic, new, international and intercultural business network tailored specifically for the needs of young people.

    “Today, ASBN Future Leaders is home to young people from Scotland, England, Namibia, South Africa, and Kenya – and the community continues to grow every month.”

    Background

    Applications for this year’s Fund will close on Tuesday 9 September 2025. Projects must be completed by the end of March 2026.

    The Scottish Connections Fund has supported 15 successful projects across two previous funding rounds.

    The launch of the Scottish Connections Fund was a commitment included in the Scottish Connections Framework, published April 2023.

    ASBN Future Leaders, from the Africa Scotland Business Network gives young people access to a trusted, international network of diverse individuals in Scotland and beyond, to nurture intercultural and knowledge exchange. Young members also receive personal brand-building opportunities, marketing exposure, mentorship, and a 12-month educational programme led by experienced CEOs from our founding business network.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Boosting broadband in the North East

    Source: Scottish Government

    More than 60,000 homes and businesses to benefit from Project Gigabit rollout.

    Around 63,000 more premises in the North East of Scotland will be able to access gigabit-capable broadband following the award of a contract to deliver the Project Gigabit rollout in the area.   

    The £105 million contract, funded by the UK Government and procured and delivered by the Scottish Government, has been awarded to GoFibre.

    The roll-out will benefit some of the most rural areas in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, Moray, Highland and parts of Perth and Kinross. It will reach locations including Forfar, Glamis and Brechin, to Cullen, Forres and as far west as Castle Stuart near Inverness Airport.  

    The first connections are due to be delivered by Summer 2026.

    The contract is the third to be awarded as part of the Project Gigabit programme in Scotland. It follows a £25 million contract being awarded to GoFibre to benefit around 11,000 premises in the Scottish Borders and East Lothian and a £157 million contract awarded to Openreach to provide access to more than 65,000 premises in the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, together with some of the most hard-to-reach areas across the country. 

    Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:   

    “Fast, reliable broadband is a fundamental building block for Scotland’s economy – and for our society. It’s why we are committed to ensuring connections across the country meet the needs of people and businesses, delivering faster connections to more than a million premises over the last decade.   

    “Project Gigabit will build on and complement the transformational work already being delivered through the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% programme and I look forward to working with the UK Government, as broadband remains a reserved matter, to ensure we deliver more gigabit-capable connections to rural communities.”   

    UK Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

    “Our investment in North East Scotland will overhaul broadband networks in hard-to-reach areas with slower internet speeds, putting an end to annoying buffering, and creating exciting new opportunities for local businesses and communities.

    “Now the contract is signed, work can begin to deliver internet upgrades that many towns and villages sorely need. It shows how the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change is delivering for people across Scotland, helping to drive economic growth and tear down the UK’s digital divide.”

    GoFibre CEO Neil Conaghan said:

    “This Project Gigabit contract award is a hugely exciting development for the north east of Scotland, and for GoFibre, transforming broadband connectivity across a substantial region of Scotland.

    “As a fast-growing Scottish independent broadband company, GoFibre is committed to improving connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach areas and we cannot wait to get started on this major infrastructure project. Building on the back of our Project Gigabit contract award for the Borders and East Lothian earlier this year, it shows GoFibre is at the heart of rural broadband development in Scotland.”

    Background 

    Project Gigabit was launched by the UK Government to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ commercial plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on upgrades to next-generation speeds.

    The programme is targeted at premises which fall out with the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme contracts and commercial activity.   

    Further Project Gigabit contracts will see gigabit-capable broadband delivered to tens of thousands more premises across Scotland.  

    Over £600m is being invested in the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme, comprising £591m by the Scottish Government, £52m by the UK Government and £53m by BT. This is one of the most ambitious and complex digital infrastructure programmes in Europe which is rolling out connections in some of the country’s most challenging rural locations.     

    Originally conceived as a superfast broadband programme, R100 is now providing a gigabit-capable connection – a speed more than 30 times faster than superfast broadband – in around 99% of cases. Building to some of the hardest-to-reach parts of Scotland, a total of over 85,000 connections have enabled access to faster broadband as a result of R100.       

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Delivery of council plans is ‘making a real difference to real people’

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 15th July 2025

    Stoke-on-Trent has made major progress in helping to improve the lives of residents in the city as part of its commitment to tackle inequality, share wealth and support a better standard of living.

    The city council launched its Our City, Our Wellbeing Corporate Strategy early in 2024 which outlined a set of key priorities and themes focused on improving the quality of life of local residents and supporting businesses and communities.

    Last week, city councillors were given an update on the progress which the authority – and its dedicated partners – has made over the last two years since the change in administration.

    Councillors heard how: 

    • 18 local community lounges have welcomed and supported 5,556 people in the last eight months alone.
    • 5,350 people have been supported with Money MOTs, leading to £2.7 million in unclaimed benefits being identified and more than £890,000 of problem debts being written off.
    • A development pipeline of 4,800 affordable, new homes over 22 sites across the city is being delivered.
    • A range of regeneration projects are being delivered in the city, including public realm improvements, a new green construction skills centre and a sports campus.
    • 208 empty homes have been brought back into use, providing essential affordable homes and tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
    • Over 6,000 highways defects have been repaired in the first six months – improving road safety and resulting in fewer complaints.

    In addition, the council has handled 2,505 cases of anti-social behaviour – leading to six evictions and 10 injunctions – and collected more 1,000 tonnes of fly-tipped waste and 2,307 fines as part of its IDIOT campaign.

    Other successes include the DAMP campaign which saw 11,955 properties receive some form of intervention to help deal with – and prevent – any future issues around damp, mould and condensation while the Family Matters programme has helped to deliver support to more than 800 local families who have been struggling to cope in different ways.

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see how much progress has already been made. This work is making a real difference to real people in our community – it’s putting extra money in their pockets and enabling them to live healthier, wealthier lives.

    “Our efforts are enabling us to support family life, helping to restore pride in our streets, tackle anti-social behaviour, address hardship and poverty, support residents to live in decent homes and helping people to live independently.

    “There is still a long way to go, and we cannot do it alone, but we are committed to continuing this work to ensure our city – and its residents – can grow and thrive.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £350m landmark deal to turbo charge growth in Norwich

    Source: City of Norwich

    Up to 1,100 new homes to be built on site of 1960s shopping centre just outside Norwich city centre.

    Aviva Capital Partners (ACP), Aviva’s in-house capital unit that invests in urban regeneration, housing and infrastructure across the UK, and Norwich City Council (NCC) have agreed a landmark investment partnership for a £350m redevelopment just outside Norwich city centre.
     
    The partnership will take on the redevelopment of the 11 acre site of a 1960s former shopping centre, Anglia Square, delivering 1,100 new homes, with a mixture of affordable homes and homes to buy. A £34m grant from Homes England has kick-started the redevelopment by enabling NCC to purchase the site in December 2024 with demolition and remediation to commence imminently. 
     
    The investment could create over 3,500 jobs in one of the country’s 10% most deprived areas, just 15 minutes’ walk from Norwich city centre. 

    The site, which has been partially empty since Her Majesty’s Stationery Office left Sovereign House in 1996, will also become home to leisure and retail spaces and community facilities.
     
    Councillor Mike Stonard, leader of Norwich City Council, hailed the partnership as a monumental moment in the city’s history, saying: “I believe our partnership with Aviva, which has called Norwich home since 1792, will come to be seen as an historical partnership in one of England’s most historic cities. The partnership will turbo charge the city’s economy and support our ambition to make Norwich one of England’s finest and fairest cities.”
     
    Ben Luckett, Chair of Aviva Capital Partners and Norwich Community Ambassador, said: “Aviva is proud to be making such a major investment in Norwich, a city which has been our home for over 200 years. This vital regeneration project will bring significant economic and social benefits, helping Norwich get ready for the future. By working with Norwich City Council and Homes England, this will be a development the city can be proud of.

    “We’re already proudly taking action to help build financial resilience and employment prospects across Norwich, as well as supporting communities and sustainability projects. Our role in the regeneration of Anglia Square is the next step in our historic partnership with the Fine City.”

    Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive Officer of Homes England said: “This is a key milestone for the regeneration of Anglia Square, enabling Norwich City Council to move forward in revitalising the city centre, and transforming brownfield land into high-quality homes for local people. As the government’s housing and regeneration agency, we are committed to working in partnership with organisations in both the public and private sector, to achieve their ambitions to build much needed new homes across the country.”
     
    A planning application to create a ‘box style’ shopping park with temporary shops and food stalls at the site has been submitted, giving existing traders spaces, but also becoming a catalyst for bringing new businesses into the area, whilst the redevelopment takes place. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Your story matters: Andy Smith urges care-experienced people to share their views

    Source: City of Derby

    Andy Smith, Derby City Council’s Strategic Director for People’s Services, knows the care system firsthand – a journey that profoundly shaped his career and his commitment to vulnerable children.

    As well as his role at the Council, Andy was the 2024/2025 president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for 2024/25, and was recently appointed a CBE in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours, for his services to disadvantaged and vulnerable children. 

    Andy’s urging anyone with care experience to take part in the Care Experienced Survey on Let’s Talk Derby, to directly shape a better future for young people in the city.

    Here, Andy shares his own experiences…

    As Derby City Council’s Strategic Director for People’s Services and a proud social worker for 30 years, I want to take a moment to reflect on my own journey into social work. 

    My route into this profession felt natural and deeply personal. I was once a child in care myself, adopted by my foster carers just before my 11th birthday. My parents were foster carers for well over 30 years and I was used to social workers visiting the house throughout my life. The relationship I had with my social worker was hugely influential in my decision to join the profession.  

    I’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact social workers have on children’s lives, and I believe this work is truly about people and relationships. Too often, the care system is viewed through a deficit lens, but in Derby, our social workers, family help practitioners, children, and families tell a different story — one of hope, resilience, and positive change.

    That’s why I’m encouraging everyone with care experience to take part in the current Care Experienced Survey, running until 31 July. Your voice matters. Sharing your experience helps us understand what’s working and where we need to improve, so we can continue to make a real difference across Derby.

    Derby City’s Council’s extensive support for children in care and care leavers was highlighted by Ofsted following an inspection of the authority’s Children’s Services. Inspectors praised the services as ‘responsive and effective,’ and rated them outstanding across all the areas assessed.

    In September 2024 the full Council voted unanimously to award care experienced people in Derby ‘protected characteristic’ status, a motion that represents a positive step towards supporting them in overcoming these barriers. The Care Experienced Survey will collect feedback from people with experience of growing up in the care system.

    The results of the survey on Let’s Talk Derby will help develop and implement the Care Experienced Protected Characteristic, which means those who are in care, who are care leavers, or who have had a past experience of care, will have the same protection from discrimination as other characteristics under the Equality Act in Derby.

    The survey is available online at Let’s Talk Derby and is open until Thursday 31 July. Anyone who would like to receive the survey in paper form, another language or different format like large print or easy read, contact the team on 01332 64000 or email letstalkderby@derby.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Soldier of the Highland Light Infantry rededicated in France

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Soldier of the Highland Light Infantry rededicated in France

    Family members and military representatives gathered in France to honour Second Lieutenant John Taylor Macintyre of the Highland Light Infantry over a century after he fell in battle during the World War One.

    Headshot of 2Lt John Taylor Macintyre (courtesy of his family).

    The moving service, organised by the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), took place at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC’s) Canadian Cemetery No.2, where a new headstone bearing his name was unveiled.

    The family of 2Lt Macintyre with the military party at his graveside. Crown Copyright.

    JCCC Caseworker Alexia Clark said: 

    I am so pleased to have been involved in the final chapter of the story of John Taylor Macintyre. Being able to rededicate his grave, with a new headstone bearing his name, and in the presence of his family is a very special occasion to be a part of. I am grateful to the researcher who originally submitted the case which has brought us to this point.

    Second Lieutenant Macintyre shipped out to France in November 1914, coincidentally on the same vessel as his brother Duncan, who served with the Cameronians. John spent the duration of the war on the Western Front, returning home only for brief periods of leave and to recuperate following a gas attack in the summer of 1917. 

    During that summer, the 18th Battalion Highland Light Infantry were rotating in and out of the front line near Lempire, on the edge of the Somme sector. The battalion was tasked with capturing and holding Guillemont Farm, and it was during one of many actions linked to this objective that John died on 25 August 1917. He was listed as wounded and missing following the engagement. 

    In November 1931, the body of an unknown officer was recovered close to Guillemont Farm. His badges and buttons identified him as an officer of the 9th Highland Light Infantry, but he carried nothing that could identify him by name. He was reburied at Canadian Cemetery No.2 at Neuville St Vaast as an unknown officer. Recent research has conclusively identified this unknown soldier as John Taylor Macintyre. 

    The CWGC has placed a new headstone on the grave and will continue to care for it in perpetuity. 

    Katie Palmer, Records Officer at CWGC, said:

    It is an honour to have been involved in Second Lieutenant Macintyre’s story, who now has a headstone bearing his name. As part of the process, we help the family choose a personal inscription, something which future generations of visitors can discover and connect with. It is our privilege to care for 2nd Lt Macintyre’s grave, in perpetuity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Madhya Pradesh CM wraps up Dubai visit with strong investment pitch and strategic partnerships

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav wrapped up his three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates today, delivering a compelling investment pitch that’s already generating significant interest from global investors. The Chief Minister’s packed Dubai schedule included high-level meetings with UAE government officials, business leaders, and Indian diaspora members,  all focused on positioning Madhya Pradesh as India’s next major investment destination.

    At the ‘Madhya Pradesh Business Investment Forum‘ hosted alongside the Indian Business and Professional Council, Dr. Yadav made his case directly to potential investors. “Madhya Pradesh invites you to invest, with endless possibilities in all sectors,” he declared, highlighting the state’s new business-friendly policies and commitment to adapting to entrepreneur needs. The Chief Minister’s promise? Businesses can launch operations within just thirty days, thanks to a dedicated Investment Facilitation Cell, reduced red tape, and a transparent land allotment system.

    The numbers tell the story. Senior officials outlined the Industrial Policy 2025 and MSME Policy 2025, offering up to fifty percent support on capital expenses, complete stamp duty exemptions, and targeted subsidies across green infrastructure, research and development, exports, and industrial housing. Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey made a striking claim about the state’s high-tech push into semiconductors, space technology, and deeptech sectors. “On day one, investors in our data center sector can be cash-positive. That’s the kind of policy backing we offer,” he announced, revealing plans for new Centres of Excellence and innovative funding models.

    Consul General of India in Dubai, Satish Kumar Sivan, placed the visit in broader context, calling the India-UAE relationship “one of the most consequential bilateral partnerships in the world today.” He pointed to the dramatic surge in trade since the 2022 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, emphasizing Madhya Pradesh’s competitive advantages in agriculture, renewables, tourism, and digital economy. New opportunities are emerging too… including Bharat Mart, a logistics platform for Indian small businesses launching in Jebel Ali, and the integration of India’s UPI payment system with the UAE’s AANI network.

    The Chief Minister’s diplomatic offensive included a crucial meeting with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, plus corporate discussions with heavyweights like Emirates, Lulu Group, DP World, Texmas, G42, Sharaf DG, Tata Group, and Gulf Islamic Investments. Dr. Yadav also toured key facilities including the BAPS Hindu Mandir and Dubai Textile City, culminating in a significant MoU signing with Texmas to strengthen textile and industrial collaboration.

    The visit balanced business with community engagement. A cultural and networking event at JW Marriott brought together the Indian diaspora, while a tourism investment roundtable and business forum featured detailed presentations from state officials. “Madhya Pradesh, with its strength in food processing, textiles, green energy, wellness, and startups, is ready to become a hub for global business,” Dr. Yadav concluded, expressing confidence that this visit marks the beginning of a new chapter in UAE-MP economic cooperation.

    The Chief Minister’s Dubai mission appears to have struck the right chord with investors and officials alike, setting the stage for what could be a significant expansion of economic ties between the UAE and one of India’s fastest-growing states.

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: “Primorye is a bridge to the future”: the region is preparing for the exhibition “Far East Street” as part of the VEF

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Primorsky Krai will present current and new investment projects, tourist attractions and transport and logistics opportunities at the Far East Street exhibition, which will be held from September 3 to 9 as part of the tenth anniversary Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The concept of the pavilion this year is Primorye – the Bridge of the Future. The exhibition is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District.

    “Vladivostok, the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District, will once again welcome participants and guests of the Eastern Economic Forum. The Primorsky Territory exposition is one of the brightest and key ones at the Far East Street exhibition. Primorye is the leader in the district in terms of the number of investment projects being implemented. The key instrument for the strategic development of Primorye is the implementation of master plan activities for six cities. They will allow for a qualitative change in urban infrastructure and improve people’s lives. The development of social infrastructure is being carried out through the presidential single subsidy. The regional pavilion will tell about all of this. The region will also present a vision of the future, what this region will do to remain attractive to investors, so that as many Russians and residents of other countries as possible can visit and fall in love with the Far Eastern lands,” said Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum Yuri Trutnev.

    The Primorsky Krai exposition positions the region as a link between countries, continents and cultures. It is a territory of opportunities where large-scale projects in the field of tourism, logistics, industry and technology are implemented.

    “Primorye is actively preparing for the anniversary, tenth Eastern Economic Forum – the main international event of the Asia-Pacific region. And of course, it is important for us to once again present our region from an interesting side. The EEF is, first of all, attracting investors for the development of Primorye and the entire Russian Far East. This time, we will tell potential partners about the areas in which it is profitable to cooperate with us, where to apply their efforts for the stable development of business in Primorsky Krai – one of the most dynamically developing regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. Our region has enormous potential in industry and logistics, agriculture and science, tourism and culture. We invite Russian and foreign guests to the Primorye pavilion, where our most striking projects will be presented,” said Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai.

    The general concept of the pavilion “Primorye – a bridge to the future” symbolizes the connection between the past and the future, East and West, openness to partnership, investment and innovation. The pavilion tells how the unique geographical location, natural resources and human potential make Primorsky Krai attractive for business, tourism and life over several historical eras.

    The main exhibition embodies an open space of possibilities, where each zone is self-sufficient and autonomous in meaning, but at the same time supports the overall concept of the pavilion and tells about the key industries and projects of Primorsky Krai. The exterior design is inspired by the nature of the region, the wave line and seascapes. Inside, the pavilion is decorated with modern materials and many interactive multimedia tools.

    Thematic zones of the region’s stand at EEF-2025 demonstrate the evolution of key industries and social transformations of Primorye with an emphasis on the region’s main achievements over the past 13 years. In honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, each site will contain references and evidence of the contribution of Vladivostok and Primorye to achieving the Great Victory.

    The pavilion will feature a stand dedicated to sports projects and achievements of Primorsky Krai. Information will be posted about the curling center, the center for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics in Vladivostok, the federal-level ski resort in Arsenyev, and the development of water sports in the region. Special attention will be paid to how measures were taken to physically prepare the population in Primorsky Krai during the Great Patriotic War: sports events and competitions in football, skiing, including military ski training and multi-day ski trips, cross-country running, and obstacle course running were actively held. Primorye preserves and develops these traditions, consistently expanding its sports infrastructure and implementing physical education and sports programs.

    A separate part of the exhibition will tell about key investment projects, special programs and government support measures in Primorye. The immersive zone “Transport, logistics, turn to the East” is equipped with panoramic screens and ceiling projectors that create a realistic audiovisual space. In this zone, visitors will be told about the unique geographical location of Primorsky Krai, whose Vladivostok port played a key role in ensuring supplies under the Lend-Lease program from the United States of America in 1941-1945.

