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  • MIL-OSI Economics: Agnico Eagle Announces Successful Take-Up of 94.1% of the Shares of O3 Mining and Mandatory Extension of Offer to February 3, 2025

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    • All-cash offer of $1.67 per share representing a 58% premium to O3 Mining’s closing price on December 11, 2024
    • Agnico Eagle has satisfied the minimum tender condition and has taken-up and acquired 94.1% of the outstanding O3 Mining shares
    • Shareholders who have not already tendered should do so as soon as possible to take advantage of the significant offer as their brokers, banks or other intermediaries likely have tendering cut-off times well in advance of the expiry time of 11:59 p.m. (EST) on February 3, 2025
    • Tender your shares today for prompt payment. Contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group for assistance at 1-877-452-7184 or email assistance@laurelhill.com

    (All amounts expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted)

    TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2025 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM, TSX: AEM) (“Agnico Eagle“) and O3 Mining Inc. (TSXV: OIII, OTCQX: OIIIF) (“O3 Mining“) are pleased to jointly announce that Agnico Eagle has taken-up and acquired 110,424,431 common shares of O3 Mining (the “Deposited Shares“), representing approximately 94.1% of the outstanding common shares of O3 Mining (the “Common Shares“) on a basic basis, pursuant to its board-supported take-over bid (the “Offer“) for all of the outstanding Common Shares for $1.67 in cash per Common Share. The aggregate consideration payable for the Deposited Shares is $184,408,800. Agnico Eagle will pay for the Deposited Shares by January 28, 2025. All of the conditions of the Offer have been satisfied or waived.

    Agnico Eagle has extended the expiry time of the Offer by a mandatory period of 10 days to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on February 3, 2025 (the “Expiry Time“) in order to allow the remaining shareholders of O3 Mining to tender their Common Shares to the Offer and receive the all-cash offer price of $1.67 per Common Share.  

    O3 Mining’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. José Vizquerra commented: “We are pleased to achieve this excellent and timely outcome for our shareholders who tendered their Common Shares to the Offer. While providing an opportunity for our shareholders to realize immediate value at a significant premium, the transaction will also enable the efficient advancement of the Marban Alliance project by Agnico Eagle, an experienced operator that has the financial strength, mining expertise and community commitment to take the project to its next stage of development.”

    Full details of the Offer are contained in Agnico Eagle’s take-over bid circular and in O3 Mining’s directors’ circular, which are available under O3 Mining’s profile on SEDAR+ (http://www.sedarplus.ca) and on O3 Mining’s and Agnico Eagle’s respective websites.  Agnico Eagle will file the Notice of Extension extending the Expiry Time to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on February 3, 2025 under O3 Mining’s profile on SEDAR+ (http://www.sedarplus.ca) and on O3 Mining’s and Agnico Eagle’s respective websites and mail the Notice of Extension to shareholders of O3 Mining in accordance with applicable law.  These materials contain important information on how to tender to the Offer.

    Next Steps and How to Tender Your Shares to Receive Prompt Payment

    Following the Expiry Time, Agnico Eagle intends to pursue a second-step transaction to acquire the remaining Common Shares not tendered to the Offer, as described in Agnico Eagle’s take-over bid circular available under O3 Mining’s profile on SEDAR+ (http://www.sedarplus.ca) and on O3 Mining’s and Agnico Eagle’s respective websites. 

    Remaining O3 Mining shareholders are strongly encouraged to tender their Common Shares to the Offer prior to the Expiry Time to ensure that they promptly receive the offer price of $1.67 per Common Share. O3 Mining shareholders whose Common Shares are held through a broker, bank or other intermediary should immediately contact that intermediary for assistance if they wish to accept the Offer – intermediaries have likely established tendering cut-off times that are prior to the Expiry Time.  Shareholders who do not tender prior to the Expiry Time will not receive payment for their Common Shares until the completion of the second-step transaction.

    For information on tendering your Common Shares, please contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group toll free at 1-877-452-7184 or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com.

    Shareholder type:

    How do I tender my Common Shares to the Agnico Eagle Offer?

    Beneficial

    Most O3 Mining shareholders are beneficial shareholders. This means your Common Shares are held through a broker, bank or other financial intermediary, and you do not have a share certificate or DRS advice.

    Contact your bank or your broker immediately and instruct them to tender your Common Shares to the Offer.

    Registered

    You are a registered shareholder if you hold your Common Shares directly and have a share certificate or DRS advice.

    Contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group:
    Phone: 1-877-452-7184
    Email: assistance@laurelhill.com

    For additional information regarding the Offer, please visit: https://www.agnicoeagle.com/Offer-for-O3-Mining/default.aspx and https://o3mining.com/agnico-eagle-mines-limited-offer-for-o3-mining-inc/.

    O3 Mining Board Transition

    In connection with the successful take-up of the Deposited Shares under the Offer, the board of directors of O3 Mining was reconstituted to include representatives of Agnico Eagle.  The O3 Mining board of directors is now comprised of continuing directors Amy Satov and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon and Agnico Eagle representatives Peter Netupsky, Carol Plummer, Jean Robitaille and Chris Vollmershausen.  Peter Netupsky is Vice President, Corporate Development of Agnico Eagle; Carol Plummer is Executive Vice President, Sustainability, People & Culture of Agnico Eagle; Jean Robitaille is Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Technology Officer of Agnico Eagle; and Chris Vollmershausen is Executive Vice President, Legal, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Agnico Eagle.

    At Agnico Eagle’s request, José Vizquerra and Elijah Tyshynski will continue in their roles as President and Chief Executive Officer and as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of O3 Mining, respectively, until the completion of the second-step transaction.

    Additional Early Warning Disclosure Regarding O3 Mining

    Immediately prior to the take-up of the Deposited Shares under the Offer, Agnico Eagle beneficially owned, and exercised control and direction over, 1,057,753 Common Shares, representing approximately 0.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis, and 270,000 Common Share purchase warrants (the “Warrants“) exercisable for an aggregate of 270,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $1.45 per Warrant.  In addition, Agnico Eagle held a convertible senior unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $10,000,000 dated June 19, 2023 (the “Convertible Debenture“).  Assuming the full exercise of all Warrants held by Agnico Eagle and the full conversion of the Convertible Debenture immediately prior to the take-up of Common Shares under the Offer, Agnico Eagle would beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 6,205,802 Common Shares, representing approximately 5.1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis.

    Agnico Eagle acquired 110,424,431 Deposited Shares pursuant to the Offer, representing all of the Common Shares validly deposited and not withdrawn as of 11:59 p.m. (EST) on January 23, 2025, for aggregate consideration of $184,408,800 in cash.  As a result, as of the date hereof, Agnico Eagle beneficially owns, and exercises control and direction over, an aggregate of 111,482,184 Common Shares, representing approximately 95% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis.  Assuming the full exercise of all Warrants held by Agnico Eagle and the full conversion of the Convertible Debenture, Agnico Eagle would beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 116,630,233 Common Shares, representing approximately 95.2% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis.

    Early Warning Disclosure Regarding Cartier Resources

    Immediately prior to the take-up of the Deposited Shares under the Offer, (i) Agnico Eagle beneficially owned, and exercised control and direction over, 50,749,679 common shares (the “Cartier Shares“) of Cartier Resources Inc. (“Cartier“) and 7,000,000 Cartier Share purchase warrants (the “Cartier Warrants“), representing approximately 15.6% of the issued and outstanding Cartier Shares on a partially-diluted basis assuming the full exercise of the Cartier Warrants held by Agnico Eagle, and (ii) O3 Mining beneficially owned, and exercised control and direction over, 46,273,265 Cartier Shares, representing approximately 12.7% of the issued and outstanding Cartier Shares on a basic basis.

    As a result of Agnico Eagle’s acquisition of control of O3 Mining pursuant to the Offer, as of the date hereof, Agnico Eagle is deemed to beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, an aggregate of 97,022,944 Cartier Shares, representing approximately 26.7% of the issued and outstanding Cartier Shares on a basic basis.  Assuming the full exercise of all Cartier Warrants held by Agnico Eagle, Agnico Eagle would be deemed to beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 104,022,944 Cartier Shares, representing approximately 28.0% of the issued and outstanding Cartier Shares on a partially-diluted basis.

    Agnico Eagle holds its Cartier Shares and Cartier Warrants for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Agnico Eagle may, from time to time, acquire additional Cartier Shares, Cartier Warrants or other securities of Cartier or dispose of some or all of its Cartier Shares, Cartier Warrants or other securities of Cartier that it owns at such time.

    Early Warning Disclosure Regarding STLLR Gold Inc.

    Immediately prior to the take-up of the Deposited Shares under the Offer, O3 Mining beneficially owned, and exercised control and direction over, 12,458,939 common shares (the “STLLR Shares“) of STLLR Gold Inc. (“STLLR“), representing approximately 10.1% of the issued and outstanding STLLR Shares on a basic basis.  Agnico Eagle did not beneficially own, or exercise control or direction over, any STLLR Shares.

    As a result of Agnico Eagle’s acquisition of control of O3 Mining pursuant to the Offer, as of the date hereof, Agnico Eagle is deemed to beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 12,458,939 STLLR Shares, representing approximately 10.1% of the issued and outstanding STLLR Shares on a basic basis. 

    Agnico Eagle holds its STLLR Shares for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Agnico Eagle may, from time to time, acquire additional STLLR Shares or other securities of STLLR or dispose of some or all of its STLLR Shares or other securities of STLLR that it owns at such time.

    Early warning reports in respect of the foregoing will be filed by Agnico Eagle in accordance with applicable securities laws. To obtain a copy of each early warning report, please contact:

    Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
    c/o Investor Relations
    145 King Street East, Suite 400
    Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7
    Telephone: 416-947-1212
    Email: investor.relations@agnicoeagle.com

    Agnico Eagle’s head office is located at 145 King Street East, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7. O3 Mining’s head office is located at 155 University Avenue, Suite 1440, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B7. Cartier’s head office is located at 1740, chemin Sullivan, bureau 1000, Val d’Or, Québec J9P 7H1. STLLR’s head office is located at 181 Bay Street, Suite 4260, Toronto Ontario M5J 2V1.

    Advisors

    Edgehill Advisory Ltd. is acting as financial advisor to Agnico Eagle. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is acting as legal advisor to Agnico Eagle.

    Maxit Capital is acting as financial advisor to O3 Mining. Bennett Jones LLP is acting as legal advisor to O3 Mining. Fort Capital is acting as financial advisor to the Special Committee of independent directors of O3 Mining. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to the Special Committee.

    The Depositary and Information Agent for the Offer is Laurel Hill Advisory Group. If you have any questions or require assistance with tendering to the Offer, please contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group, by phone at 1-877-452-7187 or by e-mail at assistance@laurelhill.com.

    About O3 Mining Inc.

    O3 Mining Inc. is a gold explorer and mine developer in Québec, Canada, adjacent to Agnico Eagle’s Canadian Malartic mine. O3 Mining owns a 100% interest in all its properties (128,680 hectares) in Québec. Its principal asset is the Marban Alliance project in Québec, which O3 Mining has advanced over the last five years to the cusp of its next stage of development, with the expectation that the project will deliver long-term benefits to stakeholders.

    About Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on current expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations about future events as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information and statements are based on estimates of management by O3 Mining and Agnico Eagle, at the time they were made, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Offer, including the anticipated timing of expiration, mechanics, funding, completion, settlement, payment, results and effects of the Offer and the other benefits of the transaction; the advancement of the Marban Alliance project; any second-step transaction, including the timing for any such transaction and Agnico Eagle’s intentions with respect to any such transaction; and Agnico Eagle’s acquisition or disposition of securities of Cartier and/or STLLR in the future. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in formulating the forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining that any second-step transaction will be successful and the ability to achieve goals, including the integration of the Marban Alliance property to the Canadian Malartic land package and the ability to realize synergies arising therefrom. Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining caution that the foregoing list of material factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining believe, or believed at the time, to be reasonable expectations and assumptions, there is no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither O3 Mining, nor Agnico Eagle nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. O3 Mining and Agnico Eagle do not undertake, and assume no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a forecast, projection or estimate of the future financial performance of Agnico Eagle or any of its affiliates or O3 Mining.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

    View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnico-eagle-announces-successful-take-up-of-94-1-of-the-shares-of-o3-mining-and-mandatory-extension-of-offer-to-february-3–2025–302359489.html

    SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.18 [2025]

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    Announcement on Open Market Operations No.18 [2025]

    (Open Market Operations Office, January 24, 2025)

    In order to keep liquidity adequate before the Spring Festival, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB284 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on January 24, 2025.

    Details of the Reverse Repo Operations

    Maturity

    Volume

    Rate

    14 days

    RMB284 billion

    1.65%

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    2025年01月24日

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: AUGUSTA HIGHWAY, COLLINSFIELD (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Issued on
    24 Jan 2025 18:01

    Issued for
    COLLINSFIELD near 5kms south of Redhill in the Midnorth. .

    Warning level
    Advice – Avoid Smoke

    Action
    Smoke from COLLINSFIELD is in the Midnorth  area.

    Smoke can affect your health. You should stay informed and be aware of the health impacts of smoke on yourself and others.

    Symptoms of exposure includes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, burning eyes, running nose, chest tightness, chest pain and dizziness or light-headedness.

    If you or anyone in your care are having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention from your local GP. If your symptoms become severe, call 000.

    More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Meeting with DOT Secretary Nominee Sean Duffy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT):
    “I’m glad I could meet with Mr. Duffy today and discuss my priorities when it comes to our nation’s transportation system and transit infrastructure. Washington state has benefitted in a major way from our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and the vast array of federal infrastructure programs I help fund each year through the regular appropriations process.  I will be keeping a close eye to make sure Mr. Duffy faithfully executes the law and delivers the resources communities across Washington state are counting on for everything from building bridges to expanding our public transit.  
    “There are massive infrastructure investments in my state with huge economic benefits that depend on DOT meeting its legal obligations, including the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project that is a huge deal for folks in Southwest Washington and the entire Pacific Northwest economy.
    “It is critical that we have a Secretary of Transportation who will follow the law and work productively with senators on both sides of the aisle on the transportation needs and challenges our states are facing.
    “We also spoke about aviation safety and working together to make sure FAA has the resources and staffing it needs to conduct proper oversight—including overseeing the continued implementation of Boeing’s comprehensive action plan to ensure that horrifying safety lapses, like the door plug incident we saw last January, never happen again.”
    Senator Murray played a key role in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as Assistant Majority Leader, and as a longtime member—and now Vice Chair—of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and former chair of the Transportation appropriations subcommittee, Senator Murray has fought successfully over the years to boost investment in a wide range of transportation and infrastructure grant programs that benefit Washington state. Last Congress, as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray wrote and passed the transportation appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024, which was signed into law last March. The annual legislation funds the Department of Transportation and critical grant programs that benefit Washington state enormously, including RAISE—which Senator Murray established in 2009. Senator Murray is now working to negotiate government funding bills, including the transportation funding bill, for fiscal year 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Senate Democrats Demand Trump Exempt All VA Employees From Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Senators to Trump: Exempt entire VA immediately
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 23 other Democratic senators calling on President Trump to put veterans first and immediately exempt all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees from the hiring freeze he issued on Monday. In their letter to Trump, the senators stressed concerns about the negative impact the hiring freeze will have on the delivery of veterans’ health care and benefits nationwide – if not quickly reversed.
    “As written, this Memorandum could dramatically impair the ability of veterans across the country to get the care and benefits they desperately need,” the senators wrote. “It could also delay or deny various other services across VA – from burial services to job training to assistance for homeless veterans to life-saving assistance from the Veterans Crisis Line. That is why it is imperative for you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to this hiring freeze for VA so it can continue to deliver on its sacred mission for veterans.”
    The group of Democratic senators also underscored that despite assurances of exemptions, they have heard from employees on the ground that the hiring freeze will extend to certain positions promised to be exempt: “In your Memorandum, little detail is provided to understand the scope of its exemptions. And despite assurances that VA benefits would be exempt, we have become aware the hiring freeze will extend to the Veterans Benefits Administration – a decision that will dramatically impact the processing of disability claims, growing the backlog and making it more difficult for veterans to access their earned benefits, including those promised in the PACT Act.”
    The senators pressed Trump for scaling back on VA employees, rather than continuing efforts to address chronic workforce shortages Congress has implemented over the last few years: “Instead of building upon those efforts, one of your first actions was to stop them entirely, and to issue new directives to VA personnel across the country to not only leave vacancies unaddressed, but to revoke job offers that have already been made. That is a betrayal of trust to veterans on day one of your Administration, and it is a betrayal of trust to prospective VA employees intent on serving veterans – an action that will undoubtedly have long-term impacts on VA’s ability to effectively recruit and retain the physicians, nurses, and other critical positions that make VA the preferred option for care for veterans.”
    In addition to Murray and Blumenthal, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    In addition to the Senate Democrats’ letter to Trump, a group of House Democrats led by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) are sending a letter today calling on Acting VA Secretary Todd Hunter to also exempt all VA employees from the hiring freeze.
    The full text of the senators’ letter is available here and below.
    Dear President Trump,
    We write with urgent concerns about the Presidential Memorandum issued on January 20, 2025, which instituted an immediate hiring freeze, with few exceptions, across the federal civil service. Veterans have earned and deserve the best quality health care and benefits possible. Delivering on that sacred promise starts with ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the appropriate personnel in place to serve them. As written, this Memorandum could dramatically impair the ability of veterans across the country to get the care and benefits they desperately need. It could also delay or deny various other services across VA – from burial services to job training to assistance for homeless veterans to life-saving assistance from the Veterans Crisis Line. That is why it is imperative for you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to this hiring freeze for VA so it can continue to deliver on its sacred mission for veterans.
    In your Memorandum, little detail is provided to understand the scope of its exemptions. And despite assurances that VA benefits would be exempt, we have become aware the hiring freeze will extend to the Veterans Benefits Administration – a decision that will dramatically impact the processing of disability claims, growing the backlog and making it more difficult for veterans to access their earned benefits, including those promised in the PACT Act. Additionally, there is no explicit exemption for employees serving the more than 9.2 million veterans enrolled in VA health care.
    Veterans deserve the best care possible from the best medical professionals in the country. To deliver on that obligation, VA continues to utilize various hiring authorities and incentives provided by Congress to address chronic medical workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas. Instead of building upon those efforts, one of your first actions was to stop them entirely, and to issue new directives to VA personnel across the country to not only leave vacancies unaddressed, but to revoke job offers that have already been made. That is a betrayal of trust to veterans on day one of your Administration, and it is a betrayal of trust to prospective VA employees intent on serving veterans – an action that will undoubtedly have long-term impacts on VA’s ability to effectively recruit and retain the physicians, nurses, and other critical positions that make VA the preferred option for care for veterans.
    Mr. President, to prevent the delay or denial of life-saving services and benefits for our nation’s heroes, we urge you to provide an immediate, clear, and full exemption to VA personnel from your hiring freeze. Thanks largely to the PACT Act and the leadership of the Biden Administration, VA is providing more care and more benefits to more veterans than at any time in its history. We are hopeful to work with you to build upon our nation’s promise to these men and women, but we also vow to fight every effort that dishonors their service and reneges upon that sacred promise.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Meeting with Energy Secretary Nominee Chris Wright

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Chris Wright, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):
    “From the Hanford site to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Department of Energy has a huge footprint in Washington state—I expect to work productively with any Secretary of Energy, so I was glad to meet with Mr. Wright today to discuss my priorities and the crucial role DOE plays in my home state.
    “I fight every year, with every administration, to make sure the Hanford cleanup stays on track—and in our meeting today I made clear that supporting the tank waste mission at Hanford will require significant funding increases, which I’m committed to securing through the appropriations process. I spoke with Mr. Wright about the importance of upholding the holistic agreement and working with me to ensure that Hanford gets the funding it needs to stay on track with its essential cleanup mission.
    “I pressed Mr. Wright on whether he would commit to upholding the law and ensuring that all funding passed by Congress is used in line with Congressional intent—including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which are absolutely essential to ensuring the United States can stay ahead of our adversaries when it comes to energy production and manufacturing. These laws are already contributing in a major way to Washington state’s economy and clean energy future—it is absolutely critical that awarded, committed, and obligated funding is released in a timely manner for these projects in Washington state and across the country.  
    “While we disagree on plenty, if Mr. Wright is confirmed, I hope and expect that we will work together and keep open lines of communication to ensure that we continue to make progress at Hanford, invest in the future of American energy, and stay ahead of our adversaries.”
    As a longtime appropriator and now the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray has long worked to boost funding for the Department of Energy’s critical mission, including negotiating and getting signed into law a strong, bipartisan energy funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024 that strengthened investments in cutting-edge scientific research and grid security, and protected critical funding to propel renewable energy research and climate projects.
    Senator Murray has worked tirelessly to support Hanford workers and ensure the federal government lives up to its cleanup obligations at Hanford throughout her time in Congress—beating back efforts by multiple administrations to underfund Hanford cleanup. As Appropriations Chair in the last Congress, Murray secured a record $3.035 billion for the Hanford cleanup—$191.4 million above the fiscal year 2023 funding level—in the fiscal year 2024 government funding package she negotiated and passed, which was signed into law last March. With significant input from Senator Murray, the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 requested $3.108 billion for Hanford cleanup—a $72.2 million increase above the record funding level enacted in the FY24 package. In December 2023, Murray’s Beryllium Testing Fairness Act, to help Hanford workers suffering from toxic beryllium exposure, was signed into law by President Biden.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Clevely Line, Palmerston North

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash in Palmerston North this evening.

    At around 8.35pm, Police were called to the Clevely Line and Railway Road intersection.

    Initial indications suggest there are serious injuries.

    The intersection is closed, and diversions are in place.

    Motorists are advised to take an alternative route and expect delays.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development opens

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
    The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a shared community space were officially opened.
    “The Government is deeply committed to supporting accessibility to good safe housing across New Zealand,” Mr Potaka says.
    “The whānau who will move into these homes, most of whom come from the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register, will now experience the security, safety and comfort of a stable home.
    “The benefits of proper housing can make a world of difference for people’s health and wellbeing as well as for stable education and employment.”
    The homes were developed by Soho Group and built by Isles Construction over an eighteen-month period. A team of over 50 mostly local contractors have been on site to get the work done.  Kāinga Ora and Y Central have entered a partnership for the shared community space at the development, which will be used by customers and the wider community. Y Central will coordinate the community space, manage bookings and facilitate activities and services.“This partnership will help connect the local community, providing a space where people can come together,” says Minister Potaka.People and families are expected to start moving into the new North Street homes in the next few weeks. Kāinga Ora has assigned a team of Housing Support Managers to support them as they settle into their new home and community.  
    Additional figures for editors:
    With 540 people on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register, the new homes will help meet the demand for more social housing in Palmerston North.As at 30 November 2024, Kāinga Ora owned 1,543 state homes in Palmerston North providing a home to 3,594 customers.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Adam Steer, Darwin Breakfast, ABC Radio

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Adam Steer:

    The next federal election is due by May. You can expect a lot of pitches, promises over the next 18 weeks. And the battle ground, one of them at least, looks to be drawn around the cost of living. As we were chatting today, the Labor government is vowing to crack down on unfair card surcharges following the RBA’s review of the merchant card payment cost. Stephen Jones is the federal Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister. Minister, happy new year. Welcome back to the program.

    Stephen Jones:

    Good to be back with you, and happy new year to you and your listeners.

    Steer:

    Let’s start with the credit card surcharges. They exist, but they’re quite minimal. Why is this a government priority above everything else?

    Jones:

    We’re doing a range of things to stop the rip‑offs that are putting billions of dollars worth of costs on consumers. Surcharges are costing consumers around about a billion dollars a year. The things that the – the other areas we’re focused on, in the unfair trading areas, subscription traps where it’s easy to sign up to a service and impossible to get out of. You know, online dynamic pricing where the price of a product increases over the course of the – while you’re online transacting and making a purchase. And drip pricing, which is when you go online to buy a hotel or a booking or an airline ticket and you get all these add‑on charges, junk charges that are added to the price of the transaction. There’s a range of things that we are looking at and as well, you know, pricing practices in supermarkets to stop the rip‑offs to ensure that Australians are getting a better deal.

    We’ve been working on it for about a year. Some of these things are more advanced than others. In the area of surcharging, between 0.5 and 1.5 per cent on average people are being charged regularly to use their own money, which is access to their debit cards. It’s in our focus. We’ve got the Reserve Bank doing a deep dive at it at the moment. We want to find out what the actual cost of providing these services are. And we want to ensure that when we do ban it doesn’t just pass the cost on to small businesses.

    Steer:

    It seems – I remember the royal commission into banking was very critical of the fees that the banks were charging, and the government moved to stop them doing it. How have they managed to creep back in, those charges? How has that happened?

    Jones:

    No, these are – the royal commission was looking at charges and commissions that were being paid for fees for no service in a range of different services, whether it was banking or whether it was superannuation or insurance. And this is different. These are transaction fees which the cards and the service providers say are the cost of providing the service. We know that it’s much more than that. We know that there are additional charges that are being put in place there and we want to drill down, ensure that Australians aren’t being whacked with these unfair prices and unfair charges. We’ll do it properly, because we’re adamant we’re not going to do it in – when we’ve raised this in the past small business have quite rightly raised concerns saying, ‘Well, if you ban this surcharge, us charging a surcharge, we’ll just have to absorb that cost.’ So we want to do it in a way that doesn’t whack small businesses but protects the interests of consumers as well.

    Steer:

    So just to clarify there are you suggesting scrapping the surcharge from banks to business or businesses to the consumer? Because if it’s business to consumer and you do nothing about the banks charging the business, then, you know, that’s going to create a lot of issues?

    Jones:

    Great point. There’s a complex web of services that are being provided. I don’t want to dive too deeply into the weeds, but there’s the people who provide the little terminal. There’s the people who provide the connection between the terminal and the banking services. There’s the people who provide the service between the banking services and the credit card providers. There’s a whole range of businesses and services that are invisible to the consumer but take a little bit along the way.

    Steer:

    But you can understand that small businesses today might hear, Assistant Treasurer, that they fear they’ll be slugged with the fee they can’t pass on to the consumers. Can you say with confidence they won’t be punished and it will be the banks who are faced with dealing with those fees?

    Jones:

    And that’s why we’re taking the time to get to the bottom of where all the costs and charges are so that we will be able to say with hand on heart, yes, the consumers will be protected, but so will small businesses. And here’s why we know there’s sharp business going on – if you go to a big supermarket like a Coles or a Woolworths, they are paying a small fraction of what the coffee shop or your small corner store is paying for their transaction fees. So we know – we know – that they’re having a lend here, and that’s what we’re getting to the bottom of.

    Steer:

    You’re on ABC Radio Darwin, Adam Steer with you. Stephen Jones is the federal Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister. It is 22 to 9. On some other issues, the Australian Venue Co has been in the news for not advertising Australia as Australia Day but, rather, the January long weekend. Is there an expectation for our venues to celebrate calendar‑gazetted public holidays?

    Jones:

    Look, this is not a totalitarian regime and country. We don’t tell, you know, private companies what they do or don’t celebrate. I’ll be out there on Australia Day down in my electorate having breakfast by the beach and I’ll be doing about 3 or 4 Australia Day events there. And I think there’ll be hundreds of thousands of Australians that do it. It’s up to private businesses about what they do or don’t do. And I think their customers will make their own mind up about whether they support or don’t support that.

    Steer:

    The Prime Minister at the National Press Club today is expected to announce a new scheme offering payments to apprentices who work in residential construction in a bid to help address the nation’s housing shortage. Ten thousand dollars will be offered to electrical, plumbing and carpentry apprentices. The Master Builders Australia says improving apprenticeship completion rates is vital if Australia is to meet its housing targets. What can you tell me about this announcement today?

    Jones:

    Really important – it builds on our fee‑free TAFE initiative. We want to ensure that all the obstacles to young people getting into one of those traditional trades are removed. We’ve got a shortage of tradies. We need more of them. It’s a great line of work to get into. And we want to attract more people, particularly into the building trades, because lack of tradies means higher costs for building a home and it all adds into the housing shortage that we have at the moment. So we’re attacking this from every angle. We need more workers in the building and construction and in the housing industry, and that’s what this is all about – getting more people into the traditional trades via these apprenticeship bonuses.

    Steer:

    Well, the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has told Channel Nine the government – you’ve been too late to act on the worker shortages, even though he says –

    Jones:

    He had 9 years. Nine years. We’ve been in government 2 years. He had 9 years, and they sat on this problem and made it worse. And because we haven’t fixed his 9 years’ worth of mistakes and inaction in 2 years we’re the problem? I think Peter Dutton needs to have a good, hard look at himself because Australians are sick of this sort of negativity. You’ve got the government having a crack at fixing a problem that we inherited and you’ve got the bloke who created the problem running around criticising us for doing it. Australians are rightly jack of that sort of mindless negativity.

    Steer:

    Well, over 14,000 electrician apprenticeships were commenced in 2023. That’s compared to just 8,000 in 2017. What’s the number you’re aiming for? What would you like to see here?

    Jones:

    We want to see more young people taking up a trade and more people sticking with that trade.

    Steer:

    Okay.

    Jones:

    I think that the Housing Industry Association are right – it’s not just the number of people who are starting; it’s the number of people who complete the trade, and these bonuses are around – are about ensuring people hit those completion rates.

    Steer:

    Okay. But doesn’t the Opposition have a point here? The Master Builders Association forecasts a shortage of 130,000 workers across the building and construction industry alone this year. Why didn’t you act sooner on the shortages? Is this not because it’s an election year you’re announcing this?

    Jones:

    We did. We did. Within the first 3 months we held a skills summit. We got all of the major players around the table in Canberra and we said we have got a crisis here, we need everyone playing a Team Australia moment on here. We need to get states and territories governments playing a part in this, because they run the TAFE system. We injected more money into the TAFE system to ensure that that was well supported. We instituted fee‑free TAFE. This is the third part of it, which is about ensuring that we make it more affordable for tradies to – for young apprentices to not only take up trade but to stick at the trade. So far from us doing it in the last few months; it was something we started in the first 3 months of being in government. It takes more than 2 years to turn around 10 years’ worth of inaction. So this is what I get a bit frustrated about. This other mob created the problem; we’re fixing it and they’re saying we’re not going fast enough when they did nothing for 9 years.

    Steer:

    New figures from ABS show Australia is 15,000 homes behind your national housing accord target. The territory is right at the back of the pack – 78.6 per cent fewer homes than we should have built last quarter. How does the $10,000 for apprenticeships turn that around?

    Jones:

    We’ve got to be doing everything in this. We’ve got to get more land released and we’ve got to speed up the development applications so that whole planning process has got to be accelerated. We’ve got to have more skilled workers in this. So that’s what the apprenticeship system is about – ensuring that over the long term we’ve got more people entering the industry, so more skilled tradies working in the industry in those traditional trades. So it’s not a – there’s no one silver bullet. We need workforce, we need land supply, we need planning, we need investment, we need the lot of it, and we need it all working together and every tier of government working in on this together with the private sector. No one silver bullet; we need all of it working together.

    Steer:

    Australia Day this weekend, it is a long weekend. There’ll be a few people, particularly in the Top End, I imagine, having some cold lemonades. The federal government’s biannual increase in alcohol excise on February 3 will see the price of a schooner rise as much by $1. Isn’t this going to hurt publicans and licensed venues by forcing people to stay in to entertain rather than spending money over the counter and at restaurants?

    Jones:

    Look, the excise, this has been a feature of the taxation system for several decades now. It’s been designed – it wasn’t designed by our government; it was designed by a previous Coalition government, if my memory serves me correctly. And it’s designed to ensure that the real value of that excise is maintained as prices increase over time –

    Steer:

    It is designed so that it is increased over time because of the perceived health risks of both alcohol and tobacco. When is enough enough on those alcohol excises? Because it’s a growing tax – 2 per cent on 2 per cent on 2 per cent.

    Jones:

    No plans to make any changes in this area at the moment.

    Steer:

    Stephen Jones, federal Assistant Treasurer, Financial Services Minister, one more question I reckon we’ve got time for. Let’s touch on the supermarkets. Long experience for Top Enders is the high cost we have for our supermarkets here. That seems to have spread now right across the country. What is your government’s plan to try and rein in what could appear from some sections as price gouging by the major supermarkets?

    Jones:

    Yes, so we’ve funded the ACCC to have an ongoing price monitoring and beefing up their legal enforcement of the supermarkets, which is why we’ve got them in court at the moment over deceptive pricing practices. It’s where they jack the prices up, say, 20 per cent and then drop them by 10 per cent and pretend that they’ve got a special going on. So there’s deliberate action going on, we’ve got going on, by the ACCC, the competition regulator at the moment. We’re also legislating a new code of practice around supermarkets to ensure that not only are they treating their consumers fairly, their customers fairly, but also their suppliers, because we want to crack down on both of those areas, so there will be a new mandatory code legally enforceable with millions of dollars worth of fines against these companies for doing the wrong thing.

    Steer:

    Minister, appreciate your time. Come into the studio next time you’re up here, please.

    Jones:

    Looking forward to it.

    Steer:

    Thank you, Stephen Jones, federal Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Visits to Lin Ma Hang made easier

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    With effect from today, the Government opened a section of road within the frontier closed area near Lin Ma Hang Village in Sha Tau Kok by exempting it from the requirement that passengers travelling on it by green minibus must apply for a closed area permit.

    The move is intended to make it easier for members of the public visit to Lin Ma Hang Village and Robin’s Nest Country Park, the Security Bureau explained. It outlined that residents and tourists can go to Robin’s Nest Country Park and areas nearby for sightseeing purposes and to experience Hong Kong’s rich heritage and geological features.

    From now on, people can take green minibus No. 59K from Sheung Shui MTR Station to reach Lin Ma Hang Village via the newly exempted section of road within the frontier closed area. 

    On alighting, they can visit the MacIntosh Forts and Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine by taking the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail. They can also head in the direction of Sha Tau Kok via the Robin’s Nest Country Trail in order to enjoy the scenery around Yan Chau Tong and Shenzhen Wutong Mountain.

    The bureau emphasised that the exemption is only applicable to people travelling by green minibus, and does not apply to private vehicles, taxis or other vehicles without a valid closed road permit, or to individuals using other means of travel such as walking or cycling.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Renewing the Promise of Democracy

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    While 2024 could be seen as a high point in the history of elections as a record number of people went to the polls, worrying trends are emerging with 64% of voters in advanced economies reporting dissatisfaction with the way democracy works in their country.

    What actions are needed to restore trust in institutions and strengthen the world’s democracies?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IigM8osTH9E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on “Consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
          
         The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat today (January 24) released a Policy Pulse on “Consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre”. This issue provides a concise overview of the developments and achievements of Hong Kong’s financial services in recent years, the latest measures, and LegCo’s relevant work along with policy recommendations from Members.

         As an international financial centre, Hong Kong ranks highly in various international rankings. The Policy Pulse highlighted several of these rankings, including being the world’s freest economy, ranking first globally for investment environment, and being the world’s largest Renminbi (RMB) offshore business centre. It also outlined policies and measures implemented by the Government and relevant financial institutions in areas such as asset and wealth management, fundraising platform, mutual capital market access between the Mainland and Hong Kong, international risk management, developing fintech, and green and sustainable finance.

         LegCo has been closely attentive to the development of financial services in Hong Kong, offering advice to the Government on how to fully leverage Hong Kong’s role as a “super-connector” and “super value-adder”. The Policy Pulse summarised the LegCo’s relevant work, including the passage of two tax-related Bills in 2023 and 2024 to promote family office business and enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s real estate investment trusts. LegCo also passed legislative amendments to lower the rate of stamp duty on stock transfers to 0.1 per cent to reinforce the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s stock market.

         Moreover, the LegCo’s Bills Committees are studying the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024 and the Stablecoins Bill, which aim to introduce a mechanism to facilitate the re-domiciliation of companies incorporated overseas to Hong Kong and to implement a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers, respectively. In terms of developing fintech, the House Committee of LegCo has set up a subcommittee to review the application and development of Web3 and virtual asset technologies in Hong Kong and to make recommendations on the implementation of relevant legislation and policies.

         Members put forward a number of proposals to develop Hong Kong into a deeper and broader fundraising platform. These include providing incentives to encourage listed companies to issue RMB-denominated stocks and striving for further relaxation of the southbound trading of Stock Connect; implementing a tiered stamp duty system for stock trading to increase the liquidity of the securities market; and encouraging companies worldwide to list in Hong Kong regarding the hottest investment themes in the market. Members also expressed concern about the development of the RMB offshore business and urged the Administration to issue more offshore RMB bonds, equity and risk management products.

         The detailed content of “Consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre” is available on the LegCo Website. Policy Pulse, published by the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics and offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarised discussions in LegCo.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Free Science at Risk?

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    In today’s polarized geopolitical landscape, balancing security concerns with the need for collaborative innovation is growing more complex, while the lack of policies that protect intellectual property and international security is increasingly clear.

    How can businesses, governments and institutions foster safe yet open research environments essential for scientific advancement?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kmq4J1jego

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Giving Intangibles Real Value

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Intangible assets such as intellectual property rights, data and algorithms account for an increasing share of economic activity in many economies. But the rise of intangibles poses challenges, such as measurement and ensuring competition.

    What innovative solutions can help overcome these challenges and drive economic growth and fairness?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBXcYJs5Rs8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Rewriting Development

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Some 6 billion people live in middle-income countries yet growth in many of these economies is stagnating or slowing due to global disruptions.

    How can leaders challenge the status quo to overcome a premature slowdown in development?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcongG2sRZc

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: What Is Sci-Fi, What Is High-Tech?

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Neurotechnology extends the possibilities of our brains, autonomous systems take us where we need to go and robots are becoming a part of our daily life. These technologies are not just the backdrop of futuristic novels, they are creating a world previously confined to the imaginations of science-fiction writers.

    What are the key future technologies that once seemed unbelievable and how are they poised to reshape everyday life in 2035?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTet8f-iqiA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: On Firmer Ground with Land Restoration

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    With 40% of land degraded globally, the consequences are starting to be felt in industry: a fall in agricultural productivity, polluted waterways and increased frequency of droughts.

    What measures can be taken now to reverse this trend and create resilient economies for the future?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbBEGnfs8ck

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The White Hall celebrated Leningrad Victory Day

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Only Shostakovich can sound on Leningrad Victory Day. No other music can so accurately convey the tragedy and victory of Leningrad.

    The music of Dmitry Shostakovich, performed by the Klassika orchestra, was performed in honor of the 82nd anniversary of the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad and the 81st anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade.

    The chamber symphony “In Memory of the Victims of Fascism and War” was originally String Quartet No. 8, in which the composer quoted more than 20 of his own musical themes from works of different years. The premiere took place in Leningrad and caused a huge resonance among musicians and listeners. On January 22, in the White Hall, the orchestra “Classica” presented this one of the most frequently performed works of Dmitry Shostakovich.

    With this concert, with this great music, we congratulate everyone on the Leningrad Victory Day! I remember how I fell asleep to war songs as a child – instead of lullabies, they were sung by my mother Rakhil Romanovna, who helped launch balloons in besieged Leningrad. Together, let us remember the residents of besieged Leningrad, who defended the great city at the cost of their lives, – noted maestro Alexander Kantorov.

    The concert program also included music from the films “The Fall of Berlin” and “The Gadfly”. It allowed us to feel not only the tragedy of war, but also the strength of the human spirit. The finale of the concert was majestic and touching, when the audience of the White Hall listened to the “Hymn to the Great City” standing.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University received a delegation from the Joint University of Moscow State University and the Institute of Polytechnical Problems in Shenzhen

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    A delegation from the MSU-PTI Joint University in Shenzhen, headed by Rector Li Hezhang, visited the Polytechnic University.

    During the official meeting at the Resource Center for International Services of the Polytechnic University, prospects for cooperation were discussed. The meeting was held with the participation of the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of SPbPU Dmitry Arsenyev, the Head of the International Cooperation Department Vladimir Khizhnyak, the Head of the International Education Department Evgeniya Satalkina, the Director of the Higher School of International Educational Programs Viktor Krasnoshchekov and the Head of the Department of International Educational Programs and Academic Mobility Olga Yemelyanova.

    MSU-PPI Shenzhen University, founded in 2016 with the support of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Beijing Institute of Technology and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, implements a variety of educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. The university trains specialists in key areas such as information technology, mathematics, materials science, biology, chemistry, economics and philology.

    The meeting participants outlined the main areas of cooperation, including the development of joint educational programs, academic mobility for students and teachers, including the organization of joint winter and summer schools, joint research and publications. In addition, the mutual inclusion of employees in dissertation councils was discussed.

    Scientific research and technological innovation are our priority. We are proud that the university has gathered outstanding minds from all over the world, and students have already published their achievements in prestigious journals. MSU-PPI University in Shenzhen strives to develop international cooperation, observing the instructions of the heads of our states, and actively participates in student and teacher exchanges. Since the university is located in Shenzhen – the city of innovation, and the Polytechnic University is one of the leading technical universities in Russia, this is an opportunity for us to implement joint projects at a completely new high-tech level, – emphasized Professor Li Hezhang.

    They also discussed joint research activities of teachers and researchers from both universities in the areas of materials science, chemistry, computer science, artificial intelligence, as well as the participation of the Polytechnic University and Shenzhen University in the Visiting Professor program.

    Colleagues began to work out in detail a roadmap for cooperation in the areas discussed during the negotiations and to prepare a cooperation agreement.

    Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev summed up the meeting: We strive not only to strengthen educational cooperation, but also to create a platform for the exchange of cultural experience between our countries. Summer and winter schools, joint internships and postgraduate training programs are steps that will help us develop scientific research. The visit of representatives of the MSU-PPI University will be the next stage in strengthening the partnership between Russia and China.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Development on the development of promising digital projects

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation on the implementation of key digitalization projects.

    Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Development on the development of promising digital projects

    January 24, 2025

    Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Development on the development of promising digital projects

    January 24, 2025

    Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Development on the development of promising digital projects

    January 24, 2025

    Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation on the implementation of key digitalization projects

    January 24, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Grigorenko held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Development on the development of promising digital projects

    The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that in recent years, a foundation has been created in Russia for the development of the information technology industry.

    In particular, a modern telecommunications infrastructure has been formed. More than 80% of mobile subscribers are in the 4G reception area. More than 90% of households have the ability to connect to high-speed Internet.

    Considerable attention was paid to developing personnel for the digital industry. Over the past five years, the number of employees in IT companies has grown by more than 70% and reached almost 1 million people. The number of budget places in universities for IT specialties has doubled.

    A high level of digitalization of the public administration system has been achieved. Over the past five years, the number of users of the public services portal has increased by one and a half times. Today, more than 112 million citizens are registered on the portal, and over 1.6 thousand public services have been provided on it.

    The digital management model is used to control the implementation of national projects and state programs, as well as the formation and implementation of the budget at the federal, regional and municipal levels. As a result of using this management model, the level of achievement of national project indicators was almost 100% based on the results of last year.

    “This year, we launched a new national project, “Data Economy”. It focuses on systemic tasks. Firstly, this is the development of a secure infrastructure for data transmission and processing. We are talking about equipping with 5G infrastructure and creating a satellite constellation. In parallel, we will develop and apply a single standard for the provision of public services. Citizens should receive services quickly and conveniently, regardless of where they are in the country. A separate area of work is the introduction of artificial intelligence in most sectors of the economy and the social sphere. Along with the use of new technologies, we will increase the security of information systems,” Dmitry Grigorenko emphasized.

    In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that a project-based approach will be used to implement digital projects. This method will allow for more efficient resource management, control over deadlines, and achievement of set goals.

    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 Canada: Minister Joly speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke yesterday with Marco Rubio, the United States’ new Secretary of State. The Minister congratulated Secretary Rubio on his appointment to the position and expressed that she is looking forward to working closely with him on priorities shared by the United States and Canada.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Southern Ontario and Across Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Today, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, along with Member of Parliament Bardish Chagger, announced over $4.5 million in funding for nine projects in southern Ontario or with a national reach under Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP). These projects aim to enhance knowledge and skills among professionals, businesses and communities in southern Ontario and across Canada to adapt to a changing climate, through the development and delivery of tools, resources and training.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada launches weekly briefings with industry stakeholders on Canada-U.S. economic relationship

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Today, Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister of the Department of Finance Canada, hosted a briefing with Canadian industry and labour stakeholders and provincial and territorial representatives on Canada-U.S. economic issues. Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States of America also joined the call.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health on Nicotine Vaping in Canada as part of National Non-Smoking Week

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Although significant progress has been made in the past several decades in reducing smoking rates in Canada, the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health (CCMOH) want to highlight that smoking continues to pose a significant risk to the health of Canadians.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from the Minister of Mental Health & Addictions and Associate Minister of Health on National Non-Smoking Week

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Today marks the beginning of National Non-Smoking Week begins, a time to raise awareness about the heath risks of smoking and the importance of supporting those on their journey to a smoke-free life. Tobacco use continues to be one of the leading preventable causes of premature death in Canada, claiming approximately 46,000 lives a year.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New health centre opens Jan 27

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Department of Health’s North District Maternal & Child Health Centre (MCHC) will come into operation on January 27, making it the second MCHC in the district to strengthen health services for children and women.

     

    The new MCHC will be located on the seventh floor of the North District Community Health Centre Building at 3 Wai Wo Street in Sheung Shui.

     

    In addition to providing full-day child health, cervical screening and postnatal services from Monday to Friday, it wil also offer half-day services on alternate Saturdays of each month that are not public holidays.

     

    Including the North District MCHC, there are 29 MCHCs in operation across the city, serving children from birth to five years and women at or below 64 years of age.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues RON 106,5 million notes under its MTN programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Municipality Finance Plc
    Stock exchange release
    24 January 2025 at 10:00 am (EET)

    Municipality Finance issues RON 106,5 million notes under its MTN programme

    Municipality Finance Plc issues RON 106,5 million notes on 27 January 2025. The maturity date of the notes is 27 January 2026. The notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 6.75% per annum.

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

    MuniFin has applied for the notes to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 27 January 2025.

    Citigroup Global Markets Europe AG acts as the dealer for the issue of the notes.

    MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

    Further information:

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

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

    MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, joint county authorities, corporate entities under the control of the above-mentioned organisations, and affordable social housing. Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

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

    Read more: http://www.munifin.fi

    Important Information

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

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Blog: Driving Gender Equality: Solutions to Empower Women in a Digital Future

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and risks for gender equality, with women facing unique vulnerabilities. Addressing these challenges requires reskilling women, strengthening social safety nets, and institutionalizing inclusive governance frameworks to ensure balanced benefits for all.

    Recently, the driverless taxi service Robotaxi Apollo Go expanded coverage in Wuhan in the People’s Republic of China. This sparked debate among women and men, with concerns ranging from passenger and pedestrian safety to unemployment among taxi drivers. 

    Robotaxis highlight gender dynamics in AI mobility. While some view it as a safer alternative, others fear it could reduce women’s transportation jobs and fail to address safety needs, especially for marginalized groups.  Robotaxis exemplify the “AI Era” – while it may promise prosperity, it is highly complex, especially when gender equality aspects are considered.

    To prepare for a possible AI-driven future, we need to identify the channels through which AI impacts gender equality and to configure a set of approaches to address them. We should consider the following:

    The digital divide between men and women could widen in an AI-driven society without proper policy intervention. Women constitute only around 22% of global AI professionals. Studies show that asymmetric gender power relations can be magnified from the education sphere to the workplace. 

    Women living in poverty are most likely to lag in AI-facilitated transformation, since they are already less represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, jobs, and access to relevant services. 

    AI will bring contextualized, intertwined, and uneven effects on the labor market which may either boost productivity or replace jobs. For instance, when manual or administrative work, predominantly undertaken by women, is substituted by AI technologies, women may be easily dragged into poverty, putting women who lack the necessary skills at greater risk of being displaced. 

    Nobel Prize Winner Daron Acemoglu has pointed out that less educated women may experience declines in wages, increased inequality, and the gap between capital and labor income will likely widen.

    Governing the AI Commons is a critical topic as AI fosters a borderless “knowledge commons”— or data collectively owned and managed by the online community. Research has argued that the digital transition, including the use of AI, accompanied by personal data commodification, can perpetuate gender discrimination while blurring public-private boundaries. 

    The AI era has the potential to bring prosperity with equality, but only if both women and men are equally equipped and updated with necessary skills.

    A gender perspective should be applied when evaluating ownership of digital properties to prevent overuse or underuse of shared resources, which lead to the tragedy of the commons or the tragedy of anti-commons. The tragedy of the commons involves over-exploiting shared resources due to self-interest, while the tragedy of the anti-commons highlights how prevalence of exclusion rights can hinder the use of resources, such as in digital patents and technology.

    By considering the unique needs and contributions of women, governance frameworks can balance sustainable digital resource management with inclusive benefits for all.

    Generative AI could be the “invisible hand” behind gendered hierarchy and gender-based violence. A recent study of 133 AI systems found that 44.2% exhibited gender bias. In AI-generated narratives, women are often associated with family roles and described as less powerful than men, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.

    Women are particularly vulnerable to AI-driven risks, including tech-facilitated gender-based violence. Biased algorithms, the rise of deepfake technologies that mimic real people doing or saying things they never did, and  AI-driven misinformation and disinformation amplify the multiple forms of online harassment and violence, threatening women’s rights.

    Machine learning is a self-reinforcing process that evolves based on the data it is fed. This places significant responsibility on decision-makers and AI developers to refine regulations, governance, and practices to address AI-driven inequalities and risks such as gender-based violence. 

    Given these drivers of impact, here are some proposed actions to ensure a gender-equal future with AI.

    Reskill and upskill women. The 2024 Greater Mekong Subregion Gender Equality and Inclusion Forum highlighted the need to prepare women for an AI-driven future. Initiatives like Sisters of Code, the first female coding club in Cambodia, are helping girls learn programming, while Bixie, a female-focused app, is improving financial inclusion through digital empowerment for women. 

    Governments, development institutions, private sector and relevant stakeholders should join hands and invest in women and girls in STEM, equipping them with skillsets to benefit from, frame, and lead the new era. 

    Strengthen the social safety net. Female workers, especially those in informal sectors are more likely to be affected by AI’s substitution effect. Countries are at a pivotal moment to formalize their social policy frameworks facing an AI future, for instance, experimenting with universal basic income to prepare their citizens for a new labor market dynamic. Meanwhile, AI can also serve as a tool for identifying vulnerable populations and as a bridge for delivering social assistance. 

    Institutionalize and harmonize the AI governance framework. The EU has taken the lead with its AI Act, the first comprehensive legislation on AI governance. Countries without relevant laws and regulations need to take proactive steps to develop their frameworks. 

    These frameworks should ensure that policy development equally involves women and men across sectors; country laws be updated to explicitly prevent and address AI-facilitated gender-based violence; and the global community make coordinated efforts on AI governance and align codes of conduct when using AI tools. 

     In AI projects, women should be consulted in the data collection process to mitigate and reduce biases from male-dominated inputs. Additionally, policy tools, such as an AI tax, can be leveraged to incentivize innovators and capital to “race to the most inclusive” rather than “race to the most lucrative.” 

    Jinan, Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China recently began test-running its first batch of electric robo-buses. New job dynamics have been observed. Drivers are being replaced by safety controllers; while communications and coordination roles, primarily held by women, remain crucial, as passengers continue to seek instant reliable support from human operators. 

    The AI era has the potential to bring prosperity with equality, but only if both women and men are equally equipped and updated with necessary skills. 

    Ultimately,  the great potential of AI lies in the hands of humans who can build a future where women and men equally benefit from AI through increased human capital, stronger social welfare systems, and AI-facilitated digital commons.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Algeria’s Bid Round Paves Way for $50B Hydrocarbon Investment Drive

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

    PARIS, France, January 24, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Algeria is set to invigorate its hydrocarbon sector with a substantial $50 billion investment over the next four years, focusing primarily on exploration and production activities. Central to this initiative is an ongoing licensing round, offering six onshore blocks to international and domestic energy companies. Although the 2024 round closes before the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum, taking place in Paris this May, the forum provides a platform for stakeholders to analyze the implications of this strategy, discuss upcoming results and explore partnerships for future rounds. Below is an overview of the available licensing opportunities, from technical specifications to potential implications for the sector.

    Technical Specifications

    The National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources (ALNAFT) has identified six onshore blocks for its current licensing round, which opened in November. These blocks include M’Zaid, Ahara, Reggane II and Zerafa II, which will be offered as Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs). Additionally, Toual and Kern El-Kassa will be made available as Participation Agreements. Together, these blocks cover approximately 152,000 km², representing a significant area for exploration and development.

    These opportunities are supported by a wealth of geological and geophysical data. ALNAFT has compiled over 102,000 line-kilometers of 2D seismic data and more than 45,000 km² of 3D seismic data. This extensive dataset offers investors a clear and comprehensive view of Algeria’s subsurface potential, aiding in the identification of promising hydrocarbon prospects.

    What to Expect

    The licensing round opened on November 26, 2024, when tender documents and data rooms became accessible to interested parties. The deadline for bid submissions is April 15, 2025, and following the evaluation of bids, contracts will be officially awarded in Algiers on May 29, 2025. This carefully planned timeline reflects Algeria’s commitment to a transparent and efficient bidding process. Combined with its offering of both PSCs and Participation Agreements, this framework creates an environment conducive to collaboration, innovation and flexibility, attracting a diverse range of international and domestic investors to its hydrocarbon sector.

    Moreover, the round is part of an ambitious five-year licensing strategy, which involves issuing one call per year through 2029. This long-term framework ensures a steady stream of investment opportunities, positioning Algeria as a reliable and strategic player in the global energy landscape.

    Implications for the Sector

    The 2024 licensing round represents a pivotal moment in Algeria’s strategy to increase hydrocarbon production and boost foreign investment. By offering expansive acreage backed by high-quality seismic data, Algeria is positioning itself as a prime destination for energy investments and new exploration activity. As part of the five-year licensing strategy extending through 2029, the round underscores Algeria’s long-term vision for its hydrocarbon sector. The regularity of these calls demonstrates Algeria’s commitment to fostering investor confidence and remaining a vital energy player in the region.

    IAE 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/3CuyQxq) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit http://www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany Deliver Joint Statements to the Press

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

    Berlin, Germany

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

    MIL OSI Video –