NewzIntel.com

Category: Artificial Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Creative and AI sectors kick-off next steps in finding solutions to AI and copyright

    Representatives of both sectors in newly formed expert working groups on AI and copyright.

    • Representatives of the creative industries and the AI sector to make up newly formed expert working groups on AI and copyright as part of Plan for Change. 
    • Groups will play a vital role in helping to drive forward practical, workable solutions. 
    • Expert groups launch today, as the Technology and Culture Secretaries Chair first round of talks in London. 

    The Technology and Culture Secretaries kickstart the next phase of work today (Wednesday 16 July) to help deliver a solution which will support AI innovation while ensuring robust protection for our creators and vibrant creative industries as part of the Plan for Change. 

    A consultation on the UK’s legal framework for copyright which explores how the government can deliver solutions supporting both the creative industries and the AI sector was launched in December last year, attracting 11,500 responses. Close collaboration on the issues raised across the debate has been central to the government’s approach – ensuring both sectors not only have the support they need to drive further growth, but that the British public can share in the successes of 2 sectors which are crucial to the Modern Industrial Strategy.

    Representatives of both the AI sector and creative industries have engaged widely with Ministers throughout the consultation process, and the formal launch of new, expert working groups will continue to ensure both sectors play a vital role in supporting the work which will drive forward practical, workable solutions to foster innovation and growth.

    Representatives of the creative and AI sectors will now gather in London in the first of a series of regular planned meetings, with the groups made up of key industry figures. They include representatives of:

    • News Media Association
    • Alliance for IP
    • Sony Music Entertainment
    • Publishers Association
    • The Guardian
    • Open AI
    • Amazon
    • Meta

    Today’s discussions mark the first in a series of planned talks, and will initially focus on the impacts, opportunities, and common ground in the AI and copyright debate, with their work then helping to inform next steps following the conclusion of the government’s consultation.

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle said: 

    I am determined to harness expert insights from across the debate as we work together to deliver a solution that brings the legal clarity our creative industries and AI sector badly need in the digital age.

    Today’s meeting and the formation of these expert working groups will continue to ensure all voices can be heard so we can reset and refocus on how we can deliver precisely that.

    The work we’ll be taking forward in the coming months will ensure we can work in partnership to deliver a fresh start for creatives and AI developers alike.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 

    Our world-class creative industries are a key part of our economy which create jobs and drive growth right across the country. These sectors have been recognised as a priority sector by the government and I am fully focused on supporting them to flourish.

    We have heard loud and clear the concerns from the creative industries around AI and copyright and these roundtables will give us another chance to consider the best way forward.

    We have committed to ensuring a copyright regime that values and protects human creativity, can be trusted and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across the creative sector and wider economy.

    Both sectors are a vital part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, and the AI and Copyright consultation considered a broad range of issues in the copyright debate, including how right holders can have a better understanding of how AI developers are using their material and how it has been obtained.  

    The consultation also explored how access to high-quality data can be improved for AI developers – bolstering their ability to innovate and drive the growth which underpins the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Today’s talks will also contribute to finalising Terms of Reference for the expert working groups moving forward as they feed into wider discussions with both sectors.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UAE’s Autocraft places pre-order for 350 ‘air taxis’ in China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    SHANGHAI, July 16 (Xinhua) — United Arab Emirates (UAE) Autocraft on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker Shanghai TCab Technology Co., Ltd. to purchase 350 E20 eVTOL aircraft worth a total of $1 billion.

    This is the largest pre-order for eVTOLs in China to date.

    The deal is a result of a partnership between the two parties at last year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE).

    The deal is expected to see TCab Tech’s in-house developed E20 air taxis put into commercial service in low-altitude tourism and urban air mobility applications in the Middle East and North Africa region.

    As it became known, the E20 aircraft is designed for one pilot and four passengers. Its designed flight range is 200 km, and the maximum speed is 320 km/h.

    Autocraft explained the motivation for its partnership with Chinese company TCab Tech as recognition of the latter’s technological maturity and potential for safety systems.

    According to the concluded order document, the E20 eVTOL will be delivered in stages in several batches. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Stop Calling Me: How China Fights Internet Fraud and Spam Calls

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese citizens can avoid providing explicit personal information to internet service providers by using “cyberspace identifiers.”

    On July 15, 2025, China enacted the Regulations on the Public Service Related to Cyberspace Identifiers. This step is aimed at promoting cyberspace identifiers and strengthening the protection of personal information privacy online.

    According to the document, an online identifier operates in two forms: one as a set of letters and numbers, and the other as an online account. Both correspond to a person’s real identity, but exclude any information in plain text.

    If an Internet user decides to use a cyberspace identifier to register and verify his or her identity, the relevant Internet service provider shall not require him or her to provide additional information in plain text unless this is provided for by laws and administrative regulations or without the user’s consent.

    Citizens will no longer be forced to provide personal information such as ID card numbers or real names to internet service providers when they register for services or verify their identity.

    According to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), more than 6 million Chinese citizens have received and activated digital IDs since the introduction of the online service.

    HEADACHE OF THE CHINESE POPULATION

    For many years, the Chinese have suffered from telephone and Internet fraud, as well as from spam calls and spam messages. Such forms of fraud include various deception schemes, as well as auto-dialing of subscribers to random numbers: a person picks up the phone and hears a pre-recorded voice message with an offer to buy an apartment, take out a loan, and so on. Another concern is that when making calls, scammers or spammers can accurately name a person’s first and last name, and sometimes even an ID number.

    According to a 2024 study on spam calls in China by analytics company iiMedia Research, more than 91 percent of subscribers reported receiving calls from scammers and spammers.

    In particular, about 56 percent of subscribers received unwanted phone calls less than 10 times a day, and about 27 percent received unwanted phone calls 10-15 times a day. The share of subscribers who received such calls 16-20 times a day accounted for 10 percent.

    He Yanzhe, an employee of the China Institute of Electronic Technology Standardization, noted that some organizations do not implement security measures such as authentication and access control when setting up data transmission interfaces, which allows hackers to intercept the interface and obtain data in real time.

    Lao Dongyang, a professor at Tsinghua University School of Law, said some information collection agencies require users or consumers to provide “authorization packages” for various reasons including “improving service quality,” which is the main reason for data leaks.

    LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT

    The regulations on public service related to cyberspace identifiers, issued in May this year, are China’s latest effort to combat cyber fraud and spam calls.

    In June 2023, China established a government service platform for issuing digital identification documents based on the verification of their real counterparts, such as the ID card and the national demographic information database.

    The National Cyberspace Personal Identifier Platform will only collect personal information that is strictly necessary for online authentication purposes, the rules say.

    In accordance with the “minimum and necessary” principle, the cyberspace identifier platform will only provide the results of the verification to the ISPs. In cases where the retention of the user’s real identity information is required by law, the platform must do so only with the explicit consent of that user.

    According to the Ministry of Defense, the official mobile application for registration and verification of online IDs has been downloaded over 16 million times. In addition, registration of a digital personal ID is voluntary.

    In China, the Telecommunications and Internet Fraud Prevention Law came into effect on December 1, 2022.

    The law stipulates that public security organs shall cooperate with relevant government departments and enterprises to establish an early warning and suppression system for fraud, and take timely measures to prevent potential victims from falling into the traps of telecommunications and online fraudsters.

    According to the law, those who travel to regions where telecommunications fraud is serious and are suspected of being involved in fraudulent activity, as well as those who have been convicted and punished for telecommunications and online fraud, may be prohibited from leaving the country.

    THE PRACTICE OF REMAINING STRUGGLE

    In practice, the National Telecommunication and Internet Fraud Control Center of China has developed its official mobile application. This application can recognize suspicious calls, messages, websites or applications and promptly warn the user about possible data leaks.

    The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to combat fraud in China is also impressive. In one case reported to police in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, East China, it took just 10 minutes to track the movement of funds and prevent the withdrawal of 500,000 yuan. Eight hours later, the suspects were located overseas, and 24 hours later, an online arrest warrant was issued. Using AI, police arrested nine suspects and returned more than 70 percent of the stolen funds to the victim within three days.

    According to He Yongliang, an official with the Kunshan City Public Security Bureau, police efficiency has increased more than sixfold thanks to the creation of an “AI police team” comprising 30 digital officers who assist in analyzing victim reports, tracking suspects and conducting investigations.

    “Since their implementation, 609 fraud cases have been detected, and the total amount of funds recovered was 32.47 million yuan,” he added.

    Another area of combating telecommunications and Internet fraud in China is strengthening international cooperation in this area.

    In November 2024, the PRC MoS announced that all major telecom fraud centers located in northern Myanmar near the China-Myanmar border had been neutralized.

    More than 53,000 Chinese nationals suspected of fraud have been arrested through joint efforts by Chinese and Myanmar police since the MDS launched a special campaign in 2023 to crack down on telecom fraud in northern Myanmar targeting China and its nationals, the ministry said in a statement.

    Despite all these efforts, attackers and spammers are updating their “toolkits” to include AI technologies. Several major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Hangzhou, have already reported scams that involve fake faces or voice synthesis using AI technology.

    Some experts believe that mirror measures can be taken to combat these problems – by expanding the use of AI technologies to promptly identify and stop illegal activities.

    For example, Chinese brand Honor officially launched the world’s first AI-based fraud detection technology at the device level in September last year. The technology, based on a deep learning model, can identify fake AI-generated content in real time by analyzing facial features and behavior patterns in an image. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: First-hand view of peacemaking challenge in the ‘Holy Land’

    Occupied West Bank-based New Zealand journalist Cole Martin asks who are the peacemakers?

    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin

    As a Kiwi journalist living in the occupied West Bank, I can list endless reasons why there is no peace in the “Holy Land”.

    I live in a refugee camp, alongside families who were expelled from their homes by Israel’s violent establishment in 1948 — never allowed to return and repeatedly targeted by Israeli military incursions.

    Daily I witness suffocating checkpoints, settler attacks against rural towns, arbitrary imprisonment with no charge or trial, a crippled economy, expansion of illegal settlements, demolition of entire communities, genocidal rhetoric, and continued expulsion.

    No form of peace can exist within an active system of domination. To talk about peace without liberation and dignity is to suggest submission to a system of displacement, imprisonment, violence and erasure.

    I often find myself alongside a variety of peacemakers, putting themselves on the line to end these horrific systems — let me outline the key groups:

    Palestinian civil society and individuals have spent decades committed to creative non-violence in the face of these atrocities — from court battles to academia, education, art, co-ordinating demonstrations, general strikes, hīkoi (marches), sit-ins, civil disobedience. Google “Iqrit village”, “The Great March of Return”, “Tent of Nations farm”. These are the overlooked stories that don’t make catchy headlines.

    Protective Presence activists are a mix of about 150 Israeli and international civilians who volunteer their days and nights physically accompanying Palestinian communities. They aim to prevent Israeli settler violence, state-sanctioned home demolitions, and military/police incursions. They document the injustice and often face violence and arrest themselves. Foreigners face deportation and blacklisting — as a journalist I was arrested and barred from the West Bank short-term and my passport was withheld for more than a month.

    Reconciliation organisations have been working for decades to bridge the disconnect between political narratives and human realities. The effective groups don’t seek “co-existence” but “co-resistance” because they recognise there can be no peace within an active system of apartheid. They reiterate that dialogue alone achieves nothing while the Israeli regime continues to murder, displace and steal. Yes there are “opposing narratives”, but they do not have equal legitimacy when tested against the reality on the ground.

    Journalists continue to document and report key developments, chilling statistics and the human cost. They ensure people are seen. Over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza. High-profile Palestinian Christian journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh was killed by Israeli forces in 2022. They continue reporting despite the risk, and without their courage world leaders wouldn’t know which undeniable facts to brazenly ignore.

    Humanitarians serve and protect the most vulnerable, treating and rescuing people selflessly. More than 400 aid workers and 1000 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza. All 38 hospitals have been destroyed or damaged, with just a small number left partially functioning. NGOs have been crippled by USAID cuts and targeted Israeli policies, marked by a mass exodus of expats who have spent years committed to this region — severing a critical lifeline for Palestinian communities.

    All these groups emphasise change will not come from within. Protective Presence barely stems the flow.

    Reconciliation means nothing while the system continues to displace, imprison and slaughter Palestinians en masse. Journalism, non-violence and humanitarian efforts are only as effective as the willingness of states to uphold international law.

    Those on the frontlines of peacebuilding express the urgent need for global accountability across all sectors; economic, cultural and political sanctions. Systems of apartheid do not stem from corrupt leadership or several extremists, but from widespread attitudes of supremacy and nationalism across civil society.

    Boycotts increase the economic cost of maintaining such systems. Divestment sends a strong financial message that business as usual is unacceptable.

    Many other groups across the world are picketing weapons manufacturers, writing to elected leaders, educating friends and family, challenging harmful narratives, fundraising aid to keep people alive.

    Where are the peacemakers? They’re out on the streets. They’re people just like you and me.

    Cole Martin is an independent New Zealand photojournalist based in the occupied West Bank and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report. This article was first published by the Otago Daily Times and is republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: First-hand view of peacemaking challenge in the ‘Holy Land’

    Occupied West Bank-based New Zealand journalist Cole Martin asks who are the peacemakers?

    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin

    As a Kiwi journalist living in the occupied West Bank, I can list endless reasons why there is no peace in the “Holy Land”.

    I live in a refugee camp, alongside families who were expelled from their homes by Israel’s violent establishment in 1948 — never allowed to return and repeatedly targeted by Israeli military incursions.

    Daily I witness suffocating checkpoints, settler attacks against rural towns, arbitrary imprisonment with no charge or trial, a crippled economy, expansion of illegal settlements, demolition of entire communities, genocidal rhetoric, and continued expulsion.

    No form of peace can exist within an active system of domination. To talk about peace without liberation and dignity is to suggest submission to a system of displacement, imprisonment, violence and erasure.

    I often find myself alongside a variety of peacemakers, putting themselves on the line to end these horrific systems — let me outline the key groups:

    Palestinian civil society and individuals have spent decades committed to creative non-violence in the face of these atrocities — from court battles to academia, education, art, co-ordinating demonstrations, general strikes, hīkoi (marches), sit-ins, civil disobedience. Google “Iqrit village”, “The Great March of Return”, “Tent of Nations farm”. These are the overlooked stories that don’t make catchy headlines.

    Protective Presence activists are a mix of about 150 Israeli and international civilians who volunteer their days and nights physically accompanying Palestinian communities. They aim to prevent Israeli settler violence, state-sanctioned home demolitions, and military/police incursions. They document the injustice and often face violence and arrest themselves. Foreigners face deportation and blacklisting — as a journalist I was arrested and barred from the West Bank short-term and my passport was withheld for more than a month.

    Reconciliation organisations have been working for decades to bridge the disconnect between political narratives and human realities. The effective groups don’t seek “co-existence” but “co-resistance” because they recognise there can be no peace within an active system of apartheid. They reiterate that dialogue alone achieves nothing while the Israeli regime continues to murder, displace and steal. Yes there are “opposing narratives”, but they do not have equal legitimacy when tested against the reality on the ground.

    Journalists continue to document and report key developments, chilling statistics and the human cost. They ensure people are seen. Over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza. High-profile Palestinian Christian journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh was killed by Israeli forces in 2022. They continue reporting despite the risk, and without their courage world leaders wouldn’t know which undeniable facts to brazenly ignore.

    Humanitarians serve and protect the most vulnerable, treating and rescuing people selflessly. More than 400 aid workers and 1000 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza. All 38 hospitals have been destroyed or damaged, with just a small number left partially functioning. NGOs have been crippled by USAID cuts and targeted Israeli policies, marked by a mass exodus of expats who have spent years committed to this region — severing a critical lifeline for Palestinian communities.

    All these groups emphasise change will not come from within. Protective Presence barely stems the flow.

    Reconciliation means nothing while the system continues to displace, imprison and slaughter Palestinians en masse. Journalism, non-violence and humanitarian efforts are only as effective as the willingness of states to uphold international law.

    Those on the frontlines of peacebuilding express the urgent need for global accountability across all sectors; economic, cultural and political sanctions. Systems of apartheid do not stem from corrupt leadership or several extremists, but from widespread attitudes of supremacy and nationalism across civil society.

    Boycotts increase the economic cost of maintaining such systems. Divestment sends a strong financial message that business as usual is unacceptable.

    Many other groups across the world are picketing weapons manufacturers, writing to elected leaders, educating friends and family, challenging harmful narratives, fundraising aid to keep people alive.

    Where are the peacemakers? They’re out on the streets. They’re people just like you and me.

    Cole Martin is an independent New Zealand photojournalist based in the occupied West Bank and a contributor to Asia Pacific Report. This article was first published by the Otago Daily Times and is republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Role specification for external panel members of the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Role specification for external panel members of the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel

    The Government Digital Service (GDS) Responsible AI Advisory Panel is seeking applicants for external panel members.

    The GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel advise and guide Government Digital Service (GDS) approach to the development of AI across government.

    Role

    The duties of external panel members of the Government Digital Service (GDS) Responsible AI Advisory Panel (the panel) involve, but are not limited to:

    • Providing technical and cross-disciplinary expertise relevant to the responsible development of AI to GDS through the work of the panel
    • Providing strategic advice on how GDS can better deliver responsible AI products
    • Shaping the work programme of the panel to ensure that it best delivers on its objective of providing the best possible advice to GDS on the responsible development of AI
    • Ensuring that the work of GDS is appropriately informed by the latest evidence, standards and best practice across the AI sector
    • Scrutinising individual AI products across government, and providing advice on how these products can best be responsibly delivered

    Expertise

    External panel members should have:

    • an interest in the challenges and opportunities posed by AI in the public sector

    • leading expertise in one or more of the following areas:

      • data ethics, AI ethics or responsible innovation
      • AI and data science, from a commercial, academic or civil society perspective
      • Tech policy and regulation
      • International perspectives of AI use
      • Workforce impacts of AI
    • an ability to think strategically and exercise sound judgment strong communication, influencing and persuading skills
    • an ability to work constructively with fellow board members and wider stakeholders

    Time commitment and expectations

    • The panel will convene for an initial one year from its initial meeting. External panel members will be appointed for a one year term, with the possibility for this term to be extended
    • The panel will meet for full meetings at a minimum of once a quarter
    • Panel members are direct ministerial appointments, subject to due diligence checks and baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) checks
    • Panel members are able to access departmental material at no higher classification than Official-Sensitive
    • Panel members will be expected to follow the Seven Principles of Public Life and are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies
    • Panel members will be expected to provide the equivalent of 1-2 hours per month on the work of the panel
    • Panel members will not receive remuneration for their work on the panel

    Apply

    Apply to be external panel member to the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Mobile Mining Meets Bitcoin, PFMCrypto Brings BTC Cloud Mining to Mobile Devices

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Bitcoin’s ecosystem gains global momentum, PFMCrypto is proud to introduce a major leap in accessible crypto mining: the launch of BTC-focused cloud mining contracts. Now available on both web and mobile platforms, these flexible short-term contracts allow users to mine BTC remotely and receive daily BTC rewards—no mining hardware, no complex setup, and no prior experience required. For the first time, retail participants can engage with the Bitcoin economy through a streamlined, fully integrated platform.

    Explore the PFMCrypto website or download the app today.

    BTC Cloud Mining Is Here—Simple, Smart, and Rewarding:

    Traditionally known as the world’s first and most decentralized digital asset, Bitcoin now enters a new chapter with PFMCrypto’s latest innovation: easy-to-use cloud mining. Users can mine BTC directly or leverage PFMCrypto’s intelligent AI engine to automatically switch between the most profitable assets—including ETH, XRP, DOGE, USDC, and more—for optimized returns. All earnings are paid out daily in your chosen cryptocurrency, providing reliable income regardless of market fluctuations.

    Designed for both everyday users and professional investors, this platform empowers users to generate consistent crypto earnings from anywhere, at any time.

    Key Features of PFMCrypto’s BTC Cloud Mining Contracts:

    –  Full BTC Integration: Deposit, purchase, mine, and withdraw BTC directly within the platform.

    –  Multi-Coin Mining Support: Mine and receive earnings in ETH, XRP, DOGE, USDC, USDT, SOL, LTC, and BCH.

    –  AI Revenue Optimization: Proprietary algorithms automatically allocate mining power to the top-performing assets to maximize returns.

    –  100% Remote Access: No mining equipment needed—fully accessible via the PFMCrypto mobile app or browser.

    –  Capital Protection: All contracts include full principal return upon maturity, reducing risk while growing crypto assets.

    Mining Contracts for Every Budget and Strategy:

    PFMCrypto offers a broad range of mining contracts that support BTC-based deposits and withdrawals. Each contract is crafted for flexibility, predictable income, and effective risk management:

    $10 Contract – 1 Day – Earn $0.66 (Free with signup bonus)

    $100 Contract – 2 Days – Earn $3.00 daily + $2 reward

    $500 Contract – 5 Days – Earn $6.15 daily

    $5,000 Contract – 30 Days – Earn $78.50 daily

    $20,000 Contract – 45 Days – Earn $380.00 daily

    Whether you’re testing the waters or building a long-term portfolio, PFMCrypto provides low-risk, high-transparency contracts that deliver stable daily income in BTC.

    Click here to explore more BTC cloud contracts.

    Why PFMCrypto’s BTC Mining Stands Out?

    –  Accessible to Everyone: No mining rigs, no setup, no complexity—just tap and earn.

    –  BTC-Native Integration: Deposit, mine, and withdraw BTC in one seamless ecosystem.

    –  Stable Returns, Smart Allocation: An AI-powered engine dynamically adjusts mining strategies to maximize rewards and ensure daily income across all supported coins.

    –  Multi-Asset Flexibility: Mine BTC directly or diversify earnings into other top digital assets—all with one contract.

    –  Instant Setup, Global Access: Mine from anywhere using your phone or browser—securely and remotely.

    Get Started Today in 3 Easy Steps:

    1.  Sign Up – Create your account and receive a $10 welcome bonus

    2.  Choose a Plan – Select a short- or long-term contract (1–60 days available)

    3.  Start Earning – Track daily profits and withdraw in the token of your choice

    Start mining BTC now at: https://pfmcrypto.net 

    Or download the PFMCrypto mobile app (available for iOS & Android).

    BTC Mining for a Digital Future:

    Since 2018, PFMCrypto has helped millions of users around the world generate passive crypto income through secure, smart, cloud-based mining. With the introduction of BTC mining, the platform offers the ideal combination of institutional-grade infrastructure and retail accessibility. Now, users can choose to earn directly in BTC or diversify into major digital assets—all within a secure, fully remote environment.

    “Bitcoin has always been secure, decentralized, and globally trusted,” said a PFMCrypto spokesperson. “Now, it’s also mineable—securely, remotely, and profitably. We’ve eliminated the barriers so anyone can participate in Bitcoin’s future growth.”

    Markets may shift—but daily mining income can remain steady.

    Join the BTC mining revolution today at: https://pfmcrypto.net 

    The MIL Network –

  • Air India crash rekindles debate over cockpit video recorders

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The deadly Air India crash last month has renewed a decades-old debate in the aviation industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators.

    One of the industry’s most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said on Wednesday in Singapore there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions to complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators.

    Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing BA.N 787’s engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.

    The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground.

    As of now, “based on what little we know now, it’s quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,” Walsh said.

    Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations.

    Video footage was “invaluable” to Australian crash investigators determining what led to Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s final report, which was released 18 days after the Air India crash.

    The video showed “the pilot was occupied with non-flying related tasks for much of this time, specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages,” the report said.

    The ATSB commended Robinson Helicopters for providing factory-installed cameras and said it encouraged other manufacturers and owners to consider the ongoing safety benefits of similar devices.

    In 2000, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners be equipped with cockpit image recorders.

    Hall’s recommendation came in the wake of 1999’s Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board.

    “In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally,” air safety expert and former commercial airline pilot John Nance said. “Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation.”

    Another aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he is in favor of cockpit video, but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns.

    Video on Air India flight 171 “would have answered lots of questions,” he said.

    Air India declined to comment. India’s AAIB, which is expected to release a final report within a year of the crash under international rules, did not reply to request for comment.

    PILOT OBJECTIONS

    U.S. pilots’ unions such as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA) say the voice and data recorders already provide enough information to determine the cause of a crash and that the cameras would be an invasion of privacy and could be misused.

    Calls for cockpit cameras are an understandable reaction to “the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident,” said APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines AAL.O pilot.

    “I can understand the initial reaction of the more information, the better,” but investigators already have enough data to adequately determine an accident’s cause, leaving no need for cameras, he said.

    To make flying safer, current safety systems should be enhanced to record higher-quality data, rather than adding video cameras, an ALPA spokeperson said.

    There are also concerns the footage could be used by airlines for disciplinary actions or that video could be leaked to the public after a crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety expert, retired airline pilot and former ALPA executive air safety chairman.

    A pilot’s death being broadcast on “the 6 o’clock news is not something that the pilot’s family should ever have to go through,” he said.

    If confidentiality can be assured around the world, “I can see an argument” for installing cameras, Cox said.

    Cockpit voice recordings are typically kept confidential by investigators in favor of partial or full transcripts being released in final reports.

    Despite that, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations said it was skeptical that confidentiality could ever be assured for cockpit videos.

    “Given the high demand for sensational pictures, IFALPA has absolutely no doubt that the protection of (airborne image recorder) data, which can include identifiable images of flight crewmembers, would not be ensured either,” the organization said in a statement.

    Boeing declined to disclose whether customers are able to order cockpit video recorders, while Airbus did not reply to request for comment.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Life Sciences Sector Plan to grow economy and transform NHS

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Life Sciences Sector Plan to grow economy and transform NHS

    The government has today (Wednesday 16 July) launched a bold new Life Sciences Sector Plan as part of the government’s flagship Industrial Strategy.

    The government has today (Wednesday 16 July) launched a bold new Life Sciences Sector Plan as part of the government’s flagship Industrial Strategy, setting out a ten-year mission to harness British science and innovation to deliver long-term economic growth and a stronger, prevention-focused NHS.

    The UK is already a global leader in life sciences, with the sector worth around £100 billion to the economy, and employing around 300,000 people. This plan, developed in close coordination with the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, doubles down on that strength – turning cutting-edge research into real-world results: new treatments, faster diagnoses, and more lives saved. It’s about making sure breakthroughs happen here – and stay here – creating jobs, improving lives in every part of the country, and driving growth.

    Life sciences’ critical importance to both driving economic growth and improving our health – 2 of the core elements of the Plan for Change – has been shown through the government’s action to date to support the sector. The Chancellor re-committed up to £520 million for the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund at the Spending Review to pull investment into the UK, and red tape is being slashed to speed up clinical trials, while an up to £600 million investment will deliver a Health Data Research Service that will be unmatched globally – bringing the power of data to bear to unlock breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

    The plan sets out a comprehensive roadmap built around 3 core pillars:

    1. Enabling World-Class R&D – strengthening the UK’s leadership in science and discovery
    2. Making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest – growing homegrown companies and attracting global capital
    3. Driving Health Innovation and NHS Reform – delivering better outcomes for patients and a more modern, preventative healthcare system

    6 bold actions to kickstart change

    The Life Sciences Sector Plan will be supported over the lifetime of the Spending Review by government funding of over £2 billion, alongside funding from UKRI and NIHR. Actions include:

    1. Unlocking NHS data to find new cures

    Up to £600 million investment to build the world’s most advanced health data system – helping scientists develop better treatments faster.

    2. Speeding up clinical trials

    Cutting red tape so patients can join trials sooner – and get access to life-changing medicines quicker.

    3. Backing British manufacturing

    Up to £520 million to invest in life sciences manufacturing projects – creating high-skilled jobs and making more treatments and medical devices here at home.

    4. Getting new treatments to patients faster

    Making regulation simpler and faster by boosting departmental support for the MHRA with additional investment – so doctors can use safe, effective innovations without delay.

    5. Helping doctors use cutting-edge tech

    A new NHS ‘passport’ to roll out proven tools faster – like AI cancer scanners or wearable devices that detect disease early.

    6. Backing brilliant UK firms to grow

    Helping fast-growing companies raise investment, scale up, and stay in the UK – with at least one major industry partnership secured every year.

    Built for delivery

    This Plan was shaped with input from over 250 organisations including doctors, scientists, NHS leaders and industry experts to ensure it delivers real impact. It builds on the strong foundations of the 10-Year Health Plan, extending its ambition by uniting health and growth interventions into a single, coherent strategy for the Life Sciences sector. Every action has clear goals and named leads. This is a Plan designed to deliver, not in isolation but as a vital part of the government’s broader Plan for Change.

    Early momentum 

    The plan builds on the Chancellor’s commitment to reduce regulatory costs by a quarter, with increased investment in the MHRA to accelerate approvals and improve efficiency. It aims to streamline MedTech market entry through closer coordination between the MHRA and NICE.  

    The government is also focused on strengthening the UK’s clinical research infrastructure by improving trial delivery, expanding patient access, and embedding research more effectively within the NHS. 

    We have already started delivering on key actions, from investing up to £600 million in the Health Data Research Service alongside Wellcome, through to committing over £650 million in Genomics England and up to £354 million in Our Future Health, while the rollout of ‘innovator passports’ will help speed up the adoption of new tech and treatments on the NHS. This is clear evidence of our commitment and confidence in life sciences as a driver of both economic growth and better health outcomes. 

    Why life sciences matter

    • Life Sciences is one of 8 priority sectors in the government’s Industrial Strategy – reflecting the sector’s high growth potential.
    • Life sciences companies employ over 300,000 people, with more than three-quarters of jobs outside London and the Southeast, supporting opportunity in every part of the UK.
    • The sector improves economic productivity by improving health. With long-term illness a major drag on workforce participation, better health leads directly to a stronger, more resilient economy.
    • The Life sciences sector attracts record levels of private investment. In 2023, the UK raised the third highest amount of life sciences equity finance in the world, behind only the US and China.
    • It is a UK export powerhouse -medicines and medical technologies were the UK’s third largest goods export by value in 2024.
    • And it is innovation-intensive, with 17% of all UK business R&D spend is in pharmaceuticals, the highest of any sector.
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also revolutionising the Life Sciences sector across research, diagnostics, treatment, and manufacturing, reshaping how we prevent, treat, and manage disease. The potential economic impact is substantial, with McKinsey Global Institute estimating that AI could generate $60–110 billion annually for the pharmaceutical and medical-product industries alone .

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

    Our world-leading life sciences sector employs hundreds of thousands of people and is a powerhouse for economic growth that puts more money in people’s pockets. Our Plan for Change is ramping up this success story even further.

    The ten-year life sciences plan we have released today as part of our Industrial Strategy will cut red tape and deliver the investment we funded at the Spending Review so it can stay ahead of the curve globally and we can reap the economic rewards for years to come.

    Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

    The life sciences sector is one of the crown jewels of the UK economy. It sits at the heart of both our Plan for Change, and our Modern Industrial strategy, as a unique catalyst for both economic prosperity, and better health outcomes for people across the UK.

    Moving in lockstep with industry, academia and our NHS, we will unleash this sector as a force for good and for growth. The suite of measures we’re announcing today will unlock its full potential — attracting global investment, accelerating innovation, and delivering breakthroughs that will make the UK healthier, wealthier, and even more open for business.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    We’re committed to making the UK a life sciences superpower, and our modern Industrial Strategy has earmarked it as one of 8 priority sectors so it can double down on our strengths and keep us at the cutting edge of innovation.

    This government is taking the bold action needed to help this £108 billion industry flourish and create new high-skilled, well-paid jobs right across the country, making our Plan for Change a reality.

    Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    This Life Sciences Sector Plan represents a pivotal moment in our mission to rebuild the NHS and shift our healthcare system from one that treats illness to one that prevents it.

    By bringing together the brilliance of British science with the power of our NHS, we’re not just improving healthcare outcomes – we’re building a stronger economy and creating jobs across the country.

    The £2 billion investment will help us make the most of our world-leading health data, speed up access to innovative treatments, and transform the experience of patients. This is how we deliver a health service fit for the future – by embracing innovation that saves lives, cuts waiting times, and makes the NHS sustainable for generations to come.

    The plan comes just days on the same day as the fourth “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” Roadshow, a government-led initiative designed to boost SME exports in the Life Sciences sector.

    The roadshow focuses on the 8 sectors highlighted in the modern industrial strategy, forming part of the government’s commitment to supporting high-growth industries with the greatest potential to create jobs, increase productivity, and drive long-term economic growth.

    Support for the Life Sciences Sector Plan

    Professor Sir John Bell, President of the Ellison Institute of Technology and UK Government Life Sciences Champion said: 

    With our world-leading science base, genomics capabilities and industrial heritage, our Life Sciences sector can truly be among the best globally, ensuring the UK is developing and benefiting from the technologies of the future. We must however move past high level ambitions. This plan, with an inbuilt, relentless focus on delivery, provides the vehicle to take us there.

    Deepak Nath, CEO of Smith+Nephew, said:  

    Smith+Nephew welcomes the publication of the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan and its clear recognition of the critical role that medical technology plays in building a sustainable, high-performing NHS.  

    We are encouraged by the plan’s focus on the full life cycle of medical technologies – from research and development, and manufacturing, through to regulation, evaluation and adoption – and by the continued engagement with industry throughout its development.  We look forward to supporting the plan’s implementation.

    Dr Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: 

    We welcome the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan – in particular, the reforms to incentivise more UK clinical trials, establish a new Health Data Research Service and create a network of translational labs and clinics to accelerate drug discovery and development. These changes can bring unique competitive advantage to the country and make the UK a leader in future life sciences research.

    Tim Sheppard, SVP & GM, North Europe, IQVIA, said:

    IQVIA welcomes the Life Sciences Sector Plan and its bold ambition to realise  more investment in commercial R&D than any other country in Europe by 2030.

    Human data science and AI technology underpin our global leadership in commercial clinical research, we recognise the potential in the Plan for the Health Data Research Service to be a catalyst in the UK Government’s  commitment to create the  world’s most advanced and secure health data platform, enhancing the UK’s attractiveness for global trials and AI investment.

    The Life Sciences Sector Plan will strengthen IQVIA’s ability to offer its global life sciences sponsors a seamless and efficient development pathway from early phase trials to regulatory approval and enhance patient access to innovative treatments – improving patients’ lives and driving further economic growth in the UK.

    Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: 

    The Liverpool City Region has a proud history of innovation and is fast becoming recognised as a powerhouse in health and life sciences – from pioneering infection and disease control to cutting-edge manufacturing.  

    This plan is a welcome step towards unlocking the sector’s full potential, and I’m confident our region will play a central role in delivering that ambition. With our world-leading assets in biomanufacturing, digital health and infectious disease research, we’re already demonstrating how innovation in our region can improve lives, create highly skilled jobs, and attract global investment. Backed by the right partnerships and investment, we can help cement the UK’s place as a global leader in life sciences.

    Lord Ara Darzi, Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery, Imperial College London, Consultant Surgeon, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Independent Member of the House of Lords said: 

    This plan is a detailed blueprint for implementation. It marks a profound change not just in how we go about enabling discovery but also in the way we deliver it. It sets the United Kingdom up to lead not just in trialling innovation but in making such innovations have real world impact for the benefit for patients, the National Health Service, and economic growth.

    Dr. Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, said:

    The Life Sciences Sector Plan is a major step forward, accelerating patient access to the latest health innovations through better industry partnerships, solidifying the NHS’s role in economic growth. Through initiatives like the Health Data Research Service and ‘innovator passports,’ we’re unlocking data’s potential for cures and fast-tracking proven health technologies, ultimately transforming patient care and making the NHS fit for the future.

    Peter Ellingworth, Chief Executive of the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) said:  

    ABHI welcomes the publication of the Life Sciences Sector Plan. Developed with meaningful engagement from the HealthTech industry, it recognises the critical role that HealthTech will play in driving innovation and supporting the NHS to deliver the reforms needed to ensure its long-term sustainability. We are particularly encouraged by the commitments to regulatory reform, investment in research infrastructure, and measures to accelerate the adoption of innovation. To succeed, this strategy must be delivered in genuine partnership with industry and the NHS, and focused on removing the persistent barriers that prevent patients from benefiting from the best technologies. ABHI and our members are committed to playing an active role in translating these ambitions into tangible improvements for patients, the NHS and the economy.

    Paul Tredwell, Executive Vice President of Accord Healthcare said: 

    It is very encouraging to see a Life Sciences Sector Plan which for the first time recognises the immense contribution of the off-patent industry, a sector which provides around 80% of all the UK’s medicines. As one of the largest manufacturers supplying medicines to the NHS, and a company currently applying to the government’s LSIMF scheme, we welcome this Sector Plan as a positive step and look forward to working with government on policies that will support future growth and investment.

    Nicola Perrin MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) said: 

    We’re pleased to see life sciences recognised as a priority sector for the UK. This is a triple win for the economy, for the NHS and for patients. It will benefit people across the country and unlock new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. 

    We welcome the positioning of research at the heart of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, from the earliest stages of discovery science and beyond. We also welcome the focus on ensuring that the NHS embraces new discoveries and innovations – these will only have an impact if they get to patients quickly and effectively.  

    It’s reassuring to see a clear focus on implementation and accountability in the plan. This will help to ensure urgent action and real change. Medical research charities must be key delivery partners – they support R&D that focuses on patients, addresses areas of unmet need and accelerates impact.

    Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Innovation at Asthma + Lung UK, says:    

    We are pleased to see the Life Sciences Sector Plan setting out an array of opportunities for action to accelerate the growth of the UK’s respiratory research and innovation sector.   

    There has been too little scientific progress for people living with lung conditions – the third biggest killer in the UK. This plan for investment, with its focus on innovation and access to health data for research, could help drive desperately needed improvements to the diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, which affects 1 in 5 people in the UK.  

    With effective implementation, this plan could lead to research investment that will save lives and significantly reduce the number of preventable A&E visits due to asthma attacks and COPD exacerbations. Furthermore, it has scope to increase the growth of the life sciences sector and will benefit the UK economy by cutting days lost to sickness.

    Louis Taylor CBE, CEO of the British Business Bank, said:  

    In the UK, we are very good at starting high-potential companies and creating breakthrough innovation, but what’s often lacking is the capital to scale these startups. The British Business Bank has been at the heart of growing the UK innovation economy for the last ten years. Today, the Bank is the largest investor in UK venture and venture growth capital funds and the most active late-stage investor in life sciences and deeptech. We welcome today’s Life Sciences Sector Plan and will continue to support the growth of this critical sector.

    Mike Fairbourn, Vice President & General Manager, UK & Ireland for Becton Dickinson said: 

    Becton Dickinson welcomes the UK government’s publication of the Life Sciences Sector Plan. The plan’s focus on accelerating regulatory approvals, streamlining procurement pathways and investing in innovative manufacturing underscores the crucial role of medical technology in driving better health outcomes and economic growth. We strongly support these commitments and stand ready to work hand-in-hand with government, the NHS and regulators to deliver on these ambitions. Together, we can unlock the full potential of the UK’s medical technology industry to bolster the UK life sciences sector and the wider economy, and to benefit patients across the country.

    Dr Daniel Mahony, Chair of the UK BioIndustry Association said:  

    Making the UK an outstanding place in which to start, grow, scale and invest in life science companies is key to driving UK economic growth.  The life science sector plan is right to focus on getting substantially more public and private investment in early-stage companies, improved access to data, trials and skills to help companies grow, and more streamlined regulation and market access pathways to get innovative medicines to NHS patients. We particularly welcome the focus on unlocking pension funds to increase investment in scaling life science companies. In this parliament, the UK has the opportunity to create a truly-world leading life sciences ecosystem that works for start-ups, scale-ups and established global companies alike.

    Dr Kevin Lee, CEO of Bicycle Therapeutics said:  

    Bicycle Therapeutics welcomes the government’s vision to make the UK a Life Sciences superpower as part of its bold and ambitious Industrial Strategy. We support the strategy’s aspiration to accelerate the growth of UK companies by encouraging investment in the sector, simplifying the regulatory environment, and leveraging the UK’s unique healthcare ecosystem to innovate in clinical trial design. At Bicycle, we view this plan as an opportunity to support the advancement of our work to unlock the potential of our Nobel prize-winning science and create new medicines for a wide variety of diseases, starting with cancer. We are excited by the prospect of working in an ever more innovative and productive sector that will see British scientific breakthroughs transform the lives of patients across the globe.

    Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive of UK Biobank, said: 

    The Life Sciences Sector Plan shows how, with long-term thinking, the UK can build on its many world-leading institutions and facilities to deliver a world-class base for science. UK Biobank is living proof of the value of long-term thinking and the impact it can have on life sciences, with projects like our recent decade-long work scanning 100,000 volunteers that is transforming health research and helping the NHS. 

    The UK government continually supports UK Biobank as shown by its £20 million investment for our project to measure proteins in the blood of our half a million volunteers. This investment is helping generate the world’s most comprehensive health data and, by making it so accessible, we’re effectively able to crowdsource the minds of the planet’s greatest experts. That accessibility is why philanthropists and industry from around the world keep amplifying the government’s investment, leading to more data that drives even more research.

    Professor Ugur Sahin, Managing Director, CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech said:  

    We believe that innovative treatments reach patients faster when sectors collaborate towards a common goal. The renewed Life Sciences Plan reflects this spirit and has the potential to transform medicine through real progress in cancer care and beyond – both in the UK and globally.

    Helen Dent, CEO of British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA) said: 

    This plan reflects the government’s understanding of the challenges facing the life sciences industry and their commitment to driving investment, growth, and innovation across the sector. 

    Pledges which reduce the cost and streamline the adoption of diagnostics, MedTech and genomics are hugely welcome, as are measures to introduce low-friction procurement and contracting mechanisms. 

    Ultimately, success will depend upon continued collaboration between government, industry, and the healthcare system to ensure its ambition is matched by delivery. BIVDA looks forward to supporting this process and bolstering the UK’s position as a world-leader in life sciences.

    Hyoungki Kim, CEO and Vice Chairman of Celltrion, said: 

    As a South-Korea based company with a global outlook, we are committed to adapting to the long-term dynamics of the markets we serve. The UK is a key supply destination for us, and we remain committed to supporting the NHS through the increased availability of biosimilar medicines in the coming years. The UK is an important supply destination for us, and we are planning substantial investments to expand our biosimilar medicine supply in the coming years. We therefore welcome the recognition in the life sciences plan that biosimilars are a critical means of delivering value to the NHS and, importantly, expanding patient access. This acknowledgement reinforces our confidence in prioritising the UK as a central focus of our global efforts.

    Massimiliano Collela, Chief Executive Officer of CMR Surgical, said: 

    We are grateful to the government for their support of leading UK Tech and Life Sciences scale-ups like CMR Surgical through the government’s Industrial Strategy, the 10 Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan.  With the government’s support, the UK innovation sector continues to flourish.

    Lars Petersen, President & Chief Executive Officer of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, said: 

    FUJIFILM Biotechnologies warmly welcomes the UK government doubling down on its commitment to life sciences with this timely and ambitious new Sector Plan. 

    The UK has long been a global powerhouse in life sciences R&D – but what truly excites me about this plan is its potential to supercharge the life sciences ecosystem. By combining world-class discovery, cutting-edge development, and advanced manufacturing under one cohesive vision, the UK is positioning itself to not just lead in innovation but ensure the entire life sciences value chain flourishes. 

    I’m especially pleased to see the critical role of innovative medicines manufacturers, like FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, recognised as essential to the UK’s future growth. This isn’t just about planning; it’s a clear roadmap to unlocking our potential to fuel economic growth, spark groundbreaking innovation, and improve patient outcomes across the board. 

    The government’s pledge of £520 million in grants to expand the UK’s medicines manufacturing sector can also be a game-changer. Remaining globally competitive requires action, and this is exactly the kind of commitment needed to kickstart a new era for the UK’s life sciences. Combined with ongoing private-sector investment and the support of an empowered Life Sciences Sector Council, we’re looking at the foundation of a win-win scenario for government, business, patients, and innovators alike. 

    As one of the UK’s largest investors in innovative medicines manufacturing, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies stands ready to seize this opportunity. We look forward to helping turn this vision into a reality and build a stronger, more sustainable future for life sciences in the UK.

    Richard Stubbs, Chair of the Health Innovation Network said:  

    The UK is now in a race to the top to become a global powerhouse for the life sciences sector. To achieve this, we will need to go further to find, test and implement health innovations at pace and at scale. It is right that place-based innovation capacity and capabilities have been identified in the Life Science Sector Plan as a key enabler for the sector. 

    The Health Innovation Network is proud of the impact that we deliver with our partners in the NHS, academia and industry – from SMEs to multinationals – to improve patient outcomes, release capacity in the NHS to cut waiting lists and to drive economic growth, all priorities that are rightly recognised in this plan. The contribution the life sciences sector has to improve the health and wealth of the country is more evident now than ever. Through working locally with our vibrant life science sector, our health innovators, and our NHS staff we will deliver real change on the ground that has a national impact, and that supports the bold ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan.

    Yamin Mohammed Khan, CEO of hVIVO said: 

    We were pleased to establish a working partnership with the Office for Life Sciences in support of their sector plan. The UK has a remarkable and longstanding legacy in life sciences, something which we at hVIVO are proud to be a part of as the world leading provider of human challenge trials. The UK has a proven track record of innovation that continues to thrive. As a global pillar in health research and life sciences, the UK plays a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare and scientific advancement. We’re excited to see how this 10-year plan unfolds, helping the UK maintain its global reputation and further strengthen its leadership in the life sciences sector.

    Mark Robinson, Vice President and General Manager, UK and Ireland, and North Europe at Illumina, said: 

    Illumina strongly supports the UK government’s ambition, outlined in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, for genomics to contribute to half of all healthcare interventions by 2035. The plan’s focus on integrated health data, streamlined clinical trials, and expanded genomic infrastructure aligns with Illumina’s mission to unlock the power of the genome to improve human health for all. Illumina’s longstanding partnerships in the UK have played a key role in advancing our understanding of the genome, and we look forward to continuing these collaborations to support the UK’s leadership in global genomic research and innovation.

    Dr Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair of Innovate UK said: 

    The Life Science Sector Plan positions innovation as a critical engine with the potential to power breakthroughs, drive economic growth and transform lives. The plan sets out how we will unlock the full potential of UK life sciences by backing the businesses, researchers and technologies shaping the future of healthcare and delivering real societal impact.  Innovate UK look forward to being part of bringing this plan to life.

    David Marante, Vice President UK and Ireland at Intuitive, said: 

    We know how important equity of access to innovation is to improve patient care in the NHS.  For the last 2 decades we’ve worked together with NHS Trusts in England to implement da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery programmes, harnessing our innovations to help enhance patient and care team experience, and reduce waiting lists through increased productivity to ultimately improve patient outcomes. 

    With health innovation as a key pillar of the government’s vision for the UK’s Life Sciences sector, we’re excited to continue supporting NHS care teams to improve equity of access to minimally invasive care with da Vinci RAS, enabling patients to get back to what matters most.

    Mark Samuels, Chief Executive of Medicines UK, said:   

    Generics and biosimilars account for 4 in every 5 NHS prescriptions, making them a cornerstone of patient care and an essential part of the UK’s life sciences ecosystem. We welcome this plan’s recognition of their vital role.   

    The off-patent sector operates in a highly competitive global environment. To maintain supply and attract sustained investment, the UK must offer a policy and operating landscape that is both supportive and internationally attractive.   

    We are encouraged by the strategy’s ambition and clarity – particularly its objective to make the UK a world leader in the adoption of off-patent medicines, with a strong emphasis on biosimilars.

    A thriving off-patent sector delivers access and value for the NHS and forms the foundation for future pharmaceutical innovation and investment. We look forward to working with Government to deliver on this important agenda.

    Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said:  

    I welcome the publication of the Life Sciences Sector Plan and fully support its ambition to make the UK a global leader in life sciences and a country where innovation delivers for everyone. 

    It’s great to see the MHRA is recognised as a pivotal partner in delivering the plan’s vision – by supporting innovation, protecting public health, and making the UK a global destination for innovators to research, develop and launch cutting-edge medical products. 

    Working with our partners across the sector, we will continue to enable safe and effective innovation that benefits patients, the public, and the economy.

    Kit Erlebach, Chairperson of the UK’s Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) and Senior Director, Engineering at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies UK said: 

    The UK government’s new Life Sciences Sector Plan signals a clear and ambitious commitment to the future of life sciences in the UK. This plan provides a unique opportunity to build upon our nation’s strengths in research, development, and manufacturing, creating a fully connected and world-leading life sciences ecosystem, with innovative large and small medicines producers. 

    By articulating a clear vision for medicines manufacturing alongside discovery and development, the UK is laying the foundation for a thriving sector that benefits patients, drives innovation, and delivers economic growth. The focus on medicines manufacturing as a key component of this strategy is vital, providing the necessary support to strengthen the UK’s position on the global stage. 

    The allocation of £520 million in grants for expanding medicines manufacturing capabilities demonstrates the government’s dedication to fostering a competitive and sustainable industry. Combined with continued private-sector investment and collaboration across the sector, this targeted support will create new opportunities for innovation, employment, and improved health outcomes. 

    The Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) is proud to have contributed to support the development of this Sector Plan. In a rapidly changing international context, today’s announcement is a key step on the journey to enhance the UK’s international competitiveness. We are committed to working with Government to drive implementation of this plan, and the other necessary steps set out in the MMIP’s 10-year vision to deliver on our shared ambition.

    Darius Hughes, UK General Manager for Moderna, said:   

    Moderna welcomes the UK government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan as a bold and timely commitment to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in healthcare innovation and adoption.   

    Through our strategic partnership, we’ve invested in UK-based mRNA R&D and manufacturing, because we believe in the UK’s ability to turn scientific excellence into real-world impact.   

    This Plan gets the fundamentals right — from smarter regulation to investing in talent and unlocking the potential of health data — and we look forward to continuing our work together to deliver meaningful outcomes for patients, the NHS, and the economy.

    Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said: 

    The new Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out a bold vision to transform how one of the UK’s most dynamic and globally competitive sectors delivers for our economy and for people around the world. 

    The Medical Research Council is committed to playing a central role in realising this vision by accelerating the translation of curiosity-driven research into innovations that support disease prevention, earlier diagnosis and better treatments. 

    In partnership with researchers, charities and industry, we will help more people live healthier, more productive lives, and attract further investment to strengthen the UK’s life sciences sector.

    Matthew Taylor CBE, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said: 

    Health leaders will welcome the publication of the life sciences sector plan which will play a crucial role in building an NHS that’s fit for the future. Having a thriving UK life sciences and innovation sector is key to ensuring patients get access to the treatments and innovations they need and at the best value to the health system.  

    For the government’s NHS reforms to succeed a successful life sciences programme is key, and the sector benefits from using the NHS as a testbed and delivery partner for new innovations. We look forward to working with the Office of Life Sciences, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to ensure the views of health system leaders are reflected in the implementation of the plan so that it can deliver for both the health system and life sciences sector.

    Dr Sam Roberts, Chief Executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said: 

    We warmly welcome the publication of the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, which sets out how NICE will ensure patients get faster, fairer access to transformative new medicines and life-changing healthtech, while supporting a thriving life sciences industry in the UK.  

    This comprehensive plan establishes a clear vision for how NICE, the NHS, and industry can collaborate to truly transform people’s lives through better, more equitable access to innovation. At NICE, we are committed to playing our part in ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of life sciences innovation while delivering a sustainable and effective health service for all.

    Ros Deegan, CEO of OMass Therapeutics, said:  

    The new Life Sciences Sector Plan outlines ambitions that fit the UK’s world-leading capabilities and should help small and medium sized Life Sciences businesses scale, grow and keep innovation within the UK. As a growing biotechnology company with products approaching the clinic, we are encouraged to see actions designed to cut clinical trial approval times and improve access to capital – 2 critical factors that will benefit the sector and the wider economy.

    Dr. Lucinda Crabtree, Chief Financial Officer of Oxford Biomedica, said: 

    The UK government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out a clear commitment to making the UK a global hub for health innovation. At OXB, we have experienced first-hand how targeted government support — including funding from Innovate UK — can help unlock growth and build globally competitive capabilities. The plan’s focus on accelerating clinical trial processes, streamlining regulatory pathways, and investing in manufacturing, genomics, and health data infrastructure will support innovation and improve access to breakthrough treatments. These initiatives are vital to establishing the UK as a key market to scale life sciences businesses, attract investment and world-class talent, and drive long term economic growth.

    Gordon Sanghera CBE, CEO and Co-founder of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, said: 

    The UK’s ambition to further expand the integration of genomic and molecular data into health systems and the economy – at scale – is exactly the kind of bold infrastructure investment that can improve lives and drive economic growth. In that system, being able to move quickly from innovation to implementation is essential to translating UK science into global health and economic impact.

    Roland Sinker CBE, Chief Executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:  

    As I outlined in the Innovation Ecosystem Programme report, there is a significant opportunity to deliver meaningful benefits to the NHS and patients through innovations developed by UK life sciences companies. I fully support the Life Sciences Sector Plan and its clear commitments to advancing research, enabling UK life sciences to thrive, and accelerating health innovation. These actions are essential to ensuring that NHS staff and patients are among the first to benefit from the latest breakthroughs.

    Richard Saynor, CEO of Sandoz said:  

    We welcome the government’s commitment to becoming a world leader in the uptake of off-patent medicines. The target of £1 billion of savings from biosimilars is both realistic and achievable. Increasing their use will unlock greater worker productivity and increase the health of the UK population – a major contribution to the government’s growth imperative. As a committed partner to the NHS and government, Sandoz will dedicate resources and expertise to realise the goals for the off-patent sector within the Life Sciences Strategy.

    Neil Daly, CEO and Founder of Skin Analytics, said: 

    We welcome the clear action plan in the Life Sciences Sector Plan for streamlining and speeding up the adoption of proven healthcare technologies and feel the plan will make a meaningful difference to UK health innovators. In skin cancer, this means that the NHS can move much more swiftly to establish appropriately regulated autonomous AI triage as standard practice for all patients. This will find more cancers, free up clinician time and save taxpayers’ money.

    Dr Michael Spence, University College London President and Provost said: 

    Universities will be at the heart of making the UK the leading life sciences economy in Europe. With its backing for world-class research and clinical trials, the Life Sciences Sector Plan will help us achieve even more. 

    London is a global centre for innovation, with Euston already a leading area for life sciences where world-class universities, healthcare, and life science companies come together. With new investments in Oriel at St Pancras Way with Moorfields Eye Hospital, and a state-of-the art neuroscience facility at Grays Inn Road, UCL is at the heart of making the area a global leader. The new Life Science Hub at Euston station is a step towards realising the huge potential in this area and achieving the government’s ambitions 

    John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of Wellcome, said: 

    The ambition set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan is hugely welcome. Life sciences are a historic strength of the UK, and this strategic vision is important to cement the country’s advantage in the future. The plan’s emphasis on the importance of early-stage research is particularly shrewd. Basic discovery science underpins later health breakthroughs and clinical trials, making it the essential bedrock for a thriving research economy.  

    The focus on speeding up trials and on data infrastructure for research will not only lead to real impact for patients but also strengthen the UK’s attractiveness to innovative researchers and businesses.  

    If the level of ambition in the plan is matched by meaningful action and investment, the UK will be well on its way to securing its place as a global life sciences leader.

    Notes to editors

    The full collection of Industrial Strategy sector plans can be found here.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Virtune launches Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP on Nasdaq Stockholm

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Stockholm, July 16, 2025 – Virtune, the Swedish regulated crypto asset manager, announces the listing of its latest exchange-traded product, the Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP, on Nasdaq Stockholm traded in SEK. This listing marks a major milestone for Virtune’s continued growth in its home market and reinforces its position as a leading issuer of regulated, physically backed crypto ETPs in the Nordics.

    The product is now available to Swedish and Nordic investors via brokers and banks such as Avanza, Nordnet, SAVR and Montrose and is traded in SEK.

    Virtune has worked closely with Coinbase since its inception, collaborating across all key areas – staking, trading, and custody. The launch of the Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP marks the next step in strengthening this partnership. It is the world’s first exchange-traded product to track the Coinbase 50 Europe Index – a broadly diversified benchmark of up to 50 leading crypto assets. The index is developed by Coinbase and administered by MarketVector Indexes™. The ETP currently holds 21 crypto assets, with the target to expand to all 50 assets pending regulatory and exchange approvals.

    The Coinbase 50 Europe Index aims to provide investors with representative exposure to the most significant and relevant digital assets in the market. The product is tailored for both institutional and retail investors seeking regulated, transparent, and professional exposure to the crypto market.

    Allocation as of 15th of July 2025:

    https://www.virtune.com/product/vcoin50

    Christopher Kock, CEO of Virtune:

    “Listing our Coinbase 50 Index ETP on Nasdaq Stockholm marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide secure and regulated access to digital assets investments in Sweden and the Nordics. We are thrilled to bring this flagship product to our home market, allowing investors to trade it in SEK on Nasdaq Stockholm.”

    The Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP is 100% physically backed by the underlying crypto assets, securely stored in cold-storage with Coinbase, and carries a competitive annual management fee of 0.95%.

    Learn more about the product here: www.virtune.com/product/vcoin50

    About Coinbase: 

    Crypto creates economic freedom by ensuring that people can participate fairly in the economy, and Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) is on a mission to increase economic freedom for more than 1 billion people. We’re updating the century-old financial system by providing a trusted platform that makes it easy for people and institutions to engage with crypto assets, including trading, staking, safekeeping, spending, and fast, free global transfers. We also provide critical infrastructure for onchain activity and support builders who share our vision that onchain is the new online. And together with the crypto community, we advocate for responsible rules to make the benefits of crypto available around the world.

    Brett Tejpaul, Head of Coinbase Institutional: 

    “With the launch of the Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP in Nordics, we’re making one of the most comprehensive benchmarks for the crypto market directly accessible to investors across the Nordics. This marks a major step forward in our mission to expand global access to digital assets and provide institutional-grade tools for navigating this evolving asset class. The introduction of this ETP reinforces our commitment to bridging traditional financial infrastructure with the growing demand for regulated, secure exposure to the digital economy.”

    About MarketVector:

    MarketVector Indexes™ (“MarketVector”) is a regulated Benchmark Administrator in Europe, incorporated in Germany and registered with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). MarketVector maintains indexes under the MarketVector™, MVIS®, and BlueStar® names. With a mission to accelerate index innovation globally, MarketVector is best known for its broad suite of Thematic indexes, a long-running expertise in Hard Asset-linked Equity indexes, and its pioneering Digital Asset index family. MarketVector is proud to be in partnership with more than 25 Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) issuers and index fund managers in markets throughout the world, with more than USD 57 billion in assets under management.

    Martin Leinweber, Director, Digital Asset Research and Strategy, MarketVector: 

    “The Virtune Coinbase 50 Index ETP marks a significant step forward for crypto investment in Europe, offering broad, institutional-grade exposure to digital assets through a single, efficient product. This milestone combines MarketVector’s index expertise, Coinbase’s market infrastructure, and Virtune’s transparent, regulated approach. We’re proud to deepen our partnership with Virtune by becoming the index provider for their entire range of crypto ETPs across Europe. Together, we’re delivering the tools institutional and retail investors need to navigate the digital asset landscape with greater confidence and clarity.”

    Key Information about the Product:

    • Exposure: Up to 50 leading crypto assets in a single product
    • Underlying assets: 100% physically backed by the underlying crypto assets
    • Custody: Institutional-grade custody by Coinbase
    • Management fee: 0.95% per annum
    • Trading currency: SEK
    • First day of trading on Nasdaq Stockholm: Monday, July 14, 2025
    • Bloomberg Ticker: VCOIN50
    • ISIN: SE0024738389
    • WKN: A4A5D4
    • Exchange ticker: VCOIN50
    • Exchanges: Nasdaq Stockholm, Nasdaq Helsinki, Deutsche Börse Xetra, Euronext Amsterdam, Euronext Paris

    For inquiries, please contact:

    Christopher Kock, CEO & Member of the Board of Directors
    +46 70 073 45 64
     christopher@virtune.com

    About Virtune AB (Publ):

    Virtune, headquartered in Stockholm, is a regulated Swedish digital asset manager and issuer of crypto exchange-traded products on regulated European exchanges. Through regulatory compliance, strategic partnerships, and a highly experienced team, Virtune empowers global investors to access innovative and professional investment products aligned with the evolving global crypto market.

    Cryptocurrency investments are associated with high risk. Virtune does not provide investment advice. Investments are made at your own risk. Securities may increase or decrease in value, and there is no guarantee that you will recover your invested capital. Please read the prospectus, KID, terms at www.virtune.com.. The Coinbase 50 Europe Index (“Index”) is the exclusive property of MarketVector Indexes GmbH (“MarketVector”) and its Licensors and has been licensed for use by Virtune AB (Publ) (“Licensee”). MarketVector has contracted with CC Data Limited to maintain and calculate the Index. CC Data Limited uses its best efforts to ensure that the Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards MarketVector, CC Data Limited has no obligation to point out errors in the Index to third parties. In particular, MarketVector is not responsible for the Licensee and/or for Licensee’s legality or suitability and/or for Licensee’s business offerings. Offerings by Licensee, may they be based on the Virtune Coinbase 50 Europe ETP (“Product”) or not, are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by MarketVector and any of its affiliates, and MarketVector and any of its affiliates make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in Licensee and/or in Licensee’s business offerings. MARKETVECTOR AND ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES AND ANY OF ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO LICENSEE.

    The MIL Network –

  • India launches talent hunt for young chefs to blend tradition with innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, on Wednesday launched the National Young Chef Competition (NYCC), a nationwide talent hunt designed to discover and nurture India’s next generation of culinary innovators.

    The grand curtain-raiser for the competition was held at PHD House in New Delhi, marking the beginning of a series of zonal rounds that will span the country. The initiative targets final-year hospitality students, providing them with a national platform to blend traditional Indian culinary practices with contemporary techniques.

    Speaking at the launch event as Chief Guest, Mr Suman Billa (IAS), Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, underscored the importance of preserving India’s diverse culinary traditions. “Our culinary heritage is built on cultural memory and regional techniques. We must reinforce these traditions and expand India’s footprint in the global fine dining space,” he said, urging aspiring chefs to think creatively and represent India with pride on international platforms.

    The competition, themed ‘Celebrating Indian Culinary Heritage: Blending Tradition with Innovation’, is being organised in partnership with the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) and the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC).

    The zonal rounds will be held as follows:

    * North Zone: 6 August 2025, AIHM Chandigarh
    * East Zone: 18 September 2025, IHM Kolkata
    * West Zone: November 2025, IHM Mumbai
    * South Zone: 18 December 2025, IHM Kovalam

    Winners from each region will compete in the grand finale, scheduled for January 2026 at IHM Pusa, New Delhi.

    In addition to the competition, the NYCC will host career sensitisation workshops for students of Classes 11 and 12 at each zonal venue. These workshops aim to address the declining enrolment in hospitality education and introduce young students to career opportunities in the culinary industry.

    Calling the NYCC a “movement” that brings together industry, academia and youth, Mr Rajan Sehgal, Co-Chair of the Tourism Committee, PHDCCI, said the initiative is vital for celebrating India’s gastronomic wealth. Dr Chef Manjit Gill, President of IFCA, added, “NYCC is not just a contest but a cultural revival. It’s a call to preserve and modernise India’s diverse food legacy.”

    The event also saw the presence of notable figures from the culinary and hospitality sector, including Chef Sudhir Sibal, Chef Anil Grover, Mr Rajan Bahadur (THSC), Prof Kamal Kant Pant (IHM Pusa), Mr Amarjit Singh Ahuja (Le Meridien), and Ms Shalini S Sharma of PHDCCI, who outlined the detailed roadmap for the competition.

    The NYCC has garnered support from over 130 hospitality institutions nationwide and is backed by leading industry partners such as Venus Industries, Nestlé Professional, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, Cremica, McCain Foods and others. Winners will receive cash prizes, internship opportunities, international exposure, and special recognition for the ‘Best Sustainable Dish’.

  • MIL-OSI: Quadient Announces Supplier Agreement with Vizient, Enhancing Access to the U.S. Healthcare Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Quadient Announces Supplier Agreement with Vizient, Enhancing Access to the U.S. Healthcare Market

    Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, has entered into a supplier agreement with Vizient, the largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company in the U.S. Vizient’s diverse client base includes some of the country’s most prestigious hospitals and integrated health delivery networks. The agreement enhances opportunities for Quadient to serve healthcare providers across the continuum of care, offering contracted pricing for a wide range of the company’s digital software, mail and automated locker solutions.

    Vizient provides network-powered insights into the critical areas of clinical, operational and spend management performance and empowers clients to deliver exceptional, cost-effective care. Serving more than 65% of U.S. acute care providers and more than 35% of the non-acute market, Vizient’s contract portfolio represents $140 billion in annual purchasing volume. Through the new contract, healthcare providers have greater access to Quadient’s cutting-edge solutions designed to enhance digital patient interactions, optimize the sending and receiving of mail and packages, improve operational efficiency, increase document security and ensure regulatory compliance.

    “We are thrilled to be awarded a contract from Vizient to help healthcare organizations improve performance through more streamlined and automated workflows, leading to better patient and staff experiences” said Geoffrey Godet, CEO at Quadient. “Our strategic approach to supply chain and procurement in the mailing and communications space is rooted in a comprehensive, assessment-based process that identifies key assets and opportunities to drive efficiency and transformation for healthcare providers. We are excited to support Vizient clients with innovative, results-driven solutions that enhance operational performance and elevate the overall healthcare experience.”

    For more information about Quadient’s solutions and contract with Vizient, visit www.quadient.com and mail.quadient.com/en/healthcare-contracts/Vizient.

    About Quadient®
    Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit http://www.quadient.com/en/.

    Media Contacts
    Joe Scolaro, Quadient
    Global Press Relations Manager
    +1 203-301-3673
    jscolaro@quadient.com

    Kiley Ribordy, Walker Sands
    Senior PR Director
    quadientpr@walkersands.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Trust and human-AI collaboration set to define the next era of agentic AI, unlocking $450 billion opportunity by 2028

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press contact: 
    Mollie Mellows
    Tel: +44 7342 709384
    Email: mollie.mellows@capgemini.com

    Trust and human-AI collaboration set to define the next era of agentic AI, unlocking $450 billion opportunity by 2028

    • AI agents are poised to deliver up to $450 billion in economic value by 2028 through revenue gains and cost savings, yet the path to scale is currently elusive
    • Confidence in fully autonomous AI agents dropped from 43% to 27% in the past year amidst privacy and ethical concerns
    • However, AI agents are expected to be involved in most business tasks within three years, with effective human-agent collaboration projected to increase human engagement in high-value tasks by 65%

    Paris, July 16, 2025 – Agentic AI is poised to deliver up to $450 billion in economic value by 2028 yet, despite strong momentum, only 2% of organizations have fully scaled deployment and trust in AI agents is declining. Organizations are discovering that AI agents deliver the greatest impact when humans remain actively involved. Nearly three-quarters of executives say the benefits of human oversight outweigh the costs, and 90% view human involvement in AI-driven workflows as either positive or cost-neutral. This is according to the Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report “Rise of agentic AI: How trust is the key to human-AI collaboration”, that finds trust and human oversight are critical factors in realizing the potential of agentic AI, and the gap between intent and readiness is now one of the biggest barriers to realizing the $450 billion opportunity.

    Agentic AI is one of the fastest-emerging technological trends, but organizations are still in the early stages of application. While nearly a quarter have already launched pilots and a small number have begun implementation (14%), the majority remain in planning mode. This steady progress stands in contrast to executive ambition – nearly all (93%) business leaders believe that scaling AI agents over the next 12 months will provide a competitive edge, yet nearly half of organizations still lack a strategy for implementing them.

    “The economic potential of AI agents is significant but realizing this value depends on more than just the technology, it requires a comprehensive and strategic transformation across people, processes and systems,” said Franck Greverie, Chief Portfolio & Technology Officer, Head of Global Business Lines, and Group Executive Board Member at Capgemini. “To succeed, organizations must remain focused on outcomes, reimagining their processes with an AI-first mindset. Central to this transformation is the need to build trust in AI by ensuring it is developed responsibly, with ethics and safety baked in from the outset. It also means reshaping organizations to support effective human-AI chemistry, creating the right conditions for these systems to enhance human judgment and help deliver superior business outcomes.”

    Organizations prioritize transparency as the agentic AI trust gap widens
    Trust in fully autonomous AI agents has dropped sharply, from 43% to 27% in the past year alone, with nearly two in five executives believing that the risks of implementing AI agents outweigh the benefits. Only 40% of organizations say they trust AI agents to manage tasks and processes autonomously, while most do not fully trust the technology.

    The report finds that as organizations move from exploration to implementation, trust in AI agents grows: for organizations in implementation phase, 47% have an above average level of trust, compared to 37% in exploratory phase. Therefore, organizations are prioritizing transparency, clarity around how AI agents make decisions, and ethical safeguards to drive greater adoption.

    Human-AI chemistry is key to lasting adoption
    The real promise of agentic AI lies in tackling core business challenges and reimagining how work gets done. Within the next 12 months, over 60% of organizations expect to form human-agent teams where AI agents function as subordinates or enhance human capabilities. This means that AI agents can no longer be considered tools, they are becoming active participants in the team.

    70% of organizations believe AI agents will necessitate organizational restructuring, prompting leaders to rethink roles, team structures, and workflows. Enterprises are discovering AI agents deliver most value when humans remain in the loop. With effective human-AI collaboration, organizations expect a 65% increase in human engagement in high-value tasks, a 53% rise in creativity, and a 49% boost in employee satisfaction.

    The time to scale is now
    The $450 billion dollar opportunity for AI agents to deliver new economic value by 2028 includes both revenue uplift and cost savings, driven by the implementation of semi to fully autonomous AI agents. Scaled adoption is found to hold far greater potential, as organizations with scaled implementation are projected to generate approximately $382 million on average over the next three years, while others may realize around $76 million.

    In the near term, AI agents are expected to see most extensive adoption in customer service, IT, and sales, expanding into operations, R&D, and marketing over the next three years. However, most deployments remain at early stages of autonomy with only 15% of all business processes operating at semi-autonomous to fully autonomous levels in a year. While this is expected to rise to 25% by 2028, most agents today function as assistants or copilots, supporting routine tasks rather than independently managing complex workflows.

    AI-readiness remains a challenge
    Today, most organizations are not equipped to scale agentic AI effectively cites the report. 80% lack mature AI infrastructure and fewer than one in five report high levels of data-readiness. Ethical concerns such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and lack of explainability remain widespread, yet few organizations are taking decisive action. For example, privacy is the primary concern for over half of organizations (51%), yet only 34% are actively taking steps to mitigate it. Compounding this, only half of business leaders say they understand what AI agents are capable of, and even fewer can identify where these systems outperform traditional automation.

    To harness the full potential of AI agents, organizations must move beyond the hype, recommends the report – working toward redesigning processes and reimagining business models, transforming organizational structure, and striking the right balance between agent autonomy and human involvement.

    For more information and to download the full report, click here.

    Report methodology
    The Capgemini Research Institute conducted a global survey of 1,500 executives at organizations each with more than $1 billion in annual revenue across 14 countries. Organizations operate across 13 sectors and all have started to explore Agentic AI. The global survey took place in April 2025. Executives surveyed are at director level and above, and of these, 60% are from data and AI functions, while 40% are from diverse business functions.

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.

    Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

    About the Capgemini Research Institute
    The Capgemini Research Institute is Capgemini’s in-house think-tank on all things digital. The Institute publishes research on the impact of digital technologies on large traditional businesses. The team draws on the worldwide network of Capgemini experts and works closely with academic and technology partners. The Institute has dedicated research centers in India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was ranked #1 in the world for the quality of its research by independent analysts for six consecutive times – an industry first.

    Visit us at https://www.capgemini.com/researchinstitute/

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Open collaborative ecosystem needed to drive robotics, AI: Unitree CEO

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

    An open collaborative ecosystem is needed to spur the development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, told a press conference on Tuesday.

    “The global vision for humanoid robotics technology and product development remains largely aligned, while countries may differ in cultural and industrial backgrounds,” he said, citing that China boasts strong capabilities in hardware and manufacturing, while the United States leads in AI software ecosystems.

    “These complementary strengths make international collaboration both necessary and beneficial,” he said.

    Unitree Robotics has made strides in open-sourcing its software, enabling many clients to develop a wide range of applications and innovations on the robotic platforms, Wang said, stressing that both robotics and AI still face significant challenges.

    The leading humanoid robotics firm, based in east China’s Hangzhou, last year released the humanoid robot G1, which has seen outstanding performance worldwide.

    Looking ahead, Wang said that general-purpose robots powered by artificial general intelligence will become a dominant trajectory in future technological development.

    The firm aims to integrate robots into a wide range of real-world scenarios, including industry, service and consumer markets, Wang added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 90 thousand quotation sessions have taken place on the supplier portal since the beginning of the year

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Almost 93 thousand quotation sessions took place on the supplier portal in January-June 2025. This figure increased by more than 20 percent compared to the same period last year, Maria Bagreeva, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Head of the Moscow Department of Economic Policy and Development.

    “Quotation sessions are an effective tool for small-volume procurement, which is convenient and beneficial for both businesses and government customers. In the first half of the year, almost 93 thousand mini-auctions were held on the supplier portal – 22 percent more than in the first six months of 2024. The procedures allowed state and municipal institutions to save 3.5 billion rubles by reducing the initial contract price. On average, seven entrepreneurs bid for one transaction during quotation sessions, and the purchase price is reduced by 14 percent. In the first half of the year, construction and household goods, household appliances, information technology products, communications equipment and electronics were most often purchased on the portal – the total number of sessions for them amounted to almost 25 thousand,” said Maria Bagreeva.

    Moscow customers can purchase goods worth up to five million rubles, and works and services worth up to three million rubles, as part of mini-auctions on the supplier portal. The platform concludes contracts with both legal entities and individual entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals, which contributes to the development of small and medium-sized businesses and an increase in offers in the catalog.

    “The supplier portal works like a digital store – contracts are concluded and executed remotely, without paper documents, using an electronic signature. Thanks to the resource, businesses have quick access to participation in government procurement and expansion of sales markets, and the city, in the face of growing competition, receives the best offers in terms of price and quality from suppliers throughout Russia. The leaders in terms of the volume of contracts concluded during quotation sessions in the first half of this year included entrepreneurs from Moscow, who concluded more than 48.8 thousand transactions for 11.6 billion rubles, the Moscow Region – 15.9 thousand contracts for 3.9 billion rubles, St. Petersburg – 1.9 thousand contracts for 448 million, the Ryazan Region – 297 transactions for 171.7 million and the Perm Territory – 1844 contracts for 166.1 million,” noted the head of the capital’s Department of Competition Policy.

    Kirill Purtov.

    How neural network algorithms help entrepreneurs

    The supplier portal attracts businesses with the opportunity to participate in small-volume interregional purchases, high digitalization and transaction efficiency. Thanks to the online format, suppliers can often start shipping products on the day the contract is signed. The platform develops additional services using artificial intelligence – neural network algorithms help when filling out product cards, automatically determining the category of the uploaded product based on its image.

    In the capital Department of Information Technology also reminded about other digital opportunities of the supplier portal. Thus, in 2022, an automatic bidding bot was launched on the resource – a convenient online tool that allows entrepreneurs to participate in several quotation sessions at once, without interfering with other participants making their offers. And in 2023, Moscow customers became able to purchase identical products through joint quotation sessions. Thanks to this, state and municipal institutions of Moscow can combine their needs and, by increasing the volume of purchases, attract more suppliers to the session. This increases competition between entrepreneurs and allows customers to save budget funds.

    Moscow’s contract system consistently demonstrates high efficiency. The capital is the leader inNational Procurement Transparency RatingBy standardizing procedures, introducing digital technologies and involving small businesses, Moscow government procurement ensures savings at all stages of the process.

    Moscow is actively developing interregional cooperation in the field of procurementMore than 215 thousand contracts were concluded using the trading bot on the supplier portalMoscow Signs Cooperation Agreements with Three Regions

    The functional customer of the portal is the capital Department of Competition Policy, and its technical development is supervised by the Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

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

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

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government investment for mentoring, funding access and skills development to spark tech innovation outside capital

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government investment for mentoring, funding access and skills development to spark tech innovation outside capital

    Tech entrepreneurs outside London will get support to grow their businesses, as the government launches a £1 million programme which is set to ignite innovation and bolster growth beyond the capital.

    Government investment to boost tech innovation across the UK.

    • New programme to supercharge tech growth in UK regions including Scotland, the North East, Humber and East, and South Yorkshire, and bolster local economies.
    • £1 million government investment will provide mentoring, funding access and skills development for entrepreneurs outside of London.
    • Programme launched as government looks to drive economic growth and prosperity in every part of the UK, under the PM’s Plan for Change.

    The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has today (Wednesday 16 July) announced the launch of the Regional Tech Booster programme, aimed at accelerating the growth of tech clusters and early-stage digital startups in regions including Scotland, the North East, Humber and East, and South Yorkshire.

    While London remains Europe’s leading tech hub, the new programme will help close the gap between the capital and regional tech ecosystems by addressing key challenges including entrepreneur support, access to finance, and skills development.

    It will do so by delivering tailored support programmes for tech founders, such as mentoring, investment promotion events, and workshops to share best practices across regional tech communities.

    Minister for Tech and Future Digital Economy, Baroness Jones said:

    Tech innovation doesn’t stop at the M25 and we’re choosing to invest in the talent and ideas flourishing across the UK.

    This investment forms an important part of our Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth in every part of the UK. By supporting regional tech entrepreneurs, we’re creating the conditions for innovation and prosperity to flourish.

    The initiative complements existing government support for regional development, including Project Gigabit, the Local Innovation Partnership Fund, AI Growth Zones, and digital skills programmes. It demonstrates a strategic choice to invest in regional tech ecosystems as part of the government’s wider Industrial Strategy.

    Katie Gallagher, chair of the UKTCG and managing director of Manchester Digital, said:

    The UK’s nations and regions are home to a diverse and growing network of tech ecosystems. They already make a vital contribution to the economy and with the right support, they can do even more.

    We’re pleased that DSIT has selected the UK Tech Cluster Group to pilot a new approach. This programme will focus on collaboration, connecting clusters, sharing best practice, supporting founders and entrepreneurs and creating a practical playbook for building strong, sustainable regional tech economies.

    With members from across the UK’s nations and regions, UKTCG is uniquely placed to deliver this work ensuring every part of the country benefits from the UK’s thriving tech sector.

    UK Tech Cluster Group will focus on ensuring the programme delivers sustainable benefits that continue beyond the initial funding period, working closely with industry, academic institutions and local tech leaders to strengthen regional tech communities. Information on how regional tech clusters can apply for the programmes will be announced later this year.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Launchpool to List Eclipse (E) with over 1.5M in Token Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, and Web3 company has announced the listing of Eclipse (ES) in the Innovation Zone, for spot trading. Besides being available for spot trading, Bitget will launch an exclusive Launchpool rewards campaign with up to 1,511,494 ES up for grabs.

    Spot trading for Eclipse (ES) under the ES/USDT trading pair will begin on 16 July 2025, 10:00 (UTC) with withdrawals will be available starting 17 July 2025, 11:00 (UTC).

    To celebrate the listing, Bitget will launch a Launchpool campaign offering 1,295,600 ES in total rewards. Eligible users can participate by locking either BGB or ES tokens during the event, which runs from 17 July 2025, 10:00 to 21 July 2025, 10:00 (UTC). In the BGB pool, users can lock between 5 and 50,000 BGB, with maximum limits determined by their VIP tier, for a chance to earn a share of 1,261,000 ES. In the ES pool, participants can lock between 8 and 800,000 ES to receive a portion of 34,600 ES in rewards.

    Additionally, Bitget will launch a CandyBomb campaign with 166,000 ES available through a trading-based airdrop. Of the total, 99,600 ES will be allocated to the ES trading pool, while 66,400 ES will be available in the combined BTC, SOL, and ES trading pool.

    Bitget will also run an X Giveaway, where 750 qualified users will have the chance to win a share of 24,947 ES. The campaign runs from 16 July 2025, 10:00 to 23 July 2025, 10:00 (UTC). To participate, users must follow Bitget and Eclipse on X, quote the giveaway post with the hashtag #ESlistBitget, tag a friend, sign up, deposit or trade ES on Bitget, and complete the form linked in the post.

    In addition, a community campaign will run during the same period, offering another 24,947 ES to be shared among 750 qualified users. To join, users need to become members of both the Bitget Discord and BGB Holders Group, sign up, make a net deposit of over 100 USDT, and complete any ES/USDT spot trade.

    Eclipse is a modular L2 network built to deliver fast, low-cost, and scalable blockchain performance by integrating the strengths of multiple ecosystems. It leverages Ethereum for settlement, the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) for speed, Celestia for data availability, and RISC Zero for zero-knowledge proofs. Positioning it to address the blockchain trilemma of scalability, security, and decentralization. With its developer-friendly design, Eclipse is optimized for high-performance use cases, from high-frequency DeFi transactions to complex decentralized applications, offering a seamless experience without compromising on speed or efficiency.

    Bitget continues to solidify its role as a top-tier cryptocurrency exchange, offering over 800 listed tokens across spot and derivatives markets. The addition of Eclipse to Launchpool aligns with Bitget’s ongoing effort to support innovative projects whose value continues to evolve the ecosystem.

    Find more details on Eclipse, visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.

    Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2be7c95b-4d40-4d41-be8b-b35d7e57d9aa

    The MIL Network –

  • Nvidia’s resumption of AI chips to China is part of rare earths talks, says US

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Nvidia’s planned resumption of sales of its H20 AI chips to China is part of U.S. negotiations on rare earths, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday, and comes days after its CEO met President Donald Trump.

    “We put that in the trade deal with the magnets,” Lutnick told Reuters, referring to an agreement Trump made to restart rare earth shipments to U.S. manufacturers. He did not provide additional detail.

    Nvidia said late on Monday that it is filing applications with the U.S. government to resume sales to China of its H20 graphics processing unit, and has been assured by the U.S. it will get the licences soon.

    The planned resumption is a reversal of an export restriction imposed in April that is designed to keep the most advanced AI chips out of Chinese hands over national security concerns, an issue that has found rare bipartisan support. It drew swift questions and criticism from U.S. legislators on Tuesday.

    The decision “would not only hand our foreign adversaries our most advanced technologies, but is also dangerously inconsistent with this Administration’s previously-stated position on export controls for China,” Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, said in a statement.

    Republican John Moolenaar, chair of that committee, said in a statement he would seek “clarification” from the Commerce Department.

    “The H20 is a powerful chip that, according to our bipartisan investigation, played a significant role in the rise of PRC AI companies like DeepSeek,” Moolenaar said, referring to a Chinese startup that claims to have built AI models at a fraction of the cost paid by U.S. firms such as OpenAI. “It is crucial that the U.S. maintain its lead and keep advanced AI out of the hands of the CCP.”

    Shares of Nvidia, the world’s most valuable firm, closed up 4% and were nearly unchanged in after-market trading. Nvidia had estimated that the curbs would cut its revenue by $15 billion.

    Nvidia’s plan to resume sales has set off a scramble at Chinese firms to buy H20 chips, two sources told Reuters. The chips that Nvidia will resume selling are the best it can legally offer in China but lack much of the computing power of the versions for sale outside of China because of previous restrictions put in place by Trump’s first administration and then President Joe Biden’s administration.

    But critically, H20 chips work with Nvidia’s software tools, which have become a de facto standard in the global AI industry.

    CEO Jensen Huang, who is visiting Beijing and set to speak at an event on Wednesday, has argued that Nvidia’s leadership position could slip away if the company cannot sell to Chinese developers being courted by Huawei Technologies with chips produced in China.

    The significance of the shift depends on the volume of H20 chips that the U.S. allows to be shipped to China, said Divyansh Kaushik, an AI expert at Beacon Global Strategies, a Washington-based advisory firm.

    “If China is able to get a million H20 chips, it could significantly narrow, if not overtake, the U.S. lead in AI,” he said.

    CHINA IS CRUCIAL

    “The Chinese market is massive, dynamic, and highly innovative, and it’s also home to many AI researchers,” Huang told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday.

    China generated $17 billion in revenue for Nvidia in the fiscal year ending January 26, or 13% of total sales, based on its latest annual report.

    Internet giants ByteDance and Tencent 0700.HK are also in the process of submitting applications for H20 chips, the sources familiar with the matter said. Central to the process is an approved list put together by Nvidia for Chinese companies to register for potential purchases, one of the sources said.

    Tencent did not respond to a request for comment. ByteDance denied in a statement that it is currently submitting applications. Nvidia declined to comment on the approved list system.

    Asked at a regular foreign ministry briefing in Beijing about Nvidia’s plans to resume AI chip sales, a spokesperson said: “China is opposed to the politicisation, instrumentalisation and weaponisation of science, technology and economic and trade issues to maliciously blockade and suppress China.”

    China halted exports of rare earths in March following a trade spat with Trump that has shown some signs of easing. It dominates the market for rare earths, a group of 17 metals used in cellphones, weapons, electric vehicles, and more.

    Huang’s visit is being closely watched in both China and the United States, where a bipartisan pair of senators last week sent the CEO a letter asking him to abstain from meeting companies working with military or intelligence bodies.

    The senators also asked Huang to refrain from meeting with entities named on the United States’ restricted export list.

    Rival AI chipmaker AMD also said the Department of Commerce would review its licence applications to export its MI308 chips to China; it plans to resume those shipments when licences are approved, it said. Its shares gained 7% in trading on Tuesday.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Offers $6,666 Top Prize in Pump.fun Tokens in Latest Weekly Staking Event

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has launched the fifth edition of its Fomo Thursdays weekly staking event, featuring PUMP, the native token of meme-token platform Pump.fun. This week’s event offers a $6,666 top prize in PUMP tokens, as interest in meme-token markets continues to grow.

    Fomo Thursdays is Bitget Wallet’s recurring token distribution event designed to simplify access to early-stage token projects. Participants stake $10 USDT, refundable after the event, to receive randomized token rewards distributed via onchain smart contracts. By removing trading and point-based entry requirements, the program lowers barriers to participation. Bitget Wallet reported that more than 50,000 users joined the previous round within 25 minutes of opening. In response to demand, this week’s event has expanded to 200,000 entry slots with a total of 10,001 winners.

    This edition also reflects increased market activity surrounding Pump.fun, a Solana-based platform enabling permissionless meme-token creation. Since early 2024, the platform has facilitated over 1.2 million token launches and recently raised over $500 million through a public token sale completed in 12 minutes, according to market data. The trend underscores growing retail interest in low-cost token issuance within the Solana ecosystem.

    “Fomo Thursdays offers a simple, wallet-native way for users to access new token ecosystems,” said Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet. “By featuring PUMP this week, we’re reflecting broader market interest in meme-token ecosystems as a growing segment of onchain activity.” The staking window runs from July 16 at 13:00 UTC to July 17 at 13:00 UTC, with PUMP token rewards available via Solana chain and USDT refunds available via BNB Chain from July 17 at 14:00 UTC.

    For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

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

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1133f6e4-90cc-474f-ba46-f193d02de1b1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Richemont posts solid start to the year for its first quarter ended 30 June 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR

    16 JULY 2025

    RICHEMONT POSTS SOLID START TO THE YEAR FOR ITS FIRST QUARTER ENDED 30 JUNE 2025

      
    Highlights for the quarter ended 30 June 2025

    • Group sales at € 5.4 billion, up by 6% at constant exchange rates and by 3% at actual exchange rates in a volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical context
    • Continued strength at Jewellery Maisons, up by 11% at constant exchange rates; softer sequential rate of decline at Specialist Watchmakers, down by 7%; ‘Other’, including Fashion & Accessories Maisons, at -1%
    • Double-digit growth in Europe, the Americas and Middle East & Africa; stable sales in Asia Pacific at constant exchange rates; Japan down on high comparatives in prior-year period
    • Consistent growth across all distribution channels, led by Jewellery Maisons
    • Robust net cash position at € 7.4 billion, after cash transferred to YNAP upon closing of the sales transaction with LuxExperience 
    April-June   2025 2024 Movement at:
        €m €m constant rates actual rates
    By region Europe 1 295 1 171 +11% +11%
      Asia Pacific 1 731 1 809 – -4%
      Americas  1 335 1 215 +17% +10%
      Japan  527 603 -15% -13%
      Middle East & Africa  524 470 +17% +11%
               
    By distribution channel Retail 3 734 3 631 +6% +3%
      Online retail  323 315 +6% +3%
      Wholesale and royalty income  1 355 1 322 +6% +2%
               
    By business area Jewellery Maisons 3 914 3 656 +11% +7%
      Specialist Watchmakers 824 911 -7% -10%
      Other 674 701 -1% -4%
    Total   5 412 5 268 +6% +3%

    Review of trading in the three-month period ended 30 June 2025 versus the prior-year period, at constant exchange rates

    Any long form references to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan within this company announcement are Hong Kong SAR, China; Macau SAR, China; and Taiwan, China respectively.

    At constant exchange rates, Group sales in the quarter ended 30 June 2025 rose by 6% in a volatile global macroeconomic and geopolitical context.

    The growth was led by double digit increases in Europe, the Americas and Middle East & Africa, more than offsetting Japan’s sales decline against high prior-year comparatives; sales in the Asia Pacific region remained stable. In Europe, sales grew by 11%, driven by robust demand from local clients and overall positive tourist spend, supported by successful high jewellery events. Almost all main markets in the region saw an increase in sales this quarter, with notable performances in Italy and Germany. In the Americas, sales growth remained strong at +17%, driven by supportive local demand across all business areas and markets. Sales in the Middle East & Africa region rose by 17%, led by the United Arab Emirates market as well as higher tourist spend. In Japan, sales declined by 15% against a demanding +59% comparative in the prior-year period, with a strengthening Yen strongly reducing tourist spend, most notably from Chinese clientele, whilst local demand remained positive. Asia Pacific sales were stable overall versus the prior-year period, as a 7% decline in China, Hong Kong and Macau combined was fully compensated by robust growth in almost all other Asian markets. Of note, sales in Australia and South Korea were up double digits.

    Growth was consistent across all distribution channels, each up by 6%, led by Jewellery Maisons. Retail sales accounted for 69% of Group sales, with growth across all regions excluding Japan. Wholesale sales growth was driven by solid increases in the Americas, Europe and Middle East & Africa. Online retail sales showed robust growth across almost all regions.

    The Group’s four Jewellery Maisons – Buccellati, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vhernier – recorded an 11% rise in sales, marking a third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, supported by both jewellery and watch product lines. All regions posted growth, except Japan that faced a very high comparative in the prior-year period. Specialist Watchmakers sales were 7% lower than the prior-year period, largely reflecting declines in sales in China, Hong Kong and Macau combined as well as in Japan, partly offset by double-digit growth in the Americas. The Group’s Other business area, which includes Fashion & Accessories Maisons, declined by 1% compared to the prior-year period. Notable highlights included continued solid momentum at Peter Millar and Alaïa, an encouraging performance at Chloé and robust growth at Watchfinder & Co.

    The Group’s net cash position at 30 June 2025 stood at € 7.4 billion (2024: € 7.3 billion) after accounting for the € 426 million cash-out upon completion of the sale of YNAP to Mytheresa on 23 April 2025.

    Corporate calendar

    The annual general meeting will be held on Wednesday 10 September 2025 in Geneva. The interim results for the current financial year will be announced on Friday 14 November 2025. The Group’s corporate calendar is available on https://www.richemont.com/investors/corporate-calendar/.

    About Richemont
    At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity. Richemont’s ambition is to nurture its Maisons and businesses and enable them to grow and prosper in a responsible, sustainable manner over the long term.

    Richemont operates in three business areas: Jewellery Maisons with Buccellati, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vhernier; Specialist Watchmakers with A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; and Other, primarily Fashion & Accessories Maisons with Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, dunhill, G/FORE, Gianvito Rossi, Montblanc, Peter Millar, Purdey, Serapian as well as Watchfinder & Co. Find out more at https://www.richemont.com/ .

    Richemont ‘A’ shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Richemont’s primary listing, and are included in the Swiss Market Index (‘SMI’) of leading stocks. The ‘A’ shares are also traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Richemont’s secondary listing.


    Investor/analyst and media enquiries

    Alessandra Girolami, Group Investor Relations Director

    James Fraser, Investor Relations Executive

    Investors/analysts enquiries: +41 22 721 30 03; investor.relations@cfrinfo.net 

    Media enquiries: +41 22 721 35 07; pressoffice@cfrinfo.net; richemont@teneo.com 

    Disclaimer

    The financial information contained in this announcement is unaudited.

    This document contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Richemont’s forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company’s business and performance, the economy and other future conditions and forecasts of future events, circumstances and results. Our retail stores are heavily dependent on the ability and desire of consumers to travel and shop and a decline in consumers traffic could have a negative effect on our comparable store sales and/or average sales per square foot and store profitability resulting in impairment charges, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Reduced travel resulting from economic conditions, retail store closure orders of civil authorities, travel restrictions, travel concerns and other circumstances, including disease epidemics and other health-related concerns, could have a material adverse effect on us, particularly if such events impact our customers’ desire to travel to our retail stores. International conflicts or wars, including resulting sanctions and restrictions on importation and exportation of finished products and/or raw materials, whether self-imposed or imposed by international countries, non-state entities or others, may also impact these forward-looking statements. If international tariffs are imposed or increased, materials and goods that Richemont imports may face higher prices, which could lead to reduced margins or increased prices that could cause decreased consumer demand. As with any projection or forecast, forward-looking statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Group’s control. Richemont does not undertake to update, nor does it have any obligation to provide updates of, or to revise, any forward-looking statements.

    © Richemont 2025

    This announcement does not contain full details and should not be used as a basis for any investment decision in relation to the Company’s shares. Please find the full announcement available in PDF below:

    Richemont FY26 – Q1 Sales PDF EN

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ASML reports €7.7 billion total net sales and €2.3 billion net income in Q2 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ASML reports €7.7 billion total net sales and €2.3 billion net income in Q2 2025
    Full-year 2025 expected total net sales growth of around 15% with gross margin around 52%

    VELDHOVEN, the Netherlands, July 16, 2025 – Today, ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2025 second-quarter results.

    • Q2 total net sales of €7.7 billion, gross margin of 53.7%, net income of €2.3 billion
    • Quarterly net bookings in Q2 of €5.5 billion2 of which €2.3 billion is EUV
    • ASML expects Q3 2025 total net sales between €7.4 billion and €7.9 billion, and a gross margin between 50% and 52%
    • ASML expects a full-year 2025 total net sales increase of around 15% relative to 2024, with a gross margin of around 52%
    (Figures in millions of euros unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2025   Q2 2025
    Total net sales 7,742   7,692
    …of which Installed Base Management sales1 2,001   2,096
    New lithography systems sold (units) 73   67
    Used lithography systems sold (units) 4   9
    Net bookings2 3,936   5,541
    Gross profit 4,180   4,130
    Gross margin (%) 54.0   53.7
    Net income 2,355   2,290
    EPS (basic; in euros) 6.00   5.90
    End-quarter cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments 9,104   7,248

    (1) Installed Base Management sales equals our net service and field option sales.
    (2) Net bookings include all system sales orders and inflation-related adjustments, for which written authorizations have been accepted.
    Numbers have been rounded for readers’ convenience. A complete summary of US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations is published on www.asml.com.


    CEO statement and outlook
    “Our second-quarter total net sales came in at €7.7 billion, at the top end of our guidance. The gross margin was 53.7%, above guidance, primarily driven by higher upgrade business and one-offs resulting in lower costs.

    “We see continued progress in litho intensity, particularly in DRAM, and the introduction of the TWINSCAN NXE:3800E reinforces that momentum. Meanwhile, EUV adoption is advancing as planned, including High NA. This quarter, we shipped the first TWINSCAN EXE:5200B system.

    “Looking at 2026, we see that our AI customers’ fundamentals remain strong. At the same time, we continue to see increasing uncertainty driven by macro-economic and geopolitical developments. Therefore, while we still prepare for growth in 2026, we cannot confirm it at this stage.

    “We expect third-quarter total net sales between €7.4 billion and €7.9 billion, with a gross margin between 50% and 52%. We expect R&D costs of around €1.2 billion and SG&A costs of around €310 million. For the full year 2025, we expect a 15% increase in total net sales and a gross margin of around 52%,” said ASML President and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Fouquet.

    Update dividend and share buyback program
    An interim dividend of €1.60 per ordinary share will be made payable on August 6, 2025.

    In the second quarter, we purchased around €1.4 billion worth of shares under the current 2022–2025 share buyback program.

    Details of the share buyback program as well as transactions pursuant thereto, and details of the dividend are published on ASML’s website (www.asml.com/investors).

    Media Relations contacts Investor Relations contacts
    Monique Mols +31 6 5284 4418 Jim Kavanagh +31 40 268 3938
    Willem van Ewijk +31 6 2744 1187 Pete Convertito +1 203 919 1714
    Karen Lo +886 9 397 88635 Peter Cheang +886 3 659 6771
    Sarah de Crescenzo +1 925 899 8985  

      
    Quarterly video interview and investor call
    With this press release, ASML is publishing a video interview in which CEO Christophe Fouquet and CFO Roger Dassen discuss the 2025 second quarter and outlook for 2025. This video and the video transcript can be viewed on www.asml.com shortly after the publication of this press release.

    An investor call for both investors and the media will be hosted by CEO Christophe Fouquet and CFO Roger Dassen on July 16, 2025 at 15:00 Central European Time / 09:00 US Eastern Time. Details can be found on our website.

    About ASML
    ASML is a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry. The company provides chipmakers with hardware, software and services to mass produce the patterns of integrated circuits (microchips). Together with its partners, ASML drives the advancement of more affordable, more powerful, more energy-efficient microchips. ASML enables groundbreaking technology to solve some of humanity’s toughest challenges, such as in healthcare, energy use and conservation, mobility and agriculture. ASML is a multinational company headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, with offices across EMEA, the US and Asia. Every day, ASML’s more than 44,000 employees (FTE) challenge the status quo and push technology to new limits. ASML is traded on Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under the symbol ASML. Discover ASML – our products, technology and career opportunities – at www.asml.com.

    US GAAP and IFRS Financial Reporting
    ASML’s primary accounting standard for quarterly earnings releases and annual reports is US GAAP, the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Quarterly US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and Consolidated Balance Sheets are available on www.asml.com.

    The Consolidated Balance Sheets of ASML Holding N.V. as of June 29, 2025, the related Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the quarter and six-month period ended June 29, 2025, as presented in this press release, are unaudited.

    Today, July 16, 2025, ASML also published its Statutory Interim Report for the six-month period ended June 29, 2025. The Statutory Interim Report is available on www.asml.com.

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

    Forward Looking Statements

    This document and related discussions contain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with respect to plans, strategies, expected trends, including trends in the semiconductor industry and end markets and business environment trends, expected growth in the semiconductor industry by 2030, our expectation that AI will be the key driver for the industry and the expected impact of AI demand on our business and results, our expectation that lithography will remain at the heart of customer innovation, expected demand, bookings, outlook of market segments, outlook and expected financial results including 2025 second-half outlook, expected results for Q3 2025, including net sales, Installed Base Management sales, gross margin, R&D costs, SG&A costs, outlook for full year 2025, including expected full year 2025 total net sales, gross margin, estimated annualized effective tax rate and expected IBM sales, expected full-year net sales growth percentage relative to 2024, current expectations relating to 2026 including expected drivers and uncertainties and preparation for growth in 2026, statements made at our 2024 Investor Day, including modelled revenue and gross margin opportunity for 2030, statements with respect to tariff announcements and the expected impact of such tariffs on our business and results, our expectation to continue to return significant amounts of cash to shareholders through growing dividends and share buybacks, statements with respect to our share buyback program, and statements with respect to dividends, statements with respect to expected performance and capabilities of our systems and customer plans, statements with respect to our ESG strategy and commitments and other non-historical statements. You can generally identify these statements by the use of words like “may”, “expect”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “project”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “potential”, “intend”, “continue”, “target”, “future”, “progress”, “goal”, “model”, “opportunity”, “commitment” and variations of these words or comparable words. These statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, plans and projections about our business and our future financial results and readers should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve a number of substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to customer demand, semiconductor equipment industry capacity, worldwide demand for semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing capacity, lithography tool utilization and semiconductor inventory levels, general trends and consumer confidence in the semiconductor industry, the impact of general economic conditions, including the impact of the current macroeconomic environment on the semiconductor industry, semiconductor market conditions, the ultimate impact of AI on our industry and business, the impact of inflation, interest rates, wars and geopolitical developments, the impact of pandemics, the performance of our systems, the success of technology advances and the pace of new product development and customer acceptance of and demand for new products, our production capacity and ability to adjust capacity to meet demand, supply chain capacity, timely availability of parts and components, raw materials, critical manufacturing equipment and qualified employees, our ability to produce systems to meet demand, the number and timing of systems ordered, shipped and recognized in revenue, risks relating to fluctuations in net bookings and our ability to convert bookings into sales, the risk of order cancellation, delays or push outs and restrictions on shipments of ordered systems under export controls, risks relating to the trade environment, import/export and national security regulations and orders and their impact on us, including the impact of changes in export regulations and the impact of such regulations on our ability to obtain necessary licenses and to sell our systems and provide services to certain customers, the impact of the tariff announcements, exchange rate fluctuations, changes in tax rates, available liquidity and free cash flow and liquidity requirements, our ability to refinance our indebtedness, available cash and distributable reserves for, and other factors impacting, dividend payments and share repurchases, the number of shares that we repurchase under our share repurchase program, our ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property rights and the outcome of intellectual property disputes and litigation, our ability to meet ESG goals and commitments and execute our ESG strategy, other factors that may impact ASML’s business or financial results, and other risks indicated in the risk factors included in ASML’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other filings with and submissions to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this report or to conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: World Youth Development Forum opens in Suzhou, China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NANJING, July 16 (Xinhua) — The 2025 World Youth Development Forum opened in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on Tuesday. About 500 representatives from more than 100 countries and regions, as well as 17 international organizations, arrived in the Chinese city to participate in the forum.

    The event, themed “Unleashing Youth Potential for Global Development,” brought together youth ministers, youth leaders and youth representatives from around the world, giving participants the opportunity to share ideas in areas such as technological innovation, green development and cultural exchanges.

    The opening ceremony featured the presentation of 100 projects within the framework of the 2025 Global Action Plan for Youth Development and the official launch of the Global Youth Development Project Week.

    The forum will feature thematic sessions on green consumption and sustainable development, artificial intelligence and technological innovation, as well as the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. In addition, participants will enjoy a training camp and study tours.

    The World Youth Development Forum serves as a serious platform for uniting the forces of youth in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the global initiatives proposed by China in the areas of development, security and civilization.

    The Suzhou forum is jointly organized by the All-China Youth Federation, the UN office in China and the organizing committee of the World Youth Development Forum. The first forum was held in 2022. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pat Fallon Statement on HASC Passage of FY 2026 NDAA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04)

    WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the House Armed Services Committee’s 55-2 vote in favor of passing the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairman, Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) commented:

    “The FY 2026 NDAA delivers on the principle of peace through strength that President Trump has made a cornerstone of his America First agenda.”

    “I am proud to have voted in favor of this bill that would spur innovation, acquisition reform, and the restoration of America’s defense industrial base. In order to deter the looming threats posed by adversaries such as China and Russia, the US warfighter needs to have the best tools and resources at their disposal.”

    “After all, the potential conflicts of tomorrow will be decided by whomever has the best access to accurate, timely information, which means this bill’s investments in AI and drone technology will prove vital. At the same time, the United States’ missile defense status quo is currently unsustainable. Therefore, this bill also serves as a down payment on President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system, dovetailing with key investments in hypersonics and the space domain.”

    “America’s national security cannot wait, and this bill’s passage from committee is a major step in the right direction.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Experts from the Call Me Back project gave advice on how to protect yourself from deepfakes

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Cybercriminals are constantly inventing new ways to deceive citizens. For example, the number of cases of fraud using deepfake technology has been growing recently. Using artificial intelligence, attackers reproduce voice messages and video calls allegedly from relatives, friends or colleagues. Then, using synthesized voices and videos, they try to lure out personal information and gain access to citizens’ savings. At the project event “Call me back yourself” Experts talked about common techniques used by criminals who use deepfake technology and gave useful recommendations to help protect yourself and your loved ones.

    Today, one of the most common methods of fraud based on deepfake technology is fake video calls, audio and images generated using artificial intelligence. Criminals can send a message in a messenger and even make a video call on behalf of relatives, friends, bosses and colleagues. They use audio, photos and video materials from social networks recorded during the conversation to create realistic messages. Then, based on this data, a neural network creates a digital double. This is done by superimposing a face on top of another on a real video recording. In some cases, the message is completely generated by artificial intelligence.

    After creating a deepfake, criminals begin an attack on a person. They send him a voice message, call him on a messenger via video link under the guise of a relative, friend, colleague or boss. At first, the fake character has a normal, confidential conversation, but then moves on to luring personal information, asking for money for some needs, for example, for treatment, or demanding to transfer it to some mythical safe account.

    “Fraudsters play out their schemes in several stages: first, they collect and process information about a potential victim, then they establish contact with them and lead them to the final maneuver – a call or video message supposedly from a person the user trusts. Under stress and psychological pressure, they can believe the deepfake, transfer money to the attackers or transfer personal information. To protect yourself, you do not need to block all calling friends and colleagues on your phone: you can recognize synthesized speech and images even despite their high realism and accuracy. Signs of deception may include unnatural facial expressions, desynchronization of voice and video, suspicious elements in the photo, unusual wording or pronunciation errors, a mechanical, emotionless voice,” said Valentina Shilina, head of the “Call Back Yourself” project of the Moscow

    Department of Information Technology.

    There are other ways to recognize a deepfake. For example, if the call is not from the subscriber’s usual number. You also need to consider the manner of communication. An attempt to intimidate, evoke strong emotions, force prompt decision-making, and other methods of psychological pressure may indicate the actions of an intruder. If any of the signs are noticed, the video call and communication should be stopped. To find out whether the call was from a relative or friend, you should contact the subscriber in another way to clarify the details.

    Simple recommendations from experts will help protect you from fraudsters when communicating in messengers. So, when answering a suspicious call, do not say “yes”, “I agree”, “I confirm”. Criminals can record the moment these words are spoken, and then use them to confirm any transactions on behalf of the deceived person.

    In addition, to communicate with family and friends, it is worth thinking up a password or a security question with an answer in advance. In the future, this will help determine that the conversation is not a fraudster. Attackers collect basic information about their victims and may already know some details of a person’s life, so a funny, unusual or absurd question will help confuse criminals.

    Experts also remind that you should not share SMS codes to access confidential information with anyone. No organization or company will ask you to disclose the code; only scammers will do this. And a public figure, such as a famous artist, blogger, or TV presenter, will never call an ordinary person.

    In addition, government organizations, law enforcement agencies, and companies do not use personal numbers and messengers. To check the information, it is enough to find out the landline phone number on the official website of the organization and call it to clarify the details. As a rule, all issues are resolved during a personal meeting at the official representative office. Also, to protect the device and account from theft and hacking, the user should set up two-factor authorization wherever possible: in banking and official applications, messengers, accounts on the government services portal.

    Learn more about how scammers use deepfakes and get useful and clear recommendations from experts in the webinar recording “Call me back yourself”. The project website also contains a memo with basic information on the topic. “Deepfake Scams: How to Avoid Being Scammed?”.

    A free telegram bot will help you check the audio message you received for synthesized speech and signs of fraud “Stopfake”, created as part of the “Call Back Yourself” project. The service uses artificial intelligence to analyze sent text messages, screenshots of correspondence, and audio files, determining the likelihood of fraudulent schemes.

    The online information project “Call Back Yourself” was created in 2022. It helps city residents protect themselves and their loved ones from telephone and Internet fraud.project website information about upcoming in-person and online events is available, as well as memos and recommendations from experts, recordings of past webinars and other useful materials.

    You can learn more about the capital’s digital ecosystem and study the history of technology development over 30 years thanks to this popular science film “Moscow in Digital”.

    The creation and support of information security tools, as well as counteracting cyber fraud, are in line with the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”.

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

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden Applauds Committee Passage of FY26 National Defense Authorization Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Navy SEAL veteran Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) released the following statement after voting to pass the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of the House Armed Services Committee: 

    “Under the Biden administration, the world was a much more dangerous place due to sheer incompetence and mismanagement. The Department of Defense (DoD) had gone so far off mission it put our servicemembers, national security, allies, and every single American at grave risk. 

    “With President Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and Secretary Hegseth leading the DoD, we are restoring readiness and lethality in our Armed Forces. Passage of this year’s NDAA is a critical step to delivering on President Trump’s promise of delivering Peace through Strength and ensuring our servicemembers have every tool and resource they need to meet any challenge and defend our interests at home and abroad.”

    Rep. Van Orden championed multiple provisions in the FY26 NDAA:

    • Inclusion of the Strengthening Our Servicemembers with Milk Act, which requires milk be available at dining facilities on military installations.
    • Inclusion of the TAP Promotion Act to provide veterans with information on Veteran Service Organizations who assist with the transition into civilian life and help navigate benefits available to servicemembers and their families.
    • Dental care coverage under TRICARE for reservists.
    • Codifying the DoD authority for joint task forces to support law enforcement agencies and other federal agencies conducting counterterrorism and counter transnational organized crime activities.
    • Codifying and expanding the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) as a centralized database of servicemembers’ occupational and environmental exposure data.
    • Prohibiting the use of DoD funds to promote or endorse CRT in military academies, servicemember training, or professional military education.
    • Establishing formal contracting goals for DoD in contracting with small businesses owned and controlled by veterans.
    • Requiring DoD to produce a briefing on the access levels and obstacles, and recommend improvements to ensure innovative companies can fully participate in national defense modernization.

    Other priorities of Rep. Van Orden in the bill include:

    Modernizing the Armed Forces:

    • $10 million for robotic training targets to enhance National Guard lethality.
    • $2.5 million for modernization and manufacturing of engines for traditional Collaborative Combat Aircraft platforms.

    Enhancing Air Force Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (SRT) Capabilities:

    • Requiring use of commercial data analytics to provide the Air Force with tactical SRT capability to the combatant commands.
    • Requiring the Air Force to establish the SRT commercial data analytics program as a program of record.

    Elevating Defense Technology:

    • Creating a pilot program to accelerate development and procurement of innovative technology and equipment to enhance operational capabilities of Special Forces.
    • Requiring briefing on enhancing operational lethality through AI-enabled unmanned systems. 

    Strengthening Cooperation Operations with Our Allies:

    • Establishing an emerging technology cooperation program with Israel and other partner countries.
    • Broadening the U.S.-Israel C-UAS cooperation to include unmanned systems in all domains and extends authority through 2028.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sara Jacobs Votes Against NDAA Due to Lack of Constraints on Military’s Role in Domestic Law Enforcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

    July 15, 2025

    Following the lack of meaningful reforms and constraints to the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act, Rep. Sara Jacobs voted against the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee.

    Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Like so many Americans, I’m horrified and disturbed by President Trump’s abuse of the military to silence dissent, intimidate immigrant communities, and assist in domestic law enforcement. The military-civilian divide is a bedrock of our democracy, intended to protect civil rights and liberties and prevent the emergence of an authoritarian police state. In Los Angeles, we’ve already seen the military – at President Trump’s urging – use excessive force, commit questionable detentions, wield intimidation tactics, and violate people’s legal rights. This is only a glimpse of what could happen nationwide if President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act and turns U.S. troops on civilians. And our service members deserve better than to be used as political pawns in President Trump’s authoritarian games. 

    “The warning signs are here, and the American people are demanding that Congress do something. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee abdicated their responsibility to the Constitution and their constituents to rein in the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act. It’s wildly disappointing but sadly unsurprising that they would rather stay in President Trump’s good graces than stop the democratic backsliding that’s happening right before our eyes. While I’m proud of the provisions I secured to expand military access to child care, housing, and fertility services and ensure transparency and accountability of the Pentagon’s use of AI, I can’t in good conscience support a bill that fails to put guardrails on the use of our military in such unprecedented times.”

    Rep. Sara Jacobs secured the following provisions in the FY26 NDAA:

    Improving Military Child Care

    • Extends the “Child Care in Your Home” (CCYH) pilot program that provides financial assistance to eligible military families, especially those with non-traditional work hours, large families, or children with special needs, for in-home child care.
    • Urges the Secretary of Defense to create a grant program to cover up to 75% of the cost for eligible civilian child care providers to expand their infant and toddler child care capacity 
    • Establishes a pilot program to raise the military fee assistance provider cap for children 24 months or younger by 30% near installations that face high child care costs

    Improving Access to Affordable Military Housing

    • Studies how the Basic Allowance for Housing can properly represent densely populated, expensive cities and rural communities
    • Excludes the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the calculation of gross household income of an eligible member of the Armed Forces, so it doesn’t hurt their access to the Basic Needs Allowance
    • Requires Privatized Military Housing landlords to report on their insurance policies, including their costs, and the amount of money made through remedial payments to landlords.

    Strengthening Access to Fertility Services 

    • Establishes TRICARE coverage of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, for all active duty service members and their dependents and creates parity between service member and Member of Congress fertility services

    Helping Military Families Make Ends Meet

    • Increases the Family Separation Allowance to a mandatory $400 to reflect the rising cost of living and burdens on military families

    Upholding Human Rights, Enforcing Domestic and International Laws, and Preventing Conflict

    • Requires a report from the Department of Defense on its implementation of the Global Fragility Act (GFA), planned funding levels, and challenges and lessons learned from GFA implementation 
    • Requires notification to Congress anytime the Department of Defense enters into a basing agreement with a foreign military that includes whether any unit of that military has committed gross human rights violations
    • Authorizes full funding, consistent with FY25 levels, for institutional capacity building of partner militaries through the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) and for humanitarian support and demining through Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA)
    • Requires JAGs to be stationed at all combatant commands to ensure military operations follow domestic and international laws
    • Reinstates the requirement that Military JAGs be at the rank of 3-stars, making sure they have a seat at the table where critical strategic decisions are made

    Ensuring AI Transparency and Accountability

    • Studies how AI could be used to reduce civilian casualties
    • Requires a report from the Department of Defense with support from the Department of Energy on any efforts to incorporate non-Department AI data centers onto Department of Defense land, its plans for doing so, and potential impacts and consequences
    • Requires a report from the Department of Defense about the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s contract with xAI to ensure transparency and accountability
    • Requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress within 30 days of issuing any waiver under DoD Directive 3000.09 on autonomous weapons systems. The notice must include the rationale, description of the system, and expected duration. 
    • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, to brief Congress on how the Department ensures humans authorize each use of force in autonomous and semi-autonomous weapons systems. The briefing must outline current policies, identify gaps, and describe steps being taken to maintain human oversight. 
    • Requires a report from the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer on how AI-enabled decision aides are being integrated into non-lethal, daily DoD operations. The report must include use cases, lessons learned, and recommendations for scaling, training, and addressing ethical or cybersecurity issues, followed by a congressional briefing.
    • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, to assess how AI models are influencing national security policy decisions, including risks like automation bias and lack of transparency. Requires a report and briefing covering current efforts, gaps in responsible AI integration, oversight of waivers from key AI policies, and a plan to address identified issues, including potential follow-up studies.
    • Establishes requirements for the Department of Defense to promote competition, data security, and responsible use of government data in contracts for AI, cloud computing, and data infrastructure. It also mandates public reporting on innovation and barriers in defense tech procurement and restricts the use of government data for training commercial AI without explicit authorization.

    Advancing Improved and Accountable Procurement at DoD

    • Opens up cloud and AI contracts to real competition and blocks vendors from training their commercial models on Pentagon-owned data without explicit permission.
    • Gives Congress a faster warning when a weapons program busts its budget by cutting the Nunn-McCurdy notification window to 30?days and requiring DoD to consider canceling runaway projects.
    • Requires every major weapons program to pinpoint parts that can shift to 3-D printing or other advanced manufacturing and deliver a plan to slash cost and lead time within two years.
    • Stops the Pentagon from labeling purchases of more than 500 units a “prototype,” ensuring that large purchases receive full competition and oversight.
    • Places significant “Other Transaction” projects under the same documentation and milestone reviews as traditional acquisition programs, shedding light on a growing loophole.
    • Delivers the Pentagon’s first-ever “Right to?Repair” for major weapons systems. Contractors must hand over the parts, tools, and technical data DoD needs to fix its own gear—breaking decades-old vendor lock-ins, slashing sustainment costs, and speeding repairs that keep jets flying and ships sailing.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor of London warns UK must not ‘pull up the drawbridge to international students’ in landmark speech

    Source: Mayor of London

    • Mayor shares new analysis of major economic benefits from international students in speech hosted by Imperial College London’s new Ghana hub
    • City Hall projections put annual economic benefit of overseas students at UK universities around £55bn, with £12.5bn from those based in London
    • Sadiq will warn that ministers who want to “pull up the drawbridge to international students” would “slow down growth and leave working people in Britain worse off” as he stresses economic benefits of attracting the best global talent to study, work and live here

    Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is urging the government not to make it harder for international students to study in the UK as he reveals new analysis showing they contribute £12.5bn to the capital and £55bn to the national economy every year.

    The Mayor is in Ghana today (Wednesday 16 July) as part of his historic five-day trade mission to Africa, banging the drum for the capital as a place to invest and strengthening ties with countries across the continent. A major speech in Accra will see Sadiq make the case for welcoming students from around the world, and warn that proposals for a new levy on their university fees would be damaging to London and the UK’s economy.

    The UK Government is currently considering a new levy on income that English universities generate from international students as part of its immigration whitepaper, which could not only put students off coming here from overseas but also create a substantial extra financial burden for already stretched universities. The Mayor’s speech today will warn that this levy would be “an act of immense economic self-harm”.

    Today the Mayor will deliver a keynote speech on the power of education, innovation and entrepreneurship to Ghanaian students hosted at Imperial College London’s Accra hub. With five per cent of London’s higher education population coming from Africa [1], he will stress that London is open to global talent and make the positive case for international study.

    Latest analysis by London Economics revealed a more than £10 billion rise in the economic contribution of international higher education students to the UK economy, from £31.3bn in 2018/19 to £41.9bn in 2021/22 – leading City Hall economists to project it could hit £55bn in the current academic year on the basis of historical trends [2].

    London accounts for almost a quarter of this national impact, representing around £10bn in the latest data and projected to reach £12.5bn this year [3]. International students in the capital created an average net benefit of £1,040 per Londoner over the course of their studies, as beyond their university fees they contribute by spending in all sectors of the economy and bringing family or friends to visit [4].

    This positive economic impact spreads across the UK, with international students making a £58m net contribution to the national economy per parliamentary constituency during their studies – providing an equivalent £560 benefit for each local resident [5]. They also bring a longer-term labour market value, as many stay here after their studies to work in key economic sectors from tech and AI to finance and creative industries.

    Imperial is the first UK university with a permanent base solely focused on science, technology and innovation in Africa – building on the rapidly rising number of advancements and breakthroughs Imperial has made working with researchers in Ghana over recent years. Imperial Global Ghana serves as an academic hub to support high-impact collaboration in cutting-edge fields from medical diagnostics to urban health and AI to climate science.

    As well as current students, the Mayor will meet recent graduates including Shirgade Laryea, a Ghanaian alumna of Imperial College London’s Business School who is now a rising star in the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce. Other alumni success stories include Affinity bank founder Tarek Mouganie, Liquify fintech platform COO Alberta Asafa-Asomoah and former Anglo Gold Ashanti CEO Sir Sam Jonah.

    The Mayor is expected to say in his speech: “There are people at home who believe we should pull up the drawbridge to international students, or punish universities that choose to welcome people from around the world.

    “Our new analysis shows international students bring in tens of billions for our economy each year over the course of their studies, including £12.5 billion in London alone. And when they graduate, they go on to make our city – and our country – a better place to be.”

    The Mayor will add: “Closing our country to global talent would be an act of immense economic self-harm – one that would slow down growth and leave working people in Britain worse off than before. That’s why I’m calling on our Government not to make it harder for international students to study in the UK.

    “On my watch, London will be as open as ever… but I think we must do more. We cannot simply wait for the world to come to London; we must bring London to the world.”

    Imperial College London President, Professor Hugh Brady, said: “Imperial Global Ghana creates a bridge between London and Accra so you get a flow of ideas, talent and capital. The hub supports hundreds of entrepreneurs and scientists in West Africa, and enables talented students to further their studies in London.

    “International students are an essential part of Imperial’s global community. They bring diverse perspectives, new ideas, and fresh approaches to tackling today’s most complex challenges. We are pleased that London and the UK remains a top destination and welcoming environment for international students.”

    Imperial Global Ghana Associate Director, Clare Turner, said: “A truly global city – and its universities – thrive when people with different cultural, social and intellectual perspectives come together. At Imperial Global Ghana, our focus is on building long-term equitable research and education partnerships that both inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators, and work towards a greater understanding of complex global challenges – such as climate change, the energy transition, and access to quality healthcare.”

    University of Ghana Vice Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said: “It is a great honour to welcome the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, to Ghana and to the University of Ghana. His presence underscores the growing importance of global partnerships in shaping the future of education and innovation; we look forward to deepening these ties as we empower the next generation of changemakers on the continent and beyond.

    “We are especially proud of our collaboration with Imperial College London – one that continues to thrive through initiatives such as the Impact Hub and other areas such as digital diagnostics, innovation and entrepreneurship, public health, environmental sustainability, and vaccine manufacturing clearly stipulated in a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024. This innovative cooperation is hinged on our five strategic priorities: transformative student experience, impactful research, commitment to our faculty and staff, engagement and partnerships, as well as sustainable resource mobilisation and stewardship.”

    London Higher CEO, Liz Hutchinson, said: “London’s universities are world-leading because they are international, with overseas students enriching not just the economy but also the learning experience and the vibrant, creative communities that the capital is famous for. International graduates are crucial to London’s talent pipeline, joining the many businesses based here or as entrepreneurs.

    “This is a time when we should be strengthening our position as a hub for talented individuals from across the world. The government’s proposed levy on international students does the opposite. With our partners in the sector, in industry and in London, we stand ready to collaborate with Government and sector colleagues to find alternative solutions that enhance rather than damage London’s international competitiveness.”

    Universities UK Chief Executive, Vivienne Stern, said: “The Mayor of London will see first-hand the global reach of UK universities and their contribution to the cutting-edge research tackling shared challenges. He is right to champion the power of education, and this new analysis once again highlights the economic value of international students to the UK.

    “We are fortunate to be a destination of choice for students from all over the world; they contribute to our research landscape and our communities, as well as enabling UK students to benefit from diverse perspectives. We should be proud of this and work hard to make sure that international students feel welcome.”

    Business LDN Chief Executive, John Dickie, said: “At a time when some of our rivals are closing their doors to international students, the UK should do all it can to reinforce its attractiveness to talented people from across the globe.

    “London is the world’s best city to study, but the Government’s plans to introduce a new levy on the income generated by overseas students risks damaging our competitiveness. Ministers should scrap these plans to avoid damaging growth, exacerbating the higher education sector’s financial challenges and undermining our soft power.”

    Over the course of five days Sadiq will visit four cities – Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Cape Town – to boost trade links with London and build on extensive connections with the capital’s growing African diaspora. The Mayor’s growth agency London & Partners will also host a trade delegation of 27 London-based companies that are looking to grow their businesses and access opportunities in this dynamic and important region of the world.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Ripple’s XRP Mining Goes Live, PFMCrypto Launches XRP Mining via Cloud Platform—No Hardware, Instant Access

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Ripple’s XRP ecosystem accelerates globally, PFMCrypto proudly launches an innovative leap in decentralized finance: XRP-based smart cloud mining contracts. Now available via web and mobile platforms, these flexible short-term contracts enable users to mine XRP remotely—no equipment, no setup, no technical expertise required. For the first time, everyday users can actively participate in the XRP economy through a seamless, fully integrated platform.

    Visit the PFMCrypto website or download the mobile app to get started today.

    Simple, Smart, and Profitable—XRP Cloud Mining Has Arrived
    Long known for its speed and efficiency in cross-border payments, XRP now steps into the mining arena through PFMCrypto’s latest cloud-based innovation. Users can mine XRP directly, or let the platform’s AI engine optimize returns by switching to the most profitable assets, including BTC, ETH, DOGE, and USDC. Earnings are paid out daily in the crypto of your choice, offering stable returns no matter the market condition.
    Designed for both novice users and experienced investors, PFMCrypto empowers you to generate consistent crypto income from anywhere, at any time.

    Key Features of PFMCrypto’s XRP Cloud Mining Contracts:
    1. Complete XRP Integration – Deposit, buy, mine, and withdraw XRP—all within one ecosystem.
    2. Multi-Coin Mining Support – Mine and earn BTC, ETH, DOGE, USDC, USDT, SOL, LTC, and BCH.
    3. AI-Optimized Profitability – Smart algorithms automatically shift mining resources to top-performing assets.
    4. Fully Remote Mining – No need for mining rigs—accessible anytime via app or browser.
    5. Capital Protection – 100% principal return upon contract maturity helps safeguard your investment.

    Flexible Contracts for Every Budget and Strategy:
    PFMCrypto offers a wide selection of XRP-supported mining contracts, ideal for both short-term testers and long-term planners. Each contract features predictable earnings, clear terms, and built-in capital protection:
    $10 Contract – 1 Day – Earn $0.66 (Free with signup bonus)
    $100 Contract – 2 Days – Earn $3.00 daily + $2 reward
    $500 Contract – 5 Days – Earn $6.15 daily
    $5,000 Contract – 30 Days – Earn $78.50 daily
    $20,000 Contract – 45 Days – Earn $380.00 daily
    Whether you’re just starting out or building a diversified portfolio, PFMCrypto offers low-risk, high-transparency contracts designed to deliver reliable daily earnings in XRP.

    Click here to explore more mining contracts.

    What Makes PFMCrypto’s XRP Mining Unique?
    1. Truly Accessible – No mining rigs, no technical barriers—just sign up and start earning.
    2. XRP-Native Functionality – Manage your entire XRP experience in one unified platform.
    3. Stable Returns with Smart Allocation – The AI engine ensures optimal returns across supported crypto assets.
    4. Multi-Asset Flexibility – Mine XRP or diversify payouts into BTC, ETH, and others—all from a single contract.
    5. Instant Access, Anywhere – Securely mine from your phone or browser, wherever you are in the world.

    Start in 3 Simple Steps:
    1. Sign Up – Create your account and get a $10 welcome bonus
    2. Choose a Contract – Pick from short or long-term options (1 to 60 days)
    3. Start Earning – Monitor your daily returns and withdraw in your preferred crypto

    Start mining XRP now at: https://pfmcrypto.net 
    Or download the PFMCrypto mobile app for iOS and Android.

    Mining XRP for a Smarter Digital Future:
    Since 2018, PFMCrypto has helped millions of users generate passive crypto income through advanced, cloud-based mining systems. With the addition of XRP mining, the platform now combines institutional-grade infrastructure with user-friendly design, opening up new opportunities for retail investors to earn in XRP or diversify into major digital assets—all through one secure, remote solution.

    “XRP has always been fast, scalable, and efficient,” said a PFMCrypto spokesperson. “Now, it’s mineable—safely, remotely, and profitably. We’ve eliminated the barriers so anyone can participate in XRP’s future.”
    Markets fluctuate—but daily mining income stays consistent.

    Join the XRP mining revolution today at: https://pfmcrypto.net 

    The MIL Network –

  • AIDS program funding preserved ahead of US Senate vote on Trump cuts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The U.S. Senate late on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump’s request to slash billions in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting previously approved by Congress, the latest test of Trump’s control over his fellow Republicans.

    However, PEPFAR, a global program to fight HIV/AIDS launched in 2003 by then-Republican President George W. Bush, is being exempted after objections from lawmakers in both parties, bringing the size of the package of cuts to $9 billion from $9.4 billion.

    Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters after lunch with Republican senators that Trump could accept a change in the measure to exempt PEPFAR.

    “There is a substitute amendment that does not include the PEPFAR rescission and we’re fine with that,” Vought said.

    In initial votes on Tuesday, Republicans narrowly fended off solid Democratic opposition and cleared the bill over two procedural hurdles. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break a 50-50 tie in each of those tallies.

    Further votes were expected this week.

    Congress has until Friday to pass the rescissions package, originally a request to claw back $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. Otherwise, the request would expire and the White House will be required to adhere to spending plans passed by Congress.

    Three of the Senate’s 53 Republicans voted against moving the legislation closer to passage – Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine.

    “You don’t need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska moderate, said in a Senate speech.

    She said the Trump administration also had not provided assurances that battles against diseases such as malaria and polio worldwide would be maintained, along with programs including family planning and pandemic prevention. But most of all, Murkowski said, Congress must assert its role in deciding how federal funds were spent.

    If the Senate passes the bill without the PEPFAR cuts, the measure must go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, a Republican, said he expected the House would act quickly to pass the measure.

    The amounts at stake are extremely small in the context of the sprawling federal budget, which totaled $6.8 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30. Yet the proposed cuts have raised the hackles of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who saw an attempt to erode Congress’s constitutionally mandated authority over spending.

    They also represent only a tiny portion of all of the funds approved by Congress that the Trump administration has held up as it has pursued sweeping cuts to the federal government, including slashing thousands of jobs.

    As of mid-June, Trump was blocking $425 billion in such funds, according to Democratic lawmakers tracking frozen funding.

    LIFESAVING PROGRAMS

    The foreign aid initiatives in Trump’s request for cuts included lifesaving support for women and children’s health and the fight against HIV/AIDS that have long had strong bipartisan support. PEPFAR is credited with saving 26 million lives.

    The package also cuts funds supporting public broadcasting, which can be the main source of news and emergency information in rural parts of the U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, was concerned about funding cuts to Native American radio stations, but said on Tuesday he would support the rescissions package after the administration promised to fund some tribal broadcasters separately.

    Democrats also have said the U.S. withdrawal of “soft power” efforts from the international stage, such as limited emergency assistance after an earthquake in Myanmar, strengthens global adversaries like Russia and China.

    “It still leaves an enormous vacuum that China and Russia will fill,” Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chamber’s Democratic leader, said.

    Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, had said she opposed Trump’s request to cut the PEPFAR funding. After the lunch meeting with Vought, she said she still wanted detailed information about the proposals.

    FUNDING POWER

    Standalone presidential rescissions packages have not passed in years, with lawmakers reluctant to cede their constitutionally mandated control of government spending. During Trump’s first term in 2018, Congress members rejected Trump’s request to revoke $15 billion in spending.

    Trump’s Republicans hold narrow majorities in the Senate and House. So far, they have shown little appetite for opposing his policies.

    The rescissions legislation passed the House by 214-212 last month. Four Republicans joined 208 Democrats in voting against it.

    These cuts would overturn bipartisan spending agreements most recently passed in a full-year stopgap funding bill in March. Democrats warn a partisan cut now could make it more difficult to negotiate government funding bills that must pass by September 30 to avoid a shutdown.

    Appropriations bills require 60 votes to move ahead in the Senate, but the rescissions package needs just 51, meaning Republicans can pass it without Democratic support.

    “We’re going to have to work our way through that issue,” Rounds said on Tuesday, adding he felt confident Trump’s budget office would follow funding guidelines to redirect dollars to tribal media stations.

    [REUTERS]

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists create a new type of endoscopic system for diagnostics and destruction of cancer cells

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The results of the Russian Science Foundation mega-grant competition for fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research under the supervision of leading foreign scientists have been summed up. 230 projects from 127 scientific organizations from 35 subjects of the Russian Federation applied for RSF support. The projects submitted for the competition are being implemented under the supervision of leading scientists with citizenship from 40 countries, including China, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the USA, Italy, and France. According to the results of the examination, 14 projects were declared winners. For 5 years, they will receive from 20 to 50 million rubles annually. If necessary, it is envisaged to extend the grant support for another three years.

    Among the winners is the project of scientists from the Laboratory of Nonlinear Optics of Waveguide Systems of Novosibirsk State University “The Kerr Self-Cleaning Effect of Multimode Beams in Specialized Optical Fibers and Its Application for Biomedicine”. This laboratory was created in May 2017 as a result of the victory of the project “Spatio-temporal Nonlinear Optics of Multimode and Multi-Core Fiber Systems” in the fifth competition of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia for receiving grants from the Government of the Russian Federation for state support of scientific research conducted under the supervision of leading scientists. Its head is a recognized world expert in the theory of surface waves, as well as an expert in nonlinear effects in fiber-optic communication systems Stefan Wabnitz. His research activity for more than 30 years took place in leading academic and industrial institutions in Europe and the USA.

    — Our project is aimed at creating an innovative endoscopic device that combines optical biopsy and low-temperature plasma therapy technologies. Its goal is to develop a unified system that provides the ability to both diagnose and treat gastrointestinal diseases, including oncological diseases, in real time, which will eliminate the need for lengthy histopathology and increase the accuracy of examinations. This device will combine two functions at once — diagnostics (using machine learning) and therapy (laser/plasma), minimizing damage to healthy tissues, — said Denis Kharenko, senior researcher at the laboratory.

    In current medical practices, ex vivo histopathology is used for accurate cancer diagnostics, during which laboratory studies of living tissue transferred from the body to an artificial external environment are carried out. It involves taking tissue from the patient, which leads to delays in the start of therapy and requires complex laboratory procedures and practically does not allow observing the course of the disease in dynamics. NSU scientists propose to solve this problem by introducing in-vivo diagnostics, which allows examining the body without taking material using optical endoscopic methods. It is important that this diagnostic method will be associated with the possibility of therapeutic intervention, which will not only significantly increase the area under study and the volume of data obtained, but also accurately identify the affected area during repeated examination, minimizing time and economic costs, as well as the risks of errors associated with the analysis of samples outside the body.

    — The new type of endoscopic system we are creating, in addition to diagnostics, will be able to precisely affect tumor cells using temperature-controlled laser radiation and low-temperature plasma, causing their apoptosis without excessive heating — a process of programmed cell death, in which the cell self-destructs, disintegrating into individual fragments, which are then absorbed by other cells without causing negative consequences. This leads to minimal damage to healthy tissue. This feature will reduce side effects, avoid fibrosis and vascular damage, which is extremely important for improving the quality of life of patients. The project is a significant step forward in the field of “optical biopsy” and endoscopic therapy, — explained Denis Kharenko.

    One of the main scientific tasks of the scientists will be to optimize the process of diagnostics and treatment of cancer using a multimode optical fiber, which implements the Kerr self-cleaning effect, providing high resolution (up to 0.66 µm) and resistance to mechanical impacts during the propagation of laser radiation. The integration of multiphoton fluorescence and Raman scattering will further expand the diagnostic capabilities of the device, allowing for spectroscopic studies of tissues and the detection of biomarkers characteristic of different stages of the disease with microscopic accuracy. According to the project participants, this technology will make the device a universal tool for both diagnostics and subsequent treatment.

    The project involves several stages. First, the scientists will design and test multimode fibers and high-repetition-rate lasers for the endoscopic system. The next step will be to test the device on biological samples, including lab-created organoids and cancerous tissue.

    — We are confident that our experimental setup with the ability to precisely control low-temperature plasma will allow localized impact on the affected areas of organs and tissues, which will create the basis for the application of the technology in clinical practice. We intend to create a flexible and highly effective visualization and therapy system, which will subsequently become established as a standard in the field of diagnostics and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, including oncological diseases in the early stages, — said Denis Kharenko.

    Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –