NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Fox News Op-Ed, Warren, Sheehy Announce Bipartisan Fight to Guarantee Military Right to Repair Its Equipment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    May 29, 2025

    “On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment.”

    Op-Ed in Fox News Digital

    Washington, D.C. — In a Fox News op-ed, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) underscored how right to repair restrictions imposed by defense contractors hurt the military’s ability to respond to threats and bloat the national defense budget by blocking servicemembers from repairing weapons and equipment. The lawmakers called for every service of the military to follow Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s lead and ensure the military has the right to repair the equipment it owns. The senators also announced a new bipartisan bill to make the right to repair policies permanent. 

    As the lawmakers outline, repair restrictions buried in the fine print of contracts threaten military readiness, raise costs unpredictably, and limit competition for military contracting. Contractors’ monopolization of repairs means that, for some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale. By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save taxpayers billions. 

    “Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online…Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment break down, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right to repair restrictions so that our military is always ready,” wrote the senators. 

    “On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud, and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment,” the lawmakers concluded. 

    Ready the full op-ed here and below: 

    SENS WARREN, SHEEHY: Pentagon wastes billions with devastating repair rules. We’re working together to stop it.
    May 28, 2025 

    Our defense industrial base is stumbling. For years, the U.S. Department of Defense – under both Republicans and Democrats – failed to address one of the most fundamental issues within our military industrial complex, perverse incentives for contractors. But with the recently announced Army Transformation Initiative, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and General Randy George are taking a major step to stand up for soldiers and strengthen our military readiness. Driscoll’s plan will help end one source of waste, fraud, and abuse. Every other military branch should follow their lead – and, if they do, they will have our bipartisan support. 

    The Department of Defense is the largest federal agency, consuming half the discretionary budget the federal government spends every year. In 2023, for example, DoD spent almost $450 billion on contracts. But buried down deep in the fine print, many of those contracts included restrictions that prevent our troops from fixing their own weapons and equipment.  

    That fine print means that every time something breaks, DoD must call the contractor, schedule a repair visit, and pay a hefty fee. For some contracts, the repairs are more profitable than the original sale – a dynamic that represents how years of broken bureaucracy has slowed our acquisition process and driven costs higher and higher. 

    Our military buys a lot of gear – from tanks to helicopters to night vision goggles, and the process to buy that gear is longer and more complicated than ever. Even worse, because our service members often can’t make any repairs, they can be stuck waiting weeks or months, even for simple problems they could fix themselves with a little know-how and a 3D printer. 

    Driscoll has identified these problems in the Army, but right to repair restrictions have spread across the military. The Navy was forced to rely on flying contractors out to sea for maintenance. The Air Force is struggling to keep its planes ready for combat because of restrictions and companies that won’t even negotiate.  

    Every hour these servicemembers can’t fix their own weapons undermines their readiness to meet their assignments. Instead of working to help the military be ready for battle, these contractors are focused on squeezing out more revenue. 

    These restrictions lead to three critical problems: readiness, cost and lack of competition. 

    First, when contractors stop soldiers from fixing their own equipment, it threatens military readiness. All around the country, maintainers were struggling to keep the F-35 flying because Lockheed Martin won’t give them the data they need to fix damage to basic parts. When our military could fix a helicopter in Korea themselves, they saved 207 days and roughly $1.8 million. 

    Our military can’t afford to wait 207 days to get a helicopter back online. And, in the most extreme cases, our military can’t afford to have soldiers unable to repair equipment in the heat of battle, either because the contract has tied their hands or because they haven’t had the chance to learn how. 

    Imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the field up against an enemy, suffer an equipment breakdown, and there would be nothing to do about it. We need to end these dangerous right-to-repair restrictions so that our military is always ready.  

    Second, repair restrictions waste billions of dollars. If Boeing got the Pentagon to agree that only Boeing can repair equipment, what stops them from charging whatever they want for that fix? Suddenly a $0.16 clip costs $20, and the defense budget rises even higher. That is a terrible deal for the taxpayer.  

    By some estimates, giving the military the right to repair would save us billions. But more importantly, it would reinvigorate the operational resilience of our forward-deployed elements and allow them to self-sustain. 

    And third, letting a contractor monopolize repairs doesn’t just hurt taxpayers, it hurts small businesses that otherwise could compete for the repair work, depressing competition and thinning out our industrial base. Why would a small business start manufacturing a safety clip when the military is forced to go to its larger competitor to buy it? 

    And equally alarmingly, if that big contractor decided one day to stop producing the part, the military would be out of luck because the contractor had the only game in town. To be sure, the military created this monopolistic environment, incentivizing consolidation through decades of bureaucratic process. Now they are reaping the whirlwind. We need a more diverse array of contractors who can bring free market competition to our defense space, driving costs down and efficiencies up. 

    Until now, the military has enabled a broken status quo, handing over billions of dollars and hoping that there is no emergency when the equipment they need is sidelined. Meanwhile, over 70% of voters support giving the military the right to repair their own equipment. But Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll showed real leadership. He stood up to a broken bureaucracy and announced that every new Army contract would explicitly guarantee the right of the Army to fix its own equipment. That’s a big deal.  

    The new Army policy is a breakthrough in our fight to empower soldiers, but unless every single military service follows his lead, taxpayers will keep getting ripped off. And, because this is a directive from the secretary, a subsequent secretary could go back to the way things were before. 

    But we have a plan to solve that problem. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a bipartisan bill that would make changes to right to repair permanent. With a single change in the law, we can boost military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.  

    On both sides of the aisle, many of us agree that waste, fraud and abuse are real problems in our government – and it’s worse when it threatens our military readiness. It’s time to show servicemembers we’ve got their backs and restore their right to fix their own equipment. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Internet-enabled orgasms: How teledildonics are changing the way we have sex

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Madison E. Williams, PhD Student, Experimental Psychology, University of New Brunswick

    Sex toys are no longer limited to the analogue dildos and masturbators of the past. Today, they have become increasingly sophisticated.
     (Shutterstock)

    Sex toys are fairly common in people’s sex lives, and broadly accessible both online and in brick-and-mortar stores. In the United States, more than 40 per cent of heterosexual women and men have incorporated vibrators into the bedroom.

    More than three-quarters of Canadians have used a sex toy with a partner at least once, including vibrators, anal toys and penile masturbators. Reported rates also vary widely across western countries — for instance, 16 per cent of Australians say they’ve used sex toys while up to 52 per cent of people in Germany say they have.

    However, sex toys are no longer limited to the analogue dildos and masturbators of the past. Today, they have become increasingly sophisticated.

    Internet-connected toys, known as teledildonics, are novel devices designed to enhance sexual experiences by mimicking elements of real human intimacy — such as genital touch, body warmth, synchronized movements or orgasmic sensations — without a partner being physically present.

    They can be synced with online pornography, integrated with virtual reality or even controlled remotely by a partner, allowing for intimacy at a distance.

    One question remains as this burgeoning technology becomes integrated in individuals’ lives: Can teledildonics promote sexual well-being?

    Why people use sex toys

    Research reveals that using sex toys, whether on their own or with a partner, is linked with greater sexual satisfaction. One study also found that using a vaginal vibrator helped women experience stronger arousal, better lubrication and reach orgasm more easily.

    People use sex toys for all sorts of reasons. In one Canadian study, the most popular reason people used sex toys was to spice up their sex life with a sexual partner.

    Other commonly reported motivations included wanting to boost sexual arousal during masturbation and partnered sex, and to reach orgasm more easily. For a smaller proportion, sex toys also served to help them relax or release tension.

    What about teledildonics?

    In one survey, nine per cent of U.S. adults reported they’ve used teledildonics, with more men (15 per cent) reporting usage than women (five per cent) and gender-diverse individuals (13 per cent).

    Although more and more people are turning to teledildonic devices, we still know relatively little about why they use them or how they relate to well-being — especially compared to the growing body of research on traditional, non-connected sex toys.

    Our research team at the Université du Québec à Montréal surveyed 617 men between the ages of 19 and 75 years old. They were customers of the teledildonics company, Kiiroo, which specializes in interactive, app-connected sex toys, particularly for men, such as masturbatory sleeves and strokers. Kiiroo’s marketing team helped recruit participants for the survey.

    This industry collaboration allowed us to explore, for the first time, who uses these devices, why they use them, and how certain usage patterns like using it alone or with a partner may support greater sexual well-being.

    More than three-quarters of Canadians have used a sex toy with a partner at least once, including vibrators, anal toys and penile masturbators.
    (Interactive Life Forms/Wikimedia), CC BY-SA

    Most of our participants resided in North America (74 per cent) and Europe (22 per cent), while a minority were in Australia, Asia and Central America (three per cent combined). They primarily identified as white (75 per cent), Asian (17 per cent), Latin American (10 per cent) and Black (four per cent).

    In our study, nearly all the men used their teledildonic devices alone, but 21 per cent of them also reported incorporating them into partnered sex.

    We found that people who use teledildonics with a partner tend to own a greater number of these devices compared to those who use them solely for solo play.

    Partnered use was also associated with a higher number of previous sexual partners, which may suggest that greater sexual experience increases one’s comfort in sharing sex toy use with a partner.

    Finally, partnered use was associated with greater sexual well-being in men. Those who used their toys with a partner reported having greater sexual desire, more ease in reaching orgasm with a partner and increased confidence as a sexual partner.

    In other words, men who use their teledildonics with a partner may experience greater sexual well-being than men who only use their devices alone.

    Research reveals that using sex toys, whether on their own or with a partner, is linked with greater sexual satisfaction.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why do men use teledildonics?