    In the Culture and Tourism zone, visitors will find a table with physical volumetric models of key cultural, educational and tourist sites in Primorsky Krai. A virtual tour guide will tell visitors about the projects and related programs. The key objects and initiatives on the model are the museum and theater complex on the Eagle’s Nest hill, the preservation of the Vladivostok Fortress Museum-Reserve, and the third season of the All-Russian competition for the best trip.

    The Industry, Bolshoy Kamen Industrial Park zone will introduce the pavilion’s guests to the key enterprises of Primorsky Krai. An interactive hologram will allow you to choose an industrial project, after which robotic manipulators will be set in motion, demonstrating a 3D model of the object with its technical characteristics. The information will be presented in historical perspective – from the period of the Great Patriotic War to modern projects and production.

    A “Science” zone will also be created. The space will demonstrate leading scientific areas, institutes and achievements of Primorye, including promising startups and innovative developments that are important for the technological development and security of the country.

    The “SVO, GO and Emergencies” space will tell about the contribution of Primorsky Krai to the military-industrial complex of Russia, ensuring information and security of the population, as well as participation in a special military operation. The section will show animated videos telling about Primorye residents – heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as well as about modern soldiers participating in the SVO. The format of the materials – from documentary biographies to artistic sketches reflecting the strength of spirit, courage and dedication of the people.

    The Primorsky Krai pavilion will traditionally feature daytime and evening programs. The theme of the events on the first day of the EEF-2025 will be the end of World War II. The patriotic program will feature creative groups, performers, and brass bands from the region.

    In addition, the stand is planned to illustrate the theme of beekeeping development in the region. The site will be decorated with an animated interactive composition emphasizing the popularity and healing qualities of Primorsky linden honey.

    Various master classes in decorative and applied arts will be organized and offered to guests. The evening program will feature performances by popular regional cover and rock bands, as well as a performance by the instrumental rhythm group of the Variety Orchestra of the Primorsky Regional Philharmonic.

    The 10th Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 3–6 at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. During these days, the exhibition will be available to forum participants, and on September 7, 8, and 9, it will be open to everyone. The EEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: “Primorye is a bridge to the future”: the region is preparing for the exhibition “Far East Street” as part of the VEF

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Primorsky Krai will present current and new investment projects, tourist attractions and transport and logistics opportunities at the Far East Street exhibition, which will be held from September 3 to 9 as part of the tenth anniversary Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The concept of the pavilion this year is Primorye – the Bridge of the Future. The exhibition is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District.

    “Vladivostok, the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District, will once again welcome participants and guests of the Eastern Economic Forum. The Primorsky Territory exposition is one of the brightest and key ones at the Far East Street exhibition. Primorye is the leader in the district in terms of the number of investment projects being implemented. The key instrument for the strategic development of Primorye is the implementation of master plan activities for six cities. They will allow for a qualitative change in urban infrastructure and improve people’s lives. The development of social infrastructure is being carried out through the presidential single subsidy. The regional pavilion will tell about all of this. The region will also present a vision of the future, what this region will do to remain attractive to investors, so that as many Russians and residents of other countries as possible can visit and fall in love with the Far Eastern lands,” said Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum Yuri Trutnev.

    The Primorsky Krai exposition positions the region as a link between countries, continents and cultures. It is a territory of opportunities where large-scale projects in the field of tourism, logistics, industry and technology are implemented.

    “Primorye is actively preparing for the anniversary, tenth Eastern Economic Forum – the main international event of the Asia-Pacific region. And of course, it is important for us to once again present our region from an interesting side. The EEF is, first of all, attracting investors for the development of Primorye and the entire Russian Far East. This time, we will tell potential partners about the areas in which it is profitable to cooperate with us, where to apply their efforts for the stable development of business in Primorsky Krai – one of the most dynamically developing regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. Our region has enormous potential in industry and logistics, agriculture and science, tourism and culture. We invite Russian and foreign guests to the Primorye pavilion, where our most striking projects will be presented,” said Oleg Kozhemyako, Governor of Primorsky Krai.

    The general concept of the pavilion “Primorye – a bridge to the future” symbolizes the connection between the past and the future, East and West, openness to partnership, investment and innovation. The pavilion tells how the unique geographical location, natural resources and human potential make Primorsky Krai attractive for business, tourism and life over several historical eras.

    The main exhibition embodies an open space of possibilities, where each zone is self-sufficient and autonomous in meaning, but at the same time supports the overall concept of the pavilion and tells about the key industries and projects of Primorsky Krai. The exterior design is inspired by the nature of the region, the wave line and seascapes. Inside, the pavilion is decorated with modern materials and many interactive multimedia tools.

    Thematic zones of the region’s stand at EEF-2025 demonstrate the evolution of key industries and social transformations of Primorye with an emphasis on the region’s main achievements over the past 13 years. In honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, each site will contain references and evidence of the contribution of Vladivostok and Primorye to achieving the Great Victory.

    The pavilion will feature a stand dedicated to sports projects and achievements of Primorsky Krai. Information will be posted about the curling center, the center for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics in Vladivostok, the federal-level ski resort in Arsenyev, and the development of water sports in the region. Special attention will be paid to how measures were taken to physically prepare the population in Primorsky Krai during the Great Patriotic War: sports events and competitions in football, skiing, including military ski training and multi-day ski trips, cross-country running, and obstacle course running were actively held. Primorye preserves and develops these traditions, consistently expanding its sports infrastructure and implementing physical education and sports programs.

    A separate part of the exhibition will tell about key investment projects, special programs and government support measures in Primorye. The immersive zone “Transport, logistics, turn to the East” is equipped with panoramic screens and ceiling projectors that create a realistic audiovisual space. In this zone, visitors will be told about the unique geographical location of Primorsky Krai, whose Vladivostok port played a key role in ensuring supplies under the Lend-Lease program from the United States of America in 1941-1945.

    In the Culture and Tourism zone, visitors will find a table with physical volumetric models of key cultural, educational and tourist sites in Primorsky Krai. A virtual tour guide will tell visitors about the projects and related programs. The key objects and initiatives on the model are the museum and theater complex on the Eagle’s Nest hill, the preservation of the Vladivostok Fortress Museum-Reserve, and the third season of the All-Russian competition for the best trip.

    The Industry, Bolshoy Kamen Industrial Park zone will introduce the pavilion’s guests to the key enterprises of Primorsky Krai. An interactive hologram will allow you to choose an industrial project, after which robotic manipulators will be set in motion, demonstrating a 3D model of the object with its technical characteristics. The information will be presented in historical perspective – from the period of the Great Patriotic War to modern projects and production.

    A “Science” zone will also be created. The space will demonstrate leading scientific areas, institutes and achievements of Primorye, including promising startups and innovative developments that are important for the technological development and security of the country.

    The “SVO, GO and Emergencies” space will tell about the contribution of Primorsky Krai to the military-industrial complex of Russia, ensuring information and security of the population, as well as participation in a special military operation. The section will show animated videos telling about Primorye residents – heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as well as about modern soldiers participating in the SVO. The format of the materials – from documentary biographies to artistic sketches reflecting the strength of spirit, courage and dedication of the people.

    The Primorsky Krai pavilion will traditionally feature daytime and evening programs. The theme of the events on the first day of the EEF-2025 will be the end of World War II. The patriotic program will feature creative groups, performers, and brass bands from the region.

    In addition, the stand is planned to illustrate the theme of beekeeping development in the region. The site will be decorated with an animated interactive composition emphasizing the popularity and healing qualities of Primorsky linden honey.

    Various master classes in decorative and applied arts will be organized and offered to guests. The evening program will feature performances by popular regional cover and rock bands, as well as a performance by the instrumental rhythm group of the Variety Orchestra of the Primorsky Regional Philharmonic.

    The 10th Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 3–6 at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. During these days, the exhibition will be available to forum participants, and on September 7, 8, and 9, it will be open to everyone. The EEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –