NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pacific leaders’ mission to Nouméa – Mapou says New Caledonia at ‘turning point’

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor

    A three-day fact-finding mission, headed by three Pacific leaders, has wrapped up in Nouméa, and New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou says the French territory is at a “turning point”.

    The semi-autonomous Pacific territory has been riddled with violent unrest since May.

    While tensions have reportedly eased for now, the main political decision-making body for the Pacific region has been in Nouméa this week on a “strictly observational” but “critical mission”.

    New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou . . . “They willingly shared their own history.” Image: 1ère TV

    Territorial President Louis Mapou told reporters why the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) “troika -plus” visit was so important.

    “They have a shared intention with government members, drawing on their own experience in the region: the Cook Islands, which are in free association with New Zealand; Tonga, a country that was never colonised; and the Solomon Islands, which have experienced interethnic conflicts in the northern part, where youth played a significant role,” he said.

    “And finally, Fiji, which gained independence, decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth, and is now re-evaluating its connection with the British Crown. So, they willingly shared their own history.

    “They pointed out that in each of these histories, it was often the internal decisions of the populations involved that ultimately shaped the choices made about their country’s future.”

    What a pleasant honour to have Hon. Prime Minister @slrabuka welcomed by @LegionEtrangere & @RSMA_NC , writing a poem about his visit in New-Caledonia as a member of the @ForumSEC high level Troïka-Plus information mission . pic.twitter.com/HVVoebqPfA

    — Véronique Roger-Lacan (@rogerlacanv) October 28, 2024

    Hope and perspective
    Local government spokesperson Charles Wea said the visit brought hope and perspective.

    “It is important that that people from New Caledonia can arrive to express their views, and also the political perspectives, in terms of political future,” he said.

    “The process of decolonisation, for example, which is quite a major subject topic that will be in the discussion with a mission”

    Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni led the PPIF troika-plus delegation — Rabuka was the “plus” factor.

    “We are not there to judge you or to tell them what to do right now. It is a preliminary visit. So, basically, we just want to listen.”

    While it is a fact-finding mission, there are some indisputable facts, such as New Caledonia being on the United Nations Decolonisation List.

    Tuvalu MP Simon Kofe has expressed his thoughts on this.

    Pacific ‘needs to support decolonisation’
    “My position is for independence, we need to continue supporting the decolonisation of the Pacific,” Kofe told RNZ Pacific.

    Hu’akavameiliku’s views were somewhat more diplomatic.

    “I do believe that there is a way of having some sovereignty and control of your country. There are various models in the Pacific. You have Niue and Cook Islands. Then you have American Samoa.

    “We are not the ones who will tell [New Caledonia] what is working and what is not. We respect their sovereignty.”

    But amid the politicking, a Kanak leader from the Protestant Church of Kanaky New Caledonia, Billy Wetewea, said people were struggling.

    In particular, the indigenous population, who were battling inequities in education, employment and health, he said.

    “The destruction that the youth have made since May, was a kind of expression of the frustration towards all of these social injustices,” he said.

    “We are fighting for our humanity. So, it’s for the dignity of our humanity, and our humanity is the humanity of everyone.”

    ‘Neither marginalised nor mistreated’
     The pro-France loyalists, however, have a different perspective.

    “Contrary to what some separatists suggest, the Kanak people are neither marginalised nor mistreated,” they said in a statement.

    “On the contrary, [Kanaky people are] one of the most advantaged in our Oceanian region.”

    Wea said the Pacific leaders had the chance to hear from all sides involved in the unrest.

    The findings will be presented to the 18 Pacific leaders at next year’s leaders meeting.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Oregon Small Businesses Economically Impacted by the Microwave Tower Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    “As communities across the Southeast continue to recover and rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the SBA remains focused on its mission to provide support to small businesses to help stabilize local economies, even in the face of diminished disaster funding,” said Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “If your business has sustained physical damage, or you’ve lost inventory, equipment or revenues, the SBA will help you navigate the resources available and work with you at our recovery centers or with our customer service specialists in person and online so you can fully submit your disaster loan application and be ready to receive financial relief as soon as funds are replenished.”

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses economically impacted by the Microwave Tower Fire that occurred July 22-Aug. 11, SBA’s Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announced today. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a request received from Gov. Tina Kotek on Oct. 28.

    The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Clackamas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Marion, Sherman, Wasco and Wheeler counties in Oregon; and Klickitat County in Washington.

    “Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred,” said Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration.

    “These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Disaster loans can provide vital economic assistance to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” Sánchez continued.

    “When disasters strike, our virtual Business Recovery Centers are key to helping business owners and residents get back on their feet,” Sánchez added. “At these virtual centers, people can connect directly with our specialists to apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to rebuild and move forward in their recovery journey.”

    “Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 30, SBA customer service representatives will be available at the following virtual Business Recovery Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each business owner complete their application,” Sánchez said. The virtual center will be open on the days and times indicated below. No appointment is necessary.

    VIRTUAL BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTER
    Monday – Friday
    8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    FOCWAssistance@sba.gov
    (916) 735-1712

    Opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30

    Closed on Monday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day

    Closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, for Thanksgiving Holiday

    Eligibility is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage. These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for small businesses and 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years and are restricted to small businesses without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship.

    Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.

    On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.

    Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to apply for economic injury is July 29, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Alford Demands Answers from Postmaster DeJoy on the Disenfranchisement of Service Members Overseas

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — As first reported by Breitbart, U.S. Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) sent a letter this week to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to express his grave concern over reports that service members stationed abroad are being disenfranchised by the Postal Service’s delays in delivering their ballots to election authorities.

    Congressman Alford described voting as a fundamental right for all Americans and called on USPS to take urgent measures to address the issue and ensure that no service members are denied their Constitutional right to vote.

    “Election integrity is a key pillar in our democracy, and any actions that undermine free and fair elections are completely unacceptable,” said Congressman Alford. “The right to vote is a fundamental right for all Americans, enshrined in the United States Constitution. It is deeply concerning that members of our Armed Services stationed abroad could potentially be denied this right due to USPS errors.”

    “With Election Day fast approaching, I am concerned with how USPS plans to ensure the hundreds of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen stationed abroad can exercise their right to vote,” Congressman Alford continued. “The failure to meet the Congressionally mandated six-day delivery windows is troubling, and it poses a significant disservice to any Service Member whose vote is not counted.”

    In the letter, Alford described the current situation as unacceptable and condemned USPS’s inability to fulfill their duty.

    “There is no excuse for something as egregious as a failure to deliver our service members’ ballots. It is clear the USPS must take urgent measures to address this issue, and to prevent it from worsening. We cannot deny our servicemembers this Constitutional right, and it is your duty to ensure this does not continue,” Congressman Alford concluded.

    Text of the letter can be found HERE or below:

    Mr. Louis DeJoy

    Postmaster General

    United States Postal Service

    475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 10300

    Washington, DC 20260

     

    Dear Postmaster General DeJoy,

     

    I am writing to express my deep concern about a report I have received that servicemembers stationed abroad were disenfranchised by the United States Postal Service (USPS) failing to deliver their ballot in a timely manner. Election integrity is a key pillar in our democracy, and any actions that undermine free and fair elections are completely unacceptable.

     

    The right to vote is a fundamental right for all Americans, enshrined in the United States Constitution. It is deeply concerning that members of our Armed Services stationed abroad could potentially be denied this right due to USPS errors. With Election Day fast approaching, I am concerned with how USPS plans to ensure the hundreds of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen stationed abroad can exercise their right to vote.

     

    The failure to meet the Congressionally mandated six-day delivery windows is troubling, and it poses a significant disservice to any Service Member whose vote is not counted. The current situation is unacceptable and the USPS’s inability to fulfill their duty is worrying.

     

    I understand the USPS has attributed recent mail delays to major staffing shortages, an issue affecting various businesses nationwide. While I recognize the dedication of postal workers and mail carriers, there is no excuse for something as egregious as a failure to deliver ballots to our servicemembers. It is clear the USPS must take urgent measures to address this issue, and to prevent it from worsening. We cannot deny our servicemembers this Constitutional right, and it is your duty to ensure this does not continue.

    For these reasons, I request a timely response to the following questions:

     

    1. What specific strategies are the USPS implementing to assist Service Member’s abroad in voting?

     

    1. What measures are being taken to ensure that Military members ballots are processed in a timely manner?

    I appreciate your attention to this matter and the hard work of USPS employees in fulfilling their duties. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this urgent matter.

    I appreciate your attention to this matter and the hard work of USPS employees in fulfilling their duties. Thank you for your prompt consideration of this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 2nd ‘Smile of Cambodia’ event kicks off at famed Angkor Wat

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The second “Smile of Cambodia” event was held in front of the famed Angkor Wat here in northwest Siem Reap province on Tuesday, aiming at promoting culture and the world heritage site to tourists.

    Angkor Wat is a major ancient temple in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day event, Phoeurng Sackona, minister of culture and fine arts, said the event was designed to promote culture and enhance tourism to attract international visitors to the Angkor.

    “This event has not only promoted Cambodia’s arts, culture, tradition and custom, but also contributed to revitalizing the tourism sector, which is one of the key catalysts for the kingdom’s economic growth,” she said.

    Sackona said the event was hosted by the APSARA National Authority (ANA), a government agency responsible for managing, safeguarding and preserving the Angkor Archaeological Park, in collaboration with the Khmer Artists Association.

    According to the ANA, activities during the two-day event include exhibitions of local cuisine and souvenirs, entertainment programs, and cultural shows, among others.

    The 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park, which is Cambodia’s most popular tourist destination, is home to 91 ancient temples, built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

    The ancient park attracted almost 700,000 international visitors during the January-September period of 2024, earning a gross revenue of 32.5 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Certification success brings new momentum for Filipino vegetable growers

    Source: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

    In the past 2 years, an ACIAR-supported value chain project in the Philippines has seen the country’s first smallholder vegetable farmers certified through the Philippines Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) program.

    Although PhilGAP was first launched in 2006 by the Department of Agriculture, there have been few market or other incentives to drive uptake of certification. The program aims to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural products, environmental protection, and the health, safety and welfare of farm workers. 

    But with 43 vegetable growers now certified in the Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao regions, and more in progress, it has breathed new life into the PhilGAP program.

    The ACIAR-supported project driving this new momentum is a collaboration involving Applied Horticultural Research, Visayas State University (VSU), Landcare Foundation of the Philippines and the East West Seed Company Inc.

    The efforts of the VSU team in particular have been recognised, when they were awarded the prestigious Presidential Lingkod Bayan (Public Service) Award in September by the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

    Research assistants test soil samples at the Philippine Root Crop and Research Training Center at the Visayas State University in Leyte, Philippines. Photo Veejay Villafranca/ACIAR

    Students from Visayas State University work on their experimental crops at a farm in Cabintan Livelihood Community Association (CALCOA) in Brgy Cabintan, Ormoc City. Photo Veejay Villafranca/ACIAR

    Students from Visayas State University work on their experimental crops at a farm in Cabintan Livelihood Community Association (CALCOA) in Brgy Cabintan, Ormoc City. Photo Veejay Villafranca/ACIAR

    Leader of the project Professor Gordon Rogers said the project’s primary focus was on demonstrating how smallholder farmers could complete the certification process and how they would benefit from a more consumer-focused approach to production.

    Professor Rogers said the research team developed a stepped process which has been the key to help farmers progress towards certification as they were able. There were 36 farms certified by the end of the project in June 2024, and more than 50 other farms had begun the process. By the end of August 2024, the number of certified farms had grown to 43. 

    ‘We divided the process into 4 steps. The first and second steps involve the sort of things that farmers can do easily and cheaply, and which actually have the greatest benefit in terms of improving the food quality and safety, and farm productivity,’ said Professor Rogers.

    Benefits for farmers undertaking certification have included reduced farm inputs, improved health with safer farming practices, improvements in the quality and safety of their produce and increased prices for certified produce.

    Mr Alvin Morales, one of the farmers who has received PhilGAP training, said, ‘The ACIAR project was really a big help to us and taught us many things. Before, we did not care so much about the proper way or methods of applying farm inputs, fertilisers, and pesticides, and how these impact people’s health and the environment. 

    ‘The PhilGAP program taught us to better understand our crops, the environment, the soil, and their inter-relationship. We were taught the more detailed and scientific-based approach to farming.

    Mr Alvin Morales
    PhilGAP program participant

    ‘It is high time that more farmers adopt good agricultural practices that will not harm the environment and produce healthier and safer food for people.

    Mr Alvin Morales inspecting tomatoes growing in a greenhouse at Cabintan, Leyte as part of the PhilGAP program. Photo: ACIAR

    Rodelina’s Fresh Vegetable stand selling PhilGAP certified vegetables at the Baybay markets, Leyte. Photo: ACIAR

    Rodel Morales inspecting a carrot crop growing in a greenhouse at Cabintan, Leyte as part of the PhilGAP program. Photo: ACIAR

    ACIAR project staff and farmers in BayBay, Leyte showing PhilGAP-certified yard-long beans and chillies. Photo: ACIAR

    Professor Rogers said the cost of certification ranged from about 30,000 to 300,000 pesos (A$800 to $8000). This depended largely on the materials used for construction of a storage shed and toilet required for certification. However, most farmers found the costs were recovered in less than 2 years, and in less than 6 months in some instances.

    The project helped farmers adopt a customer-focused approach and identify higher-value niche markets, including food service providers for the healthcare sector and modern food retailers. 

    ‘We also did consumer studies as part of our research and found that when consumers know GAP-certified produce is guaranteed safe to eat, they’re willing to pay a premium,’ added Professor Rogers.

    Professor Zenaida Gonzaga at VSU, was the Philippine project leader, coordinating much of the field research and training for farmers related to the project, as well as PhilGAP training more broadly.

    She said 221 farmers received PhilGAP training, and more than 350 farm extension workers have been trained to promote GAP practices. These extension officers would be key to continuing the moment the ACIAR-supported project has generated into the future.

    Professor Gonzaga highlighted Baybay City Government in Leyte province as being particularly proactive in supporting the project, providing funding for the purchase of materials needed for chemical sheds. It was also the first local government body to pass an ordinance requiring its agricultural extension officers to promote the program with growers.

    ‘Implementation of PhilGAP requires intervention like this at a policy level. Little by little we have increased the number of farms being certified and the support from local government. 

    ‘We now have support to promote certified produce through Baybayania Agriventures, which is a federation of farmers supported by Baybay’s government.’

    Professor Zenaida Gonzaga and Maricel Adelantar inspect new onion varieties at Visayas State University, which the project team identified as a new crop for the region under the PhilGAP program. Photo: ACIAR

    At a higher level, the Regional Development Council for Eastern Visayas – Region VIII – has now also passed a resolution requiring all 6 provinces within the region to implement the PhilGAP program as part of their research extension services.

    GAP practices are also gaining momentum at ground level, with farmers who have received training keen to share what they have learned with others. This includes pest identification and safe work practices on farm, through to the transport and marketing of produce. 

    ‘We’ve found that the project, and the PhilGAP training, have elevated technical farming practices,’ said Professor Gonzaga. ‘It has also significantly reshaped the values and attitudes of farmers who are stepping up to share their knowledge around working safely and producing better quality, safer produce.’ 

    ACIAR Project: ‘Developing vegetable value chains to meet evolving market expectations in the Philippines’  (HORT/2016/188)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: COVID Review a good start, but human toll must be recognised

    Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

    The findings of a federal review into the country’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted more needs to be done by all levels of governments to acknowledge the human cost of the pandemic response and ultimately restore public trust, says Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay. 

    The COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report outlines nine guiding recommendations and 26 actions for change to improve Australia’s preparedness and response systems to manage future public health emergencies. The Federal Government has already moved to implement one recommendation, announcing a new Australian Centre for Disease Control. 

    “The Inquiry is a good first step in helping to improve Australia’s response to any future pandemic, but much more needs to be done to rebuild trust,” said Commissioner Finlay. 

    “While the review concludes that Australians should be proud overall of what we achieved during the pandemic, with rates of infection, hospitalisation and death among the world’s lowest in the first 18 months, we need to recognise that there was a substantial – and ongoing – human cost.  

    “The Report highlights the lack of transparency, fairness, compassion and proportionality in aspects of the response. This contributed to the suffering of many people; including those separated from loved ones – either by state border closures, being stranded overseas, or being unable to comfort elderly parents confined to aged care homes – and continuing impacts such as children still struggling to re-engage at school following lengthy lockdowns. 

    “If we only talk about Australia’s ‘successful’ response to the pandemic, we diminish the personal toll that it took on so many Australians.” 

    The Australian Human Rights Commission is currently developing a human rights emergency response framework that will put rights and freedoms at the heart of all future emergency and disaster responses.  

    To understand the impacts of the pandemic response on individual Australians, the Commission opened the ‘Your Story’ portal, which received more than 2300 submissions from people who shared how they were affected by COVID-19 measures. More than 3000 Australians were also surveyed as part of the project, with its findings to be released in early 2025. 

    “These voices need to be heard if we want to ensure that future responses are not only ‘successful’ in terms of public health and economic outcomes, but also in terms of fairness and compassion,” Commissioner Finlay said. 

    “The number one lesson should be that response measures do not operate in a vacuum. The full human impact needs to be understood. We need to put human rights at the heart of all future emergency responses in Australia to ensure that this never happens again.” 

    ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST’s speech at Green Tech Summit 2024 (English only) (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SFST’s speech at Green Tech Summit 2024 (English only) (with photo)
    SFST’s speech at Green Tech Summit 2024 (English only) (with photo)
    *******************************************************************

         Following is the speech by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at the Green Tech Summit 2024 today (October 30): Dr Hua Jindong (Vice-chairperson of the International Sustainability Standards Board), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,      It is a profound honour to join you at the Green Tech Summit 2024. I extend my sincere gratitude to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and GoImpact for hosting this important event. Today, we gather to explore how green finance, technology, and innovation converge to create a sustainable future. A call to action for our planet      Our planet is currently facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change. These challenges encompass environmental, economic, and social dimensions, demanding our immediate attention. The statistics deserve attention: Global climate finance flows reached approximately US$1.3 trillion in 2021 and 2022. However, to meet our climate goals, we must significantly increase annual investments to around US$9 trillion by 2030 and US$10 trillion by 2050. This gap signals an immense demand for green finance and innovation – one that we must address with urgency and creativity.      At this Summit, we aim to showcase Hong Kong’s leadership in the green transition through five key strategies, and they altogether will significantly promote green transformation: the growth of green capital, recognition of sustainability standards, empowerment in carbon trading, encouragement of green financing, and nurturing green technology. Each of these strategies plays a critical role in shaping a sustainable future for our city and beyond. Growth of green capital      Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to lead the green transition. As Asia’s premier international financial centre, we have the infrastructure, expertise, and regulatory framework to channel international capital toward sustainable initiatives. As of June, over 230 ESG (environmental, social and governance) funds have been authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission, with assets under management exceeding HK$1.3 trillion. This represents a year-on-year increase of 19 per cent in the number of ESG funds and an 8 per cent increase in assets under management.      The Hong Kong SAR Government has been proactive in issuing government green bonds totalling HK$220 billion since 2019. These bonds have funded numerous local green projects and set benchmarks for potential issuers. In 2023 alone, the total green and sustainable debt issued in Hong Kong surpassed US$50 billion, with approximately US$30 billion being green and sustainable bonds – 37 per cent of the total market. This year, we expanded our Government Green Bond Programme to include sustainable projects and hence the programme is, renamed Government Sustainable Bond Programme, reinforcing our commitment to a greener future. Recognition of sustainability standards      Sustainability reporting is vital to our green finance ecosystem. In March, we published a vision statement outlining our approach to developing a comprehensive ecosystem for sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. In the Chief Executive’s Policy Address, it was announced that our roadmap for adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards) will be published within this year. Our aim is to position Hong Kong among the first jurisdictions to adopt the global standard, enhancing our credibility as a green finance hub.      To support our green transition, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance in May. This taxonomy raises awareness about green finance and promotes a common understanding of green activities. It aligns with the taxonomies of the Mainland and the European Union, currently encompassing 12 economic activities across four sectors. The HKMA is advancing to the next phase of developing the Hong Kong Taxonomy, which will broaden its scope to include more sectors and activities crucial for our sustainable future. Empowerment in carbon trading      We advocate for innovative approaches to enable decarbonisation and allocate green funding. A noteworthy initiative is the Core Climate platform, launched by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited in October 2022. This international carbon marketplace facilitates effective and transparent trading of carbon credits and supports transition towards net zero.      Core Climate is currently the only carbon marketplace that offers settlement in both Hong Kong dollar and Renminbi for international voluntary carbon credits. This platform enables participants to source, hold, trade, and retire voluntary carbon credits, ensuring robust and credible quality verified against international standards. Since its launch, the number of registered participants has tripled, reaching approximately 80 by the end of last year. Encouragement to green financing      To encourage even more green financing activities, we launched the Green and Sustainable Finance Grant Scheme back in 2021. This initiative provides funding support for eligible bond issuers and loan borrowers, covering expenses related to bond issuance and external review services. We have extended this scheme by three years, running until 2027, and expanded its scope to include transition bonds and loans.      As of early October, we have granted approximately HK$280 million to support 470 green and sustainable debt instruments issued in Hong Kong, involving a total underlying debt issuance of over HK$1 trillion. This financial backing is crucial in incentivising industries to utilise Hong Kong’s transition financing platform for decarbonisation. Nurturing green technology      A key focus of our green transition is our commitment to promoting green fintech. Integrating fintech with green finance is essential for accelerating our transformation. We are actively working to expand the green fintech ecosystem in Hong Kong, positioning our city as a green fintech hub.      In June, we launched the Green and Sustainable Fintech Proof-of-Concept Funding Support Scheme. This initiative provides early-stage funding to technology companies and research institutes engaged in green fintech activities. Collaborating with local enterprises allows these innovators to co-develop projects that address challenges for the industry.      This scheme is not solely about financial support. It facilitates the completion of commercialisation and the proof-of-concept stages, paving the way for wider adoption of green and sustainable fintech solutions. Innovative fintech solutions will enhance our ability to mobilise capital for green projects and increase transparency in fund flows.      Against the backdrop of digitisation and global warming, fintech plays a crucial role in driving innovation in the financial industry and catalysing the low-carbon transformation of economic activities. The application of new technology can also help mitigate climate risk by forecasting environmental changes, improving supply chain efficiency, and identifying opportunities for innovation in low-carbon solutions.      This year, we launched the Prototype Hong Kong Green Fintech Map. Developed with various stakeholders, this tool provides a comprehensive overview of green fintech companies in Hong Kong and the services they offer. This map symbolises the integration of green finance and fintech, fostering the development of a robust green fintech ecosystem and accelerating the transition toward a green economy.      Finally, I want to emphasise the importance of nurturing talent for sustainable development. The future of green finance relies on the skills and knowledge of our workforce. To support the development of a green finance talent pool, we launched a three-year Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme. This initiative encourages practitioners, professionals, and students to participate in relevant training programmes.      As of mid-September, we have approved over 4 100 reimbursement applications, amounting to approximately HK$23.3 million. This investment in human capital is essential for equipping our workforce with the skills needed to navigate and thrive in the evolving landscape of green finance. Closing remarks      In conclusion, the path to a sustainable future is not just a challenge; it is an opportunity for innovation and growth. Green fintech will play a pivotal role in this transition, enabling us to mobilise capital, enhance transparency, and support the development of sustainable solutions.      As we approach COP29 (29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) next month, let us intensify our efforts to forge a new chapter in sustainability. By collaborating across sectors and embracing innovative solutions, we can pave the way for impactful changes that resonate with green finance and technology. Together, we can turn our commitments into actionable strategies, ensuring a resilient and sustainable world for generations to come.      Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to seeing you in the next Summit here. 

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 11:29

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We can’t solve family violence until we include violence between siblings in the conversation

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Boxall, Research Fellow, Australian National University

    Shutterstock

    Domestic and family violence (DFV) has received increasing attention in recent years. It is most commonly associated with intimate partner violence between current and former partners, followed by abuse perpetrated against children by their parents and carers.

    But what about sibling violence?

    International estimates suggest that sibling violence (also known as sibling-to-sibling violence) is one of the most common forms of DFV globally. Yet in Australia and internationally, there is very little conversation or research about it. This means our understanding of when, why and how it occurs remains underdeveloped, and this in turn affects the development of effective policy and practice.

    To improve understandings of sibling violence in Australia, we analysed data collected as part of a national study of 16–20-year-olds’ use and experiences of DFV in the home. Of the 5,021 young people we surveyed, 4,340 said they had siblings.

    What is sibling violence?

    One of the biggest barriers to better understanding sibling violence is differentiating between sibling rivalry and conflict, and abuse. Research suggests abuse is often minimised by family members and clinicians, even when the behaviours are described as “extreme” and persistent.

    For our study, guided by the literature, we defined sibling violence as involving serious and high-harm behaviours. This includes:

    • threats to kill
    • threats to hurt someone close to the young person
    • non-fatal strangulation or sexual abuse
    • persistent and frequent forms of other abusive behaviour (for example, verbal, emotional physical, property damage and threats to harm/hurt a sibling).

    Overall, 303 young people in the sample self-reported they had been subjected to or used sibling violence by the time they were 18. Within this, 58% said they had used sibling violence, 60% said they had been subjected to it, while 18% said they experienced both victimisation and perpetration.

    Sibling violence is multifaceted

    The most common form of sibling violence reported by young people was verbal abuse. Of our respondents, 72% reported experiencing verbal abuse from a sibling, while 74% reported using verbal abuse against a sibling. Physical violence was the next most common form of sibling violence reported, with 64% reporting experiencing physical abuse from a sibling, and 73% reporting using physical abuse against a sibling.

    Although less common, a significant proportion of young people also reported experiences of:

    • threats to kill (victimisation: 26%; perpetration: 9%)
    • non-fatal strangulation (victimisation: 14%; perpetration: 3%)
    • sexual abuse (victimisation: 13%; perpetration: 2%).

    Almost all young people who had experienced sibling violence reported experiencing multiple and overlapping forms of abuse. Indeed, our study finds that sibling violence is rarely experienced as an isolated act of abuse. Rather, it is often experienced as part of a broader patterns of behaviours encompassing physical, sexual and non-physical abuse.

    More than half young people who had experienced sibling violence also experienced violence from another family member.
    Shutterstock

    Sibling violence is gendered

    The findings from our study highlight that like other forms of DFV, sibling violence is gendered.

    A significantly larger proportion of cis female (47%) and trans/non-binary young people (50%) reported they had been subjected to sibling violence, compared to cis males (25%).

    Meanwhile, a larger proportion of cis males (59%) said they had used sibling violence compared to cis female (35%) and trans/non-binary young people (32%).

    Sibling violence often co-occurs with other forms of DFV within families

    Over 90% of young people in our study reported they had experienced DFV between other family members, such as intimate partner violence between their parents.

    Also, over half of the young people who had been subjected to sibling violence reported they had experienced other forms of maltreatment by another family member, most frequently by their mothers and fathers.

    Sibling violence has significant impacts on young people

    Young people in our study reported that sibling violence and other forms of DFV had significant impacts on them. It affected their social, emotional and physical wellbeing, and education achievements.

    Relationships between siblings have important developmental implications for young people’s understandings of familial relationships. The strength of sibling relationships has been linked to longer-term health and social wellbeing outcomes. While our siblings can sometimes feel like our greatest enemies, they can also be our strongest supports in life.

    An emerging body of research has also found that young people who use sibling violence are at higher risk of perpetrating abusive behaviours against their intimate partner(s) and family members later in life.

    Sibling violence can have significant impacts, including trauma, anxiety and poor mental health, eating disorders, and the misuse of alcohol and drugs on those who experience it.

    What is needed?

    Our study builds new understandings of sibling violence in Australia. It highlights the importance of early interventions for young people who experience DFV during childhood. This includes ensuring effective responses for young people who use violence against their siblings.

    Without effective early intervention, we are missing opportunities to address the negative consequences of such experiences, including an increased risk of future perpetration of intimate partner violence.

    To facilitate improved identification and early intervention, frontline screening for DFV among individuals and families must include sibling violence.

    Given the substantial overlap of intimate partner violence, other forms of child maltreatment, child-to-parent abuse and sibling violence, we need holistic interventions that address the support needs of all family members.

    These responses must extend to supporting children and families’ recovery from DFV and seek to break the cycle of inter-generational violence in the home.

    Hayley Boxall currently receives research funding from the Queensland Law Reform Commission, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety and the ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate.

    Kate has received funding for family violence-related research from the Australian Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, the Victorian, Queensland and ACT governments, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services and the Victorian Women’s Trust. This piece is written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon in her role at Monash University and is wholly independent of Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s role as Chair of Respect Victoria.

    Silke Meyer currently receives research funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, the Queensland Mental Health Commission, and the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services (Qld).

    – ref. We can’t solve family violence until we include violence between siblings in the conversation – https://theconversation.com/we-cant-solve-family-violence-until-we-include-violence-between-siblings-in-the-conversation-242384

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In failing to probe Robodebt, Australia’s anti-corruption body fell at the first hurdle. It now has a second chance

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Partlett, Associate Professor of Public Law, The University of Melbourne

    The inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has released her long-awaited report on the failure of the commission to investigate the Robodebt scandal.

    The report finds the commissioner of the NACC committed “officer misconduct”. He failed to fully remove himself from the decision not to investigate the scandal.

    In response, the NACC has agreed to appoint an “independent eminent person” to reconsider its decision not to investigate the Robodebt scandal.

    It’s an embarrassing moment for the Commonwealth’s newly created anti-corruption watchdog.

    But it’s also an opportunity for the NACC to do what the public expects of it: act decisively to protect public trust in government.

    How did we get here?

    The NACC was created in 2022 after a federal election campaign that often focused on transparency and integrity in government.

    Earlier this year, the commission announced it would not be looking into the Robodebt scandal.

    This was despite the Royal Commission into Robodebt referring six people to the commission for further investigation.

    The commission is monitored by an inspector, independent of the commission and the government. After receiving hundreds of complaints, Inspector Gail Furness launched an investigation into why the NACC didn’t look into Robodebt.

    The issue was the first big test for the oversight body.

    The inspector is legally limited as to what it can look at, but its finding of “officer misconduct” offers a broader opportunity for NACC to change course.

    Robodebt was a clear breach of the public trust, with thousands of Australians feeling betrayed by the way the Morrison government acted. NACC now has a second chance to look into the scandal.

    Unique anti-corruption tradition

    NACC’s decision not to investigate was a departure from a long history of anti-corruption oversight in Australia.

    It has its roots in corruption scandals in the late 1980s in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.

    These scandals involved the vast misuse of public power and resources by powerful executive branch officials. The response was far-reaching.

    In Queensland, explosive allegations of police and government involvement in gambling and corruption led to the creation of an inquiry led by Tony Fitzgerald.

    This inquiry made a number of wide-ranging recommendations, including the creation of a commission. It would eventually would become today’s Crime and Corruption Commission.



    Read more:
    Thirty years on, the Fitzgerald Inquiry still looms large over Queensland politics

    In NSW, high-ranking ministers and police were caught embezzling funds and misusing public influence.

    Public outrage led to the creation of Australia’s first anti-corruption commission, the powerful Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

    In parliament, the NSW premier explained that ICAC was established “independent of the Executive Government and responsible only to Parliament”.

    He went on to argue that its role was not to prosecute crime, but instead to enforce the public trust and dispel a “cloud of suspicion” that hung over the NSW government.

    In WA in the 1980s, allegations emerged that executive branch officials were using their control of public resources to enrich themselves and preserve their own power.

    In response, a royal commission in the early 1990s made a number of recommendations, including the creation of an anti-corruption commission. The commission would be an “independent parliamentary agency” responsible to parliament in carrying out its oversight duties.

    Since then, all ten Australian jurisdictions have adopted anti-corruption commissions. Many of these commissions are described as officers of parliament intended to investigate breaches of the public trust.

    In all states and territories, excluding Victoria and (recently) South Australia, “breaches of the public trust” or “dishonest or improper” conduct can be investigated by these agencies. Anti-corruption agencies have therefore emerged as important guardians of public trust in government.

    Anti-corruption amnesia

    However, we seem to have forgotten this tradition in recent years.

    In South Australia, a 2021 law strippedthe state’s intergrity body of the power to investigate “maladministration” and “misconduct” in public administration and confined its scope to criminal activity.

    In Victoria, then-Premier Daniel Andrews downplayed the significant breaches of public trust found by Victoria’s anti-corruption agency as being merely “educational”.

    Most recently, the NACC’s refusal to review the Robodebt scandal also suggests it is unaware of the traditional purpose of Australian anti-corruption oversight.

    The Robodebt scandal rivals the scandals of the 1980s in its threat to public trust.

    One submission to the Royal Commission report put it clearly:

    I feel utterly betrayed by the government for this […] myself, and everyone else who turned up to every meeting they had to, jumped through every hoop and tried to do the right thing, were treated like criminals and cheats, when all the while it was the department’s scheme that was illegal.

    The NACC now has the opportunity to change course and broadly inquire into the Robodebt scandal.

    This includes more than just an inquiry into the referrals from the Robodebt Royal Commission. It can also look into the way that a scandal of this magnitude happened and how we can prevent it in the future.

    Failing to ask these questions endangers what the WA Royal Commission 30 years ago described as the “trust principle”. It said:

    institutions of government and the officials and agencies of government exist for the public, to serve the interests of the public.

    The NACC has been given a second chance to serve the public through properly investigating Robodebt.

    If it chooses to take it, it will signal that the commission understands it plays a key role in preserving one of the most valuable commodities in Australian democracy: trust in government.

    William Partlett is the Stephen Charles Fellow at The Centre for Public Integrity.

    – ref. In failing to probe Robodebt, Australia’s anti-corruption body fell at the first hurdle. It now has a second chance – https://theconversation.com/in-failing-to-probe-robodebt-australias-anti-corruption-body-fell-at-the-first-hurdle-it-now-has-a-second-chance-236147

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ7: Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work
    LCQ7: Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work
    ******************************************************************

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (October 30): Question:      The Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work (the Pilot Programme) was launched in September 2022, and its industry coverage has also been expanded from the construction industry to the catering and hotel industry and the transportation and logistics industry from May this year onwards. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the total number of reported work injury cases in the construction industry in Hong Kong since September 2022 and, among them, the number of cases which are eligible for the Pilot Programme; (2) of the average waiting time of injured employees from the time of injury to commencement of rehabilitation treatment under the Pilot Programme; (3) as it is learnt that some injured employees who are eligible for the Pilot Programme have refused to participate in the Programme, whether the Government has gained an understanding of the reasons for their refusal; (4) of the types of work injury involved in the cases participating in the Pilot Programme, with a breakdown by the extent of injury; (5) among the injured employees who have participated in the Pilot Programme and recovered (i.e. reached maximum medical improvement), of the number of those who have returned to work and, among them, the percentage of those who are able to return to their original positions (especially employees in the construction industry who are able to re-enter the industry); (6) among the injured employees who have participated in the Pilot Programme and recovered but are unable to return to work, of the number of those who have completed the procedures of medical assessment of injury (i.e. assessment of permanent incapacity); and (7) as it is learnt that some non-profit-making organisations or training organisations in the community provide retraining and return-to-work support services specifically for persons recovered from work injury, how many employees who have recovered under the Pilot Programme but are unable to return to work have been referred to such organisations for follow-up? Reply: President,     To strengthen rehabilitation services for employees injured at work, the Labour Department (LD) launched the Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work (Pilot Programme) in September 2022. The Pilot Programme adopts a case management approach to provide timely and co-ordinated private out-patient rehabilitation treatment services for participating injured employees to facilitate their early recovery and return to work. Currently, the Pilot Programme covers the construction industry, catering and hotel industry and transportation and logistics industry, targeting employees who have sustained musculoskeletal injuries at work and have been (or are expected to be) absent from work for six weeks or more. Eligible persons can participate on a voluntary basis.      My reply to the Dr the Hon David Lam’s question is as follows: (1) From September 2022 to September 2024, the number of employees’ compensation claims in the construction industry involving incapacitation of employees for more than 3 days as a result of work injuries reported under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and received by the LD is about 6 900.      As at the end of September 2024, the LD and the Work Injury Rehabilitation Office (WIRO) set up by the service contractor of the Pilot Programme have, based on the reported work injury cases, identified 4 596 injured construction employees who preliminarily fulfilled the admission criteria of the Pilot Programme, and proactively invited their participation. As at the end of September 2024, a total of 1 011 injured construction employees have enrolled in the Pilot Programme. (2) According to the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, an employer must notify the Commissioner for Labour of any work accident within 14 days after the accident occurs or after it comes to his knowledge. As mentioned in part (1), the LD and WIRO will preliminarily identify suitable injured employees based on the reported work injury cases, proactively invite them to participate in the Pilot Programme and arrange interviews to ascertain their eligibility for and willingness to participate in the Pilot Programme. Thereafter, the case manager will schedule an appointment for the employee to meet with the case doctor. Once the case doctor determines after clinical assessment that the employee’s injury is suitable for treatment under the Pilot Programme, the relevant rehabilitation treatment will begin immediately.          Therefore, the duration from the time of injury to the commencement of treatment for an injured employee depends on the reporting time and the specific circumstances of the individual work injury case (such as the time needed to successfully contact the injured employee, when the employee can meet with the case manager and confirm their consent to participate in the Pilot Programme). Generally, counting from the first successful contact with the injured employee for introducing the Pilot Programme, an injured employee can receive treatment from a case doctor approximately after 10 working days.(3) Some eligible injured employees have chosen not to participate in the Pilot Programme for various reasons, including their wish to continue receiving rehabilitation treatment services provided by the Hospital Authority, consideration that the location of the hospital or clinic they currently seek consultations is more convenient, preference for arranging their own private medical services, and their wish to continue receiving free private rehabilitation treatment provided by their employers. (4) As at the end of September 2024, 1 350 injured employees from the construction industry, catering and hotel industry, and transportation and logistics industry have enrolled in the Pilot Programme. Their injuries primarily involved contusions and bruises, sprains and strains, fractures, etc, which accounted for approximately 80 per cent of all cases. Around 70 per cent of participants have already reached Maximum Medical Improvement (i.e. recovered) after treatment, with the majority recovering within 5 months after commencing treatment.(5) Under the Pilot Programme, if participants do not return to work within two months after recovery, case managers will continue to follow up on their return-to-work status for the following three months. As of the end of September 2024, the return-to-work status of the 939 recovered employees is as follows: 

    Return-to-work status
    Number of employees (proportion)

    Engaged in same kind of work*
    413 (approximately 44 per cent)

    Engaged in other kinds of work*
    73 (approximately 8 per cent)

    Return-to-work status under follow up
    201 (approximately 21 per cent)(mainly those who have recently recovered from their injuries)

    Not yet returned to work during the follow up period
    252 (approximately 27 per cent)

    Total
    939

    *including those employed by the original employer or a different employer     Among the 413 recovered employees engaged in the same kind of work, 329 (approximately 80 per cent) were construction employees; and among the 73 recovered employees engaged in other kinds of work, 63 (approximately 86 per cent) were construction employees.(6) Among the 252 recovered employees who were yet to return to work during the follow-up period as mentioned in part (5), 197 (approximately 78 per cent) have been arranged to attend an assessment conducted by the Employees’ Compensation Assessment Board (commonly known as work injury assessment). The main reasons some cases have not yet received work injury assessment include pending arrangements for the assessment, the necessity to undergo legal procedures due to disputes over employees’ compensation, or the involvement of injuries other than musculoskeletal for which the relevant treatments are yet to complete, etc.(7) Each participant under the Pilot Programme is assigned a case manager to follow up on their case. The case manager co-ordinates rehabilitation treatment and assists in the participant’s return-to-work, which includes, with the employee’s consent, liaising with employers to facilitate return-to-work arrangements, or providing information on the job market based on the employee’s circumstances. Furthermore, depending on the needs of individual cases and the wish of the employees concerned, participants may be referred to relevant non-governmental organisations for services such as employment counselling, vocational training, and job skills training to enhance their skills and prepare for return-to-work during the recovery journey. As of the end of September 2024, a total of 20 participants agreed to be referred to the relevant organisation, of whom six have returned to work, 11 were yet to return to work during the follow-up period after recovery, and the return-to-work status of the remaining three was still being monitored.

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 11:59

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Taupō SH1 maintenance jumps the queue

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    A major change in the scheduling of the maintenance on SH1 between Tīrau and Waiouru has seen the closure of the East Taupō Arterial section of SH1 brought forward to Monday 11 November until 6 December 2024. 

    The work required on the East Taupō Arterial road includes rebuilding 2.5km of the road, adjusting median barriers, clearing the shoulders, repairing signs and adding in new line marking.  

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Roger Brady, says this change in scheduling has a range of benefits for road users and the wider Taupō community.  

    “There are a number of large events planned in November and December in Taupō, including the Cycle Challenge and Ironman 70.3 World Championship(external link). Changing the sequence of our work on SH1 means we avoid causing considerable disruption to competitors and spectators during the lead up and at the events. 
       
    “We had originally planned on a second SH1 closure between Ātiamuri to Wairakei to happen before this Christmas, but the work on that section will now take place in spring 2025. As a result we can fit in the work on the East Taupō Arterial section of SH1 before Christmas.  

    “Once completed, we would only need to come back for the final surfacing early next year, minimising the overall impact of motorists. 

    “We’ve worked closely with Taupō District Council (TDC) to understand the best timing for closing the various sections and believe together we have come up with a solution that is best for the wider Taupō community. TDC are able to incorporate road works they need to do into our closure, and they have helped to shape our traffic management to minimise disruption as much as possible. We’d like to extend our thanks to TDC for working so collaboratively with us.  

    “We’d also like to thank the Taupō community and businesses for their understanding and patience. We know that we haven’t been able to provide much notice, but this short-term disruption will be worth it in the long run.” 

    Taupō will be very busy during December and there will be pressure on the highways and local roads in the area due to the various events as well as the road works. Motorists are encouraged to use the official detour via Broadlands Road and Ohaaki Road to SH5, and vice versa. The recommended detour adds an extra 45.5 km and approx. 32 min to journeys.

    Those travelling to north or south destinations either side of Taupō may prefer to utilise other state highway routes such as SH3, SH4 and SH49.  

    Putāruru to Tokoroa closures in December 

    SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri is currently closed, with the road rebuilding work progressing well.  Subject to this work being completed as planned by the end of November, the crews will then start work on the Putāruru to Tokoroa section in the last week of November. SH1 will be closed for approximately 4 weeks until Friday 20 December with all north and south bound vehicles being detoured 24/7. 

    “Crews are working hard to finish work on the Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri. We are also depending on good weather. Once completed, over 24 lane kilometres, or nearly 130,000 square metres of road, will have been upgraded,” Mr Brady says.

    “As soon as crews are finished there, they will be moving north to the next section. We’re unable to work on both sections as it’s too disruptive to have both sections closed to the public at once.” 

    Specific work sites and final dates are expected to be confirmed in the coming week. Keep an eye on nzta.govt.nz/t2w for the latest updates.  

    This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

    Construction work on SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ1: Promoting digital corporate identity

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Shang Hailong and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
     
    Question:
     
         The Financial Secretary has indicated in the 2024-2025 Budget that the Government will set up a “Digital Corporate Identity” (CorpID) Platform to enable authentication of identity of enterprises using electronic government services or conducting online business transactions in a secure, convenient and efficient manner. The Government’s goal is to roll out the Platform progressively from end‑2026 onwards. However, there are views pointing out that notwithstanding the pressing demand of enterprises for CorpID, the Government’s progress in the relevant work appears to be slightly slow. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that the Digital Policy Office has been established since July this year, whether the Office can give priority to the work on setting up the CorpID Platform, so that the target launch date of the Platform will be advanced to 2025;
     
    (2) as there are views that the current utilisation rate of personal digital certificate is on the low side, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may also be less inclined to adopt CorpID in the future, of the Government’s plan in place to publicise CorpID’s functions, and whether it will consider providing incentives to promote more extensive use of CorpID by SMEs, thereby facilitating smart city development; and
     
    (3) whether it will consider introducing new eligibility criteria for future funding schemes of enterprises, such as accepting applications only from SMEs using CorpID, so as to enhance their participation in CorpID?

    Reply：
     
    President,
     
         Promoting the development of smart city and digital economy in Hong Kong is one of the development directions of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) is expediting the development of relevant digital infrastructure, including the development of the “Digital Corporate Identity” (CorpID) Platform, to support digital and intelligent transformation.
     
         My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Shang is as follows:

    (1) The CorpID Platform provides various functions, including corporate identity authentication, digital signing, pre-filling of forms and storage of digital licences and permits, etc, which facilitate corporations to undergo corporate identity authentication and corporate signature verification in a secure, convenient and efficient manner when using e-government services or conducting online transactions, hence alleviating the current paper-based and complicated procedures.

         The CorpID Platform is a brand new and complex large-scale digital infrastructure. The DPO must make adequate preparation and conduct comprehensive testing, including security risk assessment and audit, third party independent testing, as well as cybersecurity testing, etc, to ensure the security and reliability of the Platform. Since the Legislative Council approved of its funding in June this year, we have been pressing ahead with the project at full speed, including the collection of business requirements from stakeholders to ensure that the system design and functionalities meet the needs of different public and commercial application scenarios.

         The DPO strives to invite tender within this year and award the contract for design and development of the system in the middle of next year, with a view to launching the CorpID Platform progressively from end-2026. On the premise of ensuring system security and stability, the DPO will explore the feasibility of compressing the timeline.

    (2) and (3) The CorpID will offer users a corporate-based digital certificate. The Government has been driving the application of digital certificates. At present, digital certificates are being used in many domain areas including “iAM Smart”, “Government-to-Business” services (such as the Government Electronic Trading Services) and “Business-to-Business” services (such as financial services, secure email transmission), etc. With the growing number of citizens using “iAM Smart” and the launch of the CorpID Platform, the adoption of digital certificates will be further promoted.

         The DPO plans to implement the following measures to attract and encourage corporations and government departments to use the CorpID:
     

    in collaboration with the government departments that have business dealings with corporations, roll out several functions through connecting with the CorpID Platform. The DPO will also require all corporate-related e-government services to support the use of the CorpID within 18 months after its launch;
     
    through a Sandbox Programme, the service providers interested in supporting the CorpID can conduct proof-of-concept testing and develop their applications to design application scenarios and solutions that better meet the market demands;
     
    consider integrating the CorpID Platform with other corporate identity standards widely adopted in the industries for interoperability; 
     
    facilitate registration by enabling applicants to submit online applications through the CorpID Platform and create their CorpID once verified successfully, so that they can complete the application process while staying indoors; and
     
    publicise and promote the convenience and main functions of the CorpID to the industry through diversified channels, including websites, social media and communications platforms, promotional videos, industry organisation activities, etc. 

         The above work will help government departments and corporations better understand the functions, advantages and applicability of the CorpID Platform. Various departments can also utilise the CorpID as a technical solution for identity authentication and digital signing in accordance with their own policies, individual project objectives, development needs and technical requirements, etc, to facilitate the implementation of various policy measures in order to enhance efficiency and benefit the public and businesses.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Loretta Hart, 94.7 The Pulse

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    LORETTA HART, HOST: As we celebrate 50 years of community radio in Australia, we’re featuring women doing great things in the sector and those making an impact on it. One such woman is my next guest, someone who is a champion for all things community broadcasting, the Honourable Michelle Rowland, Minister for Communications. Welcome to the program.

    MICHELLE ROWLAND, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS: Great to be with you. 

    HART:  And we’ve also been joined by Libby Coker in the studio as well, our Federal Member for Corangamite. Welcome, Libby.

    LIBBY COKER, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE: Welcome to you too. It’s great to be with you.

    HART: And look, I can’t go past that we actually got our station manager. Leo. Leo, welcome back from long service leave.

    LEO RENKIN, 94.7 STATION MANAGER: Thank you, Loretta. It’s been a very entertaining first day.

    HART: Absolutely. So, Michelle, you know, we know that the Labor Government introduced community radio back in the ‘70s. Can you share with us the importance of community broadcasting and radio, what- the importance it holds for the Government of today?

    ROWLAND: It’s absolutely an essential part of our media ecosystem, and I think it is opportune to reflect when Gough Whitlam started community broadcasting 50 years ago, it was referred to as experimental. So this was a step into the unknown about what can be done with this very valuable resource we call spectrum. I think it was one of the wisest moves that’s been made in communications regulation in this country, because where community broadcasting fits in in this whole ecosystem is it provides the heavy lifting that’s been done on media diversity. We are one of the most concentrated media ownership markets in the world, and to have hundreds of community broadcasters right around Australia serving localism, supported by volunteers, having connections with community.

    I’m really privileged to be here, just seeing the connections that you have with individuals, with community, how you reflect the local area. You try and think of another media format that can do that. You can’t. You can’t do it on a digital platform. You can’t do it in a profit making commercial broadcasting sense. It’s done through people who want to make a difference. Meeting Marwa, earlier from Syria, one of your stars. Clearly, that’s been life changing for her and she’s found a place here. I just think that says it all. It says everything about community broadcasting, community radio. It really does bring people together. Congratulations to The Pulse for clearly doing it so well. You really are the epitome of why we support this sector.

    HART:  Thank you so much. You used the word experimental, and I know we’re 50 years on, but I would say it still feels experimental. We have this opportunity to bring in new voices, to try new things to be nimble, which is such an exciting place for us to be. I’m wondering, Michelle, you know, as we move into this on demand lifestyle, I watch everything these days on – when it suits me on the TV, people are into their podcasts. Where do you see community radio fitting into this on demand space?

    ROWLAND: I think community radio is going to continue to innovate. Everyone thought radio was going to die with the advent of the iPod and then the iPhone, but community radio has really still found its place. You can find the app; you can listen to it anywhere you want. We’ve introduced a prominence framework in Australia as well to make local content easier to find. I think that the sector will continue to adapt, and I think it does it through two ways. Firstly, it is that local element, but it also is able to connect. It’s two-way. It’s not television. It’s two-way. When you have those personalities that are able to engage, continue to innovate through innovations like podcasting. Podcasting is one of those things, you know, it took off a few years ago, as did- we saw it with the ABC developing iView to have a library. Community broadcasting is doing the same thing, and it’s that kind of innovation that is going to keep it strong. But the key thing here, I’m sure Libby will agree, you need people. You need people, which goes to the whole reason why we’re doing the first really deep sustainability dive into the sector. You can’t operate for profit, but sponsorships are harder to come by. Volunteerism is on the decline, that’s just a fact. So we’ve got to look at new ways of support, and you’ve got to be able to attract people to be part of this. You’re doing it so well here. I could tell as soon as I walked in – you’re very lucky, Libby, to be representing such a special electorate.

    COKER: Yeah. Thanks, Michelle. I’m very fond of The Pulse. It’s been a place where people can come together and it fills a unique niche in this region. We have commercial radio, but we are also quite limited in our range of media. So if you want to have an in-depth interview on an issue, you really need to come to The Pulse to do that. I wish you all the best, and hope you continue to go from strength to strength and be here for another 50 years. It’s an impressive effort.

    HART:  Thank you, Libby. We will hold you to helping us.

    COKER: Yes, I know you will.

    LEO RENKIN CO-HOST: Just one thing that we haven’t really mentioned is the people who go on from the community radio station as well. Like we have Stefan, who’s gone back to Serbia and now presents TV over there. We also have Michelle Rimmer, you might see who’s an ABC reporter over in the UK – they all get their start somewhere like here. It’s very important because most commercial stations and there’s very limited opportunities at the ABC to get experience, and without it, there would be a lot of people who couldn’t go on and make a career out of radio. I think it’s one of the most underrated, important things that happen, not only radio, TV they go onto as well.

    HART: Couldn’t agree more.

    RENKIN: Yeah. That’s part of I think that thing is getting harder and harder to get experience, particularly for people in the media. I think that’s one of the things that we often forget about. You know, coming to a place like we’ve spoken about Marwa this morning, coming to a place where you can then get a chance to go ahead and do those things in media. Without it, as you mentioned before, it’s not a very diverse sector in the media field.

    ROWLAND: I think it’s great that people who are in community broadcasting, like Rove McManus, you know, he got his start on community TV. They go on to great things. But we also want them to stay.

    RENKIN: Exactly.

    ROWLAND: To nurture others as well. So it becomes a virtuous cycle.

    RENKIN: That’s right. They get picked very quickly, yeah.

    HART:  That’s right. I keep telling Marwa not to be so good because SBS is going to find her. She’s our most downloaded program and does an amazing job for her community. But I think that’s right. I mean, and we’re really proud of the links that we’re making with Deakin to support young journalists, students, and those in communications and marketing to come in. I want to give a shout out we had a young man, Cooper Watkins. Cooper came and did an eight-week intro to broadcasting program with us. Just on the weekend, he hosted an hour program with three interviews, and then on Monday, did six interviews for a two-hour program. And he’s just finished his journalism degree. But he is eager to get his hands on these buttons, to get behind the microphone and to get experience.

    So you’re right, Leo. I think that whilst we can have diverse voices, we can have underrepresented stories being given some air, but we’re also a training ground. But you’re right, Michelle, we want people to stay as well. Yeah.

    RENKIN: I’ve got Loretta chained to the desk actually.

    [Laughter]

    I think one of the underrated things about community radio is, like we’ve seen this morning, a diverse group of people coming together, and I think that’s very important for social cohesion as well. We often think of everyone in the community being different, but a place where they can come together and be different is a very special thing to have.

    ROWLAND: Couldn’t agree more.

    HART:  Michelle, just lastly, what can we look forward to- as community broadcasters, what can we look forward to the Albanese Government supporting and providing in this space?

    ROWLAND: Well, I want to reiterate that this is a government that doesn’t just say we support community broadcasting. We’ve backed that up with $23 million in funding. We want to continue to make sure that this sector remains strong. The first Bill I actually presented to the Parliament as Minister was on community broadcasting to help ease some of that regulatory burden. We have the sustainability review that’s being finalised by my Department now. I think it’s been really important to go out and to consult with the sector about what their needs are. When that comes through, I’m sure it will have some really practical suggestions in there for reform.

    But as Libby will tell you too, you know, we want to be judged on our delivery. It’s really something to be able to go to- I’ve lost count of how many community radio stations I’ve been to or have been on around Australia. But I want to be clear to your listeners. We’re a Government of delivery. We’re not afraid of the hard reforms. There are hard things happening in the media at the moment. This sector is under great challenge through the multinational digital platforms, under great stress through just the transition as well. It’s not the advertising market that it used to be. It is hard. There has to be that adaptation across mainstream media, but also by every part of the ecosystem, including community and just discussions today. This is an area that’s not without its challenges, even here in Geelong.

    But I can give you this commitment that we want to follow through on ensuring sustainability. We are going to have to make some hard decisions. But you can be assured that with good people like Libby backing you up in the Parliament as well, I think that this is a universally supported sector. It’s one that actually goes right across the aisle. You get people from regional areas and from metro areas who do support community radio. So I think that the proposals that we will put up, I’m confident that they’ll have strong support. There’s always a need to do more. Let’s be clear. I want to do expectations management. There’s always a need to do more. With hundreds of community radio stations across Australia with so many thousands of volunteers, we do have to remember I think come back to first principles. This is the fourth estate. It’s about making sure that authentic Australian voices, entertainment, and news get out there. We’re in an era of mis- and disinformation that is harmful to our democracy. This fourth estate that you support here is the front row of that fight against it. That’s one of the key reasons why I’m so passionate about it.

    RENKIN: Can I just add to that, Loretta?

    HART: Yeah, well, you can, but you’ve got 30 seconds.

    RENKIN: Sorry, 30 seconds. We found in COVID that we did have enormous amount of people come to us from different ethnic groups and want us to promote the vaccination programs and things that were going on because the only information they were referring to was online stuff, information from their own country. So for example, they were getting information from Croatia about what was going on, and then trying to think that was what was going to go on in Australia. Well, it was completely wrong. So we had some of our presenters come in and say, we have to get this message out, we have to get this message out. I think that’s one of the things that we- you know, when you said before about being the fourth pillar, I suppose, is that we can provide information from local community groups and for the local community groups, the best thing they know is word of mouth. And if it comes from one of the representatives, and then-

    ROWLAND: They trust. 

    RENKIN: They trust, exactly.

    HART:  They do indeed. It’s been a very fantastic conversation this morning. Thanks so much to Leo. Thanks very much to Libby Coker. And also thanks so much, Michelle, for being here, our Federal Minister for Communications. It’s been wonderful to have you in the studio with us.

    ROWLAND: Absolute pleasure.

    COKER: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Egypt marks major achievement with malaria-free certification, but need for global R&D remains significant, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as being malaria-free, following a near 100-year endeavour by the Egyptian government. Egypt is the third country to be declared malaria-free in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and the 44th country globally. However, hundreds of millions of cases of malaria are still reported worldwide each year. These staggering numbers reinforce a global need for research and development, particularly for malaria vaccines, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Egypt’s malaria-free certification is a significant achievement, as this is a country which once recorded millions of cases. Unfortunately, the global burden of malaria remains high.”

    The WHO reported nearly 250 million cases of malaria and over 600,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide in 2022.

    In order to be certified malaria-free by the WHO, a country must prove that there has been no local transmission of any human malaria parasites for at least the past three consecutive years. Additionally, a country must maintain a fully functional surveillance and response system to prevent the re-establishment of indigenous transmission.

    Egypt’s efforts to reduce mosquito-borne diseases began in the 1920s, when the country prohibited agricultural crops near homes. Other efforts over the past 100 years have included opening a malaria control station, recruiting thousands of healthcare workers, launching a public health surveillance project, and public education.

    Kurdach continues: “To address the global burden of malaria and work towards global eradication, research and development is critical. Just as Egypt remains obligated to maintain surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment efforts throughout the nation, other nations plagued by malaria are in dire need of robust surveillance systems, diagnostic tools, affordable health care, and malaria vaccines.”

    There are currently only two malaria vaccines which are WHO prequalified* and recommended for use in children: GSK’s Mosquirix and Serum Institute of India’s R21/Matrix-M.

    According to GlobalData, there are 12 other malaria vaccines currently in Phase II development, including vaccines from BioNTech, GSK, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the University of Oxford. No new malaria vaccines are in Phase III development or pre-registration.

    Kurdach concludes: “There is a serious global unmet need for malaria vaccines, which is evidenced by the late-stage development pipeline. Egypt’s malaria-free certification serves as a reminder and call to action that malaria elimination is possible with increased research and development.”

    *The recommendations of Mosquirix and R21/Matrix-M by the WHO are relatively recent and occurred in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The number of users of the My ID service has doubled since the beginning of 2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Mobile application “My id” is becoming increasingly popular among Muscovites. Since the beginning of this year alone, the number of users has more than doubled. It now exceeds 125 thousand people.

    In the capital Department of Information Technology noted that the demand for the application is growing due to the constant expansion of its capabilities.

    “Since the launch of “My ID”, the number of documents whose information can be viewed in it has increased by 1.5 times. For example, a digital certificate of a large family has become available in the application, which can be presented to confirm the privileged status. At the same time, we continue to improve the already popular services of the application. Thus, recently, pet owners have the opportunity not only to view basic information about their pets, but also to control the timing of vaccinations and treatment, as well as quickly proceed to an appointment at a state veterinary clinic directly from the application,” the press service of the department said.

    With the My ID app, city residents can be sure that the necessary information will always be at hand. Currently, 14 types of documents and services are available in the app, including information on Russian and foreign passports, taxpayer identification numbers, birth certificates, SNILS, and others. This simplifies filling out various applications and online forms, and also allows sending information to trusted persons.

    In addition, the application provides digital versions of some documents, including a compulsory medical insurance policy, a single library card, and a large family certificate. They can be used to obtain various city services. For example, the barcode of the single library card from the application can be presented in the capital’s libraries to borrow and return books, and the QR code of the digital certificate of a large family will allow you to confirm your privileged status, for example, when buying tickets in the capital’s cultural institutions.

    Any registered user of the mos.ru portal can use the application – just log in to the application using your account. In the settings, the user can independently select the documents that he wants to use. The information specified by the user in the personal account or provided when receiving government services will be automatically displayed in the application.

    The mobile application “My id” is developing Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow together with the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

    The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents corresponds to the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” and the regional project of the capital “Digital Public Administration”. More information about this and other national projects implemented in Moscow can be found Here.

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145916073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: US elections: Editorial writers at LA Times, Washington Post resign after billionaire owners block Kamala Harris endorsements

    Democracy Now!

    This is Democracy Now!, “War, Peace and the Presidency.” I am Amy Goodman, with Juan González:

    The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post newspapers are facing mounting backlash after the papers’ publishers announced no presidential endorsements would be made this year. The LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and The Washington Post is owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

    National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting more than 200,000 people have cancelled their Washington Post subscriptions, and counting.

    A number of journalists have also resigned, including the editorials editor at the Los Angeles Times, Mariel Garza, who wrote, “How could we spend eight years railing against Trump and the danger his leadership poses to the country and then fail to endorse the perfectly decent Democrat challenger — who we previously endorsed for the U.S. Senate?”

    Veteran journalists Robert Greene and Karin Klein have also resigned from the L.A. Times editorial board.

    At The Washington Post, David Hoffman and Molly Roberts both resigned on Monday from the Post editorial board. Michele Norris also resigned as a Washington Post columnist, and Robert Kagan resigned as editor-at-large.

    David Hoffman, who just won a Pulitzer Prize for his series “Annals of Autocracy,” wrote, “I believe we face a very real threat of autocracy in the candidacy of Donald Trump. I find it untenable and unconscionable that we have lost our voice at this perilous moment.”

    David Hoffman joins us now, along with former Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza.

    David Hoffman, let’s begin with you. Explain why you left The Washington Post editorial board. Oh, and at the same time, congratulations on your Pulitzer Prize.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Thank you very much.

    I worked for 12 years writing editorials in which I said over and over again, “We cannot be silent in the face of dictatorship, not anywhere.” And I wrote about dissidents who were imprisoned for speaking out.

    And I felt that I couldn’t write another editorial decrying silence if we were going to be silent in the face of Trump’s autocracy. And I feel very, very strongly that the campaign has exposed his intention to be an autocrat.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, is there any precedent for the publisher of The Washington Post overruling their own editorial board?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: Yeah, there’s lots of precedent. It’s entirely within the right of the publisher and the owner to do this. Previous owners have often told the editorial board what to say, because we are the voice of the institution and its owner. So, there’s nothing wrong with that.

    What’s wrong here is the timing. If they had made this decision early in the year and announced, as a principle, they don’t want to issue endorsements, nobody would have even blinked. A lot of papers don’t. People have rightly questioned whether they actually have any impact.

    What matters here was, we are right on the doorstep of the most consequential election in our lifetimes. To pull the plug on the endorsement, to go silent against Trump days before the election, that to me was just unconscionable.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Mariel Garza, could you talk about the situation at the LA Times and your reaction when you heard of the owner’s decision?

    MARIEL GARZA: Certainly. It was a long conversation over the course of many weeks. We presented our proposal to endorse Kamala Harris. And, of course, there was — to us, there was no question that we would endorse her. We spent nine years talking about the dangers of Trump, called him unfit in 5 million ways, and Kamala Harris is somebody that we know. She’s a California elected official.

    We’ve had a lot of conversations with her. We’ve seen her career evolved. We were going to — we were going to endorse her. And there was no indication that we were going to suddenly shift to a neutral position, certainly not within a few weeks or months of the election.

    At first, we didn’t get a clear answer — sounds like it’s the same situation that happened at The Washington Post — until we pressed for one. We presented an outline with — these are the points we’re going to make — and an argument for why not only was it important for us, an editorial board whose mission is to speak truth to power, to stand up to tyranny — our readers expect it.

    We’re a very liberal paper. There is no — there is no question what the editorial board believes, that Donald Trump should not be president ever.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to —

    MARIEL GARZA: So, it was perplexing. It was mystifying. It was — go ahead.

    AMY GOODMAN: Mariel, I wanted to get your response to the daughter of the LA Times owner. On Saturday, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong’s daughter Nika Soon-Shiong posted a message online suggesting that her father’s decision was linked to Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Nika wrote, “Our family made the joint decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. This was the first and only time I have been involved in the process.

    “As a citizen of a country openly financing genocide, and as a family that experienced South African Apartheid, the endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justifications for the widespread targeting of journalists and ongoing war on children,” she wrote.

    Her father, Patrick Soon-Shiong, later disputed her claim, saying that she has no role at the Los Angeles Times. Mariel Garza, your response?

    MARIEL GARZA: Look, I really don’t know what to say, because I have — that was — if that was the case, it was never communicated to us. I do not know what goes on in the conversation in the Soon-Shiong household. I know that she is not — she does not participate in deliberations of the editorial board, as far as I know. I’ve never spoken to her.

    We all know how she feels about Gaza, because she’s a prolific tweeter. So, I really can’t say. And this is part of the bigger problem, is we were never given a reason for why we were being silent.

    If there was a reason — say it was Israel — we could have explained that to readers. Instead, we remain silent. And that’s — I mean, this is not a time in American history where anybody can remain silent or neutral.

    JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David Hoffman, this whole issue has been raised by some critics of Jeff Bezos that his company has a lot of business with the US government, and whether that had any impact on Bezos’s decision. I’m wondering your thoughts.

    DAVID HOFFMAN: I can’t be inside his mind. His company does have big business, and he’s acknowledged it’s a complicating factor in his ownership. But I can’t really understand why he made this decision, and I don’t think it’s been very well explained. His explanation published today was that he wants sort of more civic quiet, and he thought an endorsement would add to the sense of anxiety and the poisonous atmosphere.

    But I disagree with that. I think, like in the LA Times, I think readers have come to expect us to be a voice of reason, and they’ve looked to endorsements at least for some clarity. So, frankly, I also feel that we’re still lacking an explanation.

    AMY GOODMAN: You know, you have subtitle, the slogan of The Washington Post, of course, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” It’s being mocked all over social media. One person wrote, “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.”

    David Hoffman, your response to that? But also, you won the Pulitzer Prize for your series “Annals of Autocracy,” and you talk about digital billionaires, as well, and what this means. How does this fit into your investigations?

    DAVID HOFFMAN: You know, I would hope everybody would understand and acknowledge that we’ve done a lot of good for democracy and human rights. You know, I’ve had governments react sharply to a single editorial. When we call them out for imprisoning dissidents, it matters that we are very widely read.

    And that’s another reason why I feel this was a big mistake, because we actually were on a path, for decades, of championing democracy and human rights as an institution.

    And, you know, I have to tell you, I wrote a book in Russia about oligarchs. I understand how difficult it is when you have a lively and independent group of journalists. And ownership really matters. And, you know, we’re not just another widget company.

    This is actually a group of very, very deep-thinking and oftentimes very aggressive people that have a desire to change the world. That’s the kind of journalism that The Washington Post has sponsored and engaged in.

    In 2023, we published a series of editorials that took a look deep inside how China, Russia, Burma, you know, other places — how these autocracies function. One of the findings was that many of these dictatorships are using technology to clamp down on dissent, even things as tiny as a single tweet.

    Young people, young college students are being thrown in prison in Cuba, in Belarus, in Vietnam. And I documented these to show how this technology actually isn’t becoming a force for freedom, but it’s being turned on its head by dictatorship.

    AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there, David Hoffman, Washington Post reporter, stepped down from the Post editorial board when they refused to endorse a presidential candidate; Mariel Garza, LA Times editorials editor who just resigned.

    I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

    This programme is republished under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licence.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Salvation Army/Diabetes Australia Partnership Launch

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    Good afternoon, everybody. Fantastic to be here. I’d like to acknowledge that Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. I just want to make four points. Settle in, it’ll take about half an hour. I was joking. First of all, Nick McCallum. I’d like to acknowledge Nick does a great job. He’s one of a band of people, Colonel Kelvin, who Brendan has gathered around him, and there’s a few other like-minded souls. And, whenever Brendan and Sandra think something needs to be pushed along, Nick has always got a very open mind and journalist in the best tradition of Melbourne. He wants to see the right thing by our community. It’s great to see Nick Reece here. You’ll get up, son. Okay. I just want to be the first to call you the Mayor, Lord Mayor. Justine Cain, CEO of Diabetes Australia. Thank you, Diabetes Australia I’m going to talk a little bit more about it in a moment, but it’s great you’re here. You’ll be busy.

    And Justine in your introduction, you said you’ve already had important conversations with 60 to 70 people. That’s almost everyone in the room, or the equivalent of. And when you think about it, when we reduce it, 1.9 million Australians have diabetes and someone’s diagnosed every five minutes, you realise that it is a big issue and you realise that people who live on the streets, people who live insecurely, just don’t get the same deal.

    So, I’m very pleased that Diabetes Australia took up our encouragement to work with Brendan, and I’m hoping that this is a model, as you are very positively and optimistically said. I should also acknowledge Brendan and Sandra. I acknowledge Brendan. Sandra. Well done. I love Brendan. He’s on a he’s on billboards in my electorate. I mean, they do a great job, and this is a great building. I just want to make these points so, you know, acknowledge everyone else too. You’re beautiful people.

    Diabetes, it’s real. I’ve had family members with it. But it’s treatable. There are things that can be done. And the worst thing in the world is seeing preventable conditions. You know, being the Minister for the NDIS, sometimes you get a genetic lottery. The great American poet Robert Frost, talking about the suicide of his son, he used the term the shafts of fate. And some things are unavoidable. But preventable illness is as it says, it’s really on all of us to go that extra distance. And so, the fact that you’re teaming up with Project 614, I think there’ll be a lot of other organizations very interested. So, I’m just excited. I think it’s really good, and I make at this point that, = you know, behind us, Matthew 1128 up on the wall, it really says it invites people to – this building and what happens in it is to provide support. It’s to provide comfort, to provide peace. But that doesn’t happen without people making that happen. So, great about the diabetes.

    I’d also like to acknowledge part of the reason why I keep coming back here, other than Brendan’s amazing charisma is, they do a lot of good stuff. And since I’ve been the Minister for Services Australia, which is a great privilege, I learned a lot about, you know, it’s not the sexiest portfolio in the government, but I’m now convinced there’s no thing that the government does, which is any more important than what we do at Services Australia. And what I’ve found out is that every year, or last year, Australians went online and dealt with Services Australia and Medicare 1.1 billion times online. That’s a lot. And we have 318 offices, and we have 30,000 plus people working. Over 10 million people come and visit Service Australia offices, which is a lot. It’s amazing. We just answer tens of millions of calls. And by the way, we’re answering quicker than we used to, which is great. But for some people, they’re not going to get on the phone. They’re not going to come into the office. They’re not going to be a digital native transacting. And then you what I realized is we need to go out to the people.

    And that in our communities, there are people who are under-documented or undocumented. We’ve got people who just aren’t in the Medicare system. It’s not that the safety net is inadequate. They’re just not in it. And that’s not anybody’s fault. Life has a way of, can upend endured, you know. A traumatic childhood, you just – there’s no blame about this. But some people are not going to go and sit down and sit in a Centrelink office or fill in a Medicare form online. And that’s where I think what Brendan’s Project 614 and the Salvo’s do so well, and plenty of other places. So, it’s been very exciting for me to be able to work with my agency and say, why don’t we put really special people in our agency, at the homelessness organisations or frontline organisations and Nick Carbine’s here. He’s done a great job, but we’re now doing it in 27 different organisations around the country. This is not rocket science. This has not involved us having to go to the budget to get new money. And by the way, the Services Australia staff, they get more volunteers to come out and do the outreach than there are outreach positions. So, it reflects well on our public servants. But now we’re doing it right across Australia, but we started it here and in Sydney with Bill Crews, the Reverend Bill Crews.

    Now there’s 27 frontline organizations. Over 20,000 different people have now been joined into the system who were missing, and that just means that they are getting some of that support, which a lot of other people take for granted. Now we’ve extended them. We’ve got Hearing Australia, putting in checking people’s hearing here. That’s great. That’s another agency that I work with. The National Disability Insurance Scheme, they’re now working with a lot of people on the NDIS and making sure they can get access. And so that’s fabulous. I mean, Project 614 has of course been doing other work, drug and alcohol work and VicPol and the Housing Vic people have also been utilising this place. But what I like about this place and working with it with the feds is, we’re going to the people and that’s really what it’s all about.

    When I announced that I was changing jobs – not retiring, changing jobs, Brendan was one of the first on the phone. I thought oh, that’s beautiful. He’s just a beautiful man, Brendan. He said, is our contract sorted for when you go? I mean, he sort of said, is it true? And he got into that conversation. And it’s great that David Hazlehurst is here. Services Australia sees the value of doing the outreach work. But really, what I wanted to say in conclusion, in addition to the diabetes work done here by the Salvos, the work done by all of you to join people up is really hope. See, I love coming to this building. It’s a marvellous building. You know, back in the 1880s, 1890s, people were building buildings to last. It showed the importance they attached to it. But whilst this is a beautiful building, it’s what happens in the building is what makes it significant.

    So, this is really a canteen of hope. It’s a building of hope. The volunteers and the people who work here, they’re people of hope. Hope is just the idea which says that you can have a better future and see. Hope is just the emotion that you can look forward to things, and that you have the ability, therefore, to take those steps. If we don’t have hope in our lives, then we have nothing. If we don’t have the idea or the expectation or the dream that things can get better, that there’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning, then you live in a very dark place. And what I love about this building of hope, this operation of hope, is that it delivers that in spades.

    And I love the fact that it’s got – the canteen, it’s rated 4.3, I think, on Google reviews, which is great. It is ironic because that’s what Grossi Florentino across the road. So, it is interesting. And the ham cheese and tomato sandwiches here are probably more value for money too.

    So, you’ve got the hope that you can get a good food, good meal here. But more importantly, all of you are people who subscribe to the view that other people are important. None of you are here because of yourselves. You are all here because you know that none of us are worth anything unless our fellow man and woman is doing okay. And that’s why I was lucky to be introduced by Warren Snowdon. Warren was the father of the House. that’s a term they used in parliament. Longest serving member. And he’s worked on diabetes and Aboriginal communities in central Australia because he represented most of the Northern Territory. But when I think about Warren or I think about any of you who I haven’t mentioned by name, I just know that the world is a very complex and disturbing place. Big elections in America. The news is full of all the things going wrong. But the people in this room, you’ve got hope that the place can be better. And that’s what Diabetes is doing. And that’s why I love today. Because this is just all about hope.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From an ambulance to a hybrid operating room: How Moscow saves stroke patients

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Stroke is an acute disorder of blood supply to the brain, in which it is important to provide fast and high-tech assistance. In Moscow, a stroke network has been created on the basis of the largest multidisciplinary hospitals, which includes 13 specialized centers. In anticipation of World Stroke Day, which is celebrated on October 29, we tell you about one of them – at the flagship emergency care center City Clinical Hospital (CCH) No. 15 named after O.M. Filatov.

    A mos.ru correspondent followed in the footsteps of a patient at a stroke center and talked to doctors. How a multidisciplinary team is formed, what high-tech equipment allows finding the brain lesion and performing minimally invasive intervention, and what a hybrid operating room looks like — in our report.

    Beyond the Red Line. From the Ambulance to the Shock Ward

    Severe headache, nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness, convulsions. These symptoms are typical of both ischemic stroke (impaired blood circulation due to vascular occlusion) and hemorrhagic stroke (ruptured blood vessels, causing blood to enter tissues). The first step is to call an ambulance team, which will take you to the nearest stroke center with a free operating room. Osman Osmanov, Deputy Chief Physician for Emergency Care at City Clinical Hospital No. 15 named after O. M. Filatov, shows an information board installed in the admissions department of the flagship center on the first floor.

    “Already on the way, the ambulance team gives us information about the patient. On the board, we see what time the acute condition arose, what is the level of consciousness according to the Glasgow Coma Scale and hemodynamic indicators: blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, saturation. In all flagship centers, the “triage” system has been implemented, according to which people are distributed among functional zones depending on the priority of assistance: red, yellow or green. Critical patients are marked on the board in red. Stroke is always “red”. Due to a blood clot in a vessel, brain tissue is damaged due to starvation,” Osman Osmanov specified.

    Meanwhile, a patient arrives at the center. There is a separate entrance for ambulances: through a spacious box separated from the reception area by glass doors. These doors open automatically for the team. Following the red line on the floor, it takes the patient to the anti-shock department. Doctors simultaneously register the person and collect a full anamnesis from the ambulance paramedics. Five minutes after arriving at the center, the patient is taken to the CT room.

    A multidisciplinary team is formed for each new case, emphasized Ikram Tagirov, head of the resuscitation and intensive care department for patients with acute cerebrovascular accident.

    “Not a minute can be wasted in vascular accidents, the life and subsequent rehabilitation of a person depend on our actions. That is why stroke centers are opening in Moscow, where there is everything for diagnostics and provision of qualified medical care for such pathologies: CT, MRI, ECG, at least two angiographs, laboratory equipment. We have four X-ray surgical operating rooms, one of which is hybrid. A multidisciplinary team of neurologists, resuscitators, specialists in radiation diagnostics, and X-ray endovascular surgeons is on duty around the clock. They are ready to meet the patient when they see on the board that he is coming. Sometimes a stroke or a heart attack occurs, then we involve cardiologists. If it turns out not to be a stroke, but a hematoma, then we involve neurosurgeons,” the doctor explained.

    From the triage system to the “space” operating room: how the flagship center of the O.M. Filatov Hospital No. 15 is organizedMoscow doctors have developed a technique for diagnosing childhood strokes — SobyaninSobyanin: Vascular centers received 8 angiographs with 3D modeling functionOver the past eight years, Moscow doctors have managed to increase the number of operations performed to remove blood clots by more than 30 times.

    Computed tomography for scanning the bloodstream

    The council is assembled right in the CT room. First of all, blood is taken for analysis and a native CT examination is performed (without contrast agent): the overall picture is assessed. Then, if indicated, CT angiography is performed to detect cerebral artery occlusion.

    If a hemorrhage or a space-occupying lesion of the brain is detected during a native examination, the patient is consulted by a neurosurgeon. When a person with an ischemic stroke is admitted in the therapeutic window (the time when a drug that dissolves a clot can be administered to a patient in this condition) and in the absence of contraindications, the question of thrombolytic therapy (TLT) arises. This is the breakdown of blood clots using medications. The faster the procedure is performed, the better the effect and the lower the neurological deficit. Thrombolytic therapy has strict time limits – 4.5 hours from the onset of symptoms, noted neurologist Zaretta Kurbanova.

    “We usually understand whether a particular patient is suitable for thrombolytic therapy before the ambulance arrives, since we know the onset time of the disease. If we are convinced by native CT that the ischemic focus (zone of dead cells) has not yet formed, we perform thrombolytic therapy and administer a thrombolytic drug. By that time, the test results are ready, because before thrombolysis it is important to check hemoglobin, platelets, and a coagulogram. After a native examination of the brain, if there are indications, we proceed to CT angiography. Contrasting the vessels allows us to scan the bloodstream and find the site of blockage that caused the stroke. It is in the CT examination room that a neurologist and an X-ray endovascular surgeon decide whether endovascular intervention (thromboextraction) is possible, that is, surgical extraction of a thrombus,” said Zaretta Kurbanova.

    In case of intracerebral hematoma, angiography is used to find the source of the hemorrhage and the patient is transferred to a neurosurgeon. Diagnostic procedures take about 30-40 minutes. The next stage is the operating room.

    Inside the “space” operating room. Stenting and thrombus extraction

    We leave the CT room and call the “red” elevator. The doors open immediately, and we go in a spacious cabin to the third floor – to the operating and resuscitation unit. If an intervention were planned, the anesthesiologist would already be waiting for us here. Most often, operations are performed under general anesthesia: the patient should not move while the surgeon works with microinstruments on small vessels.

    We put on a doctor’s suit – gowns, caps, masks – and go into the hybrid operating room. This is the heart of the stroke center, and doctors call it “Cosmos”. The latest generation angiographic complex, an artificial blood circulation machine, and ultrasound devices are installed here. Cardiovascular and general surgeons, traumatologists, gynecologists and other specialists can work together in the operating room. To understand all the sensors and monitors, we ask Sergei Korotkikh, a doctor of X-ray endovascular diagnostics and treatment, to give us a tour.

    He approaches the angiographic complex, presses a button on the display, and the couch smoothly rotates in different planes. For example, it tilts to the side: in this position, cardiac surgeons can conveniently operate on the aorta. In the case of a stroke, the couch is straightened. Sergei Korotkikh presses another button, and now the angiograph tube — an X-ray machine — moves in different planes.

    “With the help of an angiograph, we display a detailed image of the lesion on the screen, “remove” bone structures and build a vascular tree. The operation is performed using a minimally invasive endovascular method. Through small punctures, we insert flexible catheters into the vessel and open a stent in the thrombosis area. It is embedded in the structure of the thrombus, and we remove them both. After the intervention, we check whether the blood flow has been completely restored. And we always monitor the pressure: it can jump or fall sharply. After the thrombus is removed, the blood supply is restored, and the tissue in the brain is soft, it reacts sensitively to the effects of blood,” the doctor explained.

    We study angiographic images taken during operations. In the first one, the black “branches” – the blood supply – are cut off. In the second one, after treatment, they stretched across the brain again. The operation lasts about half an hour, then the person, accompanied by an anesthesiologist, is transported to the neurological intensive care unit.

    On the mend. Rehabilitation and prevention of recurrent stroke

    The final stage is a comprehensive examination to identify the cause of the stroke and reduce the risk of its recurrence. Rehabilitation begins in intensive care and continues in specialized centers or hospital departments.

    Innovative equipment also helps to recover from a stroke. For example, training is carried out on exercise machines with biofeedback. And a glove exercise machine helps to restore fine motor skills of the hands. A neurointerface is used to restore statolocomotor disorders, control of upper limb movements, and cognitive functions. Muscovites can receive free medications to reduce the risk of secondary stroke for two years from the date of diagnosis.

    The city also has a stroke prevention program. People at risk undergo ultrasound examinations of the neck vessels to detect atherosclerotic plaques, and those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are prescribed blood thinners.

    Saving Hearts. Moscow’s Chief Cardiac Surgeon on Minimally Invasive Techniques and Disease PreventionTechnologies on guard of health: what high-precision equipment is used in Moscow hospitalsAngiograph, incubator and robotic technology: what makes the capital’s new medical centers uniqueSobyanin spoke about the new standard of emergency medical care in flagship centers

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145869073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Construction of the International Hockey Academy continues in the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    As part of the formation of a sports cluster in the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain, the construction of the Alexander Ovechkin International Hockey Academy continues. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    “The main building of the Alexander Ovechkin International Hockey Academy will have training grounds and two ice arenas. One of them will have an auditorium for 1,500 seats. A multifunctional conference hall will also be equipped here. A hotel for athletes and a recovery and rehabilitation center are being built on the territory of the academy. In addition, as part of the formation of a sports cluster, they plan to build a beach sports center and a year-round water recreation and entertainment complex here,” explained Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    In addition, Mnevnikovskaya floodplain will have well-equipped tennis courts, volleyball, streetball, and workout courts. They will also build an ice and multi-purpose sports palace, an ice palace, a multi-functional building with a curling arena, a billiards palace, a rowing base, and a building for the CSKA basketball club.

    “A large sports cluster is being formed on the territory of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain, for the construction of facilities for which the city is providing land as part of the implementation of large-scale investment projects. Thus, over three hectares have been allocated for the construction of the Alexander Ovechkin International Hockey Academy, almost 2.5 hectares for a multifunctional ice palace for the Russian curling team, over 3.6 hectares for a complex with two ice arenas, martial arts and gymnastics halls, and a tennis center will appear on an area of 2.2 hectares,” said the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of City Property of the capital

    Maxim Gaman.

    To implement large-scale investment projects, investors are provided with land without bidding. In addition to sports facilities, production complexes, innovation centers, social institutions, transport, commercial and other facilities can receive the status of such a project. For their construction, the city provides plots for rent for five years.

    On the instructions of Sergei Sobyanin, the city is paying special attention to the quality of sports infrastructure facilities. As noted by the Chairman of the Committee for State Construction Supervision of Moscow (Mosgosstroynadzor) Anton Slobodchikov, since the start of construction of the academy last summer, Mosgosstroynadzor has conducted five on-site inspections. Inspectors assessed the volume of work performed, the organization of the construction site, and compliance with safety requirements. Specialists from the subordinate Expertise Center were involved in the inspections. They conducted instrumental studies of the quality of structures and materials used, as well as their compliance with design documentation.

    Earlier Sergei Sobyanin reportedthat after the completion of the integrated development of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain territory, a sports cluster with a total area of about 500 thousand square meters will appear here.

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

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

    https://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145891073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Strong Portfolio and Strategic Priorities Support Phillips 66 Third-Quarter Results

    Source: Phillips

    Reported third-quarter earnings of $346 million or $0.82 per share; adjusted earnings of $859 million or $2.04 per share
    Returned $1.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases
    Achieved business transformation $1.4 billion run-rate savings target, including $1 per barrel Refining cost reduction
    Progressed asset dispositions totaling $2.7 billion toward $3 billion target, including recently executed agreements

    HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), a leading integrated downstream energy provider, announced third-quarter earnings.
    “Our employees continue to execute our strategic priorities, deliver strong operating performance and leverage the benefits of our differentiated downstream portfolio,” said Mark Lashier, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66.
    “We have achieved our cost reduction and Midstream synergy targets,” said Lashier. “In addition, we have significantly advanced our asset disposition program with recently announced transactions. Our commitment to operational excellence and disciplined capital allocation continues to create long-term shareholder value.” 
    Financial Results Summary ( in millions of dollars, except as indicated)

     

     

     

    3Q 2024

    2Q 2024

    Earnings

    $

    346

     

    1,015

     

    Adjusted Earnings 1

     

    859

     

    984

     

    Adjusted EBITDA 1

     

    1,998

     

    2,183

     

    Earnings Per Share

     

     

    Earnings Per Share – Diluted

     

    0.82

     

    2.38

     

    Adjusted Earnings Per Share – Diluted 1

     

    2.04

     

    2.31

     

    Cash Flow From Operations

     

    1,132

     

    2,097

     

    Cash Flow From Operations, Excluding Working Capital 1

     

    1,513

     

    1,181

     

    Capital Expenditures & Investments 2

     

    358

     

    367

     

    Return of Capital to Shareholders

     

    1,277

     

    1,325

     

    Share repurchases

     

    800

     

    840

     

    Dividends paid

     

    477

     

    485

     

    Cash

     

    1,637

     

    2,444

     

    Debt

     

    19,998

     

    19,960

     

    Debt-to-capital ratio

     

    40

    %

    40

    %

    Net debt-to-capital ratio 1

     

    38

    %

    36

    %

    1Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are included within this release.

    2Excludes acquisitions of $567 million in the third quarter of 2024, and purchases of government obligations of $1.1 billion in third-quarter of 2024.

    Segment Financial and Operating Highlights (in millions of dollars, except as indicated)

     

     

     

    3Q 2024

    2Q 2024

    Change

    Earnings 1

    $

    346

     

    1,015

     

    (669

    )

    Midstream

     

    644

     

    767

     

    (123

    )

    Chemicals

     

    342

     

    222

     

    120

     

    Refining

     

    (108

    )

    302

     

    (410

    )

    Marketing and Specialties

     

    (22

    )

    415

     

    (437

    )

    Renewable Fuels

     

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (61

    )

    Corporate and Other

     

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    13

     

    Income tax expense

     

    (44

    )

    (291

    )

    247

     

    Noncontrolling interests

     

    (23

    )

    (5

    )

    (18

    )

     

     

     

     

    Adjusted Earnings 1,2

    $

    859

     

    984

     

    (125

    )

    Midstream

     

    672

     

    753

     

    (81

    )

    Chemicals

     

    342

     

    222

     

    120

     

    Refining

     

    (67

    )

    302

     

    (369

    )

    Marketing and Specialties

     

    583

     

    415

     

    168

     

    Renewable Fuels

     

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (61

    )

    Corporate and Other

     

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    13

     

    Income tax expense

     

    (205

    )

    (278

    )

    73

     

    Noncontrolling interests

     

    (23

    )

    (35

    )

    12

     

     

     

     

     

    Adjusted EBITDA 2

    $

    1,998

     

    2,183

     

    (185

    )

    Midstream

     

    892

     

    971

     

    (79

    )

    Chemicals

     

    466

     

    348

     

    118

     

    Refining

     

    188

     

    531

     

    (343

    )

    Marketing and Specialties

     

    656

     

    484

     

    172

     

    Renewable Fuels

     

    (92

    )

    (43

    )

    (49

    )

    Corporate and Other

     

    (112

    )

    (108

    )

    (4

    )

     

     

     

     

    Operating Highlights

     

     

     

    Midstream NGL Fractionated Volumes (MBD)

     

    728

     

    744

     

    (16

    )

    Chemicals Global O&P Utilization

     

    98

    %

    98

    %

    —

    %

    Refining

     

     

     

    Turnaround Expense ($)

     

    137

     

    100

     

    37

     

    Realized Margin ($/BBL) 2

     

    8.31

     

    10.01

     

    (1.70

    )

    Crude Capacity Utilization

     

    94

    %

    98

    %

    (4

    %)

    Clean Product Yield

     

    87

    %

    86

    %

    1

    %

    Renewable Fuels Produced (MBD)

     

    44

     

    31

     

    13

     

    1Segment reporting is pre-tax.

     

     

     

    2Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are included within this release.

    Third-Quarter 2024 Financial Results
    Reported earnings were $346 million for the third quarter of 2024 versus $1.0 billion in the second quarter. Third-quarter earnings included a legal accrual of $605 million in the Marketing and Specialties segment, costs related to the planned shutdown of the Los Angeles Refinery of $41 million in the Refining segment, and an impairment of $28 million in the Midstream segment. Second-quarter earnings included a gain on sale of investment of $238 million and an impairment of $224 million, both impacting the Midstream segment. Adjusted earnings for the third quarter were $859 million versus $984 million in the second quarter.
    Midstream third-quarter 2024 adjusted pre-tax income decreased compared with the second quarter mainly due to seasonal maintenance costs and lower equity earnings, partially offset by higher export margins.
    Chemicals reported pre-tax income increased mainly due to higher margins and lower costs.
    Refining adjusted pre-tax loss was a decrease compared to the second quarter, primarily due to a decline in realized margins largely driven by lower market crack spreads.
    Marketing and Specialties adjusted pre-tax income increased primarily due to higher margins.
    Renewable Fuels reported pre-tax loss increased primarily due to lower realized margins, partially offset by higher volumes.
    As of September 30, 2024, the company had $1.6 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $5.3 billion of committed capacity available under credit facilities.
    Business Highlights and Strategic Priorities Progress
    Distributed $12.5 billion through share repurchases and dividends since July 2022 and on pace to achieve the company’s $13 billion to $15 billion target by year-end.
    Achieved $1.4 billion in run-rate business transformation savings, delivering on the company’s target ahead of schedule.
    Expanded its Midstream NGL wellhead-to-market business with the acquisition of Pinnacle Midstream and approved a follow-on processing plant expansion in the Midland Basin expected to be completed in mid-year 2025.
    Achieved target of over $400 million of run-rate synergies from the successful integration of DCP Midstream.
    Received proceeds of $1.3 billion since 2022 toward the company’s $3 billion asset disposition target. In addition, the company recently agreed to sell its 49% interest in a Switzerland-based retail joint venture for $1.24 billion, and its interests in non-core Midstream assets in North Dakota.
    Investor Webcast
    Members of Phillips 66 executive management will host a webcast at noon ET to provide an update on the company’s strategic initiatives and discuss the company’s third-quarter performance. To access the webcast and view related presentation materials, go to phillips66.com/investors and click on “Events & Presentations.” For detailed supplemental information, go to phillips66.com/supplemental.
    About Phillips 66
    Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) is a leading integrated downstream energy provider that manufactures, transports and markets products that drive the global economy. The company’s portfolio includes Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, Marketing and Specialties, and Renewable Fuels businesses. Headquartered in Houston, Phillips 66 has employees around the globe who are committed to safely and reliably providing energy and improving lives while pursuing a lower-carbon future. For more information, visit phillips66.com or follow @Phillips66Co on LinkedIn.Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information —This news release includes the terms “adjusted earnings,” “adjusted pre-tax income (loss),” “adjusted EBITDA,” “adjusted earnings per share,” “refining realized margin per barrel,” “cash from operations, excluding working capital,” and “net debt-to-capital ratio.” These are non-GAAP financial measures that are included to help facilitate comparisons of operating performance across periods and to help facilitate comparisons with other companies in our industry. Where applicable, these measures exclude items that do not reflect the core operating results of our businesses in the current period or other adjustments to reflect how management analyzes results. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are included within this release.
    References in the release to earnings refer to net income attributable to Phillips 66. References to run-rate business transformation savings include cost savings and other benefits that will be captured in the sales and other operating revenues impacting gross margin; purchased crude oil and products costs impacting gross margin; operating expenses; selling, general and administrative expenses; and equity in earnings of affiliates lines on our consolidated statement of income when realized. Run-rate savings include run-rate sustaining capital savings. Run-rate sustaining capital savings include savings that will be captured in the capital expenditures and investments on our consolidated statement of cash flows when realized.
    Basis of Presentation — Effective April 1, 2024, we changed the internal financial information reviewed by our chief executive officer to evaluate performance and allocate resources to our operating segments. This included changes in the composition of our operating segments, as well as measurement changes for certain activities between our operating segments. The primary effects of this realignment included establishment of a Renewable Fuels operating segment, which includes renewable fuels activities and assets historically reported in our Refining, Marketing and Specialties (M&S), and Midstream segments; change in method of allocating results for certain Gulf Coast distillate export activities from our M&S segment to our Refining segment; reclassification of certain crude oil and international clean products trading activities between our M&S segment and our Refining segment; and change in reporting of our 16% investment in NOVONIX from our Midstream segment to Corporate and Other. Accordingly, prior period results have been recast for comparability.
    In the third quarter of 2024, we began presenting the line item “Capital expenditures and investments” on our consolidated statement of cash flows exclusive of acquisitions, net of cash acquired. Accordingly, prior period information has been reclassified for comparability.
    Cautionary Statement for the Purposes of the “Safe Harbor” Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 —This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws relating to Phillips 66’s operations, strategy and performance. Words such as “anticipated,” “estimated,” “expected,” “planned,” “scheduled,” “targeted,” “believe,” “continue,” “intend,” “will,” “would,” “objective,” “goal,” “project,” “efforts,” “strategies” and similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on management’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the date they are made. These statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, and you should not unduly rely on them as they involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include: changes in governmental policies or laws that relate to our operations, including regulations that seek to limit or restrict refining, marketing and midstream operations or regulate profits, pricing, or taxation of our products or feedstocks, or other regulations that restrict feedstock imports or product exports; our ability to timely obtain or maintain permits necessary for projects; fluctuations in NGL, crude oil, refined petroleum, renewable fuels and natural gas prices, and refining, marketing and petrochemical margins; the effects of any widespread public health crisis and its negative impact on commercial activity and demand for refined petroleum or renewable fuels products; changes to worldwide government policies relating to renewable fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that adversely affect programs including the renewable fuel standards program, low carbon fuel standards and tax credits for renewable fuels; potential liability from pending or future litigation; liability for remedial actions, including removal and reclamation obligations under existing or future environmental regulations; unexpected changes in costs for constructing, modifying or operating our facilities; our ability to successfully complete, or any material delay in the completion of, any asset disposition, acquisition, shutdown or conversion that we have announced or may pursue, including receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals or permits related thereto; unexpected difficulties in manufacturing, refining or transporting our products; the level and success of drilling and production volumes around our midstream assets; risks and uncertainties with respect to the actions of actual or potential competitive suppliers and transporters of refined petroleum products, renewable fuels or specialty products; lack of, or disruptions in, adequate and reliable transportation for our products; failure to complete construction of capital projects on time or within budget; our ability to comply with governmental regulations or make capital expenditures to maintain compliance with laws; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets, which may also impact our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends; potential disruption of our operations due to accidents, weather events, including as a result of climate change, acts of terrorism or cyberattacks; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including armed hostilities (such as the Russia-Ukraine war), expropriation of assets, and other diplomatic developments; international monetary conditions and exchange controls; changes in estimates or projections used to assess fair value of intangible assets, goodwill and property and equipment and/or strategic decisions with respect to our asset portfolio that cause impairment charges; investments required, or reduced demand for products, as a result of environmental rules and regulations; changes in tax, environmental and other laws and regulations (including alternative energy mandates); political and societal concerns about climate change that could result in changes to our business or increase expenditures, including litigation-related expenses; the operation, financing and distribution decisions of equity affiliates we do not control; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Phillips 66’s businesses generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Phillips 66 is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

     

     

     

     
     
     

    Earnings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

     

    2024

     

     

    2023

     

    3Q  

     

    2Q  

     

    Sep YTD

     

    3Q  

     

    Sep YTD

    Midstream

    $

    644

     

    767

     

    1,965

     

     

    724

     

    2,060

     

    Chemicals

     

    342

     

    222

     

    769

     

     

    104

     

    494

     

    Refining

     

    (108

    )

    302

     

    410

     

     

    1,712

     

    4,481

     

    Marketing and Specialties

     

    (22

    )

    415

     

    759

     

     

    605

     

    1,501

     

    Renewable Fuels

     

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (226

    )

     

    22

     

    164

     

    Corporate and Other

     

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    (989

    )

     

    (354

    )

    (992

    )

    Pre-Tax Income

     

    413

     

    1,311

     

    2,688

     

     

    2,813

     

    7,708

     

    Less: Income tax expense

     

    44

     

    291

     

    538

     

     

    670

     

    1,754

     

    Less: Noncontrolling interests

     

    23

     

    5

     

    41

     

     

    46

     

    199

     

    Phillips 66

    $

    346

     

    1,015

     

    2,109

     

     

    2,097

     

    5,755

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Adjusted Earnings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    2024

     

     

    2023

     

    3Q

     

    2Q

     

    Sep YTD

     

    3Q

     

    Sep YTD

    Midstream

    $

    672

     

    753

     

    2,038

     

     

    581

     

    1,915

     

    Chemicals

     

    342

     

    222

     

    769

     

     

    104

     

    494

     

    Refining

     

    (67

    )

    302

     

    548

     

     

    1,742

     

    4,525

     

    Marketing and Specialties

     

    583

     

    415

     

    1,305

     

     

    605

     

    1,501

     

    Renewable Fuels

     

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (226

    )

     

    22

     

    164

     

    Corporate and Other

     

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    (989

    )

     

    (303

    )

    (812

    )

    Pre-Tax Income

     

    1,087

     

    1,297

     

    3,445

     

     

    2,751

     

    7,787

     

    Less: Income tax expense

     

    205

     

    278

     

    709

     

     

    660

     

    1,768

     

    Less: Noncontrolling interests

     

    23

     

    35

     

    71

     

     

    21

     

    218

     

    Phillips 66

    $

    859

     

    984

     

    2,665

     

     

    2,070

     

    5,801

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    Except as Indicated

     

    2024

     

     

    2023

     

    3Q

     

    2Q

     

    Sep YTD

     

    3Q

     

    Sep YTD

    Reconciliation of Consolidated Earnings to Adjusted Earnings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Consolidated Earnings

    $

    346

     

    1,015

     

    2,109

     

     

    2,097

     

    5,755

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Impairments 1

     

    28

     

    224

     

    415

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Net gain on asset dispositions

     

    —

     

    (238

    )

    (238

    )

     

    (101

    )

    (123

    )

    Change in inventory method for acquired business

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    (46

    )

    (46

    )

    Los Angeles Refinery shutdown-related costs 2

     

    41

     

    —

     

    41

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Legal accrual 3

     

    605

     

    —

     

    605

     

     

    30

     

    30

     

    Legal settlement

     

    —

     

    —

     

    (66

    )

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Business transformation restructuring costs

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    51

     

    127

     

    Loss on early redemption of DCP debt

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    —

     

    53

     

    DCP integration restructuring costs

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    4

     

    38

     

    Tax impact of adjustments 4

     

    (161

    )

    13

     

    (171

    )

     

    10

     

    (14

    )

    Noncontrolling interests

     

    —

     

    (30

    )

    (30

    )

     

    25

     

    (19

    )

    Adjusted earnings

    $

    859

     

    984

     

    2,665

     

     

    2,070

     

    5,801

     

    Earnings per share of common stock ( dollars )

    $

    0.82

     

    2.38

     

    4.94

     

     

    4.69

     

    12.61

     

    Adjusted earnings per share of common stock ( dollars ) 5

    $

    2.04

     

    2.31

     

    6.25

     

     

    4.63

     

    12.71

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Reconciliation of Segment Pre-Tax Income (Loss) to Adjusted Pre-Tax Income (Loss)

    Midstream Pre-Tax Income

    $

    644

     

    767

     

    1,965

     

     

    724

     

    2,060

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Impairments 1

     

    28

     

    224

     

    311

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Net gain on asset disposition

     

    —

     

    (238

    )

    (238

    )

     

    (101

    )

    (137

    )

    Change in inventory method for acquired business

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    (46

    )

    (46

    )

    DCP integration restructuring costs

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    4

     

    38

     

    Adjusted pre-tax income

    $

    672

     

    753

     

    2,038

     

     

    581

     

    1,915

     

    Chemicals Pre-Tax Income

    $

    342

     

    222

     

    769

     

     

    104

     

    494

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Adjusted pre-tax income

    $

    342

     

    222

     

    769

     

     

    104

     

    494

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Refining Pre-Tax Income (Loss)

    $

    (108

    )

    302

     

    410

     

     

    1,712

     

    4,481

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Impairments 1

     

    —

     

    —

     

    104

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Los Angeles Refinery shutdown-related costs 2

     

    41

     

    —

     

    41

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Net loss on asset disposition

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    —

     

    14

     

    Legal accrual 3

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    30

     

    30

     

    Legal settlement

     

    —

     

    —

     

    (7

    )

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Adjusted pre-tax income (loss)

    $

    (67

    )

    302

     

    548

     

     

    1,742

     

    4,525

     

    Marketing and Specialties Pre-Tax Income (Loss)

    $

    (22

    )

    415

     

    759

     

     

    605

     

    1,501

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Legal accrual 3

     

    605

     

    —

     

    605

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Legal settlement

     

    —

     

    —

     

    (59

    )

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Adjusted pre-tax income

    $

    583

     

    415

     

    1,305

     

     

    605

     

    1,501

     

    Renewable Fuels Pre-Tax Income (Loss)

    $

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (226

    )

     

    22

     

    164

     

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Adjusted pre-tax income (loss)

    $

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    (226

    )

     

    22

     

    164

     

    Corporate and Other Pre-Tax Loss

    $

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    (989

    )

     

    (354

    )

    (992

    )

    Pre-tax adjustments:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Business transformation restructuring costs

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    51

     

    127

     

    Loss on early redemption of DCP debt

     

    —

     

    —

     

    —

     

     

    —

     

    53

     

    Adjusted pre-tax loss

    $

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    (989

    )

     

    (303

    )

    (812

    )

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    1Impairments primarily related to certain gathering and processing assets in the Midstream segment, as well as certain crude oil processing and logistics assets in California, reported in the Refining segment.

    2Shutdown-related costs recorded in the Refining segment include pre-tax charges for severance costs.

    3Legal accrual primarily related to ongoing litigation.

    4We generally tax effect taxable U.S.-based special items using a combined federal and state statutory income tax rate of approximately 24%. Taxable special items attributable to foreign locations likewise use a local statutory income tax rate. Nontaxable events reflect zero income tax. These events include, but are not limited to, most goodwill impairments, transactions legislatively exempt from income tax, transactions related to entities for which we have made an assertion that the undistributed earnings are permanently reinvested, or transactions occurring in jurisdictions with a valuation allowance.

    5YTD 2024, Q3 2024, Q3 2023 are based on adjusted weighted-average diluted shares of 426,301 thousand, 419,827 thousand, and 447,255 thousand, respectively. Other periods are based on the same weighted-average diluted shares outstanding as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings per share calculation. Income allocated to participating securities, if applicable, in the adjusted earnings per share calculation is the same as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings per share calculation.

     
     
     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    Except as Indicated

     

    2024

     

    3Q

     

    2Q

     

    Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA

     

     

     

     

    Net Income

    $

    369

     

    1,020

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Income tax expense

     

    44

     

    291

     

    Net interest expense

     

    191

     

    200

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    543

     

    497

     

    Phillips 66 EBITDA

    $

    1,147

     

    2,008

     

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Impairments

     

    28

     

    224

     

    Net gain on asset disposition

     

    —

     

    (238

    )

    Los Angeles Refinery shutdown-related costs

     

    41

     

    —

     

    Legal accrual

     

    605

     

    —

     

    Legal settlement

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Total Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax)

     

    674

     

    (14

    )

    Change in Fair Value of NOVONIX Investment

     

    —

     

    7

     

    Phillips 66 EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items and Change in Fair Value of NOVONIX Investment

    $

    1,821

     

    2,001

     

    Other Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates income taxes

     

    24

     

    26

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates net interest

     

    12

     

    19

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates depreciation and amortization

     

    188

     

    195

     

    Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests

     

    (47

    )

    (58

    )

    Phillips 66 Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    1,998

     

    2,183

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Reconciliation of Segment Income before Income Taxes to Adjusted EBITDA

     

     

     

     

    Midstream Income before income taxes

    $

    644

     

    767

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    233

     

    224

     

    Midstream EBITDA

    $

    877

     

    991

     

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Net gain on asset disposition

     

    —

     

    (238

    )

    Impairments

     

    28

     

    224

     

    Midstream EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items

    $

    905

     

    977

     

    Other Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates income taxes

     

    5

     

    5

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates net interest

     

    3

     

    10

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates depreciation and amortization

     

    26

     

    37

     

    Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests

     

    (47

    )

    (58

    )

    Midstream Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    892

     

    971

     

    Chemicals Income before income taxes

    $

    342

     

    222

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Chemicals EBITDA

    $

    342

     

    222

     

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Chemicals EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items

    $

    342

     

    222

     

    Other Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates income taxes

     

    13

     

    15

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates net interest

     

    (2

    )

    —

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates depreciation and amortization

     

    113

     

    111

     

    Chemicals Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    466

     

    348

     

    Refining Income (loss) before income taxes

    $

    (108

    )

    302

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    230

     

    204

     

    Refining EBITDA

    $

    122

     

    506

     

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Los Angeles Refinery shutdown-related costs

     

    41

     

    —

     

    Refining EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items

    $

    163

     

    506

     

    Other Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates income taxes

     

    (1

    )

    1

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates net interest

     

    (1

    )

    (2

    )

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates depreciation and amortization

     

    27

     

    26

     

    Refining Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    188

     

    531

     

    Marketing and Specialties Income (loss) before income taxes

    $

    (22

    )

    415

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    32

     

    32

     

    Marketing and Specialties EBITDA

    $

    10

     

    447

     

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Legal accrual

     

    605

     

    —

     

    Marketing and Specialties EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items

    $

    615

     

    447

     

    Other Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates income taxes

     

    7

     

    5

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates net interest

     

    12

     

    11

     

    Proportional share of selected equity affiliates depreciation and amortization

     

    22

     

    21

     

    Marketing and Specialties Adjusted EBITDA

    $

    656

     

    484

     

    Renewable Fuels Loss before income taxes

    $

    (116

    )

    (55

    )

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    24

     

    12

     

    Renewable Fuels EBITDA

    $

    (92

    )

    (43

    )

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Renewable Fuels EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items

    $

    (92

    )

    (43

    )

    Corporate and Other Loss before income taxes

    $

    (327

    )

    (340

    )

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Net interest expense

     

    191

     

    200

     

    Depreciation and amortization

     

    24

     

    25

     

    Corporate and Other EBITDA

    $

    (112

    )

    (115

    )

    Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax):

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Total Special Item Adjustments (pre-tax)

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Change in Fair Value of NOVONIX Investment

     

    —

     

    7

     

    Corporate EBITDA, Adjusted for Special Items and Change in Fair Value of NOVONIX Investment

    $

    (112

    )

    (108

    )

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    Except as Indicated

     

    September 30, 2024

    Debt-to-Capital Ratio

     

    Total Debt

    $

    19,998

     

    Total Equity

     

    29,784

     

    Debt-to-Capital Ratio

     

    40

    %

    Total Cash

     

    1,637

     

    Net Debt-to-Capital Ratio

     

    38

    %

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    September 30, 2024

    Reconciliation of Net Cash Used in Operating Activities to Operating Cash Flow, Excluding Working Capital

     

    Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

    $

    1,132

     

    Less: Net Working Capital Changes

     

    (381

    )

    Operating Cash Flow, Excluding Working Capital

    $

    1,513

     

     

     

     

    Millions of Dollars

     

    Except as Indicated

     

    2024

     

    3Q

     

    2Q

     

    Reconciliation of Refining Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes to Realized Refining Margins

     

     

     

     

    Income (loss) before income taxes

    $

    (108

    )

    302

     

    Plus:

     

     

     

     

    Taxes other than income taxes

     

    100

     

    74

     

    Depreciation, amortization and impairments

     

    230

     

    203

     

    Selling, general and administrative expenses

     

    60

     

    51

     

    Operating expenses

     

    922

     

    884

     

    Equity in earnings of affiliates

     

    12

     

    (33

    )

    Other segment expense, net

     

    (4

    )

    (1

    )

    Proportional share of refining gross margins contributed by equity affiliates

     

    193

     

    260

     

    Special items:

     

     

     

     

    None

     

    —

     

    —

     

    Realized refining margins

    $

    1,405

     

    1,740

     

    Total processed inputs ( thousands of barrels )

     

    145,440

     

    151,296

     

    Adjusted total processed inputs ( thousands of barrels )*

     

    168,951

     

    174,107

     

    Income (loss) before income taxes ( dollars per barrel )**

    $

    (0.74

    )

    2.00

     

    Realized refining margins ( dollars per barrel )***

    $

    8.31

     

    10.01

     

    *Adjusted total processed inputs include our proportional share of processed inputs of an equity affiliate.

     
     

    **Income before income taxes divided by total processed inputs.

    ***Realized refining margins per barrel, as presented, are calculated using the underlying realized refining margin amounts, in dollars, divided by adjusted total processed inputs, in barrels. As such, recalculated per barrel amounts using the rounded margins and barrels presented may differ from the presented per barrel amounts.

    Source: Phillips 66

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: AFCD reports to Expert Group on Conservation of Marine Mammals on progress of work and way forward

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Expert Group on Conservation of Marine Mammals held its second meeting today (October 29). The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) reported to the Expert Group on the progress and way forward of the Government’s work on enhancing conservation of marine mammals, including exchanges with agencies with relevant experience, raising public awareness and knowledge of conservation of wildlife (including marine mammals), and review of legislation in relation to the protection of marine mammals.
          
         The specific progress and way forward points were as follows:
     
    (1) Exchange with agencies with relevant experience: The AFCD earlier sent staff to the Beibu Gulf Cetacean Research and Protection Center at Beihai, Guangxi, and Southern Marine Parks, Queensland, Australia, to exchange and learn from their experience in handling marine mammal stranding cases; legislation, management and research on the protection of cetaceans; as well as communication with the public, publicity and education, etc. The department has suitably applied the relevant experiences in their follow-up work such as the formulation of a response plan and legislative review, etc. To prepare for future operations involving field rescues, rehabilitation, and release of stranded whales and dolphins, the department plans to organise a visit to Sanya, Hainan, as there was  a recent successful release of an injured short-finned pilot whale following its rescue and rehabilitation during the period from January to May 2024;
     
    (2) Enhancing publicity and education: The AFCD has conducted a series of public education activities, targeting not only the general public, but also government departments, marine users, students and teachers, with a view to deepening their understanding of Hong Kong’s marine environment and wildlife, raising their awareness of respecting, caring for and appreciating marine resources, and promoting the best practices that minimise the disturbance to cetaceans and fostering a sense of shared stewardship on the protection of wild cetaceans and their habitats. Among others, the AFCD organised the Marine Wildlife Appreciation Festival from January to March 2024 to promote the message of marine conservation to the public.  The AFCD will also prepare to organise a Marine Wildlife Appreciation Roving Exhibition to display the preserved skeleton of Bryde’s whale found in Hong Kong waters in July last year to further raise public awareness on protection of marine mammals; and
     
    (3) Legislative review: The Government has commenced the review of the legislation in relation to the protection of marine mammals. The preliminary suggestions are for the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation to be given new power to designate certain areas of Hong Kong waters as a “Temporary Marine Restricted Area” for the purpose of protecting cetaceans when necessary, such as the situation of a non-resident whale appearing in Hong Kong waters, conferring a legal status on the existing Code of Conduct for Dolphin Watching, and exploring the feasibility of a prohibition on watching non-resident cetaceans.
          
         During the meeting, the Expert Group supported the relevant recommendations and direction of work proposed by the AFCD. The AFCD expressed gratitude for the constructive advice offered by the Expert Group and will take into account the views and continue to work with the Expert Group, with a view to enhancing the work of marine mammal conservation.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitfarms Nominates Andrew J. Chang for Election to the Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated March 8, 2024, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 10, 2023.

    TORONTO, Ontario and BROSSARD, Québec, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ/TSX: BITF) (“Bitfarms” or the “Company”), a global leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin data center operations, today announced that it has nominated Andrew J. Chang for election to its Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the Special Meeting of shareholders to be held on November 20, 2024 at 4:00p.m. Eastern Time (the “Special Meeting”).

    Bitfarms Special Meeting of Shareholders
    Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement between the Company and Riot Platforms, Inc. dated September 23, 2024, at the Special Meeting, shareholders will be asked to approve an expansion of the Board from five members to six members, to elect an independent director nominated by the Board to serve as the sixth member of the Board, to ratify the Company’s shareholder rights plan adopted on July 24, 2024, and to conduct such other business as may properly come before the Special Meeting.

    Shareholders and guests can access the virtual meeting using this link. Additional information regarding the Special Meeting, including how to vote, is available via the proxy materials disseminated to shareholders by Bitfarms and as filed on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov/EDGAR.

    Nomination of Andrew J. Chang to Bitfarms Board of Directors
    Bitfarms’ Governance and Nominating Committee conducted a thorough director search process and held interviews with several qualified candidates, and, along with the Board, unanimously supports the nomination of Andrew J. Chang for election at the Special Meeting.

    Mr. Chang is a 20-year veteran of the technology industry with experience as an investor, operating executive, entrepreneur, and advisor. He was a founding partner of Liberty City Ventures, a leading venture capital fund. Mr. Chang also served as Chief Operating Officer of Paxos, a blockchain infrastructure platform that has powered solutions for PayPal, Stripe, and more. At Paxos, he helped grow the team from 8 to 190 employees and launched the first regulated blockchain focused trust company and the first regulated stablecoin in the U.S. During that time, Paxos raised $500M in capital and its most recent valuation is $2.4 billion.

    Before joining Paxos, Andrew served as a Lead Strategic Partner Development Manager at Google, working in business development for display ad products. Prior to that, he was the Chief Operating Officer of ConditionOne and an associate at TechStars (New York). He also has experience managing innovation in research, analytics and digital media at WPP PLC-owned Kantar Video and at 360i, a digital marketing agency. 

    Andrew earned his MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, where he was President of the student body, and a BS from Boston College.

    Brian Howlett, Independent Chairman of the Board, said, “The Bitfarms Board is committed to strong corporate governance and recognizes that a diverse set of skills is required to effectively oversee the execution of the Company’s strategic initiatives. Andrew is an impressive technology industry veteran whose experience and knowledge is highly complementary to that of our current Board. We believe he will be instrumental as we execute our aggressive growth plan, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise to maximize value for Bitfarms shareholders.”

    About Bitfarms Ltd.

    Founded in 2017, Bitfarms is a global vertically integrated Bitcoin data center company that contributes its computational power to one or more mining pools from which it receives payment in Bitcoin. Bitfarms develops, owns, and operates vertically integrated data centers with in-house management and company-owned electrical engineering, installation service, and multiple onsite technical repair centers. The Company’s proprietary data analytics system delivers best-in-class operational performance and uptime.

    Bitfarms currently has 12 operating Bitcoin data centers and two under development situated in four countries: Canada, the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina. Powered predominantly by environmentally friendly hydro-electric and long-term power contracts, Bitfarms is committed to using sustainable and often underutilized energy infrastructure.

    To learn more about Bitfarms’ events, developments, and online communities:

    www.bitfarms.com
    https://www.facebook.com/bitfarms/
    https://twitter.com/Bitfarms_io
    https://www.instagram.com/bitfarms/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitfarms/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are covered by safe harbors under Canadian and United States securities laws. The statements and information in this release regarding holding the Special Meeting and the timing thereof, and the matters to be put before the Company’s shareholders at the Special Meeting are forward-looking information.

    Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “prospects”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. This forward-looking information is based on assumptions and estimates of management of Bitfarms at the time they were made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Bitfarms to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to: the construction and operation of new facilities may not occur as currently planned, or at all; expansion of existing facilities may not materialize as currently anticipated, or at all; new miners may not perform up to expectations; revenue may not increase as currently anticipated, or at all; the ongoing ability to successfully mine Bitcoin is not assured; failure of the equipment upgrades to be installed and operated as planned; the availability of additional power may not occur as currently planned, or at all; expansion may not materialize as currently anticipated, or at all; and the power purchase agreements and economics thereof may not be as advantageous as expected. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to Bitfarms’ filings on www.sedarplus.ca (which are also available on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov), including the MD&A for the year-ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 7, 2024 and the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 filed on August 8, 2024. Although Bitfarms has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including factors that are currently unknown to or deemed immaterial by Bitfarms. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Bitfarms undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or any other securities exchange or regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Bitfarms
    Tracy Krumme
    SVP, Head of IR & Corp. Comms.
    +1 786-671-5638
    tkrumme@bitfarms.com

    Media Contact:

    Québec: Tact
    Louis-Martin Leclerc
    +1 418-693-2425
    lmleclerc@tactconseil.ca

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Territorial Reaffirms Board of Directors Recommendation that Territorial Shareholders Vote “FOR” Hope Bancorp Merger

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONOLULU, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Territorial Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: TBNK) (“Territorial” or the “Company”) today announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has reaffirmed its recommendation that Territorial shareholders vote “FOR” the merger with Hope Bancorp, Inc. (“Hope Bancorp”) (NASDAQ: HOPE) at the November 6, 2024, Special Meeting of Stockholders.

    On October 25, 2024, Territorial received additional information from Blue Hill Advisors (“Blue Hill”) with respect to its preliminary indication of interest to acquire the Company.

    Territorial’s Board of Directors (the “Territorial Board”), with the assistance of its legal and financial advisors, over the course of several meetings, carefully reviewed this information in accordance with its fiduciary duties, its commitment to serving the best interests of all Territorial shareholders and its obligations under Territorial’s merger agreement with Hope Bancorp.

    Specifically, the Territorial Board reviewed information provided by Blue Hill, recently and previously, to ascertain whether Blue Hill has provided sufficient verifiable and objective information to justify a Territorial Board determination that Blue Hill’s preliminary indication of interest is reasonably likely to lead to a Superior Proposal as defined by Territorial’s merger agreement with Hope Bancorp. The Territorial Board has also considered whether it would be a breach of its fiduciary duty not to enter into a confidentiality agreement or otherwise engage with Blue Hill based on the information provided by Blue Hill to date. The Territorial Board concluded that the totality of the information provided by Blue Hill does not provide a sufficient basis for a finding that both: (i) the Blue Hill preliminary indication of interest is reasonably likely to lead to a Superior Proposal under the terms and conditions required by the merger agreement; and (ii) a failure to enter into a confidentiality agreement or otherwise negotiate with Blue Hill would be more likely than not to result in a violation of its fiduciary duties under applicable law. Accordingly, the Territorial Board concluded that Territorial may not engage with Blue Hill under the terms and conditions of the Hope Bancorp merger agreement and that it continues to support the merger with Hope Bancorp.

    In reaching this conclusion, the Territorial Board considered, among other things:

    • the all-stock nature of the strategic merger with Hope Bancorp and the benefits the combination with Hope Bancorp will have for shareholders as compared to a cash-out transaction, including the comparison of Hope Bancorp’s liquid, dividend-paying stock to what would be the Blue Hill-controlled Territorial stock, which would be expected to be a relatively more illiquid investment that would likely not pay a dividend for a prolonged period of time;
    • continued questions regarding the conditional nature of the financing of the transaction by the Blue Hill investors, despite Territorial’s repeated statements with respect to this deficiency for several weeks;
    • Blue Hill’s failure to address in a reasoned manner how the Blue Hill investor group would overcome the likely regulatory approval hurdles. In contrast, Hope Bancorp is well known by bank regulators and its approval process is well underway;
    • Blue Hill’s failure to address the impact of the expected changes in regulatory capital and the Company’s business plan, all of which should be expected to be considered as part of any regulatory approval process – despite Blue Hill’s claims that regulatory approvals will be less complicated than the Hope Bancorp approvals;
    • Blue Hill’s failure to realistically address transaction timing considerations, particularly including timing related to the application and regulatory approval process, in contrast to the expected timing of the Hope Bancorp merger approvals and expected timing of the closing of the Hope Bancorp merger;
    • the overall execution risk associated with the Blue Hill preliminary indication of interest, including the necessary steps and approvals required to conduct a recapitalization, a tender offer and negotiations with multiple Blue Hill investors versus Hope Bancorp’s standard merger transaction where all required applications are currently being processed;
    • Blue Hill’s failure to identify the expected key management team members that would manage the revised Company if acquired by Blue Hill. These individuals will be required to be identified to, and vetted by, the banking regulators before any approvals could be obtained;   
    • Blue Hill’s failure to identify all expected directors of the newly-reconstituted Board that would govern Territorial if acquired by Blue Hill, as these individuals will also be required to be identified to, and vetted by, the banking regulators before any approvals could be obtained;
    • Blue Hill’s failure to specify how it would address any limitations established by or approvals that may be required from the banking regulators to pay any termination fee or conduct a tender offer, which would be an outflow of capital that would require regulatory approval; and
    • Blue Hill’s failure to substantiate its projected financial results for Territorial on a stand-alone basis, which Blue Hill has asserted as part of the rationale for its proposed acquisition and which represent a risk for existing shareholders who continue as shareholders if the Blue Hill proposal is completed.

    The Territorial Board continues to recommend that shareholders vote “FOR” the Hope Bancorp merger. For more information, visit the Company’s website at https://www.territorialandhopecombination.com.

    Territorial Shareholders are Urged to Vote “FOR” the Hope Bancorp Merger Ahead of the
    Special Meeting on November 6, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. HST.

    Voting is quick and easy.

    Call toll-free:
    (888) 742-1305
    Banks and brokers should call:
    (516) 933-3100
    Email: info@laurelhill.com
    Electronically: www.proxyvote.com
     

    About Us

    Territorial Bancorp Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, is the stock holding company for Territorial Savings Bank. Territorial Savings Bank is a state-chartered savings bank which was originally chartered in 1921 by the Territory of Hawaiʻi. Territorial Savings Bank conducts business from its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and has 28 branch offices in the state of Hawaiʻi. For additional information, please visit https://www.tsbhawaii.bank/.

    Additional Information about the Hope Merger and Where to Find It

    In connection with the proposed Hope Merger, Hope has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4, containing the Proxy Prospectus, which has been mailed or otherwise delivered to Territorial’s stockholders on or about August 29, 2024, as supplemented September 12, 2024. Hope and Territorial may file additional relevant materials with the SEC. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR FURNISHED OR WILL BE FILED OR FURNISHED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. You may obtain any of the documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by Hope or Territorial at no cost from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Some statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or similar expressions. With respect to any such forward-looking statements, Territorial Bancorp claims the protection provided for in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. Hope Bancorp’s actual results, performance or achievements may differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, the approval of Territorial Bancorp stockholders, and other customary closing conditions. There is no assurance that such conditions will be met or that the proposed merger will be consummated within the expected time frame, or at all. If the transaction is consummated, factors that may cause actual outcomes to differ from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements include, among things: difficulties and delays in integrating Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp and achieving anticipated synergies, cost savings and other benefits from the transaction; higher than anticipated transaction costs; deposit attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following the merger, including difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees and customers, may be greater than expected; and required governmental approvals of the merger may not be obtained on its proposed terms and schedule, or without regulatory constraints that may limit growth. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: possible further deterioration in economic conditions in Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s areas of operation or elsewhere; interest rate risk associated with volatile interest rates and related asset-liability matching risk; liquidity risks; risk of significant non-earning assets, and net credit losses that could occur, particularly in times of weak economic conditions or times of rising interest rates; the failure of or changes to assumptions and estimates underlying Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s allowances for credit losses; potential increases in deposit insurance assessments and regulatory risks associated with current and future regulations; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Hope Bancorp or Territorial Bancorp; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the common stock of either or both parties to the proposed transaction; and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities. For additional information concerning these and other risk factors, see Hope Bancorp’s and Territorial Bancorp’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law.

    Investor / Media Contacts:
    Walter Ida
    SVP, Director of Investor Relations
    808-946-1400
    walter.ida@territorialsavings.net

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: DT Midstream Reports Strong Third Quarter 2024 Results; Raises Adjusted EBITDA Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DETROIT, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DT Midstream, Inc. (NYSE: DTM) today announced third quarter 2024 reported net income of $88 million, or $0.90 per diluted share. For the third quarter of 2024, Operating Earnings were also $88 million, or $0.90 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $241 million.

    Reconciliations of Operating Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP measures) to reported net income are included at the end of this news release.

    The company also announced that the DT Midstream Board of Directors declared a $0.735 per share dividend on its common stock payable January 15, 2025 to stockholders of record at the close of business December 16, 2024.

    “We continue our strong performance in 2024,” said David Slater, President and CEO. “And we have made great progress advancing new opportunities which will support our future growth.”

    Slater noted the following significant business updates:

    • Reached final investment decision on the Phase 4 expansion of the LEAP system, which will expand the system to 2.1 Bcf/d by the first half of 2026
    • Upsized the future interconnect between our Stonewall System and Mountain Valley Pipeline
    • Upgraded to investment-grade by Fitch Ratings

    “Our year-to-date results are ahead of plan,” said Jeff Jewell, Executive Vice President and CFO. “Our strong performance is leading us to increase our Adjusted EBITDA guidance for 2024 to $950 – $980 million.”

    The company has scheduled a conference call to discuss results for 9:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. CT) today. Investors, the news media and the public may listen to a live internet broadcast of the call at this link. The participant toll-free telephone dial-in number in the U.S. and Canada is 888.596.4144, and the toll number is 646.968.2525; the passcode is 4749988. International access numbers are available here. The webcast will be archived on the DT Midstream website at investor.dtmidstream.com.

    About DT Midstream

    DT Midstream (NYSE: DTM) is an owner, operator and developer of natural gas interstate and intrastate pipelines, storage and gathering systems, compression, treatment and surface facilities. The company transports clean natural gas for utilities, power plants, marketers, large industrial customers and energy producers across the Southern, Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. The Detroit-based company offers a comprehensive, wellhead-to-market array of services, including natural gas transportation, storage and gathering. DT Midstream is transitioning towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including a goal of achieving 30% of its carbon emissions reduction by 2030. For more information, please visit the DT Midstream website at www.dtmidstream.com.

    Why DT Midstream Uses Operating Earnings, Adjusted EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow

    Use of Operating Earnings Information – Operating Earnings exclude non-recurring items, certain mark-to-market adjustments and discontinued operations. DT Midstream management believes that Operating Earnings provide a more meaningful representation of the company’s earnings from ongoing operations and uses Operating Earnings as the primary performance measurement for external communications with analysts and investors. Internally, DT Midstream uses Operating Earnings to measure performance against budget and to report to the Board of Directors.

    Adjusted EBITDA is defined as GAAP net income attributable to DT Midstream before expenses for interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and loss from financing activities, further adjusted to include the proportional share of net income from equity method investees (excluding interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), and to exclude certain items the company considers non-routine. DT Midstream believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to the company and external users of DT Midstream’s financial statements in understanding operating results and the ongoing performance of the underlying business because it allows management and investors to have a better understanding of actual operating performance unaffected by the impact of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and non-routine charges noted in the table below. We believe the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is meaningful to investors because it is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in the midstream industry to evaluate a company’s operating performance without regard to items excluded from the calculation of such measure, which can vary substantially from company to company depending on accounting methods, book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired, among other factors. DT Midstream uses Adjusted EBITDA to assess the company’s performance by reportable segment and as a basis for strategic planning and forecasting.

    Distributable Cash Flow (DCF) is calculated by deducting earnings from equity method investees, depreciation and amortization attributable to noncontrolling interests, cash interest expense, maintenance capital investment (as defined below), and cash taxes from, and adding interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, certain items we consider non-routine and dividends and distributions from equity method investees to, Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream. Maintenance capital investment is defined as the total capital expenditures used to maintain or preserve assets or fulfill contractual obligations that do not generate incremental earnings. We believe DCF is a meaningful performance measurement because it is useful to us and external users of our financial statements in estimating the ability of our assets to generate cash earnings after servicing our debt, paying cash taxes and making maintenance capital investments, which could be used for discretionary purposes such as common stock dividends, retirement of debt or expansion capital expenditures.

    DT Midstream does not forecast net income as it cannot, without unreasonable efforts, estimate or predict with certainty the components of net income. These components, net of tax, may include, but are not limited to, impairments of assets and other charges, divestiture costs, acquisition costs, or changes in accounting principles. All of these components could significantly impact such financial measures. At this time, DT Midstream is not able to estimate the aggregate impact, if any, of these items on future period reported earnings. Accordingly, DT Midstream is not able to provide a corresponding GAAP equivalent for Adjusted EBITDA.

    Forward-looking Statements

    This release contains statements which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute “forward-looking statements” under the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management’s current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, business prospects, outcomes of regulatory proceedings, market conditions, and other matters, based on what we believe to be reasonable assumptions and on information currently available to us.

    Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “expectations,” “plans,” “strategy,” “prospects,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” “anticipate,” “will,” “should,” “see,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “confident” and other words of similar meaning. The absence of such words, expressions or statements, however, does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. In particular, express or implied statements relating to future earnings, cash flow, results of operations, uses of cash, tax rates and other measures of financial performance, future actions, conditions or events, potential future plans, strategies or transactions of DT Midstream, and other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and conditions, but rather are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual future results to be materially different from those contemplated, projected, estimated, or budgeted. Many factors may impact forward-looking statements of DT Midstream including, but not limited to, the following: changes in general economic conditions, including increases in interest rates and associated Federal Reserve policies, a potential economic recession, and the impact of inflation on our business; industry changes, including the impact of consolidations, alternative energy sources, technological advances, infrastructure constraints and changes in competition; global supply chain disruptions; actions taken by third-party operators, processors, transporters and gatherers; changes in expected production from Expand Energy and other third parties in our areas of operation; demand for natural gas gathering, transmission, storage, transportation and water services; the availability and price of natural gas to the consumer compared to the price of alternative and competing fuels; our ability to successfully and timely implement our business plan; our ability to complete organic growth projects on time and on budget; our ability to finance, complete, or successfully integrate acquisitions; the price and availability of debt and equity financing; restrictions in our existing and any future credit facilities and indentures; the effectiveness of our information technology and operational technology systems and practices to detect and defend against evolving cyber attacks on United States critical infrastructure; changing laws regarding cybersecurity and data privacy, and any cybersecurity threat or event; operating hazards, environmental risks, and other risks incidental to gathering, storing and transporting natural gas; geologic and reservoir risks and considerations; natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, casualty losses and other matters beyond our control; the impact of outbreaks of illnesses, epidemics and pandemics, and any related economic effects; the impacts of geopolitical events, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; labor relations and markets, including the ability to attract, hire and retain key employee and contract personnel; large customer defaults; changes in tax status, as well as changes in tax rates and regulations; the effects and associated cost of compliance with existing and future laws and governmental regulations, such as the Inflation Reduction Act; changes in environmental laws, regulations or enforcement policies, including laws and regulations relating to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; ability to develop low carbon business opportunities and deploy greenhouse gas reducing technologies; changes in insurance markets impacting costs and the level and types of coverage available; the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices; the success of our risk management strategies; the suspension, reduction or termination of our customers’ obligations under our commercial agreements; disruptions due to equipment interruption or failure at our facilities, or third-party facilities on which our business is dependent; the effects of future litigation; and the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our reports and registration statements filed from time to time with the SEC.

    The above list of factors is not exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time. We cannot predict what factors may arise or how such factors may cause actual results to vary materially from those stated in forward-looking statements, see the discussion under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on Form 10-K and any other reports filed with the SEC. Given the uncertainties and risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

    Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. We are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

                                         
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Reported to Operating Earnings (non-GAAP, unaudited)
              Three Months Ended
              September 30,   June 30,
              2024   2024
              Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings   Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings
              (millions)
      Adjustments
    		     $ —   $ —           $ —   $ —    
      Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream
    		 $ 88   $ —   $ —   $ 88   $ 96   $ —   $ —   $ 96
                                           
              Nine Months Ended
              September 30,   September 30,
               2024    2023
              Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings   Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings
              (millions)
      Adjustments
    		     $ —   $ —           $ —   $ —    
      Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream
    		 $ 281   $ —   $ —   $ 281   $ 263   $ —   $ —   $ 263
                                           
      (1) Excluding tax related adjustments, the amount of income taxes was calculated based on a combined federal and state income tax rate, considering the applicable jurisdictions of the respective segments and deductibility of specific operating adjustments
                                           
                                                           
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Reported to Operating Earnings per diluted share(2) (non-GAAP, unaudited)
                                         
            Three Months Ended
            September 30,   June 30,
            2024   2024
            Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings   Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings
            (per share)
      Adjustments
    		     $ —   $ —           $ —   $ —    
      Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream
    		 $ 0.90   $ —   $ —   $ 0.90   $ 0.98   $ —   $ —   $ 0.98
                                         
            Nine Months Ended
            September 30,   September 30,
            2024   2023
            Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings   Reported Earnings   Pre-tax Adjustments   Income Taxes(1)   Operating Earnings
            (per share)
      Adjustments
    		     $ —   $ —           $ —   $ —    
      Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream
    		 $ 2.87   $ —   $ —   $ 2.87   $ 2.70   $ —   $ —   $ 2.70
                                         
      (1) Excluding tax related adjustments, the amount of income taxes was calculated based on a combined federal and state income tax rate, considering the applicable jurisdictions of the respective segments and deductibility of specific operating adjustments  
      (2) Per share amounts are divided by Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding — Diluted, as noted on the Consolidated Statements of Operations  
                                         
     
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream to Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP, unaudited)
                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
          2024       2024       2024       2023  
    Consolidated (millions)
    Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream $ 88     $ 96     $ 281     $ 263  
    Plus: Interest expense   38       39       117       111  
    Plus: Income tax expense   30       33       94       102  
    Plus: Depreciation and amortization   53       53       156       133  
    Plus: Loss from financing activities   4       —       4       —  
    Plus: EBITDA from equity method investees(1)   70       67       212       212  
    Less: Interest income   (1 )     —       (2 )     (1 )
    Less: Earnings from equity method investees   (40 )     (39 )     (125 )     (132 )
    Less: Depreciation and amortization attributable to noncontrolling interests   (1 )     (1 )     (3 )     (3 )
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 241     $ 248     $ 734     $ 685  
                     
    (1) Includes share of our equity method investees’ earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which we refer to as “EBITDA.” A reconciliation of earnings from equity method investees to EBITDA from equity method investees follows:  
        
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
          2024       2024       2024       2023  
        (millions)
      Earnings from equity methods investees $ 40     $ 39     $ 125     $ 132  
      Plus: Depreciation and amortization attributable to equity method investees   20       21       61       61  
      Plus: Interest expense attributable to equity method investees   10       7       26       19  
      EBITDA from equity method investees $ 70     $ 67     $ 212     $ 212  
                     
                     
     
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream to Adjusted EBITDA
    Pipeline Segment (non-GAAP, unaudited)
                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
          2024       2024       2024       2023  
    Pipeline (millions)
    Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream $ 71     $ 71     $ 216     $ 185  
    Plus: Interest expense   12       12       37       42  
    Plus: Income tax expense   24       24       72       72  
    Plus: Depreciation and amortization   18       19       55       50  
    Plus: Loss from financing activities   2       —       2       —  
    Plus: EBITDA from equity method investees(1)   70       67       212       212  
    Less: Interest income   —       —       (1 )     (1 )
    Less: Earnings from equity method investees   (40 )     (39 )     (125 )     (132 )
    Less: Depreciation and amortization attributable to noncontrolling interests   (1 )     (1 )     (3 )     (3 )
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 156     $ 153     $ 465     $ 425  
                     
    (1) Includes share of our equity method investees’ earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which we refer to as “EBITDA.” A reconciliation of earnings from equity method investees to EBITDA from equity method investees follows:  
             
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
          2024       2024       2024       2023  
        (millions)
      Earnings from equity methods investees $ 40     $ 39     $ 125     $ 132  
      Plus: Depreciation and amortization attributable to equity method investees   20       21       61       61  
      Plus: Interest expense attributable to equity method investees   10     $ 7       26       19  
      EBITDA from equity method investees $ 70     $ 67     $ 212     $ 212  
                     
     
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream to Adjusted EBITDA
    Gathering Segment (non-GAAP, unaudited)
                     
        Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
          2024       2024     2024       2023
      Gathering (millions)
      Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream $ 17     $ 25   $ 65     $ 78
      Plus: Interest expense   26       27     80       69
      Plus: Income tax expense   6       9     22       30
      Plus: Depreciation and amortization   35       34     101       83
      Plus: Loss from financing activities   2       —     2       —
      Less: Interest income   (1 )     —     (1 )     —
      Adjusted EBITDA $ 85     $ 95   $ 269     $ 260
                     
     
    DT Midstream, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream to Distributable Cash Flow (non-GAAP, unaudited)
                         
            Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
            September 30,   June 30,   September 30,   September 30,
              2024       2024       2024       2023  
       Consolidated
    		 (millions)
       Net Income Attributable to DT Midstream $ 88     $ 96     $ 281     $ 263  
       Plus: Interest expense   38       39       117       111  
       Plus: Income tax expense   30       33       94       102  
       Plus: Depreciation and amortization   53       53       156       133  
       Plus: Loss from financing activities   4       —       4       —  
       Plus: Adjustments for non-routine items(1)   (416 )     —       (416 )     (371 )
       Less: Earnings from equity method investees   (40 )     (39 )     (125 )     (132 )
       Less: Depreciation and amortization attributable to noncontrolling interests   (1 )     (1 )     (3 )     (3 )
       Plus: Dividends and distributions from equity method investees   465       50       590       557  
       Less: Cash interest expense   (6 )     (64 )     (80 )     (76 )
       Less: Cash taxes   (4 )     (1 )     (7 )     (21 )
       Less: Maintenance capital investment(2)   (4 )     (6 )     (17 )     (22 )
       Distributable Cash Flow $ 207     $ 160     $ 594     $ 541  
                         
      (1) Distributable Cash Flow calculation excludes certain items we consider non-routine. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, adjustments for non-routine items included the $416 million Millennium financing distribution. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, adjustments for non-routine items included the $371 million NEXUS financing distribution.
      (2) Maintenance capital investment is defined as the total capital expenditures used to maintain or preserve assets or fulfill contractual obligations that do not generate incremental earnings.
                         

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council seeks local views to improve South Quay Shed

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Council seeks local views to improve South Quay Shed

    Residents, businesses and visitors are being asked to have their say on how to improve South Quay Shed in Whitstable Harbour.

    An online survey has been launched this week by Canterbury Council to find out why people visit the popular destination and what they think of the current food and retail offer, atmosphere, events and pricing.

    It will also ask about improvements to the space and how it can become more attractive to residents and visitors alike.

    The results of the short questionnaire will help inform future plans for the Shed which opened in 2022 as a community event, retail and leisure space with affordable rental units supporting local, creative start-up businesses and food outlets.

    Since opening, it has become home to a wide selection of local businesses and hit national headlines when the Shed’s HatsHats Coffee launched a pop-up shop run by pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities from St Nicholas School in Canterbury.

    Cllr Chris Cornell, Chair of the Whitstable Harbour Board and Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Inclusion and Coastal Towns Champion, said: “We are committed to making sure the harbour remains a vibrant and thriving home for our communities – and South Quay Shed has a vital role in supporting these ambitions.

    “After three successful seasons, we want to know what people think about it. Do they visit it often? If not, why not? And how can we make it better?”

    The survey follows a consultation by Whitstable Harbour Board and the council about their strategic plans for the harbour over the next decade.

    Feedback from this consultation, which ended in January this year, showed huge support for a commercial working harbour and development plans focused on a reduced carbon footprint and increased accessibility.

    Complete the survey online by Friday 29 November 2024.

    Published: 29 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highway repairs and improvements planned for Western Road

    Source: City of Leicester

    TRAFFIC restrictions will be in place on a busy residential road in Leicester’s West End from next week, while extensive resurfacing and other improvements are carried out.

    Leicester City Council will carry out essential maintenance work on Western Road from Sunday 3 November.

    Footpaths will be improved to remove dropped kerbs that cut across the pavement and do not now provide access to a parking or loading area. Work to improve carriageway drainage in Western Road will also be carried out.

    Changes will also be made to the crossroads at the junction of Western Road and Briton Street, where adjustments will be made to give priority to vehicles and cycles on Briton Street.

    Resurfacing of the main carriageway on Western Road, between its junctions with Braunstone Gate and Briton Street, will be carried out in Spring 2025.

    Initial works are expected to be complete by late January, and will be carried out in phases on short sections of the road to help minimise disruption. Parking restrictions and rolling road closures will be required, with well signposted diversions in place. Access to houses, shops and businesses will be maintained. Work will be suspended during the Christmas holiday period with full access reinstated.

    Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “The city’s road network needs regular maintenance and repairs to ensure it can cope with modern demands.

    “These latest works will see major maintenance and improvements made to a busy residential street and important local route, which will benefit of everyone who uses it.

    “For that work to take place, parts of the road will need to be closed temporarily but diversions will be clearly signposted and disruption will be kept to a minimum wherever possible.”

    The scheme is expected to cost about £700,000 and will be funded as part of the Connecting Leicester programme which is supported by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New funding aims to boost business innovation and deliver positive change for local communities

    Source: City of Leeds

    New funding is on offer for projects that will help local business innovators make a positive difference to life in Leeds.

    Leeds City Council’s Innovation@Leeds programme has up to £175,000 available for distribution in the form of individual grants ranging from £15,000 to £25,000.

    The grants are intended to fund knowledge-sharing projects that will – through the provision of advice, guidance, mentoring or training – encourage world-class innovative thinking and activity by the city’s businesses.

    This in turn, it is hoped, will enable them to deliver cutting-edge products, processes and services that make Leeds a healthier, greener and more inclusive place to live.

    The exact nature of the projects will depend on the proposals submitted by grant applicants, who are being asked to show how their idea can achieve at least one of three main aims. These are:

    • Boosting the capabilities of innovative businesses already operating in fields such as artificial intelligence or financial, health and legal technology;
    • Supporting people from diverse backgrounds who want to launch their own innovation-led businesses;
    • Raising the profile of Leeds as a centre for innovation and showcasing its strengths to outside investors.

    To be considered for a grant to set up and run a project, applicants must be a Leeds-registered small business or microbusiness.

    They should also be able to demonstrate a proven track record in providing development support for innovation-led businesses.

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:

    “We know Leeds is a city bursting with ideas and inspiration, and we are keen to do whatever we can to ensure local residents realise their full potential.

    “We’re also committed to helping innovative businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs find solutions and ways of working that will have a positive impact on our communities.

    “The new grants will support both of those ambitions – and underline the power of collaboration – by giving innovators access to top-quality knowledge-sharing opportunities.

    “I’d encourage as many eligible small businesses and microbusinesses as possible to apply for a grant, and look forward to seeing the results achieved by the successful projects.”

    Innovation@Leeds was launched by the council in 2021 to ensure that people from all backgrounds have the means to make the most of their talents in fields such as digital and other emerging technologies.

    The programme’s latest grants are being funded through central government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is administered locally by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

    The award of the grants will align with a city-wide vision – co-created by the council with key local partners – for stimulating innovation in a way that has a positive social impact.

    One crucial aspect of that vision is the further development and transformation of the Leeds Innovation Arc, an area on the west side of the city centre that is home to globally-renowned educational, health and cultural establishments as well as an array of start-ups, scale-ups and major businesses.

    For more information about the Innovation@Leeds grants, click here. Applications can be made until November 21, while the projects that secure funding must be delivered by March 28 next year.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kirkton Community Centre Update

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    A new community centre run by local people is set to be established in the Kirkton area of Dundee. 

    A partnership between a local charity – Kirkton Community Centre SCIO – and the city council has been agreed this week to pave the way for the purpose-built facility. 

    Following the closure and demolition of the current ageing Kirkton Community Centre, the charity intends to build and run a new centre on the same site. 

    The activities and services being delivered from that location would complement the city council’s Community Hub model for the area, which will be based at the nearby Baldragon and St Paul’s academies. 

    Previously agreed by councillors, the Hub model will see community activities provided at the two local secondary schools, with the library located at St Paul’s Academy. 

    Melanie Kiyani, Treasurer of Kirkton Community Centre SCIO, said: “Our members are residents of Kirkton, and we have ambitious plans for a new purpose-built community centre which will be run and owned by the community of Kirkton for the community of Kirkton. 

    “We are working in partnership with Dundee City Council to realise our ambitions. The new community centre will complement the Kirkton Community Hub model by providing space during the day where people can access a fully operational café, retail units, daily activities and support.  

    “The main aim of the new community centre will be to create community wealth.  Funds raised through the community centre and other initiatives will go straight back into community projects for Kirkton as we are a not-for-profit organisation.” 

    The charity is currently raising funds to build the new facility, which would be community owned and run. 

    Leader of Dundee City Council Councillor Mark Flynn said: “I would like to congratulate all those behind the Kirkton Community Centre SCIO for their efforts in bringing their plans to this stage. 

    “The council will be assisting the group through demolition of the current community centre and an arrangement going forward about the site. 

    “They are planning to deliver a number of activities that would complement the Community Hub and would provide a range of benefits for local people. 

    “I am also pleased that they continue to play their part in the working group tasked with delivering our new Community Hub vision in the coming months. 

    “Between the charity’s community provision and our exciting Hub plans, Kirkton residents can look forward to having access to excellent community spaces and activities day and night, all year round.” 

    The charity said that the new community centre will provide employment and volunteering opportunities for local people and a space “where enterprise and innovation can flourish.” 

    Melanie continued: “Internally, the new community centre will provide a large rentable multi-purpose space for social events and community groups to use. 

    “There will be a rentable sensory room, a large low-cost community café open five days a week. There will be two retail units available for local people to rent in order to run local businesses. 

    “The building will also contain a community post office and parcel pick up / drop off point. The building will be fully accessible and contain a changing places toilet. It will also have full Wi-Fi coverage.  

    “Externally the community centre will include a car jet wash, community washing machines and electric charging points along with a large community garden and orchard. 

    “There will also be outdoor seating accessible via the community café and the Strathmartine Community Food Larder will also run from a cabin based in the outdoor area.”

    More information about the charity’s plans can be found on their website: www.kirktoncommunitycentre.co.uk 

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: Law to ban UNRWA amounts to criminalization of humanitarian aid

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the news that the Israeli parliament has passed a law to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating inside Israel, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:  

    “This unconscionable law is an outright attack on the rights of Palestinian refugees. It is clearly designed to make it impossible for the agency to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by forcing the closure of the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem and ending visas for its staff. It amounts to the criminalization of humanitarian aid and will worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

    “UNRWA has played an indispensable role in offering, food, water, medical aid, education and shelter to the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who have been forcibly displaced, subjected to an engineered famine, and stand at serious risk of genocide as a result of Israel’s relentless offensive in the last 12 months. This law flies in the face of the International Court of Justice order to Israel to ensure sufficient humanitarian assistance and facilitate basic services.

    “UNRWA has been a lifeline for Palestinian refugees in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank and in neighbouring countries throughout the 75 years since its foundation. The plight of the Palestinian people would be even more severe if not for UNRWA’s tireless work over the last three quarters of a century.

    “This appalling, inhumane law will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians, who have endured unimaginable hardship since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel one year ago, and whose need for global support is greater than ever. The international community must be quick to condemn it in the strongest possible terms and exert any influence they have on the Israeli government to repeal it.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev: The Russian President’s order to implement master plans will be fulfilled

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the implementation of long-term plans for the integrated development of cities in the Amur Region

    Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev held a meeting on the implementation of long-term plans for the integrated development of cities in the Amur Region.

    “In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a large-scale program for the renovation of cities has begun in the Far East and the Arctic. Our task is to make them as comfortable as possible for people to live in. This is a big job with a large amount of necessary funding. I repeat once again: it has been mobilized throughout the Far East and the Arctic. We will constantly keep it under control. Today we will hear how the work is going in the Amur Region,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting.

    “In the Amur Region, long-term comprehensive plans have been approved for four cities – Blagoveshchensk, Tynda, Svobodny and Belogorsk, a draft master plan has been developed for the closed administrative-territorial entity Tsiolkovsky, and a general plan for the agglomeration of Svobodny and Tsiolkovsky is at an advanced stage of readiness. Key projects are already being implemented in each of them. A regional headquarters has been created. It includes the regional government, heads of municipalities, and representatives of development institutions. The headquarters meets weekly. Work is ongoing in the project management information system under the supervision of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Far East Development Committee,” said Vasily Orlov, Governor of the Amur Region.

    A number of master plan objects will be built using funding from a single presidential subsidy provided by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and special treasury loans.

    The Blagoveshchensk master plan includes 54 events for the development of municipal, social, transport and tourism infrastructure. The master plan includes such key events as the construction of the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe cross-border cableway, the modernization of the Blagoveshchensk International Airport (Ignatievo), the construction of the large city center “Tribuna Hall”, the construction of a regional blood transfusion station and a children’s art school, the creation of an international university campus and many others.

    In the first year of implementing the long-term plan for comprehensive socio-economic development, several areas became central for the city. Among them are the creation of spaces for comfortable living, self-realization and education of citizens, platforms for Russian-Chinese business cooperation and other projects. In total, 13 events are being implemented this year, six of which will be completed by the end of the year.

    One of the tasks included in the Blagoveshchensk master plan was to unite the city with a system of green spaces. Citizens will get a new park – Lomonosovsky. The second space, where work started in 2024, was the Valery Priyomykhov Square. The famous actor, film director and screenwriter was born in the Amur Region. The area adjacent to the site of the installation of the bust of Valery Mikhailovich will be landscaped in a cinema theme. The Katushka cafe, an open-air cinema, and the Montazhnaya coworking area will open in the square. The entire facility will be completed by October 2025. Along with the square, part of 50 Let Oktyabrya Street will be landscaped. It will connect the Priyomykhov Square with another public space – the Babochka Square.

    A major renovation of the city park of culture and recreation is planned in Blagoveshchensk. The concept of the park has already been formed, the territory will be divided into two parts. The first is a green zone with places for quiet rest, themed areas and equipment for children of different ages. The second zone will be an area with attractions and catering points. The concept formed the basis of the technical specifications for the design and estimate documentation, which will be developed by the end of 2024.

    Within the framework of the master plan, a large project of comprehensive reconstruction of the infrastructure of the Blagoveshchensk International Airport is being implemented. Work on the creation of the city center “Tribuna Hall” has reached the final stage. The complex is conceived as a space with a landscape park and a cultural center with an observation deck. Improvement of courtyard areas is underway.

    The master plan for Belogorsk in Amur positions the city as an industrial and logistics center with a developed service economy. At the request of residents, the strategy emphasizes the development of social and transport infrastructure, renovation of microdistricts, modernization of the city center and the coastal area. The construction of a water supply system from water intake wells to the Yuzhny microdistrict and the overhaul of the children’s art school have been completed. The construction of a gas boiler house and a supply gas pipeline, which started in 2022, is in the final stage. Design and estimate documentation is being developed for two important projects – the creation of treatment facilities in the Transportny district of the city and the construction of a central water intake. Work has begun on the construction of a sports and recreation complex with a skating rink in the Yuzhny microdistrict.

    The development plan for the BAM capital Tynda includes 34 events. Within the framework of the master plan, 12 events have already been completed, the key ones being the overhaul of the Tynda Central Library, the reconstruction of the BAM History Museum, the renovation of the drama theater, as well as the renovation and illumination of the facades of city buildings, the improvement of 13 courtyard areas and the Bagulnik Park.

    According to the master plan, several areas have become priorities for the city: gasification, repair of social facilities, improvement of transport infrastructure and other projects. The city is reconstructing and modernizing heat supply facilities with the replacement of other types of fuel with natural gas. According to the plan, three new gas boiler houses will be built in Tynda; contracts for the preparation of documentation for them have already been concluded. In addition, the central boiler house of the city awaits reconstruction with the transfer to gas. The capital repairs of the city cultural center “Rus” and the public bathhouse are nearing completion. The street and road network is being brought up to standard and 32 new bus stops are being installed.

    Within the framework of the master plan of the city of Svobodny, 22 events will be implemented. By 2030, the city will become the center of the gas chemical cluster with a high level of urban environment and services. This year, work has begun on five events, two of which should be completed by the end of the year.

    The renovation of Svobodny is connected with the renewal of social infrastructure. In the Yuzhny microdistrict, a school for 528 children is being prepared for construction. The design and estimate documentation for the facility is already ready. In the Mikhailo-Chesnokovsky microdistrict, a building of a physical education and health complex with a universal games hall is being built. The development of design documentation for a children’s art school for 650 children in the Central District has begun. The construction of a new registry office building has been completed; its official opening took place in October. The improvement of the urban environment is underway. In November 2024, the improvement of the city park on Upravlencheskaya Street will be completed. The construction of a new Alekseevsky microdistrict for employees of the Amur Gas Processing Plant continues. In addition to residential buildings, communal and social infrastructure facilities are being built in the microdistrict: a school, a kindergarten, a clinic, a department store, a sports complex, a cultural and leisure center, an apart-hotel, multi-level parking lots, and engineering infrastructure facilities. In September of this year, a school for 900 students opened in the Alekseevsky microdistrict.

    An important point in the development of Svobodny is improving the quality of the city’s engineering infrastructure. A large amount of work is being carried out within the framework of this area of the master plan. At the moment, design and estimate documentation is being developed for the reconstruction of treatment facilities in the Dubovsky, Surazhevsky and Zalineyny microdistricts, as well as the reconstruction of the main engineering networks of heat, water supply and sanitation. A large amount of work is associated with the capital repairs of the existing and the construction of a new street and road network and the reconstruction of the road bridge across the Klyuchevaya River along Zagorodnaya Street.

    “Work on implementing master plans has begun. Stadiums and libraries are being restored in the Amur Region. A lot of work is being done to provide master plans with funding. It is necessary for the events to be reflected in state programs and national projects. This work is underway. We will do everything to fulfill the President’s instructions so that people receive comfortable living conditions,” Yuri Trutnev summed up the meeting.

    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 –