    Our study was the first to uncover the motivations behind men’s teledildonic sex toy use.

    For 57 per cent of the men in our study, teledildonics were used primarily to relax or relieve tension. Just over half also reported using teledildonics to fantasize about sexual activities that are not possible in real life and to increase sexual arousal during masturbation.

    More than one third of participants (38 per cent) shared that their teledildonics usage was specifically motivated by the ability to connect their toys with other technologies (like virtual reality headsets or online pornography).

    Other motivations for using teledildonics appear to mirror many of those that drive traditional sex toy use, notably relaxation and tension relief and to increase arousal.

    What’s next for teledildonics?

    Taken together, these findings offer promising evidence that using teledildonics, particularly with a partner, can have sexual benefits. They also invite us to reflect on how such technologies could improve the sex lives of people facing challenges such as sexual dysfunction, physical disabilities or a lack of access to sexual partners — although further research is needed to understand how teledildonics can meet their specific needs.

    In addition, this growing industry raises important questions around data security, ethics and digital consent, including how to address concerns about the devices being hacked or remotely controlled without permission.

    Ensuring that these technologies are developed with privacy and safety in mind is essential to maximizing their impact as tools that support sexual well-being in a rapidly changing sexual landscape.

    As teledildonics and other sex technologies become more sophisticated, they will continue to transform the future of sex, intimacy and well-being.

    Madison E. Williams consults for Kiiroo.

    David Lafortune received funding from Kiiroo to conduct this study.

    Éliane Dussault consults for Kiiroo.

    – ref. Internet-enabled orgasms: How teledildonics are changing the way we have sex – https://theconversation.com/internet-enabled-orgasms-how-teledildonics-are-changing-the-way-we-have-sex-252856

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Maricopa County of State of Arizona in US suspended

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Import of poultry meat and products from Maricopa County of State of Arizona in US suspendedIssued at HKT 19:10

    The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 2) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Maricopa County of the State of Arizona in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

    A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 12 290 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 1.19 million poultry eggs from the US in the first three months of this year.

    “The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

    Ends/Monday, June 2, 2025
    Issued at HKT 19:10

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Ivan Moreno sl/Shutterstock.com

    The humble toilet seems like the least likely setting for drama. Yet throughout history, it has claimed kings, toppled celebrities and served as the scene of untimely deaths ranging from the tragic to the downright bizarre. What is it about the smallest room that makes it, occasionally, the most dangerous?

    At the heart of this peril lies the Valsalva manoeuvre – the act of forcibly exhaling against a closed airway while straining, such as during defecation. This puts pressure on your chest, which reduces blood flow back to the heart. For most people, it’s harmless. But for those with heart problems, this strain can lead to “defecation syncope” (fainting), irregular heart rhythms and even sudden death.

    The vagus nerve is a key player here. It helps control your heart rate, and when it becomes overstimulated – through intense straining or pressure in the rectum – it can cause bradycardia (a dangerously slow heartbeat), low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. This makes defecation a surprisingly high-stakes event for those with underlying heart conditions.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Two of history’s most frequently cited examples of toilet-related deaths – Elvis Presley and King George II – offer sobering case studies in the hidden dangers of defecation.

    Presley, aged just 42, was found collapsed on the bathroom floor of Graceland on August 16, 1977. Though fans speculated about drug overdose – and it’s worth noting that the full report is withheld until 2027 – the post-mortem narrative reveals a more complex and tragic medical picture.

    Presley had suffered from chronic constipation, possibly exacerbated by a high-fat, low-fibre diet, prolonged opiate use and a “megacolon” – a pathologically enlarged colon. On the morning of his death, he was reportedly straining forcefully. The Valsalva manoeuvre may have triggered a fatal arrhythmia in a heart already compromised by years of prescription drug abuse and poor health.

    A more aristocratic death occurred in 1760 when King George II of Great Britain died suddenly after visiting his privy. His physician, Dr Frank Nicholls, performed a rare royal autopsy and found that the king had suffered a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm – a ballooning of the body’s main artery.

    The event probably occurred as George stood up from the toilet, at a moment when blood pressure fluctuated dramatically. Historians and physicians now believe that the effort of defecation or the sudden change in posture may have been the trigger.

    The king’s heart was also notably diseased, with significant calcification of the aortic valve, further compounding the risks posed by even minor circulatory strain.

    Deaths by drowning (and worse)

    While fainting on the toilet poses risks today, historical toilet use came with even deadlier consequences, particularly for those using privies and cesspits before the advent of modern plumbing.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, many households relied on outdoor privies built over deep pits designed to collect human waste. These structures were often unstable, poorly maintained and perilously constructed.

    Falling into a cesspit wasn’t just revolting, it could be deadly. People who lost their footing, especially in the dark or while drunk, sometimes drowned in the filth or were overcome by toxic gases like methane and hydrogen sulphide, which are released as waste breaks down.

    Newspapers and coroners’ reports from the time reveal a grim pattern: people – especially children and the elderly – regularly died after falling into night soil pits. In his 1851 classic London Labour and the London Poor, Henry Mayhew vividly describes the deadly risks faced by night soil men, including suffocation by toxic cesspit gases.

    These grim accidents helped drive 19th-century public health reforms and campaigns for better sewage infrastructure, eventually paving the way for the modern sewers we rely on today.

    But the danger hasn’t disappeared. In some parts of the world, pit latrines are still common, and toilet-related falls and drownings still occur, particularly where facilities are poorly built or inadequately maintained.

    The dangers of sitting too long

    Modern habits add new risks. Bringing your smartphone to the toilet often means longer sitting times. This increases pressure on the rectal venous plexus (the network of veins around the rectum), raising the risk of haemorrhoids and anal fissures.

    The “toilet scroll” also poses microbial dangers. Studies have found that phones used in the bathroom can carry harmful germs from the toilet to your hands – and eventually, your mouth. They can harbour E coli and other pathogens long after you’ve finished washing your hands.

    There’s also the issue of toilet posture. The western-style sitting toilet, unlike the squatting toilets common in parts of Asia and Africa, places the rectum at an angle that makes defecation more effortful and hence more likely to provoke straining. This is why some people use footstools or “toilet squat platforms” to adjust their position and reduce the risk of complications.

    Whether it’s sudden cardiac death, fainting and falls or microbial exposure, the toilet is not always the sanctuary we imagine. It’s a space where anatomy, privacy and risk intersect – often unnoticed until something goes terribly wrong.

    So the next time nature calls, think twice before settling in with your phone. Sit smart, don’t strain and remember: even in the smallest room, your body could be handling some surprisingly high-stakes business.

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

    – ref. Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping – https://theconversation.com/heart-attacks-fainting-and-falls-the-perils-of-pooping-256934

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • NCERT intensifies crackdown on pirated textbook racket, seizes over 5 lakh copies nationwide

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in collaboration with police authorities, has escalated its efforts to combat the illegal manufacture, distribution, and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks, a serious offense under the Copyright Act, 1957. Over the past 14 months, NCERT has seized more than 5 lakh pirated textbooks, along with printing paper and machinery valued at over ₹20 crore, while filing 29 FIRs against printers, warehouse owners, and retailers engaged in the illicit trade.

    In a recent operation, NCERT, working with the Uttar Pradesh Police, conducted a raid on a warehouse in Muzaffarnagar, confiscating over 1.5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks worth more than ₹2 crore. The raid also resulted in the seizure of one truck, two cars loaded with pirated books, and numerous printing plates, with eight individuals arrested on the spot. In a follow-up action, authorities raided a printing press in Samalkha, Haryana, seizing additional pirated textbooks, printing plates, and machinery. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the masterminds behind this piracy racket.

    Pirated textbooks not only cause significant revenue losses to NCERT and the government but also pose health risks to students due to the use of substandard paper and ink. To address this issue, NCERT has enhanced the quality of paper and printing for its textbooks, ensured timely printing and sufficient market availability, and made textbooks accessible on major e-commerce platforms at the maximum retail price without delivery charges. Additionally, NCERT has taken action against a paper mill in Kashipur producing illegal NCERT watermarked paper. To further strengthen its anti-piracy measures, NCERT has introduced a technology-based solution developed by IIT Kanpur, piloted on 10 lakh copies of one textbook title, with plans to expand this to all titles in the next academic year, replacing the outdated watermarked paper system that pirates have easily replicated.

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salt River Man Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clifton Nez Hamalowa, 47, of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to life plus 10 years in prison.

    On August 29, 2020, Hamalowa shot the victim in the head multiple times in front of the victim’s young child while on reservation land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community. After killing the victim, Hamalowa and his siblings attempted to conceal his crimes by disposing of the victim’s car and dumping the victim’s body in a remote area of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation. Hamalowa and his sister also intimidated witnesses to prevent them from reporting.

    Following a seven-day trial, a federal jury found Hamalowa guilty of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharging a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.

    Hamalowa’s brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison on October 23, 2023. Hamalowa’s sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 84 months in prison on April 1, 2024.

    The FBI and Gila River Police Department jointly conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00751-PHX-JJT
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-084_Hamalowa

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee Engages Indo-Pacific Partners at Shangri-La Dialogue 2025

    Source: NATO

    Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, participated in the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting NATO’s commitment to building stronger dialogue and cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific. His presence at the conference reflected the Alliance’s growing attention to global dynamics that influence Euro-Atlantic security.

    On the sidelines of the event, LTG Rohling and Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Boris Ruge- also present at the conference- held several bilateral meetings with political and military stakeholders from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges focused on areas of shared interest such as maritime security, cyber defence, and strategic resilience, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to supporting international stability and a rules-based order through enhanced cooperation with like-minded nations. LTG Rohling also engaged with defence industry representatives, discussing approaches to enhancing private and public sector cooperation.

