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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: Franklin Electric Declares Payment of Increased Quarterly Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORT WAYNE, Ind., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.265 per share payable February 20, 2025, to shareholders of record on February 6, 2025. This represents a 6 percent increase from the prior quarterly dividend. This dividend will mark the 33rd consecutive year that Franklin Electric has increased its dividend, demonstrating its commitment to returning cash to shareholders and confidence in the outlook of the business.

    About Franklin Electric
    Franklin Electric is a global leader in the production and marketing of systems and components for the movement of water and energy. Recognized as a technical leader in its products and services, Franklin Electric serves customers around the world in residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, municipal, and fueling applications. Franklin Electric is proud to be named in Newsweek’s lists of America’s Most Responsible Companies and Most Trustworthy Companies for 2024 and America’s Climate Leaders 2024 by USA Today.

    “Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein, including those relating to market conditions or the Company’s financial results, costs, expenses or expense reductions, profit margins, inventory levels, foreign currency translation rates, liquidity expectations, business goals and sales growth, involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties with respect to general economic and currency conditions, various conditions specific to the Company’s business and industry, weather conditions, new housing starts, market demand, competitive factors, changes in distribution channels, supply constraints, effect of price increases, raw material costs, technology factors, integration of acquisitions, litigation, government and regulatory actions, the Company’s accounting policies, future trends, epidemics and pandemics, and other risks which are detailed in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, included in Item 1A of Part I of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, Exhibit 99.1 attached thereto and in Item 1A of Part II of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made herein are based on information currently available, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Navigating Opportunities and Risks in Web3 Investment: Bybit at Invest Web3 Forum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has been rising to the challenge of shifts in the global regulatory landscape to capture AI opportunities in Web3, Bybit Web3’s Jase Zhang said at a panel at the Invest Web3 Forum in Dubai on Jan. 16, 2025. 

    The panel navigated the status quo of Web3 investment landscape, exploring the intersection of Web3 and AI technologies and how the convergence could take the sector forward. During the 30-minute discussion moderated by Glass Ventures Managing Partner Cinderella Amar, Law Blocks Co-Founder Ashish Baphana, and Bybit Web3 Product Manager Jase Zhang, the panelists exchanged insights on high-growth areas within Web3, and shed light on strategies for navigating investment opportunities as well as the regulatory landscape. The conversation covered venture capital’s evolution in the decentralized space and risk mitigation approaches for investors. 

    AI Meets Web3 
    “One of the most exciting trends in Web3 is the integration of AI and Web3 combination, especially through tools like most trending DefAI and AI Agents. These innovations will change how users interact with the onchain world. Users engage with decentralized finance by combining smart decision-making, natural language interaction, and automated execution,” said Jase Zhang, Web3 Product Manager at Bybit. “At Bybit, we’re closely following market trends, such as our Web3 Swap latest token categories, recent cex listings and AI products like TradeGPT, and continuously exploring new ways to combine Web3 and AI. Moving forward, we’ll keep focusing on high-growth areas and provide more innovative AI + Web3 products and services to meet evolving market demands,” he added. 

    Exchanges and Regulators: Goals Aligned 
    Zhang also identified regulatory uncertainty as one of the biggest risks in Web3 but was hopeful it was manageable. One of the risk factors includes the absence of a uniform regulatory framework, compounded by the fast-changing nature of the industry, which created challenges for compliance and long-term planning. 

    Zhang expanded on Bybit’s commitment to fostering industry growth through regulatory compliance and collaboration with local authorities, aiming to build a secure trading environment for users. The exchange tripled its user base in 2024, increasing its contact surface with global regulators and policymakers. By working closely with regulators in Dubai, Georgia, and the Netherlands, to name a few, Bybit has strengthened its regulatory posture to meet licensing requirements, reinforcing its commitment to providing a secure and advanced trading platform for its global user base of over 60 million.

    “We aim to adapt to changes while helping shape a sustainable framework for the industry. Bybit’s approach shows that regulatory collaboration isn’t just about compliance—it’s about building trust and fostering responsible innovation,” Zhang said of the shared goals of Bybit and regulators.

    The Invest Web3 Forum successfully concluded at In5 Tech, Dubai, attended by high-profile industry leaders and Web3 visionaries who gathered at the heart of Web3 innovation in the GCC.  

    Jase Zhang, Web3 Product Manager at Bybit at the Invest Web3 Forum in Dubai on Jan. 16, 2025

    #Bybit / #TheCryptoArk / #BybitWeb3

    About Bybit
    Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 60 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open, and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

    For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bybit.com 
    For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media
    Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube

    Contact

    Head of PR
    Tony Au
    Bybit
    tony.au@bybit.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d2e1d1d7-6a00-48aa-af70-11c0f980f815

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Kheralu Nagrik Sahakari Bank Limited, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated January 24, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on The Kheralu Nagrik Sahakari Bank Limited, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat (the bank) for non-compliance with directions issued by RBI on ‘Investment by Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks’ and ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had:

    1. breached the prescribed ceiling of total investments held under Held to Maturity (HTM) category; and

    2. failed to carry out periodic review of risk categorization of certain accounts at least once in six months.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2016

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Marketyard Commercial Cooperative Bank Limited, Unjha, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated January 23, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5.50 lakh (Rupees Five Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on Marketyard Commercial Cooperative Bank Limited, Unjha, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Donations / Contributions for public /charitable purposes out of profits of UCBs’, ‘Donations to Trusts and Institutions where Directors, their relatives hold position or are interested’, ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms / concerns in which they are interested’ and ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI, under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had:

    1. made donation to trusts in excess of prescribed ceiling;

    2. made donations to certain trusts in which the bank’s directors were interested;

    3. sanctioned certain director related loans; and

    4. failed to carry out periodic review of risk categorization of certain accounts at least once in six months.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2015

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s plan to eliminate FEMA is a very bad idea

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jack L. Rozdilsky, Associate Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management, York University, Canada

    A symbolic visit by an American president to a disaster site can be constructive. Former President Joe Biden’s presence at areas in the United States affected by various disasters allowed him to both show leadership and offer comfort in moments of national tragedy.

    In contrast, a bombastic President Donald Trump used his first domestic trip on Jan. 24 to tour disaster sites in North Carolina and Los Angeles while promoting his litany of grievances and rambling about his dislike of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    It takes a perverse set of skills for a president to act in a way that squanders the opportunity to genuinely exhibit compassion for disaster victims while also lowering the morale of emergency workers at the same time.

    Trump’s announcement to overhaul or eliminate FEMA — especially in the midst of an ongoing disaster — is unreasonable and foolish.

    Trump’s criticisms

    In a Fox News interview on Jan. 22, Trump suggested that FEMA would be facing a reckoning.

    The president echoed Republican criticisms of the Hurricane Helene disaster response last September. During Hurricane Helene, Trump has used his bully pulpit to endorse or invent false or unsubstantiated claims. The federal government was also falsely accused of a lack of response following Helene.

    While touring hurricane damage in North Carolina on Jan. 24, Trump remarked:

    “Well, I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”

    Trump indicated he would like to see state governments respond to disasters.

    The White House later clarified that an upcoming executive order would direct a council of FEMA advisers to examine the agency and come up with proposals for reform.

    Turning back the clock

    If Trump gets rid of FEMA, he’ll be turning back the clock 50 years. It is illogical to call for a return to a time with a weak and disorganized system of disaster management.

    In the 1970s, states were responsible for managing their own disasters. More than 100 different federal agencies could become involved in relief efforts. The system was reactionary and responded on a need basis, with no clear pathways for federal disaster assistance to states.

    State governors became increasingly concerned about the lack of a comprehensive national emergency policy. The dispersion of federal disaster management responsibilities among numerous federal agencies was viewed as impeding states’ own ability to manage disaster situations.

    In advocating for better disaster management, a National Association of Governors’ report entitled 1978 Emergency Preparedness Project made the case for a centralized emergency management system in the U.S.

    President Jimmy Carter acted on the recommendations of the governors with Executive Order 12127 to create FEMA in 1979. It was a cabinet-level agency until 2003, when it was merged into the Department of Homeland Security.



    Read more:
    Jimmy Carter’s death invites us to consider his legacy of nuclear emergency response and disaster management

    Duties enshrined in law

    When a large-scale disaster stretches the ability of an American city to help its citizens, a formal process exists to request aid. As a local disaster expands in size and scope, requests for more assistance can go up to higher levels of administration, from the state governor and ultimately to the president. In this process, FEMA reports to local governments.

    A presidential disaster declaration can open up access to an array of federal programs managed by FEMA to assist with response and recovery.

    FEMA was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979.
    (J. Rozdilsky), CC BY

    The role of FEMA in supporting the declaration process are defined in provisions in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. The Stafford Act also provides for the statutory authority guiding FEMA programs like individual assistance.

    While Trump sits at the top of the executive branch, he can engage in a variety of political shenanigans to undermine FEMA, but he cannot unilaterally abolish the agency. As the agency’s duties are enshrined in law, only an act of the legislative branch can terminate FEMA.

    A turbulent history

    FEMA has existed for 46 years and faced turbulent times due to the poor decision-making by past Republican presidents. In 1980, Reagan appointed agency directors with conservative philosophies who emphasized downsizing. Under George W. Bush’s presidency, among the flurry of reactions to Sept. 11, 2001, FEMA was eviscerated and relegated from a top-level cabinet level agency to a position buried deep in the Homeland Security organizational chart.

    Trump’s aggressive posture in trying to remake government involves creating diversions, sowing chaos and overloading people with lies. Taking a cue from his former White House strategist Steve Bannon on how to deal with the media, Trump’s statements about FEMA have worked to “flood the zone with shit.”

    As with many functions of American government, emergency management is just the latest target of disorientation tactics intended to paralyze government operations.

    Jack L. Rozdilsky receives support for research communication and public scholarship from York University. He also has received research support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    – ref. Trump’s plan to eliminate FEMA is a very bad idea – https://theconversation.com/trumps-plan-to-eliminate-fema-is-a-very-bad-idea-248293

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: ‘I’m Going to Help You Fix It’: President Trump Fulfills Promise on California Wildfire Recovery

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    On January 24, 2025, President Trump and First Lady Melania visited Los Angeles to survey wildfire damage, meet with first responders, and pledge federal support for recovery efforts, including plans to improve water access for firefighting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoZca8jIm1Q

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation on Holocaust Memorial Day

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy will co-host the FCDO’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day reception with the Israeli Embassy today

    • Foreign Secretary will co-host a reception with the Embassy of Israel in the Foreign Office today
    • David Lammy will meet Holocaust survivor Janine Webber, who survived Nazi persecution in occupied Poland.
    • Senior UK delegation including HMTK will join world leaders at Auschwitz-Birkenau commemoration ceremony in Poland

    The Foreign Secretary will today co-host a reception with the Her Excellency the Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

    Prior to the commemoration, the Foreign Secretary will meet Holocaust survivor Janine Webber BEM, who survived the Holocaust as child in occupied Poland, enduring the tragic loss of her parents and brother at the hands of the Nazis.

    The commemoration will showcase innovative approaches to Holocaust education. These include Testimony 360, a virtual reality programme preserving survivor testimonies for future generations, and ‘In Their Footsteps’, a powerful exhibition featuring 3D-printed shoes that symbolise Holocaust remembrance.    

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to say:

    Never again’ is a solemn promise, which we owe to the victims, but also which we must uphold for our own sake and for the sake of future generations.

    We need Holocaust remembrance. Holocaust education. Action against antisemitism.

    It is how we build a better future for all.

    A high-level UK delegation, including senior government officials, His Majesty The King and Holocaust survivors, will join world leaders today at the Auschwitz-Birkenau commemoration ceremony in Poland today.

    As part of the UK’s commitment to Holocaust remembrance, the Prime Minister pledged at least £2.2 million in September to continue to fund the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project, enabling UK students to visit Auschwitz and learn about the history of the Holocaust.

    Background

    • Holocaust Memorial Day is marked annually on 27 January. As set out by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Holocaust is central to Holocaust Memorial Day and we remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. It also commemorates the millions more people murdered through the Nazi persecution of other groups and in the more recent genocides of Rwanda, Srebrenica, and acts of genocide in Cambodia and against the Yazidi people.
    • The UK currently holds the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, until 28 February.
    • See more information about Holocaust Memorial Day, and Janine Webber BEM.
    • All imagery from the event and the Foreign Secretary’s attendance will be available on flickr, following its conclusion.
    • Remarks from the Foreign Secretary’s speech will be available on gov.uk shortly after the event.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Enchanting exhibition invites visitors into the world of storybooks

    Source: City of Leeds

    Cherished childhood stories are being retold to visitors thanks to a nostalgic new exhibition in Leeds.

    The Story Time exhibition at Abbey House Museum features a huge variety of historic books and games, each exploring the magical world of children’s stories.

    With objects spanning hundreds of years of captivating tales, the exhibition aims to look at how reading, learning and enjoying stories has changed through the ages, and the huge influence children’s books have had on young people’s education, play and imaginations.

    Among the many objects on display is a collection of children’s books and reading primers from the early 1800s.

    Believed to be among some of the earliest books to ever be published specifically for children, the focus of the writers was to get across a strong moral message rather than create a fun story. Examples include The Mice and their Picnic – A Moral Tale, published in around 1809.

    Books of classic bedtime stories and fairytales from the 1920s and 1930s also feature, and include timeless characters such as Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose and Cinderella.

    Vintage games and jigsaws made by Leeds firm Waddingtons are also on display, including some of the original artwork for the firm’s iconic circular jigsaws from the 1960s, which were rescued from a bin by a former company employee.

    And beautiful Victorian dolls houses are displayed alongside modern classic toys based on characters and TV shows like Pinky and Perky, Stingray, Bugs Bunny, She-Ra, The Wombles, The Shoe People and The Teletubbies.

    Kitty Ross, Leeds Museums and Galleries curator of social history, who has been bringing the exhibition together, said: “Storytelling, play and reading are truly timeless elements of our childhoods which span every generation and are such an integral part of our early years.

    “What is fascinating is how our approach to these subjects has changed and evolved over time and how our enduring love of stories has been a driving force behind the creation of so many different genres of books, games, toys and entertainment.

    “Seeing all of these objects on display together really showcases the remarkable variety of storytelling across the centuries and will hopefully bring back some special memories for visitors too.”

    Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, added: “Seeing this remarkable collection of objects on display will be a wonderful trip down memory lane for visitors and will hopefully inspire different generations to think about stories and play together.

    “As a city, Leeds has also played an important role in the history of toys and games, and it’s great to see some exhibits paying tribute to that special heritage on show.”

    Story Time is open now at Abbey House Museum. For more information, including opening times and admission, please visit: Story Time | Leeds Museums and Galleries | Days out and exhibitions

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New victories: GUU experts became winners and prize winners of professional competitions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Representatives of the State University of Management became winners of the All-Russian competition of professional industry experts “Expert Housing and Utilities – 2024”, organized by the Research Center for Municipal Economics, a long-standing partner of the State University of Management.

    The award ceremony for the winners and laureates took place at the Palace of Labor of Trade Unions on January 23, 2025.

    In two of the four competition nominations, experts from our university became winners and prize winners.

    1st place in the nomination “Best expert material on solving problems of staffing, organization and remuneration of housing and communal services organizations” was taken by the material of the associate professor of the department of state and municipal management of the State University of Management Irina Milkina “Realities of obtaining higher education for work in the housing and communal services sector”, published in the journal “Housing and communal services Expert: Economics and Law”.

    3rd place in the nomination “Best expert material on solving socio-economic problems of the urban environment (road management, comprehensive improvement, street lighting and landscaping, waste management)” was taken by the monograph “Comfortable urban environment as a factor in the well-being of city residents”, prepared by a team of authors from the Department of State and Municipal Administration: Irina Milkina, Mikhail Stadolin, Bayrta Ubushaeva and others.

    Let us recall that in September 2024, the authors of the monograph also received a 1st degree diploma at the XXIV Russian competition of educational programs and methodological support for the training, retraining and advanced training of personnel in the field of municipal administration.

    You can read the materials of the professional journal “Housing and Utilities Expert: Economics and Law” in the scientific library of the State University of Management.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/27/2025

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnics awarded the Honorary Badge of St. Tatiana

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On January 25, the Day of Remembrance of the Holy Martyr Tatiana, Russian students celebrate their holiday. In the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral — the main church of the educational institutions of the Northern capital — the annual divine liturgy was held and the awarding of the Honorary Badge of Saint Tatiana for special contribution to the spiritual and moral education of youth and students took place. A total of 48 people were nominated for the award, including two polytechnicians.

    The event is organized by the St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Council of Rectors of Universities of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, and the Pokrov Association for the Promotion of Spiritual and Moral Education.

    The service was led by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. In his sermon, he spoke about the feat of the holy martyr Tatiana, the patron saint of students, and also noted the importance of education and spiritual development for young people. The event was attended by Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Natalia Chechina, heads of administrations, rectors, teachers, cadets and students, and activists of public organizations. For the first time, the service was accompanied by the choir of St. Petersburg State University.

    After the end of the service, the ceremony of awarding the Honorary Badge of Saint Tatiana for a special contribution to the spiritual and moral education of youth and active participation in the social activities of the city began. The badge was established in 1997, the laureates are students and teachers of St. Petersburg universities, representatives of youth and public organizations of our city, who have demonstrated exceptional achievements and made a contribution to educational and social work among youth.

    From the Polytechnic University, the Deputy Head of the Directorate of Cultural Programs and Youth Creativity Tatyana Barabanova was awarded the Honorary Badge of Saint Tatiana in the nomination “Mentor of Youth”.

    Tatyana participates in the organization of educational and upbringing activities of SPbPU, coordinates the activities of choral and vocal groups, the student orchestra, ensures their participation in the cultural and social life of the Polytechnic University. She successfully organizes events, festivals that promote the development of students’ creative abilities, as well as concert activities of the White Hall. In addition, Tatyana is working on a dissertation on the topic “State educational policy in the system of ensuring national security of modern Russia”, in which she examines state policy on the protection of spiritual values, ensuring the cultural sovereignty of the country, including relying on the experience of SPbPU.

    I don’t know what to rejoice more – the sign of Saint Tatiana or the opportunity to find myself on my Angel Day in front of a large icon of the great martyr and participate in a festive service in her honor. I accept all this with great gratitude. To the Polytechnic, which gave me this incredible opportunity, to the people with whom we have been working together for many years on the tasks of educating students in music, creativity, and culture, – shared Tatyana Barabanova.

    In the nomination “Youth Degree” the award went to the leading specialist of the Museum of History of SPbPU Maria Zavyalova. Maria is a postgraduate student at the Polytechnic University in the direction of “History of Science and Technology”. She began her social, educational and patriotic activities during her student years at the Military-Historical Club “Our Polytechnic”, where she supervised the direction “Historical Dance”. Maria held historical, cultural and military-patriotic events, supervised a series of excursions “Leningrad Route of Memory”, balls and dance evenings, rallies and reconstructions. She is the organizer of the “Postcard to Mom” campaign, the “Syandeba” rally, the “On the Lines of Leningrad Defense” and Mannerheim Line hikes, and actively participates in volunteer and volunteer seminars, forums and festivals.

    At the SPbPU History Museum, Maria Zavyalova conducts excursions, implements historical and educational exhibition projects, and is engaged in scientific activities. The girl is the organizer of the All-Russian action “Night of Museums”, the projects “SPbPU History Museum: Laboratories”, “School of Tour Guides”.

    It is a great pleasure to receive such a high award on the Student’s Day, in the main temple of educational institutions of St. Petersburg. Thank you to our beloved Polytechnic University for all-round support. Any project, any idea is unthinkable without a team, without like-minded people. Therefore, I would like to thank the people who were and are nearby. I hope that we will continue to implement new projects that will be useful for our students, residents of St. Petersburg and the whole country, – said Maria.

    The students’ celebration ended with a ball at the Stieglitz Academy.

    Photo archive

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev and Gleb Nikitin discussed water use issues in the Nizhny Novgorod region

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin. They discussed a wide range of issues, including the development of agriculture in the region and the implementation of the national project “Ecological Well-Being”.

    The parties separately focused on changes in the rules for the use of water resources of the Rybinsk and Gorky reservoirs. Dmitry Patrushev drew attention to the need to adjust and update the existing rules taking into account modern socio-economic conditions.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that when deciding the issue of regulating the operation of the Gorky Reservoir during a major flood, the safety of the population is a priority.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – M23 enters Goma

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 27 January 2025 war  

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “It was a terrible night,” local sources told Fides from Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was conquered today, January 27, by the rebels of the M23 movement. In the Munzenze prison, where about 3,000 prisoners are held, there were hellish scenes. “Throughout the night, as the rebels approached, the prisoners started a revolt. The guards shot indiscriminately. Around 8 in the morning, the prisoners began to jump from the roof of the prison and escape. All the prisoners escaped. We do not know if it was the officers themselves who opened the doors of the prison; the fact is that it is now empty” report our sources.“At dawn, M23 troops entered the city, and now the fighting is concentrated in the airport area,” Fides sources add. Congolese troops of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) surrendered at dawn on January 27. The Congolese authorities have confirmed the death of the military governor of the province, Péter Cirimwami, after several contradictory reports on his fate (see Fides, 24/1/2025). The defeat of the FARDC also represents a failure for the international community, which had deployed in North Kivu the blue helmets of MONUSCO (UN Mission in the DRC) and soldiers from the force of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC). At least nine South African soldiers from SAMIDRC, along with three Malawian and one Uruguayan MONUSCO blue helmets, have lost their lives in the fighting in recent hours. Some FARDC soldiers and pro-government militiamen from Wazalendo have surrendered to MONUSCO, complying with the demands of the M23, which claims to have control of traffic in Lake Kivu, thus blocking the possibility of escape through its waters. On the international level, while the Kinshasa government rejected the mediation proposed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (see Fides, 24/1/2025), Kenyan President William Ruto has announced an extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) “in the next 48 hours”, with the participation of the Heads of State of the DRC and Rwanda, the latter indicated as a sponsor of the M23. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/1/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – The Lunar New Year of Chinese Catholic communities: Blessing for families, visits to hospitals, works of charity

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The great “ChunYun army”, the endless crowd of people who travel across China to celebrate the Chinese New Year with their loved ones, marks one of the most significant moments of the year. Internal migrants who work in large cities return to their places of origin for the holiday, which this year falls on January 29. For Chinese Catholic communities, the Lunar New Year is an opportunity to develop pastoral initiatives focused on friendship and sharing with everyone. In the diocese of Shanghai, more than 60 parishes have received a blessing from Bishop Joseph Shen Bin along with a printed symbol of blessing that they can hang on the doors of their homes and which have been given to all the faithful by their priests during Mass. During the homily of the Mass celebrated on Sunday 26 January in the cathedral, Bishop Joseph Shen Bin invited everyone to “renew themselves internally in the sign of the Jubilee to welcome the New Year with a completely new perspective” and to “spread the joyful good news of the Gospel and peace”. As a concrete sign of charity, the offerings of the Mass will go to the communities of Tibet affected by the earthquake. The local Catholic communities see in the most important celebration of Chinese culture a privileged occasion also on a pastoral level. In Wuhu, Anhui province, priests and nuns dedicated themselves to caring for 12 elderly and sick people in the parish during these days with special care, also organizing visits to hospitals and nursing homes to bring them the sacraments of the Eucharist, Penance and Last Rites. At the same time, priests and nuns have been recipients of good wishes and gratitude. In the diocese of Xi’an, the Seraphic Youth Group shared a moment of coexistence with priests, nuns and Bishop Anthony Dang Mingyan in the cathedral. These pastoral initiatives, inspired by the Jubilee, and organized on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, were also carried out in the parishes of the provinces of Beijing, Wenzhou, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and in the diocese of Sanyuan (province of Shaanxi), led by Bishop Joseph Han Yingjin. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 27/01/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PHILIPPINES – A cap on the price of rice: the government’s measure to prevent speculation

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Manila (Agenzia Fides) – In an effort to curb the rise in rice prices, the Manila government has set a limit of 58 pesos per kilogram for imported rice, after carrying out “extensive consultations” with importers, retailers and government agencies. The measure, which came into effect on January 20, provides for a gradual reduction in the cost of rice. The Minister of Agriculture, Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., explained that the initial recommended selling price will be 58 pesos per kilo, focused mainly on containing prices in the metropolitan area of Manila. Subsequently, the price will be reduced progressively: to 55 pesos on February 5, to 52 pesos on February 15 and, finally, to 50 pesos on March 1, with the expectation of reaching 49 pesos if international prices remain stable.According to Minister Laurel, “the gradual reduction will allow for an orderly transition in the market, avoiding destabilization of the rice sector and ensuring that companies can adapt without major disruption.” The recommended price of the staple food will be reviewed every month to take into account new factors affecting cereal prices. On the one hand, the Government wants to ensure that “the price of rice is fair and affordable”; on the other, it wants to ensure that the rice industry remains profitable, but avoiding speculation: “We cannot allow the greed of a few to endanger the well-being of an entire nation,” he said. The Agriculture Minister has reiterated plans to distribute subsidies to rice farmers during the planting season to increase local production of palay (unhulled rice) by 2025. The “Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund” is a government fund dedicated to rice farmers, the amount of which has been tripled to reach 30 billion pesos by 2025. This has come about following the Rice Tariff Law, enacted in 2018 and amended by Congress last December, to expand funding for the modernization of the rice industry. About 6 billion of the initial 10 billion will go to agricultural mechanization, and 4 billion to seeds. Other components to be funded include solar irrigation, diversification and financial aid to rice farmers. The aim is to help farmers get agricultural support during the planting season, including timely delivery of seeds and fertilizers, which will ensure efficient planting and increase productivity. National rice production this year is expected to be 20 million tons, compared to the 19.3 million tons estimated for the end of 2024. In the Philippines, rice production is a key aspect of the country’s food supply and economy. There are an estimated 2.4 million rice farmers in the country. “They are the backbone of the country and provide basic food for everyone. It is important to protect their work and ensure that the population can benefit from rice at a fair price,” explain the priests of the Diocese of San Jose, in the province of Nueva Ecija, in the north of the Philippines. They point out that “if rice is overpriced, it is above all the poor and the less well-off who suffer.” In the area, known as the “rice field of the Philippines”, the local Catholic Church has always supported farmers and, in recent years, has also launched training programs to teach organic farming techniques. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 27/1/2024)
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  • MIL-OSI Economics: Identity fraud: BaFin warns consumers about the company Interactive Assets

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the company Interactive Assets and the services it is offering. BaFin suspects the unknown operators of the website interactiveassets.pro of offering consumers financial, investment and cryptoasset services without the required authorisation.

    The unknown operators are contacting consumers, claiming that their offer is from Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse GmbH or Börse Stuttgart GmbH. In addition, when advertising its services, the company claims to be supervised by BaFin. However, none of this information is correct. This is a case of identity fraud. Moreover, BaFin does not supervise Interactive Assets.

    BaFin is issuing this information on the basis of section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG) and section 10 (7) of the German Cryptomarkets Supervision Act (Kryptomaerkteaufsichtsgesetz).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lighting Up Africa: The Transformative Power of Mission 300 (By Kevin Kariuki)

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

    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, January 27, 2025/APO Group/ —

    By Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth at the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org/en)

    Across Africa, nearly 600 million people live in energy poverty, deprived of reliable access to electricity—a fundamental prerequisite for modern life. This staggering statistic represents more than just a lack of power.  Significantly, it translates to limited opportunities for education, healthcare, gender equality, and economic growth. Mission 300, a bold initiative championed by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group in collaboration with key partners, seeks to change this narrative by providing first time electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.  A key milestone in this effort, branded Mission 300, is the Africa Energy Summit scheduled for Dar es Salaam, 27/28 January 2025.

    The Significance of Energy Access

    Energy is the engine of development. Without affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity, Africa cannot achieve its developmental aspirations or secure its rightful place in the global economy. Energy access is the cornerstone of economic transformation, opening doors to education, healthcare, and income generation. Moreover, it fosters gender equality by reducing the time women spend on labour and time-intensive tasks such as cooking with traditional fuels or collecting for firewood. Mission 300’s success is therefore not just about electrification; it is about saving and empowering lives as well as communities.  It is also about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and safeguarding biodiversity.

    Yet, the path ahead is daunting. At the current pace of electrification, coupled with Africa’s rapid population growth, the number of people living without access to electricity could remain largely unchanged. Action is therefore an imperative, and Mission 300 provides the roadmap to achieve universal energy access by 2030, consistent with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

    The Role of Mission 300

    Mission 300 will invest in new and rehabilitation of generation capacity, transmission systems, including intra- and regional interconnections, as well as distribution grids to build robust and reliable power systems.  It will be complemented by reforms in the energy sector to ensure affordability and sustainability of electricity service, and financially viable utilities while partnerships with the private sector will assist in mobilizing funding at the required speed and scale

    In addition to providing electricity access from interconnected power systems, through Mission 300’s transformative vision, mini-grids, and stand-alone solar home systems will be prioritized to provide electricity to underserved regions and communities, including in fragile and remote areas where extending the interconnected grid is impracticable.  These Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions are amenable to easy and speedy roll-out, cost-effective, modular, sustainable, and can ensure that no community is left behind in the Mission 300 journey.  DRE solutions are projected to account for more that 50% of new connections by 2030.

    A Defining Moment: The Africa Energy Summit

    The upcoming Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam will be a pivotal moment in Mission 300 journey. Hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank Group, as well as the African Union, the summit will bring together over 25 Heads of State and Governments, Heads of international Organisation, including Banks, energy experts, and private sector leaders to forge a common path toward universal energy access.

    The principal outcomes of the summit comprise of the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration by the entire continent and twelve country energy compacts co-created between countries and the Mission 300 partners.  The Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration will outline commitments to reforms and actions necessary to achieve Mission 300 while twelve country energy compacts, will expound on the principles of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration to establish tangible country specific actions and measures for accelerated electricity access such as least-cost power expansion plans, providing last-mile access through grid and distributed renewables, building financially viable energy systems, regional interconnection and promotion of private sector participation in the energy sector.  The twelve countries that will submit energy compacts account for almost half of the global population without access to electricity.

    Another important outcome will be the enlisting of additional partners to the Mission 300 bus.  Several partners are expected to announce additional financial resources and technical assistance in furtherance of the Mission 300 goal. 

    Why Now?

    Firstly, is the unity of purpose and visionary leadership of African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group Presidents that has led to the forging of a structured approach to definitively address the electricity deficit problem in Africa, in collaboration with other development partners.

    Secondly, the continent is blessed with abundant energy resources, including renewable energy, such as 60% of the world’s best solar potential, of which only a tiny proportion has been harnessed.

    Thirdly the cost of renewable energy technology, particularly wind and solar, has reduced dramatically in the recent past making electricity generation from these sources cost competitive compared to sources of conventional power.  Moreover, access to information communication technology, and digitization thereof, currently enables payment platforms that support distributed renewable energy solution.

    When combined, the foregoing provides unprecedented opportunities for addressing the continent’s energy access deficit while also espousing a low-carbon growth trajectory, to support Africa’s climate goals.

    A Call to Action

    Mission 300 is more than an energy initiative; it is a moral imperative. It represents a collective commitment to uplift millions from poverty, foster inclusive economic growth, and create a resilient, green future. But its success hinges on robust support from all stakeholders—governments, development partners, the private sector, and civil society. Together, we must prioritize reforms, mobilize investments, and leverage partnerships to transform Africa’s energy landscape.

    Let us seize this defining moment.  The Africa Energy Summit must not just a platform for discussion on energy.  It must constitute a watershed moment for energy access in Africa.   Let us therefore work to actualize Mission 300 and literally light up the lives of millions, thereby creating lasting change that will evoke enormous pride on future generations.

    In conclusion, “the road ahead may be challenging, but it is also filled with opportunity.  With determination, innovation, and collaboration, we can achieve universal energy access in Africa.  This is our moment to make history.”

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mission 300 Energy Summit to Gather Africa’s Leaders and Partners to Transform Energy Sector

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

    DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, January 27, 2025/APO Group/ —

    African heads of state, business leaders, and development partners will converge tomorrow in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit where they will commit to ambitious reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030.

    Mission 300 is an unprecedented collaboration between the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and global partners to address Africa’s electricity access gap using new technology and innovative financing. Nearly 600 million Africans lack electricity, which is crucial for development and job creation.

    Several heads of state and government from Africa will join more than 1,000 other participants—with strong representation from the private sector—at the January 27-28 summit. Together, they will chart Africa’s course toward universal access to energy.

    This week’s summit is expected to yield two significant outcomes: the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, outlining commitments and practical actions from African governments to reform the energy sector, and the first set of National Energy Compacts, which will serve as blueprints with country-specific targets and timelines for implementation of critical reforms.

    In the first phase, 12 countries will present their energy compacts: Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Other African countries are expected to develop their compacts in subsequent phases.

    The partnerships forged and commitments made by the continent’s leaders and changemakers gathering in Dar es Salaam this week will shape the continent’s journey toward achieving universal energy access, transforming millions of lives, and driving sustainable development and job creation.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel, London applications open

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The competition to refresh the London A, B and C panels is open until Wednesday 5 March

    Lady Justice

    The Attorney General is seeking to appoint new members to three civil panels of junior counsel, the London A, B and C panels, to undertake civil work for government departments.

    Membership of the London panels is open to both barristers and solicitors with the appropriate qualifications.

    Join the Panel Counsel information evening (PDF, 191 KB, 1 page) on Monday 3 February, 5pm at 102 Petty France. This is an opportunity to hear from a current panel member and discuss the work on offer with government lawyers. Please let the Panel Counsel Secretariat know if you are attending by Friday 30 January.  

    London A Panel

    Members of this panel deal with the most complex government cases Those previously appointed to the A panel have generally had in excess of 10 years’ advocacy experience.

    London B Panel

    Members will generally be instructed where knowledge and experience of a particular field is required. Those previously appointed to the B panel have generally had between 5 and 10 years’ advocacy experience.

    London C Panel

    Members of this panel will be expected to have at least two years’ experience in actual practice from the end of 2nd six months’ pupillage for barristers or the end of training contract for solicitors.

    In choosing which of the panels to apply to, candidates will want to make a careful decision based on which best suits their level of expertise and experience. Appointments will be for five years.

    The Attorney General is looking for applicants with experience in general public, commercial and administrative law, and in employment or personal injury. For the 2025 exercise, the Attorney General is also looking to deepen the capacity of the panels by appointing specialists in a variety of additional areas. Please see our ‘Information for candidates’.

    The Attorney General is also looking to appoint applicants capable of advising departments on the interface of public and commercial law issues, and where criminal or regulatory issues arise in public law cases.

    Application

    Read the Information for candidates (PDF, 156 KB, 5 pages), refer to the FAQs (PDF, 181 KB, 7 pages) or contact the Panel Counsel Secretariat.

    Register your interest with the Panel Counsel Secretariat who will issue you with a full application pack.

    Completed applications must be submitted by noon on Wednesday 5 March 2025

    If you have any queries, please feel free to raise them in the first instance with the Panel Counsel Secretariat.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ed Davey marks Holocaust Memorial Day 2025

    Source: Liberal Democrats UK

    Liberal Democrats stand with the British Jewish community and will always fight to ensure that everyone can feel safe in their communities. Whether that’s calling on the government to support cross-community work, or pushing for the funding needed to secure the right protective security measures.

    A few months ago, we marked with great sorrow the passing of Lily Ebert, who was deported to Auschwitz when she was 20. She was truly inspirational – giving hope to so many after enduring such unspeakable horror.

    Lily wrote about a banknote, given to her by an American soldier after the liberation. He’d written on it “A start to a new life. Good luck and happiness”.

    She wrote “This was something I knew I’d keep forever, a reminder, after all the cruelty we’d endured, that people could be compassionate. There was some hope and humanity left in the world.”

    We must remember that too, and live up to the positive vision Lily could see, even after so much darkness.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Pope Francis: The Word of God always amazes us and calls us to be witnesses of the Gospel

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Sunday, 26 January 2025

    Vatican Media

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “The salvation Jesus bestows on us is not yet fully realized. We know this. Yet wars, injustice, pain and death will not have the final word. The Gospel never disappoints”.In St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Francis presided over the Holy Mass on the occasion of the VI Sunday of the Word of God, established in 2019 by the Pontiff himself. The Celebration also marked the conclusion of the three-day event dedicated to the Jubilee of the world of Communication.When we hear the Gospel, the words of God, the Pope suggested, “it is not simply a matter of listening to or understanding them, no. They must reach our hearts and bring about what I said, “amazement”. The word of God always amazes us; it always renews us. It enters our hearts and always renews us”. In fact, “the whole Bible speaks of Christ and his work, which the Spirit makes present and active in our lives and in history. When we read the Scriptures, when we pray and study them, we do not simply receive information about God; we receive his Spirit, who reminds us of all that Jesus said and did. In this way, our hearts, inflamed by faith, wait in hope for the coming of God”.“Let us respond with ardor to the joyful announcement of Christ! The Lord, in fact, did not speak to us as silent listeners, but as witnesses, calling us to evangelize at all times and in all places”, concluded the Pope who then conferred the ministry of Lector to forty lay men and women, from various nations: 4 from Albania, 3 from Argentina, 5 from Austria, 1 from Bolivia, 4 from Brazil, 5 from the Philippines, 1 from Iceland, 6 from Italy, 5 from Mexico, 1 from Poland, 5 from Slovenia.According to the rite, each of them received a copy of the Nova Vulgata Bible: “We are grateful to them and we pray for them. We are all praying for you. Let us commit ourselves to bringing the good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free and announcing the year of the Lord’s favour”.After the celebration, the Pontiff appeared in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer. And on the eve of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, which this year coincides with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Pope Francis recalled the horrors of the Shoah, during which “many Christians also died, including numerous martyrs. The horror of the extermination of millions of Jews and people of other faiths during those years can neither be forgotten nor denied”.The Pontiff then turned his thoughts to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which “is causing the most serious humanitarian crisis in the world, with dramatic consequences in South Sudan too. I am close to the peoples of both countries and I invite them to fraternity, solidarity, to avoid any kind of violence and not to allow themselves to be exploited. I renew my appeal to those who are at war in Sudan for them to put an end to hostilities and to agree to sit at the negotiating table. I urge the international community to do all it can to get the necessary humanitarian aid to the displaced people and to help the belligerents find paths to peace soon”.The Pope also drew attention to the situation in Colombia, in particular in the Catatumbo region, “where clashes between armed groups have claimed many civilian lives and displaced more than thirty thousand people. I express my closeness to them and pray for them”, added the Bishop of Rome, who did not forget that today is World Leprosy Day: “I encourage all those who work on behalf of those afflicted by this disease to continue their efforts, also helping those who heal to be reintegrated into society. May they not be marginalized!” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/1/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/ITALY – The testimony of Roseline Hamel at the ‘Jubilee of the world of Communication’: “forgiveness is a force for peace and hope”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    by Pascale RizkRome (Agenzia Fides) – In a “world that is falling apart everywhere”, where many end up surrendering to evil even “for convenience”, there are also men and women of faith and good will who live and bear witness to “good and love above all”. And it is always worth being amazed by their stories, and telling them.These are words of humanity and hope that Roseline Hamel – sister of Father Jacques Hamel, the priest slaughtered in Normandy on 26 July 2016 by two young men addicted to Islamist propaganda – spoke on Saturday afternoon (January 25) in the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi during her speech at the event organised on the initiative of the “Fédération des Médias Catholiques” as part of the “Jubilee of Communication” celebrated in Rome over the weekend.Roseline Hamel, 84, who came to the meeting in a wheelchair, has herself become a tireless witness to what has happened in her life since the death of her brother, murdered in front of the altar of their church in the parish of Saint Etienne du Rouvray, near Rouen. With a radiant face and a calm, firm voice, Roseline left her house in Armentières for the third time this January to commemorate her brother, killed by those who mocked the name of God with their expressions of hatred.A few weeks after her brother’s death, Roseline had to undergo emergency surgery: she had become ill from the terrible pain. Then she set out to find the person who – she thought – could feel a similar pain to her own: the mother of Adel Kermiche, one of the two murderers. From that moment on, a story of healing and friendship began between the two women that has overcome all distances and differences. A story that Roseline tells whenever possible. “Father Jacques,” said the woman in a white blouse and scarf in the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi, “had begun interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community six years before his murder. To understand each other, we must know each other, and to know each other, we must talk to each other, despite the differences that can intimidate us. Only by facing them and their differences will we not be afraid of others. By sharing our joys and sorrows, not to unite us, but above all to understand each other. We are all human.””This is how Roseline Hamel was able to rediscover humanity in the overwhelming, powerful event of her brother’s murder during Mass,” stressed Samuel Lieven, editor of the weekly newspaper ‘le Pélerin’, who was also present at the meeting. Roseline had also been in Rome last year to meet Pope Francis for the third time. She had given him a homily by Father Jacques on the occasion of the awarding of the Father Jacques Hamel Prize for Interreligious Dialogue, established in 2017, which is awarded for “edifying testimonies that never ignore the incredible suffering, and the pain, and the desire that asks for grace to overcome them”, explained Philippine de Saint-Pierre, general director of the Catholic television station KTO. Philippe Lansac, general director of the Catholic radio station RCF, also spoke at the meeting, which was dedicated to the theme “How can Catholic media be builders of peace?” In her speech, Roseline Hamel recalled the urgency of “provoking” dialogue “by moving towards the unknown, towards the different,” recognizing that “we are all children of God, and therefore we are all brothers, children of the same Father.”The memory of Father Jacques Hamel, concluded Sister Roseline, , is also “the memory of his life lived in faith in Christ until the end, and testifies that in France and throughout the world, forgiveness is a force of peace and hope”.After an announcement on Good Friday, April 13, 2017, the diocesan phase of the beatification process was officially opened on May 20, 2017 and concluded last March 9 with the final session in the church of Notre Dame de l’Annonciation in the Archdiocese of Rouen (see Fides 12/03/2019). During this phase, 66 hearings were held, during which the five eyewitnesses to the murder were heard, 51 other witnesses were summoned (including family members of Father Hamel, friends, parishioners, priests …) and 5 ex officio witnesses. The main questions concerned the murder, the circumstances of the martyrdom under investigation, the life of Father Hamel and how he lived the Christian virtues, as well as his reputation for holiness and the events of grace attributed to his intercession. (Agenzia Fides, 26/1/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Video: ‘You Are Not Forgotten’: President Trump Delivers on North Carolina Recovery

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    On January 24, 2025, President Trump and First Lady Melania visited North Carolina to assess hurricane recovery efforts, meet with officials and first responders, and pledge federal support for rebuilding initiatives.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KnVL_kOLpM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New grants boost community inclusion and accessible travel in Portsmouth

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    New funding opportunities are available for organisations across Portsmouth looking to make a positive impact on the community.

    Portsmouth City Council has announced two new schemes, both offering four-figure sums to promote inclusion within the city.   

    The Easy Travel Access Fund is offering grants of up to £5,000 for projects that help people and groups overcome any difficulties they may have using buses. It aims to connect people to important services, encourage greener travel and make public transport more accessible across the city.  

    Alongside this new Community Inclusion Grants are available to support projects challenging inequality and celebrating diversity and inclusion in Portsmouth. Voluntary and community groups can apply for up to £1,000 to fund work that helps create a more inclusive city where everyone feels welcome and has equal opportunities. 

    These latest rounds of funding build on the previous successes of both schemes with more than £140,000 awarded to good causes in the last three years. 

    HIVE Portsmouth is offering support with applications for any voluntary and community groups who would like guidance on the process in applying for a Community Inclusion Grant. 

    Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “For many organisations in Portsmouth a little bit of funding can make a huge difference and it is fantastic news that we’ve been able to bring both of these grant schemes back to support communities across our city. We’ve already helped a lot of people through these grants and I’d encourage anyone with a suitable project to get in touch.” 

    1. Easy Travel Access Fund – grants of up to £5,000 
      The Easy Travel Access Fund is back for its second round of funding, offering grants of up to £5,000 for projects that help underserved communities access bus travel. The fund aims to connect people to important services, encourage greener travel, and make public transport more accessible across the city. 

    This funding can be used to:  

    • Purchase bus tickets  
    • Offer travel training  
    • Run projects that encourage the use of public transport  

    The Easy Travel Access Fund is part of the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), a £48 million initiative to improve bus services and make them more affordable and sustainable.  

    Businesses, charities, schools, and community groups are invited to apply for this funding.   

    Learn more and apply at: travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip-schemes/easy-travel-access-fund

    1. Community Inclusion Grant – grants of up to £1000 
      The Community Inclusion Grant scheme is offering £30,000 to support projects that advance equity, challenge inequality, and celebrate diversity in Portsmouth. Voluntary and community groups can apply for up to £1,000 to fund initiatives that create a more inclusive city where everyone feels welcome and has equal opportunities. 

    Eligible projects could focus on:  

    • Making facilities more accessible  
    • Attracting a wider and more diverse audience  
    • Supporting disadvantaged or underrepresented groups  

    For more information, please contact: 
    • Email e.d.i@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 02392 688419
    • Apply with support from HIVE Portsmouth grants@hiveportsmouth.org.uk  
    • Learn more at: www.portsmouth.gov.uk/CIG  

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems Major Becomes Plant Science in 2025

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The sustainable plant and soil systems major offered by the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) will be renamed “plant science” beginning in the summer 2025 semester.

    This change comes after an in-depth market analysis of employment opportunities, benchmarking against other universities and programs across the nation, and a survey of students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. These activities indicated a desire for a major name that was more aligned with industry needs and for better understanding by prospective students.

    “There are a variety of career options when graduating with a degree in plant science,” says Sydney Everhart, department head. “Both the name and program were thoughtfully redesigned to enhance recognition of the degree by employers, prospective students, and those who might consider national rankings. This is an exciting time to be considering coming to UConn for plant science.”

    A cornerstone of the plant science program is the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience through courses with labs, field studies, and internships. The degree prepares students to tackle real world challenges in plant systems, from topics like bioremediation, environmental restoration, and sustainable agricultural plant production practices in the greenhouse, field, and across landscapes.

    The core focus of the degree will remain learning about plant science, plant production, biotechnology, and cultivation. Graduates will have a foundational understanding of plant biology and soil management, learning how to optimize plant growth and health in a variety of environments. The program emphasizes hands-on skills, teaching students how to identify and manage pests, diseases, and weeds, and apply sustainable practices to improve agricultural and horticultural systems.

    Students in the renamed plant science major will continue to be able to take courses towards a concentration in environmental horticulture, sustainable agriculture, or turfgrass science.

    Students with a plant science degree may also have an easier time navigating the post-graduation employment landscape, as this is a broad degree name that provides flexible alignment with a variety of plant science affiliated careers and fields.

    “The move away from SPSS is going to be good for the department. Most students, including myself, find it hard to explain what SPSS is to people outside of the major,” says Robert Eselby ’25 (CAHNR). “This name change will help realign the identity of the major with the focuses of the students within it.”

    This name change will also allow UConn’s program to be recognized in national rankings of plant science programs. This was not possible in the past as the unique major name did not allow UConn’s graduates to be included in elements necessary for the rankings.

    Students currently enrolled in the sustainable plant and soil systems major will have the name of their degree updated for degrees awarded in fall 2025 and moving forward.

    “After over 100 years with ‘plant science’ in the name of our department, it is exciting to have everything align – including the bachelor’s degree name, graduate program, and associate’s degree program,” says Everhart. “With many new faculty in our department, we have bold plans to offer new concentrations and courses in the next couple of years that will continue to provide graduates of our program with a strong foundation and cutting-edge skills to equip them to succeed in their careers.”

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Audience with the Presidents of the Episcopal Communication Commissions and Directors of the Communication Offices of the Episcopal Conferences

    Source: The Holy See

    Audience with the Presidents of the Episcopal Communication Commissions and Directors of the Communication Offices of the Episcopal Conferences, 27.01.2025
    This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Presidents of the Episcopal Communication Commissions and the Directors of the Communication Offices of the Episcopal Conferences.
    The following is the Pope’s address to those present during the meeting:

    Address of the Holy Father
    I am pleased to welcome you who carry out a service of leadership in the field of communications in your local Churches. It is good to see bishops, priests, men and women religious, lay men and women gathered here, called to communicate the life of the Church and a Christian worldview. Communicating this Christian worldview is beautiful.
    We meet today, after celebrating the Jubilee of the World of Communications, to do an assessment together and also an examination of conscience. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (cf. 11:1). Motivated by this faith, let us take a moment to reflect on the concrete way we communicate.
    Let us ask ourselves: what do we do to sow hope in the midst of all the despair that surrounds and challenges us? What do we do to overcome the virus of division that undermines our communities? Is our communication inspired by prayer? Or do we limit ourselves to communicating about the Church by merely following the rules laid down by corporate marketing? We should ask ourselves all of these questions.
    Are we witnessing to the fact that human history is not tied to an inexorable destiny? What are we doing to encourage others to look forward to a future that is not predetermined? I like the expression “writing the future”. It is up to us to write the future. Are we capable of communicating that hope is not an illusion? Hope never disappoints. But are we communicating that? Are we capable of communicating that it is possible to improve the lives of those around us, and that we can play a part? Can I, for my part, bring beauty to the lives of others? Are we able to communicate and convince others that it is possible to forgive? This is very hard to do!
    Christian communication is about showing that the kingdom of God is near. It is present here and now, like a miracle that can be experienced by every person and by every culture. A miracle that must be narrated by offering the hermeneutic necessary to look beyond the mundane, beyond evil, beyond prejudices, beyond stereotypes, beyond oneself. The kingdom of God is beyond us. The kingdom of God even comes through our imperfections and this is beautiful. The kingdom of God comes when we show attention to others and carefully analyse the world around us. It comes in the ability to recognize and spread the hope that goodness exists, overcoming a desperate fanaticism.
    This may be an institutional service for you, but it is also the vocation of every Christian, of every baptised person. Every Christian is called to recognize and pass on the stories of good that bad journalism tries to erase by only focusing on evil. Evil exists. It must not be hidden, but it should stir us and lead us to produce questions and answers. This is why your task is so important: it demands that you step out of yourself, to dedicate yourself to a “symphonic” work that involves everyone, that values old and young, women and men and takes into account every language, through the use of words, art, music, painting and images. We are all asked to examine how and what we are communicating. Communicate, we must always communicate.
    Sisters, brothers, this task is challenging. I therefore encourage you to increase your efforts to cooperate on both a continental and universal level so that we can build a different model of communication. The difference lies in the unlimited spirit, creativity and poetic power that flow from the Gospel. Communication is always original. When we communicate, we create languages and bridges. We become creators. It must be a model of communication that conveys harmony and proposes a concrete alternative to today’s towers of Babel. Think about this: the new towers of Babel. They all spoke but did not understand one other. Reflect on this image.
    I leave you with two words: together and network.
    Together. Only together can we communicate the beauty we have encountered: not because of our talents or because we have more resources, but because we love one another.
    This is where we draw the strength to love even our enemies, to embrace those who have done wrong, to unite what is divided and to resist despair. And to sow hope as well. Do not forget about this: sowing hope. It is not the same as sowing optimism. Not at all. We must sow hope.
    Communicating, for us, is not a tactic. It is not a technique. It is not the repetition of catchphrases or slogans, nor is it merely writing press releases. Communicating is an act of love. Only an act of selfless love can produce networks of goodness. These networks of goodness should be regenerated and restored every day, with patience and faith. 
    Network is the second word I invite you to reflect on. Today, we have forgotten the older meaning of this word, as if it were only linked to the digital world. In fact, it is an ancient word. Before making us think about social networks, it ought to remind us of the fishermen’s nets and of Jesus’ invitation to Peter to become a fisher of men. Doing this means putting skills, knowledge and resources into a network capable of providing adequate information and thus escaping the sea of despair and disinformation. This in itself is already a message, a lesson we can learn.
    Let us think of how much we could accomplish together – thanks to the new tools of the digital era and to artificial intelligence – if instead of turning technology into an idol, we were more committed to networking. I have to admit something: what worries me, more than artificial intelligence, is natural intelligence, the intelligence that we must develop.
    When we feel as if we have fallen into an abyss, we must look up, beyond ourselves. Nothing is lost. We can always start again by trusting in each other and, together, trusting in God. This is the secret of our power to communicate. Networking! Be a network! Instead of being seduced by the sterile sirens of self-promotion and the celebration of our own initiatives, let us consider how we can build together a tale of hope.
    This is your task. It is rooted in antiquity. The greatest miracle Jesus wrought for Simon and the other disappointed and weary fishermen was not so much a net full of fish, but having kept them from falling prey to disappointment and discouragement in the face of defeat. Please, do not give in to that type of interior sadness. Do not lose your sense of humour, which is wisdom, everyday wisdom.
    Sisters, brothers, our network is for everyone. For everyone! Catholic communication is not something isolated; it is not just for Catholics. It is not a fenced-in area where we can keep to ourselves, a sect where we can talk to each other. No! It is the open space of a living witness that knows how to listen to and interpret the signs of the kingdom. It is the welcoming place of true relationships. Let us ask ourselves: are our offices and our relationships like this? Our network is the voice of a Church that only finds itself and the reason for its hope by stepping out of herself. The Church must step out of herself. I like to think of that passage in the Book of Revelation when the Lord says, “I am standing at the door, knocking” (3:20). He says this because he wants to come in. But today the Lord often knocks from the inside because he wants us, as Christians, to let him out! Too often we keep the Lord to ourselves. We must let the Lord out – he is knocking at the door to be let out – and not keep him somewhat “enslaved” for own purposes. Do our offices, our relationships and our networks really resemble a missionary Church?
    Thank you, thank you for your work! Go forward with courage and the joy that comes from evangelising. I bless you all from my heart. And please do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Greenbacker secures nearly $1 billion financing to support acquisition and construction of largest solar project in New York State

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Greenbacker, together with Hecate Energy, has completed the development of its largest clean energy project to date. After acquiring the project from Hecate, Greenbacker closed on construction financing in conjunction with commencing construction.
    • Greenbacker partnered with six of the world’s leading project finance banks and financial institutions to secure $869 million in construction-to-term, letter of credit, and tax equity bridge loan financing and with a global investment manager for an additional $81 million development loan facility.
    • The 674 MWdc solar project is expected to power over 120,000 New York homes, support hundreds of green jobs.

    NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (“Greenbacker”), an independent power producer and energy transition-focused investment manager, today announced it has secured $950 million in aggregate financing to support the acquisition, construction, and operation of its largest clean energy project to date. When complete, the 674 MWdc / 500 MWac utility-scale solar farm (“Cider”) will be the largest solar project in the state of New York.

    Greenbacker acquired Cider from Hecate Energy LLC (“Hecate”), one of the largest renewable energy developers in the US. The two companies initially entered into a development partnership in 2021 to bring the project through development, financing, and the commencement of construction.

    Following the acquisition, Greenbacker closed on an $869 million financing composed of a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and letters of credit. The financing was led collectively by six Coordinating Lead Arrangers: MUFG, KeyBanc Capital Markets, ING Capital LLC (“ING”), Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., New York Branch (“Intesa Sanpaolo”), Societe Generale, and Wells Fargo. MUFG and KeyBanc Capital Markets served as the Co-Documentation Agents and Co-Administrative Agents; ING, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Societe Generale, served as Co-Syndication Agents; ING and Wells Fargo served as Co-Green Structuring Agents. ING, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Societe Generale acted as Bookrunners.

    Greenbacker also successfully closed on an $81 million development loan with Voya Investment Management (“Voya IM”). The development loan with Voya IM was utilized to support Cider’s late-stage development, preliminary construction activities, and equipment procurement.

    With committed funds totaling nearly $1 billion, Cider represents another milestone for Greenbacker—its largest project financing to date.

    “Greenbacker has called New York home for 14 years, and we’re proud to be both the owner of the largest solar energy project in the state’s history and a driving force in accelerating its ambitious clean energy goals,” said Charles Wheeler, CEO of Greenbacker. “This substantial achievement—the result of successful collaboration across a group of top-tier institutions, including our long-time development partner Hecate—will create hundreds of green jobs, deliver affordable clean power, and help continue to build a sustainable future for New Yorkers.”

    Cider also marks the third clean energy collaboration between Greenbacker and Hecate. Over the past several years, Greenbacker has acquired over 70 MWac of utility-scale solar in New York from the developer.

    “Hecate is proud to once again partner with Greenbacker to complete the development of the Cider Project, which represents a landmark accomplishment for renewable energy development in the state,” said Nick Bullinger, Hecate’s Chief Operating Officer. “This project embodies Hecate’s mission to make impact at scale building out clean generation to power our future.”

    “This is the latest in a long history of project financing transactions with Greenbacker, highlighting our ongoing commitment to deploying capital with high-quality partners to help grow the clean energy industry,” said Gregory Berman, Director KeyBanc Capital Markets.

    “This transaction reflects our strong partnership with Greenbacker, belief in its sustainability mission, and commitment to advancing clean energy in New York and nationwide,” said Alberto Mihelcic Bazzana, Director at MUFG.

    Cider will utilize approximately 2,500 acres of land in Genesee County, where it began construction in late 2024. The project is expected to generate enough annual clean electricity to power approximately 120,000 average New York households.1

    “Greenbacker’s successful closing on this development loan facility and the bank syndicate’s construction and long-term facility is a pivotal achievement for our organization,” said Carl Weatherley-White, Greenbacker’s Head of Capital Markets. “Finalizing $950 million in capital to build the largest solar project in New York is a testament to the deep expertise and dedication of all parties involved.”

    Sheppard Mullin and Barclay Damon served as counsel for Greenbacker; Winston & Strawn LLP served as counsel for Hecate; Winston & Strawn LLP and Rath, Young, and Pignatelli, PC served as counsel for the bank syndicate; Latham & Watkins LLP served as counsel for Voya.

    Greenbacker is committed to empowering a sustainable world by connecting individuals and institutions with investments in clean energy. As of September 30, 2024, the company’s fleet of clean energy projects have produced over 10 million MWh of clean energy since 2016, abating more than 7 million metric tons of carbon2 and supporting thousands of green jobs.3

    About Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company
    Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC is a publicly reporting, non-traded limited liability sustainable infrastructure company that both acquires and manages income-producing renewable energy and other energy-related businesses, including solar and wind farms, and provides asset management services to other renewable energy investment vehicles. We seek to acquire and operate high-quality projects that sell clean power under long-term contracts to high-creditworthy counterparties such as utilities, municipalities, and corporations. We are long-term owner-operators, who strive to be good stewards of the land and responsible members of the communities in which we operate. Greenbacker conducts its asset management business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Capital Management, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. We believe our focus on power production and asset management creates value that we can then pass on to our shareholders—while facilitating the transition toward a clean energy future. For more information, please visit https://greenbackercapital.com.

    About Hecate Energy
    Hecate Energy was founded in 2012 by a team of energy industry veterans and has successfully developed 4.1 GWs of projects to construction or operations. Hecate believes in establishing beneficial, sustainable, and collaborative partnerships with the host communities where its projects are located and tailors each renewable energy project it develops to better meet the needs of project stakeholders.
    Hecate Energy has entered over 6 GWac of renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) across 55 PPAs with 24 counterparties as well as projects that are selling through merchant markets. Projects that Hecate has developed and that are constructed or are under construction include over 4 GWac of solar projects and 103 MWac of battery storage projects totaling over $6 billion in asset value. Hecate has an active development pipeline of over 43.7 GWac of renewable projects.

    About MUFG and MUFG Americas
    Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,100 locations in more than 50 countries. MUFG has nearly 160,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to be “the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges.

    MUFG’s Americas operations, including its offices in the U.S., Latin America, and Canada, are primarily organized under MUFG Bank, Ltd. and subsidiaries, and are focused on Global Corporate and Investment Banking, Japanese Corporate Banking, and Global Markets. MUFG is one of the largest foreign banking organizations in the Americas. For locations, banking capabilities and services, career opportunities, and more, visit www.mufgamericas.com.

    About Voya Investment Management
    Voya Investment Management (IM) has approximately $392 billion in assets under management and administration as of Sept. 30, 2024, across public and private fixed income, equities, multi-asset solutions and alternative strategies for institutions, financial intermediaries and individual investors, drawing on a 50-year legacy of active investing and the expertise of 300+ investment professionals. Voya IM has cultivated a culture grounded in a commitment to understanding and anticipating clients’ needs, producing strong investment performance, and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in its business.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. Although Greenbacker believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. Greenbacker undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained herein to conform to actual results or changes in its expectations.

    Greenbacker media contact
    Chris Larson
    Media Communications
    646.569.9532
    c.larson@greenbackercapital.com

    MUFG media contact
    Alicia Faugier
    Corporate Communications
    afaugier@mufg.jp

    1Governor Hochul Announces Siting Approval of New York’s Largest Solar Facility to Date, governor.ny.gov.
    2EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. September 30, 2024.
    3 Data is as of September 30, 2024. Green jobs calculated using The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) State Clean Energy Employment Projection Support, nrel.gov.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Xunlei to Acquire Hupu

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xunlei Limited (“Xunlei” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: XNET), a leading technology company providing distributed cloud services in China, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Shanghai Kuanghui Internet Technology Co., Ltd., which operates Hupu, for a total cash consideration of RMB500 million, subject to certain adjustments. Hupu is China’s leading sports media and data platform. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions and is currently expected to occur in the first half of 2025.

    “Acquiring Hupu is expected to create a powerful synergy with Xunlei,” said Mr. Jinbo Li, Chairman and CEO of Xunlei. “This strategic move will leverage Xunlei’s extensive user base and technological expertise in the internet content transmission sector, combined with Hupu’s high-quality sports content and vibrant community, to foster content downloads, community interaction, and sports consumption in a niche market with high user loyalty. Additionally, the acquisition will strengthen Xunlei’s community operations by enriching its content ecosystem with Hupu’s premium sports content and active user base, while enhancing the user experience through Xunlei’s technological and brand advantages.”

    About Xunlei

    Founded in 2003, Xunlei Limited (Nasdaq: XNET) is a leading technology company providing distributed cloud services in China. Xunlei provides a wide range of products and services across cloud acceleration, shared cloud computing and digital entertainment to deliver an efficient, smart and safe internet experience.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the management’s quotes in this press release, as well as the Company’s strategic, operational and acquisition plans, contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the Company’s ability to continue to innovate and provide attractive products and services to retain and grow its user base; the Company’s ability to keep up with technological developments and users’ changing demands in the internet industry; the Company’s ability to convert its users into subscribers of its premium services; the Company’s ability to deal with existing and potential copyright infringement claims and other related claims; the Company’s ability to react to the governmental actions for its scrutiny of internet content in China and the Company’s ability to compete effectively. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Further information regarding risks and uncertainties faced by the Company is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of the press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law.

    Investor Relations
    Xunlei Limited
    Email: ir@xunlei.com 
    Tel: +86 755 6111 1571
    Website: http://ir.xunlei.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Blackford Capital Acquires Ace Controls, Expanding PACIV, its Industrial Automation Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blackford Capital (“Blackford”), a leading lower middle market private equity firm, announced today the acquisition of Ace Controls, a Houston, Texas-based company renowned for designing and building industrial control panels. This acquisition diversifies Blackford’s Industrial Automation Platform, PACIV, to service a broader range of customers. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

    Ace Controls is the third acquisition for the PACIV platform since its establishment in June 2023, following its add-on acquisitions of Data Science Automation in January 2024, and Eight12 Automation in May 2024. PACIV has already established a strong presence in the healthcare and life science industries, and the addition of Ace Controls brings a new focus on industrial applications in the water and wastewater industry, and also further expands the platform’s control panel capabilities. Ace Controls has a 95% repeat business rate from its customers, who represent the equipment manufacturing, electrical contracting, and general contracting sectors.

    Martin Stein, Founder and Managing Director of Blackford Capital, said, “Entering an additional highly regulated, strict tolerance end market with high entry barriers will enable PACIV to scale and diversify its business. Our PACIV platform thesis is to be a multi-dimensional industrial automation enterprise catering to life sciences, food and beverage, and water and wastewater companies.”

    Ace Controls President Agmed Aguirre founded the company in 2005 with a vision to serve the water and wastewater industries by building and distributing high-quality wholesale control panels designed with the end user in mind. Under his leadership over the past 20 years, Ace Controls has flourished, earning recognition as an industry leader. Agmed’s wife Lindsey Aguirre joined the business in 2006, playing a crucial role in administration and bookkeeping, which has helped to build a solid foundation for the company. The entire management team and all employees will remain with the PACIV platform post-acquisition.

    “We are excited to join the PACIV platform and are eager to gain access to new customers, receive additional services, and collaboratively achieve significant growth,” said Mr. Aguirre.

    Jeff Johnson, Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of PACIV, said, “We welcome the Ace Controls team to PACIV, who impressed us with their strong culture of continuous improvement, dedication to cost control, and customer service. We believe that by expanding PACIV’s control panel offerings we can achieve our ’one-stop’ goal for the platform and create a truly synergistic portfolio company.”

    The platform is headquartered in ​San Juan, Puerto Rico with offices in Indiana, Pennsylvania, California, Ireland, and now Texas.

    Generational Group served as exclusive financial advisor and Lancaster | Helling served as legal advisor to Ace Controls. Varnum LLP served as legal advisor and RSM US LLP served as the financial and tax advisor to Blackford and PACIV. Mercantile Bank provided debt financing, and Rush Street Capital provided financing advisory services in support of the transaction.

    About Blackford Capital
    Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. Blackford has a track record of exceptional returns, a disciplined and relentless approach to value creation, and a focus on operational excellence and a compelling culture. In 2023 and 2024, Blackford Capital was named to Inc’s list of Founder-Friendly Investors, was recognized by ACG Detroit with the 2023 M&A Dealmaker of the Year Award and awarded the 2023 Small Markets Deal of the Year award by both Buyouts Magazine and the Global M&A Network Atlas Awards. For more information, visit www.blackfordcapital.com.

    About Ace Controls
    Established in January 2005, Ace Controls leverages over 30 years of combined expertise in control panel design, fabrication, and integration to deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions. Serving the water and wastewater industries, as well as the oil and gas industries, Ace Controls caters to manufacturers of process equipment such as pumps, compressors, blowers, conveyors, mixers, and clarifiers, making Ace Controls a trusted partner in these critical sectors.

    Media Contact:
    Lambert by LLYC
    Jennifer Hurson
    (845) 729-3100
    jhurson@lambert.com

    Jackson Lin
    (646) 717-4593
    jlin@lambert.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72daeb91-d04c-4f9e-a1d3-5374ce84b9fb

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: QXO Launches $11 Billion Tender Offer to Acquire Beacon Roofing Supply for $124.25 Per Share in Cash

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QXO, Inc. (NYSE: QXO) today announced that it is commencing an all-cash tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (Nasdaq: BECN) for $124.25 per share. This price implies a 37% premium above Beacon’s 90-day unaffected volume-weighted average price of $91.02 per share as of November 15, 2024. The total transaction enterprise value is approximately $11 billion.

    QXO intends to complete the acquisition quickly after the tender offer expires in 20 business days, subject to the terms of the offer. The proposed transaction is not subject to any contingencies related to financing or due diligence. QXO expects that the waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and the Canadian Competition Act will have expired or been waived by the time the tender offer expires.

    Brad Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of QXO, said, “Our compelling offer would get cash into the hands of Beacon shareholders immediately at a significant premium to the unaffected share price. We believe that Beacon would be a strong fit for QXO and a key part of our plan to become a forward-looking leader in building products distribution.”

    In addition, QXO reiterates that it intends to pursue all options to complete a transaction, including nominating directors for election at Beacon’s Annual Meeting.

    Secured Financing in Place
    QXO has secured full financing commitments from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Credit Agricole, Wells Fargo and Mizuho. The proceeds from the financing commitments, together with QXO’s cash on hand, will be sufficient to pay 100% of the purchase consideration, any required refinancing of Beacon’s debt, and associated transaction fees and expenses.

    Terms
    The offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of February 24, 2025, unless the offer is extended. The full terms, conditions and other details of the tender offer are set forth in the offering documents that QXO is filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

    Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as lead financial advisor to QXO, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is acting as legal counsel.

    About QXO

    QXO provides technology solutions, primarily to clients in the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors. The company provides consulting and professional services, including specialized programming, training and technical support, and develops proprietary software. As a value-added reseller of business application software, QXO offers solutions for accounting, financial reporting, enterprise resource planning, warehouse management systems, customer relationship management, business intelligence and other applications. QXO plans to become a tech-forward leader in the $800 billion building products distribution industry. The company is targeting tens of billions of dollars of annual revenue in the next decade through accretive acquisitions and organic growth. Visit QXO.com for more information.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs, expectations, targets, goals, regulatory approval timing and nominating directors are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on plans, estimates, expectations and/or goals at the time the statements are made, and readers should not place undue reliance on them. In some cases, readers can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “opportunity,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “target,” “goal,” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: the ultimate outcome of any possible transaction between QXO and Beacon, including the possibility that the parties will not agree to pursue a business combination transaction or that the terms of any definitive agreement will be materially different from those proposed; uncertainties as to whether Beacon will cooperate with QXO regarding the proposed transaction; the ultimate result should QXO commence a proxy contest for election of directors to Beacon’s board of directors; QXO’s ability to consummate the proposed transaction with Beacon; the conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction, including the receipt of any required shareholder approvals and any required regulatory approvals; QXO’s ability to finance the proposed transaction; the substantial indebtedness QXO expects to incur in connection with the proposed transaction and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; the possibility that operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; QXO’s ability to retain certain key employees; and general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected. QXO cautions that forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions of future events, and these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. Forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date each statement is made. QXO does not assume any obligation to update any of these statements in light of new information or future events, except to the extent required by applicable law.

    Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

    This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell Beacon securities. QXO and Queen MergerCo, Inc. (the “Purchaser”) filed a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with the SEC on January 27, 2025, and Beacon will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer with the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to carefully read the Tender Offer Statement (including the Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, as each may be amended or supplemented from time to time), and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement when available, as these materials contain important information that investors and security holders should consider before making any decision regarding tendering their common stock, including the terms and conditions of the tender offer. The Tender Offer Statement, Offer to Purchase, Solicitation/Recommendation Statement and related materials are filed with the SEC, and investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed by QXO and Beacon with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Tender Offer Statement and other documents that QXO and the Purchaser file with the SEC will be made available to all investors and security holders of Beacon free of charge from the information agent for the tender offer: Innisfree M&A Incorporated, 501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022, toll-free telephone: +1 (888) 750-5834.

    QXO and the other participants intend to file a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the SEC to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the election of its slate of director nominees at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of Beacon. QXO strongly advises all stockholders of Beacon to read the preliminary proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to such proxy statement, and other proxy materials filed by QXO with the SEC as they become available because they will contain important information. Such proxy materials will be available at no charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and at QXO’s website at investors.qxo.com. In addition, the participants in this proxy solicitation will provide copies of the proxy statement, and other relevant documents, without charge, when available, upon request. Requests for copies should be directed to the participants’ proxy solicitor.

    Certain Information Concerning the Participants

    The participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be QXO, Brad Jacobs, Ihsan Essaid, Matt Fassler, Mark Manduca and individuals nominated by QXO (the “QXO Nominees”). QXO expects to determine and announce the QXO Nominees prior to the nomination deadline for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of Beacon. As of the date of this communication, other than 100 shares of common stock of Beacon beneficially owned by QXO, none of the participants that have been identified has any direct or indirect interest, by security holdings or otherwise, in Beacon.

    Media Contacts

    Joe Checkler
    joe.checkler@qxo.com
    203-609-9650

    Steve Lipin / Lauren Odell
    Gladstone Place Partners
    212-230-5930

    Investor Contacts ‍

    Mark Manduca
    mark.manduca@qxo.com
    203-321-3889

    Scott Winter / Jonathan Salzberger
    Innisfree M&A Incorporated
    212-750-5833

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sachem Capital Corp. Announces Tax Reporting Information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRANFORD, Conn., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sachem Capital Corp. (NYSE American: SACH) announced today the tax treatment for the Company’s distributions on its common stock (CUSIP: 78590A109) and preferred stock (CUSIP: 78590A505) paid with respect to the calendar year ended December 31, 2024:

    COMMON STOCK TAX INFORMATION

          Box 1a Box 1b Box 2a Box 3 Box 5
    Record Date Payable Date Rate per
    Share    		 Ordinary
    Dividends Per
    Share    		 Qualified
    Dividends Per
    Share    		 Total Capital
    Gain Per
    Share    		 Nondividend Dist.
    Per Share    		 Section 199A
    Dividends Per Share
    04/09/2024 04/16/2024 $0.110000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.110000 $0.000000
    07/29/2024 08/06/2024 $0.080000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.080000 $0.000000
    11/18/2024 11/26/2024 $0.050000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.050000 $0.000000
      Total $0.240000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.240000 $0.000000
                   
               

    PREFERRED STOCK TAX INFORMATION

          Box 1a Box 1b Box 2a Box 3 Box 5
    Record Date Payable Date Rate per
    Share    		 Ordinary
    Dividends Per
    Share    		 Qualified
    Dividends Per
    Share    		 Total Capital
    Gain Per
    Share    		 Nondividend Dist.
    Per Share    		 Section 199A
    Dividends Per
    Share
    03/15/2024 03/30/2024 $0.484375 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.484375 $0.000000
    06/15/2024 06/30/2024 $0.484375 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.484375 $0.000000
    09/15/2024 09/30/2024 $0.484375 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.484375 $0.000000
    12/15/2024 12/30/2024 $0.484375 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.484375 $0.000000
      Total $1.937500 $0.000000 $0.000000 $0.000000 $1.937500 $0.000000


    About Sachem Capital Corp.
    Sachem Capital Corp. is a mortgage REIT that specializes in originating, underwriting, funding, servicing, and managing a portfolio of loans secured by first mortgages on real property. It offers short-term (i.e., three years or less) secured, nonbanking loans to real estate investors to fund their acquisition, renovation, development, rehabilitation, or improvement of properties. The Company’s primary underwriting criteria is a conservative loan to value ratio. The properties securing the loans are generally classified as residential or commercial real estate and, typically, are held for resale or investment. Each loan is secured by a first mortgage lien on real estate and is personally guaranteed by the principal(s) of the borrower. The Company also makes opportunistic real estate purchases apart from its lending activities.

    The MIL Network –