NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohkay Owingeh Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Ohkay Owingeh man was federally indicted on multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse for allegedly using force and threats to commit violent sexual acts.

    According to court documents, Ashkia Randy Lee Trujillo, 30, an enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Tribe, is accused of unlawfully and knowingly engaging in sexual acts with the victim on August 29, 2019. The indictment alleges that Trujillo used force, threats, and placed the victim in fear of death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping during the commission of these acts.

    Trujillois charged with three counts aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Trujillofaces up to life years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta Next: Albertans to decide path forward for the province

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    Albertans have always been loyal, proud and generous Canadians.

    We love Canada. We have fought wars and died defending Canada. We have opened our doors wide for millions of our fellow Canadians searching for opportunity – many of whom stay and become Albertan, and many who return home to their native province. All have been welcomed with open arms.

    Our province has contributed hundreds of billions of dollars more to the federal treasury for use in other parts of the country than we’ll ever receive back in benefits. We have allowed this to occur because, quite frankly, we know how blessed our province is with an endowment of natural resources that no other country on earth possesses – and we want all of our friends, families and fellow Canadians across the country to benefit from it.

    We do not ask for special treatment or handouts.

    We just want to be free. Free to develop and export that incredible wealth of resources we have for the benefit of our families and future generations. Free to pursue opportunities with the ideals of entrepreneurship, hard work and innovation that have become synonymous with the name of our province. Freedom to choose how best to provide health care, education and other needed social services to our people – even if its done differently than what Ottawa has in mind.

    Strong and Free is more than just our provincial motto – it represents who we are and how we want to live as a people.

    And that is why Albertans are so frustrated with the direction of our country.

    For the last 10 years, successive Liberal Governments in Ottawa – supported by their New Democrat allies – have unleashed a tidal wave of laws, policies and political attacks aimed directly at Alberta’s free economy – and in effect – against the future and livelihoods of our people.

    They have blocked new pipelines with C-69, cancelled multiple oil and gas projects, and banned the very tanker ships needed to carry those resources to new markets.

    They have stacked an oil and gas production cap on top of a crippling industrial carbon tax, making new energy and agricultural projects economically impossible to pursue without massive subsidies from governments – which Ottawa has failed to provide and which our taxpayers cannot afford.

    This onslaught of anti-energy, anti-agriculture and anti-resource development policies have scared away global investment to the tune of over a half a trillion dollars – driving those investments and jobs out of Alberta and Canada to much more attractive investment climates in the United States, Asia and the Middle East.

    Having travelled much of the world these past few years, it is evident that Canada is not viewed as an attractive place to invest in resource development, manufacturing or agriculture because of our high carbon taxes, endless red tape, and the uncertainty and chaos brought about by these and other federal government policies.

    As a result, Canada has fallen to dead last in economic growth among industrialized nations. The world looks at us like we have lost our minds. We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth – and yet we landlock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch.

    For Albertans – these attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable.

    As I said, these policies have cost Albertans roughly a half a trillion dollars in investment – and that loss is growing daily. It has and will continue to cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, robbing countless Albertans and other Canadians of their means of providing for their families. It has cost us a decade of opportunities and tens of billions in lost royalties that could have been invested in the health, education, infrastructure and social services Albertans and Canadians need.

    And what’s worse, Ottawa continues onward with more destructive policies.

    They have imposed net-zero mandates on our natural gas-based power grid causing investment in reliable generation from natural gas to flee, thereby endangering the future stability of our power grid, and risking future blackouts and spikes in electricity costs for Alberta families and businesses.

    They have attacked our food producers with methane taxes, onerous regulations on fertilizer, electric vehicle mandates, and many other destructive policies that have hiked costs on our farmers and ranchers, and driven billions of dollars of investment in agriculture elsewhere.

    They have interfered in provincial jurisdiction time and again. From taking over the regulation of plastics, to mandating how we operate child care, health care and dental care, to harassing law abiding firearms owners, to dozens of other examples of unconstitutional interference.

    And of course, Alberta has fought back. We always have and always will.

    We passed the Sovereignty within a United Canada Act and have invoked it twice to protect Albertans as best we can from the effects of the net zero electricity regulations and energy production cap.

    We have beat the feds in court on both the “no new pipelines law” C-69 and their attempt to regulate plastics (though they have ignored both court decisions to this point) — and we have just announced a court challenge on the net zero electricity regulations and are further preparing to also challenge the energy production cap.

    We continue to do all in our power to counteract Ottawa’s chill on investment in energy, agriculture and our other job sectors through various tax cuts and incentive programs which greatly strain the provincial budget.

    We have fought these attacks from Ottawa furiously and have won some important battles, but the lost opportunities, jobs and futures of so many Albertans are costly and demoralizing — as are the growing number of eastern politicians who choose to openly demonize and target Alberta for political gain.

    That is why a large majority of Albertans are so deeply frustrated with the results of last week’s federal election.

    It’s not that our preferred candidate and party lost. That happens in a democracy.

    It’s that the same Liberal government with almost all of the same Ministers responsible for our nation’s inflation, housing, crime and budget crisis, and that oversaw the attack on our provincial economy for the past 10 years – have been returned to power.

    Now, as we all know, one thing has changed. We have a new Prime Minister. And I will say that in my first conversation with him since the election, he had some promising things to say about changing the direction of his government’s anti-resource policies.

    However, Albertans are more of a “actions speak louder than words” kind of people.

    So while I will in good faith work with Prime Minister Mark Carney on unwinding the mountain of destructive legislation and policies that have ravaged our provincial and national economies this past decade —- until I see tangible proof of real change —- Alberta will be taking steps to better protect ourselves from Ottawa.

    As a start, I will soon appoint a Special Negotiating Team to represent our province in negotiations with the federal government on the following reforms requested by our province. We hope this will result in a binding agreement that Albertans can have confidence in – call it an Alberta Accord if you will.

    First, Alberta requires guaranteed corridor and port access to tidewater off the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic coasts for the international export of Alberta oil, gas, critical minerals and other resources in amounts supported by the free market, rather than by the dictates and whims of Ottawa.

    Every province in the country, other than Alberta and Saskatchewan, have coastal port access, and no province needs it more given the size and value of our resources. This will benefit all Canadians to the tune of trillions of dollars of economic activity including billions for First Nations’ partners.

    Second. The federal government must end all federal interference in the development of provincial resources by repealing the no new pipelines law, C-69, the oil tanker ban, the net zero electricity regulations, the oil and gas emissions cap, the net zero vehicle mandate, and any federal law or regulation that purports to regulate industrial carbon emissions, plastics, or the commercial free speech of energy companies. These laws are destroying investment confidence and costing Canada and Alberta hundreds of billions in investments each year.

    They need to go.

    Third. The federal government must refrain from imposing export taxes or restrictions on the export of Alberta resources without the consent of the Government of Alberta. Frankly, all provinces should be given that same respect for their resources.

    And fourth, the federal government must provide to Alberta the same per capita federal transfers and equalization as is received by the other three largest provinces – Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. We have no issue with Alberta continuing to subsidize smaller provinces with their needs, but there is no excuse for such large and powerful economies like Ontario, Quebec, B.C. or Alberta to be subsidizing one another. That was never the intent of equalization, and it needs to end.

    If these points can be agreed to by the federal government, I am convinced it will not only make Alberta and Canada an infinitely stronger and more prosperous country, but will eliminate the doubts a growing number of Albertans feel about the future of Alberta in Canada.

    While these negotiations with Ottawa are ongoing, our government will appoint, and I will chair, the ‘Alberta Next’ panel. This panel will be composed of some of our best and brightest judicial, academic and economic minds, to join with me in a series of in-person and online town halls to discuss Alberta’s future in Canada, and specifically, what next steps can we take as a province to better protect Alberta from any current or future hostile policies of the federal government. Details of the membership and scope of that panel will also be released in the coming weeks.

    After the work of the panel is finished, it is likely we will place some of the more popular ideas discussed with the panel to a provincial referendum so all Albertans can vote on them sometime in 2026.

    To be clear from the outset, our government will not be putting a vote on separation from Canada on the referendum ballot; however, if there is a successful citizen-led referendum petition that is able to gather the requisite number of signatures requesting such a question to be put to a referendum, our government will respect the democratic process and include that question on the 2026 provincial referendum ballot as well.

    I also want to state unequivocally that as Premier, I am entirely committed to protecting, upholding and honouring the inherent rights of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Therefore, ANY citizen-initiated referendum question MUST not violate the constitutional rights of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and must uphold and honour Treaties 6, 7 and 8 should any referendum question ever pass. This is non-negotiable.

    Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – that being separation.

    We are well aware that there is large and growing number of Albertans that have lost hope in Alberta having a free and prosperous future as a part of Canada. Many of these Albertans are organizing petitions to trigger a citizen-initiated referendum, as I mentioned earlier. The vast majority of these individuals are not fringe voices to be marginalized or vilified – they are loyal Albertans. They are quite literally our friends and neighbours who have just had enough of having their livelihoods and prosperity attacked by a hostile federal government. They are frustrated – and they have every reason to be.

    I want to talk directly to those Albertans.

    I know how frustrated so many of you have become with our country and the feeling of having politicians living thousands of miles away passing laws and rules that have cost you or your loved ones, jobs, careers, dreams, and opportunities for a brighter future.

    As most Albertans know, I have repeatedly stated I do not support Alberta separating from Canada. I personally still have hope that there is a path forward for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada. Let me explain a few reasons why.

    First, Alberta already has and can continue to use the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act and other measures to fight through much of Ottawa’s damaging interference and prosper in spite of it. We will also continue our successful battles against these unconstitutional and damaging policies in both the Courts of law and public opinion.

    But there is more to be hopeful for. This past election demonstrated that attitudes across the country, especially among young people, are changing with respect to understanding the importance of free markets and the development of our natural resources. People are pushing back against government censorship and ‘cancel culture’. More and more Canadians understand that in order for Canada to play a role in ending conflict and poverty at home and abroad – our country must become strong again. And we can only do that by becoming an energy and economic superpower using the vast and unmatched energy, mineral resources and fertile lands of our country.

    85 per cent of Canadians in this last election voted for the two leaders promising to turn Canada into an energy superpower and to build resource corridors, including for oil and gas – while only 13 per cent voted for the fringe voices in the socialist NDP and Bloc parties and their extremist “leave it in the ground” policies.

    Obviously, we have a ways to go and it will take a lot of work to undo the damage caused by these last 10 years of Liberal/NDP rule, but that clear change in public opinion gives me hope. I think it should give all Albertans hope

    Now, none of us know what the future holds should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade. Ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide and I will accept their judgement.

    But I am going to do everything within my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new Prime Minister. And while doing so, our government will work with Albertans on various initiatives to better protect Alberta’s provincial sovereignty and economy from Ottawa should those negotiations fail, and the economic attacks continue.

    Alberta didn’t start this fight, but rest assured…we will finish it…and come out of it stronger and more prosperous than ever.

    In closing, I want Albertans to know how important it will be, in the coming months, for our province to be steadfast, unified and to refrain from heeding the voices of those seeking to divide Albertans against one another.

    There will be many outside – and even inside this province – who will try and sow fear and anger among us. They will seek to divide us into different camps for the purpose of marginalizing and vilifying one other based on differing opinions. Effectively pitting neighbour against neighbour — and Albertan against Albertan.

    That is not the Alberta way. It’s not who we are. And it’s not who I am.

    There are thousands of Albertans that are so frustrated with the last ten years of Ottawa’s attacks on their friends’ and family’s livelihoods that they feel Alberta would be stronger and more prosperous as an independent nation. That is an understandable and justifiable feeling to have even if we disagree on what to do about it. These Albertans are not traitors, nor should they ever be treated as such. They just love their province and family and want a better future than the one Ottawa is offering right now.

    There are also thousands of Albertans that are so attached and loyal to their identity as Canadians that there is nothing Ottawa has done to our province that would justify Alberta leaving Canada. Its not that they think everything is perfect or we’ve been treated fairly – they just believe being part of Canada, despite those problems, has much more value than leaving. These individuals are also loyal Albertans and should never be accused of being anything less.

    And then there are hundreds of thousands of Albertans that probably feel a lot like I do —- that are deeply frustrated with the way our province has been mistreated and damaged by successive federal Liberal governments and are not willing to tolerate the status quo any longer. But these Albertans still believe there is a viable path to a strong, free and sovereign Alberta empowered to succeed and prosper within a united Canada. A Canada where the federal government actually honours the constitution, upholds provincial rights, and empowers provinces to pursue their unique potentials as their people so choose.

    Regardless of what each of us believes about this issue, or what path we think is best; we, as Albertans, must be able to respectfully debate and discuss these issues with our friends, family members and neighbours.

    I know that if we do that — in the end, our province will find the best solution for this immense challenge we face, and come out of it stronger and more free than ever.

    I’ll always put my faith in Albertans to find that right path. I trust you.

    May our beautiful Alberta always remain forever strong and free.

    Related information

    • A media availability will follow on May 6 at 12 p.m.
    • Alberta Next: Albertans to decide path forward for the province

    Multimedia

    • Watch the Premier’s address to Albertans

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer Urges ICE To Improve Treatment Of Detained Scholar Badar Khan Suri

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) today pressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reevaluate its detention of his constituent, Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Dr. Badar Khan Suri. In a letter, Beyer urged ICE to consider Dr. Khan Suri’s eligibility for release and to reevaluate his custody classification.

    Dr. Khan Suri is a legally admitted visiting scholar with no prior criminal record, he has not been charged with a crime, and the obscure immigration provision with which he has been charged is not a ground for mandatory detention. However, he is currently held in ICE custody at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas where he has been deemed a high-risk custody detainee requiring maximum security control and supervision. Dr. Khan Suri was detained by masked agents outside of his home in Rosslyn and charged with removability under a seldom used, Cold War-era immigration provision allowing the for the deportation of individuals deemed potential foreign policy risks. The Trump Administration is abusing this provision to instill fear and silence dissent on college campuses.

    Rep. Beyer wrote

    “I write about the alarming arrest and detention of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a J-1 visa holder and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University. Dr. Khan Suri is currently held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where he has been deemed a high-risk custody detainee requiring maximum security control and supervision. However, Dr. Khan Suri has not been charged with a crime and is a legally admitted visiting scholar with no prior criminal record. The obscure immigration provision with which he has been charged does not subject him to mandatory detention. I urge you to reconsider his eligibility for release and at minimum, the reevaluation of his custody classification.

    “Dr. Khan Suri was, within days, transferred to a far-away immigration detention facility in Alexandria, Louisiana and is now being held at the Prairieland Detention Center, 1,300 miles away from his home. Once at the Prairieland Detention Center, Dr. Khan Suri was informed of his classification as a high-risk custody detainee. This classification is typically reserved for serious and violent criminal offenses, institutional disciplinary history, or affiliations to criminal organizations. As a result of the security protocols applied to this high-risk classification, Dr. Khan Suri is only permitted two hours per week of recreation, and he is not permitted to work or spend more time outside his cell. According to legal counsel, Dr. Khan Suri was also initially denied religious accommodations, including Halal food, Ramadan fasting accommodations, a Quran, and a prayer mat.

    “He has not been charged with a crime and has no prior criminal record. The invocation of his removability under 8 U.S.C. §1227(a)(4)(C) does not subject him to mandatory detention, and more importantly, are a violation of his protected speech, viewpoint, religion, national origin, and protected associations. The circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention raise serious concerns about civil liberties and academic freedom. For these reasons, we urge you to reconsider Dr. Badar Khan Suri’s eligibility for release. At minimum, his custody classification should be immediately reevaluated. Additionally, I request any documentation and materials in ICE’s possession related to Badar Khan Suri’s classification decision.”

    Full text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.

    ***

    Dear Acting Director Lyons:

    I write about the alarming arrest and detention of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a J-1 visa holder and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University. Dr. Khan Suri is currently held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where he has been deemed a high-risk custody detainee requiring maximum security control and supervision. However, Dr. Khan Suri has not been charged with a crime and is a legally admitted visiting scholar with no prior criminal record. The obscure immigration provision with which he has been charged does not subject him to mandatory detention. I urge you to reconsider his eligibility for release and at minimum, the reevaluation of his custody classification.

    On the evening of March 17, 2025, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national with valid J-1 visa status as a visiting scholar, was arrested and detained by masked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents outside of his Arlington, Virginia home. Dr. Khan Suri was charged with removability under 8 U.S.C. §1227(a)(4)(C), a rarely invoked immigration provision allowing the government to seek the deportation of individuals deemed potential foreign policy risks by the Secretary of State.

    Dr. Khan Suri is one of many visa-holders across the country, like Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and others, who have been targeted amid President Donald Trump’s pursual of policies to instill fear and silence dissent on college campuses. Such policies are an assault on freedoms protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

    Dr. Khan Suri was, within days, transferred to a far-away immigration detention facility in Alexandria, Louisiana and is now being held at the Prairieland Detention Center, 1,300 miles away from his home. Once at the Prairieland Detention Center, Dr. Khan Suri was informed of his classification as a high-risk custody detainee. This classification is typically reserved for serious and violent criminal offenses, institutional disciplinary history, or affiliations to criminal organizations. As a result of the security protocols applied to this high-risk classification, Dr. Khan Suri is only permitted two hours per week of recreation, and he is not permitted to work or spend more time outside his cell. According to legal counsel, Dr. Khan Suri was also initially denied religious accommodations, including Halal food, Ramadan fasting accommodations, a Quran, and a prayer mat.

    At the time of his arrest, Dr. Khan Suri was a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he was teaching a course on Majoritarianism & Minority Rights in South Asia. He is married to a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent, with whom he has three children: a nine-year-old son and five-year-old twins – a boy and a girl.

    He has not been charged with a crime and has no prior criminal record. The invocation of his removability under 8 U.S.C. §1227(a)(4)(C) does not subject him to mandatory detention, and more importantly, are a violation of his protected speech, viewpoint, religion, national origin, and protected associations. The circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention raise serious concerns about civil liberties and academic freedom. For these reasons, we urge you to reconsider Dr. Badar Khan Suri’s eligibility for release. At minimum, his custody classification should be immediately reevaluated. Additionally, I request any documentation and materials in ICE’s possession related to Badar Khan Suri’s classification decision.  

    Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to your response regarding his release and documents pertaining to his classification decision. Please respond no later than May 12, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Banks, Rep. Mrvan Push for Northwest Indiana Hydrogen Hub

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

    Washington, D.C – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Representative Frank Mrvan (IN-01) sent a bipartisan letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright urging the Trump administration to prioritize Northwest Indiana as a regional Hydrogen Hub.  They highlighted the region’s unmatched manufacturing strength, existing energy infrastructure, and readiness to lead in blue hydrogen production using natural gas and carbon capture.  The lawmakers argued that investing in Indiana’s hydrogen project would support President Trump’s push for American energy dominance, create jobs, lower costs, and strengthen the U.S. industrial base for decades to come.

    In part, the letter reads:  “Prioritizing a Hydrogen Hub in Northwest Indiana is a bold, pro-America decision that plays to our state’s strengths.  Indiana offers the Hoosier workforce, infrastructure and industrial knowledge to deliver results fast.  This project is a key step in strengthening America’s energy dominance, ensuring we remain the world leader in energy production while creating jobs and boosting economic growth.  We respectfully ask that the Administration make the Hydrogen Hub project in Indiana a top priority.”

    The full text of the letter is below and a pdf is available here.

    We write today to express our strong support for the ongoing development of blue hydrogen energy in Northwest Indiana’s industrial corridor. 

    This region is home to a dense manufacturing hub, containing the largest inland oil refinery and two of the largest integrated steel production facilities in our nation.  For over a century, major industry titans have made decisions to invest and locate along Northwest Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline.  As a result, Hoosiers in the Northwest region and across the state have been world leaders in manufacturing.

    Keeping in line with President Trump’s efforts to bolster American energy, this Hydrogen Hub presents a significant opportunity to expand energy production.  In particular, the Whiting “Refinery in Northwest Indiana is an ideal location for blue hydrogen production, which is produced from clean and reliable natural gas using carbon capture technology.  Blue hydrogen offers a quick, cost-effective solution by utilizing existing infrastructure, and will provide a scalable energy source capable of meeting immediate energy demands.  Investing in blue hydrogen production at this facility will bolster existing supply chains and will best position the United States for energy dominance. 

    Further, we believe the success of the hydrogen energy project will support the Administration’s stated goal to reshore our critical industries and strengthen our manufacturing base.  With our region’s established downstream infrastructure, midstream pipeline capacity and manufacturing prowess, the continued support for this project will ensure that our energy and steel industries remain well positioned for success into the next century. 

    Notably, the Whiting Refinery in Northwest Indiana can process up to 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily and would be an ideal site to locate a regional Hydrogen Hub.  Continuing this project means investing in Hoosiers and a state that delivers.  Indiana is ready to lead the way in blue hydrogen innovation, strengthening American manufacturing, boosting our domestic energy supply and lowering costs by maximizing the potential of our abundant and reliable fossil fuel resources.

    Prioritizing a Hydrogen Hub in Northwest Indiana is a bold, pro-America decision that plays to our state’s strengths.  Indiana offers the Hoosier workforce, infrastructure and industrial knowledge to deliver results fast.  This project is a key step in strengthening America’s energy dominance, ensuring we remain the world leader in energy production while creating jobs and boosting economic growth.  We respectfully ask that the Administration make the Hydrogen Hub project in Indiana a top priority.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI systems are built on English – but not the kind most of the world speaks

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Associate professor, Chair of Linguistics and Director of Language Lab, The University of Western Australia

    Reihaneh Golpayegani / Better Images of AI, CC BY

    An estimated 90% of the training data for current generative AI systems stems from English. However, English is an international lingua franca with about 1.5 billion speakers worldwide, and countless varieties.

    So whose English is today’s technology based on? The answer is primarily the English of mainstream America.

    This is no accident. Mainstream American English is entrenched in the digital infrastructure of the internet, in Silicon Valley’s corporate priorities, and in the data sets that fuel everything from autocorrect to AI-generated synthetic text.

    The consequence? AI models produce a monolithic version of English that erases variation, excludes minoritised and regional voices, and reinforces unequal power dynamics.

    The hegemony of mainstream American English

    The proliferation of American English online is a result of historical, economic and technological factors. The United States has been a dominant force in the development of the internet, content creation, and the rise of tech giants such as Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI.

    Unsurprisingly, the linguistic norms embedded in products by these companies are overwhelmingly mainstream American.

    A recent study found that speakers of non-mainstream English were frustrated with the “homogeneity of AI accents” in voice-cloning and speech-generation technologies. One participant noted the predominant mainstream American accents in the voices available, stating the technologies had been built “with some other people in mind”.

    Mainstream varieties of English have long reigned as the “standard” against which other varieties are weighed.

    To take a single example from the US, linguistics research by John Baugh found that using different accents can determine people’s access to goods and services. When Baugh called different landlords about housing advertised in the local newspaper, using a mainstream accent procured him several housing inspections while using African-American and Latino accents did not.

    The prestige of mainstream English also underpins algorithmic decisions. The models behind tools such as autocorrect, voice-to-text, or even AI writing assistants are most often trained on mainstream American-centric data. This is often scraped from the web, where US-based media, forums and platforms dominate.

    This means variations in grammar, syntax and vocabulary from other varieties of English are systematically ignored, misinterpreted or outright “corrected”.

    Whose English is perceived as adding value?

    The stakes of this linguistic bias in favour of mainstream English become even higher when AI systems are deployed around the world.

    If an AI tutor fails to understand a Nigerian English construction, who bears the cost? If a job application written in Indian English is marked down by an AI-powered resume scanner, what are the consequences? If an Australian First Nations elder’s oral history is transcribed by voice recognition software and the system fails to capture culturally significant terms, what knowledge is lost or misrepresented?

    These questions are unfolding in real time as governments, educational institutions and corporations adopt AI technologies at scale.

    Englishes, not English

    The idea that there is one “good” or “correct” English is a myth. English is spoken in diverse forms across regions, shaped by local societies, cultures, histories and identities.

    As Noongar writer and educator Glenys Collard and I have written, Aboriginal English has “its own structure, rules and the same potential as any other linguistic variety” and the same is true of other forms of English.

    Indian English, for example, has lexical innovations such as “prepone” (the opposite of postpone). Singapore English (Singlish) integrates particles and syntactic features from Malay, Hokkien and Tamil.

    These are not “broken” forms of English. Each community where English was imposed has gone on to make English its own.

    English, and language more generally, is never static. It adapts to meet the needs of an ever-changing society and its speakers.

    Yet in AI development, this linguistic diversity is often treated as noise rather than signal. Non-standardised varieties are underrepresented in training datasets, excluded from annotation schemes, and rarely feature in evaluation benchmarks.

    This results in an AI ecosystem that is multilingual in theory, but monolingual in practice.

    Toward linguistic justice in AI

    So, what would it look like to build AI systems that recognise and respect a range of different forms of English?

    A shift in mindset is required, from prescribing “correct” language to including many varieties of language. What we need are systems that accommodate linguistic variation.

    This may involve supporting community-led efforts to document and digitise linguistic varieties on their own terms, bearing in mind not all linguistic varieties should be digitised or documented.

    Collaboration across disciplines is also important. It requires linguists, technologists, educators and community leaders working together to ensure AI development is grounded in principles of linguistic justice.

    The goal is not to “fix” language but to create technology that produces just outcomes. The focus should be on changing the technology, not the speaker.

    Embracing Englishes

    English has been a powerful vehicle of empire, but it has also been a tool of resistance, creativity and solidarity. Around the world, speakers have taken the language and made it their own. AI-enabled systems should be built to be as inclusive of this variability as possible.

    So next time your phone tells you to “correct” your spelling, or an AI chatbot misunderstands your phrasing, ask yourself: whose English is it trying to model? And whose English is being left out?

    Celeste Rodriguez Louro has received funding from the Australian Research Council. She is also working with Google on a project seeking to make voice-operated technologies inclusive for First Nations people in Australia.

    – ref. AI systems are built on English – but not the kind most of the world speaks – https://theconversation.com/ai-systems-are-built-on-english-but-not-the-kind-most-of-the-world-speaks-249710

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What are the key risk factors for developing knee osteoarthritis? We reviewed the evidence

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Abdel Shaheed, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney

    Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease, affecting more than 3 million Australians and over 500 million people worldwide.

    The knee is the most commonly affected joint, but osteoarthritis can also affect other joints including the hips and hands. The condition causes painful and stiff joints.

    For someone with knee osteoarthritis, simple activities that many people take for granted such as walking, going up and down stairs or squatting can be very challenging.

    There’s currently no cure for osteoarthritis. Most available treatments, such as exercise, walking aids and medicines (including paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), focus on managing symptoms. But it’s important to consider how we can prevent knee osteoarthritis in the first place.

    With this in mind, we undertook a systematic review to summarise the risk factors for developing knee osteoarthritis. Our findings, published today in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, can help us better understand how to lower the risk of this condition.

    What we found

    We gathered data from studies which followed people over time, to see which risk factors were associated with developing knee osteoarthritis. We included a total of 131 studies, involving more than 5 million people.

    We identified more than 150 factors that influenced the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

    Some key factors which increased the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis included being overweight or obese, past knee injury and occupational physical activity such as lifting heavy objects and shift work.

    We also found several other possible risk factors, including:

    • eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods (which include “junk foods”, sugary drinks and processed meats)

    • poor sleep quality (for example, sleeping less than six hours a day or having 1–2 restless nights per week)

    • feeling depressed.

    Being overweight or obese and past knee injury together accounted for 14% of the overall risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

    In other words, if we were able to completely remove these two risk factors, we could potentially reduce the incidence of knee osteoarthritis in the population by 14%.

    Females had almost double the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, and older age was slightly related to developing knee osteoarthritis.

    Osteoarthritis of the knee affects millions of people worldwide.
    Towfiqu barbhuiya/Pexels

    Protective factors

    On the other hand, we found some factors may lower the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. These included following a Mediterranean diet (which includes plenty of vegetables, olive oil, nuts, fruit and healthy fats found in fish), and following a diet higher in fibre.

    Avoiding the things which increase the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis such as a diet high in ultra-processed foods, knee injury, weight gain and heavy lifting can also help a person reduce their risk of developing the condition.

    Exercise is an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. It can reduce pain and improve function.

    There was not enough information in our study to determine what types of physical activity (for example, walking, running, swimming) and how much time spent doing these activities could lower the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, so this is an important area for future research.

    How can we explain these links?

    The studies we included did not generally explore the possible mechanisms linking key risk factors with the development of knee osteoarthritis.

    However other research may provide some helpful insights. Knee injury can lead to instability of the knee joint and additional wear on the knee which can lead to knee osteoarthritis. Similarly, occupational physical activity such as kneeling, squatting, climbing or heavy lifting can increase the risk of wear and tear on the knee.

    Poor sleep has been linked to weight gain and depression.

    The duration and quality of sleep has been found to affect how much we eat and the hormones responsible for regulating metabolism. Depression has been linked to reduced physical activity which can lead to weight gain. Carrying extra weight can increase the load on the knee and contribute to knee osteoarthritis.

    Shift work can lead to bad food choices and lack of sleep, which in turn can increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

    So it seems that while the risk factors we found may be contributing individually to the development of knee osteoarthritis, they may also be interacting together to increase the risk.

    It’s not clear why women are at greater risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. However this is likely to be due to a combination of factors, including lifestyle, biological and hormonal factors.

    A Mediterranean diet is high in polyphenols, which can reduce inflammation in the body and destruction of cartilage. It may lower the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis in this way.

    Lifestyle changes could reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Most risk factors are modifiable

    There were some limitations with the available evidence. Most studies were based on populations from the United States, or did not report on ethnicity. We know little about the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis in certain groups such as people from Hispanic, African and Southeast Asian backgrounds. We need more studies exploring risk factors in other countries and populations.

    Nonetheless, a review like this allows us to better understand what can be done to lower the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

    We found most risk factors associated with developing knee osteoarthritis are modifiable, which means they can be changed or better managed with healthy diet and lifestyle choices. Eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight and taking proactive steps to prevent injuries in the workplace and sporting communities can potentially lower a person’s risk of developing the condition.

    Public health strategies aimed at encouraging healthy eating and weight loss (for example, subsidised nutrition programs and education programs starting from a young age to promote optimal diet and physical activity) could reduce the burden of knee osteoarthritis and have broader health benefits as well.

    Programs like these, as well as reducing heavy lifting in the workplace where possible, should be the focus of government strategies to address the burden of this painful condition globally.

    Christina Abdel Shaheed holds grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

    David Hunter receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

    Lyn March is on the executive committee of the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (a pro-bono role). This alliance advocates to the World Health Organization for a global strategy for addressing musculoskeletal health that includes promoting osteoarthritis prevention.

    Vicky Duong receives funding from Lenity Australia and the Medical Research Future Fund.

    – ref. What are the key risk factors for developing knee osteoarthritis? We reviewed the evidence – https://theconversation.com/what-are-the-key-risk-factors-for-developing-knee-osteoarthritis-we-reviewed-the-evidence-253722

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Bipartisan Push, Welch and Hawley Introduce Major Legislation to Lower Prescription Drug Prices 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today introduced the Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act, bipartisan legislation to lower drug prices for Americans. The Senators’ bill would offer relief for millions of patients by prohibiting pharmaceutical companies from selling drugs in the United States at higher prices than an international average, ending the practice of forcing Americans to pay the world’s highest prices for medications.  
    “No one should ever be forced to choose between paying for the prescriptions they need or putting food on the table. But Big Pharma’s price gouging has made that a reality for many Americans, forcing them to pay four or five times more for the same lifesaving medications as folks in other countries—it’s unacceptable,” said Senator Welch. “In his first term, President Trump pursued a most-favored nation policy to level the playing field for American patients. This bipartisan bill offers his administration a template to work with Congress to make that goal a reality. We have an obligation to ensure folks in Vermont, Missouri, and across the country get the best possible price for their prescription drugs.” 
    “For too long, Americans have subsidized prescription drug costs for foreigners while paying outrageous prices for their own medications,” said Senator Hawley. “President Trump previously advanced major reforms to ensure that American patients pay the same prices as consumers abroad. This bipartisan legislation would continue that work to end a drug market that favors Big Pharma, make prescriptions affordable again, and empower Americans to get the care they need.” 
    The Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act would correct decades of policies that benefited pharmaceutical companies but left American patients holding the bag. While other developed nations pay reasonable prices for prescription drugs, Americans pay substantially higher prices for the same medications. In his first term, President Trump pursued “international price index” and “most favored nation” policies on drugs covered by Medicare to end these practices.  
    The bill would also impose stiff civil monetary penalties on pharmaceutical companies that violate this rule. Specifically, the penalty would equal ten times the difference between the U.S. list price and the average price of the drug sold in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Penalties would be calculated and charged for each unit of drug or biological product sold at an inflated price. 
    Read and download the full text of the Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Onity Group to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) (“Onity” or the “Company”) today announced that executive management will participate in two upcoming conferences in May 2025.

    Glen Messina, Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Sean O’Neil, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will meet with investors at the following conferences:

    BTIG 5thAnnual Housing Ecosystem Conference
    Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    For more information, please contact USCorporateAccess@btig.com. Please note participants must be pre-registered to attend.

    KBW Real Estate Finance & Technology Conference
    Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
    Virtual conference
    For more information, please contact kbwevents@kbw.com.

    An investor presentation will be made available on the Events & Presentations section of the Company’s shareholder relations page at onitygroup.com prior to the meetings on May 7 and May 20, 2025.

    About Onity Group

    Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) is a leading non-bank financial services company providing mortgage servicing and originations solutions through its primary brands, PHH Mortgage and Liberty Reverse Mortgage. PHH Mortgage is one of the largest servicers in the country, focused on delivering a variety of servicing and lending programs to consumers and business clients. Liberty is one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lenders dedicated to providing loans that help customers meet their personal and financial needs. We are headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices and operations in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, India and the Philippines, and have been serving our customers since 1988. For additional information, please visit onitygroup.com.

    For Further Information Contact:

    Valerie Haertel, VP, Investor Relations
    (561) 570-2969
    shareholderrelations@onitygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Asian Development Bank has provided Georgia with a 98 million euro loan for an energy saving and clean hydrogen project

    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

    Tbilisi, May 5 (Xinhua) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided Georgia with a 98 million euro (about 110.7 million U.S. dollars) loan for an energy conservation and clean hydrogen sector development project, the Georgian Finance Ministry said on Monday.

    As specified by the department, the loan agreement was signed by the Minister of Finance of Georgia Lasha Khutsishvili and the head of the ADB Resident Mission in Georgia Leslie Berman Lam.

    The project includes the installation of a climate-friendly energy storage system (BESS) at the Ksani substation in eastern Georgia, exploration of opportunities for the production and use of green hydrogen, practical training in the operation of the BESS, and exchange of technical knowledge with Georgian State Electricity System.

    The implementation of the project will ensure increased sustainability, flexibility and security of the Georgian power system, improve the quality of energy supply, and contribute to the country’s energy independence.

    ADB’s Georgia-related portfolio currently stands at about $5.1 billion. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Students Pitch Tech Startups at Semester-End Showcase

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On April 28, students in a Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship class capped off their academic year-long entrepreneurial journey by pitching their technology-based startup ventures at the course’s final pitch day.

    The event, held at the Innovation Partnership Building, featured eight student teams presenting to an audience of guest judges, peers, and visiting international students. A networking hour with light refreshments followed, offering time for further discussion and connection. 

    The course, co-taught by Dr. Leila Daneshmandi from the College of Engineering and Sam Nanayakkara from the School of Business, is an interdisciplinary, project-based class that brings together students from across campus to form teams and tackle real-world problems with innovative technology solutions.

     

    This year’s cohort included students from five UConn schools and colleges: Engineering; Business; Nursing; Fine Arts; and Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Participants ranged from first-year undergraduates to graduate students. 

    The Flexapy team presenting their mobile app pitch idea to a panel of judges. (UConn Photo/Sarah Redmond)

    “The students have to work across disciplines, build communication skills, and collaborate as a team. That’s part of their learning journey,” said Nanayakkara. “They’re not just learning how to start a company, they’re learning how to work with people who think differently from them, how to adapt, and how to lead. These are skills that apply far beyond entrepreneurship, whether they go into startups, industry, or any field where innovation and collaboration matter.” 

    Many of the 26 students began developing their ventures in the fall semester’s Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship I course. That course introduces ideation, design thinking, and business models.  

    The spring sequel focuses on startup strategy, product-market fit, prototyping, and financials. Together, the courses form a year-long, hands-on sequence designed to help students build viable, scalable technology ventures. No prior experience is required to enroll in the Fall course. 

    This spring, Joseph Luciani from the College of Engineering’s Innovation Shop joined the instructional team, providing students with support in prototyping and technical development, further strengthening the course’s emphasis on building real, working solutions. 

    The student teams focused on solutions across a wide range of areas, including charging infrastructure, AI regulations, energy trading, healthcare, elderly care, mobility assistance, physical therapy, and agriculture. The ventures pitched were OptiEnerX, Safety Assurance Index, SoleShift, Transferable, PowerBid, Goldilocks, SmarThyCheck, and Flexapy. 

    The audience also included 24 visiting students from the U.S. Department of State’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), who were on campus for a five- week entrepreneurship program hosted by UConn’s Global Training and Development Institute. The YSEALI students observed the final presentations, asked thoughtful questions, and joined the networking session following the pitches. 

    “The event was a perfect reflection of UConn’s entrepreneurial spirit and culture of innovation,” said Dr. Tolga Turker, Director of Global Entrepreneurial Programs at UConn’s Global Development and Training Institute. “The student pitches showcased bold imagination and real-world problem-solving, inspiring the YSEALI fellows to pursue their own ideas.”

    A panel of guest judges provided constructive feedback and insights, helping teams refine their ideas and build confidence in presenting to external stakeholders.

    The event also welcomed course alum Sage Bhagwansingh, founder of Sage Scenes, who returned to support the event and contributed videography, demonstrating the strong and growing community around UConn’s innovation programming. 

    [embedded content]

    “It is incredibly rewarding for us to see how far these students have come, not just in developing their ventures but in how they think, communicate, and lead. We challenge them to step outside their comfort zones and take ownership of the process, from problem discovery to real-world prototyping and startup strategy,” said Daneshmandi, who is also the director of the College of Engineering’s Entrepreneurship Hub. “What they gain is not just entrepreneurial knowledge. It is confidence, adaptability, and an innovative mindset that will stay with them no matter where they go next.”

    Students interested in exploring technology entrepreneurship are encouraged to reach out to Daneshmandi. Both courses are offered jointly through the College of Engineering and the School of Business and are open to students of all majors and designed to support innovators at every stage. 

    For more information about support for technology innovation and entrepreneurship, please visit the eHub.

    View photos from the event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: GigaCloud Technology Inc. to Announce First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on May 12, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EL MONTE, Calif., May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GigaCloud Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: GCT) (“GigaCloud” or the “Company”), a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise, today announced that it will report its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 after the market closes on Monday, May 12, 2025. The Company will host a conference call to discuss its financial results on the same day at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.

    To access the conference call, participants should pre-register here to receive the dial-in information and a unique PIN. All participants are encouraged to dial-in 15 minutes prior to the conference call’s start time.

    A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be accessible on the Company’s investor relations website at https://investors.gigacloudtech.com/news-events/events.

    About GigaCloud Technology Inc.
    GigaCloud Technology Inc. is a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise. The Company’s B2B ecommerce platform, the “GigaCloud Marketplace,” integrates everything from discovery, payments and logistics tools into one easy-to-use platform. The Company’s global marketplace seamlessly connects manufacturers, primarily in Asia, with resellers, primarily in the U.S., Asia and Europe, to execute cross-border transactions with confidence, speed and efficiency. GigaCloud offers a comprehensive solution that transports products from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the end customer’s doorstep, all at one fixed price. The Company first launched its marketplace in January 2019 by focusing on the global furniture market and has since expanded into additional categories, including home appliances and fitness equipment. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://investors.gigacloudtech.com/

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GigaCloud Technology Inc.
    ir@gigacloudtech.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AvePoint to Participate in May Investor Conferences 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AvePoint (Nasdaq: AVPT), the global leader in data security, governance and resilience, today announced that members of the Company’s executive management team will present at the following investor conferences: 

    • TD Cowen 53rd Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference (New York, NY): Thursday, 5/29 at 2:25 pm ET 
    • Jefferies Public Technology Conference (Newport Coast, CA): Thursday, 5/29 at 10:30am PT

    In addition, AvePoint will attend the following investor conferences: 

    • 20th Annual Needham Technology, Media & Consumer 1×1 Conference (Virtual): Monday, 5/12
    • Evercore ISI Software 1×1 Day (New York, NY): Thursday, 5/29
    • Morgan Stanley Virtual ASEAN Conference 2025 (Virtual): Thursday, 5/29

    A live and archived audio webcast of all presentations will be available on the AvePoint Investor Relations website.

    About AvePoint:

    Beyond Secure. AvePoint is the global leader in data security, governance, and resilience, going beyond traditional solutions to ensure a robust data foundation and enable organizations everywhere to collaborate with confidence. Over 25,000 customers worldwide rely on the AvePoint Confidence Platform to prepare, secure, and optimize their critical data across Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and other collaboration environments. AvePoint’s global channel partner program includes approximately 5,000 managed service providers, value-added resellers, and systems integrators, with our solutions available in more than 100 cloud marketplaces. To learn more, visit www.avepoint.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws including statements regarding the future performance of and market opportunities for AvePoint. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which AvePoint operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting AvePoint’s business and changes in AvePoint’s ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and ability to identify and realize additional opportunities, and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of AvePoint’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Copies of this and other documents filed by AvePoint from time to time are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. This 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 AvePoint does not assume any obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. AvePoint does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this press release to the terms “AvePoint,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to AvePoint, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

    Disclosure Information:

    AvePoint uses the https://www.avepoint.com/ir website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

    Investor Contact
    AvePoint
    Jamie Arestia
    ir@avepoint.com
    (551) 220-5654

    Media Contact
    AvePoint
    Nicole Caci
    pr@avepoint.com
    (201) 201-8143

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Credit Suisse Services AG Admits to Conspiring with U.S. Taxpayers to Hide Assets and Income in Offshore Accounts and Admits that Credit Suisse Breached Its Prior Plea Agreement

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Credit Suisse Services AG Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes, Signs a Separate Non-Prosecution Agreement Related to Conduct in Singapore, and Agrees to Pay More Than $510M

    Credit Suisse Services AG pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to conspiring to hide more than $4 billion from the IRS in at least 475 offshore accounts. The guilty plea by the Swiss corporation is the result of a years-long investigation by U.S. law enforcement to uncover financial fraud and abuse.

    In addition to the plea, Credit Suisse Services AG entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with U.S. Accounts booked at Credit Suisse AG Singapore. Under the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in ongoing investigations and to pay significant monetary penalties for maintaining accounts in Singapore on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were using offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.

    According to the Plea Agreement, NPA, and documents filed in court today: from Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until about July 2021, Credit Suisse AG, which had ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients around the globe, conspired with employees, U.S. customers, and others to willfully aid U.S. customers in concealing their ownership and control of assets and funds held at the bank. This enabled those U.S. customers to evade their U.S. tax obligations in several ways, including by opening and maintaining undeclared offshore accounts for U.S. taxpayers at Credit Suisse AG, and providing a variety of offshore private banking services that assisted U.S. taxpayers in the concealment of their assets and income from the IRS and allowed for their continued failure to file FBARs. Among other fraudulent acts, bankers at Credit Suisse falsified records, processed fictitious donation paperwork, and serviced more than $1 billion in accounts without documentation of tax compliance. In doing so, Credit Suisse AG committed new crimes and breached its May 2014 plea agreement with the United States.

    Between 2014 and June 2023, Credit Suisse AG Singapore held undeclared accounts for U.S. persons, which Credit Suisse AG Singapore knew or should have known were U.S., with total assets valued at over $2 billion. Credit Suisse AG Singapore failed to adequately identify the true beneficial owners of accounts and failed to conduct adequate inquiry about U.S. indicia in the accounts. In 2023, during the post-merger of UBS AG Singapore and Credit Suisse AG Singapore, UBS became aware of accounts held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore that appeared to be undeclared U.S. accounts. UBS froze some of the accounts, voluntarily disclosed information about those identified accounts to the Justice Department and cooperated by undertaking an investigation into the identified accounts.

    Under today’s resolutions, Credit Suisse Services AG and, by extension, UBS AG, is required to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations and affirmatively disclose any information it may later uncover regarding U.S.-related accounts. The agreements provide no protections for any individuals. Pursuant to the guilty plea and the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG will pay a total of $510,608,909 in penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

    Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.

    Senior Litigation Counsels Nanette L. Davis and Mark F. Daly as well as Trial Attorney Marissa R. Brodney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese cinema box office exceeds 740 million yuan during May Day holiday

    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 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese movie theaters earned more than 740 million yuan (about 102 million U.S. dollars) in box office revenue during the five-day national holiday to mark International Labor Day that ended Monday, according to data from Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.

    The chart was topped by director Andrew Lau’s “Dumpling Queen,” which grossed more than 190 million yuan. The film tells the story of a Hong Kong street food vendor who creates a popular frozen food brand.

    Second place went to financial crime thriller Money Hunt. The film about high-stakes fraud and market manipulation earned more than 133 million yuan.

    In third place was the Ghibli animation film Princess Mononoke, which grossed more than 69 million yuan. Hayao Miyazaki’s ecological epic, released in Japan in 1997, became an international hit. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap’ that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Charles Walldorf, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University

    A Yemeni soldier inspects the damage reportedly caused by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 27, 2025. AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman

    In the first 100 days of his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a willingness to lean on airpower when his administration decides that military force is necessary abroad.

    So far, the second Trump administration has launched limited airstrikes in Somalia and carried out a weekslong air campaign against the Iranian-aligned Houthis who rule most of Yemen. The president has also threatened direct strikes against Iran itself should talks on a new nuclear deal collapse.

    This turn to airpower for Trump makes sense to me. Airpower is cheap when compared with ground wars, and it usually comes with fewer casualties for those conducting the strikes. This helps explain why U.S. leaders, including Trump as a self-proclaimed “anti-war president,” typically find it attractive.

    But if the Trump administration is not careful, it could fall into what military strategists informally call the “airpower trap.” This happens when the stated objectives of military force are too big for airpower alone to achieve, potentially leading to a face-saving escalation of conflict that could – if history is a guide – draw in ground forces from the U.S. or their local allies.

    U.S. presidents such as Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all fell into this trap. In Vietnam, the Balkans and Syria, respectively, all ended up with far bigger wars than they bargained for, with consequences for civilian casualties, international peace and damage to America’s reputation abroad.

    As an expert on U.S. national security policy and the Middle East region, I believe the Trump administration is in danger of falling into the airpower trap in Yemen and could potentially do the same in Iran should it elect to use direct force against Tehran. Recognizing this military and historical risk, and opting for some kind of off ramp from continued airstrikes, might be the best hope the U.S. government has to avoid a further escalation into full-scale war.

    The limits of air bombardment

    Research shows airpower is most effective when it’s used for limited objectives – things like taking out leaders of terrorist groups or degrading rival capabilities – or in support of ground operations for more ambitious ends, like bolstering or overturning governments.

    Given the sophistication of U.S. airpower, a common fallacy among American strategists in particular is to think big strategic gains can be achieved solely by dropping bombs from above.

    But when airpower alone fails, leaders can feel the pressure to expand the scope of conflict and end up with bigger military commitments than expected.

    Johnson’s initial airpower-only strategy for attempting to stop communism in South Vietnam failed miserably, leading to his decision to commit half a million U.S. troops into war. That expanded conflict presaged years of war, with massive humanitarian and political consequences for people in Southeast Asia and America, as well as lasting reputational damage to the U.S.

    Yemenis carry the coffins of civilians killed in U.S. airstrikes while participating in their funeral procession on May 1, 2025, in Sanaa, Yemen.
    Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

    Worried about U.S. and NATO credibility, Clinton escalated airstrikes – nearly to the point of introducing ground troops – for the ambitious end of stopping genocide in the Balkans during the early 1990s. Likewise, Obama’s initial airpower-only strategy to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State group quickly faltered, leading Obama, under intense pressure at home and abroad, to introduce thousands of ground troops to combat the group’s territorial gains across Syria and Iraq.

    In each case, relying on airpower alone ultimately failed to meet their objectives.

    The airpower trap in Yemen

    There are reasons to believe that conditions in Yemen mean that Trump, too, could be falling into a similar trap.

    Trump has adopted an airpower-only strategy to “completely annihilate” the Houthis, a powerful rebel movement that all but won the recent Yemeni civil war. The proximate cause of the air campaign, a policy inaugurated by the Biden administration and expanded dramatically by Trump, is to restore the free flow of shipping in the Red Sea that the Houthis have disrupted by force to protest Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

    The early signs are that this air campaign isn’t going well.

    Despite the U.S. burning through finite munitions supplies at a cost of US$1 billion to bomb at least 800 sites since March 15, the Houthis are undeterred and the volume of Red Sea shipping remains as depressed as ever. Houthi attacks on U.S. ships and Israel continue. A Houthi missile narrowly missed Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport on May 4.

    In fact, the direct attacks on the Houthis and the rapidly growing casualty count among Yemeni civilians from the Trump administration’s bombing campaign appear to be strengthening the Houthis’ political position in Yemen. In a particularly shocking case, U.S. bombs reportedly hit an African migrant camp, killing and injuring dozens of people.

    The humanitarian crisis from the brutal bombing campaign by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in the late 2010s had a similar effect.

    Airpower played a big part then, too. The Saudi coalition, supported by the U.S., engaged in some 25,000 air raids against the Houthis, killing or maiming approximately 19,000 civilians. Yet despite such overwhelming force, the Houthis kept seizing territory and eventually won the civil war, according to experts.

    They have been the country’s de facto rulers ever since.

    Now, Trump is exploring options to further escalate to defeat the Houthis. Reports indicate his administration is considering arming, training and enabling anti-Houthi resistance fighters who are loosely affiliated with Yemen’s government in exile to launch ground operations.

    Between diplomacy and quagmire

    Proxies are a common tool U.S. leaders turn to when caught in the airpower trap. Sometimes those proxies fulfill American policy objectives, such as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which helped the U.S. defeat the Islamic state caliphate in 2019.

    A U.S. Air Force F-5 Skoshi Tiger drops three general purpose bombs on Vietnam on Feb. 28, 1966.
    Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images

    Often, U.S. proxies fail on both strategic and humanitarian terms, leading to further escalation, strategic quagmires for the U.S., and loss of life and political sovereignty for the people under attack. South Vietnam was an instructive example.

    Riven by corruption, poor governance, weakness and political infighting, the South Vietnamese army and government proved so ineffective at fighting the North Vietnamese that Johnson decided to launch a ground war once U.S. airpower failed.

    Today, the anti-Houthi resistance in Yemen looks a lot more like the South Vietnamese government than the Kurdish YPG. According to a 2025 report from the Soufan Center, a security think tank, the anti-Houthi forces are poorly trained and considered incapable of pulling off victories over the Houthis without major U.S. support.

    Meanwhile, the anti-Houthi resistance consists of an estimated 85,000 fighters, compared with some 350,000 for the Houthis.

    Absent continuing the air war or escalating it into a more all-encompassing conflict, U.S. officials can still pursue diplomacy in order to try to find a political solution to the Yemen conflict.

    Despite the Trump’s administration public threats, the U.S. is already negotiating with the Houthis’ main sponsor, Iran.

    For their part, the Houthis continue to insist that they will stop attacking ships in the Red Sea if the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Gaza halts, something that happened during the recent Gaza ceasefire.

    The Trump administration might consider seeking alternatives, such as direct or indirect talks, if it wants to avoid getting stuck in a widening conflict in Yemen. History is full of examples of what happens when airpower takes on a logic of its own.

    Charles Walldorf is a Senior Fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities.

    – ref. In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap’ that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars – https://theconversation.com/in-yemen-trump-risks-falling-into-an-airpower-trap-that-has-drawn-past-us-presidents-into-costly-wars-255651

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Bipartisan Push, Hawley & Welch Introduce Major Legislation to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Monday, May 05, 2025

    Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced legislation to lower the cost of drug prices for Americans. The Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act would offer relief for millions of patients while ensuring Americans are no longer financing lower drug costs for foreigners.
    This legislation would correct decades of policies that benefited pharmaceutical companies but left American patients holding the bag. While other developed nations pay reasonable prices for prescription drugs, Americans pay substantially higher prices for the same medications. In his first term, President Trump pursued “international price index” and “most favored nation” policies on drugs covered by Medicare to end these practices.
    “For too long, Americans have subsidized prescription drug costs for foreigners while paying outrageous prices for their own medications,” Senator Hawley said.“President Trump previously advanced major reforms to ensure that American patients pay the same prices as consumers abroad. This bipartisan legislation would continue that work to end a drug market that favors Big Pharma, make prescriptions affordable again, and empower Americans to get the care they need.”
    “No one should ever be forced to choose between paying for the prescriptions they need or putting food on the table. But Big Pharma’s price gouging has made that a reality for many Americans, forcing them to pay four or five times more for the same lifesaving medications as folks in other countries—it’s unacceptable,” said Senator Welch. “In his first term, President Trump pursued a most-favored nation policy to level the playing field for American patients. I’m glad to partner with Senator Hawley on this bipartisan bill that offers the administration a template to work with Congress to make that goal a reality. We have an obligation to ensure folks in Vermont, Missouri, and across the country get the best possible price for their prescription drugs.”
    The Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act would:
    Prohibit pharmaceutical companies from selling drugs in the United States at higher prices than the international average, ending the practice of forcing Americans to pay the world’s highest prices for medications
    Impose stiff civil monetary penalties on pharmaceutical companies that violate this rule. Specifically:
    The penalty would equal 10 times the difference between the U.S. list price and the average price of the drug sold in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
    Penalties would be calculated and charged for each unit of drug or biological product sold at an inflated price.

    Click here for full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile Defense

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    This letter provides CBO’s estimates of how recent declines in the costs of launch services would change previous estimates of the costs to deploy a constellation of space-based interceptors (SBIs) designed to defeat one or two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) fired at the United States by a regional adversary, such as North Korea. Those previous estimates appeared in studies published by CBO in 2004 and by the National Research Council (NRC) in 2012. Although launch costs are lower now, threats and U.S. policies have changed since those studies were published in ways that could increase the overall size and cost of an SBI constellation.

    By themselves, decreases in launch costs could reduce the previous estimates of the 20-year costs of various SBI constellations by 30 percent to 40 percent, CBO finds. For the lowest-cost alternative that CBO examines here, the reduction in launch costs would cause the total estimated cost of deploying and operating the SBI constellation for 20 years to fall from $264 billion to $161 billion (in 2025 dollars). For the highest-cost alternative that CBO examines, the total estimate would fall from $831 billion to $542 billion. (The wide range of estimates among the alternatives, both before and after accounting for the reduction in launch costs, results from differing assumptions about the performance of the individual components that make up the SBI constellations.)

    Although launch costs are much lower today than when the previous studies were published, two major factors could lead to higher costs for space-based missile defenses than CBO and the NRC estimated earlier. First, North Korea’s ICBMs have increased in number and sophistication since those studies were published. Second, a recent executive order by the President, titled The Iron Dome for America, calls for deploying a missile defense system to protect the United States not only from attacks by regional adversaries (ones with limited capabilities, such as North Korea) but also from attacks by peer or near-peer adversaries (ones with military capabilities similar to those of the United States). Such a defense could require a more expansive SBI capability than the systems examined in the previous studies. Quantifying those recent changes will require further analysis, which CBO is undertaking at the request of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement Ahead of Nat’l Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    05.05.25

    Cantwell Statement Ahead of Nat’l Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People

    According to the Washington State Patrol, there are currently 112 unsolved cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement ahead of Monday, May 5th, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP).

    “May 5th is a day we remember the victims of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis and recognize the suffering of families and Native communities,” said Sen. Cantwell. “We must stand together, continue to demand justice, and work together to get more law enforcement resources on the ground to help tribes protect their people from violence.”

    Sen. Cantwell has been a vocal advocate and leader in championing legislation to help end the MMIWP crisis. In 2020, Sen. Cantwell’s Savanna’s Act was signed into law to help federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies better respond to cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people by improving coordination among all levels of law enforcement, increasing data collection and information sharing, and providing tribal governments with vital resources.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell held a press conference in Seattle with representatives from the Seattle Indian Health Board, tribal leaders, Indigenous community organizations, MMIWP advocates and loved ones of Indigenous persons who have gone missing. At the press conference, Sen. Cantwell announced she sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to prioritize funding to assist Tribes and organizations working to combat the MMIWP crisis. Video from that presser is available HERE, photos HERE, and a transcript HERE.

    Following Sen. Cantwell’s urging, in June 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which dedicated five Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five coordinators to the task of resolving the cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. This included dedicated personnel based in Eastern Washington.

    In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act to help tribal police departments hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by providing access to federal retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits on par with law enforcement officers from non-tribal jurisdictions. In May 2024, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on Sen. Cantwell’s bill, which included testimony from Chris Sutter, Chief of Police of the Tulalip Tribal Police Department, and officials from the Department of the Interior and the National Congress of American Indians in support of the legislation. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs favorably reported Sen. Cantwell’s bill to the full Senate in September 2024.

    In October 2024, Sen. Cantwell announced $6.9 million in federal funding for state and municipal law enforcement agencies, tribal justice departments and programs, and medical examiner offices to help prosecute violence against women and children cases, among other things.

    Sen. Cantwell has also helped secure public safety funding specifically for tribal communities. In the 2013 and 2022 reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women Act, Sen. Cantwell fought to include strong tribal policies including: allowing tribes to continue to have jurisdiction over dating violence and domestic violence crimes and violations of tribal protection orders, restoring tribal jurisdiction over violent and dangerous crimes such as child and sexual abuse, sex trafficking and stalking, and providing tribes with more resources to improve and build public safety programs within their communities.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment (SURVIVE) Act to provide a substantial increase in resources for tribal crime victim assistance programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi’s historical insights into war and peace 2025-05-06 01:17:07 As the top Chinese leader travels to Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, his presence both carries the weight of history and reaffirms a vision of the future.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    Chinese President Xi Jinping watches the military parade during the commemoration activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2015. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

    BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) — In the stately Conference Building at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, a 65-inch-tall resplendent bronze vessel gleams under soft light, its cloisonne enamel blazing in vibrant Chinese red.

    The “Zun of Peace,” presented by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2015 as a special gift for the United Nations’ 70th anniversary, is not merely a delicate artifact. It embodies the aspiration and conviction of the Chinese people to seek peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes, Xi said at its unveiling.

    A decade later, as the top Chinese leader travels to Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, his presence both carries the weight of history and reaffirms a vision of the future.

    Leading a nation always aspiring for peace and harmony in its long history and further strengthened by its battles against militarism, imperialism and fascism in its recent past, Xi commands a unique insight into the value of peace, and has steadfastly championed the building of a peaceful world, a cause of great urgency given the tensions and conflicts on the global landscape today.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) attends a presentation ceremony on which the Chinese government gives the “Zun of Peace” to the United Nations as a gift in New York, the United States, Sept. 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

    Xi sees history as a mirror from which humanity should draw lessons to avoid repeating past calamities.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in what is commonly known in China as the World Anti-Fascist War or, more globally, as World War II. Almost every part of the world was involved, and more than 100 million were killed or wounded in what was described as the most destructive conflict in human history.

    The bravery and tremendous sacrifice of the Chinese people played a decisive role in defeating Fascist Japan and offered strategic support to the Allies on the European and Pacific battlefields.

    “History has told us to stay on high alert against war, which, like a demon and nightmare, would bring disaster and pain to the people,” Xi once said. “History has also told us to preserve peace with great care, as peace, like air and sunshine, is hardly noticed when people are benefiting from it, but none of us can live without it.”

    This historical observation features prominently in Xi’s unrelenting pursuit of peace. He has repeatedly reiterated China’s commitment to peaceful development, pledging that China will never seek hegemony, expansion or any sphere of influence, no matter how strong it may grow.

    During a 2014 visit to France, Xi reshaped Napoleon’s metaphor of China as a “sleeping lion” that would shake the world upon awakening. “Now China the lion has awakened. But it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion,” Xi said when illustrating the peaceful dimension of the Chinese Dream.

    Xi’s philosophy stems from the millennia-old Chinese culture. An avid reader of traditional Chinese classics, he once expounded how ancient Chinese wisdom views war and peace by quoting “The Art of War,” a Chinese classic written more than 2,000 years ago.

    The book’s key message “is that every effort should be made to prevent a war and great caution must be exercised when it comes to fighting a war,” Xi said when delivering a keynote speech in the UN Office at Geneva in 2017.

    Xi’s view on prudence in warfare is also reflected in his exchanges with foreign leaders and officials.

    “It has long been known that the real experts on military affairs do not want to employ military means to solve issues,” he quoted a Chinese aphorism when meeting with then U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Beijing in 2018.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping straightens the ribbon on a flower basket during a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen heroes at Tian’anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

    A clear manifestation of Xi’s reflection is to cherish history and honor heroes. “A nation of hope cannot be without heroes,” Xi once said. Every year since 2014, Xi has paid tribute to China’s fallen heroes on Martyrs’ Day, which falls on Sept. 30, a day ahead of the country’s National Day.

    In 2015, when China celebrated the 70th anniversary of its victory in World War II, Xi presented medals to Chinese veterans and representatives from Russia and other countries who assisted Chinese soldiers on the battlefields.

    Nikolai Chuikov, the grandson of Soviet General Marshal Vasily Chuikov, was among those who received a peace medal from Xi. “Of all the honors I have won, I hold the highest regard for the peace medal,” he said.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping (R, front) shakes hands with a Russian veteran in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN Attends Interface with President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today together with the Committee of the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, attended an interface with Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
     
    The Interface reaffirmed Cambodia’s vital role in ASEAN’s Community-building and regional integration efforts. Secretary-General Dr. Kao extended his heartfelt congratulations to Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Royal Government, and the people of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the commemoration of the 26th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in ASEAN, underscoring Cambodia’s enduring contributions to the advancement of ASEAN’s shared goals of peace, prosperity and unity.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia​​ delivers a Policy Speech at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat

    Source: ASEAN

    Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, today delivered a Policy Speech at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, in Jakarta, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in ASEAN.
     
    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered opening remarks prior to the Policy Speech, underscoring Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s distinguished leadership and extensive contributions to ASEAN’s Community-building efforts. In the context of ASEAN’s preparations to adopt the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its four Strategic Plans this year, the Secretary-General highlighted the significance of policy speeches by ASEAN Leaders in shaping the regional narrative and fostering engagement with the diplomatic corps, academia, think tanks, businesses, as well as with media representatives.
     
    Read SG Dr. Kao’s full remarks here.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN Attends Dinner Reception in Commemoration of Cambodia’s 26th Anniversary of Membership in ASEAN

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this evening had the honour of attending a distinguished dinner reception to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in ASEAN, which was graciously hosted by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
     
    The dinner reception was preceded by a ceremonial anniversary celebration and an insightful Policy Speech delivered by Samdech Techo Hun Sen earlier during the day. Among those in attendance were members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, Ambassadors from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other external partner countries, as well as other distinguished guests. This meaningful gathering reaffirmed the strong ties between ASEAN and Cambodia and underscored their shared commitment to advancing regional cooperation and collaboration in the community-building efforts.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN Attends Dinner Reception in Commemoration of Cambodia’s 26th Anniversary of Membership in ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat

    Source: ASEAN

    JAKARTA, 5 May 2025 – Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, today concluded his official visit to the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
     
    The official visit featured a series of key events, including a symbolic tree planting ceremony, an Interface with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Committee of Permanent Representative (CPR) and Ambassador of Timor Leste to ASEAN, a Policy Speech, followed by a Dinner Reception commemorating the 26th anniversary of Cambodia’s membership in ASEAN. These events were attended by the diplomatic corps in Jakarta, representatives of entities associated with ASEAN, academia and think tanks, business representatives, as well as staff members of the ASEAN Secretariat.
     
    During the Policy Speech, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of Cambodia, emphasized that “To understand Cambodia’s perspective, it is crucial to understand the situations and experiences that Cambodia had gone through and comprehend what Cambodian leaders in general, not just myself, have sought to achieve for Cambodia. Our starting position comes from political, diplomatic and economic isolation, and Cambodia’s connection with ASEAN stems from this very isolation, namely the deep desire for equal recognition, equal rights, and the aspiration for full respect for our independence, sovereignty, and dignity as a nation in the region.”
     
    In his opening remarks, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, acknowledged Samdech Hun Sen’s exemplary leadership in chairing ASEAN in 2002, 2012 and 2022, which led to great successes. SG Dr. Kao further emphasized that 2025 is a significant milestone for ASEAN, as it will see the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans. ‘’The work that Cambodia has contributed over the years has set a clear course for ASEAN’s future, and today’s policy speech by Samdech Techo Hun Sen offers us invaluable insights into Cambodia’s forward-looking vision for the future and its continuing active contributions to ASEAN’s growth, development, and success,’’ said SG Dr. Kao.
     
    “This address presents a unique opportunity to learn from Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s strategic vision for steering ASEAN through an era of great uncertainty, profound turbulence, volatility and transformation. As we are all grappling with profound and dramatic shifts in world politics and economy, Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s experience – honed through multiple decades of navigating crises and shaping history – offers invaluable insights into the path ahead for both ASEAN and Cambodia. In times of change and uncertainty, such seasoned leadership and historical depth and insights are more crucial than ever,” concluded SG Dr. Kao.
     
    Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s official visit to ASEAN Secretariat reaffirmed Cambodia’s steadfast dedication to deepening regional cooperation and actively contributing to ASEAN’s future direction. The official visit provided a platform for high-level discussions on critical regional issues and further solidified and strengthened relations, cooperation, and partnership between Cambodia and ASEAN.

    The post Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Special Report: China-Russia Humanitarian Exchanges Help Two Nations Bring People Closer and Know Each Other Better

    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 5 (Xinhua) — From the Russian-Chinese joint film “Red Silk” that became a box office hit in Russia to the new version of the opera “Eugene Onegin” created by artists from both countries that debuted successfully in China; from the Chinese New Year celebration that “lit up” Moscow to the traditional Russian events held in many parts of China to celebrate Maslenitsa, humanitarian exchanges have become an important bridge for deepening China-Russia relations, enhancing mutual understanding between the two civilizations and promoting people-to-people exchanges.

    2024-2025 have been declared the Years of Culture of China and Russia. As part of the years of culture, hundreds of events are being held in various regions of the two countries, which contribute to deepening friendship and bringing their peoples closer together.

    LANGUAGE BRIDGES THE GAP

    “My name is Maria. I am studying Chinese. Nice to meet you.” A young woman approached a reporter on the banks of the Moscow River in the Russian capital. After clarifying in Russian that the reporter was Chinese, she switched to Chinese to introduce herself.

    Maria is a second-year law student at Moscow University and spends her free time studying Chinese language and culture. With a smile on her face, she admitted that she doesn’t speak Chinese well yet, but hopes to continue her studies. According to Maria, although Chinese is difficult, it sounds beautiful, and Chinese culture is very colorful and charming.

    In recent years, Russia has seen a “Chinese language boom.” Now, on the streets of Moscow, you can increasingly hear friendly greetings in Chinese: “Nihao” /”Hello,” “Shi zhongguoren ma?” /”Are you from China?”/, “Huanyi,” /”Welcome,” “Zai jian” /”Goodbye,”… Seeing Asian facial features, many Russians begin to greet in Chinese.

    “We have witnessed the popularization of Chinese culture and language: they are studied in schools, universities and at other educational levels,” says Ilya Gutin, senior lecturer at the Department of Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Lao and Khmer Languages at MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

    According to statistics, there are currently over 140 universities and over 220 primary and secondary schools offering Chinese language programs in Russia. There are also 19 Confucius Institutes and five Confucius Classrooms, as well as other additional educational institutions teaching Chinese. About 110,000 people in Russia study Chinese, and it has already become a second foreign language. In China, there are over 180 colleges and universities offering Russian language programs, and about 120,000 people study Russian in primary and secondary schools and universities.

    At the same time, the two countries jointly established such cooperation projects as the Project of “10 Chinese and 10 Russian Outstanding Figures in Humanitarian Cooperation”, the Program for the Construction of Joint Chinese-Russian Scientific and Educational Centers, the Program for the Development of Chinese-Russian Associations of Specialized Universities. “Support was provided to universities in implementing joint educational programs, the scale of student exchanges between the two countries was expanded, summer schools for university students were jointly organized, cooperation in the field of professional education was carried out, which contributed to strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between young people.

    “2024-2025, declared the cross years of culture between Russia and China, have opened up new opportunities for deepening cultural and educational ties,” said I. Gutin.

    ART UNITES PEOPLE

    The Chinese dance drama “Wing Chun: The Legend of the Kung Fu Master” was recently shown to great acclaim at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The fusion of Chinese kung fu and dance received thunderous applause, as well as wide attention and high praise from the Russian media.

    According to Russian media, the dance performance “Wing Chun” is a story of heroes from the people based on the traditional martial art of Lingnan. The performance combines dance, martial arts and cinematic storytelling, telling the spiritual journey of Chinese kung fu to global recognition.

    In recent years, the “Chinese wind” has been blowing in Russia. Chinese works such as the play “I Didn’t Kill My Husband,” the symphony “Ode to the Red Flag,” and the dance-poetic drama “Only This Greenery” have sparkled on Russian stages, demonstrating the unique charm of Chinese culture.

    Meanwhile, a number of classic works of Russian art were presented on the stages of China. The ballets “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker” reflected the true “Russian aesthetics”. Theatrical, ballet and musical interpretations of such famous Russian literary works in China as “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace” gave the audience an unforgettable experience. The Central Opera House of China and Russian artists presented a modern production of the world classic – the opera “Eugene Onegin”, breathing new life into the literary classic and emphasizing the strength of interaction between the cultures of China and Russia.

    Wang Ning, director of the National Center for the Performing Arts of China, noted that many world-famous Russian art institutions have come to China to perform, which not only conveys the essence of Russian national culture to the Chinese audience, but also gives Russian artists the opportunity to feel and understand China.

    “Artistic exchange, by influencing the eyes and ears, helps the people of the two countries gain an understanding of each other’s culture and become closer psychologically,” he concluded.

    TOURISM STRENGTHENS FRIENDSHIP

    “Going abroad for breakfast and coming back home” sounds almost unbelievable, but in the city of Heihe in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang Province, it has become routine.

    Heihe is located across the river from Blagoveshchensk, the capital of Russia’s Amur region. With the resumption of visa-free group tours between China and Russia, “cross-border tourism” is rapidly gaining popularity. Every morning, many Russians head to Heihe in groups for the morning market, shopping, and tasting of Dongbei breakfast: youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks), soy milk, eggs boiled in seasoned tea, and egg burgers. They even came up with their own original breakfast — baozi (steamed buns) and beer.

    “I just went to the dentist, bought some household goods, and now I’m going to have lunch at a restaurant. Ten minutes by boat and I’ll be home – very convenient,” says Ekaterina from Blagoveshchensk with a smile, adding that she often comes to Heihe, and although she doesn’t speak Chinese, there are signs in Russian in the city, and many vendors speak a little Russian.

    In recent years, thanks to improved transport accessibility and visa relaxations, the number of Russian tourists in China has been steadily growing. Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Sanya, Chengdu, Qinhuangdao — the list of favorite tourist destinations for Russians in China is constantly expanding.

    While Russian tourists enjoy the beauty and cuisine of China, Chinese travelers are increasingly discovering the vast expanses of Russia. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia /ATOR/, in 2024 the number of Chinese tourists in Russia reached 848 thousand people, which is 4.2 times more than in 2023. In addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Chinese are increasingly choosing Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and other cities for travel.

    To make the stay of Chinese tourists more comfortable, airports and major tourist attractions in a number of Russian cities have signs in Chinese, and popular restaurants have menus in Chinese. As part of the Years of Chinese and Russian Culture, Moscow has hosted the “Chinese New Year in Moscow” festival for two years in a row. A number of events were organized — theatrical performances, master classes, lectures, film screenings, and tea ceremonies.

    “As part of the cross-years, it is planned to hold a series of cultural events in both countries. The festival in honor of the Chinese New Year will be the first in a series of events,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow Natalya Sergunina. According to her, China is one of the promising areas for the development of tourism and partnership relations in general. “We expect that this year, thanks to joint programs, the mutual tourist flow will continue to grow,” said N. Sergunina.

    At the same time, the Chinese cities of Beijing and Xi’an celebrated Maslenitsa: “Farewell to the Russian winter in China.” During the events, Chinese residents tried Russian pancakes and got acquainted with the traditions of folk festivities.

    “We recently celebrated the Spring Festival in Moscow with our Chinese friends. It was not just a celebration, but a real celebration of culture and friendship,” said Boris Titov, Chairman of the Russian section of the Russian-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace and Development, noting that cross-cultural Years emphasize the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding between different cultural traditions, and also help to expand the horizons of mutual perception and respect. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Special Report: The People Will Never Forget – Chinese-Russian Friendship Passed Down from Generation to Generation

    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

    Moscow/Chongqing, May 5 (Xinhua) — The Yangtze River flows swiftly in Wanzhou District of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, not far from the Three Gorges Dam. There is a quiet cemetery in the picturesque Xishan Park. Under the shade of pine and cypress trees, a white dove of peace spreads its wings on a marble tombstone, preparing to take off, while a fighter jet pierces the sky.

    The monument is engraved with an inscription in Russian and Chinese: “Here lie the ashes of the commander of the Soviet volunteer air squadron, who died heroically in the war of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders, Grigory Akimovich Kulishenko /1903-1939/. July 7, 1958.” A bronze bust of the hero is installed in front of the tombstone.

    “When the war of resistance against the Japanese invaders was going on, Soviet Air Force Captain G. Kulishenko arrived in China to fight side by side with the Chinese people. “I am experiencing the misfortune of the Chinese workers as if I were experiencing the misfortune of my homeland,” he said with feeling. The pilot died heroically on Chinese soil. The Chinese people have not forgotten the hero, and ordinary Chinese people – mother and son – have been guarding his grave for more than half a century,” – during his visit to Russia in 2013, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping told the story of G. Kulishenko with deep emotion, speaking at MGIMO.

    Today, tall and majestic camphor trees grow around G. Kulishenko’s tombstone, planted by Chinese cemetery guardians many years ago.

    “IT IS OUR DUTY”

    After the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered the phase of a conflict of attrition, Kulishenko and his colleagues led two squadrons of DB-3 heavy bombers (the pilots affectionately called them “Dasha”) to Chengdu. Liu Qun, who worked as a translator for Kulishenko at the time, wrote an article in which he recalled that this “heavenly warrior” had a simple face and a strong build, “slightly black hair, the color of the eyes like those of the Chinese, thick eyebrows and tall stature” and was somewhat similar to a Shandong resident (a resident of Shandong, one of the provinces of China – Xinhua note).

    In addition to carrying out air strikes against the Japanese army, Kulishenko also had the important task of training Chinese pilots. Liu Qun says that before each flight, he would explain to each Chinese pilot the daily flight program, the aircraft control method, etc. Before sitting in the front cockpit, he would watch the other pilots sit in the control cabin and press the brake. Kulishenko also gave detailed comments after landing and sometimes flew three or four flights in a row as an instructor to correct mistakes. “I never saw him show the slightest impatience or fear of difficulties in front of the young pilots who were learning to fly,” Liu Qun writes.

    On October 14, 1939, G. Kulishenko, leading a bomber group of the volunteer air force to aid China, raided the Japanese airfield in Hankou, causing heavy losses to the Japanese army. On the way back, he was intercepted by the enemy. The Soviet pilot received gunshot wounds to the chest and left shoulder. The enemy also hit one of the engines of his bomber. In order to protect the planes and people on the ground, G. Kulishenko refused to jump with a parachute and decided to make an emergency landing on the Yangtze in the Chenjiaba area of Wanxian County /now Wanzhou District of Chongqing – Xinhua note/. Two of his comrades swam to the shore, but the wounded Kulishenko was carried away by the current, and he died a heroic death.

    Upon learning of this, the residents of Wanxian, without any agreement, set out to search along the river and 20 days later found the pilot’s body more than 10 kilometers from the crash site. They held a memorial service and a funeral according to Chinese custom.

    In 1958, the Wanxian County People’s Government built a special cemetery for G. Kulishenko and ceremoniously reburied him. For more than 60 years, Chinese woman Tan Zhonghui took over as the grave’s caretaker, and her son Wei Yingxiang continued the work. “This is our duty, gratitude, and the conscience inherent in the Chinese people,” Wei Yingxiang said. He told reporters that his greatest wish is to ensure that the heroes buried in a foreign country are not alone, and that their heroic deeds and stories of friendship are passed down from generation to generation.

    “THE PEACE MEDAL” – “THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE AWARDS FOR ME”

    Nikolai Chuikov, the grandson of Soviet Marshal Vasily Chuikov, emotionally told journalists that he had heard many stories similar to that of Captain G. Kulishenko, and the Chinese people have always had deep feelings for the Soviet heroes buried on Chinese soil. According to him, the Soviet Union helped China fight the Japanese invaders, and China resolutely supported the USSR in the Great Patriotic War. The friendship that arose during the World Anti-Fascist War is a common heritage of both sides, our interlocutor is sure.

    Marshal Vasily Chuikov had close ties to China. He had studied Chinese, was familiar with China’s national characteristics, and visited the country four times. From late 1940 to March 1942, he served as the chief Soviet military adviser in China. The Marshal was directly involved in developing the war plan against Japan and maintained close contacts with the commanders of the Eighth Army and the New Fourth Army, which operated under the CPC.

    On the main battlefield of World War II in Asia, the Chinese people and army fought tenaciously against Japanese aggression, destroyed and tied up a large number of Japanese aggressor forces. With the sacrifice of 35 million lives, they finally won a great victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and made a great contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

    N. Chuikov, 65, heard many stories about China from his grandfather as a child. For many years, he has been devoted to promoting good relations between Russia and China and is currently the deputy chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society. He has a medal that means a lot. In May 2015, during a visit to Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of Russian veterans and presented them with commemorative medals. N. Chuikov was among them.

    He called the Peace Medal the most valuable award for himself, as it was presented personally by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. Our interlocutor said that he is proud of the medal, which inspires him to work harder.

    “The Chinese and Russian peoples have cemented a deep friendship with their blood and lives, laying a solid foundation for Chinese-Russian relations and friendship between the two peoples for generations,” Xi Jinping’s words at the meeting with veterans made a particularly deep impression on N. Chuikov. “This is also an important reason why relations between Russia and China remain at a high level,” he said.

    In September 2015, he was invited to China to attend the commemorative celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The grand military parade was amazing, and China impressed him with its national strength and pace of development, he said.

    Speaking at the anniversary celebration, Xi Jinping said: “Let us firmly remember the great truth of history: Justice wins! Peace wins! The people win!”

    It was unforgettable! – said N. Chuikov. – This is the voice of China, conveying to the world the need to adhere to justice, protect peace and cooperate.

    UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND PASS ON FRIENDSHIP FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

    The fallen heroes “will never be forgotten by the Russian people, the Chinese people and the peoples of the world,” wrote Chinese President Xi Jinping in an opinion piece published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta 10 years ago, on the eve of his participation in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and his visit to the Russian Federation.

    Where they once shared a common hatred of the enemy and fought against aggression, the history of China and Russia fighting side by side touches people even in peacetime. Every Qingming Festival, Chinese people lay flowers at memorial sites in Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Changchun and elsewhere to show that they have not forgotten. The names of more than 200 Soviet pilot heroes who died resisting Japanese occupation are engraved on a monument in the Nanjing Pilots’ Memorial Hall. During this year’s festival, an elementary school student wrote in childish handwriting, “I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” while an 89-year-old man left a wish, “Peace in the world.”

    “Thank you, Grandpa, for the Victory!” — read the banners on the streets of Moscow in May. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. For Natalia Khryukina, chairwoman of the Association of Descendants of Volunteer Pilots Who Fought in China in 1937-40, the upcoming May 9 will have a special memorable significance.

    Her father, Timofey Khryukin, was a bomber squadron commander in the Soviet Air Force volunteer squadron that helped China. He flew combat aircraft, fighting the Japanese in the skies over Nanjing, Wuhan, and other places. Returning to the USSR, he fought valiantly in the Great Patriotic War.

    N. Khryukina said that her father described China’s terrain as difficult, with high mountains and numerous gorges. Flying a bomber in such conditions was a difficult test and valuable experience for Soviet pilots of that time. “When my father returned home and went to fight in the North, his Chinese experience was very useful to him,” she recalls.

    According to our interlocutor, her generation grew up listening to songs such as “Russians and Chinese are brothers forever.” The friendship established by the Russian and Chinese peoples who fought side by side is still being passed down from generation to generation without weakening, N. Khryukina emphasized. With close interaction and under the strategic leadership of the leaders of the two countries, Russian-Chinese relations maintain a high level of development, she said.

    In recent years, N. Khryukina has been collecting historical materials, organizing exchange events in primary and secondary schools, and inviting Chinese teenagers to communicate with their Russian peers. This gives young people the opportunity to understand the history of their ancestors’ persistent struggle, to understand the origins of friendship between Russia and China and to continue to pass it on from generation to generation, she is sure. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ICYMI: “Trump’s Tariffs Are Lifting Some U.S. Manufacturers”

    Source: The White House

    President Donald J. Trump’s relentless pursuit of an American manufacturing renaissance is “boosting demand for some U.S.-made goods, with smaller players reaping the early benefits,” writes The Wall Street Journal, as companies onshore production and buy their products in America.

    Here are a few examples from the story:

    • “‘We are swamped. We are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week in both Chicago and Cleveland,’ said Jack Schron, president of Jergens Inc., which makes manufacturing tools, including industrial screwdrivers, clamps and hoists. Schron said his factories in Ohio and Illinois are ‘going like gangbusters,’ partly owing to new orders from customers looking to avoid paying import tariffs.”
    • “Donny Chaplin, president of Grand River Rubber & Plastics in Ashtabula, Ohio, said he has seen a rush of new inquiries and orders. Two previous customers that had switched to Chinese suppliers a few years ago came back in recent days wanting to buy rubber gaskets from Grand River again, for the plastic pails they manufacture. Three manufacturers of oil filters also got in touch, wanting to shift business from China, with two already placing orders. All together, the new business will be worth about $5 million a year if it is completed, or roughly 10% of Grand River’s revenue. That might require the company to hire new employees and expand production lines.”
    • “The tariffs are a lifeline for the U.S. companies that sprang up during the Covid-19 pandemic to produce face masks, rubber gloves and other personal protective equipment, after shipments from Asia declined. The companies struggled in the pandemic’s aftermath, when hospitals and clinics abandoned U.S. manufacturers and returned to lower-cost suppliers in China, U.S. executives said. But new U.S. tariffs on rubber gloves from China have doubled the price from a few months ago, and ‘the folks that are relying on China are scrambling for other sources,’ said Alan Rust, chief growth officer for SafeSource Direct … ‘We were getting stiffed for a very long time, but just recently we’ve been getting a lot more inquiries.’”
    • “Employees for Massachusetts-based AccuRounds are working overtime to accommodate rising orders for the company’s shafts, valves and other steel components. The company recently added two customers that had shifted business from AccuRounds to suppliers in Singapore and China in recent years. First-quarter sales were 20% higher from a year earlier, said Chief Executive Michael Tamasi.”
    • “Michigan-based Whirlpool, which assembles 80% of its U.S. appliances at domestic factories, says its Asian competitors have had an unfair advantage, as they manufacture their appliances overseas but haven’t been paying import tariffs on them since 2023, when one imposed during Trump’s first term expired. Those rivals’ access to cheaper components and steel in Asia helps give them a $150 retail price advantage on washers, Whirlpool says. Chief Executive Marc Bitzer said the latest tariffs on imported assembled appliances should help close the price gap. ‘The tariffs will finally help create a level playing field for Whirlpool,’ he said in April during a call with analysts.”

    Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports:

    • “At the local Excel Dryer plant, William Gagnon, the chief operating officer, is unfazed. In fact, President Donald Trump’s import taxes so far have been nothing but good news for one of the world’s largest makers of restroom hand dryers. Gagnon, 48, credits Trump’s first-term tariffs with changing the math on production location decisions … the president’s second-term ‘reciprocal’ tariffs might result in the elimination of trade barriers that prevent Excel’s high-velocity hand dryers from dominating markets in countries such as Brazil and Australia … By making foreign goods more expensive, the import taxes make domestic suppliers more competitive while also discouraging Americans from purchasing cheap Chinese copies of Excel’s hand dryers. The tariffs also offer hope of prying open foreign markets … The tariffs Trump imposed on China this year also have brought more work home for one of Excel Dryer’s local suppliers: Double A Molding in Monson, Massachusetts … As Trump escalated his trade spat with China in recent weeks, Double A felt the effects.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM share buyback update April 30 – May 2, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

    Date Repurchased shares Average price Repurchased value
    April 30, 2025 4,177 € 423.50 € 1,768,960
    May 2, 2025 3,754 € 442.03 € 1,659,386
    Total 7,931 € 432.27 € 3,428,346

    These repurchases were made as part of the €150 million share buyback program which started on April 30, 2025. Of the total program, 2.3% has been repurchased. For further details including individual transaction information please visit: www.asm.com/investors/dividends-share-buybacks.

    About ASM International
    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Contact

    Investor and media relations

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

    		  

    Investor relations

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Coface : Coface records a good start to the year with net income of €62.1m, for an RoATE of 12.7%

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Coface records a good start to the year with net income of €62.1m, for an RoATE of 12.7%

    Paris, 5 May 2025 – 17.35

    • Turnover: €473m, up 2.0% at constant FX and perimeter
      • Trade credit insurance revenue up 1.2%; client activity also increased by 1.2%
      • Client retention back up at near-record (95.0%); pricing remained negative (-1.3%) in line with historical trends
      • Business information growing again double-digit (+14.7% at constant FX, +18.4% at current FX). Debt collection up +14.8%; factoring was down slightly by -0.7%
    • Net loss ratio at 39.1%, up by 3.3 ppts; net combined ratio at 68.7%, up by 5.6 ppts and stable compared to Q4-24
      • Gross loss ratio at 38.7%, up by 5.5 ppts with higher opening year reserving and reserve releases stable at a high level year on year
      • Net cost ratio increased 2.2 ppts to 29.5%, reflecting continued investments partially offset by better product mix
    • Net income (group share) at €62.1m, down by -9.2% compared to Q1-24
    • Annualised RoATE1at 12.7%

    Unless otherwise indicated, change comparisons refer to the results as at 31 March 2024

    Xavier Durand, Coface’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
    “With a net income of €62.1m and an RoATE of 12.7%, Coface posted another quarter of solid results in a highly volatile environment. Shifting US policy on international trade is creating a high level of uncertainty, although its potential consequences are not yet visible. In this complicated environment for corporates, Coface remains very close to its clients and is maintaining a highly preventative stance in its risk portfolio which is well diversified across regions and sectors.
    In the medium term, depending on their actual implementation and level, the announced tariffs may have a negative impact on global trade volumes. We may also see prices increase in the United States and an adverse impact on certain industrial sectors and regions, likely leading to higher numbers of business failures.
    Thanks to its leading infrastructure, the quality of its information and its teams of internationally recognised experts, Coface is well positioned to support its clients in managing their risks.
    Against this backdrop, our strategy to invest in better understanding short-term risks and in the strengthening of our range of services (Business Information, Debt Collection) is more relevant than ever and resolutely pursued.”

    Key figures at 31 March 2025

    The Board of Directors of COFACE SA examined the summary consolidated financial statements for the first three months (non-audited) during its meeting on 5 May 2025. The Audit Committee at its meeting on 2 May 2025 also previously reviewed them.

    Income statement items in €m Q1-24 Q1-25 Variation % ex. FX*
    Insurance revenue 378.6 382.9 +1.1% +1.2%
    Other revenue 85.0 90.3 +6.2% +5.5%
    REVENUE 463.7 473.2 +2.1% +2.0%
    UNDERWRITING INCOME/LOSS AFTER REINSURANCE 100.3 85.4 (14.9)% (15.4)%
    Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs 17.9 10.4 (42.0)% (44.2)%
    Insurance Finance Expenses (11.4) (4.1) (63.6)% (61.6)%
    CURRENT OPERATING INCOME 106.8 91.6 (14.2)% (15.3)%
    Other operating income / expenses (0.1) (0.4) +438.8% +439.8%
    OPERATING INCOME 106.8 91.2 (14.5)% (15.6)%
    NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE) 68.4 62.1 (9.2)% (10.5)%
             
    Key ratios Q1-24 Q1-25 Variation
    Loss ratio net of reinsurance 35.8% 39.1% 3.4 ppts
    Cost ratio net of reinsurance 27.3% 29.5% 2.2 ppts
    COMBINED RATIO NET OF REINSURANCE 63.1% 68.7% 5.6 ppts
             
    Balance sheet items in €m 2024 Q1-25 Variation
    Total equity (group share) 2,193.6 2,234.0 +1.8%

    * Also excludes scope impact

    1.   Turnover

    Coface recorded consolidated turnover of €473.2m, up +2.0% at constant FX and perimeter compared to Q1-24. As reported (at current FX and perimeter), turnover rose +2.1%.

    Revenues from insurance activities (including Bonding and Single Risk) increased by +1.2% at constant FX and perimeter. Client retention returned to a level close to its record high at 95.0% in a still competitive market. New business totalled €37m, stable compared with Q1-24. This was driven by an increase in demand and growth investments, particularly in the mid-market segment.

    Growth in client activity was positive at 1.2%, marking a further improvement compared to the already positive previous quarter. However, this level reflects the economic environment that prevailed before the tariff announcements by the United States. The price effect remained negative at -1.3% in Q1-25, in line with last year and long-term trends.

    Turnover from non-insurance activities was up +7.5% compared to Q1-24. However, not all business lines enjoyed the same momentum. Factoring turnover fell by -0.7%, with Germany and Poland recording identical performance. Business Information turnover continued to grow, rising +14.8% (and +18.4% on a reported basis). Fee and commission income (debt collection commissions) increased +14.8% due to the increase in claims to be collected. Commissions were up +4.0%, exceeding growth in premium income.

    Total revenue – in €m
    (by country of invoicing)    		 Q1-24 Q1-25 Variation % ex. FX2
    Northern Europe 97.8 97.0 (0.8)% (0.8)%
    Western Europe 91.7 96.0 +4.7% +1.9%
    Central & Eastern Europe 45.1 42.3 (6.3)% (6.9)%
    Mediterranean & Africa 138.9 143.4 +3.2% +5.1%
    North America 42.6 43.5 +2.0% +1.5%
    Latin America 18.6 20.4 +9.7% +16.0%
    Asia-Pacific 28.9 30.7 +6.2% +2.7%
    Total Group 463.7 473.2 +2.1% +2.0%

    In Northern Europe, turnover was down by -0.8% at constant and current FX. The region continues to suffer from the weakness of the German economy. This slight decline was partially offset by growth in non-insurance activities. Factoring turnover was down -0.7% but services were up +17.8%.

    In Western Europe, turnover increased +1.9% at constant FX (+4.7% at current FX). The loss of several significant contracts was more than offset by growth in service activities.

    In Central and Eastern Europe, turnover fell -6.9% at constant FX (-6.3% at current FX) due to client activity, which continued to drag down credit insurance, and a significant contract that is now included in another region.

    In the Mediterranean and Africa region, which is driven by Italy and Spain, turnover rose +5.1% at constant FX and +3.2% at current FX on the back of robust sales in credit insurance and services and a generally stronger economic environment.

    In North America, turnover rose by +1.5% at constant FX and +2.0% on a reported basis. The region benefited from a slight improvement in client activity and higher retention.

    In Latin America, turnover increased +16.0% at constant FX and +9.7% at current FX. The region is benefiting from continued high inflation, which is benefiting client activity.

    In Asia-Pacific, turnover increased +2.7% at constant FX and +6.2% at current FX. The region is benefiting from high retention and a slight increase in client activity.

    2.   Result

    • Combined ratio

    The combined ratio net of reinsurance stood at 68.7% for Q1-25, an increase of 5.6 ppts year on year but flat compared to the previous quarter.

    (i)  Loss ratio

    The gross loss ratio stood at 38.7%, up 5.5 ppts compared to the previous year. This increase reflects the normalisation of the loss experience offset by high but stable reserve releases compared to the previous year. The number of mid-sized claims was below long-term trends but is increasing.

    The Group’s provisioning policy remained unchanged. The amount of provisions related to the underwriting year, although discounted, remained in line with the historical average. Strict management of past claims enabled the Group to record 43.6 ppts of recoveries.

    The net loss ratio increased to 39.1%, up 3.3 ppts compared to Q1-24, with reinsurance absorbing part of the deterioration in the gross loss ratio.

    (ii)  Cost ratio

    Coface is pursuing a strict cost management policy while maintaining its investments, in line with the Power the Core strategic plan. In Q1-25, costs rose by +5.7% at constant FX and perimeter, and +5.9% at current FX.

    The cost ratio net of reinsurance was 29.5% in Q1-25, up 2.2 ppts year on year. This increase was mainly due to cost inflation (+1.4 ppt) and continued investment (+2.9 ppts). In contrast, the improved product mix (Business Information, Debt Collection and fee and commission income) had a positive effect of 2.6 ppts. The change in reinsurance commissions explains most of the remainder.

    • Financial result

    Net financial income was €10.4m in the first quarter. This amount includes an FX effect of -€12.4m, mostly due to the application of IAS 29 (Hyperinflation) mainly in Turkey for €4.5m.

    The portfolio’s current yield (i.e. excluding capital gains, depreciation and FX) was €24.9m. The accounting yield3, excluding capital gains and fair value effect, was 0.7% in Q1-25. The yield on new investments was 3.8%.

    Insurance Finance Expenses (IFE) stood at €4.1m for the first quarter. Outside of FX gains, the amount is very similar to that of previous quarters.

    • Operating income and net income

    Operating income amounted to €91.2m in Q1-25, down 14.5%.

    The effective tax rate was 23% for the quarter (vs. 27% in Q1-24).

    In total, net income (group share) was €62.1m, down 9.2% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    3.   Shareholders’ equity

    At 31 March 2025, Group shareholders’ equity stood at €2,234.0m, up €40.4m or +1.8% (€2,193.6m at 31 December 2024).

    This increase is mainly due to positive net income of €62.1m and an FX effect.

    The annualised return on average tangible equity (RoATE) was 12.7% at 31 March 2025, down from the previous year, in line with the decline in net income.

    4.   Outlook

    Uncertainty about international economic policy is reaching a rarely seen levels. The United States announced the implementation of massive tariffs which vary depending on industrial sector and the imports’ country of origin. Implementation has been delayed in most cases to allow time for negotiations.

    Estimates of the long-term impact will have to wait until the tariffs actually implemented are more stable. In the short term, this uncertainty is delaying investment decisions and detracting from economic growth.

    This unprecedented complex environment validates the strategy and positioning adopted by Coface, which draws on its internationally recognised experts and industry leading data to support its clients as effectively as possible as the situation evolves. In the short term, Coface has stepped up communication with its clients and maintained its prevention actions at a high level, while continuing to invest in line with the Power the Core strategic plan. The workforce dedicated to services (Business Information and Debt Collection) currently stands at nearly 700 people.

    Conference call for financial analysts

    Coface’s Q1-2025 results will be discussed with financial analysts during the conference call on Monday 5 May at 18:00 (Paris time). Dial one of the following numbers:

    The presentation will be available (in English only) at the following address:
    http://www.coface.com/Investors/financial-results-and-reports

    Appendices

    Quarterly results

    Income statement items in €m
    Quarterly figures    		 Q1-24 Q2-24 Q3-24 Q4-24 Q1-25   % %
    ex. FX*
    Insurance revenue 378.6 375.6 375.9 382.7 382.9   +1.1% +1.2%
    Other revenue 85.0 83.4 78.0 85.5 90.3   +6.2% +5.5%
    REVENUE 463.7 459.1 453.8 468.3 473.2   +2.1% +2.0%
    UNDERWRITING INCOME (LOSS)
    AFTER REINSURANCE    		 100.3 94.7 88.8 84.9 85.4   (14.9)% (15.4)%
    Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs 17.9 22.8 19.0 31.9 10.4   (42.0)% (44.2)%
    Insurance Finance Expenses (11.4) (6.7) (7.3) (17.1) (4.1)   (63.6)% (61.6)%
    CURRENT OPERATING INCOME 106.8 110.9 100.5 99.7 91.6   (14.2)% (15.3)%
    Other operating income / expenses (0.1) (0.5) (2.6) (5.5) (0.4)   438.8% 439.8%
    OPERATING INCOME 106.8 110.4 97.9 94.2 91.2   (14.5)% (15.6)%
    NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE) 68.4 73.8 65.4 53.4 62.1   (9.2)% (10.5)%
    Income tax rate 27.2% 26.8% 25.5% 36.2% 23.0%   (4.2) ppt

    Cumulated results

    Income statement items in €m
    Cumulated figures    		 Q1-24 H1-24 9M-24 2024 Q1-25   % %
    ex. FX*
    Insurance revenue 378.6 754.3 1,130.2 1,512.9 382.9   +1.1% +1.2%
    Other revenue 85.0 168.5 246.4 331.9 90.3   +6.2% +5.5%
    REVENUE 463.7 922.7 1,376.6 1,844.8 473.2   +2.1% +2.0%
    UNDERWRITING INCOME (LOSS)
    AFTER REINSURANCE    		 100.3 195.0 283.8 368.7 85.4   (14.9)% (15.4)%
    Investment income, net of management expenses, excluding finance costs 17.9 40.8 59.8 91.7 10.4   (42.0)% (44.2)%
    Insurance Finance Expenses (11.4) (18.1) (25.4) (42.5) (4.1)   (63.6)% (61.6)%
    CURRENT OPERATING INCOME 106.8 217.7 318.2 417.9 91.6   (14.2)% (15.3)%
    Other operating income / expenses (0.1) (0.5) (3.1) (8.6) (0.4)   438.8% 439.8%
    OPERATING INCOME 106.8 217.2 315.1 409.2 91.2   (14.5)% (15.6)%
    NET INCOME (GROUP SHARE) 68.4 142.3 207.7 261.1 62.1   (9.2)% (10.5)%
    Income tax rate 27.2% 27.0% 26.5% 28.7% 23.0%   (4.2) ppt  

    * Also excludes scope impact

    CONTACTS

    ANALYSTS / INVESTORS
    Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58 – thomas.jacquet@coface.com
    Rina ANDRIAMIADANTSOA: +33 1 49 02 15 85 – rina.andriamiadantsoa@coface.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS
    Saphia GAOUAOUI: +33 1 49 02 14 91 – saphia.gaouaoui@coface.com
    Adrien BILLET: +33 1 49 02 23 63 – adrien.billet@coface.com

    FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2025
    (subject to change)

    Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting: 14 May 2025
    H1-2025 results: 31 July 2025 (after market close)
    9M-2025 results: 3 November 2025 (after market close)

    FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    This press release, as well as COFACE SA’s integral regulatory information, can be found on the Group’s website: http://www.coface.com/Investors

    For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2024 and our 2024 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 “Key financial performance indicators”).

    Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust.
    You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.
     

    COFACE: FOR TRADE
    As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for more than 75 years, Coface helps companies grow and navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.
    Whatever their size, location or sector, Coface provides 100,000 clients across some 200 markets with a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.
    Every day, Coface leverages its unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.
    In 2024, Coface employed ~5,236 people and registered a turnover of €1.84 billion.

    www.coface.com

    COFACE SA is quoted in Compartment A of Euronext Paris
    Code ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

    DISCLAIMER – Certain declarations featured in this press release may contain forecasts that notably relate to future events, trends, projects or targets. By nature, these forecasts include identified or unidentified risks and uncertainties, and may be affected by many factors likely to give rise to a significant discrepancy between the real results and those stated in these declarations. Please refer to chapter 5 “Main risk factors and their management within the Group” of the Coface Group’s 2024 Universal Registration Document filed with AMF on 5 April 2024 under the number D.25-0227 in order to obtain a description of certain major factors, risks and uncertainties likely to influence the Coface Group’s businesses. The Coface Group disclaims any intention or obligation to publish an update of these forecasts, or provide new information on future events or any other circumstance.

    1 Return on average tangible equity
    2 Also excludes scope impact
    3 Book yield calculated on the average of the investment portfolio excluding non-consolidated subsidiaries.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s press encounter on India and Pakistan

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Tensions between India and Pakistan are at their highest in years.
    I deeply respect and am profoundly grateful to the Government and people of both countries — and their significant contributions to the work of the United Nations, not least UN peacekeeping.
    And so it pains me to see relations reaching a boiling point. 
    I understand the raw feelings following the awful terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April.  
    I once again strongly condemn that attack and extend my condolences to the families of the victims. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bun festival attracts huge crowds

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The finale of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival took place today, with thousands of Hongkongers and tourists heading to the island to experience its unique traditions first-hand. 

     

    Highlights included a colourful Grand Parade, and – later in the evening – the finals of the Bun Scrambling Competition.

     

    Afternoon crowds were captivated by the parade, which set off from Pak Tai Temple Playground. It featured children, many dressed as deities, being carried aloft on steel frames, in addition to traditional lion dances. 

     

    The festival culminated with the finals of the annual Bun Scrambling Competition, with 12 competitors scaling a bamboo tower and attempting to snatch buns attached to it.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –