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  • MIL-OSI China: Mideast countries, anti-Israel factions condemn brutal assaults in Lebanon

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo taken on Sept. 28, 2024 shows displaced people from the southern suburbs of Beirut due to Israeli airstrikes in Tripoli, Lebanon. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Countries and anti-Israel factions in the Middle East on Saturday strongly condemned a previous Israeli attack that killed Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.

    On Friday evening, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Hezbollah’s main headquarters in Dahieh, which Israeli military said killed Nasrallah along with some other group commanders. Hezbollah on Saturday confirmed Nasrallah’s death.

    In a statement, the group mourned Nasrallah, describing him as “a great martyr” and “a heroic, bold, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader” for nearly 30 years, who lately led in “the battle for Palestine, Gaza, and the oppressed Palestinian people.”

    According to Lebanon’s MTV TV channel, Friday’s raids on Beirut killed at least six people, injured 91 others, flattened several residential buildings, and caused huge damage to infrastructure in the neighborhood.

    Shortly after Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s death, Hamas issued a statement condemning the Israeli airstrikes on Dahieh as “a cowardly terrorist act, a massacre, and a heinous crime” that proved once again Israel’s “bloodiness and brutality.”

    Hamas held Israel fully responsible for “this heinous crime and its serious repercussions on the security and stability of the region,” and condemned the U.S. administration’s “continued support” for Israel.

    Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned on social media platform X Israel’s “brutal” and “inhumane” attacks that killed many Lebanese, including children, and called on the international community to “act swiftly” to ensure global peace, stability and security.

    While also slamming Israel’s “utter disregard for innocent human life,” Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif vowed on X that “The Resistance will continue as long as the cause — aggression and occupation — persists.”

    In the meantime, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared five days of national mourning over the “martyrdom” of Nasrallah.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi also mourned the death of Nasrallah.

    In a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, Araghchi described Nasrallah’s death as a great loss for Lebanon, West Asia, and the Muslim world.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani called Nasrallah’s killing “a new sinful attack and a crime that confirms Israel’s crossing of all red lines,” saying it expresses Israel’s “reckless desire to expand the conflict at the expense of all the peoples of the region.” The prime minister announced Saturday a three-day national mourning in honor of the “martyrdom” of Nasrallah.

    Also on Saturday, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry condemned the “brutal aggression” against Lebanon, and called on the UN Security Council to adopt a “decisive and firm position to stop the bombings against the Lebanese people and put an end to the violation of their sovereignty and the threat to their security.”

    Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi group described Nasrallah’s passing as a “huge loss” and “a curse that haunts Israel until it is uprooted.” The group declared three days of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast.

    In a statement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the Syrian government strongly condemned the “criminal Israeli aggression,” which it described as another example of Israel’s “treachery, cowardice, and terrorism.” The ministry accused Israel of disregarding international law and held it fully responsible for the consequences of the attack.

    In a post on X, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed his country’s “solidarity with Lebanon and its people,” reaffirming “support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, stability, cohesion, and peace.”

    In a phone call with Mikati, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to stand by Lebanon, especially during these critical circumstances. Sisi also stressed “the need for an immediate, comprehensive, and permanent ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza.”

    Israel has intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday, marking the most extensive Israeli military action in the country since 2006.

    Israel’s latest escalation further fuels its ongoing clashes with Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas, prompting Israel’s retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.

    According to the Lebanese Health Ministry on Saturday, 1,640 people in Lebanon, including 104 children and 194 women, have been killed and 8,408 more injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since Oct. 8 last year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN releases $10M emergency humanitarian funds for Lebanon aid

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The acting UN relief chief on Friday allocated 10 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding for the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which the local UN coordinator described as catastrophic.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israeli air strikes continued to affect civilians and civilian infrastructure on the fifth consecutive day of the large-scale military escalation.

    The world body’s humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, called the destruction nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas, causing widespread destruction.

    “We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning,” Riza said.

    He said that in less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with the numbers continuing to rise. Since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed, and over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

    “The United Nations and partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese Government to support the response efforts,” OCHA said. “We are delivering food, mattresses, hygiene kits, and emergency medical supplies.”

    Riza said that critical funding gaps persist in the areas of shelter repair, food, fuel and coordination, among others. Humanitarian organizations are assessing the amount of funding required to address the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.

    UN Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya allocated the 10 million U.S. dollars from the world body’s Central Emergency Response Fund.

    The office said the funds are in addition to the 10 million dollars released from the Lebanon Humanitarian fund earlier in the week.

    In Gaza, OCHA warned that displaced people live in abysmal conditions, which could further deteriorate in the upcoming cold and rainy winter weather.

    The United Nations and humanitarian partners recently conducted assessments — Sept. 19 and 22 — in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

    “At both sites, displaced communities live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits, sanitary pads and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies,” OCHA said.

    The office said the first site was a school turned into a shelter by the UN relief agency known as UNRWA in the Al Bureij refugee camp in Deir al Balah. It was hosting more than 3,500 Gazans.

    “Our teams found people were crammed into classrooms and worn-out tents, with an average of 80 to 100 people per classroom and 40 people per tent,” OCHA said. “Access to clean water and health care is extremely limited. Most residents are eating only one meal per day, with some people going the entire day without eating.”

    The office said the second site was a makeshift camp in Abasan in eastern Khan Younis, hosting 2,500 people, including nearly 1,000 school-aged children.

    “The site is in a flood-prone area, adjacent to a site where garbage is being dumped,” OCHA said. “There are no medical facilities and there is no food support at this site, except for occasional hot meals provided by a charity organization.”

    The office said humanitarian aid movements in Gaza face significant access constraints.

    “Nearly 90 percent of coordinated humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded,” OCHA said.

    In the West Bank, the office said the number of internal movement obstacles deployed by Israeli forces increased by more than 20 percent since June 2023.

    Since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, OCHA said Israeli authorities in the West Bank also imposed movement restrictions, marked by the deployment or maintenance of hundreds of movement obstacles and a general closure that affects Palestinian permit-holders and bars them from accessing East Jerusalem and Israel.

    “The cumulative impact of movement obstacles has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation of the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians and aggravating the already difficult living conditions there,” the office said.

    OCHA said that health facilities in the West Bank also suffered in the conflict.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that from the Oct. 7 to July 30, there were 527 attacks on health care in the region, including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarized searches.

    WHO said the attacks affected 54 health facilities, including 20 mobile clinics and 365 ambulances.

    “These incidents not only hinder access to health care, but also jeopardize the safety of medical personnel and patients,” OCHA said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: TV interview with Andrew Clennell, Sky News Sunday Agenda

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    Andrew Clennell, Host: Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been at the UN General Assembly this week calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and a deadline for the UN to declare Palestinian statehood.

    Yesterday I spoke to the Foreign Minister after her big address to the UN in New York.

    Penny Wong, thank you for your time. You’ve given a speech there in New York where you say Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrived in New York and said there’s no ceasefire coming. He says we won’t rest until our citizens return safely to our homes in northern Israel. He says we’ll continue degrading Hizballah until all our objectives are attained. Are you shouting into the void here?

    Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: We’ve joined with the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and many other countries to call for a ceasefire in Lebanon, and I would say to Israel, you know, we want you to listen to the international community.

    It is true that Hizballah is a terrorist organisation, it is true that they have not been complying with UN Security Council Resolutions, but we see the horrific loss of life in Gaza, we see 11,000 children killed, you know, the world does not want to see more civilian deaths; we have to find a different way to deal with the legitimate issues of concern in relation to the border.

    Clennell: He’s not listening though, is he, no matter how many times you and even the US says it?

    Foreign Minister: I can’t speak for the government of Israel. What I can say to you is when you have a coalition of countries, which includes many historic friends and allies of Israel, making the same point, then that is a very clear demonstration of the will of the international community.

    Clennell: Did you expect Israel to attack Hizballah in the manner it has? What is the end game to this conflict, including in Gaza, to the Israeli Government, do you think?

    Foreign Minister: Well, this is a – that’s a very good question, and what is the end game, and one of the points that we have made, and many others have made, that ultimately the end game should be peace and security in the region, peace and security for Israelis, peace and security for the people of Israel, and that will require a two‑state solution, that is the only pathway to long‑term peace and security for both Israelis and for Palestinians.

    Clennell: Many, many leaders before you have attempted this, as you well know. It just doesn’t look possible; I hate to say and ask you. So is there a way out of this without a two‑state solution because perhaps there has to be?

    Foreign Minister: If there is, I don’t think the international community is seeing it. We have 11,000 children who’ve been killed in Gaza, we have hostages who were taken by Hamas in the terrorist attack on Israel who are still being held, so you know, we have to work together as an international community, and that is what, you know, we have been trying to do this week saying that, you know, we have to come together, because ultimately the international community has to find a way to get on that pathway to peace, and it really comes down to the very simple proposition, Andrew, where is the long‑term security and peace for Israelis without a two‑state solution?

    Clennell: What did you make of the coordinated pager attack that took place? Do you support Israel doing that to target the Hizballah leadership, or do you condemn it?

    Foreign Minister: Well, I was asked about this, and obviously Hizballah is a terrorist organisation, and we understand the security position Israel is in.

    Having said that, we’ve seen so much violence in the Middle East, and I talked tonight about that cycle of violence, the continued escalation, the continued retribution, that continued cycle of violence, and ultimately that will not bring peace and it will not bring security, which is why Australia and others, including the United States and the United Kingdom have called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and diplomacy to try and resolve this, because we have seen so many people, so many people die.

    Clennell: You say retribution, Israel would say they’re acting in self-defence. Would you accept that they’re acting in self-defence at all?

    Foreign Minister: One of the points I made in the speech tonight is that the international community has agreed rules, even in war there are rules, even when attacking terrorists there are rules, even when defending your borders there are rules, and we agreed them as an international community 75 years ago in the Geneva Conventions because we understood what it means when humanity goes into conflict with no rules. So Australia –

    Clennell: So what rules do you think are implicit in that?

    Foreign Minister: Well –

    Clennell: Is it that you think Israel are breaking rules, isn’t it; isn’t that implicit in that statement? So what rules are being broken?

    Foreign Minister: Ultimately the decision about whether international law is breached or not is a decision for international courts. But what I am saying and what the international community is saying is that civilians must be protected, aid workers must be protected, and you know, we are months, eleven months into this conflict. We’ve seen so many people killed, we’ve seen so many civilians have been lost, we’ve seen so many children who have been killed, and this is really a cycle of violence that we have to find a way out of.

    Clennell: The government’s spoken a lot about fears of a broader regional conflict, you’ve spoken of that. Is the big fear of a war between Iran and Israel?

    Foreign Minister: I think there’s a lot of points of regional escalation people have been worried about, obviously Lebanon is one, as you said, you know, Hizballah, which is a terrorist organisation and is an Iranian proxy, you know, there is always the risk of even further escalation.

    We’ve been concerned about that for a long time, as have others in the international community, and we’ve been engaging with all the parties we can to urge de-escalation and restraint, and I know that sometimes it isn’t popular in Australia, certainly with some of the Coalition to talk about restraint, but sometimes that is the only pathway to ensure you don’t see more lives lost.

    Clennell: Have you had an opportunity there to speak to Israeli and Lebanese, or indeed Iranian representatives, and if so what have been the nature of those conversations?

    Foreign Minister: Yes, well, I haven’t seen – I’ve engaged with the Foreign Minister of Israel, but he, I don’t think he’s been here. I have had a conversation with the Foreign Minister of Lebanon today. Obviously with the attacks on Beirut, they’re very concerned, very worried, hoping that there can be – that conflict can be averted, very concerned about the situation, and you know, I expressed to him, you know, our desire to – for all parties to de-escalate, you know, we obviously know that it’s important that the Lebanese Government urge Hizballah to de-escalate, to not engage in further violence and aggression.

    I also expressed to him that, you know, we understood the humanitarian situation, and I have just authorised another couple of – $2 million in humanitarian relief to Lebanon.

    Clennell: Do you think there’s any aspect of the approach of Benjamin Netanyahu which is affected by the fact the US are about to go to an election and he thinks he may have a different administration to deal with?

    Foreign Minister: You’ll have to ask Prime Minister Netanyahu that.

    Clennell: What’s your belief?

    Foreign Minister: Well, that’s not a – that’s an opinion that I think I’ll leave to you and other commentators. I’m the Foreign Minister of Australia, and my job is to articulate our foreign policy and our position. That’s what I’ve done tonight, and that’s what I’ve done to Israel. I’ve said very clearly, no, we understand the circumstances of October 7, it was horrific, but from day one, we have said international humanitarian law matters, civilian lives matter, all lives have value.

    Clennell: You’ve made comments once again supporting a Palestinian state just now. What’s the government’s position on the requirements for that? Would you have a requirement after the October 7 attacks that there would have to be a ban of Hamas membership of any government before that could occur, or do you think some remnants of that leadership could remain?

    Foreign Minister: I’ve said that – well, I’ve said there is no place for terrorists in the future Palestinian government, and Hamas is a terrorist organisation. I’ve said that there has to be reform of the Palestinian Authority, but fundamentally, you’d have to ensure that any Palestinian state did not threaten the security and viability of Israel. The whole logic of two states, of a Palestinian state and an Israeli state is that there are sufficient security guarantees that both states can live, can exist side by side securely. That is the whole logic of two states.

    Clennell: What’s the status of a potential evacuation of Australians from Lebanon?

    Foreign Minister: I’m very worried about Lebanon, as you know, Andrew. As you probably know I’ve been calling, advising Australians to leave I think since October. I have said very clearly this is – sorry, for some months, I should say. I’ve said very clearly, you know, we are worried about regional escalation, we have had do not travel for some time, for months now we have been saying please come home, we’ve done that over and over again, and the reason is we have so many Australians in Lebanon, and we are concerned about regional escalation, so I would again say to any Australian in Lebanon, please leave, please leave by whatever means are available whilst Beirut airport is still open.

    Clennell: Peter Dutton has essentially said there’s only one good side on this war and that’s Israel, and we should be giving Israel all our support as a country. When he went to Israel he was left with the impression the administration was bemused Australia had not provided more support to it. What do you make of that view of Mr Dutton, because it creates a clear partisan difference on Foreign Affairs, doesn’t it?

    Foreign Minister: Well, I think our support for the existence of the state of Israel, which is bipartisan, does not mean we walk away from supporting international humanitarian law. It does not mean we don’t say each civilian should be protected. I mean Mr Dutton should remember Australia is, you know, we’re a country that prides ourself on our respect for the rule of law, and that has to apply internationally as well, and that is why it is appropriate for Australia to talk about the need to protect civilians.

    Clennell: The US this week said they were banning certain Chinese electric vehicles from their country because they could be remotely operated in a war situation. Chris Bowen said at the moment we’re not going to do the same. Have you had any advice in relation to this, what’s behind our stance on this?

    Foreign Minister: Well, look, we will continue to discuss this with the United States, we will continue to take advice from our security agencies about this and about all other matters.

    Clennell: You called Vladimir Putin a coward in your speech for using the veto of the Security Council to protect his illegal actions in Ukraine. You want reform of the UN Security Council, is that maybe too ambitious?

    Foreign Minister: Well, I do think it’s an act of a coward to use a veto to avoid, you know, your responsibility, and you know, the extraordinary thing, the really immoral thing about what Russia is doing, apart from their illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, is the use of a veto that the international community gave them in order to protect the UN Charter, in order to protect international law and the sovereignty of all nations is being used by this man to protect himself as he breaches that law, right, and I think that is cowardly.

    You know, we continue to stand with Ukraine in the defence of their sovereignty.

    Clennell: So Donald Trump just met President Zelenskyy and said that if he’s elected there will be a peace deal soon, and he has good relations with both Putin and Zelenskyy. What do you make of that?

    Foreign Minister: Well, you know, we all would hope for peace on terms that are satisfactory to Ukraine.

    Clennell: Just finally, you’re on the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet, one of the key leaders of the government. Has there been in recent months any discussions that the government could take a policy to alter negative gearing to an election; is this something the Treasurer and or Housing Minister are interested in?

    Foreign Minister: That’s a good try, Andrew, but you know, you know, we don’t discuss what happens in Cabinet, and what I would say is what I’ve said publicly, we don’t have any plans in relation to negative gearing. What we do want to do though is increase the supply of housing, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

    Clennell: Foreign Minister Penny Wong in New York. Thanks so much for your time.

    Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you, Andrew.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi to award national medals, honorary titles

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 29 — Chinese President Xi Jinping will award national medals and honorary titles at a ceremony held on Sunday ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

    Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will confer the highest state honors at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

    As the ceremony started, senior official Cai Qi read out a presidential order signed by Xi on the awards.

    Four people will be awarded the Medal of the Republic.

    Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, will receive the Friendship Medal.

    Ten people will be awarded medals of national honorary titles.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Benjamin Netanyahu is triumphant after Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination. But will it change anything?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed a major victory following the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, saying it would change “the balance of power in the region for years to come”.

    This may be going further than the circumstances warrant, however. Certainly, the killing of Nasrallah is a remarkable personal victory for Netanyahu, who ordered the strike so he could claim direct responsibility for the action. And it goes a long way towards restoring the Israeli public’s faith in Netanyahu as a security guarantor for Israel.

    But there are many questions that now follow this action. Will Israel, for example, launch a ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon?

    If it does, it would certainly find Hezbollah at its weakest point because of the destruction of its communications network in the Israeli attack on its pagers and walkie-talkies earlier this month.

    Israel has also killed eight of Hezbollah’s nine most senior military commanders and about half of its leadership council.

    To ensure this is a lasting victory, Israel really needs to follow up somehow. It needs to take the opportunity of Hezbollah’s disarray to destroy as much of the organisation and its arsenal of 150,000 missiles, rockets and drones as it can.

    By the same token, Hezbollah would certainly be able to inflict serious losses on Israeli ground forces if they go into southern Lebanon, not least because Hezbollah is reported to have an extensive tunnel network in the border area.

    And Hezbollah is a large organisation that claims to have as many as 100,000 fighters, though US intelligence believes it’s probably somewhere closer to 40,000–50,000. Even so, that is a formidable number of militants.

    Hezbollah, however, does not want to get involved in further fighting with Israel at this stage, if it can avoid it. It’s significant that, even after Israel’s most recent attacks, Hezbollah has not been firing thousands of missiles, rockets and drones daily into Israel, which it is believed to be capable of doing.

    Can Hezbollah regroup?

    There is no doubt this is an unprecedented blow to Hezbollah’s leadership and to the organisation itself.

    The first thing the group needs to do is re-establish its leadership. There are two names that have already been suggested: Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin, and Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general.

    Then, the new leadership needs to investigate how deeply Hezbollah has been penetrated by Israeli intelligence. The killing of Nasrallah and the explosion of the pagers and walkie-talkies illustrate that Israel has extraordinarily good intelligence on the internal workings of Hezbollah.

    Lastly, Hezbollah has lost a lot of face in the eyes of the Lebanese public. Those in Lebanon who are against Hezbollah’s standing as a state within a state will oppose it even more now because they’ll say it’s simply not doing what it claims to do, which is protecting Lebanon from Israel.

    Hezbollah has never faced a critical situation like this before. That’s why whoever takes over is going to have a massive job to re-establish its credibility as a fighting force.

    But that said, it does have the capacity to re-establish itself because Hezbollah is a major organisation and very much a part of the Lebanese political scene. The Hezbollah-led coalition has a bloc of more than 60 seats in the Lebanese parliament – not a majority but significant nonetheless. It also provides social services for poor Shi’a residents in southern Beirut and southern Lebanon.

    The other major question is whether Iran, Hezbollah’s military backer, will react to the killing of Nasrallah.

    When Israel assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in July, Iran promised retaliation, but has not taken it yet.

    After the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in Baghdad in 2020, Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing US troops, and that was it.

    In April, its reaction to the Israeli killing of some Islamic Revolutionary Guard personnel in the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, was more intense. Tehran launched about 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel. But it also telegraphed its retaliation well in advance, and Israel’s Iron Dome, with the help of US defensive support, was able to prevent any significant damage.

    These recent reactions show it is clearly not in Iran’s interest to have a wider war take place at this time.



    Read more:
    Is Iran’s anti-Israel and American rhetoric all bark and no bite?

    Where does the region go from here?

    Hezbollah doesn’t have many friends in the Middle East, mainly because it is a militant group from the minority Shi’a sect of Islam, which has been seen as opposed to the interests of more moderate Sunni Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states.

    Essentially, there will be some quiet satisfaction among Sunni Arab leaders that Nasrallah has gone because he was seen as someone who could cause a great deal of trouble for the region.

    Briefly, following the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Nasrallah was the most popular leader in the Arab world, according to opinion polls. That didn’t last very long, but he remained influential across the region.

    The other aspect that would make Sunni Arab states and leaders quietly comfortable with the removal of Nasrallah and the disarray (if only temporary) of Hezbollah is that all the fighting in the Middle East – the war in Gaza and now the conflict in Lebanon – is causing anger at street level in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and others in the region. This makes the region more unstable – and Sunni leaders nervous.

    At this stage, the elements that would be prepared to support Hezbollah are limited to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shi’a militia groups based in Iraq. But they’re both some distance away and aren’t able to materially affect the conflict in the region.

    With Iran not wanting an all-out war in the region, it’s not likely its leaders will be encouraging these proxy groups to get involved in a situation that could get further out of hand.

    So there are a lot of players who want to restore some sort of normality to the region. That includes the Biden administration, which fears the ongoing conflicts will divide the Democratic vote in the November US presidential election.

    This plays into Netanyahyu’s hands, as he is able to act independently of US attempts to rein him in. Whatever he does, he will continue to receive US military support.



    Read more:
    Does Hezbollah represent Lebanon? And what impact will the death of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah have?

    Ian Parmeter 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. Benjamin Netanyahu is triumphant after Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination. But will it change anything? – https://theconversation.com/benjamin-netanyahu-is-triumphant-after-hassan-nasrallahs-assassination-but-will-it-change-anything-240090

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Moscow Longevity Project invites city residents to events in honor of the Day of the Older Generation

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    For the Day of the Older Generation, which is traditionally celebrated on October 1, master classes, intellectual games and creative meetings will be held at venues throughout the city.

    “The Day of the Older Generation is the best reason to visit the Moscow Longevity Centers and become part of a large community of active Muscovites of the “silver” age. The city has created unique opportunities for self-realization, creativity, communication and health improvement, and more than 580 thousand people have already taken advantage of them, changing their lives. On the Day of the Older Generation, the centers will host events that can be attended by the whole family, because it is fundamentally important for us that Muscovites begin to think about their longevity as early as possible,” said the deputy head of the capital’s Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population.

    Vladimir Filippov.

    On September 29, guests are invited to attend the autumn festival for the whole family “Harvest Fest – 2024”, where an exhibition and fair of products from the project participants will be open all day “Moscow Longevity”. Visitors will be able to purchase unique handmade items: jewelry, household items, T-shirts with designer prints, as well as homemade preserves and seasonal vegetables. Guests will be treated to the art exhibition “Harvest” with designer installations and art objects with vegetables and fruits grown by participants in the “Moscow Longevity” project. The food court will feature dishes made from seasonal products. The festival will also feature concerts, master classes, and a carving lab (cutting out figures from fruits and vegetables). Find out the detailed schedule and You can register using the link.

    The festival will take place from 12:00 to 20:00 in the courtyard of the Moscow Longevity Center “Presnensky” (Presnensky Val Street, Building 14, Building 5).

    A photo exhibition will open on Tverskoy Boulevard and in Yekaterininsky Park on September 30 “Territory of the Future. Moscow 2030”. The stand of the Moscow Longevity project became one of the brightest and most creative at the site in Gostiny Dvor. The participants of the photo shoot, in the lens of photographer Dmitry Iskhakov, tried on the images of the younger generation and fantasized about what the long-livers of the future might be like.

    On October 1, the Day of the Older Generation, several events await city residents at once. Muscovites and their families are invited to the “Guest Day”, which will be held in all 134 centers Moscow longevityFrom 10:30 to 20:30 a unified festive program will be organized there.

    The morning will begin with energetic exercises and a culinary master class on baking charlotte. During the day, guests will be able to participate in creative activities: create souvenirs with their own hands, learn dance moves, learn about personal style, and study information technology.

    At 18:00, everyone is invited to the game “Longevity Quiz”. For the first time, 134 teams from Moscow longevity centers will play a quiz at the same time. Cinema, music, travel, sports, cooking – these are just some of the topics in which participants will test their knowledge. To play, you need to choose the nearest center, form a team of up to 10 people and register via the link. 

    At 19:30 the premiere of the series “I’m not OLD” will begin, the main characters of which are not professional actors, but participants of “Moscow Longevity”.

    The center’s specialists will tell guests about the project’s possibilities, help them choose classes, and enroll them in suitable groups.

    On October 2, from 09:00 to 18:00, the Sber office at 41 Oruzheyny Pereulok will host the Dobry Market, where they will present about a thousand products created by the hands of Moscow Longevity participants: toys, decorative items, jewelry, candles, bags, paintings, and more. Admission is free.

    New directions, “Longevity exercises” and star guests: how the summer season of the “Moscow Longevity” project wentFamily recipes and national cuisine: about 100 culinary clubs opened by participants of Moscow LongevityThe number of Moscow longevity centers has increased to 134 — Sergei Sobyanin

    All interested senior citizens are invited to join the classes of the Moscow Longevity project. You can choose a group and sign up for the project on the mos.ru portal or by contacting any center Moscow longevity.

    Moscow Longevity Projectis being implemented within the framework of the regional project “Older Generation” of the national project “Demography”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow, you can find out here.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144530073/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The area near the Kashirskaya metro station is being reorganized by the owner under the KRT program

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In the Nagatino-Sadovniki district, a site near the Kashirskaya station of the Big Circle Line of the metro will be reorganized. The owner of the site has given consent to the implementation of the project under the program of integrated development of territories (KRT). This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “The city plans to conclude a KRT agreement with the land owner. The area of 0.88 hectares is planned to be used for the construction of 53.6 thousand square meters of public and business real estate. Investments in the project implementation will exceed 16 billion rubles, and the annual budget effect will amount to almost 500 million rubles. As a result of the redevelopment of the site in Nagatino-Sadovniki, over 1.2 thousand jobs will appear,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The site is located between Kashirskoe Shosse and Marshal Shestopalov Street. The rights to it belong to Avest LLC.

    “Over the course of four years, the construction of public and business facilities is planned on the site, including a 250-room hotel. A non-permanent shopping center with an area of 980 square meters will also be built on the territory,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of City Property

    Maxim Gaman.

    Earlier Sergei Sobyanin approved the plans for the integrated development of territories in the North-Eastern and Southern Administrative Districts.

    Sobyanin: KRT helps make city blocks modern and attractiveThe city has published 32 integrated territorial development projects since the beginning of the yearBy the end of the year, the number of implemented KRT projects will almost double

    According to the program of integrated development of territories, multifunctional city quarters are being created, where roads, comfortable housing and all necessary infrastructure are being designed on the site of former industrial zones and inefficiently used areas. Currently, 236 KRT projects with a total area of more than 3.1 thousand hectares are at various stages of implementation in Moscow. The projects are being developed on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144529073/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New Australian opera Gilgamesh captures the power of one of the world’s most ancient masterpieces

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, University of Sydney

    Daniel Boud/Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Carriageworks

    Gilgamesh, a new opera from Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Orchestra and Carriageworks, gives a visceral retelling of a story from a forgotten age, exploring ideas of love, tyranny and what it means to be human.

    This new production reimagines the legend for 21st century audiences, while engaging cleverly with the epic’s timeless themes.

    The young king, Gilgamesh (Jeremy Kleeman), starts out as a tyrant and goes on a journey to find the wisdom needed to become a just ruler.

    Along the way, he meets his companion, Enkidu (a remarkable Mitchell Riley), a man born in the wilderness and civilised through two weeks of sex with the wise priestess Shamhat (Jessica O’Donoghue).

    Together, Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight the monstrous forest guardian Humbaba (Daniel Szeisong Todd) and the mighty Bull of Heaven. They also unwisely provoke the beauteous goddess of love and war Ishtar (Jane Sheldon).

    The heroes’ rash actions anger the gods, leading to Enkidu’s untimely death. Gilgamesh seeks eternal life and renewed youth, before finally returning home.



    Read more:
    Guide to the classics: the Epic of Gilgamesh

    A rediscovered story

    This production is the first English language opera of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary masterpiece from ancient Mesopotamia.

    The story was first written down on clay tablets in the cuneiform script more than 4,000 years ago. Although Gilgamesh was famous in the ancient world, his story disappeared from cultural awareness along with the ability to read cuneiform around the 1st century CE.

    The story was first written down in cuneiform script over 4,000 years ago.
    Daniel Boud/Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Carriageworks

    In a feat of scholarly virtuosity, 19th century scholars deciphered the rediscovered cuneiform script, using a kind of Persian Rosetta Stone known as the Behistun monument.

    In 1857, the Royal Asiatic Society held a kind of “cuneiform competition”, where scholars completed secret translations of a previously unseen inscription.

    When their translations were found to be very similar, it was clear the secrets of the complex script had finally been unlocked.

    Music and myth

    In the 150 years since the Epic of Gilgamesh was rediscovered, the legend has inspired music spanning numerous genres, from hip hop, to Australian indie pop, to metal.

    As with this new opera, many of these modern adaptations have focused on the loving relationship between the story’s two heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Their connection has been viewed as the world’s first bromance, or one of the oldest known love stories.

    The opera leans into the transformative nature of heroes’ epic love: Enkidu’s wildman innocence is corrupted by Gilgamesh; Gilgamesh is emboldened by the presence of his lover.

    There is much to admire in the approach to the text taken by composer Jack Symonds and librettist Louis Garrick.

    At times, excerpts of text from an English translation of the epic are incorporated into the score. This use of ancient prose is particularly effective in the scene where Gilgamesh rudely rejects Ishtar’s marriage proposal; it would be difficult to create a more brutal polemic than that employed by Gilgamesh against the goddess in the ancient narrative.

    At other times, new scenes and dialogue are crafted to draw deeper from the rich well of narrative ideas. This can be seen where Ishtar and Shamhat plan to civilise Enkidu (engineered by Gilgamesh in the original story), and a scene where Gilgamesh and Enkidu become lovers in the Cedar Forest.

    The production

    Kleeman gives a heroic turn as a man struggling to comprehend his mortality and his growing love for Enkidu.

    Sheldon is divine as Ishtar the vengeful goddess of love, seamlessly blending the deity’s power and unpredictability.

    As Utanapishti, the legendary flood survivor often compared with biblical Noah, Jessica O’Donoghue gives a haunting performance suited to one who has witnessed the destruction of most of humanity.

    The set design mirrors the combination of scale and simplicity seen in the narrative.
    Daniel Boud/Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Carriageworks

    The set (design by Elizabeth Gadsby) uses as its centrepiece a Chinese elm tree with 1,000 gold fabric leaves, mirroring the combination of scale and simplicity seen in the narrative.

