Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool film studio scores BAFTA albert win

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Last updated:

    A Liverpool studio’s aim to be one of the UK’s greenest has been rewarded with a prestigious rating from the UK film industry.

    The Depot, which has hosted numerous award-nominated TV productions, has been named as a ‘Very Good’ BAFTA Albert sustainable studio.

    The new accolade makes The Depot one of the leading net zero studios of its kind in the country in delivering its carbon-cutting commitments.

    Owned by Liverpool City Council and managed by the Film Office, The Depot first opened its doors in 2021 and since then has welcomed productions such as This City Is Ours, The Gathering and Sexy Beast.

    A total of 31 studios participated in this round of the BAFTA Albert Studio Sustainability Standard where The Depot was awarded a rating of ‘Very Good’ with a score of 80% – compared to an average score of 77%.

    Areas in which the studio excelled were 100% LED studio lighting, providing the service of renewable generators, the sustainability policy, as well as access to green biodiverse space.

    Suggestions for improvements include installing EV charging ports, looking at the feasibility of renewable energy generation and increasing the recycling rate.

    Launched in 2022, the BAFTA Albert Studio Sustainability Standard is the world’s first sustainability assessment designed to help measure and reduce the environmental impact of film and TV studios by focusing on six key areas: Climate, Circularity, Nature, People, Management and Data.

    Each studio submits data annually under the areas highlighted to then receive a performance report as well as a grade so that benchmarking work can be done to continue to make improvements and compare other studios across the world.

    This award comes after Liverpool was announced as the world’s first UN Accelerator City for climate action, which recognises the city’s commitment to trial new ways to decarbonise the music and film production sectors.

    For more information about the Film Office, and to watch the 35th anniversary celebratory showreel, head to the official website.

    Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, said:
    “This is fantastic news for the city and for film and TV productions who choose Liverpool as their place to shoot their stories for screen.

    “Not only have we achieved a ‘Very Good’ rating but The Depot is leading the way for film and TV studios in the North, proving that if you want to shoot sustainable productions, Liverpool is the very best place to do this.

    “This news follows our announcement last year about our ‘plug and play’ zones across key filming and TV sites in the city centre and is yet another important step towards the city’s net-zero future.”

    Head of Liverpool Film Office, Lynn Saunders, said:
    “We’re thrilled to receive the rating of ‘Very Good’ and so proud that we’ve achieved this award in the first time in entering.

    “We’re dedicated to building on the success of filming in the Liverpool City Region by creating a sustainable screen eco system, bettering not only our skills programme but the way we work with productions when they come to our region to film.

    “By having this award, we will be able to track our progress and continue to make meaningful improvements to The Depot to better the environment for generations to come.”

    Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:
    “We’re proud to be leading the charge in building a cleaner, greener economy right here in the Liverpool City Region – and with The Depot becoming a ‘Very Good’ BAFTA Albert sustainable studio it shows we’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk.

    “It’s brilliant to get this kind of recognition. Every step we take to build sustainability into our everyday lives leads to bigger shift – and it’s those changes that’ll help us hit our ambitious target of becoming net zero by 2035. That’s a decade ahead of the government – and proof that when we set ourselves targets, we deliver.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Gladiators – ready! Pedal through history and ride Roman Leicester

    Source: City of Leicester

    TRANSFORM your bike into a mighty chariot, dress in your finest Roman tunics or battle armour and join in the pedal-powered fun for a Roman bike parade during the Easter holidays!

    On Saturday 26 April, families are invited to join in a free bike ride being held by Ride Leicester as part of the Old Town Festival.

    Starting from Leicester Cathedral Gardens at 12pm, the easygoing, one-mile ride will loop around the city centre and is suitable for riders of all ages and abilities.

    And the day before, on Friday 25 April, visit the community hub in the Haymarket shopping centre to join a free workshop where you can transform your bike helmet into a bold Centurion design!

    Janet Hudson, transport development officer at Leicester City Council, said: “Everyone is welcome on our colourful, noisy bike parade to celebrate the Old Town Festival. Our rickshaws will be transformed into Roman chariots for the occasion, and we’re really looking forward to seeing how people incorporate the Roman theme into the bikes or their outfits!

    “Whether or not you choose to dress up, all are welcome on our ride, which will tour the free activities going on at the Old Town festival. A legendary cycling adventure awaits!”

    Assistant city mayor for transport and environment, Cllr Geoff Whittle, said: “These bike parades are fast becoming a popular fixture of our festivals, with the last ones at Light Up Leicester proving to be a real hit.

    “They’re a great way for families to cycle together and see just how easy it can be to get around by bike. We’re very pleased to be supporting Ride Leicester with a regular programme of social bike rides.”

    Sign up for the bike parade here: https://letsride.co.uk/rides/roman-festival-bike-parade

    Find out more about the Old Town festival here: https://www.visitleicester.info/whats-on/old-town-festival-p709811

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens call for more workers to have a permanent four day week

    Source: Scottish Greens

    A four day week is better for workers rights.

    The Easter Bank Holiday period underlines the many benefits of a four day work week, say the Scottish Greens.

    The party’s workers’ rights spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP, has called for the UK and Scottish Governments to support companies and organisations who are considering trialling or introducing a four day week for workers.

    The Scottish Greens have already adopted a four day working week for party and MSP office staff, with positive results. Better work-life balance, less stress, and more control over their lives are just some of the benefits that staff have reported. Better focus at work also means increased productivity.

    Ms Chapman said:

    “Every worker deserves to have a good work-life balance, and a four day week without loss of pay is a proven way of providing that.

    “The Easter bank holidays will give workers all over the country more time to spend with their families, friends and loved ones, or simply to relax. That should be normal rather than being an exception.

    “The path to a four day week will be different for every company and organisation. That’s why we want to see more trials across different sectors and are urging the Scottish and UK governments to offer more support for those making the change.

    “Whenever workers’ rights have been extended there have been people telling us it is impossible or would result in a loss of productivity or profit.

    “We heard this with the introduction of weekends, basic health and safety, and the minimum wage: the same voices told us they couldn’t be done, or they would be detrimental.

    “I believe that people are so much more than just cogs in our economy, and that means we must ensure that work does not cause stress and harm to people. We already have longer work weeks than the European average.

    “We should be transforming our relationship with work to support the health and wellbeing of our workforce. Because that will be good for them but also for those they work for: happy, healthy employees will be more productive than sick, stressed and frustrated workers.

    “The impact of normalising a four day week could be transformative for workers’ rights and for building a fairer, greener and better future.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-Evening Report: Obama praises Harvard for ‘setting example’ to universities resisting Trump

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former US President Barack Obama has taken to social media to praise Harvard’s decision to stand up for academic freedom by rebuffing the Trump administration’s demands.

    “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions — rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect,” Obama wrote in a post on X.

    He called on other universities to follow the lead.

    Harvard will not comply with the Trump administration’s demands to dismantle its diversity programming, limit student protests over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, and submit to far-reaching federal audits in exchange for its federal funding, university president Alan M. Garber ’76 announced yesterday afternoon.

    “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” he wrote, reports the university’s Harvard Crimson news team.

    The announcement comes two weeks after three federal agencies announced a review into roughly $9 billion in Harvard’s federal funding and days after the Trump administration sent its initial demands, which included dismantling diversity programming, banning masks, and committing to “full cooperation” with the Department of Homeland Security.

    Within hours of the announcement to reject the White House demands, the Trump administration paused $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts to Harvard in a dramatic escalation in its crusade against the university.

    More focused demands
    On Friday, the Trump administration had delivered a longer and more focused set of demands than the ones they had shared two weeks earlier.

    It asked Harvard to “derecognise” pro-Palestine student groups, audit its academic programmes for viewpoint diversity, and expel students involved in an altercation at a 2023 pro-Palestine protest on the Harvard Business School campus.

    It also asked Harvard to reform its admissions process for international students to screen for students “supportive of terrorism and anti-Semitism” — and immediately report international students to federal authorities if they break university conduct policies.

    It called for “reducing the power held by faculty (whether tenured or untenured) and administrators more committed to activism than scholarship” and installing leaders committed to carrying out the administration’s demands.

    And it asked the university to submit quarterly updates, beginning in June 2025, certifying its compliance.

    Garber condemned the demands, calling them a “political ploy” disguised as an effort to address antisemitism on campus.

    “It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” he wrote.

    “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard.”

    The Harvard Crimson daily news, founded in 1873 . . . how it reported the universoity’s defiance of the Trump administration today. Image: HC screenshot APR

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergei Sobyanin: Moscow taxi market has been fully legalized in 15 years

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In 15 years, the capital has managed to fully legalize the taxi market. Sergei Sobyanin spoke about how the passenger transportation service is developing in the city in his telegram channel.

    “Today, almost 200 thousand work in Moscow and the Moscow region – the fleet has grown by 15 percent in the last year alone. The average age of the car is only 3.2 years. This is one of the youngest taxi fleets in Europe,” the Moscow Mayor wrote.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @Mos_Sobyanin

    In 2024, more than 632 million passengers used taxis. This is a record figure: daily passenger traffic reached 1.73 million people.

    The last 15 years have seen the revival of Moscow taxis. Particular attention is paid to the quality of service and safety. Since 2024, the city has been certifying taxi drivers, and since March 1, 2025, it has become mandatory. All active drivers in the region have already passed the exam. This guarantees that a real professional who knows the city, follows traffic rules and understands what to do in an emergency will come to the passenger. In 2021, Moscow was the first in the country to introduce a comprehensive information system “Taxi Operation Analytics” (KIS “ART”) – thanks to it, today passengers can be sure that only conscientious specialists go out on the line.

    From September 1, 2023, under the new law, taxi ordering services are responsible to passengers. They ensure that only qualified drivers are behind the wheel of the car. In addition, with the participation of city and federal agencies, preventive checks are carried out to identify illegal taxis – in late March and early April, they were carried out in the Southern Administrative District of the capital.

    There is a platform for taxi service owners “Open Control”, where you can get free consultations and check your taxi fleet for compliance with mandatory requirements.

    Moscow to Continue Updating Car Sharing and Taxi FleetsThe Moscow Transport Museum has restored the GAZ-M20A Pobeda, the first post-war taxi

    Since 2012, the city has been providing financial support to taxi companies. Thus, over 13 years, they have been compensated for part of the costs of purchasing more than 92 thousand cars. The total amount of subsidies was 2.49 billion rubles. The funds are allocated for the purchase of cars that meet the fifth or sixth environmental classes, as well as electric cars manufactured in Moscow (for them, an increasing coefficient of 2.5 applies). The new cars make passenger trips not only comfortable, but also safer.

    In the future, there is a transition to environmentally friendly transport. It is planned that by 2030, about half of the taxi fleet will be electric vehicles – comfortable and having a lower impact on the environment.

    “We see the result: since 2019, the number of accidents involving taxis has decreased by four percent. Our task is to develop a modern, safe and convenient service that meets international standards,” concluded Sergei Sobyanin.

    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 access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12620050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WFP welcomes a contribution from Finland to boost school meals programme in Zambia

    Source: World Food Programme

    LUSAKA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of EUR 500,000 from the Government of Finland to strengthen Zambia’s national school meals programme. The one-year initiative will enhance the nutrition of over 34,000 learners in thirty-three schools across Zambia while promoting climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems.

    Finland, as the co-chair of the School Meals Coalition, is a strong and longstanding supporter of school meals globally. For years, Finland has provided continuous support to several WFP school meals operations and remains committed to strengthening these efforts. 

    With Finland’s support, and in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Agriculture, WFP will procure ninety-eight metric tonnes of beans to complement cereals provided for school meals by the Zambian government. The initiative will directly link the demand for nutritious food in schools with supply from local smallholder farmers, creating a stable market for their produce. In addition, irrigated school gardens will be established to further improve the diversity and quality of school meals.

    “Finland and Zambia share longstanding warm relations,” said Saana Halinen, Ambassador of Finland to Zambia. “School meals are an investment in the future of Zambia, and I am incredibly happy that Finnish support is complimenting the government’s efforts in expanding the school meals programme. Allocating resources to child nutrition is the single and most important investment any country can make.”

    To further boost sustainability and resilience, schools will receive energy efficient stoves and handwashing stations, while teachers, learners, and surrounding communities will benefit from training in sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and hygiene practices.

    “This support from Finland comes at a critical time for Zambia as we address the aftermath of last year’s drought, working closely with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture” said Cissy Kabasuuga, WFP Country Representative in Zambia. “The funding will not only meet the immediate nutritional needs of thousands of learners but also help build a stronger, more resilient food system for the future.” 

    WFP, in partnership with the Government of Zambia launched a comprehensive five-year strategic plan in 2023 which seeks to eliminate hunger, improve nutrition, and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities to food shocks. The plan allows for national institutions to take the lead, reducing the need for humanitarian interventions. 

    Finland, as the co-chair of the School Meals Coalition, is a strong and longstanding supporter of school meals globally. For years, Finland has provided continuous support to several WFP school meals operations and remains committed to strengthening these efforts. 

    About WFP

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on X @wfp_media @WFP_Zambia, @wfp_southernafrica.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda presides over 5th Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh

    Source: Government of India

    Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda presides over 5th Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh

    Convocation ceremony is a special occasion which marks recognition for the achievements made by students: Shri JP Nadda

    “The government is focused on providing healthcare which is not only curative but also preventive, palliative and rehabilitative”

    “1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country. In the last 10 years, medical colleges have seen an increase of 101%. There has been a 130% increase in MBBS seats while PG seats have seen an increase of 138% in the last 10 years”

    Inaugurates several healthcare facilities including Integrated Medicine in the Ayush Department, a PET scan machine in the Nuclear Medicine Department, PACS facility in the Radiology Department and a Centre for Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care

    AIIMS Rishikesh is providing advanced medical treatment like robotic surgery, neuro surgery and radiation therapy to patients: Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami

    434 Students Awarded Degrees during the convocation

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 2:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda presided over the fifth convocation ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh, today. He was joined by Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand; Shri Dhan Singh Rawat, Health and Education Minister, Uttarakhand; Members of Lok Sabha, Shri Ajay Bhatt, Shri Ajay Tamta and Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat; and Smt. Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.

    Addressing the gathering, Shri JP Nadda stated that “convocation ceremony is a special occasion which marks recognition for the achievements made by students.” He said providing affordable and quality healthcare to every poor person in the country is a priority of the central government.

    Shri JP Nadda highlighted the achievements of AIIMS institutes across the country in medical education and services. He stated that “till the advent of this century, India only had on AIIMS in the country. Today, there are 22 AIIMS operating in the country.” He stated that AIIMS Rishikesh has carved a unique identity among healthcare institutes due to its superior services.

    He reiterated the central government’s commitment to providing world-class healthcare for the citizenry. “The government is focused on providing healthcare which is not only curative but also preventive, palliative and rehabilitative”, he stated.

    Highlighting the achievements of the Union Government in the health sector, Shri Nadda stated, “today, 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country providing a range of services pertaining to healthcare and wellness. In the last 10 years, there has been a 101% increase in medical colleges, totaling 780 across the country. There has been a 130% increase in MBBS seats while PG seats have seen an increase of 138% in the last 10 years”. “Similarly, to cater to the paramedics, 157 nursing colleges are also being established, to be co-located with the medical colleges”, he further stated.

    The Union Health Minister appreciated AIIM Rishikesh for effectively utilizing the helicopter and drone services by rescuing 309 critical patients using the services. He also congratulated AIIMS Rishikesh for being one of the best institutes in the country for using digital services like telemedicine (eSanjeevani) to serve the remote and underserved areas of the state.

    Shri Nadda concluded his address by encouraging students to approach their work with compassion, integrity, and dedication. Emphasizing that the government spends between Rs. 30-35 lakh for every MBBS student, he urged the new doctors to shoulder more responsibilities as they embark on their professional careers.

    During the event, Shri Nadda inaugurated several healthcare facilities to enhance the institute’s medical services, including Integrated Medicine in the Ayush Department, a PET scan machine in the Nuclear Medicine Department, PACS facility in the Radiology Department, and a Centre for Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care.

    During the ceremony, Shri Nadda awarded gold medals and degrees to 10 medical students from MBBS, DM, MSc Nursing, BSc Nursing, and BSc Allied Health Sciences programs. A total of 434 students received degrees during the convocation including 98 MBBS students, 95 BSc (Hons) Nursing students, 54 BSc Allied Health Sciences students, 109 MD/MS/MDS students, 17 MSc Nursing students, 1 MSc Medical Allied student, 12 Master of Public Health students, 40 DM/MCh students, and 8 PhD students.

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami said that India’s healthcare sector has seen a significant uplift in the last decade with the launch of initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and establishment of new AIIMS and medical colleges.

    He stated that AIIMS Rishikesh is providing quality and affordable healthcare services and facilities to people from across the state. He stated that the institute is providing advanced medical treatment like robotic surgery, neuro surgery and radiation therapy to patients. He also highlighted the inauguration of Heli-ambulance services in AIIMS Rishikesh.

    Shri Dhami also highlighted that today more than 5,000 Gram Panchayats in Uttarakhand are TB free. He stated the government is working to set up a medical college in every district of the state and expand the network of Jan Aushadi Kendras in the state.

    The event was also attended by AIIMS Rishikesh President, Prof. Samiran Nandy; Executive Director, Prof. Meenu Singh; Dean Academics, Prof. Jaya Chaturvedi; Medical Superintendent, Prof. B. Satya Shri; Deputy Director (Administration), Col. Rajiv Sen Roy; Dean Examinations, Prof. Prashant Patil; Financial Advisor, Lt. Col. S. Siddharth; Organizing Committee Chairperson, Prof. Latika Mohan; heads of various departments, faculty members, officers, and medical and nursing students.

    *****

    MV

    HFW/ HFM AIIMS Rishikesh Convocation/15 April 2025/1

    (Release ID: 2121816) Visitor Counter : 22

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by CE at 2025 World Tourism Cities Federation Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the 2025 World Tourism Cities Federation Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit today (April 15):
     
    Honourable Governor Maurizio Rasero of Asti Province and Mayor of Asti City, Italy, Honourable Executive Vice Chair Sima Hong of the World Tourism Cities Federation Council and Vice Mayor of Beijing, Honourable Deputy Director Qi Bin of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Honourable Deputy Commissioner Pan Yundong of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, honourable city mayors, vice mayors and institutional leaders from around the world, distinguished guests and friends from the global tourism community, ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good afternoon. Welcome to Hong Kong, and to the 2025 World Tourism Cities Federation Hong Kong Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit. 
     
         Fragrant Hills, as you would all know, is a scenic area in Beijing, where the World Tourism Cities Federation is headquartered. “Fragrant hills” also makes me think of Hong Kong as a “fragrant harbour” – the Chinese name of Hong Kong can literally be translated as “fragrant harbour”.
     
         “Fragrant”, let me add, because of Hong Kong’s redolent history as a major trader for incense, particularly agarwood incense and the wood’s varied byproducts.
     
         Over the centuries, the sweet aroma of agarwood, of incense, drifted from harbour to city – and all around the world. From incense and fragrance, to merchandise and capital, Hong Kong has always been a bridge between cultures, cities and continents, bringing out the best of our products on the global arena.
     
         Today, Hong Kong remains a major global trading centre, a centre of free trade. That’s thanks, too, to the Hong Kong Port in our harbour, to the Hong Kong International Airport, and to our varied and seamless transport links to China, our country.
     
         These seamless links, and our singular status as the city where East has long met West, are not going to change. In a world beset by trade woes and geopolitical crises, Hong Kong is determined to continue its dedication to free and open trade.
     
         That has also led us to become one of the world’s greatest centres for tourism. So it is an honour that the World Tourism Cities Federation has chosen Hong Kong for this year’s Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit. The Federation, after all, is the world’s first international tourism organisation to focus its mission and mandate on cities.
     
         Not surprising, then, that this Summit welcomes city mayors, vice mayors and other city officials and delegations from over 40 cities from the Mainland and around the world. Together, we embody the spirit of collaboration beyond geographical boundaries. Together, we unite for the future of tourism.
     
         The theme of this year’s Summit, “Innovate City Branding to Elevate Tourism Excellence”, gives us a good start to discuss how our cities could, through collaboration, achieve high-quality development in tourism and more.
     
         For Hong Kong, long an international metropolis, one key development opportunity certainly comes from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
     
         This cluster city development brings together Hong Kong, Macao and nine southern cities in the Guangdong province, and boasts a population of over 86 million. It also has a combined GDP (Gross Domestic Product) that rivals that of the world’s 10th largest economy.
     
         What it means is a consumer market, and source of tourists, that is over 10 times as large as our own city. What it also means, with our country’s facilitation measures for travellers, is that visitors who choose to visit this part of the world have much more cities to add to their itinerary. We are fast developing in multi-destination tourism for an interconnected world. From a six-day visa for visitors in tour groups led by a Hong Kong travel agent, to the visa-free policy for cruise ship travellers along the country’s coastline.
     
         That said, you can well begin in Hong Kong, where there’s something happening everywhere you look – and at our Victoria Harbour. You need only to see for yourself how open, welcoming and endlessly amazing our city is, to a world of tourism – to you.
     
         Start with Victoria Harbour, and enjoy the refreshing views with our skyline and green hills rising from both sides of the harbour. And do take the Star Ferry. For more than a century, it’s been one of the world’s most unforgettable harbour passages. Leisure travel, timeless memories – in Hong Kong – and for well under US$1 a trip. It’s really good value for money.
     
         Hong Kong, after all, is the world’s mega event city. Last week, UK (United Kingdom) band Coldplay performed four sold-out concerts at our brand-new, state-of-the-art Kai Tak Sports Park. And through next Monday, it’s the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival.
     
         Art lovers will want to catch the exhibition “Picasso for Asia: a Conversation”, at M+ museum, in the West Kowloon Cultural District – one of the world’s largest cultural developments. More than 60 masterpieces by Picasso are shown alongside artworks by Asian artists. Also there, is the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which is now showcasing an exhibition that brings together treasures from Beijing’s Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles in Paris.
     
         Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong is where cultures meet and thrive, where creativity is well and alive. And you can also count on hills and sea coasts alive with fabulous hiking, and biking trails. After all, country parks make up some 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s total land area.
     
         And when you’re all hiked and biked out, settle into one of our nearly 80 Michelin-starred restaurants, do yum cha (tea and food) with half of Hong Kong, then toast your good fortune at a local brew pub, or get cozy with milk tea at a classic dai pai dong, our traditional cooked food stalls. And don’t leave Hong Kong without a sky-high cocktail, or two, at hotel and city lounges rising from either side of Victoria Harbour. From dim sum dreams to boozy nights, our food paradise glows with true delights.
     
         Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure this year’s Fragrant Hills will bring about global thrills. My thanks to the World Tourism Cities Federation, and this Hong Kong Summit. I’m confident we’ll find a wellspring of innovative and inspiring ways to work together, to reimagine travel for this 21st century packed with promise for global tourism – and for each and every one of our proud and magnificent cities.
     
         Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 3:13PM by PIB Delhi

     

    Key Takeaways

     

    • India contributes 7.1% to global GDP through its automotive sector and ranks 4th in global vehicle production.
    • Despite a strong manufacturing base, India holds only 3% share in global traded auto components, highlighting a vast scope for expansion.
    • The Vision 2030 roadmap aims to scale production to $145bn, exports to $60bn, and generate 2–2.5 million jobs.
    • Government schemes like FAME, PM E-Drive, and PLI have mobilized ₹66,000+ crore to support EVs and localization.
    • With targeted reforms and GVC integration, India can raise its global component trade share from 3% to 8% by 2030.

     

     

    On 11th April 2024, NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains’, launched by Vice Chairman Shri Suman Bery, senior members, and the CEO of NITI Aayog. The report outlines India’s Global Value Chain (GVC) potential in the automotive sector and highlights strategic pathways for global leadership.

    India’s automotive industry is a cornerstone of the nation’s manufacturing and economic growth, contributing 7.1% to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 49% to manufacturing GDP. As the fourth-largest automobile producer globally, India possesses the scale and strategic depth to emerge as a global leader in the automotive value chain. The sector spans a vast ecosystem, from vehicle assembly and auto component manufacturing to deep interlinkages with critical industries such as steel, electronics, rubber, IT, and logistics. In recent years, India has seen exponential growth in vehicle production, with over 28 million units manufactured in 2023–24 alone. The industry’s contribution goes beyond industrial output, and it supports millions of direct and indirect jobs, spurs innovation, and is central to India’s green mobility transition, industrial ambitions, and trade strategy.

    The global automotive component market was valued at $2 trillion in 2022, with $700 billion traded across borders. Despite India’s strong manufacturing base, its share in the globally traded auto component market remains at just 3% (~$20 billion), highlighting a vast scope for expansion. India’s trade ratio in auto components is near-neutral (~0.99), with exports and imports nearly balancing each other. This also underlines the domestic sector’s limited penetration in high-value, high-precision segments such as engine and engine components, along with drive transmission and steering systems, where India holds just 2–4% of the global trade share. Bridging this gap requires structural reforms, strategic investments, and a coordinated industrial policy approach. With the right enabling conditions, India can triple exports to $60 billion, generate a $25 billion trade surplus, and create over 2-2.5 million direct jobs by 2030, propelling it toward becoming a globally competitive, innovation-driven manufacturing hub.

    Strategic Importance of the Automotive Sector

     

    • Contributes 7.1% to India’s GDP and 49% to manufacturing GDP.
    • Employs millions and supports critical linkages across steel, electronics, and IT sectors.
    • India’s current share in globally traded auto components is approximately 3% or 20 billion.

                                            India’s Vision for Automotive Industry

     

    This vision aligns with India’s aspirations to become a global manufacturing hub under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

    Global Trends Shaping the Sector

     

    1. Rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs):

    • EVs are reshaping manufacturing priorities, with China producing over 8 million EVs in 2023.
    • The EU and the US are accelerating EV adoption through regulatory mandates and subsidies.
    • EVs are increasing the demand for batteries, semiconductors, and advanced materials.

     

    2. Digital and Advanced Manufacturing:

    • Integration of AI, robotics, digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printing is driving efficiency.
    • Many global automakers are investing heavily in creating smart factories, where AI, IoT, and robotics are integrated into every aspect of the production process. Countries like Germany and South Korea are leading in smart factory adoption.

     

    3. Sustainability and Circular Economy:

    • Automakers are moving toward carbon neutrality, material recycling, and energy efficiency.
    • Examples: BMW’s EV battery recycling and Volkswagen’s renewable energy sourcing.

     

    4. Sectoral Interdependence:

    • Auto industry is a major consumer of steel, electronics, rubber, glass, textiles, and IT services.
    • Increasing reliance on semiconductors and AI-driven software for innovative mobility solutions.

    Major Government Interventions

     

    1. Make in India: Launched in 2014, the Make in India initiative has provided a significant boost to the country’s manufacturing sector, particularly in automobiles. This policy promotes domestic manufacturing, reduces reliance on imports, and encourages foreign direct investment.

    2.Atmanirbhar Bharat: The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative aims to foster self-sufficiency in manufacturing and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign components. In the automotive sector, this has resulted in increased domestic production of critical components such as engines, transmissions, and EV batteries. The government has also extended support to start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the automotive space, helping them integrate into global supply chains.

    3.FAME India Scheme (Phases I & II): The Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme has been pivotal in promoting clean mobility in India. Phase II, with an outlay of ₹11,500 crore, focuses on demand incentives for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, and the development of public charging infrastructure. It also aims to promote technology platforms for EVs and create a robust domestic EV ecosystem.

    4. PM E-Drive Scheme (2024–26): Launched to accelerate EV adoption and reduce urban pollution, this scheme has a budget of ₹10,900 crore and targets large-scale procurement of electric vehicles:

    • 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers
    • 3.2 lakh electric three-wheelers
    • Procurement of 14,028 electric buses by State Transport Undertakings (STUs)/public transport agencies
    • ₹2,000 crore earmarked for national-level charging infrastructure expansion.

     

    5. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Auto and ACC Batteries: With a total allocation of ₹44,038 crore (PLI scheme- INR 25,938 crore, PLI scheme for ACC Battery Storage- INR 18,100 crores), this flagship initiative aims to boost the domestic manufacturing of advanced automotive technologies, including EVs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and advanced battery storage solutions. It provides financial incentives to OEMs and component manufacturers for investing in cutting-edge technologies, achieving economies of scale, and integrating into global supply chains. The scheme also prioritises domestic value addition, export readiness, and job creation through technology-driven innovation.

     

     

    Key Challenges Hindering the Global Value Chain’s Integration

     

    • 10% cost disadvantage for India versus China due to:
      • Higher raw material and machinery costs
      • 100% depreciation rate vs 50% in China (~3.4% cost burden)
      • High logistics, financing, and energy costs

     

    • Underperformance in high-precision segments:
      • India’s global share: Only 2–4% in engine and engine components, along with drive transmission and steering systems
    • Inadequate R&D ecosystem and limited IP ownership

    Proposed Interventions for GVC Integration

     

    Fiscal Measures:

    1. Operational Expenditure (Opex) Support: To scale up manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on capital expenditure (Capex) for tooling, dies, and infrastructure.
    2. Skill Development: Initiatives to build a talent pipeline critical for sustaining growth.
    3. R&D, Government facilitated IP transfer and Branding: Providing incentives for research, development, international branding to improve product differentiation and empowering MSMEs through IP transfers.
    4. Cluster Development: Fostering collaboration between firms through common facilities such as R&D and testing centers to strengthen the supply chain.

     

    Non-Fiscal Reforms:

    1. Industry 4.0 Adoption: Encouraging the integration of digital technologies and enhanced manufacturing standards to improve efficiency.
    2. International Collaboration: Promoting joint ventures (JVs), foreign collaborations, and free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand global market access.
    3. Ease of Doing Business: Simplifying regulatory processes, worker hour flexibility, supplier discovery & development and improving business conditions for automotive firms.

     

    Conclusion

     

    India’s automotive sector stands at a decisive inflection point, where focused reforms, policy clarity, and industry alignment can elevate it into the league of global leaders in automotive manufacturing. With the world shifting rapidly towards clean, smart, and connected mobility, India must accelerate its integration into global value chains by building competitiveness in high-precision components, fostering innovation, and deepening its export footprint. Over the next five years, the effective execution of planned interventions—ranging from skilling and infrastructure to R&D and global partnerships- will determine whether India becomes a hub for high-value auto components or remains a low-cost player in traditional segments. With the right mix of ambition and action, India can become a globally recognised supplier of next-generation mobility solutions.

     

    References

    · REPORT – Automotive Industry: Powering India’s participation in Global Value Chainshttps://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-04/Automotive-Industry-Powering-India-participation-in-GVC_Non-Confidential.pdf

    · https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2120977

    Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs)

    ****

    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena / Vatsla Srivastava

    (Release ID: 2121826) Visitor Counter : 122

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on “Laws on safeguarding national security”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
     
         Today (April 15) is the National Security Education Day. The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance has been in effect for one year since its passage by the Legislative Council (LegCo) in a historic unanimous vote on the Third Reading in March last year, while the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKNSL) will celebrate its fifth anniversary at the end of June this year. The LegCo Secretariat today released a Policy Pulse on “Laws on safeguarding national security”. This issue provides a brief overview of the key points of the dual legislation on national security, namely the HKNSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, how the dual legislation properly protects human rights and ensures that the public will not be inadvertently caught by the law, its role in contributing to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, as well as relevant discussions of LegCo along with suggestions by Members.
     
         National security is a matter of top priority for any state. The enactment of laws on safeguarding national security is an inherent right of every sovereign state, and also an international practice. The Policy Pulse outlines the latest situation of national security laws enacted by some foreign countries, including the Countering Foreign Interference Act introduced by Canada in 2024, and the New Zealand Parliament is also scrutinising the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill aimed at addressing foreign interference. Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom each has at least 21 pieces and 14 pieces of national security-related legislation respectively.
     
         The dual legislation on national security, together with the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of HKSAR, have jointly established a comprehensive and effective legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security, reflecting the implementation of national security within the purview of the Central Authorities and as the constitutional duty of HKSAR.
     
         The Policy Pulse also highlights that since the implementation of the dual legislation on national security, Hong Kong ranks highly in a number of international ratings, including global financial centre status, economic freedom, inward foreign direct investment recipient, and world competitiveness. Hong Kong ranked as the world’s freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report, with the number of overseas companies based in Hong Kong stood at 9 960 in 2024, a nearrly 10 percent rise from the previous year. These achievements reflect the international community’s continued strong confidence in Hong Kong. They also attest to how improved laws and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security help maintain Hong Kong’s political and social stability and cultivate a more secure, liberal, open and expectable business environment, which plays a solid and fundamental role in safeguarding the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, and further enabling the city’s advancement from stability to prosperity.
     
         The Safeguarding National Security Bill was passed by LegCo in a historic unanimous vote on the Third Reading on March 19, 2024. The Policy Pulse outlines LegCo’s scrutiny of the Bill and highlights Member’s views on the follow-up work after the Bill’s passage. Members suggested that various bureaux, departments, statutory bodies, etc., establish codes, procedures or guidelines to ensure that national security is regarded as an important consideration when discharging their day-to-day functions and implementing any programmes or projects. Members also considered that the Administration should ensure that public officers fully understand the contents of national security laws and abide by the requirements of these laws in discharging their duties.
     
         Members suggested the Administration step up public education on all fronts to enable the public, the business sector and investors to understand the implementation of the dual legislation on national security in a clear and easily comprehensible manner. The Administration should also effectively carry out its explanatory work to the international community, including making good use of the networks of overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices and Invest Hong Kong to explain to various overseas sectors how the dual legislation on national security effectively safeguards national security in Hong Kong in accordance with the rule of law principle, while at the same time fully respects and protects human rights. Members expected that the Administration proactively enhance its efforts in attracting enterprises and investment so that Hong Kong could serve as a “super-connector” and a “super value-adder” for the world, as well as continuing to take the initiative to clarify and rebut inaccurate remarks and unwarranted smears against the HKSAR’s work on safeguarding national security.
     
         The detailed content of “Laws on safeguarding national security” is available on the LegCo Website. The Policy Pulse, published by the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics, offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarises key discussions in LegCo.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Wallops Breaks Ground on New Causeway Bridge

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility commemorated the start of construction of its new Wallops Island causeway bridge during a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m., Monday, April 14, 2025, on the island.  

    The ceremony was held at the base of the old Wallops Island causeway bridge. Virgina state Sen. Bill DeSteph attended the groundbreaking, along with staffers from the offices of Sen. Mark Warner, Sen. Tim Kaine, Congresswomen Jen Kiggans, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. NASA Wallops Facility Director David Pierce and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Associate Center Director Ray Rubilotta attended on behalf of the agency. 
    “Much has changed over the decades, but one thing that has remained the same is our reliance on the causeway bridge as the only means for vehicular access to and from the island,” said Pierce. “Our bridge supports a growing portfolio of commercial launch and government partners. The work we do advances science, technology, and national security missions. This vital work for our nation is enabled by our bridge.” 
    In 2023, NASA Wallops was awarded $103 million in federal funds to fully construct and replace the current 65-year-old causeway bridge that serves as the only vehicular access from NASA Wallops Mainland facilities to its Wallops Island facilities and launch range. After years of exposure to coastal weather and repeated repairs to extend its viability, the existing causeway bridge is reaching the end of its service life.  
    The new causeway bridge, slated for completion in early 2028, will feature a flatter structure, capable of accommodating the increase in heavier loads transported to and from the island in support of an increased cadence of launch operations by NASA, its tenants, and commercial partners. This vital investment in NASA’s infrastructure supports the launch range’s continued growth, strengthening its role as a key asset in Virginia and the nation.   

    NASA is partnering with the Federal Highway Administration to lead the delivery of the design-build project. The project has been awarded to Kokosing Construction Company. 
    For more information on NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, visit www.nasa.gov/wallops. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom issues order extending protections of Los Angeles area firestorm survivors from predatory real estate speculators

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 14, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom extended an executive order from January barring predatory investors from making unsolicited undervalued property offers to families in areas impacted by the Los Angeles area firestorms.

    LOS ANGELES — Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order extending protections for Los Angeles area firestorms survivors from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property below fair market value.

    “California continues to support survivors of the Los Angeles area firestorms – especially ones vulnerable to those seeking to take advantage of communities that have already experienced devastating loss. We will continue working to protect and assist the people of Los Angeles as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The previous order, which was set to expire after April 14, has now been extended to July 1, 2025.

    Recent news

    News What you need to know: California is launching a new campaign to further strengthen tourism between California and Canada — reminding its international partners that the Golden State remains a welcoming, inclusive, and unparalleled travel destination. SACRAMENTO…

    News What you need to know: California will receive 32 new rangers and lifeguards serving across 13 state parks – protecting and informing more visitors ahead of the high travel season. PARADISE — While the federal government cuts staffing for national parks, Governor…

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring a special election for Assembly District 63 on August 26, 2025. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATIONBY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF…

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom and Visit California launch international tourism campaign welcoming Canadians to experience the warmth and love of the Golden State

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 14, 2025

    What you need to know: California is launching a new campaign to further strengthen tourism between California and Canada — reminding its international partners that the Golden State remains a welcoming, inclusive, and unparalleled travel destination.

    SACRAMENTO –  In response to recent declines in tourism created by President Trump’s policies, Governor Newsom and Visit California today announced the state will be launching a new international campaign to help maintain the strong tourism partnership between California and Canada, reminding Canadians that California is a grateful partner and remains one of the best — and most welcoming — destinations in the United States, and the world.

    “Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans. California is the ultimate playground — over 2,000 miles from Washington and a world away in mindset, from our iconic beaches and national parks to world-class wine, food, and outdoor adventure — there’s something here for everyone. Canada, come experience our California Love.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    President Trump’s economic and immigration policies are hurting nearly every economic sector, including the tourism industry. Since President Trump took office, tourism from Canada has dramatically declined, dropping 12% in February compared to the previous year. This is the first decrease in Canadian tourism to California since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, 1.8 million Canadians traveled to California, spending $3.72 billion in the Golden State. 

    California is taking decisive, strategic action — not only to stem this tide, but to send a clear message: California is open, welcoming, and deeply values its international visitors, especially Canadians. The upcoming campaign will extend Visit California’s $5.2 million annual marketing investment in Canada. 

    “California is committed to rolling out the red carpet for our Canadian visitors, whenever you’re ready to visit,” Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta said. “California and Canada share so much in common. Our inclusive values, love of natural beauty and passion for innovation bind us, and we look forward to welcoming you back with the same community spirit you’ve always shown us.”’
     

    Visit California is a nonprofit corporation funded by private travel, tourism and hospitality businesses in the state. No tax dollars will be used to fund this campaign.

    California Love

    All dreams are welcome in California. From the warmth of its people to its unmatched diversity of landscapes and activities, California is the ultimate playground — and a far cry from Washington, D.C. California will continue to be a welcome destination for its international neighbors to the north.

    For more about your next California adventure, see VisitCalifornia.com.

    Canada: A World of Opportunity 

    Canada is a top travel destination for California’s 40 million residents — pulling intrepid spirits to its friendly urban playgrounds, wide expanses of nature, and legendary outdoor sports locations. The campaign will help ensure that Canada remains a bright North Star for California travelers. 

     

    Expanding partnerships 

    This follows the Governor’s recent announcement of California’s goal to create new strategic trade relationships with international partners aimed at strengthening shared economic resilience and protecting California’s manufacturers, workers, farmers, businesses, and supply chains. As part of that effort, Governor Newsom today met with British Columbia Premier David Eby to discuss opportunities for expanding California’s partnership with Canada and shared priorities, including the lumber industry, national transportation corridors, and opportunities to expedite major projects and affordable housing.

    Meeting with British Columbia Premier David Eby. Photo may be credited to Governor Newsom’s Press Office

    California leads the nation in tourism 

    California is the nation’s #1 tourism destination. Travelers spent more than $150 billion in the state in 2023, generating $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue. Nearly 1.2 million California workers depend on jobs in tourism and hospitality.

    Recent news

    News What you need to know: California will receive 32 new rangers and lifeguards serving across 13 state parks – protecting and informing more visitors ahead of the high travel season. PARADISE — While the federal government cuts staffing for national parks, Governor…

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring a special election for Assembly District 63 on August 26, 2025. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATIONBY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF…

    News What you need to know: California is investing an additional $170 million to support forest and vegetation management projects critical to protecting communities from wildfire. SACRAMENTO – Protecting communities ahead of peak fire season, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proclaims special election for Assembly District 63

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 14, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring a special election for Assembly District 63 on August 26, 2025.

    The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

    SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATION
    BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

    I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim and order the following that a special election shall beheld on the 26th day of August 2025, within the 63rd Assembly District of the State, to fill the vacancy in the offie of State Assembly Member from that district resulting from the resignation of Assembly Member Bill Essayli.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 14th day of April 2025.

    GAVIN NEWSOM
    Governor of California

    ATTEST:
    SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
    Secretary of State

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    News What you need to know: California is investing an additional $170 million to support forest and vegetation management projects critical to protecting communities from wildfire. SACRAMENTO – Protecting communities ahead of peak fire season, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    News What you need to know: The Pacific Coast Highway, which was closed following the Palisades Fire, will reopen to public travel by the end of May – months ahead of schedule. LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced an all-hands-on-deck effort to support…

    News What you need to know: There are just four days left for homeowners and businesses to apply for debris removal assistance. LOS ANGELES – As nearly 500 crews of expert heavy equipment operators work around the clock to rapidly clear ash, soot, and fire debris from…

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — Travel Release — Gov. Green Travels To American Samoa

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — Travel Release — Gov. Green Travels To American Samoa

    Posted on Apr 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 

     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 

     

    GOVERNOR GREEN TRAVELS TO AMERICAN SAMOA

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    April 14, 2025

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., will travel to American Samoa to join the community in commemorating the 125th Flag Day celebration. The event honors the historical moment on April 17, 1900, when the U.S. flag was first raised on Tutuila Island, marking the beginning of a political relationship between Tutuila, Aunu’u and the United States. The day recognizes American Samoa’s unique status and long-standing ties with the U.S., while celebrating the resilience, culture and identity of the Samoan people.

    Governor Green will leave today, April 14, and return to Honolulu on Friday, April 18. Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke will serve as acting Governor from the evening of April 14 through the morning of April 18. 

    # # #


    Media Contacts:  
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Office: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected] 

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: California welcomes 32 new state park rangers, lifeguards at graduation ceremony

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 14, 2025

    What you need to know: California will receive 32 new rangers and lifeguards serving across 13 state parks – protecting and informing more visitors ahead of the high travel season.

    PARADISE — While the federal government cuts staffing for national parks, Governor Gavin Newsom today celebrated the addition of 32 new state park rangers and lifeguards. These dedicated individuals recently graduated from a rigorous eight month training program and now join the nation’s largest state park system.

    “California congratulates the 32 new state park rangers and lifeguards who will now serve in 13 parks across the state. I thank these dedicated individuals for their valuable public service – ensuring our parks remain enjoyable and safe destinations for all Californians.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The graduation ceremony marked the culmination of a 32-week Basic Visitor Service Training (BVST) Academy. The graduates officially received their badges in front of their family, friends, and department staff. With this milestone, they now embark on careers dedicated to serving, protecting, and educating visitors across California’s 280 state parks. 

    This year’s graduating BVST 50 class includes 27 rangers and five lifeguards, selected from a competitive pool of approximately 830 applicants. Their assignments span the state, from the North Coast Redwoods to the Central Valley, Santa Cruz, Orange Coast, and Inland Empire districts. 

    Those interested in a career with California State Parks can go to  https://www.parks.ca.gov/jobs

    From the program’s start in September 2024, the cadets have shown unwavering commitment to protecting California’s natural and cultural treasures. Their journey exemplifies this year’s motto: “Water and Land, Together We Stand,” reflecting their dedication to safeguarding the state’s diverse landscapes and waterways for future generations. 

    “We welcome 32 new guardians of California’s most cherished places,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “These men and women have not only trained hard, but they have chosen a life of service, of standing in the gap between preservation and destruction, between safety and danger. They will be the steady hands guiding lost hikers home, the first responders in times of crisis, and the storytellers who connect us to our past. Their duty is not just a job, but a promise to protect the lands and waters that define who we are as Californians.”

    The cadets’ training was extensive, ensuring they are prepared for the challenges ahead. Key areas of instruction included: 

    • Strategic communication and de-escalation techniques
    • Physical arrests and defensive tactics
    • Search and rescue operations
    • Investigation techniques
    • Visitor services, public education and interpretation
    • Park resource protection and management
    • Firearms training and first aid 

    The program’s rigorous curriculum also prepared the cadets for the next stage of their journey: a 13-week Field Training Officer Program, where they will gain hands-on, on-the-job training.

    Recent news

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring a special election for Assembly District 63 on August 26, 2025. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: SPECIAL ELECTION PROCLAMATIONBY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF…

    News What you need to know: California is investing an additional $170 million to support forest and vegetation management projects critical to protecting communities from wildfire. SACRAMENTO – Protecting communities ahead of peak fire season, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    News What you need to know: The Pacific Coast Highway, which was closed following the Palisades Fire, will reopen to public travel by the end of May – months ahead of schedule. LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced an all-hands-on-deck effort to support…

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Lists WalletConnect (WCT) with Airdrop+ Event Offering 273,000 WCT & 50,000 USDT in Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announced it will list WalletConnect Network (WCT) on April 15, 2025 (UTC), accompanied by Airdrop+ rewards totaling 273,000 WCT and 50,000 USDT for users.

    WalletConnect is a leading network enabling seamless on-chain user experiences. As the backbone for wallet-to-DApp communication across blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, and Cosmos, it facilitates secure interactions without requiring users to switch wallets. With over 275 million connections and 45 million users worldwide, WalletConnect empowers users to engage with DeFi, NFTs, swaps, and staking applications through a unified interface. This infrastructure drives Web3 innovation by bridging wallets, applications, and blockchains effortlessly.

    $WCT is the native token of WalletConnect, used for network incentives, governance, and transaction fees. It also supports validator staking rewards and decentralized decision-making. By staking $WCT, holders contribute to network security and protocol upgrades, ensuring a decentralized, permissionless, and community-driven ecosystem.

    To celebrate the official listing of WalletConnect (WCT) on MEXC, MEXC is launching a limited-time Airdrop+ Event, open to both new and existing users.

    Event Period:
    April 9, 2025, 10:00 – April 25, 2025, 10:00 (UTC)

    Here are the key benefits of the event:
    Benefit 1: Deposit and share 195,000 WCT (Exclusive for new users)
    Benefit 2: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (Open to all users)
    Benefit 3: Invite new users and share 78,000 WCT (Open to all users)

    For full event details and participation rules, please visit here.

    MEXC has established itself as an industry leader by consistently providing users with early access to promising crypto projects. In 2024, MEXC introduced 2,376 new tokens, with 1,716 initial listings. According to the latest TokenInsight report, from November 1, 2024, to February 15, 2025, MEXC led the industry with an impressive 461 spot listings. Additionally, during the bi-weekly periods, MEXC maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six exchanges and demonstrating its ability to capture market trends quickly. MEXC will continue to innovate and expand its offerings, providing users with the best opportunities in the ever-evolving crypto space.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official WebsiteXTelegramHow to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/047b7c55-0330-4413-a078-b67cc1c448ec

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Gilat Receives a Multimillion Order from a Global Defense Organization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PETAH TIKVA, Israel, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions and services, announced today its Defense Division received a Multimillion order from a Global Defense Organization for the supply of advanced antenna technology to be integrated into the organization’s advanced defense communication systems. Deliveries are scheduled towards the end of 2025.

    Gilat’s antenna solutions are designed to support secure and resilient connectivity under the most demanding conditions, helping defense organizations stay connected, anywhere, anytime. This win reflects Gilat’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-performance solutions that meet the stringent requirements of defense applications worldwide.

    “This order builds on our strong partnership, reflecting the trust earned through consistent performance and technological excellence,” said Gilad Landsberg, President of Gilat Defense. “It highlights the value our partners place on our advanced defense communications and our ongoing commitment to their missions.”

    About Gilat

    Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT) is a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. With over 35 years of experience, we develop and deliver deep technology solutions for satellite, ground, and new space connectivity, offering next-generation solutions and services for critical connectivity across commercial and defense applications. We believe in the right of all people to be connected and are united in our resolution to provide communication solutions to all reaches of the world.

    Together with our wholly owned subsidiaries—Gilat Wavestream, Gilat DataPath, and Gilat Stellar Blu—we offer integrated, high-value solutions supporting multi-orbit constellations, Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS), and Software-Defined Satellites (SDS) via our Commercial and Defense Divisions. Our comprehensive portfolio is comprised of a cloud-based platform and modems; high-performance satellite terminals; advanced Satellite On-the-Move (SOTM) antennas and ESAs; highly efficient, high-power Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) and Block Upconverters (BUC) and includes integrated ground systems for commercial and defense markets, field services, network management software, and cybersecurity services.

    Gilat’s products and tailored solutions support multiple applications including government and defense, IFC and mobility, broadband access, cellular backhaul, enterprise, aerospace, broadcast, and critical infrastructure clients all while meeting the most stringent service level requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.gilat.com

    Certain statements made herein that are not historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gilat to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, inability to maintain market acceptance to Gilat’s products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, rapid changes in the market for Gilat’s products, loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, inability to manage growth and expansion, loss of key OEM partners, inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inability to protect the Company’s proprietary technology and risks associated with Gilat’s international operations and its location in Israel, including those related to the terrorist attacks by Hamas, and the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties associated with Gilat’s business, reference is made to Gilat’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    Contact:

    Gilat Satellite Networks

    Hagay Katz, Chief Product and Marketing Officer
    hagayk@gilat.com

    Alliance Advisors:

    GilatIR@allianceadvisors.com
    Phone: +1 212 838 3777

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Welcomes UK Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh MP to Manchester Training Centre to Discuss Growing Demand for Heat Pumps and the Workforce of the Future

    Source: Samsung

     
     
    Samsung welcomed the Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh MP to the Manchester Training Centre to discuss the growing heat pump industry and the opportunity for upskilling the workforce of the future, particularly around apprenticeships.
     
    Minister Fahnbulleh spoke to Samsung Technical Degree Apprentice Joshua Long, who is currently in his third year of a Building Services Design Engineering Degree at London Southbank University while working on the design and specification of heating and cooling systems at Samsung.  The Minister also met with the Samsung Climate Solutions team and toured the training facility in Sale, learning about the range of products, training offered and future plans.
     
    Collaboration between government and industry is central to hitting government targets for heat pump installs and reaching Net Zero by 2050. This is reflected in the current growth in installs, as February 2025 saw a 68% increase in Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers issued compared to February 2024.[1] Training the workforce is essential to meet the rising demand and Samsung is committed to delivering continued growth in 2025 following an increase in its training numbers in the UK by almost 70% in 2024 compared to 2023[2].
     
    Minister Fahnbulleh said: “The figures for our Boiler Upgrade Scheme speak for themselves. Heat pump demand is rising rapidly, meaning we need a growing, highly-skilled workforce to deliver thousands more installations. It was fantastic to visit Samsung and hear from apprentices about the brilliant work being done to train the next generation of heat pump installers.”
     
    Joshua Long commented: “I really valued the opportunity to meet the Minister and discuss why apprenticeships are such an important part of ensuring we have the skills needed for the transition towards Net Zero. For me, my apprenticeship has opened up a new career path to learn from my experienced colleagues as well as earn my degree. I chose this apprenticeship because I wanted to be part of the bigger picture of changing the way we use energy and heat our buildings in the UK. This is a really exciting time to join the sector, and I’m proud to be part of the growth and development of heat pumps.”
     
    [1]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/boiler-upgrade-scheme-statistics-february-2025
    [2]Training data from internal records at Samsung Climate Solutions

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump administration freezes $2.2B funding to Harvard

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Trump administration on Monday announced a freeze on 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in multi-year grants and a 60 million contract to Harvard University, hours after the university rejected a list of demands from the federal government.

    Earlier in the day, Harvard refused to comply with the administration’s demands to make sweeping changes to the univeristy’s governance, hiring and admissions practices, noting that it will not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”

    “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard University President Alan M. Garber wrote in a letter to members of the Harvard Community. “The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government.”

    The administration’s demands include: adopting and implementing merit-based hiring and admissions policies, and ceasing all preferences based on race, color and national origin; reforming the recruitment, screening and admissions of international students to prevent admitting students hostile to U.S. values and institutions, including students supportive of terrorism or antisemitism; reforming programs with “egregious records of antisemitism” and shutting down all diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

    Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has issued warnings to several top U.S. universities that they could face funding cuts if they do not adjust their policies. The administration’s main demands include eliminating what it describes as anti-Semitism on campus and dismantling diversity initiatives that favor minority groups.

    Against the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict, many universities across the United States saw a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year, drawing increased government attention to alleged anti-Semitic sentiments on campuses.

    “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support,” the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said in a Monday statement.

    Columbia University, which was at the heart of last year’s pro-Palestinian protests, became the first institution to face consequences, losing 400 million dollars in federal funding last month. University officials said they are currently in ongoing discussions with the administration to have the funding reinstated.

    Federal funding for other institutions, including Cornell University and Northwestern University, has also been frozen and is currently under investigation.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Canton Fair kicks off with record number of export exhibitors

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

    GUANGZHOU, April 15 — The 137th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off on Tuesday, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time in the history of this famous event.

    Scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, this edition of the fair has attracted about 31,000 participating firms, up by nearly 900 compared with the previous fair.

    More than 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions have preregistered, with the lineup featuring the likes of retail giants Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from Britain, and Germany’s Metro.

    This edition of the fair is divided into three phases. The first will focus on advanced manufacturing, the second on quality home furnishings, and the third on products that promote a better quality of life.

    The event will involve 172 product zones, including, for the first time, a special zone for service robots focused on showcasing the latest achievements of China’s AI development efforts.

    Xinhua reporters at the fair witnessed an exhibition hall becoming packed with participants just after 9 a.m. Notably, the exhibition area focusing on service robots was especially busy. Many overseas buyers used their mobile phones to capture images of robotic dogs, industrial exoskeleton equipment, automatic cruise robots, coffee-making robots and other products, while asking exhibitors for more details about their functions.

    “This Canton Fair is held in the year when China’s ’14th Five-Year Plan’ nears completion — which is of great significance in promoting the innovative development of trade, thus ensuring stable foreign trade volume and improving foreign trade quality,” said Zhang Sihong, deputy director of the China Foreign Trade Center.

    He noted that the large gathering of global buyers at the fair underlined the trust of the international business community in made-in-China products.

    Guo Yanhu with Gree, a leading home appliances enterprise, said that through green technology innovation and AI intelligent upgrading, the company provides users with efficient and low-carbon solutions, having sold products to more than 190 countries and regions in 2024.

    The Canton Fair has always been an important driver of global trade, said Andre Rocha, president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Goias, Brazil. Here, people can learn about the major global development trends and cutting-edge technologies, as well as solutions that can actually boost industrial development, he added.

    Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as the barometer of China’s foreign trade.

    Despite the weak momentum of global economic growth, intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China’s foreign trade has maintained stable growth.

    According to the General Administration of Customs, China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025. China’s exports rose 6.9 percent to 6.13 trillion yuan (about 850.1 billion U.S. dollars) during this period, while imports fell 6 percent to 4.17 trillion yuan.

    In addition, the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo, being held on the tropical island province of Hainan in south China this week, has also reaffirmed China’s position as a vital marketplace for global enterprises. It has drawn record participation from over 4,100 brands across 71 countries and regions, reflecting the expanding international appetite for engagement with China’s vast consumer market and its evolving landscape.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dunball Sluice £9.7 million upgrade completed 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Dunball Sluice £9.7 million upgrade completed 

    Dunball Sluice – a vital flood defence asset near Bridgwater – has been successfully refurbished by the Environment Agency. 

    Dunball sluice performs a vital flood and water management function on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

    A £9.7million project has given the sluice another 25 years of operational life, helping to better protect properties, businesses and internationally important habitats across the Somerset Levels and Moors. 

    Delivered by the Environment Agency’s Combined Delivery Framework (CDF) partners, the refurbishment began in 2022 and was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with a £650,000 contribution from the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA). 

    Dunball Sluice became operational in 1971. It sits where the tidal River Parrett meets the 13.5-mile-long King’s Sedgemoor Drain – River Sowy system. The Sowy was created in tandem with the Sluice in 1969-1972: it is also known as the Parrett Flood Relief Channel. Water flows into the Sowy from the Parrett downstream of Langport, and then into the KSD, before rejoining the Parrett through Dunball Sluice. 

    Refurbishment began in 2022 and has been completed in partnership with the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) and Defra.

    The Environment Agency uses the sluice’s lifting gates and tidal flaps to control flows between the different watercourses. Doing this helps to manage water levels and reduce flood risks for communities across a large area. Blocking the flow of tidal saltwater from the Parrett into the KSD also helps to safeguard precious freshwater habitats on the Somerset Levels and Moors.  

    The refurbishment replaced and upgraded key mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation components, many of which were nearing the end of their working life. Also included were measures to help otters and eels move more easily and safely between watercourses, health and safety improvements for site staff and minor concrete repairs. 

    ‘New life breathed into the structure’

    Rachel Burden, Environment Agency flood and coastal risk manager for Wessex, said:   

    Dunball Sluice is one of Somerset’s most important tidal defence assets, but many of its key components were reaching the end of their working life.

    This multi-million-pound refurbishment has breathed new life into the structure, ensuring it can continue to reduce flood risk for communities for years to come.

    Councillor Mike Stanton, Chair of Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), said: 

    Maintenance and improvement works are not glamorous, but they are very important. Local people expect flood defences to work properly, and all of us should try to make sure they do. So, I’m pleased that Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) funding helped to refurbish Dunball Sluice. 

    I’m happy too because this project ties in with a major SRA improvements scheme for other parts of the River Sowy-KSD system. This year the SRA is funding upgrades for two outfall structures and up to 1.8 kilometres of bank raising works along the KSD.

    Bit by bit, as partners work together, we’re reducing flood risks around Bridgwater and across a large part of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

    Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

    The Dunball Sluice is critical infrastructure better protecting properties and farmland in Somerset, and its full refurbishment will give local people and businesses confidence that their flood defences are operating well for the next 25 years.

    This Government inherited flood defences in their worst condition on record. Through our Plan for Change, we‘re investing over £144 million into the south west of England, an essential investment to build new defences and to bring existing ones up to their required condition, ensuring 1,700 properties in the region are better protected from flooding.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council’s business growth team provides support to hundreds of city businesses

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Forty five businesses benefitted through its grants programme – leading to the creation of 83 new jobs and the safeguarding of a further 179 jobs in Wolverhampton.

    The business growth team exceeded its targets using the £1.3 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) government funding it was allocated through Business Growth West Midlands to help companies with capital investment and energy efficiency measures.

    The total projected growth in turnover of the businesses it supported with grants is expected to equate to around £14.5 million in the year ahead.

    Also providing free local diagnostic and business support service, the team dealt with 700 business enquiries over the past 12 months and 200 diagnostic checks were carried out.

    Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “In Wolverhampton, we are utilising the UKSPF funding to support SMEs in maximising their offer and capitalising on opportunities being generated by investment in our city.

    “Throughout 2024/25 our business growth team has collaborated with small but highly ambitious businesses to help them make and secure investment, create and sustain jobs, develop new products and services, and access new UK and overseas markets.

    “Our city economy is underpinned by creative thinking, innovation, ambition, skills, and sheer hard work and we want to do everything we can to support this through our grants programme.

    “I would urge businesses to head to the business growth webpage and find out exactly what funding is available to them.”

    Gabitie and Ceandess are 2 of the Wolverhampton businesses supported by the grants.

    Metal processing company Gabitie specialises in steel structures and fabrications. Grant support towards the acquisition of a laser cutter and a standing seam cladding machine will enable the business to launch new ranges such as garden offices, and to focus on entering the lucrative domestic extensions market.

    Ceandess supplies and manufactures a range of fuel and oil fillers, base and filler assemblies, and fuel engine and hydraulic filter caps. The acquisition of a tube bending and forming machine will provide them with a strong platform to access the lucrative Australian and Canadian mining markets by offering formed tubes alongside their existing range.

    The window for expressions of interest in Wolverhampton Council’s latest round of business grants to support city businesses with capital investment and low carbon projects is now open and will close on 30 April, 2025.

    It is likely the average grant available will be up to £20,000 for projects costing £40,000 or more.
    Higher grants could be available depending on the impact of the investment – but grants will be capped at no more than 50% of the project cost.

    Full details of grant eligibility, impact measures and the application processes, along with details of some of the other new business support programmes, can be found at Business Growth Wolverhampton.

    Applications for the grants are on a competitive basis, subject to availability of funds, and distributed at the discretion of the council.

    If you need help with your grant application or have a general query, you can get in touch by emailing business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk or calling the business support phone line on 01902 555572 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Urgent inquiry regarding the continued detention and deportation risk of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi – E-001410/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001410/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Ilaria Salis (The Left), Mimmo Lucano (The Left), Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Tineke Strik (Verts/ALE), Catarina Vieira (Verts/ALE), Erik Marquardt (Verts/ALE), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Damien Carême (The Left), Catarina Martins (The Left), Özlem Demirel (The Left), Li Andersson (The Left), Isabel Serra Sánchez (The Left)

    Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, a Saudi political activist, is detained in Bulgaria, despite a court ruling, handed down on 26 March 2025, ordering his release. He has been held in the Busmantsi Detention Centre for over three years, and authorities are still planning to deport him to Saudi Arabia, where he faces grave risks because of his activism. Al-Khalidi’s detention has been justified on unclear national security grounds, without judicial oversight, which violates Bulgarian judicial rulings and human rights protections[1].

    • 1.What action is the Commission taking to ensure that Bulgaria complies with international obligations, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, and prevents al-Khalidi’s deportation to Saudi Arabia, where he faces torture, arbitrary detention and other human rights violations?
    • 2.How will the Commission ensure that Bulgaria respects judicial decisions, specifically the ruling of Sofia Administrative Court ordering al-Khalidi’s release, and prevents unlawful detention based on arbitrary national security claims?
    • 3.Given the severe risks to al-Khalidi’s life, will the Commission intervene to ensure that Bulgaria grants him asylum protection in line with EU law?

    Submitted: 7.4.2025

    • [1] See: https://www.meltingpot.org/en/2025/04/abdulrahman-al-khalidi-is-at-serious-risk-of-deportation/ and https://balkaninsight.com/2025/04/01/bulgaria-still-detaining-saudi-activist-despite-court-release-order/.
    Last updated: 15 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Education Secretary visits University of Dundee

    Source: Scottish Government

    Taskforce membership is announced.

    Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has met with staff and students as she visited the University of Dundee’s School of Life Sciences.

    It came as the wider membership of an external Taskforce, set up to advise the University on its current financial challenges, was announced, including business and industry organisations, trades unions, enterprise agencies, NHS and academic representatives.

    Visiting the Drug Discovery and Medical Research units at the school, Ms Gilruth heard about how its work has helped contribute to the treatment of conditions like Parkinson’s Disease.

    The university was ranked top in Biological Sciences in the most recent Research Excellence Framework, a UK-wide assessment of research quality at higher education institutions.

    Meeting with university Principal Shane O’Neill, the Education Secretary underlined the Scottish Government’s determination to support the University through its current financial challenges, with a wide-ranging package of financial support and expertise in place to help secure its future.

    Ms Gilruth said: 

    “It was inspiring to hear about the world-leading and life changing work being undertaken at the Life Sciences school here at Dundee. This is vitally important research which underlines the strength of academic excellence and innovation in Scotland

    “This work and research also has a major impact on inward investment for the area and the Scottish Government is clear it should be a vital component of our knowledge economy for the coming generations.

    “We know that this unit and the wider Life Sciences school at Dundee attracts students, researchers and cutting-edge companies from across the globe to the city.

    “That’s why this Government has been clear in our determination to ensure that the University of Dundee is fully supported and the wider membership of the taskforce we are setting out today will provide the right mix knowledge and experience to help advise on the current financial challenges.”

    Professor Shane O’Neill, Interim Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, said:

    “We are extremely grateful to the Scottish Government for their continued support and we have been delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary today to see first hand the impactful work of our researchers in Life Sciences.

    “We will continue to work with the Government and the Scottish Funding Council towards a secure and successful future for the University, and we will also engage fully with the Advisory Taskforce regarding our wider impact on Dundee, the Tay Cities region and beyond.”

    Background

    In addition to the Chair Alan Langlands University of Dundee, City of Dundee Council, Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government, the membership of the Taskforce will include:

    • Universities Scotland
    • Abertay University
    • University of St Andrews
    • Dundee and Angus College
    • Trade Unions representation
    • Student Union representation
    • Tay Cities Regional Economic  Partnership / City Deal
    • Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce
    • Scottish Enterprise
    • Skills Development Scotland
    • NHS Education for Scotland
    • Business representation
    • Alumni/graduates representation

    The Scottish Government has provided £25 million to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support universities like Dundee facing immediate financial challenges. This is on top of £1.1 billion of investment already in the budget for university teaching and research

    Deputy First Minister chairs a regular cross-government group in support of SFC and to consider the issues

    REF 2021 in Life Sciences | University of Dundee, UK

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City of York Council’s Children’s Services rated as Outstanding

    Source: City of York

    Independent inspectors, Ofsted, have rated York’s services for children and young people as Outstanding in all areas.

    The inspectors reviewed four key areas of the council’s work including how it supports children who need help and protection: children in care, care leavers and leadership.

    Each was rated as Outstanding following the inspection in February, leading to an overall rating of Outstanding. This puts York in the top seven per cent of local authorities’ children’s services in the country.

    York Children’s Services were last inspected in 2022, when each of the areas inspected were rated as Requires Improvement.

    York is the first local authority nationally to have moved from a rating below Good to Outstanding in all areas in a single inspection cycle.

    The inspectors attributed the ‘relentless drive by senior leaders’ for the significant improvement in the standard and quality of children’s services, highlighting the council leadership’s aligned core values and strong commitment to children, young people and families.

    They also recognised the council’s ambition and determination to provide outstanding services, creating an environment for improvement, based around putting children first.

    The council’s commitment to recruiting and maintaining a stable workforce was also highlighted, noting that doing so created good experiences and progress for children.

    Work to ensure that children’s views and feelings are central to decisions that are made for them was also praised, with inspectors recognising that children are supported to remain within their wider family networks where possible.

    Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, said: One of my key priorities since becoming Leader has been to work as a single leadership team of politicians and officers to help the council improve the services it delivers for residents.

    “I’m delighted by this recognition and pay tribute to the leadership of Cllr Webb, Martin Kelly as Corporate Director and to the ongoing hard work of all Children’s Services staff. This judgment shows that everyone being aligned, with a shared commitment to do the best for children and young people in York, is resulting in improved services and I couldn’t be happier”.

    Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: Supporting children and young people in York to live safe, healthy lives and to fulfil their potential is central to everything we do as a council.

    “Our fantastic team in York is absolutely committed to achieving the best for every child, young person and family they’re working with and I’m delighted that the inspectors have recognised the exceptional quality of support they provide each and every day.

    “Our relentless focus on putting children and young people at the heart of everything will continue, so we can ensure that York is a great place for all children and young people to grow up, now and in the future.”

    Martin Kelly OBE, the council’s Corporate Director of Children and Young People, said: I’m immensely proud of our Children’s Services teams and the many colleagues across other parts of the council whose dedication and absolute commitment to achieve the best outcomes for children, young people and families in York have made this rating possible.

    “Their resilience and desire to continually review, reflect and improve outcomes for the young people they’re working with is outstanding. I look forward to continuing to work with them, and our partners across the city, to support children, young people and families in York.”

    Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Regulation and Social Care, said: Today’s inspection report highlights the determination of all those working across York to make a positive difference for children and their families. It is a rare achievement to move from a judgement of requires improvement to outstanding in all areas, and it was a pleasure to hear about the team’s successes. I was particularly pleased to read how they have created an environment for improvement that always puts children first.

    “This inspection outcome is a significant achievement and reflects the hard work and commitment of York’s leadership team, their managers and frontline staff, as well as the wider council and safeguarding partners.”

    The judgement places York with only ten other authorities in the country, all of which have achieved a rating of Outstanding in all areas for their Children’s Services.

    A copy of the full report is available here

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The multifunctional space of the new school in the Filevsky Park area will be decorated with models of the planets of the solar system

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In the Filevsky Park area, construction of a four-story school building continues, located at the address: Bagrationovsky Proezd, Building 10. The educational institution will be decorated with a multifunctional, multi-light space with models of the seven planets of the Solar System. This was reported by the head of the Department of Civil Engineering Rafik Zagrutdinov.

    “Currently, the construction readiness of the school with an area of almost seven thousand square meters has reached 90 percent. The building will be decorated with a multifunctional multi-light space, decorated with art objects – models of the seven planets of the Solar System are located above the hall, which refer to the historical heritage of the country in the field of space exploration. Perhaps such a design solution will contribute to the emergence of new Tsiolkovskys, Korolevs and Gagarins from among the graduates of this school,” said Rafik Zagrutdinov.

    The steps of the multifunctional multi-light space will be decorated with formulas that will be made by baking toner into ceramic tiles. This method will ensure the durability of the design idea and protect the decorative elements when using detergents.

    The school is designed for 375 students. It is being built using funds from the Moscow Targeted Investment Program. More than 80 percent of domestic materials were used in the work on the project. Currently, specialists are busy installing low-current systems and finishing. The delivery and assembly of furniture and equipment is nearing completion. The main work is planned to be completed by summer, after which the building will be prepared for commissioning.

    The building, designed according to the Moscow School 2.0 standard, will house 20 general-purpose and specialized classrooms, as well as laboratory and research facilities, a media library, a general-purpose gym, a medical unit, and a full-cycle food service facility.

    The school’s 6.75 thousand square meter territory already has bike racks, a workout area, gazebos and shade canopies surrounded by coniferous plants. The places for active leisure are fully prepared: a running track, a long jump area and a universal sports ground for team sports.

    Previously Sergei Sobyanin congratulated city residents on Cosmonautics Day, which is celebrated on April 12.

    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 access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152604073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Magical World of Creativity: How the M.I. Glinka Children’s Art School Works

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Multi-colored walls and benches whose outlines resemble musical instruments, works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and avant-garde compositions written in a computer program are inChildren’s School of Arts (DSHI) named after M.I. Glinka in Pechatniki everything is bright, creative, modern, close to the young generation. Here even the classics sound new, and the children express themselves through music, movement and colors. The teachers of this educational institution call it Hogwarts and the magical world of creativity. Young Muscovites can become a part of it, because on April 15 in children’s art schools subordinate to To the Department of Culture of the City of Moscow, the admissions campaign for pre-professional programs has begun.

    Room for creativity

    The M.I. Glinka Children’s Art School is located in the Pechatniki district on Guryanova Street (83a). The brick building is distinguished by a line of music decorating the facade. It was built as part of the Art for Children project not far from the previous location of the school. The children moved here with their instruments in 2021.

    The school began its work as a creative circle in the club of the repair enterprise of Vnukovo airport back in 1962. However, it never had its own building, and had to constantly change addresses. In recent years, before settling in its current premises, the school occupied a cramped two-story building in Pechatniki.

    “I am a graduate of the Glinka Children’s Art School. I entered the piano class here in 1998. I remember having to study in different classrooms all the time, those that were free. Between classes there was nowhere to sit, relax, get in a creative mood. And now we are in a spacious room, where the space is divided into zones decorated in different colors, each direction has its own floor, there is a cafe downstairs where you can have a snack. If before children went to study music after school and everything merged into one long school day, now they run here as if to a holiday, here you want to create,” shares the deputy director of the Glinka Children’s Art School and sound design teacher Maxim Novozhilov.

    The new building is decorated in a single color, like other art schools in the capital. The first floor is yellow and green. Theoretical classes, such as solfeggio, are located here. The second floor is bright blue. Here they study modern dance and sound engineering — they write arrangements in computer programs, and at the same time compose their own electronic compositions. “All our training is at the intersection of classics and modern art,” smiles Denis Gordeyev, director of the Glinka Children’s Art School.

    In the classroom we enter, teenage girls wearing headphones are pressing the keys of a miniature one-octave synthesizer (the device is called a MIDI keyboard), and lines and dashes appear on the display, visually representing the sounds.

    “I found the notes of my favorite artist, now I play the melody and add special effects, bass, drums. I like that you can not only play, but arrange it in your own way, and you don’t need other instruments,” explains sixth-grader Vasilisa Shashkova.

    On the third floor, decorated in blue, children play flutes, drums, cellos and violins – these are the instruments of a symphony orchestra. Next door, young actors are practicing.

    There is also a 300-seat concert hall here. Right now, an event is taking place there to mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory: a girl in a tunic and cap is singing “Three Tankmen, Three Merry Friends” accompanied by an accordionist.

    “The performance is classical, and the hall is modern. It is made in the form of a movie theater, with a large screen on which the concert can be broadcast, since today’s children are used to receiving information from monitors. At the same time, the stage is minimalist, without any distracting decorations,” says Denis Gordeev.

    On the fourth floor, dark green, future specialists in folk art (choreographers, singers, performers of compositions on balalaikas and accordions) and artists hone their skills. In the painting class, children complete an assignment from teacher Maria Gilyarova: the subjects of their drawings are about the Great Patriotic War. Thus, one student depicted how schoolchildren lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

    “They study in this department for five years, it’s pre-professional training. Most children will go on to art colleges and universities. Two-hour classes are held three times a week,” Maria Gilyarova explains.

    On all floors there are multi-colored soft benches-banquettes, in the outlines of which one can guess cellos, guitars or drums. And this is only a hint of the similarity with musical instruments: each child can fantasize and develop creative thinking.

    “Another interesting design technique is that the walls of the classrooms that border the corridor are painted the same color as the hall. This is necessary so that the students do not feel like they are in a confined space, because a creative person needs freedom,” adds Denis Gordeev.

    Sergei Sobyanin opened a new building of the Glinka Children’s Art SchoolOpen Days Begin in Moscow Schools and Arts Colleges

    Waiting for talents

    Today, more than 540 children study at the School of Arts. And 49 teachers and accompanists teach classes. Before and during the admission campaign, until the end of May, parents and children can come to open days and see how the educational institution is organized, and talk to teachers.

    You can apply for the pre-professional program at the Glinka School of Arts from April 15 to May 15, and for general development programs from May 16 to July 1. You can do this in person at the institution or online – on the portal Mos.ru.

    After parents apply for admission, the child will have to take a creative test. There is no single requirement for it. Everything depends on which direction is chosen and how the candidate plans to express himself in creativity.

    “Our school has four areas: music, painting, choreography and theatre. During the interview, we check the musician’s memory and hearing, ask him to sing a song, clap a simple rhythm, repeat the sounds of the piano with his voice. Dancers usually demonstrate a sense of rhythm, coordination in space, we also pay attention to the structure of the body, flexibility. Artists bring their works and complete an exam task: a drawing on a given topic. And future actors read a short story, similar to how it happens when entering creative universities. Also, since children from 10 years old, already conscious, well-read, often enter the theater department, we ask them questions on literature, history – we check their general outlook,” says Denis Gordeev, director of the Glinka Children’s Art School.

    The art of teaching

    While we are studying the school in the company of the director, we are greeted by the children who came to the classes. Everyone is smiling, satisfied, happy. Our interlocutor knows everyone by name, asks how things are going. Every child is an individual, a creative person. Many come here on the advice of their parents, but stay of their own free will. This is what happened to eight-year-old Alexander Tupikov, a future pianist.

    “My mother brought me to school. And I liked my teacher so much that I wanted to study. I have been playing the piano for the second year, I really like the works of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, I can perform the “March of the Tin Soldiers” and “Nanny’s Tale”. I have already decided that I will become a professional pianist,” says Alexander Tupikov.

    He gets up at seven in the morning to practice at home before going to a comprehensive school. Even now, Alexander Tupikov plays like an adult, places accents, feels the keys.

    “I find the key to each child through their interests: I play different compositions for the students, and they choose what they like best. And that is what we study further. I do not force them to learn boring scales by heart if the children do not want to. Technique can be practiced in another way, for example, by performing the same “Nyanina Skazka”. It is important when children participate in competitions and win. For creative development, it is necessary to feel like the best,” says Tatyana Batura, a piano teacher at the Glinka Children’s Art School.

    Meanwhile, in the solfeggio class, students review the material they have covered over the year. Children often dislike this subject, finding it boring, as they have to memorize incomprehensible notes and intervals. But here, everything is different.

    “If a child understands how this will be useful to him in life, the attitude towards the subject changes. I tell students that knowing solfeggio, being able to repeat the sounds of musical instruments with their voice, they will always be able to sing along at some creative evening, express themselves, attract attention. In addition, when it works out, you want to go further,” says solfeggio teacher at the M.I. Glinka Children’s Art School Yulia Petrushevich.

    Children’s Art School “Center” is 55 years old: history, traditions and students’ achievementsKeepers of Russian traditions. What folk crafts do children study in Moscow creativity centersTicket to the Future: How Moscow Mayor’s Grants in Culture and Arts Help Young Talents

    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 access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152609073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Masterpieces of vocal music and architectural plein air: what the capital’s cultural venues have prepared for the Days of Historical and Cultural Heritage

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    More than 55 venues in the capital have prepared over 280 eventsDays of Historical and Cultural Heritage. On April 20, concerts, lectures, excursions and master classes await guests. Entrance to museums and exhibition halls will be free. To attend events within the framework of the campaign, you must first purchase free tickets on the website Ticket.Mos.ru.

    Learn all about ceramics and the secrets of cinema

    At 12:00 and 14:00, the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve will host a mediator tour, “Form of Thought,” around the exhibition “To Be in the Material. Contemporary Ceramic Art.” https://bilet.mos.ru/?spheres=[“442299”] The exhibition tells, among other things, about the connection between ceramic art and industrial design. You can discuss the work with an art mediator and understand what emotions it evokes.

    A lecture will be held at 16:00 in the gallery “Na Shabolovke” of the association “Exhibition halls of Moscow” “Cinema through the eyes of an artist”. It will be read by Nikita Bestuzhev, a film artist, graphic artist, illustrator, member of the Moscow Union of Artists, teacher and curator of the Moscow Film School. Participants will learn how films are created, see storyboards of famous Russian and foreign films, learn about what was not included in the final versions, and discuss interesting and unknown to the general public stories of the creation of films. During the lecture, guests will be asked to draw a storyboard.

    Listen to music and learn to dance

    The Alfred Mirek Museum of Russian Accordion invites you to a concert by Elena Filippova and Pavel Korbankov at 15:00. They are participants in folklore festivals, concerts and creative evenings, laureates of the XXI Moscow International Festival “Accordion – the Soul of Russia”, the Interregional Folklore and Ethnographic Festival “Russian Sound”, the Moscow annual festival in honor of the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. The musicians play ancient traditional instruments – Yelets piano and Tula seven-valve accordions, balalaikas and gusli, as well as on objects of peasant life, sometimes the most unusual and unexpected.

    Concert “Masterpieces of Russian Vocal Music” will be held at the Yesenin Center of the Moscow State S.A. Yesenin Museum. It will begin at 17:00. The performance will feature works by composers from different eras, including Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Varlamov, Boris Fomin, Sergei Banevich, Isaak Dunaevsky, Valery Gavrilin, as well as Russian folk songs.

    At the Museum of the Estates of Russia, at 13:00 and 16:00 you can take part in an interactive program “Salon of noble leisure”. It is dedicated to the leisure time of nobles in pre-revolutionary Russia of different eras. The host will show household items, such as a gramophone with pre-revolutionary records and an old camera, and will tell about ballroom etiquette and the language of the fan. Artists in historical costumes will perform several classical dances. Under the guidance of the host, participants will be able to learn the basics of salon dancing. And all this – to the accompaniment of a piano.

    A folk music concert will begin at 12:00 at the Kuskovo estate “Cultural Bridges: Music of the Times”. It will take place in the Big Stone Greenhouse. Guests will see a performance by students and teachers of the Russian State Social University. Romances, spiritual poems, spring chants, songs of residents of various regions of Russia, as well as original musical works, arrangements and instrumental tunes will be performed.

    Learn about the fates of writers and their work

    A lecture will be held at the scientific and educational center of the Mikhail Bulgakov Museum on Arbat at 15:00 “…Where will you live? Mikhail Bulgakov’s Moscow addresses”. The writer found himself in Moscow in the autumn of 1921. Over the course of more than 18 years in the city, he changed his address several times. Elena Mikhailova, head of the scientific and educational center, will tell us about the writer’s life in Moscow and whether he found the apartment of his dreams.

    The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum has also prepared a walking tour “Once upon a time at Patriarch’s”. It will be conducted by accredited tour guide Elena Primorskaya. Participants will go on a journey in the footsteps of the heroes of the novel “The Master and Margarita”, starting from the garden where an attempt was made on the life of the administrator of the Variety Theatre Varenukha. Gathering at 14:00, 16:00 and 17:45 at the entrance to the Aquarium Garden (near the Mossovet Theatre).

    A literary and musical evening in memory of Yuri Kuznetsov will be held at 16:00 in the concert hall of the Alexander Solzhenitsyn House of Russian Abroad “I will set my soul free…”. Guests will hear the poet’s poems and songs written to his works, performed by his students, contemporary Russian poets and artists. Among the participants of the evening are music critic Denis Stupnikov, poet and musician Dmitry Cherny (Echelon group), poetess Vasilisa Spogreyeva, poetess and singer-songwriter Irma Molochnaya, singer Ekaterina Kadik and musician Artemy Kadik, literary scholar Evgeny Bogachkov.

    Yuri Kuznetsov’s father died at the front, so the war became one of the main themes of his work. The poet graduated from the A.M. Gorky Literary Institute, was its professor, worked in publishing houses, magazines, taught, and led a poetry seminar. In addition, he translated the works of outstanding poets, including Friedrich Schiller, John Keats, and Arthur Rimbaud. Due to the emotionality and vivid imagery of his work, Yuri Kuznetsov is called the “twilight angel of Russian poetry.”

    Excursion-conversation “Heart, Imagination and Reason, or Where Does Culture Originate?” prepared at the K. G. Paustovsky Museum. It will take place at 11:00 and 12:00. Participants will learn about the history of the museum building, which is a cultural heritage site of federal significance, a monument of Moscow architecture of the late 18th century. In addition, they will be shown the main exhibition, which tells about the most important creative mission of the writer Konstantin Paustovsky.

    The tour will be held in an interactive format of dialogue with visitors. The main topic of the conversation is the understanding of the famous statement by Konstantin Paustovsky: “Heart, imagination and mind – this is the environment where what we call culture is born.” During the tour, guests will learn about the most important pages of the writer’s biography, his creative method, social activities and main books.

    Try your hand at painting

    Master class “Microcopies of works by Russian artists” will begin at 13:20 in the Peresvetov Pereulok gallery of the Moscow Exhibition Halls association. Participants will feel like master miniaturists, creating their own copies of famous works by Russian artists: landscapes by Isaac Levitan, portraits by Ilya Repin, marine paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky.

    At 16:30 in the Izmailovo Gallery of the Moscow Exhibition Halls Association architectural plein air, dedicated to the beauty of the houses of the district of the same name. In Izmailovo there are buildings designed by brilliant architects, including Georgy Chaltykyan, Johann Gokhar-Harmandaryan, Mikhail Moshinsky. In the open air, guests will be offered to be inspired by their creations and paint their own picture. All necessary materials will be provided by the gallery.

    Dive into the past and touch nature

    At the Timiryazev State Biological Museum, a special program dedicated to the Days of Historical and Cultural Heritage will be held at three sites at once. At 12:00 and 14:00 in the museum building on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street (building 15), you can join an excursion “The Estate in Gruziny: History and Architecture”. Guests will learn about the history of the former estate of the collector and philanthropist Pyotr Shchukin, the creator of the Museum of Russian Antiquities. Its building is an architectural monument of the 19th century.

    At 13:00 and 15:00, a tour will begin in pavilion No. 31 “Geology” at VDNKh “Geology in “Geology””. Participants will be able to touch the fossil remains of extinct creatures and learn what sciences geology unites and how paleontology relates to it. The guide will tell what the building has in common with geological sciences, what the structure looked like in the second half of the 20th century. Using the museum collection as an example, you can get to know a number of rocks and minerals better and learn about their use.

    At 13:00 and 15:00 in pavilion No. 28 “Beekeeping” at VDNKh there will be a tour “About bees and not only”. The exhibition is dedicated to the honey bee, one of two domesticated species of insects. Visitors will learn the differences between worker bees, drones, and queens. They will be told about the role of drones in a bee colony, who likes to eat bees and who likes to eat bee products, how people collect honey, and what a bee dance is. A research assistant will introduce visitors to bee breeds and the main honey plants.

    In addition, the guides of the Museum of Moscow will conduct excursions to the Petrovsky Travel Palace, the building of the Moscow City Duma, as well as the house of the Governor-General, which now houses the Moscow City Hall.

    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 access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152615073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire: 15 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire: 15 April 2025

    The King has been pleased to appoint Professor Elizabeth Barnes, CBE, DL, as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Staffordshire.

    The King has been pleased to appoint Professor Elizabeth Barnes, CBE, DL, as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Staffordshire on the retirement of Sir Ian Dudson, KCVO, CBE, on 15th July, 2025.

    Liz Barnes (64) served as Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University for six years, overseeing a leap in its learning and teaching standards and championing social mobility. 

    Born and bred in the county, she is a Trustee of the Peter Coates Foundation, which aims to regenerate Stoke-on-Trent, and of the Aspire Trust, which provides social housing across Staffordshire. 

    Previously a teacher in Stoke-on-Trent, she has also co-chaired the Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area; been a Director of the Donna Louise Trust, providing end-of-life care across the county; and served on the board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and on the Stoke-on-Trent Children’s Services Improvement Board.

    Professor Barnes lives in Abbots Bromley, near Rugeley, with her husband, Chris.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom