Category: Politics

MIL-OSI Security: Statement of United States Attorney Clare E. Connors Regarding November 2024 General Election

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Michael Nammar will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Nammar has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Hawaii, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said United States Attorney Connors. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

United States Attorney Connors stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Nammar will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 808-541-2850.”

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 808-566-4300.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

United States Attorney Connors said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

MIL Security OSI –

January 24, 2025

MIL-OSI: Planisware – Q3 2024 revenue

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Q3 2024 revenue of € 47.0 million

Year-on-year revenue growth in constant currencies of +18.7% in Q3 and +19.3% for the 9 first months of the year
Record high commercial pipeline but longer customer decision-making process driving delayed signature and start of new contracts
More cautious view on revenue growth in Q4
Improving profitability thanks to continuous progress in operational efficiency and better activity mix
Revision of 2024 objectives announced in September 2023:
- 2024 revenue growth in constant currencies between +17% and +18%
  (vs. c. 19.5%)
- Adjusted EBITDA margin raised to approximately 34% (vs. c. 33%)
- Cash Conversion Rate of c. 80% confirmed

Paris, October 23, 2024 – Planisware, a leading B2B provider of SaaS in the rapidly growing Project Economy market, announces today its revenue for the third quarter of 2024. Revenue amounted to € 47.0 million, up by +18.2% in current currencies, mainly led by the continued success of the Group’s market-leading SaaS platform. In constant currencies, revenue growth reached +18.7% (€+7.4 million) in Q3 and +19.3% (€+21.6 million) for the first nine months of the year. Recurring revenue amounted to €41.4 million in Q3 (88% of revenue) and was up by +21.2% in constant currencies.

Loïc Sautour, CEO of Planisware, commented: “During the third quarter of 2024, Planisware delivered a solid +18.7% revenue growth in constant currencies, led by the continued success of our SaaS operations. This was a bit lower than expected due to elongated customers’ decision-making process since the end of the summer on the back of political concerns in France and difficulties seen in some of our key verticals such as automotive.

Taking into account some uncertainties in the closing timing of delayed signatures and the start of some contracts, we adopt a cautious view for the end of the year. As a results, we now target annual revenue growth between +17% and +18% in constant currencies.

In parallel, we continue to benefit from the evolution of our activity mix and to deliver further operational efficiencies on employee-related costs enabling to raise our 2024 profitability objective to c. 34% while confirming our cash conversion rate objective of c. 80%.

Beyond the current quarter, we continue to build on our record high commercial pipeline fuelled by increasing demands for strategic portfolio management tools that help companies to better align their resources with strategic business goals. This dynamic is paving the way towards our ambition to be the accelerator of the Project Economy and the number one provider of multi-specialty project and portfolio management software solutions.”

Q3 2024 revenue by revenue stream

In € million	Q3 2024	Q3 2023	*Variation* *YoY*	*Variation* in cc*
Recurring revenue	41.4	34.3	*+20.7%*	*+21.2%*
SaaS & Hosting	20.8	17.1	+21.9%	+22.3%
Evolutive support	13.0	10.4	+24.6%	+25.2%
Subscription support	2.8	2.2	+29.4%	+30.3%
Maintenance	4.8	4.6	+3.8%	+4.1%
Non-recurring revenue	5.6	5.1	*+8.3%*	*+8.7%*
Perpetual license	2.0	1.3	+57.3%	+58.0%
Implementation & others non-recurring	3.5	3.8	-8.1%	-7.9%
Revenue with customers	47.0	39.4	*+19.1%*	*+19.6%*
Other revenue	–	0.3
Total revenue	47.0	39.7	*+18.2%*	*+18.7%*

* Revenue evolution in constant currencies, i.e. at Q3 2023 average exchange rates

Reaching €47.0 million in Q3 2024, revenue was up by +18.2% in current currencies and +18.7% in constant currencies. The exchange rates effect was mostly related to the appreciation of the euro versus the US dollar and the Japanese yen compared to Q3 2023. In order to reflect the underlying performance of the Company independently from exchange rates fluctuations, the following analysis refers to revenue evolution in constant currencies, applying Q3 2023 average exchange rates to Q3 2024 revenue figures, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Recurring revenue

Representing 88% of Q3 2024 revenue versus 86% in Q3 2023, recurring revenue reached €41.4 million, up by +21.2%.

Revenue growth was fully led by Planisware’s SaaS model (i.e. SaaS & Hosting and Evolutive & Subscription support) up +23.9%, with SaaS & Hosting revenue up by +22.3% thanks to contracts secured with new customers as well as continued expansion within the installed base. Revenue of support activities (Evolutive & Subscription support), intrinsically related to Planisware’s SaaS offering, grew by +26.1%.

Maintenance revenue was up by +4.1% in the context of the Group’s shift from its prior license model to a SaaS model.

Non-recurring revenue

Non-recurring revenue was up by +8.7%, helped by perpetual licenses extensions and upgrades sold in Q3 2024 to established customers with specific on-premise needs.

The continued effort to deliver shorter implementations and to bring value faster to customers continued to drive down the planned revenue decline in Implementation. At -7.9% in Q3, revenue decline was accented by delays in the start of projects.

Confirmed leadership of Planisware

Planisware’s broad recognition from third-party industry analysts was further confirmed by the latest 2024 Gartner® “Magic Quadrant^TMfor Adaptive Project Management and Reporting report.” published on September 5, 2024 and in which Gartner reasserted Planisware as a Leader, emphasizing “robust integrations, dynamic reporting, and native collaboration functionality” and a roadmap that “includes investments to bolster objective and key result (OKR) capabilities, automate work effort tracking, and deliver additional AI-driven features”.

2024 objectives

During its process to prepare its IPO, Planisware communicated to investors its 2024 objectives as early as September 2023.

Planisware communicates today a revised set of 2024 objectives to take into account the uncertainties in the closing timing of delayed signatures and the start of some contracts. The Group adopts a more cautious view for year-end revenue growth. In parallel, continuous progress in operational efficiency and improving activity mix enable Planisware to raise its profitability objective, while confirming its objective for cash generation. As a consequence, Planisware’s 2024 objectives are:

Revenue growth in constant currencies between +17% and +18% (c. 19.5% priorly)
Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 34% (approximately 33% priorly)
Cash Conversion Rate of c.80% confirmed

Appendices

YTD 2024 revenue by revenue stream

In € million	9M 2024	9M 2023	*Variation* *YoY*	*Variation* in cc*
Recurring revenue	118.0	96.4	*+22.5%*	*+22.9%*
SaaS & Hosting	59.6	46.6	+27.8%	+28.0%
Evolutive support	35.9	29.8	+20.4%	+21.1%
Subscription support	8.4	6.3	+34.8%	+35.0%
Maintenance	14.1	13.6	+3.4%	+3.5%
Non-recurring revenue	15.5	15.3	*+1.9%*	*+2.0%*
Perpetual license	6.1	3.6	+70.1%	+70.4%
Implementation & others non-recurring	9.4	11.7	-19.2%	-19.1%
Revenue with customers	133.6	111.6	*+19.7%*	*+20.0%*
Other revenue	–	0.7
Total revenue	133.6	112.3	*+18.9%*	*+19.3%*

* Revenue evolution in constant currencies, i.e. at 9M 2023 average exchange rates

Q3 2024 revenue Investors & Analysts conference call

Planisware’s management team will host an international conference call on October 23, 2024 at 8:00am CET to details Q3 2023 performance and key achievements, by means of a presentation followed by a Q&A session. The webcast and its subsequent replay will be available on planisware.com.

Upcoming event

February 27, 2025: FY 2024 results publication

Contact

About Planisware

Planisware is a leading business-to-business (“B2B”) provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) in the rapidly growing Project Economy. Planisware’s mission is to provide solutions that help organizations transform how they strategize, plan and deliver their projects, project portfolios, programs and products.

With more than 700 employees across 14 offices, Planisware operates at significant scale serving around 600 organizational clients in a wide range of verticals and functions across more than 30 countries worldwide. Planisware’s clients include large international companies, medium-sized businesses and public sector entities.

Planisware is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Compartment A, ISIN code FR001400PFU4, ticker symbol “PLNW”). For more information, visit: https://planisware.com/

Connect with Planisware on: LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

Disclaimer

Forward-looking statements

This document contains statements regarding the prospects and growth strategies of Planisware. These statements are sometimes identified by the use of the future or conditional tense, or by the use of forward-looking terms such as “considers”, “envisages”, “believes”, “aims”, “expects”, “intends”, “should”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “thinks”, “wishes” and “might”, or, if applicable, the negative form of such terms and similar expressions or similar terminology. Such information is not historical in nature and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future performance. Such information is based on data, assumptions, and estimates that Planisware considers reasonable. Such information is subject to change or modification based on uncertainties in the economic, financial, competitive or regulatory environments.

This information includes statements relating to Planisware’s intentions, estimates and targets with respect to its markets, strategies, growth, results of operations, financial situation and liquidity. Planisware’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Absent any applicable legal or regulatory requirements, Planisware expressly disclaims any obligation to release any updates to any forward-looking statements contained in this document to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances, on which any forward-looking statement contained in this document is based. Planisware operates in a competitive and rapidly evolving environment; it is therefore unable to anticipate all risks, uncertainties or other factors that may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to which the occurrence of a risk or combination of risks could have significantly different results from those set out in any forward-looking statements, it being noted that such forward-looking statements do not constitute a guarantee of actual results.

Rounded figures

Certain numerical figures and data presented in this document (including financial data presented in millions or thousands and certain percentages) have been subject to rounding adjustments and, as a result, the corresponding totals in this document may vary slightly from the actual arithmetic totals of such information.

Variation in constant currencies

Variation in constant currencies represent figures based on constant exchange rates using as a base those used in the prior year. As a result, such figures may vary slightly from actual results based on current exchange rates.

Non-IFRS measures

This document includes certain unaudited measures and ratios of the Group’s financial or non-financial performance (the “non-IFRS measures”), such as “recurring revenue”, “non-recurring revenue”, “gross margin”, “Adjusted EBITDA”, “Adjusted EBITDA margin”, “Adjusted Free Cash Flow”, “cash conversion rate”, “churn rate” and “Net Retention Rate” (or “NRR”). Non-IFRS financial information may exclude certain items contained in the nearest IFRS financial measure or include certain non-IFRS components. Readers should not consider items which are not recognized measurements under IFRS as alternatives to the applicable measurements under IFRS. These measures have limitations as analytical tools and readers should not treat them as substitutes for IFRS measures. In particular, readers should not consider such measurements of the Group’s financial performance or liquidity as an alternative to profit for the period, operating income or other performance measures derived in accordance with IFRS or as an alternative to cash flow from (used in) operating activities as a measurement of the Group’s liquidity. Other companies with activities similar to or different from those of the Group could calculate non-IFRS measures differently from the calculations adopted by the Group.

Non-IFRS measures included in this document are defined as follows:

Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as Current operating profit including share of profit of equity-accounted investees, plus amortization and depreciation as well as impairment of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, plus either non-recurring items or non-operating items.
Adjusted EBITDA margin is the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to total revenue.
Adjusted FCF (Free Cash Flow) is calculated as cash flows from operating activities, plus IPO costs paid, if any, less other financial income and expenses classified as operating activities in the cash-flow statement, and less net cash relating to capital expenditures.
Cash Conversion Rate is defined as Adjusted FCF divided by Adjusted EBITDA. Planisware considers Cash Conversion Rate to be a meaningful financial measure to assess and compare the Group’s capital intensity and efficiency.
Net cash position is defined as Cash minus indebtedness excluding lease liabilities.

Attachment

Planisware – Q3 2024 revenue – PR

The MIL Network –

January 24, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LC: Speech by CS in presenting Government Minute in response to Report No. 82 of Public Accounts Committee

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech (translated from Chinese) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, in presenting the Government Minute in response to Report No. 82 of the Public Accounts Committee in the Legislative Council today (October 23):

President,

Laid on the table today is the Government Minute (GM) responding to Report No. 82 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 17, 2024.

I welcome the Report of the PAC and am grateful for the time and efforts devoted by the Chairman of the PAC, Mr Shiu Ka-fai, and members of the PAC. The Government accepts all the PAC’s various recommendations and sets out in detail in the GM the specific responses of the relevant bureau and departments (B/Ds). The PAC conducted public hearings on the chapters on “Emergency dental services and elderly dental care support” and “Provision and monitoring of Rehabus services”. I would like to highlight the key follow-up measures taken and progress made by the Government and relevant organisations in response to the recommendations.

Regarding improvements to the services of the General Public (GP) Sessions, the Department of Health (DH) has adjusted the preliminary registration time at nine dental clinics to prevent elderly persons from waiting until midnight. Among these, the time of disc distribution and formal registration at the Mona Fong Dental Clinic have also been adjusted so that patients can receive service after formal registration as soon as possible. The DH will roll out an online electronic disc distribution and registration system before the end of this year. By then, members of the public will no longer need to queue in person for obtaining discs, and will receive real-time information on the remaining disc quotas, i.e. they will know the number of disc quotas remaining on a real-time basis, so as to ensure that all quotas can be fully utilised. The system will give registration priority to elderly persons aged 65 or above. In addition, the Government will enhance emergency dental services targeting the underprivileged groups with financial difficulties in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under a new service model in 2025. The target is to provide additional service capacity which will be at least two times the current capacity of GP sessions. To ensure limited resources can be deployed to those in need (in particular the underprivileged groups), the Government will examine the cost-effectiveness and service arrangement of the GP sessions, and consider the need of introducing means tests or other eligibility criteria for emergency dental services, or other proposals such as replacement by provision of services to underprivileged groups in need by NGOs. This is to ensure the effective use of public healthcare resources.

Regarding dental services in public hospitals, the DH has convened joint service meetings with the Hospital Authority (HA) and maintained relevant information as recommended in the Report. The HA also regularly monitors the achievement of targets on the waiting time for new case appointments at its Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Clinics, and assess patients’ conditions in a timely manner so as to arrange their first appointments as soon as possible. Furthermore, the DH and the HA have initiated discussions on the merging of hospital dental services and will take into account the observations and recommendations in the Audit Report.

To alleviate the manpower shortage, the DH is conducting the year-round recruitment of local full-time and part-time dentists, provides incremental credits based on the applicants’ work experience, and relaxes the Chinese language proficiency entry requirements for the positions. The latest batch of 10 part-time contract dentists took office sequentially from July to September 2024, and 42 full-time dentists took office in September 2024. In addition, following the passage of the Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the LegCo on July 10, 2024, the DH has been working with the Dental Council of Hong Kong to admit the first batch of non-locally trained dentists to Hong Kong through the new mechanism in the first quarter of 2025 so as to serve the public.

As for elderly dental care support, the DH has further ascertained the reasons for non-participation in the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly (ODCP) of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), day care centres for the elderly, and NGOs. The DH has also established a new mechanism with the Social Welfare Department to follow up with non-participating RCHEs and strengthen promotional work in encouraging the RCHEs to join the ODCP. Moreover, the DH has taken measures to ensure the participating NGOs’ fulfilment of their responsibilities according to the funding and service agreement terms. Except for during the COVID-19 epidemic when there were restrictions on visits to the RCHEs, the overall target number of service in 2023-24 were met.

The DH has encouraged more private dentists to enrol in the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) through various means, such as introducing the EHVS at meetings or events organised by the Hong Kong Dental Association. The DH will continue to send reminder notifications and messages through the eHealth System (Subsidies) to healthcare service providers enrolled in the Scheme regularly, reminding them to update their enrolment particulars. Upon receiving notifications of change of particulars from healthcare service providers, the DH will process them and update the information on the website of the EHVS as soon as practicable. In addition to making use of private dental services in Hong Kong, eligible elderly persons may make use of the Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) to pay for outpatient dental services at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and its Huawei Li Zhi Yuan Community Health Service Center (Huawei CHC) since 2015 and 2023 respectively. Moreover, the Government launched the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme (Pilot Scheme) in 2024. From June to September this year, the Pilot Scheme has been implemented in seven integrated services medical institutions or dental healthcare institutions that provide dental services in Guangzhou, Nansha, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen, and eligible Hong Kong elderly persons may choose from more service points. Together with the two service points at the HKU-SZH and the Huawei CHC, elderly persons may pay for outpatient dental service fees with the EHCVs at a total of nine services points of the medical institutions in Mainland cities within the Greater Bay Area.

Regarding the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme (EDAP) funded by the Community Care Fund, the services under the programme have been optimised from July 2, 2024 with the essential requirement of fitting removable dentures relaxed. This allows eligible elderly persons to receive dental services specified under the EDAP even if they are not suitable for dentures. This enhancement measure aims to encourage eligible elderly persons to manage dental diseases at an early stage by opting for preventive and curative dental services, thereby retaining their natural teeth as much as possible and avoiding tooth extractions and denture fittings. To further encourage the elderly persons to apply for services under the EDAP, the Health Bureau (HHB) is promoting the above programme through district service units. The implementing agent has held briefing sessions to introduce the EDAP to dentists and encourage their participation. Apart from strengthening its communication with the implementing agent, the HHB has taken measures to ensure that improvements have been made to the EDAP implementation, including enhancing the eligibility checking mechanism to cover all eligibility criteria, publishing a list of participating dentists and dental clinics, and revising the guidelines provided to service units to specify the appointment scheduling process for applicants who have not indicated their preferred dentist and dental clinic. To expedite the processing of long outstanding cases, the implementing agent has amended the guidelines issued to dentists and dental clinics to clearly include the time limit for claiming fees, and has increased manpower and enhanced computer performance.

Based on the recommendations of the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care, the Government will strive to develop and promote primary dental care services in the future to help citizens manage their oral health, and to put prevention, early identification, and timely intervention of dental diseases into practice. The Government will also explore how to continue developing appropriate dental care services targeted at the underprivileged groups, including persons with financial difficulties, persons with disabilities or special needs and high risk groups. The target of the Working Group is to issue the Final Report before the end of its term by late 2024, and to present to the Government recommendations on implementing various policy directions and the development of dental services.

Regarding Provision and monitoring of Rehabus services, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the Transport Department (TD) have actively followed up on the comments and recommendations made by the Audit Commission and the PAC on the provision and monitoring of Rehabus services.

The TD is collecting data on the travelling needs of persons with disabilities through the Rehabus operators (the operators) for assessing the demand for Rehabus services. The LWB will review the policy and models of service delivery of Rehabus services upon receipt of relevant data and assessment. The TD is also reviewing the existing arrangement of signing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the operators and considering the adoption of other legally binding regulatory approaches for more effective monitoring of Rehabus services.

To monitor the performance of the operators, the TD implemented various measures to ensure the operators’ strict compliance with the requirements stipulated in MOUs, including convening meetings of the Rehabus Management Committee and the Users’ Liaison Group as required, submitting the financial documents in a timely manner, etc. The TD also increased its regular meetings with the operators from once every quarter to once a month, and will conduct service reviews on an annual basis and set additional performance pledges.

Regarding the procurement of vehicles, the TD updated the relevant procurement guidelines with the operators and formulated an action checklist to ensure that staff concerned strictly comply with the relevant procurement requirements and procedures.

As regards the provision of scheduled route service, the TD is closely monitoring the operator’s review of the existing services and progress of route consolidation. In addition, as per the TD’s advice, the operator has provided connecting services to nearby railway stations or interchanges since September 2024 as an option for applicants who have been waiting for the service for some time. This arrangement will help reduce the number of applicants for the service, hence will shorten the waiting time as well.

As for the provision of dial-a-ride (DAR) service, the TD urged the operator to step up its efforts in recruiting drivers. The shortage of drivers has improved, and the rate of rejected orders of DAR service due to insufficient drivers also dropped. The TD is also closely monitoring the operator’s adoption of the new integrated computer system in arranging shared-use service, with a view to exploring the feasibility of further enhancing the shared-use arrangement.

Regarding the provision of feeder service, the TD reviewed with the operator the hospital routes and recreational routes with low patronage, and will continue to consolidate and enhance the service to improve operational efficiency. Subject to the manpower arrangement of drivers, the TD is also exploring with the operator the feasibility of further shortening the booking time of recreational route service. Furthermore, the TD explored with the operators the setting of a limit on the maximum number of carers for DAR service and feeder service, and will consult the stakeholders in due course. The TD will continue to monitor the operator’s implementation of various service enhancement pledges, increase the number of monitoring surveys, step up spot checks on the operator and accounting records, etc.

President, I would like to thank the PAC again for its efforts and suggestions. The B/Ds concerned will strictly adhere to their responses and implement various improvement measures as set out in the GM with full efforts.

Thank you, President.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: From nail-standing to managing emotions: “Youth of Moscow” will hold a series of events in a multi-format space

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The project “Youth of Moscow” opens a new program “Megapolis of your ideas”. It includes educational and entertainment events aimed at developing creativity and forming useful skills. These are various master classes, lectures and a board game championship. They will be held at the site of the multi-format space of the project.

“As part of the survey “Moscow – the youth capital of Russia” we were able to learn even more about what events are interesting to our youth. Based on the data received, a new program was formed that satisfies the main interests of the children. Now they will be able to find even more opportunities and develop in the areas that they themselves have chosen,” noted

Ekaterina Dragunova, Chairman of the City Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy.

The events of the “Megapolis of Your Ideas” program are prepared taking into account the interests of young city dwellers. Thus, within the framework of the “Life in Balance” direction, dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, a series of thematic master classes will be held, for example, on nail-standing and managing emotions. In addition, everyone will be able to meet with experts and take part in discussions on such topics as positive thinking, developing self-discipline and motivation.

The “Code of the Future” direction will be dedicated to self-development. Guests will enjoy lectures from experts on the following topics: finances and resources, idea generation, working with artificial intelligence, and others.

The “Connections on Connection” direction will help young city dwellers make new acquaintances. They will join a board game championship, including mafia, jenga and monopoly. In addition, the organizers have prepared master classes on modeling, self-care and self-defense, as well as meetings dedicated to films and computer games.

You can try your hand at creativity at master classes on linocut, painting clay pots, dancing and playing musical instruments, which will be held as part of the “Art of Being Yourself” direction.

Sergei Sobyanin: The Youth of Moscow project is four years old

The program will begin on October 24 at 6:00 PM with a hip-hop master class. It will be conducted by professional dancer Anna Kuzminkova. Pre-registration is required. by link.

On October 28 at 18:00 there will be a lesson by nailingThe leader will help participants overcome their fears and gently enter into the practice.

On October 31 at 6:00 p.m., everyone is invited to a hip-hop master class by Vladislav Falileev, winner of the title “Mr. Moscow Student 2023”. He will show beginner dancers a few simple moves and learn choreographic combinations with them. To participate, you must pre-register by link.

Previously, the City of Assignments project conducted a survey called “Moscow — the youth capital of Russia.” Young residents could share their opinions about what kind of events they are interested in, where they most often find information about them, and when it is more convenient for them to attend them.

Based on the voting results, key areas of interest to young people were selected: healthy lifestyle, expanding the circle of acquaintances (networking meetings), new knowledge and creativity. They became the basis for the program “Megapolis of your ideas”. You can take part in it for free, preliminary registration is required on the portal.

The organizer of the series of events is the project “Youth of Moscow” of the city Committee on Public Relations and Youth Policy. The project helps identify and implement the requests of the capital’s residents. During its work, more than 3.5 thousand events were organized, in which over two million people took part.

You can find out more about the opportunities for young Muscovites on the portal “Youth of Moscow” and project pages in social networks.

The “City of Tasks” project has been operating since 2022. With its help, residents of the capital can monitor the work of city services, participate in environmental, sports and other events. The project is being developed by the State Institution “New Management Technologies” and the city Department of Information Technology.

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/145641073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin told how administrators are being prepared for work in Moscow medical institutions

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The My Administrator project has been running for four years. It first started working in outpatient clinics, and then in outpatient oncology centers, hospital admissions departments, and flagship emergency centers. About the project and the people who are bringing it to life, in his blog Sergei Sobyanin.

“Since the first days of work, the calling card of Moscow public service centers “My Documents” has been sincere service. And four years ago, friendly, responsive administrators, capable of finding an approach to solving any problem, came to the city’s healthcare institutions,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.

Today, more than two thousand administrators work in 347 buildings of medical organizations in the city. Specialists help patients understand the work of the unified medical information and analytical system, register with a polyclinic, and sign up for examinations. They also maintain contact with relatives and resolve many other organizational and everyday issues. In total, over four years, administrators have come to the aid of patients more than 195 million times.

To become an administrator, you first need to work in the My Documents offices: hone your skills in confident and friendly communication with people, immerse yourself in the corporate culture of government service centers and, finally, understand whether all this suits you.

Then you need to undergo training at the educational center “Academy of Sincere Service”. Here, future administrators are introduced to the specifics of work in clinics, flagship centers and admissions departments, their proactive behavior skills are developed, and they are also taught options for solving non-standard situations. And only after that can they begin to perform their duties in medical institutions.

Guided by the principle of “people first” that was laid down in multifunctional centers, administrators strive to devote time to each patient. They already have many good stories in their collection.

Marina Grigoryan, an administrator at the City Clinical Hospital No. 67 named after L.A. Vorokhobov, told about one of them. One day, a neurosurgeon approached her and asked her to help a patient. The girl lost consciousness on the street, and passersby called an ambulance. Sofia (that was the patient’s name) came to visit her boyfriend from another city and went for a run, where everything happened. The girl did not remember her friend’s phone number or the address of his apartment. And only after remembering his nickname on a social network, Sofia was able to write a message using the administrator’s account. The young man came to pick her up, and everything ended well.

“Once a patient with a head injury was admitted to the emergency room. This in itself is very unpleasant. But it was clear that the woman was upset about something else. After talking to her, I found out that the patient was in a hurry to catch the bus, slipped and fell, hitting her head hard. Because of this, she will not be able to meet her grandchildren who came to visit and spend the long-awaited weekend with them. Then we helped her call her grandchildren via video link. And after she was discharged, we called a taxi home,” Olga Shibaeva, an administrator at the V.P. Demikhov Hospital, shared her story.

Tatyana Belikova, administrator of Diagnostic Center #3, Branch #1, told how, while working in the information terminal area, she was helping a visitor reschedule her appointment for a fluorography and noticed that the woman’s hands were shaking and her face was sweating. When asked about her health, she replied that she was dizzy and had difficulty breathing. But the woman was in a hurry to get the examination done quickly so that she could make it to work. But Tatyana saw that the person needed urgent help. She promised to reschedule the fluorography for another time and insisted on an immediate visit to the doctor on duty. And as it turned out, she was right: the woman began to lose consciousness. She was immediately seated in a wheelchair and taken to the doctor. It was a heart attack. The clinic’s cardiologist provided emergency assistance and gave the order to call an ambulance. The patient was hospitalized and given the necessary treatment.

And Elina Evgrafova, an administrator at Branch No. 4 of City Children’s Polyclinic No. 10, recalled how during her shift a father with five small children came to the doctor on duty. He looked confused and did not understand what to do. Elina met the family at the entrance, taught the children how to use the shoe cover machines, helped them undress and make an appointment with the doctor. And then she and the children, while they were waiting for an appointment, played “The Swan Flew.” The kids were happy, and the head of the family was very grateful for the sincere and friendly attitude. The visit to the polyclinic turned out to be not only successful, but also fun.

Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the introduction of sincere service in healthcare institutions

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/major/themes/11917050/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ3: Legislative Council General Election

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Ng and a reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (October 23):

Question:

The National People’s Congress passed a Decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in March 2021 to fully implement the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. Subsequently, the SAR Government completed the work of amending the relevant local electoral legislation in accordance with Annexes ‍I and II to the Basic Law as amended by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. On the other hand, the current term of the Legislative Council (LegCo) will end on December 31 next year, and the LegCo General Election will be held at the end of next year. There are views that the LegCo General Election is an important aspect of implementing the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong and promoting good governance of the SAR Government, and there must not be any chance of a mishap. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) with reference to the overwhelming publicity for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, how the Government will further step up the efforts in the publicity for the LegCo General Election next year, so as to enhance the atmosphere of the election and call upon more electors to actively participate in voting to elect patriotic and capable people to participate in the work of LegCo;

(2) as the Government has indicated that it will expand the application of information technology to make elections more efficient and user-‍friendly, of the new information technology that the Government will consider applying in the LegCo General Election to be held next year, so as to enhance the effectiveness of the election; and

(3) with reference to past electoral experience, how the Government assesses and resolves the potential risks in the LegCo General Election to be held next year, so as to ensure that the election will not be subject to external interference and will be conducted in a safe, orderly and fair manner?

Reply:

President,

After the improvement of the electoral system in 2021 and the improvements in district governance and reforms to the District Councils in 2023, the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has been improved. The HKSAR Government has successfully held five important elections, allowing Hong Kong to achieve good governance as well as entering the stage from stability to prosperity. As President Xi Jinping stated: “The new electoral system is a political and democratic system that aligns with the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, fits the realistic conditions of Hong Kong, and meets the developmental needs of Hong Kong, which must be treasured and adhered to in the long term.”

In response to the questions raised by the Hon Stanley Ng, the replies are as follows:

(1) The HKSAR Government has emphasised time and again that the electoral system of the HKSAR is crucial to the stability of “one country, two systems”, and to the good governance and long-term stability of the HKSAR. The improved electoral system not only safeguards the security of the country’s political power, but also fully implements the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, which protects the jurisdiction of the HKSAR, as well as the harmony and stability of Hong Kong and the well-being of the public. The new electoral system has also demonstrated its characteristics and advantages of broad representativeness, political inclusiveness, balanced participation and fair competition, laying a solid foundation for the long-term and healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong. For this reason, the Government has spared no effort in publicising and promoting the new electoral system, so that members of the public can fully understand that the new electoral system is closely related to them and its importance. In particular, whenever large-scale public elections are held, the HKSAR Government will launch massive publicity campaigns to create a heated election atmosphere in the whole community, so that the public will be keenly concerned about and participate in the elections enthusiastically, so as to elect people who are trustworthy and genuinely committed to contributing to our country and Hong Kong to take up the relevant seats.

Take last year’s District Council Election (DCE) as an example, a number of innovative and diversified approaches were adopted in the publicity work, such as the “Night Vibes DCE”, “DCE into the Community” and the “Build a Better Community Gala”, which were brand new, down-to-earth and in close proximity to the public; in addition to the distribution of thank you cards to voters and the setting up of “check-in” spots, which were well received by the public and had a very satisfactory effect on the overall publicity work. Various government bureaux and departments have also made concerted efforts to launch various forms of election publicity activities, resulting in a pervasive election atmosphere in the whole community, and the effectiveness of which is evident to all.

In view of the importance of elections and the successful experience gained in the past, the Government will continue to conduct publicity works for future public elections, such as the Legislative Council General Election (LCGE) to be held next year, through various innovative, diversified and down-to-earth means, with a view to launching more highlight activities to create a strong election atmosphere, so as to enhance the public’s awareness of the elections on the one hand, and to increase their attention to and participation in the elections on the other.

At present, we are conducting a detailed review and optimising the planning of the arrangements for the various processes of the election, including the publicity work for the LCGE, etc. We will consult the Legislative Council as soon as possible when we have any specific ideas at a later stage.

(2) Since the improvement of the electoral system, the HKSAR Government has also been striving to optimise and enhance the various arrangements for elections, so as to ensure that elections are conducted in a fair, just and honest manner, and at the same time, to have efficiency and user-friendliness constantly enhanced. For example, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) has introduced an electronic poll registration system since 2021, which is much more efficient and accurate than the previous mode of manual ballot paper distribution, thus significantly reduced the time for electors to queue up for ballot paper distribution and casting their votes.

In addition, during last year’s DCE, the REO set up an online booking platform for electors to register for the use of the near boundary polling stations, so as to facilitate members of the public to plan their itinerary for the election day well in advance. A dedicated website was also provided to allow electors to check the real-time queuing hours of the polling stations, so as to facilitate the planning of polling arrangements by electors. In addition, the REO has also set up additional electronic ballot paper checking devices at the polling stations for the electors of the District Council constituencies to ensure that the ballot papers are properly and validly marked. Starting from this year, the Government’s “iAm Smart” application has been fully integrated into the voter registration process for providing a more convenient experience to the applicants.

At present, we are conducting a comprehensive review of the various electoral processes and considering the introduction of appropriate information and intelligent technologies in the light of the actual situation. However, when considering the specific arrangements, we shall give holistic consideration to the application of technology, enhancement of efficiency, safety and security, privacy protection and public perception, and strike a proper balance to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the election. We will consult members of the Legislative Council again when we have come up with the specific arrangements later.

(3) With the electoral system imrpoved and the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” fully implemented, the governance of the HKSAR is now firmly in the hands of the patriots. In regard to the LCGE to be held next year, the systemic safeguard of the political system can be categorised into the following four levels:

(i) candidates must be nominated by two to four members of the Election Committee from each sector. All Election Committee members are patriots who love Hong Kong and will exercise stringent gate-keeping in making nominations, so as to ensure that those who are not patriots and do not love Hong Kong will be excluded;

(ii) the eligibility of candidates will be checked and confirmed by the “Candidate Eligibility Review Committee” to ensure that the statutory requirements of upholding the Basic Law and bearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are met;

(iii) candidates will be required to take the oath to uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC in accordance with the law when standing for election and assuming office, and the oath will be confirmed by the Commissioner for Oaths to be valid; and

(iv) even after the assumption of office, if the candidate concerned has acted in breach of the oath, the Government may activate the statutory procedures to disqualify the relevant person from the office in accordance with the law.

In respect of electoral arrangements, the REO has all along maintained close liaison with the police and other law-enforcement agencies, and has put in place an established mechanism for collecting and analysing intelligence to objectively assess the risk of an election being obstructed, interfered with, disrupted or seriously affected, and to take measures as appropriate to mitigate the relevant risks and hazards, as well as to draw up various contingency plans to cope with any unforeseen circumstances.

In addition, since the last DC election, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, in conjunction with the Information Services Department and other relevant departments, has set up a rapid response team before and after the election day to closely monitor and pay attention to various types of information during the election period, and to swiftly and effectively refute or clarify all kinds of false or inaccurate information or comments, so as to ensure that the election will not be affected.

Thank you, President.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: More than 14 thousand people received housing under the renovation program in the North-Eastern Administrative District

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Residents of 83 old houses received apartments in 45 new buildings built under the renovation program in the northeast of the capital. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

“In the north-east of Moscow, the renovation program began in 2018 and today covers 14 of the 17 districts. Residents of 83 old houses – more than 14.4 thousand people – signed contracts for new apartments in 45 new buildings. The largest number of housing units under the renovation program were received by residents of the Babushkinsky District. Here, more than 3.5 thousand people became title holders, about 2.3 thousand city residents registered documents for apartments in the Losinoostrovsky District, and almost two thousand residents – in Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo,” Vladimir Efimov noted.

In two districts of the North-Eastern Administrative District, the renovation program has been fully implemented. In Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo and Severny, all of its participants — about 1.9 thousand and almost two thousand people, respectively — have moved to modern residential complexes.

“Since the beginning of the year, more than 2.1 thousand people have signed contracts for new apartments with the Department of City Property in the North-Eastern Administrative District. This year, active resettlement is taking place in the Losinoostrovsky and Ostankinsky districts, as well as in Maryina Roshcha, where in total more than 1.3 thousand Muscovites have received new housing,” clarified the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Department of City Property

Maxim Gaman.

In total, 499 buildings in the North-Eastern Administrative District, in which more than 86 thousand city residents live, are included in the renovation program. As reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky, 63 houses have already been resettled in the north-east of the capital. Of these, 20 buildings are located in the Babushkinsky District, 10 each in Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo and Losinoostrovsky. City residents received modern apartments with high-quality finishing and improved repairs in accordance with the standards of the renovation program.

Currently, 28 new buildings are being designed in the north-east of the city, and another 27 houses are under construction. Near the residential complexes there are landscaped adjacent territories, comfortable recreation areas, sports and children’s playgrounds.

Earlier Sergei Sobyanin reported, that 1.2 trillion rubles have been allocated in the draft budget for three years to implement the renovation program.

Renovation program approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. In 2023 alone, 59 new buildings in the capital were handed over for settlement and the resettlement of over 47 thousand people was ensured. The Mayor of Moscow instructed increase the pace of implementation of the renovation program has doubled.

Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction rates and volumes. In recent years, within the framework of the federal project “Housing” of the national project “Housing and Urban Environment” the volume of construction and commissioning of residential facilities in the capital has doubled – from three million to five to seven million square meters per year. More information about this and other national projects being implemented in Moscow can be found find out here.

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

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

http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145643073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Kai Tak Sports Park

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Benson Luk and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (October 23): Question: The Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) will be officially open early next year, and the government departments concerned have currently commenced the preparatory work for the commissioning of the KTSP. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether the authorities have finalised the leasing arrangements and charge levels for the KTSP’s Main Stadium, Indoor Sports Centre, Public Sports Ground and the rest of precinct for reference by members of the industry and the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; (2) given that Kai Tak Sports Park Limited (KTSPL) has undertaken to implement a Sports Events Support Scheme, which aims to waive venue hiring charges for sports events held in the KTSP or make direct financial contribution to sports events, whether the authorities have grasped the implementation of the Scheme at this stage; if so, of the details, including the number of local and overseas events involved; if not, the reasons for that; (3) as it has been learnt that at present catering and a variety of entertainment facilities are provided in the vicinity of venues where mega events are held (such as the Hong Kong Stadium), enabling spectators to get warmed up for the mega events and the vibrant atmosphere to continue before and after the matches, whether the authorities have formulated any short-term and long-term plans to increase the provision of similar facilities in the vicinity of the KTSP; if so, of the details (including the specific development plans); if not, the reasons for that; (4) whether the authorities will draw up guidelines to require KTSPL to make public announcements about an event certain days before the date of the event, so as to facilitate the stakeholders concerned to take forward as early as possible the related publicity work to attract inbound tour groups and visitors coming to Hong Kong under the Individual Visit Scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (5) whether the authorities have any idea of formulating an integrated development plan for the KTSP and the adjacent Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, so as to shape them into a core tourist landmark of Kai Tak and Kowloon City, thereby enhancing their synergy as a tourist attraction; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? Reply:President, Being the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history, the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) is crucial to the Government’s implementation of sports policies of promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, developing Hong Kong into a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism and developing sports as an industry. The KTSP will provide modern and multi-purpose sports and recreation facilities upon completion, including a 50 000-seat Main Stadium, a 10 000-seat Indoor Sports Centre, a 5 000-seat Public Sports Ground and about 14-hectare landscaped open space and other ancillary facilities. Currently, the construction works of the KTSP has entered into the final phase and the KTSP will be open in the first quarter of 2025. The Government has established the inter-departmental Task Force on KTSP, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to oversee the smooth completion and commissioning of the KTSP and its publicity work, fostering the synergistic development of major sports events, innovative entertainment, dining, conventions and exhibitions, as well as tourism activities. The Task Force will also formulate thorough plans and conduct comprehensive drills on security deployment, crowd management, emergency response, and other areas. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), Kai Tak Sports Park Limited (KTSPL) together with relevant bureaux/departments are planning various drills and test events to be conducted from October this year to February next year, with a view to fine-tuning and enhancing the operation model as well as various arrangements such as crowd dispersal and transportation when staging large-scale events. We will also adjust strategies as necessary to fully prepare for the commissioning of the KTSP. My consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Benson Luk is as follows: (1) According to the contract between the Government and the operator, the hiring charges in respect of sports events and community casual hire of the KTSP (including the Main Stadium, Indoor Sports Centre and Public Sports Ground) shall be comparable to those of similar facilities provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, educational institutions and other non-profit making organisations. The operator has to obtain approval from the CSTB for the hiring charges, so as to ensure that the sports sector and citizens can enjoy the facilities of the KTSP to promote sports development. KTSPL has already provided organisers, who express interest in hiring facilities in the KTSP for staging large-scale events, with the relevant information with respect of their hiring proposals. As for the hiring charges for the general public in using individual facilities in Indoor Sports Centre and Public Sports Ground, the KTSPL will make the announcement later.(2) KTSPL undertakes to implement a Sports Events Support Scheme (the Scheme) to support sports events. Its financial commitment under the SESS is $1.583 billion in total, which is to be disbursed over a period of around 20 years. Commitment under the Scheme will be met either by waiving venue hiring charges for sports events held in the KTSP or by making direct financial contribution to any sports events. The above arrangements will encourage the operator to proactively promote the KTSP as “the destination” for local and international large-scale sports events. It is expected that the Scheme will be implemented next year. KTSPL is refining the details of the Scheme and will announce the application arrangement later. The implementation of the Scheme will be monitored by the CSTB. If KTSPL does not fully utilise the estimated expenditure under the Scheme in a particular year, an amount equivalent to the outstanding commitment shall be paid to an entity (e.g. “national sports associations”) nominated by the CSTB for supporting sports.(3) The KTSP will provide a one-stop sports, leisure, catering and shopping experience for citizens and tourists. With respect of the catering services, the 57 executive suites in the Main Stadium are supported by catering service providers offering various kinds of upscale dining options. There are also some 30 bars and catering outlets in the Main Stadium which should be able to meet the catering needs as compared to other facilities of similar scale in the world. In addition, the KTSP will, with reference to the scale and needs of different events and matches as well as at the requests of organisers, arrange 10 to 20 mobile catering booths during the staging of large-scale events. The number of catering booths will be flexibly increased based on actual situation. Besides, there are over 700 thousand feet of retail, catering as well as leisure and entertainment facilities in the KTSP. Catering facilities include some 70 outlets of international cuisines and nine diversified concept restaurants at the Dining Cove where citizens and tourists can choose to dine in the indoor or outdoor areas and enjoy the breath-taking views of the Victoria Harbour. As regards leisure and entertainment facilities, the KTSP will provide facilities including a health and wellness centre, a bowling centre, an outdoor rock climbing area, beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, a covered 5-a-side football pitch and multi-purpose activity space for the public to enjoy. The neighbouring districts of Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan which are in close proximity of the KTSP also provide an array of dining options. Citizens and tourists who visit the KTSP for matches or large-scale events can walk to the two districts for a taste of our local culinary delights, similar to walking from the Hong Kong Stadium to Causeway Bay or Tin Hau. The Government will continue to work closely with KTSPL to further enhance visitors’ experience as well as liaise with relevant departments and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to promote the leisure and catering options in the vicinity of the KTSP so as to create a synergy effect for bringing about local economic development.(4) KTSPL has been actively making contact and having commercial negotiations with local and international sports and non-sports events’ promotion bodies, organisations and agencies. Generally speaking, the promotion strategy of events is led by organisers whereas KTSPL, being the venue provider, has to act in concert with the plans of the event organisers. KTSPL cannot disclose details of the events before the organisers do so. Nevertheless, KTSPL will maintain close communication with event organisers and coordinate with their overall publicity plan and share more details of their events with the public in due course.(5) The KTSP and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT) are both located within the Kai Tak Development Area. The KTSP, upon completion, will provide retail and catering facilities as well as host different types of large-scale sports, culture or entertainment events, thereby providing cruise passengers with more options for onshore activities. The hotels in the vicinity of the KTSP will also offer an additional choice of accommodation for travellers. On the other hand, the KTSP will drive the flow of people in the district and attract tourists to spend in Hong Kong during various large-scale sports, culture or entertainment events, promoting the economic transformation and development of Kowloon East. The Government will continue to enhance the KTCT’s function as a venue for conventions, exhibitions and other events. In preparing the work plans for the KTSP and KTCT, the CSTB will consider how the two major infrastructures could complement each other, with a view to creating synergies by fully leveraging the respective facilities.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s points system for jobseekers is failing 4 in 10, putting their payments at risk

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simone Casey, Research Associate, Centre for People, Organisation and Work, RMIT University

Studio63/Shutterstock

For jobseekers these days, staying on benefits is about accumulating points.

It used to be cruder. Until 2022, unemployed Australians who wanted to stay on benefits had to apply for up to 20 jobs per month, a requirement a parliamentary inquiry found

burdens employers, who are receiving masses of poor quality applications often from people who are not suited for the position.

Since July 2022, jobseekers have instead been required to collect points.

Creating or updating a profile earns five points, applying for a job earns five points, attending a job interview earns 25 points, attending a jobs expo earns 25 points, starting a job earns 50 points, and so on.

For most jobseekers the target is 100 points per month. The target can be eased by 20 points for jobseekers who live in locations that have fewer opportunities to work and by 40 points for jobseekers who are carers, have a reduced capacity to work or who are over 55.

Jobseekers who fail to report enough points or who fail to include four job applications per month in total face automatic suspension of benefits.

Workforce Australia.

41% of jobseekers are being failed

New data released by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations show 41.1% of participants are being tripped up by the system.

In the quarter between April 1 and June 30, 410,485 of the 999,470 jobseekers enrolled in the scheme failed to meet its requirements. And 212,915 of them reported no points whatsoever.

It’s an improvement on the previous year. For April to June 2023, 45.3% of participants failed to get enough points.

First Nations people, refugees, people with disabilities and young people are over-represented among those who fail to get enough points.

My calculations using the department’s data show 58% of Indigenous participants in the program, 49% of participants without a Year 12 education and 47% of participants on youth allowance are failing to meet the requirements.

Around two-thirds of breaches lead to suspensions. Between July 2022 and September 2023 1,838,410 payments were suspended.

My research just published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues finds that a shift away from face-to-face help to online interactions is partly responsible.

When jobseekers find it difficult to talk to humans about why they are unable to accumulate points their payments are more likely to be suspended.

Jobseekers’ fault or the system’s fault?

The Department of Employment has been working hard to increase understanding of the points system. Among other things, it has produced a series of fact sheets aimed at First Nations Australians.

But an independent evaluation of the system prepared for the department in June found two-thirds of the participants in it had little or no knowledge about how it worked.

This suggests the 41% failure rate might be an indictment of the system as much as the jobseekers who use it.

It might even be an indictment of the idea of points to quantify compliance with mutual obligations.

In November last year, a Senate select committee recommended rebuilding what it called a Commonwealth Employment Services System from the ground up.

While the committee supported the use of points, it wanted the default requirement halved to 50 points, with human case managers given discretion to vary the target up or down based on their professional judgments.

Simone Casey is employed as a policy advisor at Economic Justice Australia, the peak organisation for community legal centres providing specialist advice to people on their social security issues and rights. The research and analysis for this article was completed in her academic capacity as recently published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues.

– ref. Australia’s points system for jobseekers is failing 4 in 10, putting their payments at risk – https://theconversation.com/australias-points-system-for-jobseekers-is-failing-4-in-10-putting-their-payments-at-risk-240317

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Cuba: Amnesty International designates four persons as prisoners of conscience in the midst of a new wave of state repression

Source: Amnesty International –

In a context of systematic human rights violations, a completely restricted civic space and the criminalization of any form of dissent, Amnesty International today declared political dissident Félix Navarro, independent journalist and Dama de Blanco Sayli Navarro, 11J protester Roberto Pérez Fonseca and activist Luis Robles as prisoners of conscience.

“These designations are a recognition of the dozens of people who remain in prison in Cuba for peacefully exercising their rights, and of all those who live under constant surveillance, harassment and the threat of criminalization. A recognition of the courage and resistance of the people of Cuba who are standing up to constant and generalized repression and fighting for their rights and the rights of all people,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

Félix Navarro is a 71-year-old political dissident and founder of the “Pedro Luis Boitel” Party for Democracy. For over 30 years, he has been the coordinator of the Patriotic Union of Cuba and has been associated with the Cuba Decides platform and the Council for the Democratic Transition in Cuba. Félix is currently serving his third prison sentence for political reasons. He was imprisoned in 1992 on charges of “enemy propaganda” for putting up “anti-revolution” posters in his home town. In 2003, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the criminal proceedings following the crackdown known as the “Black Spring”, along with 75 other dissidents, journalists and activists. In this context, he was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. He was released on extra-penal leave on 23 March 2011, together with fellow prisoner of conscience José Daniel Ferrer, as the last of the group of 75 to be freed after previously refusing to be released in exchange for exile.

Sayli Navarro, his daughter, is a 38-year-old activist and cofounder of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White), a group of mothers, wives and daughters of the group of 75 people arrested during the “Black Spring”. Sayli has lived with the consequences of the state repression exercised against her father since she was a child. She was expelled from university in 2010 because of her “counter-revolutionary links”, and has been arbitrarily detained, subjected to interrogation and threatened on a number of occasions by state security agents and police authorities.

Félix and Sayli Navarro were sentenced in March 2022 to 9 and 8 years in prison respectively for events related to the protests of 11 and 12 July 2021. Both were violently arrested on 12 July at their local police station in the town of Perico, Matanzas province, when they went to enquire about the situation of members of their movement who had been arrested during the protests the day before.

Luis Robles, 32, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison in March 2022 on charges of enemy propaganda and disobedience for peacefully protesting on a pedestrian street in central Havana in December 2020. Luis was holding up a sign that read ‘’Freedom‘’, ‘’No+Repression‘’ and ‘’#Free-Denis‘’ and walking in circles as dozens of people began to film him. Luis Robles held up the sign for several minutes until the police approached him, took the sign from him and arrested him, with Luis putting up no resistance. This happened a few days after the San Isidro Movement staged a lockdown and hunger strike to demand the release of rapper Denis Solís. Luis wanted to express his solidarity with the rapper and his support for the San Isidro Movement.

Roberto Pérez Fonseca, 41, was sentenced in October 2021 to 10 years’ imprisonment for his participation in the protests of 11 July 2021. Roberto was charged with the offences of contempt, assault, public disorder and incitement to commit a crime, all of which are typically used by the Cuban authorities against those who exercise their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found Roberto’s detention to be arbitrary and motivated by the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of assembly and association, as well as to freedom of opinion and expression. It also found that Roberto’s right to a fair and impartial trial had been violated.

These designations come in the context of renewed repression by the Cuban authorities against activists, human rights defenders, journalists, intellectuals and independent media in the last weeks of September. This includes an alarming increase in ill-treatment, harassment, arbitrary detentions, new threats of criminalization, denial of prison benefits and worrying reports of deterioration in the health and physical integrity of detainees.

“Following the widespread state repression unleashed by the July 2021 protests, and with many activists, political opponents and dissidents unjustly imprisoned, the Cuban state seems intent on eradicating any capacity for resistance within Cuban society, which now extends to projects, spaces and activism not linked to traditional political opposition or dissidence,” added Ana Piquer.

Independent media organizations El Toque, Periodismo de Barrio and Cubanet have claimed in editorials and on social media that their contributors have received threats of criminalization from the authorities in recent weeks. According to these reports, contributors have repeatedly been summoned by police and state security agents and informed of possible criminal prosecution for “mercenarism”. In addition, activists and independent media contributors reported on their social networks that they had received arbitrary summonses followed by interrogations by the authorities and state security agents about their journalistic work and their links to certain individuals or media outlets considered to be “counter-revolutionary”. In this context, Amnesty International has had access to the testimonies of at least 20 activists, who have reported being threatened with imprisonment, forced to record themselves and sign declarations of self-incrimination, and deprived of their mobile phones and computers. Similarly, Cuban human rights organizations reported that at least three independent media contributors were forced to write public resignations on their social networks, expressing their intention not to work with independent media. On 16 September, the cultural magazine PM Magazine announced that it was closing down permanently due to increasing pressure and harassment against its director by state security agents.

“This climate of constant fear and intimidation adds to our concern at the continuing reports of the deteriorating health and ill-treatment of prisoners of conscience Loreto Hernández, Pedro Albert and José Daniel Ferrer, and the increasing and systematic harassment of journalist Carlos Michael Morales, and Damas de Blanco leader Berta Soler. It is imperative that the international community show solidarity and demand the immediate release of those imprisoned for exercising their rights, and an end to the repression and harassment of dissidents in Cuba,” said Ana Piquer.

Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, and of all those unjustly imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights. The organization also calls on the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, to repeal repressive legislation, and to end the repression of dissidents.

In order to determine whether a person is a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty International uses the information available to it regarding the circumstances leading to their detention. By designating a particular person as a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty is affirming that this person must be immediately and unconditionally released but is not endorsing their past or present views or conduct.

MIL OSI NGO –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ10: Application of drones

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Ir Dr Hon Lo Wai-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (October 23):

Question:

     There are views pointing out that with the development of low-altitude economy, the scope of drone application will continuously expand for purposes such as carrying sightseeing passengers or delivering meals and other goods. In addition, the arrangement of large-scale drone shows over the Victoria Harbour on festive days is also a selling point to attract visitors to Hong Kong. However, it has been reported that three recent drone shows in Hong Kong were cancelled at short notice (including the drone shows at the Wan Chai waterfront on September 21, the West Kowloon Cultural District on ‍September 30 and the Victoria Harbour on October 1), leaving members of the public and visitors who waited for a long time disappointed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the authorities had, before the aforesaid drone shows, assessed in detail with the organisers the various factors that might affect the drone shows as well as the different scenarios that might arise, drawn up fallback plans, and stepped up the coordination and support among different government departments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether the authorities had, before the aforesaid drone shows, put forward specific testing requirements to the outsourced contractors and formulated a mechanism for coordination and notification in the event of incidents, and taken timely follow-up actions after the short-‍notice cancellation of the shows; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether the authorities will formulate more forward-looking policy measures and allocate more resources to strengthen the research and development, application and regulation of drone technology; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     In respect of the question raised by Ir Dr Hon Lo Wai-kwok, in consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) and the Hong Kong Observatory, the consolidated reply is as follows:

     For parts (1) and (2) of the question, as a drone show generally involves operation of a large number of drones in a confined airspace, the operation of drones heavily relies on the high-precision reception of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals.

     From the perspectives of aviation and public safety, drone shows which involve operations exceeding the standing operating requirements of small unmanned aircraft are considered as advanced operations and require prior permission from the Civil Aviation Department. Advanced operation permit holders are required to conduct risk assessment in accordance with the established procedures prior to the drone shows in order to identify all potential risks, including the stability of the drones’ satellite positioning signals, so as to ensure the safe conduct of the drone shows.

     While drone shows can be organised by private organisations, for a drone show organised by the Government, the OFCA will generally conduct radio monitoring at the event venue. The OFCA will detect any source of harmful interference to the radio frequencies to be used by the drone system. It is understood that the atmospheric conditions (including ionospheric scintillation) may significantly affect the quality of GNSS signals. However, because of the rapid changes in ionospheric disturbance caused by solar activities, the precise influence of ionospheric scintillation in terms of timing, location and extent, etc. could not be accurately predicted in advance.

     In preparation of the “Celebration of National Day – The Next Generation Chorus Performance” and “2024 National Day Fireworks Display” held on September 30 and October 1, 2024 respectively, the Government had held a number of inter-departmental meetings and drawn up contingency plans with the drone show operators. The operators of the two aforementioned drone performances also conducted multiple tests and rehearsals before the events (including on the day of the performance). Nevertheless, there was a sudden occurrence of ionospheric scintillation over Victoria Harbour during the events resulted in the drones being unable to receive good satellite positioning signals. After confirming that the ionospheric scintillation would prevent the drone shows from proceeding, we promptly made on-site announcements. For the drone show held on September 21, 2024, it was organised by a non-governmental organisation.

     Taking into account the experience of cancellation of the drone shows on September 30 and October 1, 2024, the Government will take into account the following factors and prepare suitable contingency plans when organising drone shows in future –

(a) the weather conditions (rain, wind speed, typhoon, etc.), as well as ionospheric disturbance which may seriously affect the reception of GNSS signals by the drone system concerned;

(b) the nature of performance, audience and performers;

(c) the programme rundown, such as whether there are performances which are linked to the drone show, whether the drone show is a standalone show, etc.; and

(d) whether there is flexibility to adjust the timing and scale of the drone show during the programme in case of weather or ionospheric disturbance to the drone show.

     For part (3) of the question, in the light of technological advancement, improvements in the technology and design of drones will help enhance their stability and accuracy, thereby exploring more application scenarios for drones. In the 2024 Policy Address, the Government announced a series of initiatives to promote the development of low-altitude economy (LAE) in Hong Kong, including the establishment of the Working Group on Developing LAE which is led by the Deputy Financial Secretary to formulate development strategies and inter-departmental action plans, as well as plan for low-altitude infrastructure. At the same time, the Government will press ahead with pilot projects to explore the applications of drones at designated locations, and will amend relevant legislation to put in place a regulatory framework for different types of drones. The Government will commence the relevant work as soon as possible to proactively promote LAE as one of the new growth engines.

     The Government also has all along been supporting research and development (R&D) in different technology areas through the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). Under the various ITF funding schemes, the Government supports local universities, R&D centres and enterprises to conduct R&D projects, including those low-attitude economy-related fields such as electronic, data transmission and processing, etc.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “!NSPIRE Series 2024: Lingnan Images – A Cinematic Crossover of 4 Cities” to examine cultural landscape of Lingnan (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

“!NSPIRE Series 2024: Lingnan Images – A Cinematic Crossover of 4 Cities” to examine cultural landscape of Lingnan (with photos)
“!NSPIRE Series 2024: Lingnan Images – A Cinematic Crossover of 4 Cities” to examine cultural landscape of Lingnan (with photos)
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The Film Programmes Office (FPO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present “!NSPIRE Series 2024: Lingnan Images – A Cinematic Crossover of 4 Cities” from November 23 to January 19 next year, screening films that cover the period from the reform and opening-up to date from Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen and Guangzhou at Hong Kong City Hall and the Hong Kong Film Archive. Exchange and workshop sessions will also be held to promote the collaboration of filmmakers of the four cities. The opening film “Ah Ying” (1983) was directed by Hong Kong new wave director Allen Fong. The film was the winner of Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Film Editing. It delicately depicts the story between Ah Ying, who works at a market fish stall, and her acting mentor, who has also become her friend. Various selected films illustrate the cultural impact and exchanges in different times. Renowned actor Chow Yun-fat plays a village chief in “Now You See Love… Now You Don’t” (1992). The clash between the lifestyles and ways of thinking of him and his childhood sweetheart returning from abroad, played by Carol “Do Do” Cheng, leads to scene after scene of hilarious comedy. “Little Cheung” (1999) depicts the livelihood of ordinary people from the perspective of children, who are able to find peace and hope in the midst of chaos with their innocence. “Ip Man – The Final Fight” (2013) and “Knitting” (2008) both reflect on how immigrants adapt to their new lives. The former tells the story of Ip Man, who upholds the virtues of Lingnan martial arts while facing the setbacks that come with his relocation to Hong Kong. The latter depicts the evolution of Guangzhou culture amid an influx of workers from outside, resulting in a mixture of northern and southern influences. There are also films portraying the confusion that urbanites face. Directed by Philip Yung, “Glamorous Youth” (2009) tells the story of a Hong Kong boy moving to Shenzhen to escape from family pressure and love problems, yet still finding himself trapped in the mundane routines of life. “Sun and Rain” (1987), directed by Zhang Zeming, illustrates the alienation and love between people in a city through a love quadrangle. “Damp Season” (2020) depicts the stress lingering in the lives of the working class in Shenzhen, like the dampness and humidity often found in spring. Both set in Guangzhou, “Eight Diagrams” (2009) is a dark comedy about the desire and sadness of urbanites, while “Something in Blue” (2016) is a travelogue of a city that brings together the unremarkable daily lives of four young people. Some of the selected films bring the cityscapes to the forefront. “Dot 2 Dot” (2014) traces the present and past of Hong Kong as a man and a woman with contrasting backgrounds navigate through the streets of the city. In “San Yuan Li” (2003) and “Cop Shop II” (2011), the Guangzhou cityscape and its changes through time are respectively illustrated with images and sounds.??? Two distinctive works from Macao will also be screened. Both of them are combinations of six stories. “Macau Stories 2: Love in the City” (2011) consists of six stories about love by six directors, while “Passing Rain” (2017), by director and screenwriter Chan Ka-keong, tells the stories of six characters with intertwined plotlines. Moreover, two collections consisting of seven short films in total on the history, societies and cultures of the Lingnan region will be screened. The films are “Miasma, Plants, Export Paintings” (2017), “Fonting the City” (2015), “Sons of the Land” (2007), “14 Paintings” (2023), “Real Talk” (2024), “An Asian Ghost Story” (2023) and “Fear and Trembling” (2009). Some of the screenings will be accompanied by post-screening talks, hosted by actor Hui So-ying, screenwriters Sze Yeung-ping and Mabel Cheung, producer Albert Chu, and directors Wong Teng-teng and Chan Ka-keong. To enable audiences to have a better understanding of the creation of films, there will be seminar screening sessions and exchange sessions. Three sessions of seminar screenings, entitled “The Spirit of Films about Intellectuals”, “Lingnan’s Secret Thoughts in Mind” and “The Current Situation of Macao Cinema”, will be held in which directors Gan Xiao’er, Yang Pingdao, and Wong Teng-teng and producer Albert Chu will share on their creative processes with screenings of selected film excerpts. Eight exchange sessions will also be held with filmmakers from the four cities in dialogues with each other or with film critics and audiences. Speakers include directors Yi Lichuan, Fruit Chan, Philip Yung, Herman Yau, Amos Why, and Zhang Zeming, film critic Joyce Yang and co-curators Law Kar and Feng Yu. Ticket holders of screenings with respective talks or exchange sessions will be admitted with priority, while the remaining seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with free admission. All films are with Chinese and English subtitles. “Glamorous Youth” is rated Category III and restricted to viewers aged 18 or above. Tickets for film screenings and seminar screening sessions priced at $70 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please call 2734 2900 or visit http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=65. To provide an opportunity for new talent of the film industry from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to gain a better understanding about the industry through discussions and exchanges with guidance from professional filmmakers, the FPO will hold the Brainstorming Workshop covering topics of film production, such as screenwriting, directing, cinematography, post-production, fund sourcing, producing and distribution. The workshop will be conducted in Cantonese and is free for admission, with a quota of 30 places. Film students and those who have been involved in film productions can register for selection from November 25 to December 20. Successful registrants will be invited to participate in the two-day workshop to be held on January 9 and 10 at Ko Shan Theatre. For details of the workshop, please visit the above website. This screening programme is one of the programmes of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival. Hong Kong is the host city of the Festival for the first time, organising and co-ordinating over 260 performances and exchange activities to be held in the “9+2” cities in the Greater Bay Area. The festival aims to showcase the vibrant and diverse cultural richness of the region and foster cultural exchanges and co-operation among the cities. For more information, please visit http://www.gbacxlo.gov.hk./en. It is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.

Ends/Wednesday, October 23, 2024Issued at HKT 15:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s finance ministry to issue 5B yuan of treasury bonds in Macao

Source: China State Council Information Office

China’s Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday it will issue 5 billion yuan (about 702 million U.S. dollars) of yuan-denominated treasury bonds in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Oct. 30.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. The issuance demonstrates the central government’s support for the region to develop modern finance and promote appropriate economic diversification, the ministry said.

This will be the central government’s third consecutive year of issuing yuan-denominated bonds in Macao, which is beneficial for further improving the regular issuance mechanism, consolidating the foundation of Macao’s bond market, and providing investors with stable and secure investment options.

It also has a positive effect on continuously optimizing the infrastructure of the Macao bond market, further expanding the range of investors, and accelerating its integration with international markets, according to the ministry.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Young persons in custody at Sha Tsui Correctional Institution attain good examination results (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     â€‹Young persons in custody (PICs) at Sha Tsui Correctional Institution (STCI) of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) were presented with certificates at a ceremony today (October 23) in recognition of their efforts and achievements in studies and vocational examinations.

Over the past year, 97 PICs participated in various academic and vocational examinations, including the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the City and Guilds International examinations, the Cambridge English Examinations and the General Aptitude Putonghua Shuiping Kaoshi. They obtained vocational certificates in areas such as Food and Beverage Services, Coffee Making and Latte Art Training, Specialty Drink (Non-alcoholic) Making, Cantonese Cooking, Multimedia Design, Music, Building Services and Laundry Skills. These examinations were organised by the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong; the School of Professional and Continuing Education, the University of Hong Kong; Christian Action; the Construction Industry Council; Tom Lee Music Foundation; the Vocational Training Council and Caritas Institute of Community Education. During the year, the PICs attained 127 merits out of 302 certificates obtained. In the ceremony today, 22 PICs were presented with 135 certificates, of which 76 were marked with merits.

     Officiating at the ceremony, the President of the Hong Kong Shanxi Union Community Limited (HKSUCL), Mr Ng Tang, said that the HKSUCL has been highly supportive of the rehabilitation work of the CSD, and has set up the HKSUCL – Igniting Hope Education Fund to provide education and vocational training subsidies to PICs with financial difficulties to enable further studies. He encouraged the young PICs to strive for self-improvement, and to walk hand in hand with their families and CSD staff on the path of rehabilitation to live a fulfilling life.

     During the ceremony, members of the lion dance team performed with accompaniment by a marching band. Moreover, PICs put their training into practice and produced a short video by using shooting and editing skills acquired in the Creative Multimedia Production Technology Training Course to showcase their learning outcomes at the ceremony. There was also a singing and musical instrument performance by PICs, with piano accompaniment by CSD staff, to demonstrate their determination to change.

     In the sharing session, one young PIC expressed gratitude to his mother for taking good care of him on her own and her unwavering support during his time in custody, which inspired him to reflect on his past mistakes and make good use of his time to study diligently. Two other young PICs also expressed appreciation for the encouragement and guidance from CSD staff, who helped them mend relationships with family members and learn valuable skills in a band. They hope to apply what they have learnt to contribute to society in the future.

     Also attending today’s certificate presentation ceremony were representatives from non-governmental and community organisations, community leaders and family members of the certificate recipients.

     STCI accommodates young male PICs aged from 14 to under 25. The Department provides half-day education programmes and half-day vocational training for PICs of training centres and rehabilitation centres to assist them to rehabilitate and prepare for reintegration into society.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Blog: How Strengthened Regulations and Healthcare Can Prevent Lead Poisoning

Source: Asia Development Bank

Lead exposure remains a significant public health threat in Asia and the Pacific, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The global effort to address lead poisoning must focus on stricter regulations, enhanced healthcare capacity, and coordinated international action to protect vulnerable populations.

The harmful effects of lead poisoning have been well-established since ancient times, with the First Century Roman writer Vitruvius warning of the health hazards of the widely-used metal. Today, we know that “there is almost no function in the human body which is not affected by lead toxicity.”

Lead exposure increases deaths from cardiovascular diseases among adults, particularly in low and middle-income countries. The long-term storage of lead in bones can lead to a wide range of health effects, including high blood pressure and renal failure.

For pregnant women and their babies, lead exposure is particularly devastating—it can cross the placental barrier, causing complications of pregnancy, miscarriages, stillbirths, and low birth weight.

In children, lead exposure has long-term and irreversible impacts on mental function reducing educational performance and employment opportunities. Together, these health consequences for individuals compromise the economic growth and social stability of entire countries.

While high income countries have significantly reduced lead exposure through rigorous testing, targeted research, and robust policy interventions, low- and middle-income countries, including several in Asia and the Pacific, continue to grapple with dangerously high levels of lead exposure.

An estimated 95% of the world’s IQ loss and 90% of cardiovascular deaths from exposure to lead is in low and middle-income countries, according to a 2023 study. The economic costs of lead exposure are staggering, with losses in total GDP of 10.5% in East Asia and the Pacific, 9.1% in South Asia, and 8.9% in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With effective interventions, high-income countries have reduced this economic impact of lead exposure to losses of 5.0% of total GDP but have not yet eliminated all sources of lead exposure.

The scale of the challenge is immense. Lead exposure causes three times as many deaths as exposure to unsafe water and sanitation and just as many deaths as air pollution. South Asia has some of the highest blood lead levels in the world with India alone home to 275 million children affected by lead poisoning —this amounts to half of all India’s children and one-third of the children affected by lead globally.

Bangladesh struggles with chronic lead exposure, largely due to contaminated spices, while Afghanistan faces a “silent epidemic” linked to lead-leaching cookware.

In the Philippines, 2021-2022 data from the Expanded National Nutrition Survey shows that over a million Filipino children ages 6-9 years have elevated blood lead levels. In Indonesia, more than 8 million children are estimated to have high blood lead levels with millions more at risk from lead paint covering homes and public facilities.

Across Asia and the Pacific, the informal recycling of used lead-acid batteries continues to poison communities, contaminating air, soil, and water.

The different sources of lead exposure complicate the challenge to remove the problem, however, the scope of the health and socioeconomic damage from lead demands decisive and comprehensive action. But we are not starting from zero.

The evidence base is robust, and the solutions are within reach. What remains is the political will and coordinated action across sectors to implement them effectively. The recent launch of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future at the United Nations General Assembly marks a watershed moment in the global fight against lead poisoning.

Exposure to lead is one of the most preventable public health threats, and yet it remains a pervasive environmental poison.

Health systems are at the forefront of the response toward a lead-free future.

Developing countries must strengthen health regulatory frameworks and enforce existing standards for lead content in products such as food, cosmetics, paints, and water. Inconsistent enforcement has been a major barrier in reducing exposure, and this must be addressed with urgency.

Stronger regulatory oversight and harsher penalties for non-compliance will be key, particularly in industries known for high lead usage. International development partners, through technical advice and policy-based lending, can play a pivotal role in incentivizing reforms and ensuring their effective implementation.

Building healthcare capacity is crucial. Healthcare professionals have low knowledge of the symptoms of lead poisoning, such as irritability and lethargy in mild doses and tremors and other neuropathies in higher doses.

Training is needed so that health workers identify lead poisoning and provide timely referrals for treatment. Developing the necessary healthcare infrastructure—from rural clinics to urban hospitals—is fundamental to ensuring that testing, treatment, and prevention measures can be implemented from communities, primary care facilities to hospitals.

Health actions should support the establishment of systematic, large-scale testing and data collection systems. Reliable data plays an essential role in understanding the full scope of lead exposure and to inform targeted interventions. Alongside quantitative measurements, the use of qualitative and ethnographic data is invaluable tool to understand how and why lead-contaminated products are used – and who is exposed to them.

Public awareness is critical. Surveys reveal that knowledge about the dangers of lead exposure is shockingly low. Large-scale educational and health promotion campaigns must be launched to raise awareness of the sources and effects of lead poisoning, particularly in communities most at risk.

While the health sector has a role in addressing lead poisoning, whatever the source, the scale and complexity of the problem demands coordinated action well beyond a single sector.

Governments, civil society, multilateral institutions, development agencies and the private sector must all come together to share resources, knowledge, and best practices. Only through collaboration can we hope to reduce and ultimately eliminate lead from our environment. The launch of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future is a vital step in bringing stakeholders together.

Exposure to lead is one of the most preventable public health threats, and yet it remains a pervasive environmental poison. The science is clear; the solutions are known. A lead-free future is not just a possibility—it is a necessity.

By acting now, we can safeguard the health and potential of millions of children, secure the economic and social well-being of developing countries, and ensure a healthier, brighter Asia and Pacific for generations to come.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 24, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: NZ’s third-largest city sanctions Israel over illegal Palestine settlements

Asia Pacific Report

Christchurch, New Zealand’s third-largest city, today became the first local government in the country to sanction Israel by voting to halt business with organisations involved in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It passed a resolution to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

It was a largely symbolic gesture in that Christchurch (pop. 408,000) currently has no business dealings with any of the companies listed by the United Nations as being active in the illegal settlements.

However, the vote also rules out any future business dealings by the city council with such companies.

The sanctions vote came after passionate pleas to the council by John Minto, president of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), and University of Canterbury postcolonial studies lecturer Dr Josephine Varghese.

“We’re delighted the council has taken a stand against Israel’s ongoing theft of Palestinian land,” said Minto in a statement welcoming the vote.

He had urged the council to take a stand against companies identified by the UN Human Rights Council as complicit in the construction and maintenance of the illegal settlements.

‘Failure of Western governments’
“It has been the failure of Western governments to hold Israel to account which means Israel has a 76-year history of oppression and brutal abuse of Palestinians.

“Today Israel is running riot across the Middle East because it has never been held to account for 76 years of flagrant breaches of international law,” Minto said.

“The motion passed by Christchurch City today helps to end Israeli impunity for war crimes.” (Building settlements on occupied land belonging to others is a war crime under international law)

“The motion is a small but significant step in sanctioning Israel. Many more steps must follow”.

The council’s vote to support the UN policy was met with cheers from a packed public gallery. Before the vote, gallery members displayed a “Stop the genocide” banner.

Minto described the decision as a significant step towards aligning with international law and supporting Palestinian rights.

“In relation to the council adopting a policy lined up with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, this resolution was co-sponsored by the New Zealand government back in 2016,” Minto said, referencing the UN resolution that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories “had no legal validity and constituted a flagrant violation under international law”.

‘Red herrings and obfuscations’
In his statement, Minto said: “We are particularly pleased the council rejected the red herrings and obfuscations of New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes who urged councillors to reject the motion”

“Mr Kepes presentation was a repetition of the tired, old arguments used by white South Africans to avoid accountability for their apartheid policies last century – policies which are mirrored in Israel today.”

Postcolonial studies lecturer Dr Josephine Varghese . . . boycotts “a long standing peaceful means of protest adopted by freedom fighters across the world.” Image: UOC

Dr Varghese said more than 42,000 Palestininians — at least 15,000 of them children — had been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.

“Boycotting products and services which support and benefit from colonisation and apartheid is the long standing peaceful means of protest adopted by freedom fighters across the world, not only by black South Africans against apartheid, but also in the Indian independent struggle By the lights of Gandhi,” she said.

“This is a rare opportunity for us to follow in the footsteps of these greats and make a historic move, not only for Christchurch City, but also for Aotearoa New Zealand.

“On March 15, 2019 [the date of NZ’s mosque massacre killing 51 people], we made headlines for all the wrong reasons, and today could be an opportunity where we make headlines global globally for the right reasons,” Dr Varghese said.

“Sanctions on Israel” supporters at the Christchurch City Council for the vote today. Image: PSNA

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s finance ministry to issue 5 bln yuan of treasury bonds in Macao

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

BEIJING, Oct. 23 — China’s Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday it will issue 5 billion yuan (about 702 million U.S. dollars) of yuan-denominated treasury bonds in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Oct. 30.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. The issuance demonstrates the central government’s support for the region to develop modern finance and promote appropriate economic diversification, the ministry said.

This will be the central government’s third consecutive year of issuing yuan-denominated bonds in Macao, which is beneficial for further improving the regular issuance mechanism, consolidating the foundation of Macao’s bond market, and providing investors with stable and secure investment options.

It also has a positive effect on continuously optimizing the infrastructure of the Macao bond market, further expanding the range of investors, and accelerating its integration with international markets, according to the ministry.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 1st Tianwen sci-fi awards announce winners

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

The inaugural Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest handed out trophies to respective winners over the weekend in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Author Liu Yang gives his acceptance speech for Best Novel on stage during the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest’s award ceremony held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest Organizing Committee]

During the award ceremony, ten main awards were handed out, which included Liu Yang winning Best Novel for “A City in the Well,” Fractal Orange being awarded Best Novelette for “Descartes’ Evil Genius” and Hai Ya’s “Spring Outside the Earthen Building” taking home Best Short Story.

Other award winners included “Honor of Kings – Amber Era” for Best Science Fiction Video Game Script and “The Wandering Earth II,” which won Best Sci-fi Film and Television Script. “The Three-Body Problem, Part One,” a comic book adaptation of Liu Cixin’s sci-fi trilogy, won Best Sci-fi Comic Book. Writers He Shan, Liu Ziheng, Pang Yujie, Long Teng and Ren Keye all received the award for best young sci-fi writers. Science Fiction World magazine was named the best sci-fi literature organization. The award for best new sci-fi writer was won by Liu Maijia.

Ten international sci-fi works were also honored at the ceremony with the Tianwen Special Award. These international works included Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” Arthur C. Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama,” Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Found and the Lost” and Robert L. Forward’s “Dragon’s Egg: A Novel,” and represented the top translated works in China over the past decade, as voted by members of last year’s World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Chengdu and this year’s Tianwen members.

Supported by the China Writers Association and hosted by the Chengdu municipal government, the contest received 1,162 submissions from both domestic and international sci-fi writers and practitioners, with submissions ranging from novels, short stories and comic books to films, TV series and games. The jury stated that the first Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest advocated for diverse and widespread participation.

“Last year at Worldcon, we launched the Tianwen Program to inspire sci-fi creators and stimulate the creation of high-quality works, promoting the exchange and integration of Chinese-language sci-fi with the rest of the world,” said Shi Zhanjun, a secretary of the secretariat of the Chinese Writers Association. “The launch of the Tianwen Program and this contest aim to foster cross-disciplinary integration in sci-fi literature, leading to a more fascinating and diverse sci-fi world.”

During the award ceremony, a camp for young sci-fi writers was also initiated under the Tianwen brand as an important component to the Tianwen Program. The camp aims to provide a series of professional creative training sessions for young writers with potential.

Launched last year during the 81st Worldcon in Chengdu, the Tianwen Program is named after a poem composed over 2,300 years ago by the esteemed poet Qu Yuan that explores the principles of the cosmos and probes the origins of the universe. In English, the Chinese term “Tianwen” means “questions to heaven.”

“‘Tianwen’ embodies traditional Chinese culture and a modern exploratory spirit, which is about how we advance into the universe and explore the future of humanity,” said Qiu Huadong, vice chairman and a secretary of the secretariat of the China Writers Association at the award ceremony for the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest. “As a foundation for sci-fi films and television, launching superior sci-fi literary works is crucial. With these high-quality works, the growth of sci-fi animation, film, television and other adaptations will flourish.”

Award winners and performers pose for a group photo during the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest award ceremony held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest Organizing Committee]

In the past year, the national sci-fi industry has advanced from the “ten billion level” to the “hundred billion level,” achieving a revenue of 113.29 billion yuan ($15.94 billion), according to the 2024 China Science Fiction Industry Report.

MIL OSI China News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCST expresses sorrow over passing of Mr Michael Suen

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (October 23) expressed his deep sorrow over the passing of Mr Michael Suen.

Mr Yeung said, “Mr Suen joined the Government in 1966 and had served in a number of government bureaux and departments. He became one of the Principal Officials in 1997 and made immense contributions to the implementation of various policy measures until 2012. I am deeply saddened by Mr Suen’s passing. I extend my sincere condolences to his family.”

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ15: Making good use of counselling professionals to support mental health services

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ15: Making good use of counselling professionals to support mental health services
LCQ15: Making good use of counselling professionals to support mental health services
*************************************************************************************

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 23):Question: It has been reported that according to the information of the Department of Health, both the proportions of students in Hong Kong who planned to commit suicide and who attempted suicide in the 2022-2023 school year hit a record high for the past five years, reflecting the severe challenges faced by Hong Kong’s mental health services and support system. There are views that as there are now only some 460 psychiatric specialists in Hong Kong, and people in need may not be able to receive timely support given such limited manpower, Hong Kong can make good use of counselling professionals to share and support its work on mental health services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of subsidised programmes related to the counselling profession offered by tertiary institutions in Hong Kong;(2) whether it knows the number of graduates with qualifications related to counselling in each of the past five years and, among them, the number of those who joined the counselling profession after graduation;(3) whether it has compiled statistics on public and subsidised mental health service items currently provided by counselling professionals in Hong Kong (set out by public and subsidised services);(4) whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of counselling professionals that need to be employed and have been employed by public organisations in Hong Kong at present;(5) of the community support services provided to new patients on the waiting list for psychiatric specialist services in public hospitals, and whether the authorities will consider providing additional support to patients with longer waiting time, such as arranging counselling professionals to provide services (including emotional counselling and service referrals) for patients with mild symptoms; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;(6) whether the authorities will consider setting up a registration system and the relevant qualifications framework for counselling professionals in Hong Kong, as well as drawing up related professional standards and formulating codes of professional conduct, so as to regulate the relevant profession; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and(7) of the authorities’ future planning to make good use of counselling professionals to support mental health services in Hong Kong, as well as the details of the relevant work?Reply:President, Student suicide is a complex social problem involving multiple risk and protective factors which should not be addressed solely through mental health factors or from a medical perspective, and issues on relevant supporting manpower should be tackled through co-ordination between different professionals and supporting personnel. In consultation with the Education Bureau (EDB), the Hospital Authority (HA), the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the consolidated reply in response to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan is as follows:(1) and (2) The eight University Grants Committee-funded universities do not offer publicly-funded counselling degree programmes at present. As regards the self-financing post-secondary education sector, various post-secondary institutions offer a total of 14 locally-accredited self-financing post-secondary programmes that are relevant to the counselling profession in the 2024/25 academic year, including two sub-degree, one undergraduate and 11 taught postgraduate programmes. The number of graduates of relevant programmes in the past five academic years are set out in the table below.

Level of Study
Academic Year

2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23

Sub-degree
104
84
59
37
110

Undergraduate
92
103
90
97
90

Taught Postgraduate
313
378
426
407
466

Note 1: The table above includes programmes with English titles involving the keywords “Counsel” / “Guidance”.Note 2: Sub-degree programmes cover full-time Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes.Note 3: Undergraduate programmes cover full-time first-year-first-degree and top-up degree programmes.Note 4: Taught postgraduate programmes cover both full-time and part-time Postgraduate Certificate with a minimum duration of one year, Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s, and Doctoral degree programmes.Note 5: Information on the number of graduates for the 2023/24 academic year is not yet available from relevant institutions. Apart from providing mental health support, counselling staff also provide appropriate counselling services in other service units, such as family services, schools and the workplace, according to the needs of the service targets. The EDB does not collect information on the graduates of the abovementioned programmes who have joined the counselling profession. (3) and (4) Mental health service providers within the structure of the Government and the HA such as doctors, nurses, clinical and educational psychologists and social workers, will consider whether to incorporate the element of counselling in the course of service delivery according to the needs of the service targets. Relevant organisations and the HA will also arrange training for relevant personnel to enhance their counselling skills. Apart from the aforementioned professional grade staff members, schools and social welfare organisations may employ counselling personnel on a need basis. For welfare service units, subject to their compliance with the requirements of the Funding and Service Agreement as well as the relevant statutory staffing requirements, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) subvented by the SWD may flexibly deploy resources to arrange appropriate personnel, including employing counselling personnel or purchasing counselling services to meet the operational and service targets’ needs. For example, Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) may employ counselling personnel according to their needs to provide services to persons with mental health needs. For schools, the EDB provides comprehensive student guidance services through multi-disciplinary collaboration and the “Whole School Approach”. Apart from teachers, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists, schools can also employ additional student guidance personnel or procure related services from organisations according to students’ needs, flexibly deploying grants provided by the Government or pooling together other school resources to strengthen the support for students.(5) The HA has specifically set an additional target for psychiatric specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs) last year, that is, the overall median waiting time for urgent and semi-urgent new cases should be no more than one week and four weeks respectively. The relevant target has already been achieved, ensuring that patients with urgent needs can receive treatment within a reasonable time. The HA will continue to strengthen its psychiatric SOPC services and improve the waiting time for urgent and semi-urgent new cases, including increasing consultation quotas. The HA will also take care of more psychiatric patients in need by strengthening its manpower and through the Public-Private Partnership Programme, as well as enhancing the services of psychiatric nurse clinics to allow patients to receive follow-up while waiting for SOPC services or follow-up appointments. If there is any change in the mental conditions of patients, they may return to their respective psychiatric SOPCs for re-assessment to determine whether they need to advance their consultation or seek treatment from the accident and emergency services. The Health Bureau launched the Pilot Scheme on New Service Protocol for Child and Adolescent with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbidity to provide multi-disciplinary assessment, treatment and support services to children and adolescents with or suspected to have Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbidities while they are waiting for HA services. In addition, the SWD provides subvention to NGOs to operate ICCMWs across the city. Following the Chief Executive’s announcement in the 2024 Policy Address that an additional ICCMW will be set up in the first quarter of 2026, the total number of ICCMWs across the city will increase to 25, providing community support services to persons with mental health needs.(6) and (7) Mental health encompasses various levels and aspects such as social service, school education, community support and medical care. Not all individuals with mental health problems need to seek treatment from psychiatrists. In recent years, mental health services introduced by the Government have, in varying degrees, implemented the concept of stepped care model, under which members of the public are referred to different levels of mental health services according to their mental health needs and severity. For example, the Student Mental Health Support Scheme launched in the 2016/17 academic year has applied the stepped care model to provide multi-disciplinary support services to students with mental health needs in schools through tripartite collaboration among the medical, education and social sectors. The 2024 Policy Address announced that the Government will extend integrated services based on a medical-educational-social collaboration model to promote mental health. The Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH) will formulate a stepped care model for mental health, through developing a multi-disciplinary framework with tiers from dealing with general emotional problems in the frontline to handling cases requiring follow-up and more serious mental illnesses cases. The framework sets out the roles of different professionals (such as teaching staff, social workers and healthcare workers, along with other supporting personnel and services providers) and their division of work in the provision of mental health services for cases in each tier, enabling them to work together and perform their respective roles smoothly, with a view to making good use of multi-disciplinary staff to assist in handling various types of cases with mental health needs in a systematic manner. To ensure the quality and standard of services, the Government will review the appropriate training qualifications and quality assurance requirements for different professionals and support staff according to risk-based needs during the formulation of the stepped care model for mental health. In the process, the Government will also review the relevant personnel providing counselling services. A working group on the stepped care model for mental health has been established under the ACMH to take forward the work and is expected to submit a report by end???2025.

Ends/Wednesday, October 23, 2024Issued at HKT 15:45

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Directs Flags To Half-Staff in Honor of Wethersfield Firefighter Robert Sharkevich

Source: US State of Connecticut

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut lowered to half-staff in honor of Robert Sharkevich Sr., a member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and former member of the Hartford Fire Department who died in the line of duty while responding to a brush fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin.

Flags should be lowered effective immediately and remain lowered until sunset on the date of interment, which has not yet been determined. The Office of the Governor will send out a notification when flags should be returned to full staff.

“I am very heartbroken to learn the news of the tragic loss of Firefighter Sharkevich, who died while bravely and courageously responding to the brush fire at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin,” Governor Lamont said. “His selfless dedication to public service and the safety of his community and the surrounding towns is nothing less than heroic. On behalf of the people of Connecticut, I thank him for the service he has provided to our state, and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and Hartford Fire Department.”

“This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice and risk that our professional and volunteer firefighters face day in and day out when they put on their uniforms,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “Firefighter Sharkevich bravely answered the call to assist the area’s fire crews in responding to this brush fire, and he will forever be remembered as a hero. My heart breaks for his loved ones and the members of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department, the Hartford Fire Department, and Connecticut’s whole firefighting community. I am keeping each of them and their loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.”

In accordance with the governor’s directive, flags will be at half-staff on the Connecticut State Capitol building and all other state-operated buildings, grounds, and facilities statewide. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, and any other private entities and government subdivisions are encouraged to lower their flags for this same duration of time. Since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: WHO – Ten additional countries in the Western Pacific Regionpledge to invest in WHO

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)

MANILA, 23 October 2024 – In a historic show of support, 10 more countries in the Western Pacific Region pledged to provide an additional US$ 12.1 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) through its first-ever Investment Round. This comes in addition to US$ 18 million announced by Singapore in May. The WHO Investment Round aims to secure predictable, flexible, and resilient resources for WHO’s core work over the next four years.

The seventy-fifth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific began on Monday with Member States formally endorsing the new regional vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025-2029): Working together to improve health, well-being and save lives.

The financial commitments were made during a Special Event on the Investment Round at the Regional Committee today. Governments and partners from across Asia and the Pacific in attendance emphasized the importance of ensuring WHO has robust financing to implement its global strategy for the 2025-2028 period, the 14th General Programme of Work, which was approved by Member States at the World Health Assembly in May 2024.

The Government of the Philippines co-hosted the Special Event and made a historic pledge of US$ 10 million to the WHO Investment Round. During his remarks, Secretary of Health Dr Teodoro J. Herbosa of the Philippines said “A robust, reliable, and sustainably funded WHO is crucial for the Western Pacific Region and the world to address inequities and inequalities in health which were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we have taken a significant first step towards a future where health and well-being are accessible to everyone.”

Malaysia also demonstrated its support of WHO’s work through a US$ 2 million pledge towards the Investment Round.

In a powerful symbol of Pacific leaders’ commitment to health and WHO’s pivotal role in supporting them, eight Pacific Island countries pledged to double their funding contributions to WHO for 2025. First-ever voluntary contributions to WHO were announced today by Papua New Guinea, and Cook Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Speaking to the Regional Committee through a live video connection on Tuesday morning, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that to support the implementation of the Organization’s new global strategy, “we have launched the first WHO Investment Round, which aims to mobilize the sustainable and predictable resources we need to do our work. Thank you all for your commitment to promoting, providing and protecting health, for all people of the Western Pacific.”

During the Investment Round Special Event, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, thanked Member States and partners for their pledges, which will enable the Organization to support countries more effectively.

“The commitments made today are truly historic,” Dr Piukala said. “They include a doubling of financial contributions from several of our small island developing states, and significant sums from the Philippines and Malaysia.

“It’s a sign of governments’ confidence in WHO as their partner in health, and a recognition of the need for sustainable financing in order to deliver on the vision of weaving health for families, communities and societies in the Western Pacific,” he said.

Prior to the meeting, WHO launched the document All for Health, Health for All: WHO Investment Case 2025-28 Western Pacific to capture the impact of a fully-funded Western Pacific Region over the next four years.

Partners joined Members States in statements of support for WHO. Organizations including the Asian Development Bank, the Institute of Philanthropy and Temasek Trust committed to working closely with WHO during the next four years. Earlier this month, the Institute of Philanthropy made a US$10 million pledge to the Investment Round during the World Health Summit in Berlin, following a $1.2 million pledge in May at the World Health Assembly. The Temasek Foundation also pledged $10 million on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“We are off to a great start for the Investment Round in the Western Pacific based on today’s event,” said Dr Piukala. “Today we also heard that we should expect to see more countries and partners stepping up to provide additional resources in the coming weeks.”

With a fully and sustainably funded operating budget for 2025–2028, WHO will be better able to tackle emergencies and outbreaks that jeopardize health security and threaten lives, reduce the burden of both infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and continue working to improve the health and well-being of everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Launched at the World Health Assembly in May 2024, the Investment Round aims to mobilize contributions that are flexible and thereby aligned with WHO’s strategy as approved by its Member States, predictably provided at the start of the four-year programme cycle to enable strategic decision-making, and resilient in that they will derive from a larger, more diverse set of donors.

WHO’s Investment Round will culminate at the G20 leaders’ summit chaired by Brazilian President Lula da Silva next month.

Notes:

The seventy-fifth session of the Western Pacific Regional Committee began on 21 October and runs through 25 October at WHO’s Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines. The agenda (https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro—documents/regional-committee/session-75/wpr-rc75-01-provisional-agenda.pdf ) and timetable (https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro—documents/regional-committee/session-75/tentative-timetable_rc75.pdf ) are available online. A livestream of proceedings, all other official documents, as well as fact sheets and videos on the issues to be addressed can be accessed here. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-committee/session-75

Working with 194 Member States across six regions, WHO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for public health. Each WHO region has a regional committee – a governing body composed of ministers of health and senior officials from Member States. Each regional committee meets annually to agree on health actions and to chart priorities for WHO’s work.

The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to more than 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and areas: American Samoa (United States of America), Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (France), Guam (United States of America), Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Niue, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (United States of America), Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Viet Nam, Wallis and Futuna (France).

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: UK Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) – 23 October 2024

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

Watch PMQs with British Sign Language (BSL) –

Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlUy6vEdWo

MIL OSI Video –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: UK Prime Minister’s Questions with British Sign Language (BSL) – 23 October 2024

Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.

In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.

The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.

Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcommons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofcommons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqvw5q64AtM

MIL OSI Video –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Housing maintenance and improvement

Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

A SERIES of major policy documents aimed at protecting and enhancing public housing in Dundee are set to be discussed by councillors.
Updated versions of Dundee City Council’s empty homes strategy, five-year strategic investment plan and the annual review of rents will be tabled next week.
Mark Flynn, convener of the neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee said: “To be able to deliver strong communities where people feel empowered, safe, and proud to live and where the root causes of poverty are being tackled needs a good supply of warm, easy to heat homes.
“But these things do not appear from nowhere, they need detailed, well thought out and realistic documents like these to put down in black and white what we need to do, how we are going to do it and how long it is going to take to get where we want to be.”
Lynne Short, the committee’s deputy convener added: “The framework that these policies and others provides is crucial not only to delivering on our goals, but also in allowing people to see what progress is being made towards them over time.”
The new 22-page empty homes strategy aims to build on the 132 empty homes already brought back into use by using the 1,067 unoccupied houses in the city to provide accommodation. This figure is put into context in the report which notes that there were 1,430 new homeless applications made to Dundee City Council in 2022/2023.
Empty homes are classified as dwellings that have been empty for six months or more and are liable for council tax. The most recent figures published by the Scottish Government in September 2023, show that almost 75% of the long-term empty properties in Dundee are privately owned.
It has been developed through a clear understanding of the impact of empty homes across Dundee on neighbourhoods, communities, homeowners and residents.
The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2025-2030 sets out Dundee’s affordable housing priorities for the next five years and aims to ensure that the city continues to successfully deliver new-build affordable housing for rent.
It reveals that 286 new build social homes are expected to be completed before spring 2027, with more than 500 more “in the pipeline” with start dates between 2025 and 2028.
According to the SHIP. the council will work with partners to ensure that all new build properties constructed within the investment programme meet or surpass the current building regulations.
In addition, where possible energy efficiency measures such as insulation, solar energy, wind power or other suitable measures will be integrated into the construction to help reduce carbon emissions, address fuel poverty and ensure that tenants live in warm, affordable homes.
It also includes additional accessible housing for adults with learning, physical or mental health disabilities, to allow them to receive the appropriate care and support that they need within their local community.
Members of the neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee will be asked to approve discussions with tenants on annual increases ranging from an average of £3.92 to £4.36 per week.
Council house tenants could be consulted on three proposed rent increases between 4.5% and 5% if councillors back the move.
During the two-month consultation as many tenants as possible will be encouraged to share their views on the three options before a report is prepared and considered in January.
Cllr Flynn added: “Every year we try to offer tenants a balanced choice between services remaining at the same high standard they have now or giving the council additional resources to spend more on the things tenants have told us that they want, such as tackling anti-social behaviour.”
As well as using as many ways as possible of gauging tents’ opinions including face to face engagement, social media and continued collaboration with Dundee Federation of Tenants Association and registered tenants’ organisations; information will also be made available about the support services available for people affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
The neighbourhood resources, housing and estate management committee meets on Monday (October 28).

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI: Exclusive Markets’ Mr. Lambros Lambrou Honoured with ‘Top 50 Financial Markets CEO Awards 2024’ in Dubai

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exclusive Markets proudly announces that Mr. Lambros Lambrou, CEO of the esteemed organization, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Top 50 Financial Markets CEO Awards’ at the Middle East Financial Markets Awards Ceremony Dubai 2024 – 2^ndEdition. This award is not only a testament to his exceptional leadership, visionary approach, and significant contributions to the financial sector but also highlights his dedication to excellence and his role in driving the success and growth of Exclusive Markets.

Lambros Lambrou leads Exclusive Markets, guiding the firm through dynamic market landscapes and ensuring sustained growth. His strategic vision has been instrumental in positioning Exclusive Markets as one of the top players in the global trading sector. Under his leadership, the firm has expanded its portfolio and consistently delivered exceptional value to its clients.

On receiving the award, Lambros Lambrou expressed his gratitude for the recognition, saying, “I am deeply honoured. It reflects the collective efforts of the entire team at Exclusive Markets. Together, we have strived to create an environment that fosters innovation, integrity, and excellence. This award inspires us to continue our journey towards setting new standards in the industry.”

This marks the relentless commitment to excellence of Lambros Lambrou. His innovative strategies and client centric approach have set new benchmarks in the industry. The leadership in Exclusive Markets is characterized by a deep understanding of market dynamics, a keen eye for emerging trends, and a passion for nurturing talent within the organization.

About Exclusive Markets

Exclusive Markets is committed to delivering a robust, secure, and transparent platform for investors in various financial instruments. With a strong emphasis on advanced technology and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Certification from MSECB, Exclusive Markets provides traders with an outstanding platform that seamlessly blends advanced features with user-friendly interfaces.

Traders can explore a diverse selection of trading instruments, including CFD stocks, commodities, currencies, and spot metals. The company’s expert team is dedicated to meeting the evolving demands of clients by broadening the array of products and services, enabling traders to invest according to their unique preferences.

Risk Warning: Trading involves risk.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/25d6ff93-af6f-4d51-b584-4e27a0ed10ed

The MIL Network –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: WHO – Government leaders and multisectoral partners unite to tackle noncommunicable diseases and mental health issues in the Commonwealth

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)

APIA, Samoa l 23 October 2024 – High-level government leaders and multistakeholder partners came together today to strengthen their commitment to addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health at a side event held during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa. The event, titled “Weaving a Healthy Commonwealth Aiga for Combating Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Mental Health,” was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health, Samoa, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office in Samoa, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The event highlighted the importance of strong political commitment, partnerships and community involvement in tackling the global health challenges posed by NCDs and mental health issues. Participants from various sectors, including health, education, sports, finance, agriculture, trade, and media, shared their insights and strategies to create environments that promote healthier lifestyles and build more resilient health systems.

Noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are the leading cause of death in most countries. These diseases account for 150 million premature deaths among people aged between 30 and 70 years, most living in developing countries.

Director General of Health, Professor Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma, highlighted Samoa’s unique approach, “The Ministry of Health has successfully introduced the ‘Package of Essential NCD Services (PEN) Fa’a Samoa’ into our communities, demonstrating our strong commitment to tackling NCDs and mental health issues. We continue to seek innovative ways to strengthen our partnerships with other sectors to reduce NCDs and improve mental health. The Samoan government is dedicated to fostering these collaborations to ensure sustainable and impactful health outcomes for our people.”

“Tackling NCDs and mental health is not just a job for the health sector. It requires the dedicated involvement of the whole-of-government and whole-of-society. By working together across different sectors and tapping into community strengths, we can significantly reduce the burden of NCDs and mental health conditions,” said Dr Kim Eva Dickson, WHO Representative to Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.

NCDs have also become a serious challenge for people under 30, who make up 60% of the Commonwealth population. In the previous CHOGM held in Rwanda in 2022, the Commonwealth youth-led NCD Guiding Framework was developed to provide a road map for collective action to address the root causes of NCDs and promote healthier lifestyles, especially among the younger population.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC said, “In Rwanda, we committed to take bold multisectoral action to reduce the incidence of NCDs. This year here in Samoa, the Commonwealth remains committed to strengthening partnerships that support health equity and sustainable development. By coming together as a Commonwealth ‘aiga’ or family today, our leaders and stakeholders have underscored the collective resolve to combat NCDs and promote mental health.”

Alongside the focus on addressing NCDs and mental health, the event also highlighted the importance of healthy ageing. A report, authored by Professor Dame Carol Black, the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Ageing Well was presented at the event. As people live longer by prioritizing strategies to prevent NCDs, it is equally important that they continue to thrive and live productive lives.

The event concluded with renewed commitments from various sectors and stakeholders to work together to combat NCDs and promote mental health, helping set the stage for continued collaboration and action within the Commonwealth.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Local Government Association of Queensland Annual Conference

Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

I’d like to thank LGAQ CEO, Alison Smith, for the warm invitation to this year’s annual conference.

It’s really great to be here with you.

It’s also nice to be in QLD without my kids!

Don’t get me wrong, I know how important family holidays are for your economies across Queensland.

But it’s actually quite nice not to be running around in swimmers at a water park!

Just don’t tell my kids I said this!

I’d also like to give a huge shout out to Mayor Matt Burnett, and congratulate him on his appointment as the new Australian Local Government Association National President.

He’s a strong, passionate voice for the sector and I look forward to working with him in this new capacity.

Once a regional mayor myself, I’m can’t help but note that Matt and the two new Vice Presidents all hail from regional Australia!

Like all of you in the room, I’m committed to strengthening the local government sector.

The Albanese Government takes this seriously, because when we work together, we get the best outcomes for our communities.

You are a trusted deliver partner of the services every community across Queensland relies on.

We value this, and we’re investing in it.

We’ve brought you back to the national conversation, at both National Cabinet, and at our two successful Australian Council of Local Government forums.

We had over 770 people from the local government sector participate this year, many from the Sunshine State!

This open-door, collective dialogue is incredibly important, because there’s nothing worse than decisions being made for you – without you – from Canberra.

It’s how we can deliver funding where it’s needed, so that we can continue to get projects that matter to your communities off the ground.

It’s why your input into the federal inquiry into local government sustainability underway right now is incredibly important, because it will help us shape how we can deliver the support you need.

This is one of the reasons we’ve significantly increased road funding to all local councils across Queensland – acting on feedback from you.

Much like my home state of NSW, your roads have more people on them than ever before.

Many of them are regional, and many of them have been totally washed away by extreme weather events.

We are progressively doubling Roads to Recovery from $500 million to $1 billion nationally, which will have a huge impact on how you upgrade and maintain your local roads.

Almost $900 million is flowing to local governments in Queensland over the next five years, a boost of over $353 million thanks to the Albanese Government.

A pipeline of new work will build on the thousands of projects being delivered under Roads to Recovery.

Projects on the roads your communities drive every day – the ones they call or email you about to improve!

This builds on funding under our Road Black Spot program – which is also increasing from $110 million to $150 million per year.

Under this program in this financial year, we’re already supporting 31 Black Spot sites across Queensland, with more than two thirds of this funding supporting projects in regional areas.

Projects like upgrading Kajabbi Road in the Cloncurry Shire – fixing a problem which often saw this road closed during wet weather.

But it’s not just roads that our local communities want to see delivered.

We obviously need safe and reliable roads to get around, because we all have somewhere to go – from work, holidaying, to catching up with family and friends.

That’s why we’re also investing in projects that bring our communities together.

Projects that unlock new jobs and economic opportunities.

We’ve introduced our Growing Regions and Thriving Suburbs programs.

For the first time, a funding opportunity for everyone community – regardless of your postcode.

Projects supported through these programs will be truly region-shaping.

Out of the 40 successful projects under Round 1 of Growing Regions, nine are in Queensland.

Among them is the Agnes Water Skate Park Revitalisation at Gladstone.

This is something long called for by the community – and will really be a whole community facility, because skate parks really are for all ages.

Trust me, there’s vision on my socials to prove that!

I don’t know how good I was, but there’s vision!

In Mackay, the Regional Council will construct the Northern Beaches Community Hub.

This will be a central gathering place for the community, and really change how they come together for major events and activities.

Applications for Round 2 – now with a single stage process, which is updated after feedback from you – closed earlier this month.

A further $393 million is available, and we look forward to seeing many more amazing projects under this round!

One of the big things councils across Queensland talk to me about is housing.

It’s why we’re investing $32 billion in housing initiatives – the biggest investment in over a decade.

This will see 1.2 million new homes built over the next five years, including many in our regions.

But increasing housing supply requires collaboration and investment across all levels of government.

It’s why we launched our $1.5 billion Housing Support Program, to get enabling infrastructure underway, and build more homes sooner.

And they say imitation is the best form of flattery, and I note the Opposition have copied this program, so good on them.

$7 million is flowing to Queensland under Round 1 of our program to 16 projects, with 15 of these in regional locations.

This is where we know more people are moving to, but where we need more housing to attract and retain the workers our community needs.

Among the Queensland funding is support for precinct planning around the new Bundaberg Hospital development.

Support for developing and delivering a Townsville Housing Strategy.

Plus funding to the Torres Shire Council, to develop and deliver a Horn Island Housing Growth Master Plan.

Getting more people under a safe and secure roof starts with strengthen your planning abilities.

The second phase of this program is support for the enabling infrastructure we need to get underway.

Successful applications for those programs will be announced later this year.

I mentioned before roads getting washed away – and that’s just one of the things that happens when our communities are struck by disasters.

All of us in the room can agree that when a disaster does hit us, response and recovery is led from the local level up.

I had this experience myself as Mayor of Bega Valley Shire in NSW – where I had nine declared disasters.

Black Summer bushfires, which were only put out from extreme floods!

Ensuring communities are in the best possible position to recover, but that they’re also better prepared, is something very close to my heart.

My community is still rebuilding, as are so many across Queensland.

I’m really proud of our $1 billion Disaster Ready Fund.

We not long had 165 successful projects under Round 2 this program announced nationally.

This included over $55 million for 29 local projects across Queensland.

Among them is funding for the Burke Shire towards establishing a multi-sensor warning system.

Funding towards a back-up generator for the Badu Council Administration Centre in the Torres Straits.

And funding for a 120-metre long stepped concrete seawall in Deception Bay, to replace a failed rock and shotcrete seawall.

When we work together we get more done – and this is especially the case for Disaster response and recovery.

A partnership approach has been our focus since we came to government.

You’re central to turning federal funding into local results – and I want to thank you for this.

I’d also like to thank LGAQ for your continued support of the sector, and for your advocacy.

I know there will be many productive conversations today, so I’ll let you get to it.

MIL OSI News –

January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: On your marks – 100 days to file Self Assessment
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments 2

Self Assessment customers encouraged to prepare and file their tax return early as 31 January deadline is in sight.
People have 100 days until 31 January deadline to file their Self Assessment tax return and pay tax owed

Self Assessment customers urged to prepare and file their tax return early

The countdown clock has begun as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reminds customers they have 100 days to file and pay their Self Assessment tax return before the 31 January deadline.

Anyone who is yet to start, can access information and guidance on GOV.UK to help them complete their tax return.

More than 3.5 million have already beaten the clock and submitted their returns. HMRC is reminding others that starting their Self Assessment early means they are more likely to complete an accurate tax return, avoid any last-minute panic plus they will know what they owe sooner and can budget.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

The countdown to the Self Assessment deadline has begun but there is still time to thoroughly prepare and file an accurate tax return by 31 January. You can access online help and support to help you file. Search ‘help with Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.

More than 12 million people need to file a tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year and pay any tax owed by the 31 January 2025 deadline.

HMRC has produced a series of YouTube videos to help people complete their return and a step-by-step guide to check what customers need to do to file their first tax return.  

Customers who are unsure if they need to file a tax return can visit GOV.UK to check if they need to send a Self Assessment tax return. 

Anyone who is new to Self Assessment needs to register to receive their Unique Taxpayer Reference before they can send a tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year.

People who no longer need to file a tax return should tell HMRC as soon as possible to avoid any penalties. HMRC has produced 2 videos explaining how customers can go online and stop Self Assessment if they are self-employed and those who are not self-employed. 

How to go online and stop Self Assessment if you’re self-employed

How to go online and stop Self Assessment if you’re not self-employed

HMRC recommends that anyone who regularly sell goods or provides a service through an online platform to find out more about selling online and paying taxes. The information on GOV.UK will help them decide if their activity should be treated as a trade and if they need to complete a Self Assessment tax return.

Criminals use emails, phone calls and texts to try to steal information and money from taxpayers. Before sharing their personal or financial details, people should search ‘HMRC tax scams’ on GOV.UK to access a checklist to help them decide if the contact they have received is a scam

People should never share their HMRC login information with anyone. Someone could use them to steal from them or claim benefits or a refund in their name.

Further Information

More information on Self Assessment

The deadlines for tax returns for 2023 to 2024 tax year are 31 October 2024 for paper returns and 31 January 2025 for online returns.

More than 97% of Self Assessment returns are filed online.

People can use the HMRC app to find out how to register for Self Assessment, check their Unique Taxpayer Reference, get their National Insurance number and employment income and history and pay their tax bill.

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Published 23 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government welcomes passage of Rating (Amendment) Bill 2024

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Government welcomed the passage of the Rating (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Legislative Council today (October 23). The Bill gives effect to the progressive rating system for domestic tenements, which will take effect from the fourth quarter of this financial year (i.e. January to March 2025), to uphold the principle of “affordable users pay”.

Starting from the fourth quarter of this financial year, for domestic tenements with a rateable value (RV) of $550,000 or below, rates will continue to be charged at 5 per cent of the RV. For domestic tenements with an RV exceeding $550,000, rates will be charged at the same rate of 5 per cent for the first $550,000, 8 per cent for the next $250,000, and 12 per cent for the remaining RV.

Non-domestic tenements, including tenements used for business activities or social services, e.g. commercial building, industrial building, shop, hotel, nursery, home for the elderly, youth hostel, holiday camp, etc, will not be subject to the progressive rating system.

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “The progressive rating system endeavours to strike a balance between upholding the ‘affordable users pay’ principle and minimising the number of ratepayers affected. In formulating the progressive rating system, the Government has taken into account a basket of factors, including the affordability of ratepayers of domestic tenements, the market rentals as reflected in the RV, the number of affected ratepayers and the amount of additional rates to be paid, the estimated increase in revenue from rates, as well as the fundamental principle of maintaining a simple rating system. The progressive rating system is part of the Government’s comprehensive fiscal consolidation programme. It is expected that government revenue will increase by about $820 million each year. The affected domestic tenements account for about 1.9 per cent of the total number of private domestic tenements in Hong Kong.”

The Bill will be gazetted on November 1. The Rating and Valuation Department will inform the affected ratepayers. The quarterly demands to be issued in the fourth quarter of this financial year will reflect the progressive rates for applicable cases.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 24, 2025

Category: Politics

41% of jobseekers are being failed

Jobseekers’ fault or the system’s fault?

Further Information

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