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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises: firms report lower interest rates but a small decline in bank loan availability

    Source: European Central Bank

    27 January 2025

    • Firms reported declining bank interest rates on loans, although indicating a slight further tightening of other lending conditions.
    • There was a slight increase in the bank financing gap compared with the previous quarter as firms reported a small reduction in bank loan availability and no change in the need for bank loans.
    • Firms’ inflation expectations increased slightly, with their median expectations for annual inflation in one, three and five years all standing at 3.0%, 0.1 percentage points higher across all three horizons.
    • Nearly half of the firms surveyed see the ECB’s inflation target at 2% and these firms have lower inflation expectations than those believing the target to be significantly higher.

    In the most recent round of the Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE), euro area firms reported a decrease in interest rates on bank loans (a net -4%, compared with a net 4% reporting an increase in the previous quarter), although a net 22% (30% in the previous quarter) observed increases in other financing costs (i.e. charges, fees and commissions) (Chart 1).

    In this survey round, firms reported a small decline in the availability of bank loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 (a net -2%, down from a net 1% reporting an increase in the previous quarter) (Chart 2). At the same time, firms indicated no change in the need for bank loans, compared with 2% reporting a decrease in the third quarter of 2024. This led the financing gap – an index capturing the difference between the need for and availability of bank loans – to increase for a net 1% of firms, compared with a net 2% of firms reporting a decrease in the previous survey round. Looking ahead, firms expect small improvements in the availability of external financing over the next three months.

    More firms perceived the general economic outlook to be the main factor hampering the availability of external financing than in the previous survey round (a net percentage of -22%, compared with -20%). A net 8% of firms indicated that their perception of banks’ willingness to lend, which may reflect banks’ risk aversion, had improved further (up from 6%).

    A net 6% of enterprises reported an increase in turnover over the last three months, down from 7% in the previous survey round, with a net 11% of firms remaining optimistic about developments in the next quarter. An increased percentage of firms saw a deterioration in their profits compared with the previous survey round (a net percentage of -14%). The survey indicates that the net percentage of firms reporting an increase in cost pressures continued to decline.

    Firms continued to expect the increase in their selling prices and wages to moderate over the next 12 months (Chart 3). Selling prices were expected to increase by 2.9% on average (down from 3.0% in the previous survey round), while the corresponding figure for wages was 3.3% (down from 3.5% in the previous round).

    Firms’ inflation expectations increased slightly, bringing a halt to the previous declines (Chart 4). Median expectations for annual inflation in one, three and five years all stood at 3.0%, thus increasing by 0.1 percentage points for all three horizons. For inflation in five years, fewer firms reported balanced risks (33%). The increase in the percentage of firms seeing upside risks (51%, up from 46%) was similar to the rise in the share of those perceiving risks to the downside (16%, up from 12%).

    To better understand firms’ awareness of and attention to inflation developments, a new set of ad hoc questions was introduced in this survey round. Firms were asked about the factors they believe influenced inflation in 2024, their level of attention to actual inflation, and how this attention has shifted compared with a year ago. Firms cited non-labour input costs rather than wage costs or profits as the primary factor influencing inflation in 2024. Additionally, firms were asked about the inflation target set by the European Central Bank (ECB). Nearly half of the firms surveyed see that target at 2%, and these firms have lower inflation expectations than those believing the target to be significantly higher than 2%.

    The report published today presents the main results of the 33rd round of the SAFE survey for the euro area. The survey was conducted between 20 November and 18 December 2024. Firms were asked about conditions over the three-month period from October to December 2024. The sample comprised 5,393 enterprises in the euro area, of which 4,997 (93%) had fewer than 250 employees.

    For media queries, please contact Nicos Keranis nicos.keranis@ecb.europa.eu, tel.: +49 172 758 7237.

    Notes

    Chart 1

    Changes in the terms and conditions of bank financing for euro area enterprises

    (net percentages of respondents)

    Base: Enterprises that had applied for bank loans (including subsidised bank loans), credit lines, or bank or credit card overdrafts. The figures refer to pilot 2 and rounds 30 to 33 of the survey (October-December 2023 to October-December 2024).

    Notes: Net percentages are the difference between the percentage of enterprises reporting an increase for a given factor and the percentage reporting a decrease. The data included in the chart refer to Question 10 of the survey.

    Chart 2

    Changes in euro area enterprises’ financing needs and the availability of bank loans

    (net percentages of respondents)

    Base: Enterprises for which the instrument in question is relevant (i.e. they have used it or considered using it). Respondents replying “not applicable” or “don’t know” are excluded. The figures refer to pilot 2 and rounds 30 to 33 of the survey (October-December 2023 to October-December 2024).

    Notes: The financing gap indicator combines both financing needs and the availability of bank loans at firm level. The indicator of the perceived change in the financing gap takes a value of 1 (-1) if the need increases (decreases) and availability decreases (increases). If enterprises perceive only a one-sided increase (decrease) in the financing gap, the variable is assigned a value of 0.5 (-0.5). A positive value for the indicator points to a widening of the financing gap. Values are multiplied by 100 to obtain weighted net balances in percentages. The data included in the chart refer to Questions 5 and 9 of the survey.

    Chart 3

    Expectations for selling prices, wages, input costs and employees one year ahead, by size class

    Base: All enterprises. The figures refer to rounds 29 to 33 (April-September 2023 to October-December 2024) of the survey, with firms’ replies collected in the last month of the respective survey waves.

    Notes: Weighted average euro area firm expectations of changes in selling prices, wages of current employees, non-labour input costs and number of employees for the next 12 months using survey weights. The statistics are computed after trimming the data at the country-specific 1st and 99th percentiles. The data included in the chart refer to Question 34 of the survey.

    Chart 4

    Firms’ median expectations for euro area inflation by size class

    (annual percentages)

    Base: All enterprises. The figures refer to pilot 2 and rounds 30 to 33 (October-December 2023 to October-December 2024) of the survey, with firms’ replies collected in the last month of the respective survey waves.

    Notes: Survey-weighted median of euro area firms’ expectations for euro area inflation in one year, three years and five years. The statistics are computed after trimming the data at the country-specific 1st and 99th percentiles. The data included in the chart refer to Question 31 of the survey.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: $350 Million Loan signing between Government of India and ADB

    Source: Government of India

    $350 Million Loan signing between Government of India and ADB

    $350 Million policy-based loan aim to expand India’s manufacturing sector and improve the resilience of its supply chains

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 8:23PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $350 million policy-based loan under the second subprogram of Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) program.

    The signatories to the loan agreement were Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance; Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry; and the ADB.

    The SMILE program is a programmatic policy-based loan (PBL) to support the government in undertaking wide-ranging reforms in the logistics sector in India. The programmatic approach comprises two subprograms, which aim to expand India’s manufacturing sector and improve the resilience of its supply chains.

    The program establishes and operationalizes a comprehensive policy framework to enhance logistics efficiency through (i) strengthening the institutional bases for multimodal logistics infrastructure development at the national, state, and city levels; (ii) standardizing warehousing and other logistics assets to strengthen supply chains and incentivize greater private sector investment; (iii) improving efficiencies in external trade logistics; and (iv) adopting smart systems for efficient and low emission logistics.

    The development of India’s logistics sector is vital to enhancing the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector. Through strategic policy reforms, infrastructure development, and digital integration, ongoing reforms are poised to transform the logistics landscape. This transformation is expected to reduce costs, improve efficiency, generate substantial employment opportunities, and promote gender inclusion—driving sustainable economic growth.

    The collaboration between the Government of India and ADB reflects a shared commitment to fostering growth and innovation in the logistics sector, supporting India’s broader economic development goals.

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    AD/CNAN/AM

    (Release ID: 2086638) Visitor Counter : 77

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Empowering Youth and Revitalizing Sports: Minister of State Youth Affairs & Sports Raksha Khadse Highlights Government Initiatives in Press Meet

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 8:23PM by PIB Delhi

    Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse, addressed a press conference today in New Delhi, where she deliberated on various initiatives undertaken by the Government of India for the youth. Additionally, she reviewed multiple facets of the sports sector. The key highlights are as follows:

    India has witnessed unprecedented progress in youth empowerment since 2014, focusing on key areas such as employment generation, support for MSMEs, promotion of startups, formalization of the economy, encouragement of research and development, skill enhancement, and fostering sports excellence and fitness. These initiatives align with the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” and “Aatmnirbhar Bharat,” paving the way for a developed India by 2047.

    Key Highlights:

    1. Youth Development Priorities:
      • The Union Budget 2024-25 allocated ₹3,442.32 crore for skill development, internships, and employment generation, marking a threefold increase from ₹1,219 crore in 2013-14.
      • National Youth Policy 2014 provides a robust framework to maximize youth potential by 2030.
    2. Employment and Skill Development:
      • Unemployment rate reduced to 3.2% in 2023-24.
      • Initiatives like PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna) and DDU-GKY (Deen Dayal Updhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojna) have trained millions, with significant employment outcomes.
      • EPFO achieved record growth in July 2024 by adding 19.94 lakh net members.
      • The highest growth was observed in the 18-25 age group, with 8.77 lakh net additions in July 2024. This marks the largest increase for this demographic since records began and reflects the continued trend of young people, mostly first-time job seekers, entering the organized workforce
      • Around 3.05 lakh new female members joined EPFO in July 2024, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 10.94%.
      • Maharashtra led among the States/UTs, contributing 20.21% of the total new members.
    3. Economic and Startup Growth:
      • India now hosts 1.4 lakh recognized startups and 117 unicorns, making it the world’s third-largest startup hub.
      • Schemes like PMMY (Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna) and Stand-Up India have empowered entrepreneurs, especially women and marginalized communities.
    4. Sports and Fitness:
      • Record-breaking performance at the 2024 Asian Games with 107 medals (with 28 gold).
      • Enhanced investment in Khelo India and TOPS programs contributed to Olympic (6 medals) and Paralympic (29 medals) success.
      • Khelo India Budget increased from 596 crore to 900 crore.
    5. Women Empowerment:
      • Initiatives like the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam and Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana underscores the government’s commitment to gender equality.

                India’s strides in youth-centric policies and initiatives highlight its commitment to fostering a robust and inclusive ecosystem, ensuring every young Indian contributes to nation-building.

    ****

    HP

    (Release ID: 2086642) Visitor Counter : 37

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: LADA Sport ROSNEFT Team Pilot Wins the Race of Champions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    LADA Sport ROSNEFT team pilot Kirill Ladygin won the 27th “Race of Champions”, which was organized with the support of Rosneft. The competition was held at the auto testing ground in the village of Sosnovka, a suburb of Tolyatti.

    The Race of Champions is an annual race held on an ice synchronous track and has no analogues in Russia. Russian pilots from various motorsport disciplines participate in the competition. This year, 16 athletes took part in the race, including Russian Formula 1 pilots, champions in circuit racing, drifting, karting, rally, ice racing and winners of international rally raids.

    The competition on the main day of the race was held in 2 stages. After the qualifying paired races, in which the pilots fought for points, the quarter-final lineup was formed from 8 athletes who continued the fight for elimination in the “play-off”. According to the rules of the competition, the final races were held up to two victories.

    In the end, the best was LADA Sport ROSNEFT pilot Kirill Ladygin, who won the main trophy “Silver Boat” for a record ninth time. The second step of the podium was taken by the first Russian Formula 1 pilot Vitaly Petrov, and the bronze was won by multiple rallycross champion Egor Sanin.

    In the decisive races, the pilots competed in a new car based on the LADA Iskra model. The sports LADA Iskra is a project of the LADA Sport ROSNEFT team, a car specially prepared for participation in ice racing. The cars were fueled with high-octane Pulsar-100 gasoline and also used Rosneft Magnum Racing sports motor oil.

    The competition attracted several thousand fans and motorsport enthusiasts from Tolyatti and Samara, as well as neighboring regions, who actively supported the pilots during the races.

    Since 2015, Rosneft has been the general sponsor of LADA Sport ROSNEFT, actively participating in the development of Russian motorsports. Since 2021, the LADA Sport ROSNEFT team has been using Rosneft Magnum Racing sports motor oil, which provides increased engine protection in extreme operating conditions and achieves success on the track.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft January 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 USA: Dentist Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Stealing Drugs from Patients and Performing Surgery Without Proper Pain Management

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Central District of Illinois

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Friday, December 20, 2024

    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Rochester, Illinois, dentist, Phillip M. Jensen, 64, was sentenced on December 18, 2024, to 15 years in prison for stealing fentanyl from his patients, injecting them with adulterated drugs, and performing surgery without proper pain management. Jenson also was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine.

    Jensen previously pleaded guilty to two counts of drug diversion, two counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, one count of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, and two counts of false statements relating to health care matters in August 2024.

    Jensen, who prior to having his license suspended in 2022 had specialized in oral and maxillofacial surgery, started stealing fentanyl form his patients as early as December 2019. This conduct first came to light when his staff began noticing patients who were moving, moaning, and otherwise showing signs of pain and distress during surgery.

    Jensen admitted that he had stolen at least half of the fentanyl in every vial in the practice. He acknowledged removing the safety caps, withdrawing at least half of the fentanyl in the single-use vials, refilling the vials with saline, and gluing the caps back on to the vials. In a further effort to hide what he had done, Jensen made false entries into his surgical records claiming that he had given quantities of full-strength and unadulterated fentanyl to his patients to control their pain. He further billed both public and private insurance for these surgeries utilizing these same falsified records. In all, Jensen stole more than 40 grams of fentanyl for his personal use through his fraud.

    At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government presented evidence of Jensen’s lengthy history with addiction, his previous efforts at treatment, and his ultimate decision to prey upon his patients by stealing the drugs that were meant to provide them with comfort during their surgeries. The government presented evidence of the elaborate steps Jensen took to disguise his theft and how his theft of this necessary pain medication impacted his patients.

    During the hearing, Judge Lawless also heard from several of the more than 99 identified victims of Jensen’s fraud, including the statement of a mother who discussed looking into the face of their child immediately following the surgery as the child cried and stated that they had “felt everything.” The government also presented the statement of a patient that awoke during her surgery. When Jensen realized she was awake, he struck the patient in the head with an instrument and completed the surgery, which involved the extraction of multiple teeth as well as the shaping and smoothing of the bones in her jaw, while she was conscious and lacking pain management.

    At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Lawless rejected Jensen’s argument that he was less culpable than an average drug dealer. She noted that Jensen profited from his crimes. She also stated that while a dealer provides drugs to knowing and willing participants, Jensen provided diluted drugs without the consent or knowledge of his victims. She noted that Jensen was a physician who used his position of trust to hurt others. Judge Lawless concluded by asking, “If you cannot trust your doctor, who can you trust?”

    A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jensen in February 2022 charging him with twenty felony counts. He was originally released on bond, but a warrant was issued in July 2024 for violation of the terms and conditions of bond after he stalked and harassed a potential witness in the case. Jensen was detained at that time, and he has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service.

    Judge Lawless, in imposing the fifteen-year sentence, rejected Jensen’s arguments for a lower drug weight and noted the egregious nature of his conduct. In addition to the $200,000 fine imposed, Judge Lawless also ordered Jensen to repay the government for the costs of the expert witness it had to hire. Jensen also lost his medical license as a result of his conduct.

    “This case represents the commitment of the Department of Justice, both in the Central District of Illinois and beyond, to protect and defend the public from those that would prey upon them,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “People are never as vulnerable as when they place their faith in a health care provider to not only treat their condition but to administer anesthesia and pain medicine during that treatment. Jensen abused that faith and hurt others in the process. Because of this prosecution, Jensen will not be permitted to practice medicine again and will be prevented from hurting members of our community in the future.”

    “Health care professionals who tamper with patient medications create a risk of harm to patients, and also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care,” said Ronne Malham, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique medical positions and tamper with patients’ medications.”

    “Medical professionals who violate their oaths to ‘do no harm’ must be held accountable,” said Sheila Lyons, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration – Chicago Division. “The DEA will continue working to keep Illinois families safe from medical professionals who illegally divert opioid painkillers from legitimate medical supplies.”

    The United States Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit, Springfield Resident Office, which focuses on cases involving pharmaceutical controlled substances diverted from the legal chain of commerce to the illegal drug market, investigated this case in conjunction with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer and Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: As part of Sushasan Saptah 2024, “Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore” – Nationwide campaign for Redressal of Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery being held in 660 districts across India from December 19-24, 2024

    Source: Government of India (2)

     As part of Sushasan Saptah 2024, “Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore” – Nationwide campaign for Redressal of Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery being held in 660 districts across India from December 19-24, 2024

    17543 camps held, 10,54013 Public Grievances Redressed, 1,52,76,268 Service Delivery Applications Disposed on Day 1 of the Prashasan Gaon ki Ore Campaign

    8077 camps were held in Madhya Pradesh, 3011 camps were held in Uttar Pradesh, 2207 camps were held in Rajasthan, 1041 camps were held in Chattisgarh and 982 camps were held in Bihar on December 19, 2024

    The “Prashasan Gaon ki Ore Campaign 2024” will be India’s largest campaign for door step delivery of services and redressal of public grievances

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 8:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Hon’ble Prime Minister in his Message on Good Governance Week has stated that, “What is most heartening to note is that ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore’ campaign continues to be a key element of Good Governance Week. ‘Prashasan Gaon ki Ore’ is not merely a slogan, but a transformational effort aimed at bringing effective Governance closer to rural people. This is a true essence of grassroots democracy, where development reaches the people”. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is the nodal department of coordinating the Nationwide Prashasan Gaon ki Ore 2024 campaign being held from December 19-24, 2024.

    On December 19, 2024, the Prashasan Gaon ki Ore Campaign activities were conducted in 660 Districts, 18543 camps were conducted at Tehsil/ Panchyat headquarters, 1,52,76,268 service delivery applications were disposed and 10,54,013 public grievances were redressed.  

    As part of this initiative, a dedicated portal, https://darpgapps.nic.in/GGW24, has been made operational from December 10, 2024. The data of the States/UTs/Districts participation as on the first day of the campaign i.e. 19.12.2024 is as under:

     

    Sl. No.

    Specific field

    Data received as on 19.12.2024

    1

    Total Logged-in Districts

    660

    2

    Total number of camps held

    18543

    3

    Public Grievances Redressed

    10,54,013

    4

    Applications Disposed Under Service Delivery

    1,52,76,268

    5

    Good Governance Practice Reported

    570

    6

    Success Story of Public Grievances

    213

    9

    Vision Document District@100

    10

     

    8077 camps were held in Madhya Pradesh, 3011 camps were held in Uttar Pradesh, 2207 camps were held in Rajasthan, 1041 camps were held in Chattisgarh and 982 camps were held in Bihar on December 19, 2024.

     

     

    The ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore’ Campaign will continue from 19th to 24th December, 2024. A District Level Dissemination Workshop will be held on 23rd December, 2024 which will deliberate on the 3 good governance practices/ initiatives of the District administration and improvements in service delivery.

    The Campaign is being conducted in all North Eastern States including Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The campaign is also being conducted all the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

    The “Prashasan Gaon ki Ore Campaign 2024” will be India’s largest campaign for door step delivery of services and redressal of public grievances.

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    NKR/KS

    (Release ID: 2086633) Visitor Counter : 7

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Species Profile — African Clawed Frog

    Source: US National Invasive Species Information Center

    Official websites use .gov
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    Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
    A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Copra for 2025 season

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 8:10PM by PIB Delhi

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for copra for 2025 season. In order to provide remunerative prices to the cultivators, Government had announced in the Union Budget of 2018-19, that MSP of all the mandated crops will be fixed at levels of at least 1.5 times of all India weighted average cost of production. Accordingly, MSP for Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at ₹ 11582/- per quintal and for ball copra at ₹ 12100/- per quintal for 2025 season.

    The Government has increased MSP for milling copra and ball copra from ₹ 5250 per quintal and ₹ 5500 per quintal for the marketing season 2014 to ₹ 11582 per quintal and ₹ 12100 per quintal for the marketing season 2025, registering a growth of 121 percent and 120 percent, respectively.

    A higher MSP will not only ensure better remunerative returns to the coconut growers but also incentivize farmers to expand copra production to meet the growing demand for coconut products both domestically and internationally.

    National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) will continue to act as Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) for procurement of copra and de-husked coconut under Price Support Scheme (PSS).

    ***

    MJPS/SKS

    (Release ID: 2086629) Visitor Counter : 105

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “JAM(Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile)TRINITY and digital revolution: A Decade of Financial Inclusion, Transparency and Corruption Free India”

    Source: Government of India

    “JAM(Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile)TRINITY and digital revolution: A Decade of Financial Inclusion, Transparency and Corruption Free India”

    Ayushman Bharat: Path towards an Inclusive Healthcare Paradigm

    There are more than 54 crore Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, with a total deposit balance of approximately ₹2.39 lakh crore- an increase of over 15 times since its inception.

    37.02 crore RuPay cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders

    In FY 2023-24, UPI transactions reached ₹200 lakh crore, a 138% increase from 2017-18.

    UPI now operational in seven countries and more than 40% of the global real-time payment transactions are happening in India.

    As on 30.11.2024, approximately 36 crore Ayushman cards have been created across the country and a total of around 29,929 hospitals are empaneled under the scheme including 13,222 private hospitals

    AB-PMJAY is presently implemented in 33 States/UTs across the country.

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 7:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Modi Government has been working for the poor and more than 200 schemes have been launched in the last 10 years for the welfare of the 140 crore people of the nation, said Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road, Transport and Highways,Shri Harsh Malhotra. Shri Malhotra was addressing a Press Conference on impact of path breaking reforms of JAM(Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhar& Mobile) Trinity Schemes,Digital Transactions and AYUSHMAN BHARAT-PM JAY.

    Shri Malhotra stated that under the visionary leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has solved a significant portion of India’s population by bringing them into the banking ecosystem.  At present, there are more than 54 crore accounts, with a total deposit balance of approximately ₹2.39 lakh crore- an increase of over 15 times since its inception. The scheme has been particularly successful in rural ,semi-urban areas and amongst women, with around 66% of accounts coming from these regions. Furthermore, 37.02 croreRuPay cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders, with the average deposit per account rising significantly, reflecting increased usage and savings behaviour. The World Bank has also acknowledged that India has achieved its financial inclusion goals in just six years, a feat that would have taken 47 years without its advanced Digital Public Infrastructure. 
     

    PM-Jan Dhan Yojna  coupled with JAM Trinity has become the world’s largest Financial inclusion program. Now, every rupee released from central Government   reaches  to the intended beneficiary directly without any middlemen which has further led to the enhancement of Indian Economy . The once neglected poor section of the country has been  linked with the rising Indian Economy.This has been made possible with a mission-mode approach that involved both the government and the public.The Minister highlighted that JAM Trinity has driven the nation’s digital revolution and enhance transparency within the financial ecosystem. The government’s focus for the initiative is maximising value for every rupee spent, empowering the poor, and ensuring technology penetration among the masses has been achieved.The JAM Trinity has played a pivotal role in facilitating this progress, enabling more effective and inclusive financial transactions, particularly through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT). This system has not only ensured subsidies and benefits reach the underprivileged directly but also reduced corruption and eliminated fake beneficiaries. The average deposits in the Jan Dhan Accounts as on 14.8.2024 is Rs 4352. The government has fought against poverty on all fronts and consequently,25 crore have come out of poverty in the last 10 years. Delhi alone has 65 lakh PM Jan Dhan Accounts with a total deposit of Rs 3114 crores along with 50 lakh beneficiaries of RuPAY Cards. 2,59,000 women have been benefited from the PM Ujjwala Scheme

    Minister of State emphasised that the success of PMJDY and the JAM trinity has brought greater financial inclusion, empowering citizens with access to banking services while promoting transparency and curbing corruption.PMJDY has not only transformed the financial landscape for millions of Indians but also paved the way for India to emerge as a global leader in digital financial inclusion. About 10 crore fake beneficiaries have been weeded out from the system  which has helped in prevent Rs 2.75 lakh crore from going into wrong hands.

    Shri Malhotra stated that India’s digital payment landscape has also seen exponential growth, with UPI transactions expanding rapidly. In FY 2023-24, UPI transactions reached ₹200 lakh crore, a 138% increase from 2017-18. This growth in digital payments has positioned India as a global leader in this domain, with UPI now operational in seven countries, further boosting financial inclusion and remittance flows. Through the continued expansion of digital payment solutions and initiatives like UPI, India is setting new benchmarks for economic empowerment and financial transparency and also mentioned that more than 40% of the global real-time payment transactions are happening in India.

    The Government’s focus on inclusive healthcare ensured that, India was just the fifth country to develop the COVID Vaccine and successfully executed  the world’s largest vaccine program in which 221 crore doses were administered to the people of the nation.

    Minister of State highlighted that Ayushman Bharat- PradhanMantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) which was launched on 23.09.2018 with an aim to provide health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. AB-PMJAY is presently implemented in 33 States/UTs across the country.

    In March 2024, 37 lakh families of ASHA, Anganwadi Worker and Anganwadi Helpers were also included in the scheme.

    Shri Malhotra mentioned that on 29.10.2024, the Government of India expanded the scheme to provide free treatment benefits of up to ₹5 lakh per year on a family basis to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status. As on 30.11.2024, approximately 36 crore Ayushman cards have been created across the country and a total of  around 29,929 hospitals are empaneled under the scheme including 13,222 private hospitals, to ensure delivery of quality healthcare services to the beneficiaries. Further, a total of around8.39 crore hospital admissions worth aroundRs. 1.16 lakh crore have been authorized under the scheme.

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    DSK

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Opportunity for Indian Academic and R&D Institutes, Startups, & Companies to explore the potential of AI in addressing critical challenges

    Source: Government of India

    Opportunity for Indian Academic and R&D Institutes, Startups, & Companies to explore the potential of AI in addressing critical challenges

    IndiaAI Mission calls for proposals in Second EoI Round to drive Ethical and Responsible AI Innovation; 9th January 2025 to be deadline for application submission

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 7:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India launched the IndiaAI Mission on March 7th, 2024, to bolster India’s global leadership in AI and democratize the benefits of AI across all strata of society. To realise this vision, IndiaAI Mission has launched 7 key pillars to strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem.

    The ‘Safe & Trusted AI’ pillar within this initiative emphasizes the need for a balanced, technology-enabled, and India-specific approach to AI governance. This involves the development of indigenous technical tools, guidelines, frameworks, and standards that are contextualized to India’s unique challenges and opportunities as well as our social, cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity.

    First round of EOI

    To advance this vision, the IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) issued an 1st round of Expression of Interest (EoI) and selected Eight Projects to promote responsible AI across a range of critical themes. These include Machine Unlearning, Synthetic Data Generation, AI Bias Mitigation, Privacy-Enhancing Tools, Explainable AI, AI Governance Testing, AI Ethical Certification and Algorithm Auditing Tools.

    Second round EOI

    Further to provide an opportunity to explore the potential of AI in addressing critical challenges, IndiaAI has launched the 2nd round of Expression of Interest (EoI), open to Indian Academic Institutes/Organisations, Autonomous bodies, R&D Institutes/Organizations, Start-ups and Companies. The deadline for application submission is 9th January 2025.

    Themes identified

    The following themes have been identified, against which organizations may submit their proposals to develop practical tools and frameworks, in collaboration with other partners:

    1. Watermarking & Labelling: Develop tools to authenticate AI-generated content, ensuring it’s traceable, secure, and free of harmful materials.

    2. Ethical AI Frameworks: Establish AI frameworks that align with global standards, ensuring AI respects human values and promotes fairness.

    3. AI Risk Assessment & Management: Create risk management tools and frameworks to enhance the safe deployment of AI in public services.

    4. Stress Testing Tools: Create stress-testing tools to evaluate how AI models perform under extreme scenarios, detect vulnerabilities, and build trust in AI for critical applications.

    5. Deepfake Detection Tools: Create Deepfake Detection Tools to enable real-time identification and mitigation of deepfakes, preventing misinformation and harm for a secure and trustworthy digital ecosystem.

    This initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision of leveraging AI for inclusive growth.

    For more details and to apply, visit https://indiaai.gov.in/article/expression-of-interest-for-safe-trusted-ai-projects-under-indiaai-mission

    IndiaAI, an IBD under the Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), is the implementation agency of the IndiaAI Mission, which aims to democratize AI’s benefits across all strata of society, bolster India’s global leadership in AI, foster technological self-reliance, and ensure ethical and responsible use of AI.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu awards President’s Colours to College of Defence Management, Secunderabad

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 7:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu awarded the President’s Colours to the College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad on 20 December 2024, marking a historic milestone in the journey of the institute. The premier defence institute is dedicated to shaping senior leadership of the Indian Armed Forces. The presentation of President’s Colours, the highest award to any defence institution, acknowledges the college’s outstanding contributions to professional military education.

     The President of India also released the ‘Special Day Cover’ along with a commemorative medallion during the award ceremony. A revised peer reviewed compilation of the strategic guidance drawn from the ancient Indian Knowledge System from 1st Century BCE to 7th Century CE tilted ‘Pearls of Ancient Indian Wisdom’ was also released by the President.

    In her address, President Smt. Droupadi Murmu emphasised the significant contributions made by the College of Defence Management (CDM) since its establishment in 1970.

    The President complimented the college’s enduring legacy and its dedication to providing officers with the skills to effectively manage complex military operations, logistics, and resources while embracing new-age technologies and strategies.

    The President emphasised upon the need to be adaptive towards absorption of emerging and disruptive technologies and lauded the role that CDM is playing in preparing the future strategic leadership towards imbibing the same.

    The President inaugurated the monumental national flag at CDM, marking a significant moment in the institution’s history. The flag, symbolizing India’s strength, unity, and sovereignty, stands as a powerful reminder of the CDM’s commitment to excellence in defence education.

    Since its establishment in 1970, CDM Secunderabad has trained officers of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, equipping them with the managerial, leadership, and strategic expertise necessary to meet the challenges of modern warfare. With its evolving curriculum and global partnerships, CDM remains a cornerstone of India’s professional military education system.

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    VK/SR/Anand

    (Release ID: 2086607) Visitor Counter : 53

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi Urges People to Take Advantage of PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi Urges People to Take Advantage of PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

    Union Minister Joshi holds review meeting on PM Surya Ghar with the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand & Ashtalakshmi North Eastern States

    Union Minister Advises Officials to Enhance Implementation of PMSGMBY

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 7:00PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi today urged people for taking the advantage of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana more to avail the benefit up to 300 free units of electricity with an allocation of Rs 75,021 crore. The Minister was addressing a review meeting in Kolkata with the officials of various organisations engaged in promotion of renewable energy in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and eight North-eastern States. He advised officials from the states to enhance the implementation of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in their States.

    Shri Joshi said that West Bengal can do much better regarding the progress of the Scheme in the state. The Minister also said that he has requested concerned Ministers of West Bengal for providing more support to the scheme which aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity with central Government support upto Rs 78,000.

    Union Minister Joshi said that the registration for the scheme has touched 1.5 crore in the entire country and the number of households benefitted has reached 7.06 lakh so far. Shri Joshi said, the scheme should be implemented in good spirit without meddling into politics for the benefit of the people of a State. The Union Minister also urged the State to come forward with an offer of subsidy along with the Central subsidy to make the scheme more profitable for the citizens of the state.

    The Union Minister also held a meeting with the solar panel installation vendors and service providers from West Bengal. He took the stock of their challenges and discussed potential solutions to improve the rooftop solar installations under PM Surya Ghar scheme.

    The review meeting today was attended by Shri Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and senior officers of participating states, REC, DISCOM, and agencies of renewable energy of States.

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    SSS

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRAI releases Recommendations on Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 20 DEC 2024 6:32PM by PIB Delhi

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released Recommendations on Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications.

    Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, through its letter dated 26.07.2023, informed TRAI that Indian Railways has sought an additional 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band, free of cost, for enhancing its safety and security systems. Through the said letter dated 26.07.2023, DoT requested TRAI to examine and provide its recommendations on the following aspects:

    1. The assignment of 5 MHz of additional spectrum to Indian Railways in view of its earlier recommendations dated 25.10.2019 and also in the context of its earlier recommendations with respect to NCRTC dated 28.12.2022 and auction of spectrum dated 11.04.2022.
    2. While providing the recommendations, TRAI may also consider the possibility of sharing of the spectrum between Indian Railways/ NCRTC/ RRTS/ Metro and other similar networks to ensure the efficient utilization of spectrum.
    3. Considering the different spectrum valuation methodology as recommended by TRAI for the 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band, assigned to Indian Railways and for NCRTC, TRAI may examine and if found necessary recommend uniform spectrum valuation and charging methodology considering similar usage in the same spectrum band.
    4. Any other recommendations deemed fit for the purpose.

    In this regard, TRAI issued a consultation paper on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’ on 07.02.2024 for seeking comments and counter comments from stakeholders. The last date for furnishing comments and counter comments was 06.03.2024 and 20.03.2024, respectively. In response, eight stakeholders submitted their comments, and three stakeholders furnished their counter-comments.  An open house discussion on the consultation paper was held through virtual mode on 03.05.2024.

    Based on the comments and counter-comments received from stakeholders in the consultation process, and on its own analysis, TRAI has finalized the Recommendations on Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications. Salient points of the recommendations are given below:

    1. In addition to the already assigned 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band, an additional 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band should be assigned to Indian Railways for its safety and security applications along the railway tracks for captive use.
    2. DoT should take an early decision on the Authority’s earlier recommendation that to ascertain feasibility of radio access network (RAN) sharing, a field trial of RAN sharing through multi-operator core network (MOCN) may be conducted by the Ministry of Railways involving Indian Railways and NCRTC, under the supervision of DoT, as recommended by TRAI through the Recommendations on ‘Spectrum Requirements of National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for Train Control System for RRTS Corridors’ dated 28.12.2022. Based on the outcome of the field trial, a decision on the implementation of RAN sharing through MOCN in the overlapping areas among Indian Railways/ NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks can be taken.
    3. While assigning the frequency spectrum to Indian Railways, the terms of frequency spectrum assignment should include a condition that in case it is determined through the field trial that RAN sharing is feasible, Indian Railways shall implement RAN sharing through MOCN in the overlapping areas with NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks and the same shall be governed through the guidelines issued by DoT.
    4. Spectrum harmonization should be carried out to assign a contiguous block of 10 MHz of frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band to Indian Railways and an adjacent 5 MHz block to NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks. At the same time, it should be ensured that minimum disturbance occurs to the running networks. 
    5. Spectrum charges for Indian Railways /NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks should be levied based on the formula for Royalty Charges and License Fees for captive use, as prescribed by DoT.

    The Recommendations have been placed on the TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in). For any clarification or information, Shri Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), TRAI may be contacted at Telephone Number +91-11-20907758.

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    SB/ARJ

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor McKee Shares Information for Protecting Children’s Credit

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Published on Friday, December 20, 2024

    PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Dan McKee has outlined resources available to help parents and families who may be concerned about the security of their children’s credit in light of the recent RIBridges data breach.

    “People need to act fast when it comes to protecting their personal information, and for some, that includes keeping an eye on their child’s credit,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Our State is committed to providing timely updates and resources so that Rhode Islanders and their families can take action to secure their credit and data.”

    Step-by-step guidance is available through the three major credit reporting agencies:

    • Are My Children at Risk Of Identity Theft? (Equifax)
    • Requesting a Minor’s Credit Report, Fraud Alert or Security Freeze (Experian)
    • Child Identity Theft (TransUnion)

    Most minors will not yet have a credit file, as minors can only take out loans or credit cards if their parents or their guardians cosign. The state cybersecurity advisor suggests that concerned guardians apply for free credit monitoring for their children based on their children’s social security numbers. The monitoring feature will alert a parent or guardian if an attempt to access their child’s credit is made.

    For more details and updates regarding the data breach, please visit cyberalert.ri.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Group donates €300 000 to NGOs helping communities affected by flooding in Spain

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The EIB Group – through the EIB Institute, the group’s philanthropic and social impact arm – will donate €300 000 to the NGOs Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages and Casa Caridad to support communities affected by flash flooding in Spain.
    • The funds will be used to provide psychosocial support, create suitable conditions for children’s schooling and restore housing to a liveable state.
    • This donation comes in addition to an initial financial package of €900 million launched by the EIB Group in November to support recovery and reconstruction in the affected areas.
    • The EIB Group will channel an additional 400 million through financial institutions to support SMEs and mid-caps affected by the floods.

    The EIB Institute, the philanthropic and social impact arm of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), has announced a donation of €300 000 to support communities affected by the flash flooding that devastated parts of Spain on 30 October and in the first few days of November. The donation will be channelled through the NGOs Save the Children Spain, SOS Children’s Villages and Casa Caridad.

    The floods have left many communities in urgent need of help. This donation by the EIB Institute will lend critical support for residents to restore decent living conditions. With the funds, Save the Children Spain will provide psychosocial support and create adequate learning conditions for children, SOS Children’s Villages will give communities administrative assistance and help them meet essential needs, and Casa Caridad will help families restore their homes.

    The EIB Group is thus continuing to increase its support for recovery and reconstruction in the parts of eastern and south-eastern Spain hardest hit by the storms. This includes a €900 million initial response package announced by the group on 6 November to reschedule and accelerate planned disbursements and thereby facilitate the reconstruction of critical infrastructure to be carried out by regional authorities and public bodies in the affected areas, as was also done following the floods in Central Europe in September.

    The EIB has also launched operations to channel approximately €400 million through financial institutions to support SMEs and mid-caps affected by the floods, with a first agreement with Banco Sabadell.

    “The EIB Group has been quick to mobilise to support recovery efforts in the aftermath of the devastating floods in Spain. Today, we supplement our lending with this donation from the EIB Institute, as a sign of our solidarity and commitment to helping the hardest hit communities,” said EIB President Nadia Calviño.

    “The EIB Institute has a long track record of responding to humanitarian crises with swift, impactful support. Over the past decade, we have consistently prioritised providing aid to the most vulnerable, such as children, single-parent and large families, elderly people, people with disabilities and those suffering from malnourishment. Our donations have reached countless individuals, providing critical aid and building resilience in communities around the world. Our mission is to bring hope and relief to those in need, wherever they may be,” said EIB Institute Director Shiva Dustdar.

    The EIB Institute regularly grants aid in response to crises and natural disasters, and donates IT equipment from the EIB. In 2023, EIB donations through the EIB Institute helped populations affected by the war in Ukraine, the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria and the flooding in Slovenia, among other events.

    Background information

    European Investment Bank

    The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. It finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.

    The EIB Group, consisting of the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, reported total financing signatures in Spain of €11.4 billion in 2023, approximately €6.8 billion of which went to climate action and environmental sustainability projects. Overall, the EIB Group signed €88 billion in new financing in 2023.

    The EIB Institute was set up within the EIB Group to foster thought-leadership and impact initiatives with European stakeholders and the public at large.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Commission approves €4.06 billion German State aid measure to support the operation of four Floating LNG Terminals

    Source: European Commission

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 20 Dec 2024 The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an estimated €4.06 billion German measure to support the operation of four storage and regassification units (‘FSRUs’) for the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (‘LNG’) by Deutsche Energy Terminal (‘DET’).

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: The Commission and Switzerland complete negotiations to bring the EU-Switzerland bilateral relationship to a new level

    Source: European Commission

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 20 Dec 2024 On 20 December, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd confirmed the completion of negotiations on a broad package of agreements that aim to deepen and expand the EU-Switzerland relationship.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Plenary round-up – December 2024 – 20-12-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Union’s external relations topped the agenda for the December 2024 plenary session, with several debates on statements by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, attending the plenary for the first time in her new capacity. These included the toppling of the Syrian regime and its consequences; Russia’s disinformation activities and fraudulent justification of its war against Ukraine; the use of rape as a weapon of war (e.g. in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan). The day after Kallas’s remarks on the crackdown on peaceful pro-European demonstrators in Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, President of Georgia, addressed Members in a formal sitting. Other debates on Commission statements covered, inter alia: the situation in Mayotte following the recent devastating cyclone; a European innovation act; harassment and cyber-violence against female politicians in EU candidate and neighbouring countries; a shared vision for sustainable European tourism; promoting social dialogue and the right to strike; tackling abusive subcontracting; the need to ensure swift action and transparency on public-sector corruption allegations; urgent EU action to preserve nature and biodiversity; and the Commission’s plans to revise outstanding proposals on animal welfare in its 2025 work plan. Members also debated ahead of the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024 and set out their expectations ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit that took place the previous day. Parliament created two new standing committees, upgrading the former sub-committees on Public Health, and on Security and Defence; and set up two special committees: on the European Democracy Shield, and the Housing Crisis.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – EU Cyber Resilience Act – 20-12-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    New technologies come with new risks, and the impact of cyber-attacks through digital products has increased dramatically in recent years. Consumers are increasingly falling victim to security flaws linked to digital products such as baby monitors, robo-vacuum cleaners, Wi-Fi routers and alarm systems. For businesses, the importance of ensuring that digital products in the supply chain are secure has become pivotal, considering three in five vendors have already lost money as a result of product security gaps. The European Union’s lawmakers signed the ‘cyber-resilience act’ in October 2024. The regulation imposes cybersecurity obligations on all products with digital elements whose intended and foreseeable use includes direct or indirect data connection to a device or network. The regulation introduces cybersecurity by design and by default principles and imposes a duty of care for the lifecycle of products. The Cyber Resilience Act was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 20 November 2024. It entered into force in December 2024 and will apply in full as of 11 December 2027. Fourth edition. The ‘EU Legislation in Progress’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Management of invasive species – E-002927/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    13.12.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002927/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sebastian Everding (The Left), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE)

    Article 19(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 on invasive alien species (IAS) provides that Member States must ensure that animals are spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering when implementing management measures. Safe and humane non-lethal management methods such as immunocontraceptive vaccines and oral contraceptives are available or could be further developed and assessed to manage IAS populations, reducing the use of cruel lethal methods and potentially being more effective. When available, however, these methods cannot be implemented because the regulation also prevents the release of kept IAS animals.

    Can the Commission clarify:

    • 1.Could animal IAS be released after being neutered and could animal IAS be released after being temporarily contained for the purpose of immunocontraceptive vaccine injection?
    • 2.How can the legislation prevent the use of inhumane methods when alternatives exist and why does it provide for such a restrictive framework for the use of alternatives?
    • 3.Are there any plans for funding opportunities for developing, testing and implementing innovative humane management methods, including fertility control?

    Submitted: 13.12.2024

    Last updated: 20 December 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protecting the rights and working conditions of self-employed delivery workers in the EU – E-002631/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    22.11.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002631/2024/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Galato Alexandraki (ECR), Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR)

    Self-employed delivery workers in Greece are facing a decline in working conditions, due to sky-rocketing costs and the longer working hours required to make ends meet. During a recent 24-hour period of industrial action, unions highlighted that platforms were charging more for their products on strike days, without improving pay or providing the necessary labour protection. The lack of fairer taxation, free provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), professional licences and better paid contracts remains a serious problem for the sector. At the same time, pressure on delivery workers leads to a toxic working environment and incidences of violence. Furthermore, delivery workers complain that the lack of regulation fosters instability and exploitation by platforms, which force workers to endure conditions that put their health and safety at risk.

    In view of the above, can the Commission answer the following:

    • 1.What measures could it take to ensure fair taxation and working conditions for self-employed delivery workers, especially with regard to PPE and the recognition of their professional expenses?
    • 2.What actions could it take to help prevent delivery workers from experiencing pressure and violence, protecting both social peace and workers in this sector?

    Submitted: 22.11.2024

    Last updated: 20 December 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Instability in the Middle East and the Levant as an aggravating factor in security risk levels – P-003021/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    18.12.2024

    Priority question for written answer  P-003021/2024
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Sebastião Bugalho (PPE)

    On 3 December 2024, Sven Koopmans, the European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, said, during an exchange of views in a meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, that we should not be surprised, although it is never justifiable, if we see an increase in terrorism in the coming years, owing to the way in which war is being waged in the Middle East.

    Following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has supported the ongoing transition, but stressed that Syria should be prevented from becoming a ‘base for terrorism’.

    I therefore ask the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

    • 1.Is an assessment currently being carried out of the extent to which the instability in the Middle East and the Levant is an aggravating factor in security risk levels, not only regionally but also around the work, including for European countries and people?
    • 2.What specific steps and responses are being taken or considered in that regard, including to control and prevent risks of that kind?

    Submitted: 18.12.2024

    Last updated: 20 December 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: France: EIB and Rhône department sign first finance contract for lower secondary school construction and refurbishment

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The EIB will provide a 25-year loan of €45 million for seven collèges (lower secondary schools) in the department.
    • The collèges will be highly energy efficient following the work, reducing their carbon footprint and making operating cost savings.
    • This is the first time the EIB has lent funds to the Rhône department in France.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Rhône department have signed a 25-year, €45 million finance contract to help modernise educational facilities and adapt them to local demand, with a view to improving the quality of secondary-level education in the area.

    With this funding, the department will be able to improve the quality of the infrastructure of seven new or refurbished collèges. The project also includes investments in digital equipment and the refurbishment of schoolyards.

    The collèges will be highly energy efficient following the work, enabling energy use reduction goals to be achieved and making operating cost savings. Climate change adaptation measures will also be included.

    This project is fully in line not only with the department’s education efforts (2025 New Collèges Plan), but also with the green transition set out in its low-carbon strategy.

    The project focuses on the construction, reconstruction or refurbishment of collèges. It will enable the department to support the adaptation of its network of educational facilities to local demand. This investment will make school infrastructure more resilient to climate risk and school buildings more energy efficient. The work carried out will include a wide range of solutions to adapt to global warming, such as sunshades, rainwater retention systems to supply water for toilet facilities in particular, and permeable soil solutions.

    The project will benefit around 4 020 students enrolled in the department’s lower secondary schools (20% of all students in the department’s collèges). Around 30 000 m2 of educational facilities will be built, expanded or refurbished as part of this project.

    EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said: “Investing in education is a priority for the EIB, the EU bank. We are very pleased with the trust placed in us by the Rhône department, which we are supporting for the first time in the financing of its public infrastructure. This project will also contribute to the low-carbon transition of collèges through improved energy efficiency and reduced operating costs.”

    Christophe Guilloteau, president of the Rhône department, said: “We are delighted to sign this maiden financing contract with the EIB, which will enable us to carry out the ambitious educational infrastructure projects of our Rhône Bâtisseur programme, such as the 2025 New Collèges Plan.”

    Background information

    About the European Investment Bank (EIB)

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. In the education sector, which is one of its priorities, the EIB financed investment projects in France in 2023 to the tune of more than €900 million, a figure that has risen sharply. The EIB finances education infrastructure from nursery schools to higher education in both the public and private sectors. In secondary education, it recently financed school construction and refurbishment projects for lower secondary schools in six departments and for upper secondary schools in the Brittany and Île-de-France regions. In higher education, it financed refurbishment projects on the campuses of CentraleSupélec in Saclay, École Polytechnique in Palaiseau and INSEAD in Fontainebleau.

    About the Rhône department

    The department’s policy regarding collèges relates both to education itself and to work in schools. The educational aspect concerns pupils in the 33 public collèges and the 19 private collèges under contract in the Rhône department (upkeep, catering and maintenance), adaptation to changes in numbers (location and size of collèges, prospective students, allocation of schools by catchment area, transitional measures), development of cross-cutting and multidisciplinary educational actions in the collèges, and also covers the 12 training centres for young people in the Rhône department (environment, sustainable development, food, health, law, ensuring memory of past events, sport, culture). In this context, the department is carrying out major refurbishment work and constructing public collèges to provide the best learning conditions for young people and the best working conditions for all staff and the educational community in the Rhône department.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Driving decarbonisation: leveraging quantum computing for Europe’s clean industrial future – E-002937/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    13.12.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002937/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lídia Pereira (PPE), Sebastião Bugalho (PPE), Paulo Cunha (PPE), Hélder Sousa Silva (PPE)

    In order to decarbonise growth, we need to grow decarbonisation. Quantum computing will reshape the economics of decarbonisation, advancing transformative innovation across cleantech applications and enabling a greenhouse gas reduction of up to 7 gigatonnes by 2035. The quantum market could be as large as EUR 78 billion by 2040. As pointed out by the Draghi report, today ‘five of the top ten tech companies globally in terms of quantum investment are based in the US, four in China and none in the European Union’. Given Executive Vice-President of the Commission Stéphane Séjourné’s task to ensure the industrial application of quantum computing is at the heart of our economy, how is the new Commission planning to harness quantum computing’s potential in the Clean Industrial Deal considering:

    • 1.a pan-European strategy for quantum applications in clean technologies, driven by public funding and supported by a comprehensive capacity-building plan for the quantum and clean tech industries;
    • 2.the promotion of public-private partnerships in the form of centres of excellence to incentivise research and development (R&D) investment in quantum computing by the private sector;
    • 3.the proactive involvement of European universities in the development of the skills and knowledge at the heart of a quantum economy for clean technologies.

    Submitted: 13.12.2024

    Last updated: 20 December 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: First Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABINGDON, Va. – First Assistant United States Attorney Zachery T. Lee will serve as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, effective December 21, 2024, at 12:00 a.m. He is assuming the office under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, 5 U.S.C § 3345, upon the departure of United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, who announced his resignation earlier this year.

    “For two decades, Zach Lee has served the Western District of Virginia with honor, distinction, and dedication as an Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Chief, and most recently as First Assistant United States Attorney,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “There is nobody more qualified to serve in this role, and I look forward to watching the United States Attorney’s Office continue to thrive and serve the citizens of the Western District of Virginia under his leadership.”

    “In my role as the First Assistant United States Attorney, I’ve had the privilege to work side-by-side with Chris Kavanaugh on our district’s most pressing matters,” Mr. Lee said today. “We are sad to see Chris leave the Western District after more than a decade of service, but I promise to keep the men and women who work here focused on the priorities he’s put in place: Keeping our District safe, ensuring civil rights, reducing gun violence, and leading complex white collar investigations and prosecutions.”

    Mr. Lee, 48, has served the Department of Justice since joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia in 2005 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, transitioning to an Assistant United States Attorney in 2007. During his tenure, Mr. Lee has prosecuted complex narcotics, public corruption, firearms, and other criminal matters. He also served in the district’s leadership team as Criminal Chief and First Assistant United States Attorney.

    Prior to his employment with the Department of Justice, Mr. Lee served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Bristol, Virginia, and as a law clerk to the Honorable James P. Jones, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia.

    He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law, Laramie, Wyoming, and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two officers convicted for assaulting 16-year-old boy

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two officers have been convicted of assaulting a 16-year-old boy who they were transporting to hospital for a mental health assessment.

    Following a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court which concluded on Friday, 20 December, PC Sevda Gonen, 33, was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating – one for using unlawful force when searching the victim and the second for slapping him and holding his hair. PC Stuart Price, 35, was found guilty of one count of using unlawful force when searching the victim.

    Both officers, who are attached to the North Area Basic Command Unit, will be sentenced on Thursday, 24 January.

    The officers were convicted following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to an incident on 14 November 2023 when officers were voluntarily transporting a 16-year-old boy to hospital for a mental health assessment, as there were no ambulances available to immediately take him.

    Area Commander Hayley Sewart, said: “We know this incident had a significant impact on the victim and his family, and I would like to apologise to them for the distress and upset caused. Very sadly, what started out as an attempt to get the right medical attention for a teenager in mental health crisis quickly escalated to the events we saw unfold that day.

    “The actions of PC Gonen in slapping the victim are deeply troubling and fall well below the standards and behaviour we expect from our officers. An internal review of the incident raised concerns about her actions and as a result we referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

    “We will continue to exercise such diligence where standards are not being upheld.

    “The decision to charge and subsequently convict the officers with assault because the search was deemed to be unlawful, however, raises important questions and we need to now take some time to understand the outcome and carefully consider the possible wider implications for officers and policing in general.”

    + PC Gonen is suspended. PC Price remains on restricted duties. Now that criminal matters have concluded, we will be liaising with the IOPC regarding misconduct procedures.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two California Men Charged in Largest NFT Scheme Prosecuted to Date

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View the indictment here. 

    A six-count indictment was unsealed today in Los Angeles charging two California men with defrauding investors of more than $22 million in cryptocurrency through a series of digital asset project “rug pulls,” a type of fraud scheme in which the creator of a nonfungible token (NFT) or other digital asset project solicits funds from investors for the project and then abruptly abandons the project and fraudulently retains investors’ funds. Both men were arrested yesterday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Los Angeles.

    According to court documents, from May 2021 to May 2024, Gabriel Hay, 23, of Beverly Hills, and Gavin Mayo, 23, of Thousand Oaks, sponsored several NFT and other digital asset projects and undertook promotional activities in support of those projects. Hay and Mayo allegedly made or caused others to make materially false and misleading statements regarding the digital asset projects being launched and provided false and misleading project “roadmaps” detailing plans for the NFTs or other digital asset projects after their launch that the sponsors never intended to fulfill. For example, the indictment alleges that in promoting the Vault of Gems NFT project, Hay and Mayo falsely claimed that the project would be the “first NFT project to be pegged to a hard asset.” However, instead of pursuing the Vault of Gems project or others as they had represented they would, Hay and Mayo allegedly abandoned the projects after collecting millions in funds from investors.

    “Gabriel Hay and Gavin Mayo allegedly defrauded investors in digital asset projects of tens of millions of dollars and threatened an individual who attempted to expose their roles in these fraudulent schemes,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and financial products to steal investors’ hard-earned money. The department is committed to protecting investors and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets and bring offenders to justice.”

    “For three years, Hay and Mayo apparently lied to their investors in order to defraud them out of millions of dollars,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “Such technological fraud schemes cost investors millions of dollars every year. Just because such crimes aren’t violent does not mean they are victimless. HSI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle such cryptocurrency fraud networks.”

    “Whenever a new investment trend occurs, scammers are sure to follow,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to protect consumers and punish wrongdoers involved in crypto fraud.”

    Hay, Mayo, and others allegedly used these tactics with a variety of digital asset projects, including Vault of Gems, Faceless, Sinful Souls, Clout Coin, Dirty Dogs, Uncovered, MoonPortal, Squiggles, and Roost Coin. Hay and Mayo also allegedly used a variety of means to conceal their involvement in the fraudulent projects by falsely identifying other individuals or causing other individuals to be falsely identified as owners of the projects. When one project manager on the Faceless NFT project exposed Hay and Mayo as being behind that project, Hay and Mayo allegedly embarked on a harassment campaign against the project manager, sending or causing the sending of messages to the project manager and his parents for the purpose of intimidating him and his family and causing them great emotional distress.

    Hay and Mayo are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of stalking. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of five years on the stalking count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI Baltimore is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, both members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maxwell Coll for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.

    The NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that are enabling the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also works to set strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identify areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and lead the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.

    If you believe that you are a victim of any of the scams listed above or other scams involving the defendants, please email rugpullvictims@hsi.dhs.gov.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Luis de Guindos: Interview with the Telegraaf

    Source: European Central Bank

    Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Wouter van Bergen and Martin Visser

    20 December 2024

    What has kept you awake over the past year?

    Looking back at recent times, I would say that my worst nightmare was that a cyber attack would wreak havoc in the payments system. We would have a complicated situation on our hands that would be very difficult to resolve and would have serious consequences for all of us.

    And what do you expect will keep you awake next year?

    For the future, I’m more concerned about trade policy and the potential fragmentation of the global economy. The new US administration has announced far-reaching import tariffs. If they materialise, a wholly new situation could arise, which would go completely against the lessons from the 1930s and the path we have chosen since the end of the Second World War.

    Trump has introduced import tariffs before. What is different this time?

    It’s not only the import tariffs imposed by the United States that are the problem, but also the retaliation by other countries in response. If a trade war erupts, it would be extremely negative for the world economy, mainly for growth but also for inflation. For example, if you impose a 60% tariff on goods from China, which already has excess capacity, it would cause a diversion in trade flows and even impact exchange rates. Nobody knows where that will end.

    What can the ECB do about that?

    We’re not responsible for trade policy. We can provide our advice and explain that a trade war would be extremely detrimental for the world economy and a lose-lose situation for everyone, and that is why it is better to be prudent. But the response is up to the European Commission, and our role is to give our view and deal with the consequences.

    Might it also threaten the euro?

    It should be the other way around. If such threats emerge, the answer lies precisely in more European integration. The euro plays a hugely important role in that.

    But election results indicate that the population in many European countries is not that keen on it…

    I think that the European population is smart, and people are well aware that the uncertainties and risks are intensifying, and that becoming more fragmented within Europe would be the wrong response. My impression of populist politicians is that they propose simple solutions for highly complex problems.

    Immigration is one such complex problem…

    There is talk about restricting immigration, but looking at demographic developments in Europe, you see that the population is ageing. From an economic viewpoint, it is crystal clear that we need ordered immigration, so we should focus on properly managing its social impact.

    Are you concerned about the high levels of public debt in many Member States, such as France?

    Countries need to put in place credible and prudent fiscal consolidation plans. The fiscal rules were suspended for five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis, but now we have a new fiscal framework, and it’s important to implement it accordingly. France is not the only country whose budget has not yet been approved. The same goes for Germany, Spain, Belgium and Austria. They know what they need to do, and I am convinced that they will act accordingly.

    Relative to GDP, public debt is indeed on average 10% higher than it was before the pandemic. At the same time, the situation in the southern European countries that were in trouble 12 years ago is much better now. Portugal now runs a budget surplus, as do Ireland and Cyprus. Greece and Italy are running primary surpluses. Precisely the ‘usual suspects’ back then are doing well now, thanks to the measures taken at the time.

    Former ECB President Mario Draghi painted a dire picture of the state of European competitiveness in a recent report. What can we do to restore it?

    The demographic reality is that our population is ageing. An ageing society takes less risks and innovates less. That’s why targeted immigration is so important. It’s something that Europe should reflect on from an economic perspective.

    Europe has other structural problems too, like the lack of a genuine single market for goods and services. The array of different rules applying throughout means that Europe is still highly fragmented, in contrast to the United States. We don’t have a real banking union as we don’t have a common deposit insurance scheme. And we don’t have a capital markets union, because there is no single capital market supervisor and insolvency laws still differ across countries. On top of that, we don’t have a fiscal union, unlike the United States. Savings are taxed differently everywhere in Europe, there are disparities in labour market rules and some exceptions to the temporary framework on state aid still have to be fully phased out.

    The list of necessary measures is long…

    Yes, there is a lot of work to do and the world is not going to wait for us. Because of the policies of the new United States administration, we may need to deal with import tariffs, uncertain fiscal policy, the possibility of deregulation in financial markets and, going beyond economics, even defence. This is a wake-up call for Europe.

    How can you remain optimistic in the face of such huge challenges?

    It’s not a question of optimism, but pragmatism. In Europe, there is only one way to preserve our current standard of living, and we will eventually choose the correct path.

    The inflation rate in the Netherlands has risen again to 4%. The ECB’s policy does not suit the situation in our country…

    In the euro area, we have seen that although there is an increase in households’ real disposable income because wages have started to catch up with past inflation, consumption is not recovering well. This is an issue of confidence, which has to do with past inflation, the lagging effects of the pandemic, and the current geopolitical landscape.

    People mainly look at prices and they now see that supermarket prices are much higher than they were two or three years ago. That’s why it’s so important that they realise that price levels are stabilising and wages are catching up. And not everything is negative, as labour markets are doing well.

    As the ECB, we have to look at the euro area average (at 2.2% in November, ed.). Dutch inflation is more volatile than average. We are confident that inflation will gradually decrease in the Netherlands too, and that inflation across the euro area will gradually converge towards our 2% target.

    What message do you have for Dutch consumers?

    You still have higher inflation, but inflation in the euro area has declined substantially and without a recession. You have very high employment, so wages are increasing and catching up with past inflation. The tight labour market also shows the need for targeted immigration.

    Do you already hold bitcoin?

    No, no bitcoin, but I know some people who do.

    You missed out on big gains…

    Yes, but I could just have gone to the casino [laughs]. The world of crypto-assets is a mixed bag, with stablecoins being very different from others like bitcoin. In general though, there are no fundamentals that determine the value of bitcoin, like there are for shares or bonds. There is only scarcity.

    Are crypto-assets a risk for the financial system?

    Not for now, there are few of them and volumes are still too small to pose material risks to the financial system.

    Europe is lagging behind the rest of the world. Out of the 50 largest tech companies, only three are European. Europeans heavily invest their funds on US stock exchanges and European banks can’t keep up with their US competitors. Is there still hope?

    This is an indication that there are some structural issues that we need to improve in Europe, namely by deepening economic integration. I talked earlier about common solvency and taxation rules and a coordinated approach to supervision in capital markets, for example. We have to channel European savings to Europe, and to attract savings from abroad.

    Every cloud has a silver lining. Europe is at a crossroads now. The future is now more uncertain than ever since the pandemic due to geopolitical tensions and the risk of significant frictions in global trade in the advent of the new United States administration. That is why we need more integration, not less. It will take courage, but common sense will ultimately prevail.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon donates $25,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the Franklin Fire

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon donates $25,000 to the American Red Cross in response to the Franklin Fire

    IRVINE, C.A. – To support much needed local wildfire relief efforts in response to the Franklin Fire in Malibu, California, Verizon is upholding its commitment to the community with a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross.

    “The Franklin Fire in Malibu is a reminder of the disruptive impact wildfires can have on our communities,” said Steven Keller, Pacific Market President for Verizon. “We hope our grant to the American Red Cross will provide much-needed aid to those affected by the fire.”

    Earlier this year, Verizon contributed to the American Red Cross in response to various wildfires in Southern California, including the Mountain, Line, Bridge and Airport wildfires. 

    “We sincerely thank Verizon for their generous $25,000 donation to support our response to the Malibu Franklin Fire,” said Joanne Nowlin, CEO, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “This contribution strengthens the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region’s commitment to providing relief, hope and care to those affected by disasters.”

    Wildfire conditions and Public Safety Power Shutdowns in the Malibu area caused a service interruption for some customers. In response, our engineers and local emergency crews worked quickly to mitigate impacts and, as a result,we are seeing the restoration of service to those customers affected across the area. In support of public safety agencies responding to the Franklin Fire, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team provided mission-critical communications support, deploying mobile assets to help provide connectivity in the area.

    Verizon facilitates year-round efforts to ensure the network is engineered for resilience, with extensive redundancy measures and backup power solutions across critical sites. To learn more about Verizon’s emergency response efforts, visit our Emergency Resource Center.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: If the EU won’t stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza, member states must go it alone

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Ursula von der Leyen knows that the EU’s reputation as a credible actor for human rights and international law is in tatters over the horrors in Gaza.

    EU leaders and officials have gone from privately condemning the EU’s double standards behind closed doors to publicly lamenting them. Instead of tackling these double standards however, the European Commission President rebranded them as “anti-EU narratives” and tasked the new Commissioner for the Mediterranean and foreign policy chief to elaborate a communications strategy to highlight the EU’s contribution to the region. But there are issues that even the canniest communications strategy cannot bury.

    After the atrocities committed by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, 60% of whom are children, women and older people. The Israeli offensive has left the occupied Gaza Strip a wasteland, inflicting shocking and unprecedented levels of death, suffering and destruction. Amnesty International investigated Israel’s offensive on Gaza, examining a variety of unlawful acts constituting a pattern of conduct, the harmful and destructive impact of its policies and actions, and Israeli government and military officials’ racist, dehumanizing and genocidal rhetoric.

    The conclusion is clear: Israel is committing these acts with the intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza. Israel is committing genocide. We also found that not only is the genocide in Gaza the most documented in history, but the EU and many of its member states are failing to prevent it. Moreover, some member states risk becoming complicit in Israel’s genocide by continuing to transfer arms to the country.

    ‘All signs of genocide are flashing red’

    Amnesty International’s report ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza is the culmination of nine months of meticulous research and spans 296 pages. During our investigation, we interviewed 212 people, conducted extensive fieldwork and analyzed a wide range of visual and digital evidence, including satellite imagery. Crucially, we also analyzed evidence of Israel’s intent, before concluding that Israel has committed — and is continuing to commit — genocide in Gaza.

    In 15 airstrikes we found that Israel killed 334 civilians, including 141 children, and wounded hundreds of others in direct attacks against civilians and without effective warnings. These airstrikes represent a subset of a wider pattern of deliberately indiscriminate attacks. We also documented how Israel has deliberately imposed conditions of life on Palestinians in Gaza calculated to bring about their physical destruction. Within the context of Israel’s long-standing apartheid and unlawful occupation, the inescapable conclusion is that Israel committed these acts with the intent of destroying the Palestinians in Gaza.

    Unsurprisingly, the world has been reluctant to recognize the situation in Gaza as genocide. After all, if what we have been witnessing every day for 14 months was indeed genocide, what would that say about the international community?

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognized that a risk exists that genocide could be committed against Palestinians in Gaza, ordering multiple binding measures to prevent it. The International Criminal Court (ICC) further issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former minister of defense for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    As ICJ judge Abdulqawi Yousef put it: “All signs of genocide are flashing red.”

    Not everyone agreed with our findings. Yet  many states have reached the same conclusion before us. While others may refuse to acknowledge the reality, the EU and its member states are faced with two primary responsibilities under international law: the obligation not to aid or assist genocide and the obligation to prevent it.

    In the absence of unity, EU member states must go it alone

    As European leaders gather in Brussels for the European Council, the new HR/VP Kaja Kallas faces the daunting challenge of convincing all 27 member states to uphold these two fundamental obligations under international law.

    However, in the absence of united action at EU level, individual member states have a duty to act on their own to uphold their obligations to prevent genocide and avoid being complicit in it. In practical terms, this entails five concrete actions.

    The remaining EU member states that continue to export or allow the transfer of arms to Israel must follow the lead of those who have rightly suspended arms exports and transshipments to Israel.

    States must exert diplomatic pressure on Israel, including by publicly recognizing that Israel is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, among other violations of international law.

    States must support justice mechanisms, including by safeguarding the ICC from reprisals, supporting the court financially and politically, and publicly committing to enforcing arrest warrants issued by the ICC. Additionally, states have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute international crimes committed in Gaza under universal jurisdiction, or when suspected perpetrators or victims are dual nationals.

    For its part, the EU must not allow Israel to decimate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees, which remains the only lifeline for millions of Palestinians. This requires both financial and political support for the UNRWA, as well as supporting Norway’s efforts at the UN General Assembly to challenge Israel’s attempt to dismantle it.

    Finally, regardless of EU leaders’ discourse on the ‘day after’ and long-term prospects for peace, as long as Israeli settlement expansion and unlawful occupation and apartheid persist, this will remain empty rhetoric. The EU must start by implementing their legal obligations, as clarified by the ICJ, to ban trade and investments that contribute to maintaining Israel’s illegal occupation.

    In the pages of history, two groups of politicians will be remembered: those who remained silent in the face of Gaza’s genocide — and those who rose up to stop it.

    *This article was originally published on 19 December in EUobserver.

    MIL OSI NGO –