    This reflects the creative team’s engagement with the epic’s ecological themes. The Cedar Forest is recognised in the original epic for its aesthetic and commercial value. Its destruction by the heroes is an act of sacrilege.

    Directed by Kip Williams, Gilgamesh emphasises the violence of environmental destruction through the bloody death of the forest guardian Humbaba in a stomach-turning scene slippery with gore.

    At times, the production is stomach-turning and slippery with gore.
    Daniel Boud/Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Carriageworks

    The love story between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is at the opera’s heart. Building on the intimate connection between the heroes in the ancient story, the two heroes sing songs of love together. Their vocal performances are matched with a dynamic physicality as they wrestle, embrace and cradle one another.

    Those familiar with Gilgamesh will enjoy discovering where new creative directions have been taken in the opera. For those new to the story, the opera gives a vibrant introduction into the power and drama of one of the world’s most ancient masterpieces.

    In the Babylonian legend, Gilgamesh finally abandons his quest for immortality. With this exciting new production of the epic, his ancient song of love and loss will continue to live on long into the future.

    Gilgamesh,by Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Orchestra and Carriageworks, is at Carriageworks, Sydney, until October 5.

    Louise Pryke was a guest of the Gilgamesh production.

    – ref. New Australian opera Gilgamesh captures the power of one of the world’s most ancient masterpieces – https://theconversation.com/new-australian-opera-gilgamesh-captures-the-power-of-one-of-the-worlds-most-ancient-masterpieces-237765

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Discovery day of the Drize construction site in the heart of the future districts of the Praille Acacias Vernets (PAV) project on October 5, 2024 in Sicli

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French

    A discovery day of the Drize construction site is organized by the territorial department and the urban operator PAV. The public will have the opportunity to discover the work of restoring the Drize to the open air around the Sicli pavilion. On this occasion, exceptional access to the construction site of this first stage of 450 meters of river will be open to the public.

    Construction site focus on two key locations

    Launched at the end of 2023, the first stage of the work to restore the Drize to the open air in the Praille Acacias Vernets (PAV) area will allow the renaturation of 450 meters of river on two sections located on either side of the Route des Acacias, one on Rue Boissonnas, the other at the foot of the Pictet Campus in Rochemont currently under construction.

    These two sections will be available to visit on October 5 as part of tours organized and accompanied by professionals. Participants will be able to go down and see the structure under the Acacias road that allows the river to cross this major road axis. The installation of this exceptional structure of 15 concrete blocks of 50 to 60 tons was carried out during the coup de poing operation of the Easter weekend 2024.

    Another point of interest on the construction site: a 3D view of the Drize brought back into the open air in the future Acacias district from the Boissonnas viewpoint, complete with explanations on the role of water in an urban environment.

    A varied program for everyone

    The public is invited to discover the prototype wall of the Drize section. An opportunity to deepen one’s knowledge of the different stones used, ancestral masonry techniques and the benefits of the project in favor of biodiversity.

    Workshops for children are organized throughout the day on the theme of the river and water in an urban environment.

    Finally, the development project for the future districts of the Praille Acacias Vernets project will be presented around the large model installed in the Sicli pavilion. Professionals will be present to present the project to visitors and answer their questions.

    A unique project in Switzerland with a strong impact on the environment

    Restores the open air, the Drize will make it possible to secure the future districts built in the PAV perimeter against the risk of flooding and will become a real ecological corridor in the city center with a positive impact on the future districts of the PAV. It will contribute to the development of biodiversity and will bring freshness to the city.

    Along its banks, public spaces and a greenway for soft mobility as well as relaxation areas will be developed for the well-being of all. Finally, this renaturation will allow better management of urban water which will return to its natural cycle.

    By 2035, the entire original route of the Drize will return to the open air, crossing the future districts over 2.0 km between Grange-Collomb and the Arve.

    This open-air restoration of the Drize, eventually completed by that of the Aire, is part of the major regeneration project of the Praille Acacias Vernets area, the objective of which is to create nine new housing and business districts that meet the challenges of the ecological transition.

    Discovery day of the Drize construction site in Sicli (meeting place)

    Saturday October 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

    Two visits every 30 minutes (last departure at 3:30 p.m.) A workshop and children’s walk every hour (last workshop at 3:00 p.m.) Photo exhibition of the construction site Presentation of the model of the Praille Acacias Vernets perimeter Prototype wall of the Drize Photo booth Small catering

    Practical arrangements

    Information and registration

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Urban development plans for land plots for the construction of private homes in TiNAO have been released

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Private houses will be built in the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky administrative districts. The capital’s five urban development plans for land plots with a total area of 0.62 hectares have been drawn up Committee on Architecture and Urban Development (Moskomarkhitektura). This was reported by Juliana Knyazhevskaya, Chairman of the Committee.

    The plots are located in the villages of Konakovo, Krucha, Rassudovo and Pesye, as well as in the settlement of Rogovo. The settlements are in the districts of Bekasovo, Voronovo and Krasnopakhorsky.

    “The total area of development on each site will not exceed 440 square meters. The settlements where houses will appear as part of individual housing construction are promising territories. There, conditions are created for comfortable living in private houses with all the necessary infrastructure within the city limits,” noted Yuliana Knyazhevskaya.

    Earlier, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov said that from 2020 Muscovites bought it out about 500 land plots with a 60 percent discount for individual housing construction.

    Muscovites have signed over 300 contracts with the city to purchase land for housing constructionMuscovites have purchased more than six hectares of land for the construction of private homes since the beginning of the year

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144540073/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues EUR 50 million notes under its MTN programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Municipality Finance Plc
    Stock exchange release
    27 September 2024 at 10:00 am (EEST)

    Municipality Finance issues EUR 50 million notes under its MTN programme

    Municipality Finance Plc issues EUR 50 million notes on 30 September 2024. The maturity date of the notes is 30 September 2054. MuniFin has a right, but no obligation, to redeem the notes early on 30 September 2027. The notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.548% per annum.

    The notes are issued under MuniFin’s EUR 50 billion programme for the issuance of debt instruments. The offering circular, the supplemental offering circular and the final terms of the notes are available in English on the company’s website at https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/for-investors.

    MuniFin has applied for the notes to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 30 September 2024.

    UBS Europe SE acts as the dealer for the issue of the notes.

    MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

    Further information:

    Joakim Holmström
    Executive Vice President, Capital Markets and Sustainability
    tel. +358 50 444 3638

    MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The company is owned by Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland.
    The Group’s balance sheet totals over EUR 50 billion.

    MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

    MuniFin’s customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

    Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/

    Important Information

    The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference, Beijing

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    JIM CHALMERS:

    Yesterday afternoon and into last evening I co‑chaired with Chairman Zheng Shanjie, the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the first Strategic Economic Dialogue in 7 years.

    These were frank and fruitful discussions between myself and the Chairman of the NDRC. The discussions ran for more than 3 hours. They ran over time. We are very grateful for the time that the Chairman was able to give us at a time when there’s a lot going on here in China, and I wanted to talk about that a bit as well.

    These were the first meetings by an Australian Treasurer here in 7 years. It’s another really important part of our efforts as a government to stabilise this really key economic relationship in the interests of our people.

    This economic relationship is full of complexity and full of opportunity, and we believe we give ourselves the best chance to manage and maximise those complexities and those opportunities when we engage in a meaningful way, as we have been doing over the course of the last couple of days.

    Obviously Australia and China – we have our differences. But we have agreed to work together where we can when it comes to really important areas like trade and investment, decarbonisation of our industries and business engagement as well.

    I’m really pleased that we agreed yesterday that we would conduct these Strategic Economic Dialogues annually, and the next one will be in Australia next year.

    We were able to have advanced discussions, frank and fruitful, productive and practical discussions, about the key issues confronting both of our economies and the global economy more broadly as well.

    There couldn’t have been a more important time to be engaging with Chinese counterparts than right now. We saw the announcements made earlier in the week and more signalled yesterday by senior policymakers here in China.

    I want to make it really clear – we welcome efforts to boost growth in the Chinese economy. We are very pleased to see these additional steps being signalled by the Chinese government in order to boost economic activity and boost growth here in China.

    China is Australia’s biggest partner. We have a lot at stake and a lot to gain when it comes to this key economic relationship. If you look at the Treasury forecasts for growth in the Chinese economy, if they eventuate, those 3 years of forecasts, that would be the weakest period of growth here in China since the opening up in the late 1970s. What happens here and what is decided here has big consequences for our own economy, our own workers, businesses, investors and for our country more broadly.

    We do have a lot at stake, and we do have a lot to gain when it comes to the engagement and the stabilisation of the relationship with China as well. We know that a more stable relationship is good for Australia, and that’s why I’m here. It’s as simple as that. That’s also why I consulted with the Chairs and CEOs and senior executives of around 15 different very major China‑facing Australian businesses, because we do know just how important it is that we get this right.

    Growth in the Chinese economy has been a key contributor to weakness in the global economy. When the Chinese economy is soft, we’re not immune from that. We understand that. That’s an important reason for the timing of this visit being so crucial.

    Shortly I’ll be meeting with the Chairman of the Chinese Securities Commission as well, Wu Qing, and I will get from him some further insights about the performance of the Chinese economy, particularly the financial conditions here. That will also be another opportunity to talk about the measures announced and signalled through the course of this week.

    I was very grateful to Chairman Zheng last night for the opportunity formally in the dialogue and then informally at the dinner to canvass some of the contexts for the decisions that have been taken, announced or signalled in the course of this week. The NDRC is really going to be one of the most important institutions when it comes to rolling out this support for the Chinese economy at a really important time.

    It was crucial that we restart these discussions, the Strategic Economic Dialogue. It’s a very good outcome for Australia that we will be hosting counterparts next year to continue to advance these discussions on areas like trade and investment, decarbonisation of our industries and business engagement. I’m looking forward to hosting colleagues and counterparts next year in Australia.

    So very valuable and well‑timed discussions. Very practical, very productive. I’m grateful for the generosity of our Chinese host as we canvass some of these really important issues.

    I’m happy to take some of your questions.

    JOURNALIST:

    Treasurer, as you say, you couldn’t have got luckier with the timing. How convinced are you by the extent of the stimulus measures announced by the Chinese this week?

    CHALMERS:

    Clearly some of the detail of these measures is still to come and subject to those details we think this is a really welcome development, a very welcome development here in China but also for the global economy, and especially for our own economy.

    We are very pleased to see the Chinese authorities announce or signal the sorts of steps that we have been hearing about this week publicly and also in our private discussions with our counterparts.

    This can only be a good thing for Australia, subject to those details, because we know that weakness in the Chinese economy does flow through to our own economic conditions. Some of the key reasons why our own economy is slowing considerably are global economic uncertainty, of which China is a part, combined with inflationary pressures at home and the impact of higher interest rates – those 3 things are combining to slow our own economy considerably.

    When steps are taken here to boost economic activity and to boost growth for the Chinese economy, subject to the details that will be released in good time, we see that as a very, very good development for Australia.

    JOURNALIST:

    But do you think they’ll work?

    CHALMERS:

    It remains to be seen. But we’ve seen on earlier occasions when the authorities here, the administration here, steps in to support activity in the economy that is typically a good thing for Australia – good for our businesses and workers, our industries, our investors, and good for the global economy as well.

    Like a lot of people around the world, we have been concerned about the softer conditions here in the Chinese economy. Subject to the details that will be made public in good time, any efforts to boost growth and support activity here is a welcome one around the world and especially at home in Australia.

    JOURNALIST:

    Can you talk us through some of the specific impacts that happens in Australia, the flow‑on effects, when you have an annual growth figure here in China that is below that 5 per cent target?

    CHALMERS:

    We see that across a range of different indicators, but the easiest to understand is the demand for and the price that we’re getting for some of our bulk commodities. One of the reasons why I consulted with BHP and Rio and Fortescue and Woodside and others before I came here to China is to understand the implications for our exports of a softer Chinese economy.

    We’ve seen the iron ore price, for example, is really quite low by recent historical standards. I think it’s down about 40 per cent since the start of the year. Similarly, when it comes to thermal coal. That has implications for us. It has implications for the Budget but, more importantly, it has implications for the economy. Even if in the course of this week we’ve seen a minor correction, a minor improvement, in the prices we get for some of our bulk commodities. That’s obviously a good thing when it comes to our major exporters.

    But more broadly, softness here has implications for growth in the global economy. We’ve even seen in the last 24 hours or so our own Reserve Bank putting out its financial stability analysis and has talked about the consequences of weaker Chinese growth for the global economy. We’re not immune from that, really, right across the board. But the easiest way to understand it is when it comes to the impact on our exporters.

    JOURNALIST:

    Treasurer, there’s been a lot happening in Beijing on the economic front. There’s also been lot going on on the military front. There was the first intercontinental ballistic missile shot in more than 4 decades a few days ago, and on Wednesday before you arrived Australia, Japan and New Zealand sailed their navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait. We’ve also had all 3 of China’s aircraft carriers for the first time operating on [inaudible].

    Can I get a direct comment on the ballistic missile [inaudible] and a comment on Australia’s freedom of navigation operation? And then maybe just talk to us about how you reconcile, obviously, the economic relationship is so important, but there’s other things going on as well, just talk to us about you reconcile that, thanks very much for that.

    CHALMERS:

    Thanks very much for that, Will.

    Australia, like other countries in our region and around the world, has a lot at stake when it comes to a stable, secure, peaceful and prosperous region. It’s not unusual for navies to conduct the kind of exercises that you’re describing in the Taiwan Strait. These are routine activities, and they’re conducted in accordance with international law. That wasn’t part of our discussions yesterday.

    In terms of the other parts of your question, I was able to reiterate in the meetings yesterday afternoon our expectations of safe and professional conduct of all militaries operating in our region. Obviously I’m aware of the reports about the testing and other reports that you refer to in your question, and I was able to raise that in the conversation yesterday afternoon. But as you would expect, the overwhelming focus of our discussions here has been the economy.

    JOURNALIST:

    So in your discussions yesterday about the stimulus measures, was there any discussion about whether these plans are aimed at very short term now or whether this was medium term? [Inaudible] And also, how do you see [inaudible]? Is this actually going to supercharge Chinese national output and Chinese exports? [Inaudible]

    CHALMERS:

    In reverse order, I was able to talk about the importance of safeguarding the global rules‑based system of open trade in the context of some of the issues you raise in your question and the free and fair and open markets that have served the global economy and our economy so well for so long.

    When it comes to the urgency or otherwise of steps that have been flagged to boost growth here, I don’t want to go too deep into the informal conversations that we had about some elements of that, but it was a feature of our discussions.

    This balance that we’re all trying to strike between doing what is necessary in the near term – whether it’s here supporting growth, in Australia, a primary focus on inflation on the cost of living without ignoring the risks to growth – balancing those near‑term considerations with what we need to do to set ourselves up for another generation of growth and prosperity.

    The discussions were about those steps flagged and announced throughout the course of the week. Some elements of that will have some urgency associated with it. But the government here wants to make sure that anything that they’re doing in the near term also serves a useful longer term purpose. In that, we have a lot in common. In Australia fighting inflation without ignoring the risks to growth, budget repair but also investing in skills and housing and energy and in a Future Made in Australia – all that is about trying to recognise our near‑term pressures and our longer‑term opportunities, and that’s how my Chinese counterparts see it as well.

    JOURNALIST:

    [Inaudible] the US is [inaudible] some kind of [inaudible]. What will Australia be doing about that? And did your Chinese counterpart raise that in his [inaudible]?

    CHALMERS:

    My colleague the Energy Minister has made it clear that we don’t intend to ban imports of EVs from any particular country.

    We will continue to discuss with American counterparts the steps that they’ve announced and the steps that they’re taking when it comes to EVs. But we will take our own advice when it comes to the best way to manage and maximise that really important market for EVs.

    These sorts of issues came up in the broad in the discussions yesterday afternoon. We know that this is an issue of concern to our Chinese counterparts. But from our point of view, when it came to technology and innovation and the net zero transformation, our highest priority and our focus in the discussions was on other areas, including the decarbonisation of steel, for example, trying to maximise the chances that we have working together when it comes to our iron ore and their steel production. We both have an interest in greener steel production, and so that was a bigger part of the conversation than some of these other issues around EVs and other technology.

    JOURNALIST:

    Treasurer, I’m sure Australian lobster farmers would be very interested to know whether you raised their concerns yesterday. Are you any closer to knowing when the ban will be lifted? Will it be this year?

    CHALMERS:

    I did raise it last night and yesterday afternoon. We’re seeking a speedy resolution of the restrictions on lobster.

    We’ve made really quite encouraging progress, engaging with Chinese counterparts, to see something like 20 of the $21 billion in trade restrictions lifted. That’s good for our workers and our businesses, our exporters and our investors. I wanted to pay tribute there to the efforts of our people here in China led so capably by our Ambassador, but also Ministers Wong and Farrell and the Prime Minister.

    This is a very tangible way that we have seen progress made as a consequence of our effort to stabilise the relationship. There is more trade of more goods than when we came to office because of those efforts.

    Obviously we’re aware we have a little ways to go yet, particularly when it comes to lobster. I did raise that. We are seeking the speedy resolution of those issues. We know that teams on both sides are discussing the issue of lobster in particular, trying to get to a resolution on that. We’d like to see that before long.

    JOURNALIST:

    What’s the hiccup?

    CHALMERS:

    As I understand it, there are still a couple of technical issues being worked on between our agriculture and trade departments and administrations. We knew that coming here.

    I intended to raise it here and I have. We do want to see a speedy resolution, but we know that there’s a little bit more work to do. But ideally, hopefully, we will see our wonderful Australian lobster gracing the tables of Chinese homes and restaurants as soon as possible.

    JOURNALIST:

    The Chinese delegation was seeking reassurances around Chinese investment in Australia. Did they raise anything specific [inaudible]?

    CHALMERS:

    I really welcomed the opportunity to convey to Chairman Zheng and to his colleagues the same thing which I have said publicly, and I mean it.

    Our foreign investment regime does not target any one country. Ours is a non‑discriminatory regime, which is about managing risks in foreign investment. It’s about strengthening the foreign investment regime and streamlining it where we can to manage the economic and security risks which are sometimes part of foreign investment proposals. That doesn’t single any one country out. It is just a sensible, considered, commonsense way to manage foreign investment in Australia.

    Foreign investment in Australia is welcome. We support overwhelmingly most of the applications that are made to us. Where a proposal is rejected it hasn’t all been from one country. It hasn’t all been from here.

    I really did genuinely welcome the opportunity to step the Chairman through that. We agreed to have more discussions about some of those issues. Wherever we can provide more clarity on these sorts of issues we welcome the chance to do that.

    JOURNALIST:

    What did they say about critical minerals? Because obviously some of those investors have been in that industry. It’s something the Chinese dominate in, and we have seen the announcement earlier this week of the co‑financing agreement between Australia and the US and other countries. So were they concerned about these efforts to diversify supply chains in critical minerals?

    CHALMERS:

    There’s a recognition that every country manages its economic and national security interests in a way that’s appropriate for them.

    Every country has some system or set of arrangements to screen investment, and countries make agreements with each other about key supply chains like this one.

    We think that critical minerals are the opportunity of the century for Australia. I am a huge supporter of the Australian critical minerals industry. But our efforts there aren’t about protecting. They’re about engaging with the world, providing wonderful critical – Australian critical minerals – to markets around the world. Obviously not just with our Chinese counterparts but right around the world there’s a lot of interest in Australian critical minerals, and that’s for good reason.

    JOURNALIST:

    Do you see the Chinese overcapacity in thins like rare earths as being a threat to Australia’s industries? Australia’s paying billions of dollar to companies like Arafura to develop the industry and yet Chinese exports are growing and prices are falling. Are those – firstly, are those investments by the Australian Government and those companies at risk, and, secondly, did you raise those issues with the Chinese?

    CHALMERS:

    We’ve been one of the world’s major beneficiaries of properly functioning global markets for resources and for other goods and services as well. The global economy has been a major beneficiary of that, and we’ve been a major beneficiary of that. We want to see it continue.

    Clearly, when it comes to some markets for some resources, we’ve seen some extraordinary volatility in some of those markets. I was able to reiterate with Chairman Zheng just how much we value the proper functioning of global rules‑based markets. I believe that it’s in everyone’s interests that see those markets function properly.

    JOURNALIST:

    Just following on on investment, [inaudible] Australia‑China Business Council Summit. There’s been a lot of confusion among Australian China facing businesses and Chinese businesses who want to operate in Australia, they heard the comments you repeated today about Australia not having – not targeting any one country. But then they say, well, look at the reality of it. They said they’re very confused about where they’re allowed or not. You have approved or allowed the investment of Rio and [inaudible] for that new iron ore project 2 years ago. Clearly Investment can be approved from China. Can you speak to the model? Is it that? Is it a 50–50 JV with an Australian partner? Is that what Chinese businesses should be coming to Australia with if they want success? Just speak to that a bit.

    CHALMERS:

    We approach each proposal on a case‑by‑case basis, and we’ve done our best to provide as much information and clarity and certainty about the sorts of things that we consider when we judge those applications on a case‑by‑case basis.

    We’ve made it very clear, for example, that we take a harder look where it applies to critical infrastructure, critical data, critical minerals. I think that’s understood. It’s certainly been clearly communicated by our government. But if there’s more information and more clarity that we can provide, I was able to convey to Chairman Zheng yesterday afternoon that we’re happy to try and provide that.

    We approve overwhelmingly the vast majority of proposals which come to us when it comes to foreign investment. Rejecting proposals is a very rare thing, and it isn’t just from one country. We run a genuinely non‑discriminatory Foreign Investment Review Board process. It is rightly robust. We want it to be robust, but we also want it to be clear and transparent, and if we can do more on that front, we will.

    JOURNALIST:

    Treasurer, you’re flying back into a really big storm over negative gearing. Did you ask Treasury to model reforms, and when will we get a definitive answer from the government about whether you will take a new policy to the election on negative gearing?

    CHALMERS:

    First of all, I hope I’m flying back into another Brisbane Lions premiership, but I’ll also be flying back into the opportunity to do a couple of things when I’m back.

    I’ll be releasing the Final Budget Outcome on Monday with Katy Gallagher, which will show a bigger second surplus than forecast in the Budget in May. There’ll be a number of opportunities to talk about this and these engagements here as well.

    When it comes to negative gearing changes, it is not unusual at all for governments or for treasurers to get advice on contentious issues which are in the public domain, including in the parliament. It is not unusual for treasurers to do that, but we have made it very clear through the course of this week that we have a broad and ambitious housing policy already and those changes aren’t part of it.

    JOURNALIST:

    So you’ll rule out any changes to negative gearing before the next election and during the next term?

    CHALMERS:

    We’ve made it really clear through the course of the week that our priority and our focus is on rolling out $32 billion worth of investment, because our highest priority and our biggest focus is supply. Whether it’s in Brisbane on Wednesday where I took a number of questions about this or throughout the course of the week when the Prime Minister was able to take a whole bunch of questions on this as well, we’ve made it clear. Our policy is to boost supply. Our policy is to invest $32 billion in that effort and these changes which we get advice on from time to time because they’re in the public domain or they’re in the Parliament, they’re not part of our policy.

    JOURNALIST:

    Is the Australian economy at risk of shrinking if Trump is elected in the US, given he’s flagged up to 60 per cent tariffs on all imports and overruling the Federal Reserve on interest rates [inaudible]?

    CHALMERS:

    As you’d appreciate, we don’t comment on the domestic political debate, especially from another country and especially in the most intense part of an American election campaign.

    We have shown a willingness and an ability across Australian Governments of both political persuasions to work with whoever the Americans choose as their President and the people that they elect to their representative bodies. We play the cards that we’re dealt when it comes to decisions taken appropriately by the American people.

    I share President Biden’s view that nobody has anything to gain from a trade war between the US and China. The policies being proposed by either side of politics in the US are a matter for them. Broadly and in principle I hold President Biden’s view – nobody has anything to gain from a trade war between this country and the US, least of all Australia.

    JOURNALIST:

    How much did the US election come up in your discussions yesterday?

    CHALMERS:

    I don’t think it came up at all. It may have come up informally, but I don’t believe so.

    Thanks very much.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin opened a bank office and a monument to construction workers and restorers in the DPR

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin made a working visit to the Donetsk People’s Republic, where he took part in the opening of a bank office, a monument, and held a meeting on the socio-economic development of the region.

    “The financial system is the foundation without which new regions will not be able to develop at a sufficient pace. After the opening of the updated PSB office, we held a meeting on this topic. We discussed, among other things, growth points for mortgages and lending to enterprises participating in the SEZ,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    He added that this PSB office is one of more than 20 branches of the bank in Mariupol. It works for both individuals and legal entities. The bank has a mortgage center, as well as several ATM zones, including with 24/7 access.

    In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister opened a monument to the builders and restorers. On each side of the memorial are bronze bas-reliefs of the restored objects – the School of Arts, the Intensive Care Hospital, the Priazovsky State Technical University and images of the builders at work.

    “It was largely thanks to them that life in the new regions was revived. So this monument is a kind of ‘thank you’ to the 35 thousand builders from all over the country involved in the restoration work in the new regions,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    Concluding his working visit, the Deputy Prime Minister saw how the Central School of Arts had been restored and discussed the program for the socio-economic development of the DPR.

    “Our task is to draw it up for three and six years so that it will lead to the achievement of the goals set by the President as much as possible. We need to define the strategy and priorities now. The key ones are housing, roads, social and economic blocks, launching production,” Marat Khusnullin noted.

     

     

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/nevs/52813/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Governor Olli Rehn: Old and new frontiers of the ESRB: Systemic risk, non-banks and data analysis

    Source: Bank of Finland

    Olli Rehn, First Vice-Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board
    Keynote speech at the 8th ESRB annual conference ‘New Frontiers in Macroprudential Policy’, Frankfurt, 27 September 2024

    Old and new frontiers of the ESRB: Systemic risk, non-banks and data analysis

    Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

    Good morning everyone!

    May I also welcome you all and thank the secretariat for putting together an impressive programme for this ESRB flagship event.

    Today, I would like to reflect on the role of the ESRB and its mandate regarding financial stability and macroprudential policy in the EU.

    Slide 2: The ESRB’s track record & new frontiers

    I will discuss three interlinked issues. Firstly, the ESRB at 15, an adolescent, with a solid record. Secondly, key starting points for the forthcoming ESRB review. And thirdly, new frontiers, especially dealing with non-banks and better use of data and analysis.

    Let’s look at where we have come from. Since the global financial crisis, major efforts have been made to ensure financial stability in the EU and globally through better regulation and supervision. I think it is indeed fair to say that financial stability has risen forcefully up the agenda of central banks, not least as it provides essential support for the central banks’ primary goal of price stability.

    In recent years, financial systems and financial stability measures have been subject to real-life stress tests, with the global economy being hit by a series of major shocks over just a short period of time. Primarily, that is, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s illegal, brutal war in Ukraine, the surge in inflation and the sharp rise in interest rates.

    In my view, the financial systems in the EU and elsewhere have withstood these shocks rather well. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision points out that the strong resilience has been largely thanks to the tightened capital and liquidity requirements for banks.

    Slide 3: Sturdy capital buffers provide banking resilience

    True, the capital ratios of European banks have roughly doubled since the global financial crisis. The increased capital buffers have been – and will continue to be – necessary in the current operating environment, which is filled with geopolitical and other uncertainties.

    I would add that the active use of macroprudential policy has further supported the resilience of the financial system in Europe.

    As part of its mandate, the ESRB assesses systemic risks in the EU, and, where appropriate, issues warnings and recommendations.

    Slide 4: Key risks for EU financial stability

    In our recent systemic risk assessment, we conclude that while disinflation in the EU is on track, financial stability risks remain elevated amid heightened geopolitical risks and the still fragile recovery of the EU economy. In the latest ECB projection, growth outlook was revised down, and the risks to the growth outlook are tilted to the downside.

    In particular, we have to be aware of both the direct and indirect impacts of current geopolitical risks on the EU financial system. Geopolitical events may directly impact financial markets by increasing volatility, affecting capital flows, exchange rates, and credit spreads. Indirectly, they can disrupt global trade and increase commodity prices, challenging households and businesses in the EU.

    In the financial markets, the risk appetite has been unusually strong, especially in the context of high macro-financial uncertainty. The abrupt, albeit short-lived, market correction in early August showed how sensitive this can be. If repeated, the vulnerabilities in the non-bank sector could amplify adverse market dynamics.

    Moreover, vulnerabilities in the banking sector could resurface, especially if the first two risks were to materialise. This would increase credit risks and tighten funding conditions at the same time.

    In any case, it continues to be essential to maintain the resilience of the EU financial system. Ensuring adequate resilience and effective but flexible regulation is one building block in promoting European competitiveness, along the lines of the recent report by Mario Draghi. As part of the efforts for more investment and higher productivity, it is crucial to advance the savings and investment union – or the ex-capital market union – and to complete the banking union.

    Slide 5: ESRB’s members reflect on its future – ATC survey

    Fifteen years ago, the global financial crisis revealed weaknesses in EU banking supervision. It was clear that major changes to financial supervision were necessary to help prevent and mitigate future crises.

    Thus, Commission President José Manuel Barroso set up an independent High Level Group on Financial Supervision in the EU to make recommendations on strengthening European supervisory arrangements, covering all financial sectors.

    The High Level Group, chaired by Jacques de Larosière, was given a very broad mandate and very little time. In only three months, the Group delivered an important and insightful report. It provided the basis not only for establishing the ESRB but the whole European System of Financial Supervision, including the European Supervisory Authorities.

    One of the key conclusions of the report was that regulators and supervisors had not sufficiently focused on “the macro-systemic risks of a contagion of correlated horizontal shocks”. As a policy response, de Larosière proposed establishing the ESRB (or the European Systemic Risk Council as he then called it).

    As a member of the European Commission at that time, I had the privilege of being present at the ESRB’s creation, specifically by preparing with my team the legislative proposals for setting up the ESRB, while my dear colleague Michel Barnier introduced the legislation for the European System of Financial Supervision. The legislative process was swift. The General Board of the ESRB held its inaugural meeting in the Eurotower in January 2011.

    Given the constantly evolving environment, it is necessary to review the mandate and workings of the ESRB from time to time. The Commission is now tasked – for the second time – with reporting to the European Parliament and to the Council on the review of the ESRB.

    While the ESRB will not take a formal position on its founding regulation, it believes it is important that the legislator has the opportunity to benefit from the experience of those who have been deeply involved in the work of the ESRB. For this purpose, the ESRB has set up a High Level Group to (i) identify which adjustments to the mission or framework of the ESRB might be required and to (ii) provide its insights to the EU co-legislators before the review process. I have the honour of chairing the Group.

    Let me give you an interim snapshot of the key issues in the review.

    First, as part of the High Level Group’s work we have been seeking feedback more broadly from the ESRB membership by way of a survey among the members of the Advisory Technical Committee on how the ESRB has succeeded in its core tasks over the years. We have also sought to explore whether the current operating model of the ESRB is fit for purpose and how the ESRB and its tasks should be renewed and developed as the financial system evolves.

    The feedback received from the members of the ATC has been most valuable. It indicates that the current model and mandate of the ESRB do not need a complete overhaul but rather some targeted adjustment.

    The work done by the ESRB over the years is considered especially valuable with regard to the definition of macroprudential policies and the development of a comprehensive framework for macroprudential policies in Europe, particularly in the banking sector.

    And this work has had a significant impact: the ESRB, through its determined efforts, has helped to pre-emptively identify and mitigate the build-up of systemic risks in Europe.

    Going forward, the ESRB could, in my view, play an even stronger role in the holistic analysis of systemic risks within the EU. The ESRB has a unique ability to examine cross-sectoral, cross-border and interlinked risks – and the truly systemic dimension of these risks.

    The ESRB is also in an excellent position to work with academia and international organisations. A particular advantage for the ESRB is that the European Supervisory Authorities (the EBA, ESMA and EIOPA) participate in our work and provide their own perspectives. It is crucial that their expertise will continue to support the work of the ESRB.

    Leading on from this, I would like to call for deeper collaboration at the EU level on country risk analysis. Given the macroprudential mandate of the ESRB, there is scope for capitalizing on the ESRB’s analytical work in the EU’s Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure.

    In particular, the ESRB has been developing the concept of macroprudential policy stance to analyse the way in which national authorities are using macroprudential tools to mitigate the systemic risks to which their financial sector is exposed. A deepening of EU collaboration in this field would contribute to strengthening economic stability in a particular Member State and/or the EU in its entirety.

    The feedback we received also highlighted that, in its systemic risk assessment, the ESRB should be able to incorporate a range of new emerging risks and vulnerabilities. Several members underlined the need to better understand systemic risks related to the non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). Other increasingly relevant risks include climate change, AI and cybersecurity.

    The ESRB has already engaged in risk monitoring and analysis of the non-bank sector and has identified many structural vulnerabilities that require our attention. But more work is needed to better understand the systemic risks of the non-bank sector in the same depth as those for the banks. This is important not only for financial stability, but also for ensuring a solid basis for the saving and investment union.

    Let me underline the critical importance of data – access to data, better use of data – in the analysis of non-banks. To understand the systemic risks related to NBFIs, we simply need better data to be able to identify and map the vulnerabilities and interconnections. Only once that’s done, we will be able to capitalize on more advanced methods, such as system wide stress-testing, to locate the vulnerabilities in the system.

    Our future challenges include not only the complexity of the evolving financial system, but also the increased speed of its operations. Due to digitalisation, financial operations are becoming ever faster. It will be even more important that the ESRB is able to perform risk analysis and policy evaluations in a timely manner.

    Dear Friends,

    Slide 6: Three priorities in the way we work

    Before concluding, I’d like to highlight three priorities for the way we work in the coming years that I find critical for the ESRB. We should:

    1. Enhance our analytical capacity by making better use of data and research.
    2. Bring into use new analysis methods and technologies.
    3. Focus on our core activities.

    Let me just elaborate on these a little more.

    Slide 7: Analysis based on data and research – a key priority

    1. Active development of data analytics and research-driven analysis is nothing new at the ESRB as such.

    But I firmly believe that the importance of analysis which is based on data and research cannot be overemphasized in our times, where disinformation is being used as a weapon. In today’s world, there is a great risk that genuine information will be crowded out.

    Data is the gold or oil of our digital world today – it is a valuable resource and a necessary basis for high-level analysis. Following the global financial crisis, the reporting requirements for financial operators were increased. Financial supervisors and central banks consequently also have a duty to use the new data effectively and efficiently.

    The challenge for the ESRB is that not all relevant data are readily available to it. The rules governing the ESRB’s access to data can be broadly divided into two types:

    • ex ante access, whereby the ESRB has access to data on a regular, ongoing basis, as soon as it is reported. We already benefit from quite a few datasets under this framework, which is well aligned with our mandate and tasks.
    • ex post access, through ad hoc requests, which take time to process. For some important datasets we have only ex post access. This includes granular datasets collected by the ESAs.

    While cooperation regarding data sharing between the ESAs and the ESRB has been excellent, the ex post framework has inherent limitations that hamper the ESRB’s ability to continuously monitor and mitigate risks to financial stability.

    For this reason, the ESRB sent a letter last month to European co-legislators, urging them to broaden the ESRB’s access to information from supervisors, so that the data can be shared with the ESRB by default.

    This is extremely important for the ESRB to be able to effectively fulfil its mandate in assessing the systemic risks and to promptly react in instances of projected instability.

    As the volume of data increases, we must also invest in new high-level analysis methods. Modern methods of risk assessment make use of advanced tools and technologies, such as AI and machine learning, which enable better forecasting and analysis. With these technologies, it is possible to process large amounts of data.

    Finally, to focus on our core activities has been rightly underlined both by the other High Level Group members and in the ESRB member feedback. We should, in my view too, focus on our core activities even in the midst of various crises. We cannot be experts in everything, and nor do we need to be. The added value that we bring as an organisation should focus on the area where we are the best experts: systemic level risk analysis of the financial system.

    Our added value should always come from a deep understanding of vulnerabilities and interconnections in the financial system and of the various factors that get amplified when shocks hit the system.

    Dear Friends,

    Let me now conclude.

    In the grand scheme of things, financial stability fundamentally depends on the geopolitical and macroeconomic context. The best service for EU financial stability now is to maintain European unity and firmly support Ukraine in the face of Russia’s threat.

    Furthermore, it is crucial to strengthen the structural foundations of the European economy, by focusing policy actions on productivity growth and industrial competitiveness, while retaining the European model of social inclusion.

    On its part, the European Systemic Risk Board, together with the ESAs, the SSM, the FSAs and the central banks, continues to play a strong role in safeguarding the stability of the EU financial system. Our work will focus on the evolving systemic risk and will be based on comprehensive data and research, high-quality analysis and wide-ranging cooperation between different authorities.

    I look forward to continuing to work with you towards this immensely important goal of maintaining financial stability in Europe.

    Thank you for your kind attention!

    Presentation (PDF)

    Olli Rehn ESRB financial stability speech

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: China innovates carbon footprint assessment

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Chinese scientists have developed a carbon footprint assessment system which spatializes a carbon footprint by integrating a geographic information system (GIS) into a full life cycle assessment (LCA). This comes as the country has advanced efforts to establish a carbon footprint management program that is both tailored to national conditions and aligned with international standards.

    Software for the GIS-LCA system was released at a seminar focusing on the construction of a carbon footprint management system. The seminar was held in Beijing on Sept. 26, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences]
    Software for this GIS-LCA system was released Thursday at a seminar in Beijing that gathered representatives from relevant government departments, academia, companies and industrial associations.
    During his speech at the seminar, Xie Kechang, academician and former vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, expressed how current international standards do not account for variations in carbon footprints of products that are the same but produced in different locations. He went on to add that this limitation does not suit China’s national conditions well. Xie offered guidance to the team who developed this new carbon footprint assessment system.
    Tian Yajun, chief scientist of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and leader of the team who developed this new system, also emphasized the significance of accuracy in carbon footprint calculation, stating that “an accurate and reliable carbon footprint is one of the important foundations for promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society.”

    Tian Yajun, chief scientist of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and leader of the team developing the GIS-LCA system, spoke during the seminar held in Beijing on Sept. 26, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology at the CAS]
    Both academics highlighted that the integration of GIS with LCA addresses this limitation and enhances assessment accuracy.
    According to Tian, also head of the Extended Energy Big Data and Strategy Research Center at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology at the CAS, this carbon footprint assessment system, built on a decade’s worth of accumulated big data, can model real-world scenarios, planning the actual paths of carbon footprints while supporting visualization in the form of flow charts.
    He added that this system can be applied in a wide variety of contexts and by a diverse array of institutions, including products, services, supply chains, companies, industrial parks, industries and governments.
    With this GIS-LCA system, Yueqing city in Zhejiang province has developed China’s first carbon footprint calculation model for local industrial clusters. It has also created a carbon footprint roadmap for electrical product supply chains. On this basis, the model has identified key points and provided plans for carbon reduction.
    In addition, the city has developed the country’s first spatialized, high-resolution background dataset for the electrical industry, as well as has established a public carbon footprint service platform that integrates products, supply chains, industries, businesses, certification bodies and the government.
    “The technology that integrates geographic information with carbon footprint assessment provides an open exploration for establishing the country’s carbon footprint management system, and a good start for us to promote a science-based, standardized and internationally recognized carbon footprint management,” said Xia Yingxian, director general for the Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).
    According to an action plan released in June by the MEE in collaboration with 14 other government departments, China aims to preliminarily establish a carbon footprint management program with national guidelines for calculating product carbon footprints as well as calculation rules and standards for approximately 100 key products by 2027, with the intent to expand this system to include calculation rules and standards for approximately 200 key products by 2030.
    The national guidelines GB/T24067-2024, titled Greenhouse gases—Carbon footprint of products—Requirements and guidelines for qualifications, are scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1.
    Looking ahead, Tian said that he and his team look forward to developing their GIS-LCA system into an important component of China’s carbon footprint management program, and even part of international rules.
    Xia said that the MEE will collaborate with other government departments to motivate stakeholders across society to step up scientific theoretical research; establish calculation standards through pilot efforts in key regions, industries and companies; encourage collaboration in developing a national emission factor database of product carbon footprints; create diverse application scenarios; and advance international and mutual recognition of the standards.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Abbas urges efforts to stop Israeli occupation, ‘genocide’

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech during the General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 26, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a long round of applause as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, insisting that “we will not leave, Palestine is our homeland,” and “if anyone were to leave it would be the occupier.”

    He proceeded to accuse Israel of perpetrating a “full-scale war of genocide,” dismissing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Israel didn’t kill civilians in Gaza. “I ask you, who is it then that killed more than 15,000 children?” he said.

    “Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people,” Abbas said.

    Sanction and exclusion

    During his speech, Abbas called on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel and also its exclusion from the United Nations following the “genocide in Gaza.”

    “We call for sanctions against Israel. Israel does not deserve to be part of this organization. I don’t know how the United States can insist on depriving us of our rights,” Abbas said, adding that Israel must be stripped of United Nations membership for failing to accept a two-state resolution to the conflict and allowing the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes. “We are going to submit an application to the UNGA on this matter,” he said.

    “We regret that the U.S. administration — the largest democracy in the world — on three occasions obstructed draft resolutions at the Security Council demanding Israel to observe a ceasefire,” Abbas said, accusing the United States of encouraging Israel’s military actions by repeatedly using its veto power and supplying Israel with weapons used in the conflict.

    “This is the United States — the same country that was the only member in the Security Council that voted against granting the state of Palestine full membership in the UN,” Abbas said, expressing disbelief over what he sees as the U.S. consistent opposition to Palestinian statehood and rights.

    He also touched upon the situation with settlers in the West Bank, specifying that 600,000 settlers currently live there. “We want ICJ (the International Court of Justice) ruling on Israel to be implemented,” he noted.

    Crime and genocide

    Highlighting that Palestinians have endured nearly a year of what he described as one of the most heinous crimes of the time, the leader said that “it is the crime of a full-scale war of genocide that Israel is perpetrating. A crime that has killed more than 40,000 martyrs in Gaza alone, and thousands remain under the rubble. A crime that has injured more than 100,000 to this day.”

    He pointed out that whole Palestinian families have been annihilated, their family names completely erased, stressing that amid the onslaught, diseases are spreading, clean water and vital medicines are in scarce supply, and over two million Palestinians have been displaced, many forced to flee multiple times in search of safety. The deaths and injuries continue unabated, not only in Gaza but in the West Bank and in Jerusalem.

    Abbas underscored that he was not speaking today “to respond to the lies” of the Israeli prime minister, who claimed before the U.S. Congress in July that Israeli forces did not kill innocent civilians in Gaza.

    “I ask you, who is it then that killed more than 15,000 children of the 40,000 and an equal number of women and elderly persons. And who is it then that is continuing to kill them, I ask you?” he said.

    “Palestine will be free, despite anyone who objects. Our people will live in the land of their fathers and grandfathers … The occupation will end,” concluded Abbas.

    Strike and ceasefire

    Right after Abbas, Gambian President Adama Barrow addressed the UNGA that “the Israeli occupation, expansion of settlements, blockade of Gaza, and restrictions in the West Bank, together with the threat of intensifying the war to a regional conflict, continue to worsen the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.”

    “Accordingly, I call on the United Nations, the international community, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States to join forces and urgently bring about permanent peace in Palestine,” he said, adding that “we call on the international community to prioritize support for the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza and the improvement of economic conditions in the West Bank. Even though the situation in that region is extremely serious, the intense destruction of lives and property continues.”

    In the meantime, Netanyahu instructed his military to keep fighting “with full force” on Thursday, as high-stakes international diplomatic efforts were underway to pause the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

    Netanyahu is heading to New York for the UNGA, as members of his government dismissed a ceasefire proposal that the United States, European allies and several Arab nations put forward. Israel’s military carried out new strikes in Lebanon, including one in Beirut, the capital, that targeted the commander of Hezbollah’s drone unit.

    The UNGA adopted a resolution on May 10 supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member and recommending that the Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.” The resolution was adopted with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. China voted for the resolution.

    The resolution states, “The State of Palestine … should therefore be admitted to membership” and “recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ECB Consumer Expectations Survey results – August 2024

    Source: European Central Bank

    27 September 2024

    Compared with July 2024:

    • median consumer inflation perceptions over the previous 12 months and consumer inflation expectations for the next 12 months both declined, as did median inflation expectations for three years ahead;
    • expectations for nominal income growth over the next 12 months increased, while expectations for spending growth over the next 12 months remained unchanged;
    • expectations for economic growth over the next 12 months became less negative, while the expected unemployment rate in 12 months’ time decreased;
    • expectations for growth in the price of homes over the next 12 months increased slightly, while expectations for mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead remained unchanged.

    Inflation

    The median rate of perceived inflation over the previous 12 months declined further in August to 3.9%, from 4.1% in July. Perceptions of past inflation have thus declined by 4.5 percentage points since their peak of 8.4% in September 2023. Meanwhile, inflation expectations at the one-year and three-year horizons remained below the perceived past inflation rate. Median expectations for inflation over the next 12 months edged down to 2.7%, from 2.8% previously, and stood at their lowest level since September 2021. Median expectations for inflation three years ahead edged down by 0.1 percentage points in August to 2.3%, back to their June level. Uncertainty about inflation expectations over the next 12 months remained unchanged at its lowest level since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. While the broad evolution of inflation perceptions and expectations remained relatively closely aligned across income groups, expectations for lower income quintiles were slightly above those for higher income quintiles. Younger respondents (aged 18-34) continued to report lower inflation perceptions and expectations than older respondents (those aged 35-54 and 55-70). (Inflation results)

    Income and consumption

    Consumer nominal income growth expectations increased to 1.2%, from 1.1% in June. The increase in income expectations was mainly driven by the lowest two quintiles. Perceptions of nominal spending growth over the previous 12 months decreased further to 5.2%, from 5.4% in July and 5.8% in June. The latest datapoint continues a sustained decline which started in March 2023. Expectations for nominal spending growth over the next 12 months remained stable at 3.2%. Nominal spending expectations are at their lowest level since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. (Income and consumption results)

    Economic growth and labour market

    Economic growth expectations for the next 12 months became less negative, standing at -0.9%, compared with -1.0% in July. Meanwhile, expectations for the unemployment rate 12 months ahead decreased to 10.4%, from 10.6% in July, their lowest level since the start of the series. Consumers continued to expect the future unemployment rate to be only slightly higher than the perceived current unemployment rate (10.0%), implying a broadly stable labour market. The lowest income quintile continued to report the highest expected and perceived unemployment rate, as well as the lowest economic growth expectations. (Economic growth and labour market results)

    Housing and credit access

    In August consumers expected the price of their home to increase by 2.7% over the next 12 months, which was slightly higher than in July (2.6%). Households in the lowest income quintile continued to expect higher growth in house prices than those in the highest income quintile (3.2% and 2.5% respectively). Expectations for mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead remained stable at 4.8%. As in previous months, the lowest income households expected the highest mortgage interest rates 12 months ahead (5.5%). The net percentage of households reporting a tightening (relative to those reporting an easing) in access to credit over the previous 12 months increased marginally, as did the net percentage of those expecting a tightening over the next 12 months. Nevertheless, both indicators remained close to levels last seen in the second quarter of 2022. (Housing and credit access results)

    The release of the CES results for September is scheduled for 25 October 2024.

    For media queries, please contact: Eszter Miltényi-Torstensson, Tel: +49 171 769 5305

    Notes

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Minister of Health urged to follow Disability Minister’s lead

    Source: Aged Care Association

    The Minister for Disability Issues, Hon. Louise Upston, has confirmed that there will be no funding increase for disabled adults in aged care, but has asked the Aged Care Association to be involved in a solution for the sector.
    Over 1,000 people with disabilities live in aged residential care facilities. The funding freeze announced recently by the Minister poses challenges for those people and the providers who care for them.
    We expect our members will be seriously considering whether they can continue providing care for adults with disabilities. Aged residential care facilities are already on a knife edge, and this funding freeze makes a difficult environment even worse.
    The more positive news is that Minister Upston has moved swiftly to address our concerns by establishing an internal taskforce to review disability support service funding models and the commitment to developing an engagement program where we will have the opportunity to participate. The ACA is ready to collaborate with the Taskforce to ensure that the voices of our members are heard in this important process.
    We strongly urge the Minister of Health to take similar steps, by establishing a Ministerial Taskforce to work alongside us in addressing broader challenges in the aged care sector. Collaborative solutions are essential for creating a sustainable aged care system that can effectively meet the needs of our communities.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Shigeru Ishiba will be Japan’s next prime minister. What should we expect?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Maslow, Associate professor, University of Tokyo

    In a vote to replace Fumio Kishia as head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), party members have elected Shigeru Ishiba as their new leader. Given the LDP’s majority in parliament, the party leader will become prime minister by default.

    Ishiba, aged 67, joined the parliament in 1986 and held key cabinet posts throughout his career, including director of then Defence Agency (now Ministry of Defence).

    Amid growing public opposition to the LDP, in 1993 he left the party, only to return four years later. The move cost him the trust of many of his LDP colleagues, many of whom still consider him a traitor.

    Ishiba has run five times for the LDP’s top position and frequently opposed former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s policies. Though unpopular among the LDP’s top members, Ishiba has nourished broad support among the LDP’s base. In today’s race, he won over Sanae Takaichi, a close ally of Abe and the face of the LDP’s revisionist brand of conservatism.

    Ishiba, who has his constituency in rural Tottori, has pledged to revitalise economic growth through supporting local regions. A defence expert, he is an outspoken advocate of stronger security relations with the United States and a more robust military.

    What does this tell us about Japanese politics?

    The election was one of the most contentious in recent political history and came after Kishida announced he would not seek re-election as LDP leader when his three-year term ends this month.

    Kishida’s tenure as prime minister has been marred by political scandals, leading to a sharp decline in public support for the cabinet.

    In particular, the revelation of the LDP’s links to the Unification Church following the assassination of Abe in 2022 and recent reports of LDP slush funds have undermined voter confidence in the party.

    In an effort to restore public confidence, Kishida promoted the dissolution of the LDP’s factions, which had served as the party’s main internal mechanisms for mobilising support and financial resources and allocating government portfolios since its founding in 1955.

    At the same time, the factions were seen as the main source of the LDP’s scandals.

    In a logic of “numbers are power”, the factions mobilised internal support for either their own leader or the faction’s ally to become prime minister.

    By challenging the LDP’s old power structures, Kishida’s re-election prospects diminished. However, with the disappearance of most of the LDP’s factions, internal power politics has become competitive.

    As a result, an unprecedented nine candidates vied for the party’s leadership.

    Will politics change much?

    The LDP’s constitution stipulates that in the first round of voting, the votes of each of the 368 members of parliament are added to the 368 votes allocated proportionally to rank-and-file members.

    The top two candidates then go through to a second round, where the 368 National Diet members cast their votes, while each of the 47 prefectural branches gets one vote.

    This means candidates who are popular with the LDP’s base have a good chance of surviving the first round, while only those who are popular with the party’s Diet members will ultimately win the race.

    The exception to this pattern is when the party’s national elite is so unpopular that its Diet members make a strategic move to support a locally popular candidate in an appeal to the public to reform the LDP and thus avoid punishment at the polls.

    This was the case when Junichiro Koizumi was elected LDP leader in 2001 after campaigning against his own party, which was embroiled in a series of scandals, while securing the support of the grassroots.

    With a runoff between the top two contenders seen as the most likely scenario early on, the candidates have been courting the support of the LDP’s old guard and faction leaders, hoping for their influence in mobilising the votes of LDP Diet members.

    Ishiba has remained highly unpopular among LDP Diet members. LDP Vice-President Taro Aso and others have pledged to support his rival Sanae Takaichi.

    Takakichi herself has promised not to further investigate the party’s slush funds or to punish members linked to them. While Ishiba has been critical of the LDP’s initial response, he has remained silent on the issue during his campaign in order to avoid further alienating the party’s Diet members.

    The LDP’s internal politics have come under intense public scrutiny. With the LDP’s internal power structures destabilised, fears of a return to revolving-door governments have resurfaced. The party operates in crisis mode.

    Selecting Ishiba has increased its chances to compete in the next general election and thus keep the LDP in power. How Ishiba can secure enough support from within the LDP to implement his policies while responding to the public’s expectations to hold the party accountable for its past scandals, however, remains to been.

    If he fails to deliver on the latter, his tenure may be short-lived too.

    What happens now?

    The Diet will convene on Tuesday and LDP members will elect Ishiba as the new prime minister, who will then announce her new cabinet and LDP leadership.

    If the past serves as lesson, Ishiba will dissolve the lower house soon after the supplementary budget is passed. This would set Japan on track for general elections later this year.

    Faced with a fragmented opposition, it remains to be seen whether his policies alone will be enough to secure public support. A critique of “Abenomics” (Shinzo Abe’s economic approach), Ishiba is considered being in favour of fiscal discipline.

    Meanwhile, he has also called for more public works spending to reduce Japan’s growing inequality while revitalising the depopulated regions.

    Ishiba has also been critical about Kishida’s return to nuclear power, calling for more investment in regenerative energy.

    In addition, he has expressed support for legalising same-sex marriage and separate surnames – though broadly supported by the public, both issues are controversial among the LDP’s conservative base.

    Promoting a more active and equal role of Japan in its alliance with the US, Ishiba most recently advocated for expanding security cooperation to an Asian version of NATO. Moreover, he has called for more diplomatic efforts to engage China and Russia instead of relying on military pressure.

    At the same time he has repeatedly called for a robust military posture to counter China’s rise and North Korea’s military actions.

    What Ishiba means for relations with South Korea – a key legacy of Kishida – or for handling a potential Donald Trump White House, however, remains to be seen. His pledge for a more active Japan certainly resonates well with Trump.

    What is clear is that the LDP, operating in crisis mode, has voted for a leader who is willing to change the party and to restore the public’s trust in government.

    Sebastian Maslow 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. Shigeru Ishiba will be Japan’s next prime minister. What should we expect? – https://theconversation.com/shigeru-ishiba-will-be-japans-next-prime-minister-what-should-we-expect-239314

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: International film curator and champion of African cinema Keith Shiri appointed Lead Curator to Film Africa 2024 – now open for submissions

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    LONDON, United Kingdom, September 27, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Keith Shiri

    The Royal African Society is honoured that Keith will lead Film Africa’s curation, bringing his extraordinarily rich and wide experience in international curation and film festivals, as well as a record of championing African cinema and its profile in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

    As well as being the founder and director of Africa at the Pictures, a London-based festival of African cinema, Keith is a programme adviser to the London Film Festival and a founder member and current chair of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, and has advised the curation of international film festivals including the Venice Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou and the Tampere Film Festival. He is also the Regional Secretary (Europe) for the Federation of African Filmmakers (FEPACI), and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) at the University of Westminster.

    Keith sits on the advisory board of New York’s Focus Features Africa First Programmed, which has long supported young African filmmakers through its mentorship programme.

    In keeping with the Royal African Society and Film Africa’s ethos of expanding access to, and inclusion within, African culture and perspectives, the festival’s programme and emphases will reflect input from and be enriched by a diverse range of curators, filmmakers, and critics, to reflect the complexity and nuances of different African and diasporic voices.

    Keith Shiri said: “I am excited to join Film Africa as a curator. African artistry – especially in cinema – is experiencing a period of unparalleled invention and experimentation, and Film Africa provides the ideal forum in which to share these cultural treasures with audiences from the continent, as well as Britain’s various diaspora communities and the wider British public. I look forward to working to assemble a bench of films and speakers to progress our collective conversation about African film – as well as African cultural trends and the perspectives of those whose continent will, this century, emerge as the world’s most important and populous.”

    Film Africa 2024

    Film Africa, London’s unrivalled celebration of African and African diaspora cinema presented by the Royal African Society, is delighted to announce the appointment of Keith Shiri – a titan of African cinema and visual culture – as the Festival’s Lead Curator. In 2024, Film Africa will take place from Friday 25 October until Sunday November 3 continuing its mission of highlighting African and African diaspora filmmaking. The Festival is now open to submissions from African and African diasporic filmmakers.

    All entries will be considered for inclusion in the Festival and prizes will be awarded to two entries: The Baobab Award for best short film and the Film Africa Audience Award for best feature-length entry. Both awards have a £1000 cash prize.

    In 2022, the 10th edition of Film Africa spanned over 10 days from 28 October – 6 November. The festival hosted screenings at 7 venues across London – Picturehouse Central, BFI Southbank, Rich Mix, The Ritzy, Bertha DocHouse, South London Gallery and The Africa Centre – as well as featuring a selection of 7 narrative and documentary films on the BFI Player. Film Africa 2022 presented an eclectic hybrid programme of 47 films from 16 countries (including 22 World, European or UK premieres).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Science in Faces” in Novosibirsk: Heroes Among Us

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    On October 1, the Novosibirsk State University will open the exhibition “Science in Faces” – a gallery of portraits of outstanding Russian scientists, engineers, authors of innovative developments, and laureates of the Russian Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists.

    In 2024, the heroine of the Science in Faces project was a graduate Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU, head of the gene immunotherapy group at the M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Irina Alekseenko is the developer of a non-viral gene therapy drug for the treatment of cancer.

    The drug for the treatment of solid tumors, developed by Irina Alekseenko’s team, was the first in Russia to receive permission to conduct a clinical trial. The first phase of the study involved patients for whom traditional treatment methods had been exhausted, with a number of patients showing positive dynamics and stabilization of the disease, and none of the patients had serious adverse events associated with the drug.

    Irina Alekseenko will talk about the development and research during the events scientific and production forum of NSU “Golden Valley”, which will take place October 31-November 1. She will be a speaker in the section “Medicine and Pharmaceutical Industry” and will also hold a meeting with university students.

    Among the heroes of the exhibition are also young Novosibirsk scientists: Ekaterina Grizanova, PhD in Biology, leading research fellow at the Novosibirsk State Agrarian University; Sergey Pavlushin, PhD in Biology, senior research fellow at the Laboratory of Ecological Physiology at the Institute of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who have been awarded the Russian Presidential Prize in different years; and Sergey Adonin, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, leading research fellow at the A.V. Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The exhibition “Science in Faces” will be available for visiting in the educational building (1 Pirogova St.), in the lobby of the second floor until November 1. The exposition will include portraits of participants in all three seasons of the project – authors of innovative developments and scientific achievements in the field of medicine and biotechnology, IT technologies, transport, metallurgy, space industry, mining and petrochemistry, agriculture, nuclear industry and others. In particular, the heroes of the third season were the authors of a bioprinter for “growing” tissues from cellular material, units of spacecraft of the federal project “SPHERE”, domestic AURUS cars, the Russian neural network Kandinsky, catalysts for petrochemistry and other developments.

    In the fall of 2024, the Science in Faces exhibition will be presented at the sites of the largest Russian universities in the country’s regions, and in a number of universities, the project’s heroes will give live lectures and talk about their scientific achievements, the development of Russian science, and career prospects for young scientists in various fields.

    Portraits of key representatives of Russian science and technology sector can be seen in universities of Novosibirsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Tyumen, Ufa, Samara, Berdyansk. In November, the exhibition will be presented at the IV Congress of Young Scientists on the federal territory “Sirius”.

    The exhibition “Science in Faces” is part of the “Science Nearby” initiative of the Decade of Science and Technology, declared by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. The exhibition is held with the grant support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and with the support of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Science and Education. The project partner is SIBUR.

    Information about the project heroes is available on the Decade of Science and Technology website:https://science.rf.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/atmosphere/science-in-faces-in-Novosibirsk-heroes-among-us/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Kindness is simple! The seventh inter-university “School of Volunteers” has opened

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Every autumn the team

    The welcoming speech was given by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations Oleg Polischuk, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov, Director of the Humanitarian Institute Natalia Chicherina and Director of the Harmony Center Tatyana Nam.

    “School of Volunteers-2024” united active students into a single community of like-minded people. From September 18 to 20, there was an intensive course with thematic days “Kindness. Opportunities”, “Kindness. Skills” and “Kindness. Directions”.

    The first day was devoted to the skills that a volunteer develops. Leadership, team building, communication, self-control and time management — these skills help in life, creativity and work. Maria Kukushkina, head of the educational and project art laboratory “ArtPoliLab”, showed how a team is formed through joint games, dances and creative tasks.

    The meeting continued with a mini-lecture on social design from Maxim Smirnov, Deputy Director of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” of the Polytechnic University. Maxim told how to turn your dream into a goal and create your own social project, assemble a team for it and effectively organize work using agile methods.

    The evening ended with a presentation on time management from copywriter and fundraiser of the Dobro.Center “Harmony”, student of the Humanitarian Institute Vasilisa Sallinen. The speaker introduced the participants to the functionality of the WEEEK task manager and talked about how to effectively manage your time.

    The second day was called “Dobro.Napravleniya” and was dedicated to those areas of volunteering that are actively developing at the Polytechnic University. On this day, participants learned about creative, event and zoo volunteering, as well as volunteering in the emergency sector.

    First, there was a presentation on cultural and creative volunteering from the curator of the PoliNova author’s club, first-year student Maria Guner. She introduced future volunteers to creative master classes, charity exhibitions, auctions and concerts of the Dobro.Center. After that, the guys painted two canvases with oil paints together, which they will then finish together with a member of the Union of Artists of Russia Alexander Dudorov and send to an exhibition in hospitals as part of the mutual aid campaign

    From year to year, we try to make the “Volunteer School” more useful and interesting. This year, the idea was for the participants not only to learn something new about volunteering and practice different functions, but also to help in the “here and now” format. The guys painted pictures for exhibitions in hospitals, sewed soft toys, prepared publications, took photographs. So already at this stage they can feel how their deeds bring good, – noted Maxim Smirnov.

    The second speaker was Maxim Degterev, team leader of the volunteer event direction. He spoke about the most striking and large-scale events. And then he explained how to build relationships in a team and determine the most suitable place for yourself in the team.

    At the end of the second day, the participants were treated to two lectures and presentations on animal volunteering and volunteering in emergency situations. From the curator of the animal volunteer direction, Angelina Zinchenko, the participants learned how to help animals and how this is implemented in the Dobro.Center of the Polytechnic University. First aid instructors Tatyana Plekhanova and Violetta Lee spoke about volunteering in emergency situations. After the presentation, the girls held a master class.

    On the third day, the children had a lecture on social volunteering from the curator of the direction, Anna Pushchina. They learned how and what they can help, and also got acquainted with the basic rules of working in social homes. Anna and the activists held a master class on creating felt hearts for a basket of goodness. All of them will go to social institutions.

    Anastasia Savina, specialist of the Laboratory of Applied Psychology of the Humanitarian Institute, curator of the school of self-development

    Maxim Smirnov and the curator of the media volunteer direction Anastasia Kalinina told about the direction of volunteering hidden from the eyes of most – media volunteering. Then Maxim and Anastasia held a master class on creating texts and posters for social networks.

    A student of the Humanitarian Institute, Elizaveta Kruppa, shared her experience. She went from being a media volunteer at Dobro.Center to an experienced communications specialist. She is the organizer of the international communications award Proba Awards 2023.

    When I started doing media volunteering, I didn’t even suspect that it would become such an important step in my career. Media volunteering helped me develop professional skills and build communications with people more easily. Now I am a successful communications professional, and it all started with that small step I took as a volunteer. Thank you to everyone who supported me on this path and helped me grow! — shared her experience media volunteer and student of the Humanitarian Institute Elizaveta Kruppa.

    Then the kids had a fascinating lecture from the team leaders of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” Anastasia Shkolyanok and Maxim Degterev about the possibilities of volunteering. Forums, scholarships, training, travel – these are only some of the opportunities that the kids talked about.

    At the final of the Volunteer School, Tatyana Nam, Director of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” of SPbPU, gave a presentation and presented to the students her original project “Ecosystem of Volunteering at the University” with 15 areas of volunteering. She shared her experience of various social projects and told how important it is to do good, and not to cause it.

    Participants of the inter-university volunteer school were awarded certificates and gifts from our partners – the museum “In Silence” and the quest room “Vzaperti”.

    It was an unforgettable experience! We met the team of the Polytechnic University Dobro.Center, learned about their activities and the skills that we can develop through volunteering. The realization that by helping others we improve ourselves is very inspiring and motivating! We managed to learn that volunteering not only brings benefits, but also opens doors to new opportunities – it’s amazing! Travel, training, scholarships – all this makes volunteer work even more attractive. I realized that this is not just an activity, but a whole life perspective! – said a student of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade Diana Zaydullina.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/student_life/good-it-just-opened-the-seventh-interuniversity-school-of-volunteers/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ​’Transformers’ producer goes back to the source for new film

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    After years of producing live-action blockbusters, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the producer of the Transformers franchise, has delved back into the Cybertron mythology’s history for an animated prequel, which premiered at the Transformers Metrobase in Universal Beijing Resort on Sept. 24 and is set for a nationwide release in China on Sept. 27. 

    A still from “Transformers One.” [Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures]

    “I wanted to make this story because the core mythology of it is so strong,” said di Bonaventura when discussing the idea behind the new animated blockbuster “Transformers One.”

    “Transformers One” tells the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, revealing how two worker bots’ relationship changed over time and impacted the fate of Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers.  

    This animated prequel’s own creation story started back in 2015. At the time, Paramount Pictures assigned Akiva Goldsman the task of collaborating with the film franchise’s director Michael Bay, executive producer Steven Spielberg and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura to establish a writers’ room aimed at generating ideas for future Transformers films. One of the concepts that emerged from this brainstorming session was titled “Transformers One,” envisioned as an animation that would explore the initial Autobot-Decepticon conflict on Cybertron. By August 2017, the project was officially announced and the script was in the works. In 2020, Josh Cooley, Pixar alumnus and a die-hard Transformers fan, was hired to direct.

    Di Bonaventura said he loved Cooley’s previous work, but, most importantly, when he sat down with Cooley to discuss the script he found that they were both moved by the same overarching storyline: two best friends turned mortal enemies.

    “That’s the thing he wanted to focus on. I had seen his most recent animated film at that point, ‘Toy Story 4’ (2019), which was obviously an amazing film. He knew his craft, but the key was understanding what that was about. Interestingly enough, he has a brother, and the two of them took very different directions in their lives – one is filmmaker, one is a cop. So, he was able to use that personal experience on top of it,” di Bonaventura revealed.

    A Chinese poster for “Transformers One.” [Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures]

    Going down the animated route to tell Optimus Prime and Megatron’s creation story was a tactical move, with di Bonaventura stating that using animation does not only offer a different experience for the audience and “level of creativity” compared to the franchise’s live-action installments, but also was a budget-conscious consideration. “This particular story would probably cost $500 million if you tried to do it in live-action. So, in a way, you had no choice but to do it in animation. Having now seen the film and feeling how successful it is, I’m really happy,” he beamed. Animation was provided by Industrial Light & Magic and was influenced by Generation 1 and Art Deco. 

    “The great news for us in this was that all the animators are really hardcore ‘Transformers’ fans. So, they were bringing their own understanding of the characters, of the series and of the movies to this experience. They were able to help us elevate the whole storytelling.”

    Their hard work has paid off. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 125 critics’ reviews have been positive and the audience score has been as high as 98%. 

    Although the box office performance for the animated film within the Chinese market remains to be seen, the “Transformers” series is evergreen and has garnered a substantial Chinese fan base since its introduction into China in 1987, with its popularity sustained through cartoons, movies and toys. Reflecting China’s fast-growing film market, the previous seven live-action installments have collectively grossed more than 7 billion yuan ($1 billion) in this country alone.

    The China premiere for “Transformers One” was held at Transformers Metrobase at Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures]

    Di Bonaventura said he hopes hardcore fans will love this new animated film because part of the reason for making this origin story is to please the fans, going on to say that during production they intentionally stayed very true to the mythology. 

    But there’s one thing that die-hard fans of the Transformers movies may not be pleased with: the replacement of who is voicing Optimus Prime. Previously having the deep, iconic voice of Peter Cullen, Optimus Prime in “Transformers One” is voiced by Chris Hemsworth. Di Bonaventura explained the decision, saying that he’s “wanted to work with Chris for a long time” and that he feels Hemsworth is a good fit for the role. “His voice has both the innocence of a younger man and the timbre of a hero. “

    With the voice of Optimus Prime’s younger self decided on, they had to find the right match for Megatron’s younger version, and they eventually came to the versatile actor Brian Tyree Henry. In addition, di Bonaventura added, “I think one of the exciting things in this particular movie for the audience is that we have a very strong female character that Scarlett Johansson is playing. It’s the first time we’ve really had a female Transformer character that stands up against any of the males.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fire Safety – Make sure your home is fire safe this daylight saving weekend

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    This daylight saving weekend, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is reminding everyone to clean and check their smoke alarms and ensure they have a three-step escape plan in place.
    Tom Ronaldson, Community Education and Behaviour Change Manager, says, “just push the button on each of your smoke alarms. If you hear the beep, you know they are ready to protect you and your household.
    “A fire can be fatal within three minutes and when you are sleeping you can’t smell smoke. Working smoke alarms are the most important way to prepare for the possibility of a fire,” he says.
    “Having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, living area and hallway to alert all members of the household as early as possible, is the critical first step in escaping a house on fire.
    “Fire and Emergency recommends long-life interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms where possible. If a fire is detected in one room of the house, interconnected alarms will trigger all the alarms in your home, so everyone will be alerted to a fire sooner.
    “Lastly, now is the perfect time to give your smoke alarms a spring clean. You can do this by giving them a quick vacuum or dust.”
    Fire and Emergency is also encouraging everyone to take a few minutes this weekend to make sure they have a three-step escape plan in place.
    “Your escape plan should include at least two clear paths out of each area and a safe meeting place away from the house for your household to meet,” says Tom Ronaldson.
    Tips for keeping your smoke alarms maintained
    • Once a month press the test button to sound the alarm
    • If your smoke alarm is beeping periodically, it typically means you need to change the battery or replace your alarm. Fire and Emergency New Zealand recommends long-life photoelectric smoke alarms.
    • Clean your smoke alarms with a vacuum cleaner every six months, as dust build up can cause false alarms.
    • Check the expiry date, usually located on the bottom or side of the alarm. If there’s no expiry date, it’s best to replace the alarm.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tax Reform – Petition Calls for Capital Gains Tax

    Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

    27 September 2024 – A petition has been launched today calling on the leaders of all our political parties to consider a capital gains tax in Aotearoa.

    Tax Justice Aotearoa’s petition seeks to level the playing field of the current tax system and highlights the urgent need for more revenue to fund essential services and infrastructure.

    “Our tax system is way out of balance and a capital gains tax (CGT) is a good first step that would help level the playing field between wage earners and those who mainly earn their money through investments,” says Tax Justice Aotearoa chair Glenn Barclay.

    “There has been growing support for a capital gains tax from a range of individuals and organisations in the media in recent weeks and it is timely to give the public of New Zealand the opportunity to express their support too.

    “The additional revenue raised could be used to fund vital services such as education, healthcare and infrastructure and to help address climate change, leading to a better quality of life for all New Zealanders.”

    ActionStation is hosting the petition and Director Kassie Hartendorp agrees it’s time to make capitalgains tax a reality.

    “Just over 72% of the members we talked to support a capital gains tax – including 18% of those people who would benefit from that tax and yet still thought it would have a positive impact.

    “Our country is ready to join many others around the world, and just make it happen.”

    It’s a kaupapa shared across a range of advocacy groups including Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).

    “We welcome a discussion on capital gains tax, especially this week when the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction rejected a $3 billion proposal from officials that would have kept us on track to achieving the goal of halving child poverty by 2028,” says CPAG Executive Officer Sarita Divis.

    “This is at the same time the government is giving tax cuts of $2.9 billion for landlords, allowing them to deduct interest as an expense and receive tax free capital gains on sales of their houses.  

    “Taxes allow us to do the things we want to do as a nation, like ending child poverty,” Sarita Divis says.

    New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) also backed the petition.

    “Fairer taxes would support appropriate levels of health funding and better patient outcomes by enabling safe levels of health care professional to patient ratios,” says Anne Daniels, President of the NZ Nurses Organisation.

    Another organisation supporting the petition was the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

    “The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi strongly believes that our current tax system isn’t fit for purpose and isn’t delivering the outcomes New Zealanders deserve,” says Craig Renney, NZCTU Economist and Director of Policy.

    “Workers pay tax on every dollar earned, while those who make huge capital gains pay nothing at all.

    “Levelling the playing field through a well-designed CGT would benefit workers, the economy, and the housing market while delivering revenue to invest in underfunded public services.

    “There is a reason why so many other countries have a CGT and continue to do better than Aotearoa,” Craig Renney says.

    It was a message shared by the Public Service Association (PSA).

    “The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi believes we need a fairer tax system that helps properly fund public and community services, so that they are there when we need them,” says Kerry Davies, PSA’s national secretary.

    “A capital gains tax should be part of a fair tax system that generates the revenue the Government needs to do its job of looking after all New Zealanders.”  

    Tax Justice Aotearoa calls on all New Zealanders to sign and share the petition to show their support for a fairer and more equitable tax system:

    https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/it-s-time-for-a-capital-gains-tax

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shigeru Ishiba elected Japan’s ruling party leader

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Shigeru Ishiba casts his ballot at Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 27, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election on Friday, virtually ensuring that he will become the country’s next prime minister.

    The 67-year-old lawmaker, in his fifth attempt to lead the party, was elected as the new LDP president by securing 215 votes in a runoff to defeat his female contender Sanae Takaichi, who received 194 votes.

    As the LDP-led coalition constitutes a majority in both chambers of the parliament in Japan, the new party president is almost certain to be elected prime minister in the extraordinary Diet session scheduled to be held on Oct. 1, succeeding the incumbent Fumio Kishida, who is not seeking re-election due to mounting criticism over the LDP slush fund scandal.

    LDP parliamentarians cast 367 votes in the first round of voting, while another 368 votes were allotted to rank-and-file members. Ishiba, winning 154 votes, entered the runoff vote round with Takaichi who took the lead at 181 votes.

    In the runoff voting, the LDP lawmakers cast the same number of votes, but the rank-and-file members’ votes were reduced to one for each of the LDP’s 47 prefectural chapters.

    Shigeru won the final race with advantages in the votes from both LDP parliamentarians and local chapters.

    43-year-old Shinjiro Koizumi, who is former environment minister and son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, lost out in the nine-candidate race in the first round of voting earlier in the afternoon.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oxford City Council response to planning inspectors’ findings on its draft Local Plan 2040

    Source: City of Oxford

    Oxford City Council’s plans to tackle Oxford’s housing crisis face a setback as planning inspectors have recommended the withdrawal of its draft Local Plan 2040.

    The Council submitted the plan for public examination by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) in March. Inspectors then held an initial set of public hearings in June to decide whether the Local Plan 2040 satisfies national planning policy and other legal requirements. 

    The urgent need for homes

    The PINS has accepted the Council’s approach to maximising the number of new homes that can be built within city boundaries by 2040, with 481 a year proposed. 

    However, inspectors have rejected the Council’s assessment that 1,322 homes a year are needed in total, with 841 of these needing to be built outside Oxford’s boundaries. 

    Oxfordshire’s thriving life science and technology sectors mean the county has been one of the few hotspots in a stagnating UK economy for some time. Economic growth creates the need for more homes than allowed for in the National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) default ‘standard method’ for calculating how many homes are needed. 

    Inspectors had previously agreed Oxfordshire’s exceptional circumstances justified the need for more homes. Oxford’s existing Local Plan 2036 and those of its neighbouring districts are based on this foundation and the districts have already agreed to build 14,300 homes to meet Oxford’s needs. 

    The Local Plan 2040 takes a similar approach in using job and population growth forecasts to assess how many homes are needed. The inspectors have now U-turned and said there are no exceptional circumstances justifying the need for more homes, even despite continued strong economic growth.  

    This means the Council would need to use the standard method calculation of 762 homes a year. 

    This is not enough to meet the need for new homes, even if economic factors are disregarded. The need for affordable housing alone would require 700 new homes a year.  

    Oxford is one of the least affordable places to live in the UK, with average house prices more than 12 times household earnings and more than 3,300 households on the waiting list for council housing. 

    The PINS U-turn also flies in the face of the new Labour government’s intention to set new mandatory housing targets requiring a 59% increase in the number of homes to be delivered in Oxfordshire – an extra 1,900 a year countywide. 

    Duty to cooperate

    Despite a long history of collaborative working with stakeholders and neighbouring councils on planning issues affecting Oxfordshire, the PINS has also concluded the council failed to meet its ‘duty to cooperate’ in preparing the Local Plan 2040.  

    This finding relates to a single five-month period in 2022 after the collapse of the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 that involved all five district councils. In this period, the Council was working with Cherwell District Council to commission the HENA as a joint evidence base for their respective plans.  

    Oxfordshire’s other districts declined the invitation to take part in this project. However, they were offered the opportunity to engage with the findings of the work. 

    While the Council strongly disputes the inspectors’ findings as it is confident it engaged appropriately with neighbouring councils, the NPPF provides no mechanism to appeal them. 

    The Council is currently considering its options. However, any amendment to the Local Plan 2040 would mean the need for further public consultation and delay any implementation of the plan.   

    Comment 

    “We are alarmed and extremely disappointed by the recommendation to withdraw our Local Plan 2040 from public examination.  

    “The planning inspectors have failed to grasp the seriousness of Oxford’s housing crisis and the number of new homes we need to tackle this crisis – and don’t appear to have heeded the clear message from government which requires all councils to up their housing delivery ambitions.  

    “The logical outcome of the inspectors’ conclusions will be a delay to proactively planning for the homes we need. The reality is that while the City Council are builders, there are others elsewhere who are blockers. Waiting for a situation where all councils in Oxfordshire are agreed on housing numbers and cross-boundary matters is just not realistic. That’s why the government is planning the reintroduction of mandatory housing delivery targets.” 

    “Our approach hasn’t changed. Yet the PINS now says there are no exceptional circumstances and we should now use the current ‘standard method’ – already rejected by the new government – for working out how many homes we need. This would mean fewer homes being built, and far fewer than we actually need. 

    “The current standard method is not fit for purpose and flies in the face of the government’s policy intention to overhaul a broken national planning system and deliver 1.5 million homes. The current standard method does not even take account of population increases that have already happened in Oxford and across Oxfordshire recorded in the census. Using this discredited method to calculate how many homes we need would make the city’s housing crisis worse.  

    “Oxford City Council also disputes the finding it has not met the duty to cooperate. We have a longstanding history of working collaboratively with neighbouring councils and other stakeholders on planning issues affecting Oxfordshire – including during the preparation of this plan.  

    “The duty to cooperate is not a duty to agree. Nor should it be a charter for those who object the loudest to be able to block the building of desperately needed homes.” 

    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council

    The inspectors’ recommendation (PDF), the Council’s response (PDF) and a summary briefing note are on the Council’s website. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: García, Democratic Members Introduce Migration Stability Resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

    The resolution calls for comprehensive legislation to address the root causes of forced migration and displacement

    WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), along with Representative Greg Casar (TX-35), co-founder of the Global Migration Caucus, and U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Juan Vargas (CA-52)introduced a new resolution calling for comprehensive legislation to address the root causes of forced migration and displacement, while affirming the need for a true roadmap to citizenship for immigrants in the United States.

     “Over the past decades, millions of people have been forced to migrate from their homes—and more people are displaced now than ever before. This is the result of converging crises, including climate change, political instability, and violence, some of which are impacted by U.S. policy,” said Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.). “Yet, our immigration and asylum policies have become more restrictive and punitive, disregarding the role our government has played in creating this crisis. It’s time we acknowledge the ways in which U.S. policy has contributed to forced migration and displacement, and advance reforms that address the root causes of migration.”

    Democrats can build an orderly, humane, and stable immigration system. We should create more legal pathways for migration and citizenship, while also changing the failed U.S. policies that cause displacement abroad and force people to flee their home countries,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Let’s tackle the climate crisis. Let’s remove broad-based sanctions that increase poverty. Let’s prioritize policies to support stability abroad while creating a welcoming and predictable immigration process at home.”

    “Too many people around the world face violence, poverty, and persecution and see the United States as a beacon of hope,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “We must make the immigration system more humane, more orderly, and more effective to welcome immigrants who come to this country rather than turn them away and to recognize not only the contributions they make to this country, but also the moral duty we have to protect people who come here fleeing horrible conditions. We can and must do better for immigrants.”

    “Republicans’ dangerous rhetoric about immigration endangers our immigrant communities and completely ignores the root causes of migration,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Migration is not just a border issue but a foreign policy issue. With migration on the rise worldwide and conflict, food insecurity, climate change, and political violence driving immigration to the U.S., it’s imperative that we reshape our immigration policy to address these global crises. This resolution calls upon Congress to do just that.”

    “Climate instability, democratic backsliding, economic exclusion, sanctions, and human rights violations are just some of the conditions driving unprecedented levels of global displacement and migration,” said Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.), co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Global Migration. “Stricter border enforcement, harsh asylum laws, and the vilification of immigrants have consistently failed us and our neighbors. Instead, we need to address how our own policies contribute to the crises and adopt a coordinated regional and global strategy to tackle the root causes of displacement.”

    “It’s past time for comprehensive immigration reform. And a critical piece to this is addressing the factors that force families to flee their home countries in the first place,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “From combating climate change to humanitarian assistance, we need to implement productive policies that address the root causes of forced migration and displacement, while also working to restore faith in our legal immigration system and creating pathways to citizenship.”

     Specifically, this resolution calls for comprehensive legislation that: 

    • Addresses U.S. policies contributing to forced migration and displacement;
    • Ensures a humane and sustainable immigration system that appropriately addresses the root causes driving migration; and
    • Affirms the need for a true roadmap to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S.

    Over the last few weeks, MAGA Republicans have fabricated xenophobic and racist stories about Haitian immigrant families, adding to a long track record of perpetuating false narratives, conspiracy theories, and racist tropes. This MAGA rhetoric has incited physical violence against many migrant families. Now more than ever, it is important to emphasize the value migrants bring to our communities and to call for policies that will make our immigration system more stable and humane.  

    The following Members are co-sponsors of the resolution: Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia M. Velazquez (NY-07). 

    It is endorsed by ActionAid USA, Ayudemos por una vida mas digna, Border Vigil of Eagle Pass, CASA, Center for Economic Policy and Research, Center for International Policy, Climate Refugees, Eagle Pass Border Coalition, Global Exchange, Justice is Global, Mira Feminisms and Democracies, Movimiento de los pueblos por la paz y la justicia y México negro ac, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Project, OXFAM America, Public Citizen, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, Transnational Villages Network/Red de Pueblos, United We Dream, and Win Without War. 

    “This resolution is the step forward Congress desperately needs to reframe the issue of immigration towards more productive and effective solutions that will ensure migrants’ lives take precedence over politics,” saidJuliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy at United We Dream. “The vast majority of Americans want to see a humane, efficient and fair policies that honor everyone’s freedoms to live safely in their homes without being forcibly displaced, whether here or abroad, and provides the opportunity to become citizens in the U.S. Congress has a clear roadmap in front of them with this resolution that proves that safety, humanity, fairness and justice in our foreign policy and immigration system are not contradictory values but instead deeply interconnected.”

    “We need to dig in our heels and end the racism and xenophobia that’s rampant in our immigration and asylum debates in the U.S.,” said Eric Eikenberry, government relations director for Win Without War. “This new resolution lays the groundwork to do just that: welcome people who want to build their lives here, while ensuring that — from arms sales to climate policy and beyond — our government doesn’t create the conditions that force them from their homes and communities.” 

    “For too long, the U.S. approach to migration has focused on barricading our borders rather than addressing the realities compelling people to leave their homes — including crises exacerbated by U.S. policies. We applaud Congressman Casar and his colleagues for taking this critical step to review and move toward better U.S. policies to address the conditions giving rise to increased migration and displacement,” said Dylan Williams, Center for International Policy Vice President for Government Affairs.

    “There’s been a lot of talk over the years about ‘root causes’ of migration, but this is the first legislation of its kind to home in on the elephant in the room: U.S. policy and its role in fueling the involuntary migration and displacement of millions of people in the region and the world,” said Alex Main, Director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “This groundbreaking resolution helps us all better understand how vulnerable communities in the Global South have been devastated by U.S. broad-based sanctions, U.S.-backed trade agreements that put corporate greed over people, U.S. security assistance that props up repressive governments, and lax gun laws that provide criminals with easy access to U.S. weapons. Most importantly, this legislation proposes bold strategies to undo harmful policies and help truly mitigate ‘root causes’ including through far-reaching reforms to US sanctions policy and foreign assistance, the removal of harmful ISDS provisions from US-backed trade agreements, and the provision of robust support to developing countries fighting inequality and climate change, including through new issuances of debt-free IMF Special Drawing Rights. This resolution is long overdue, and we’re proud and delighted to be supporting it today.” 

    “Rather than ‘blaming the victims’—immigrants, it is important to acknowledge how failed U.S. foreign (or economic and military) policies have contributed to the spiraling poverty and violence from which people have been fleeing for their lives,” Jean Stokan, Justice Coordinator for Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “Forced migration is often the result of U.S. foreign policies that prioritize the interests of foreign investors over those of impoverished populations. Thus, this resolution importantly names U.S. responsibility to address those root causes and the need for justice-based pathways to citizenship.”

    “To design a just and humane policy response to immigration, we have to ask the question – why are people moving? As an international development organization, ActionAid USA strongly supports this resolution for acknowledging the root causes of migration, including and especially those for which the United States is directly responsible,” said Brandon Wu, Director of Policy and Campaigns for ActionAid USA. “A human rights-based approach to immigration policy should start with fixing harmful foreign policies, ongoing climate inaction, and unjust international economic systems that all contribute to force people to leave their homes.”

    Background: 

    The resolution text can be foundhere.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Tourism Launches Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi – A National Responsible Tourism Initiative

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 27 SEP 2024 2:03PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Tourism, Government of India launched a national responsible tourism initiative by the name of ‘Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi’ on September 27th, World Tourism Day,

    Based on the vision of the Prime Minister for enabling tourism as a vehicle for social inclusion, employment, and economic progress – Ministry of Tourism piloted Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi in 6 tourist destinations across India namely – Orchha (Madhya Pradesh), Gandikota (Andhra Pradesh) Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Aizawl (Mizoram), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), and Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).

    Through this initiative, Ministry of Tourism aims to elevate the overall experience for tourists in destinations, by having them meet ‘tourist-friendly’ people who are proud Ambassadors & Storytellers for their destination. This is being done by providing tourism related training and awareness to all individuals who interact and engage with tourists in a destination.

    Driven by ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’, cab drivers, auto drivers, staff at railway stations, airports, bus stations, hotel staff, restaurant workers, homestay owners, tour guides, police personnel, street vendors, shop keepers, students, and many more were provided training and awareness on the importance of tourism, general cleanliness, safety, sustainability, and also on the importance of providing tourists with the highest standards of hospitality and care.

    These individuals were also made aware of the local stories of the destination along with its lesser-known tourism wonders, so that every person a tourist interacts with in these destinations, turn out to be local Ambassadors and Storytellers, who strive to create a positive tourist experience in every manner.

    Through Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi, special emphasis is being placed on the training of women and youth to enable them to develop new tourism products & experiences like heritage walks, food tours, craft tours, nature treks, homestay experiences, and other innovative tourism products based on the potential of the destination. It is also envisioned that locals leverage these skills to obtain gainful employment going forward as homestay owners, food & cuisine experience providers, cultural guides, natural guides, adventure guides, and other roles in tourism.

    Tourism-specific training is being followed by general training in digital literacy and digital tools to ensure that the experiences they create are discoverable and visible to tourists, nationally and globally. Since the pilot of this program on August 15th this year, around 3,000 people have been trained in the 6 pilot destinations on the importance of creating a positive experience for tourists, thereby being a Paryatan Mitra.

    Impact

    Due to the efforts of Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi, there has been visible enthusiasm from locals to be a part of tourism training programs and become a part of the tourism ecosystem.

    Going forward, the Ministry will be recognizing Paryatan Mitra’s & Didi’s in destinations with a dedicated badge and identity, offering tourists a way to be assured of an incredible experience when with a Paryatan Mitra.

    On World Tourism Day 2024, Ministry of Tourism has launched Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi across the following 50 tourist destinations in the country:

    State/Union Territory

    Destination 1

    Destination 2

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    Sri Vijaya Puram

     

    Andhra Pradesh

    Gandikota

    Tirupati

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Tawang

     

    Assam

    Guwahati

     

    Bihar

    Bodhgaya

    Nalanda

    Chandigarh

    Chandigarh

     

    Chhattisgarh

    Raipur

     

    Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

    Daman

     

    Delhi

    Delhi

     

    Goa

    Goa

     

    Gujarat

    Ahmedabad

    Kevadia

    Haryana

    Kurukshetra

     

    Himachal Pradesh

    Shimla

     

    Jammu & Kashmir

    Srinagar

     

    Jharkhand

    Ranchi

     

    Karnataka

    Hampi

    Mysore

    Kerala

    Thiruvananthapuram

    Kochi

    Ladakh

    Leh

     

    Lakshadweep

    Kavaratti

     

    Madhya Pradesh

    Orchha

    Ujjain

    Maharashtra

    Aurangabad

    Nasik

    Manipur

    Imphal

     

    Meghalaya

    Shillong

     

    Mizoram

    Aizawl

     

    Nagaland

    Dimapur

     

    Odisha

    Puri

     

    Puducherry

    Puducherry

     

    Punjab

    Amritsar

    Patiala

    Rajasthan

    Jodhpur

    Jaipur

    Sikkim

    Gangtok

     

    Tamil Nadu

    Mahabalipuram

    Thanjavur

    Tripura

    Agartala

     

    Telangana

    Hyderabad

     

    Uttar Pradesh

    Varanasi

    Agra

    Uttar Pradesh

    Ayodhya

     

    Uttarakhand

    Haridwar

    Rishikesh

    West Bengal

    Darjeeling

    Kolkata

     

    The vision of Paryatan Mitra and Paryatan Didi is to welcome one and all to experience Incredible India through Incredible Indians, thereby creating a more welcoming, hospitable, and memorable experience for tourists when in India.

    ****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Signing of MoUs Between Institutes Of Hotel Management (IHMS) and Leading Hospitality Groups

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 27 SEP 2024 2:10PM by PIB Delhi

    Central Institutes of Hotel Management (CIHMs) under the purview of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, entered dedicated Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with 8 leading national and global hospitality groups – Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, ITC Group of Hotels, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, Radisson Group of Hotels, and Lemon Tree Hotels, on 27th September, 2024, the World Tourism Day.

    These MoUs were signed and exchanged in the presence of national heads of leading hospitality chains and senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

    With an objective to go global with Indian hospitality and skill in India for the world, in tourism and hospitality, Ministry of Tourism invited interest from hospitality groups across the country to become ‘Industry Partners’ for Institutes of Hotel Management to facilitate student engagement & mentorship, faculty development & exposure, and institutional development. In the 1st phase, 8 hospitality groups were chosen to be declared as ‘Industry Partners’ for specific Central Institutes of Hotel Management.

    As part of the MoU, indicative areas of collaboration and suggestive activities between the ‘Industry Partner’ and the ‘Institute’ have been provided, with the parties free to choose amongst areas of collaboration and suggestive activities, while also adding new areas of collaboration and activities as deemed fit. A snapshot of the same is shared below:

    Area of Collaboration

    Suggestive Activities

    Student Engagement
    • Pairing of students with industry mentors and mentoring sessions
    • Periodic classroom sessions on industry specific skills by experts
    • Masterclasses and bootcamps
    • On-site learning by doing sessions
    • Offering career guidance and counselling
    • Facilitating internships and placement opportunities for students
    • Any other activities to boost quality of skilling & education at ‘Institute’ as per industry needs and requirements

    Faculty Development
    • Training & industry exposure sessions for faculty members
    • Short-term refresher courses for faculty
    • Facilitating access to manuals, guidelines, and case studies that outline best practices in the hospitality and homestays industry
    • Research collaborations with faculty members
    • Any other activity to ensure development of faculty from time to time as per industry trends and requirements

    Short-term tourism & hospitality skilling & education
    • Conduct of short-term courses on tourism & hospitality from time to time for various stakeholders – homestays, MSMEs, local hotels & restaurants, Self Help Groups, faculty of other tourism & hospitality institutes, etc.

    Institutional & Infrastructural Development
    • Assisting in identifying resources and opportunities to improve infrastructure and upgrading facilities as per industry standards
    • Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives within the institutes
    • Taking up concerns for effectively addressing issues of providing satisfying work environment and compensation at entry level for students
    • Developing recommendations and reforms to develop the institute into a Global Centre of Excellence for tourism & hospitality skilling in India, for the world

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –