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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Additional £96m for the Crown Prosecution Service

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Additional £96m for the Crown Prosecution Service

    The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) Spending Review settlement increases the organisation’s funding by more than 10% from 2026 to 2029.

    The Attorney General Lord Hermer KC said:

    The criminal justice system was on the brink of collapse and courts in crisis after fourteen years of neglect. We need to make our streets safe again, while also rebuilding confidence in the system.

    That is why I welcome the Chancellor’s record investment into the future of CPS as part of the government’s Plan for Change to deliver safer streets and swifter justice.

    This additional £96m for the Crown Prosecution Service will help protect victims by tackling the backlog, speeding up justice and unlocking digital developments through AI so we can keep dangerous offenders off our streets – and importantly, deliver a justice system that serves victims.

    Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said:

    The funding announced will help the Crown Prosecution Service meet the significant challenges of the future while focusing on our number one priority: to reduce delays so victims get justice sooner.

    This settlement will mean more prosecutors who can charge cases and get them ready for court, bringing more criminals to justice and giving closure to more victims – which in turn makes our streets safer.

    It will also help unlock the potential of artificial intelligence and other technologies which will mean our prosecutors can work more efficiently, helping us do even more with this much needed funding.

    For background

    The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) Spending Review settlement increases the organisation’s funding by more than 10% from 2026 to 2029.

    This settlement recognises the significant pressure CPS continues to be under due to increasing demand on the criminal justice system.

    The additional £96m over the Spending Review period will allow CPS to:

    • increase the number of prosecutors
    • build capacity and capability through focused recruitment and development schemes
    • continuously improve the quality and efficiency of CPS’s service
    • enable CPS to continue to play part in the cross-government effort to reduce delays in the justice system
    • invest in improving the experience of the prosecution process for victims and witnesses
    • Further funding will also be made available to develop key digital programmes –Digital Jury Bundles, in-house technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) capability – increasing productivity and efficiency and enhancing the quality of CPS services. 
    • Funding for digital innovation will enable the CPS to drive value for money to create a leaner, more efficient service for victims and witnesses.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Officer-involved shooting causing injury in Calgary

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Administration Proposal Would Risk Air Quality Across the Nation by Unwinding Power Plant Accountability

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency proposed to gut air quality standards for power plants across the country, risking the nation’s air quality and slowing progress in the transition to clean energy. Colorado is a national leader in air quality protection through common-sense standards that protect communities and kids, coupled with a strong, free market-driven transition away from polluting fossil fuel power plants to clean, renewable energy. 

    “Coal power is the highest cost form of energy in the grid, and this doesn’t change Colorado’s plan to phase out coal power. Protecting our air quality is critical for the health of our communities and kids. While the Administration’s proposal is disappointing, I am unfortunately not surprised to see the President slash through standards that protect our clean air from reckless polluters and force ratepayers to pay more for high priced legacy coal power. Despite some in Washington, D.C. putting special interests over the health of Americans, Colorado will stay the course and move towards more affordable, resilient, and lower cost energy. We are a leader in air quality protection and investment in the innovative clean energy solutions of the future,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. 

    “Colorado has worked hard to build strong, science-based protections to ensure clean air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Rolling back these federal safeguards threatens both public health and climate progress, undoing one of the most significant national strategies to cut greenhouse gas pollution from power plants. Regardless of what happens in Washington, Colorado will stay the course, with policies that prioritize the health of our residents, protect the air we breathe, and advance our climate goals.” 

    Under Governor Polis’s leadership, Colorado electric utilities are on track to exceed their goal of 80% pollution reduction by 2030, and are making progress toward 100% clean energy by 2040. Each year in office, Governor Polis has signed legislation and implemented effective policy to accelerate clean energy, lead on climate action, and protect Colorado communities from air pollution. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Palm Beach County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    MIAMI – Tyreek J. Clermont, 24, of Boynton Beach, was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clermont pled guilty to charge earlier this year.

    According to the court record, on October 22, 2023, a Martin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by the defendant on South Kanner Highway. The defendant was smoking a marijuana cigarette when the deputy approached the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, approximately 31.59 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and 1.58 grams of dimethylpentylone – a dangerous designer drug.

    At the time he possessed the 9mm, Clermont had prior Florida felony convictions for robbery, gun, and drug crimes. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division and Sheriff John M. Budensick of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

    ATF Miami Field Office and MCSO investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.

    This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14042.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mrvan Announces Winner of 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (IN)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced that Adam Tenbarge II of Chesterton High School is the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition.  Adam used paint and colored pencils to create his winning artwork, “Journey Through Indiana,” which captures the varied landscapes of Northwest Indiana. 

    Congressman Mrvan stated, “Thank you to all of the creative students across Indiana’s First Congressional District who participated in the Congressional Art Competition and showcased their artistic ability.  Congratulations to Adam from Chesterton High School on creating such a moving piece of artwork representing our region.” 

    Adam Tenbarge II stated, “I wanted viewers of this piece to get a feel for Northwest Indiana. I hope people are inspired to visit our region after seeing my artwork.”

    Colin May, Art Department Chair at Chesterton High School, stated, “Adam’s powerful creativity is on full display in this piece!  Adam is known for his outstanding technical skill and I had absolute confidence he could pull off such an ambitious piece.  It has stunning color, strong composition and a knowing homage to our beloved northwestern region.  He captured the beauty, serenity and charm of our great state.  I’m so proud of the perseverance he showed to make this happen.  Well done, Adam!”

    Brent Martinson, Principal of Chesterton High School, stated, “We are incredibly proud of Adam Tenbarge II for being named the winner of the Congressional Art Competition.  His talent and dedication to his craft are inspiring, and it’s an honor to see his work recognized at the national level.”

    Dr. Chip Pettit, Superintendent of Duneland School Corporation, stated, “Adam Tenbarge II’s recognition as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition is a tremendous honor for him, his family, and the entire Duneland community.  His artistic talent reflects the excellence we strive for in our schools, and we’re thrilled to see his work showcased in our nation’s capital.”

    Janet Bloch, Executive Director of the Lubeznik Center for the Arts and Judge of the Congressional Art Competition, stated, “It was a privilege to jury the competition this year. The dunes, Lake Michigan and the steel mills define our surroundings.  This landscape impacts the way people in our region think, what we value, what we do recreationally, and how we define beauty.  The winning submission depicts these various settings under one unified sky.” 

    To learn more about the Congressional Art Competition, click here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • ‘National Tragedy’: Amit Shah meets Air India flight crash sole survivor, reviews emergency response

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday described the crash of Air India Flight AI171 as a “national tragedy that has plunged the entire country into mourning” and expressing grief over the immense loss of life, assured families of the victims that the government will provide unwavering support during this time of sorrow.

    Amit Shah visited the Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, to meet the sole survivor, other victims’ families, and assess the medical response. He also chaired a high-level review meeting with officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Gujarat government to oversee rescue operations and coordinate investigations.

    “This heartbreaking incident has shaken us all,” he said at a press briefing. “The Hon’ble Prime Minister reached out immediately, and all relevant departments of the Government of India, along with the Gujarat Government, are working together on relief and rescue operations.”

    Providing an update on the casualties, he noted: “The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers, including both Indian nationals and foreign citizens, as well as 12 crew members. Amidst this tragedy, I have received some hopeful news -one passenger has survived. I have personally met him.”

    In a post on social media platform X earlier, Amit Shah expressed his anguish: “Pained beyond words by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Disaster response forces were swiftly mobilised. I have spoken with Gujarat CM Shri Bhupendra Patel, State Home Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi, and the Police Commissioner to take full stock of the situation.”

    Shah emphasised the scale and severity of the disaster, revealing that DNA identification is currently underway to formally confirm the identities of the deceased.

    “Only after the DNA process is completed will we be able to release the names,” he said.

    The minister also highlighted the catastrophic nature of the incident, noting that the blaze erupted with such intensity after the plane went down that “there was no opportunity to save anything.”

    The wreckage was quickly engulfed, making immediate rescue efforts extremely difficult.

    The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, crashed minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a doctors’ hostel near a medical college.

    The impact triggered a devastating explosion, resulting in the deaths of over 200 individuals, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground. Authorities are continuing recovery and identification operations.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Peepeekisis Cree Nation breaks ground for new funeral home

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 12, 2025 — Peepeekisis Cree Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, Lorlie, Saskatchewan — Indigenous Services Canada

    Today, community members and leaders of Peepeekisis Cree Nation held a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction phase of the Peepeekisis Funeral Home, developed by Peepeekisis Developments LTD. The funeral home will provide a safe space for mourning and celebration, where traditions and cultural practices are respected and honoured.

    The custom-built facility, spanning over 9500 square feet, will offer a variety of services and products, including cremation, caskets, video tributes, obituary writing, and more.

    Indigenous Services Canada provided $1 million in funding to this project through the Community Opportunity Readiness Program (CORP) to support the development, construction, and operation of the new funeral home business.

    The facility is expected to open in early 2026.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Introduces Amendment to Uphold Congress’s Constitutional Authority—House Republicans Stunningly Vote No

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 11, 2025

    Washington, D.C.— Just after midnight, during a House Appropriations Committee meeting, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced a simple amendment to affirm Congress’s exclusive constitutional authority to control federal spending and act as a co-equal branch of government.

    Stunningly, all 35 House Republicans on the Committee voted against it.

    By rejecting the amendment, Republicans sided with dramatically expanding executive power—undermining the separation of powers laid out in Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution.

    Watch Rep. Levin’s opening and closing remarks here (captioned) and here (clean). 

    Watch the full Committee debate on the amendment here.

    Full text of the amendment is here and below:

    “Sec. ___. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury of the United States derived by the collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be obligated or expended to—

    (1) carry out or facilitate activities that restrict or redirect funds in any way that is not outlined in this Act or in statute.”

    Rep. Levin will continue to introduce amendments during the Appropriations process to hold the Trump Administration accountable and ensure that Congress’s constitutional powers are respected.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Tours Western North Carolina, Touts Hope4NC and Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Supporting Hurricane Helene Recovery

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Tours Western North Carolina, Touts Hope4NC and Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Supporting Hurricane Helene Recovery

    NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai Tours Western North Carolina, Touts Hope4NC and Healthy Opportunities Pilots for Supporting Hurricane Helene Recovery
    kcano1

    North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai toured western North Carolina this week, where he learned more about two critical support programs for people recovering from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene.

    First, Secretary Sangvai went to Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness in Henderson County to highlight the work of the Hope4NC program, which is delivering critical mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) support for communities in western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene. 

    Hope4NC crisis counselors on the ground in western North Carolina have delivered life-saving help to thousands of residents impacted by the storm in the past nine months.

    “There is no right or wrong way to feel during and after a catastrophic disaster like Hurricane Helene,” said Secretary Sangvai. “Programs like Hope4NC have been vital to connect people to the care and resources they need when and where they need them.”

    Between September 2024 and May 2025, Hope4NC has supported western North Carolinians and delivered more than 11,300 individual or group counseling services and supportive contacts, more than 200,000 assessments, referrals and media outreach contacts, and answered more than 7,300 calls to their free, confidential 24/7 helpline.

    Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness is a non-profit community organization founded and run by peer support specialists. It offers a safe and relaxed setting where individuals struggling with SUD and/or mental health hurdles can come to receive varying levels of support, free of charge.

    “Hope4NC has been vital in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” said Love and Respect Executive Director Lexie Wilkins. “Our community was in shock and had experienced a traumatic event. We engaged many individuals who may have never utilized our resources otherwise. Partners like Hope4NC came in to stabilize and provided access to resources. Sending North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialists and counselors that our participants could access alongside our services has been life changing. They have given our community a sense of hope.”

    During his visit in western North Carolina, Secretary Sangvai also toured and met with representatives from Caja Solidaria, a human service organization serving Henderson and Transylvania Counties that provides fresh foods for Medicaid-eligible families through the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program.

    HOP began in 2022 as the nation’s first comprehensive program to test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidence-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation and interpersonal safety and toxic stress to high-needs Medicaid enrollees.

    As of April 30, 2025, more than 43,000 people were registered in the pilot program and had received more than one million services across 33 counties. Participants in the HOP program visit the emergency room less often, reducing the cost of needed medical care for enrollees by more than a thousand dollars per person, per year.

    “The Healthy Opportunities Pilot program proves the best way to lower health care costs and create healthier communities is to reduce the need for medical care in the first place and has changed the lives of thousands of people,” Secretary Sangvai said. “I know lawmakers in western North Carolina recognize the incredible impact this program is having, and I am hopeful they are continuing to look for ways to support its future.”

    Current versions of the North Carolina House and Senate budgets do not include any funding for HOP. Without continued funding from the General Assembly, no new services will be possible after June 30, 2025, impacting thousands of people in North Carolina. 

    El Secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai, recorrió el oeste de Carolina del Norte esta semana, donde aprendió más sobre dos programas de apoyo críticos para las personas que se recuperan de la devastación dejada por el huracán Helene.

    Primero, el secretario Sangvai fue a Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness en el condado de Henderson para destacar el trabajo del programa Hope4NC, que brinda apoyo crítico para la salud mental y el trastorno por consumo de sustancias (SUD, por sus siglas en inglés) a las comunidades del oeste de Carolina del Norte afectadas por el huracán Helene.

    Los asesores de crisis de Hope4NC en el oeste de Carolina del Norte prestaron ayuda para salvar a miles de habitantes afectados por la tormenta en los últimos nueve meses.

    “No hay una manera correcta o incorrecta de sentirse durante y después de un desastre catastrófico como el huracán Helene”, dijo el secretario Sangvai. “Los programas como Hope4NC han sido muy importantes para conectar a las personas con la atención y los recursos que necesitan cuando y donde los necesitan”.

    Entre septiembre de 2024 y mayo de 2025, Hope4NC ha apoyado a los habitantes del oeste de Carolina del Norte y ha brindado más de 11,300 servicios de asesoramiento individual o grupal y contactos de apoyo, más de 200,000 evaluaciones, referencias y contactos de divulgación en los medios, y ha respondido más de 7,300 llamadas a su línea de ayuda gratuita y confidencial las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana.

    Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness es una organización comunitaria sin fines de lucro fundada y dirigida por especialistas en apoyo entre pares. Ofrece un entorno seguro y relajado donde las personas que batallan con SUD u obstáculos de salud mental pueden llegar a recibir diferentes niveles de apoyo, de forma gratuita.

    “Hope4NC ha sido vital a raiz del huracán Helene”, dijo la Directora Ejecutiva de Love and Respect, Lexie Wilkins. “Nuestra comunidad estaba en estado de shock y había experimentado un evento traumático. Involucramos a muchas personas que tal vez nunca hayan utilizado nuestros recursos de otra manera. Socios como Hope4NC llegaron para estabilizar y proporcionar acceso a los recursos. El envío de especialistas y consejeros certificados de apoyo entre pares de Carolina del Norte para que nuestros participantes pudieran acceder junto con nuestros servicios ha cambiado la vida. Le han dado a nuestra comunidad un sentido de esperanza”.

    Durante su visita al oeste de Carolina del Norte, el Secretario Sangvai también realizó una gira y se reunió con representantes de Caja Solidaria, una organización de servicios humanos que presta servicios a los condados de Henderson y Transylvania proporcionando alimentos frescos a las familias elegibles para Medicaid a través del programa Piloto de Oportunidades Saludables (HOP, por sus siglas en inglés).

    HOP comenzó en 2022 como el primer programa integral de la nación para probar y evaluar el impacto de proporcionar intervenciones selectas no médicas basadas en evidencia relacionadas con la vivienda, la alimentación, el transporte, la seguridad interpersonal y el estrés tóxico a los miembros de Medicaid con altas necesidades.

    Al 30 de abril de 2025, más de 43,000 personas estaban registradas en el programa piloto y habían recibido más de un millón de servicios en 33 condados. Los participantes en el programa HOP visitan la sala de emergencias con menos frecuencia, reduciendo el costo de la atención médica necesaria para los miembros en más de mil dólares por persona, por año.

    “El programa Piloto de Oportunidades Saludables demuestra que la mejor manera de reducir los costos de atención médica y crear comunidades más saludables es reducir la necesidad de atención médica en primer lugar y ha cambiado la vida de miles de personas”, dijo el secretario Sangvai. “Sé que los legisladores en el oeste de Carolina del Norte reconocen el increíble impacto que está teniendo este programa, y espero que continúen buscando formas de apoyar su futuro”.

    Las versiones actuales de los presupuestos de la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado de Carolina del Norte no incluyen ningún financiamiento para HOP. Sin el financiamiento continuo de la Asamblea General, no serán posibles nuevos servicios después del 30 de junio de 2025, lo que afectará a miles de personas en Carolina del Norte.

    Jun 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: 21 State Attorneys General File Brief in Support of California’s Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Federalization of State’s National Guard

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – Yesterday, 21 state attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting California’s request for a court order blocking the president’s unlawful federalization and deployment of the California National Guard. The amicus brief outlines how President Donald Trump’s actions are wholly inconsistent with our nation’s founding principle that freedom depends on the subordination of the military to civilian authority. 

    “President Trump’s federalization and deployment of California’s National Guard, without the consent of California’s Governor and in clear violation of the statute on which he relies, is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. It is also wholly inconsistent with one of our Nation’s founding principle that freedom depends on the subordination of the military to civilian authority.

    “By calling forth troops when there is no invasion to repel, no rebellion to suppress, and when state and local law enforcement is fully able to execute the laws, the President flouts the vision of our Founders, undermines the rule of law, and sets a chilling precedent that puts the constitutional rights of Americans in every state at risk.

    “Emergency relief is vitally necessary to vindicate state sovereignty and protect the States’ National Guards, which play a vital role in ensuring the security of our states and preparing for and responding to emergencies. States rely on their National Guard units to protect their residents and save lives. National Guard troops fight fires, respond to hurricanes, protect their residents from flooding, and provide much-needed security. 

    “By undermining states’ authority, unlawfully deploying the National Guard troops, and leaving the door wide open to deploy the Guards of every state, the President has made us all less safe. 

    “This Court should enjoin the federal government from continuing down this unlawful and perilous path.” 

    The brief was filed by the state attorneys general of Washington, Delaware, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly also joined the brief. 

    A copy of the brief is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Adderall on Darknet Marketplace Sites

    Source: US FBI

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three New York men and a New Jersey man have been sentenced to prison for conspiracy to create a counterfeit substance and distribute methamphetamine.

    According to court documents, Gregory Castillo-Rosario, 32, of Brooklyn, New York; Joseph James Vasquez, 33, of Brooklyn; Joshua William Vasquez, aka Fredrico Sanchez and Luis Santos, 32, of Jackson Township, New Jersey; and Rafael Antonio Roman, 35, of Brooklyn, manufactured and distributed thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills that contained meth. They distributed the pills through three identified darknet marketplace (DM) drug vendor aliases: MrJohnson, NuveoDeluxe, and AllStateRx.

    The conspirators operated the vendor pages, posted listings for controlled substances, processed orders, packaged controlled substances using methods designed to evade law enforcement detection, and shipped the counterfeit pills to customers nationwide via the U.S. Postal Service. Payment from customers typically came in the form of cryptocurrency.

    The counterfeit Adderall were round, orange pills, debossed with “b974” on one side and “30” on the other to appear to be generic Adderall. The pills did not contain the active ingredients of the pharmaceutically manufactured drug, however, and instead contained meth. The conspirators advertised the counterfeit pills as Adderall, and while the NuveoDeluxe vendor page explicitly advertised its pills as containing meth, the AllStateRx and MrJohnson pages did not.

    The conspirators purchased meth over the darknet and used high-speed grinders to grind it into powder form. The conspirators also bought binding materials, mechanical pill presses, and pill press attachments to transform the meth into counterfeit Adderall pills.

    After a series of controlled buys, on Feb. 21, 2024, law enforcement searched a commercial facility used by the conspiracy that was leased and operated by members of Roman’s family as well as the residences of Joshua Vasquez and Roman. At the facility, investigators recovered two pill presses used to make the pills, three high-speed grinders used to grind bulk meth, and approximately 39,996 counterfeit pills. 

    At Joshua Vasquez’s residence, investigators found $298,108 in cash, and Vasquez had $15,726 on his person at the time of his arrest.

    At Roman’s residence, investigators recovered approximately 34,593 counterfeit pills, a handgun, three loaded ammunition magazines, and approximately $34,820.

    Analysis of the vendor pages’ sales showed the three vendor pages were responsible for over 13,000 sales of counterfeit Adderall pills nationwide. When added to the pills seized as part of the investigation, analysis showed the conspiracy was responsible for at least 320 kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills either manufactured for distribution or distributed across the United States.

    Joshua Vasquez pled guilty on April 24, 2024. On July 25, 2024, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

    Joseph Vasquez pled guilty on April 15, 2024. On Aug. 8, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

    Roman pled guilty on May 30, 2024. On Nov. 14, 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

    Castillo-Rosario pled guilty on Jan. 3, 2024. He was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Emily Odom, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Carter prosecuted the case.

    The investigation was supported by the Justice Department’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team’s Operation RapTor, a global initiative to disrupt the sale of illicit narcotics on the darknet.

    The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Howell Township Police Department, Marlboro Township Police Department, Asbury Park Police Department, Freehold Borough Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Wall Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police Department, and New York Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:24-cr-76 (Joseph Vasquez), 1:24-cr-83 (Joshua Vasquez), 1:24-cr-114 (Roman), and 1:24-cr-276 (Castillo-Rosario).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two men convicted following fatal stabbing in Tower Hamlets

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been convicted of the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Abdul Jalloh in Tower Hamlets last year.

    Shamiah McKenzie, 18 (01.08.06), of Colvin Close, Lewisham was found guilty of murder and Codee Godfrey, 19 (25.12.05), of Grosvenor Wharf Road, Tower Hamlets, was found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 12 June.

    In a trial which started on Monday, 28 April, the court heard that police were called at around 16:15hrs on Monday, 5 August 2024 to reports of a stabbing on New Union Close, E14.

    The jury were told Abdul was attacked while unarmed and vulnerable behind the wheel of his car.

    Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Abdul died a short time later as a result of a stab wound to his neck.

    Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller, from Specialist Crime North – who led the investigation – said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Abdul Jalloh, who lost a loved one in shocking circumstances.

    “By carrying and using a knife, McKenzie’s callous act demonstrates once again the devastating and far-reaching effects of knife crime.

    “I therefore commend the officers who worked incredibly hard to build evidence against McKenzie and Godfrey in order to prove that there could be no doubt as to their guilt. London will be a safer place with them taken off the streets.

    “I also want to thank the local community who came forward to assist officers with footage they had on the day. They displayed immense courage in giving evidence to the court.”

    A manhunt began immediately, with officers painstakingly combing through hours of CCTV footage and digital evidence to understand what took place, identify the attackers and track their movements after they fled the scene.

    As a result of this meticulous work, officers were also able to show the jury how the pair had been circling the Isle of Dogs on bicycles for more than an hour looking for Abdul.

    After the attack they threw the knife and its sheath and McKenzie’s bicycle into the Thames at Caledonian Wharf. As paramedics tried to save Abdul’s life, the pair packed their bloody clothing and footwear into bags.

    Officers uncovered that they changed into summer clothes and then disposed of the bags and two mobile phones in nearby bushes. In the bag officers found £3k worth of cannabis, £2k in cash, a vacuum sealing machine used to package drugs, and business cards containing their phone numbers.

    McKenzie and Godfrey were so confident in their changed appearance that they returned to the Thames Path which was full of officers who were searching for Abdul’s killers.

    However, they themselves into police on Thursday, 8 August 2024 and were charged the following day.

    McKenzie and Godfrey will be sentenced on Friday, 20 June at the Old Bailey.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet and Entravel Partner to Enable Discounted Luxury Hotel Bookings with Crypto

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has partnered with Entravel, the world’s largest crypto-native hotel booking platform, to offer users access to a private club of over one million luxury hotels and resorts worldwide at exclusive, members-only rates. The integration introduces a new way for Bitget Wallet users to spend their digital assets on real-world experiences, directly within the app.

    This Web3-powered travel experience is designed to let users book premium hotels with crypto and card payments, enjoy prices up to 60% lower than mainstream platforms such as Expedia and Booking.com. Users can access stays at leading global hotel brands including Marriott, InterContinental, Hyatt, and more — all at exclusive discounted rates. Additional perks through Bitget Wallet’s ecosystem include members-only rates, up to 6% cashback for Bitget Wallet cardholders, and seamless in-app booking access — bringing real utility to digital assets.

    As a leading self-custodial crypto wallet focused on making crypto usable in everyday life, Bitget Wallet continues to expand beyond asset storage and trading. With the Entravel partnership, Bitget Wallet users now have an intuitive and secure way to spend their crypto on real-world experiences — starting with premium travel.

    “Entravel brings real-world utility to crypto,” said Alvin Kan, COO at Bitget Wallet. “This partnership lets our users turn digital assets into meaningful travel experiences — seamlessly and securely.”

    Key Benefits of Bitget Wallet x Entravel Hotels

    • Access to 1M+ premium & luxury hotels and resorts around the world
    • Up to 60% savings vs traditional hotel booking platforms
    • Members-only & insider rates
    • Up to 6% extra cashback for Bitget Wallet card holders
    • Seamless booking via the Bitget Wallet app and platform
    • Crypto payments supported

    “Partnering with Bitget Wallet brings premium travel at rare, discounted rates to a global crypto audience,” said Mathias Lundoe Nielsen, Founder & CEO of Entravel. “It’s a big step toward making crypto truly usable in everyday life.”

    This integration expands Bitget Wallet’s in-app marketplace, where users can spend digital assets across a growing range of everyday services such as regional shopping, mobile top-ups, hotel bookings, entertainment credits, prepaid virtual cards and more.

    About Bitget Wallet

    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, dApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook

    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    About Entravel

    The leading crypto-native hotel booking platform. Private members club, accessed by invitation only. The lowest prices on luxury hotels, with guarantee. Entravel partners with top-tier Web3 platforms to bring travel, savings, and convenience to the global crypto community.

    For more information, visit https://entravel.com/

    For media inquiries, contact marketing@entravel.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/169efbe7-b4b1-4081-9541-c0f7146f75ce

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Striim Announces Neon Serverless Postgres Support to Broaden Agentic AI Use Cases with Databricks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applications in the AI era depend on real-time data, but data ingestion and integration from legacy architectures often hold them back. Traditional ETL pipelines introduce latency, complexity, and stale intelligence, limiting the effectiveness of LLM-driven applications and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). For enterprises building on the Postgres stack, bridging that gap between operational data and real-time AI is critical.

    Open-source Postgres is widely deployed as the back-end database by developers to address operational requirements. Neon builds on this foundation with a new paradigm for the creation of databases by AI agents. Most recently, Databricks announced Lakebase, based on its acquisition of Neon—a fully managed Postgres database that is a popular choice to build AI Applications on.

    Now, Striim is excited to announce that it is expanding its Postgres offerings with high-throughput ingestion from Neon into Databricks for real-time analytics, as well as high-speed data delivery from legacy systems into Neon for platform and data modernization. Striim’s unified platform further allows vector embeddings to be built within the data pipeline while delivering real-time data into Neon and into Databricks for building Agentic AI use cases.

    Using Striim, developers can seamlessly migrate, integrate, or replicate transactional and event data along with in-flight vector embeddings, enriched context, and cleansed high-quality data from multiple operational stores into Neon. This modern integration allows modern agentic applications to be rapidly built with Neon as the transactional backend.

    With this added capability, organizations can:

    • Seamlessly replicate operational data in real-time from traditional systems like Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and hundreds of other sources to Neon, with zero downtime and automated schema evolution.
    • Enable real-time ingestion and Change Data Capture (CDC) from Neon into Databricks, ensuring AI models and analytics workloads always operate on fresh data.
    • Fuel Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and generative AI use cases natively within Neon or Databricks with inline data enrichment and vector embeddings.
    • Stream event data from Apache Kafka into Neon in real time, eliminating the need for brittle batch-based integrations.
    • Maintain end-to-end data governance with in-flight AI-driven PII detection and resolution, encryption, and support for customer-managed keys.

    “By extending our platform to support Neon and Databricks, we’re giving Postgres-native teams the tools to build real-time, AI-native architectures without rethinking their stack,” said Alok Pareek, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Engineering and Products at Striim. “Our mission is to help customers modernize from legacy platforms and legacy ETL to real-time agent-incorporated intelligence—and Striim’s Vector Agent and Neon CDC and delivery capabilities bring us one step closer to that future.”

    This expansion builds on Striim’s momentum with Databricks, following the support for Databricks Delta Lake with open Delta table formats, and the launch of SQL2Fabric-X, which unlocks real-time SQL Server data for both Microsoft Fabric and Azure Databricks. With Neon now part of the Striim ecosystem, Postgres users can join this wave of modernization: streaming operational data to fuel AI and analytics without sacrificing performance or reliability.

    To learn more about Striim’s support for Neon and Databricks, visit www.striim.com/connectors/databricks/ or contact our team at sales@striim.com.

    ABOUT STRIIM, INC.
    Striim pioneers real-time intelligence for AI by unifying data across clouds, applications, and databases via a fully managed, SaaS-based platform. Striim’s platform, optimized for modern cloud data warehouses, transforms relational and unstructured data into AI-ready insights instantly with advanced analytics and ML frameworks, enabling swift business action. Striim leverages its expertise in real-time data integration, streaming analytics, and database replication, including industry-leading Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB CDC technology, to achieve sub-second latency in processing over 100 billion daily events for ML analytics and proactive decision-making. To learn more, visit www.striim.com.

    Media Contact:
    Dianna Spring, Vice President of Marketing at Striim
    Phone: (650) 241-0680 ext. 354
    Email: press@striim.com

    Source: Striim, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 8th Wall Studio Wins Best Developer Tool Award at AWE USA 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONG BEACH, Calif., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 8th Wall, the 3D Engine for the AI era, has been awarded Best Developer Tool for 8th Wall Studio at the prestigious Auggie Awards, held during Augmented World Expo (AWE) USA 2025, the world’s largest event dedicated to augmented and virtual reality. The award recognizes excellence in empowering creators and developers to build groundbreaking immersive content, highlighting 8th Wall’s role as a leader in the XR development landscape.

    8th Wall Studio disrupts the legacy game engine model with a streamlined, browser-based platform designed to accelerate 3D and XR development. Developers can now build immersive experiences with AI-powered tools, real-time editing, and one-click deployment across web and native apps for mobile, desktop, and XR headsets.

    This recognition comes just as 8th Wall officially launched the general availability of Studio, a next-generation 3D development platform that marks a significant leap forward for developers. Newly released features include the AI-native Asset Lab, which allows creators to instantly generate images, 3D models, and animated characters using integrated generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s GPT Image 1 and Meshy. Studio’s native app export capability now supports Android, with iOS and other platforms coming soon, giving developers true cross-platform freedom.

    “Studio represents a new era in 3D and XR development, one where AI accelerates creativity, and cross-platform deployment is seamless,” said Erik Murphy-Chutorian, Founder of 8th Wall. “Winning this award at AWE reinforces our belief that the future of immersive content will be built in the browser, powered by AI, and accessible to everyone.”

    8th Wall is also pleased to recognize ARKx, Saatchi & Saatchi Germany, and Form&Fun Studio for winning Best Campaign for the OREO x PAC-MAN: The SuperMarcade AR experience powered by 8th Wall. Also a Webby and Cannes Lions winner, this immersive activation transformed supermarkets into real-life AR PAC-MAN mazes.

    Held annually, AWE USA draws over 5,000 attendees, 250 exhibitors, and 450 speakers across the XR ecosystem. Now in its 16th year, the event is focused on the AI+XR imperative, spotlighting how artificial intelligence is accelerating the adoption and potential of extended reality.

    Developers can start building with 8th Wall for free at www.8thwall.com. For the month of June, new signups get 50 additional bonus credits to do even more with 8th Wall’s new advanced features such as Asset Lab and native app export.

    About 8th Wall
    8th Wall is an award-winning 3D & XR development platform that makes it possible to build interactive, immersive content that can be experienced on any device. 8th Wall supports billions of devices globally and has been used by developers, agencies and creative studios to create 3D/AR activations for brands across industry verticals including retail, food and beverage, travel and tourism, automotive, fashion, sports and entertainment. 8th Wall has powered WebAR experiences for top brands such as Nike, Porsche, Sony Pictures, Burger King, General Mills, British Gas, Heineken, McDonald’s, Swiss Airlines, Toyota, Red Bull, Adidas, COACH and more. 8th Wall, LLC is a subsidiary of Niantic Spatial, Inc. Learn more about 8th Wall at www.8thwall.com.

    Media Contact
    Joel Udwin
    press@8thwall.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: XRP News: Strong Momentum Spotted in Nimanode Presale as It Explodes Past 15% of Softcap – Don’t Miss Out

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEEDS, United Kingdom, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As BTC reclaims $110,000 and Etherum poised to break it’s early high, early talks of recovery in the crypto markets are here, however while it might seem a bit late to take a position in the rally markets, valuable Altcoins such as Nimanode is poised to give those explosive returns in the markets.

    As the XRP Ledger is experiencing a surge of renewed momentum as Nimanode the first AI agent platform with a no-code builder on XRPL advances through its high-demand $NMA Token Presale raising over 15% of its soft cap target and the excitement just intensified.

    Join $NMA Presale

    All Eyes on Nimanode – Dont Miss Out

    FOMO is already building up as the Nimanode Presale momentum indicates strong confidence from early investors citing a belief in the project.

    Demand for the NMA token has also surged as tokens are set to be listed at an upward 25% price from presale prices at top XRPL exchanges like Magnetic, instant returns for early investors.

    How to Join in the Nimanode Presale

    Joining in the NimaNode Presale is quite straightforward

    Purchase XRP: Acquire XRP from reputable exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Bybit.

    Setup an XRP-Compatible Wallet: Send your XRP to an XRP compatible Wallet (e.g. Xaman).

    Participate in the Presale: Visit the NimaNode presale page (https://nimanode.com/presale), send your XRP to the provided presale address, and secure your $NMA tokens.

    There is a Limited Time Period of 30 Days for the Presale and it’s pricing is going at 1 XRP = 450 $NMA

    As Nimanode Presale gains momentum, now is a perfect opportunity to position at the next wave of Blockchain innovation poised for massive gains through the integration of Web3 and AI.

    Why Investors are Scooping Up $NMA

    From the desk of the development team at Nimanode, they are set to deliver an Agentic workforce handling various tasks autonomously. Features of these Ecosystem include but not limited to

    Zero-Code Agent Builder: Create and launch AI agents through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
    Autonomous On-Chain Agents: Agents can interact with dApps, execute logic, and respond to events
    Decentralized Agent Marketplace: Allows the community to deploy and monetize AI Agents
    Cross-Chain & Off-Chain Integration: Enable automation across multiple networks and external APIs

    $NMA – Fueling the Nimanode Ecosystem

    With 90 million $NMA tokens representing 45% of the total supply allocated for the presale, early birds have a rare opportunity to seize the advantage and invest in $NMA before its DEX Listing at 25% higher value mainly because of it various utilities in their ecosystem which include:

    Agent Deployment – Launching agents when holding a minimum $NMA balance

    Agent Upgrades – Skilled developers can hold $NMA to build custom agents and upgrades to them

    Agent Marketplace – Use $NMA to access premium agents or receive exclusive discounts

    Staking Benefits – Stake $NMA to earn passive income through the platform’s reward pool

    Governance Access – Participate in protocol decisions and vote on proposals that shape Nimanode’s future

    Join $NMA Presale

    Nimanode is a decentralized AI agent platform built on the XRP Ledger, offering no-code and developer tools to deploy on-chain AI agents that automate blockchain activity, optimize protocol interaction, and monetize intelligent services. By bridging AI with decentralized infrastructure, Nimanode is building the next evolution of digital work and Web3 automation.

    Connect with Nimanode

    Website: https://nimanode.com

    Twitter/X: https://x.com/nimanodeai

    Telegram: https://t.me/nimanodeAI

    Documentation: https://docs.nimanode.com

    Contact:
    Nick Lambert
    contact@nimanode.com

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

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/625cd0fe-6362-4233-a6d5-86f2e209233d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NBPE – Result of AGM

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NB Private Equity Partners Announces the Results of the Annual General Meeting

    St Peter Port, Guernsey 12 June 2025

    NB Private Equity Partners Limited (the “Company”) is pleased to announce that at the Annual General Meeting of its Class A Shareholders held at 1.45 p.m. on 12 June 2025, each of the Resolutions tabled were duly passed without amendment.

    All resolutions as set out in the Notice of AGM, of which resolutions 1-10 were proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 11 and 12 were proposed as special resolutions, were voted on by way of a poll and the results were as follows:

    Resolution Votes For % votes cast Votes Against % votes cast Votes Withheld*
    1. To receive the Audited Financial Statements and Directors Report for the year ended 31 December 2024.
    		 29,176,689 100% Nil Nil 28,512
    1. To approve the Directors Remuneration Report as set out in the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024.
    		 29,157,113 99.95% 14,774 0.05% 33,314
    1. To re-elect William Maltby as a Director of the Company.
    		 28,884,679 99.01% 289,794 0.99% 30,726
    1. To re-elect Trudi Clark as a Director of the Company.
    		 28,529,372 97.79% 645,101 2.21% 30,726
    1. To re-elect Wilken von Hodenberg as a Director of the Company.
    		 28,907,148 99.08% 267,005 0.92% 31,046
    1. To re-elect Louisa Symington-Mills as a Director of the Company.
    		 28,905,644 99.08% 268,098 0.92% 31,457
    1. To re-elect Pawan Dhir as a Director of the Company.
    		 28,905,637 99.09% 265,967 0.91% 33,595
    1. That KPMG Channel Islands Limited be re-appointed as auditor of the Company.
    		 26,983,892 92.49% 2,190,477 7.51% 30,832
    1. That the Directors may determine the remuneration of the auditors.
    		 28,794,977 98.69% 381,712 1.31% 28,512
    1. That the interim dividend paid on 28 February 2025 of $0.47 per share be approved and ratified.
    		 29,078,022 99.66% 98,614 0.34% 28,565
    1. That the Company be authorised in accordance with Section 315 of the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) to make market acquisitions of its ordinary shares in accordance with the terms set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting.
    		 29,060,885 99.6% 115,804 0.4% 28,512
    1. That the Directors be authorised to allot and issue (or sell from treasury) equity securities for cash, up to an aggregate amount not exceeding 9.99% of the Ordinary Shares in issue.
    		 28,938,707 99.19% 237,715 0.81% 28,779

    * A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution.

    Mr. John Falla retired from the Board upon the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting, and Mr. Dhir takes the role of the Audit Committee Chairman as set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting.

    For further information, please contact:

    NBPE Investor Relations        +44 20 3214 9002
    Luke Mason        NBPrivateMarketsIR@nb.com

    Kaso Legg Communications        +44 (0)20 3882 6644

    Charles Gorman        nbpe@kl-communications.com
    Luke Dampier
    Charlotte Francis

    About NB Private Equity Partners Limited
    NBPE invests in direct private equity investments alongside market leading private equity firms globally. NB Alternatives Advisers LLC (the “Investment Manager”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, is responsible for sourcing, execution and management of NBPE. The vast majority of direct investments are made with no management fee / no carried interest payable to third-party GPs, offering greater fee efficiency than other listed private equity companies. NBPE seeks capital appreciation through growth in net asset value over time while paying a bi-annual dividend.

    LEI number: 213800UJH93NH8IOFQ77

    About Neuberger Berman

    Neuberger Berman is an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager founded in 1939 with over 2,800 employees in 26 countries. The firm manages $515 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors and individuals. Neuberger Berman’s investment philosophy is founded on active management, fundamental research and engaged ownership. Neuberger Berman has been named by Pensions & Investments as the #1 or #2 Best Place to Work in Money Management for each of the last eleven years (firms with more than 1,000 employees). Visit www.nb.com for more information. Data as of March 31, 2025.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Conversation scoops two awards in one night, including Podcast Publisher of the Year

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Head of Audio, The Conversation UK

    The Conversation UK’s Head of Audio, Gemma Ware, at the Publisher Podcast Awards on June 11.

    The Conversation’s audio team is celebrating a very successful night at the Publisher Podcast awards where The Conversation won Podcast Publisher of the Year.

    The judges said: “This particular publisher has been entering these awards since the start and it’s been a real honour to watch their work grow in quality and depth each year, to the point they were placed in the top 3 of every single category they entered this year.”

    We were also thrilled that our recent series Scam Factories won the Best Investigative Podcast category in a very strong field. The series exposed the brutal workings of scam centres in south east Asia where thousands of people, many tricked into being there, are forced to work scamming others around the world. We worked with three researchers on a multimedia project and three part podcast series that involved producers and translators in Cambodia, China and Uganda.

    We’re a small team working across multiple time zones to bring academic expertise and research to new audiences in audio and I’m thrilled that our type of journalism has been recognised in this way.

    You can listen to all episodes of Scam Factories, now available on The Conversation Documentaries feed and explore the accompanying multimedia series.

    Visit our podcast page to explore our other podcasts including The Conversation Weekly, Know Your Place: what happened to class in British politics and The Conversation’s Curious Kids.

    – ref. The Conversation scoops two awards in one night, including Podcast Publisher of the Year – https://theconversation.com/the-conversation-scoops-two-awards-in-one-night-including-podcast-publisher-of-the-year-258879

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Micron Announces Massive Chips Investment, Onshoring Production

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Today, the Trump Administration announced a $200 billion investment by Micron Technology, the sole U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced memory chips – only the latest large-scale investment secured since President Donald J. Trump took office.
    The investment includes construction of a second chip fabrication facility in Boise, Idaho, and modernizing its Manassas, Virginia, facility — onshoring production of its advanced DRAM technology from Taiwan for the first time and creating 90,000 direct and indirect jobs.
    It’s all part of President Trump’s commitment to revitalizing American manufacturing and establishing the country as the global leader in technology — particularly in artificial intelligence.
    Since President Trump took office, leading technology companies have pledged trillions of dollars in U.S.-based manufacturing and production, including Project Stargate, Apple, NVIDIA, IBM, TSMC, and others.
    It’s another big win for American workers, national security, and leadership in the world — and the best is yet to come.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New artillery factory opens in Sheffield creating 200 skilled jobs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    New artillery factory opens in Sheffield creating 200 skilled jobs

    British exports and sovereign manufacturing have been boosted today with the opening of a new state-of-the-art artillery factory in Sheffield, creating 200 skilled British jobs. 

    • State-of-the-art artillery manufacturing facility opens in Sheffield. 
    • Defence Secretary visits new factory, which will create 200 skilled jobs and support more than 60 businesses in the supply chain. 
    • Export deals enable new facility to open, highlighting how defence is an engine for growth and supporting the Government’s Plan for Change. 

    The new factory, run by BAE Systems, was opened by the Defence Secretary John Healey, who visited the site today. The facility positions Sheffield as the home of UK artillery howitzer production, showing how defence is an engine for growth and a foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Successful export deals of more than £25 million made this factory possible, showcasing the British defence industry’s design and engineering prowess globally. It will create apprenticeship opportunities and support 60 businesses across the UK supply chain.

    This comes the week after the Government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) which confirmed a major £6bn commitment to munitions production this parliament, including £1.5bn for an ‘always on’ pipeline for munitions and at least six new energetics and munitions factories, meaning that the UK can innovate and rapidly restock key ammunition.  

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: 

    This new factory is a big boost for South Yorkshire and a significant step forward in strengthening our British defence industrial base. This is a vote of confidence in our world-leading defence sector and good, skilled British jobs, underpinned by this government’s Plan for Change.

    I welcome BAE Systems’ long-term commitment to this new site, which demonstrates how defence can be an engine for growth, bringing investment and opportunities to communities across the UK, including right here in South Yorkshire.

    The facility covers 94,000 sq ft, making it significantly larger than the pitch at Wembley stadium, and will manufacture the only combat-proven 155mm lightweight howitzer in the world, the British M777.

    The investment comes as the UK continues its support for Ukraine, while developing sovereign British manufacturing. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a contract to deliver 150 British-designed artillery barrels to Ukraine, working with nearby Sheffield Forgemasters to fulfil the government’s commitment.

    Fully operational later this year, the factory will initially focus on M777 lightweight howitzer manufacturing, with capacity to expand production lines. The site will evolve to develop and produce a range of world-class combat systems.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Premier Meets ECB Chief

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde in Beijing on Thursday, calling for greater openness and cooperation between the two sides.

    Recalling that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, Li Qiang said China hopes to continue making efforts with the EU to consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and jointly promote development and prosperity.

    As the head of the Chinese government noted, the economies of China and the EU are highly complementary, China has the advantage of a super-large market and continues to reveal its market potential. The parties have significant potential for cooperation in many areas, Li Qiang added.

    As two major economies and two major forces, China and the EU should carry out closer multilateral coordination, promote openness and cooperation, and make greater contributions to global economic recovery and improving global governance, the premier said.

    In addition, Li Qiang expressed China’s intention to strengthen cooperation with the ECB in such aspects as reforming the international monetary system. He also assured that China will resolutely expand its opening up to the outside world and share its development opportunities with all countries.

    K. Lagarde, for her part, noted that customs and trade wars will only lead to mutual loss; firm adherence to multilateralism and strengthening openness and cooperation are the right choice.

    As noted by K. Lagarde, the ECB is pleased to jointly establish with China the mechanism of central bank governors’ meetings and hold the first meeting within its framework, and also seeks to strengthen communication and coordination with Chinese financial institutions, expand and deepen areas of cooperation, jointly addressing global challenges. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: There are no specific agreements yet on the possibility of a personal meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States – new Russian ambassador to the United States

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, June 12 /Xinhua/ — There are no specific agreements yet on the possibility of a personal meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, the new Russian ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev said in an interview with TASS on Wednesday.

    “Contacts at the highest and high levels require careful preparation in terms of achieving significant results. In terms of planning, they are assumed, but at this stage, direct dialogue and exchange of signals are supported by intensive telephone communication. As for the possibility of a personal meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, there are no specific agreements on this matter yet,” A. Darchiev noted.

    According to him, Russia’s interaction with the United States on strategic stability cannot be separated from the overall situation in the military-political sphere. “In conditions where, under the previous administration, Washington became a de facto party to the conflict in Ukraine, and military assistance to the regime in Kyiv continues after the change of power in the White House, we cannot expect any progress in this sensitive area,” the ambassador noted.

    He stressed that a chance could only arise with a sustainable normalization of bilateral relations and US recognition of the fundamental postulates on which strategic stability is based: the indivisibility of security, equal interaction, and a willingness to take into account the inextricable link between strategic offensive and defensive weapons.

    “It should be especially noted that the widely advertised American plans for the accelerated creation of a multi-layered missile defense system, the Golden Dome, which has a clearly expressed and purely destabilizing space component, with the declared intention of intercepting enemy targets before launch, further delay the prospects of restarting the dialogue between Russia and the United States on strategic issues,” A. Darchiev emphasized. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: One Survivor Found After Indian Plane Crash – Media

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    NEW DELHI, June 12 (Xinhua) — One passenger from a plane that crashed in western India has been found alive hours after the tragedy, the Ahmedabad police chief confirmed on Thursday.

    However, the identity of the survivor has not yet been established.

    “Police have found one survivor sitting in seat 11A. He is currently undergoing medical treatment. I cannot say anything about the number of casualties yet. The death toll may increase as the plane crashed in a residential area,” Ahmedabad Police Chief G S Malik was quoted as saying.

    The Air India flight had 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian on board. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, about 17 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat state.

    There were also 12 crew members on board. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: G. Zandanshatar appointed as new Prime Minister of Mongolia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    ULAN BATOR, June 13 (Xinhua) — Mongolian Presidential Administration Chief of Staff Gombojavyn Zandanshatar was appointed as the new prime minister of Mongolia on Friday following a plenary session of the State Great Khural (parliament) of the country.

    His candidacy was submitted to the deputies for consideration by the President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. 92.3 percent of legislators voted for the candidacy of G. Zandanshatar. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Threat of Insurance Inspector Leads to 21-Month Sentence for Springfield Man Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    James Elliott was previously convicted in Kansas of aggravated assault, indecent conduct with a child

    BANGOR, Maine: A Springfield man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

    U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced James Elliott, 67, to 21 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Elliott pleaded guilty on February 4, 2025.

    According to court records, in February 2024, a deputy from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report that Elliott had threatened an insurance company home inspector with a firearm. During a search of Elliott’s home in March 2024, deputies found six firearms, including a loaded .44 magnum lever-action rifle. Elliott is precluded from possessing firearms due to two prior felony convictions in the state of Kansas.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine Warden Service, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ypsilanti Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Mubasher Riaz, 41, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison after having pleaded guilty to charges of coercion and enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

    Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

    According to court records, in July 2023, local police in Maumee, Ohio, learned that Riaz was messaging a 13-year-old girl, Minor Victim 1 (MV-1) on Snapchat. Communications between Riaz and MV-1 showed that Riaz had requested and received nude images of the minor and that he attempted to gather information about her home with the intent to meet with her to engage in sexual activity.  FBI agents reviewed Riaz’s Snapchat communications and found that Riaz messaged numerous other individuals on Snapchat who identified themselves as minors, some as young as 11 years old. For example, Riaz communicated with Minor Victim 2 (MV-2), who was 13 years old when Riaz contacted her. Riaz drove to MV-2’s foster home and engaged in sexual activity with her in his parked car. Riaz offered MV-1 and MV-2 tobacco and other items in exchange for sex acts. As part of his sentence, Riaz will be required to pay $150,000 in restitution to his minor victims.

    “This defendant preyed in the most disgusting ways on vulnerable girls as young as 11 years old. Those are the actions of an evil man. And we will do everything in our power to prosecute fiends who prowl around pursuing our children,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.

    “The sentencing of Mubasher Riaz sends a powerful and unequivocal message: those who exploit children will be investigated aggressively and held fully accountable under federal law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I commend the exceptional efforts of our Ann Arbor Resident Agency and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Their unwavering dedication to justice was instrumental in securing this conviction. The FBI in Michigan is resolute in its mission to protect children and ensure that anyone who seeks to harm them will face justice.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Zurek. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington man sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing meth, fentanyl and heroin

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Tacoma, Washington man who possessed and distributed drugs that impacted Butte and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 14 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Scott Trent Miller, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on September 11, 2024, law enforcement in Butte was informed by a source that Miller was routinely traveling from Washington to Montana to sell drugs. Law enforcement surveilled Miller at a hotel in Butte. They saw him leave and get into a car with another person. A traffic stop was conducted, and Miller denied a request to search the vehicle. During a pat search of Miller, officers found a marijuana pipe and $1,583 in cash. Drug paraphernalia was also found on the other person in the car.

    An officer with a K9 dog was called to the scene and the K9 alerted to the scent of illegal drugs. A search warrant was issued, and officers seized a trash bag containing a large amount of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, 100 fentanyl pills, and heroin.

    Law enforcement reviewed Facebook records for Miller’s account, which showed him messaging individuals for the purpose of distributing drugs.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, State of Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Blackfeet Tribes Department of Law and Justice.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Air India crash: what do we know about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved? Expert Q&A

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ali Elham, Professor of Design Optimisation, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Southampton

    Motive56 / Shutterstock

    An Air India plane bound for London Gatwick airport crashed shortly after take-off on 12 January in Ahmedabad, western India. Flight AI171 was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

    Here, Professor Ali Elham, from the University of Southampton’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, speaks to The Conversation’s Paul Rincon about the plane involved in the crash, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

    How does Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner differ from other passenger planes?

    The Dreamliner was a huge breakthrough in aircraft design. For example, it was the first Boeing aircraft with more than 50% composite material in its structure. In this case, composite material refers mainly to carbon fibre. This carbon fibre was replacing parts of the structure that would have been made from aluminium in previous types of aircraft. This contributed to a huge reduction in aircraft weight.

    There were many innovations in the 787, making it very different from previous iterations of Boeing aircraft, such as the 747 and 767.

    The combination of new engines, improved aerodynamics, and significant weight reduction – largely due to the use of composite materials – resulted in notable reductions in both fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft. Another feature was the greatly increased electrification of the plane, with more use of batteries for onboard power systems.

    What is the Dreamliner’s safety record like?

    The Dreamliner has a very good safety record and has been flying for many years without significant problems. But when the plane was new, in 2013 or so, there were a few incidents in which the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries overheated, in some cases resulting in smoke or even catching fire, both on the ground and during flight. There were no casualties and the aircraft were all able to land safely. But Boeing grounded all Dreamliners for a few months.

    Boeing intensively investigated the problem. They redesigned the batteries, they redesigned the battery containers and then they ran tests and an extensive certification process that allowed them to return the Dreamliners to flight. Since then, there have been no incidents with batteries as far as I am aware.

    Batteries were used instead of getting power from the gas turbines in the engines. The power is used for instruments, for electronics and many other aircraft systems. Increased electrification – getting more of the aircraft’s power from batteries – contributes to reducing carbon emissions, because the gas turbines run on kerosene.

    Do any details currently known about the crash narrow down the search for the cause?

    It’s too early to say anything about the cause of the crash, and as far as I’m aware no official details have been released about the cause.

    Generally speaking, however, when you investigate air crashes, they often involve a chain of problems. One thing happens, then a number of events follow from that. So it might not be one cause here.

    This crash occurred shortly after takeoff. While flying is statistically the safest form of transport, the takeoff and landing phases are generally considered the most critical. This is because aircraft operate closer to the ground, with less time and altitude to respond to technical issues or sudden changes. Although not inherently dangerous, these phases carry a higher risk of incidents compared to cruising at altitude.

    What will the crash investigation focus on?

    They will investigate everything. They will search for the data recorders (black boxes), which are designed to survive a crash. If these are recovered, investigators will be able to view all the flight data, hear all the cockpit conversations. They will take all the information from the control tower. Sometimes clues can be found from all this data. They will also examine the wreckage of the aircraft in detail.

    It’s a different situation from the Boeing 737 Max groundings, which followed two crashes linked to a specific and repeatable software flaw. Similarly, when the Dreamliner first entered service, a series of battery overheating incidents revealed a systemic issue that led regulators to temporarily ground the fleet.

    In the current case, unless investigators identify a recurring technical problem that poses an immediate risk to other 787s, a fleet-wide grounding would be unlikely. Safety is always the top priority, but regulatory responses typically depend on whether an issue appears to be isolated or part of a broader pattern.

    It must be said that the 787 Dreamliner has a very good safety record. It had a very long certification period with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US.

    Ali Elham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Air India crash: what do we know about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved? Expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/air-india-crash-what-do-we-know-about-the-boeing-787-dreamliner-involved-expert-qanda-258853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tornado is a Scottish samurai-western film – genres with a long-shared history

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Wroot, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of Greenwich

    Tornado fuses aspects of the western and samurai-style action in atmospheric 18th-century Scotland. Critics have praised the performances of Tim Roth, Jack Lowden and newcomer Kôki who plays the titular Tornado.

    Director John Maclean’s appreciation of both westerns and samurai films is undeniable in Tornado, a stylistic tale of revenge, violence and stolen gold. Any filmmaker’s visual flair and storytelling choices stand out against these conventions. This was also the case with Maclean’s excellent revisionist take on the western genre, Slow West, which was released in 2015.

    The western and the samurai film are not as popular as they once were, especially in the 1960s and 70s. But their characteristics are still hugely influential, as Tornado demonstrates. The film highlights specific parallels between the two genres. In particular, tales of lone warriors, gangs of greedy bandits, violent revenge and stolen treasure, are recurring motifs in both cinematic traditions.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    In most Hollywood films, any character who wields a samurai sword is referred to as a samurai. However, a samurai sword might be wielded by a soldier, a yakuza or a ronin (a wandering lone swordsman).

    The real samurai were salaried warriors, who swore loyalty to a local lord in Japan’s medieval era, in return for money, food and shelter. They typically use a long sword (katana) and two shorter swords, known as the wakizashi and the tanto.

    But as Japanese swords are most often associated with samurai in western culture, the name has stuck. In Japan, such films are more likely to be called chanbara (sword-action) films. This includes Tornado, which will most likely be marketed as a chanbara title if it is released in Japan.

    In Japan, Fujin (Takehiro Hira) and his daughter Tornado will be seen as closer to wandering swordsman characters from long-running series, like the Zatoichi franchise, than samurai.

    The trailer for Tornado.

    Western-samurai influences

    One of the most influential Japanese films to have samurai in the title is clearly a touchstone for Tornado. Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) has produced many remakes, including two film versions of The Magnificent Seven (released in 1960 and 2016), and intergalactic adaptations such as Battle Beyond The Stars (1980).

    The antagonists in Seven Samurai were bandits, which is also the case in Tornado. The unlikely gang is made up of characters with various deadly skills, as were the heroes in the 1954 epic.

    Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) and Yojimbo (1961) were also remade as westerns. The Outrage and A Fistful of Dollars were released in 1964. Some of the most famous and popular samurai films involve stories of swordsmen banding together, or taking on villains alone – plots which can be easily adapted to the wild west setting.

    Still, influence works both ways. Akira Kurosawa was an admirer of John Ford’s western films before his own work was remade in Hollywood. Various other Japanese pictures, from The Rambling Guitarist (1959) to Sukiyaki Western Django (2007), have paid homage to westerns over the years. And in 2013, Japanese actor Ken Watanabe starred in a Japanese remake of Clint Eastwood’s award-winning film Unforgiven (originally released in 1992).

    Nine films that were inspired by Seven Samurai.

    Similarly to Japanese period films, westerns continue to be made, though far fewer. With lower budgets often comes revisionist takes on their historical setting, alongside the reduced chances of actually making a western in the US. Slow West (2015) and The Power of the Dog (2021) were predominantly filmed in New Zealand.

    In Australia there is also a long history of the outback western, often set in the 19th century. The Proposition (2005) is a celebrated 21st century example.

    So Tornado is in good company. And Maclean has made a sound decision to take samurai and western cinematic influences to Scotland. At the time of writing, no historical evidence confirms the possibility of wandering Japanese swordsmen in this part of the world in the 18th century. But in film history, samurai and gunslingers have travelled around the world many times.

    Jonathan Wroot does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Tornado is a Scottish samurai-western film – genres with a long-shared history – https://theconversation.com/tornado-is-a-scottish-samurai-western-film-genres-with-a-long-shared-history-258251

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK’s small businesses should be fuelling the country’s growth ambitions. Here’s why that’s not happening

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Danny Buckley, Workplace Learning Director, Loughborough University

    Today a van, tomorrow the world … with the right support. jgolby/Shutterstock

    The UK government’s spending review has set out its priorities for the next three years. But behind the rhetoric about boosting growth lies growing concern about small businesses being locked out of the wider UK economy. Government funding and regulation are increasingly out of step with the reality of micro-enterprises and sole traders, shutting off their potential to boost GDP growth.

    These businesses already punch above their weight, accounting for 60% of private-sector employment and more than half of total business turnover. Yet while recent budgets have pushed up costs through higher employer national insurance (NI) contributions and minimum wage rises, little meaningful relief has been offered in return.

    As a result, a recent British Chambers of Commerce survey found that 82% of businesses expect the NI hike to damage their business. More than half say it will affect recruitment plans, prices and day-to-day operations.

    Working with small businesses, apprentices and local enterprise leaders, we have seen how government support schemes often fail to reach those who need them most. Our research into informal work and legitimacy shows that many micro-businesses (ten employees or fewer) and sole traders operate in a space where regulatory demands feel misaligned with their economic reality.

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    Across the UK, many micro-businesses already operate on a thin margin. For some, formal compliance with tax, labour and reporting obligations is simply out of reach. This is not due to unwillingness, but rather to a lack of manpower and time. In short, it is not about criminality, but survival.

    And when formality becomes unviable, the government loses out too through reduced tax receipts, lower NI contributions and missed opportunities for growth.

    In our research, we’ve found that formal and informal business owners don’t reject regulation outright. They reject complex systems that demand compliance without offering security. When the risks of being “seen” by the taxman outweigh the benefits, informality becomes a rational, even morally justifiable, choice.

    Informality is a significant global issue. According to the 2025 report by the International Labour Organization, even in high-income countries like the UK around one in ten workers are informally employed. And more than 60% of these people are working within formal enterprises, typically as undeclared workers.

    Informal work is most common in service and construction industries, and despite high education levels, nearly one in four informal workers lives below the poverty line. This compares to just 14% of formal workers.

    Barriers to growth

    In the UK, regulatory structures can make matters worse. The VAT threshold, recently raised to £90,000, may appear generous. But it can act as a cliff edge, discouraging small businesses from growing.

    Evidence from the International Monetary Fund shows that firms often intentionally limit turnover to avoid registration. Compliance costs and administrative burdens create a clear disincentive to scaling up.

    The slowdown is measurable. Small businesses reduce growth by up to 25% as they near the threshold, with no rebound in performance post-registration. This suggests a structural effect rather than temporary caution. Around one in five firms reports actively avoiding VAT registration by turning down work or restructuring operations. It’s a clear sign that the system discourages formal expansion.

    ‘Off-the-books’ workers – even those employed by big firms – are more likely to live in poverty.
    Irene Miller/Shutterstock

    These structural barriers don’t end with taxation. Even when support schemes are well designed and effective on paper, many small firms find themselves excluded by eligibility criteria or overwhelmed by the administrative requirements. For example, the Help to Grow: Management programme has delivered clear value, equipping thousands of SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) with vital skills in strategy, finance and innovation.

    However, it is limited to businesses with five or more employees. This excludes sole traders, some micro-businesses and early-stage entrepreneurs, among others. These smaller firms, often operating informally or semi-formally, are arguably those most in need of accessible, flexible support. By overlooking them, even well-intentioned programmes risk reinforcing the gaps they aim to close.



    Read more:
    How much for cash? Why the informal economy is bad for business, consumers and society

    Apprenticeship policy highlights another example of unintended exclusion. While apprenticeships are promoted as a win-win for employers and learners, the funding rules and regulations are typically geared towards larger organisations.

    For micro-businesses, the system often feels impenetrable. The administrative burden and cash-flow implications of taking someone away from their role to train them frequently outweigh the perceived benefits.

    Adding to these challenges are the recent changes to Level 7 apprenticeship funding rules, in the form of age restrictions. This raises concerns about whether smaller employers will continue investing in leadership and skills development.

    As a result, some of the smallest firms, particularly in personal services, trades, and early-stage startups, miss leadership development opportunities. This is not because they lack interest in training, but because the system was not designed with their scale or reality in mind.

    If the government wants to support small businesses, it must move beyond one-size-fits-all tax tweaks and headline grants. It has signalled a commitment to fiscal efficiency and targeted growth. What’s needed is a new model of support – one that recognises the complexity of informality, business growth and builds trust and opens routes into formal economic participation.

    This means creating tailored support and offering incentives to grow and develop for sole traders, self-employed people, and micro-businesses rather than penalising them. The government must simplify support mechanisms and ensure they are genuinely accessible – particularly for time-poor micro-businesses.

    It should move beyond rigid digital portals and offer relationship-based support through local networks, trusted intermediaries or one-to-one guidance. Crucially, access to skills programmes, including apprenticeships, should be guaranteed for businesses of all sizes, not just those large enough to navigate complex eligibility criteria or absorb upfront costs.

    Without these measures, the UK will only deepen its two-tier economy – where formality becomes a privilege rather than a pathway. Building a fairer, more dynamic business environment starts by including those already doing the work, even if they are not yet on the books.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The UK’s small businesses should be fuelling the country’s growth ambitions. Here’s why that’s not happening – https://theconversation.com/the-uks-small-businesses-should-be-fuelling-the-countrys-growth-ambitions-heres-why-thats-not-happening-258451

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –