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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI: ConnectM Completes Acquisition of Cambridge Energy Resources, Strengthening Foothold in India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MARLBOROUGH, Mass., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (OTC: CNTM) (“ConnectM” or the “Company”), a high-growth technology company on the leading edge of the energy economy, today announced it has secured regulatory approval and completed the acquisition of Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd. (CER), an India-based Energy-Management-as-a-Service (EMaaS) provider.

    The acquisition provides ConnectM with a strategic beachhead in India’s booming distributed energy and telecommunications sectors, solidifying the Company’s expansion into one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy and digital infrastructure markets. ConnectM beat out four other bidders in a competitive process to acquire CER in 2021 for INR 120 million ($1.4M) which has fair value assessment at INR 240 million ($2.8M). Since winning the bid in 2021, it took an additional three years to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.

    CER’s offerings span rooftop solar installations and energy management solutions for telecommunications infrastructure, supporting India’s 5G network deployment through clean energy initiatives. With this acquisition, ConnectM gains an established operating presence in India and the ability to immediately participate in two sectors central to India’s sustainability and digital growth. The Company will leverage CER’s local expertise to deploy its proprietary Home and Building Electrification (HBE) platform and Energy Intelligence Network (EIN) across new projects in the region. ConnectM’s full-stack, digital-first approach—proven in its U.S. operations—combined with CER’s on-ground capabilities is expected to drive growth in both distributed energy and telecom energy management solutions.

    “This is a pivotal step in our international Home and Building Electrification (HBE) expansion,” said Bhaskar Panigrahi, Chairman and CEO of ConnectM. “By adding Cambridge Energy Resources to the ConnectM family, we secure a foothold in one of the world’s largest and highest-growth energy and telecommunications markets. We are now positioned to accelerate the deployment of our integrated electrification platform across India, furthering our mission to drive sustainable energy transformation on a global scale.”

    The transaction carries significant strategic value for ConnectM and its stockholders. Our India business is growing organically at more than 100% per year. With this CER acquisition, we expect our business from India to grow to 15% of our global revenue in next twelve months ($10M annualized) from 5% it is currently now. CER not only provides an operational base in India but also broadens ConnectM’s service offerings into two high-growth domains that align with India’s ambitious development goals. India has set a target of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030, supported by an estimated $384.5 billion in power sector investments, alongside a nationwide 5G rollout. These initiatives are driving robust demand for distributed renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient telecom infrastructure—areas where ConnectM, through CER, is now well positioned to deliver innovative solutions.

    This acquisition follows ConnectM’s March 26, 2025, announcement of its first HBE project in India and is a key part of the Company’s broader strategic expansion into India and international markets. ConnectM plans to continue pursuing opportunities that strengthen its presence in high-growth regions as it scales its HBE platform globally.

    About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.:

    ConnectM is a constellation of companies powering the next generation of electrified equipment, mobility, and distributed energy—thus enabling a faster, smarter transition to a modern energy economy. The Company provides residential and light commercial service providers and original equipment manufacturers with a proprietary Energy Intelligence Network platform to accelerate the transition to all-electric heating, cooling, and transportation. Leveraging technology, data, artificial intelligence, and behavioral economics, ConnectM aims to lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions globally.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.connectm.com/

    About Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd.:

    Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd. (CER) is a privately held Energy-Management-as-a-Service provider based in India. Headquartered in New Delhi, CER delivers integrated clean energy solutions for enterprises and telecom operators, including the development and management of distributed solar projects and the deployment of energy-efficient power systems for 5G telecommunications infrastructure. By offering these services on an outcome-based model, CER helps clients reduce energy costs and carbon footprint while enhancing power reliability across their operations.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding our future financial performance and our strategy, expansion plans, future operations, future operating results, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. We caution you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. In addition, we caution you that the forward-looking statements regarding the Company contained in this press release are subject to the risks and uncertainties described in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 18, 2024. Such filing identifies and addresses other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ConnectM is under no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contact:

    Investor Relations
    Dave Gentry, CEO
    RedChip Companies, Inc.
    1-407-644-4256
    CNTM@redchip.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rescheduled: Community Conversations with Congressman Frank Mrvan

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

    Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced the rescheduled Community Conversations that will be held throughout Indiana’s First Congressional District on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

    Congressman Mrvan stated, “I invite residents to attend one of my rescheduled Community Conversations that I will be holding on May 29, 2025.  I believe these opportunities allow me to hear directly from constituents and better represent our collective interests in our nation’s capital.  Additionally, I will provide a brief update on the 119th Session of Congress and my work on the House Appropriations Committee.”

    Thursday – May 29, 2025

    • 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Michigan City – City Hall Council Chambers, 100 East Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, IN 46360
    • 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383
    • 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Indiana University Northwest, Bergland Auditorium in the Savannah Center, 65 West 33rd Avenue, Gary, IN 46408

    Please note that all times listed are Central Time.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: COVID-19 activity hits 1-year high

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said the major surveillance indicators of COVID-19 reached a one-year high, urging all sectors of the community to heighten their vigilance and enhance personal hygiene and protection measures.

    In addition to advising citizens to receive the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, the CHP also recommended people at high risk to receive a booster dose in a timely manner to minimise the risk of serious complications or death after infection.

    CHP Controller Dr Edwin Tsui pointed out that after the resumption of normalcy, Hong Kong experienced cycles of active periods of COVID-19 in every six to nine months.

    “Taking into account local and global epidemiological data in recent years, the CHP is of the view that COVID-19 has evolved into an endemic disease with a periodic pattern.”

    The CHP’s analysis suggested that the active periods are associated with the changes in the predominant circulating strains and declining herd immunity in Hong Kong.

    In early 2024, the predominant strains circulated locally changed from XBB to JN.1.

    In the third quarter of 2024, the strains changed from JN.1 to KP.2 and KP.3.

    Since late March this year, they have further changed to XDV.

    Dr Tsui said there is no evidence suggesting that XDV will cause more severe disease. 

    According to the latest surveillance data as of the week ending May 10, the viral load of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from sewage surveillance, the test positivity rate and the cases tested positive by nucleic acid tests in the laboratory have continued to rise over the past four weeks.

    In particular, the percentage of respiratory samples testing positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus gradually increased to 13.66% from 6.21% four weeks ago, marking a record high in the past year.

    For sewage surveillance, the per capita viral load of SARS-CoV-2 virus was around 710,000 copy/litre, which was also significantly higher than that of about 390,000 copy/litre four weeks ago.

    During the same period, the consultation rate of COVID-19 cases at Accident & Emergency departments, general outpatient clinics and sentinel private medical practitioner clinics also recorded a significant increase.

    “Based on previous statistics, we expect the activity level of COVID-19 to remain at a higher level for at least the next few weeks,” Dr Tsui added.

    Regarding severe and fatal cases, the CHP recorded a total of 81 COVID-19 severe cases involving adults in the past four weeks, among which 30 were fatal cases.

    Epidemiological investigations showed that 83% of the patients were aged 65 or above.

    For children, the CHP has recorded five severe cases so far this year. Of which, two have underlying illnesses and three cases have not received the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

    Dr Tsui noted that the currently prevalent XDV strain is a related variant of JN.1.

    “Therefore, the JN.1 vaccine used in Hong Kong is effective in preventing the disease, reducing the risk of severe illness and death, and enhancing herd immunity.”

    He urged high-risk groups, especially the elderly and those with underlying illnesses, to receive an additional booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

    Meanwhile, parents should also bring their children to complete the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Immunefi Partners with Fuzzland to Bring Advanced AI-Driven Threat Prevention to Magnus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Immunefi, the leading onchain security platform protecting over $190 billion in user funds, today announces Fuzzland as the latest strategic partner of its Magnus platform. This partnership marks a significant step toward building a unified, proactive, and intelligent defense system for decentralized protocols, integrating advanced AI-driven fuzzing and real-time threat detection technologies directly into Magnus.

    Fuzzland is recognized for its deeply technical, multi-layered approach to threat prevention. The company has been responsible for identifying 8,291+ vulnerabilities in protocols, rescuing over $33.4 million in assets, and directly preventing over 110 attacks. Its approach goes far beyond threat detection, actively neutralizing vulnerabilities through powerful, automated analysis solutions, including:

    • 24/7 On-Chain Penetration Testing: Utilizes AI-driven fuzzing and formal verification to analyze smart contracts across thousands of transactions per second, identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. 
    • Monitoring Alerts: Instant notifications for suspicious activities across blockchain and infrastructure layers.
    • Mitigation: Proactive and reactive interventions using real-time mempool analysis to prevent exploits.

    Magnus users now benefit from enhanced security intelligence and always-on protection across the entire onchain security stack. The seamless integration of Fuzzland’s advanced technologies enables continuous smart contract monitoring, AI-driven real-time vulnerability detection, and proactive and reactive mitigation of live threats — all from a single command center.

    “We’re excited to partner with Fuzzland and integrate their cutting-edge AI-driven security technology into Magnus. Their innovative approach to proactive threat prevention is a game-changer, and it perfectly complements our mission to protect protocols before threats can even surface,” said Mitchell Amador, Founder and CEO of Immunefi. 

    “For protocols building in today’s high-risk environment, it’s not enough to detect vulnerabilities, you need to outpace them. That’s exactly what this integration enables, and we’re thrilled to join Magnus and contribute to building the future of onchain security. Magnus is exactly what the industry has been waiting for: a revolutionary platform unifying the entire security stack into one integrated solution, transforming how protocols defend themselves,” said Dan Matulula, Ecosystem Lead at Fuzzland.

    The future of decentralized security is collaborative, automated, and relentless — and it’s being built now. Protocols can sign up for early access to Magnus and experience the next generation of onchain security. Sign up now, here.

    About Immunefi
    Immunefi is the leading onchain security platform, working with ground-breaking protocols such as Chainlink, Ethereum Foundation, Optimism, Arbitrum, and many more. Our latest product, Magnus, bridges the gap between security solutions by creating a unified platform for security operations. Allowing protocols to easily launch bug bounties, audit competitions, and proactively stop threats using our automations engine built with the industry’s best vulnerabilities dataset. Our growing community of over 60,000 security researchers protects $190B in user funds and has prevented over $25B in hacks across 500+ protocols. Learn more at immunefi.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

    After signing a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump said the US bond with that country was “more powerful than ever”. He was also reportedly quite pleased with the gift of a private jet from Qatar.

    But these arrangements are just the latest developments in a long history of the Gulf monarchies supporting the architecture of American global power. And while the six Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) have recently started redirecting their energy and trade ties eastward, especially towards China, they remain deeply embedded in the US-led financial order.

    As I explore in my recent book, Crude Capitalism, the Gulf states were instrumental in the rise of American global economic dominance.

    With oil emerging as the dominant fossil fuel through the second half of the 20th century, the Gulf’s nationalised petroleum industries generated vast amounts of income. Much of this was invested back into the US financial markets, particularly treasury bonds (essentially a long-term loan to the US government). This gave the US access to cheap foreign capital and reinforced the global dominance of the dollar.

    Put simply, the Gulf states were not peripheral to the US’s growing financial power – they were an essential contributor.

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    This arrangement also involved a political bargain: US military protection for the Gulf monarchies in exchange for investment flows and energy stability. The result was a web of US military bases across the region and a deep alignment between authoritarian Gulf regimes and western strategic interests.

    But much has changed in the past two decades. China’s rise as a global manufacturing hub has driven a huge increase in oil consumption, shifting the direction of the Gulf’s oil exports away from the US and western Europe towards China and east Asia.

    These energy ties have been accompanied by much deeper trade interdependence and a huge increase in Chinese investments in the Gulf. In 2005, China was responsible for just 9% of the Gulf’s imports. Today, that figure is over 20%, while the US and EU’s share has fallen from 45% to 16%. China has also recently overtaken the US as the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia.

    From Beijing’s perspective, the Gulf is a critical energy lifeline. From the Gulf’s side, China’s continuing demand for oil, gas and petrochemicals is a vital part of its economic future.

    For the moment, that economic situation looks pretty robust. In 2024, Gulf countries held around US$800 billion in foreign reserves (foreign currencies and other assets), which is more than India or Switzerland. Their sovereign wealth funds (a state owned investment fund) manage another US$4.9 trillion of assets.

    Private wealth, including that held by ruling families, stood at US$2.8 trillion in 2022, and is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion by 2027.

    Much of this money is invested domestically, in sectors including infrastructure, real estate and renewable energy. But an astonishing amount flows directly into US markets.

    Oil be back

    According to US Treasury data, total Gulf holdings of American securities (bonds, stocks and corporate debt) rose from US$611 billion in 2017 to over US$1 trillion in 2024. Outside of Canada and financial hubs like London and Ireland, the Gulf is now the largest foreign investor in the US stock market.

    Another route through which Gulf wealth flows back into the US is via military procurement. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Gulf states accounted for 22% of all global arms imports between 2019 and 2023 – more than any other region in the world.

    Riyadh, money to build.
    Kashif Hameed/Shutterstock

    The US supplies the overwhelming majority of these weapons. In this way, Gulf spending supports the American military industry, and in return, these states become more closely tied to the US military’s umbrella.

    These deep military, financial and strategic ties help explain the real focus of Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Much of the discussion will have centred on massive investment pledges made by Gulf states to the US – including Saudi Arabia’s promise to invest up to US$600 billion, and the UAE’s commitment to a US$1.4 trillion investment over ten years.

    And such pledges reflect a broader agenda which involves expanding deals in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

    So Trump travelling to the region is not just about private jets and spectacle. It is about the continuing relevance of a structural relationship essential to American power, and a deepening financial integration between the Gulf and the US.

    For even as the Gulf reorients its energy flows eastward, it remains deeply tied to US finance, the US military industry and US assets. In an era of weakening US global power – and the possible spectre of a deeper clash with China – this is what will define Trump’s visit.

    Adam Hanieh 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. Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades – https://theconversation.com/not-every-us-president-gets-a-free-private-jet-but-the-gulf-states-have-boosted-us-economic-dominance-for-decades-256655

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Sidel, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science

    With 317 congressional seats and nearly 18,000 local positions at stake, the May 12 midterm election results in the Philippines mean different things to people across the archipelago. But even a few hours after the unofficial results came in, the brute facts had already become clear.

    Local elections for municipal and city mayorships, provincial governorships and congressional seats predictably produced victories for entrenched local “dynasties”. The advantages of incumbency – control over the patronage resources and regulatory powers of the state – ensured reelection for many sitting mayors, governors and congress members.

    Midterm elections in the Philippines also include half of the seats in the nationally elected 24-member Senate. They thus serve simultaneously as tests for presidents halfway through their single six-year terms and previews of the next presidential election, in this case in 2028.

    The latest mid-terms have been notable for their – ultimately ambiguous – implications for a major family feud at the top of the country’s politics. This feud pits the family of current president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against that of his vice-president, Sara Duterte.

    The elections have failed to strengthen either family decisively, so their bitter rivalry is likely to continue throughout the remainder of Marcos’s term.

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    This family feud dates back to late 2021. At that time, Duterte agreed to run as Marcos’s running mate for presidential elections the following year despite her clear lead in nationwide voter preference surveys.

    The Marcos-Duterte ticket won a landslide victory. They benefited from the endorsement and assistance of the incumbent president, Rodrigo Duterte, whose enduring popularity extended to his daughter Sara.

    But following Marcos’s inauguration in late June 2022, a rift between the two families began to open up. Marcos settled into his presidential role and began to distance himself from the signature policies of his predecessor.

    Instead of cultivating close ties with China, Marcos strengthened relations with the US. And instead of continuing Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”, Marcos publicly spotlighted corruption in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

    By 2024, Marcos began to signal his government’s willingness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in its investigation of Duterte’s role in the thousands of extrajudicial killings undertaken in the war on drugs. Then, in March 2025, Duterte was arrested and transferred to The Hague. He is due to stand trial in the coming months.



    Read more:
    Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrested for crimes against humanity – a blow against impunity

    Relations between the president and his vice-president have also broken down. Sara Duterte resigned from her cabinet post in 2024 amid corruption allegations, with subsequent months seeing escalating public hostilities between Marcos and herself. These included claims of death threats and assassination plots.

    The House of Representatives voted by a clear majority to impeach Duterte in February 2025, setting the stage for a Senate trial later in the year. Against this backdrop, the midterms served as a kind of pre-trial proxy war between the two families.

    The Dutertes fielded ten candidates for Senate, the so-called “Duterten”. They also endorsed two of the 12 candidates in the Marcos-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines). The campaign was dominated by mudslinging between the two camps in the media and on social media. And the final results have proved decidedly mixed.

    On the one hand, pro-Duterte voters came out in a show of force to support candidates in the slate backed by the former president. This was foreshadowed by Marcos’s declining popularity following the arrest of his predecessor and the impeachment of his vice-president.

    Longtime Duterte lieutenant, Christopher “Bong” Go, won reelection and the most votes of all candidates. Duterte’s former police chief, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, also secured another term with a third-place showing.

    The sixth-placed winner was Rodante Marcoleta, another Duterte-backed candidate. He is a television broadcaster and member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, an independent church whose nearly 3 million members have long been viewed as a single solid voting bloc.

    Two Alyansa candidates, Imee Marcos, the president’s estranged sister, and Camille Villar, daughter of wealthy real-estate mogul and former senator Manuel “Manny” Villar, also won seats with the explicit blessings of the Dutertes.

    On the other hand, the Marcos camp won more seats and some added strength in its battle with the Dutertes for control of the Senate ahead of Sara Duterte’s trial. Erwin Tulfo, a popular television news anchor and Marcos’s former secretary of social welfare and development, won the fourth-place seat.

    He was accompanied by four former senators also affiliated with Alyansa. These included ex-PNP chief Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, longtime television personality Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Pia Cayetano with her base in wealthy Taguig City, and former action film star Lito Lapid.

    But, overall, the mid-terms do not seem to have improved the prospects for the successful conviction of Sara Duterte. Alongside the winning Alyansa candidates, voters also returned two prominent opposition candidates, Paolo “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, to the Senate. They oppose both the Marcos administration and the Duterte camp.

    At the same time, there are questions about the allegiances of several of the 12 senators already seated. This adds an additional challenge in the search for the 16 senators required to secure impeachment.

    Duterte – and her father, just reelected as Davao’s mayor while awaiting trial in The Hague – also still enjoy support among many voters, especially in their southern home base in Mindanao.

    The 24 elected members of the Senate are sensitive to public opinion and their own reelection prospects in 2028 and beyond. So, many of them will probably choose to hedge their bets and see where the winds are blowing as the trial unfolds.

    The family feud dominating the national political scene looks set to remain unresolved over the months and years ahead.

    John Sidel 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. Philippine elections leaves the Marcos-Duterte family feud still dominating politics – https://theconversation.com/philippine-elections-leaves-the-marcos-duterte-family-feud-still-dominating-politics-256383

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why walking may be the key to a long and healthy life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Thomas E. Yates, Professor of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health, Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Throughout history, few things have inspired as much quackery as the pills, potions and promises to slow ageing, boost vitality, or extend life. Yet, amid the hype and hollow claims, a few golden truths remain. As far back as 400 BC, Hippocrates, widely considered the father of modern medicine, famously said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” More than two millennia later, science is finally catching up with that wisdom.

    People who walk more than 8,000 steps a day reduce their risk of premature death by half, compared to those who walk fewer than 5,000 steps – the threshold for a sedentary lifestyle. But beyond 8,000 steps, the benefits tend to plateau, which challenges the long-held belief in the magic of 10,000 steps a day.

    In fact, that benchmark wasn’t born of science, but of marketing. The 10,000-step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese advertising campaign for the world’s first commercial pedometer called the manpo-kei, which literally translates to “10,000 steps meter”.

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

    Lately, researchers have been exploring a simple but important question: does every step count the same, or can walking faster — at a brisk pace of more than 100 steps a minute, or around three to four miles per hour — actually give you more health benefits?

    For ageing and heart health there is mounting evidence that pace really matters. Simply converting a 14-minute daily stroll into a seven-minute brisk walk has been associated with a 14% reduction in heart disease.

    An analysis of more than 450,000 adults in the UK used a genetic marker of biological age to reveal that by middle age, a lifetime of brisk walking reduces biological age by up to 16 years compared to a lifetime of slow walking.

    A follow-up study suggested it is never to late to benefit from brisk walking. An inactive 60-year woman or man was modelled to gain around an additional year of life expectancy through simply introducing a ten minute brisk walk into their daily routine.

    The power of brisk walking can also be seen in its ability to predict future health outcomes. It has been shown to be a stronger predictor of the risk of dying from heart disease than traditional predictors such as blood pressure and cholesterol, while also being a more powerful predictor than many other measures of lifestyle – including diet, obesity levels, and total physical activity.

    In fact, perhaps the single most informative question a doctor could ask their patient is: “How fast is your walking pace in comparison to other people?”

    Halo of benefits

    But brisk walking may not provide additional benefits for all outcomes or in all contexts. For example, the benefit of brisk walking over light-intensity walking in lowering cancer risk is less certain.

    A recent study suggested that although total walking was associated with reduction in 13 different types of cancers, there was no added value from brisk walking. Breaking prolonged sitting with light-intensity pottering around has also been shown to have profound impacts on metabolic effects.

    Importantly, walking has a halo of benefits beyond physical health. It can help with brain activity, doubling creative idea production. Indeed, the systems in the brain that support memory and imagination are also the same as those activated during whole body movement.

    Many of us already harness this very phenomenon, using walking to mull over problems and arrive at solutions or insights that would otherwise remain elusive. Context is also important here, with the mental health and cognitive benefits of walking thought to be enhanced when walking through nature.

    So called “nature prescriptions” for clinical populations have harnessed these principles to increase walking activity and improving both mental and physical health.

    Physical inactivity is a major driver of the modern epidemic of long-term conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, that are now observed in industrialised and developing economies alike. It has been estimated that 3.9 million premature deaths could be averted annually through targeting physical inactivity.

    However, instead of prevention, medical systems are largely based on management – people get ill and are then prescribed medicines to treat the illness. On average it takes $1 billion to bring a new drug to market which, despite these research and development costs, still go on to generate sizeable profits for shareholders showing the scale of the health economy.

    If just a fraction of these costs were diverted into public health initiatives aimed at increasing walking and physical activity opportunities for all, the need for an ever more sophisticated medical management ecosphere may retreat.

    In short, when searching for the elixir of life, you could do worse than looking down at your feet.

    Prof Yates receives funding from the The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

    – ref. Why walking may be the key to a long and healthy life – https://theconversation.com/why-walking-may-be-the-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-255655

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 16 May 2025 Departmental update WHO and Universal Postal Union join forces to improve access to eyeglasses

    Source: World Health Organisation

    “This collaboration represents an innovative approach to addressing uncorrected presbyopia, a condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, particularly in underserved communities,” said Stuart Keel, Technical Officer in WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases, Rehabilitation and Disability Department. “By combining WHO’s public health expertise with the trusted presence of postal services in local communities, we’re bringing essential eye care closer to where people live and work.”  

    “Postal networks have a special role in communities, beyond handling communication and business,” said Susan C. Alexander, Programme Manager from UPU’s Sustainability Services, Policy, Regulation and Markets Directorate. “Through this collaboration, we’re opening doors to improve the health and quality of life for both postal employees and the people they serve.” 

    The agreement, signed at WHO headquarters in Geneva, includes a joint plan of action from 2025 to 2027. The plan focuses on two key goals: using postal services to distribute near-vision glasses and promoting awareness about eye health among postal workers and the communities they serve. 

    Delivering SPECS 2030 initiative goals 

    The WHO-UPU partnership aligns closely with the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative, launched in May 2024, which aims to help countries scale up access to eye care in a sustainable way. One of the most pressing needs addressed by the initiative is presbyopia – an age-related condition that affects near vision and can be easily corrected with low-cost reading glasses. More than 800 million people worldwide suffer from presbyopia, yet many lack access to basic corrective eyeglasses.  WHO and UPU will collaborate to develop, pilot, and evaluate delivery models that use postal networks to bridge this gap, in line with SPECS 2030’s five strategic pillars: Service design, Personnel development, public Education, Costing, and Surveillance and research. 

    This project also forms part of the UPU’s Post4Health initiative, which builds on the special role of postal networks in integrating public health logistics and community outreach. It demonstrates how these networks can serve as an effective channel not only for vision care, but for a wide range of health-related services worldwide. 

    The untapped potential of postal networks 

    With an estimated 680 000 post offices operating globally, postal services offer a unique opportunity to reach remote and underserved areas. India Post alone runs over 150 000 offices, forming the largest postal network in the world.  

    This vast infrastructure provides an unprecedented channel for distributing eyeglasses to communities where health services are insufficient. In many low-income countries, fewer than one in four people who need eyeglasses can obtain them – a disparity the WHO–UPU collaboration seeks to reduce. By harnessing the postal system’s reach, the collaboration aims to create a scalable and sustainable model to improve vision care for millions of people. 

    First pilot project: India Post in the state of Assam  

    In collaboration with India Post, the state of Assam in India has been chosen as the site for the first pilot project aimed at evaluating the scalability of a model for delivering near vision spectacles. It will be implemented across five postal services in the state.  

    As part of the pilot, postal workers will be trained to perform simple vision screenings and provide low-cost, ready-made reading glasses to individuals with near vision impairment. Local outreach will be undertaken using public education efforts and neighbourhood events to inform and engage communities. 

    WHO and UPU plan to leverage the results from the pilot project to support the expansion in other countries, with the goal of reaching underserved populations globally. 

    “This collaboration is about reimagining how care reaches people – getting beyond regular health spaces and connecting with individuals in their own environments,” Keel added. 

     

     

     

     

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-05-16T07:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/topics/health-and-well-being/disability/blindness-and-vision-impairment/upu-1.jpg?sfvrsn=a2f0c7fb_5″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-05-16T07:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/16-05-2025-who-and-universal-postal-union-join-forces-to-improve-access-to-eyeglasses”,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: No KYC. 100x Leverage. Double Deposit Bonus. Crypto Futures Trading Made Easy on BexBack

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the price of Bitcoin fluctuating above $100,000, many analysts are predicting a prolonged period of high volatility in the cryptocurrency market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    Advantages of 100x Leverage Crypto Futures

    1. Amplified Profits: Control large positions with a small amount of capital, capturing more profits from market fluctuations.
    2. Low Capital Requirement: Participate in high-value trades with minimal investment, lowering the entry barrier.
    3. Increased Market Opportunities: Profit quickly from price fluctuations, especially in volatile markets.
    4. High Capital Efficiency: Leverage enables better use of your capital, expanding your investment potential.
    5. Profit from Both Up and Down Markets: Adapt to any market conditions, with opportunities to profit whether the market goes up or down.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign Up Now on BexBack — Break the 100x Leverage and KYC Barriers, Get Double Deposit Bonus and $50 Welcome Bonus Instantly

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

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

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

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: 

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33a2f92a-19d5-458b-9591-7d22ecb524df

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b8f4756-81a9-422d-89a0-52bf94338f93

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cef19994-896c-42eb-9e8e-7ff269e9bd2f

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff556d3d-4f48-4d4d-909d-21f25e3f2dfe

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Nat’l security laws vetting completed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    A Legislative Council subcommittee today completed the negative vetting of two pieces of subsidiary legislation under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

    Secretary for Justice Paul Lam and Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung met the media after attending a meeting of the Subcommittee on Two Items of Subsidiary Legislation Made under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance this afternoon.

    Mr Lam said that in relation to the subsidiary legislation concerning the power of the Office for Safeguarding National Security, there are only 15 provisions. As to the declaration concerning prohibited places, it only refers to six premises.

    He also noted that more than five hours were spent on the vetting, with the number of questions and opinions expressed by lawmakers exceeding 150.

    “So I think any reasonable person would have agreed that the whole process is extremely serious and a thorough discussion had been given to all relevant provisions.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Scam Protection Software (2025): McAfee Named Top Choice for Email, Text, and Video Scam Detection by Software Experts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK CITY, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the average person seeing 14 scam messages per day and dedicating over 90 hours each year to identifying threats*, the importance of strong digital protection is greater than ever. Today, Software Experts is proud to recognize McAfee’s Scam Detector – a key feature included at no cost with McAfee’s core plans, including McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection – as a top scam protection tool of 2025.

    Top Scam Protection Software

    • Scam Detector – an AI-powered feature that helps users detect and block scam texts, emails, and deepfake videos in real time across their devices

    Backed by decades of cybersecurity leadership, McAfee has evolved beyond traditional antivirus to meet the needs of modern users facing sophisticated scams in their inboxes, message threads, and even social media feeds. Scam Detector answers this urgent need by using AI-powered scans to detect dangerous text, email, and video scams and alert users.

    All-in-One Scam Protection At No Extra Cost

    Included in McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection plans, Scam Detector equips users with proactive tools to recognize and scan suspicious content across key communication channels:

    • Text Scams: Alerts users to SMS-based phishing attempts and dangerous links directly within the McAfee mobile app, available on both Android and iOS.
    • Email Scams: Users can link Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo Mail accounts for real-time scans in the background. McAfee identifies suspicious messages and explains why they’re risky – no guessing required.
    • Video Scams: A unique feature that uses AI to detect deepfake videos and other manipulative media designed to impersonate trusted individuals or spread disinformation. It’s the world’s first automatic deepfake detection among online protection providers.

    Scam Detector works locally for privacy and supports multiple languages, ensuring scam protection is both private and accessible to diverse users. It also integrates with McAfee’s Safe Browsing technology, which blocks risky links if accidentally clicked.

    Simple Setup, Smart Protection

     

    Scam Detector is designed to deliver powerful scam protection without the complexity. Setup is quick and seamless: to enable email scam protection, users simply connect the email account registered to their McAfee subscription or link a new one – no additional apps or extensions required. For scam texts and deepfake video detection, users activate the feature through the McAfee mobile app. There’s no need to copy and paste suspicious links or upload content for review, though users can if they want to test that functionality in the app. Once activated, Scam Detector works in the background to proactively scan incoming messages, emails, and videos, alerting users when potential threats are detected.

    But Scam Detector does more than just warn – it educates. Each time an email scam is flagged, McAfee provides a clear, contextual explanation of the risks involved, helping users understand the social engineering tactics, deceptive language, or impersonation strategies that scammers commonly use. This empowers individuals to recognize warning signs on their own, building long-term digital awareness and confidence.

    Alerts are delivered in a non-intrusive manner, whether through a mobile notification, a flagged email, or a warning overlaid on suspicious videos. The goal is to provide helpful guidance without interrupting the user experience – keeping people informed, protected, and in control at all times.

    A Response to a Growing Crisis

    The need for smarter scam protection has never been more urgent. Americans are now targeted by an average of 14 scam messages a day, losing an average of $1,471 each time they fall for one*. Worse still, these scams are becoming more sophisticated – blending AI-generated deepfake videos, realistic phishing emails, and fake text alerts that mimic real businesses. It’s not just tech novices who are falling victim, even digital-savvy individuals can be deceived.

    Part of the problem lies in the speed at which these scams unfold. According to McAfee’s research, only 17% of people recognize they’ve encountered a scam within five minutes*. That delay can be costly, leading to compromised identities, drained bank accounts, or irreversible emotional harm.

    Scam Detector was created to meet this moment – offering fast, intelligent detection that’s built directly into the tools people already use every day. By integrating scam protection into core McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection plans, McAfee ensures users are safeguarded from the most common and costly forms of online deception, all without needing to download or juggle additional tools.

    Click here to explore McAfee’s plans. For the full review, please visit the Software Experts website.

    About McAfee

    McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on protecting people, not just devices, McAfee’s consumer solutions adapt to users’ needs in an always online world, empowering them to live securely through integrated, intuitive solutions that protect their families, communities, and businesses with the right security at the right moment. For more information, please visit McAfee.com.

    *A McAfee survey, which focused on the topic of deepfakes, text and email scam messages, and the impact of these scams on consumers, was conducted online in December 2024. 5,000 adults, age 18+, In 7 countries (US, Australia, India, UK, France, Germany, Japan), participated in the study.

    About Software Experts: Software Experts provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Monsters of the Deep come ashore at Aberdeen Art Gallery

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    As Aberdeen gets ready to welcome the Tall Ships fleet to the city from 19 to 22 July, a major new special exhibition opens to the public at the Art Gallery this weekend (Saturday 17 May). 

    Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction? invites visitors on a journey from medieval imaginings to modern-day discoveries through a fascinating and sometimes terrifying combination of legend, folklore and science. 

    From a frightening Feegee mermaid, to the spindly legs of a a Japanese spider crab, there are lots of strange and wonderful things to see in Monsters of the Deep. Visitors will come face to face with the skull of the world’s largest warm-blooded predator, the killer whale, and marvel at the tooth of an extinct megalodon and the double-tusked skull of a narwhal. Eerie deep-sea specimens from across the globe are on display, as well as some of the technological tools scientists use today to explore the ocean floor.  

    The exhibition is based on one originated by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and has been re-imagined for Aberdeen by Helen Fothergill – Service Manager, Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, and her team of curators and exhibition officers. The many lenders to the exhibition include the University of Aberdeen, Loch Ness Centre, Viktor Wynd’s Museum of UnNatural History, Natural History Museum, National Museums Scotland, National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the University of Southampton.

    There’s a raft of activities to enjoy at the Art Gallery and Maritime Museum, inspired by Monsters of the Deep. From a BSL exhibition tour, talks by intrepid explorers, eminent scientists and the curator of the UnNatural History Museum, to creative sessions, hands-on family fun with Macduff Marine Aquarium and classic monsters-inspired film screenings with the Belmont Cinema, there’s something for all ages to enjoy. Full programme details are on the Art Gallery website at www.aagm.co.uk

    Helen Fothergill, curator of the Aberdeen exhibition, said: “When Aberdeen was confirmed as a destination for the Tall Ships Races, the Archives, Gallery & Museums team immediately set about bringing this amazing exhibition originated by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall to the city. With a fascinating combination of medieval maps, preserved sea creatures and artworks, Monsters of the Deep sets the scene for the city’s summer of maritime celebrations. We have been able to work with some wonderful and supportive people during the development of this project and could not have done without the help of our partners and willing lenders. So when you feel the need to come face-to-face with a mermaid or discover what really lurks beneath the waves, head for Aberdeen Art Gallery!“  

    Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: ”With the opening of Monsters of the Deep we’re just weeks away from welcoming the Tall Ships to Aberdeen. There’s a tremendous sense of organisations pulling together to showcase the best of Aberdeen and we’re grateful to the many partners who have supported the exhibition, including the University of Aberdeen Collections for important objects loans and the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums for supporting talks by Darren Naish and Viktor Wynd as part of the public programme of events. The summer in Aberdeen is set to be full of exciting maritime-related things to do, including the second year of Festival of the Sea. I hope that as many people as possible will enjoy the celebrations.”

    Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction
    17 May – 26 October
    Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ 
    Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm (special extended opening to 8pm on Friday 19, Saturday 20, Sunday 21 July during the Tall Ships weekend)
    Adults £10
    Concessions and Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums £7
    Exhibition pass £14
    Children aged 12 and under free

    https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/whats-aberdeen-art-galleries-and-museums/monsters-deep-science-fact-or-fiction

    The programme of associated events begins on Wednesday 21 May at 12.30 with a free lunchtime talk – Can The Law Save the Ocean? – at the Maritime Museum by Dr Mitchell Lennan, Lecturer in Environmental Law, University of Aberdeen.

    Trudi Collier will give a BSL tour of Monsters of the Deep on Thursday 19 June at 2pm – free with exhibition entry,

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: C for T meets taxi trade and reiterates determination to continuously combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities and formulate legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms within 2025 (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    C for T meets taxi trade and reiterates determination to continuously combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities and formulate legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms within 2025 (with photo)Issued at HKT 21:14

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Rain, thunderstorms expected over Northwest India this week

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday announced further advancement of the southwest monsoon into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Maldives and the Comorin area, as well as into more areas of the South Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Islands, and the Andaman Sea.
     
    According to the latest weekly update from May 15 to May 21, conditions remain favourable for the monsoon to progress further in the coming days. The IMD expects the southwest monsoon to continue advancing into additional areas of the south Arabian Sea, Maldives and Comorin region, as well as the South Bay of Bengal, the remaining parts of the Andaman Islands and Sea, and parts of the central Bay of Bengal over the next three to four days.
     
    Meanwhile, parts of Northwest India are expected to receive isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. This weather pattern is likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh from May 18 to May 21. Rainfall is also expected in Punjab and Haryana on May 16 and again from May 19 to 21, while Rajasthan may experience wet spells in both western and eastern parts on different days during the week.
     
    Strong, dust-raising winds with speeds reaching 25–35 kmph are also forecast over West Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on May 16 and 17. West Rajasthan is likely to witness these conditions between May 15 and 18.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Mayor of Winchester elected at 2025 mayor-making

    Source: City of Winchester

    Councillor Sudhakar Achwal has been elected as the 826th Mayor of Winchester.

    A ceremony took place in the King Charles Hall of Guildhall Winchester last night, Wednesday 14 May 2025. 

    Cllr Achwal, who is a councillor in the Whiteley and Shedfield ward, was born and raised in India before first coming to the UK in 1974 to complete a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Salford. He later travelled across Europe, the Middle East, India, the Far East, and the Americas as part of his work.

    He met his wife Vivian Achwal, who is a fellow councillor in the same ward, in Newcastle. The couple, who now live in Whiteley, returned to the UK permanently in 1997. They have been together for 45 years and have one daughter and one grandson. Cllr Vivian Achwal was Mayor of Winchester in 2021-2.

    Cllr Sudhakar Achwal said: “Beyond my career, I’ve found deep fulfilment in volunteering. I believe in giving back to the community that welcomed me so warmly. I’m also passionate about the environment, and I try to stay active. My shelves are always full, especially with history books, which continue to fuel my curiosity.

    “Family remains at the heart of everything. My journey continues, filled with gratitude for the many experiences, lessons, and people that have shaped it.”

    Cllr Achwal has selected his Mayoral Charities for 2025-6: Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC); Home-Start Winchester & Districts; and Trinity Winchester. 

    At the mayor-making, Cllr Jamie Scott was elected as Deputy Mayor.

    Taking the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, the Mayor said: “I Sudhakar Achwal, having been elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Winchester, hereby declare that I will take the said office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties thereof to the best of my judgement and ability.”

    Read the full biography of the new mayor. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Singapore Joint Maritime Exercise Promotes Cooperation, Enhances Joint Capabilities: Chinese Defense Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) — The ongoing joint maritime exercise between China and Singapore is of great significance to further deepening practical cooperation and enhancing joint maritime capabilities, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said Thursday.

    The exercise, dubbed China-Singapore Cooperation 2025, runs from May 9 to 16 at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base and in the waters and airspace east of Singapore.

    Under the joint command and planning of the two sides, the tasks of firing at sea targets from naval artillery, replenishing supplies at sea, joint search and rescue and other operations were practiced, Jiang Bin said.

    He added that the exercises allowed testing the ability of the participating forces to carry out military-tactical command coordination and joint actions.

    The exercises, the fourth in a row, also included seminars, ship visits, and cultural and sports events. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Taobao in Russian launched in Kazakhstan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) — Major Chinese online trading platform Taobao, which topped the ranking of the most downloaded mobile apps in 16 foreign countries, has taken another step in expanding its business overseas. As it became known to the Xinhua news agency correspondent on Thursday, the Taobao platform has already started operating in Kazakhstan, allowing consumers to receive information about goods and their prices in Russian, as well as pay for purchases in the national currency without resorting to online translators.

    In recent years, the fast-growing Central Asian e-commerce market has attracted increasing interest from global e-commerce merchants. For many Chinese companies looking to enter the Central Asian market, Kazakhstan is the first port of call.

    This is the first time that Taobao has launched a multilingual app in a non-English speaking country. Using a more iconic language improves the consumer experience and increases the desire to make a purchase, as confirmed by the first week of Taobao’s Russian language operation in Kazakhstan. According to Taobao’s Kazakhstan division, over 70 percent of its new users who made their first order were native Russian speakers.

    “For a long time, the bulk of our overseas customers were members of the Chinese diaspora and students from China. But since last year, we have noticed that Taobao has become popular with a large number of local consumers as well,” the division said, emphasizing that improving the consumer experience for this category of customers will be one of the key areas of work this year.

    In addition to the Russian-language app, the company also introduced free delivery for orders over 99 yuan and returns to the place of residence for the first time in Kazakhstan. Thus, a resident of Almaty who bought a Chinese-made down jacket on Taobao can expect the order to be delivered within 10 days and, if something is not right, can return it to a nearby pick-up point. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Aptean Apparel Shop Floor Control Wins Best New Concept at the 2025 Texprocess Innovation Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALPHARETTA, Ga., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aptean’s Apparel Shop Floor Control has been awarded Best New Concept at the 2025 Texprocess Innovation Awards. This real-time production management solution provides apparel manufacturers with instant access to critical data and insights, enhancing efficiency, visibility and increasing workforce productivity. The recognition reinforces Aptean’s commitment to delivering enterprise solutions that drive smarter decision making for manufacturers.

    To further support apparel manufacturers in navigating today’s challenges, Aptean has introduced AI-powered tools that streamline troubleshooting, making the process faster and more intuitive for customers.

    The Texprocess award spotlights Aptean Shop Floor Control, alongside Aptean’s ERP and PLM solutions, and its revolutionary, new AI-driven platform, AppCentral. Custom-built to streamline operations and integrate Aptean tools seamlessly, AppCentral is designed to support the apparel industry stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic market.

    “Aptean is honored to receive the Best New Concept award,” said TVN Reddy, CEO of Aptean. “Aptean Shop Floor Control empowers manufacturers to take control of their operations with the right solutions to optimize performance, reduce costs and improve efficiency – all in real time. As an AI-first company, we believe AI generates the most value when integrated across a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to the industry’s needs. Aptean’s offerings span ERP, Product Lifecycle Management, (PLM), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Shop Floor Control, ensuring an end-to-end approach that goes beyond what traditional ERPs provide. Now with AppCentral at the core of our AI strategy, we are committed to delivering exponentially greater value for our apparel customers.”

    Texprocess Americas 2025 is the premier event of the year for the apparel industry and showcases the entire global textile value chain, from high-tech textiles and smart art fabrics, to processing technologies like design, cutting, sewing and logistics. The 2025 Texprocess Innovations Awards honor exceptional performance in the fields of new materials products and technologies as well as applications and concepts. The awards have been designed to make innovative developments visible, promote unconventional thinking and intensify dialogue between researchers, manufacturers and users. A key criterion is that an innovation must have been discovered or invented, developed, introduced and institutionalized.

    Taking the Next Step with Aptean
    Companies seeking to accelerate their operations with tailored AI-driven intelligence can connect with an Aptean specialist for a discussion on how this purpose-built ERP solution can transform their apparel business. Personalized demos are available and Aptean provides regular webinars to view the technology in action.

    Act now and move into the future of Apparel with tailored intelligence.

    About Aptean: Aptean is one of the world’s leading providers of purpose-built, industry-specific software that helps manufacturers and distributors effectively run and grow their businesses. With both cloud and on-premises deployment options, Aptean’s products, services and unmatched expertise help businesses of all sizes to be Ready for What’s Next, Now®. Aptean is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA, and has offices in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
    To learn more about Aptean and the markets we serve, visit www.aptean.com.
    Aptean and Ready for What’s Next, Now are Registered Trademarks of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

    For Media Inquiries Please Contact
    MediaRelations@Aptean.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Drone as a Service Market Well Poised for Sustained Growth in Commercial, Industrial and Civic Usage

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Industry experts are expecting the Drone Service market to flourish. One such report from FACT.MR projected that the drone services market is valued at USD 8.66 billion in 2025 and the industry will grow at a CAGR of 14.3% and reach USD 32.96 billion by 2035. The report said: “In 2024, the drone services industry recorded dynamic shifts fueled by regulatory clarity, commercial adoption, and end-user digitization efforts. Fact.MR analysis found that demand surged notably in the precision agriculture segment, particularly across North America and Western Europe, as growers adopted drone-based imaging and multispectral analysis to improve field-level decision-making. In the mining as well as construction sectors, companies increased use of aerial mapping, which provided real-time volumetric analysis as well as site safety compliance. At the same time, drone-enabled monitoring made substantial progress in city policing and border security, with large pilot schemes initiated in the Middle East and South Asia. Commercial media organizations, event producers, and property agents also ramped up drone-based photography as well as filming in anticipation of increasing visual content needs. These trends reinforced a larger move away from use-case limitations toward operational adoption across industries.”   Active Companies in the drone industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL), Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR).

    FACT.MR continued: “As the sector moves into 2025, the environment is on the cusp of increased scalability. Business drone fleets are moving from pilot to standard operations, particularly in logistics and asset inspection. Fact.MR indicates that increasing adoption of AI-driven navigation, enhanced battery density, and BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) capabilities will drastically enhance service accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Valued at USD 8.66 billion in 2025 and expected to reach USD 32.96 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 14.3%, the industry is well placed for sustained growth in industrial and civic usage. To stay ahead, companies must immediately pivot toward building integrated drone service platforms that combine AI-enabled flight autonomy, sector-specific analytics, and BVLOS capabilities. This intelligence highlights a shift from isolated deployments to enterprisescale drone ecosystems, requiring the client to reprioritize R&D toward modular, scalable solutions for logistics, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Reports Nearly Double Revenue Year-Over-Year for the First Quarter of 2025 – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces financial results for the first quarter 2025.

    First Quarter 2025 Highlights:

    • Total revenues for the first quarter of 2025 were $1.13 million, up 92% compared to $591,379 for the first quarter of 2024 primarily due to acquisitions and organic growth.
    • ZenaTech’s new Drone as a Service or DaaS segment grew from completing two acquisitions of land survey drone servicing companies ─ Oregon-based Weddle Surveying and Florida-based KJM Land Surveying. The Company also signed five LOIs (Letter of Intent) for additional acquisitions during the quarter.
    • The company acquired Othership, a UK workplace management software company supporting its enterprise SaaS software segment, where it plans to leverage workplace AI and quantum computing productivity solutions targeting business and government customers.
    • The company made investments in longer term growth and in new segment development that caused general and administrative expenses to increase to $5.75 million in Q1 2025 versus about $0.7 million in Q1 of 2024. This primarily consisted of sales and marketing activities, new hires, professional services, and finance expenses.
    • ZenaTech made investments in its subsidiary ZenaDrone’s UAE manufacturing capabilities during the quarter, including hiring 35 new engineers and technicians. Also announced was the opening of a drone testing facility in Turkey for beyond-the-line-of-sight drone testing.
    • Drone product highlights in Q1 include finalizing the third-generation design and “production model” of the ZenaDrone 1000 drone that will enable the start of scaling up of production. The company also announced the IQ Square drone has moved from prototype to manufacturing stage.
    • The commence of work on a heavy-lift gas-powered ZD 1000 model for longer fight times for US defense applications took place during the quarter. Testing also commenced on a new high-density drone battery and a proprietary communications system for this drone.
    • The company reported that ZenaDrone is preparing for Green UAS followed by Blue UAS certification required to sell to the US Military. Additionally, it is reviewing and putting in place cybersecurity practices, documentation, and internal controls necessary to apply for this certification.
    • ZenaTech further expanded its Taiwan drone component manufacturer─ Spider Vision Sensors, adding additional engineering and business development staff. It also announced the first Blue UAS-certifiable drone sensors are under development.

    “The first quarter of 2025 was a very strong and encouraging start to the year as revenue nearly doubled, up 92% primarily due to acquisitions and organic growth across both our software and drone segments,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D. “During the first quarter we launched our Drone as a Service or DaaS business segment with a vision to have a national footprint in the US and globally.”

    “Although expenses increased during the first quarter, these are investments intended to grow the company over the long-term, namely in marketing, manufacturing, product development and testing capacity, which we believe will yield future rewards.

    “We believe that this quarter’s performance demonstrates that our strategy to disrupt legacy businesses like land surveys via a DaaS business model is on track. Our momentum is strong, and we are well positioned to expand our range of drone services with a pipeline of over 20 acquisitions over the next 12 months,” concluded Dr. Passley. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    In Additional ZENA News: ZenaTech’s (NASDAQ:ZENA) Expands Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) Exterior Building Power Washing to Dubai Tapping into a Global Drone Cleaning Services Market Growing to USD 13 Billion by 2030 – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announced it is expanding its United Arab Emirates (UAE) presence by establishing a new office to sell Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings based in Dubai. Initially this office will focus on delivering drone-powered cleaning services for building exteriors using the IQ Square drone tethered to a water pipe and electrical cord. The company is currently obtaining a permit from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to begin power wash testing and operations. Supporting this expansion, ZenaTech will hire two business development managers and up to four additional drone pilots, with drones supplied from its subsidiary ZenaDrone which has a manufacturing hub in nearby Sharjah.

    The global drone power washing market falls under a broader drone cleaning services market category that was valued at approximately USD 4.36 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 13.2 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 17% according to market analyst Valuates Reports , fueled by increasing demand for safe, efficient and cost-effective maintenance solutions.

    “With rising demand for tech-enabled and efficient maintenance solutions, whether for power washing buildings, renewable energy assets, or public spaces, we believe AI-powered drones will bring new safety standards, cost-efficiency, and greater environmental sustainability to maintenance tasks. UAE’s openness to innovative technology makes it an ideal launchpad for these DaaS solutions that we hope to expand to all seven emirates in addition to the US and Europe,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

    Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

    Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation, recently provided an operating update and released financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The first quarter 2025 results filing is accessible on the Company’s investor relations website.

    Stuart Simpson, CEO at Vertical, said: “2025 is on pace to be a transformational year for Vertical as we advance our piloted flight test programme and move into the final flight test phases. With the announcement of our hybrid-electric programme – opening up new high-value markets – and the expansion of our partnership with Honeywell to certify critical flight systems, we are deepening our technical and commercial edge. With growing regulatory confidence in the VX4 and a strong team behind us, we’re well positioned to deliver a scalable, certifiable aircraft to the global market.”

    Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC) (“Unusual Machines” or the “Company”), a leading U.S. manufacturer of drone components, recently announced it will exhibit at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2025, the premier event for autonomy and uncrewed systems, taking place May 20-22, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

    Unusual Machines will host a booth on the expo floor, where the Company will feature its new U.S.-made FPV motors and its growing portfolio of Blue UAS Framework-approved drone components. These offerings underscore Unusual Machines’ commitment to delivering high-performance, NDAA-compliant drone technology for defense, commercial, and public safety applications.

    Attendees are invited to visit the booth for product demonstrations and to meet with representatives from Unusual Machines. The Company will be actively engaging with integrators, OEMs, and procurement professionals throughout the event and will be ready to take orders on-site.

    Vision software company Foresight Autonomous Holdings has integrated NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) Jetson Orin generative AI computing modules into its 3D-perception system.

    Foresight is using Nvidia’s Jetson Orin Nano and Jetson AGX Orin modules to improve the capabilities of its perception systems deployed in various use cases, with a major focus on autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

    The Jetson modules, which are used in generative AI, computer vision and advanced robotics, upgrade Foresight’s vision system with the computing power needed for autonomous drones and UAVs, according to Foresight.

    Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) recently announced operating and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. The Company issued a shareholder letter discussing those results, as well as its second quarter 2025 estimates.

    Commenting on first quarter 2025 results, Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO, said: “Archer’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and reshaping the future of aviation for years to come. This quarter, the team made strong progress across our civil and defense efforts as we continue to deepen our strategic partner relationships and prepare for commercialization in the UAE later this year.”

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.00 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on The Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

    This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/336

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Mangalore, Karnataka

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Mangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms /concerns in which they are interested’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/335

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Karnataka

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on The Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

    This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/334

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bangalore, Karnataka

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 31 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said statutory provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had failed to submit its accounts and balance-sheet for the FY 2023-24 together with the auditor’s report to RBI, within stipulated timeline.

    This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/333

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK government must immediately close Wethersfield mass containment site for asylum seekers

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • A new report released by MSF shows how people staying in Wethersfield mass containment site in the UK are experiencing severe mental health distress.
    • Wethersfield continues to be used as an accommodation site for asylum seekers despite the government promising to end its use.
    • We call on the UK government to end the use of mass containment sites for asylum seekers and encourage the use of dignified and safe accommodation within communities. 

    For over one year, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in partnership with Doctors of the World (DOTW) UK, ran a general healthcare mobile clinic outside the main gates of the former Royal Air Forces base at Wethersfield, in the United Kingdom (UK). Between November 2023 and December 2024, we documented how the isolated site, which accommodates up to 800 men aged between 18 and 65, causes immense harm.

    A new report based on medical data and interviews with the men held at Wethersfield in 2024 highlights mental health distress amongst our patients and protection concerns at the site.

    “A Lonely Place” How Wethersfield is harming asylum seekers pdf — 1.6 MB Download

    “When I first saw the military camp, it was a reminder of the military camps in my home country. Very isolated atmosphere. You can’t socialise and you can’t learn,” says a resident at Wethersfield in 2024.

    The top five countries of nationality of patients attending our mobile clinic were Iran, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Sudan. As such, many have fled violence, persecution and conflict and will go on to be recognised as refugees by the UK government.

    “Most of the consultations were for psychological problems. Many people felt anxious and stressed and said Wethersfield reminds them of previous difficult experiences such as imprisonment, torture or living in areas of conflict,” says Emma Withycombe, MSF’s medical activities manager. “It seems very cruel that people who have experienced so much hardship are now living here. The government has chosen to accommodate people in a place that causes harm.”

    In the absence of safe alternatives, many people seeking safety are forced to risk their lives and take dangerous journeys to reach the UK.

    The report reveals:

    A lack of safe routes to the UK

    Everyone who accessed our services had crossed the Channel by small boat. In interviews, participants described dangerous journeys to get to the UK. Three quarters of patients disclosed previous experiences of violence or abuse in their countries of origin and on their journeys to the UK.

    Mental health impacted by the site

    The men we interviewed spoke about the major impact the site was having on their mental health, as well as on the mental health of those around them. 62 per cent of those accessing our service presented with severe mental distress and 30 per cent reported suicidal ideation.

    Serious failures to protect and safeguard

    Our medical team observed that many individuals were accommodated onsite despite being ‘unsuitable’ according to the Home Office’s own guidance. We made a total of 226 safeguarding referrals due to concerns about individual patient safety and wellbeing.

    “People are dying at the UK borders, dying in camps and hotels. Our patients in Wethersfield have survived conflict, persecution, and harrowing journeys to the UK with no safe route to asylum. The government should not be putting refugees into camps once they arrive here,” says Simon Tyler, Executive Director of DOTW.

    Despite evidence that mass containment causes immense psychological harm and suffering, and the government’s own promises to end its use, Wethersfield remains open. In April 2025, Prime Minister Starmer refused to set a date for when the site would close.

    “It is beyond comprehension that Wethersfield remains open, a site which has been the source of intense suffering for people who came to the UK in search of safety. From MSF’s work at the site, we know many of the individuals accommodated here have experienced violence and trauma and will have complex psychological needs,” says Jacob Burns, project manager for MSF. “We had hoped this Labour government would establish a dignified and compassionate asylum system. Instead, we are witnessing a continuation of the same inhumane and restrictive policies, that are fundamentally failing those who are most in need of care and protection.”

    MSF calls on the UK government to:

    • Close Wethersfield immediately and end the policy of mass containment for people seeking safety in the UK.
    • Place people seeking safety in the UK in dignified and safe accommodation in the community.
    • Ensure access to specialist mental health support for asylum seekers in the UK.
    • Home Office accommodation sites must have clear and transparent safeguarding pathways in place before opening.
    • Open new and expand existing safe routes for people seeking safety to reach the UK.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Medical Laboratory Technologists Board responds to requests for clinical practice/attachment hours

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Medical Laboratory Technologists Board responds to requests for clinical practice/attachment hours 
    The MLT Board is aware of a statement made by individual groups and training institutions regarding the hours required for clinical practice/attachment for medical laboratory technologists and responds today (May 15) as follows:
     
    The MLT Board, established under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359), is a statutory body that reviews the training arrangements of MLT from time to time to enhance their professional development. The MLT Board has started to discuss and review the requirement for clinical practice/attachment in the curriculum since 2023. It has agreed to strengthen the training of students in different medical laboratory-related areas under the principle that the overall number of training hours should remain unchanged. The　objective is to ensure that the curriculum keeps abreast of the times and aligns with the latest developments in the medical field.
     
    Since 2023, the Registration Committee of MLT Board has been discussing and reviewing the hours required for clinical practice/attachment, which were formulated in 2013. Subsequently, at the MLT Board meeting of February 5, 2024, the MLT Board endorsed revising the required hours for clinical practice/attachment from 400 hours, covering only four basic areas, namely “Clinical Microbiology & Infection”, “Anatomical Pathology”, “Chemical Pathology” and “Haematology”, to 200 hours. This change will enable the institutions to allocate the released 200 hours to elective study modules according to the characteristics of their respective curricula without affecting the total number of hours. Under this arrangement, institutions can optimise the released training time to strengthen students’ learning in the basic areas or arrange for the students to explore other medical laboratory-related subjects beyond the basic areas, such as clinical immunology, molecular techniques and genetic testing etc. This encourages the diversified development of different institutions while maintaining their professional standards. Contrary to the allegation made in the statement, it is not a hasty reduction of clinical practice/attachment hours from 400 to 200 before graduation.
     
    Before making the decision, the MLT Board has been in close liaison with the industry through its Registration Committee (which comprises institutions, members of the associations and practitioners from different work backgrounds) and has held in-depth discussions on various accreditation requirements. Meetings were held to discuss the above issues and a Working Group on Review of Accreditation Criteria and Checklist was set up to invite experts to provide views in optimising the accreditation criteria and to continuously review both the local and international situations. The allegation that “academic institutions and industry stakeholders were not adequately consulted” is off the mark. The MLT Board stands ready to further explain to the MLT industry and training institutions the rationale of revising the required hours for clinical practice/attachment , and will work closely with stakeholders on the implementation details to facilitate the smooth execution of the resolution.
     
    The MLT Board is a statutory body established under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359) to promote adequate standards of professional practice and of professional conduct in the MLT professions. The MLT Board members (see Annex) comprises a wide representation of stakeholders, who are from the medical laboratory testing and medical professions, professional education, the Government, the Hospital Authority, and private sector.
    Issued at HKT 20:54

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Seminar held for nat’l security tutors

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Home Affairs Department today held a seminar for National Security Education District Tutors to further support them to effectively promote national security education in the community and enhance public awareness of safeguarding national security.

    Around 700 district tutors from the 18 Districts attended the seminar held at the Central Government Offices to mark the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the National Security Law (NSL).

    Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, and Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk spoke at the seminar.

    In her address, Miss Mak said the Government officially launched the National Security Education District Tutor Training Scheme in November last year and that as of early April this year, over 3,000 district tutors have completed the training and disseminated messages on national security to over 120,000 individuals in the community. 

    Delivering a keynote speech, Mr Cheung elaborated on the situation in Hong Kong since the NSL’s implementation, the current national security risks faced by the city and the importance of enhancing national security education.

    Mr Cheuk’s keynote speech outlined the current security risks in Hong Kong and the Government’s response strategies. He encouraged district tutors to learn more about the Constitution, the Basic Law, and Hong Kong’s laws on safeguarding national security, and actively integrate into the country to recognise the close ties of the cultures of Hong Kong and the Mainland which share the same origin.

    Additionally, Li Ka-ying and Chu Wai-lam shared their valuable experiences as district tutors.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EIA forecasts world oil consumption growth to slow amid less economic activity

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    May 15, 2025

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), May 2025, and Oxford Economics
    Note: Excludes 2020 and 2021 as outlier years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    We forecast consumption growth of crude oil and other liquid fuels will slow over the next two years, driven by a slowdown in economic growth, particularly in Asia, in our May Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).

    The world economy, measured by GDP, increases 2.8% in 2025 and 2026 in our forecast. Excluding the years of global economic contraction in 2020 and 2009, these economic growth rates would be the lowest since 2008. Considerable uncertainty over world trade, manufacturing, and investment points to downside risk in economic growth, which has a direct effect on oil consumption.

    Economic activity uses energy. Increases in population, individual mobility, the shipping of goods, and industrial output result in more oil consumption. Since the year 2000, annual oil consumption growth has been the lowest during the years when the world economy grew by less than 3%. World oil consumption was around 103 million barrels per day (b/d) last year based on preliminary estimates.

    The tariffs announced on U.S. trading partners in early April may have already slowed global trade in physical goods, based on preliminary container vessel departure data from Bloomberg. Less global trade will lead to fewer shipments of goods on vessels as well as fewer trucking deliveries and could affect employment and leisure travel as well. All these factors weigh on oil consumption growth.

    Although oil consumption will still grow, we forecast it will grow by less than 1 million b/d in 2025 and 2026, which would be three consecutive years below 1 million b/d. During the two decades before the pandemic, world oil consumption grew by an average of 1.3 million b/d.

    The biggest forecast slowdown in oil consumption growth is in Asia. Compared with our January STEO, when we forecasted oil consumption growth in Asia to average 0.7 million b/d over 2025 and 2026, we now expect consumption growth will slow to average 0.5 million b/d over those years.

    We forecast smaller changes in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Globally, we revised our world oil consumption growth forecasts down by 0.4 million b/d from the January STEO for 2025 and by 0.1 million b/d for 2026.

    Our forecast remains highly uncertain and subject to change. Leading economic indicators including vessel traffic, truck tonnage, and airport passenger throughput can provide insight into real-time economic activity and provide clues to global oil consumption trends. Market participants can also follow our Weekly Petroleum Status Report for trends in U.S. petroleum consumption (as measured by product supplied). The United States accounts for about one-fifth of world oil consumption.

    Principal contributor: Jeff Barron

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Labour force participation at 55.6% in April, shows first monthly PLFS bulletin

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the first Monthly Bulletin of the revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April 2025. The report highlights key employment and unemployment indicators, including the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), across rural and urban India based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) of individuals aged 15 years and above.
     
    As per the bulletin, the overall LFPR stood at 55.6 per cent during April 2025. Rural areas recorded a higher participation rate at 58.0 per cent, while urban areas reported 50.7 per cent. Among males in the same age group, LFPR was significantly higher—79.0 per cent in rural areas and 75.3 per cent in urban regions. Female participation, though lower, showed encouraging figures, with rural female LFPR at 38.2 per cent.
     
    The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which represents the proportion of employed individuals in the population, was recorded at 52.8 per cent at the national level. Rural areas registered a WPR of 55.4 per cent, while in urban areas, it stood at 47.4 per cent. Among women, the WPR was 36.8 per cent in rural areas and 23.5 per cent in urban areas, with an overall female WPR of 32.5 per cent.
     
    The unemployment rate in April 2025 was observed at 5.1 per cent for individuals aged 15 years and above. The unemployment rate for males was slightly higher at 5.2 per cent, while for females it stood at 5.0 per cent.
     
    These estimates mark the beginning of a new phase in labour force statistics, following a revamp of the PLFS methodology from January 2025. The revised survey design aims to generate more frequent and comprehensive data. Under the new rotational panel sampling approach, each selected household is visited four times over four consecutive months, allowing for a 75 per cent overlap of first-stage sampling units between any two months. This design ensures better comparability and continuity in data collection.
     
    During April 2025, a total of 7,511 first-stage sampling units were covered nationwide, including 4,140 in rural areas and 3,371 in urban areas. The survey included 89,434 households and covered a population of 3,80,838 individuals, comprising 2,17,483 from rural areas and 1,63,355 from urban locations.
     
    The revamped PLFS also aims to extend quarterly estimates to rural India, which were previously limited to urban areas. The restructured sample design has increased the number of households surveyed within each sampling unit from 8 to 12.

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/BURKINA FASO – The JNIM group intensifies attacks in several towns in the Country

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides) – The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a Sahelian jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda, has intensified its attacks against military and civilian targets in Burkina Faso. The jihadist offensive began on May 11 with an assault on the Djibo military camp in the province of Soum, in the north of the country. According to local reports, the jihadists managed to take control of the camp and looted the facilities. The attacks have also affected towns in the north-central, east-central, and southern regions of the country. In videos posted on its media channels, JNIM claims to have caused the deaths of around sixty regular soldiers and a dozen paramilitaries of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP). Local sources also report the deaths of around 20 civilians and several structures such as homes and health centers have been destroyed. In Diapaga, in northeastern Burkina Faso, jihadists took over the military camp, killed dozens of soldiers, seized the arsenal, and freed prisoners from the local jail. Images released by the group show fighters dressed in military uniforms, some of whom wear Malian army insignia. JNIM openly opposes the governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Although local authorities have not confirmed these events, the so-called Patriotic Pact of Burkinabe Media (PPMB), promoted by the High Council of Communication (CSC), was apparently signed on May 14 in the capital, Ouagadougou. The objective of the pact is to “support defense efforts through coherent communication, promote the actions of the Defense and Security Forces, strengthen civic education, and preserve social cohesion.” The Council of Ministers also announced the creation of a military college to “train a strategic elite, adapted to national and regional security challenges.” Finally, unverified reports are circulating on social media about the presence in the country of some 700 North Korean special forces, allegedly sent to support the Burkinabe government. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/5/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – Between Kashmir and Baluchistan: “Now is the time for unity and peace”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Mostafameraji – Wiki Commons

    Karachi (Agenzia Fides) – “Now is the time for unity and peace. I would like to recall the words of Pope Leo XIV: Peace be with you. We address this message to India, to our Indian brothers, with whom we are called to build coexistence, and also to our brothers in Baluchistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan,” Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi, told Fides. In recent days, tensions have flared between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region, a conflict for which a truce has been signed. In the west of the country, the situation has also worsened with the intensification of the conflict in Baluchistan, one of the provinces that form the Pakistani territory, in which an irredentist movement has been present since the time of Pakistan’s independence. Recently, civil society leader Mir Yar Baloch declared that “Balochistan is not Pakistan,” calling for independence from Pakistan and appealing for support from India and the international community. He has denounced decades of violence, forced disappearances, and human rights violations in the region. Father Rodrigues, who began his pastoral work in Balochistan as a young priest, recalls: “There I met peaceful, hospitable, life-loving people. We defend human dignity, fundamental rights, prosperity for all, and reject all forms of violence. Unfortunately, when terror erupts in the region, the military intervenes, and I can imagine the suffering this causes for the civilian population.” Today, Balochistan represents a concern for the Pakistani government. Despite this, the priest insists on the importance of promoting national unity and including all ethnic and religious groups and launch an appeal for the unity of Pakistan and for peace,” says the priest. “In Karachi, the Baloch communities are well integrated. We have Baloch children in our school, who live in complete harmony with their classmates. That is the model to follow,” says Rodrigues, currently principal of St. Patrick High School, a Catholic institution with more than 4,000 students.The local population continues to report serious human rights violations committed against civilians and those who oppose the policies of the Pakistani government, considered repressive. The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), an insurgent group active in the region, has carried out violent attacks. On March 11, it hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar with at least 380 people on board. The hijacking ended after the intervention of the Pakistani army. The province of Baluchistan has been involved in insurgencies and conflicts by Baloch separatists since 1948.An estimated 7 million Baloch people live in Pakistan, mainly in the province of Baluchis, although there are also significant communities in Sindh and Punjab. They represent about 3.6% of the national population. Baloch communities are also found in Iran and Afghanistan. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/5/2025)
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