Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: Mandatory disclosure of holding and notice of trade in IDEX Biometrics – 23 July 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Reference is made to IDEX Biometrics ASA’s disclosure on 21 July 2025 of a private placement of 9,090,909 shares at NOK 3.30 per share. IDEX discloses the following information on behalf of a major shareholder and primary insider.

    Tranche 1 of the private placement amounted to 4,731,594 shares. As disclosed separately, Pinchcliffe AS, a company closely related to CEO and CFO Anders Storbråten, participated in the private placement and subscribed for 739,360 shares in Tranche 1.

    In connection with the private placement, the manager of the private placement, IDEX Biometrics and Mr. Storbråten entered into a share lending agreement.

    Mr. Storbråten has lent 4,731,594 shares, ISIN NO0013536078, in connection with the settlement of Tranche 1. The shares have been lent, not sold, and will be returned in due course. 

    After the subscription by Pinchcliffe and the temporary lending of shares, Mr. Storbråten and close relations hold 6,503,476 or 12,48% shares of the total outstanding shares and votes in IDEX Biometrics after completion of Tranche 1.

    Contact person
    Anders Storbråten, CEO and CFO
    Tel: +47 4163 8582
    E-mail: ir@idexbiometrics.com

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.

    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    About this notice
    This notice was issued by Erling Svela, Vice president of finance, on 23 July 2025 at 11:50 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. The information about the lending shall be disclosed according to article 19 no. 3 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU 596/2014). The information about shareholding shall be disclosed according to section 4-2 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act (STA). The information is published in accordance with section 5‑12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nick Park to Join Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for The Harris Reopening – Public Invited to Take Part in Special Celebration

    Source: City of Preston

    The Harris, Preston’s iconic Grade I listed building, will reopen to the public on Sunday, 28 September 2025 following a major transformation.

    Oscar-winning animator Nick Park, creator of Wallace & Gromit and proud Prestonian, will join The Mayor of Preston and Councillor Hindle, Cabinet Member for Arts and Culture to officially cut the ribbon and welcome visitors back into the building after its ambitious refurbishment.

    To mark the occasion, ten local residents will have the unique chance to meet Nick Park in person and take part in the opening day festivities. The Harris is now calling for nominations from the public to put forward someone who deserves this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    Councillor Anna Hindle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts at Preston City Council said:

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Nick Park to The Harris to celebrate this momentous day. This is more than a reopening, it’s a new chapter for a space that belongs to the people of Preston. We want local residents to be right at the heart of it.”

    Meet Nick Park – How to Nominate

    Nominations open on Wednesday, 23 July and will close on Monday, 1 September 2025.
    Anyone with a Preston postcode (PR) can be nominated, and a short explanation of why they deserve the opportunity must be provided.

    Forms will be available online via The Harris – Nominations to Meet Nick Park, and in person at the library.

    Ten winners will be selected at random and will:

    • Meet and greet with Nick Park.
    • Join Nick Park and The Mayor of Preston during the official ribbon-cutting on Sunday, 28 September.

    Free Public Tickets for Opening Day

    The Harris will open its doors to the public on Sunday 28 September following the 10am ribbon-cutting ceremony.

    To manage crowds, entry will be free but ticketed, with timed slots available throughout the day. Tickets will be available to book online from Monday, 1 September 2025.

    Plan your visit

    ‘Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum’ will run from Sunday, 28 September 2025 to Monday, 5 January 2026 at The Harris. For more information see The Harris Announces Reopening Exhibition: ‘Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum’.

    About The Harris

    Opened in 1893, the Grade I listed building is owned and managed by Preston City Council. Based in Preston, Lancashire, The Harris is one of the leading museums, galleries and libraries in the region and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Host to art collections of national significance, exciting activities and events for all ages and an award-winning contemporary art programme, The Harris is Preston’s landmark cultural hub.   

    Currently delivering Harris Your Place project, made possible with National Lottery Heritage Fund; UK Government Towns Fund; Preston City Council; Lancashire County Council; the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal; DCMS; Arts Council England, public donations and a wide range of Trusts and Foundations including Garfield Weston Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, The Harris Charity, Harris Trust and Friends of the Harris.  

    The magnificent Grade I Listed building is poised to reopen on Sunday, 28 September 2025. To learn more about The Harris, please visit: The Harris.

    About Aardman

    Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include series 7 of Shaun the Sheep and a third series of The Very Small Creatures. 

    Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning, comedic content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the brand-new Wallace & Gromit film Vengeance Most Fowl which premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024 and was released on Netflix globally on the 3rd of January 2025.  The BAFTA® nominated feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Academy Award® nominated short film Robin Robin, International Emmy® award winning Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, BAFTA® nominated preschool series The Very Small Creatures and the recent CGI comedy series for kids Lloyd of the Flies.

    The studio runs the Aardman Academy, its world-class training facility delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring for students around the world. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops to its flagship seven-month In-Studio Stop Motion course. All courses are delivered by industry-leading tutors and mentors with decades of experience. The Aardman Academy is an integral part of the business, representing the studio’s inclusive ethos and commitment to nurturing the animation talent of the future.

    In November 2018 it became an Employee-Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come.

    Visit Aardman for more information.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: STEP talks fusion energy careers with local students

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    STEP talks fusion energy careers with local students

    Students explored careers in fusion energy as STEP partnered with Bassetlaw District Council for Jo White MP’s Summer School in Worksop and Westminster.

    Jo White MP talks to Summer School participants. Image credit: UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd.

    Young people got hands-on with the future of clean energy last week, as the STEP team hosted a workshop, in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, to kick off Bassetlaw MP Jo White’s Summer School. 

    Hosted at The Bridge Skills Hub and Fusion Energy Café in Worksop on Friday, students got the chance to explore the ongoing transformation of the West Burton site, ask big questions about fusion energy, and meet the people already helping to deliver the STEP programme. 

    The students heard directly from STEP employees about their own career journeys into the industry, from engineering and science to communications and project management, and discussed how a project like STEP will require people of all talents and backgrounds to succeed. 

    Then on Monday the students started their week in Parliament, as part of Jo White’s Summer School, where they took part in a mock Select Committee session. 

    They put their questions to STEP’s Head of Communications Ben Bradley, alongside representatives from government and industry, grilling them on the progress of the STEP Programme and the opportunities it will create locally, as well as the wider clean energy sector. 

    STEP Head of Communications Ben Bradley said:

    Part of STEP’s mission to develop our prototype fusion energy power plant is about the benefit we can bring to communities and economies across North Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the wider East Midlands, so it was great to engage with talented young people and discuss the opportunities of the programme.

    We hope that some of these local young people will be part of the future workforce that delivers the mission to commercialise fusion energy at STEP – and changes the world!

    The event at the Fusion Energy Café and The Bridge Skills Hub was hosted by Bassetlaw District Council and marks a growing relationship between STEP, based at West Burton in North Nottinghamshire, and surrounding local communities.

    Bassetlaw MP Jo White said:

    When I stood for election, my commitment to local people was that I would resurrect the summer school that former MP John Mann ran for 11 years. I saw for myself the difference it made with young people.

    It gave them an idea of what they wanted to do with their lives. Parents and grandparents told me that their children went down [to Parliament] as children and came back as adults because they were shown new opportunities and aspirations they would never have otherwise dreamed of.

    Notes to Editors

    The first of its kind, STEP is the UK’s major technology and infrastructure programme to build a prototype fusion power plant that will demonstrate net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and a viable route to plant maintenance.  This will pave the way for the potential development of a fleet of future fusion power plants around the world and the commercialisation of fusion energy.

    We’ll achieve this by producing a prototype tokamak power plant – in an innovative spherical shape – that will demonstrate net energy. That’s why the programme is called STEP: it stands for ‘Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production’.  But STEP is about more than tokamak technology – it’s a huge endeavour encompassing design, site development and construction, alongside supply chain logistics and industry. Fusion research and development has the potential to catalyse new ideas and technologies that will benefit multiple industries and help secure our future on this planet.

    By fusing government and business, inspiration and pragmatism, theory and practice, UK-expertise and international impact, we’re going to realise the step-change that will secure humanity’s bright future. A recent report by AMION, commissioned by local authorities, set out the economic potential of the STEP programme.

    Social media coverage and images from the Bassetlaw workshop event

    To sign-up for updates about STEP, visit: step.ukaea.uk or follow our social channels @STEPtoFusion.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Another building will appear in the Kuzminki district under the renovation program

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the Kuzminki area, they are planning to build another house under the renovation program. This was reported by Juliana Knyazhevskaya, Chairman of the Committee for Architecture and Urban Development of Moscow (Moskomarkhitektura).

    “Moskomarkhitektura has amended the land use and development rules for a territory of 0.85 hectares at the address: Volgogradsky Prospekt, land plot 107a. The total area of the building will be 54 thousand square meters,” said Yuliana Knyazhevskaya.

    The new building will be located less than 500 meters from the Kuzminki metro station, which will provide the building with good transport accessibility.

    Earlier, the Mayor of Moscow spoke about resettlement under the renovation program in Khoroshevo-Mnevniki.

    The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Sergei Sobyanin ordered to increase the pace of implementation of the renovation program in twice.

    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”.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Open-air cinema opens at Northern River Terminal

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the Northern River Terminal, as part of the project “Summer in Moscow” An open-air cinema will appear. City residents are invited to watch exclusive premieres and legends of foreign and Russian cinema for free.

    The Northern River Terminal is one of the favorite places for recreation for residents and guests of the capital. We try to organize as much entertainment as possible for visitors – these are themed festivals and holidays, weekly sports training and much more. Now there is a summer cinema here. This is a great opportunity to spend time outdoors with the whole family. We continue to develop the Northern River Terminal on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin,” said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry

    Maxim Liksutov.

    The sessions will be held from Thursday to Sunday at 18:00 and 20:30. The program includes the best films and cartoons for family viewing. Each visitor will be able to choose a film to their liking.

    For the convenience of viewers, the cinema has been equipped with soft seats. In addition, before the screening, everyone can take free popcorn, juice or water. The number of tickets for each session is limited. You can view the film schedule and register for the screening atproject website.

    The cinema will be open until the end of September. In August, it will host an exclusive screening of a documentary film dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Moscow Metro.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. “Summer in Moscow” is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

     

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow entrepreneurs send humanitarian aid to the SVO zone — Sobyanin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Six residents of Moscow technology parks sent over 60 tons of humanitarian medical aid to the special military operation (SVO) zone. This was reported by Sergei Sobyanin in his telegram channel.

    “Thus, a pharmaceutical company from the Mosgormash technopark has developed and launched the production of drugs that thicken the blood and reduce bleeding. They are in great demand on the front lines, when it is necessary to quickly provide first aid. A resident of Mosmedpark produces vacuum devices for treating wounds using negative pressure. They improve blood circulation in tissues, promote healing, and protect against infections,” the Moscow Mayor wrote.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    Another Mosmedpark company is developing hemostatic bandages, powder and gel based on chitosan, a biopolymer obtained from crustacean shells. The products are capable of quickly stopping any external bleeding.

    Three manufacturers also provide assistance to the SVO fightersTechnopark “Strogino”. One of them, a 3D factory, produces individual ampoule cases for safe packaging and transportation of medicines. The second company makes antiseptic elastic bandages, belts, knee pads and elbow pads for the prevention of arthritis and protection from hypothermia. The third resident produces dressings: plasters, surgical bandages and other products.

    At the initiative of entrepreneurs, products are sent to the special military operation zone free of charge.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 70 percent of asphalt renewal work on the Third Transport Ring has been completed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Specialists from the city services complex have completed 70 percent of the work to replace asphalt on the Third Transport Ring (TTK). This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “Special attention is paid to maintaining the capital’s roads in a standard condition. Every year, as part of preparation for the autumn-winter period, we carry out activities to renew the asphalt concrete pavement. This year, large-scale work is planned on the Third Transport Ring – the second longest key ring road, there we will repair 16 sections with a total area of about 700 thousand square meters,” said Pyotr Biryukov.

    Work has already been completed at nine sites, including the interchange with Ostapovsky Proezd, Avtozavodskaya Street within the Third Transport Ring, the section from Andreevsky Bridge to Komsomolsky Prospekt, as well as some places on the outer and inner rings from Volgogradsky Prospekt to Avtozavodskaya Street in both directions.

    Currently, repairs are ongoing on the section from Komsomolsky Prospekt to Berezhkovsky Bridge and in the Gagarin Tunnel. More than 200 specialists and over 100 units of specialized equipment are involved in the work on the TTK.

    One of the reasons for road repairs is rutting, which is caused by heavy traffic. It causes discomfort to drivers and can have a negative impact on safety. Therefore, the condition of the highway surface is regularly checked, the warranty period is monitored, and the asphalt is changed in a timely manner. Work is carried out mainly at night, when traffic is less intense.

    The repairs are carried out in several stages. First, specialists mill the existing surface, then put the inspection wells and rain grates in order, after which they lay new asphalt. At the final stage, road markings are applied.

    During repairs, modern technologies are used and asphalt concrete mixtures are used, which are produced by city-owned plants. During the season, these enterprises produce more than two million tons of mixture.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: Mandatory notice of trade in IDEX Biometrics – 22 July 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Reference is made to IDEX Biometrics ASA’s disclosure on 21 July 2025 of a private placement of 9,090,909 shares at NOK 3.30 per share, split in two tranches. IDEX discloses the following information on behalf of primary insiders. 

    In tranche 1 of the private placement, total 4,731,594 shares :-

    Pinchcliffe AS, a company closely related to CEO and CFO Anders Storbråten, subscribed to 739,360 shares, ISIN NO0013536078, at NOK 3.30 per share, and
    K-konsult AS, a company closely related to chair Morten Opstad, subscribed to 128,156 shares, ISIN NO0013536078, at NOK 3.30 per share.

    Contact person
    Anders Storbråten, CEO and CFO
    Tel: +47 4163 8582
    E-mail: ir@idexbiometrics.com

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.

    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    About this notice
    This correcting notice was issued by Erling Svela, Vice president of finance, on 23 July 2025 at 11:25 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. The information shall be disclosed according to article 19 no. 3 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU 596/2014) and published in accordance with section 5‑12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: Mandatory notice of trade in IDEX Biometrics – 22 July 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Reference is made to IDEX Biometrics ASA’s disclosure on 21 July 2025 of a private placement of 9,090,909 shares at NOK 3.30 per share, split in two tranches. IDEX discloses the following information on behalf of primary insiders. 

    In tranche 1 of the private placement, total 4,731,594 shares :-

    Pinchcliffe AS, a company closely related to CEO and CFO Anders Storbråten, subscribed to 739,360 shares, ISIN NO0013536078, at NOK 3.30 per share, and
    K-konsult AS, a company closely related to chair Morten Opstad, subscribed to 128,156 shares, ISIN NO0013536078, at NOK 3.30 per share.

    Contact person
    Anders Storbråten, CEO and CFO
    Tel: +47 4163 8582
    E-mail: ir@idexbiometrics.com

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.

    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    About this notice
    This correcting notice was issued by Erling Svela, Vice president of finance, on 23 July 2025 at 11:25 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. The information shall be disclosed according to article 19 no. 3 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU 596/2014) and published in accordance with section 5‑12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Households given freedom and choice with more ways to cut energy bills

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Households given freedom and choice with more ways to cut energy bills

    Government sets out plans for a more flexible electricity system, helping working families save on their bills.

    • More support for consumers to bring down their bills, with new ways to take advantage of off-peak, lower electricity prices if they choose 
    • flexible tariffs and technologies allow consumers to shift energy usage to times when it is cheaper 
    • plans for a more flexible electricity system will ensure families benefit from the government’s clean energy mission and Plan for Change

    Households and businesses will be supported with more options to take control of their energy – expanding freedom and choice as the government drives for clean power.  

    The government’s plans for a more flexible electricity system set out today will help working families save on their bills, by supporting those who want to take advantage of low prices when clean energy is abundant. Consumers will have the opportunity to switch to a flexible tariff and use smart appliances to automatically reap the rewards of cheaper power at non-peak times. 

    Many consumers are already protecting their pockets by varying when they use their electricity. Electric vehicle drivers, for example, could save up to £330 per year by smart charging overnight.  

    More households who want to feel those benefits will be supported through the government’s commitments in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap. These include helping electric vehicle drivers get discounts on their electricity when using public chargers at off-peak times, requiring suppliers to make information on smart tariffs more accessible to consumers, and taking the next steps to help consumers access tailored products and services based on their electricity usage. 

    Supporting more consumers to use electricity at off-peak times will also boost the efficiency and resilience of the electricity network, making up to £70 billion in estimated savings on system costs by 2050.  

    This marks a crucial milestone in ensuring consumers reap the rewards of the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, which it is driving forward as part of its Plan for Change.

    Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

    This roadmap gives households and businesses the choice and control over when and how they use their energy.

    The flexible electricity system we are working to build will help make that a reality for consumers across the country, by supporting them to bring down their bills through using new tariffs and technologies.

    In this way we will protect working people’s pockets and ensure they are the first to benefit from our clean power mission.

    Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, NESO, said:  

    The journey towards a decarbonised system will bring opportunities for industry and consumers if we can solve the challenges of using the system flexibly. 

    This roadmap provides clear direction for that, setting out the actions needed to increase flexibility across Great Britain and the rewards it will bring.

    Akshay Kaul Director General for Infrastructure Group, Ofgem, said:

    A more flexible energy market will be a real game changer, giving households more control over what they pay for their energy.   

    Small lifestyle tweaks such as programming a dishwasher or tumble dryer to run overnight when costs are low or charging your electric car during high winds can have a material impact on people’s bills.    

    At Ofgem we’re opening up flexibility markets to bring better tariffs and products to consumers to make cheaper bills a reality.

    Stakeholder reaction

    Sarah Honan, Head of Policy at ADE: Demand, said: 

    Industry demanded a step change in leadership to match our ambition – and this roadmap delivers. A dedicated Flexibility Commissioner aligns squarely with our sector’s blueprint for consumer-led clean power.  

    Now, we must place British homes and businesses at the heart of the system; paying them to flex, not paying gas plants to bail us out. That’s how we lower bills, ditch fossil fuel dependency and make clean power by 2030 real.

    Barnaby Wharton, Director of Future Electricity Systems, RenewableUK, said:  

    A secure, affordable and resilient power system based on renewables needs flexibility at its core, to match times when wind and solar are generating with smart demand. 

    This roadmap puts consumers at the heart of that system, empowering households and businesses to take control of how and when they use electricity, so they can save money by using power when it’s cheapest. 

    By embracing smart tariffs and technologies like EVs, modern heating systems and home batteries, and by accelerating the roll-out of more grid-scale batteries and Long Duration Energy Storage alongside renewables, we can build a more agile system which can shift, adapt and respond to demand faster. Scaling up our capacity to store energy is essential to strengthen the grid and enhance the UK’s energy security.

    Naomi Baker, Senior Policy Manager at Energy UK, said: 

    Energy UK welcomes the roadmap as a positive step towards a smarter, more flexible electricity system that passes the lower cost of renewables through to bill payers. We support the comprehensive scope – from the major new technologies (long duration storage, CCUS and hydrogen) that will ensure system resilience, through to the knotty regulatory barriers that limit market access from consumer assets. 

    The UK is already leading the world in creating an energy system with consumers at the heart of it. Today’s publication builds on this with a market-led approach where customer participation is voluntary, attractive and accessible. A smart flexible system will be a win for bills, a win for British jobs and a win for energy security.

    Kelly Butler, Director of External Affairs at BEAMA, said: 

    As long-standing advocates for accelerating electrification, BEAMA welcomes the publication of the Clean Flexibility Roadmap and a commitment not only to track progress but also focus on practical delivery.

    With appropriate lead times for product development, a technology agnostic approach within electrification and a clear connection across consumer facing policies such as EPCs, we anticipate major supply chain investment to meet the challenge.

    With the oversight of a new Flexibility Commissioner, the roadmap has the potential to help grow the sector, and bring increased momentum to delivering flexibility to consumers and businesses through mass market uptake of Energy Smart Appliances.

    Merlin Hyman OBE, Chief Executive of Regen, said: 

    Making our power system more flexible in how we match supply and demand is a key part of clean power 2030 so we greatly welcome the government’s Clean Flexibility Roadmap.

    The roadmap is an important step to bring together reforms needed to unlock the full value of the rapidly developing grid scale storage sector and consumer led flexibility in a coordinated work programme.

    The challenge now is to deliver what is a significant programme of reform of the way our electricity markets and system work to enable a rapid transition to a clean power system and to deliver value to customers.

    Notes to editors

    In December 2024, the government published its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which set out plans for a two to three-fold increase in clean flexibility capacity from 2023 levels, to a range of 51 to 66 GW, by 2030. The Clean Flexibility Roadmap, published today, explains how the government, working with Ofgem and NESO, will deliver that commitment.  

    The first steps that will be taken to support a more flexible electricity system as part of the roadmap include:  

    • appointing a Flexibility Commissioner, who will provide leadership over the policy area 
    • establishing ways of working with NESO and Ofgem to hold government and industry to account for delivery
    • setting up an annual forum to track progress

    Policies being delivered as part of this work include Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement, which will enable energy usage to be billed every 30 minutes, and the Smart Secure Electricity Systems programme, which aims to help people access consumer-led flexibility. 

    All figures included are based on government analysis unless clearly labelled otherwise.  

    The government has today also published:

    • a consultation on consumer engagement in consumer-led flexibility, which explores how more consumers who want to use energy flexibly can be supported to do so, to help optimise and sustain uptake over the short, medium and long term

    • a call for evidence on improving asset visibility, which seeks views on options for improving how distributed energy assets, like heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points, are registered with distribution network operators (DNOs). This aims to reduce administrative burdens for installers, support flexible use of the assets and prevent network infrastructure from being built unnecessarily

    • a response to the call for evidence on energy smart data, which confirms that the government will continue work to consider whether to introduce a smart data scheme for the energy sector. Smart data is the process of sharing customer data – at the customer’s request – with authorised third parties in a secure way. It will help customers access useful, innovative and personalised products and services that cater to their needs

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Folkestone business wins US contract through $475,000 UK Export Finance deal

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Folkestone business wins US contract through $475,000 UK Export Finance deal

    UKEF announces its support for British engineering firm Dyrhoff, enabling the company to supply key components for a large-scale water management project in the United States.

    A water control gate installed by Dyrhoff in Scotland. Image provided by Dyrhoff

    • Dyrhoff, a Folkestone-based provider of water control gates, has recently won a major export contract following support from UK Export Finance (UKEF) and NatWest.

    • The business is supporting a flood protection project in North Dakota, using both UK and internationally manufactured parts.

    Dyrhoff, a provider of water control gates, has won a major contract to deliver two pneumatically operated spillway gates for a flood protection project in North Dakota, USA, following support from a government financing scheme.

    Throughout its more than 30 years, the business has specialised in the design and supply of inflatable rubber dams and spillway gates. These gates can be used to reduce flood risk and aid water regulation.

    In line with the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to kickstart economic growth, UKEF guaranteed a $475,000 finance facility to be issued by NatWest. This facility enabled Dyrhoff to meet the bonding terms required to win the contract in North Dakota.

    Dyrhoff works with UK and international partners to engineer and manufacture parts which are subsequently assembled at the project location. The majority of Dyrhoff’s business originates from overseas contracts, contributing to 156 projects in over 33 countries, including USA, Italy, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Portugal and Indonesia.

    Although Dyrhoff is a seasoned exporter, the financial support provided by UKEF has enabled the business to win one of its largest contracts to date.

    As a result of the North Dakota deal and other successful contracts, Dyrhoff is now planning to increase staff numbers at its manufacturing facility in Folkestone, Kent.

    Don Mason, Director at Dyrhoff said:

    We have been providing market-leading rubber dam and spillway solutions since 1989, but the support afforded by UKEF has enabled us to set our sights on an exciting overseas growth opportunity.

    By assisting us in winning such a significant project for the business, UKEF support has set us up to carry on building momentum in key markets like the USA. Despite economic uncertainty in the market, we are now well placed to use this project as a springboard for success.

    Lisa Maddison-Brown, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex Export Finance Manager at UKEF said:

    We are really pleased to be able to assist a business which maintains a focus on developing critical infrastructure to keep areas safe from flooding. A key goal of ours is to continue placing British engineering at the heart of vital projects worldwide, and Dyrhoff is helping to do just that.

    Ellie Morrison, Trade Finance Manager at NatWest commented:

    I’m delighted to announce NatWest’s Trade Finance support for Dyrhoff, as they secure a significant export contract creating impactful engineering solutions that serve a crucial international and domestic purpose.

    The financing package has equipped Dyrhoff to meet essential bonding requirements, thereby enabling the company to secure and mobilise on this project. This partnership, facilitated with the support of UK Export Finance, aligns with NatWest’s commitments to foster the growth of UK-based businesses and contributing to vital infrastructure projects worldwide.

    Dyrhoff are a great example of a successful UK exporter and NatWest is proud to support the business with the financial solutions they need to thrive globally.

    News of Dyrhoff’s success follows on from the recent publication of UKEF’s Annual Reports and Accounts for 2024/25. The department provided £14.5 billion in loans, guarantees and insurance in support of exporters of all sizes and supported up to 70,000 jobs.

    Contact

    Media enquiries:

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Conversation between Mikhail Mishustin and the head of the Altai Republic Andrey Turchak

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Current issues of the region’s socio-economic development were discussed.

    Conversation between Mikhail Mishustin and the head of the Altai Republic Andrey Turchak

    From the transcript:

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, good afternoon!

    Thank you for showing the hospital, the emergency department, modern, new, with all the necessary equipment, built in two and a half months. This is pleasing. The speed with which it was all done and the professionalism are visible. We also heard this from the people who visit it.

    More and more tourists are coming to the Altai Republic. Soon, literally in a few days, the International Ecological Conference will take place. Distinguished guests will arrive.

    Last year, a decision was made (we discussed this with you) to build a modern, now international airport. The funds are there, they are planned, there is an investor. And it is very important to provide for the entire complex development around it, the logistics infrastructure – this is a transport hub, access roads, service maintenance and much more.

    First of all, I want to ask how this work is going? Please.

    A. Turchak: Mikhail Vladimirovich, first of all, thank you for giving our airport the status of an international airport. Today, a modern international checkpoint has already been opened on the territory of the airport terminal. In general, as you correctly said, the tourist flow is growing, and the airport infrastructure can no longer cope with it. Therefore, by 2028, within the framework of the concession agreement, we will complete the modernization of the entire airfield infrastructure and build a new terminal. Our goal is to increase passenger traffic to 1.3 million passengers per year by 2030.

    By road. You are absolutely right, connectivity is necessary, because tourists come to us not only by air, but also by car.

    Regarding the road sector, in 2024, under the national project, we allocated about 6.6 billion rubles for this and brought 196 km of our roads into compliance. And it is very important that 10 km are directly in the Gorno-Altaisk agglomeration itself, which includes our capital Gorno-Altaisk and the suburban Mayminsky district. This year, we plan to bring 101 km and 12 bridges into compliance. The topic of bridges is very important for our republic, I reported to you about it last time. We are systematically moving towards putting the bridge sector in order. This year, our road fund is 3.5 billion.

    This year, with your support, the reconstruction of the Chuysky tract will begin – this is a 21 km section to Manzherok, which will solve the problem of traffic jams, especially during the high tourist season, and reduce accidents.

    One project I wanted to report to you about, you supported it last year, is the construction of the Platovsky Bridge by shifting funds to the left. We are handing it over ahead of schedule. This is the first bridge that has been built in the republic in the last six years.

    We continue working with the Ministry of Transport to bypass Maima and, in general, Gorno-Altaisk, the entire Gorno-Altaisk agglomeration. We need to take transit transport beyond the boundaries of the agglomeration. In this part, the Ministry of Transport will support us. Once again, I would like to thank you very much for supporting the development of our transport infrastructure.

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, I know that you are very actively involved in infrastructure. It is important to keep everything under personal control here. So that the logistics infrastructure, the new airport will allow for the expansion of tourism opportunities, and also contribute to the growth of the number of residents.

    Another task is the construction of social, in particular educational, facilities. You are also actively involved in this.

    The federal budget for three years provides funds for the construction of a school in Gorno-Altaisk, as well as a lyceum of about 2.5 billion rubles. Much is being done for healthcare as well. The hospital admissions department that we looked at today is one example.

    Please tell us what else is being done and built in the fields of education and medicine.

    A. Turchak: Mikhail Vladimirovich, at the last meeting I reported to you that one of the main challenges I faced was the large number of long-term construction projects that existed at that time. I want to thank you. With your support, additional funds were allocated. We commissioned the seventh school in Gorno-Altaisk – a long-awaited facility that was built on the direct instructions of the President. The start of construction of this facility is 2021. We commissioned it in January of this year. A unique school.

    M. Mishustin: Were the problems mainly due to contractors?

    A. Turchak: The problems were due to the poor quality of the project. We had to redesign, undergo a new assessment, then the cost of materials increased, and so on. Nevertheless, the school was completed, it became such a good gift for the 200th anniversary of Gorno-Altaisk, which we celebrated.

    The only school in the city where children from the 1st grade study the Altai language. The school has a very large sports core. Two sports halls inside the school, a large stadium, several playgrounds where children can practice national sports.

    Another long-term construction project is a sports and fitness complex with a games room. We also completed it in December last year. Residents were waiting for it with impatience.

    The Cultural Development Center, which I reported to you about, has also been completed. In July, we opened it with the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation. The first cultural institution built in the city in the last 13 years.

    Also, with your support, the issue of reconstruction of the 12th school has moved from dead center. Not just reconstruction, but, in fact, the construction of a new building. We will introduce this facility by 2027 – the federal budget has allocated 615 million for it, and the republican budget – 345 million rubles.

    Regarding the Republican Classical Lyceum, which you are monitoring. All work is on schedule, the completion date is 2026. The budget provides 3.3 billion, of which 2.7 billion is the federal budget. And the uniqueness of this project is that the developer additionally attracted its own 500 million rubles to complete the construction of the campus of this lyceum. It will be a truly unique educational institution, in which gifted children from the most remote corners of our republic will be able not only to receive a quality education, but also to develop their talents in various fields.

    This year we have planned to carry out major repairs of 11 rural schools and the first gymnasium in Gorno-Altaisk. More than 700 million rubles from the federal budget are allocated for these purposes.

    In addition, we are building another new school for 360 students in the Chemalsky District. This is a comprehensive rural development program that is actively operating in our republic.

    We also repair kindergartens, primarily in rural areas. We have repaired four in a year and are building three new ones. 920 million rubles are allocated for these purposes from the federal and republican budgets. In general, we keep the issues of modernization and improvement of educational infrastructure under control and work on them with the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Our colleagues support us.

    M. Mishustin: Modern schools, kindergartens, educational institutions, hospitals, clinics – this is very important for people and makes it possible to attract investors. And for the republic, by decision of the President, an individual program of socio-economic development has been formed. Quite significant funds are provided until 2030.

    Tell us what is planned within this program?

    A. Turchak: If possible, one more thing on the topic of healthcare. Today, the Minister of Health reported to you on the overall situation in the republic. We examined the admission and diagnostic department of our republican hospital, equipped with a modern operating unit, modern diagnostic equipment – MRI, CT, ultrasound. We are the first region to implement this project this year. Indeed, the timing of its implementation is quite unique. In almost less than three months, this facility was erected, and 80% of the structures, materials, and equipment itself were of domestic production. By your decision, we received 744 million rubles from the federal budget for this project, including the MRI machine, which was also introduced this year on your instructions, and now our residents do not need to travel to other regions for such high-tech examination.

    I would like to talk about the perinatal center. I approached you with this question last year. Our current perinatal center is located in a maternity hospital built in 1975. You gave the order to work out a step-by-step, phased plan for the implementation of this project. I would like to report on the work done.

    As of today, we have worked out a medical and technical assignment together with the Ministry of Health. The concept for the construction of a new perinatal center is ready. Mikhail Albertovich Murashko saw it and supported it. And, if possible, I would like to separately report to you our proposals on how to gradually put everything related to obstetrics in our republic in order.

    M. Mishustin: Yesterday we inspected the perinatal center in Chita. A wonderful and, in fact, methodological center not only for the Zabaikalsky Krai, but also for the entire Far East. And most importantly, the people who work there, mostly women, really help with obstetrics, and warmly welcome mothers and fathers. It seems to me that it is very important to support you in the construction of this center.

    A. Turchak: Thank you very much.

    According to the individual development program. We have good results for the first five-year plan. 2 thousand jobs have been created. 2.5 billion in extra-budgetary investments have been attracted. During the period of the individual program, the region has become one of the leaders in terms of investment growth rates in fixed capital.

    In terms of specific results, 120 projects in the agro-industrial complex were supported, 8 accommodation facilities, 8 sites for processing milk, meat, wood, and producing dietary supplements were created. The Industrial Development Fund and the SME Fund were recapitalized, and 66 preferential loans were issued.

    According to the new program. In the current 2025, we will support the development of the material and technical base of at least four agricultural enterprises. First of all, these are projects in the dairy industry. I can give one example. Our agroholding “Ekoniva” will build a dairy complex in the Ust-Kansky district. Moreover, the owner of this project in the recent past is a citizen of Germany, who has now acquired Russian citizenship and is registered for tax purposes in the Altai Republic.

    Farmers will also be provided with a subsidy to support and develop crop production, meat and milk processing. We will support 22 SME projects, 4 tourism infrastructure projects and, most importantly, personnel training – we plan to train at least 150 specialists per year.

    Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, the implementation of individual programs is impossible without solving the main issue in the republic. And the main issue in the republic I reported to you at the last meeting – this is land.

    I would like to thank you for your support: last year you supported our proposal to lift the moratorium on mass inspections of the intended use of land. Thanks to this decision, a land amnesty was launched in the region, which is aimed at legalizing the illegal accommodation facilities that were identified.

    Together with Rosreestr, the FMS worked. They identified about one and a half thousand accommodation facilities that were not registered with the tax authorities, that is, they did not pay either land tax or property tax. More than half went for legalization – 800 voluntarily submitted applications, and are now preparing their documents.

    The amnesty ends with the inclusion of these accommodation facilities in the register. Accordingly, in addition to direct tax revenues, we will receive at least half a billion rubles of our own income. I reported to you today that we will spend a third of them on supporting healthcare, in particular, on developing the emergency medical service.

    In this regard, I would like to make one request to you – to use a similar approach to reduce the level of shadow employment and legalize labor relations in the region. If possible, I would like to ask you to instruct Rostrud, just as we did for the land, to conduct unscheduled monitoring and supervisory activities for the Altai Republic with the involvement of employees of territorial bodies of Rostrud from other regions, because our own forces are not enough. In this way, we would also bring this topic out of the shadows. Thank you for your support.

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, the plans are serious. I wish you success in their implementation.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Ministry of Economic Development will act as a strategic partner of the Russian Creative Week

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) – Ministry of Economic Development (Russia) –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia has become a strategic partner of the Russian Creative Week. The forum will be held in Moscow on September 25–27 at the Russia National Center. The initiator and organizer of the event is the Creative Economy ANO.

    The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation carries out functions to develop state policy and improve the regulatory framework in the creative economy, and is also engaged in developing a long-term strategy for the development of this sector.

    The cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and the ANO “Creative Economy” will allow for a comprehensive discussion of the draft strategy – the fundamental document at the site of the “Russian Creative Week”, key issues in the field of creative economy at the federal level, and to attract the attention of entrepreneurs to the issues of developing creative industries.

    “The development of the creative economy requires a systematic approach and consideration of the positions of all participants in the process: the state, business and industry associations. The forum will create a space for uniting these views and developing joint solutions,” commented Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

    President of the ANO “Creative Economy” Marina Mongush emphasized: The Ministry of Economic Development has launched the process of preparing a document that will determine how this sector will develop until 2030.

    “We are actively working with colleagues, with departments, with the expert community so that the strategy takes into account not only the economic, but also the socio-cultural, value-oriented approach to the creative economy. The Russian Creative Week forum will give our joint work with the Ministry of Economic Development an additional impetus,” believes the president of the ANO Creative Economy.

    “Russian Creative Week” has become an effective tool for the development of the industry as a whole – this is acknowledged by experts, noting that the forum gives a powerful impetus to the growth of regional “experience economies”.

    “It is important for people to be part of something big, and not just stand at a machine or work in a bank branch. It is important for everyone to build their own temple and feel involved in big goals, and it is the value-oriented approach that gives this feeling and distinguishes one community of people from all the others, both in the example of a separate company and in the example of the country,” emphasized the head of the Presidential Administration for Public Projects of the Russian Federation, Sergei Novikov.

    Partners of the Festival-Forum “Russian Creative Week”:

    Official partners: Rostec State Corporation, Andrey Melnichenko Charitable Foundation.

    Business partner: Aluminum Association.

    Business program partner: Prosveshchenie Group of Companies.

    Participating regions: Moscow, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Tula regions.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin visited the Republican Hospital in Gorno-Altaisk

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The Prime Minister got acquainted with the new admissions department of the hospital and a presentation on the progress of the development of the healthcare system of the Altai Republic.

    Previous news Next news

    Mikhail Mishustin got acquainted with the new admission department of the Republican Hospital. With the head of the Altai Republic Andrei Turchak and chief physician Anton Khazov

    In Gorno-Altaisk, the construction of a modular emergency department for the Republican Hospital is nearing completion. This is the first modular emergency department within the new national project “Long and Active Life” out of 21 planned for commissioning in 2025. The department covers the full cycle of emergency patient admission and treatment and will be equipped with everything necessary for prompt diagnostic and emergency treatment, including in the event of a mass admission of patients.

    The new department includes a diagnostic unit (CT, X-ray, ultrasound, ECG, endoscopy, express laboratory), a resuscitation and operating unit, a unit for emergency medical care patients, and an administrative and economic unit. It is integrated with the main hospital complex through a heated passage for unimpeded patient transportation. The opening of the new admission department will relieve the main hospital buildings and improve emergency care.

    From the transcript:

    M. Mishustin: Friends, I want to thank you all. Two and a half months – and the building, they call it the emergency department, is ready. But this is practically a full-fledged hospital, a field hospital, with modern equipment, which can be converted into an operating room. And all this for reasonable funds. This project costs approximately 643 million rubles. The region invested 100 million, the rest of the funds are from the federal budget.

    But the most important thing is the people, the doctors. I am very happy to see such a team here. Andrey Anatolyevich (Turchak) attracts the best. Anton Viktorovich (Khazov) recently returned from a special military operation, he was in charge of the hospital and saved people. I want to thank him for such prompt and professional organization of this work. Everything here is at the highest level. I am sure that the professionals who came here will provide high-quality medical care, and this is very important for the republic, where more and more people are now going.

    The presidential program to support doctors and nurses, mid-level medical personnel is also very important – doctors who work in small, remote settlements, villages, as well as nurses, mid-level personnel are paid an additional 50 thousand rubles. All this also helps to attract qualified personnel.

    And it is very important – I remember, Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin, colleagues in the Duma are always concerned about the quality of medical personnel and education being high enough. And of course, so that people want to come here. We also need to carefully collect feedback. Andrey Anatolyevich is a professional, he knows his stuff. We need to very carefully monitor together what else can be done.

    I would like to congratulate you all and wish both those who come here and those who work here health.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ14: Manpower of doctors and consultation efficiency

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Chan Han-pan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 23):

    Question:

         According to the data of the Hospital Authority (HA), the number of full-time doctors increased from 5 695 in 2013-2014 to 7 350 in 2023-2024, representing an increase of 29 per cent. During the same period, the number of HA’s specialist outpatient attendances increased by only 18.9 per cent while the relevant increase rate in the number of its general outpatient attendances was 3.34 per cent, and the number of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances even recorded a drop of 4.4 per cent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether it knows the respective numbers of HA doctors providing general outpatient clinic (GOPC) services and specialist outpatient clinic (SOPC) services in 2013-2014 and 2023-2024, as well as the respective percentages of such numbers in the total number of HA doctors (set out in a table);

    (2) whether it knows the respective average waiting time for HA’s SOPC new cases, GOPC services and A&E services, the average consultation time per patient, as well as the average number of consultations per doctor in 2013-2014 and 2023-2024 (set out in a table);

    (3) whether it knows if the HA has compared the average number of consultations per doctor between the HA and medical institutions in other places; if the HA has not, how the HA assesses the efficiency in the use of doctor manpower and the consultation efficiency; and

    (4) as there are views that the aforesaid data show a significant increase in the number of HA doctors from 2013-2014 to 2023-2024, but there is no significant rise in the number of attendances for various outpatient services, whether the Government knows if the HA has examined the reasons for that, and whether the HA will consider providing additional evening consultation services, so as to enhance the efficiency in the use of manpower and the service coverage while alleviating the pressure on the daytime services?

    Reply:

    President,

         In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Chan Han-pan, is as follows:

         With the ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the demand for various types of services provided by the HA has continued to rise over the past decade. While coping with the ever-rising service demand, the HA is also committed to enhancing the quality and efficiency of public healthcare services, while adopting an integrated and multi-disciplinary team approach in the delivery of various healthcare services, with a view to providing optimal treatment and care to patients. 

         Apart from providing general out-patient (GOP), specialist out-patient (SOP) and Accident and Emergency (A&E) services as mentioned in the question, doctors of the HA are also tasked with providing a comprehensive range of services including in-patient, out-patient, and day services, as part of the overall healthcare team. The table below sets out the number of hospital beds and the number of attendances for each of the major service categories of the HA in 2013-14 and 2023-24, which show an increase in the utilisation of each of the services over the 11-year period mentioned in the question. In particular, the HA has been gradually promoting ambulatory care and community-based care in recent years to replace the traditional hospital-centric service model, with a particularly significant rise in the demand for day in-patient services. 
     

      2013-14 2023-24 Increase
    Number of hospital beds
    (as at year-end)
    27 440 30 671 11.8%
    Number of in-patient discharges and deaths 1 026 998 1 146 494 11.6%
    Number of patient days 7 479 088 8 750 456 17.0%
    Number of day in-patient discharges and deaths 542 333 809 505 49.3%
    Number of day hospital attendances (Note 1) 477 553  508 961 6.6%
    Number of SOP (Clinical) attendances 7 040 883 8 368 107 18.9%
    Number of Family Medicine out-patient (including Family Medicine Specialist Clinic and GOP clinic) attendances 6 100 888 6 359 781 4.2%

         As far as day in-patient services are concerned, day surgery brings significant benefits to patients, the public and the HA. For patients, day surgery has the benefits of causing less disruption to daily lives, reducing the risk of cross-infection and relieving psychological stress. In addition, day surgery is less costly and more efficient as it reduces the need for patients to stay in the hospital overnight, thereby releasing beds for more critical cases. Studies have also shown that the efficacy of day surgery is similar to that of in-patient surgery. For ambulatory palliative care services, the HA provides medical, nursing, rehabilitation, psychosocial and bereavement services through a one-stop multi-disciplinary team to alleviate patients’ symptoms and improve their quality of life, as well as reducing unnecessary hospitalisation. Day rehabilitation services include geriatric day hospitals, day rehabilitation services and allied health rehabilitation services. The HA provides specialty-oriented rehabilitation programmes, such as thoracic rehabilitation, orthopaedic rehabilitation, geriatric rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation, in its ambulatory care facilities to cater for the needs of individual types of patients. This development strategy can effectively shorten unnecessary hospitalisation time, help patients return to the community and enhance their ability to take care of their own health.

         Moreover, the HA has actively increased the number of endoscopic sessions to meet the public demand for endoscopic examination. The table below sets out the number of common endoscopic procedures performed in 2014-15 and 2023-24.
     

      2014-15 2023-24
    Common endoscopic procedures (Note 2 and 3) 9 608 10 591

         The HA will review and plan the role and positioning of its hospitals in each cluster to reflect the changes in healthcare needs brought about by changes in population in various districts over time, and will review from time to time and ensure that hospitals in the clusters can complement each other in the continual provision of A&E and in-patient, ambulatory care, extended care as well as community care services, so as to ensure that patients will continue to receive optimal treatment and services at appropriate locations.

         Please refer to Annex 1 for the number of doctors in each major specialty providing GOP or SOP services and their respective proportions in the total number of doctors in the HA in 2013-14 and 2023-24 as mentioned in the question. However, as mentioned above, since the HA adopts an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach in service provision, and flexibly deploys its staff to meet service and operational needs from time to time, the number of doctors in the above table only reflects the number of doctors providing GOP and SOP services, and the doctors concerned may also be tasked with providing other services including in-patient, A&E and ambulatory services, etc.

         The HA has also been implementing various measures over the years to enhance consultation efficiency and improve waiting time.

         In respect of SOP services, the HA has implemented a triage system to determine the priority of patients attending SOP clinics (SOPCs) based on their clinical condition. In addition, the HA has also adopted the strategy of “narrowing upstream, collaborating downstream, diverting midstream”. The HA has introduced doctor-led multi-disciplinary integrated clinics, and allocated more resources for new cases, rationalised referral arrangements for cross-specialty cases, set up more integrated clinics to provide multi-disciplinary support, and enhanced primary healthcare to follow up on patients in stable conditions. With the implementation of various measures, the waiting time for SOPCs has improved notably in the past few years. The data shows that the number of new SOP cases in 2023-24 has increased by 18 per cent compared to a decade ago, with the number of stable new cases (i.e. routine cases) increasing from 448 545 in 2013-14 to 577 191 in 2023-24, an increase of 28 per cent. Please refer to the Annex 2 for the number of new cases and waiting time for SOP services in 2013-14 and 2023-24.

         In addition, the HA has also rationalised the waiting procedures for SOP services to reduce the waiting time for patients to see doctors, with more than 75 per cent of SOP patients completing the process from registration to doctor consultation within 60 minutes in 2022-23 to 2023-24. The table below shows the percentage of the HA SOP patients who have completed the process from registration to doctor consultation within 60 minutes in 2022-23 and 2023-24:
     

    Year
    2022-23
    (Since November 2022)
    Year
    2023-24
    76.5%  83.6%

         Regarding A&E services, to ensure that citizens with urgent needs can receive timely services, A&E departments implement a patient triage system under which patients are classified into five triages, namely critical, emergency, urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent based on their clinical condition, and will receive treatment as prioritised by their urgency category. The HA’s performance targets specify that all critical patients (i.e. 100 per cent) will receive immediate treatment, and emergency and urgent patients will be prioritised for treatment upon arrival at A&E departments, with the targets being that most emergency patients (95 per cent) and urgent patients (90 per cent) will be treated within 15 and 30 minutes. The table below sets out the number of attendances and average waiting time for each triage category of A&E services in the HA in 2013-14 and 2023-24 respectively:
     

      No. of A&E attendances
    Triage 1(Critical) Triage 2  (Emergency) Triage 3 (Urgent) Triage 4 (Semi-
    urgent)
    Triage 5 (Non-
    urgent) 
    Year
    2013-14
    19 358 41 136 674 841 1 288 359 145 406
    Year
    2023-24
    28 138  56 566 820 353 1 126 207 58 965

         The above attendances for A&E services under various triage categories in various hospitals under the HA exclude (i) first-time visits without triage categories, and (ii) follow-up visits to the A&E departments.
     

      Average waiting time (in minutes) for A&E services
    Triage 1 (Critical) Triage 2 (Emergency) Triage 3 (Urgent) Triage 4 (Semi-
    urgent)
    Triage 5 (Non-
    urgent) 
    Year
    2013-14
    0 7 27 106 124
    Year
    2023-24
    0 8 29 180 205

     
         The data show that, over the past decade, the number of A&E attendances for patients in Triage 1 to Triage 3 has increased by 23 per cent from more than 730 000 to more than 900 000. In particular, attendances for patients in Triage 1 and Triage 2, who are the primary service targets of the A&E departments, have increased by 45 per cent and 38 per cent respectively. That said, patients in these two categories are treated promptly and the relevant average waiting times continue to meet the service targets specified by the HA.
     
         Regarding GOP services, the HA provides public primary healthcare services through its 74 GOP clinics (GOPCs) (including community health centres), providing more than five million out-patient attendances annually. Of these, a total of 23 GOPCs in all districts of Hong Kong provide evening out-patient services until 10pm. Patients under the care of the GOPCs comprise two major categories: patients with chronic diseases in stable medical condition, such as patients with diabetes mellitus or hypertension; and episodic disease patients with relatively mild symptoms, such as those suffering from cold or gastroenteritis. As for patients with chronic diseases requiring follow-up consultations, they will be assigned a time slot for follow-up by the GOPCs after each consultation and do not need to make separate appointments by phone. Episodic disease patients can make appointments for the next 24 hours through the HA GOPC telephone appointment system and “Book GOPC” function in the HA’s one-stop mobile app “HA Go”. There is no waiting time for GOP services. 
     
         The HA has been closely monitoring the operation and utilisation of different services with a view to deploying manpower and service resources flexibly. Since 2008, the HA has adopted a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure its service performance, covering clinical services, human resources and finance, with a view to establishing a mechanism for monitoring service performance and identifying service areas for continuous improvement. The HA conducts regular reviews of the KPIs annually and will enhance and refine them in accordance with its service strategies. Progress reports on KPIs are submitted to the HA Board and the Health Bureau on a regular basis, through quarterly progress review reports for the latter, to keep track of the HA’s performance in key service areas. Trend analyses within and across hospital clusters can be conducted to help identify areas for deliberation and formulation of enhancement measures, and to provide reference on service planning and resource allocation.
     
         Moreover, the HA has set up the Governance and Structure Reform Committee to provide strategic guidance, oversight, and reform advice on implementing governance and structure reforms. The work of the Committee includes examining the introduction of KPIs to measure the service performance of the HA.
     
         In recent years, the HA has also endeavoured to enhance public healthcare services through various measures, including enhancing primary healthcare services, shortening the waiting time for cataract surgery, making good use of the Central Government-Aided Emergency Hospital to alleviate the pressure on the radiology services in public hospitals, and establishing centres for major illnesses, with a view to improving the quality and efficiency of treatment. Regarding evening out-patient services, the HA and the Primary Healthcare Commission will also review the demand and supply of evening out-patient services in different districts as well as the utilisation of such services by members of the public in various districts, with emphasis on districts where private evening out-patient services are scanty, with a view to further increasing the number of quotas of evening out-patient services through flexible deployment of manpower and resources, as well as exploring the feasibility of setting up additional evening out-patient clinics.
     
    Note 1: The above figure includes attendances at Geriatric Day Hospitals, Psychiatric Day Hospitals, Day Rehabilitation Services, and Ambulatory Palliative Care Services. Of these, the number of attendances at Geriatric Day Hospitals includes those participating in the Integrated Discharge Support Programme for Elderly Patients.
    Note 2: The HA has maintained the relevant statistics since 2014-15.
    Note 3: The above endoscopic procedures include bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, colposcopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, flexible cystoscopy, oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography. Of these, endoscopic ultrasonography covers upper gastrointestinal tract, lower gastrointestinal tract, as well as bronchus and mediastinum.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man sentenced for the murder of Abdul-Latif Pouget

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been jailed for life with a minimum of 24 years at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 22 July after stabbing a man to death and leaving him to die in the middle of a side street in Islington.

    Oguzcan Dereli, 26 (08.04.98) of Alexander Road, Islington, was found guilty at the same court of the murder of 20-year-old Abdul-Latif Pouget following a two-week trial that concluded on Friday, 18 July.

    The court heard that on Friday, 18 October 2024, Abdul had turned into a side street off Clerkenwell Road and parked his moped. Less than a minute later a blue Ford Focus estate pulled up alongside Abdul’s moped.

    Dereli calmly left the vehicle, inadvertently dropping his phone on the road, before approaching Abdul and launching a vicious assault, fatally stabbing him in the thigh, causing significant blood loss. Abdul collapsed on the pavement and Dereli walked back to his vehicle before driving away and leaving him to die.

    Kawsaw Pouget, Abdul’s mother, said:

    “Our beloved Abdul-Latif Pouget — known to us simply as Abs — had just turned 20, two months before the attack. His life was taken from us too early. He was young, intelligent and full of promise.

    “Though he cannot speak for himself at this hearing, we are here to honour him and speak in his name.

    “We want to express our heartfelt thanks to the emergency services, police, the hospital staff, the public who assisted him on that night and the local community who stood with us. You have been a ray of hope and support, and there are no words that can truly express our gratitude.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who led the Met’s investigation, said:

    “My thoughts and that of my team remain with Abdul’s family, a much loved brother, friend and neighbour.

    “A young man has tragically died in a senseless and brutal way. I can only hope that this sentence can go some way in providing a sense of justice to Abdul’s family.”

    On the day of Abdul’s death, police were called by the London Ambulance Service to Back Hill, Islington, at 21:36hrs, following reports of a moped colliding with a wall.

    Officers attended and while paramedics were treating Abdul they discovered a series of stab injuries. He was rushed to an east London hospital but despite the best efforts of the medical team he died three days later.

    An investigation was launched and detectives from the Met specialist crime team began gathering evidence.

    They reviewed hours of CCTV that captured the defendant drive the Ford Focus estate down Back Hill road, then approach and assault Abdul. In the footage it is clear that he was armed with a large machete.

    Details from the CCTV footage of the vehicle used in the incident proved that the car was registered to Dereli. However, when officers went to arrest him he was not at his home address.

    On the evening of Saturday, 19 October 2024, Dereli and his partner were spotted checking into a hotel on Old Street, Shoreditch.

    On Sunday, 20 October officers approached the hotel, arresting Dereli and later charging him with murder the following day.

    During the trial, Dereli said that he had the machete with him because it had been left in his car by a friend, and that he was planning to throw it in the canal when he saw Abdul.

    However, the jury did not believe this account, and he was found guilty.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) to hold its 20th Plenary Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) (https://SECAM.org) will convene for its 20th Plenary Assembly from July 30 to August 4, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda, under the theme: “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation and Peace.”

    The plenary will bring together over 250 participants, including Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Men and Women, and Lay Leaders from across Africa and its islands, as well as partners from other continents.

    The Kigali Assembly will assess the progress made since the 19th Assembly, held in 2022 in Accra, Ghana, and chart a visionary course for the Church in Africa. Key agenda items include:

    • Presentation of SECAM’s long-term vision document for 2025–2050, built around 12 foundational pillars such as evangelization, family leadership, youth engagement, care for creation, digital mission, and political responsibility.
    • A pastoral reflection on accompanying Catholics in complex cultural realities, including polygamous unions.
    • Discussions on governance, justice, peace, interfaith dialogue, climate change, and safeguarding.

    The Assembly will also unveil the Triennial Strategic Plan (2025–2028) and initiate the renewal of SECAM’s leadership in line with its constitution.

    Rev. Fr. Rafael Simbine Junior                      
    Secretary General of SECAM                                                                                         

    Accra, Ghana

    – on behalf of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).

    For more information, please get in touch with the Secretary General of SECAM at the following contact:
    secamsg@yahoo.com
    Communications Coordinators on the following contacts:
    communications.secam@gmail.com
    +233541717984
    mutabazifide@gmail.com
    +250783 462125

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Targets Prolific Fly-Tipper in Major Enforcement Operation

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Published: Wednesday, 23rd July 2025

    Birmingham City Council successfully carried out a major enforcement operation to arrest a prolific fly-tipper who had been under investigation for the past six months.

    The individual was believed to be responsible for a significant number of illegal waste dumping incidents in the south of the city, causing environmental damage and blighting local communities.

    As part of the investigation, the Council seized one vehicle that had been used to transport and dump waste illegally and West Midlands Police seized three vehicles for road traffic offences. In connection with the case, one person has been arrested.

    Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and a serious criminal offence. We will not tolerate individuals who think they can profit by dumping waste illegally and leaving the clean-up costs to taxpayers. This joint operation between the council’s waste enforcement team and WM Police sends a clear message – if you fly-tip in Birmingham, we will investigate, we will find you, and we will take action.

    “We are committed to protecting our neighbourhoods and the environment. Illegal dumping not only scars our streets and green spaces, but it also poses health risks and undermines the hard work of residents who take pride in their communities.

    “I want to thank our enforcement teams for their tireless efforts in tracking down offenders and bringing them to justice. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal — from receiving intelligence from the public to surveillance, vehicle seizures and prosecutions — to crack down on this behaviour. I am sure everyone is really pleased when we catch these criminals.”

    The Council urges residents to remain vigilant and continue reporting any suspected fly-tipping or unlicensed waste carriers. Anyone with any information on cases of fly-tipping is urged to contact www.birmingham.gov.uk/flytipping.

    The Council continues to work closely with West Midlands Police and other partners to investigate and prosecute fly-tipping offences wherever possible.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Assembly wants blue light decision reversed

    Source: Mayor of London

    Permitting Transport for London (TfL) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) vehicles to use blue lights when responding to emergencies was one of the key recommendations of the London Assembly 7/7 Review Committee’s 2006 report on the response to the tube and bus bombings. The report highlighted the ERU’s vital role in the response, and the benefits of blue lights for their rapid deployment in emergencies.1

    A recent media report revealed that the blue light capability, introduced in 2012, was revoked last year following a review.2

    Today, the London Assembly Transport Committee has urged TfL and BTP to allow ERU vehicles to continue using blue lights.

    Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Elly Baker AM, said:

    “TfL’s ERU has an important role in London’s emergency preparedness, and its vehicles need blue light status to support the safety and resilience of our transport network.

    “Londoners have been left in the dark about why this decision was taken and what evidence there is to support it.

    “The Committee wants this decision reversed – and urges those behind it to provide the evidence that led to them revoking a vital part of the ERU’s emergency response capability.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Aurora Mobile Explores Strategic Opportunities in Real World Asset (RWA) Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, China, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recent reports have indicated that Aurora Mobile Limited (NASDAQ: JG) (“Aurora Mobile” or the “Company”), a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, has been approached by various parties seeking to collaborate in exploring opportunities in the Real World Asset (RWA) markets, both in China and globally.

    In response, Mr. Weidong Luo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Mobile, commented, “There are many different aspects of our current products and services that I believe can help all parties grow and prosper in the RWA markets. We are actively exploring opportunities in this space and have been engaging in meaningful discussions with institutions that have expressed strong interest.”

    As a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, Aurora Mobile sees great potential for synergy with RWA development through its core business segments: data services, marketing cloud services, and customer engagement solutions. Specific opportunities include:

    • Integrating Data Services with RWA:
      Aurora Mobile has amassed an extensive data asset base, having served 1.78 million apps with more than 1.4 billion monthly active devices. This data can be combined with RWA projects to provide critical support in assessing underlying asset value and risk. For example, in real estate RWA projects, Aurora Mobile can provide data on surrounding population density and consumer purchasing power to aid investor decision-making. Similarly, for renewable energy RWA initiatives, Aurora Mobile can offer user behavior insights to optimize asset operation strategies. The Company’s data strength can also support asset valuation and pricing of RWA projects by establishing more accurate data-driven models.
    • Marketing Cloud Services Empower RWA Promotion:
      Aurora Mobile’s marketing cloud solutions help businesses achieve multi-channel customer reach. For RWA projects, its robust marketing channels can be used to promote RWA products to a wider base of investors. For instance, Aurora Mobile can deliver project updates and investment opportunities to potential investors via SMS, Email, and other channels. This enhances visibility and recognition, ultimately boosting RWA asset sales and liquidity.
    • Customer Engagement to Support RWA:
      Aurora Mobile is committed to helping enterprises build strong relationships with customers by enhancing investor service experiences. Aurora Mobile can facilitate timely responses to investor inquiries, handle complaints, and strengthen investor trust and satisfaction in RWA projects. In addition, investor feedback gathered through these interactions can offer valuable insights for RWA project refinement and optimization.
    • AI-Driven Collaboration Opportunities:
      Aurora Mobile has made strategic advancements in AI, such as integrating with GPTBots.ai, the Company’s AI agent platform. AI technology is also essential in the RWA space, particularly for asset pricing optimization and risk forecasting. Leveraging its AI technology capabilities, Aurora Mobile can collaborate with RWA stakeholders to develop AI-powered applications, improving the intelligence and efficiency of RWA project management.
    • Cross-Border Business Synergies with RWA:
      Aurora Mobile provides customer engagement and marketing technology applications for Chinese companies that are expanding overseas. As a result, the Company has accumulated extensive experience in cross-border business. As RWAs enable the global trading of assets, Aurora Mobile can leverage its cross-border service capabilities to support RWA projects across borders. This includes helping promote and operate such projects in different regions and assisting with issues such as cross-border payments and investor communications.

    With its proven technological capabilities and deep market experience, Aurora Mobile is well positioned to contribute to the growth and innovation of the RWA ecosystem and looks forward to exploring further collaboration opportunities with partners in this space.

    About Aurora Mobile Limited

    Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.

    For more information, please visit https://ir.jiguang.cn/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Aurora Mobile’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Aurora Mobile may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Aurora Mobile’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Aurora Mobile’s strategies; Aurora Mobile’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Aurora Mobile’s ability to attract and retain customers; its ability to develop and effectively market data solutions, and penetrate the existing market for developer services; its ability to transition to the new advertising-driven SAAS business model; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand; the competition with current or future competitors; its ability to continue to gain access to mobile data in the future; the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Aurora Mobile undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

    For more information, please contact:

    Aurora Mobile Limited
    E-mail: ir@jiguang.cn

    Christensen

    In China
    Ms. Xiaoyan Su
    Phone: +86-10-5900-1548
    E-mail: Xiaoyan.Su@christensencomms.com

    In US
    Ms. Linda Bergkamp
    Phone: +1-480-614-3004
    Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Response to Supreme Court judgment

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Response to Supreme Court judgment

    A statement by the Serious Fraud Office on R v Hayes and R v Palombo.

    The Serious Fraud Office investigates and prosecutes the most complex fraud, bribery and corruption cases affecting the UK and the safety of our economy. 

    Today’s Supreme Court decision comes thirteen years after we first investigated the practice used by some traders and submitters at selected banks to influence key benchmark rates of interest in financial markets.

    These rates were called the London Inter-bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and the Euro Inter-bank Offered Rate (“EURIBOR”) and they affected the value of hundreds of trillions of dollars’ worth of financial products around the world, including ordinary people’s pensions, mortgages and savings.

    Our investigation led to nine convictions of senior bankers for fraud offences, with two of these individuals pleading guilty and seven found guilty by juries. 

    This judgment has determined that the legal directions given to the jury at the conclusion of trial were incorrect in Hayes’ and Palombo’s trials and for that reason their convictions have today been found unsafe.

    We have considered this judgment and the full circumstances carefully and determined it would not be in the public interest for us to seek a retrial.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Samaraneftegaz has updated its pipeline fleet

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Samaraneftegaz (part of Rosneft’s oil production unit) repaired 107 km of field pipelines in the first half of 2025. Scheduled repairs ensure high industrial and environmental safety of pipeline park facilities.

    The longest section of the replaced section is on the pressure oil pipeline UPSV “Severo-Kamenskaya” – UPN “Krasnoyarskaya” – 22 km, and 8.5 km of the low-pressure gas pipeline GKS “Alakaevskaya” – Otradnensky GPP were also replaced. The equipment replacement work is being carried out within the framework of the target program for improving the reliability of pipelines, which includes the construction of new and replacement of existing pipelines, their inhibition, diagnostics and cleaning.

    Accident-free operation of industrial facilities is one of the priorities of the Rosneft-2030 strategy. Samaraneftegaz carries out comprehensive and systematic work to ensure the reliability of pipeline transport. Industrial safety expertise and in-pipe diagnostics are carried out to determine the technical condition of field pipelines. The best engineering solutions are used and methods that have proven their effectiveness are applied. In particular, a robotic television inspection complex is used to identify defects before putting a pipeline into operation.

    Reference:

    JSC Samaraneftegaz, a subsidiary of NK Rosneft, carries out production activities in the Samara and Orenburg regions. Cumulative production since the beginning of development in 1936 exceeds 1.3 billion tons of oil.

    Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 23, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Mystical Pagoda’ exhibition displays gold microcarvings by artist Mei Hua

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

    Editor’s Note: “Mystical Pagoda,” currently underway at NUO Hotel Art Space in Beijing until Sept. 26, represents an important exhibition by Mei Hua, a pioneer of gold Buddhist microcarving. Tracing 18 years of artistic evolution, the exhibition presents works that fuse Tibetan iconography, traditional Chinese aesthetics and contemporary material design. In an interview conducted on-site, the artist discusses her artistic origins, philosophical beliefs and resistance to stereotypes that claimed Chinese artists could not achieve such microscopic precision. Her journey — deeply spiritual and culturally defiant — demonstrates how faith and finesse can reshape the global language of miniature art.

    Artist Mei Hua poses for a photo at her exhibition “Mystical Pagoda” at NUO Hotel Art Space, Beijing, July 14, 2025. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]

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    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over the past five years, the Russpass service has been used more than 63 million times

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In six months totourist service Russpass was accessed about 26 million times – almost three times more than in the same period of 2024. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow. The project has been running since July 20, 2020 and was created on the initiative of the Moscow Government. Today, it has collected about 57 thousand offers for travel around Russia, over a third of which relate to the capital.

    On the platform you can find themed excursions and signature routes, buy tickets for a plane or other types of transport, as well as for major events or museums, book accommodation, and create a cultural and educational program for your trip.

    “Over the past five years, Russpass has been used more than 63 million times. Since its launch, it has combined dozens of useful services — from a convenient travel planner to personalized selections based on artificial intelligence,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    About 22 thousand people have already received individual recommendations from the neural network on choosing hotels, museums, attractions and cultural venues.

    The project presents over one thousand ready-made routes. They are dedicated to architecture, history, literature and other areas. For those who want to create their own route, there is a special service that will create a trip scenario for each day and tell you how to book tickets.

    For entrepreneurs, there is a portal called “Russpass. Business”, where over 3.4 thousand tourism companies have already registered. For them, the platform has published a list of federal and city support measures, as well as a job exchange, a list of industry events, and a “Knowledge Base” section with materials about the capital’s hospitality industry.

    You can find travel ideas, thematic selections and interviews with industry experts in the online publication “Russpass-magazine”. It already contains about four thousand articles.

    Ruspass oversees the capital Tourism Committee together with the city Department of Information TechnologyThe service’s digital infrastructure formed the basis of the national portal “Travel.RF”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: How to spend time at the dacha safely and usefully

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Summer and dacha are inseparable concepts. In warm weather, Muscovites try to go out of town more often: some immerse themselves in caring for their garden and vegetable garden, others prefer relaxing on the beach, picnics and barbecues. On Dacha Resident Day, which is celebrated on July 23, inMoscow city economy complex reminded the basic rules of fire safety in private homes and shared recommendations for caring for plants in the heat.

    Caring for garden beds in hot weather

    All living creatures suffer from the scorching sun, including plants. Yulia Strazhnikova, an agronomist at the Izmailovsky Production Department of the State Budgetary Institution “Greening”, told us how to protect beds from the heat. According to her, in order to cool down, plants evaporate more moisture, so watering requires special attention. The main rule is not to water the beds during the day, when the sun is active and can burn the leaves. It is better to do this in the morning, before 08:00, or in the evening, after 20:00.

    “The water should not be cold. The most optimal temperature is 18-20 degrees. Otherwise, the roots in the warm soil will experience severe stress, which will negatively affect the development of plants,” the agronomist explains.

    It is useful to create artificial shade for the beds using light fabric or cardboard, securing them to a rope or wire stretched over pegs.

    In hot weather, the soil can heat up to 80 degrees, which accelerates the evaporation of moisture. To retain it, the beds can be covered with a protective layer, that is, mulched. Sawdust or straw are best suited for this – they are light, so they will not only reduce evaporation, but also reflect the sun’s rays, which means the soil will not heat up as much. You can also use agrospan or slightly dried freshly mown grass. The mulch is laid in a layer of up to five centimeters, but it should not fit tightly to the plants so as not to provoke their rotting.

    Flower beds require special attention. In sunny areas it is better to plant light-loving asters, daisies, yarrows, phloxes, petunias, marigolds, and in the shade – hostas, astilbes and heucheras.

    “In extreme heat, flowers need to be watered generously in the morning and evening. It is advisable to water the roots of the plant so that the moisture is evenly distributed throughout the root system. On sunny days, water should not fall on the leaves, shoots and inflorescences. You need to be especially careful with plants with a dense crown and pubescent leaves,” the specialist advises.

    Countryside eco-habits for the benefit of nature

    Moscow’s regional waste management operator, JSC Ecotechprom, recommends using your dacha vacation to develop eco-habits. For example, you should forget about the rule “All unnecessary things – to the dacha.” You need to sort out your closets: turn unnecessary clothes into cleaning rags or recycle them.

    Another piece of advice is to develop conscious consumption skills. Cook in moderation, and treat your neighbors with the surplus. It is suggested to turn food waste into compost by organizing a compost pit for it. This is the most environmentally friendly way to utilize organic matter.

    A useful habit is separate waste collection. It is enough to allocate a separate trash can or bag for plastic, metal, glass and paper, and then throw this waste into special containers for recyclable materials.

    Fire safety

    During the summer cottage season, the risk of fires increases due to improper use of stoves, careless handling of fire, uncontrolled grass burning and improper use of electrical equipment.

    For safety, you can use a fire extinguisher, an autonomous smoke detector and a powder fire extinguishing module that reacts to an increase in temperature and automatically sprays an extinguishing mixture.

    To avoid fire, specialists Department of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Fire Safety of the City of Moscow recommend following simple rules:

    – regularly remove garbage from the area;

    — do not leave glassware in the sun;

    – ensure that the electrical wiring is in good working order and do not forget to turn off the power to the house before leaving;

    — store flammable liquids in tightly closed metal containers (no more than 10 liters) away from sources of light and heat;

    — monitor the serviceability of gas appliances; they must be installed at a distance of at least 20 centimeters from furniture and wooden walls;

    — gas cylinders with a capacity of more than 10 liters must be kept outside in a special cabinet.

    If a fire cannot be avoided, first of all you need to call 101 or 112, provide the address, what is burning, and whether there is a threat to people.

    Before the firefighters arrive, it is necessary to evacuate people from the burning building and warn neighbors.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An exhibition dedicated to the winners of the Moscow Masters competition opened at VDNKh

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    A new photo exhibition has opened at VDNKh near the northern rose garden. On the stands, residents and guests of the capital can see the faces of the winners of the Moscow Masters competition: the best builder, paramedic, metro train driver, pastry chef, museum worker-tour guide, veterinarian and many other specialists. The exhibition will be open to everyone until the end of the summer.

    “The city competition of professional skills “Moscow Masters” traditionally unites the best representatives of various professions, demonstrating the highest level of their competence. The photo exhibition highlights the professional achievements of each of them. Many participants in the competition represent entire labor dynasties, where love for the profession is passed down through generations,” said

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

    Viewers will see the craftsmen at their workplace: at a construction site or a subway station, in an ambulance, a hospital operating room, or in the driver’s cabin of an electric train.

    One of the heroines of the photo exhibition, nurse Alena Sokolova, is captured in the corridors of the city clinical hospital named after V. M. Buyanov. But this year she had the opportunity to work in different places, including one of the hospitals in Kursk, where she helped her colleagues.

    Alena Sokolova said that she made her choice of profession consciously. The work of a nurse has always been valued. According to her, standing in a surgical suit and holding instruments in her hands, she clearly understands that her profession is not just a job.

    The winner in the nomination “Civil Engineering Work Manager” this year was a woman for the first time. Yulia Fedina has been in the profession for 20 years. When choosing her professional path, she followed the example of her father, a civil engineer, and never doubted her decision, although the profession is traditionally perceived as male.

    Yulia Fedina shared that she loves her job for its creativity. She likes to build new facilities, especially social ones that children visit. Moscow is developing thanks to the efforts of many specialists, including builders. They make a professional contribution to the creation of a comfortable urban environment.

    With the help of construction industry specialists, the city is growing, and its decoration and maintenance are carried out by green workers.

    Landscaper Irina Khandak said that, walking in the parks of her beloved city, even when she was very young, she always paid attention to the natural beauty of the place, to those man-made tools that made this beauty even more expressive. This predetermined her choice of profession.

    “Moscow Masters”: the best specialists in the tourism sector were named in the capitalThe winner of the Moscow Masters competition in the Youth Work Specialist category has been announced

    “Moscow Masters” is an annual city competition for those who make the capital better every day. Rescuers and engineers, city public transport drivers, medical workers, specialists from socially oriented non-profit organizations and other representatives of in-demand specialties compete for the title of the best in their profession.

    The competition is being held for the 28th time within the framework of the social partnership system between the Moscow Government, the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions and the Moscow Confederation of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers) with the support of the capital Committee on Public Relations and Youth Policy.

    Detailed information about the competition is published on the website “Moscow Masters” and in telegram channel.

    The photo exhibition was organized by the Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy of the City of Moscow.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

     

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Housing for the implementation of the renovation program will be built in the Donskoy district according to the KRT project

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the Donskoy district in the south of the capital, a site will be reorganized under the program of integrated development of territories (IDT). The corresponding draft resolution posted on the Moscow Government website. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Moscow Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    “During the redevelopment of a 0.71-hectare site on Zagorodnoye Shosse, a residential building with an area of 24.4 thousand square meters will be built. The area of apartments in the future new building will be approximately 14.7 thousand square meters. This will provide new housing for about 500 Muscovites. There is a school, kindergarten, medical center, and shops within walking distance. The Krymskaya station of the Moscow Central Circle is also nearby,” said Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    The site is located at the address: Zagorodnoye Shosse, building 10/2.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the five-year anniversary CRT programs in the capital.

    According to the KRT program, multifunctional city blocks are being created, where roads, comfortable housing and all the necessary infrastructure are being designed on the site of former industrial zones and inefficiently used areas. Currently, 336 integrated development projects with a total area of over 4.2 thousand hectares are at various stages of development and implementation in the capital. This work is being carried out on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.

    The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Sergei Sobyanin ordered to increase the pace of implementation of the program intwice.

    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”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Ukraine Loses French Mirage 2000 Fighter Jet for the First Time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    KYIV, July 23 (Xinhua) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Wednesday that a Mirage 2000 fighter jet donated to the country by France had crashed, marking the first known loss of the type of aircraft by Ukraine.

    The Ukrainian Air Force, in turn, stated on Telegram that the plane crash occurred due to equipment failure on Tuesday evening while performing a flight mission.

    The pilot managed to eject and was found by a search and rescue team. His condition is assessed as stable. There are no casualties on the ground.

    A special commission has been created to determine the causes of the accident.

    The Mirage 2000 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter jet. It is capable of carrying long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Ukraine received its first batch of Mirage 2000 aircraft in February this year. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Declaration of the EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain on Raising Awareness of Persons with Disabilities.s (Warsaw, 30.06.25)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    Following the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which the European Union and all its Member States are party to and considering that the aforementioned Convention is an international human rights treaty that promotes and protect the rights of persons with disabilities with a view to ensure equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities;

    Noting that since the signatory countries of this Declaration are Member States of the European Union that have ratified the aforementioned Convention, we wish to contribute to its promotion by raising awareness about persons with disabilities in accordance with Article 8 of the CRPD, according to which States Parties undertake to take immediate, effective and appropriate measures to raise public awareness of issues affecting persons with disabilities, as well as measures to strengthen respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;

    Following the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 as the main tool to implement the UNCRPD at European level. The Strategy sets the priorities and the framework for the joint work of the EU and the Member States to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in the EU and beyond in line with the Convention. The implementation of this Strategy will be achieved through a strong commitment by the Member States, by promoting policies and actions that will bring about accessible environments, inclusive education systems as well as health care systems of high quality and effective pathways to fair employment for persons with disabilities. In addition, the strategy indicates the commitment that the Commission will work with Member States to complement and support national campaigns, to strengthen awareness-raising and to combat stereotypes around disability;

    Referring to the European Parliament Resolution of 13 December 2022 towards equal rights for persons with disabilities , which stresses that the exercise of the right to work by persons with disabilities is closely linked to measures to combat direct and indirect discrimination, and therefore encourages the Commission and Member States to introduce effective and concrete measures to promote equality, diversity, including through awareness raising and a barrier-free environment;

    We, the Member States of the European Union, during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, hereby undertake:

    1. Strongly encourage all national mainstream media to portray persons with disabilities in a way that is consistent with the purpose of the UN CRPD and thus respects the human rights of persons with disabilities while respecting the effective editorial freedom and independence of media service providers in the exercise of their professional activities.

    Under the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities, the European Commission and Member States committed to work together to combat stereotyping and prejudice and raise awareness about persons with disabilities, in line with the Convention;

    2. Strive to ensure that disability in the mainstream media is portrayed as part of everyday life regarding persons with disabilities and to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Efforts should be made to ensure that persons with disabilities regularly appear on television, radio and social media as well as in the written press in everyday circumstances, not necessarily related to disability, on an equal basis with others in order to raise awareness among the society.

    It should be noted that stories presented in the media have a huge impact on public opinion, including those of persons with disabilities. There are still few persons with disabilities who regularly appear in the media, and when they do, they are often portrayed in inappropriate and stereotypical ways. Persons with disabilities are most often shown in the context of charity or medical treatment and are thus treated as people in need of help or support and not portrayed as integral participants of society. Television, written press, radio and social media are tools that can be crucial in raising awareness about persons with disabilities. The media can play a huge role in counteracting the stigmatization of persons with disabilities and are able to influence the change of societal misconceptions which will significantly contribute to the inclusion of persons with disabilities into society on an equal basis with others.

    3. Declare their intention to conduct regular public campaigns, in particular in the public press, radio and television as well as on social media in their Member States to raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and their social and professional potential.

    In accordance with Article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and as underlined in Objective 9 “Awareness, governance and measuring progress” of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, Parties undertake to adopt immediate, effective and appropriate measures to raise awareness, combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices and promote awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities. The measures to this end include, inter alia, initiating and maintaining effective public awareness campaigns designed to:

    • nurture receptiveness to the rights of persons with disabilities.
    • promote positive perceptions and greater social awareness towards persons with disabilities.
    • promote recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities, and of their contributions to the workplace and labour market.

    4. Promote the Disability Employment Package, which is a set of guidelines and good practices, covering all stages of employment, from recruitment to retention, and targeting both policymakers and practitioners such as public employment services, employers and trade unions.

    All the Disability Employment Package deliverables have now been published by the Commission . The package aims to support Member States in improving the overall employment conditions for persons with disabilities in the EU. Increasing opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market can be achieved by building awareness among employers of the career potential of persons with disabilities and among public employment services.

    It is important to raise awareness of the potential of persons with disabilities and highlight their contributions in the workplace and labour market.

    5. Promote the “Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding” , which provide a set of guidelines on how to promote the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.

    The Commission adopted a notice “Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding”, which recommends measures to promote independent living by improving and promoting support services for independent living. The guidance provides practical recommendations to Member States and stakeholders to accelerate the transition from institutional care to community-based services and independent living for persons with disabilities.

    6. Support the implementation of the European Accessibility Act , in particular, enforcing media providers must ensure that the services used to deliver the content, and their functions provide equal access for persons with disabilities.

    The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a Directive that aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services, by removing barriers created by divergent rules in Member States. The EAA covers the provision of access to audiovisual media services, which may include websites, web-based applications, set-top box-based applications, downloadable applications, mobile device-based services, including mobile applications and related media players, and connected television.

    In our leadership capacity, we pledge a strong involvement in promoting national policies that are consistent with the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

    1) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2021%3A101%3AFIN#PP4Contents

    2) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0435_FR.pdf

    3) https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/disability-employment-package-improve-labour-market-outcomes-persons-disabilities_en

    4) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882

    5) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • Heavy rain lashes Telangana, disrupts normal life

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Heavy rain lashed several parts of Telangana, inundating low-lying areas, cutting off villages and disrupting normal life.

    North Telangana districts have been receiving copious rain since Tuesday night.

    Rivulets, lakes and ponds were overflowing in agency areas of Mulugu district, which recorded the highest rainfall of 25.5 cm during the last 24 hours.

    Villages in Venkatapuram mandal of Mulugu district were marooned. With their houses completely inundated, villagers spent a sleepless night. Venkatapuram-Bhadrachalam main road was submerged, bringing the vehicular traffic to a complete halt.

    Eturanagam mandal in Mulugu district recorded 18.4 cm rainfall while Mangapet received 15.8 cm.

    United Karimnagar district has been receiving heavy rain since early Wednesday morning. Some colonies in Karimnagar town were inundated. Flood water entered houses and shops in parts of the town.

    Heavy rain affected coal production in the mines of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).

    Coal production was disrupted in four open-cast mines in Peddapalli district. About 40,000 tonnes of coal are produced in these mines every day.

    Flood water entered the open-cast mine at Yellandu in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The employees deployed motors to pump out water.

    Production of 3,500 tonnes of coal came to a halt due to flooding.

    Heavy rain was also lashing Warangal, Jangaon, Mahabubabad and Khammam districts.

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in north and Central Telangana districts on Wednesday.

    Heavy to very heavy rain is likely in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts. The IMD has issued an orange alert for these districts.

    Heavy rain has been forecast for Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Hanamkonda, Warangal, Jangaon, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Vikarabad and Mahabubnagar districts. These districts have been issued a yellow alert.

    The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain in Hyderabad and remaining districts.

    Cyberabad Police have advised IT companies to consider following Work from Home mode on Wednesday in view of rain alert.

    “An alert has been issued for heavy rain in the Cyberabad area, considering the safety, productivity, traffic congestion and to ensure uninterrupted emergency services. Companies may consider following Work from Home (WFH) mode on 23- 07- 2025 – Wednesday,” read an advisory issued by the Cyberabad Police.

    (IANS)