Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Launches BESPOKE AI WindFree™ AC Range; Introduces 19 Models across Segments

Source: Samsung

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand today launched its 2025 lineup of BESPOKE AI WindFree Air conditioners, a fusion of cutting-edge AI technology and premium design. With a focus on intelligent cooling, energy efficiency, and connected living, the new range of 19 models cater to the evolving demands of Indian consumers. These air conditioners are thoughtfully engineered to deliver comfort, convenience, and innovation while tackling the challenges of India’s extreme summers.

This range harnesses AI-driven innovations to adapt seamlessly to varying climate conditions, ensuring consistent comfort and maximum efficiency. The WindFree Cooling technology eliminates direct drafts, dispersing air gently through 23,000 micro holes, while the AI Fast & Comfort Cooling feature rapidly cools the space and intelligently transitions to energy-efficient settings for sustained comfort. Designed with modern lifestyles in mind, the range incorporates SmartThings connectivity, offering advanced features such as Map View for remote monitoring and Quick Remote for effortless control.

Adding more convenience to the lives of the work from home generation, BESPOKE AI WindFree ACs also connect seamlessly with Samsung’s SmartThings app using Wi-Fi allowing you to change settings or switch it on/off using Bixby voice assistant, Alexa and Google Home. You can also optimize cooling with smart AI Auto Cooling and automatically cool the room even before you reach home with the geo-fencing based Welcome Cooling feature. Powered with the new ‘Good Sleep’ mode, these ACs promote pleasant sleep throughout the night by adjusting the temperature according to sleep stages.

“We are excited to redefine the home cooling experience, while addressing the unique challenges of Indian summers with the 2025 Bespoke AI WindFree air conditioners. These Air Conditioners are a testament to Samsung’s commitment to innovation that enhances everyday living. By blending AI-driven cooling and energy efficiency, smart connectivity, and lifestyle-enhancing features, this range brings powerful AI tech innovation for the Indian consumer.,” said Ghufran Alam, Senior Director, Digital Appliances, Samsung India.

Samsung has had a stellar year in the Indian air conditioner market, with robust sales and strong momentum heading into 2025. With the launch of its Bespoke AI WindFree lineup, the company is positioning itself to lead the AI-driven revolution in the AC sector. By integrating smart AI features that optimize energy use and enhance user experience, this new range is set to elevate Samsung’s presence in the market.

AI-Driven Cooling and Energy Efficiency
The Bespoke AI WindFree ACs leverage cutting-edge AI technology to redefine cooling efficiency. The AI Energy Mode intelligently adjusts the cooling settings to save up to 30% energy. This addresses the top key buying factor for consumers while buying an air conditioner – the demand for energy-efficient appliances without compromising on comfort.

The AI Fast & Comfort Cooling feature ensures instant relief by rapidly reducing room temperature with maximum fan speed. Once the desired temperature is achieved, the system intelligently switches to WindFree Mode to maintain consistent cooling, ensuring a comfortable environment for activities like sleeping or entertaining guests.

The AI Digital Inverter control ensures uninterrupted cooling even when outdoor temperatures reach a scorching 58°C, providing reliability during India’s extreme summers.

Unparalleled Smart Features with SmartThings Integration
The new lineup comes with Samsung’s SmartThings platform, redefining how users interact with air conditioners. Indian consumers, in a research showed high preference for convenient operations like simple remote control pop up function via a smart app.This AC comes with features like Quick Remote allow users to control their AC’s power, mode, temperature, and air volume from their smartphone. This eliminates the hassle of locating a physical remote and ensures convenience at one’s fingertips.

The Map View feature offers a virtual 3D representation of the home, making it easy to monitor and control the AC remotely. Consumers can check vital metrics like room temperature, air quality, and energy consumption, ensuring a connected, smarter living experience. Compatibility with Bixby, Alexa, and Google Assistant enables voice control, making the interaction seamless and intuitive.

Welcome Cooling further enhances convenience by automatically starting the AC as users near their home, providing a perfectly comfortable environment upon arrival.

Dedicated WindFree Good Sleep Feature for Unmatched Rest
The WindFree Good Sleep feature is specifically designed to optimize the bedroom climate during the night. By carefully regulating temperature and humidity, it prevents sudden fluctuations that could disturb sleep, ensuring a restful and uninterrupted slumber. This feature is perfect for Indian consumers seeking comfort and relaxation in their everyday lives.

Enhanced Comfort and Hygiene
Unlike conventional filters, the Copper Anti-bacterial Filter redefines convenience and efficiency in air conditioner maintenance. Positioned externally on the top, it allows for easy removal and cleaning without the need to open any covers or exert force. Crafted from dense mesh, it effectively captures dust, ensuring the Heat Exchanger remains clean and operates efficiently. Additionally, the copper-infused yarn in the filter reduces certain airborne bacteria by up to 99%*, contributing to a cleaner and healthier indoor environment.

Durability and Reliability
Built to last, the Bespoke AI WindFree ACs come with a 5-year comprehensive warranty and a 10-year warranty on the AI Inverter compressor. The inclusion of Durafin Ultra coating protects the heat exchanger from corrosion, ensuring long-term performance and durability.

Price and Availability
Priced at INR 32990/- onwards, the new range of Bespoke AI air conditioners are available across all leading retail outlets and online platforms, including Flipkart, Amazon, and Samsung.com. Air Conditioners – Split AC | Samsung India***

[1] Available for Room Air Conditioners, with Wi-Fi. Requires mobile phones above Galaxy S22, and wearable devices above Galaxy Watch7 series.
Must download SmartThings/Wearable/Samsung Health apps available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. Devices must be signed in with the same Samsung account.

MIL OSI Economics –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Increase in Closed Books No Surprise to General Practice Owners – GenPro

Source: General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)

The increasing number of general practices closing their books to new patients is no surprise to the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro).

New research from Victoria University of Wellington, published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, found that more general practices than ever are closing their books, with 36 percent of the country’s GPs turning away new patients last year.

GenPro Chair Dr Angus Chambers says GenPro has been warning for years that patients are facing restricted access due to full or partial closing of books to new enrolments, reduction in services such as cancelling after-hours services, or practices closing.

“One of the key reasons that general practices are turning away new patients is that government funding for general practice has not kept pace in real terms with the cost of running a general practice, the ageing population, and the changing health needs of New Zealanders,” Dr Chambers says.

“The funding shortfall creates these and other downstream problems which make a bad situation worse. We are seeing insufficient training of new doctors, GPs leaving New Zealand, and more demand on already squeezed emergency departments.”

Dr Chambers is encouraging people who can’t enrol, especially in worst hit areas such as Northland, the central and lower North Island, and Canterbury, to approach their local Member of Parliament.

“MPs must urge the new Health Minister to support a complete overhaul of the arcane funding and regulated pricing model imposed on general practice, a model which is driving general practices to the wall. The current model is more than two decades old and no longer fit for purpose.

“Changing the Minister won’t make much difference unless there is meaningful action such as theming this year’s Budget as a Health Budget to reverse the dangerous decline in primary healthcare availability,” Dr Chambers says.

GenPro members are owners and providers of general practices and urgent care centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information visit www.genpro.org.nz

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian who defrauded U.S. pandemic aid programs of more than $1 million sentenced to 54 months in prison

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Defendant defrauded Americans for a decade with trove of over 14,000 stolen identities

Tacoma – The second of two Nigerian men residing in Canada who defrauded pandemic aid programs of millions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 54 months in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 46, was extradited from Canada last July, and pleaded guilty in September 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, the crime required substantial planning. “This took advantage of programs designed to help people who were really struggling in an international emergency,” Judge Cartwright said.

“This defendant made it his full-time job to defraud the U.S. for years before the pandemic, but he kicked it into high gear once critical aid to Americans workers was flowing,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “His fraud included using stolen identities of Washington residents to file dozens of unemployment claims in the first few weeks of the pandemic, contributing to the flood of fraudulent claims that caused the state to pause all unemployment payments. In this way his fraud harmed all Washingtonians who desperately needed assistance at the onset of the pandemic.”

According to records filed in the case, Lawal, and codefendant Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 46, used the stolen identities of thousands of workers to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.7 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits. Lawal admits that he personally submitted claims for $1,345,472.

Lawal personally submitted at least 790 unemployment claims using the stolen identities of 790 workers. He submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, Washington and some 19 other states. Lawal also established four internet domain names that were subsequently used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used in this scheme.

Additionally, between 2018 and November 2022, Lawal used stolen personal information to submit 3,000 income tax returns for $7.5 million in refunds. The IRS detected the fraud and paid just $30,000.

“While Mr. Lawal may not have secured the $7.5 million he sought from fraudulent tax refunds, each of the 3,000 returns he filed represents a life he disrupted,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office.

Lawal and co-defendant Ambali also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA). The pair submitted some 38 applications, but SBA caught most of the fraud and paid only $2,500.

Lawal and Ambali had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.

Evidence gathered in the case shows that Lawal personally received a substantial portion of the criminal proceeds. Lawal was ordered to pay restitution of $1,345,472.

Co-defendant Ambali was sentenced to 42 months in prison in March 2024.

In asking for a 65-month prison sentence, the government argued, “During major disasters and nationwide emergencies, it is particularly importantfor the government to be able to disburse aid quickly to real victims to mitigate the impact of the crisis. The actual monetary loss to the government comes secondary to the fact that a real person or business behind each stolen identity had difficulty accessing assistance because a fraudulent claim was already paid in their identity. These difficulties were further compounded by the onslaught of fraudulent claims that clogged the infrastructure in place to distribute the aid. The estimated loss from these fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims is over $100 billion.”

The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs assisted with extradition on this matter.

The COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force was established to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: OLAF Unveils Fraudulent Misuse of EU Funds in Romania’s Danube Delta Development Projects

Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

Press release no 1/2025
PDF version

OLAF played a pivotal role in uncovering a major fraud case in Romania, revealing that EU funds intended for development projects in the Danube Delta were misused through fraudulent schemes. OLAF’s investigation carried out in close cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), unveiled a significant misuse of funds in over 30 EU-financed projects.

The Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is among Europe’s most ecologically vital regions. The EU funds allocated to this region through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) are vital for its maintenance.

Acting on an initial request from EPPO, OLAF carried out an investigative analysis into allegations of EU fund mismanagement and delivered its results to the European Delegated Prosecutor.

One of the projects under investigation was co-financed under the Regional Operational Program 2014-2020. In particular, it sought to expand a transport company’s activities to include construction services, relied on EU and national contributions covering 70.95% of eligible costs.

OLAF revealed that the company’s legal representative had submitted falsified documents, including forged bank statements, to falsely portray financial capacity for the project, which led to their unlawful acquisition of the EU-funded tender.

Financial recommendation for over half a million euro

These fraudulent actions resulted in the unlawful acquisition of approximately EUR 593 000 in EU funds and EUR 104 000 from Romania’s national budget. Throughout the investigation, OLAF collaborated closely with the EPPO, sharing evidence and coordinating efforts to ensure a thorough and effective inquiry.

In July 2024, OLAF concluded its investigation and issued a recommendation to the European Commission to recover EUR 593 000 as a result of the misappropriation of EU funds. This case highlights OLAF’s instrumental role in complementing EPPO’s efforts to safeguard EU financial interests and ensure the proper use of public resources.

Recently, EPPO indicted one individual and one company implicated in the investigation. Should the individual be found guilty, he could face a prison term ranging from three to ten and a half years. The company, in turn, could incur fines of up to EUR 420 000 and risk confiscation.

For more information, please see EPPO’s press release on the matter.

_{OLAF mission, mandate and competences:}
_{OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.}

_{OLAF fulfils its mission by:}
_{•    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;}
_{•    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;}
_{•    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.}

_{In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:}
_{•    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;}
_{•    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;}
_{•    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.}

_{Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.}

For further details:

Pierluigi CATERINO
Spokesperson
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335
Email: olaf-media ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

_{If you’re a journalist and you wish to receive our press releases in your inbox, please}_{leave us your contact data}_.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Criminals denied £7.5m in profits from the illegal trade in medicines
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last year stopped criminals making more than £7.5 million linked to the illegal trade in medicines.
Person holding seized medicines in MHRA storeroom. Credit: MHRA

As part of the crackdown on criminal profits, more than 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines, with a potential street value of more than £40 million, were taken out of circulation last year by the MHRA and its law enforcement partners. These included painkillers, sleeping tablets and erectile dysfunction treatments.

Andy Morling, who heads the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU), said:

Criminals are in the illegal medicines trade for one reason only, to make money. By seizing their profits, we’re removing that single motivation. Whether held in Bitcoin or banknotes, we can take these criminal profits out of the hands of offenders. We can also use some of the money to strengthen our enforcement efforts against them. It’s a win for the safety of the public, and a serious blow for organised crime.

Following the money

The MHRA’s CEU leads efforts to disrupt medicine crime by denying criminals the profits that fuel it. Using its legislative powers, the CEU can freeze bank accounts, intercept digital currencies, seize luxury goods and confiscate the proceeds of crime following conviction. During 2024, the CEU’s financial investigators denied these criminals access to a total of £7.5 million in criminal assets.

Protecting the public from illegally traded medicines

The CEU deployed teams to work in partnership with the Home Office’s Border Force at ports across the UK to identify and seize medicines illegally entering the UK.

Most of the seized medicines are not licensed for sale in the UK, so can contain too much or too little of the declared active ingredient and may also contain other ingredients that are not approved for use.

The CEU also continued to target those individuals and networks illegally trading in medicines online, disrupting more than 1,500 websites and posts on social media accounts selling medicinal products illegally.

Andy Morling said:

Buying from unverified sources risks your health, as there is no guarantee that the products are safe or effective.

We work tirelessly to protect patients by preventing medicines crime, disrupting it, and bringing offenders to justice. We do this by working with partners to remove illegally traded medicines from circulation, deny the criminal networks the proceeds of their crimes and disrupt online criminality.

Where appropriate we will also use the full range of our powers to bring offenders before the courts. These actions help ensure the public can trust the medicines they rely on every day.

Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth, said:

Shameful criminals selling unregulated and illegal medicines must feel the full force of the law.

We are cracking down on these rogue retailers, taking illicit medicines off the streets, and keeping the public safe.

The MHRA will use the funds made through this to strengthen future action against criminals.

Notes to editors

The 17 million doses seized include 5.5 million doses of erectile dysfunction medicines, 5.5 million doses of pain treatments, 2.8 million doses of sedatives, 1.6 million doses of sleep disorder treatments, and 1.9 million doses of other medicines.

Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from a medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the Yellow Card website or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.

The MHRA’s Accredited Financial Investigators are authorised by the National Crime Agency under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). They support investigations by tracing, freezing, and confiscating assets linked to crime, including money laundering and the illegal supply of medicines. Their work includes seizing cash, valuable items, and freezing bank accounts or cryptocurrency suspected of criminal origins. The Home Office’s Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) allows a proportion of the proceeds of crime recovered under POCA, to be redistributed to agencies involved in the asset recovery process. The Home Office encourages agencies to invest ARIS funds to drive up performance on asset recovery or, where appropriate, to fund local crime fighting priorities for the benefit of the community.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. 

The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. 

For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651. 

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 29 January 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University is now accepting applications for the online course “Digital Twins of Products”

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

The Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” has opened a new recruitment of students for the first unique online course in Russia “Digital Twins of Products”, dedicated to the development and application of digital twins of products in the high-tech industry.

The online course was prepared jointly with the SPbPU Open Education Center as part of the implementation of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program. Training will begin on February 3, 2025, on the national educational platform Open Education.

SIGN UP FOR TRAINING

The online course program is aimed at developing understanding, knowledge and skills on the following relevant topics:

the main approaches and options for defining the term “digital twin of a product”; the basics of developing, verifying and validating mathematical, computer and digital models; the procedure for forming a multi-level system of requirements and target indicators of a high-tech product; the basics of conducting digital (virtual) tests of a product, including digital tests using digital (virtual) test benches and testing grounds on a software and technology platform (digital platform); features of ensuring two-way information links between a digital twin and a product.

The online course lectures cover general theoretical principles that ensure the creation and application of a digital twin of a product, elements of digital twins and key terms in this area. The program is aimed at studying the main provisions GOST R 57700.37–2021 “Computer models and modeling. DIGITAL TWINS OF PRODUCTS. General provisions”, intended primarily for use in the high-tech mechanical engineering industry and related industries.

The online course “Digital Twins of Products” consists of 16 topics, combined into 4 modules. Each topic contains a video lecture lasting 7-15 minutes and materials for independent study by students:

presentation (5-10 slides); notes (10-15 pages); glossary (5-15 terms and definitions); additional literature (2-5 sources).

The training intensity is 72 academic hours (approximate duration of training is 16 weeks with classes of 4-5 academic hours per week).

The authors of the course are the main developers of the national standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 57700.37–2021 “Computer models and modeling. DIGITAL DOUBLES OF PRODUCTS. General provisions”.

Course Authors:

Borovkov Aleksey Ivanovich, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU, Professor, Head of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, World-Class Scientific Center “Advanced Digital Technologies” of SPbPU, Competence Center of NTI SPbPU “New Production Technologies” and Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of SPbPU, Technology Transfer Center of SPbPU; Ryabov Yury Aleksandrovich, Head of the Department of Technological and Industrial Foresight of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of PIS SPbPU “Digital Engineering”; Martynets Ekaterina Romanovna, Leading Specialist of the Department of Technological and Industrial Foresight of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of PIS SPbPU “Digital Engineering”; Shcherbina Lyudmila Aleksandrovna, Deputy Director for Information and Analytical Work of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) of the SPbPU PISh “Digital Engineering”.

The specialists will share their competencies and knowledge within the course Advanced engineering school of SPbPU “Digital engineering”, NTI Competence Center SPbPU “New Production Technologies”, Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” (CompMechLab®) SPbPU, with many years of successful experience in carrying out R&D based on the technology of developing digital twins for high-tech industry enterprises in such knowledge-intensive sectors as engine building, power engineering, nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical and special engineering, aircraft manufacturing, rocket and space technology, automotive engineering, shipbuilding, shipbuilding and marine engineering, instrument making, medical engineering, high-performance sports and others.

Who will benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products”:

systems engineers, research engineers, calculation engineers, design engineers, process engineers, operating engineers, developers of complex high-tech products in various industries; senior and middle managers responsible for the development and implementation of digital transformation strategies, changing business processes and business models of enterprises through the introduction of digital technologies; students, postgraduates and teachers of technical universities; a wide range of people with higher professional education (starting with a bachelor’s degree), interested in theoretical and practical issues of developing advanced digital and production technologies.

A complete list of areas of training for masters, specialists and postgraduates who may be interested in the online course “Digital Twins of Products” is given below.

The new intake is already the sixth since the course was launched. The fifth intake completed its training in December 2024. Based on the results of all the intakes, 5,609 students from 6 countries and 223 cities in Russia and neighboring countries registered for the course.

These are employees and students of engineering specialties from 169 research centers and universities, as well as specialists from 54 high-tech companies. As their areas of activity, the students noted mechanical engineering, finite element modeling, energy, electrical engineering, oil production, construction and BIM technologies, polymeric materials, programming, pedagogy, regulatory control and others. 1,717 people successfully completed the training, as a result of which they received a certificate of advanced training from SPbPU and / or an electronic certificate of the national educational platform “Open Education” on completion of the course.

According to the results of surveys conducted after each release, 93% of students are ready to recommend this course to their friends and colleagues. They noted the depth of development and high-quality design of the training materials, the accessibility of the information. The video lecture format was recognized as very successful, allowing training at a convenient time without interrupting work.

Feedback left by students following the fifth launch of the course:

I found answers to questions that had been bothering me for a long time, namely, I understood what a “digital twin” is. The topic is very well covered. I also liked that many terms were given in English. An excellent high-level overview of digital twin development tools. I feel proud that our country is actively moving in such a promising direction as “digital twins” and offers competitive solutions. I really liked the whole course. Useful and interesting. Thanks to all the creators and organizers.

Upon successful completion of the midterm and final testing on the national platform “Open Education”, a certificate of completion of the online course and/or a certificate of advanced training from SPbPU is issued.

SIGN UP FOR TRAINING

Areas of training for masters and specialists who may benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products” (in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 12.09.2013 No. 1061, as amended on 13.12.2021 No. 1229). View the list of destinations.

Scientific specialties of postgraduate students who may benefit from the online course “Digital Twins of Products” (in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 02/24/2021 No. 118). View list of directions.

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 –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Instant answers and detailed consultations: how chatbots help Muscovites

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Digital technologies are actively developing in Moscow. Chatbots, including those created with artificial intelligence technology, are used to ensure that residents of the capital receive city services quickly and at any convenient time. They promptly answer questions, find relevant information, and provide detailed and clear recommendations for solving urgent problems. For example, with the help of virtual assistants, you can make an appointment with a doctor, and also convey complaints about your health before the appointment. In addition, digital assistants will tell you how to pay for utilities and transmit meter readings, provide information on how to pay for travel on public transport, and much more.

“Moscow residents have access to the help of many virtual consultants. They work on the basis of capital portals, messengers, mobile applications. Some of them have added the ability to request information by voice. Chatbots are constantly being trained, and the number of topics on which they can be contacted is constantly growing. This not only allows city residents to find the information they need, but also relieves operators in support chats and on hotlines. Specialists can devote more time to solving complex and non-standard issues. In 2025, the capital will continue to develop artificial intelligence technologies to make it even more convenient for residents to receive consultations and services online,” the press service said.

Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

How Digital Consultants Work

A chatbot is a virtual assistant. Most programs are equipped with artificial intelligence technologies. They are trained to understand spoken language, even if the text of the question contains slang words, complex expressions or typos. The bot gives answers based on the knowledge base.

Experts are constantly improving artificial intelligence algorithms. To do this, when preparing each communication scenario, a chatbot is given the maximum number of potential questions, formulations, and answer options. If the digital assistant cannot answer the question on its own, it passes it on to the operator and informs the user about it. After the operator sends the answer, the program includes it in the chatbot’s knowledge base. Next time, it will provide the necessary information on its own.

Ask a question on the mos.ru portal and prepare for your doctor’s appointment

Virtual assistants are in demand among Muscovites in various spheres of life. However, they are most often used to obtain city services.

How to make an appointment with a doctor, register with a clinic, transfer a child to another school and pay utility bills – you can ask the bot about this and much more in the support chat on the mos.ru portal. It communicates with users in real time and helps quickly find information on more than 6.2 thousand topics. You no longer need to waste time independently searching for information and making phone calls. To use the chat bot, you need to go to any of the mos.ru portal sections and click on the blue icon in the lower right corner of the screen (it is not available only on the main page). Another way is to open the chat from the section “Help” in the main menu, by selecting the “Support Chat” item in the “Support Service” block. You can formulate your question yourself or use the prompts.

Currently, the bot processes 76 percent of requests independently. Most often, Muscovites use it to search for various instructions, information on how to obtain a particular service, as well as how to log into their personal account on the mos.ru portal, change or add data to it. In addition, people turn to the virtual assistant to find out how to open access to an electronic medical record, receive a single payment document and pay for city services. The chatbot was developed by the capital Department of Information Technology on the basis citywide contact center.

Since last year, a voice assistant has appeared in the mos.ru portal support chat by the name Moscow. It is currently in test mode. The distinctive feature of this chatbot is that its search system is built on a large language model. With the help of artificial intelligence, the virtual assistant recognizes users’ speech and searches for answers to questions in the knowledge base. Then it voices its answer. It is planned that the voice assistant will soon become available to all users of the mos.ru portal.

A chatbot based on artificial intelligence also helps residents take care of their health. It can be used when making a remote appointment with one of the specialists: a therapist, otolaryngologist, gynecologist, ophthalmologist, surgeon or urologist. With its help, residents can report their ailments before visiting a doctor. In a special survey form, it is necessary to indicate complaints and answer questions in order to specify the symptoms and information about their condition. The chatbot asks questions selected based on an analysis of the complaints entered and the doctor’s specialty. The information is completely confidential and protected, it is transferred to the unified medical information and analytical system of the city of Moscow and is recorded in the protocol of the upcoming examination. Thus, the specialist can familiarize himself with the patient’s complaints in advance and pay more attention to his examination, diagnosis and treatment during the appointment. A huge array of information was used to create the medical chatbot. Its work is based on smart algorithms trained on anonymized data from electronic medical records, as well as information from open reference books and medical databases. Experienced practicing doctors took part in the creation of the digital assistant.

Express tips for those on the go and consultations for businessmen

The chatbot Alexandra has become an indispensable assistant for passengers, motorists and pedestrians. It helps to receive useful information about public transport 24/7. For example, the virtual assistant can tell you about payment methods and tariffs, about the operation of the subway and ground transport, the functions of transport complex applications and bicycle and scooter rental services. Alexandra will also tell you how to use paid parking, about the rules for towing cars, about the organization of traffic, car sharing and taxi services.

The smart chatbot can answer more than 60,000 questions. If the request is too complex, it will transfer the conversation to an operator who will help the passenger. You can write to Alexandra atdifferent platforms: on the websites of the Moscow Metro, Mosgortrans, the Center for Traffic Management, in the applications “Moscow Metro”, “Moscow Transport”, “Parkings of Russia”, “Velobike – city bike rental”. Chatbot consultations are also available on the social network “VKontakte” Andtelegram channel.

A special chat bot can be used by capital entrepreneursSuppliers portal. With the help of a virtual consultant, they will learn how to register on the portal, take part in a quotation session or mini-auction, sign an offer, and how to select and add products to the catalog. The service helps users navigate the platform and quickly find reference information. The chatbot’s knowledge base contains answers to more than 600 topics. To contact the digital assistant on the supplier portal, you need to click on the red icon on the left side of the screen. In the window that opens, you can select one of six popular topics or ask your own question. The chatbot will provide the appropriate information on its own or connect a support specialist. During the conversation, you can attach documents and photos. This allows you to get more detailed advice. Requests are accepted in both text and voice formats.

You can quickly transmit readings of water, heat, and electricity meters using chatbot in Telegram. It will tell you how to correctly enter information about the apartment and data from energy meters, and will also help you get acquainted with the archive (history) of readings. If they are transferred correctly, the message “Data successfully added” will appear in the chat. In case of an error, you can click the “Delete last readings” button, and then enter the data again. The Telegram bot will send them to the automated system of the Unified Information and Settlement Center of the city of Moscow. Based on the data, unified payment documents are generated for paying for utilities that residents of the capital receive every month.

In addition, virtual assistants are indispensable in such areas as construction control, social support, innovation development, and others. You can find a chatbot and start a conversation using the following links:

– telegram bot “Free access”;

– telegram bot “Samostroy.net”;

– chatbot for the “Million Prizes” program;

– chatbot of the project “City of Ideas”;

– chatbot of the “City of Tasks” project;

– chatbot on the Moscow investment portal;

– chatbot “Electronic Concierge” on the website of the platform “Electronic House”;

– chatbot Dobrynya Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the City of Moscow;

– chatbot Vera of the City Center for Housing Subsidies.

The use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life of city residents is in line with the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149449073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: c/side Launches PCI Compliance Dashboard for New PCI DSS 4.0.1 Requirements
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — c/side, a cybersecurity company specializing in browser-side third-party scripts, today announced the launch of its PCI compliance dashboard to show that PCI DSS 4.0.1 requirements are met for third-party website script monitoring and management.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) provides guidelines for organizations to safeguard their payment infrastructure against data theft and fraud in debit card and credit card transactions. PCI DSS compliance is mandatory for all businesses that accept card payments, and is enforced via penalties that can include monthly fines up to six figures and suspension of card acceptance capabilities.

PCI DSS 4.0.1 introduces two new mandates (6.4.3 and 11.6.1) for securely monitoring and managing browser-side third-party scripts. Organizations must implement these changes by March 31, 2025. c/side’s PCI compliance dashboard enables organizations to secure and monitor all third-party scripts across their websites, providing the comprehensive protection these standards demand.

“Businesses are struggling to adapt legacy security tools to meet the new PCI DSS requirements for processing, storing, and transmitting payment card data,” said Simon Wijckmans, founder and CEO, c/side. “The regulations have tightened and become more prescriptive—and specific cybersecurity capabilities are critical to ensure compliance and avoid an auditing disaster. c/side’s ability to track and verify third-party web script behavior maps to exactly what these new mandates are looking for, and our dashboard gives businesses the complete visibility and control they need.”

Here is how c/side addresses both the 6.4.3 and 11.6.1 requirements of PCI DSS 4.0.1:
- PCI DSS requirement 6.4.3 mandates that organizations accepting digital payments must authorize every script running on payment pages. Organizations must also maintain an inventory of third-party scripts with written justification for their use, while ensuring script integrity. c/side’s dashboard maintains a complete script inventory across all website pages and captures each script’s payload in real time. This visibility instantly shows any code changes and potential threats. The system verifies script authorization and integrity, while automatically blocking and alerting on malicious changes—exceeding PCI DSS requirements.
- PCI DSS requirement 11.6.1 focuses on monitoring script changes by requiring weekly evaluation and reporting of any unauthorized changes to HTTP headers or payment page scripts. This poses a unique challenge, since third-party JavaScript scripts (by default) serve different code versions for various functions. c/side solves this by capturing and analyzing every script request through its proxy technology. The dashboard’s AI-powered analysis highlights changes and explains code functionality, giving engineers clear insight into script behavior.
In case of an audit, organizations often face needless challenges in tracking third-party script activity and ensuring compliance across payment and non-payment pages. This lack of visibility increases the risk of non-compliance, fines, and audit delays. With c/side, these pain points are eliminated. The c/side dashboard automatically generates comprehensive weekly reports that document all script activity and enable granular controls to ensure scripts run only where approved. By automating these processes, c/side transforms a complex compliance requirement into a straightforward task, reducing risks, eliminating audit delays, and easing the burden of maintaining compliance.

Learn more about c/side’s new dashboard here.

About c/side

c/side is a forward-thinking cybersecurity startup focused on browser-side detection and protection. Led by industry expert Simon Wijckmans, c/side is pioneering technologies to shield against sophisticated cyber threats, ensuring unparalleled security standards for users across the web.

Contact
Kyle Peterson
kyle@clementpeterson.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed1e25f3-2681-4145-9e04-242b27fbc231

The MIL Network –
January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Lawrence O. Gostin, University Professor; Founding Linda D. & Timothy J. O’Neill Professor of Global Health Law, Georgetown University

President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO) will be keenly felt across the globe, with profound implications for health in Africa.

In the executive order putting the withdrawal process in place, Trump also paused the transfer of US funds, support and resources to the WHO.

Trump’s executive order is his second attempt to pull the US out of the agency. He has also complained that the US financial contribution to the international organisation is “onerous”.

The biggest impacts will come from the loss of US funding. The US is by far the WHO’s largest state donor, contributing approximately 18% of the agency’s total funding.

The WHO’s funding is split into two tranches.

There are assessed contributions: countries’ membership fees, to which all WHO members agree and over which the WHO has full control. The US accounts for 22%, or US$264 million of these, for the current 2024/25 budget. The US is yet to pay the WHO its assessed contributions for 2024 and 2025. Withdrawing from the organisation without paying these fees would violate US law and must be challenged in the US courts.

Then there are voluntary contributions: donations by member countries, foundations and other sources, usually earmarked to that donor’s priorities. The US contributes 16%, or US$442 million, of all voluntary contributions.

In the case of the US, these priorities include HIV/AIDS, polio eradication and health emergencies.

As experts in global health law, we are deeply concerned about the impacts of this order, which will be far reaching.

The US withdrawal from the WHO threatens core health programmes in Africa. It will weaken the ability of African countries to respond to health emergencies, and could lead to increases in death and illness on the continent.

It will also have broader implications for leadership and governance in global health.

Impact on core programmes

Trump’s decision to withdraw comes at a time when the WHO’s health priorities in Africa were already underfunded. Eight of 12 areas were funded less than 50% earlier this year.

Twenty-seven percent of all US funding through the WHO for the African region goes to polio eradication, 20% supports improved access to quality essential health services, and much of the balance goes to pandemic preparedness and response.

The WHO/US partnership has long supported the HIV/AIDS response in Africa, but the redirection and reduction in funds could reduce the availability of prevention, testing and treatment programmes across the continent. This threatens progress to end AIDS by 2030.

The funding gap will also have an impact on programmes designed to increase access to quality essential health services, including the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and malaria, and child and maternal health services.

If the WHO is forced to cut back on these services due to a lack of financing, it could lead to increases in mortality and morbidity in Africa.

European countries filled the financing gap in 2020 when Trump last withheld US funding from the WHO. But it is unlikely that they will be able to do so again, as countries across Europe are facing their own geopolitical and financial challenges.

The WHO’s budget was already thinly spread, and its mandate keeps growing.

Through its new investment round, the WHO raised US$1.7 billion in pledges, and is expecting another US$2.1 billion through partnerships and other agreements. Yet even before the US president’s executive order, this left a funding gap of approximately US$3.3 billion (or 47%) for the WHO’s 2025-2028 strategy.

If the gap left by the loss of US funding cannot be filled from other sources, it will fall to African nations to fund health programmes and services that are cut, placing a greater strain on governments reckoning with limited fiscal space.

Weakened response to health emergencies

Trump’s decision comes at a pivotal moment for health in Africa, which is experiencing major outbreaks.

The US has been a key actor supporting WHO-led emergency responses to outbreaks.

Last year, the US partnered with the WHO and Rwanda to rapidly bring a Marburg outbreak under control. The Marburg virus continues to threaten the continent. Tanzania has just confirmed an outbreak.

Earlier in August 2024, the WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control each declared mpox on the continent to be a public health emergency.

The Biden administration delivered 60,000 vaccines, pledged 1 million more, and contributed over US$22 million to support capacity building and vaccination.

But now US health officials have been instructed to immediately stop working with the WHO, preventing US teams in Africa from responding to Marburg virus and mpox.

Even before these outbreaks, the US supported WHO-led emergency responses to COVID-19, Ebola and HIV/AIDS. The US withdrawal could lead to increased transmission, sickness and death in vulnerable regions.

Similarly, strong partnership between the WHO and the US has helped build health system capacities in Africa for public health emergencies.

US experts have supported nearly half of all WHO joint external evaluation missions to assess countries’ pandemic preparedness and response capacities under the International Health Regulations. This is a binding WHO agreement to help countries prepare for, detect and initially respond to health emergencies globally.

The US withdrawal from the WHO risks eroding these efforts, though it may also accelerate a regionalisation of health security already underway in Africa, led by the African Union through the Africa CDC.

Restructuring of governance

The US was instrumental in establishing the WHO and shaping WHO norms and standards, in particular driving amendments to the International Health Regulations adopted in June 2024. This included improved obligations to facilitate the rapid sharing of information between the WHO and countries.

The US has also been a key figure in ongoing negotiations for a new international treaty, a Pandemic Agreement. This would create new rights and obligations to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics with elements that go beyond the International Health Regulations. These include obligations on the equitable sharing of vaccines.

Trump’s executive order would prevent these instruments from being implemented or enforced in the US.

This would only entrench inequitable dynamics when the next global health emergency breaks out, given the concentration of global pharmaceutical companies in the US.

The order also pulls the US out of the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. This will inevitably create new diplomatic dynamics. Optimistically, this could provide enhanced opportunities for African nations to strengthen their position on equity.

The US departure from the WHO will create a leadership vacuum, ushering in a restructuring of power and alliances for global health.

This vacuum could cede influence to US adversaries, opening the door to even greater Chinese influence on the African continent.

But it also presents opportunities for greater African leadership in global health, which could strengthen African self-reliance.

Trump has directed the US to find “credible and transparent” partners to assume the activities the WHO would have performed. And yet there is no substitute for the WHO, with its worldwide reach and stature.

For more than 75 years, the WHO has been, and remains, the only global health organisation with the membership, authority, expertise and credibility to protect and promote health for the world’s population.

For this reason, the African Union, among scores of other bodies and leaders, has already urged Trump to reconsider.

It is now time for the global community to stand up for the WHO and ensure its vital health work in Africa and beyond can thrive.

– WHO in Africa: three ways the continent stands to lose from Trump’s decision to pull out
– https://theconversation.com/who-in-africa-three-ways-the-continent-stands-to-lose-from-trumps-decision-to-pull-out-248237

MIL OSI Africa –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Club offers Armed Forces members and veterans breakfast and banter

Source: City of Wolverhampton

The Wolverhampton Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club meets at The Bankfield Inn, Bilston, on the last Saturday of the month from 9.30am, and offers people breakfast and banter in a safe, social environment.

The ethos of the Bilston club, which was set up in 2019, is ‘mutual support’. Membership is free and all people need to pay for is their breakfast.

Councillor Craig Collingswood, chair of Wolverhampton’s Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board, attended last weekend’s club and said: “The Wolverhampton Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club is a brilliant initiative.

“It offers veterans and serving members the chance to enjoy the company of other Armed Forces personnel past and present, helps to combat loneliness and enables veterans to ‘return to the tribe’.”

The club also meets socially for regimental and association dinners, nights out, barbecues, parties, summer balls and Christmas parties. For more details, please visit Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club.

Elsewhere, Veterans in the Community runs 3 veterans’ groups in the Wolverhampton area – at Wednesfield Conservative Club on Mondays from 11am to 1pm, the RAFA Club, Goldthorn Road, on Tuesdays from 1pm to 3pm, and Lunt Community Centre, Bilston, on Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm. All ages are welcome to attend to enjoy refreshments and good company, as well as regular events and trips.

As lead for the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board for the city, the City of Wolverhampton Council co-ordinates support for the Armed Forces community across Wolverhampton.

The council welcomes veterans and the wider Armed Forces community into the organisation and offers a range of supportive policies such as guaranteed interview schemes for veterans applying for job vacancies and an allowance of up to 24 days’ paid leave for reservists and adult cadet force volunteers. For details of current employment opportunities, please visit WMJobs.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces veterans in Wolverhampton can enjoy free bus travel and discounted rail travel. Travel for West Midlands is running an incentive scheme in collaboration with local bus operators enabling unlimited free travel on all buses, all day, in the Network West Midlands area for up to six months. To find out more, please email wolves.afd@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

A Veterans Railcard is also available, offering discounts on rail travel in England, Wales and Scotland. For further information please visit Veterans Railcard.

For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant, and the help and support that is available to members of the Armed Forces community in Wolverhampton, please visit Armed Forces Covenant.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues a NOK 1 billion tap under its MTN programme

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

Municipality Finance issues a NOK 1 billion tap under its MTN programme

On 30 January 2025 Municipality Finance Plc issues a new tranche in an amount of NOK 1 billion to an existing series of notes issued on 15 January 2025. With the new tranche, the aggregate nominal amount of the notes is NOK 4 billion. The maturity date of the notes is 15 January 2030. The notes bear interest at a floating rate equal to 3-month Nibor plus 25 bps per annum.

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

MuniFin has applied for the new tranche to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 30 January 2025. The existing notes in the series are admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Nordea Bank Abp acts as the Dealer for the issue of the new tranche.

MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Further information:

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

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

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

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

Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/

Important Information

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

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

The MIL Network –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues a GBP 75 million tap under its MTN programme

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

Municipality Finance issues a GBP 75 million tap under its MTN programme

On 30 January 2025 Municipality Finance Plc issues a new tranche in an amount of GBP 75 million to an existing benchmark issued on 7 March 2024. With the new tranche, the aggregate nominal amount of the benchmark is GBP 500 million. The maturity date of the benchmark is 2 October 2028. The benchmark bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.375 % per annum.

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

MuniFin has applied for the new tranche to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 30 January 2025. The existing notes in the series are admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Citigroup Global Market Limited acts as the Dealer for the issue of the new tranche.

MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Further information:

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

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

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

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

Read more: www.munifin.fi

Important Information

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

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

The MIL Network –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitwise Rebrands European ETPs, Looks to Reinforce Position as Market Leader in Pivotal Year for Crypto
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Rebrands European product suite after strong 2024: Bitwise surpassed $12 billion in client assets, launched new products such as Solana and Aptos Staking ETPs
- TER of the Bitwise Core Bitcoin ETP (BTC1) lowered to 0.20% p.a.
- Crypto poised to soar in 2025: Bitwise research forecasts record valuations and inflows in crypto markets this year amid reduced regulatory risk
- Continued innovation: Bitwise looks to cement position as market leader by providing new best-in-class products, broadening access to crypto for investors
January 29, 2025. Frankfurt, Germany: Bitwise today announced the company has completed the rebranding of all ETPs in its European product suite following last year’s acquisition of ETC Group. The move comes as Bitwise looks to expand its position as a market leader in crypto markets in 2025, a year in which a number of structural upward trends are likely to bolster crypto markets.

Among the renamed products are the Bitwise Core Bitcoin ETP (BTC1), the Bitwise Ethereum Staking ETP (ET32), the Bitwise MSCI Digital Assets Select 20 ETP (DA20), and the company’s flagship product: – the Bitwise Physical Bitcoin ETP (BTCE). Launched in 2020, BTCE is the most heavily traded bitcoin ETP in Europe. For an overview of all products with their rebranded names, please refer to the table below.

Bitwise will continue to broaden crypto access for investors, provide best-in-class innovative products, timely insights on the latest market developments, and champion transparency and accountability in a landmark year for the crypto industry.

Hunter Horsley, CEO and Co-Founder of Bitwise: “We expect 2025 will be a pivotal year for crypto, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana each hitting record highs, and a more crypto-friendly environment in Washington bringing welcome clarity to the space. Bitwise is looking forward to using this moment to reinforce our position as a market leader both in the U.S. and Europe.”

Bitwise saw significant growth in 2024, a year in which Bitcoin soared to an all-time high of $103,992 after the record-setting launch of spot bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. The company crossed over $12 billion in client assets, using its momentum to launch new institutional-grade crypto staking ETPs, namely the recently launched Bitwise Solana Staking ETP, and the Bitwise Aptos Staking ETP, in addition to filing a Form S-1 for an XRP spot ETF in the U.S. The company’s Bitwise Core Bitcoin ETP (BTC1 | DE000A4AER62), an institutionally focused and cost-efficient Bitcoin ETP with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.20%, is also experiencing increased popularity among investors.

Another highlight of 2024 for Bitwise was the launch of Bitwise Onchain Solutions after the company’s acquisition of Attestant Limited, an institutional-grade Ethereum staking provider with $3.7 billion in staked assets at the time of the acquisition.

Crypto poised to soar in 2025

In 2025, adoption of bitcoin and other crypto assets by corporate treasurers are set to be another major driver supporting the asset class, Bitwise Head of Research Europe Dr Andre Dragosch said in a study this month. At the moment, companies hold only 4% of the total available Bitcoin supply, a number that already doubled last year. With total free cash flow between S&P 500 companies standing at $1.5 trillion – more than twice the capital ever invested in Bitcoin – this offers an unprecedented growth opportunity.

Bitwise will continue to position itself as a thought leader with studies like the above and several others, providing a rich stream of research and market analysis for investors. This research is available through blog posts on the Bitwise website, such as on this link and here.

The following table shows Bitwise’s renamed European Crypto ETP suite:

The complete list of Bitwise European ETP products, including all stock exchange listings and trading information, is available at https://bitwiseinvestments.com/eu.

About Bitwise

Bitwise is one of the world’s leading crypto specialist asset managers. Thousands of financial advisors, family offices, and institutional investors across the globe have partnered with us to understand and access the opportunities in crypto. Since 2017, Bitwise has established a track record of excellence managing a broad suite of index and active solutions across ETPs, separately managed accounts, private funds, and hedge fund strategies – spanning both the U.S. and Europe.

In Europe, for the past four years Bitwise (formerly ETC Group) has developed an extensive and innovative suite of crypto ETPs, including Europe’s most traded bitcoin ETP, or the first diversified Crypto Basket ETP replicating an MSCI digital assets index.

This family of crypto ETPs is domiciled in Germany and approved by BaFin. We exclusively partner with reputable entities from the traditional financial industry, ensuring that 100% of the assets are securely stored offline (cold storage) through regulated custodians.

Our European products comprise a collection of carefully designed financial instruments that seamlessly integrate into any professional portfolio, providing comprehensive exposure to crypto as an asset class. Access is straightforward via major European stock exchanges, with primary listings on Xetra, the most liquid exchange for ETF trading in Europe. Retail investors benefit from easy access through numerous DIY/online brokers, coupled with our robust and secure physical ETP structure, which includes a redemption feature. For more information, visit www.bitwiseinvestments.com/eu

Media contacts:

JEA Associates
John McLeod
00 44 7886 920436
john@jeaassociates.com

Important information
This press release does not constitute investment advice, nor does it constitute an offer or solicitation to buy financial products. This press release is issued by Bitwise Europe GmbH (“BEU”), a limited company domiciled in Germany, for information only and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. BEU gives no explicit or implicit assurance or guarantee regarding the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. It is advised not to rely on the fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness of this article or the opinions contained therein. Please note that this article is neither investment advice nor an offer or solicitation to acquire financial products or cryptocurrencies.

Before investing in crypto Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”), potential investors should consider the following:
Potential investors should seek independent advice and consider relevant information contained in the base prospectus and the final terms for the ETPs, especially the risk factors. ETPs issued by BEU are suitable only for persons experienced in investing in cryptocurrencies and risks of investing can be found in the prospectus and final terms available on www.bitwiseinvestments.com./eu. The invested capital is at risk, and losses up to the amount invested are possible. ETPs backed by cryptocurrencies are highly volatile assets and performance is unpredictable. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The market price of ETPs will vary and they do not offer a fixed income or match precisely the performance of the underlying cryptocurrency. Investing in ETPs involves numerous risks including general market risks relating to underlying, adverse price movements, currency, liquidity, operational, legal and regulatory risks.

The MIL Network –
January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Comments on Illegal Trump Administration Directives to Withhold Vast Swaths of Congressionally-Approved Federal Funding

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

Murray: “The scope of this illegal action is unprecedented and could have devastating consequences across the country for real people. We could see a screeching halt to resources for child care, housing, police officers, opioid addiction treatment, rebuilding roads and bridges, and even disaster relief efforts.”

Murray: “I am also urging Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham—a fellow appropriator—to hold Russ Vought’s nomination. Republicans should not advance this nomination out of committee until the Trump administration follows the law.”

***VIDEO HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) for a press conference raising the alarm on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo issued by the Trump administration last night that directs agencies to freeze vast swaths of federal funding passed into law by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Last night, Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent a letter to Acting OMB Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda issued by OMB on Monday directing agencies to withhold vast swaths of approved federal funding.

A fact sheet on the issue of the impoundment is available HERE.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Look, we were coming here to discuss a very simple resolution on a different kind of lawlessness by the President in response to him pardoning violent criminals and insurrectionists who attacked police officers.

“That resolution—so you know—read very simply, in its entirety: ‘RESOLVED: that the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.’ You’ll hear more from me and others regarding this resolution later on the floor.

“But we are here today to respond to the OMB memo issued by the Trump administration last night.

“In a brazen and illegal move, the Trump administration is working to freeze vast swaths of federal funding passed into law by Republicans and Democrats alike.

“The scope of this illegal action is unprecedented and could have devastating consequences across the country for real people.

“We could see a screeching halt to resources for child care, housing, police officers, opioid addiction treatment, rebuilding roads and bridges, and even disaster relief efforts. Trump was just in California to witness the devastation and now he is holding back that aid.

“Trump’s actions would wreak havoc in red and blue communities. This is funding that communities are expecting, and this memo has sown chaos and confusion about whether these resources will be available to them.

“Entire budgets and payrolls across the country are carefully hinging on these resources—we are talking about small towns, our cities, our school districts, our universities, and a lot more.

“Will local Head Start facilities get their funding? Will grantees at any of our local universities get the funding they need to continue clinical trials? What does this mean for homeless veterans we are working to get housed?

“Americans should ask themselves: is it woke to fund cancer research or to rebuild unsafe bridges?

“All of these critical priorities are funded by the grants that the Trump administration would pause tonight.

“This illegal move is a massive, massive overreach by the Trump administration. The American people did not vote for this kind of senseless chaos.

“So, I am also urging Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham—a fellow appropriator—to hold Russ Vought’s nomination that was supposed to move this Thursday. Republicans should not advance this nomination out of committee until the Trump administration follows the law.

“The law is the law—the Trump administration must immediately reverse course, follow the requirements of the law, and ensure the nation’s spending laws are implemented as Congress intended.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Voting Against Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after voting no on the nomination of Sean Duffy to serve as Secretary of Transportation:

“Right now, the Trump administration is illegally withholding funding to rebuild roads and bridges, to upgrade our ports, to expand public transit, and so much more. Towns, cities, and entire state departments of transportation are in upheaval right now as they try to understand what this illegal seizure of federal funds means for their budgets and payrolls.

“So today I voted NO to confirm Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation to register my firm opposition to a lawless administration that is illegally ripping away funding that communities and families across America are counting on. I was glad to have a productive meeting with Mr. Duffy last week, but as I said then, I will be keeping a close eye to make sure he faithfully executes the law—and I could not in good faith vote to confirm his nomination while the Trump administration blatantly violates the law.

“The law is the law—the Trump administration must immediately reverse course, follow the requirements of the law, and ensure the nation’s spending laws are implemented as Congress intended.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blasts Trump Admin for Illegally Blocking Funding for Communities, Comments on Latest OMB Update & Continued Chaos Nationwide

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

Murray: “In a brazen and illegal move, the Trump administration is working to freeze huge chunks of federal funding passed into law—by Republicans and Democrats alike. Now, not even 24 hours later, they are issuing new guidance trying to clean up the massive mess they have made, saying: ‘Wait, we don’t actually know what we are doing….’ but still leaving needless uncertainty about what actually is happening—and they are still—let me make that clear: still—withholding approved funding all across government.”

***VIDEO HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senate Democrats’ weekly press conference and discussed the Trump administration’s unprecedented and illegal directives to withhold vast chunks of federal funding that were signed into law by Republicans and Democrats alike. She also touched on the recent update the Trump administration sent on its orders, as well as Senate Democrats’ resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons for violent insurrectionists.

Earlier today, Senator Murray joined colleagues in raising the alarm on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo issued by the Trump administration last night directing agencies to withhold federal funding and creating mass chaos and confusion in the process.

Last night, Senator Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent a letter to Acting OMB Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda issued by OMB on Monday directing agencies to withhold vast swaths of approved federal funding.

A fact sheet on the issue of the impoundment is available HERE.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Every one of us in this building owes a huge debt to our Capitol Police. Considering all they sacrifice to keep us safe, we should be able to say—with one voice—that if you violently assault a Capitol Police officer, you should not get a pardon. You should not get off scot free. I will have more to say later on the floor—but from Trump pardoning violent insurrectionists to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders to lawlessly blocking bipartisan funding, we have a lot more ground to cover. And today I want to talk about the OMB guidance the Trump administration issued in the dead of night.

“In a brazen and illegal move, the Trump administration is working to freeze huge chunks of federal funding passed into law—by Republicans and Democrats alike.

“Now, not even 24 hours later, they are issuing new guidance trying to clean up the massive mess they have made, saying: ‘Wait, we don’t actually know what we are doing….’ But still leaving needless uncertainty about what actually is happening—and they are still—let me make that clear: still—withholding approved funding all across government.

“Meanwhile, this chaos is already hurting people, causing confusion, and causing devastating delays. I mean where do we start here? There are a lot of urgent questions but precious few answers—and the answers keep changing.

“What about grants for public safety? Grants for firefighters and for police departments, or that prevent violence against women—those aren’t direct to individuals—are they still halted?

“Or health care? What about community health centers that millions rely on—including in rural areas?

“Or money fighting the opioid crisis—grants that go to states, communities, and non-profits? Are they stopping funding for addiction treatment and prevention?

“Or clinical studies. Scientists at the University of Washington and Washington State University are deeply alarmed—this is not theoretical; research projects will collapse and staff will be furloughed or laid off.

“Tribes in my state are deeply alarmed that they will see severe cuts across health care, education, law enforcement, housing—practically every aspect of daily life on Indian land.

“And of course, what about disaster relief that could be derailed? In Eastern Washington, in my home state, $44 million to help Spokane County rebuild after wildfires—money that was announced weeks ago—is that still on pause? Last week Trump visited communities in North Carolina and California still reeling from disaster; now he is throwing the aid those communities need into chaos.

“Schools that need Title I payments are worried they may not get the funds that Congress has allocated and voted on.

“Suddenly, we don’t know: How will Meals on Wheels feed seniors who depend on them? Or what this means for homeless veterans we are working to get housed?

“Entire budgets and payrolls across the country are carefully hinging on these resources—we’re talking about small towns, cities, rural America, school districts, universities, and much more.

“And look—saying, ‘just kidding’ not even 24 hours later—is not a solution.

“You can’t pretend you had no idea it would cause chaos despite all the warnings. That is not believable, and even if it was true, it’s not a good reason for the damage caused.

“Even despite what we’ve heard from the administration in the last hour or so, they are still illegally withholding funding owed to all of our states—that basic truth has not changed.

“So I am urging my fellow Republicans to open your eyes to just how bad this is and will be for your states and your communities and speak out. I know reports say the White House is trying to silence members who have done that—but stand up. We are talking about your constituents.

“And specifically, I am urging my Republican colleagues on the Senate Budget Committee to vote against Russ Vought’s nomination. Republicans should not advance this nomination out of committee until the Trump administration follows the law.

“And I am warning the Trump Administration—the law is the law. You need to reverse course, follow the requirements of the law, ensure the nation’s spending laws are implemented as Congress intended, and avoid this pointless, damaging chaos.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Illegally Firing EEOC Commissioners and NLRB Members

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the illegal firings of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox, as well as the firing of EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride and NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo.

“I am extremely alarmed by the unprecedented firings of EEOC Commissioners and NLRB Members without cause—these are yet more lawless actions by a president who thinks he is above the law and clearly could not care less about the rights of workers.

“Congress intended for the EEOC to be bipartisan, for commissioners from both parties to work together to defend workers’ rights and create fairer workplaces—and the NLRB plays an absolutely vital role in safeguarding employees’ rights to organize for better wages and working conditions, and preventing unfair labor practices. These brazen firings undermine not only the will of Congress but these agencies’ critical work fighting on behalf of workers across the country.

“President Trump has been in office barely a week and already he is taking an axe to longstanding civil rights protections—from illegally firing EEOC commissioners and NLRB members to dismantling a 60-year agency charged with protecting federal contract workers from illegal discrimination. Trump and Republicans are hell-bent on launching an all-out assault on working people and their rights—they’re just hoping we don’t notice.”

Throughout her career, including as the top Democrat on the Senate Labor Committee from 2015-2022, Senator Murray has championed the vital work and mission of the EEOC and the NLRB, including working to quickly confirm Jocelyn Samuels to the EEOC and Gwynne Wilcox to the NLRB, and promptly considering and advancing out of committee Kalpana Kotagal’s nomination to the EEOC.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Democrats Speak Out After Republicans Block Simple Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

ICYMI: Schumer, Murphy, Kim Lead 47 Senators in Introducing Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

Murray: “Trump is showing every day, with nearly every action—that he has zero regard for the laws of our country. From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to halt funding Congress passed—something that is causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states alike.”

***VIDEO HERE of Senator Murray’s floor speech***

Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans senselessly blocked a one-line resolution offered by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and her Democratic colleagues that simply condemns the pardons of individuals found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. After Republican John Barrasso (R-WY) blocked the resolution, Murray and Senate Democrats took to the Senate floor to speak out against Trump’s move to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to violent criminals who assaulted U.S. Capitol Police officers and call out Republicans for refusing to stand up for the Capitol Police who put their lives on the line—and suffered severe injuries—protecting senators’ lives on January 6^th.

All 47 Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus are cosponsors of the resolution, which simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” A PDF of the resolution is HERE.

On the Senate floor today, Senator Murray made clear that the throughline of the first week of the Trump administration has been lawlessness—with Trump, “showing every day, with nearly every action, that he has zero regard for the laws of our country. From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to HALT funding Congress passed— something that is now causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states.”

“I will not sit back and allow President Trump to rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection,” Murray continued. “Officers here sacrificed tremendously to keep senators safe, Republicans and Democrats alike—and we have the footage, photos, and police reports that clearly show the crimes and the violence committed… President Trump’s decision to pardon, en masse, 1,500 people charged in the insurrection is a truly unthinkable attempt to erase the facts of that day, and undermine our democracy. But it is especially heinous that he chose to pardon individuals who violently attacked our Capitol Police officers… It is a betrayal of the law enforcement that protected us all that day and a dangerous endorsement of political violence—telling criminals that you can beat cops within an inch of their lives as long as it’s in service to Donald Trump.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6^th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6^th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves. During the siege of the Capitol on January 6^th, 2021, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted.

Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:

“Mr. President, we are a week into the Trump Administration, and it can be summed up in one word: lawlessness. Trump is showing every day, with nearly every action, that he has zero regard for the laws of this country.

“From pardoning, en masse, violent insurrectionists, to illegally firing government watchdogs charged with holding him accountable, to issuing blatantly unconstitutional executive orders, to asking OMB to halt funding Congress passed—something that is now causing serious chaos and harm to red states and blue states.

“We are not going to let his strategy of overwhelming chaos win the day. We are fighting each of the actions, and will not stop asserting our power as an equal branch of the government.

“But right now, today, we are going to focus on one issue in particular—one that is not just alarming, but actually personal to all of us here in the Senate, because it concerns the Capitol Police each of us walk by every single day.

“I have made it clear, I will not sit back and allow President Trump to rewrite the history of the January 6^th insurrection. Already, his Justice Department has taken down the public database that laid out the thousands of investigations—he is literally trying to erase the evidence from public memory!

“But no President can rewrite history—not unless we stand by and let him. And that is absolutely not going to happen. We will not forget what really happened here on January 6^th, 2021.

“As we all remember, as the American people witnessed in real time, armed insurrectionists—egged on by the sitting president—broke into the U.S. Capitol and violently assaulted Capitol Police officers in their attempt to overturn a free and fair election.

“You do not have to take my word for it—though, like many of my colleagues, I have a first-person account of that day. The reality is well documented in videos, in photos, in case documents from thousands of people charged with felonies after that day—including assault.

“We know, as a matter of fact, some insurrectionists brought knives, tasers, axes, hatchets, pepper spray, zip ties and more.

“We know, as a matter of fact, some assaulted officers with flagpoles, stun guns, fire extinguishers, and bear spray.

“We know as a matter of fact, that Capitol Police officers suffered severe injuries as a result—including cracked ribs, smashed spinal disks, brain injuries, and even the loss of an eye.

“Officers here sacrificed tremendously to keep senators safe, Republicans and Democrats alike—and we have the footage, photos, police reports that clearly show the crimes and the violence that was committed.

“So Mr. President, President Trump’s decision to pardon—en masse—1,500 people charged in the insurrection is truly an unthinkable attempt to erase the facts of that day, and undermine our democracy.

“But it is especially heinous that he chose to pardon individuals who violently attacked our Capitol Police officers. Not to mention commuting the sentences of 14 others: people found guilty of seditious conspiracy, people like Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers.

“It is a betrayal of the law enforcement that protected all of that day, and a dangerous endorsement of political violence—telling criminals that you can beat cops within an inch of their lives as long as it’s in service to Donald Trump.

“Every one of us here owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Capitol Police. They protected our lives, and they protected our democracy. That is why we are here today to pass a resolution today, that makes clear the U.S. Senate stands with our Capitol Police officers—by disapproving the pardon of those who violently attacked the officers who keep us safe.

“It is a very simple, modest resolution—its reads, in its entirety: ‘Resolved: that the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.’

“It is that simple. We aren’t relitigating every case—this is only about people guilty of assaulting Capitol Police.

“I made sure this was short and clear—something we can pass unanimously. Because a message like this really should be unanimous.

“In fact, Mr. President, just to underscore how straightforward this is—I want to read it in its entirety once again: ‘Resolved: that the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.’

“That’s it. The entire thing. I don’t really think there is anything here for anyone to disagree with.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, after Republicans blocked the resolution:

“Mr. President, I am deeply frustrated that is the response we got today. We cannot agree on something as simple as standing by the officers who keep this building safe?! Officers every one of us walk by every day?

“There are officers standing just outside the floor right now keeping watch as we are forced to debate whether it was not was okay to pardon the people that violently attacked them.

“I don’t know how my colleagues who oppose this simple resolution can look them in the eye!

“It is insulting enough that Speaker Johnson—someone who has a dedicated, 24/7 detail—has refused to put up the plaque honoring the brave officers who kept us safe four years ago.

“But the fact we can’t pass a resolution as simple as the one I presented today—the fact we can’t all agree that we should side with the people who keep us safe, over the people who are attacking us, is disgraceful.

“It is unworthy of this body, and unworthy of the sacrifice our Capitol Police have demonstrated time and again. We owe them better.

“I will not going to stop pushing to make sure we show them we understand that.

“The President may be able to grant pardons, commute sentences, release criminals, delete databases… but I will tell you here, he can take no action he takes can erase the past, unless we let him.

“And as long as I can stand, as long as I can speak, as long as I am here—I will not let him, or anyone, rewrite the history of the January 6th insurrection or erase the important lessons that we must learn from it.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Kim, NJ Non-Profits Warn of Severe Disruptions to Vital Community Services Following Trump OMB Guidance

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

NEWARK, NJ –– This afternoon, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined New Jersey non-profit service providers to warn of the immediate and tangible negative effects the Trump-Vance administration’s January 27 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum will have on communities across the Garden State.

Requiring all executive departments and agencies “to identify and review all Federal financial assistance,” OMB’s memorandum pauses all grant, loan, and other congressionally apportioned financial assistance programs to municipalities and critical service providers across the country, including funding for veterans’ assistance groups, police, firefighters, and local first responders, early childhood education centers, older adult service providers, and domestic violence survivor organizations.

Condemning these pauses, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Andy Kim, and local and state-wide service providers warned:

“Once again, President Trump has made clear his willingness to inflict pain upon communities across the country, including at home in New Jersey. OMB’s latest guidance has produced immense uncertainty across our state’s municipalities and critical service providers. My office has heard from veterans’ assistance groups, local first responders, and domestic violence survivor organizations, and they’re all telling us the same thing. Their operational integrity and the wellbeing of those they serve are in jeopardy. These are the actions of a callous president––one wholly unconcerned by the day-to-day realities of the majority of Americans and New Jerseyans. While President Trump continues to ignore families who want to see actions that lower costs and make their lives better, I’ll continue to work to guarantee New Jerseyans––from Sussex County to Cumberland County and everywhere in between––have the resources they need to get ahead,” said Senator Cory Booker.

“President Trump and his administration continue to serve their own power first, not caring that local communities are the collateral damage to their incompetence. OMB’s decision disregards the basic functions of our federal government and how it meets critical needs in communities across our country. We want Donald Trump to know exactly what these decisions and loss of funding could mean for New Jersey: it places independent living centers on the brink, risks vital Meals on Wheels for our seniors, and threatens crucial Head Start services for our families. These are just a couple examples from the calls and messages coming into my office today. At a moment of such distrust between people and their government, this isn’t simply a disregard for our Constitution, this is a cruel attack hurting families all across this nation. We will look at all possible actions to force the Trump administration to honor Congress’ power of the purse and ensure these funds reach our communities,” said Senator Kim.

“The new executive order pausing the release of federal grant funding impacts sexual violence services, putting individuals who have been assaulted and their loved ones at greater risk. With reduced funding, service providers face the challenge of maintaining critical support systems, including the availability of advocates to answer hotlines, provide accompaniments to forensic exams, navigate the court system, and offer counseling and other critical services. Often, there is no duplication of services supporting survivors, and our data show that there are already existing waitlists for them. Interruptions in funding will only exacerbate an already strained system and delay access to care. This increase in wait times will not only heighten the immediate danger of further harm but also prolong the impact on survivors’ healing,” said Robert Baran and Denise Rodriguez, Co-Directors, New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

“We have worked with Senator Booker countless times to be sure we have secured these much needed dollars to Fire Departments across New Jersey. These dollars have offset costs for manpower, training, and equipment. All of which have provided a safer workplace for our members while we protect the residents and visitors of our great State. We urge the President to release these funds Congress has appropriated for AFG and SAFER grants,” said Eddie Donnelly, President, New Jersey State Firefighters’ Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA).

“A pause in federal funding of any length will impact our ability to serve our homeless veteran population. This is not just the case for our program but for similar programs throughout the nation. The effects of this pause will be immediate and grave. For example, they will imperil the support families enrolled in the VA’s Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) programs receive, including rental assistance. And, as rents come due in a matter of days, this raises the specter of evictions and increased veteran homelessness. Additionally, a pause in the federal funding we receive will immediately affect our ability to purchase and prepare food for our 100+ housed veterans, prevent us from taking in, and providing services, for additional homeless veterans in New Jersey, halts our ability to pay leases on vehicles used for support services, and jeopardizes the jobs of nearly 200 employees dedicated to serving our nation’s veterans, many of whom are veterans or were once unhoused veterans themselves. While we will continue to provide those who rely on us with the dignity and care they deserve, OMB’s memorandum seriously endangers the wellbeing of an already vulnerable population,” said Bruce Buckley, Chief Executive Officer, Soldier On.

“The recent pause in funds has produced considerable concern across the Rutgers University community, which prides itself on the federally supported research and service it carries out to promote the common good and serve the national interest. The federal government is a critical partner to Rutgers, with federal funding for student aid, research, and public service initiatives accounting for about $1 billion of the university’s $5.6 billion budget. As we work across the university to understand the impact of the federal pauses and to provide guidance to our community during these uncertain times, Rutgers remains profoundly committed to our public mission of research, teaching, and service, and to our students’ success,” said Jonathan Holloway, President, Rutgers University.

“A freeze to the release of federal funds will impact all victims and survivors of domestic violence. The vast majority of our 33 domestic violence providers in NJ rely on federal funding to ensure that every county has a domestic violence shelter, legal advocacy, counseling and other critical services that survivors need. A freeze in funding will increase barriers for survivors seeking safety, and will cause many to stay in abusive situations, increasing the danger and harm they will experience. The federal government must act accordingly, and not hastily, to ensure victims and survivors have the services they need in their community when they need them” said Adrienne Gantz and Nicole Morella, Co-Executive Directors, New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence.

“Just a few days into their term, the Trump-Vance Administration has imposed an unprecedented freeze on federally funded programs, including programs that benefit more than 578,000 New Jerseyans, who rely on community health centers for vital, cost-efficient and life-saving care. For a majority of our state’s community health centers, this freeze in federal funding will cause them to shutter, leaving hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans without access to healthcare. These freezes come asemerging public health risks––like bird flu and other infectious diseases––continue to pose dangers to our communities. Our health centers are already struggling financially, and many are facing the likelihood of not making payroll in the next few weeks, dealing a death blow to centers that are already having difficulty in retaining an adequate workforce for the services they provide,” said Selina Haq, Ph.D., President/Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Primary Care Association.

“Boys & Girls Club of Newark has six funding sources that may be impacted by the federal spending freeze. These funds represent more than 10% of our annual budget of $5M and could affect funding for 35-50 team members in direct service with youth. The kinds of programs that could be affected are meal service at our after-school programs, food distribution to families, mentorship for at-risk youth, and critical funding related to safety at our facility. We believe these services are of vital importance to the work we do in our community. Our hope is to see funding restored to ensure our constituents can receive these services that they rely on for their well-being,” said Ameer Washington, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club Newark.

“The freeze in federal funding, which has been imposed, will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on Centers for Independent Living throughout the country. These centers provide crucial support and assistance to individuals with disabilities, allowing them to live independently and fully participate in their communities. With this ban in place, these centers may be forced to put vital services on hold, leaving many individuals without the necessary resources and support they rely on. Furthermore, the ban may also result in significant financial strain for these centers, potentially leading to payrolls being put on hold and difficulty paying rent. This could ultimately jeopardize the ability of these centers to continue operating and providing essential services to those in need. The impact of this ban will not only be felt by the centers themselves, but also by the individuals they serve, creating a ripple effect throughout the disability community. It is essential that this ban be reconsidered and alternative solutions be explored to ensure that Centers for Independent Living can continue their important work without interruption,” said Carole Tonks, Executive Director, Alliance Center for Independence – Edison, NJ.

“This order to halt federal funding will have devastating consequences for millions of New Jerseyans, including many that New Jersey Citizen Action directly serves. Federal grants enable many organizations like ours to help New Jerseyans to save themselves from foreclosures, afford first-time homebuyer loans, protect themselves from housing discrimination, file their taxes for free, navigate essential social safety-net programs, and achieve financial stability. These key investments have allowed New Jersey to build stronger communities and healthier, thriving families. The order would also affect the entire New Jersey nonprofit sector dedicated to serving our state’s most vulnerable populations. These include organizations that provide services for seniors, people with disabilities, children, women, victims of domestic violence, and organizations in the field of mental health. It’s unconscionable that the Trump administration should halt these investments—which have already been approved by Congress—for American taxpayers while considering further tax cuts for billionaires and corporations,” said Dena Mottola, Executive Director, New Jersey Citizen Action.

“The work that we do along with other nonprofit public health agencies is vital to the health of our communities. We know that maternal child health is critical to the health of our nation and limiting or cutting funding that states, agencies and programs like ours receive will have negative long-term consequences on the women, children and families that we serve,” said Robyn D’Oria MA, RNC, APN, Chief Executive Officer, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.

Additional programs and initiatives adversely impacted by OMB’s memorandum include but are not limited to:

Head Start

Click here for a state-by-state table of FY 2024 funding for Head Start, which funds comprehensive early childhood education, or here for state-by-state fact sheets that use the same funding data.

VAWA Grants

Click here for state level totals of FY 2024 grant funding from the Office of Violence Against Women.

Community Health Center

Click here for a 2023 table of state-by-state Section 330 grant funding for community health centers, which provide affordable care for millions of Americans.

IDEA and Other Department of Education Grant Programs

Click here for a state-by-state table of IDEA Grants (which help children with disabilities) from FY 2023, and data on other grant programs through the Department of Education that could be impacted by the freeze.

COPS Grants

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program is a Department of Justice grant program for law enforcement. More info here, and many of the links include state-by-state fact sheets. This link here includes FY 2024 grant amounts for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). These are divided up by state but you may have to calculate your state’s total separately.

State Opioid Response Grants

Click here for total state awards from FY 2024 for the State Opioid Response Grantsprogram, which funds addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

SBA Loans to Small Business

Click here for a dashboard of approved SBA loans by state for recent fiscal years including FY 2024. State totals for both the 7(a) program and 504 program are available. Copying values from the dashboard does not always work, but the Download Data option is a good other way to access the numbers.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Kim Statement Opposing Confirmation of Secretary Duffy

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) issued the following joint statement opposing the confirmation of Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation:

“While we otherwise would have supported Secretary Duffy due to the commitments he made to critical New Jersey priorities, including the Gateway Program, the actions we have seen in the past 24 hours from the Trump Administration to cut off funding for New Jersey families and carelessly delay infrastructure projects have led us to oppose his nomination. Donald Trump needs to know that if he’s going to use the levers of government to harm working families, we’re going to stand in his way. People will be hurt because this administration simply doesn’t care about them. We will continue to stand up and work to make sure the support that New Jersey needs is delivered and not blocked by President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional actions.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: 29 January 2025 The ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum to be held under the slogan “The North – the place to live!” A meeting has been held in Moscow between Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum, and Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region.
Source: Eastern Economic Forum
Participant Package

participation at all business and cultural programme events at the Forum (excluding invitation only events);

access to EEF 2021 exhibitions;

access to networking areas at the Forum venue (excluding invitation only event locations).

EUR 3,924 (inc. VAT 20%)*
USD 4,392 (inc. VAT 20%)*
STANDARD PACKAGE

All events on the business programme (except the plenary session and invitation-only events)

Excludes opportunity to attend the plenary session

Access to the business networking areas at the Forum venue (except the plenary session area in the run-up to and during the plenary session and invitation-only networking areas)

EUR 2,352 (inc. VAT 20%)*
USD 2,640 (inc. VAT 20%)*
If you received an invitation or your application to attend a Roscongress Foundation event in 2020 (Russia House in Davos, Russian Investment Forum, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum) was approved by the relevant Organizing Committee, you can simply submit an application to participate in EEF 2020 through your Roscongress personal account, as your personal account has already been created. For more information, visit the Roscongress personal account section.

Your personal account login and password information, were previously sent to you by the email specified during registration. You can restore access to your account by calling the Forum information centre at: +7 (499) 7000 111.

Start off by accessing the ‘Events’ section of your account. In the ‘Upcoming’ section, select the Eastern Economic Forum from the list of events and then select the ‘Registration’ section. The application will automatically insert the data from your account profile.

Please review the passport data in your participation application carefully. If any of your data has changed since you have registered your account, please update those data points in your participation application. Please complete any empty fields and press the ‘Save’ button.

To edit the data in the general settings of your account, please contact our information centre at: +7 (499) 7000 111.

If you have not submitted an application to attend a Roscongress Foundation event in 2020 (Russia House in Davos, Russian Investment Forum, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum), you must apply through the participation application on the EEF 2020 website. Sometime after you have submitted your application, an email containing your login and password information for your Roscongress personal account will be sent to the email you provided in the application. For more information, visit the Roscongress personal account section.
MIL OSI Economics –
January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The fourth section of the Solntsevo-Butovo-Varshavskoe Shosse highway is planned to open in 2025

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Traffic on the fourth section of the Solntsevo-Butovo-Varshavskoe Shosse highway will be launched in 2025. This was announced by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

“The second stage of construction of the fourth section of the highway from Edvarda Griga Street to Polyany Street is currently underway. Three overground and one underground pedestrian crossing will appear on this section. In parallel with the construction of the fourth section of the highway, the adjacent street and road network with a total length of 8.7 kilometers and a 120-meter overpass are being designed. The overall readiness of the project exceeds 60 percent,” said Vladimir Efimov.

In addition, the design of sections of Kuprin Avenue, Alexandra Monakhova Street, Proektiruemy Proezd No. 816 and Bartenevskaya Street is underway. In total, within the framework of the fourth section of the highway, it is planned to build and reconstruct 28 kilometers of roads, including three overpasses with a length of 472 meters. Two of them are already ready. It is also planned to build six off-street pedestrian crossings: three overground, two of which opened at the end of 2024, and three underground.

The fourth section of the Solntsevo-Butovo-Varshavskoye Shosse highway runs from the Novomoskovskaya metro station to Polyany Street. In August last year, the first stage of the project was completed and the section from Novomoskovskaya to Edvarda Griga Street was opened. A 101-meter-long overpass was built as part of the section.

“The final fifth section of the highway is also in the active phase of construction. It will stretch from Polyany Street to Varshavskoe Shosse and will have an exit to Rastorguevskoe Shosse. Currently, work is underway at the site to construct bored piles for retaining walls and supports for the overpass on Varshavskoe Shosse, as well as to build an overpass in the area of Polyany Street and remove utility lines,” said the head of the Department for Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure of the City of Moscow

Vasily Desyatkov.

The opening of this section will relieve the Varshavskoe, Simferopolskoe highways and the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD) by creating a new transport connection with the Moscow High-Speed Diameter (MSD). There will be a convenient exit from Varshavskoe highway towards Kaluzhskoe and Kievskoe highways, and the transport accessibility of the Yuzhnoe and Severnoe Butovo districts will improve.

Previously Sergei Sobyanin said on the construction of the MSD and the Solntsevo-Butovo-Varshavskoye Shosse highway. The road connecting five outbound highways (Minskoye, Borovskoye, Kievskoye, Kaluzhskoye and Varshavskoye Highways) is the most important part of the transport framework of TiNAO and a backup of the southwestern and southern parts of the Moscow Ring Road. The length of the straight route, taking into account Vnukovo Highway, will be 26.6 kilometers, the total length of the new roads, taking into account interchanges, is over 95 kilometers.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149436073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Muscovites have begun inspecting apartments under the renovation program in a new building on 1st Vladimirskaya Street

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

An information center for resettlement has opened for residents of the first and second buildings of the house 36 on Perovskaya Street, which is being resettled. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of City Property Maxim Gaman.

“At the end of December, the city offered equivalent apartments in building 47, block 1 on 1st Vladimirskaya Street to more than 200 Muscovites living in two old five-story buildings on Perovskaya Street. Since January 14, they have begun to inspect the new housing. Residents can ask any questions about the move to specialists from the resettlement information center, which operates in the neighboring new building – building 40a on Perovskaya Street. It is located next to the five-story buildings being resettled,” said Maxim Gaman.

The area around the new house was landscaped. Complex landscaping was carried out, children’s and sports playgrounds were equipped, as well as a recreation area.

“The new building will have 108 apartments with improved finishing according to the renovation program standards. Three of them have been equipped for people with disabilities – the width of the corridors and doorways has been increased, and special plumbing has been installed. The total area of all the apartments is almost seven thousand square meters. The passage in the entrance is through, this will allow residents to get to both the internal courtyard space without cars, and to the external space with guest parking. The first floor of the new building is non-residential, in the future, social and household infrastructure facilities will open there. In order to make the move of Muscovites under the renovation program more comfortable, the city provides free movers and a truck that will help transport things from the old apartment to the new one,” clarified the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy

Vladislav Ovchinsky.

For program participants who have full account on mos.ru, super service works “Moving under the renovation program”.

They can sign up for an inspection of the apartment online, and after the draft contract is ready, choose a convenient time to sign it. If necessary, you can also sign up for an appointment with a notary remotely and send it to Department of City Property personal and title documents by uploading them using the appropriate serviceIn addition, Muscovites can submit an online application to eliminate construction defects, as well as call movers to transport things from an old apartment to a new one.

In the capital Department of Information Technology noted that general instructions posted in the super service “Moving under the renovation program” will help prepare for relocation on the mos.ru portal. It includes information about the organization of the process, a list of necessary documents for drawing up the contract and links to useful services. By setting certain parameters, residents will receive instructions adapted to their specific situation.

Renovation program approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin ordered to increasethe pace of implementation of the renovation program has doubled.

Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction volumes. High rates of housing construction correspond to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149450073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Seven commercial premises in Maryina Roshcha put up for auction

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

In the north-east of Moscow will be sold through open electronic auctions non-residential premises area from 80 to 145 square meters. The auctions will be held from February 20 to March 5. This was reported by the head of the capital’s Department of Competition Policy Kirill Purtov.

“Commercial real estate in the capital’s districts with developed infrastructure is in stable demand among investors and entrepreneurs. The city is currently offering seven free-use premises on the ground floors of new buildings in Maryina Roshcha. The winners of the auctions will be able to use them to open service enterprises. Applications for participation in open electronic auctions will be accepted until February 11 and 25, depending on the selected property,” said Kirill Purtov.

Six of the proposed lots are located on Sheremetyevskaya Street, and another one is on 1st Streletsky Proezd. All properties have a separate entrance from the street and are connected to the main utilities, including electricity, water supply, and sewerage.

The city regularly puts commercial real estate up for auction. Currently, more than 270 non-residential premises and buildings are available to entrepreneurs. All procedures are carried out online. To participate, you must register on electronic trading platform “RoselTorg” and have an enhanced qualified electronic signature.

Moscow is a city that develops entrepreneurship. The capital puts various properties up for auction, with the showcase of the offered objects being Moscow investment portal. In the section “Property from the city” publish all the necessary information about the lots: photographs, documentation, conditions and form of implementation. Here you can also take a 3D tour of the objects.

Development of electronic services for business corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149419073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Winter in Moscow”: “Active Citizens” Will Evaluate the “Chinese New Year” Sites

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

In the project “Active Citizen” voting has begun, dedicated to the festival “Chinese New Year in Moscow”. Participants will tell what events they would like to attend and evaluate the design of city venues. You can choose up to five answers to each question.

The festival will last until February 9. Residents and guests of the capital will get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Celestial Empire, see theatrical performances, drum shows, as well as dragon and Chinese lion dances. In addition, master classes will teach everyone how to make Chinese lanterns, paper fans and other souvenirs.

The main venue will be Manezhnaya Square. Events will also take place at the Moscow Zoo, Moskino Cinema Park, VDNKh, Bolotnaya and Tverskaya Squares and other places. You can see the detailed schedule on the project’s special page “Winter in Moscow”, of which the festival became a part, and in “Russpass-magazine”.

The capital celebrates Chinese New Year as part of the cross-cultural Years of Russia and China. The festival is organized by the Moscow Government with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Russia.

For participating in the voting, “active citizens” will be awarded points in the city’s loyalty program “A Million Prizes”Muscovites can use them to receive souvenirs with logos of electronic projects, top up the Troika transport card and the parking account of the Parking of Russia application. In addition, points can be donated to charity.

Voting (link) prepared by Department of Culture of the City of Moscow,Moscow City Tourism Committee and the project “Active Citizen”.

Project “Active Citizen” has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined it. In total, over seven thousand votes have been held. Every month, 30-40 decisions made by Muscovites are implemented in the city. The project is being developed Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow and the State Institution “New Management Technologies”.

The creation, development and operation of the electronic government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

Project “Winter in Moscow”— the main event of the season, which until February 28 unites various events of the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, show care for those who need it.

Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The largest festivals of the capital are organically woven into the project: “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light” and many others. All information about the project and winter season events can be found in a special section Mos.ru.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149429073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Qiongzhou Strait enhances ferry services

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Staff members check before the departure of a ferry carrying new energy vehicles at Xiuying Port, Haikou City of south China’s Hainan Province, Jan. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
To brace for the Spring Festival travel rush and better manage the influx of tourists and vehicles in Hainan, authorities have enhanced ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait and upgraded piers to ensure safe ocean transport.
Ferries specifically designated for transporting new energy vehicles (NEVs) have also been put into operation. At least 20 voyages of this ferries have been scheduled daily, which can guarantee 3,500 NEVs in or out of the island, during this travel rush.

MIL OSI China News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: GUU expert in the Public Chamber: professor took part in the meeting of the Commission on Interethnic Relations

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

A professor from the State University of Management took part in an extended meeting of the Commission on Interethnic, Interreligious Relations and Migration, which was held in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The event was opened by the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Vladimir Zorin, who presented a report on the work done in the previous year and outlined priority tasks for 2025.

Professor of the Department of Public Administration and Political Technologies of the State University of Management, member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation on Interethnic Relations and the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Vladimir Volokh spoke at the meeting. He emphasized that the effective solution of issues of state national and migration policy requires close interaction of state authorities with civil society institutions, the scientific community, socially responsible business, and various public organizations.

Vladimir Volokh also expressed the opinion that at the current stage of development, it is necessary not to update the Concept of the state migration policy of the Russian Federation, but to develop and approve by the Head of State the Strategy of the state migration policy of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. This, in his opinion, will ensure a more systematic and long-term approach to managing migration processes.

The meeting was also attended by members of the commission, experts and invited guests, including: Director of the Department of National Policy of the Domestic Policy Directorate of the Presidential Administration of Russia Tatyana Vagina; State Secretary – Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of Russia Anna Kotova; 1st Deputy Chairman of the Commission Vladimir Lagkuev; Deputy Secretary General – Head of the General Secretariat of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly Svetlana Smirnova; Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “House of the Peoples of Russia” Anna Polezhaeva; Commission expert, Director of the ANO “Resource Center in the Sphere of National Relations” Evgenia Mikhaleva; Head of the Department for Work with Government Structures of the Synodal Department for Church-Society Relations and the Media Pavel Lebedev and others.

During the work, it was noted that since the beginning of 2024, a number of regulatory legal acts have been adopted aimed at improving migration policy, creating a more effective system for combating illegal migration and forming a legislative basis for combating illegal actions. These measures include the introduction of a regime for the expulsion of illegal migrants, the creation of a register of controlled persons who do not have the right to be in the country, limiting the number of SIM cards sold, including by illegal immigrants, tightening requirements for concluding contracts for the provision of communication services, including the collection of biometric data, as well as the adoption of a law aimed at combating fictitious marriages and adoptions.

One of the important areas of the Commission’s work remains work with youth. The meeting participants noted that in the context of destructive influence from abroad, the main areas of activity are called upon to solve the problems of strengthening interethnic unity, improving migration policy and ensuring religious harmony.

The members of the commission unanimously supported the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to create a Center for Migration Issues under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

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 –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: GUU helps Anapa: university volunteers fight fuel oil spill on the coast

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On December 15, 2024, two tankers sank in the Black Sea. Several tons of fuel oil ended up in the water and were later washed up on the coast. Rescuers have been fighting the consequences of the accident for over a month. The coast is being cleaned, among other things, by specialists from the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps. On January 16, a group of 18 volunteers joined the liquidators, including representatives of the State University of Management. There is still a lot of work to do, but there are already great results. 35 days after the tankers sank in the Kerch Strait and the fuel oil spill, the main beaches of Anapa are almost cleared. This was reported by the head of the Moscow city branch of the VSKS, director of the Educational and Training Center for Actions in an Emergency and Basic Military Training of the State University of Management Maxim Dzhetygenov and a second-year master’s student Matvey Ulyanov.

As noted by the university representatives, the work is well-coordinated and productive, but is complicated by weather conditions. Strong winds are raging on the coast of Anapa, which is why rescuers are working in shifts to avoid hypothermia.

“There is plenty of work now. The sea is rough, yesterday we were cleaning the beach area, and today we arrived and discovered that the waves had washed up fuel oil on the shore again. The guys have to get back to work and clean familiar places from new pollution,” said Maxim Dzhetygenov.

To ensure the safety and effectiveness of the volunteers, a mutual aid headquarters called “We Are Together” has been created. Two people are on duty there 24 hours a day, giving everyone personal protective equipment. Before starting work, all rescuers undergo safety training and receive instructions on how to perform specific tasks for the day. And there are really many who want to help. As Matvey Ulyanov noted, about 7,000 volunteers participate in the cleanup every day, including local residents and representatives of various organizations.

“Many local residents come. They bring fuel, food, water. That is, everything that we, in principle, need. We also supply civilians who want to help with personal protective equipment. These are overalls, gloves, glasses, respirators. And we involve them in our work,” said Matvey Ulyanov.

Volunteers make an invaluable contribution to cleaning the coast. It is worth noting that their work is not limited to this. All the guys are “universal soldiers”. When the weather does not allow continuing rescue operations, volunteers help ecologists. They build structures for cleaning and rehabilitating injured birds, install barriers designed to collect fuel oil. This work is carried out indoors, which allows work even in bad weather.

“The guys also insulate special houses, where electricity is later installed, lamps are hung to keep it warm, sand is brought in there, and it is also placed on the insulation so that the birds can undergo rehabilitation in more comfortable conditions,” noted Maxim Dzhetygenov.

Volunteers working on the beach first collect a mixture of sand and fuel oil in bags. Then special equipment comes to the rescue: a tractor with a bucket, which drives up to the collection site and loads the bags. After that, the cargo is transferred to KAMAZ dump trucks, which take the waste to the landfill. During the day, rescuers collect an average of 150-170 bags.

The situation is now much better than it was in the first days after the accident. This is confirmed by Maxim Dzhetygenov.

“As the chief of staff, I drive around our area of responsibility along the coastline every morning and inspect it. I can say that there are no large deposits of fuel oil now. But a small “crumb” of oil product is still thrown out,” noted Maxim Dzhetygenov.

And this once again emphasizes the importance of work to restore the ecology of the Anapa coast. The efforts of volunteers with the support of local residents inspire hope for the successful completion of the work and the restoration of the ecological situation. We will add that on January 24, representatives of the State University of Management will return to Moscow.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/29/2025

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 –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Tesla suing EU over tariffs on China-made EVs

Source: China State Council Information Office

United States electric vehicle, or EV, maker Tesla is challenging the European Union’s decision to slap hefty import tariffs on China-made electric autos.

The legal action by the company, which is owned by technology guru Elon Musk, is similar to court challenges launched last week by German automaker BMW and Chinese carmakers, including BYD Auto, SAIC Motor, and Geely. Chinese industry body the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products has also launched a legal challenge in the EU’s courts. And China’s government has filed a complaint about the bloc’s tariffs with the World Trade Organization.

The European Court of Justice confirmed Tesla’s legal challenge on Monday.

Olof Gill, the EU’s trade spokesperson, told Agence France-Presse: “We take note of these cases and we look forward to defending ourselves in court as necessary.”

Tesla’s legal challenge is in response to the EU introducing tariffs at the end of October of 7.8 percent on Tesla’s China-made vehicles. The bloc has also set tariffs of up to 35.3 percent on other China-made EVs. The new tariffs come on top of a 10 percent standard import tariff that was already in place for electric vehicle imports into the EU.

The bloc said it introduced the China-specific tariffs in response to what it says are unfair subsidies that include low-interest loans, cheap land, and supplier discounts, claims China has strongly denied.

Tesla’s legal challenge will be heard in the EU’s General Court. Any verdict handed down there could then be challenged in the European Court of Justice.

The court case comes against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between the EU and Musk, who is the world’s richest individual.

Musk, who owns the social media platform X, has spoken out strongly against the bloc’s efforts to regulate internet activity. He has also angered the EU by throwing his support behind far-right political parties, including Germany’s Alternative for Germany.

Critics have said Musk’s political activism may have contributed to Tesla’s recent decline in Europe, with the brand seeing its sales fall by 13 percent, year-on-year, in 2024, to 242,945 units, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Around 28 percent of Chinese-made electric automobiles imported into the EU in 2023 were Teslas.

Around one-fifth of all electric cars sold in the EU – some 300,000 units – are made in China.

The court case is likely to take around 18 months to complete.

Tesla has also called on the Canadian government to scrap its 100 percent tariff on electric cars imported from China.

MIL OSI China News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CS inspects Lo Wu Control Point

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki paid a visit to the Lo Wu Control Point this morning to learn about the various arrangements and operations of relevant departments to cope with the increase in inbound and outbound passenger traffic during the Lunar New Year period.

Mr Chan also expressed wishes for the country to thrive vigorously, for Hong Kong to have harmony and prosperity, and every success to the community.

During his visit to the control point, the Chief Secretary extended his New Year greetings to the staff on duty and expressed his gratitude to them for performing their duties with dedication during the holidays.

Along the way, he took the opportunity to extend Lunar New Year greetings to citizens and travellers.

Accompanied by Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok and Commissioner of Customs & Excise Chan Tsz-tat, Mr Chan met the frontline staff of the Immigration Department, Customs and Police on duty at the control point.

He learnt about the arrangements and operation conditions for customs clearance, diverting passenger movements, public order maintenance, etc at the control point during the Lunar New Year period.

Mr Chan was pleased to note that the relevant government departments have been in close co-ordination and liaison with stakeholders of transport, tourism and other sectors for making good preparations for receiving visitors during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, and ensuring the orderly operation of boundary control points.

The Chief Secretary also encouraged visitors arriving in Hong Kong to stay overnight during the Lunar New Year holidays to fully enjoy the rich and diverse celebratory activities to be held across various districts and experience Hong Kong’s unique city charm.

At the same time, he instructed relevant departments to collaborate with various stakeholders, including public transport operators, to strengthen information dissemination, including the situation at various boundary control points, details of celebration events and transport arrangements.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 29, 2025