Category: Sport

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India and EFTA Strengthen Economic Ties with the Inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk

Source: Government of India

India and EFTA Strengthen Economic Ties with the Inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk

India-EFTA Desk will function as a single-window mechanism to provide support to EFTA businesses looking to invest, expand, or establish operations in India

Business Roundtable Witnessed Participation from Over 100 Companies from India and EFTA Nations

Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 6:27PM by PIB Delhi

India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein – have taken a significant step towards deeper economic collaboration with the inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk. This initiative follows the recently concluded India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which positions EFTA as the first European bloc to formalize a trade pact with India. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal hailed TEPA as a landmark agreement, emphasizing India’s growing role in global trade. “This desk will serve as the bridge between businesses on both sides, ensuring transparency, trust, and ease of doing business,” he stated. He underscored India’s ambition to surpass $100 billion in EFTA investments, highlighting the country’s commitment to fostering equitable and mutually beneficial trade relationships.

The India-EFTA Desk will provide structured support to EFTA businesses looking to invest, expand, or establish operations in India. High-ranking dignitaries from all four EFTA nations attended the launch, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic ties.

Switzerland’s State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda, described TEPA as a “new chapter for investment promotion and cooperation,” citing over CHF 10 billion in Swiss FDI that has created 146,000+ jobs in India, particularly in manufacturing. She projected a surge in investments across precision industries, chemicals, food processing, and pharmaceuticals, suggesting that an Invest India office in Switzerland could further drive investment flows.

Norway’s State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Mr. Tomas Norvoll, likened TEPA to an airport, with the EFTA Desk serving as the landing strip for businesses. He noted that Norwegian companies in India have doubled in the last decade, with sovereign wealth fund assets reaching $31.4 billion.

Iceland’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Martin Eyjolfsson, called TEPA “the most significant trade agreement EFTA has signed in decades,” reinforcing India’s role as a key economic partner for Europe. He highlighted growing cooperation in renewable energy, seafood, and pharmaceuticals, positioning TEPA as a stabilizing force amid global economic uncertainty.

Liechtenstein’s Minister of External Affairs, Education, and Sport, Ms. Dominique Hasler, emphasized the Desk’s role in facilitating high-value manufacturing and innovation-driven industries. She pointed to Hilti’s success in India and expressed optimism that TEPA would encourage more Liechtenstein-based firms to expand.

The India-EFTA Desk will drive investment in renewable energy, life sciences, engineering, and digital transformation. Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, noted that TEPA will spur joint ventures, SME collaborations, and technology partnerships, with the Desk streamlining regulatory navigation for EFTA businesses.

Union Minister of State, Shri Jitin Prasada, highlighted EFTA’s strategic importance to India’s development goals, citing Norway’s expertise in green shipping, Switzerland’s advancements in rail networks, Iceland’s leadership in geothermal energy, and Liechtenstein’s high-value manufacturing. He also pointed to research collaborations between IITs and the Arctic University of Norway, demonstrating TEPA’s broader scope beyond trade.

Following the Desk’s inauguration, a high-level Business Roundtable chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal convened to explore opportunities and address trade challenges. Discussions identified key sectors, including seafood & maritime, energy, financial services, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and food processing.

Looking ahead, the India-EFTA Desk will serve as the primary channel for fostering continuous business-government dialogue. The Indian government has pledged to work closely with EFTA partners to unlock TEPA’s full potential. Concluding the discussions, Shri Piyush Goyal called TEPA a “model agreement” and reaffirmed India’s readiness to build a robust future with EFTA, stating: “India is ready when you are. Let’s build this future together.”

With the official inauguration of the EFTA Desk, India and EFTA have entered a new era of economic cooperation, ensuring that businesses from both regions thrive in an era of sustainable and innovation-driven growth.

***

Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

(Release ID: 2101431) Visitor Counter : 65

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Domestic Tourism Growth

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 5:17PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and the following strategic pillars have been identified for development of sustainable tourism:

i. Promoting Environmental Sustainability

ii. Protecting Biodiversity

iii. Promoting Economic Sustainability

iv. Promoting Socio-Cultural Sustainability

v. Scheme for Certification of Sustainable Tourism

vi. IEC and Capacity Building Governance

The Ministry also launched the Travel for LiFE Initiative to promote sustainable tourism in the country and to encourage the tourists and tourism businesses to adopt sustainable tourism practices. Travel for LiFE aims to promote sustainable tourism in the country, through mindful and deliberate actions mobilized toward tourists and tourism businesses in the consumption of tourism resources. The Ministry of Tourism has also revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) with the objective of developing sustainable and responsible destinations following a tourist & destination centric approach. Through these initiatives, the Government seeks to ensure that tourism contributes positively to the economy while safeguarding the environment and benefiting local communities. The list of projects sanctioned under the schemes of the Ministry in various States/Union Territories including in South India are placed at Annexure.

This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

ANNEXURE

State wise list of projects sanctioned under PRASHAD Scheme.

(Rs. in Crore)
S. No	Name of State/UT	No. of Projects	Sanctioned Amount	Amount released
1	Andhra Pradesh	4	150.22	84.55
2	Arunachal Pradesh	1	37.88	21.95
3	Assam	1	29.8	29.8
4	Bihar	2	33.25	33.25
5	Chhattisgarh	1	48.44	32.13
6	Gujarat	4	152.94	113.48
7	Goa	1	16.46	0
8	Haryana	1	48.53	34.68
9	Jammu & Kashmir	1	40.46	34.3
10	Jharkhand	1	36.79	34.95
11	Karnataka	1	45.71	0
12	Kerala	1	45.19	45.19
13	Madhya Pradesh	2	93.92	78.67
14	Maharashtra	1	42.18	29.93
15	Meghalaya	1	29.29	24.92
16	Mizoram	1	44.89	13.18
17	Nagaland	2	43.38	32.24
18	Odisha	1	50	10
19	Punjab	2	37.97	23.89
20	Rajasthan	1	32.64	26.11
21	Sikkim	1	33.32	28.31
22	Tamil Nadu	2	18.85	18.85
23	Telangana	3	142.28	54.32
24	Tripura	1	34.43	25.62
25	Uttar Pradesh	6	130.27	110.82
26	Uttarakhand	3	145.28	83.37
27	West Bengal	1	30.03	23.39
	Grand Total	47	1594.4	1047.92

State wise list of projects under Swadesh Darshan Scheme till 31.12.2024

(₹ in crore)

S. No	State / UTs	Swadesh Darshan
S. No	State / UTs	No. of Projects	Amount Sanctioned in ₹ Crore	Amount Released / Authorised* in ₹ Crore	Amount Utilised in ₹ Crore (as per UC submitted by the Implementing agency)
1	Andhra Pradesh	3	152.62	147.40	148.81
2	Arunachal Pradesh	2	146.49	139.16	139.16
3	Assam	2	185.66	185.65	176.36
4	Bihar	5	262.72	250.37	247.03
5	Chhattisgarh	1	96.10	94.23	94.23
6	Goa	2	197.00	197.00	195.24
7	Gujarat	3	176.97	165.74	161.11
8	Haryana	1	77.39	76.74	76.74
9	Himachal Pradesh	1	68.34	64.54	62.56
10	Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh	6	519.58	453.46	423.43
11	Jharkhand	1	30.44	28.04	28.04
12	Kerala	5	312.47	259.13	222.05
13	Madhya Pradesh	4	349.70	342.14	342.14
14	Maharashtra	2	64.53	61.29	55.85
15	Manipur	2	117.57	106.65	104.29
16	Meghalaya	2	184.10	184.07	176.08
17	Mizoram	2	158.63	145.35	145.35
18	Nagaland	2	195.50	195.50	190.63
19	Odisha	1	70.82	67.28	59.47
20	Punjab	1	85.32	81.05	81.05
21	Rajasthan	4	283.47	265.88	275.45
22	Sikkim	2	193.37	192.73	187.96
23	Tamil Nadu	1	73.13	71.03	71.03
24	Telangana	3	268.39	241.73	262.10
25	Tripura	2	127.68	113.01	100.13
26	Uttar Pradesh	8	490.95	452.08	437.39
27	Uttarakhand	2	145.49	138.08	138.11
28	West Bengal	1	67.99	65.07	65.07
29	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	1	27.57	22.13	22.08
30	Puducherry	3	142.84	135.54	135.34
31	Wayside Amenities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar	1	15.07	14.32	15.83
Total		76	5287.90	4956.39	4840.11

* Includes amount of authorization to CNA through TSA Model I for Central Sector Scheme.

List of sanctioned projects under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 as on 31.12.2024

S. No	State	Destination	Name of the Experience	Sanctioned Cost (₹ Crore)	Date of Sanction
1	Andhra Pradesh	Araku-Lambasingi	Borra Cave Experience at Araku	29.87	05-03-2024
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Nacho	Unlock Nacho Expedition	14.02	05-03-2024
3	Arunachal Pradesh	Mechuka	Mechuka Cultural Haat	18.48	05-03-2024
4	Arunachal Pradesh	Mechuka	Mechuka Adventure Park	12.75	05-03-2024
5	Assam	Kokrajhar	Kokrajhar Wetland Experience	26.67	05-03-2024
6	Assam	Jorhat	Reimagining Cinnamara Tea Estate	23.91	05-03-2024
7	Goa	Porvorim	Porvorim Creek Experience	23.56	20-08-2024
8	Goa	Colva	Colva Beach Experience	15.65	20-08-2024
9	Karnataka	Hampi	Setting up of ‘Traveller nooks’	25.64	29-02-2024
10	Karnataka	Mysuru	Tonga ride Heritage experience zone	2.72	29-02-2024
11	Karnataka	Mysuru	Ecological Experience Zone	18.47	05-03-2024
12	Kerala	Kumarakom	Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary Experience	13.92	05-03-2024
13	Ladakh	Leh	Julley Leh Biodiversity Park	24.89	05-03-2024
14	Ladakh	Kargil	Exploring LOC and Hundarman village Experience	12.01	05-03-2024
15	Madhya Pradesh	Gwalior	Phoolbagh Experience Zone	16.73	29-02-2024
16	Madhya Pradesh	Chitrakoot	Spiritual experience at Chitrakoot	27.21	05-03-2024
17	Maharashtra	Pune	Shivsrushti Historical Theme Park- Phase 3	76.22	21-09-2024
18	Meghalaya	Sohra	Waterfall Trails Experience	27.84	05-03-2024
19	Meghalaya	Sohra	Meghalayan Age Cave Experience	32.45	04-03-2024
20	Nagaland	Chumoukedima	Eco-Tourism Exp at Chumoukedima viewpoint	7.87	20-08-2024
21	Nagaland	Chumuoukedima	Tribal Cultural Experience at Midway Retreat	21.56	05-03-2024
22	Puducherry	Karaikal	Karaikal beach and waterfront experience	20.29	05-03-2024
23	Punjab	Kapurthala	Eco Tourism experience at Kanjli wetland	20.06	05-03-2024
24	Punjab	Amritsar	Border Tourism Experience at Attari	25.90	20-08-2024
25	Rajasthan	Bundi	Spiritual Experience, Keshavraipatan	17.37	29-02-2024
26	Sikkim	Gyalshing	Eco-Wellness Experience at Yuksom Cluster	15.40	05-03-2024
27	Sikkim	Gangtok	Gangtok Cultural Village	22.59	29-02-2024
28	Tamil Nadu	Mamallapuram	Immersive experience at Shore Temple	30.02	29-02-2024
29	Telangana	Bhongir	Bhongir Fort Experiential Zone	56.81	29-02-2024
30	Telangana	Ananathagiri	Eco tourism zone at Ananathgiri forest	38.00	05-03-2024
31	Uttar Pradesh	Prayagraj	Azad Park and Dekho Prayagraj Trail Exp	13.02	05-03-2024
32	Uttar Pradesh	Naimisaranya	Vedic- wellness Experience	15.94	05-03-2024
33	Uttarakhand	Pithoragarh	Rural Tourism Cluster Experience at Gunji	32.20	05-03-2024
34	Uttarakhand	Champawat	Tea Garden Experience	11.21	05-03-2024
TOTAL AMOUNT				791.25

List of Destination Identified under Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD), a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan scheme

S. No.	State	Destination	Category	Funding Amount (₹ Crore)
1	Andhra Pradesh	Nagarjuna Sagar	Culture & Heritage	25.00
2	Andhra Pradesh	Ahobilam Temple	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
3	Arunachal Pradesh	Kibitho	Vibrant Village Programme	5.00
4	Arunachal Pradesh	Bichom Dam Site	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
5	Assam	Sivasagar	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
6	Bihar	Bhagalpur	Culture & Heritage	25.00
7	Bihar	Saran Dist. (Sonepur Fair)	Culture & Heritage	25.00
8	Chhattisgarh	Mayali Bagicha	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
9	Goa	Mayem Village	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
10	Gujarat	Porbandar	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
11	Gujarat	Thol Village	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
12	Gujarat	Vadnagar	Culture & Heritage	25.00
13	Himachal Pradesh	Kaza	Culture & Heritage	25.00
14	Himachal Pradesh	Rakchham, Chhitkul	Vibrant Village Programme	5.00
15	Jharkhand	Ramrekha Dham	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
16	Kerala	Varkala	Culture & Heritage	25.00
17	Kerala	Thalassery	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
18	Karnataka	Bidar	Culture & Heritage	25.00
19	Karnataka	Udupi	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
20	Ladakh	Mushkoh Village	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
21	Lakshadweep	Lakshadweep	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
22	Madhya Pradesh	Mandu	Culture & Heritage	25.00
23	Madhya Pradesh	Orchha	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
24	Maharashtra	Ahmednagar	Culture & Heritage	25.00
25	Manipur	Langthabal Konug	Culture & Heritage	25.00
26	Meghalaya	Nartiang Village	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
27	Meghalaya	Mawphlang Village	Culture & Heritage	25.00
28	Nagaland	Doyang Reservoir	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
29	Nagaland	Impur Village	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
30	Puducherry	White Town	Culture & Heritage	25.00
31	Punjab	Ferozpur (Hussainiwala Border)	Culture & Heritage	25.00
32	Punjab	Rupnagar (Anandpur Sahib)	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
33	Sikkim	Gnathang Village	Vibrant Village Programme	5.00
34	Sikkim	Kabi	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
35	Tamil Nadu	Rameswaram Island	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
36	Tamil Nadu	Thanjavur	Culture & Heritage	25.00
37	Telangana	Nalgonda	Culture & Heritage	25.00
38	Telangana	Kamareddy	Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites	10.00
39	Uttar Pradesh	Mahoba	Culture & Heritage	25.00
40	Uttarakhand	Mana Village	Vibrant Village Programme	5.00
41	Uttarakhand	Jadung	Vibrant Village Programme	5.00
42	Uttarakhand	Kainchidham	Spiritual Tourism	25.00
TOTAL				800.00

List of Project shortlisted by Ministry of Tourism in consultation with the State Governments on the given parameters and funded by Department of Expenditure for development

S. No.	State/UT	Name of the Project	Sanctioned Cost (₹ Crore)	Date of Sanction
1	Andhra Pradesh	Enriching the fort and Gorge Experience in Gandikota	77.91	26-11-2024
2	Andhra Pradesh	Akhanda Godavari- (Havelok Bridge & Pushkar Ghat) in Raja Mahendravaram,	94.44	26-11-2024
3	Arunachal Pradesh	Siang Adventure & Eco-Retreat in Pasighat	46.48	26-11-2024
4	Assam	Assam State Zoo Cum Botanical Garden in Guwahati	97.12	26-11-2024
5	Assam	Beautification of Rang Ghar in Sivasagar	94.76	26-11-2024
6	Bihar	Development of Matsyagandha Lake in Saharsa	97.61	26-11-2024
7	Bihar	Karamchat Eco-Tourism and Adventure Hub in Karamchat	49.51	26-11-2024
8	Chhattisgarh	Development of Chitrotpala Film City in Raipur	95.79	26-11-2024
9	Chhattisgarh	Development of Tribal & Cultural Convention Centre in Raipur	51.87	26-11-2024
10	Goa	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in Ponda	97.46	26-11-2024
11	Goa	Townsquare in Porvorim	90.74	26-11-2024
12	Gujarat	Ecotourism Destination at Kerly (Mokarsagar) in Porbandar	99.50	26-11-2024
13	Gujarat	Tented City and Convention Centre in Dhordo	51.56	26-11-2024
14	Jharkhand	Eco-Tourism Development of Tilaiyya” in Koderma	34.87	26-11-2024
15	Karnataka	Ecotourism & Cultural Hub at Roerich and Devika Rani Estate Tataguni in Bengaluru	99.17	26-11-2024
16	Karnataka	Development of Savadatti Yallammagudda in Belgavi	100.00	26-11-2024
17	Kerala	Ashtamudi Biodiversity and Eco-recreational Hub in Kollam	59.71	26-11-2024
18	Kerala	Global Gateway to Malabar’s Cultural Crucible in Sargaalayaa	95.34	26-11-2024
19	Madhya Pradesh	Orchha A Medieval Splendour in Orchha	99.92	26-11-2024
20	Madhya Pradesh	International Convention Centre for MICE in Bhopal	99.38	26-11-2024
21	Maharashtra	INS-Guldar Underwater Museum, Artificial Reef, and submarine Tourism in Sindhudurg	46.91	26-11-2024
22	Maharashtra	Development of RAM-KAL PATH in Nashik	99.14	26-11-2024
23	Manipur	Loktak Lake Experience in Loktak	89.48	26-11-2024
24	Meghalaya	MICE Infrastructure in Mawkhanu	99.27	26-11-2024
25	Meghalaya	Redevelopment of Umiam Lake in Shillong	99.27	26-11-2024
26	Odisha	Development of Hirakund	99.90	26-11-2024
27	Odisha	Development of Satkosia	99.99	26-11-2024
28	Punjab	Development of Heritage Street as a tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam, Sardar Bhaghat Singh at Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar	53.45	26-11-2024
29	Rajasthan	Development at Amber-Nahargarh and Surrounding Area in Jaipur	49.31	26-11-2024
30	Rajasthan	Development at Jalmahal in Jaipur	96.61	26-11-2024
31	Sikkim	Skywalk, Bhaleydhunga, Yangang in Namchi	97.37	27-11-2024
32	Sikkim	Border Experience in Nathula	68.19	27-11-2024
33	Tamil Nadu	Development of Nandavanam Heritage Park in Mammallapuram	99.67	26-11-2024
34	Tamil Nadu	Garden of Flowers in Devala	70.23	26-11-2024
35	Telangana	Ramappa Region Sustainable Tourism Circuit in Ramappa	73.74	13-12-2024
36	Telangana	Somasilla Wellness & Spiritual Retreat in Nallamala	68.10	13-12-2024
37	Tripura	Shakti Peethas Park at Banduar in Gomati	97.70	26-11-2024
38	Uttar Pradesh	Development of Bateshwar in District-Agra	74.05	26-11-2024
39	Uttar Pradesh	Integrated Buddhist Tourism Development in Shrawasti	80.24	26-11-2024
40	Uttarakhand	Iconic City Rishikesh: Rafting Base Station in Rishikesh	100.00	26-11-2024
TOTAL			3295.76

List of Projects Sanctioned under the Scheme Assistance to Central Agencies

S. No	Name of Project	State	Agency	Sanction Date	Amount sanctioned	Amount Released
1	Sound and Light Show at Dal Lake (Nigeen Lake)	J&K	ITDC	25-06-2012	500	400
2	Cruise Passenger Facilities Centre in the existing Passenger Terminal at Chennai Port.	Tamil Nadu	Chennai Port Trust	24-09-2012	1724.66	1724.66
3	Implementation of Multimedia /Laser show at Tilyar Lake	Haryana	ITDC	30-04-2013	500	224.05
4	Construction of Interpretation Centre at the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi.	Delhi	Aga Khan Foundation	04-03-2014	4944.84	4944.84
5	Cruise Terminal Building at Mormugao Port Trust	Goa	Mormugao Port Trust	24-06-2014	879.04	767.18
6	Sound & Light Show at Diu Fort, Diu	Daman & Diu	ITDC	28-02-2015	775.54	620.43
7	Illumination of monuments in Varanasi/Sarnath (Dhamekh Stupa in SarnathChaukhandi Stupa in Sarnath, Tomb of Lalkan in Sarnath and Man Mahal in Banaras).	Uttar Pradesh	ITDC	28-02-2015	512.43	381.47
8	Development of Kanoji Angre Lighthouse as a tourist Destination	Maharashtra	Mumbai Port Trust	09-08-2016	1500	1500
9	Development of a Walkway/Promenade on Willingdon Island, Cochin, Kerala	Kerala	Cochin Port Trust	28-10-2016	901	826.29
10	Central Financial Assistance for upgrading of Births & Backup area of Ernakulam Wharf	Kerala	Cochin Port Trust	31-03-2017	2141	1912.8
11	Project for Up-gradation of Golf Course at SAI Trivandrum Golf Club by the Sports Authority of India	Kerala	SAI	31-03-2017	2464.99	1232.49
12	Sound and Light Show at Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore, Haryana.	Haryana	ITDC	16-10-2017	600	300
13	Sound and Light Show at Puttaparthy, Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Pradesh	ITDC	27-11-2017	708.67	354.34
14	Up-gradation/ modernization to International Cruise terminal at Indira Dock, Mumbai.	Maharashtra	Mumbai Port Trust	29-12-2017	1250	1250
15	Illumination of three monuments in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh- 1. Dashashwamedh Ghat to Darbhanga Ghat (stretch of 300 m) 2. Tulsi Manas Mandir 3. Sarnath Museum	Uttar Pradesh	CPWD	21-12-2017	293.55	293.55
16	Infrastructural Development at JCP Attari, Wagha Border	Punjab	BSF	12-06-2018	1312	1029.59
17	Improvement of immigration facility and deepening of existing cruise berth at Mormugao Port Trust	Goa	Mormugao Port Trust	24-08-2018	1316.4	658.2
18	Developing infrastructure at Cochin Port Cruise Terminal.	Kerala	Cochin Port Trust	12-12-2018	120.79	114.17
19	Creation of additional tourism facilities at the Cochin Port Trust Walkway	Kerala	Cochin Port Trust	12-12-2018	466.47	466.47
20	Construction of Cruise-Cum-Costal Cargo Terminal at Channel berth area in Outer Harbour of Visakhapatnam Port	Andhra Pradesh	Visakhapatnam Port Trust	14-12-2018	3850	2991
21	Restoration/ Renovation of ‘Jallianwala Bagh Memorial’ & Additional work to be taken at Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial at Amritsar, Punjab.	Punjab (GFR)	ASI	08-03-2019	2302	2250
22	Sound and Light Show at (Purana Quila) Delhi	Delhi	ITDC	05-08-2019	1404	685
23	Development of Additional infrastructure in the new Cochin Port Trust Terminal	Kerala	Cochin Port Trust	13-12-2019	1029.7	888.62
24	Illumination of Building of National Gallery of Modern Art	Delhi	NCSM	19-12-2019	380	304
25	Development & renovation of selected facilities of National Museum	Delhi	NCSM	26-12-2019	4373	2186
26	Development of Jetties at 9 main points of embarkation/disembarkation of River Cruize on National Water ways No. 1 & 2	Assam	IWAI	28-04-2020	2803.05	700.76
27	Tourism Infrastructure at Beltaal Lake, Damoh, Madhya Pradesh by ITDC.	Madhya Pradesh	ITDC	29-09-2020	2315.30	1008.27
28	Sound & Light Show at Leh, Ladakh & Water Screen Projection Multimedia Show at Tourist Facilitation Centre, Kargil, Ladakh	Leh & Ladakh	ITDC	26-11-2020	2321.99	765.99
29	3D visual projection mapping of NGMA Building	Delhi	NCSM	31-03-2021	616.27	464.58
30	Development of Convention Centre and associated Infrastructure at Aizawl.	Mizoram	WAPCOS	31-03-2021	3994.75	3057.03
31	Development of International and Domestic Cruse Terminal and allied facilities at Murmugao Port Trust, Goa	Goa	Mormugao Port Trust	10-09-2021	5000	4000
32	Upgradation/Modernization to International Cruise Terminal at Indira Dock, Mumbai Port Trust	Maharashtra	Mumbai Port Trust	20-12-2021	3750	3000
33	Development of 22 viewpoints in North Eastern State (i) Nagaland (2 view points)- Rs.5.77 Crore (ii) Meghalaya (3 view points) – Rs.6.26 Crore (iii) Mizoram (9 view points)- Rs.12.78 Crore (iv) Arunachal Pradesh (4 view points) – Rs.6.25 Crore (v) Manipur (3 view points)- Rs.5.93 Crore (vi) Sikkim/West Bengal (1 view point)- Rs.3.70 Crore	NER	NHIDCL	11-10-2022	4444	3555.4
34	Development of Border Tourism at Shri Tanot Complex, Jaisalmer Sector	Rajasthan	BSF	05-07-2022	1767.66	883.83
35	Multimedia Laser Show with Water Screen and Musical Fountain at Sanjeevaiah Park, Hyderabad, Telangana	Telangana	BECIL	31-10-2022	5000.04	4090
36	Design, Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Digital Multimedia Technology and Lightings at Osmania Arts University, Hyderabad Telangana	Telangana	BECIL	22-12-2022	1179.93	943.47
37	Project ‘Major Upgradation of National Science Centre	Delhi	NCSM	27-03-2023	3180	18
38	Installation of Musical Fountain & Water Screen Multimedia based projection show at Nawal Sagar Lake, Bundi	Rajasthan	ITDC	04-10-2023	925.67	92.57
39	Development of Light & Sound and Multimedia Show at Rashtrapati Bhawan	Delhi	ITDC	28-03-2024	4712.4	471
40	3D Mapping with Aqua Screen Projection and Sound Show at Buxar, Bihar and Dynamic Lighting & Motif at Ram Rekha Ghat, Bihar	Bihar	BECIL	10-06-2024	599.96	59.99
	Total (Lakhs)				78,861.10	51,416.04

***

Sunil Kumar Tiwari

tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

(Release ID: 2101365) Visitor Counter : 70

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Labour & Employment and FoundIt Signs MoU in Presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Source: Government of India (2)

Ministry of Labour & Employment and FoundIt Signs MoU in Presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

MoU with FoundIt to Bring 10 lakh Job Opportunities Annually on NCS portal: Dr. Mandaviya

NCS Portal has become a crucial gateway, connecting millions of job seekers with employers at national and international levels – Union Minister

Partnership to Boost International Job Opportunities on NCS Portal

Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 4:48PM by PIB Delhi

In a significant move to enhance job creation and expand opportunities for young job seekers, the Ministry of Labour & Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FoundIt (Formerly Monster), a leading job portal in New Delhi today. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and aims to enhance international & domestic employment opportunities for job seekers registered on NCS portal.

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the NCS Portal’s transformative role in bridging the gap between job seekers and employment opportunities, both within India and abroad. “The NCS Portal has become a crucial gateway, connecting millions of job seekers with employers at the national and international levels. With the addition of 3,000 to 4,000 job postings daily, this MoU is expected to bring 1.25 lakhs international vacancies and over 10 lakhs domestic vacancies to NCS each year, significantly boosting employment prospects for Indian youth,” he stated.

He further emphasized the NCS Portal’s role as a robust employment-generation platform, connecting job seekers across diverse industries. “With over 40 lakh employers registered, the portal has facilitated the mobilization of more than 4.40 crore vacancies since its inception. At any given time, nearly 10 lakh job vacancies are available, ensuring a steady flow of opportunities for the youth,” he added.

Expanding its global reach, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the NCS Portal’s integration with the e-Migrate platform, under which more than 500 active Recruitment Agencies (RAs) registered with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have been onboarded. “This initiative has opened doors for Indian professionals to secure jobs with credible, verified employers abroad,” he noted.

Calling the NCS Portal a vital resource for job seekers, Dr. Mandaviya urged the youth to register on the platform and take full advantage of the numerous career opportunities available. He mentioned that NCS portal is integrated with My Bharat, SIDH portal which is bridging the skill gap among the youth to make them more employable.

NCS पोर्टल हो रहा सशक्त!

युवाओं को रोजगार के और अधिक अवसर प्रदान करने के लिए @NCSIndia पोर्टल और @foundit_India के बीच आज MoU किया गया है। इससे NCS पोर्टल पर ही युवाओं को प्रतिवर्ष 10 लाख से अधिक नौकरियों के अवसर प्रदान होंगे।

प्रधानमंत्री श्री @NarendraModi जी के नेतृत्व में… pic.twitter.com/sUPkyKdVyA

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 10, 2025

Secretary MoLE, Smt. Sumita Dawra stated that countries like Germany, Finland, and nations across the Middle East are actively seeking skilled workers for both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. This MoU will enable NCS to facilitate these vacancies and enhance career prospects for Indian job seekers, she added.

V. Suresh, CEO of FoundIt, lauded the partnership, stating that it aligns with the Modi Government’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ by fostering inclusive employment opportunities. “Employment is the key to economic growth, and the government’s commitment to creating better career prospects is reflected in the continued success of the NCS Portal, which connects millions of job seekers with opportunities in India and abroad,” he said.

Benefits of the MoU between MoLE and FoundIt:
1. Expanded Job Opportunities: Job seekers registered on the National Career Service (NCS) Portal will gain access to vacancies not only within India but also in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, significantly broadening their employment prospects.
2. Seamless Job Integration: FoundIt will post job opportunities on the NCS Portal, enhancing employment prospects for job seekers. It will gather job demand from employers across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia looking to hire in both the formal and informal sectors. Relevant job listings will be integrated into the NCS Portal via APIs for seamless access.
3. Inclusive Hiring Practices: The NCS Portal is committed to providing employment opportunities for women and persons with disabilities. This partnership with FoundIt will promote a fair and inclusive hiring process, ensuring equal job opportunities for underrepresented groups.
4. Access to a Diverse Talent Pool: Through this MoU, FoundIt will gain access to a large and diverse pool of candidates from the NCS Portal, including women and persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Labour & Employment will facilitate database integration, enabling FoundIt to connect with a broad talent base via a seamless technology interface, accessible both online and offline.
*******

Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2101338) Visitor Counter : 85

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: President Karin Keller-Sutter and DDPS head Viola Amherd to take part in the Munich Security Conference

Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

President Karin Keller-Sutter, Head of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF), and Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), will be attending the 61st Munich Security Conference, which is taking place at the end of the week. The conference, which will be opened on Friday, 14 February by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will focus on global security challenges such as democratic resilience.

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces $17.9 million for flood mitigation, generators and Hurricanes Ida, Laura aid
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $17,860,797 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for flood mitigation projects and emergency power generator installations in Louisiana.

“Our communities depend on projects to help them prepare for storms and recover from disasters. This $17.9 million will help Louisianians with flood mitigation, emergency generators and permanent repairs after Hurricanes Ida and Laura,” said Kennedy

The FEMA aid will fund the following:
- $7,239,362 to Lake Charles for permanent repairs to the Purple Heart Recreation Center and Gymnasium due to Hurricane Laura.
- $3,632,990 to St. John the Baptist Parish for the elevation of 21 residential structures.
- $1,908,921 to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the instillation of two permanent generators in Monroe, La.
- $1,906,342 to St. John the Baptist Parish for management costs as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,492,935 to Livingston Parish for the replacement of the Lod Stafford Road Bridge as a result of Hurricane Ida.
- $1,421,300 to Winn Parish for the installation of 15 emergency power generator systems.
- $201,832 to St. John the Baptist Parish for management costs associated with the elevation of 21 residential structures.
- $57,115 to Winn Parish for management costs associated with the installation of the 15 emergency power generator systems.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 11, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s clinical guidelines shape our health care. Why do so many still ignore sex and gender?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Kirkman, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock

You’ve heard of the gender pay gap. What about the gap in medical care?

Cardiovascular diseases – which can lead to heart attack and stroke – are one of the leading causes of death for women in Australia.

But women are less likely than men to receive preventive care for heart disease, such as appropriate medication. One study in New South Wales showed women admitted to hospital for a stroke were more likely to be first told by paramedics it was a migraine, headache, anxiety or nausea.

Despite these differences, official guidelines in Australia too often ignore the impact of sex and gender on health care. For example, a guideline on atrial fibrillation (irregular and often fast heartbeat) has limited information on sex and nothing on gender.

“Sex” refers to various biological characteristics by which at birth we are identified as female, male or intersex. “Gender” is a social and cultural concept in which people understand themselves to be a woman, a man or non-binary.

Our recent study reviewed 80 clinical guidelines. We found very few define sex and gender and the majority don’t mention gender at all. This has serious consequences for everyone, but especially for women, girls and gender-diverse people.

What are clinical guidelines for?

Clinical guidelines are recommendations about how to diagnose and treat a medical condition, based on research and usually developed by a team of specialists. Clinicians and other health workers are expected to use them to guide day-to-day health care.

For example, there are guidelines for physiotherapists on how to provide the best rehabilitation for someone after a heart attack. Other guidelines outline what a GP should do if a patient discloses intimate partner violence.

A health practitioner’s sensitivity about gender and sex can profoundly affect the mental health of gender-diverse patients.
Media_Photos/Shutterstock

Because clinical guidelines are based on research, they can report only what has been studied and published in peer-reviewed journals. This means where there are gaps in research, clinical guidelines are usually silent.

What we did

As part of a larger project, the federal government asked our team to examine whether there are still clinical guidelines that do not take into account sex and gender differences.

There is no central database of Australia’s clinical guidelines. But in a comprehensive search, we found 80 published from January 2014 to April 2024.

These encompassed guidelines for conditions including various cancers, diabetes and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, designed for a range of health professionals such as general practitioners, medical specialists, physiotherapists and paramedics.

We searched every document for the following words:
- sex
- gender
- female
- male
- women
- men
- girl
- boy
If none of these words were found, we looked for “psychosocial” and “cultural”, to see if gender was considered without being named directly. We also read the text around each relevant word to understand its context and meaning.

What we found

Clinical guidelines in Australia too often do not offer guidance on incorporating sex and (especially) gender into health care.

We found:
- 15% of guidelines didn’t mention sex or gender at all. This includes recommendations about acute coronary syndrome from the National Heart Foundation and on e-mental health by the peak body for GPs. These guidelines did not even give the most basic information on sex differences in occurrence (of heart disease or mental health problems)
- only four guidelines (5%) defined the terms “sex” and “gender”
- 19% made no reference to clinical practice concerning sex. That is, there was no information on how symptoms and treatments might vary among biologically female, male and intersex bodies
- the majority (58%) ignored the role gender can play in clinical practice and how it might shape what treatment is most effective. For example, some women may be more comfortable being seen by a female doctor, for a range of personal or cultural reasons
- most (81%) did acknowledge biological sex in some way. But among those 65 guidelines there was great variation, ranging from a single statement about whether a condition (such as lung cancer) occurred more often in women or men, to detailed risk factors, prevalence, treatment and management, such as for advanced life support by paramedics.
Why does this matter?

The male body has historically been considered the “standard” human. With hormonal changes and pregnancies, women’s bodies have been seen as too complicated to be included in clinical research.

This means research has been conducted on men and then applied to women, ignoring the differences that excluded them from the research in the first place.

Women have long been excluded from clinical trials, while male bodies have been considered the standard.
Inside Creative House/Shutterstock

If the standard body is implicitly that of a (white) male, discrimination against all other bodies is inevitable.

The Australian Institute of Sport’s guideline on concussion and brain health is one of just four guidelines that define sex and gender.

This is crucial, given growing evidence women footballers are at greater risk of concussion than men. But their approach is far from mainstream.

Gender-diverse people also require distinct health care and support, based on inclusive and non-discriminatory practice and policy. There is clear evidence the mental health of gender-diverse people is profoundly affected by how sensitive – or discriminatory – their health care is.

Eliminating discrimination

Discrimination can be explicit and overt.

But it can also simply come from a lack of imagination, based on the assumption some kinds of health care are sex- and gender-neutral.

For example, the treatment of skin – dermatology – could appear neutral, as everyone has skin. Yet social expectations about clothing, make-up and appearance are highly gendered, and these can influence how skin conditions develop and are treated.

Guidelines that offer detailed information on sex- and gender-aware practice, such as those by GP Supervisor Australia, can contribute to challenging both explicit and implicit discrimination.

Ultimately, we hope this leads to equitable health care for people of all sexes and genders.

We recommend all developers of clinical guidelines look for evidence concerning sex and gender and, when they find none, say so. Funding bodies should also demand inclusion of sex and gender as a criterion to award money for medical research.

Silence on sex or gender implies that the topics aren’t important. This is far from the truth.

We acknowledge the contribution of the other members of our research team: Tomoko Honda, Steve McDonald, Sally Green, Karen Walker-Bone, and Ingrid Winship.

Maggie Kirkman received funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to conduct this research.

Jane Fisher receives funding from:

The National Health and Medical Research Council, The Australian Research Council, The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, VicHealth, The Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation, The Paul Ramsay Foundation, The Human Safety Net, The LEGO Foundation, The Jasper Foundation, The National Center for Healthy Ageing

– ref. Australia’s clinical guidelines shape our health care. Why do so many still ignore sex and gender? – https://theconversation.com/australias-clinical-guidelines-shape-our-health-care-why-do-so-many-still-ignore-sex-and-gender-237400
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm Violations

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

A woman who violated multiple firearm laws pled guilty on February 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Maria Francisca Portalatin, age 53, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, one count of making false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of straw purchase of firearms, and one count of concealing a person from arrest.

In a plea agreement, Portalatin admitted that in April of 2023, she knowingly made false statements and representations on ATF forms to Dunham’s Sports Store in Sioux City in connection with her acquisition of multiple firearms. Portalatin later admitted to law enforcement in April of 2023, she was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and purchased the firearms for Freddie Summerville who she knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In January of 2024, Sioux City Police stopped a car being driven by Summerville but owned by Portalatin. One of the firearms was located in the vehicle.

In March of 2024, Portalatin purchased two more firearms and, once again, lied on the ATF forms regarding her address, drug use and intended recipient of the firearms.

In June of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the address Portalatin listed on the forms and located the four firearms she had purchased. During an interview with law enforcement, Portalatin admitted she lied on the ATF forms and that she was aware that Freddie Summerville was wanted on a federal warrant.

In July of 2024, Portalatin and Summerville were stopped in a vehicle near Sioux Falls. Subsequently, in an interview with law enforcement she admitted they were smoking methamphetamine and that she had helped harbor and conceal Summerville.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Portalatin remains free on bond previously set. Portalatin faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-04053.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

MIL Security OSI –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: February Programming at The Royal Saskatchewan Museum

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on February 10, 2025

The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is celebrating the February Family Week break with several activities for visitors.

Whether you are checking out the new “T. Rex Talk” to ask Scotty, the worlds’ largest T. Rex, a burning question or celebrating Indigenous Storytelling Month by listening to talented storytellers, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum has something for everyone!

“The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is home to many amazing exhibits that explore our province’s identity, both in past and present,” Parks, Culture, and Sport Minister Alana Ross said. “With fun-filled activities and programs for guests of all ages, there is always something new and exciting to see at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum”

School’s Out Drop-in Activities

February 17-21 – Afternoons from 1-4pm

Visit the SaskTel Be Kind Online Learning Lab and Field Station spaces for hands-on activities for the whole family.

Grab a scavenger hunt and attend a T. Rex Talk to ask Scotty your burning dinosaur questions!

Storytelling with Skylar Anderson and Teddy Bison

Friday, February 21 – 1-2pm

Celebrate Indigenous Storytelling Month with artists Skylar Anderson and Teddy Bison. Include this family friendly performance in your plans for the Family Week break.

Seating is first-come, first-served in the auditorium.

Storytime with Elder Hazel

Monday, February 24 – 10-11am

In celebration of Indigenous Storytelling Month, listen to stories with Elder Hazel Dixon. This drop-in storytelling session in the Buffalo Room (First Nations Gallery) is for children ages 3 to 6 years with their parent or caregiver.

Space is limited. Seating is first-come, first-served in the Buffalo Room. Elder Hazel is known and loved by many teachers and students through her continued work in the Regina school system and is a YouTube star on the RSM YouTube channel!

Daycares and other groups must pre-book, contact education@royalsaskmuseum.ca for availability.

To learn more about the Royal Saskatchewan Museum’s exhibits, events, programming and world class research, visit royalsaskmuseum.ca.

-30-

For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI: Sapphire Technologies and Tulip Compression Private Limited Join Forces to Advance Clean Energy in India

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CERRITOS, Calif., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sapphire Technologies, a leader in energy recovery systems for hydrogen and natural gas applications, has announced a strategic expansion into India with its partnership with Tulip Compression Private Limited (TCPL), a prominent provider of energy solutions in the region’s natural gas industry. Together, the companies aim to deploy Sapphire’s FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander (FIT) technology to India, addressing critical energy infrastructure challenges while advancing the country’s clean energy ambitions.

As India’s natural gas sector continues to expand, with over 24,000 kilometers of pipelines supporting industrial growth, the need for sustainable solutions has never been greater. By leveraging Sapphire’s cutting-edge FIT technology and TCPL’s extensive industry expertise to transform pressure regulation stations into clean energy assets — the two companies have outlined an ambitious plan to deploy over 150 FIT systems across India in the coming years, which could result in a total reduction of 300,000 CO2e per year, marking a significant impact in advancing India’s decarbonization goals.

“Partnering with Tulip Compression Private Limited is an exciting milestone as we expand into one of the world’s most dynamic energy markets,” said Freddie Sarhan, CEO of Sapphire Technologies. “India’s growing natural gas sector offers immense opportunities to deploy FIT technology, addressing inefficiencies while driving sustainability and economic growth. Together with TCPL, we aim to create a significant impact on India’s journey towards a cleaner energy future.”

“Deploying state-of-the-art FIT technology in the Indian market for energy recovery shall significantly contribute to cost efficiency across the ecosystem,” said Rajkumar Sachdeva, Director of Tulip Compression Private Limited. “This partnership marks a pivotal moment for the industry, as we integrate innovative solutions to meet India’s clean energy aspirations. By addressing challenges across key industrial sectors like steel and fertilizer production and the expanding City Gas Distribution network, we are creating opportunities to deliver both environmental and economic benefits to the natural gas ecosystem.”

By harnessing energy that would otherwise be wasted, the collaboration seeks to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen infrastructure, reduce carbon emissions, and create new revenue opportunities for gas companies. This deployment not only reflects the scale of their commitment but also highlights the potential to create local jobs and promote broader clean energy adoption. With the success of this initiative, the partnership is poised to expand into neighboring South Asian markets, further advancing Sapphire’s mission to drive global decarbonization.

About Sapphire Technologies
Sapphire Technologies is driving global decarbonization through developing and manufacturing energy recovery systems that harness the power of gas expansion to produce reliable and clean electricity. Sapphire Technologies’ systems are designed to convert energy wasted in pressure reduction processes into electric power without interrupting operations. By recovering this wasted pressure energy, Sapphire Technologies helps customers maximize efficiencies, improve productivity, reduce carbon emissions, offset electrical costs and achieve substantial financial returns. For additional information visit: https://www.sapphiretechnologies.com.

About Tulip Compression Private Limited
Tulip Compression Private Limited (TCPL) is a leading solution provider in the energy sector, with its origins rooted in the natural gas industry. Steered by a management team with over 20 years of experience, the company has earned the trust of the industry through its unwavering commitment to product safety and operational efficiency. TCPL’s expertise includes packaging of reciprocating equipment, lifecycle equipment maintenance, consulting in the energy and related industries, and leveraging AI for diagnostics and monitoring insights. Focused on industrial growth, TCPL emphasizes the principle of ongoing innovation, continually expanding its portfolio with new solutions, such as recent advancements in hydrogen, to meet the evolving needs of the energy sector.

Media Contact:
Kite Hill PR
Lara Schembri Sant
lara@kitehillpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b4f6bab-b352-44ac-bfc2-3db7491d06bc

The MIL Network –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derry and Strabane Council agrees its budget for 2025/26

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Derry and Strabane Council agrees its budget for 2025/26

10 February 2025

Derry City and Strabane District Council today agreed its budget for the incoming 2025/26 financial year and set a District Rates increase for ratepayers of 4.92%.

This will see an average rates bill increasing by £28.96 per annum or 56 pence per week. The regional rate, set by Central Government, will be determined by the end of March, and will also have an impact on the overall rates bill.

The budget was set at a Special Meeting of Council today, Monday, 10th February 2025, where it was highlighted that the increase comprised a 3.42% baseline increase to cover the significant statutory financial challenges and service demands facing Council along with a 1.50% rates investment towards the financing of Council’s hugely ambitious and exciting capital strategy.

In terms of the baseline increase, Members were advised of the range of statutory pressures and new service demands facing Council services including pay pressures, Employer’s national insurance costs and cost inflation which have been partially offset by some rate-base growth, additional waste income and continued efficiencies across Council services.

It was outlined to Members at the meeting that pay pressures continue to be a significant issue for Council, particularly in the current year whereby the Employer’s national insurance increases imposed by the recent UK budget have added circa £1.1m to Council’s pay bill and have had a direct 1.21% impact on rates bills. Unfortunately, despite ongoing lobbying by Councils, no funding has been confirmed from Treasury to offset this additional cost for public sector employers in Northern Ireland.

Facilitated by new waste income, the baseline rates position also includes investment of £1.266m (1.64%) towards the reinstatement of previously implemented service cuts as well as new service pressures and demands. These include costs associated with assuming the responsible reservoir manager role at Creggan Reservoir; addressing budgetary and resourcing pressures within our key core front line services e.g. grounds maintenance, refuse collection, street cleansing and cemeteries; additional investment into grant aid programmes within sports development, community centre venues, consensual local growth partnerships, advice and cultural organisations; additional resources within community services to address emerging and immediate priorities e.g. Whole Systems approach to Obesity and Ending Violence against Women and Girls strategy; as well as additional tourism resource focused on screen and food tourism.

This year’s budget will therefore allow Council to continue to provide critical frontline services to ratepayers with a clear focus and commitment to protecting jobs as well as the continued provision of funding to organisations who rely on Council support to deliver community services and projects.

Central to this year’s rates process is the substantial positive progress made to Council’s capital funding strategy and our ambitious capital development plans. To date over £200m of capital projects have been completed or are progressing with full funding in place. These include Acorn Farm, Derg Active, Daisyfield Sports Hub, new Northwest cemetery provision at Mullenan Road, the DNA Museum and COVID recovery small settlements investment across the District, as well as the recently approved Riverine and Strabane Public Realm projects.

The additional 1.50% rates capital investment agreed today along with funding expected to be secured from the Northern Ireland Executive towards City of Derry Airport will go towards financing Council’s hugely ambitious and exciting capital financing strategy. Building on the investment secured following the signing of the transformative City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund investment plan in September 2024, Council will now have financing of up to £100m in place towards it’s 2 key strategic leisure aspirations in Templemore and Strabane. This will enable the 2 projects to progress to detailed design, consultation and planning with some further rates investment in 2026/27 and 2027/28 allowing the projects to progress to construction. 2025/26 will also see options and costings being further progressed and detailed designs developed for new civic/ commercial office development as a key component of the wider aspirations for the future Central Riverfront development and university expansion.

Members were also informed that, whilst work progresses across the Council District on Council’s fully funded programme of community and statutory capital projects, this years’ rates investment would ensure an additional £10m of funding could be made available to progress several further projects. This will supplement the £4m funding previously earmarked for a range of these projects and the hope that Council investment can be further leveraged through the securing of external investment from Central Government. Following the conclusion of the rates process, immediate considerations by the Capital and Corporate projects Planning Group in respect of the prioritisation of projects will progress.

In conclusion, members in approving the agreed District rates increase have given Council authority to continue to press ahead with its ambitious plans to drive growth and investment across the City and Region as well deliver critical front-line services across the City and District.

The new agreed District rate for the year ending 31^st March 2026 is 39.5993 p in the £ for Non-Domestic properties and of 0.6369p in the £ for Domestic properties. This represents a 4.92% District rates increase for all ratepayers.

The Special Council meeting is available to watch back on the Council’s Youtube channel.

The accompanying reports and papers are available online at – https://meetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=2323&Ver=4https://meetings.derrycityandstrabanedistrict.com/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=307&MId=2323&Ver=4

For more information on the rates visit our website at https://www.derrystrabane.com/about-council/rates/rates-2025-26

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Xia Baolong inspects tech park

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong visited the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone on February 9.

This was followed by a tour of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone.

During his inspection, Mr Xia hosted a discussion session in Qianhai, where he was briefed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on its work plans on the economy and financial services.

During the morning visit to the Hong Kong Park, Mr Xia, accompanied by Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki and Financial Secretary Paul Chan, listened to presentations by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn on the overall planning and development overview of the Northern Metropolis as well as by Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong on the park’s latest development progress and the key focus of work.

Mr Xia also inspected the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone and hosted a discussion session where the Financial Secretary introduced the Hong Kong SAR Government’s work and focus in 2025 to advance the economy.

During the four-hour session, there were also in-depth discussions on how Hong Kong could further understand, respond to and embrace changes under the new circumstances, accelerate reforms to foster progress, enhance Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation, and better integrate into the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

At the discussion session, Mr Xia recognised the work of the Hong Kong SAR Government under the Chief Executive’s leadership and expressed hope the Hong Kong SAR Government would thoroughly implement the spirit of the important speeches by President Xi Jinping in Macau and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and continue to be bold in reform, dare to break new ground and to innovate continuously.

Mr Xia also wished for more reciprocal co-operation and collaborative development within the GBA.

The finance chief stated that under the Chief Executive’s leadership, the Hong Kong SAR Government team will firmly uphold the principle of “one country” while leveraging the advantages of “two systems”, and the Government team is determined to undertake reforms, dare to be innovative, and actively integrate into the national development and align with national development strategies.

In the face of a complex external environment, Hong Kong will co-ordinate development and security, maintain financial and economic security, whilst promoting the acceleration of economic progress.

As the country further deepens reforms, promotes high-quality development and advances high-level opening up, Hong Kong will leverage its unique advantages and functions of connecting with both the Mainland and the world as well as its strong international character.

Hong Kong will reinforce traditional advantageous industries such as financial services, trade and shipping, while also exploring new development areas. At the same time, Hong Kong will focus on nurturing new quality productive forces and new economic growth points and continue to make systematic investments in innovation and technology.

The Financial Secretary added that Hong Kong will harness platforms such as the above-mentioned co-operation zones, and strengthen collaboration with sister cities in the GBA, seeking to play to the comparative strengths of the cities and elevate their economic development.

The session was attended by Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Ms Linn, Prof Sun, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan and Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Raistlin Lau.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/HOLY LAND – Israeli Jesuit David Neuhaus: the plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza feels like a kick in the stomach

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

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Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – “We are in no hurry”. This is how US President Donald Trump yesterday offered an important detail regarding the plan for the reconstruction and development of the Gaza Strip under the direct control of the United States that he presented last week during the visit to Washington of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One that was taking him to New Orleans to watch the Superbowl, the US President said that Gaza must be thought of as “a large real estate site, and the United States will take possession of it, and develop it slowly, very slowly”, to bring “stability to the Middle East”.From Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the ‘Trump plan’ on Gaza, also took his time, reporting that “For now we do not know the details, so we must be patient”.On the other hand, Father David Neuhaus, interviewed by Fides, has no hesitation. For him, the conjectures circulating in recent days on the future of the Gaza Strip felt like “a kick in the stomach”.Israeli Jesuit and professor of Sacred Scripture, David Neuhaus was born in South Africa to German-Jewish parents who fled Germany in the 1930s, he was also in the past Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew-speaking Catholics and for the Pastoral Among Migrants.Father Neuhaus, what considerations can be made in view of the recent proposals that have emerged on the future of Gaza?DAVID NEUHAUS: Trump, the president of the United States has a vision for Gaza, which he shared with the world on February 4, 2025. Mr. Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, was visiting him. It felt like a kick in the stomach. And I am not even a Palestinian. I am an Israeli.What in particular are you referring to?NEUHAUS: Trump’s boldly proclaimed plan is to transform the Gaza Strip from the heaps of rubble left by Israel’s military campaign, into a luxurious riviera. In that vision, there is no place for the people who call Gaza home. That population must be moved out (to where is far from clear). This is yet another stage in the removal of Palestinians from Palestine…Do you see what is happening as part of a process?NEUHAUS: Yes. It is a process that began long time ago. E che ha causato anche la concentrazione di popolazione palestinese nella Striscia di Gaza. It was back in 1947/1948 that the population of Gaza more than tripled with the influx of those expelled by the Israelis from their homes inside Israel, making Gaza one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Mr. Trump spoke only about Gaza but Mr. Netanyahu’s administration has already begun to work on the West Bank, sowing Gaza-like destruction in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm. Thousands of Palestinians have already been expelled from their homes.Are the new ideas about the future of Gaza the only way to imagine the present and future of the Jewish state in the context of the current Middle East?NEUHAUS: Trump and Netanyahu’s vision is quite different from that of Peter Beinhart, a Jewish American journalist. I strongly recommend his latest book, “Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning” as an antidote to the discourse coming from US and Israeli leadership. Beinhart reconstructs Jewish identity in the light of what has been happening in the past months, adamantly insisting that Israel’s only way forward is to ensure equality for all its citizens. Beinhart, whose parents were Jewish South Africans, has fully assimilated the message of the struggle against apartheid. Another prophetic voice, that of Israeli activist Orly Noy, the chair of the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories B’tselem, proclaimed unequivocally: “The war will end only when Israeli society realizes that it is not only immoral but also impossible to secure our existence through the oppression and subjugation of another people — and that the people we imprison, bomb, starve, and rob of their freedom and land are entitled to the exact same rights as we are, down to the last note”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 10/2/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets Heilongjiang officials

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Continuing his visit to Harbin, Chief Executive John Lee today called on leaders of Heilongjiang Province, visited injured Hong Kong ice hockey athletes, met Hong Kong people working in the three northeastern provinces, and toured the Beidahuang Museum.

Mr Lee met respectively CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee Secretary Xu Qin and Heilongjiang Governor Liang Huiling to exchange views on issues of mutual concern.

The Chief Executive remarked that Heilongjiang Province has leveraged the ice and snow economy as a new engine for economic development by making good use of its rich tourism resources while actively promoting winter sports. He added that Heilongjiang Province sets an example of integrating sports with cultural and tourism development, which is inspiring to Hong Kong.

Noting that Hong Kong is the largest source of external investment for Heilongjiang, Mr Lee said Hong Kong, as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”, can serve the Mainland in exploring global markets.

Additionally, highlighting that the Individual Visit Scheme has been extended to include Harbin in Heilongjiang Province since last May, while direct flights between Harbin and Hong Kong were launched last June, Mr Lee said tourism co-operation between the two places has been strengthened, thereby promoting people-to-people bonds.

The Beijing Office and Liaoning Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to serve as a bridge to enhance exchanges between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang in various areas, he added.

Separately, Mr Lee visited the Hong Kong ice hockey players who were injured yesterday after a match at the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025, to understand their condition and offer his support.

The Chief Executive stressed that he is highly concerned about the attack on Hong Kong athletes. He has requested the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China as well as the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau to follow up on the incident and make every effort to ensure the athletes’ safety.

He pointed out that the Hong Kong players had remained calm and restrained during the incident, demonstrating professionalism and sportsmanship, and praised the ice hockey team for its outstanding performance in the past competitions, making Hong Kong people proud.

The Chief Executive also encouraged the athletes not to let the incident affect their morale, to take good care of themselves and to give their best in the Games, assuring them that Hong Kong people would fully support them.

While meeting Hong Kong people working and doing business in the three northeastern provinces to learn about their daily lives and development, he encouraged them to introduce Hong Kong’s latest developments to local enterprises and tell the good stories of Hong Kong.

In the afternoon, Mr Lee visited the Beidahuang Museum to understand the transformation of the “Great Northern Wilderness”, a plain region in northeastern Heilongjiang, from a barren wilderness into a key commodity grain base and a strategic grain reserve base of China. He also gained insights into the “Beidahuang spirit” which embodies perseverance, resilience and a pioneering mindset.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law had a work meeting with Heilongjiang Province Department of Culture & Tourism Director-General He Jing this afternoon, during which she gave a briefing on the latest developments of Hong Kong’s culture and tourism.

Miss Law told the meeting that as the cultural and tourism resources of Hong Kong and Heilongjiang are unique in their own ways, there is significant potential for collaboration. She expressed hope to expand the market and drive bilateral tourism flow with Heilongjiang in the future.

The Chief Executive will head back to Hong Kong tomorrow.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India to Inaugurate EFTA Desk to Enhance Trade and Investment under TEPA

Source: Government of India (2)

India to Inaugurate EFTA Desk to Enhance Trade and Investment under TEPA

Business Roundtable to Witness Participation from Over 100 Companies from India and EFTA Nations

Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 10:19AM by PIB Delhi

In a significant step towards deepening economic ties with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal along with the EFTA bloc represented by H.E. Mrs. Helene Budliger Artieda, Swiss State Secretary, H.E. Mr. Tomas Norvoll, State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Norway, H.E. Martin Eyjolfsson, Permanent Secretary of State, Iceland, H.E. Dominique Hasler, Minister of External Affairs, Education, and Sport, Liechtenstein, Mr. Markus Schlagenhof, Deputy Secretary General, EFTA Secretariat and Mr. David Sveinbhornsson, Senior Officer, EFTA Secretariat, will inaugurate the EFTA Desk at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on February 10, 2025.

The initiative, in line with Chapter 7 of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which was signed on March 10, 2024, aims to serve as a dedicated platform to promote trade, investment, and business facilitation between India and the four EFTA nations—Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by senior officials from the Government of India and high-ranking dignitaries from EFTA member states.

Senior officials from Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) will also address the gathering, outlining India’s vision for stronger economic engagement with EFTA nations.

The India-EFTA Dedicated Desk will act as a centralized support mechanism for EFTA companies looking to expand in India. It will provide market insights and regulatory guidance, business matchmaking, and assistance in navigating India’s policy and investment landscape.

Post-inauguration, a high-level EFTA-India Business Roundtable will convene, featuring over 100 leading businesses from India and EFTA nations, aimed at fostering collaboration across key sectors, including Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences, Financial Services & Fintech, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Energy & Sustainability, Seafood & Maritime, Food Processing & Agritech. The roundtable will provide a structured forum for companies to explore joint ventures, investment opportunities, and technology partnerships under the framework of TEPA.

***

Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

(Release ID: 2101215) Visitor Counter : 23

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets leaders of Heilongjiang Province in Harbin (with photos/ videos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, continued his visit to Harbin today (February 10) to meet with leaders of Heilongjiang Province. He also met with the injured Hong Kong ice hockey athletes and Hong Kong people working and doing business in the three northeastern provinces, and visited the Beidahuang Museum.

Mr Lee met respectively with the Secretary of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, Mr Xu Qin, and the Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Ms Liang Huiling, to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. Mr Lee noted that Heilongjiang Province has leveraged the ice and snow economy as a new engine for economic development by making good use of its rich ice and snow tourism resources while actively promoting winter sports. He added that Heilongjiang Province sets an example of integrating sports with cultural and tourism development, which is inspiring to Hong Kong.

Noting that Hong Kong and Heilongjiang share close economic and trade ties, with Hong Kong being the largest source of external investment for Heilongjiang, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong, as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, can serve the Mainland in exploring global markets.

Regarding people-to-people exchanges, Mr Lee highlighted that the Individual Visit Scheme has been extended to include Harbin in Heilongjiang Province since May last year, while direct flights between Harbin and Hong Kong were officially launched in June last year. These developments have strengthened tourism co-operation between the two places and promoted people-to-people bonds. The Beijing Office and Liaoning Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to serve as a bridge to enhance exchanges between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang in various areas, he added.

Mr Lee also went to the athletes’ village to visit the Hong Kong ice hockey players who were injured yesterday (February 9) after the match, to understand their condition and offer his support. Mr Lee said he is highly concerned about the attack on Hong Kong athletes and has requested the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau to follow up on the incident and make every effort to ensure the safety of athletes. Mr Lee noted that the Hong Kong athletes had remained calm and restrained during the incident, demonstrating professionalism and sportsmanship. He also praised the ice hockey team for their outstanding performance in the past competitions, making Hong Kong people proud. He encouraged the athletes not to let the incident affect their morale, to take good care of themselves, and to give their best in the games, showcasing the professionalism of Hong Kong athletes. He also assured them that the people of Hong Kong would fully support them.

At noon, Mr Lee met with Hong Kong people working and doing business in the three northeastern provinces to learn about their daily lives and development. He said that Hong Kong people and enterprises there serve as an essential bridge between Hong Kong and the three provinces. He encouraged them to introduce Hong Kong’s latest developments to local enterprises and tell the good stories of Hong Kong.

In the afternoon, Mr Lee visited the Beidahuang Museum in Harbin to understand the transformation of the Great Northern Wilderness, a plain region in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, from a barren wilderness into a key commodity grain base and a strategic grain reserve base of the country. He also gained insights into the Beidahuang Spirit, which embodies perseverance, resilience, and a pioneering mindset.

Separately, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, had a work meeting with the Director-General of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Heilongjiang Province, Ms He Jing, this afternoon. They had discussions on ways to strengthen cultural and tourism collaborations between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang. During the meeting, Miss Law gave a briefing on the latest developments in Hong Kong’s culture and tourism. She said that the cultural and tourism resources of Hong Kong and Heilongjiang are unique in their own ways. While Hong Kong, as a world city, is always innovating in integrating culture and tourism, Heilongjiang is famous for its magnificent ice and snow attractions. With significant potential for collaboration between the two places, Miss Law expressed hope to expand the market and drive bilateral tourism flow with Heilongjiang in the future.

Mr Lee and the other officials will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (February 11).

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Members approve 2025/26 Area Roads Capital Programme for Badenoch and Strathspey
Source: Scotland – Highland Council
Members of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee today (10 February 2025) approved the Area Roads Capital Programme for 2025/26.

The local allocations capital budget for 2025/26 remains to be established which will be calculated from the approved capital budget allocation being adjusted for any acceleration or slippage in the previous financial year for each area allocation, and analysis of the road condition survey results.

Consequently the 2025/26 area capital roads programme is currently based on the previous year’s baseline £18.1m Highland Area Roads Budget allocation. Should the approved 2025/26 budget differ from the previous budgets then the programme will be appropriately adjusted.

The 2024/25 baseline budget for Badenoch and Strathspey area was £900,300.

The 2024/25 Roads Budget local allocation for Badenoch and Strathspey area can be found in the report at Appendix 1. The 2025/26 programme is scheduled in Appendix 2 of the same report.

Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee, Cllr Russell Jones, said: “Members fully understand the challenges faced by our roads manager when it comes to fixing the issues on every road that requires attention, especially after another severe winter.

“Members would therefore like to commend the area roads team for their continued efforts to maintain our local road network.”

Cllr Jones concluded by saying: “Members were given the opportunity to review and agree the proposed resurfacing and surface dressing programmes at their Ward business meetings and I am pleased that today we have agreed a number of programmed schemes that can be prioritised for capital funding allocation.”

The priority routes approved by Members today include resurfacing on:

Forest Road & Seafield Avenue, Grantown (U3186)

Bridge of Brown (A939)

The Square, Grantown (A939)

Woodside Avenue, Grantown (U2837)

Deshar Road, Boat of Garten (C1128)

Grampian View, Aviemore (U3186)

Old Glen Road, Newtonmore

Golf Course Road, Newtonmore (C1135)
10 Feb 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Associate Professor of SPbGASU Awarded the Title of “Honorary Sports Judge of Russia” in Sambo

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Roman Motylev

Head of the Department of Construction Organization at SPbGASU, Associate Professor Roman Motylev was awarded the title of “Honorary Sports Judge of Russia” in Sambo. The corresponding order was signed by the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mikhail Degtyarev on February 4, 2025.

“I have been practicing sambo since the fifth grade – since 1987. This type of martial arts allows you to stand up for yourself and learn to overcome various difficulties. For almost forty years, I have not only remained faithful to sambo, but also tried to develop. I am a master of sports of Russia in sambo, I have the third dan in judo. I consider the assignment of the title of honorary judge to be reaching the pinnacle in this area,” said Roman Vladimirovich.

Since 2015, he has been the chairman of the panel of judges of the regional branch of the All-Russian Sambo Federation of St. Petersburg, a member of the referee commission of the All-Russian Sambo Federation, since February 2022 – a judge of the international and all-Russian category in sambo (license A), since 2023 – a first category judge in SBE (MMA), since 2025 – a second category judge in judo.

“From 2009 to 2013, I worked as a first-category sambo coach, and for more than ten years at the Department of Physical Education at St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. As an honorary sports judge of Russia in sambo, I aim to control the correctness and purity of refereeing, and to develop sambo as an international and Olympic sport,” concluded Roman Motylev.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Cyber-Defence Campus of the DDPS identifies vulnerabilities in collision warning system of civil aviation

Source: Switzerland – Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport

The Cyber-Defence Campus of the DDPS has found two vulnerabilities in the collision warning system “Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II” of civil aviation. On 21 January 2025, the detected and published vulnerabilities were classified by the American Cyber Defence Agency CISA and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the USA as moderate to severe.

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: LEAP 2025 Opens with Announcement of Record-breaking US$14.9 Billion Investment in Artificial Intelligence
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- World’s premier tech accelerator event smashes own record, revealing investment deals and infrastructure partnerships by domestic and international heavyweights
RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LEAP 2025, Saudi Arabia’s award-winning global tech event, announced a record-breaking US$14.9 billion in new Artificial Intelligence (AI) investments that further cement the Kingdom’s status as a world-leading AI hub.

Revealed on the opening day of this year’s four-day event, which is being held at the Riyadh International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Malham, the new announcements increase the total amount of technology-related infrastructure investments in Saudi Arabia to more than US$42.4bn since LEAP debuted in 2022.

The new investments in the Kingdom included an announcement between Groq and Aramco Digital confirming a US$1.5bn plan to expand AI-powered inference infrastructure and cloud computing; ALAT and Lenovo committing US$2bn to establish an advanced manufacturing and technology centre integrating AI and robotics; Google introducing new AI-driven digital infrastructure and the launch of a powerful computing cluster to meet regional and global demand; Qualcomm confirming the availability of its ALLAM language model on Qualcomm AI Cloud; and Alibaba Cloud launching the AI Enablement Programme comprising collaborations with Tuwaiq Academy and STC Academy to train national talent.

Other announcements included Databricks investing US$300 million in integrated PaaS (Platform as a Service) solutions to empower application developers with cutting-edge AI tools; SambaNova committing US$140m to build advanced AI infrastructure; Global private equity firm KKR, in partnership with Gulf Data Hub, revealing a strategic investment in the development of data centres with a total capacity of up to 300 megawatts; Saudi Arabia’s Salesforce investing US$500m to develop Hyperforce and enhance cloud capabilities for regional customers; and Tencent Cloud allocating US$150m to establish the Middle East’s first AI-powered cloud region.

Delivering a keynote address to formally open LEAP 2025, His Excellency Eng Abdullah Alswaha, the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), insisted the new wave of investments brings one step closer His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision of the Kingdom’s tech sector becoming a global beacon for innovation and advancement.

“LEAP 2025 is a defining moment because when the Kingdom works, the region works, and the whole world works,” said Alswaha. “LEAP has evolved from a movement to a multiplier effect – but now is our defining moment. Technology has catalysed Saudi Arabia as the biggest success story in youth and female empowerment in the 21^st Century, and we are laser-focused on continuing that success story. The intelligence age is here and, in partnership with you, we are going to take that leap together.”

Michael Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, which co-organises LEAP with the Saudi Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), added: “The massive volume of new investments announced on day one builds on the progress made at LEAP and across the Kingdom in previous years, reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s undisputed status as the primary digital accelerator in the Middle East and North Africa.”

IBM’s Arvind Kirshna Predicts Quantum Computing Breakthrough now only “Three to Five Years Away”

Eleven months after announcing IBM’s plans to invest US$250 million into a global software development centre in the Kingdom, Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM, joined HE Alswaha on the LEAP Main Stage to discuss his experiences identifying “early signals” to stay ahead of emerging industry trends.

The trend that dominated the duo’s conversation was quantum computing – a type of computing that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to solve problems that would take classical computers millions of years to complete – with Kirishna adamant the technology is getting ever closer.

“A breakthrough I think is only about three-to-five years in the future is quantum computing – I think we will see something amazing,” said Krishna. “We’re very excited to already be working on it with some partners in the Kingdom, but I believe quantum computing will open up areas that, for the Kingdom, will be very exciting. It will all be about materials, energy, oil and gas, possibly pharmaceuticals – all areas that are critical to the Kingdom and very much part of Vision 2030.”

From Virtual Boxing to Futuristic Couture, Inaugural Tech Arena Opens Window to the Future

LEAP’s newly-added Tech Arena kicked off with a series of future-focused, interactive sessions highlighting some of the latest technological advancements shaping the technology of tomorrow.
With groundbreaking prototypes in robotics, AI, fashion tech, and mixed reality all being explored, live demonstrations were conducted by global tech influencers alongside BBC Click presenters Lara Lewington and Spencer Kelly.

US-based Engine VR showcased Golden Gloves VR, a platform that uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive, gamified boxing experience for fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, and entertainment seekers.

With professional boxer David Perez delivering a live demonstration to watching crowds, Aaron Sloan, the platform’s Founder, said: “ I used to work as a cardiac nurse, but the only two things I ever really cared about were boxing and technology. So, I quit my nursing job and opened up my own boxing gym; it burned down within a month. It made me realise that building a business in a brick-and-mortar facility was going to be really hard. It just so happened that, around this time, the Quest One headset came out. Not only was it powerful, it was also wireless, which is so crucial for our system to work,” said Sloan.

“In order for us to get the traction we needed, we had to replicate as best we could what trainers and boxers were doing in the gym. After a number of different variations, we now have a platform that is being used by sporting bodies across the world, including the Olympics. The system also allows people of determination to take part, making the sport far more inclusive.”

Elsewhere, TJ Rhodes, the Senior Research Scientist and Engineer on Adobe’s Project Primrose, talked audiences through the Middle East debut of its latest wearable technology. First premiered at Adobe Max in 2023, the Project Primrose dress uses non-emissive textiles and can change the way we merge fashion and technology.

“It has so many use cases beyond the catwalk; it can be a canvas for new designs or even a low-power billboard that can flash text-based advertisements,” said Rhodes. “It is also a non-emissive material that can be cut to any shape and dynamically diffuses light. Most special effects can only be experienced on the big screen, but what Project Primrose allows us to do is transform it from the big screen to reality. Imagine if Elsa from Frozen was able to transform her dress to match her actions in a live performance. We’re still discovering the possibilities of what this technology can do.”

More than 1,800 tech brands and 680 start-ups are exhibiting at LEAP 2025 this week, alongside a stellar lineup of 1,000-plus expert speakers across 15 stages, highlighting the tech that is shaping tomorrow.

For more information on the event and ticket options, visit onegiantleap.com

About LEAP:

Saudi Arabia’s desire to shoot for something beyond the realms of the possible presents the ultimate backdrop for LEAP.

LEAP showcases the Kingdom’s technology ambition on a global stage as it continues to grow as a hub connecting three continents. The figures speak from themselves as LEAP 2024 had an attendance of over 215,000, making it the most attended tech event in the world. LEAP features the inspiring tech of tomorrow across all major sectors including health, finance, energy, education, digital entertainment, transport, smart cities and more. The event is also led by a speaker faculty of globally celebrated technology innovators, focussing on the most innovative tech case studies from around the world.

LEAP is not like any other tech event, from the ground up the community, stakeholders and project team are challenged every day to do something wildly creative and bold, something that reflects the seismic advances in tech adoption being seen in Saudi Arabia.

About Tahaluf:

Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf region, and from around the world to a portfolio of world-class exhibitions and digital platforms.

Tahaluf is a joint venture partnership between Informa PLC, the world’s largest trade show organiser, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company renowned for its creation of spectacular event experiences, intends to join the joint venture in the near future.

In 2024 Tahaluf was responsible for the award-winning tech events LEAP & DeepFest, as well as 24 Fintech, the Global Health Exhibition, Cityscape Global, Black Hat MEA and CPHI.

For more information about Tahaluf, visit https://tahaluf.com

Contact:
pragati.m@actionprgroup.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5fa649e4-de08-4d36-ac05-cacaaa343ac7
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0034895-f10e-4f41-af0e-31a59b2c65d3
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6a4c9a61-18b0-4288-9f32-90fe4ad7748e
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5351de8d-badd-4734-bf1a-4899d40bc9b4
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ed8cddb-dc15-49e4-ae15-0514eb166f91

The MIL Network –
February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI: IP Fabric 7.0 Transforms Cloud and Edge Innovation Across Hybrid Networks
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IP Fabric, the Automated Network Assurance Platform, today announced the release of Version 7.0, designed to simplify compliance with regulations and security frameworks and strengthen operational resiliency across multicloud environments.

Global enterprises require an end-to-end view of complex cloud and edge environments. Legacy solutions only provide a technology- or domain-specific view, which doesn’t meet the mandate of boards, CISOs and IT leaders, who must balance security, stability, compliance and risk with the pursuit of strategic transformation.

IP Fabric 7.0 addresses this with a comprehensive view of infrastructure and intelligent analytics, creating the security and operational posture for innovation (e.g., automation, AI, cloud migration, SD-WAN). This lets teams deliver secure services, ensure business continuity, plan and manage budgets, and optimize processes across domains.

“The release of IP Fabric 7.0 represents another step in empowering all IT teams to achieve panoramic network visibility, efficiency and collaboration,” said Pavel Bykov, CEO and co-founder of IP Fabric. “New features let organizations streamline workflows and proactively address infrastructure and security challenges like never before.”

Key features in IP Fabric 7.0
1. Improved Productivity Across Teams and Business Functions
  - 160+ Automated Intent Verification Checks: Proactively identify and address compliance, configuration and maintenance risks with out-of-the-box integrated vendor database checks.
  - Multi-View Dashboards: Create custom dashboards to provide tailored views for the executive team, security practitioners, platform engineers, network engineers and more — without writing a single line of code.
  - Shareable Snapshots and Tables: Enhance collaboration with Shareable Snapshots, which are fully functional simulations of the network (also known as digital twins), and tables, which let users analyze and correlate network state information and parameters across multiple devices.
  - Exportable Network Diagrams: Seamlessly export network diagrams to Visio and other platforms for broader usability.
2. End-to-End Visibility
  - Expanded Cloud Discovery and Support: Troubleshoot faster with unified data, gain full visibility into backend-to-frontend application communications and prepare for cloud migrations or repatriations. New inventory tables and AWS Direct Connect Transit VIF support enable deeper insights into traffic flow in AWS, especially when leveraging Transit Gateways and multiple VIFs.
  - Enhanced SD-WAN Support: Increase visibility for security teams with new insight into the performance and connectivity of SD-WAN in Silverpeak and Viptela.
  - Auto-Discovery of Security Technology: Identify vulnerabilities and automate security and compliance remediation with instant insights from Check Point, Palo Alto Networks and Stormshield.
  - Advanced Routing Data: Unlock insights into the exact BGP routes devices advertise to neighbors for faster troubleshooting, smarter optimizations and increased confidence that routing aligns with network policies. New BGP capabilities also enable AWS Direct Connect visibility.
3. Accelerated Business Outcomes
  - Early Snapshot Insights: Network snapshots record the state of the network in time, retrieve historical information, follow network state changes, analyze connectivity and more. Now users can access partial data from devices, tables and diagrams while snapshots are still processing to get insights faster for large environments.
  - Interactive API Documentation: Test CRUD (create/read/update/delete) commands directly in the platform so DevOps and platform engineers can more efficiently build complex lifecycle automation workflows.
For a complete list of features included in IP Fabric 7.0 visit the company blog.

About IP Fabric
IP Fabric is the industry’s leading Automated Network Assurance Platform, offering a continuously validated view of cloud, network and security infrastructure to improve stability, security and spend. Within minutes, the platform creates a unified view of devices, state, configurations and interdependencies, normalizing multi-vendor data and revealing operational truth through automated compliance checks.

By uncovering risks and providing actionable insights, IP Fabric enables enterprises to accelerate IT and business transformation while reducing costs. Trusted by industry leaders like Red Hat, Major League Baseball and Air France, IP Fabric delivers the foundation for a secure and modern network.

Learn more at www.ipfabric.io and follow the company on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Liesse Jayalath
ipfabric@lookleftmarketing.com

The MIL Network –
February 10, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Golf courses can be safe havens for wildlife and beacons of biodiversity

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacinta Humphrey, Research Fellow in Urban Ecology, RMIT University

Golf courses are sometimes seen as harmful to the environment. According to the popular notion, the grass soaks up too much water, is cut too short and sprayed with dangerous chemicals. But in reality, golf courses can act as safe havens for native wildlife, especially in cities.

Cities are home to a wide range of plants and animals, including 30% of Australia’s threatened species. But ongoing population growth and urban development threatens this biodiversity. We’re still losing green space and tree cover, leaving less habitat and resources for native birds, bats, possums, lizards, frogs, beetles and butterflies.

This is where golf courses can play a role. Australia is one of the golfing capitals of the world, with more than 1,800 active courses. These courses represent large, continuous green spaces often with native vegetation, mature trees, lakes and wetlands. Given their ubiquity, golf courses could help conserve urban biodiversity.

This week, the annual LIV Golf tournament returns to Grange Golf Club in South Australia. Grange is one of 30 Australian golf courses certified for its commitment to sustainability, partly due to its extensive woodland, natural habitats and wildlife. So what makes a golf course good or bad for biodiversity?

Grange Golf Club has a Biodiversity Manager.

The gold in the rough

From a biodiversity perspective, the most valuable part of a golf course is the area all golfers seek to avoid: the “rough”. These spaces between the green, manicured fairways can include remnant or restored bushland with dense leaf litter, long grass, thick shrubs, and both living and dead trees. This vegetation is often native and features a diversity of plant species.

Collectively, this can provide a range of resources for native wildlife including food, shelter and tree hollows for nesting. In Melbourne, research found golf courses provided better habitat for wildlife than nearby suburban streets and parklands. They were also home to a greater diversity of birds and bats.

Golf courses also have relatively little human activity. Golfers are only allowed on the course during certain hours of the day. Courses usually do not allow dogs. And there are few cars and roads, so there’s less noise and light pollution than in other urban areas. This makes golf courses pretty attractive to native animals looking for somewhere to live.

Many golf courses are heavily irrigated to ensure high-quality playing surfaces. This ample water supply (typically from recycled sources) is fantastic for wildlife, especially in warmer and drier climates. Birds are known to flock to water resources during drought – a behaviour likely to become more common under future climate change.

Much-feared water hazards for golfers, such as lakes and ponds, actually provide valuable habitat for aquatic birds, frogs, fish and insects. These water bodies are particularly important in cities where wetlands are regularly cleared to make way for new houses, shops and roads.

Importantly, once constructed, golf courses are rarely threatened by clearing or development. In Perth, research found golf courses helped protect native vegetation as development spread through surrounding suburbs. The mere existence of a golf course can help secure a home for native species for many decades to come.

Golf courses are not a perfect solution

However, not all land on golf courses is valuable for wildlife. Large open areas such as fairways typically only benefit species adapted to life in cities such as the aggressive noisy miner.

Golf courses can also harbour pests such as cane toads, rats and common mynas. These undesirable species may pose a threat to native biodiversity.

The use of pesticides and fertilisers can affect soil quality, contaminate water sources, and make frogs sick.

Frequent lawn mowing can reduce insect diversity, particularly among bugs, bees, wasps and ants. This is likely to have flow-on effects for animals that feed on insects, and for flowering plants that depend on insects for pollination and seed dispersal.

Some urban golf courses may also be physically isolated from other suitable habitats, making it hard for wildlife to safely move around to find food, water and a mate. To get in and out, animals may need to cross busy roads or move through dangerous areas where they are exposed to predators such as cats and foxes.

Four golf courses in Adelaide are working together to improve and connect habitat.
Glenelg Golf Club

So, how can we best manage golf courses for biodiversity?

In an ideal world, golf courses should only be constructed in developed areas. That’s because constructing courses in natural, undisturbed areas is likely to involve clearing vegetation for fairways, greens, car parks and club houses.

As a result, the biodiversity value of a golf course increases the closer it is to a city.

Existing golf courses can help protect biodiversity by retaining and restoring diverse bushland patches in the rough. Important conservation areas can also be fenced off and deemed “out of bounds” to golfers.

The use of harsh chemicals should be reduced to minimise risks to soil, water and wildlife. “Organic golf courses” overseas are already making progress in this space, but they are far from mainstream.

Finally, efforts must be made to connect golf courses to nearby parks and reserves through wildlife corridors, road underpasses, and special crossing structures such as rope bridges. This will enable animals to safely move around the urban landscape.

Many golf courses now have biodiversity management plans and are working hard to make their practices more sustainable. In other cases, disused golf courses are even being converted into conservation reserves, such as the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve in Elsternwick, Melbourne.

While golf courses cannot replace natural habitats, they can provide a useful alternative for many species that call our cities home.

Jacinta Humphrey receives funding from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, the Ecological Society of Australia, BirdLife Australia, Australian Wildlife Society, and the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria.

– ref. Golf courses can be safe havens for wildlife and beacons of biodiversity – https://theconversation.com/golf-courses-can-be-safe-havens-for-wildlife-and-beacons-of-biodiversity-246673

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Message on Super Bowl LIX

Source: The White House

I look forward to joining the fans in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX to cheer on two great teams—the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles—as they battle for the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The coaches, players, and team staff on the field tonight represent the best of the best in professional football, but they also embody the best of the American Dream. Their hard work, dedication, and tenacity is admirable, and their individual journeys are as inspiring as the drive and determination that has led them to this extraordinary moment. They also represent the hopes and dreams of our Nation’s young athletes as we restore safety and fairness in sports and equal opportunities among their teams.

Football is America’s most popular sport—for good reason—it fosters a sense of national unity, bringing families, friends, and fans together and strengthening communities. This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith, and freedom heroically defended by our military service members, law enforcement officers, and first responders. We value their devotion to protecting our great Nation and salute their selfless service.

This year, the Super Bowl returns to the Caesars Superdome for a record setting 8th time. While thousands of fans from across our Nation gather in New Orleans to cheer on their favorite team, we remember that 14 families will be missing a loved one who was tragically murdered during a senseless terrorist attack while celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street. Our thoughts are also with the 35 individuals injured during the attack whose lives were changed forever that fateful night, and our prayers will remain with them for continued strength, comfort, and healing.

Tonight, we look forward to a terrific game and the crowning of the Super Bowl Champions. Melania joins me in sending our best wishes for a great Super Bowl Sunday. May the best team win, and may God bless you, your family, and the United States of America.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Best spots to enjoy Valentine’s Day in Auckland

Source: Auckland Council

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day… and it’s in the water and on the land all across the Auckland region. This year Tāmaki Makaurau is more loved up than ever on 14 February with festivities, walks and outdoor spots that are perfect for expressing aroha. Whether you’re spending time with your romantic partner or are single and celebrating your love for life with friends and family, we’ve got you covered with these dreamy date ideas.

Share your love for the outdoors with your loved ones by exploring Auckland’s parks and trails. The region’s world-class parks have recently been recognised in the Green Flag awards, with eight of the 38 winning parks in Australia and New Zealand coming from Tāmaki Makaurau. To stretch your legs on a longer hike, consider the Green Flag-winning Ātiu Creek Regional Park and Hunua Ranges Regional Park.

There are also many great spots that are particularly picturesque for a sunrise or sunset stroll, including Maungawhau / Mt Eden and Maungauika / North Head. Coastal paths like Tāmaki Drive Coastal Path, Westhaven Path or St Heliers to Achilles Point Path are great waterfront options, and you could even finish your walk by enjoying fish and chips while admiring the view. To find more walks visit the Akl Paths website.

The St Heliers to Achilles Point Path is a 30-minute walk offering views of Rangitoto and is a great spot for enjoying sunrises and sunsets.

If you’re harbouring romantic feelings, get out on the water this Valentine’s Day. Adventurous couples can enjoy testing the waters of their relationship with a gentle paddleboard along Takapuna Beach, St Heliers Beach or French Bay.

The still waters of Takapuna Beach are ideal for paddleboarding.

This year Valentine’s Day also coincides with the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival. Celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake at the Manukau Sports Bowl on 13-16 February. More than 500 handcrafted lanterns will be on display at this free and family-friendly event which is typically held around the 15th day of the first Lunar month at the end of the Lunar New Year festivities.

Wander down lantern boulevard to enjoy more than 500 lanterns at the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival this Valentine’s Day.

Take a romantic stroll through the ‘lantern boulevard’, grab some delicious food from the many stallholders, watch a cultural performance on the main stage and end the night at 9.50pm with the spectacular fireworks display.

Please note that registration is now required for entry into the festival. Book your free tickets online.

There’s a reason why ‘dinner and a show’ is a classic date night option. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Auckland’s eateries, and enjoying theatre, comedy or a night of entertainment is a great way to make memories with your loved ones.

Auckland Council supports many theatres through funding such as the Regional Arts and Culture grants programme. This Valentine’s Day there’s plenty on stage including queer cabaret show Leather Lungs: Shut Up & Sing at Q Theatre, queer poetic performance and musical soundscape In the Body at Basement Theatre and Little Red Riding Hood-inspired adults-only circus cabaret Devour at Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre.

In The Body, written and performed Redwood Reider is a poetic performance and soundscape at Basement Theatre.

For those that prefer the classics, The Taming of the Shrew is playing in Shakespeare in the Park at The PumpHouse. The performance takes place in the outdoor amphitheatre but if the weather turns rainy mid performance, the production moves inside the auditorium.

Pack the picnic basket, fill the thermos, roll up the blanket and prepare your loved one’s favourite food to dine al fresco in one of Auckland’s parks this Valentine’s Day. There are more than 4000 parks to choose from, including secluded seaside spots such as Secret Cove, Charcoal Bay and Tawhitokino Regional Park (accessible at low tide), as well as gorgeous green spaces like Grey Lynn Park, Murphys Bush Reserve or Pukekawa / Auckland Domain.

If you’re looking to show off your grill skills to your beloved then try Cornwallis, Maungarei Springs Wetland or Shepherds Park – to find other barbecues near you, search for ‘barbecue’ on Auckland Council’s Find a park or beach page.

Barbecue facilities at Maungarei Springs Wetland is the perfect place for a Valentine’s Day picnic.

To really make romance bloom combine your picnic with a walk through the sculpture trail at Sculpture in the Gardens at Auckland Botanic Gardens.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets Director of General Administration of Sport of China and cheers for HK athletes at Asian Winter Games in Harbin (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

CE meets Director of General Administration of Sport of China and cheers for HK athletes at Asian Winter Games in Harbin (with photos)
CE meets Director of General Administration of Sport of China and cheers for HK athletes at Asian Winter Games in Harbin (with photos)
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The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (February 9) met with the Director of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), Mr Gao Zhidan, and watched competition at the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 in Harbin to cheer for the participating Hong Kong athletes. Mr Lee, accompanied by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, and representatives of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, met with the Director of the GASC, Mr Gao Zhidan. Mr Lee expressed his warmest congratulations on the successful hosting of this high-level Games, as well as his gratitude to the GASC for its continuous support to the sports development of Hong Kong. He said that the Mainland has rich resources in winter sports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will promote the exchange and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in winter sports, supporting Hong Kong athletes in showcasing their competence in major competitions. Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government will draw reference from the country’s wide-ranging experience in successfully holding large-scale sports events and continue to spare no effort to promote the development of sports through a five-pronged approach: promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism, and developing sports as an industry. It will also work closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government to conduct the “simple, safe and wonderful” 15th National Games. Mr Lee and Miss Law also watched curling event to show their support for the participating Hong Kong athletes. Mr Lee remarked that it was particularly significant as the Hong Kong, China Delegation sent its first-ever curling team to compete in an international multi-sport event, demonstrating the capabilities of Hong Kong athletes. He said he believes that Hong Kong athletes can gain valuable experience and enhance their skills through participation in various international competitions and exchanges with athletes from other countries. In addition, public awareness of and interest in sports can also be raised. Mr Lee and the other officials also visited a well-known snow sculpture art exhibition, the Taiyangdao Island International Snow Sculpture Expo, and a famous ice and snow theme park, the Harbin Ice and Snow World, to learn more about the operation and development of the two places. Mr Lee will continue his visit programme and meet with leaders of Heilongjiang Province tomorrow (February 10).

Ends/Sunday, February 9, 2025Issued at HKT 19:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pariksha Pe Charcha
Source: Government of India

Pariksha Pe Charcha

Empowering Students, Transforming Lives

Posted On: 09 FEB 2025 12:21PM by PIB Delhi

Examinations are often a source of stress for students and their families, but the “Pariksha Pe Charcha” (PPC) initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been transforming this narrative. Scheduled for 11 AM on February 10, 2025, this year’s PPC will once again serve as an interactive platform where the Prime Minister directly engages with students, teachers, and parents. Each edition of PPC highlights innovative approaches to tackle exam-related anxiety, fostering a celebratory attitude toward learning and life.

The Record-Breaking PPC 2025

The 8th edition of PPC, scheduled on 10 February 2025, has already set a new benchmark. With over 5 crore participation, this year’s program exemplifies its status as a Jan Andolan, inspiring collective celebration of learning This year, 36 students from all State and UT, have been selected from State / UT Board Government schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sainik School, Eklavya Model Residential School, CBSE and Navodaya Vidyalaya. Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025 will feature seven insightful episodes, bringing together renowned personalities from diverse fields to guide students on essential aspects of life and learning. Each episode will address key themes:
- Sports & Discipline – M.C. Mary Kom, Avani Lekhara, and Suhas Yathiraj will discuss goal setting, resilience, and stress management through discipline.
- Mental Health – Deepika Padukone will emphasize the importance of emotional well-being and self-expression.
- Nutrition – Experts Shonali Sabherwal, Rujuta Diwekar, and Revant Himatsingka (Food Farmer) will highlight healthy eating habits, sleep, and overall well-being.
- Technology & Finance – Gaurav Chaudhary (Technical Guruji) and Radhika Gupta will explore technology as a learning tool and financial literacy.
- Creativity & Positivity – Vikrant Massey and Bhumi Pednekar will inspire students to cultivate positivity and manage negative thoughts.
- Mindfulness & Mental Peace – Sadhguru will introduce practical mindfulness techniques for mental clarity and focus.
- Stories of Success – Toppers from UPSC, IIT-JEE, CLAT, CBSE, NDA, ICSE, and past PPC participants will share how PPC shaped their preparation and mindset.
A Journey Through the Years

2024: Nationwide participation.

The seventh edition of PPC, held on January 29, 2024, was expansive with 2.26 crore registrations on the MyGov portal, it reflects the program’s immense popularity and relevance. For the first time, 100 students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) participated, symbolizing the inclusivity of the initiative. The event was held in a town-hall format at Bharat Mandapam, ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, with approximately 3,000 participants, including students, teachers, parents, and winners of the Kala Utsav.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2024

2023: Widening Participation

The 6th Edition of PPC was conducted on 27 January 2023 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India interacted with students, teachers and parents during this programme and gave his valuable suggestions/ inputs to all stakeholders. The programme was telecast live by many TV Channels and YouTube channels. 718110 students, 42337 employees and 88544 Parents viewed the live programme of PPC-2023. The interaction of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India with students, teachers and parents was inspiring, motivating thought-provoking for all.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2023

2022: The Revival of Physical Interactions

5th Edition of PPC was conducted on 1st April 2022 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has interacted with students, teachers and parents in this programme and has given them his valuable suggestions/ inputs. 9,69,836 students, 47,200 employee and 1,86,517 parents viewed the live programme of Pariksha Pe Charcha-2022. The programme was telecast live by the many TV Channels and YouTube channel etc

Pariksha Par Charcha 2022

2021: The Virtual Connection

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth edition of PPC was held online on 7 April 2021. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the interaction continued to inspire students and their families. The focus shifted to resilience and adaptability, teaching life skills to help students navigate uncertain times.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2021

2020: Expanding Participation

The unique Town Hall format of the event in which the Hon’ble Prime Minister directly interacted with school students at the Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi was held on 20th January, 2020. The event broadened its scope with an online competition for students that received 2.63 lakh entries. Students from all over India and also Indian students residing abroad from 25 countries participated. The event highlighted the need to embrace challenges as stepping stones for success.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2020

2019: Growing Reach

On January 29, 2019, the second edition of PPC took place at the same venue, witnessing an even greater level of participation. The interaction, which lasted for over ninety minutes, saw students, teachers and parents relax, laugh, and repeatedly applaud the Prime Minister’s observations, which included a touch of humour and wit.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2019

2018: The Inaugural Interaction

The first-ever Pariksha Pe Charcha was held on February 16, 2018, at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. There were more than 2500 students from schools and colleges who were present in Talkatora Stadium of 16th February, 2018 for the interaction and more than 8.5 Crore students from across the country viewed or heard the programme on DD/TV Channels/ Radio Channels. The Prime Minister emphasized holistic development, resilience, and the importance of maintaining balance during exams. The event’s success set the tone for future editions.

Pariksha Par Charcha 2018

The Impact of Pariksha Pe Charcha

Over the years, PPC has evolved into an opportunity aimed at transforming exam-related stress into positive energy. By addressing real questions and offering actionable solutions, Prime Minister Modi has bridged the gap between policy and practice, empowering students to thrive under pressure. The program’s inclusivity, digital reach, and innovative approaches ensure its continued success as a cornerstone of student engagement in India. With each passing year, PPC reinforces the message that exams are not the end but a beginning!

References

Annual report 2023-24 to 2018-19. https://www.education.gov.in/documents_reports?field_documents_reports_tid=All&field_documents_reports_category_tid=All&title=&page=1

https://innovateindia1.mygov.in/#skip-main

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2092794

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2000010

https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1561793

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2100184

Click here to download PDF

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Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Madiha Iqbal

(Release ID: 2101104) Visitor Counter : 84

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates First Ever BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Source: Government of India

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates First Ever BIMSTEC Youth Summit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Highlights Role of Youth in Shaping BIMSTEC’s Future

India proposes ‘Youth Bridge’ – a multi-sectoral initiative to empower young leaders across BIMSTEC nations, Announces Dr. Mandaviya

Smt. Raksha Khadse Chairs Session on India’s Vision for a Developed Nation by 2047

BIMSTEC Youth Delegates Share Ideas for Empowering Youth and Promoting Innovation

Delegates Visit Dandi Kutir, Reflect on Mahatma Gandhi’s Legacy

Posted On: 08 FEB 2025 9:25PM by PIB Delhi

The Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India hosted the inaugural session of the first-ever BIMSTEC Youth Summit today in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, with the goal of strengthening youth collaboration across the region and facilitating the exchange of youth-led initiatives among BIMSTEC Member Countries. The session was held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, chaired by Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

The opening ceremony was graced by distinguished dignitaries, including Shri Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt. Raksha Khadse, Hon’ble Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, and Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs.

Driving Youth-Led Development !

Addressed the BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025 alongside CM of Gujarat, Shri @Bhupendrapbjp Ji. This summit marks a significant milestone in fostering youth-led collaboration, innovation and regional growth.

At the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu, PM… pic.twitter.com/XKaRSZcZe0

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 8, 2025

In his address, Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the pivotal role of young leaders in shaping a resilient, prosperous, and interconnected BIMSTEC community. He highlighted the immense potential of the region’s youth, who make up more than 60% of BIMSTEC’s 1.8 billion population, stressing the need for skill development and opportunities in a fast-evolving global landscape. Dr. Mandaviya also showcased India’s commitment to youth empowerment, citing initiatives like the Skill India Mission, the National Education Policy 2020, and the PM Internship Scheme, which have trained over 15 million youth in fields like AI, robotics, and digital technologies. He further underscored India’s thriving startup ecosystem, which is now the third-largest in the world, with over 157,000 startups, nearly half of which are women-led.

He proposed that BIMSTEC nations should collaborate to build an integrated regional startup network to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Dr. Mandaviya announced India’s proposal for BIMSTEC to serve as a “Youth Bridge,” a multi-sectoral initiative to empower young leaders through knowledge-sharing, leadership programs, and regional networking opportunities. This initiative aims to create a transformative platform that integrates entrepreneurship, sports, academia, and technology.

In his remarks, Shri Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, echoed the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, describing the Bay of Bengal as a vital bridge for connectivity, prosperity, and security, essential for fostering regional unity and growth.

Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, spoke on the shared history and common values that bind the BIMSTEC nations. He stressed that the region, home to more than 1.7 billion people, offers vast opportunities and challenges, and emphasized that the strength of BIMSTEC lies in its deep-rooted bond across borders.

Dr. Mandaviya also engaged in one-on-one interactions with BIMSTEC Youth delegates, during which he highlighted the Government’s Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue Initiative, which empowers Indian youth to engage, exchange ideas, and contribute to the country’s growth. Heads of delegations from the seven BIMSTEC member countries also showcased their respective countries’ youth development initiatives, focusing on strategies for empowering youth populations and promoting innovation.

A session on “Viksit Bharat @2047” was chaired by Smt. Raksha Khadse, Hon’ble Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, where she outlined India’s vision for a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing the key role youth will play in realizing this vision.

The summit also featured a panel discussion on “Celebrating Diversity across BIMSTEC Countries,” which delved into the importance of cultural inclusivity, mutual cooperation, and shared heritage in strengthening regional ties. Following this, a session on “Digital Infrastructure for Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainability” explored the role of technology in promoting equitable economic progress and sustainable development.

The day concluded with a visit to Dandi Kutir, where delegates immersed themselves in the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, gaining a deeper understanding of his ideals and contributions to India’s freedom movement.

Day 1 of the summit set the stage for meaningful exchanges, insightful discussions, and the exploration of collaborative solutions and partnerships for the future. The day ended on a vibrant note with a cultural performance by local artists, celebrating the theme of unity in diversity.

*****

Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2101093) Visitor Counter : 30

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE watches curling event in Harbin

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today met Director of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) Gao Zhidan and cheered on Hong Kong athletes as he took in some of the action at the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025.

In meeting Mr Gao, Mr Lee was accompanied by Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law.

He extended to Mr Gao his warmest congratulations on Harbin’s successful hosting of the games and expressed his gratitude to the GASC for supporting sports development in Hong Kong.

Highlighting that the Mainland has rich resources in winter sports, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to promote exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in winter sports.

He outlined that the Hong Kong SAR Government will draw reference from the Mainland’s wide-ranging experience in holding large-scale sports events and will promote sports development under a five-pronged approach. This involves promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism, and developing sports as an industry.

Mr Lee added that the Hong Kong SAR Government will work closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Macau Special Administrative Region Government to stage a safe and successful 15th National Games.

Mr Lee and Miss Law also took the opportunity to cheer for Hong Kong’s curlers as they watched a curling event at the games.

Mr Lee remarked that this is the first time the Hong Kong, China Delegation has sent a curling team to compete in an international multi-sport event, marking a milestone for the city’s athletes.

He said he believes that Hong Kong athletes can gain valuable experience and enhance their skills through participating in various international competitions and through exchanges with athletes from other countries.

Mr Lee also visited a well-known snow sculpture art exhibition, the Taiyangdao Island International Snow Sculpture Expo, and a famous ice and snow theme park, the Harbin Ice & Snow World.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 10, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Views sought on a parking zone for Everton FC’s new stadium

Source: City of Liverpool

Liverpool City Council has launched a public consultation on extending the city’s ‘Football Match Parking Zone’ around Everton Football Club’s new stadium, at Bramley-Moore Dock.

The parking zone already exists for both of the city’s current major football stadiums at Goodison Park and Anfield.

Given the scale of the events to be hosted at Everton’s brand new 52,888 capacity stadium, the council is asking for views from residents, businesses and other stakeholders on introducing new controls in the area when the venue is hosting events.

Although not yet complete (scheduled for completion in the 2024/25 season), the stadium has already been named as a potential host venue in the FA’s bid for the UEFA European Championships in 2028 and will also be capable of hosting major non-footballing events.

The proposals focus on the area within a 30-minute walk of Everton Stadium, which will encompass the surrounding Ten Streets district and into the city centre.

These include:
• New resident parking areas
• New taxi ranks
• New match day bus stands
• New parking restrictions
• New hours of operation for existing parking zones for the Great Homer Street area
• New hours of operation for existing parking zones for the Ten Streets and Love Lane areas
• New industrial parking zone south of Boundary Street
• New industrial parking zone north of Boundary Street

The overall aim of the controls is to reduce congestion, improve air quality, safety and journey times to and from the stadium. The proposals have also been designed to complement the modernisation of parking across the city centre, the plans for which is also currently the subject of a public consultation.

Liverpool City Council has already invested more than £20m in the highways infrastructure around Bramley-Moore Dock, including a permanent segregated cycle lane running from the city centre up to Liverpool’s northern border at Bootle in Sefton, which passes right in front of the new stadium.

Details of the three-week long consultation can be found online at https://liverpool.gov.uk/bramleymoorepermits which includes a survey and an FAQs document explaining the proposed scheme and its implications.

People can provide additional feedback by email or request the relevant documents in alternative formats, by writing to: liverpooltraffic@amey.co.uk

As well being able to provide feedback online, the council will also be hosting a hat-trick of consultation events on:
• Tuesday 6 December, 10am to 6pm – Ten Streets Social, 8 Regent Rd, L3 7BX
• Tuesday 13 December, 10am to 6pm – Kirkdale Neighbourhood Community Centre, 238A Stanley Road, L5 7QP
• Thursday 15 December, 10am to 6pm – Vauxhall Neighbourhood Council, Blenheim Street, L5 8UX

Once the consultation closes at 5pm on Tuesday, 22 December the responses will be collated and fed back to the Divisional Manager for Highways and Transportation toward the end of January 2023.

A decision will then be made on whether or not to proceed with the proposals or amend them in any way. If the proposals are agreed, a statutory notification process will begin in early Spring, when for a period of 28 days, members of the public can submit their formal objection or support for the proposed scheme.

Councillor Liam Robinson, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Everton Stadium is going to be a real game changer for the surrounding Ten Streets district and the wider Kirkdale community.

“As well as the much anticipated and needed economic benefit, the vast volume of people the stadium will attract – and how they arrive and depart – needs to be carefully managed.

“The North Docks area has never had to cope with such large numbers of people in such concentrated time periods but fortunately the city has the experience and knowledge thanks to Goodison Park and Anfield. By extending the match day parking zone, we’ll be looking to adopt and incorporate those controls which so effectively move tens of thousands on a weekly basis.

“Bramley-Moore Dock is also a unique location given its very close proximity to the city centre and the fact the surrounding transport infrastructure is well developed – be it the new cycle lane to the nearby train station at Sandhills. We’ll be looking to encourage as many active travel options as possible for those attending the games or other events there, which is a win-win for everyone in terms of managing congestion and air quality and promoting healthy habits.

“There’s lots of residents and businesses who will be affected by these proposals and we want as many people as possible to read them and ask questions of them. Only through their feedback can we refine and improve the proposals before we look at the next stage of a formal statutory notification process. Of course we want to hear from Everton fans too and I look forward to the responses to help us make the decisions that best suits the needs of all involved.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE continues visit to Harbin (with photos/videos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, continued his visit to Harbin today (February 8) to visit the Hong Kong, China Delegation, who are actively participating in the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025, and to watch some events to cheer for Hong Kong athletes. He also visited cultural and tourism facilities and met with Hong Kong young people currently on exchange in Harbin.

     In the morning, Mr Lee and the officials visited the athletes’ village to meet with members of the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the Asian Winter Games to learn about their preparations. Afterwards, they watched speed skating, short track speed skating and ice hockey events to support the participating Hong Kong athletes.

     Noting that the Hong Kong, China Delegation is the largest ever to participate in the Asian Winter Games and that the athletes are making every effort in their preparations, Mr Lee expressed his delight at being able to personally watch the competitions and cheer the athletes on. He encouraged the Hong Kong athletes to give their utmost and encouraged Hong Kong citizens to cheer for the national team and the Hong Kong team.

     In the evening, Mr Lee attended a dinner with the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC). He thanked the SF&OC for providing thoughtful arrangements and assistance to the Hong Kong, China Delegation for their participation in the Asian Winter Games.

     Mr Lee today also met with Hong Kong young people participating in an exchange programme organised by InspiringHK Sports Foundation to understand their experiences and insights during the trip. Highlighting that the Asian Winter Games is a major sports event held once every four years, he encouraged the participating young people to seize the precious opportunity to enjoy the exciting competitions, experience winter sports, and learn about the history and culture of Harbin.

     Mr Lee and the officials also visited Central Street and nearby cultural and tourism facilities today to learn more about the latest developments in the local cultural and tourism industry. Central Street, established in 1898, was transformed in 1997 into the country’s first commercial pedestrian street.

     Mr Lee will continue his visit tomorrow (February 9).

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 9, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Pillen Testifies in Support of the Stand With Women Act
Source: US State of Nebraska

. The Governor’s testimony comes just two days after his trip to the White House where President Donald J. Trump signed the executive order: No Men in Women’s Sports.

In August 2023, Gov. Pillen signed his executive order establishing biological definitions for men and women and specifying that data collected on individuals by public schools, state agencies and offices reference the sex of the person at birth. He was the second governor in the nation to sign such an order and last month, hosted a news conference attended by athletes and state senators, supporting the introduction of LB89.

“We need to ensure that girls and women are not treated unfairly, especially in sports where men certainly have a physical, competitive advantage,” said Gov. Pillen. “Additionally, we need to afford girls and women the privacy and protection that they expect and deserve when they are in spaces where they could be most vulnerable to victimization.”

Much like the Governor’s executive order, LB89 also establishes biological definitions for men and women. Other provisions include:
- Requiring signage designating that restrooms and locker rooms are specifically for use by either males or females
- Prohibiting use of a restroom by a member of the opposite sex
- Prohibiting biological boys or men from participating in girls’ or women’s sporting activities
Requirements apply to schools, including post-secondary institutions, as well as state agencies. Exceptions are included for situations in which a member of the opposite sex would be allowed to enter a bathroom or locker room.

“I am thrilled that President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect women and girls in athletics,” said Sen. Kauth. “This provides a supportive framework for states like Nebraska to implement bills like the Stand With Women Act to protect women and girls in all areas the state has responsibility. I look forward to strong support for the Stand With Women Act.”

Students from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, University of Nebraska — Kearney, high school and college athletes plus other advocates also spoke in favor of the bill.

MIL OSI USA News –
February 9, 2025

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