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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by FS at LME Asia Metals Seminar 2025 (English only) (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the LME Asia Metals Seminar 2025 today (May 21):

    Carlson (Chairman of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), Mr Carlson Tong), Bonnie (Chief Executive Officer of the HKEX, Ms Bonnie Chan), John (Chairman of the London Metal Exchange (LME), Mr John Williamson), Matthew (Chief Executive Officer of the LME, Mr Matthew Chamberlain), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Releases Statement on New Golden Dome Announcements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump announced new plans and leadership for the Golden Dome missile defense system:
    “Golden Dome will help protect our homeland and our troops deployed abroad against the threat of advanced long-range missiles from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. I applaud the President for his leadership on Golden Dome, and I am proud that Congressional Republicans will make a $25 billion down payment on Golden Dome in the defense reconciliation bill. We cannot maintain deterrence without space superiority and an improved ability to conduct air and missile defense. General Guetlein has his work cut out for him, but I am confident he is the right person for the job.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: The opening of the 2nd Lhasa Import Expo 2025 will mark a new chapter in international trade and economic cooperation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    On May 16, under the theme of “Opening Up a New Lhasa, Opening Up New Opportunities for Everyone”, the 2nd Lhasa Import Expo 2025 opened in Pavilion 2 of the Xizang Exhibition Center. More than 250 companies and nearly 600 representatives from 31 countries and regions including Europe, Africa, South America, South Asia, Central Asia, ASEAN, Japan, the Republic of Korea, as well as Xiangang, Macao and Taiwan are participating in the event. As one of the key events celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region, the scale of the expo has been significantly expanded compared with the first session. Its aim is to build an international platform for economic cooperation and promote the deepening integration of Lhasa into foreign trade and the global supply chain.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: The One China Principle Cannot Be Challenged, UNGA Resolution 2758 Cannot Be Distorted – Chinese Ambassador to Belarus

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Minsk, May 21 /Xinhua/ — The one-China principle cannot be challenged, UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 cannot be distorted, Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan said in an article published in the SB. Belarus Segodnya newspaper on Monday.

    He noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Taiwan. The return of Taiwan to China is an important part of the results of the victory in World War II and the post-war international order.

    “I have noticed that recently, some countries have been distorting and challenging UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, spreading absurd claims such as that the resolution ‘does not confirm, equate or reflect the consensus on the one-China principle’, and rekindling the so-called ‘undefined status of Taiwan’ theory, thereby attempting to undermine the legal basis of the one-China principle. Such rhetoric, like the attempts of some countries to deny the enormous contribution of the Soviet people, including the Belarusian people, to World War II, not only distorts historical facts, but also openly challenges the authority of the UN and the post-war world order. This is extremely absurd and dangerous,” Zhang Wenchuan notes in his article.

    The diplomat particularly emphasized that the historical context and legal facts of Taiwan’s belonging to China since ancient times are obvious. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan has been an integral part of China’s territory since time immemorial, which has long been a historical fact and international consensus.

    He also pointed out in the article that UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved the issue of who is the legitimate representative of China, which strengthened the international community’s commitment to the one-China principle. This resolution completely and finally secured China’s sole place in the UN from the political, legal and procedural points of view, and completely excluded any questions about the so-called “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”. Challenging UNGA Resolution 2758 is tantamount to challenging the post-World War II world order and the authority of the UN.

    “Any action that challenges UNGA Resolution 2758 is not only a challenge to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also a challenge to the authority of the UN and the international order established after World War II, and a flagrant reversal of history. Not only will 1.4 billion Chinese never agree with this, but all people around the world who defend truth and peace will also not support it,” the diplomat emphasized.

    “China and Belarus are all-weather and comprehensive strategic partners. Both sides unswervingly and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major issues, jointly safeguard the results of the victory in World War II and the post-war international order, and unite against all vile acts aimed at distorting the truth and history. China and Belarus will continue to uphold historical justice, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly advance the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind,” Zhang Wenchuan concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: HKSAR gov’t launches 9 major tourism projects

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

    HONG KONG, May 20 — China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday announced nine projects to be implemented by the city’s working group on developing tourist hotspots.

    The nine projects to be implemented are: Hong Kong Industrial Brand Tourism, Victoria Park Bazaar, Creating a Pink Trumpet Tree Garden, Featured community: In-depth travel in Old Town Central, Featured community: In-depth travel in Kowloon City, Disciplinary Services Pioneer Tours, Opening of the Former Yau Ma Tei Police Station, “Four Peaks” Tourism, and Revistalizing the Former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard Pier.

    The hotspots span across the territory, underlining the concept of “tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong.” There are indoor and outdoor hotspots, locales for visits and explorations, as well as places for enjoying the ecology and scenery.

    Cheuk Wing-hing, deputy chief secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government, said that new travel patterns and tourists’ preferences increasingly value hotspots with unique features that are part of the flavor of Hong Kong. The nine projects will bring tourists new experiences that are more in-depth and fascinating.

    The HKSAR government proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to set up a Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, aiming to identify and develop tourist hotspots of high popularity to enhance the travel experience for tourists.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: China welcomes, supports Pakistan, India handling differences through dialogue

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing, capital of China, May 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China welcomes and supports Pakistan and India in properly handling their differences through dialogue, achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire and seek fundamental solutions, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing on Tuesday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar, saying that this is in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides, conducive to regional peace and stability, and also the common expectation of the international community.

    China and Pakistan have maintained close strategic communication on consolidating traditional friendship, strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly addressing challenges, which reflects the high level of bilateral relations, Wang said.

    He added that as ironclad friends, China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, in resolutely combating terrorism, and in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs. Wang also emphasized China’s commitment to continuously deepening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with Pakistan.

    He called on both sides to join hands to create an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and promote cooperation on industry, agriculture, energy and minerals, human resources development, counter-terrorism and security.

    Dar said Pakistan cherishes the brotherly friendship with China, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and supports China in safeguarding its national interests and dignity.

    He added that Pakistan admires China’s new development achievements, especially in innovation and sci-tech progress, looks forward to strengthening all-round cooperation with China, and hopes to continue to receive strong support from China in overcoming current difficulties and promoting national development, security and stability.

    Pakistan will do its best to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, he said.

    Dar briefed on the latest situation following the ceasefire understanding between Pakistan and India, as well as Pakistan’s considerations. He thanked China for upholding justice and making unremitting efforts and significant contributions to the ceasefire and promoting peace, noting that Pakistan will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is willing to maintain dialogue with India and ease the situation.

    The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening regional cooperation and deepening coordination in multilateral mechanisms.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: World Health Assembly adopts global pandemic agreement

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

    The 78th World Health Assembly is held in Geneva, Switzerland, May 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The World Health Assembly (WHA), the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), adopted the global pandemic agreement on Tuesday.

    The “pandemic agreement” proposes the establishment of a series of new platforms and mechanisms aimed at comprehensively reforming the existing systems for pandemic surveillance, prevention, and response. It seeks to promote research and equitable sharing of pandemic-related products, adjust the production and distribution order of such products, and further improve the global public health governance system, with a particular focus on addressing fairness challenges in international health development.

    WHO member states, meeting on Monday in Committee A of the WHA, approved a resolution calling for adoption of the pandemic agreement. According to a press release on the WHO website, the resolution outlines several steps to advance global preparedness and pave the way for the agreement’s implementation.

    It includes the launch of a process to draft and negotiate an annex to the agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group. The result of this process will be considered at next year’s WHA. Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the pandemic agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies.

    Following the adoption of the agreement, the Chinese delegation told Xinhua that China has been actively engaged in the agreement negotiation process. Guided by the vision of building a global community of health for all, China has upheld true multilateralism, advocated for greater solidarity and cooperation among countries, and supported the WHO in playing its central coordinating role.

    The Chinese delegation also noted that China has worked with all parties to improve the global health governance system and strengthen global capacity for prevention, preparedness, and response. On technical issues such as pandemic prevention and surveillance, China maintained a science-based approach, put forward constructive textual proposals, and actively contributed to the drafting process, playing an important role in promoting consensus among member states.

    In addition, China, along with countries including Brazil, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, actively responded to the legitimate concerns of developing countries regarding equitable access to health products under the framework of the Group for Equity. These efforts demonstrated China’s image as a responsible major country.

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the assembly that “the WHO pandemic agreement will run among the most significant achievements in the history of this organization and of global health,” underscoring that it places humanity in a stronger position than ever before to prepare for and respond to pandemics.

    In November 2021, a special session of the WHA established an intergovernmental negotiating body tasked with drafting a pandemic agreement under the WHO framework to enhance global capacities for pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response.

    On April 16 this year, the WHO announced that, following more than three years of intensive negotiations, member states had reached a consensus on the draft text of the agreement, which was then submitted for consideration at the 78th session. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Spurs boss Postecoglou: ‘I’m not a clown’

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

    Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou insisted on Tuesday that his future at the club doesn’t depend on whether he leads it to success in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United in the Basque city of Bilbao.

    The two sides travel to the San Mames Stadium after disastrous domestic seasons with Manchester United are 16th in the Premier League, while Tottenham is a place below in 17th after suffering 21 league defeats and conceding 61 goals.

    Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, attends the press conference at the Singapore Festival of Football held at the National Stadium in Singapore, July 25, 2023. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

    That has left to speculation that even if Postecoglou’s side lifts the trophy and qualifies for the Champions League as a result, he will leave at the end of the season.

    “Whatever happens beyond tomorrow is irrelevant when you think about the opportunity that exists right now and that is to provide something special for this football club, its supporters and everyone that has worked so hard for a trophy.”

    “If I was worried about my tenure at this football club, it’s fair to say we wouldn’t be in this position because I would have been distracted long ago,” responded the coach when asked about his future.

    Postecoglou said he was focused on “giving this football club its best opportunity that it has had for a while to do something special.”

    “Whatever happens after that, I’m very comfortable that I will continue trying to win trophies wherever I am,” he continued.

    Despite Tottenham’s poor league season, he insisted he has worked to the “process of getting the club to a position where they can challenge for trophies and at the same time, rejuvenate the squad and change the playing style. It has been a fair assignment with plenty of challenges along the way.”

    “With such a big game tomorrow, there is an opportunity to fulfil at least the main task I was given which was to bring trophies to the club,” continued Postecoglou, who was annoyed by a journalist who asked if Wednesday’s result would mean he would go down in history or infamy.

    “That depends on your outlook but I’ll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I’m not a clown and never will be,” he replied.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: EV battery giant CATL lists in Hong Kong, marking largest IPO in years

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

    Guests attend the listing ceremony of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in south China’s Hong Kong, May 20, 2025. CATL was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, with the stock code 3750. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) on Tuesday listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with shares surging over 10 percent at market opening.

    CATL announced allocation results showing that, before the exercise of the overallotment option, the Hong Kong public offering was oversubscribed by about 150.2 times, raising a total of approximately 35.66 billion HK dollars (4.55 billion U.S. dollars), with net proceeds of 35.33 billion HK dollars after deducting listing expenses.

    On its listing day, CATL opened at 296 HK dollars, rising 12.55 percent from its offering price of 263 HK dollars. By midday, it traded at 307.6 HK dollars, up 16.96 percent, with a turnover exceeding 5.7 billion HK dollars.

    Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said at the listing ceremony that CATL’s listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange can accelerate its global strategic expansion.

    Leveraging Hong Kong financing to support international growth is set to be a trend for mainland enterprises in export development, marking a new milestone in Hong Kong’s role in serving national development strategies, Chan added.

    Bonnie Chan, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), said that in terms of funds raised, CATL’s IPO is the largest in Hong Kong in recent years and the biggest globally so far this year. This demonstrated the depth of the Hong Kong market and its solid fundamentals in supporting large-scale financing projects.

    CATL is an innovative new energy technology company, primarily engaged in the research, development, production, and sales of EV batteries and energy storage system batteries. It is already listed on the A-share market. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.82 HK dollars) 

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Yili’s new product enters Hong Kong to accelerate global expansion

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

    Chinese dairy giant Yili on Tuesday held a global product launch in Hong Kong, officially introducing its infant formula brand Pro-Kido to the local market.

    At the launch event, Yili’s Global Maternal and Infant Nutrition Research Center unveiled several advanced breast milk research findings and announced a strategic partnership with Hong Kong health retail chain Mannings.

    Currently, Yili has accumulated data on over 10 million breast milk components and secured more than 290 invention patents.

    Zhang Yipeng, vice president of Yili Group, said that the company aims to use Hong Kong as a gateway to seize opportunities with global partners and continue providing high-quality, nutritious, healthy and delicious products to consumers worldwide.

    Margaret Lau, head of Baby Care, Confectionery and GMS at Mannings HK, said this collaboration reflected the shared brand vision and market positioning, adding that Mannings looks forward to deepening its strategic partnership with Yili to bring more high-quality health solutions to Hong Kong families.

    Yili has established 15 innovation centers worldwide. It has built a high-standard supply chain covering dairy sources, raw materials, equipment, and quality control, forming deep partnerships with over 2,000 suppliers from 39 countries and regions. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: MNCs foresee tailwinds for vibrancy

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

    The momentum generated by government policies aimed at stabilizing foreign investment, combined with the rapid growth of green and artificial intelligence-driven economies, will deliver strong tailwinds for foreign companies in China this year, said foreign business executives.

    With rising global economic headwinds and uncertainty over United States’ trade policies, many global enterprises are opting to consolidate their presence in China, with plans to maintain or expand investment.

    China’s stable and business-friendly environment supported a modest rebound in foreign direct investment in March, with actual FDI inflows into the Chinese mainland increasing by 13.2 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

    Marelli Holdings Co Ltd, a Saitama, Japan-headquartered multinational automotive parts manufacturer with more than 50 manufacturing facilities across the world, will expand its engineering team from 800 to 1,000 in China over the next three years.

    “Many opportunities arise from Chinese automakers’ rapid shift toward electrification and intelligence, especially in the form of software-defined vehicles, which are setting new benchmarks for speed, scale and innovation,” said David Slump, the group’s president and CEO.

    With China and the US agreeing to de-escalate trade tensions last week, Slump said that these two countries are major markets for Marelli.

    “We are closely monitoring and assessing the situation, and are committed to minimizing any impact on our operations and customers,” said Slump. He added that the company is already exporting advanced products and solutions from China to other markets, including Europe, Mexico and Southeast Asia.

    Also upbeat about the Chinese market, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced in March an investment of $2.5 billion to establish in Beijing its sixth global strategic R&D center, and further expand its biotech innovation partnerships and local manufacturing capabilities.

    The new facility will advance early-stage research and clinical development and will be enabled by a new AI and data science laboratory.

    Susan Galbraith, executive vice-president, oncology R&D, Astra-Zeneca, said that having two of its six global strategic R&D centers in China reflects the group’s confidence in China’s world-class biomedical innovation ecosystem and reinforces the nation’s critical role in its global R&D strategy.

    Ji Wenhua, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, which is part of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that China’s well-developed industrial bases, strong supply chain resilience and policy emphasis on innovation continue to make it an attractive destination for global capital.

    According to China’s 2025 Action Plan for Stabilizing Foreign Investment, the country will support pilot regions in effectively implementing opening-up policies related to areas such as value-added telecommunication, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, providing whole-journey services for foreign-invested projects in these sectors.

    The action plan also supports foreign businesses to participate in China’s new industrialization, with a focus on high-tech fields. Global capital has been welcomed in service sectors such as elderly care, culture and tourism, sports, healthcare, vocational education and finance.

    As part of its strategy to strengthen operations in China, US express transportation service provider FedEx Corp announced in mid-May that it would enhance its international export services from Shanghai.

    The cutoff times for same-day outbound shipments from Shanghai to Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, India and Africa will be further extended.

    The foreign trade value of foreign-invested businesses reached 4.1 trillion yuan ($567.51 billion) in China between January and April, up 1.9 percent year-on-year, accounting for 29 percent of China’s total foreign trade value, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

    In the meantime, Jiangsu province, a major hub for foreign-invested companies, recorded 864.25 billion yuan in foreign trade value, up 7.2 percent year-on-year, according to Nanjing Customs.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Wang overpowers HK veteran after racket saga

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

    A composed Wang Chuqin overpowered Hong Kong player Wong Chun Ting in the men’s singles third round of the World Table Tennis Championships on Tuesday.

    One day after he shouted “why always me” over a damaged racket, the Chinese second seed played an aggressive game to nail a 12-10, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 victory over the 33-year-old.

    Wang Chuqin hits a return during the men’s singles round of 32 match between Wang Chuqin of China and Wong Chun Ting of China’s Hong Kong at ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 in Doha, Qatar, May 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

    “Wong is a quite strong player and I tried not to make mistakes,” said Wang. “By taking the first set, I felt I was on the right way.”

    Wang admitted he had restored peace of mind following an eventful day which saw his racket damaged and the Chinese Table Tennis Association protest and appeal to the sport’s governing body ITTF.

    Minutes before Wang and Sun Yingsha took on Brazil’s Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi on Monday, Wang found part of the rubber had come off his blade and questioned the umpire if anyone had mishandled the racket.

    “Since I had a worse situation in the Paris Olympics, I was able to regain my cool soon enough,” said Wang, referring to the incident in which his racket was broken, allegedly by photographers.

    Wang will next play France’s 43-ranked Simon Gau, who upset 16th-ranked Chinese Lin Gaoyuan, 2-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3.

    Fifth seed Liang Jingkun of China whitewashed Portugal’s Marcos Freitas 4-0 (11-8, 11-2, 11-5, 16-14) to join France’s Felix Lebrun in the fourth round. The Frenchman came from 1-2 down to defeat South Korea’s Oh Jun-sung in six sets (11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5).

    In women’s singles action, China’s fourth seed Wang Yidi and sixth seed Shi Xunyao both made it to last 16.

    Chinese doubles pair Liang Jingkun and Huang Youzheng reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals, and Wang Manyu and Kuai Man made it to the women’s doubles last eight.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Mixed results for Chinese shuttlers on Day 1 of Malaysia Masters

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

    Chinese shuttlers had mixed performances on Day 1 of the Malaysia Masters 2025, which kicked off on Tuesday, with the team advancing in men’s doubles and women’s doubles.

    Liang Weikeng (R)/Wang Chang compete during the men’s doubles round of 32 match between Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia and Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang of China at 2025 Malaysia Masters badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 20, 2025. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

    Men’s singles player Zhu Xuanchen overpowered India’s S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 22-20, 22-20 in the first qualifying round and also won against Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-17, 21-14 in the second qualifying round, while his teammate Hu Zhean easily outplayed Malaysia’s Kok Jing Hong 22-20, 21-11 in the first qualifying round but got trounced by Huang Ping-Hsien of Chinese Taipei 19-21, 21-13, 21-10 in the second qualifying round.

    Men’s doubles duo Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang outplayed Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia 9-21, 21-15, 21-15.

    In the women’s doubles, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning steamrolled over their Indonesian opponents Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Rachel Allessya Rose 21-13, 21-6, while Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian beat out Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting 21-11, 17-21, 21-13.

    In the women’s doubles qualifying round, the Chinese pairs Li Wenmei and Wang Yiduo, Keng Shuliang and Li Huazhou booked their places in the women’s doubles main draw.

    The Chinese team also took some losses including women’s doubles pair Chen Qingchen/Wang Tingge along with Li Yijing/Luo Xumin. Men’s doubles duo Sun Wenjun and Zhu Yijun were knocked out in a qualifying round, while Chen Boyang/Liu Yi, Huang Di/Liu Yang, and Xie Haonan/Zeng Weihan also failed to overcome their opponents.

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health continues to attend 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, continued to attend the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 20, Geneva time). He also took the chance to meet with other participants and WHO officials to tell the world good stories of Hong Kong and the country.
     
    As members of the Chinese delegation, Professor Lo and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, continued to attend the plenary session on the second day of the WHA.
     
    In the morning, Professor Lo and Dr Ronald Lam listened to the remarks made by Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong at the High Level Segment.
     
    Professor Lo said, “Following the presentation of national positions by the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, on Taiwan-related proposal, COVID-19 origins tracing and China’s promotion of co-operation and exchange on global health on the first day of the Assembly, Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong also delivered remarks at the High Level Segment today. As our country has been actively involving in global health cooperation and exchanges, including deploying healthcare rescue teams to many countries and regions over the years, as well as providing over 500 billions of personal protection items and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemics, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spares no efforts to complement the nation’s strategies to contribute to the building of a global community of health for all.”
     
    Professor Lo and Dr Lam also attended a thematic side event hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and cohosted by the health authorities of Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Seychelles. The side event, themed “Improving Universal Health Coverage through the implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034”, was moderated by the Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health of Tsinghua University, Professor Margaret Chan, and the Director of the Institute for Global Health of Peking University, Professor Ren Minghui. The Commissioner of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, also delivered a keynote speech at the side event.
     
    During the panel discussion, Professor Lo shared the implementation experiences in promoting high-quality and high-standard development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong on all fronts. He said, “The HKSAR Government will leverage Hong Kong’s strengths in its healthcare system, regulatory framework, standard-setting, clinical research, trade, and more to develop the city into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM. In terms of CM practice, the Hospital Authority has accumulated extensive experience through its integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) services over the years. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will further develop the ‘Hong Kong model’ for pure CM, CM-predominant, and ICWM clinical services, with a view to promoting CM service, management standards and system development at the international level. As regards CM drugs, the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute is actively advancing the work on scientific research, education and promoting international exchanges on CM drug testing, including developing a series of internationally recognised reference standards and testing methods for CM drugs and their products, and promoting the commercial application of these methods in the sectors through training and technology transfer programmes, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for CM testing and quality control.”
     
    During their visit to Geneva, Professor Lo and Dr Lam also met with the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety of the WHO, Dr Luz María De Regil, to discuss the strategies and interventions for obesity and weight management. Professor Lo emphasised, “Like many other regions and countries, Hong Kong is facing the challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of obesity. The HKSAR Government has long been attaching great importance to the prevention and control of obesity and will strive to halt the rise of obesity by adopting life-course interventions.”
     
    The delegation will depart for Hong Kong today (May 21, Geneva time) and arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow (May 22, Hong Kong time).

                  

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: China-Central Asia freight train departs from Tianjin Port to Tashkent

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

    China-Central Asia freight train departs from Tianjin Port to Tashkent

    Updated: May 21, 2025 08:04 Xinhua
    A China-Central Asia freight train bound for Tashkent via Horgos departs from a station in Tianjin Port in north China’s Tianjin, May 20, 2025. The first China-Central Asia freight train from Tianjin Port to Tashkent via Horgos in 2025 departed here on Tuesday, sending fifty containers of auto parts, mechanical equipment, building materials and household appliances to Uzbekistan’s capital. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A China-Central Asia freight train bound for Tashkent via Horgos is pictured before its departure from a railway station at Tianjin Port in north China’s Tianjin, May 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A drone photo shows a China-Central Asia freight train bound for Tashkent via Horgos before its departure from a railway station at Tianjin Port in north China’s Tianjin, May 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Reed Press Treasury and DOJ on North Korea’s $1.5 Billion Crypto Heist

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    “In the wake of the Bybit hack, it is essential that the United States redouble its efforts to prevent North Korean crypto theft.”
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the committee, sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting information on efforts to combat increasingly aggressive and frequent cyber-attacks by ransomware groups based in North Korea.
    In February, the Lazarus Group, a hacker syndicate backed by the North Korean government, stole approximately $1.5 billion in digital currency from Bybit, a popular cryptocurrency exchange. In the letter, the senators warn the attack marks a dangerous escalation in North Korea’s use of crypto theft to evade sanctions and fund its weapons programs — a direct threat to U.S. national security and global stability.
    “In the wake of this attack—the ‘largest crypto theft of all time’—we write to request information regarding your efforts to combat increasingly aggressive and frequent cyber-attacks by ransomware groups based in North Korea,” wrote the senators.
    They continued: “North Korea relies on cryptocurrency theft to subvert U.S.-led international sanctions and to undermine the security of the United States and our Indo-Pacific allies… These stolen assets have helped keep the regime afloat and supported continued investments in its nuclear and conventional weapons programs. Reports suggest there are potentially thousands of North Korean-affiliated crypto hackers around the globe.”
    The senators press the agencies on how they are responding to the evolving tactics of North Korean hackers and what tools they need to prevent future attacks. This comes as Senate Republicans attempt to advance the GENIUS Act — legislation that, as currently drafted, would dramatically expand the stablecoin market with few guardrails and inadequate national security protections. A vote on the bill could come as early as later today.
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear Secretary Bessent and Attorney General Bondi:
    On February 21, 2025, the Lazarus Group, a hacker syndicate backed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), stole approximately $1.5 billion in digital currency from Bybit, a popular cryptocurrency exchange. In the wake of this attack—the “largest crypto theft of all time”—we write to request information regarding your efforts to combat increasingly aggressive and frequent cyber-attacks by ransomware groups based in North Korea.
    North Korea relies on cryptocurrency theft to subvert U.S.-led international sanctions and to undermine the security of the United States and our Indo-Pacific allies. The Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community for 2025 states that “North Korea is funding its military development—allowing it to pose greater risks to the United States—and economic initiatives by stealing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in cryptocurrency from the United States and other victims.” Between 2017 and 2023, North Korea stole an estimated $3 billion in crypto hacks, laundering tokens through crypto mixers to effectively mask their origins before funneling the proceeds back to Pyongyang. These stolen assets have helped keep the regime afloat and supported continued investments in its nuclear and conventional weapons programs. Reports suggest there are potentially thousands of North Korean-affiliated crypto hackers around the globe.
    In recent years, North Korean hackers have shifted from simplistic crypto theft schemes to more sophisticated tactics. Typically, these attacks center around variations of social engineering schemes, designed to exploit vulnerabilities in tech and crypto companies. Hackers have increasingly found ways to infiltrate crypto firms, often faking credentials, resumes, and documents and disguising themselves as American or foreign nationals eligible for work. According to reports, “[t]hey have pretended to be Canadian IT workers, government officials and freelance Japanese blockchain developers. They will conduct video interviews to get a job, or …masquerade as potential employers.” In addition, hackers have relied on “phishing and supply chain attacks, and…infrastructure hacks which involve private key or seed phrase compromises.”
    The Bybit hack reflects a further escalation in North Korea’s ability to execute complex crypto theft schemes. In the attack, hackers pulled approximately $1.5 billion from a “cold” crypto storage wallet—a “piece of hardware…kept mostly isolated from online networks” that, prior to the attack, were “considered to be almost impervious to attacks.”10 According to experts, the attack suggests that “North Korea has either expanded its money laundering infrastructure or that underground financial networks, particularly in China, have enhanced their capacity to absorb and process illicit funds.”11 The hack is expected to have significant impacts on the crypto industry and leaves companies scrambling to bolster cybersecurity. Specifically, “staving off North Korean thefts will likely require much higher spending by crypto exchanges.”
    In the wake of the Bybit hack, it is essential that the United States redouble its efforts to prevent North Korean crypto theft. To better understand the scope of North Korea’s reliance on the theft of crypto to evade sanctions and finance its weapons programs and the steps the administration is taking to address this urgent national security concern, we ask that you respond to the following questions by June 2, 2025:
    1. Please describe the steps your agency is taking to address threats to U.S. national security posed by North Korea’s theft of cryptocurrency to earn revenue and bypass sanctions.
    2. What additional steps, if any, does your agency plan to take in the wake of the Bybit attack to bolster efforts to prevent North Korean cryptocurrency theft?
    3. What are the biggest challenges your agency faces in combatting North Korean cryptocurrency theft? What steps can Congress take to bolster and support enforcement efforts to prevent future crypto theft?
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Banking: Samsung Art Store Brings Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and More to Screens in 4K

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung Electronics today announced the addition of new pieces from Disney’s iconic portfolio to the Samsung Art Store,1 offering TV users worldwide a stunning new way to enjoy beloved visuals from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic — all in crystal-clear 4K resolution.
     
    “We’re thrilled to expand our collaboration with Disney to offer their most beloved artwork to our global community of Art Store users,” said Heeyeong Ahn, Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “By offering a diverse range of artistic content that transcends genres and generations, we aim to enrich the everyday lives of our users with art.”
     

     
    The new Disney Collection transforms living rooms into immersive digital galleries, featuring classic and contemporary works that celebrate storytelling, adventure and the beauty of our planet. From the heartwarming tales of Disney princesses from films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Snow White,” and “Tangled” to the legendary “Star Wars saga” and the breathtaking wildlife of “Planet Earth,” the collection also offers fans a chance to discover new favorites — all through the lens of stunning digital art.
     
    Samsung Art Store, a global digital art subscription platform available on Samsung TVs, now offers over 3,500 curated artworks from more than 800 artists and 70 world-class galleries and museums. First launched in 2017 with The Frame, the Art Store experience is now available on 2025 Samsung AI-powered Neo QLED and QLED TVs,2 giving more viewers access to premium art in 4K resolution.
     
    In addition to this latest Disney collaboration, users can easily enjoy masterpieces from world-renowned museums such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Musée d’Orsay, as well as a variety of contemporary and modern artworks showcased at Art Basel, from the comfort of their homes. The service also includes curated selections handpicked by professional art experts on a monthly basis, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
     
    For more information, visit www.samsung.com.
     
     
    1 The Disney Collection is now available in selected countries across Asia, North America (including the United States and Canada), and Europe, where the Samsung Art Store is supported.
    2 For models Q7F and above.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fatal traffic accident in Ngau Tau Kok

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Fatal traffic accident in Ngau Tau Kok 
         At 10.53pm, a bus driven by a 38-year-old man was travelling along Ngau Tau Kok Road southbound. When approaching Choi Wan Road Sitting-out Area, it reportedly knocked down an 84-year-old man who was crossing the road.
     
         Sustaining serious head injury, the man was rushed to United Christian Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 11.17pm.
     
         The bus driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries.
     
         Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, Kowloon East is under way.
     
         Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 0262 or 3661 0277.
     
    Issued at HKT 7:18

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: New research warns AI alone won’t fix bias in workplace recruitment

    Source:

    21 May 2025

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in human resources (HR) to streamline processes and enhance decision-making by helping employers efficiently sift through large volumes of job applications.

    However, relying on AI tools alone to screen candidates isn’t enough to improve diversity outcomes in workplaces, according to new research by the University of South Australia.

    Human resource management expert Associate Professor Connie Zheng, co-director of UniSA’s Centre for Workplace Excellence, has conducted research into how AI can affect hiring decisions when it comes to improving diversity and inclusion by reaching gender quotas, having racially diverse teams and recruiting LGBTIQA+ employees or people with disabilities.

    AI tools are being used by some HR professionals to assist in the recruitment process by screening job candidates, responding to applicant emails, or focusing on specialised tasks such as CV screening, job matching or voice and video analysis.

    Assoc Prof Zheng says two separate studies into the use of AI to enhance diversity and inclusion in hiring decisions looked beyond whether humans or AI make better choices.

    “We explored what conditions help AI tools to actually support more diverse hiring as we found that simply having a reliable AI tool isn’t enough to improve diversity in workplace recruitment,” she says.

    “Diversity only improves when the AI system can explain its decisions in terms of diversity, when hiring focuses on qualitative goals and not just numbers, and when an organisation has clear diversity guidelines.

    “These factors encourage HR professionals and decision-makers to reflect more carefully on their choices. In short, AI can help improve diversity in hiring, but only when used under the right conditions and organisational support for the application of new technology, as well as clear diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines.”

    Despite the growing popularity of AI in many fields including education, health care, manufacturing and finance, many HR professionals are hesitant to adopt the tools.

    Assoc Prof Zheng says some companies have several concerns and are reluctant to invest in AI for hiring decisions because they’re apprehensive about the limitations of the technology, particularly in terms of biased data.

    She says many also feel their existing HR teams are competent enough to manage recruitment without AI, despite these concerns shifting if HR departments face staffing reductions, increased workloads or heightened demands for efficiency.

    “Despite these reservations, many organisations view AI as a way to significantly save costs by streamlining manual processes. Some companies have the mindset that using AI in HR is efficiency driven – it will make them work faster. The main goal of using AI is to expedite the process, particularly when dealing with large volumes of job applications,” Assoc Prof Zheng says.

    “With AI, a hirer can use the technology to filter appropriate applicants rather than sifting through hundreds of CVs and job applications manually. The problem when the main goal is efficiency is that diversity issues often then take a backseat.”

    Whether the use of AI tools in recruiting helps reduce discrimination or instead intensifies the problem remains a subject of controversial debate. Assoc Prof Zheng’s ongoing collaborative research with HUMAINE – Human Centred AI Network led by Professor Uta Wilkens at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany – has revealed  that simply providing a reliable, AI support tool that is considerate of diversity needs doesn’t automatically lead to diversity enhancement.

    “Unless the organisation and its hirers are conscious about diversity and justice issues, using AI for talent acquisition isn’t going to lead to more diverse and inclusive outcomes,” Assoc Prof Zheng says.

    To access the research papers:

    • Wilkens, U., Lutzeyer, I., Zheng, C., Beser, A., & Prilla, M. (2025). Augmenting diversity in hiring decisions with artificial intelligence tools. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2025.2492867
    • Zheng, C., Wilkens, U. (2025). Antecedents of Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion with AI Tools—An HR Perspective. In: Moussa, M., McMurray, A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Breakthrough Technologies in Contemporary Organisations. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-2516-1_12

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Connie Zheng, Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, Co-Director, Centre for Workplace Excellence, UniSA, E: Connie.Zheng@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: melissa.keogh@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza – Aid instrumentalised, health system under fire: Gaza is being deliberately asphyxiated by Israeli forces – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Jerusalem, 21 May 2025 – An insufficient amount of aid is being allowed into the Strip, merely a smokescreen to pretend the siege is over. 

    Meanwhile, at least 20 medical facilities in Gaza have been damaged, or forced partially or completely out of service in the past week by advancing Israeli ground operations, intensified airstrikes, and widespread evacuation orders. 

    As people remain in desperate need of medical care and aid, Israeli authorities must stop the deliberate asphyxiation of Gaza and the annihilation of its healthcare system, that is underpinning their campaign of ethnic cleansing, says Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

    “The Israeli authorities’ decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving”, says Pascale Coissard, MSF emergency coordinator in Khan Younis. “This plan is a way to instrumentalise aid, making it a tool to further Israeli forces’ military objectives.”

    Before October 2023, 500 aid trucks were entering Gaza every day, according to the UN. The current authorisation for 100 per day, when the situation is so dire, is woefully inadequate.

    Meanwhile, evacuation orders are continuing to uproot the population, while Israeli forces are still subjecting health facilities to intensive attacks.

    On 19 May, between 6am to 6.30, MSF teams reported hearing almost one strike per minute in Khan Younis. One of these strikes hit Nasser hospital compound, 100 metres away from the intensive care unit and the inpatient department that are run by MSF. This is the third time in two months that Nasser hospital compound has been struck, once again depriving people of treatment and care. To reduce exposure, our teams were forced to temporarily close both the outpatient department and sedation room for patients awaiting or recovering from surgery, as well as suspend physiotherapy and mental health activities, which are essential for burn patients – most of whom are children.

    Yesterday’s strike also severely damaged the Ministry of Health pharmacy store in Nasser Hospital. This puts additional pressure on supplies at a time when medical stocks are running critically low due to the siege.

    As part of the expansion of their ground operations, Israeli forces have issued widescale evacuation orders, further limiting people’s access to medical care and MSF’s ability to provide it. On 19 May, for example, an evacuation order covering almost the entire eastern part of Khan Younis, at the edge of Nasser hospital, forced people to immediately move towards Al Mawasi area.

    The Site Management Cluster estimates that over 138,900 people were forcibly displaced between 15-20 May. The intensified Israeli bombardments and evacuation orders across Khan Younis have forced MSF to maintain only lifesaving activities in the emergency rooms of Al Attar and Al Mawasi clinics. Since yesterday, Al Hakker clinic, in Deir Al Balah, has also been closed. Before that, MSF teams had been providing more than 350 consultations per day for paediatric, antenatal and post-natal care, psychological first aid and ambulatory nutritional treatment among other things.

    A few days earlier, on 15 May, Israeli authorities issued an evacuation order to Sheikh Radwan basic healthcare centre in Gaza City, which led to the closure of the facility. Before that, with MSF’s support, the Ministry of Health teams were providing around 3000 consultations per day in an area with estimated 250,000 people. This was the last fully functional public basic healthcare clinic in the area.

    According to the Ministry of Health, following the besiege of the Indonesian Hospital, all public hospitals in North Gaza are now out of service The MSF field hospital in Deir Al Balah has seen its bed capacity rise to 150 per cent over the last few days, forcing them to add additional staff and increase their baseline by 20 beds. According to the UN, there are currently around 1,000 functional hospital beds across the Strip, while previously to the war the bed capacity was 3500.

    Attacks on civilians and healthcare must stop now and aid must enter Gaza in sufficient quantities and in a way that allows it to reach those who need it. Israel’s allies must exert all their pressure to make this happen as a matter of extreme urgency. Every day that is lost reinforces their complicity in the annihilation of the people of Gaza.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Yuri Trutnev held a meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Cooperation and Development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Cooperation and Development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of China

    May 20, 2025

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Cooperation and Development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of China

    May 20, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Yuri Trutnev held a meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Cooperation and Development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of China

    A meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Chinese Commission on Cooperation and Development of the Russian Far East and the Northeast of the People’s Republic of China was held in Moscow. The Russian part of the commission is headed by Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev. The head of the Chinese part of the commission is Vice Chairman of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Guoqing.

    “Our meeting is taking place immediately after an important political event – the official visit of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to Russia and his participation in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The leaders of our countries confirmed their course to strengthen good-neighborliness and cooperation. In late August – early September, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin plans to visit China to participate in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the celebrations of the anniversary of the victory over Japan and the end of World War II. Relations between Russia and China are an important stabilizing factor in global politics and economics. I am confident that the work of our commission as one of the bridges of cooperation between Russia and China is of particular importance today. In recent years, our countries have faced unprecedented challenges, destabilization of international relations and the global economy. At the same time, Russian-Chinese ties continue to strengthen. In 2024, mutual trade turnover once again set a record, reaching almost 245 billion US dollars. “I am confident that our meeting today will contribute to the implementation of the agreements of the heads of state and government, primarily in the development of cooperation between the Russian Far East and Northeast China,” Yuri Trutnev opened the meeting.

    “In recent years, under the strategic leadership of the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Sino-Russian relations reached the highest level in their history and have become the standard of cooperation between world powers and neighboring countries. Our leaders set a course and direction for our further interaction, sent the whole world a clear signal about the stable and healthy development of Sino-Russian relations at a high level, which introduced stability and positive to a complex international situation. The key task of today’s meeting is to implement agreements between our leaders and conduct appropriate preparations for the upcoming meeting between them, as well as for regular meetings of the heads of government. Currently, individual countries under various pretexts abuse tariff measures, which grossly violating the laws, rights and interests of other states and seriously contradicts the Rules of the WTO, damages the multilateral trading system, undermines the stability of the global economic order. Such actions have a negative impact on the world supplies and production chains. In these conditions, it is important for us to consistently deepen cooperation in all areas, including the interaction of the north-east of the People’s Republic of China and the Far East of the Russian Federation in order to make an even greater contribution to the development of our countries, ”said Zhang Gotsin.

    The results and promising areas of joint work in the Russian Far East and the North-East of the People’s Republic of China were discussed. Over 6 years (from 2018 to 2023), the trade turnover of the Russian Far East with the People’s Republic of China increased by almost 2.5 times and exceeded 1.9 trillion rubles in 2023.

    In the territories of advanced development and in the free port of Vladivostok, 65 investment projects with a total investment volume of 1 trillion rubles are being implemented with the participation of Chinese capital. Projects with the participation of Chinese companies in the total investment volume in the Far East make up 10%. In a number of large projects, Chinese companies are technological partners, carry out work on the construction of new enterprises, and participate in start-up work.

    Work on the creation of a new preferential regime – an international territory of advanced development – is being completed. The regime was developed in cooperation with representatives of China and other countries. The draft law on international territories of advanced development was adopted in the first reading by the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The regime will be created by the end of this year. Chinese companies are showing interest in interaction within the new legal framework. Five companies from China have already applied as residents.

    The development of transport infrastructure was discussed. In 2024, the volume of bilateral foreign trade cargo transportation through border crossings and seaports of Russia and China increased by 9% to almost 176 million tons. In 2024, land checkpoints on the border with China increased cargo turnover from 40.4 to 45.9 million tons. A significant contribution to the growth was made by the opening of two new bridge crossings in 2022: Blagoveshchensk – Heihe and Nizhneleninskoye – Tongjiang. In 2024, 6.2 million tons of cargo were transported through them.

    The construction of a bridge in the area of the settlements of Jalinda (Russia) and Mohe (China) can contribute to the increase in freight traffic. Amur Region and Heilongjiang Province have formed a promising freight base. The location of the bridge has been agreed upon. On the Russian side, key participants in the project and the main technical parameters have been determined.

    The Russian side invited Chinese partners to further develop the Northern Sea Route. In 2024, the number of voyages carried out by Chinese companies in the NSR waters doubled and amounted to 14 voyages.

    On the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a project to create an innovative scientific and technological center on Russky Island is being implemented. Research and development centers in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, marine engineering, artificial intelligence and big data are being created. The construction of a pilot building is nearing completion. Chinese organizations and departments, representatives of scientific communities have been invited to participate in the implementation of joint projects in these areas.

    “This September, the anniversary, tenth Eastern Economic Forum will be held in Vladivostok with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation. This event is invariably an important platform for developing cooperation with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. China is traditionally one of the main guests of the Eastern Economic Forum. We invite our Chinese colleagues to take part in the work of the tenth Eastern Economic Forum in September this year,” said Yuri Trutnev.

    Summing up the meeting, Yuri Trutnev once again emphasized: “The Russian government is open to dialogue and is ready to provide support to Chinese partners in the Far East.”

     

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Indian National Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant staged armed robberies so that “victims” could apply for immigration benefits in exchange for thousands of dollars

    BOSTON – An Indian national, residing in New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to staging armed robberies in furtherance of a visa fraud conspiracy.  

    Rambhai Patel, 37, pleaded guilty to on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20, 2025. In December 2023, Patel was charged along with a co-conspirator.

    Beginning in March 2023, Patel and his alleged co-conspirator set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least nine convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants across the United States – including at least five in Massachusetts. The purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the store clerks to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U nonimmigrant status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.  

    During the staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” paid Patel to participate in the scheme. One purported victim paid $20,000 to participate as a victim in one of the staged armed robberies. In turn, Patel paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.

    At least two purported victim co-conspirators submitted U Visa applications based on being victims of the staged armed robberies.

    Singh is scheduled to plead guilty on May 22, 2025.

    The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Western District of Washington; FBI’s New York and Seattle Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hingham, Marshfield, Randolph, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Palestinians in Gaza are being deliberately asphyxiated by Israeli forces News May 20, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    While the war and blockade continue to wreak havoc on Palestinians’ health and leave them in desperate need of medical care and food, water, and other necessities, at least 20 medical facilities in Gaza have been damaged or forced partially or completely out of service in the past week alone amid increasing Israeli military operations, intensified airstrikes, and widespread evacuation orders.

    Israeli authorities must stop the deliberate asphyxiation of Palestinians in Gaza and the annihilation of their health care system—actions that are underpinning their campaign of ethnic cleansing.

    “The Israeli authorities’ decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving,” said Pascale Coissard, MSF emergency coordinator in Khan Younis. “This plan is a way to instrumentalize aid, making it a tool to further Israeli forces’ military objectives.”

    On May 19, Israeli forces struck the Nasser Hospital compound in Khan Younis, hitting just 100 meters away from the intensive care unit and inpatient department, which are both run by MSF. It’s the third time in two months that the hospital compound has been struck, yet again depriving people of treatment and care. | Palestine 2025 © MSF

    Nasser Hospital compound struck multiple times

    On May 19, between 6 and 6:30 a.m., MSF teams reported hearing almost one strike per minute in Khan Younis. One of these strikes hit the Nasser Hospital compound, 100 meters away from the hospital’s intensive care unit and the inpatient department, which are run by MSF. This is the third time in two months that the Nasser Hospital compound has been struck, once again depriving people of treatment and care. 

    To reduce the risks, our teams were forced to temporarily close both the outpatient department and sedation room for patients awaiting or recovering from surgery, as well as suspend physiotherapy and mental health activities, which are essential for burn patients—most of whom are children. This strike also severely damaged the Ministry of Health’s pharmacy store in Nasser Hospital. This puts additional pressure on supplies at a time when medical stocks are already running critically low due to the siege.

    The strike on May 19 severely damaged the Ministry of Health’s pharmacy store in Nasser Hospital, putting additional pressure on supplies at a time when medical stocks are already running critically low due to the siege. | Palestine 2025 © MSF

    Ongoing bombings and evacuation orders further limit access to care  

    As part of the expansion of their ground operations, Israeli forces have issued widescale evacuation orders, further limiting people’s access to medical care and MSF’s ability to provide it. On May 19, for example, an evacuation order covering almost the entire eastern part of Khan Younis, at the edge of Nasser Hospital, forced people to immediately move toward the Al-Mawasi area.

    The UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ Site Management Cluster estimates that over 138,900 people were forcibly displaced between May 15-20. The intensified Israeli bombardments and evacuation orders across Khan Younis have forced MSF to maintain only lifesaving activities in the emergency rooms of Al-Attar and Al-Mawasi clinics. Since yesterday, Al-Hekker clinic in Deir al-Balah has also been closed. Before that, MSF teams had been providing more than 350 consultations per day for pediatric, prenatal and post-natal care, psychological first aid, and outpatient nutrition treatment, among other medical issues.

    A few days earlier, on May 15, Israeli authorities issued an evacuation order to Sheikh Radwan basic health care center in Gaza City, which led to the closure of the facility. Before that, with MSF’s support, Ministry of Health teams were providing around 3,000 consultations per day in an area with an estimated 250,000 people. This was the last fully functional public basic health care clinic in the area.

    According to the Ministry of Health, following the besiegement of the Indonesian Hospital, all public hospitals in North Gaza are now out of service. The MSF field hospital in Deir al-Balah has seen its bed capacity rise to 150 percent over the last few days, forcing it to add additional staff and increase their baseline by 20 beds. According to the UN, there are currently around 1,000 functional hospital beds across the Strip, while prior to the war the bed capacity was 3,500. 

    Attacks on civilians and health care must stop now.

    MIL OSI NGO –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: First Busey Corporation Closes Depositary Share Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEAWOOD, Kan., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Busey Corporation (“Busey”) (Nasdaq: BUSE), the holding company for Busey Bank and CrossFirst Bank, today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 8,600,000 depositary shares (inclusive of 600,000 depositary shares offered in connection with the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option), each representing a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of its 8.25% Fixed Rate Series B Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25.00 per depositary share). As a result of the public offering, Busey received proceeds of approximately $207,477,500, net of estimated expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions.

    Piper Sandler & Co., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. acted as joint bookrunning managers for the offering, and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is acting as the co-manager.

    A shelf registration statement, including a prospectus, with respect to the offering was previously filed by Busey with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 21, 2023. A prospectus supplement relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC. The offering has been made by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to these securities may be obtained free of charge by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, Busey or any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement if you request it by emailing Piper Sandler & Co. at fsg-dcm@psc.com or calling Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-866-718-1649 or Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company at 1-800-966-1559.

    Corporate Profile
    As of March 31, 2025, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was a $19.46 billion financial holding company headquartered in Leawood, Kansas.

    Busey Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, had total assets of $11.98 billion as of March 31, 2025. Busey Bank currently has 62 banking centers, with 21 in Central Illinois markets, 17 in suburban Chicago markets, 20 in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, three in Southwest Florida, and one in Indianapolis. More information about Busey Bank can be found at busey.com.

    CrossFirst Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Leawood, Kansas, had total assets of $7.45 billion as of March 31, 2025. CrossFirst Bank currently has 16 banking centers located across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. More information about CrossFirst Bank can be found at crossfirstbank.com. It is anticipated that CrossFirst Bank will be merged with and into Busey Bank on June 20, 2025.

    Through Busey Bank’s Wealth Management division, Busey provides a full range of asset management, investment, brokerage, fiduciary, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and farm management services to individuals, businesses, and foundations. Assets under care totaled $13.68 billion as of March 31, 2025. More information about Busey’s Wealth Management services can be found at busey.com/wealth-management.

    Busey Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, FirsTech, Inc. (“FirsTech”) specializes in the evolving financial technology needs of small and medium-sized businesses, highly regulated enterprise industries, and financial institutions. FirsTech provides comprehensive and innovative payment technology solutions, including online, mobile, and voice-recognition bill payments; money and data movement; merchant services; direct debit services; lockbox remittance processing for payments made by mail; and walk-in payments at retail agents. Additionally, FirsTech simplifies client workflows through integrations enabling support with billing, reconciliation, bill reminders, and treasury services. More information about FirsTech can be found at firstechpayments.com.

    For the fourth consecutive year, Busey was named among 2025’s America’s Best Banks by Forbes. Ranked 88th overall, Busey was one of seven banks headquartered in Illinois included on this year’s list. Busey was also named among the 2024 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois by Daily Herald Business Ledger, the 2025 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2024 Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine. We are honored to be consistently recognized globally, nationally and locally for our engaged culture of integrity and commitment to community development.

    First Busey Corporation Contacts
    For Financials: For Media:
    Scott Phillips, Interim CFO Amy L. Randolph, EVP & COO
    First Busey Corporation  First Busey Corporation
    (239) 689-7167 (217) 365-4049
    scott.phillips@busey.com amy.randolph@busey.com
       

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to Busey’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations, and assumptions of Busey’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “position,” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Busey undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

    A number of factors, many of which are beyond Busey’s ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (1) the strength of the local, state, national, and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures, the threat or implementation of tariffs, trade wars, and changes to immigration policy); (2) changes in, and the interpretation and prioritization of, local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and governmental policies (including those concerning Busey’s general business); (3) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets (including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East); (4) unexpected results of acquisitions, including the acquisition of CrossFirst, which may include the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions and the possibility that the transaction and integration costs may be greater than anticipated; (5) the imposition of tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the value of products produced by Busey’s commercial borrowers; (6) new or revised accounting policies and practices as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory banking agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; (7) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of Busey’s assets (including the impact of sustained elevated interest rates); (8) increased competition in the financial services sector (including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies) and the inability to attract new customers; (9) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (10) the loss of key executives or associates, talent shortages, and employee turnover; (11) unexpected outcomes and costs of existing or new litigation, investigations, or other legal proceedings, inquiries, and regulatory actions involving Busey (including with respect to Busey’s Illinois franchise taxes); (12) fluctuations in the value of securities held in Busey’s securities portfolio, including as a result of changes in interest rates; (13) credit risk and risk from concentrations (by type of borrower, geographic area, collateral, and industry), within Busey’s loan portfolio and large loans to certain borrowers (including commercial real estate loans); (14) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (15) the level of non-performing assets on Busey’s balance sheets; (16) interruptions involving information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (17) breaches or failures of information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents; (18) the economic impact on Busey and its customers of climate change, natural disasters, and exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and droughts; (19) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact Busey’s cost of funds; (20) the ability to maintain an adequate level of allowance for credit losses on loans; (21) the effectiveness of Busey’s risk management framework; and (22) the ability of Busey to manage the risks associated with the foregoing. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: F&M Bank Announces Resignation of Board Member Jo Ellen Hornish

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARCHBOLD, Ohio, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO), today announced that Jo Ellen Hornish has resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors following its May 20, 2025, board meeting.

    Since 2013, Mrs. Hornish has served as a valued member of the Board, contributing her business acumen and leadership experience to the Company’s strategic vision. Her insights, particularly in the transportation and manufacturing industries, along with her service on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, have helped guide the Bank through important growth and development phases.

    “On behalf of the entire Board and executive leadership team, I want to extend our deepest thanks to Jo Ellen for her dedication to F&M,” said Lars Eller, President and CEO of F&M Bank. “Her guidance and steady leadership have been instrumental in shaping the success we enjoy today. We are sincerely grateful for the time, talent, and energy she has devoted to the Board and the communities we serve.”

    Mrs. Hornish, President and CEO of several Defiance, Ohio -based companies, brought a wealth of corporate and community leadership experience to the Board. Her commitment to both local and national philanthropic efforts is also a testament to her deep-rooted values and community spirit.

    F&M extends its sincere gratitude to Mrs. Hornish and wishes her continued success in her future endeavors.

    About F&M Bank:
    F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

    Safe harbor statement
    Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

    Company Contact: Investor and Media Contact:
    Lars B. Eller
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
    (419) 446-2501
    leller@fm.bank
    Andrew M. Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    (216) 464-6400
    andrew@smberger.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: The Queensland melioidosis outbreak is still growing. What’s keeping this deadly mud bug active?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    ap-studio/Shutterstock

    The outbreak of the deadly “mud bug” melioidosis in north Queensland has not yet abated since it began at the start of this year.

    So far there have been 221 cases and 31 deaths from the disease in 2025. This encompasses a 400% increase in cases in Cairns and a 600% increase in Townsville compared to the average over previous years.

    Fortunately, case numbers have begun to drop. Queensland Health reports new cases weekly, and in the most recent reporting period – up to May 6 – seven new cases were recorded, down from a peak of 29 cases in the week to February 16.

    However, people are still contracting and dying from this disease. So what’s keeping it active in Queensland, and are there any promising vaccines on the horizon?

    What is melioidosis?

    Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei which lives in soil, mud and groundwater, usually not causing any harm. But B. pseudomallei can cause disease in humans and animals if it enters the skin via a cut. Or it can be inhaled in water droplets and enter the lungs.

    The disease generally takes one to four weeks to establish itself, meaning people don’t develop symptoms immediately after they’ve been exposed.

    Melioidosis most commonly presents as pneumonia. However chronic skin infections, called cutaneous infections, occur in 10–20% of cases. Melioidosis can also lead to blood infections.

    Symptoms of the pneumonia form include fever, headache, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, chest pain and confusion.

    We don’t understand cutaneous infections as well as we do lung infections with melioidosis. Cutaneous infections are also less responsive to standard antibiotic treatments due to the nature of the chronic wound. For example, the bacteria can form a slimy layer called a biofilm. This can help the bacteria produce proteins which can block the antibiotics from working.

    Melioidosis occurs most commonly in tropical areas, such as Thailand. But it’s also regarded as endemic in northern Australia, occurring in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Nonetheless, the scale of the current outbreak in north Queensland is highly unusual.

    Anyone can contract melioidosis, but certain medical conditions can increase a person’s risk. These include diabetes, liver, kidney or lung disease, cancer, or other conditions which might compromise the patient’s immune system.

    During the current Queensland outbreak 95% of cases have been in people with risk factors such as diabetes or lung disease.

    How is melioidosis spreading in Queensland?

    Melioidosis increases during periods of high rainfall and flooding, and this has been the case in the current outbreak. However, patterns have begun to emerge suggesting the bacterium may now be spreading in other ways.

    Experts have suggested that while the Townsville cases can be explained by flooding and correlate to high levels of rainfall, the Cairns cases do not match with this explanation.

    One suggestion is that the construction of the Bruce Highway upgrade south of Cairns has caused an increase in cases due to clay soil particles becoming airborne during construction.

    It’s not an entirely new idea. The movement of soil during highway construction and urban expansion has been investigated as a potential mode of transmission during previous spikes of melioidosis cases in far north Queensland.

    The infrastructure body responsible for the upgrade has pledged to follow expert health advice as investigations continue.

    Could B. pseudomallei be evolving and becoming more deadly?

    This potential change in how the disease is spreading, and the increased number of cases and deaths, might indicate the organism is evolving to spread more easily and become more deadly. Genome analysis is ongoing to determine this.

    Notably, bacteria found in the environment can acquire genes from other bacteria in soil and water. This may give them enhanced abilities to survive in unfavourable conditions and be more resilient to changes in their natural habitat, as well as potentially infect human hosts more effectively.

    In a warming climate with increased rainfall, the bacterium behind melioidosis is likely to be a prime candidate for this kind of change.

    Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium B. pseudomallei.
    TheBlueHydrangea/Shutterstock

    How about treatments and protection?

    There’s currently only one way to treat melioidosis, which involves receiving intravenous antibiotics in hospital for several weeks, followed by up to six months of oral antibiotics.

    Against a backdrop of urgent calls for more research and increased public awareness around melioidosis, there may be hope on the horizon.

    Researchers at the University of California have developed a vaccine which produces a protein that mimics the proteins in B. pseudomallei, leading to an immune response against this bacterium. The vaccine has been successful in mouse models and will continue to a further animal trial, which, if successful, will lead to human trials.

    It seems melioidosis is a problem that’s not going away.

    If you live in an affected region such as tropical Queensland or the NT, limit exposure to mud and water as much as possible. If you’re spending time in muddy areas, use appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves and boots. You can also protect yourself by covering any open wounds and wearing a respirator if you’re working closely with water.

    Monitor for symptoms and see a doctor if you feel unwell. More information is also available from Queensland Health.

    Thomas Jeffries 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. The Queensland melioidosis outbreak is still growing. What’s keeping this deadly mud bug active? – https://theconversation.com/the-queensland-melioidosis-outbreak-is-still-growing-whats-keeping-this-deadly-mud-bug-active-256794

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK continues to call on North Korea to end grave human rights violations: UK statement at the UN General Assembly

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UK continues to call on North Korea to end grave human rights violations: UK statement at the UN General Assembly

    Statement by Archie Young, UK Ambassador to the UN General Assembly, at the UN General Assembly meeting on Human Rights Abuses and Violations in North Korea.

    I thank the briefers for their brave testimonies and tireless advocacy. It is essential that we continue to shine a light on the grave human rights situation in the DPRK, about which the UK remains deeply concerned.

    Human rights abuses against North Koreans remain widespread and systematic. Those who perpetrate these abuses remain unaccountable.

    The regime refuses to acknowledge or act on the 2014 Commission of Inquiry report, which illustrates the multiple human rights violations committed in DPRK. 

    And the DPRK has repeatedly rejected UN resolutions which set out the many concerns shared by the international community, including the operation of prison camps and forced labour, violations of freedom of religion or belief and women’s rights.

    North Koreans are denied freedom of movement, and many workers are sent overseas, often into modern slavery. 

    We urge the DPRK to cease these practices without delay.

    Those wishing to leave do so clandestinely, at huge personal risk. We call on all Members to respect the principle of non-refoulement and not return escapees to DPRK.

    On 7 November last year, the UK issued several recommendations to the DPRK as part of the Universal Periodic Review process, including ratifying the UN Convention against Torture and to reform the judicial system to ensure respect for the right to a fair trial. 

    We are pleased that the DPRK engaged with the Universal Periodic Review in November and encourage them to implement recommendations. 

    We need DPRK to make real and lasting change for the people of the DPRK.

    We have repeatedly made it clear that the primary cause of the DPRK’s humanitarian and food crisis is their continued development of their illegal weapons programme, representing multiple breaches of Security Council resolutions. 

    Indeed, we have heard clearly today also the links between the human rights situation in DPRK and their support for Russia in its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine in brazen disregard towards UN sanctions. 

    We condemn these and call on the DPRK to prioritise the well-being of the people in North Korea.

    We strongly encourage the DPRK to grant access to the Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in the DPRK and accept technical cooperation from UN human rights mechanisms, and to enable the return of UN agencies, to ensure help reaches those who are most vulnerable.

    The UK continues to call on DPRK to engage in meaningful diplomacy and accept offers of dialogue. 

    We believe diplomacy and negotiations are the best way to secure peace and stability and improve the lives of all North Koreans.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Currenc Group Inc. Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Currenc Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CURR) (“Currenc” or the “Company”), a fintech pioneer empowering financial institutions worldwide with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights

    • Total Processing Value (TPV) through Tranglo was US$1.30 billion for the first quarter of 2025, decreasing by 3.7% year-over-year. Total number of transactions decreased to 2.77 million for the first quarter of 2025 from 2.94 million for the same period of 2024. The decline in TPV was mainly due to the decline in business volume from the Hong Kong market.
    • Total revenues excluding TNG Asia and GEA1 were US$10.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year decrease of 11.5%, primarily due to the 23.1% decline in global airtime revenue.
          For the three-month period ended March 31,  
          2025     2024  
          $     $  
          (dollars in thousands)  
      Remittance revenue excluding TNG Asia & GEA     4,583       5,025  
                       
      Global Airtime Revenue     2,022       2,573  
      Indonesian Airtime Revenue     3,437       3,742  
      Total Revenue excluding TNG Asia & GEA     10,042       11,340  
                       
    • Total remittance revenues excluding TNG Asia and GEA, i.e., remittance revenues contributed by Tranglo, were US$4.6 million for the first quarter of 2025, down 8% year-over-year. The decline in remittance revenue was mainly due to a decrease in remittance revenue from the Hong Kong market. Tranglo’s overall take rate declined to 0.35% in the first quarter of 2025 from 0.37% in the same period of 2024.
    • Currenc’s global airtime transfer revenues were US$2.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year decrease of 23.1%. The growing availability of free Wi-Fi in Southeast Asian countries, especially Malaysia and Indonesia, has led to declining demand for Malaysia-Indonesia airtime transfers, resulting in a decline in global airtime business in the first quarter of 2025. As Currenc expects this trend to continue in Southeast Asian markets, the Company’s management plans to deemphasize airtime transfer and reallocate its resources and capital to expand its new AI product offerings.
    • Total direct costs of revenue were US$6.9 million for the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year decrease of 20.7%.
    • The direct payout rate for Tranglo’s remittance business was 0.13% for the first quarter of 2025, flat compared to 0.12% for the same period of 2024. Currenc’s overall gross profit margin ratio for the first quarter of 2025 was 31.8%, compared to 33.6% for the same period of 2024.
    • Total operating expenses increased to $7.5 million for the first quarter of 2025 from $5.8 million for the same period of 2024. The increase was mainly due to expenses of $2.2 million in recognition of the incentive shares granted to employees upon the completion of the INFINT SPAC merger.

      As Currenc divested TNG Asia and GEA in August and July 2024, respectively, its operating costs now reflect the operating costs of Tranglo, WalletKu and the Company’s headquarters only. Also, with the rollout of its new AI initiatives, Currenc incurred $0.5 million in operating costs related to these new businesses in the first quarter of 2025. The new AI businesses are expected to contribute incrementally to revenues and positively impact EBITDA in 2025.

      • Tranglo’s operating costs for the first quarter of 2025 were $3.2 million, representing an increase of 14% from $2.8 million in the same period of 2024.
      • WalletKu’s operating costs were $0.2 million for the first quarter of 2025, as compared to $0.4 million for the same period of 2024.
      • Professional fees and director fees were $0.8 million and $0.6 million for the first quarter of 2025, respectively.
    • Other income totaled $1.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, mainly contributed by Tranglo.
    • EBITDA analysis
      For the three-month period ended March 31, 2025   Tranglo     WalletKu     TNG
    Asia 
    and GEA
        Headquarters
    and
    adjustments
        Group
     
    Total
     
          (dollars in thousands)  
      Net income (loss)     1,160       (136 )     –       (5,511 )     (4,487 )
                                               
      Add:                                        
      Income tax expenses     141       –       –       (93 )     48  
      Interest expense, net     21       –       –       1,066       1,087  
      EBIT     1,322       (136 )     –       (4,538 )     (3,352 )
      Depreciation and amortization     –       –       –       –       554  
      EBITDA     1,322       (136 )     –       (4,538 )     (2,798 )
                                               
    • The Company’s total EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 was a loss of $2.8 million.
    • Tranglo and WalletKu’s combined EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 was $1.2 million.
    • TNG Asia and GEA’s combined losses had no impact on the Company’s results from the fourth quarter of 2024 onwards as they were divested before the completion of the de-SPAC merger.
    • Headquarters expenses and adjustments recorded an EBIT loss of $4.5 million, mainly contributed by:
      • $2.2 million in “Operating Expenses” in recognition of the incentive shares granted upon completion of the de-SPAC merger.
      • $0.8 million for professional fees.
      For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024   Tranglo     WalletKu     TNG
    Asia
    and GEA
        Headquarters
    and
    adjustments
        Group
    Total
     
          (dollars in thousands)  
      Net income (loss)     1,070       (123 )     (1,039 )     (2,540 )     (2,632 )
                                               
      Add:                                        
      Income tax expenses     163       –       –       (92 )     71  
      Interest expense, net     –       –       242       1,069       1,311  
      EBIT     1,233       (123 )     (797 )     (1,563 )     (1,250 )
      Depreciation and amortization     –       –       –       –       1,016  
      EBITDA     1,233       (123 )     (797 )     (1,563 )     (234 )
                                               
    • Net loss was US$4.5 million for the first quarter of 2025, primarily driven by the net loss of $5.5 million incurred by headquarters and adjustments.

    Management Comments
    “As demand for digital remittance continues to grow steadily, intensified market competition is compressing pricing,” said Alex Kong, Founder and Executive Chairman of Currenc. “Against this backdrop, we strove to maintain Tranglo’s healthy take rate while delivering TPV of US $1.30 billion in the first quarter of 2025, underscoring the strength of our core remittance platform and our disciplined strategic execution. Looking ahead, we are positioning Currenc for higher‑margin growth through two key initiatives: scaling our AI product offerings and expanding our remittance services into major corridors. We believe this combination of broader reach and AI‑driven innovation will support a more diversified revenue base and a structurally stronger bottom line.”

    Ronnie Hui, Chief Executive Officer of Currenc, commented, “While softer airtime demand weighed on our total revenues, our remittance business remained resilient amid a competitive environment in the first quarter of 2025, supporting a combined EBITDA for Tranglo and WalletKu of US $1.2 million. We are reallocating capital toward accelerating our AI initiatives and building higher‑margin remittance corridors to boost product value and operational scale, priming the Company for quality growth throughout the year. We also enhanced cost management and maintained Tranglo’s payout rate at 0.13%. Operating expenses rose to US $7.5 million, primarily due to a one‑time US $2.2 million share‑based incentive linked to the de‑SPAC merger, as well as costs related to our new AI initiatives. Outside of these expenses, our headquarters’ operating costs remained broadly stable. Going forward, this strengthened bottom line will allow us to invest in AI-driven growth while maintaining financial discipline.”

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    To supplement the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, it uses EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure as described below, to understand and evaluate its core operating performance. This non-GAAP financial measure, which may differ from similarly titled measures used by other companies, is presented to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the Company’s financial performance and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

    EBITDA is defined as net loss before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Currenc believes that EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating its operating results. This non-GAAP financial measure eliminates the impact of items that Currenc does not consider indicative of the performance of its business. While Currenc believes that this non-GAAP financial measure is useful in evaluating its business, this information should be considered supplemental in nature and is not meant as a substitute for the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

    About Currenc Group Inc.
    Currenc Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CURR) is a fintech pioneer dedicated to transforming global financial services through artificial intelligence (AI). The Company empowers financial institutions worldwide with comprehensive AI solutions, including SEAMLESS AI Call Centre and other AI-powered Agents designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency and boost customer satisfaction for banks, insurance, telecommunications companies, government agencies and other financial institutions. The Company’s digital remittance platform also enables e-wallets, remittance companies, and corporations to provide real-time, 24/7 global payment services, advancing financial access across underserved communities.

    For additional information, please refer to the Currenc website https://www.currencgroup.com and the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties, or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

    Investor & Media Contact
    Currenc Group Investor Relations
    Email: investors@currencgroup.com

    SOURCE: Currenc Group Inc.

     
    CURRENC GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
     
        Three months ended March 31,  
        2025     2024  
        US$     US$  
    Revenue     10,055,569       13,104,123  
                     
    Cost of revenue     (6,854,172 )     (8,696,562 )
    Gross profit     3,201,397       4,407,561  
    Selling expenses     –       (3,987 )
                     
    General and administrative expenses     (7,522,252 )     (5,824,208 )
                     
    Loss from operations     (4,320,855 )     (1,420,634 )
    Finance costs, net     (1,087,313 )     (1,311,363 )
    Other income     969,691       189,735  
    Other expenses     (402 )     (19,137 )
                     
    Loss before income tax     (4,438,879 )     (2,561,399 )
    Income tax expense     (48,479 )     (70,529 )
                     
    Net loss     (4,487,358 )     (2,631,928 )
    Net income attributable to non-controlling interests     (187,000 )     (403,056 )
                     
    Net loss attributable to Currenc Group Inc.     (4,674,358 )     (3,034,984 )
                     
    Net loss per share, basic and diluted (1)   $ (0.13 )   $ (0.09 )
                     
    Shares used in net loss per share computation, basic and diluted (1)     35,374,891       33,980,753  
                     
    Other comprehensive loss:                
    Foreign currency translation adjustments     171,532       368,135  
                     
    Total comprehensive loss     (4,315,826 )     (2,263,793 )
    Total comprehensive loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interests     (228,069 )     (407,798 )
    Total comprehensive loss attributable to Currenc Group Inc.     (4,543,895 )     (2,671,591 )
     
    (1) Retrospectively restated to reflect Reverse Recapitalization
    CURRENC GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)
     
        March 31,
    2025
        December 31,
    2024
     
          US$       US$  
    ASSETS                
    Current assets:                
    Cash and cash equivalents     62,300,298       63,821,397  
    Restricted cash     40,978       40,742  
    Accounts receivable, net     2,103,924       2,115,681  
    Other financial assets     3,171,000       –  
    Amounts due from related parties     449,094       560,823  
    Prepayments, receivables and other assets     25,874,112       20,948,216  
    Total current assets     93,939,406       87,486,859  
    Non-current assets:                
    Equipment and software, net     1,118,661       1,055,520  
    Right-of-use asset     294,965       349,240  
    Intangible assets     3,000,978       3,386,117  
    Goodwill     12,059,428       12,059,428  
    Deferred tax assets     344,291       342,822  
    Total non-current assets:     16,818,323       17,193,127  
    Total assets     110,757,729       104,679,986  
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT                
    Current liabilities:                
    Borrowings     20,128,362       20,150,058  
    Receivable factoring     480,225       258,415  
    Other financial liabilities     3,329,550       –  
    Accounts payable, accruals and other payables     51,411,453       55,329,740  
    Amounts due to related parties     76,472,666       67,697,074  
    Convertible bonds     1,750,000       1,750,000  
    Lease liabilities     177,505       171,909  
    Total current liabilities:     153,749,761       145,357,196  
    Non-current liabilities:                
    Deferred tax liabilities     784,479       876,912  
    Employee benefit obligation     39,259       45,289  
    Lease liabilities     111,833       156,647  
    Total non-current liabilities:     935,571       1,078,848  
    Total liabilities     154,685,332       146,436,044  
                     
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)                
                     
    Shareholders’ deficit:                
    Ordinary shares (US$0.0001 par value; 550,000,000 shares authorized 46,527,999 and 46,527,999 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively) (1)     4,653       4,653  
    Additional paid-in capital (1)     67,797,587       65,638,838  
    Accumulated deficit     (136,197,260 )     (131,522,902 )
    Accumulated other Comprehensive Loss     7,873       (108,122 )
    Total shareholders’ deficit attributable to Currenc Group Inc.     (68,387,147 )     (65,987,533 )
    Non-controlling interests     24,459,544       24,231,475  
    Total deficit     (43,927,603 )     (41,756,058 )
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit     110,757,729       104,679,986  
     
    (1) Retrospectively restated to reflect Reverse Recapitalization
    CURRENC GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
     
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
     
        Three months ended March 31,  
        2025     2024  
        US$     US$  
    Cash flows from operating activities:                
    Net loss     (4,487,358 )     (2,631,928 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:                
    Non-cash expense for Share-based compensation     2,158,749       –  
    Depreciation of equipment and software     123,799       142,518  
    Depreciation of right-of-use assets     53,712       41,981  
    Amortization of intangible assets     385,139       831,392  
    Deferred income taxes     (92,426 )     54,704  
    Disposal of fixed assets     401       –  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain     328,269       (124,690 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
    Accounts receivable     33,923       (110,270 )
    Prepayments, receivables and other assets     (4,918,772 )     9,477,057  
    Escrow money payable     –       218,542  
    Client money payable     –       146,847  
    Accounts payable, accruals and other payables     (4,068,655 )     (7,014,740 )
    Interest payable on convertible bonds     –       952,736  
    Amount due from a director     729,198       –  
    Amount due to Immediate holding company     23,766       –  
    Amounts due from related parties     (3,652 )     –  
    Amounts due to related parties     8,245,995       (2,205,121 )
    Net cash used in operating activities     (1,487,912 )     (220,972 )
                     
    Cash flows from investing activities:                
    Decrease in short-term investments     –       615  
    Purchases of property, plant and equipment     (175,158 )     (12,058 )
    Proceeds received from disposal of PPE     596       –  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (174,562 )     (11,443 )
                     
    Cash flows from financing activities:                
    Proceeds from borrowings     –       639,210  
    Repayment of borrowings     –       (95,742 )
    Proceeds from receivable factoring     433,287       586,789  
    Repayment of receivable factoring     (218,974 )     (610,559 )
    Payment of principal elements of lease liabilities     (65,286 )     (46,295 )
    Payment of interest elements of lease liabilities     (7,416 )     (2,952 )
    Net cash generated from/(used in) financing activities     141,611       470,451  
                     
    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents     (1,520,863 )     238,036  
    Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and escrow money receivable at beginning of the period     63,862,139       58,960,384  
    Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and escrow money receivable at end of the period     62,341,276       59,198,420  
                     
    Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:                
    Income taxes paid     (140,905 )     (15,825 )
    Interest paid     (48,773 )     (346,270 )
    CURRENC GROUP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
     
    EBITDA Analysis for the First Quarter of 2025 and 2024
     
    For the three-month period ended March 31, 2025   Tranglo     WalletKu     TNG Asia and GEA     Headquarters and adjustments     Group Total  
        (dollars in thousands)  
    Net income (loss)     1,160       (136 )     –       (5,511 )     (4,487 )
                                             
    Add:                                        
    Income tax expenses     141       –       –       (93 )     48  
    Interest expense, net     21       –       –       1,066       1,087  
    EBIT     1,322       (136 )     –       (4,538 )     (3,352 )
    Depreciation and amortization     –       –       –       –       554  
    EBITDA     1,322       (136 )     –       (4,538 )     (2,798 )
    For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024   Tranglo     WalletKu     TNG Asia and GEA     Headquarters and adjustments     Group Total  
        (dollars in thousands)  
    Net income (loss)     1,070       (123 )     (1,039 )     (2,540 )     (2,632 )
                                             
    Add:                                        
    Income tax expenses     163       –       –       (92 )     71  
    Interest expense, net     –       –       242       1,069       1,311  
    EBIT     1,233       (123 )     (797 )     (1,563 )     (1,250 )
    Depreciation and amortization     –       –       –       –       1,016  
    EBITDA     1,233       (123 )     (797 )     (1,563 )     (234 )
                                             

    1 TNG Asia and GEA were divested in August 2024 and July 2024, respectively.
    2 Tranglo maintained a positive EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 and 2024.
    3 Tranglo and WalletKu maintained a combined positive EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 and 2024.

    ____________________________________
    1 Currenc divested TNG Asia and GEA in August 2024 and July 2024, respectively. As such, from the fourth quarter of 2024 onward, only Tranglo’s (digital remittance and global airtime transfer businesses) and WalletKu’s (Indonesian airtime business) results will be consolidated and reported in the Company’s financial statements.

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: POET Technologies Announces Upsize and Amendments to Previously Announced Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Corporation“) (TSXV: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer™, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 28, 2025, in response to significant interest from a strategic investor and to allow for a more timely execution, it proposes to amend the terms of its previously announced non-brokered public offering to, among other things, increase the offering size to US$30,000,000 and make certain ancillary revisions to the offering structure, which will now be conducted as a non-brokered private placement (as amended, the “Offering”). The Offering Price (as defined herein) remains unchanged and represents a premium to the prevailing market price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”).

    In the revised Offering, the Corporation expects to issue 6,000,000 common shares of the Corporation (the “Common Shares”) and one common share purchase warrant (the “Warrant”) exercisable to acquire up to 6,000,000 Common Shares (the “Warrant Shares”) at a price of C$8.32 per Warrant Share for a period of five years from the date of issue. The combined price of one Common Share and the Warrant (in respect of one Common Share) will be equal to US$5.00 (the “Offering Price”).

    The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. No commission or finder’s fee will be paid by the Corporation, and no underwriter or sales agent will be engaged by the Corporation in connection with the Offering. The Corporation expects to complete the Offering on or about May 22, 2025.

    All Common Shares and Warrants issued under the Offering are expected to be distributed outside of Canada in reliance on OSC Rule 72-503 – Distributions Outside of Canada and, accordingly, all Common Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares issued under the Offering will not be subject to a Canadian statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering remains subject to the final acceptance of the Exchange.

    This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Singapore, Penang, Malaysia and Shenzhen, China. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Corporation’s ability to complete the Offering on the terms announced and within the expected timeline, the Corporation’s expectations with respect to its products, the scalability of the POET Optical Interposer and the success of the Corporation’s products, the Corporation’s use of proceeds for the Offering and the Corporation’s ability to obtain the final approval of the Exchange. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management’s expectations regarding the size of the market for its products, the capability of its joint venture to produce products on time and at the expected costs, the performance and availability of certain components, and the success of its customers in achieving market penetration for their products. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the attractiveness of the Corporation’s product offerings, performance of its technology, the performance of key components, and ability of its customers to sell their products into the market. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Corporation’s filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. 120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

    May 21, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Plastics Dialogue sharpens focus on transparency and standards

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Plastics Dialogue sharpens focus on transparency and standards

    Barbados and Morocco delivered opening remarks on behalf of the co-coordinators. They highlighted the successful midterm review in April of the DPP’s work in 2025 and underscored the importance of delving deeper into each focus area to advance potential outcomes. They noted co-sponsors’ interest in the ongoing global efforts to reduce plastics pollution, particularly the negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee under the United Nations, which is scheduled to hold its next round of talks in August 2025 in Geneva.
    The co-coordinators reported on the productive discussions held during a workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean on 16 May, highlighting the DPP initiative’s continued efforts to incorporate regional perspectives and to hear from smaller delegations. The first region-focused workshop, held alongside the April DPP meeting, had centred on Africa.
    They noted that regional experts underscored the importance of boosting trade and strengthening institutional regulatory capacities to address plastics pollution. The workshop emphasized strong support for small businesses, calling for technical assistance and financial incentives to help them participate in a more sustainable economy.
    Participants also highlighted the need to promote locally sourced, sustainable substitutes — such as banana peel, bamboo and sugarcane byproducts — alongside green finance mechanisms, while considering consumer awareness of non-plastic substitutes and cultural preferences for certain alternative materials. The discussion further stressed the value of enhanced regional cooperation and a unified regulatory approach to single-use plastics, with platforms such as Mercosur (Southern Common Market) and ALADI (Latin American Integration Association) identified as key avenues for regulatory cooperation and aligning standards. 
    Switzerland and China facilitated thematic discussions on the two focus areas. On the first topic — enhancing cooperation on applicable standards for non-plastic substitutes and alternatives — members heard from a diverse range of institutions and companies. The Codex Alimentarius Committee under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization presented its work on food packaging standards for traded goods, with a focus on food safety.
    Representatives from companies and associations in Peru, the Philippines and the Netherlands shared their experiences and challenges in navigating domestic and international regulations while using nature-compatible and biodegradable materials to replace single-use plastics. The United States also provided a debrief on recent discussions in the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, which explored domestic practices and the potential negative impacts of changes to food packaging regulations. The importance of cross-committee collaboration between the DPP and other WTO bodies was underscored.
    Participants expressed a shared commitment to addressing plastics pollution through the DPP, while cautioning against duplicating the work of existing WTO committees and international standard-setting organizations. Several emphasized the importance of the DPP focusing on its unique contributions — such as facilitating information exchange, sharing domestic experiences, and examining the commercial, environmental and safety dimensions of non-plastic alternatives. Many also underscored the need for international cooperation, the harmonization of standards and certification schemes, and equitable access to sustainable solutions, particularly for developing economies.
    On the second topic — enhancing transparency of trade flows of plastics — members received an update from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which presented its work on developing statistical guidelines for measuring plastic flows throughout the life cycle. The European Union’s Joint Research Centre also gave a presentation on the bloc’s evolving policy landscape and its strengthened measures to track material flows of plastics across its value chain.
    Participants welcomed the guidelines as useful tools for monitoring the trade flow of goods with embedded plastics, as well as single-use plastic items. They encouraged broader knowledge sharing to include guidelines developed by other organizations and called for greater support to developing and least-developed members in building capacity for data collection.
    In conclusion, Australia thanked members and stakeholders for their inputs, emphasizing that transparency is a critical step toward effective policy design. It noted that the discussions underscored the potential of non-plastic substitutes and alternative materials, while also acknowledging the remaining challenges.
    Co-coordinators will provide updates on the next steps following further consultations.
    More
    DPP co-sponsors have identified eight areas for achieving possible outcomes at MC14. The remaining six areas include: supporting ongoing multilateral negotiations under the United Nations to reduce plastics pollution; exploring strategies to harmonize trade-related measures for single-use plastics; identifying best practices; improving access to relevant technologies and services; building capacity for developing members; and considering the potential development of domestic inventories of trade-related plastic measures.
    Launched in November 2020 by a group of WTO members, the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution currently consists of 83 co-sponsors, representing almost 90 per cent of global trade in plastics.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

    May 21, 2025
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