    Key themes at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue included regional stability, maritime cooperation, and the importance of maintaining open channels of communication. Participants exchanged views on evolving global security environment and the role of multilateral engagement in reducing tensions. Broader discussions also touched on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, the need to strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and the value of practical cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

    The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), convenes defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world to address pressing regional and global security challenges. NATO’s engagement in this forum underscores its recognition that today’s security environment is increasingly interconnected—and that strategic dialogue beyond the Euro-Atlantic area is essential to fostering global peace and stability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice for Palak Patel: A Life Gone Too Soon

    Source: US FBI

    Just before midnight, Bhadreshkumar allegedly stabbed Palak multiple times with an edged weapon in what was a painful and horrific murder. There were still customers inside the shop, unaware of what was happening in the back. 

    After the attack, Bhadreshkumar fled through a rear door. To evade law enforcement and responsibility for his wife’s murder, Bhadreshkumar went back to his apartment, changed clothes, collected his personal belongings, then quickly left the area, taking a cab to Newark, New Jersey. His last known sighting before vanishing was the following morning at Newark-Penn Station. 

    Realizing that Bhadreshkumar was an international flight risk, local police requested FBI assistance. Bhadreshkumar was charged with Palak’s murder and as soon as it was confirmed he fled the state, a federal arrest warrant was issued, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. 

    Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer from the FBI Baltimore field office has been working on Palak’s case. He noted, “What was common in domestic violence cases like this—that the perpetrator oftentimes expresses remorse immediately after. And yet in this situation, Bhadreshkumar did not. He immediately formulated a plan to evade law enforcement and to flee the area.” 

    This unprovoked attack has left investigators with many unanswered questions. 
    The motive remains unclear, other than Palak wanted to go back to India, and Bhadreshkumar was unwilling to let her go. 

    What we do know, as seen in the video surveillance, is that Palak willingly following Bhadreshkumar to the back of the store where her life was brutally taken.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jay Clayton Announces Selection Of Sean Buckley As Deputy U.S. Attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the selection of Sean Buckley as Deputy U.S. Attorney. 

    Mr. Buckley joins the Office from Kobre & Kim, where he has served since 2018 and handled a wide variety of securities and other criminal and regulatory matters for companies and individuals.  Mr. Buckley previously served as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice for nearly a decade, where he was most recently the Co-Chief of the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. In that role, he oversaw complex international investigations involving terrorism financing, economic espionage, sanctions violations, and anti-money laundering matters across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

    From 2009 to 2018, Mr. Buckley served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, handling a wide range of national security and international criminal matters.

    Prior to joining the government, Mr. Buckley practiced at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP from 2003 to 2009.  Mr. Buckley received his A.B. from Princeton University, an M.A. from the University of Virginia Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.  He has been recognized with several honors, including the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award.

    “We are excited to welcome Sean Buckley back to the Office as the Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Sean demonstrated exceptional leadership and case-making skills during his prior service in the Office. He is deeply respected by the New York Bar and embodies the commitment to professionalism and the safety of the people of New York that runs through our Office. We are fortunate to once again benefit from Sean’s tremendous intellect and strategic thinking.  With the combination  of Sean,  Amanda Houle, and Jeff Oestricher, I am confident that the Office could not have a more formidable and effective leadership team.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Malaysians commend India’s resolute response to terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Parliamentary delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Monday held an engaging discussion with leading Malaysian think tanks and academia including Asia Europe Institute, Economic Club of Kuala Lumpur, Institute of Strategic and International Studies, and academia briefing them on the heinous April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and outlining Operation Sindoor – India’s precise, measured, responsible, and non-escalatory response.

    The delegation elaborated on India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and emphasised that it will no longer make a distinction between terrorists and the States that support them.

    The discussion began with a think tank delegate describing the nine-member delegation as ‘Navaratnas’ from India while commending the ‘all party’ nature of the delegation. The deliberations focussed on India’s ‘new normal’ and new security doctrine in fight against cross-border terrorism and also ways to enhance international cooperation in a collective fight against terrorism in all its forms.

    The delegates also met senior representatives of Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) led by President Tan Sri Dato Sri SA Vigneswaran and Deputy President YB Datuk Seri M Saravanan, highlighting India’s unwavering stand against terrorism, as demonstrated during Operation Sindoor.

    The delegation conveyed India’s ‘new normal’ of responding firmly against any act of terror on Indian soil. MIC expressed solidarity with India’s position on the fight against cross-border terrorism.

    Earlier in the day, the delegation met with representatives from Democratic Action Party led by YB M. Kulasegaran, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) of Malaysia conveying India’s perspectives and national resolve against terrorism. The discussions centered on India’s resolute response to terrorism under Operation Sindoor. There was also emphasis on India’s zero tolerance to terrorism, and the view that “Water and blood cannot flow together”.

    They also interacted with YB M Kulasegaran, Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional reform) during the meeting with representatives.

    Additionally, they held constructive talks with the representatives of Parti Keadilan Rakyat led by YB Sim Tze Tzin in Malaysia. India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism was outlined, reaffirming our national unity against cross-border threats. The party representatives appreciated the detailed explanation provided by the delegation and engaged in a constructive discussion on the way forward and the responsibilities each nation has in fighting the menace of terrorism.

    “As part of our diplomatic engagements in Malaysia, our All-Party Parliamentary Delegation held meaningful discussions with leaders of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) — the party of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), both key members of the ruling coalition. We conveyed India’s unwavering stance on cross-border terrorism, briefed them on the Pahalgam attack, and outlined our calibrated response under Operation Sindoor,” Jha said in a post on X.

    “The dialogue reflected shared democratic values and a strong commitment to peace, prosperity, and global security. We deeply appreciate the solidarity expressed by leaders from both parties, including YB Tuan M. Kulasegaran, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and YB Saraswathy Kandasami, Deputy Minister of Unity, who reaffirmed that terrorism in any form is unacceptable and expressed Malaysia’s support for India’s principled stand against cross-border terrorism,” the post added.

    The delegation led by Jha also includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Hemang Joshi, and Pradan Baruah, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Barittas, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, and Former Indian Ambassador to France, Mohan Kumar.

    After concluding visits to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia, the delegation is in Malaysia for the last leg of the tour to highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and India’s continued fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Kelly joins President Trump at U.S. Steel event, applauds deal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, May 30, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) joined President Donald J. Trump at a U.S. Steel facility in West Mifflin, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, in support of the President’s announcement of a new partnership between U.S. Steel and Japanese-owned Nippon Steel.

    The announcement comes after Rep. Kelly recently led a group of lawmakers during a meeting with President Trump at the White House to discuss the importance of U.S. Steel and the American steel industry in Western Pennsylvania.

    “During the meeting with President Trump, I emphasized the important role U.S. Steel and the American steel industry play in Western Pennsylvania. On Friday, the President came to Pittsburgh with a clear message: U.S. Steel is here to stay,” said Rep. Kelly. “From day one, President Trump has put American industry and American workers first. This is a win for Pennsylvania and for America.”

    Rep. Kelly addressed steel workers during Friday’s event. You can watch a clip of his remarks here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, CBP seize 50,000 kilograms of meth precursor chemicals destined for Sinaloa Cartel

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HOUSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 50,000 kilograms of di-cumyl peroxide, a chemical precursor used by drug traffickers to produce methamphetamines and other illicit narcotics, May 30 at the Port of Long Beach, California.

    The shipment, which originated in China and was destined for the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico, was identified as a result of an initiative launched by ICE in 2019 that leverages the agency’s extensive expertise in illicit cross-border trade and sophisticated analytical tools and techniques to identify suspicious shipments of chemical precursors from China, India and other source countries that are destined for the drug cartels in Mexico.

    “For far too long, the Mexican drug cartels have raked in billions of dollars at the expense of our local communities leaving nothing but addiction, death and despair in their wake,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “This initiative provides HSI with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics.”

    Since the initiative first launched, it has led to the interdiction of more than 1,700,000 kilograms of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines and fentanyl. Just this past March, it led to the seizure of nearly 44,000 kilograms of glacial acetic acid at the Port of Houston, which was also destined for the Sinaloa Cartel. In addition to preventing the chemicals from reaching the cartels, the initiative has also helped expose the location of clandestine drug labs in Mexico. In conjunction with Mexican authorities, 13 drug labs operated by the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel have been located and eliminated since January 2025 as a result of the initiative.

    For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking in Texas follow us on X at @HSIHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM share buyback update May 26 – 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, The Netherlands
    June 2, 2025, 5:45 p.m. CET

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) reports the following transactions, conducted under ASM’s current share buyback program.

    Date Repurchased shares Average price Repurchased value
    May 26, 2025 3,733 € 479.40 € 1,789,611
    May 27, 2025 307 € 484.96 € 148,884
    May 28, 2025 530 € 484.85 € 256,969
    May 29, 2025 1,709 € 500.26 € 854,950
    May 30, 2025 2,300 € 484.55 € 1,114,464
    Total 8,579 € 485.47 € 4,164,878

    These repurchases were made as part of the €150 million share buyback program which started on April 30, 2025. Of the total program, 21.0% has been repurchased. For further details including individual transaction information please visit: www.asm.com/investors/dividends-share-buybacks.

    About ASM International

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

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

    Contact

    Investor and media relations

    Victor Bareño
    T: +31 88 100 8500
    E: investor.relations@asm.com

    Investor relations

    Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

  • Amit Shah chairs review meeting on world’s largest cooperative food grain storage scheme in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi to discuss the progress of the world’s largest cooperative food grain storage scheme, a flagship initiative of the Modi government aimed at bolstering rural economies and achieving self-reliance under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The meeting was attended by Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Murlidhar Mohol, alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, Food Corporation of India (FCI), NABARD, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), and other key institutions.

    Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah emphasized that the scheme aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sahkar Se Samriddhi (Prosperity through Cooperation). He highlighted its dual objectives of boosting India’s economic growth by contributing to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating rural employment opportunities. The scheme is designed to enhance the financial viability of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by increasing their income through active participation in the storage initiative.

    To ensure the scheme’s success, Shah called for expanding loan facilities for PACS under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and urged immediate action to strengthen their financial condition. He directed the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution and FCI to undertake a nationwide mapping of warehouses to streamline implementation based on regional needs. Additionally, he instructed FCI, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and State Warehousing Corporations to integrate PACS with as many warehouses as possible to maximize their involvement.

    The meeting also resolved to encourage states and state-level marketing federations to engage more PACS in the scheme, fostering a robust cooperative supply chain. Shah stressed the importance of coordinated and timely implementation to ensure the initiative becomes a cornerstone of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Sahkar Se Samriddhi.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn Receives Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D., KCSL, received the prestigious Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony held in May at a recognition ceremony in China. It was the highlight of the Westlake Advanced Regenerative Medicine Engineering Conference, which was the first international meeting on regenerative engineering, a field he founded and has pioneered.

    The Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2020 to recognize excellence in research and development in the field. The award transcends individual honor, serving as a catalyst for advancing the field, fostering international collaboration, and inspiring innovation.

    Bioactive Materials is an international, peer-reviewed research publication covering all aspects of bioactive materials.

    The presentation ceremony was chaired by Prof. Zheng Yufeng of Peking University, editor-in-chief of Bioactive Materials. More than 300 experts and scholars from the global biomaterials and medical engineering fields convened to witness this milestone event. Bioactive materials have emerged as a core driver of medical revolution. At the event, Laurencin announced the beginning of the “Year of Regenerative Engineering.”

    Three eminent scholars spoke in celebration of Laurencin’s legacy and outstanding achievements in the field of regenerative engineering. Professor Robert Langer, F.R.Eng. Sc.D., (MIT), gave a moving tribute, “Dr. Laurencin is a distinguished scientist who has made groundbreaking discoveries in regenerative engineering, trained generations of students, demonstrated leadership across universities and globally, and inspired countless individuals as a role model.”

    Professor Liu Changsheng (Shanghai University), a 2021 Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, noted, “As a pioneer in regenerative engineering, Professor Laurencin has driven the integration of engineering and biology, enabled clinical translation of technologies, and pioneered polymeric biomaterials for musculoskeletal repair. His contributions are profound, and this award is well-deserved.”

    Professor Guillermo Ameer (Northwestern University) a 2022 Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award recipient said, “We look to Dr. Laurencin to continue leading the field of regenerative engineering as a role model, bridging gaps and advocating for equity for those with limited resources.”

    At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at the University of Connecticut.

    Laurencin is the founder and pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. He is an expert in biomaterials science, stem cell technology, and nanotechnology and was named one of the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He received the Founder’s Award (highest award) from the Society for Biomaterials, the Von Hippel Award (highest award) from the Materials Research Society, and the James Bailey Award (highest award) from the Society for Biological Engineering and the Priestley Medal (highest award) from the American Chemical Society. He received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, NIH’s highest and most prestigious research award, for his field of Regenerative Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award.  Laurencin is the editor-in-chief of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine, published by Springer Nature, and is the founder of the Regenerative Engineering Society. He is a fellow of the American Chemical Society, a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, a fellow of the Materials Research Society, and a AAAS fellow. The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded Laurencin the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize given ‘for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States’.

    Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is the first surgeon in history elected to all four of these academies. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Active internationally, he is an elected fellow of the Indian National Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, the African Academy of Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences, and is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

    Laurencin is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest honor for technological achievement, awarded by President Barack Obama in ceremonies at the White House. He is the first individual in history to receive one of the oldest/highest awards of the National Academy of Medicine (the Walsh McDermott Medal) and the oldest/highest award of the National Academy of Engineering (the Simon Ramo Founder’s Award).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Poynex Strengthens Global Compliance System with the Official Launch of the France Regional Agent System

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amid the increasingly mature global regulatory landscape for digital assets, global compliant digital asset trading platform Poynex has announced the official launch of an independent general agent system in France. As part of its ongoing global compliance strategy, Poynex has appointed Mr. Tom Tragett, a veteran executive in the European financial industry, as the General Agent for the French region. He will be fully responsible for overseeing the development of local compliance, operations, and user service systems.

    Poynex is a cryptocurrency trading platform registered in the U.S. and holds an MSB (Money Services Business) financial license issued by FinCEN (the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network). Since its establishment, Poynex has adhered to the business philosophy of “compliance first, safety above all,” committed to providing global users with safe, transparent, and convenient digital asset trading services. The platform’s technology team hails from international tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Zurich, and Hong Kong, leveraging advanced matching engines and intelligent risk control models to deliver efficient and smooth trading experiences. Poynex has integrated multiple national compliance systems, including those in major financial centers like Singapore, Canada, and the UAE, and is gradually building a global compliance network.

    As an important financial power in the EU, France has particularly strict regulations for the digital asset market. The introduction of the MiCA regulation (Markets in Crypto-Assets) has raised compliance standards for cryptocurrency trading platforms across Europe. Therefore, establishing the local general agent system in France is a crucial step in Poynex’s compliance strategy and signifies a deeper service phase in its European layout.

    Tom Tragett, the newly appointed general agent for France, focuses on global macroeconomics, foreign exchange policy, and market liquidity strategy research. In addition to his extensive experience in the banking system, Mr. Tragett is active in financial education and public affairs, providing risk control and market strategy support to several fintech companies. He is one of the few experts with expertise in both traditional finance and digital assets.

    Poynex stated: “We are honored to announce the addition of Tom Tragett. His professional experience will greatly enhance Poynex’s local responsiveness and compliance governance capabilities in France and Europe, further reflecting the platform’s strategic direction of ‘global layout, localized service.’”

    According to official information, Poynex will build a complete local service ecosystem in France, including a French-speaking customer service system, compliance support center, user education training, and local market operations team. France will serve as a “strategic hub” for Poynex’s European operations, connecting key markets such as Belgium, Italy, and Spain, and promoting a unified and efficient European service network.

    The platform also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of responsibility for user asset security. In the event of any issues related to user funds in the France region, Tom Tragett will address and coordinate as the general agent to ensure that platform operations are compliant and transparent, and asset management is open and reliable.

    As one of the fastest-growing compliant trading platforms globally, Poynex continues to earn the trust of global investors and users through strong technological support, robust regulatory strategies, and effective localized service execution.

    Media Contact:
    Company Name: Poynex
    Contact: Gabriel E. Shaffer
    Website: https://poynexmax.net/, https://h5.poynexmax.net/
    Email: Gabriel(at)poynexmax.net

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Missing boy in Wong Tai Sin located

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         A boy who went missing in Wong Tai Sin has been located.

         Cho Tik-laam, Ambrose, aged 17, went missing after he was last seen on Luk Hop Street yesterday (June 1) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.

         The boy was located on Belcher Bay Promenade, Western District this afternoon (June 2). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • PM Modi highlights India’s aviation boom at IATA’s 81st Annual General Meeting

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 81st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the plenary session of the World Air Transport Summit (WATS) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, emphasizing India’s emergence as a global leader in aviation and space convergence. Marking the return of the IATA AGM to India after 42 years, Modi showcased the transformative growth of India’s aviation sector, calling it a hub of policy leadership, innovation, and inclusive development.

    “Today, India is emerging as a leading force in the global space-aviation convergence,” Modi declared, highlighting the sector’s historic advancements over the past decade. He described India as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, with 240 million passengers annually, surpassing the population of most countries. By 2030, this figure is projected to reach 500 million, with air cargo expected to grow from 3.5 million metric tons to 10 million metric tons by the decade’s end.

    PM Modi underscored the success of the UDAN scheme, which has enabled over 15 million passengers, many first-time flyers, to access affordable air travel, calling it a “golden chapter” in Indian aviation history. He highlighted the expansion of operational airports from 74 in 2014 to 162 today, with an annual passenger handling capacity of 500 million. Indian carriers have ordered over 2,000 new aircraft, signaling robust growth, while the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector has grown from 96 facilities in 2014 to 154, bolstered by 100% FDI, GST reductions, and tax rationalization.

    The Prime Minister outlined three pillars driving India’s aviation sector: a vast, aspirational market; a young, innovative talent pool excelling in AI, robotics, and clean energy; and a supportive policy ecosystem. He highlighted the Protection of Interest in Aircraft Objects Bill, aligning India with the Cape Town Convention, and incentives at Gift City, making India an attractive destination for global aircraft leasing companies. The new Indian Aircraft Act, Modi noted, streamlines regulations and simplifies taxes, presenting significant investment opportunities for international aviation firms.

    PM Modi emphasized India’s commitment to sustainability, with investments in sustainable aviation fuels and green technologies to reduce the carbon footprint. He showcased the Digi Yatra app, a paperless, facial-verification-based travel solution, as a model for the Global South, enhancing safety, efficiency, and user experience. “India’s innovations in serving a large population can benefit many countries,” he said.

    The Prime Minister highlighted India’s inclusive aviation model, with women comprising 15% of pilots—three times the global average—and 86% of cabin crew, surpassing the global 70% benchmark. Women engineers in the MRO sector also exceed global averages. Modi further noted the role of drone technology in empowering women’s self-help groups in agriculture and delivery services, fostering financial and social inclusion.

    Reaffirming India’s commitment to global aviation standards, PM Modi cited alignment with ICAO regulations and the adoption of the Delhi Declaration at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference. He endorsed the Chicago Convention’s principles for open skies and global connectivity, urging stakeholders to ensure air travel is accessible, affordable, and secure.

    PM Modi positioned India as a value-chain leader in global aviation, from design to delivery, encouraging companies to embrace “Make in India” and “Design in India.” With a goal to establish a $4 billion MRO hub by 2030, he invited global aviation leaders to invest in India’s rapidly growing sector, which is creating jobs for pilots, crew, engineers, and ground staff.

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pro-Trump candidate wins Poland’s presidential election – a bad omen for the EU, Ukraine and women

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia

    Poland’s presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow.

    The nationalist, Trumpian, historian Karol Nawrocki has narrowly defeated the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, 50.89 to 49.11%.

    The Polish president has few executive powers, though the office holder is able to veto legislation. This means the consequences of a Nawrocki victory will be felt keenly, both in Poland and across Europe.

    With this power, Nawrocki, backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, will no doubt stymie the ability of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform-led coalition to enact democratic political reforms.

    This legislative gridlock could well see Law and Justice return to government in the 2027 general elections, which would lock in the anti-democratic changes the party made during their last term in office from 2015–2023. This included eroding Poland’s judicial independence by effectively taking control of judicial appointments and the supreme court.

    Nawrocki’s win has given pro-Donald Trump, anti-liberal, anti-EU forces across the continent a shot in the arm. It’s bad news for the EU, Ukraine and women.

    A rising Poland

    For much of the post-second world war era, Poland has had limited European influence.

    This is no longer the case. Poland’s economy has boomed since it joined the EU in 2004. It spends almost 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, almost double what it spent in 2022 at the time of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    Poland now has a bigger army than the United Kingdom, France and Germany. And living standards, adjusted for purchasing power, are about to eclipse Japan’s.

    Along with Brexit, these changes have resulted in the EU’s centre of gravity shifting eastwards towards Poland. As a rising military and economic power of 37 million people, what happens in Poland will help shape Europe’s future.

    Impacts on Ukraine

    Poland’s new position in Europe is most clearly demonstrated by its central role in the fight to defend Ukraine against Russia.

    This centrality was clearly demonstrated during the recent “Coalition of the Willing” summit in Kyiv, where Tusk joined the leaders of Europe’s major powers – France, Germany and the UK – to bolster support for Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

    However, Poland’s unqualified support for Ukraine will now be at risk because Nawrocki has demonised Ukrainian refugees in his country and opposed Ukrainian integration into European-oriented bodies, such as the EU and NATO.

    Nawrocki was also backed during his campaign by the Trump administration. Kristi Noem, the US secretary of homeland security, said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Poland:

    Donald Trump is a strong leader for us, but you have an opportunity to have just as strong of a leader in Karol if you make him the leader of this country.

    Trump also hosted Nawrocki in the Oval Office when he was merely a candidate for office. This was a significant deviation from standard US diplomatic protocol to stay out of foreign elections.

    Nawrocki has not been as pro-Russia as some other global, MAGA-style politicians, but this is largely due to Poland’s geography and its difficult history with Russia. It has been repeatedly invaded across its eastern plains by Russian or Soviet troops. And along with Ukraine, Poland shares borders with the Russian client state of Belarus and Russia itself in Kaliningrad, the heavily militarised enclave on the Baltic Sea.

    I experienced the proximity of these borders during fieldwork in Poland in 2023 when I travelled by car from Warsaw to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, via the Suwalki Gap.

    This is the strategically important, 100-kilometre-long border between Poland and Lithuania, which connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO and the EU to the south. It’s seen as a potential flashpoint if Russia were ever to close the gap and isolate the Baltic states.

    Poland’s conservative nationalist politicians are therefore less Russia-friendly than those in Hungary or Slovakia. Nawrocki, for instance, does not support cutting off weapons to Ukraine.

    However, a Nawrocki presidency will still be more hostile to Ukraine and its interests. During the campaign, Nawrocki said Zelensky “treats Poland badly”, echoing the type of language used by Trump himself.

    Poland divided

    The high stakes in the election resulted in a record turnout of almost 73%.

    There was a stark choice in the election between Nawrocki and Trzaskowski.

    Trzaskowski supported the liberalisation of Poland’s harsh abortion laws – abortion was effectively banned in Poland under the Law and Justice government – and the introduction of civil partnerships for LGBTQ+ couples.

    Nawrocki opposed these changes and will likely veto any attempt to implement them.

    While the polls for the presidential runoff election had consistently shown a tight race, an Ipsos exit poll published during the vote count demonstrated the social divisions now facing the country.

    As in other recent global elections, women and those with higher formal education voted for the progressive candidate (Trzaskowski), while men and those with less formal education voted for the conservative (Nawrocki).

    After the surprise success of the liberal, pro-EU presidential candidate in the Romanian elections a fortnight ago, pro-EU forces were hoping for a similar result in Poland, as well.

    That, for now, is a pipe dream and liberals across the continent will now need to negotiate a difficult relationship with a right-wing, Trumpian leader in the new beating heart of Europe.

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

    – ref. Pro-Trump candidate wins Poland’s presidential election – a bad omen for the EU, Ukraine and women – https://theconversation.com/pro-trump-candidate-wins-polands-presidential-election-a-bad-omen-for-the-eu-ukraine-and-women-257617

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 282 charged in new cases related to SDTX’s continuing efforts to secure southern border

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

    HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 281 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from May 23-29, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Among those are 105 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 163 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and firearms.

    One such person charged this week is Carlos Enrique Gonzalez-Pena, an alien present in the United States with a work visa who was allegedly found in possession of CSAM. The charges allege he had visited the darknet where he viewed child pornography sites. A forensic examination of his computer allegedly resulted in the discovery of two video files involving a female child approximately four to six years of age, one of which showed her being sexually assaulted. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. 

    Another one of the cases involves Humberto Vasquez – a Mexican male who allegedly attempted to exit the United States via the Donna Port of Entry. Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered four pistols belonging to him as well as 870 rounds of assorted ammunition, according to the charges. The complaint alleges he did not possess an export license that would authorize him to transport such items into Mexico and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of illegal exportation of firearms. 

    Authorities also found three Mexican nationals near Mission this week with no legal permission to be in the United States, according to the complaints against them. Victor Manuel Ornelas-Ochoa, Alfredo Samuel Gallegos-Esquivel and Exequiel Solano had allegedly been previously removed from the country and have felonies to include possession with intent to deliver marijuana, human smuggling and aggravated sexual assault of a child, respectively. They are all charged with illegal reentry and could receive up to 20 years in prison. Another man who faces the same charges and penalty is Julio Sanchez-Lorenzo. He is a Mexican male who had just been removed from the United States via Brownsville May 21 with no permission to return, according to the charges. However, authorities allegedly found him just six days later near Roma. 

    In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Houston convicted a Mexican citizen for illegally reentering the United States under an assumed identity. On June 11, 2024, authorities found Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan in Laredo. At that time, he provided a false name and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Testimony revealed Valdez-Galvan originally stole the person’s identity to avoid previous charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Valdez-Galvan was an illegal alien who had been previously removed but returned to the United States without permission. He had assumed the other person’s identity in 2015 after his second removal. He faces up to a 20-year prison sentence. 

    “Both public safety and basic common sense require us to know who is entering and residing in our country. Those that adopt false or stolen personas to hide their identities pose an increased criminal risk to our community,” said Ganjei. “Theft of an American citizen’s identity by a foreign national will not be tolerated, and those that engage in such criminality will be charged, punished, and, if appropriate, deported.”

    In Corpus Christi, an intoxicated driver admitted he was an alien illegally in possession of firearm. Honduran national Josias Eliseo Ulloa-Pavon had been driving under the influence of alcohol before crashing Feb. 18. Upon arrival at the scene, authorities found him pinned inside the fully overturned vehicle. He had red bloodshot eyes, appeared unsteady on his feet and had a strong odor of alcohol. A search revealed a magazine containing six rounds of ammunition in his pocket and a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber pistol in his car.  

    Two men from Brownfield admitted to conspiring to transport illegal aliens in Laredo federal court this week. On March 22, authorities observed a Ford Expedition circumventing a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Laredo. Mac Quese Howard was driving, and De Richardson Miller was in the front passenger seat providing directions. Authorities conducted a traffic stop and found three illegal aliens hidden in the back seat. Miller and Howard admitted they had travelled to Laredo for the sole purpose of picking up the aliens and transporting them to San Antonio for payment.

    Also announced was the sentencing of a Mexican national with a felony criminal history and multiple prior removals for illegally reentering the country again. Juan Humberto Lara Molina’s has a lengthy drug, weapons and immigration criminal history including two other illegal reentry convictions. He was also convicted of dealing cocaine in Indiana and unlawful sale of firearms in Illinois and was previously ordered removed from the United States on multiple occasions, most recently in November 2021. However, law enforcement discovered him at the Falfurrias BP checkpoint Dec. 12, 2024. He was one of seven individuals being transported farther north by human smugglers in a tractor-trailer. He was ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • India launches ‘BharatGen’ AI model to revolutionize multilingual innovation at BharatGen Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, unveiled ‘BharatGen,’ India’s first indigenously developed, government-funded, multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) designed for Indian languages, at the BharatGen Summit on Monday. Held as India’s largest Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and LLM summit and hackathon, the event marked a milestone in India’s journey toward inclusive and ethical AI innovation.

    Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and led by the TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay, BharatGen integrates text, speech, and image modalities to deliver AI solutions in 22 Indian languages. Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the initiative collaborates with leading academic institutions and innovators to create AI that is “ethical, inclusive, multilingual, and deeply rooted in Indian values and ethos,” as described by Dr. Singh.

    Speaking at the summit, Dr. Singh emphasized BharatGen’s potential to transform sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance by providing region-specific AI solutions. Highlighting a success story from his constituency, he shared how AI-powered telemedicine, with doctors communicating in patients’ native languages, has revolutionized healthcare in remote villages. “This builds trust and has a placebo-like psychological effect, connecting remote regions with superspeciality hospitals,” he said.

    Dr. Singh aligned BharatGen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “India’s Techade,” emphasizing innovation for inclusion. He cited India’s AI-driven grievance redressal system, CPGRAMS, as a global benchmark studied by several countries. The minister also underscored the role of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) in boosting India’s R&D ecosystem and highlighted flagship schemes like PM MUDRA Yojana, PM SVANidhi, and PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which empower micro-entrepreneurs, artisans, and street vendors.

    The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was lauded for fostering interdisciplinary learning, enabling students to blend humanities and technology for enhanced employability and innovation. Dr. Singh also celebrated the rise of over 3,000 Agri-tech startups, including lavender cultivation in Jammu & Kashmir, as proof of innovation thriving beyond urban IT hubs.

    The summit saw the launch of the Generative AI Hackathon 2025, aimed at engaging student innovators to solve real-world challenges through AI. BharatGen’s execution involves 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs), with four upgraded to Technology Translational Research Parks (TTRPs), focusing on technology development, entrepreneurship, human resource development, and international collaboration. A significant MoU exchange ceremony further strengthened ties across government departments and research hubs.

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE and Thailand mark 25 years of partnership with focus on combatting online scams

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE and Thailand mark 25 years of partnership with focus on combatting online scams

    Ambassador Natasha Meli Daudey of Malta and Ambassador Pattarat Hongtong of Thailand, Vienna, 2 June 2006 (OSCE/Ghada Hazim) Photo details

    The OSCE and the Kingdom of Thailand marked the 25th anniversary of their partnership with a special workshop and a meeting of the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, held in Vienna on 30 May and 2 June 2025. Hosted as part of Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, the two events brought together senior government officials, cybercrime and trafficking experts, law enforcement authorities and private sector representatives to address the growing global threat of online scams.
    OSCE participating States and Asian Partners gathered to share experiences and best practices in detecting, investigating, and disrupting digital fraud, as well as identifying the victims of trafficking involved in online scams operations.
    “With its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE is uniquely positioned to help develop co-ordinated, human-centred responses to this growing challenge,” said Ambassador Natasha Meli Daudey of Malta.
    Discussions addressed the complexity of the scam ecosystem, from blockchain-enabled money laundering to the exploitative methods used by criminal groups. Thailand presented its national strategy, which includes AI-based detection tools, a centralized Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC), and multi-agency co-ordination.
    “Our national experience demonstrates that robust inter-agency co-ordination and strong international partnerships are crucial in dismantling these sophisticated criminal networks,” noted Professor Wisit Wisitsora-at, Permanent Secretary at Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
    Thai Ambassador Pattarat Hongtong further shared details on the work of the ASEAN Working Group on Anti-Online Scam, which Thailand initiated in February 2024, as a platform for information sharing, capacity building, and co-ordinated enforcement at the regional level.
    Participants also examined ways to bridge policy gaps, enhancing digital and financial literacy to prevent victimization, and promoting public-private partnerships that engage digital platforms and financial actors—including the cryptocurrency sector. Experts called for harmonized regulatory frameworks to mitigate virtual assets risks, enhanced cross-border police and judicial collaboration, and capacity building for criminal justice practitioners.
    With online scams resulting in over $1 trillion in reported global losses in 2023 alone, participants reaffirmed their commitment to collaborative, forward-looking responses that prioritize prevention, victim protection, and international co-operation to tackle an increasingly sophisticated form of transnational crime with high human and financial costs.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Floods in the north of the country: humanitarian situation worsens

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – Extensive flooding, caused by heavy rains that lasted for about a week, has affected northern Myanmar, particularly the Sagaing region and Kachin State. The emergency further complicates the lives of the civilian population, already severely affected by four years of civil conflict. Furthermore, in the Sagaing region, the earthquake of March 28 caused damage to homes and infrastructure and displaced thousands of people. “The situation in the districts affected by natural disasters is serious. Floods have inundated the upper part of Kachin State; villages in the mountainous areas are underwater, as are refugee camps in the city of Chizaw. Many rivers, such as the Malikha, have overflowed, and agricultural lands are completely flooded due to the continuous rains,” a local source from the Catholic community in Kachin State told Fides. “Farms have been submerged in Laeshi City, in the Sagaing Region, as have villages along the banks of the Arayati river. River levels usually rise in late June or July, at the height of the rainy season, but this year the rains have arrived early, causing premature flooding. Unfortunately, this is the harvest season, so the losses are particularly severe,” the source explains. “The local population is finding it increasingly difficult to cope. They are mostly farmers who have already been affected by the war and are now also suffering the effects of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Humanitarian aid is increasingly needed for thousands of displaced people, whose number continues to grow,” he adds. A new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights confirms the worsening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, fueled by military violence and economic collapse. The document, which will be presented at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in early July, describes the situation as “increasingly catastrophic, marked by incessant atrocities that have affected all aspects of life.” According to the report, the economic crisis has had a severe impact on already disastrous humanitarian conditions. Myanmar is estimated to have lost around $94 billion since the coup to date, and its gross domestic product is not expected to return to pre-2021 levels before 2028, even if recovery were to begin today.The UN Human Rights Council calls for “a multifaceted response to the crisis,” including “urgent humanitarian support, cross-border assistance for displaced populations, and increased political commitment” from the international community. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 2/6/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CFS urges public not to consume a kind of ice cream detected with coliform bacteria counts exceeding legal limits

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CFS urges public not to consume a kind of ice cream detected with coliform bacteria counts exceeding legal limitsBrand: Alchemia
    Place of Origin: Hong Kong
    Net Volume: 70 ml
    Best-before Date: April 13, 2026
    Manufacturer: Pay & Pay Ice Cream International Company Limited
    Distributor: Kai’s Gourmet LimitedIssued at HKT 21:15

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Team Concludes Site and External Events Design Review for El Salvador’s First Nuclear Power Plant

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    An IAEA team of experts visited the candidate sites of El Salvador’s first nuclear power plant during a Site and External Events Design Review Service mission. (Photo: CEL)

    An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded a six-day safety review of El Salvador’s site selection process for its first nuclear power plant (NPP). The Central American country is embarking on a nuclear power programme to diversify its energy mix and to provide a clean and reliable source of energy to support economic development.

    The Site and External Events Design Review Service (SEED) mission, which took place between 26 to 31 May, reviewed El Salvador’s adherence to IAEA guidance on the site selection process. The SEED mission was carried out at the request of the Government of El Salvador and hosted by the Organization for the Implementation of the Nuclear Energy Program in El Salvador (OIPEN) and the Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River (CEL). The SEED mission was the first of its kind in El Salvador.

    El Salvador is completing the site selection process based on a comprehensive methodology that integrates geospatial data analysis, national regulations and existing public infrastructure.

    The SEED review team comprised three experts from Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as two IAEA staff members. They reviewed the site selection report, together with the siting process, siting criteria and data collection process for siting activities.

    The team also visited and observed the candidate sites located in Chalatenango – about 40 kilometres northeast of the capital San Salvador – and San Vicente – about 70 kilometres east of San Salvador.

    In addition to the SEED review mission, the IAEA provided a SEED Capacity Building Workshop to support site evaluation, which includes the site characterization stage. During the workshop, external experts and participants engaged in discussions that will contribute to future progress in the site evaluation process.

    “We confirmed that CEL independently developed exclusion criteria for site screening and effectively narrowed down the areas of the country with the lowest external hazard risks. This can be considered a good practice for minimizing risks,” said mission team leader Kazuyuki Nagasawa, Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA.

    The team provided recommendations to improve the quality and to optimize the site selection process, aiming to select the most favourable site. This optimization seeks to minimize the potential for the selected site to be found unsuitable during the site characterization stage. The factors to be considered include seismic, flooding and volcanic hazards. It’s also important to balance site characteristics with specific design features, site protection measures and administrative procedures from the early stages of the site selection process.

    “From the early stages of the site selection process, we have been guided by the technical guidance of the IAEA, rigorously applying its physical safety standards to ensure that this process follows a technical, transparent and responsible approach for all Salvadorans,” said Daniel Alvarez, President of CEL and Honorary Director of OIPEN.

    OIPEN and CEL will continue to receive technical support from the IAEA, as they advance from the site selection stage and move into the subsequent site characterization stage, in line with the IAEA Specific Safety Guide on Site Survey and Site Selection for Nuclear Installations, as well as other relevant Safety Guides for external hazards assessment.

    The final SEED mission report will be delivered to the Government of El Salvador within three months.

    About Site and External Events Design Review Service (SEED) missions

    SEED missions are expert review missions that assist countries going through different stages in the development of a nuclear power programme. The service offers a choice of modules in which to focus the review, such as site selection, site assessment and design of structures, systems and components, taking into consideration site specific external and internal hazards.

    In the case of site selection review, SEED missions assess the appropriate consideration of the safety issues in the site selection process.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: FormFactor, Inc. Announces Purchase of New Manufacturing Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIVERMORE, Calif., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), a leading provider of test and measurement technologies for the semiconductor industry, today announced that it has purchased a manufacturing site in Farmers Branch, Texas. The site, which comprises four structures and includes 50,000 square feet of clean room space, was purchased for $55 million dollars.

    Commenting on the purchase, Mike Slessor, CEO of FormFactor, Inc., said, “FormFactor’s purchase of the Farmers Branch, Texas manufacturing facility enables us to acquire a scarce, fit-for-purpose asset that aligns with our strategic roadmap and provides significant operational flexibility. Located in a lower-operating cost region, it is one of a handful of existing facilities in the U.S. that has a clean room and comes equipped with the infrastructure to meet our future manufacturing needs.”

    Slessor added, “As we’ve said for some time, we are seeing increased test intensity driven by the adoption of advanced packaging technologies, which is in turn driving increased demand for FormFactor’s probe-card products. This is evident in the recent rapid growth of our High Bandwidth Memory, or HBM, probe-card revenue, and we expect this advanced-packaging driven growth to continue.”.

    “The purchase of this facility, for a competitive price, creates optionality for us in cost-effectively meeting this anticipated increasing long-term demand, and it will be an important step forward as we refine our operational strategy.”

    About FormFactor:

    FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle – from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor’s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The Company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.formfactor.com.

    Forward-looking Statements:

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the federal securities laws, including with respect to the Company’s future financial and operating results, and the Company’s plans, strategies and objectives for future operations. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs as of the date of this release, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future financial and operating results, including under the heading “Outlook” above, market trends, conditions in and the growth of the semiconductor industry and the Company’s performance, and other statements regarding the Company’s business. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “continue,” and “prospect,” and the negative or plural of these words and similar expressions, and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in and impacts from export control, tariffs and other trade barriers; changes in demand for the Company’s products; customer-specific demand; market opportunity; anticipated industry trends; the availability, benefits, and speed of customer acceptance or implementation of new products and technologies; manufacturing, processing, and design capacity, goals, expansion, volumes, and progress; difficulties or delays in research and development; industry seasonality; risks to the Company’s realization of benefits from acquisitions; reliance on customers or third parties (including suppliers); changes in macro-economic environments; events affecting global and regional economic and market conditions and stability such as tariffs, military conflicts, political volatility, infectious diseases and pandemics, and similar factors, operating separately or in combination; and other factors, including those set forth in the Company’s most current annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, there are varying barriers to international trade, including restrictive trade and export regulations such as the US-China restrictions, dynamic tariffs, trade disputes between the U.S. and other countries, and national security developments or tensions, that may substantially restrict or condition our sales to or in certain countries, increase the cost of doing business internationally, and disrupt our supply chain. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements within this press release will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Investor Contact:
    Stan Finkelstein
    Investor Relations
    (925) 290-4273
    ir@formfactor.com

    The MIL Network –

  • India and Japan strengthen maritime ties with focus on shipbuilding, green ports, and smart islands

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a significant step toward deepening maritime cooperation, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Vice Minister for International Affairs, Terada Yoshimichi, in Oslo, Norway. The discussions, aimed at fostering stronger maritime relations between India and Japan, covered key areas such as shipbuilding, port digitization, green port initiatives, maritime training, and the transformation of India’s Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands into Smart Islands.

    The ministers explored opportunities for Japanese investment in Indian shipyards, with a focus on collaborations involving leading Japanese companies like Imabari Shipbuilding, JMUC, Kanagawa Dockyard, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Sonowal highlighted India’s interest in joint ventures with these firms, particularly for greenfield projects like Imabari Shipbuilding’s initiative in Andhra Pradesh. He also invited Japan’s maritime giants—NYK Line, MOL, and K Line—to explore investment opportunities in India’s burgeoning maritime sector.

    “Japan’s expertise in shipbuilding and ship repair is globally recognized, and we see immense potential for collaboration,” said Sonowal. “Our strong bilateral ties and India’s growing maritime industry present a unique opportunity for Japanese shipyards to invest in India, while collaboration on port digitization and green port initiatives will enhance the sustainability of our maritime logistics network.”

    The meeting also emphasized sustainable technologies and disaster-resilient infrastructure, with both sides discussing the development of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep as Smart Islands. Leveraging Japan’s expertise in island development, the collaboration aims to integrate renewable energy, smart mobility systems, and digital infrastructure while prioritizing ecological conservation and regional maritime security.

    Vice Minister Terada expressed Japan’s keen interest in expanding maritime collaboration, particularly in shipbuilding and seafarer training. “India and Japan share an intimate relationship, and we are very interested in the maritime sector,” he said, noting positive discussions on mutual cooperation. Japan, already a key partner in India’s railway infrastructure, is now looking to strengthen its presence in the maritime domain.

    A key focus of the talks was the upskilling and employment of Indian seafarers in Japan. With over 154,000 trained seafarers, India is well-positioned to support Japan’s maritime workforce. Sonowal proposed structured training programs by Japanese maritime leaders to enhance the skills of Indian engineers and workers, further solidifying bilateral ties.

    The ministers also discussed India’s ambitious National Maritime Heritage Museum (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat, aimed at showcasing the country’s rich maritime legacy. Sonowal invited Japan to partner in this project and expressed hope for an early MoU to formalize the collaboration. Additionally, he extended an invitation to Vice Minister Terada for the India Maritime Week 2025, to be held in Mumbai from October 27-31, 2025, to explore further opportunities for investment and innovation in the maritime sector.

    The talks underscored the deep Indo-Japanese partnership, rooted in shared values of democracy, freedom, and cultural ties. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to regional maritime security and economic integration through frameworks like the Quad and the India-Japan-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI). Sonowal highlighted India’s alignment with Japan-led initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).

    “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is transforming its maritime sector through initiatives like Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047,” said Sonowal. “With Japan’s partnership, we aim to scale new heights, targeting five trillion yen (₹3.2 lakh crore) in investments by 2027 for a sustainable and mutually beneficial future.”

  • MIL-OSI: Triller Group Completes Strategic Review and Enters Into an Accelerated Development Phase Focusing on Social Media, Fintech, and Combat Sports

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Los Angeles, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Triller Group Inc (Nasdaq: ILLR) (“Triller Group”, “the Group” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of its strategic review, resulting in the reorganization of the Group into three interconnected core business units: 

    • Social Media (Triller App)
    • Fintech/Financial Service (AGBA Group)
    • Combat Sports (BKFC)

    The Board of the Company extends its gratitude to Mr. Bobby Sarnevesht for his contributions since the acquisition of the predecessor of the Company, or Triller Inc., from its founders in 2019 and wishes him success in his future endeavors.

    As the Company enters into an exciting new phase of growth, it is implementing an accelerated 6-month timeline for development, financing, and rapid scaling of the Group’s three core units.

    Social Media (Triller App)

    Under the leadership of Mr. Sean Kim since December 2024, the Triller app has undergone a significant and rapid transformation. The Triller app now offers one of the best product experience ever compared to its peers. The app is redefining content creation, distribution, and monetization, positioning itself as the premier and distinctive challenger in the U.S.-based social media market. Notably, Triller’s commitment and policy to user data ownership firmly distinguished itself from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Mr. Kim and his team are preparing for a comprehensive marketing campaign, building on the success of the January 2025 SaveMySocials.com initiative.

    Fintech/Financial Services

    Triller Group’s seasoned management team brings decades of expertise in integrating cutting edge financial technologies into traditional financial services businesses. The team is in advanced stages to leverage the success of the Triller app and is in the process of developing and launching a cryptocurrency for the Triller community with an industry-leading partner.

    Combat Sports

    BKFC is experiencing another banner year and is rapidly expanding its passionate global audience, spurred on by its visionary leader David Feldman. BKFC has significant synergies with Triller Group’s two other core businesses, and the Company is working to support and explore additional revenue streams for BKFC. The Company believes 2025 will be another breakthrough year for BKFC, and it is not exploring any scenarios that would affect its majority control over BKFC. 

    For the remainder of 2025, the Triller Group management team will focus on (a) delivering marketing-led growth of Triller’s premier suite of product and services, (b) pursuing strategic acquisitions and partnerships to amplify the Group’s core offerings, (c) fostering synergies among the Group’s core business units, (d) strengthening the Group’s financial position and capital efficiency, and (e) minimizing and eliminating any legacy liabilities.

    “Our new strategic roadmap centers on three key objectives: growth, product expansion and financial strength.” stated Wing-Fai Ng, CEO of Triller Group.  “Sean and his team are at the forefront of making our Triller app the most compelling alternative to TikTok. Integrating cryptocurrency into our Triller community will be one of our top priorities in 2025, creating revenue streams for creators and strengthening user engagement. We are also actively pursuing multiple acquisitions and partnerships to accelerate our technological and market leadership, while Sean and I are actively recruiting top talent and reevaluating all aspects of our brand”.

    The Board is currently working with leading executive search professionals to identify and appoint additional Board members, who align with the Company’s vision and add significant value to the business.

    While current and future shareholders should anticipate a period of unprecedented rapid development, the Company’s exciting strategic blueprint marks not the beginning, but an acceleration of the vision outlined since the merger in October 2024.

    Triller Group is committed to its core principles of collaboration, innovation, and transparency, with further updates to be shared in the coming months.

    For additional information, please visit the Investor Relations website at https://trillercorp.com/ir/.

    # # #

    About Triller Group Inc.        

    Nasdaq: ILLR. Triller Group is a U.S.-based company that operates three main businesses: the U.S.-based Triller social media app (“Triller App”), fintech and financial services under the AGBA brand in Hong Kong (“AGBA”), and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (“BKFC”), one of the fastest growing combat sports franchises in the world.

    Triller App is a next-generation, AI-powered, social media and live-streaming event platform for creators. Pairing music culture with sports, fashion, entertainment, and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology, Triller App uses proprietary AI technology to push and track content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks, enabling them to reach millions of additional users. For more information, please visit www.trillercorp.com

    Established in 1993, AGBA is a leading, multi-channel business platform in Hong Kong that incorporates cutting edge machine-learning and offers a broad set of financial services and healthcare products to consumers through a tech-led ecosystem, enabling clients to unlock the choices that best suit their needs. Trusted by over 400,000 individual and corporate customers, the Group is organized into four market-leading businesses: Platform Business, Distribution Business, Healthcare Business, and Fintech Business. For more information, please visit www.agba.com.

    Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is a Philadelphia-based combat sports franchise dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare-knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specifically created rule set that emphasizes fighter safety. BKFC has held over 100 events across the world with record-breaking attendance. For more information, please visit www.bkfc.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, including the development and launch of our cryptocurrency; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against us; expectations regarding our strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and our ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in the U.S., Hong Kong and the international markets the Company plans to serve and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    Investor & Media Relations:

    Bethany Lai
    ir@triller.co
    investorrelations@triller.co

    # # #

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. Announces Continued Enhancement of Intellectual Property Portfolio with Two Granted U.S. Patents and European Patent Application Allowance Regarding Company’s Lead Compound CER-1236

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Results in 18 Issued Patents and Allowed Patent Applications Internationally with Nine Total Patent Families

    SOUTH SAN FRANSCISCO, Calif., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: CERO) (“CERo” or the “Company”) an innovative immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of  engineered T cell therapeutics that deploy phagocytic (i.e., target-cell eating) mechanisms alongside the array of built-in target cell destroying  mechanisms used by T cells, announces two previously announced U.S. patent applications have been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and one European patent application has been allowed by  the European Patent Office, all of which significantly expand the Company’s intellectual property portfolio.

    The USPTO granted U.S. Patent No. 12,291,557, titled, “CHIMERIC TIM4 RECEPTORS AND USES THEREOF” on May 6, 2025.  The granted claims cover certain design aspects of CER-1236, the Company’s lead compound.  This patent provides composition of matter protection for a chimeric TIM4 receptor comprising a TIM4 binding domain and canonical T cell signaling domains.

    Additionally, the European Patent Office has allowed European Patent Application No. 1882166.7 titled, “CHIMERIC ENGULFMENT RECEPTOR MOLECULES AND METHODS OF USE”  on May 16, 2025.  The allowed claims encompass a chimeric engulfment receptor comprising a TIM4 binding domain and TLR2 signaling domain. The allowance of this European patent application expands protection of additional design aspects of CER-1236, which have already been granted in the U.S., Japan, and China.   

    Finally, the USPTO granted U.S. Patent No. 12,303,551, titled, “CELLULAR IMMUNOTHERAPY COMPOSITIONS AND USES THEREOF,” on May 20, 2025. This patent provides coverage for combination cellular immunotherapy compositions  and methods of use for CER-1236. The patent covers combination of a chimeric engulfment receptor CD4+ T cell (CD4+ CER-T cell) with a chimeric antigen receptor CD8+  T cell (CD8+ CAR-T cell) or T cell receptor CD8+ T cell (CD8+ TCR-T cell), and their use to treat cancer. This type of combination therapy could be an exciting avenue to complement the CER-T cell technology with other powerful anti-cancer therapies. CERo’s intellectual property portfolio now includes 9 total patent families with protection out to 2042 in the United States.

    With these additional granted patents and allowed application, CER-1236 and its platform technology is supported by 18 total issued patents and allowed patent application internationally.

    Chris Ehrlich, CERo Therapeutics CEO, commented, “We continue to aggressively expand our intellectual property portfolio, as it ensures CERo’s success in the market. These patents protect the core innovations of the CER-T technology that differentiate it from other cell therapies and demonstrate the true novelty of our design .  We continue to seek a robust range of patents across multiple geographies that cover this technology in general, and CER-1236 in particular. The appreciation of the novelty of the CER-T technology by the patent offices validates the innovation and therapeutic potential of this approach, and we believe that we will continue to grow the portfolio. In the near term, we anticipate updates on our clinical trial progress in AML, and the announcement of initiating human trials to treat ovarian and non-small cell lung cancers.”

    About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

    CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells (“CER-T”). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR-T”) cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo has commenced clinical trials for its lead product candidate CER-1236 for hematological malignancies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management.

    Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contact:
    Chris Ehrlich
    Chief Executive Officer
    chris@cero.bio

    Investors:
    CORE IR
    investors@cero.bio

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Human Rights Watch warns renewed fighting threatens West Papua civilians

    Asia Pacific Report

    An escalation in fighting between Indonesian security forces and Papuan pro-independence fighters in West Papua has seriously threatened the security of the largely indigenous population, says Human Rights Watch in a new report.

    The human rights watchdog warned that all parties to the conflict are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law, also called the laws of war.

    The security forces’ military operations in the densely forested Central Highlands areas are accused of killing and wounding dozens of civilians with drone strikes and the indiscriminate use of explosive munitions, and displaced thousands of indigenous Papuans, said the report.

    The National Liberation Army of West Papua, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, has claimed responsibility in the killing of 17 alleged miners between April 6 and April 9.

    “The Indonesian military has a long history of abuses in West Papua that poses a particular risk to the Indigenous communities,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

    “Concerned governments need to press the Prabowo [Subianto] administration and Papuan separatist armed groups to abide by the laws of war.”

    The fighting escalated after the attack on the alleged miners, which the armed group accused of being targeted soldiers or military informers.

    Operation Habema
    The Indonesian military escalated its ongoing operations, called Operation Habema, in West Papua’s six provinces, especially in the Central Highlands, where Papuan militant groups have been active for more than four decades.

    On May 14, the military said that it had killed 18 resistance fighters in Intan Jaya regency, and that it had recovered weapons including rifles, bows and arrows, communications equipment, and Morning Star flags — the symbol of Papuan resistance.

    Further military operations have allegedly resulted in burning down villages and attacks on churches. Papuan activists and pastors told Human Rights Watch that government forces treated all Papuan forest dwellers who owned and routinely used bows and arrows for hunting as “combatants”.

    Information about abuses has been difficult to corroborate because the hostilities are occurring in remote areas in Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Nduga, and Pegunungan Bintang regencies.

    Pastors, church workers, and local journalists interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that Indonesian forces had been using drones and helicopter gunships to drop bombs.

    “Civilians from the Korowai tribe community, known for their tall treehouse dwellings, have been harmed in these attacks, and have desperately fled the fighting,” said the Human Rights Watch report.

    “Displaced villagers, mostly from Intan Jaya, have sought shelter and refuge in churches in Sugapa, the capital of the regency.”

    Resistance allegations
    The armed resistance group has made allegations, which Human Rights Watch could not corroborate, that the Indonesian military attacks harmed civilians.

    It reported that a mortar or rocket attack outside a church in Ilaga, Puncak regency, hit two young men on May 6, killing one of them, Deris Kogoya, an 18-year-old student.

    The group said that the Indonesian military attack on May 14, in which the military claimed all 18 people killed were pro-independence combatants, mostly killed civilians.

    Ronald Rischardt Tapilatu, pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church of the Land of Papua, said that at least 3 civilians were among the 18 bodies. Human Rights Watch has a list of the 18 killed, which includes 1 known child.

    The daughter of Hetina Mirip said her mother was found dead on May 17 near her house in Sugapa, while Indonesian soldiers surrounded their village. She wrote that the soldiers tried to cremate and bury her mother’s body.

    A military spokesman denied the shooting.

    One evident impact of the renewed fighting is that thousands of indigenous Papuans have been forced to flee their ancestral lands.

    Seven villages attacked
    The Vanuatu-based United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) reported that the military had attacked seven villages in Ilaga with drones and airstrikes, forcing many women and children to flee their homes. Media reports said that it was in Gome, Puncak regency.

    International humanitarian law obligates all warring parties to distinguish at all times between combatants and civilians. Civilians may never be the target of attack.

    Warring parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimise harm to civilians and civilian objects, such as homes, shops, and schools. Attacks may target only combatants and military objectives.

    Attacks that target civilians or fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians, or that would cause disproportionate harm to the civilian population compared to the anticipated military gain, are prohibited.

    Parties must treat everyone in their custody humanely, not take hostages, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

    The Free Papua Movement has long sought self-determination and independence in West Papua, on the grounds that the Indonesian government-controlled “Act of Free Choice” in 1969 was illegitimate and did not involve indigenous Papuans.

    It advocates holding a new, fair, and transparent referendum, and backs armed resistance.

    Vast conflict area
    Human Rights Watch reports that the conflict areas, including Intan Jaya, are on the northern side of Mt Grasberg, spanning a vast area from Sugapa to Oksibil in the Pegunungan Bintang regency, approximately 425 km long.

    Sugapa is also known as the site of Wabu Block, which holds approximately 2.3 million kilos of gold, making it one of Indonesia’s five largest known gold reserves.

    Wabu Block is currently under the licensing process of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

    “Papuans have endured decades of systemic racism, heightening concerns of further atrocities,” HRW’s Asia director Ganguly said.

    “Both the Indonesian military and Papuan armed groups need to comply with international standards that protect civilians.”

    Republished from Human Rights Watch.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –