NewzIntel.com

Category: Artificial Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 5G-A Powers All-Scenario IoT to Enable Intelligent Connections for All

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: 5G-A Powers All-Scenario IoT to Enable Intelligent Connections for All

    [Shanghai, China, June 19, 2025] At the GSMA IoT Summit during Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2025, Eric Zhao, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Wireless Solution, delivered a keynote speech titled “5G-A Powers All-Scenario IoT, Turbocharging a New AIoT Era for All”. In his speech, Zhao discussed how IoT and AI are converging and mutually enabling to make intelligent connections ubiquitous for all. “Three elements are key to achieving full AIoT. They are: all-scenario IoT that expands IoT connections to all scenarios, ultra-broadband networks that link all data to the cloud and computing resources, and intelligent applications that are driven by industry-specific models,” said Zhao.

    Eric Zhao, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Wireless Solution, delivered a keynote speech

    AI and cellular IoT are becoming more deeply intertwined, which means more and more things that are helpful in everyday lives will be connected, such as intelligent vehicles and embodied AI robots. This also means, an increasing number of intelligent applications will leverage these connections across diverse scenarios, like production lines and smart ports, to transform industries with intelligent technology. Moreover, the previously unconnected spaces will become connected, and this will enable a plethora of innovative applications, including drone-based power grid inspection, to boost smart urban governance.
    There are three key things that make these connections intelligent. First, all-scenario IoT expands connections to all scenarios, enabling the collection of all production data. Second, 5G-A ultra-broadband networks transport these data from the physical world to models in the cloud in real time. Third, industry-specific and scenario-specific models transform core production processes across industries by making applications intelligent.

    All-scenario IoT provides a growing range of devices with diverse IoT connections. 5G RedCap and Ambient IoT are joining existing technologies like NB-IoT to make all-scenario IoT possible. This will enable a great number of innovative applications, including embodied AI robots requiring real-time connections, AI-based product quality inspection requiring super-fast connections, and others applications that operate with low latency and power consumption.
    Ultra-broadband networks are possible with 5G-A technology, which offers a wide array of new capabilities, including Gbps uplink, ultra-low latency, and extensive coverage. By adding these powerful functions to networks, 5G-A allows a single network to provide IoT connections for diverse services, like those that need hyperscale data collection and on-the-fly data movement to cloud computing and industrial application platforms for AI training and inference.
    Intelligent applications are playing an increasingly prominent role, as demonstrated by the soaring numbers of deployments of industry-specific and scenario-specific models. A massive amount of quality data is needed to make these models more effective. In one intelligent manufacturing factory in Guangdong, China, AI algorithms have been integrated into 5G HD cameras to enable intelligent product quality inspection. This has not only improved overall product quality, but reduced equipment repair rates by 20% and saved annual costs by more than CNY1 million.

    Zhao concluded his speech by calling for industry-wide efforts to promote the development of cellular IoT. “We will continue to work with industry partners to develop more converged applications of cellular IoT and AI. We will develop a thriving ecosystem to usher in a new age of full intelligent IoT connectivity,” said Zhao.
    MWC Shanghai 2025 will be held from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).
    The commercial adoption of 5G-Advanced is accelerating in 2025. Huawei collaborates with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore how innovations in AI can be used to reshape telecom services, infrastructure, and operations to generate new revenue sources and accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
    For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwcs2025.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: What to expect from the ‘Summer Davos’ AMNC; and what the West gets wrong about China

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    The Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025 – AMNC25 – will bring together leaders from government, business and academia, along with innovators and representatives from international organizations, media and civil society.

    In this special episode produced in collaboration with Caixin Global, World Economic Forum Managing Director Mirek Dusek sets the scene for the ‘Summer Davos’ in Tianjin, China. And Jen Zhu Scott, founding partner of IN. Capital, gives an insider’s view of China and its place in the world.

    Co-hosted by Li Xin, managing editor of Caixin Global.
    Catch up on all the action from AMNC25 at wef.ch/amnc25 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC25.

    Links:
    AMNC25: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/annual-meeting-of-the-new-champions-2025/
    Caixin Global: https://www.caixinglobal.com/

    Related podcasts:
    Getting sustainable, secure and equitable power to the people – how’s the global energy transition going?
    Stock markets and supermarkets: how business is deploying AI
    “Trillions of dollars added to the economy” – Google’s chief economist on the macro impact of AI

    Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:
    YouTube: – https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts
    Radio Davos – subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164
    Meet the Leader – subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560
    Agenda Dialogues – subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552
    Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/ 
    Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_P1lDw-4t0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • SAIL supplies entire special steel requirement for Indian Navy’s INS Arnala

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a significant boost to India’s defence self-reliance efforts, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has supplied the complete requirement of special steel for the Indian Navy’s first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), INS Arnala. The vessel was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Wednesday.

    The steel supplied by SAIL has been used entirely in the construction of INS Arnala, reflecting a major stride in the country’s journey towards indigenisation and reduced import dependency in the defence manufacturing sector.

    INS Arnala is the lead ship in a series of eight ASW-SWC corvettes being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. SAIL has provided the complete special-grade steel requirement for all eight vessels under this project.

    As a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking and the largest steel producer in India, SAIL has consistently supported the nation’s defence infrastructure. The company has played a vital role in several indigenous defence projects. In addition to INS Arnala, SAIL has previously supplied special steel for notable naval platforms such as INS Vikrant, INS Vindhyagiri, INS Nilgiri, and INS Surat.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Peter Kyle’s speech at Giant Ideas

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Peter Kyle’s speech at Giant Ideas

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, delivered a speech at the Giant Ideas event on Monday 16 June 2025.

    I speak to you having just wrapped up what was, in my department, one of the biggest weeks of the year.

    It was the outcome of the Spending Review.

    The Data Bill, after months, passed into law. And it was also London Tech Week.

    If you haven’t been before, think of it like Coachella. But swap Lady Gaga for tech founders in leather jackets, blue jeans and Britney mics.

    This was my 2nd Tech Week, but this year felt different.

    Not just because it was my first as Tech Secretary.

    But because the atmosphere had changed.

    The optimism was more tangible. The energy more urgent.

    The atmosphere in Olympia more excited and exciting.

    Nowhere was that excitement more obvious than when it came to securing the UK’s stake in a future shaped by AI.

    You had the Prime Minister announcing a £1 billion investment, to make our computing power 20x greater by 2030.

    You had buzz from international investors. Who have poured £45 billion into AI here since July.

    And you had Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, declaring that the UK had reached a ‘Goldilocks’ moment: When our combination of world-class universities, AI start-ups and sheer ambition makes Britain ‘Just right’ as an investment destination.

    It won’t surprise you to know that I agree.

    We will turn our country into an AI superpower. But our ambition alone won’t define us.

    What will define us is how we achieve that ambition. Last week, I was reminded of the question in my mind the day I came into office:

    How do we shape the future of AI in a way that is progressive? In a way that leaves no one behind?

    Because we tend to talk about AI as an unstoppable force.

    But progress is never inevitable. It can be halted in its tracks.

    Fourteen years of slow or no growth, declining family incomes and a decaying public realm prove that. How change happens – and who benefits – is up to us.

    We have agency over what the age of AI looks like.

    It could be a Wild West Story, where the strongest and boldest make most – and the rest make do.

    Or it could be a story about opportunity and security. Where we all benefit from the scope and scale, health and wealth of the progressive change it brings.

    The way I see it, we can use our agency to shape 3 things:

    • Where we build.

    • Who does the building.

    • And what products come out the other side.

    Let me take each in turn.

    First, where we build.

    Where we build

    Technology has always promised to be the great equaliser.

    But that promise has proved elusive. For decades, the way we have invested in technology has been a tale of 2 Britains:

    Growth concentrated in the wealthiest parts of our country.

    With communities elsewhere left dependent on traditional industries.

    This time, we can do things differently.

    The unique geography of AI turns our country’s economic map on its head.

    The places that languished in the wake of 1980s de-industrialisation make prime locations for AI infrastructure. Because they’re often the only places that can supply enough power. And enough space to exploit it.

    These are the areas we’ll be looking to prioritise as we create AI Growth Zones: Hotspots of infrastructure that will crowd in private investment.

    When we asked communities to put themselves forward, over 200 places enthusiastically responded. The hunger for AI is not just coming from government and big businesses. But from across Britain.

    For the places that qualify, the results will be transformative. Because I’m not talking about a data centre as an anonymous black box by the side of the motorway. An economic island cut off from the surrounding area, with very few jobs and opportunities for working people.

    But as a hub that attracts AI start-ups and scale-ups.

    Creates new campuses for training and knowledge-transfer.

    And starts a ripple effect of good, future-proofed jobs, with all the economic security that brings.

    Where the excess heat from that data centre is not wasted. But used to power local homes, boost agricultural production, warm community swimming pools.

    For that vision to work, local people must be at the core.

    That takes me to who does the building.

    Who does the building

    A progressive approach to AI is impossible without a population with the skills to be part of it.

    We have to equip people with what they need to seize the extraordinary opportunities this technology brings.

    A few days ago, the Prime Minister kick-started a national AI skills drive. It will upskill people at every age, every stage of education, across the country.

    From new funding for TechFirst, giving students in every secondary school in Britain the chance to start a career in tech. To a partnership with industry, equipping 7.5 million UK workers with essential AI skills by 2030.

    These are exciting, decent jobs in the industries of tomorrow, for Britain’s prosperous communities of the future. If we can show people that, we will persuade them that it pays to be shapers of AI.

    I want to show them that it pays to be consumers of it, too.

    That takes us to what we build.

    What we build

    We sometimes talk about AI in a way that’s removed from real life.

    Abstract headlines about ‘growth’ or ‘revolution’ don’t give people much to hold on to.

    I want to show people that AI isn’t just an idea for the newsroom or the boardroom. But a reality in the classroom, the doctor’s office, the operating theatre. Because across the UK, there are researchers and companies using AI for the public good.

    Last week, I announced a project called OpenBind.

    At the Harwell Science Campus in Oxford, our best scientists will come together. To build the world’s biggest set of data on how drugs interact with the proteins in our bodies. Better data means better AI models. Models that can predict which compounds will turn into cures. As Demis Hassabis said himself, this is a brilliant initiative for UK science.

    Breakthroughs we make here could cut the cost of developing treatments by up to £100 billion. And see us not just treating disease. But beating it for good.

    I began by arguing that the state has agency over how we build AI.

    Perhaps the ultimate way to use it is by not only by backing others who build it. But by building it ourselves. With a smarter, smaller state that works better for the people we’re here to serve. Take the AI-powered chatbot we’ve built for GOV.UK.

    Soon, you won’t have to trawl through 500,000 pages to apply for Universal Credit or work out your tax code. The answer will come to you. Giving people more time to do the things they like with the people they love.

    It isn’t always easy to explain to people what AI means for them.

    With tools like this, we don’t need to tell them.

    We can let them discover the power of AI for themselves.

    As we find ourselves in the ‘Goldilocks’ moment, there is no time to waste.

    We have a small window to decide how this revolution will differ from those which came before.

    To make sure this isn’t the same tale of 2 Britains.

    By building in the places that have been left behind for too long. By giving everyone in the country the opportunity to do well, for themselves and their families, in the digital age.

    And by building things that make their lives easier, healthier, happier.

    The agency to do all of those things sits with us. We’ve just got to have the courage and the conviction to use it, positively and progressively.

    To create opportunity and security for all.

    For me, that really is the Giant Idea.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of House Representatives of Thailand

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand, Nattakrit Vongjarean, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. Dr. Kao congratulated Deputy Secretary General Nattakrit on his recent appointment and acknowledged Thailand’s active role in enhancing parliamentary engagement within ASEAN. Both sides exchanged views on strengthening collaboration between ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), particularly in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the promotion of regional awareness.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of House Representatives of Thailand appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians create the basis for digital twins of cities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    The MetaCampus Polytech project, which is being implemented by the team of the Civil Engineering Institute, has become one of the key initiatives within the framework of the digital transformation of SPbPU. It is a digital campus ecosystem based on an information model that unites more than 300,000 square meters of area, 30 academic buildings and about 10,000 rooms.

    The uniqueness of the project is that MetaCampus Polytech is the first and only example of creating a digital twin of a university campus in the country. This makes it not only a platform for internal digital transformation, but also a pilot solution that can be used by other Russian universities.

    The project is interdisciplinary in nature and is being implemented jointly with the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity. More than 2,000 undergraduate, specialist and master’s students are participating in its development. Eight project groups have been organized, nine new work programs of disciplines and practices have been developed, such as “Digital Modeling of Buildings”, “Geoinformation Technologies”, “Energy Audit”, “Project Practice” and others. At the moment, work is underway on interdisciplinary final qualification works.

    Digital services intended for various user groups of the university are being actively created and developed. One of them, “Property Management”, is aimed at automating analytics and visual management of the university’s material and property complex. The service allows you to track the parameters of premises online and generate their digital passports.

    At the moment, specialists are developing a technology for converting multimodal campus infrastructure data into a single information presentation format for subsequent analysis and processing using machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. The goal is to combine heterogeneous data collected over two years (PDF documents, images, BIM models, point clouds, tables and other file types) into a single structured system associated with specific campus objects and premises.

    Based on these unified data, the digital service for managing the property complex will be expanded, which will allow for the prompt generation of analytical reports and graphical representations of indicators at the user’s request using an AI assistant. This approach will ensure not only the integrity of information, but also high speed of decision-making on managing the university’s resources.

    During the project implementation, a video presentation was created, which presents a historical retrospective of the formation of the SPbPU campus. The basis for creating the video were digital models of the university buildings.

    The experience gained during the implementation of the MetaCampus Polytech project became the basis for new international cooperation. Representatives of the Civil Engineering Institute and partners from Cuba agreed to launch a joint project on the digitalization of cultural heritage sites. Cuban colleagues shared their experience in the digitalization of architectural monuments, including joint research with universities in Spain and Colombia, and expressed interest in developing cooperation.

    In addition, the Institute of Historical and Cultural Heritage has concluded an agreement with the Committee for State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg (KGIOP) on developing a digital passport of cultural heritage sites based on the approaches of the MetaCampus Polytech project. This will create a unified format for digital information about cultural sites and may become the basis for the formation of digital twins of historical cities both in Russia and abroad.

    The significance of the project was confirmed by its victory in the nomination “Best Campus Management Practice” in the competition organized by the “Sociocenter” jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia as part of the strategic academic leadership program “Priority-2030”.

    In the future, MetaCampus Polytech will be able to become the basis for creating a digital twin of St. Petersburg. At the moment, the territory of the university campus, which is contained in the form of an information model, is a serious digital asset. Using its example, we could replicate this practice in order to transfer our entire city to a digital model, – noted the director of ISI Marina Petrochenko.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AAIB Report: ATR 42-500, G-LMSA

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    AAIB Report: ATR 42-500, G-LMSA

    ATR 42-500 (G-LMSA), engine failure during cruise, north-east of Aberdeen International Airport, 23 July 2024

    Damage to No 1 engine second stage power turbine, looking from exhaust outlet

    Whilst in the cruise, the aircraft suffered a contained failure of the No 1 engine and a subsequent fire inside its cowlings due to a leak from the fuel return line which had become sufficiently loose following the engine failure to result in fuel leakage. The flight crew correctly followed the checklist procedures to shut down the engine, and the fire was extinguished. The aircraft landed without further incident.

    Although this is the only known instance of this fuel line becoming loose, the aircraft manufacturer has commenced a safety review to identify any possible safety actions which would further reduce the likelihood of leakage from the fuel return line.

    Read the report.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: AAIB Report: Mini Nimbus C, G-CFHG

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    AAIB Report: Mini Nimbus C, G-CFHG

    Fatal accident involving a Mini Nimbus C (G-CFHG), Barlavington, Sussex, 5 June 2024

    Flightpath of G-CFHG (colour coded to show climb and descent rate) and overview data plot

    The pilot took off with the intention to conduct an endurance flight lasting five hours. In the early stages of the flight the pilot successfully gained height in two separate thermals. After approximately 30 minutes of flying, the pilot turned 180° to track back towards the airfield. Without any further significant height gains, the glider eventually descended through the height at which BGA guidance suggests a field landing should be initiated. The glider’s flightpath suggests the pilot did not intend to commit to a landing and at low level an apparent attempt was made to gain height in a thermal. The glider gained a small amount of additional height, but during this manoeuvre two loss of control events occurred, both consistent with a stall and wing drop. The pilot appeared to recover controlled flight during both incidents but lost height and following the second recovery, the glider came into contact with the tops of trees. This resulted in significant damage to the glider, and it struck the ground causing fatal injuries to the pilot. The pilot was appropriately trained, experienced and qualified to conduct the flight and the weather was suitable, although described as challenging by other pilots who flew that day. Whilst not considered to be causal, a contributory medical factor could not be excluded. It was not possible to determine why the pilot elected not to follow the relevant training to conduct a field landing at the appropriate opportunity.

    Read the report.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cancer Breakthrough: Novel Compound Could Change Treatment of Disease

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Polytechnic University scientists have developed a new chemical composition with increased anti-cancer activity and virtually zero toxicity.

    Malignant neoplasms are one of the most serious problems of modern healthcare. Globally, about 20 million new cases of the disease are registered annually, and global mortality from cancer reaches 9-10 million people per year. In Russia, more than 640 thousand new cases of cancer are detected annually. At the same time, about 40% of patients seek medical help when the disease has already reached stage III-IV, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of treatment and worsens survival. The most common types are breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

    High morbidity and a significant proportion of cases of late diagnosis require the introduction of new, effective and affordable methods of therapy, which scientists in all countries are working on. Over the past ten years, a breakthrough has been achieved in the treatment of malignant neoplasms after the approval of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have significantly changed approaches to the treatment of patients with cancer tumors. Small-molecule inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) are a promising group of new antitumor agents that can selectively inhibit the enzyme responsible for the restoration of genotoxic damage in cells, which ultimately leads to apoptosis and death of tumor cells.

    In Russia, under the conditions of sanctions pressure and the rising cost of modern foreign medicines, the creation of domestic antitumor drugs with high efficiency and low toxicity is especially relevant. This is the task that a group of scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is solving. They have selected chemical substances and invented a method for obtaining a new compound that has not only high anticancer activity, but also low toxicity.

    Standard tests using resazurin revealed that the obtained compound has more than 50 times the anti-cancer activity of its FDA-approved analogue. We determined the toxicity of the compound using the method of G. N. Pershin on mice. The results of the experiments showed that, according to the current classification, the compound belongs to class V of virtually non-toxic drugs. The obtained characteristics make it possible to use this compound to create new targeted drugs with low toxicity to healthy tissues, – said one of the authors of the invention, head of the Laboratory of Nano- and Microencapsulation of Biologically Active Substances of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Biological Problems of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Alexander Timin.

    The potential of the drug for further production of anti-cancer drugs is highly appreciated by specialists participating in testing the new compound, in accordance with the agreement concluded between the N. N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia and SPbPU.

    Currently, there are no registered inhibitors of domestic development in Russia. Therefore, it is especially important that the compound created by the scientists of the Polytechnic University of Petrovsky already demonstrates encouraging results at the early stages. This is an original molecule with characteristics comparable to foreign drugs. We continue research on biological models and are preparing for preclinical trials in accordance with international standards in order to provide patients with an effective and affordable antitumor agent in the future. Now we are waiting for the decision of the Ministry of Health on financing the project within the framework of the State assignment – the first stage of expert evaluation has already been successfully completed, – said Artem Poltoratsky, Head of the Department of Organization of Preclinical and Clinical Research, Leading Researcher and Oncologist at the N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology.

    Conducting preclinical studies and, in general, bringing the drug to market will be significantly cheaper also because Polytechnic scientists use artificial intelligence technologies. They conduct retrosynthetic analysis of large data sets (Big Data), establishing the relationship between the structure and biological activity of the compounds being studied.

    The neural network we trained generates potential structures with the required properties and predicts binding affinities with target molecules. The proposed approach allows us to calculate properties based on the structure, create training samples based on more than 40,000 molecules and predict the structures of leading compounds. These solutions and the developed neural network approach, which tracks the effect of molecules on the body, significantly reduce the time and material costs of preclinical studies, – said the leading researcher of the laboratory of nano- and microencapsulation of biologically active substances, one of the authors of the invention Sergey Shipilovskikh.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Excellent performance of Hong Kong’s higher education system showcases effectiveness of government measures

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Excellent performance of Hong Kong’s higher education system showcases effectiveness of government measures 
         He stressed that the Government attracts quality talent from around the world and nurtures local talent through various measures such as scholarship programmes to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths to serve the country’s needs. Starting from the 2024/25 academic year (AY), the non-local student quota for UGC-funded institutions has been doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, raising non-local undergraduate enrolment from 19.9 per cent (2023/24 AY) to 23.2 per cent. The Government will further foster collaboration among the eight UGC-funded universities, including supporting the jointly established Heads of Universities Committee’s Standing Committee on Internationalisation to continue to promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand worldwide.
     
         The spokesman added that the Government will continue to promote the strengthening of global exchanges and connections of research personnel and teams of local universities and support them to broaden research networks and co-operation areas with their overseas counterparts.
     
         The Government attaches great importance to the quality of teaching and learning at universities and invests substantial resources to step up support for the high-quality development of Hong Kong education. For the 2025–2028 triennium, approximately 78 per cent of the Block Grant will be allocated to support teaching and learning. Compared with the 2022-2025 triennium, the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant provided by the UGC will increase by $100 million to approximately $920 million. The key themes of the Grant – including the integration of generative artificial intelligence and innovative technologies in education, the sharing of exemplary practices in teaching and learning, and the enhancement of students’ well-being and personal development – are aligned with current trends in education and societal needs. The most recent round of quality audits conducted by the Quality Assurance Council under the UGC also reaffirms the high quality of educational experiences offered by UGC-funded universities.
     
    To dovetail with the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Government will leverage the vast opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting cutting-edge research conducted by the eight UGC-funded universities through the Research Grants Council (RGC) under the UGC. Over 20 research funds and scholarship programmes operate under the RGC, with more than 1 500 new projects receiving funding annually. These measures will help foster a robust research environment and further consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international post-secondary education hub.
    Issued at HKT 17:06

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China-South Asia Expo opens with focus on trade, emerging industries

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

    KUNMING, June 19 — The 9th China-South Asia Expo opened on Thursday in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, drawing representatives from 73 countries, regions and international organizations, as well as more than 2,500 enterprises.

    The six-day event has brought together all South and Southeast Asian nations, featuring 16 exhibition halls, nearly 70 percent of which are dedicated to professional sectors such as manufacturing, green energy, the coffee industry, and traditional Chinese medicine.

    Two South Asia-themed pavilions with nearly 800 booths have been set up, with India and Pakistan each hosting 140 booths.

    Nearly 40 economic and trade events are scheduled during the expo, including forums and procurement matchmaking meetings aimed at deepening regional cooperation.

    The expo was first held in Kunming in 2013, the same year China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. It has since facilitated over 110 billion U.S. dollars in foreign trade transactions and served more than 20,000 enterprises.

    Jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the Yunnan provincial government, the expo serves as a key platform to strengthen economic and trade links between China and South Asian nations.

    In 2024, trade between China and South Asian countries neared 200 billion U.S. dollars, doubling over the past decade with an average annual growth rate of 6.3 percent, according to MOC data.

    China remains committed to high-level opening up and is advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development, a process that will create valuable opportunities for cooperation with countries around the world, including those in South Asia, vice minister of commerce Yan Dong said at the opening ceremony.

    Yan also expressed China’s readiness to deepen trade and investment ties, expand cooperation in emerging sectors such as the digital economy, low-carbon development, artificial intelligence and biomedicine, and jointly promote an open world economy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Phase one of Zhongguancun AI park completes construction

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

    The first phase of the Zhongguancun (Western Beijing) Artificial Intelligence Technology Park in Beijing’s Mentougou district has completed construction and is scheduled to open this October, according to Beijing Daily. 

    Jointly developed by Mentougou district and the ZGC Group, the park is a key project under Beijing’s “Two Zones” initiative. Once fully operational, it is expected to host more than 200 AI enterprises and generate over 10 billion yuan ($1.39 billion) in annual output.

    Covering a floor area of 310,000 square meters, the first phase features 16 buildings dedicated to research and development, as well as a number of support facilities. The park incorporates smart technologies and eco-friendly design elements throughout.

    The layout was designed with flexibility to meet the diverse needs of AI companies for office space, R&D, and testing. It aims to integrate research and small-scale production within a single campus.

    The park has also reached intent of cooperation with seven companies covering emerging and cutting-edge fields, including AI-powered medicine and smart equipment, said Deng Xiaowen, general manager of the park’s construction and management company.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Certified and Trusted: AIXA Miner Sets New Standard in Passive Crypto Income After FinCEN Approval

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cryptocurrency cloud mining is transforming how people earn passive income in 2025. Unlike traditional mining, which requires users to own expensive hardware and have technical know-how, cloud mining offers automated crypto rewards with zero maintenance costs in a hassle-free way. AIXA Miner is a leading platform in the cloud mining industry, offering a secure, eco-friendly, and affordable platform. With mining contracts in Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin, it helps users generate daily profits with minimal initial investment. The platform offers extremely simple registration and mining processes, with easy account management through the mobile app.

    Certified, Sustainable & Profitable: AIXA Miner, a Go-To Platform for Cloud-Based Crypto Earnings

    AIXA Miner recently earned its FinCEN MSB certification, which has boosted investor confidence globally, especially in the U.S. With over 5 million users in 200+ countries, AIXA Miner is now ranked as one of the few legal and fully compliant cloud mining platforms operating at scale. The company adheres to strict U.S. financial and crypto regulations, offering robust fraud prevention and user data protection, making it a safe and reliable space for both new and crypto veterans.

    AIXA Miner Sets New Standard for Passive Crypto Income in 2025: FinCEN Certified & AI-Powered

    What sets AIXA Miner apart is its sustainability-first approach. The platform’s global mining operations run entirely on renewable energy, like solar and wind. AIXA Miner uses advanced AI to automate mining schedules, reducing waste and maximizing profits. This results in lower operational costs and higher returns, enabling users to start earning rewards within 24 hours of activating their plan.

    “I started mining with AIXA in 2021 just to test the waters. Within months, my investment had doubled effortlessly. Now, my crypto portfolio is thriving, and I trust AIXA more than any other platform.” – Morris K., AIXA Miner user

    One of the reasons AIXA Miner can maintain competitive mining returns is its AI-driven systems and algorithms. Notably, the platform’s algorithms analyse real-time market data and accurately predict mining profits. With accurate return expectations, investors can make informed investment decisions and maximize their profit potential. AIXA Miner users can keep earning stable daily payouts despite sudden market shifts.

    Benefits Investors Get Only Mining With AIXA Miner

    • $20 Free Trial Bonus: Start earning passive income instantly with zero investment.
    • Hassle-Free Mining: No hardware, no stress, just activate and let the system work for you.
    • 100% Hands-Free Earnings: Fully automated mining for truly passive investment returns.
    • Global & Trusted: A secure cloud mining ecosystem delivering steady daily profits worldwide.
    • VIP Club Perks: Unlock bonus rewards and exclusive cash incentives as you grow.
    • Earn More by Sharing: Get up to 5% commission through AIXA’s affiliate referral program.

    AIXA Miner provides a variety of professional contracts. You can choose the contract that suits you to start mining and start your mining journey. The following is a schematic diagram:

    Choose From High-Yield Mining Plans Based on Your Budget:

    Contract
    Amount    		 Duration Daily income Total Return Daily ROI
    $500 4day $6.25 $25 1.25%  
    $5200 15day $83.72 $1255.8 1.61%  
    $8000 20day $140 $2800 1.75%  
    $30000 20day $606 $12120 2.02%  
    $50000 20day $1050 $21000 2.1%  


    Start Earning Crypto Daily: Here’s How to Join AIXA Miner

    1. Visit www.aixaminer.com and create a free account
    2. Claim your $20 sign-up bonus
    3. Choose a mining contract (from $100 and up)
    4. Start receiving automated daily crypto payouts
    5. Track earnings anytime via desktop or the AIXA mobile app

    Share your referral link to earn 5% commission for each friend you invite!

    Final Input: Why Cloud Mining With AIXA Miner is a Smart Investment Decision?

    With crypto mining difficulty increasing and the market heating up, now is the time to take advantage of cloud mining. AIXA Miner delivers a modern, eco-friendly, and fully regulated platform where users generate real profits without complexity or hidden costs.

    Join over 5 million users who trust AIXA Miner for secure, daily passive income. The next 24 hours could be your first step toward effortless crypto rewards.

    Now is the best time to start mining Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin. Dive in while the market is bullish and mining returns are at their best.

    It is important to note that all investments have potential risks, and cryptocurrency cloud mining is no different. Thus, performing due diligence is crucial. Consulting your financial advisor when investing large sums of capital is advised.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/abfcd49c-30c8-4be1-93c1-219d5f16c0a3

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: When Uber Is a ‘Predator’ and LinkedIn a ‘Species’: the 5M Framework Offers a New ‘Natural’ Lens for Antitrust Oversight

    The BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre (www.BRICSCompetition.org), in collaboration with mathematicians, programmers, ecologists and biologists from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, Vienna), has developed a systemic approach to deepen the understanding of how digital ecosystems function. The research group proposes applying mathematical models and biological theories from the natural sciences to describe processes in the digital economy. Their comprehensive approach to analysing and regulating ecosystems is built on analogies between natural and digital ecosystems—both are complex adaptive systems that share structural and functional characteristics. The results have been published in the interdisciplinary journal npj Complexity in the open-access article “An ecological perspective to master the complexities of the digital economy” (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) (www.nature.com) and in the Springer Nature Research Communities “Behind the Paper” post “Taming the Digital Giants: Why Regulators Need an Ecological Lens on Platform Power” (Elena Rovenskaya, Alexey Ivanov, Sarah Hathiari, Daria Kotova, Ursula M. Scharler, Gergely Boza) (www.communities.springernature.com).

    The scientists formulated this idea as the 5M System (5M Framework), which describes the digital realm in ecological terms and draws analogies between natural and digital phenomena across five levels: Micro (“genes”) — elements of technology, knowledge, and business strategy (including user behaviour data); Meso (“species”) — products; Macro (“ecosystems”) — digital platform ecosystems; Mega (“biomes”) — wider societies hosting platform ecosystems; Meta — interactions among the four previous levels occur here.

    For example, optimal foraging theory can explain why Uber avoids sparsely populated areas:  like an animal that leaves a food-poor patch because the energy gained per unit of search time is too low, Uber steers clear of rural zones where ride requests are infrequent, driver utilisation drops, and the “return” on each kilometre driven fails to justify the effort. The flexibility of digital-product boundaries is akin to the blurred definition of biological species, within which finer subspecies are often distinguished: LinkedIn can be viewed either as a Microsoft service or as a set of related products—job marketplace, professional social network, advertising platform, and so on.

    Elena Rovenkaya, the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) Program Director and Principal Research Scholar:

    “Digital ecosystems are an entirely new economic object, fundamentally different from the standard economic agents regulators are used to dealing with. The analogy we propose between natural and digital ecosystems will allow antitrust authorities to look at digital ecosystems from a new angle and obtain intuitive explanations for business strategies that often seem complex. Moreover, applying well-established mathematical and ecological approaches may be more effective than designing new methods from scratch.”

    Aleksey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre:

    “The published article is expected to be the first in a series of interdisciplinary publications devoted to new antitrust approaches for regulating the digital environment. In the AI sector and adjacent fields, the number of partnerships and investment agreements resembling mergers is growing, yet companies often evade antitrust scrutiny by sidestepping formal filing thresholds. A systemic-analysis response—particularly mathematical modelling and the systems-mapping method that the BRICS Centre is developing with partners—can depict a complex phenomenon in a model of all its cause-and-effect links. This will significantly accelerate research and make antitrust analysis more precise.”

    In the future, the researchers also plan to create a digital tool using AI for BRICS antitrust coordination — the “Merger Radar.” This system will detect economic-concentration deals and shape preliminary positions on such transactions.

    The article forms part of the BRICS Centre’s research track on the antitrust challenges created by digitalisation. The project was launched in 2018 to provide expert and methodological support to antitrust agencies in the BRICS Working Group for Research on Competition Issues in Digital Markets; in 2019 the Centre first highlighted the threats posed by digital platforms and the need for special oversight; from 2020 the Working Group shifted its focus to ecosystem regulation — today the most advanced debate in antitrust law. At the 7th BRICS Competition Conference (China, 2021) the Centre publicly presented the “eco-antitrust” concept; in 2022, in Brazil, it organised the first BRICS Digital Competition Forum, which has since been held annually. At the latest forum, in autumn 2024, representatives of Brazil’s antitrust authority CADE announced the drafting of a new bill to regulate ecosystems, which is now before the Brazilian parliament. The experts are currently analysing the impact of AI on competition and preparing a new report.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • Apple eyes using AI to design its chips, technology executive says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Apple AAPL.O is interested in tapping generative artificial intelligence to help speed up the design of the custom chips at the heart of its devices, its top hardware technology executive said in private remarks last month.

    Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the remarks in a speech in Belgium, where he was receiving an award from Imec, an independent semiconductor research and development group that works closely with most of the world’s biggest chipmakers.

    In the speech, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters, Srouji outlined Apple’s development of custom chips from the first A4 chip in an iPhone in 2010 to the most recent chips that power Mac desktop computers and the Vision Pro headset.

    He said one of the key lessons Apple learned was that it needed to use the most cutting-edge tools available to design its chips, including the latest chip design software from electronic design automation (EDA) firms.

    The two biggest players in that industry – Cadence Design Systems CDNS.O and Synopsys SNPS.O – have been racing to add artificial intelligence to their offerings.

    “EDA companies are super critical in supporting our chip design complexities,” Srouji said in his remarks. “Generative AI techniques have a high potential in getting more design work in less time, and it can be a huge productivity boost.”

    Srouji said another key lesson Apple learned in designing its own chips was to make big bets and not look back.

    When Apple transitioned its Mac computers – its oldest active product line – from Intel’s chips to its own chips in 2020, it made no contingency plans in case the switch did not work.

    “Moving the Mac to Apple Silicon was a huge bet for us. There was no backup plan, no split-the lineup plan, so we went all in, including a monumental software effort,” Srouji said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s economic powerhouses steady the ship in choppy global waters

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

    An aerial drone photo taken on May 15, 2025 shows the car carrier Anji Ansheng at Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal in east China’s Shanghai. [PhotoXinhua]

    Though lesser-known globally, China’s provincial economic powerhouses, including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang, wield influence rivaling the world’s top 20 economies. The country’s 10 economic giants, driving 60 percent of national GDP from 20 percent of land, are playing a crucial role in anchoring growth.

    Shifting focus to domestic demand 

    While foreign trade once drove China’s growth, the 10 provincial powerhouses, also including Sichuan, Henan, Hubei, Fujian, Shanghai and Hunan, are now shifting their focus toward domestic consumption and investment to sustain economic expansion amid fluctuating external demand.

    At the heart of this strategy are large-scale initiatives focused on consumer goods trade-ins and equipment upgrades. In 2025, Zhejiang will continue offering incentives for residents to replace items such as automobiles, mobile phones and electric bicycles, while also promoting the renewal of equipment like medical devices and elevators.

    Henan plans to provide substantial subsidies this year to replace 500,000 automobiles and 8 million home appliances, while also carrying out 3,000 equipment renewal projects.

    “The trade-in program has boosted affordability, tripling our first-quarter sales of AI products year on year,” said Guan Manman, operations manager at a local shopping mall in Henan.

    These 10 economic powerhouses form the bedrock of China’s domestic consumption, accounting for over 63 percent of the country’s total retail sales of consumer goods in 2024. Supported by their robust spending, China’s retail sales achieved a solid 5 percent year-on-year growth from January to May 2025.

    Construction of major projects serves as another vital growth driver. In 2025, Sichuan will launch some new industrial projects and accelerate ongoing ones, while Guangdong plans to invest a massive 1 trillion yuan (about 139 billion U.S. dollars) this year in 1,500 key provincial projects, including high-speed railways, intercity rail lines and airport expansions.

    To stabilize foreign demand, exporters in these powerhouses are adopting a dual-track strategy: globally, by strengthening ties in emerging markets; and domestically, by expanding sales channels across e-commerce platforms and retail partnerships.

    Provincial governments are rolling out multi-pronged support measures to help exporters navigate challenging conditions. These efforts include financial assistance to enhance liquidity, policy guidance to create better business environment, and initiatives aimed at breaking down barriers between domestic and international markets.

    “In the face of external uncertainties, China must prioritize building a stronger and more resilient domestic economic cycle,” said Yu Xiangrong, Chief Economist of Citigroup China.

    Innovation leads the way 

    As these provinces strengthen domestic demand, they are also turning to innovation to maintain momentum and secure a long-term competitive edge.

    In Linzi District, Zibo City, east China’s Shandong Province, a cutting-edge scene is unfolding at an intelligent robotics factory. A coffee robot expertly froths milk and crafts swan-shaped latte art, while a palletizing robot — resembling an octopus — swiftly grabs boxes of beer and places them onto a conveyor belt.

    Once known for its chemical industry, Linzi has transformed into a robotics hub. “Last year, our collaborative robot sales surpassed 1 billion yuan, capturing over 36 percent of the domestic market,” said Han Yongguang, chairman of the intelligent robot manufacturer.

    Seizing opportunities presented by the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, Shandong is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

    Other economic powerhouses are also actively fostering new growth drivers. Guangdong is vigorously developing emerging industries such as new energy vehicles, AI and biopharma, while also cultivating future industries such as quantum computing and 6G.

    Zhejiang has set ambitious targets for this year, aiming to add 300 national-level “little giant” firms, elite small and medium-sized enterprises in manufacturing that specialize in niche markets and lead with cutting-edge technologies.

    Such consistent efforts have delivered tangible results. For instance, Sichuan’s high-tech manufacturing output grew robustly by 14.5 percent year on year in the first quarter, a notable acceleration of 6.1 percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, Jiangsu, a powerhouse in biopharma, saw a record 352 new drugs approved last year, of which 13 were innovative drugs, the highest number in a year.

    “The integration of technology and industry is now pivotal to national competitiveness,” said Zheng Lei, president of Hefei University of Technology.

    Leveraging high-quality development as a buffer against global volatility, the economic powerhouses drove a combined GDP of over 19 trillion yuan in the first quarter. In terms of economic growth rate, seven of these top 10 provinces outpaced the national average of 5.4 percent.

    “Continuing to serve as the ‘ballast stone’ amidst complex development conditions not only reflects the strength and advantages of these economic powerhouses but also demonstrates the resilience and potential of the Chinese economy,” said Dong Yu, executive vice president of the China Institute for Development Planning at Tsinghua University.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Terranet to attend Auto.AI and Safety.AD USA 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Terranet will be represented at Auto.AI and Safety.AD USA 2025, taking place June 30–July 1 in San Francisco, California. These conferences bring together leading experts in AI, traffic safety, ADAS, and autonomous driving.

    Safety.AD and Auto.AI are key industry forums for discussing how new technologies and artificial intelligence can contribute to safer mobility. Our presence strengthens both our connection to the North American market and our role as an active player in the development of future safety solutions for both ADAS and autonomous vehicles.

    “With our MVP approaching launch, this is the right place to engage with key stakeholders, clarify our value proposition, and show how we’re contributing to safer traffic – while also gaining valuable insights from the market,” says Jonas Renander, Chief Commercial Officer at Terranet.

    For more information, please contact:
    Lars Lindell, CEO
    E-mail: lars.lindell@terranet.se

    About Terranet AB (publ)
    Terranet’s mission is to save lives in urban traffic. We develop groundbreaking technology solutions for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles, with a focus on protecting vulnerable road users from injury. Using a unique and patented sensor technology, Terranet’s system BlincVision scans the road with laser precision – detecting objects up to ten times faster and with greater accuracy than any other ADAS solution on the market today.

    Terranet is headquartered in Lund, Sweden, with additional operations in Gothenburg and Stuttgart – at the heart of the European automotive industry. Since 2017, the company has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B). Visit us at www.terranet.se

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Terranet to attend Auto.AI and Safety.AD USA 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Terranet will be represented at Auto.AI and Safety.AD USA 2025, taking place June 30–July 1 in San Francisco, California. These conferences bring together leading experts in AI, traffic safety, ADAS, and autonomous driving.

    Safety.AD and Auto.AI are key industry forums for discussing how new technologies and artificial intelligence can contribute to safer mobility. Our presence strengthens both our connection to the North American market and our role as an active player in the development of future safety solutions for both ADAS and autonomous vehicles.

    “With our MVP approaching launch, this is the right place to engage with key stakeholders, clarify our value proposition, and show how we’re contributing to safer traffic – while also gaining valuable insights from the market,” says Jonas Renander, Chief Commercial Officer at Terranet.

    For more information, please contact:
    Lars Lindell, CEO
    E-mail: lars.lindell@terranet.se

    About Terranet AB (publ)
    Terranet’s mission is to save lives in urban traffic. We develop groundbreaking technology solutions for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles, with a focus on protecting vulnerable road users from injury. Using a unique and patented sensor technology, Terranet’s system BlincVision scans the road with laser precision – detecting objects up to ten times faster and with greater accuracy than any other ADAS solution on the market today.

    Terranet is headquartered in Lund, Sweden, with additional operations in Gothenburg and Stuttgart – at the heart of the European automotive industry. Since 2017, the company has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B). Visit us at www.terranet.se

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Liberia to Host Major Trade and Investment Conference in Monrovia


    Download logo

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the National Investment Commission (NIC) and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), is proud to announce the upcoming Liberia Trade and Investment Conference under the theme “Bridge to Prosperity.” Scheduled to take place from June 17 to 21, 2025 in Monrovia, the five-day event will bring together a delegation of prominent U.S. investors and business leaders to explore trade and investment opportunities across Liberia’s key economic sectors. This flagship initiative is a hallmark of the Ministry’s economic diplomacy agenda, under the leadership of H.E. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, and is closely aligned with the Trump Administration’s renewed commercial diplomacy efforts in Africa. The five-day conference will welcome a delegation of prominent U.S. investors and business leaders, targeting companies with interest in key sectors across Liberia’s economy.

    A special reception will be hosted in their honor by the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, underscoring the significance of this bilateral investment initiative. As part of the U.S. business delegation’s visit, participating companies will engage in sector specific site visits, project briefings, and one-on-one meetings with public and private sector leaders. The event will feature a dynamic lineup of panel discussions, business-to-business networking sessions, site visits, and government briefings, all designed to provide U.S. investors with comprehensive insights into Liberia’s economic potential and investment friendly climate. This conference underscores Liberia’s commitment to expanding its economic frontiers by leveraging international partnerships to drive sustainable development, job creation, and infrastructure growth. Key sectors to be showcased include agriculture, energy, infrastructure, tourism, mining, and digital economy, among others.

    The “Bridge to Prosperity” conference is also a strategic pillar of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), Liberia’s national development framework. The event underscores the government’s commitment to mobilizing international investment as a means to accelerate job creation, infrastructure development, and economic transformation. Participants will include senior government officials, international development partners, private sector leaders, U.S. trade delegations, and representatives from multilateral institutions. The event aims to generate concrete commitments that will translate into job creation, technology transfer, and inclusive development. With this initiative, Liberia continues to chart a forward looking path in economic diplomacy, positioning itself as a gateway for U.S. investors into West Africa.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • Air India to cut international flights on widebody aircraft by 15%

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Air India said on Wednesday it will cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15% for the next few weeks, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week’s deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

    Authorities continue to investigate the crash of flight AI171, which killed 241 people and marked the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.

    The airline said in a statement that inspections had been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, and those 26 have been cleared for service.

    The cuts, effective until at least mid-July, were being implemented “to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” the Tata Group-owned airline said.

    The remaining planes will be checked in the coming days and additional checks are also planned for its Boeing 777 fleet, Air India added.

    Flight AI171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one on board and about 30 people on the ground.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the flight that crashed had a clean engine history.

    In an interview with Indian broadcaster Times Now, Chandrasekaran said Air India flight 171’s right engine was new and installed in March 2025, and that the left engine was last serviced in 2023.

    The Dreamliner was fitted with GE Aerospace’s GE.N GEnx engines.

    Air India also cited geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and “night curfews in many European and East Asian airspaces” as contributing factors behind flight cancellations, which have totaled 83 over the past six days.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Urban Development

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    As part of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Moscow Government and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) signed an Agreement on cooperation in the field of introducing artificial intelligence technologies into urban development. This was reported by Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    The agreement provides for cooperation in the field of information modeling and automated design using artificial intelligence.

    “The introduction of artificial intelligence in urban development helps to optimize processes, improve the quality and transparency of work in this area. This is part of a large-scale transformation of the construction industry. The implementation of this agreement will allow the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in the processes of urban planning and the provision of services in the construction sector. Joint work with Skoltech will strengthen the scientific and technical potential of the capital and ensure its sustainable development through the integration of education, science and urban planning practices,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The Center for Artificial Intelligence in Urban Development, subordinate to the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy. Since 2024, it has been studying the needs of all participants in the construction process and city residents, developing and implementing innovative solutions for various tasks in this area. During this time, its specialists have created six services to optimize the construction process, including “Kvartirography”, which automatically generates planning solutions for new housing, as well as “Digital Norm Control”, which doubles the speed of checking design and working documentation.

    “The immediate plans include launching a new development and scaling specialized services based on artificial intelligence. This includes, in particular, checking the correctness of filling in the Moscow construction system of classifiers based on data from the digital information model and automatic verification of attribute data of elements of the digital information model with current regulatory requirements,” added the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy

    Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    The introduction of artificial intelligence in urban planning will speed up design and control processes and increase the accuracy of decisions. Thanks to cooperation with leading research centers, the capital continues to strengthen its position in the field of digitalization of urban planning and construction.

    Rector of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Kuleshov noted that the institution’s specialists have extensive experience in successfully implementing services based on artificial intelligence. Particular attention in this work is paid to combining fundamental research and applied tasks.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin said that the city is implementing about 100 projects using artificial intelligence in transport, healthcare, education, construction and other areas of urban economy.

    The development of electronic services is being implemented within the framework of the national project “Data Economy”.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155475073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Build a Prosperous F5.5G All-Optical Network Industry for New Growth in the AI Era

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Build a Prosperous F5.5G All-Optical Network Industry for New Growth in the AI Era

    [Shanghai, China, June 18, 2025] During MWC Shanghai 2025, the F5.5G All-Optical Industry Summit was successfully held with the theme of “10 Gbps Broadband and All-Optical Premium Transmission for a Win-Win AI Era.” At the summit, the booming F5.5G industry was a key topic of discussion among the Information and Communication Technology Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Maxis of Malaysia, and CTM. In particular, they shared the latest commercial practices of global carriers in 10 Gbps all-optical broadband as well as all-optical premium transmission. Huawei also shed light on its latest innovations in F5.5G all-optical networks from four aspects. These innovations help carriers develop four-in-one high-value packages to provide users with optimal AI application experience.
    In recent years, as the industry has come to a consensus and successful pilots emerge, F5.5G all-optical networks have seen accelerated commercial deployment. In optical access, more than 70 carriers worldwide have launched 10 Gbps packages, and the large-scale commercial use of 10 Gbps all-optical broadband has paved the way for new AItoH services. In optical transmission, more than 240 networks, each operating at 400G, have been deployed worldwide. Meanwhile, the industry is exploring the construction of 1 ms latency metro networks for ensuring that end users can quickly access computing power over the cloud, enabling AItoB application innovation. Han Xia, Executive Deputy Director & Secretary-general of Information and Communication Technology Committee of MIIT, China, noted in his opening speech, “Accelerating the upgrade of 10 Gbps all-optical broadband and all-optical premium transmission and the development of the technology industry are of great significance to promote the integration of digital economy and real economy, drive information consumption and effective investment, and improve people’s livelihood and well-being.”
    Deep cloud-intelligence-network-device collaboration drives new growth in the AI era
    With AI poised to become the core driving force of the global digital economy and reshape life and production, global carriers are also actively embracing AI. In particular, frontrunners are transforming from connection service providers to connection + computing + application service providers. When expanding intelligent services based on their connectivity advantages, carriers also face challenges such as insufficient application ecosystems, non-unified terminal interconnection ecosystems, and lack of differentiated network assurance.

    Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, delivering a speech

    Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service said in his speech, “Homes and enterprises will become the most valuable scenarios in carriers’ AI strategic transformation. Huawei hopes to work with the industry to promote the development of F5.5G all-optical networks, support deep cloud-intelligence-network-device collaboration, and drive the application of AI to households and industries, achieving win-win growth in the AI era.”
    Continuous Innovation of AI-Centric F5.5G All-Optical Networks Stimulates New Growth of Home Broadband Services in the AI Era
    In the AI era, the key to the growth of carriers’ home broadband services is to provide end users with new values and sense of worthiness. Bob Chen, President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, shared Huawei’s latest innovations in F5.5G all-optical networks from four dimensions. He pointed out that, “To fully improve the sense of worthiness for home broadband users, and make bandwidth upgrades visible, differentiated experience assurance sensible, new home devices attainable, and new services more popular, Huawei has continuously innovated to help carriers build four-in-one high-value packages and provide users with ultimate AI application experiences.”

    Bob Chen, President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, delivering a keynote speech

    Huawei’s solution is fully upgraded in bandwidth upgrade, differentiated experience, new terminals, and rich home applications. The innovative 50G PON solution supports upgrade to ultra-gigabit and 10 Gigabit. Besides, Huawei’ solution improves the end-to-end network capabilities to provide high-value users with differentiated experience assurance. In addition, Huawei’s new terminal — AI home hub — as a smart home hub for users and offers rich intelligent applications based on home AI interaction entry. Meanwhile, Huawei and carriers are jointly exploring the construction of 1 ms latency all-optical metro networks, allowing users to access cloud computing resources and AI applications through deterministic low-latency networks.
    MWC Shanghai 2025 will be held from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).
    The commercial adoption of 5G-Advanced is accelerating in 2025. Huawei collaborates with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore how innovations in AI can be used to reshape telecom services, infrastructure, and operations to generate new revenue sources and accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
    For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwcs2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman McCollum Signs onto War Powers Resolution to Prohibit Involvement in Iran without a Vote in Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

    SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced on Wednesday that she is co-sponsoring a war powers resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) aimed at prohibiting U.S. military involvement in Iran without Congressional authorization.

    “I am deeply concerned by President Trump’s escalatory rhetoric. The United States is not at war with Iran. Any offensive military action taken by the U.S. must receive a vote in Congress,” said Congresswoman McCollum.

    The text of the Massie-Khanna Iran War Powers Resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Unaudited Interim Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    19 June 2025

    HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
    (the “Company”)

    Unaudited Interim Results

    The Company announces its half-year results for the six months ended 31 March 2025.

    These half-year results will be available on the Company’s website at  https://www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk/document-library/.

    In accordance with UK Listing Rule 6.4.1, a copy of this document will also be submitted to the UK Listing Authority via the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for viewing shortly at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    Additionally, the interim report can also be found here:  HHV 2025 Interim Report

    Financial highlights

    Net asset value (NAV) per share   NAV total return   Tax free dividends paid in the period   Share price total return   Ongoing charges ratio
    34.48p   -8.19%   2.75   -6.28%   2.45%
    • £3.6m invested in Qualifying Companies in the period.
    • 92.29% invested by VCT tax value in Qualifying Investments at 31 March 2025.
    • Offer for subscription launched on 9 October 2024 to raise up to £20m. At the date of this report 14m Shares have been issued raising gross proceeds of £5.4m.
    • Final dividend of 1.25 pence and special dividend of 1.50 pence per Share paid 14 February 2025.
    • Interim dividend of 0.75 pence and special dividend of 0.50 pence per Share approved by the Board.
    Summary financial data Six months

    ending

    31-Mar-25

    		 Six months

    Ending

    31-Mar-24

    		 Year

    ending
    30 Sept-24
    NAV (£m) 126.75 155.74 148.01
    NAV per Share (p) 34.48 43.64 40.55
    NAV total return (%) -8.19 -2.59 -3.86
    Market capitalisation (£m) 124.25 150.60 142.34
    Share price (p) 33.80 42.20 39.00
    Share price discount to NAV per Share (%) 1.97 3.30 3.82
    Share price 5 year average discount to NAV per Share (%) -5.52 -5.83 -5.79
    Share price total return (%) -6.28 1.63 0.00
    Loss per Share for the period (p) -3.39 -1.22 -1.86
    Dividends paid per Share (p) 2.75 1.50 4.00
    Ongoing charges ratio (%) 2.45 2.45 2.43

    Investment Manager’s report

    Overview

    What would Harold Wilson, who famously quipped that a week was a long time in politics, have made of the extraordinary times we are living through? If JD Vance’s Munich speech signalled that the new administration was unconstrained by red lines, established protocols or strategic alliances, few truly anticipated the confusion and chaos that would follow on ‘Liberation Day’.

    The tumultuous reaction to Trump’s Rose Garden speech reflected the upending of the principles that had underpinned global trade for decades. Uncertainty swept through markets as analysts assessed the implications for the global economy, a task that was made considerably more difficult by the rapidly evolving nature of the proposed tariff regime and, more broadly, US trade policy. With future outcomes very difficult to predict and price in, significant volatility emerged in a huge range of financial assets. In the medium term, there are potentially profound implications for the value of invested capital as companies review their business models and supply chains.

    Spectacular as this has been, the impact on AIM has been relatively muted. Whilst risk assets in the US were overdue a correction, the same was not true of companies listed on AIM. The early part of the financial year was difficult with the 2024 UK Autumn Budget preceded by some unhelpfully stark messaging from the government. GDP, employment reports and PMI surveys all highlighted a notable softening in the UK economy through the second half of the 2024 calendar year. Measures of UK consumer and business confidence dipped, suggesting that households and companies were becoming increasingly cautious. Both the Office for Budget Responsibility and Bank of England reduced their GDP forecasts for 2025.

    Although UK fiscal policy is seen as being negative to growth and positive for inflation, a very significant increase in public spending is expected to support a pick up in UK economic activity in 2025 with the market consensus for GDP growth in 2025 currently +1.0%. While the Bank of England is currently forecasting 3.5% inflation in 2025, significantly above the 2.0% target, the downside risks to the global economy that have subsequently emerged, along with falling energy prices, are expected to reduce CPI to comfortably below 3.0% by early 2026. As a result, the outlook for interest rate cuts has significantly improved with the market now pricing in up to four interest cuts in 2025. For context, the market was expecting just one cut as we entered into 2025.

    You might reasonably expect all of this to heap more selling pressure onto UK equities. Whilst that was the case within the period under review, it is not so more recently. Although the constantly evolving narrative threatens to undermine the current dynamic, as it stands UK equity markets are going through a mini renaissance. As we have previously observed, UK markets are cheap, both in relative and absolute terms. As the US economy falters and the US exceptionalism narrative comes under pressure, investors are starting to look elsewhere. With a high weighting to more defensive companies, an expectation that the UK economy should emerge relatively unscathed from the new tariff regime, stable politics and low valuations, there is clear interest in UK equities from investors rotating away from US equities. This is yet to result in fund inflows to the IA UK Small Cap sector; however, the flow picture has improved. For now, at least, the market’s focus has shifted away from UK fiscal policy to international trade and the impact of tariffs.

    Returning to events within the six months to 31 March 2025, we regrettably report that AIM was again notably weak, with the Deutsche Numis Alternative Market (ex IC) returning -7.51% over the period on a total return basis. This was not specific to AIM, the domestically focused FTSE 250 Index also endured a difficult period as business and financial markets returned a withering assessment of the 2024 Autumn Budget. Ultimately, pressure on UK government borrowing costs forced the Chancellor to announce spending cuts in her 2025 Spring Statement. More will need to be done and we expect the government to come forward with new initiatives to promote growth, contain spending and/or increase taxes. It will be a difficult balancing act.

    Performance 

    In the six months to 31 March 2025 the unaudited NAV per Share decreased from 40.55 pence to 34.48 pence. A final dividend for FY24 of 1.25 pence and a special dividend of 1.50 pence were paid on 14 February 2025, giving a NAV total return to Shareholders of -3.32 pence per Share, which translates to a loss of -8.19%.

    The Qualifying Investments made a net contribution of -2.70 pence per Share whilst the Non-Qualifying Investments returned -0.25 pence per Share. The contribution to net asset performance is split out in further detail below.

    Qualifying Investments 

    Positive Contributors 

    In November 2024, Aquis Exchange (+95.8%, +£1.71m) received a takeover offer from its larger Swiss peer SIX Exchange at 727p, equivalent to an enterprise value of £194m. The offer price, which was at a 120% premium to the previous closing price and slightly above the 2021 share price high, resulted in an exit multiple of 4.7x book cost. The deal was approved by Aquis shareholders on 18 December 2024 and is expected to complete in July 2025.

    Shares in Cohort (+26.1%, +£1.12m) continued to perform strongly as European nations announced plans to significantly boost defence spending. The UK government announced plans to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, an additional spend of £13.4bn p.a. from current levels. The company announced its subsidiary MASS Consultants received a two-year extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training contract for UK Strategic Command worth over £17.5m. Cohort also completed the acquisition of Australian-based satellite communications company EM Solutions.

    Oberon Investment Group (+43.3%, +£0.49m) raised a further £2.5m in February 2025, providing additional investment to accelerate growth across corporate broking, wealth management and fund management. We used the opportunity to increase our investment in the company. H1 2025 results showed revenue growth of 78% to £4.8m, coupled with a reduction in EBITDA losses. Current trading remains positive with like for like revenue growth of over 30% expected for FY25 (March YE).

    Ilika (+56.5%, +£0.48m) continued to make technical progress with Goliath, its solid state battery technology for electric vehicles (EV). In partnership with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the company built a prototype battery using industrial equipment and processes, demonstrating the scalability of key steps in the manufacturing process. Goliath has achieved energy density parity with current lithium-ion cells, successfully reached its D6 milestone of testing 10Ah cells, and expects to achieve minimum viable product for EV applications within 2026. The company also successfully completed the transfer of its Stereax micro-battery production to US-based partner Cirtec Medical and expects this partnership to generate revenues in H2 2025.

    Intelligent Ultrasound (+30.0%, +£0.41m) received a takeover offer from Swedish medical simulation company Surgical Science at 13p in December 2024. The transaction valued Intelligent Ultrasound at an enterprise value of £4.7m. Adjusting for the sale of the Clinical-AI business to GE Healthcare in October 2024 for £40.5m, the offer placed a relatively low value on the simulation division. Whilst we voted against the scheme due to the low valuation, the transaction was approved by shareholders on 6 February 2025 and completed on 18 February 2025.

    Negative Contributors 

    Despite reductions to its overheads, a difficult retail environment undermined Kidly (-100.00%, -£1.26m) in its attempts to establish a fundable pathway to profitability. Kidly was placed into administration on 4 March 2025 following a formal sales process. Although the company was subsequently sold from administration, the proceeds did not result in any recoverable value to the Company.

    Zoo Digital (-74.3%, -£1.14m) issued a disappointing year-end trading update with FY25 revenues growing 24% to $50.5m (consensus: $55m) and EBITDA of at least $1m. Cash was also below expectations at $1m. Whilst the film and TV industry has begun to recover from the 2023 strikes, the company has been impacted by project delays and cancellations as streaming platforms continue to evaluate their commercial models.

    On 31 March 2025, Equipmake (-40.0%, -£0.93m) announced a £5m strategic investment from Caterpillar Ventures and a development agreement with Caterpillar. We view this outcome as a significant achievement for a company that was operating with limited working capital . The company also announced a development agreement with JCB, and post period-end, a £650,000 development agreement with CorPower Ocean. A new CFO was appointed.

    Team Internet (-54.8%, -£0.86m) shares fell sharply in Q4 2024 as the company announced that revenues at a recently acquired online marketing business, Shinez would fall short of expectations. This was followed by the negative news in Q1 2025 when the company announced that 2025 would be impacted by changes being made by Google, with a major impact on revenues in the company’s online marketing business. The company also confirmed that it was no longer in talks regarding a potential takeover offer. The year end trading update confirmed 2024 net revenues of $188m (-2% vs prior year) and an operating profit of $8.2m following a $36m impairment to the value of Shinez.

    Eagle Eye (-21.3%, -£0.85m) issued a profit warning in January 2025, cautioning that FY25 revenues would be below market expectations due to lengthening sales cycles. The warning was exacerbated by the company’s decision to make a strategic shift away from professional services work. More promising was the announcement of a major new partnership with a large software vendor where Eagle Eye will be directly integrated into the vendor’s product. Whilst this opportunity will take time to generate revenues, the partnership could become a very material profit generator in time. H1 2025 results reported revenues of £24.2m (unchanged year on year), and adjusted EBITDA of £5.9m.

    Recurring revenue represented 82% of the total with annual recurring revenue increasing by 16% to £41m. The company continues to benefit from a strong balance sheet with net cash of £11.7m.

    Non-qualifying Investments

    Within the non-qualifying portfolio, the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund declined by £1.27m over the period. We reduced our investments in both to release liquidity ahead of scheduled dividend payments.

    Within the non-qualifying direct equities portfolio, the weaker outlook for the UK economy following the 2024 Autumn Budget impacted WH Smith and Hollywood Bowl. Bodycote struggled with weak end markets, notably automotive and aerospace, and we sold the position. BAE Systems performed well as the outlook for defence spending in the UK and Europe strengthened and TP ICAP rose as the company announced plans to spin-out its data business Parameta Solutions alongside good results. We exited BAE Systems and took profits in Chemring following strong share price performance and initiated a new position in Trustpilot. The direct equity holdings returned -£0.14m (-1.3%). The losses were offset by gains in the non-qualifying fixed income portfolio, which returned +£0.35m.

    We released £0.99m of liquidity through the sale of the Next 3.0% 2026 bond, again to support scheduled dividend payments. The average maturity of the current portfolio of six investment grade corporate bonds is just over two years with an average yield to maturity of 4.9%. This part of the Company’s portfolio is expected to generate annual income of approximately £0.85m.

    Portfolio structure 

    The VCT is comfortably through the HMRC defined investment test and ended the period at 92.29% invested as measured by the HMRC investment test.

    The market for new Qualifying Investment remained very subdued with just two VCT qualifying IPOs within the 12 months to 31 March 2025. Within the period under review, AIM VCTs invested £27.2m across 17 companies. We were measured in our deployment of capital, investing £3.6m into five companies. The new Qualifying Investments included follow on investments into Rosslyn Data Technologies and Oberon Investments Group. We invested in one IPO, RC Fornax, in addition to two new equity investments into existing AIM companies, Feedback and IXICO.

    Feedback. The company provides software solutions for the NHS which deliver secure, compliant clinical workforce tools and data management. The company’s flagship product, Bleepa, is a secure, cloud-based platform that enables healthcare professionals to share and view medical images, as well as notes and other records between primary and secondary care settings. The company has secured partnerships with both a primary care record provider and an IT consultancy to implement the solution. The VCT invested as part of a £6.1m fundraise in November 2024.

    IXICO. The company is a contract research organisation which provides tech-enabled imaging analysis services to pharma companies conducting clinical trials in neurological diseases, with a focus on Huntingdon’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The company has a network of more than 1,000 qualified sites and currently works with 18 pharma clients across 26 studies. The VCT invested as part of a £4m fundraise in October 2024.

    RC Fornax. The company is an engineering consultancy founded by former RAF engineers which serves the defence industry. The VCT invested as part of the AIM IPO in February 2025 which raised £3.7m.

    Within the qualifying portfolio, we exited through takeover Equals Group, Intelligent Ultrasound and Learning Technologies Group. The Equals Group exit valuation of £277m resulted in a gain of 141% over book cost. The Learning Technologies Group exit valued the company at £858m, a gain of 376% over book cost. We also sold our investments in Gfinity and Surface Transforms following poor performance and reduced our holding in Cohort following a period of strong share price performance.

    By market value, the VCT had an increased 58.4% (Sep 24: 56.0%) weighting to Qualifying Investments, an increased 14.2% (Sep 24: 12.9%) weighting to non-qualifying fixed income, a reduced combined 11.9% (Sep 24: 13.4%) weighting to the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund following disposals, and a reduced 7.3% (Sep 24: 8.1%) weighting to non-qualifying direct equities. New investment into Qualifying Companies and the return of capital through dividend distributions resulted in a reduced weighting to cash of 7.6%(1) (Sep 24: 9.3%(1)) of net assets despite inflows from the offer for subscription and the sale of Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Investments.

    The HMRC investment tests are set out in Chapter 3 of Part 6, ITA , which should be read in conjunction with this Investment Manager’s report. Funds raised by VCTs are first included in the investment tests from the start of the accounting period containing the third anniversary of the date on which the funds were raised. Therefore, the allocation of Qualifying Investments as defined by the VCT Rules can be different to the portfolio weighting as measured by market value relative to the net assets of the VCT.

    Outlook

    Although tail risks remain, broadly speaking the US appears to be inching towards a more moderate and workable position on trade policy. Whilst equity markets have quickly moved to price in a benign outcome, other measures such as borrowing costs and exchange rates continue to signal concern about the medium and long term impact on the US. Historically, this would be perceived as a major risk for the global economy; however, in a multi-polar world, there is potential for a moderate decoupling.

    Back at home, the government has completed two reviews that have shown increased support for defence, healthcare and housebuilding. We have good exposure to the first two. There continues to be much discussion about the outlook for the UK as a leading financial hub and the manner in which we support our growth companies. This debate will continue for some time; however, we draw comfort from the level of engagement by a variety of stakeholders. Greater and more coordinated support for the broader growth ecosystem, even if in areas that are adjacent to where we operate, will provide welcome second order benefits.

    This has fed through to AIM, which has been strongly positive since the post ‘Liberation Day’ correction with the index moving higher as investors react to the growth and value opportunity. It remains too early to comment on the durability of the rally but the foundations are being laid. Whilst government spending, as recently outlined, will support the UK growth story for several years to come; we will need to wait until the 2025 Autumn Budget to see whether this is offset by further changes to tax policy.

    We continue to see signs that deal flow is improving, albeit slowly. UK fund flows remain negative; that is the missing piece that must fall into place before investors can finally feel that a corner may have been turned.

    END

    For further information, please contact:

    Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
    Oliver Bedford    		  +44 20 7523 4837
    JTC (UK) Limited
    Uloma Adighibe
    Alexandria Tivey    		 HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com
    +44 203 832 3877
    +44 203 832 3891

    LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Unaudited Interim Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    19 June 2025

    HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
    (the “Company”)

    Unaudited Interim Results

    The Company announces its half-year results for the six months ended 31 March 2025.

    These half-year results will be available on the Company’s website at  https://www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk/document-library/.

    In accordance with UK Listing Rule 6.4.1, a copy of this document will also be submitted to the UK Listing Authority via the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for viewing shortly at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    Additionally, the interim report can also be found here:  HHV 2025 Interim Report

    Financial highlights

    Net asset value (NAV) per share   NAV total return   Tax free dividends paid in the period   Share price total return   Ongoing charges ratio
    34.48p   -8.19%   2.75   -6.28%   2.45%
    • £3.6m invested in Qualifying Companies in the period.
    • 92.29% invested by VCT tax value in Qualifying Investments at 31 March 2025.
    • Offer for subscription launched on 9 October 2024 to raise up to £20m. At the date of this report 14m Shares have been issued raising gross proceeds of £5.4m.
    • Final dividend of 1.25 pence and special dividend of 1.50 pence per Share paid 14 February 2025.
    • Interim dividend of 0.75 pence and special dividend of 0.50 pence per Share approved by the Board.
    Summary financial data Six months

    ending

    31-Mar-25

    		 Six months

    Ending

    31-Mar-24

    		 Year

    ending
    30 Sept-24
    NAV (£m) 126.75 155.74 148.01
    NAV per Share (p) 34.48 43.64 40.55
    NAV total return (%) -8.19 -2.59 -3.86
    Market capitalisation (£m) 124.25 150.60 142.34
    Share price (p) 33.80 42.20 39.00
    Share price discount to NAV per Share (%) 1.97 3.30 3.82
    Share price 5 year average discount to NAV per Share (%) -5.52 -5.83 -5.79
    Share price total return (%) -6.28 1.63 0.00
    Loss per Share for the period (p) -3.39 -1.22 -1.86
    Dividends paid per Share (p) 2.75 1.50 4.00
    Ongoing charges ratio (%) 2.45 2.45 2.43

    Investment Manager’s report

    Overview

    What would Harold Wilson, who famously quipped that a week was a long time in politics, have made of the extraordinary times we are living through? If JD Vance’s Munich speech signalled that the new administration was unconstrained by red lines, established protocols or strategic alliances, few truly anticipated the confusion and chaos that would follow on ‘Liberation Day’.

    The tumultuous reaction to Trump’s Rose Garden speech reflected the upending of the principles that had underpinned global trade for decades. Uncertainty swept through markets as analysts assessed the implications for the global economy, a task that was made considerably more difficult by the rapidly evolving nature of the proposed tariff regime and, more broadly, US trade policy. With future outcomes very difficult to predict and price in, significant volatility emerged in a huge range of financial assets. In the medium term, there are potentially profound implications for the value of invested capital as companies review their business models and supply chains.

    Spectacular as this has been, the impact on AIM has been relatively muted. Whilst risk assets in the US were overdue a correction, the same was not true of companies listed on AIM. The early part of the financial year was difficult with the 2024 UK Autumn Budget preceded by some unhelpfully stark messaging from the government. GDP, employment reports and PMI surveys all highlighted a notable softening in the UK economy through the second half of the 2024 calendar year. Measures of UK consumer and business confidence dipped, suggesting that households and companies were becoming increasingly cautious. Both the Office for Budget Responsibility and Bank of England reduced their GDP forecasts for 2025.

    Although UK fiscal policy is seen as being negative to growth and positive for inflation, a very significant increase in public spending is expected to support a pick up in UK economic activity in 2025 with the market consensus for GDP growth in 2025 currently +1.0%. While the Bank of England is currently forecasting 3.5% inflation in 2025, significantly above the 2.0% target, the downside risks to the global economy that have subsequently emerged, along with falling energy prices, are expected to reduce CPI to comfortably below 3.0% by early 2026. As a result, the outlook for interest rate cuts has significantly improved with the market now pricing in up to four interest cuts in 2025. For context, the market was expecting just one cut as we entered into 2025.

    You might reasonably expect all of this to heap more selling pressure onto UK equities. Whilst that was the case within the period under review, it is not so more recently. Although the constantly evolving narrative threatens to undermine the current dynamic, as it stands UK equity markets are going through a mini renaissance. As we have previously observed, UK markets are cheap, both in relative and absolute terms. As the US economy falters and the US exceptionalism narrative comes under pressure, investors are starting to look elsewhere. With a high weighting to more defensive companies, an expectation that the UK economy should emerge relatively unscathed from the new tariff regime, stable politics and low valuations, there is clear interest in UK equities from investors rotating away from US equities. This is yet to result in fund inflows to the IA UK Small Cap sector; however, the flow picture has improved. For now, at least, the market’s focus has shifted away from UK fiscal policy to international trade and the impact of tariffs.

    Returning to events within the six months to 31 March 2025, we regrettably report that AIM was again notably weak, with the Deutsche Numis Alternative Market (ex IC) returning -7.51% over the period on a total return basis. This was not specific to AIM, the domestically focused FTSE 250 Index also endured a difficult period as business and financial markets returned a withering assessment of the 2024 Autumn Budget. Ultimately, pressure on UK government borrowing costs forced the Chancellor to announce spending cuts in her 2025 Spring Statement. More will need to be done and we expect the government to come forward with new initiatives to promote growth, contain spending and/or increase taxes. It will be a difficult balancing act.

    Performance 

    In the six months to 31 March 2025 the unaudited NAV per Share decreased from 40.55 pence to 34.48 pence. A final dividend for FY24 of 1.25 pence and a special dividend of 1.50 pence were paid on 14 February 2025, giving a NAV total return to Shareholders of -3.32 pence per Share, which translates to a loss of -8.19%.

    The Qualifying Investments made a net contribution of -2.70 pence per Share whilst the Non-Qualifying Investments returned -0.25 pence per Share. The contribution to net asset performance is split out in further detail below.

    Qualifying Investments 

    Positive Contributors 

    In November 2024, Aquis Exchange (+95.8%, +£1.71m) received a takeover offer from its larger Swiss peer SIX Exchange at 727p, equivalent to an enterprise value of £194m. The offer price, which was at a 120% premium to the previous closing price and slightly above the 2021 share price high, resulted in an exit multiple of 4.7x book cost. The deal was approved by Aquis shareholders on 18 December 2024 and is expected to complete in July 2025.

    Shares in Cohort (+26.1%, +£1.12m) continued to perform strongly as European nations announced plans to significantly boost defence spending. The UK government announced plans to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, an additional spend of £13.4bn p.a. from current levels. The company announced its subsidiary MASS Consultants received a two-year extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training contract for UK Strategic Command worth over £17.5m. Cohort also completed the acquisition of Australian-based satellite communications company EM Solutions.

    Oberon Investment Group (+43.3%, +£0.49m) raised a further £2.5m in February 2025, providing additional investment to accelerate growth across corporate broking, wealth management and fund management. We used the opportunity to increase our investment in the company. H1 2025 results showed revenue growth of 78% to £4.8m, coupled with a reduction in EBITDA losses. Current trading remains positive with like for like revenue growth of over 30% expected for FY25 (March YE).

    Ilika (+56.5%, +£0.48m) continued to make technical progress with Goliath, its solid state battery technology for electric vehicles (EV). In partnership with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the company built a prototype battery using industrial equipment and processes, demonstrating the scalability of key steps in the manufacturing process. Goliath has achieved energy density parity with current lithium-ion cells, successfully reached its D6 milestone of testing 10Ah cells, and expects to achieve minimum viable product for EV applications within 2026. The company also successfully completed the transfer of its Stereax micro-battery production to US-based partner Cirtec Medical and expects this partnership to generate revenues in H2 2025.

    Intelligent Ultrasound (+30.0%, +£0.41m) received a takeover offer from Swedish medical simulation company Surgical Science at 13p in December 2024. The transaction valued Intelligent Ultrasound at an enterprise value of £4.7m. Adjusting for the sale of the Clinical-AI business to GE Healthcare in October 2024 for £40.5m, the offer placed a relatively low value on the simulation division. Whilst we voted against the scheme due to the low valuation, the transaction was approved by shareholders on 6 February 2025 and completed on 18 February 2025.

    Negative Contributors 

    Despite reductions to its overheads, a difficult retail environment undermined Kidly (-100.00%, -£1.26m) in its attempts to establish a fundable pathway to profitability. Kidly was placed into administration on 4 March 2025 following a formal sales process. Although the company was subsequently sold from administration, the proceeds did not result in any recoverable value to the Company.

    Zoo Digital (-74.3%, -£1.14m) issued a disappointing year-end trading update with FY25 revenues growing 24% to $50.5m (consensus: $55m) and EBITDA of at least $1m. Cash was also below expectations at $1m. Whilst the film and TV industry has begun to recover from the 2023 strikes, the company has been impacted by project delays and cancellations as streaming platforms continue to evaluate their commercial models.

    On 31 March 2025, Equipmake (-40.0%, -£0.93m) announced a £5m strategic investment from Caterpillar Ventures and a development agreement with Caterpillar. We view this outcome as a significant achievement for a company that was operating with limited working capital . The company also announced a development agreement with JCB, and post period-end, a £650,000 development agreement with CorPower Ocean. A new CFO was appointed.

    Team Internet (-54.8%, -£0.86m) shares fell sharply in Q4 2024 as the company announced that revenues at a recently acquired online marketing business, Shinez would fall short of expectations. This was followed by the negative news in Q1 2025 when the company announced that 2025 would be impacted by changes being made by Google, with a major impact on revenues in the company’s online marketing business. The company also confirmed that it was no longer in talks regarding a potential takeover offer. The year end trading update confirmed 2024 net revenues of $188m (-2% vs prior year) and an operating profit of $8.2m following a $36m impairment to the value of Shinez.

    Eagle Eye (-21.3%, -£0.85m) issued a profit warning in January 2025, cautioning that FY25 revenues would be below market expectations due to lengthening sales cycles. The warning was exacerbated by the company’s decision to make a strategic shift away from professional services work. More promising was the announcement of a major new partnership with a large software vendor where Eagle Eye will be directly integrated into the vendor’s product. Whilst this opportunity will take time to generate revenues, the partnership could become a very material profit generator in time. H1 2025 results reported revenues of £24.2m (unchanged year on year), and adjusted EBITDA of £5.9m.

    Recurring revenue represented 82% of the total with annual recurring revenue increasing by 16% to £41m. The company continues to benefit from a strong balance sheet with net cash of £11.7m.

    Non-qualifying Investments

    Within the non-qualifying portfolio, the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund declined by £1.27m over the period. We reduced our investments in both to release liquidity ahead of scheduled dividend payments.

    Within the non-qualifying direct equities portfolio, the weaker outlook for the UK economy following the 2024 Autumn Budget impacted WH Smith and Hollywood Bowl. Bodycote struggled with weak end markets, notably automotive and aerospace, and we sold the position. BAE Systems performed well as the outlook for defence spending in the UK and Europe strengthened and TP ICAP rose as the company announced plans to spin-out its data business Parameta Solutions alongside good results. We exited BAE Systems and took profits in Chemring following strong share price performance and initiated a new position in Trustpilot. The direct equity holdings returned -£0.14m (-1.3%). The losses were offset by gains in the non-qualifying fixed income portfolio, which returned +£0.35m.

    We released £0.99m of liquidity through the sale of the Next 3.0% 2026 bond, again to support scheduled dividend payments. The average maturity of the current portfolio of six investment grade corporate bonds is just over two years with an average yield to maturity of 4.9%. This part of the Company’s portfolio is expected to generate annual income of approximately £0.85m.

    Portfolio structure 

    The VCT is comfortably through the HMRC defined investment test and ended the period at 92.29% invested as measured by the HMRC investment test.

    The market for new Qualifying Investment remained very subdued with just two VCT qualifying IPOs within the 12 months to 31 March 2025. Within the period under review, AIM VCTs invested £27.2m across 17 companies. We were measured in our deployment of capital, investing £3.6m into five companies. The new Qualifying Investments included follow on investments into Rosslyn Data Technologies and Oberon Investments Group. We invested in one IPO, RC Fornax, in addition to two new equity investments into existing AIM companies, Feedback and IXICO.

    Feedback. The company provides software solutions for the NHS which deliver secure, compliant clinical workforce tools and data management. The company’s flagship product, Bleepa, is a secure, cloud-based platform that enables healthcare professionals to share and view medical images, as well as notes and other records between primary and secondary care settings. The company has secured partnerships with both a primary care record provider and an IT consultancy to implement the solution. The VCT invested as part of a £6.1m fundraise in November 2024.

    IXICO. The company is a contract research organisation which provides tech-enabled imaging analysis services to pharma companies conducting clinical trials in neurological diseases, with a focus on Huntingdon’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The company has a network of more than 1,000 qualified sites and currently works with 18 pharma clients across 26 studies. The VCT invested as part of a £4m fundraise in October 2024.

    RC Fornax. The company is an engineering consultancy founded by former RAF engineers which serves the defence industry. The VCT invested as part of the AIM IPO in February 2025 which raised £3.7m.

    Within the qualifying portfolio, we exited through takeover Equals Group, Intelligent Ultrasound and Learning Technologies Group. The Equals Group exit valuation of £277m resulted in a gain of 141% over book cost. The Learning Technologies Group exit valued the company at £858m, a gain of 376% over book cost. We also sold our investments in Gfinity and Surface Transforms following poor performance and reduced our holding in Cohort following a period of strong share price performance.

    By market value, the VCT had an increased 58.4% (Sep 24: 56.0%) weighting to Qualifying Investments, an increased 14.2% (Sep 24: 12.9%) weighting to non-qualifying fixed income, a reduced combined 11.9% (Sep 24: 13.4%) weighting to the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund following disposals, and a reduced 7.3% (Sep 24: 8.1%) weighting to non-qualifying direct equities. New investment into Qualifying Companies and the return of capital through dividend distributions resulted in a reduced weighting to cash of 7.6%(1) (Sep 24: 9.3%(1)) of net assets despite inflows from the offer for subscription and the sale of Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Investments.

    The HMRC investment tests are set out in Chapter 3 of Part 6, ITA , which should be read in conjunction with this Investment Manager’s report. Funds raised by VCTs are first included in the investment tests from the start of the accounting period containing the third anniversary of the date on which the funds were raised. Therefore, the allocation of Qualifying Investments as defined by the VCT Rules can be different to the portfolio weighting as measured by market value relative to the net assets of the VCT.

    Outlook

    Although tail risks remain, broadly speaking the US appears to be inching towards a more moderate and workable position on trade policy. Whilst equity markets have quickly moved to price in a benign outcome, other measures such as borrowing costs and exchange rates continue to signal concern about the medium and long term impact on the US. Historically, this would be perceived as a major risk for the global economy; however, in a multi-polar world, there is potential for a moderate decoupling.

    Back at home, the government has completed two reviews that have shown increased support for defence, healthcare and housebuilding. We have good exposure to the first two. There continues to be much discussion about the outlook for the UK as a leading financial hub and the manner in which we support our growth companies. This debate will continue for some time; however, we draw comfort from the level of engagement by a variety of stakeholders. Greater and more coordinated support for the broader growth ecosystem, even if in areas that are adjacent to where we operate, will provide welcome second order benefits.

    This has fed through to AIM, which has been strongly positive since the post ‘Liberation Day’ correction with the index moving higher as investors react to the growth and value opportunity. It remains too early to comment on the durability of the rally but the foundations are being laid. Whilst government spending, as recently outlined, will support the UK growth story for several years to come; we will need to wait until the 2025 Autumn Budget to see whether this is offset by further changes to tax policy.

    We continue to see signs that deal flow is improving, albeit slowly. UK fund flows remain negative; that is the missing piece that must fall into place before investors can finally feel that a corner may have been turned.

    END

    For further information, please contact:

    Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
    Oliver Bedford    		  +44 20 7523 4837
    JTC (UK) Limited
    Uloma Adighibe
    Alexandria Tivey    		 HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com
    +44 203 832 3877
    +44 203 832 3891

    LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Interim and Special Dividend Announcement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    19 June 2025

    HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
    (the “Company”)

    Interim and Special Dividend Announcement

    Further to the announcement of the unaudited interim results of the Company for the six month period ending 31 March 2025, the Company declares its interim dividend payment of 0.75 pence per share and a special dividend of 0.50 pence per share, as timetabled below:

    Ex-Dividend Date: 26 June 2025
    Record Date: 27 June 2025
    Payment Date 25 July 2025

    The last date for receipt of elections in respect of the Dividend Re-investment Scheme (“DRIS”) is 11 July 2025 and a further announcement on the DRIS will be released in due course.

    END

    For further information, please contact:

    Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
    Oliver Bedford     		  

    +44 20 7523 4837
    JTC (UK) Limited
    Uloma Adighibe
    Alexandira Tivey    		 HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com
    +44 203 832 3877
    +44 203 832 3891

    LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

    The MIL Network –

  • Government signs MoU to boost inclusive education for PwDs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday signed a tripartite agreement with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to enhance inclusive education for Persons with Disabilities (PwD).

    The event, held in New Delhi, was presided over by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar and Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan.

    The collaboration aims to establish a framework that promotes education for persons with disabilities, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This initiative seeks to build an inclusive educational ecosystem that provides equitable learning opportunities across the country.

    Under the terms of the agreement, NIOS will set up Special Accredited Institutions for Education of the Divyangjan (SAIEDs). These will recognize special schools managed by NGOs funded through DEPwD’s Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS).

    The SAIEDs will provide a range of educational programs, including Open Basic Education (Levels A, B, and C), Secondary, Senior Secondary, and vocational courses. NIOS will oversee admissions, examination registration, distribution of self-learning materials (SLMs), and issuance of ID cards, hall tickets, and certificates. The institute will also ensure that students with disabilities receive necessary accommodations and exemptions during examinations.

    Complementing these efforts, NCERT will review and modify curricula and textbooks to align with the teaching methods outlined in the NEP 2020. The aim is to ensure that learning materials are relevant, accessible, and inclusive for students with disabilities.

    Addressing the MoU signing ceremony, Dr. Kumar highlighted the untapped potential of children with disabilities, saying, “When given the right platform, they can illuminate society with their talents.” He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of equal educational access for every child in the country. “This MoU is a strong step in that direction. Inclusive education for children with disabilities is not merely an option but a right,” Dr. Kumar said.

    Pradhan emphasized the transformative power of education, noting that NEP 2020 aims to provide equal educational opportunities to all. He urged society to foster greater awareness and sensitivity towards disability.

    The education minister also highlighted recent technological advancements that cater to the specific needs of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, he announced a mission-mode initiative to equip schools across states with accessible toilet facilities within the coming year, ensuring no child drops out due to lack of basic infrastructure.

    Speaking at the event, Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of DEPwD, stressed education’s critical role in the lives of children with disabilities. He expressed the government’s commitment to this cause, noting encouraging signs such as children with disabilities pursuing science education and aspiring to enter premier institutes like IITs and IIMs.

    Aggarwal also praised NIOS for introducing Indian Sign Language as a subject at the secondary level, reflecting the government’s dedication to building an inclusive society.

    Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), reiterated the collective goal of ensuring every child with a disability completes their school education. He affirmed that NIOS, DEPwD, and NCERT are working together to drive transformational change for children with disabilities.

    To ensure smooth coordination and implementation of the MoU, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from all three signatories will be constituted. The committee will monitor progress, address operational challenges, and ensure timely achievement of the partnership’s objectives.

  • Government signs MoU to boost inclusive education for PwDs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday signed a tripartite agreement with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to enhance inclusive education for Persons with Disabilities (PwD).

    The event, held in New Delhi, was presided over by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar and Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan.

    The collaboration aims to establish a framework that promotes education for persons with disabilities, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This initiative seeks to build an inclusive educational ecosystem that provides equitable learning opportunities across the country.

    Under the terms of the agreement, NIOS will set up Special Accredited Institutions for Education of the Divyangjan (SAIEDs). These will recognize special schools managed by NGOs funded through DEPwD’s Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS).

    The SAIEDs will provide a range of educational programs, including Open Basic Education (Levels A, B, and C), Secondary, Senior Secondary, and vocational courses. NIOS will oversee admissions, examination registration, distribution of self-learning materials (SLMs), and issuance of ID cards, hall tickets, and certificates. The institute will also ensure that students with disabilities receive necessary accommodations and exemptions during examinations.

    Complementing these efforts, NCERT will review and modify curricula and textbooks to align with the teaching methods outlined in the NEP 2020. The aim is to ensure that learning materials are relevant, accessible, and inclusive for students with disabilities.

    Addressing the MoU signing ceremony, Dr. Kumar highlighted the untapped potential of children with disabilities, saying, “When given the right platform, they can illuminate society with their talents.” He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of equal educational access for every child in the country. “This MoU is a strong step in that direction. Inclusive education for children with disabilities is not merely an option but a right,” Dr. Kumar said.

    Pradhan emphasized the transformative power of education, noting that NEP 2020 aims to provide equal educational opportunities to all. He urged society to foster greater awareness and sensitivity towards disability.

    The education minister also highlighted recent technological advancements that cater to the specific needs of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, he announced a mission-mode initiative to equip schools across states with accessible toilet facilities within the coming year, ensuring no child drops out due to lack of basic infrastructure.

    Speaking at the event, Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of DEPwD, stressed education’s critical role in the lives of children with disabilities. He expressed the government’s commitment to this cause, noting encouraging signs such as children with disabilities pursuing science education and aspiring to enter premier institutes like IITs and IIMs.

    Aggarwal also praised NIOS for introducing Indian Sign Language as a subject at the secondary level, reflecting the government’s dedication to building an inclusive society.

    Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), reiterated the collective goal of ensuring every child with a disability completes their school education. He affirmed that NIOS, DEPwD, and NCERT are working together to drive transformational change for children with disabilities.

    To ensure smooth coordination and implementation of the MoU, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from all three signatories will be constituted. The committee will monitor progress, address operational challenges, and ensure timely achievement of the partnership’s objectives.

  • MIL-OSI: SBM Offshore signs an operations and maintenance contract for FPSO GranMorgu with TotalEnergies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, June 19, 2025

    SBM Offshore announces that it has signed an operations and maintenance contract with TotalEnergies EP Suriname B.V., an affiliate of TotalEnergies, for the FPSO GranMorgu, as part of the field development project located in Block 58 in Suriname.

    The operations and maintenance contract covers the operation readiness phase before first oil as well as the operations and maintenance services for a minimal period of two years after first oil with extension options.

    This contract reinforces SBM Offshore’s long-term strategic partnership with TotalEnergies and marks a significant milestone as SBM Offshore becomes the first FPSO operator in Suriname. It is a testimony to SBM Offshore’s focus on excellence throughout the entire project’s lifecycle, from the allocation of our eighth Fast4Ward® MPF hull to our extensive experience in asset management supporting TotalEnergies’ operations.

            

    Corporate Profile

    SBM Offshore is the world’s deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert. Through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, we play a pivotal role in a just transition. By advancing our core, we deliver cleaner, more efficient energy production. By pioneering more, we unlock new markets within the blue economy. 
    More than 7,800 SBMers collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, balancing ocean protection with progress.
    For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

    Financial Calendar   Date Year
    Half Year 2025 Earnings   August 7 2025
    Third Quarter 2025 Trading Update   November 13 2025
    Full Year 2025 Earnings   February 26 2026
    Annual General Meeting   April 15 2026
    First Quarter 2026 Trading Update   May 7 2026

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    Wouter Holties
    Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager

    Media Relations

    Giampaolo Arghittu
    Head of External Relations

    Market Abuse Regulation

    This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Disclaimer

    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’ and / or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the ‘Impacts, Risks and Opportunities’ section of the 2024 Annual Report.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Company’s business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

    This release contains certain alternative performance measures (APMs) as defined by the ESMA guidelines which are not defined under IFRS. Further information on these APMs is included in the 2024 Annual Report, available on our website Annual Reports – SBM Offshore.

    Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release “SBM Offshore” and “SBM” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

    “SBM Offshore®“, the SBM logomark, “Fast4Ward®”, “emissionZERO®” and “F4W®” are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jun 19, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

     For best viewing experience, please enable browser JavaScript support.

    Jun 19, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Updated: Thu Jun 19 00:52:49 UTC 2025 (Print Version |   |  )

    Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

     Forecast Discussion

    SPC AC 190052

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0752 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    Valid 190100Z – 191200Z

    …THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE LOWER
    GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS…

    …SUMMARY…
    Severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds, will spread across
    portions of the Ohio/Tennessee Valley region this evening. Isolated
    severe thunderstorms will also continue across portions of the Red
    River region of southern Oklahoma and North Texas.

    …01z Update…

    Notable mid-level height falls will spread across the lower Great
    Lakes/Ohio Valley overnight in response to a short-wave trough that
    will advance into MI-IL by the end of the period. Synoptically, LLJ
    is strengthening across the OH Valley ahead of the main surface
    front that extends from Lake MI-central IL-central MO. While the
    primary squall line has surged well ahead of the front into central
    OH/KY, scattered convection is gradually increasing along the front
    across MO/western IL. This activity may continue to increase as the
    boundary surges southeast later tonight. Otherwise, the lead squall
    line is expected to propagate into the upper Ohio Valley with an
    attendant threat of damaging winds.

    Farther southwest into the southern Plains, 00z soundings from both
    OUN and FWD exhibit minimal CINH with seasonally high PW values and
    strong MLCAPE (>3000 J/kg). Both soundings have adequate deep-layer
    shear for organized updrafts, but the Red River corridor should only
    experience weak low-level warm advection through the overnight
    period. Isolated severe thunderstorms will be the most likely
    scenario given the weak forcing along this portion of the boundary.

    ..Darrow.. 06/19/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    .html”>Latest Day 2 Outlook/Today’s Outlooks/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –