Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI: Q1 2025 as planned, post Financial restructuring: commercial recovery, decline in revenue and limited cash consumption

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Q1 2025 as planned, post financial restructuring:

    commercial recovery, decline in revenue

    and limited cash consumption

    Confirmation of continued commercial recovery, fueled by strategic large deal signatures

    • Q1 2025 order entry at €1.7 billion
    • Q1 2025 book-to-bill at 81%, +17 points vs Q1 2024, benefiting from the signature of multi-year contract renewals and business wins with new material revenue streams

    Q1 2025 revenue: €2,068 million, down -15.9% organically, impacted by lower order entry and contract completions recorded in 2024, before the closing of the financial restructuring of the Company on December 18, 2024

    • Reflecting deliberate reduction of BPO1 activities in the UK, as well as calendar effects
    • Eviden: down -14.0% organically
    • Tech Foundations: down -17.5% organically

    Estimated cash consumption2limited to c. €-40 million in Q1 2025 vs €-415 million in Q1 2024

    • No usage at all of account receivable factoring or specific optimization on trade payables

    Estimated liquidity3of c. €1,958 million as of March 31, 2025 vs €2,179 million as of December 31, 2024:

    • Cash and cash equivalent of c. €1,518 million vs €1,739 million in December 2024 and undrawn revolving credit facility of €440 million as of March 31, 2025
    • Including c. €138 million of cash in advance (vs €319 million as at December 31, 2024), consisting solely of customer invoices paid in advance without any discount and on a pure voluntary basis

    Presentation of Atos updated strategy and organization during the May 14, 2025 Capital Markets Day

    Paris, April 17, 2025 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, high-performance computing and information technology infrastructure, today announces its Q1 2025 revenue.

    Philippe Salle, Atos Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, declared:

    “Our first quarter performance confirms the inflexion in our business trajectory following the closing of our financial restructuring at the end of 2024. While top line remained under pressure, our commercial activity continued to recover during the quarter, attesting to the confidence and engagement of our clients and boding well for the future of Atos. We have also limited our cash consumption during the quarter and made significant progress in the implementation of our restructuring program to adapt our cost base. I look forward to sharing my vision for Atos and unveiling our mid-term strategy at our Capital Markets Day on May 14. This is the start of a new chapter for the Group, with relentless focus on serving our customers through innovation and high-quality services.”

    Q1 2025 Revenue by Business

    In € million Q1 2025
    Revenue
    Q1 2024
    Revenue
    Q1 2024
    Revenue*
    Organic variation*
    Eviden 973 1,164 1,132 -14.0%
    Tech Foundations 1,095 1,314 1,326 -17.5%
    Total 2,068 2,479 2,458 -15.9%

    *: at constant scope and March 2025 average exchange rates

    Group revenue was €2,068 million, down -15.9% organically compared with Q1 2024. Overall, Group revenue evolution in Q1 2025 reflects lower order entry and contract completions recorded in 2024, before the closing of the financial restructuring of the Company in December 2024, deliberate reduction of BPO activities in the UK, calendar effects as well as market softness in key geographies.

    Eviden revenue was €973 million, down -14.0% organically.

    • Digital activities decreased double digit. The business was impacted by H2 2024 contract completions and contract scope reductions, as well as by the continued market softness in North America, in the UK & Ireland and in Southern Europe.
    • Big Data & Security (BDS) revenue decreased high single digit. Lower activity in cybersecurity services due to volume decline and contract completions was partially offset by growth in Advanced Computing due to large project deliveries in India and Germany.

    Tech Foundations revenue was €1,095 million, down -17.5% organically.

    • Core revenue (excluding BPO and value-added resale (“VAR”)) decreased double digit mainly due to previously established contract terminations and completions in North America, lower revenue from Major Events following the delivery of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic games, and by contract scope and volume reduction in the UK.
    • Non-core revenue declined double digit as planned, reflecting deliberate reduction of BPO activities in the UK and reduced value-added resale for hardware and software products.

    Q1 2025 revenue by Regional Business Unit

    In € million Q1 2025
    Revenue
    Q1 2024
    Revenue
    Q1 2024
    Revenue*
    Organic variation*
    Central Europe 501 533 527 -5.0%
    Southern Europe 438 565 527 -16.9%
    North America 382 512 528 -27.6%
    UK / IR 309 423 434 -28.8%
    Growing markets 224 223 219 +2.0%
    Benelux and the Nordics (BTN)                  212 220 220 -3.6%
    Others & Global structures 2 3 3 -10.0%
    Total 2,068 2,479 2,458 -15.9%

    *: at constant scope and March 2025 average exchange rates

    Central Europe revenue was € 501 million, down -5.0% organically.

    • Eviden revenue decreased low single digit. Decline in Digital due to volume reduction from Manufacturing and Public Sector customers was partially offset by the delivery of a large HPC in Germany.
    • Tech Foundations revenue decreased double digit, reflecting volume and scope reductions related to low-margin contracts with Pharmaceutical and Banking customers.

    Southern Europe revenue was €438 million, down -16.9% organically.

    • Eviden revenue decreased double digit. Digital activities declined due to volume reduction with Automotive, Transport & Logistics and Banking customers. The delivery of a supercomputer project in France in 2024 provided a higher prior year comparison basis for BDS.
    • Tech Foundations revenue decreased high single digit due to contract completions with select customers.

    North America revenue was € 382 million, down -27.6% organically, impacted by contract terminations and completions, and general slowdown in market conditions.

    • Eviden revenue decreased double digit, notably from lower activity with Healthcare, Finance, and Transport & Logistics customers. BDS decreased double digit due to contract completion and volume reductions.
    • Tech Foundations revenue decreased double digit notably from lower activity in Media and Insurance.

    UK & Ireland revenue was € 309 million, down -28.8% organically.

    • Eviden revenue decreased double digit. Digital revenue decreased on back of market softness in Public Sector while BDS remained stable.
    • Revenue in Tech Foundations decreased double digit, due primarily to previously announced large contract exit in Public Sector BPO.

    Growing Market revenue was €224 million, up +2.0% organically. Revenue from the delivery of a HPC in India was partly offset by the high prior year comparison basis of Major Events, which included revenue from the 2024 Paris Olympic & Paralympic Games.

    Benelux and the Nordics revenue was € 212 million, down -3.6% organically

    • Eviden revenue decreased low single digit, impacted by project completions and volume reductions in Manufacturing.
    • Revenue in Tech Foundations decreased low single digit as well, due to previously established contract completions and volume decline on low-margin contracts with Healthcare and Utilities customers.

    Order entry and backlog

    Q1 2025 commercial activity

    Order entry reached €1.7 billion in Q1 2025, of which €1.1 billion represent new services sold to new or existing customers.

    Book-to-bill ratio was 81% for the quarter, improving by +17 points compared with the Q1 2024 ratio of 64%, benefiting from renewed client confidence.

    • Eviden book-to-bill ratio was 80% for the first quarter compared to 83% in Q1 2024, when a large HPC order was booked for a Danish innovation center. Main contract signatures in the first quarter included a large six-year new business in digital and cyber contract in Belgium and a contract renewal to manage a public health system for a large American insurance company.
    • Tech Foundations book-to-bill ratio was 81% for the first quarter, a significant improvement compared to the 47% reported in Q1 2024. Main contract signatures in the first quarter included a new four-year contract for IT infrastructure in Public Sector in France, a multi-year contract extension for Mainframe services with a global leader in aerospace as well a contract renewal with a leading automotive manufacturer for Mainframe services. Also, a new five-year Digital Workplace contract was signed with the UK Department of Environments, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

    Backlog & commercial pipeline

    At the end of March 2025, the full backlog reached €12.6 billion representing 1.3 years of
    revenue.

    The full qualified weighted pipeline amounted to €4.5 billion at the end of March 2025, representing 5.7 months of revenue.

    Human resources

    The total headcount was 74,074 at the end of March 2025, decreasing by -5.2% compared with the end of December 2024, notably from 1,682 departures related to the restructuring plan already on track.

    Q1 2025 liquidity position4

    Atos SE also publishes its estimated liquidity position at March 31, 2025. This indicator measures the estimated financial resources available at date to meet Atos SE future obligations. This publication is part of the regular reporting requirements defined and agreed with the Group’s financial creditors.

    As of March 31, 2025, Atos liquidity is estimated at circa €1,958 million, compared to €2,179 million as of December 31, 2024, and was comprised of:

     In € million March 31, 2025
    (estimated)
    December 31, 2024
    (actuals)
    Var.
    Cash & cash equivalents 1,518  1,739 -221 
    of which payments received from customers in advance of invoice payment due dates 138  319 -181 
    Undrawn revolving credit facility 440  440 – 
    Total liquidity 1,958  2,179 -221 

    Capital Markets Day

    Atos will present an update of its strategy and organization during a Capital Markets Day that will be held in Atos’ Bezons headquarters on May 14, 2025.

    Forthcoming events

    May 14, 2025 Capital Markets Day
    June 13, 2025 Annual General Meeting
       
    August 1st, 2025 (Before Market Opening)  First semester 2025 results

    APPENDIX

    Q1 2024 revenue at constant scope and exchange rates reconciliation

    For the analysis of the Group’s performance, revenue for Q1 2025 is compared with 2024 revenue at constant scope and foreign exchange rates.

    Reconciliation between the 2024 reported first quarter revenue and the 2024 first quarter revenue at constant scope and foreign exchange rates is presented below, by Business Lines and Regional Business Units:

    Q1 2024 revenue
    In € million
    Q1 2024 published Internal transfers Scope effects Exchange rates effects Q1 2024*
    Eviden 1,164 2 -44 9 1,132
    Tech Foundations 1,314 -2 0 14 1,326
    Total 2,479 0 -44 23 2,458
               
               
    Q1 2024 revenue
    In € million
    Q1 2024 published Internal transfers Scope effects Exchange rates effects Q1 2024*
    North America 512 0 0 16 528
    Benelux and the Nordics (BTN) 220 0 0 0 220
    UK / IR 423 0 0 10 434
    Central Europe 533 0 -6 0 527
    Southern Europe 565 0 -38 0 527
    Growing Markets 223 0 0 -3 219
    Others & Global structures 3 0 0 0 3
    Total 2,479 0 -44 23 2,458

    *: at constant scope and March 2025 average exchange rates

    Scope effects amounted to €-44 million. They related to the divesture of Worldgrid in Southern Europe and Central Europe.

    Currency effects positively contributed to revenue for €+23 million. They mostly came from the appreciation of the British pound and the US dollar partially compensated by the depreciation of the Brazilian real, the Argentinian peso and the Turkish lira.

    Disclaimer

    This document contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including references, concerning the Group’s expected growth and profitability in the future which may significantly impact the expected performance indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are linked to factors out of the control of the Company and not precisely estimated, such as market conditions or competitors’ behaviors. Any forward-looking statements made in this document are statements about Atos’s beliefs and expectations and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include statements that may relate to Atos’s plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, future revenues or synergies, or performance, and other information that is not historical information. Actual events or results may differ from those described in this document due to a number of risks and uncertainties that are described within the 2024 Universal Registration Document filed with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) on April 10, 2025 under the registration number D.25-0238. Atos does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law.

    This document does not contain or constitute an offer of Atos’s shares for sale or an invitation or inducement to invest in Atos’s shares in France, the United States of America or any other jurisdiction. This document includes information on specific transactions that shall be considered as projects only. In particular, any decision relating to the information or projects mentioned in this document and their terms and conditions will only be made after the ongoing in-depth analysis considering tax, legal, operational, finance, HR and all other relevant aspects have been completed and will be subject to general market conditions and other customary conditions, including governance bodies and shareholders’ approval as well as appropriate processes with the relevant employee representative bodies in accordance with applicable laws.

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 74,000 employees and annual revenue of circa €10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Contacts

    Investor relations:

    David Pierre-Kahn | investors@atos.net | +33 6 28 51 45 96

    Sofiane El Amri | investors@atos.net | +33 6 29 34 85 67

    Individual shareholders: +33 8 05 65 00 75

    Press contact: globalprteam@atos.net


    1         Business Process Outsourcing

    2         Cash consumption of a period is defined as the variance in cash and cash-equivalent, excluding (i) the variance of the drawn portion of the RCF and (ii) the variance in working capital optimization actions (which include cash in advance received from customers, account receivable factoring and specific optimization of trade payables)

    3         Liquidity is defined as the sum of (i) the consolidated cash and cash-equivalent position of the Group and (ii) the amounts available under any undrawn committed facilities (including committed overdrafts). Consolidated cash and cash-equivalent includes trapped cash and unpooled cash and excludes cash held in escrow accounts in order to provide cash collateral.

    4         Liquidity is defined as the sum of (i) the consolidated cash and cash-equivalent position of the Group and (ii) the amounts available under any undrawn committed facilities (including committed overdrafts). Consolidated cash and cash-equivalent includes trapped cash and unpooled cash and excludes cash held in escrow accounts in order to provide cash collateral.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on April 17, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Tenor 4-day
    Notified Amount (in ₹ crore) 25,000
    Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore) 6,514
    Amount allotted (in ₹ crore) 6,514
    Cut off Rate (%) 6.01
    Weighted Average Rate (%) 6.01
    Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%) NA

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/122

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Seventy-six new police officers en route to districts

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Commissioner Richard Chambers, members of the police executive and wing patron Don Mann congratulated the 76 graduating constables from Wing 383 today.  Also attending and presenting a prize in absence of the Minister of Police was Mayor of Porirua Anita Baker.

    Families and friends celebrated the newly attested police officers at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua this afternoon to acknowledge the successful completion of their initial training course.

    There are some likeminded individuals in the wing with 19 of the graduates having family members currently working in police. Five officers worked for police in non-constabulary roles before choosing to become police officers.

    Twenty two of them were born in other countries, with 15 of them speaking more than just English.

    Many of the officers are top sports players and one of them was awarded the Minister’s prize for top of wing. Constable Casey Hales is a former New Zealand representative for White-water Canoe Slalom. She’s also a current member of the Paddle Ferns – the New Zealand Women’s Canoe Polo Team and has won several international titles. She is a current world champion, having won the 2024 World Championships just three weeks before beginning her police college journey last November. She will be competing in the upcoming World Games in China later this year.

    “I have spent the better part of ten years dedicated to my sporting passion. It is a privilege to be a member of the Paddle Ferns – the New Zealand Women’s Canoe Polo team and represent New Zealand at multiple international competitions. After winning the 2024 World Championships it felt like the right time to put my paddle down for a bit and shift my energy to starting a career I have always dreamed of. “It’s an honour to be recognised as top of wing, and I had no idea I was capable of it, but I’ve been lucky enough to go through this journey supported by an amazing group of people,” says Casey.

    Casey will be based in Eastern District alongside her sister and mentor Constable Tayla Hales.

    Leadership Award winner Ethan Semple has also followed a sibling into the police service. Ethan’s brother inspired him to join police. “I was very proud of my brother when he joined the police a few years ago. I’d always felt called to join police myself but felt like I wasn’t ready. I was going from job to job for a few years, working with youth in Oranga Tamariki, security, and a few tradie jobs. I was never satisfied with what I was doing, always feeling like it wasn’t where I was meant to be. Last year the recruiter tapped me on the shoulder so I put my name forward. As I did so, I’d never felt so sure about any job I’d applied for, and coming into college I knew I was where I am meant to be.”

    Ethan is deployed to Bay of Plenty District.

    Ten officers will head to Southern District, while nine will head to Northland District, a large number at either end of the country.

    The Northland-bound recruits is one of the biggest cohorts to head there in a long time. Regional recruiter Sergeant Joe Te Ao says it’s about making connections in the community and reaching out to people who you think may be a good fit to join police.
    “I spotted a rugby referee who also worked as an instructor at the gym. I knew he would be great in the job. I approached him and suggested he give it a go, met him at the station, had a good chat and he applied the following week. I supported him throughout the whole process and he is now at police college on Wing 386. There’s also someone graduating today who was our plumber and it’s great to watch him graduate. These are just two of many excellent people who I’ve sought out and encouraged them to join,” says Joe. 

    District Commander Northland, Superintendent Matt Srhoj says having the new officers join them in a week will be great. “We’re really excited having the extra people coming on board.  We’ve worked really hard to recruit them, and it’s good that we have filled a few gaps. Our staff up in Northland are very excited about this new team coming back.

    Southern District’s ten new officers will be deployed throughout the region to Invercargill, Queenstown, Gore and Dunedin stations.

    The rest of the wing are dispersed as follows:

    Deployment:
    Northland 9, Tāmaki Makaurau a total of 25 and broken down as follows: Auckland City – 9, Waitematā – 7, Counties Manukau – 9, Waikato – 5, Bay of Plenty – 6, Eastern – 3, Central – 3, Wellington – 7, Tasman – 3, Canterbury – 5, Southern – 10.

    The new constables will start their first week of duty in their Police districts from Monday 28 April 2025 and will continue their training on the job as probationary constables.

    All Awards:
    Minister’s Award recognising top student: Constable Casey Hales, posted to Eastern District. 
    Commissioner’s Award for Leadership: Constable Ethan Semple, posted to Bay of Plenty District.
    Patron’s Award for second in wing recognising second top student: Constable Kayla Massey-Borman, posted to Auckland City District.
    Firearms Award: Constable Ricardo Lewis, posted to Waitematā District.
    Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award: Constable Jared Curtis posted to Bay of Plenty District.
    Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award: Constable Jenna Dodd, posted to Counties Manukau District.

    Demographics:

    31.6 percent are female, 68.4 percent are male. New Zealand European make up 64.5 percent of the wing, with Māori 13.2 percent, Pasifika 6.6 percent, Asian 11.8 percent, LAAM 2.6 percent. 

    383 Wing Patron: Don Mann
    Don Mann (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe and Tongan descent) is a highly regarded leader who has served in the public and private sectors, and was a New Zealand police officer for 13 years.
    Don is the CEO of Pacific Media Network, a public service multimedia entity that serves a global Pacific audience, revitalising 10 Pacific languages while promoting Pacific culture and identity.
    Before that role, Don was CEO of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation where he led indigenous economic development partnerships across the Pacific region. In 2014, Don established a corporate partnerships team at Auckland Council, playing a pivotal role in supporting Auckland’s economic development strategy. 
    As a former general manager of the New Zealand Warriors franchise Don helped lead the club to seven National Rugby League (NRL) finals series including two NRL grand finals. He is a previous winner of the Pacific Sport Administrator the Year award and was twice recognised at the Aotearoa Māori Sport Awards.
    Don joined the New Zealand Police in 1984 and was awarded first prize for general excellence in Wing 92. During his 13 years of Police service he spent seven of those as a detective in Auckland CIB specialising in homicide investigation, sexual abuse and criminal intelligence. 
    He holds a Bachelor of Business from Massey University where he won awards for business leadership and market research. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and currently serves on the Boards of Literacy Aotearoa (as Co-chair), SkyCity Auckland Community Trust, and The Rising Foundation. Don is married to Louise, a former police officer of 17 years and a current Police employee.

    Watch out for our Ten One story coming soon with more images and stories.
    If you’re interested in joining police check out newcops.govt.nz

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Malaysia pledge support for ASEAN

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

    KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — China and Malaysia have pledged support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    The two countries made the announcement on Thursday in a joint statement released in the context of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia.

    The two sides reaffirmed to uphold ASEAN centrality and support the bloc in strengthening ASEAN-led mechanism in promoting an open and inclusive regional architecture that is peaceful, stable and conducive to regional development, growth and prosperity, said the statement.

    They also reiterated to jointly enhance the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, so as to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future, it said.

    Malaysia supports China in hosting APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting 2026 and supports Hong Kong’s accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, it added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Malaysia agree to build high-level strategic community with shared future

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

    KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — China and Malaysia have agreed to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future to accelerate their modernization efforts and jointly promote regional and global prosperity and stability.

    The two countries made the announcement on Thursday in a joint statement released in the context of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia.

    In the statement, China and Malaysia vowed to strengthen strategic coordination, deepen synergy of development, tighten people-to-people bonds, maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, strengthen regional cooperation, and conduct multilateral cooperation.

    Malaysia reiterated its firm commitment to the one-China policy, recognizing the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, Taiwan is an inalienable territory of the People’s Republic of China, and in order for China to achieve national reunification, will not support any call for the independence of Taiwan.

    The two sides agreed to become a pacesetter for regional cooperation on new quality productive forces and further synergize development strategies.

    Focusing on four key areas of digital economy, green economy, blue economy and tourism economy, the two sides pledged to expand future economic cooperation, promote integrated, coordinated and complementary development, achieve deep integration of industrial and supply chains, value chains, data chains and talent chains, so as to further improve the level and quality of China-Malaysia cooperation.

    The two countries also agreed to jointly build a safe and stable industrial and supply chain and strengthen cooperation.

    According to the statement, the Malaysian side welcomes Chinese enterprises to participate in the construction of Malaysia’s 5G network. Both sides look forward to exploring potential cooperation in the semiconductor industrial chain to the extent practicable to maintain the stability of the industrial and supply chains.

    The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening rail transportation and infrastructure cooperation and contributing to the realization of the Pan-Asian Railway vision.

    China said it welcomes Malaysia to continue promoting Malaysian products and expanding exports to China through platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the Global Digital Trade Expo and the China-ASEAN Expo.

    As a way to tighten people-to-people bonds between the two countries, the two sides agreed to continue to conduct joint research on panda protection and expect to achieve more progress in this field.

    In a bid to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, the two countries agreed to resolve disputes by peaceful means, through friendly consultations and negotiations, said the statement, noting that both sides recognized that the involvement of parties not directly concerned could be counter-productive.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Result of Underwriting Auction conducted on April 17, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    In the underwriting auction conducted on April 17, 2025, for Additional Competitive Underwriting (ACU) of the undernoted Government securities, the Reserve Bank of India has set the cut-off rates for underwriting commission payable to Primary Dealers as given below:

    Nomenclature of the Security Notified Amount
    (₹ crore)
    Minimum Underwriting Commitment (MUC) Amount
    (₹ crore)
    Additional Competitive Underwriting Amount Accepted
    (₹ crore)
    Total Amount underwritten
    (₹ crore)
    ACU Commission Cut-off rate
    (paise per ₹100)
    6.79% GS 2031 11,000 5,502 5,498 11,000 0.05
    6.98% GOI GrB 2054 5,000 2,520 2,480 5,000 0.40
    7.09% GS 2074 14,000 7,014 6,986 14,000 0.26
    Auction for the sale of securities will be held on April 17, 2025.

    Ajit Prasad           
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/121

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Korean police fail in attempt to conduct search, seizure at presidential office

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Police officers are seen on duty near the presidential residence in central Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    South Korean police attempted to execute a search and seizure operation at the presidential office and residence of the ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul on Wednesday, but were blocked by the presidential security officials and ultimately failed to proceed.

    According to South Korean media outlets, the Presidential Security Service asserted that the targeted locations or items involved military or official secrets, thus refusing to permit the search. After a 10-hour standoff, the police decided to abort the operation.

    The search by the police aimed to collect evidence related to Yoon’s attempt on Jan. 3 to obstruct the execution of an arrest warrant led by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and the police.

    To clarify the details about Yoon’s declaration of an emergency martial law on Dec. 3 last year, the police have attempted to conduct search and seizure operations at the presidential office and residence for several times, all of which ended without success.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community attended the Trade Finance Registry (TFR) Dialogue

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community, H.E. Satvinder Singh, attended the Trade Finance Registry (TFR) Dialogue on 16 April 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

    Convened by the Growth Gateway Programme Team, which consists of members from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Dialogue fostered discussions and sharing of experiences among banks and financial technology providers on how to advance the development of a Trade Finance Registry. DSG Satvinder underscored the importance of TFR to support trade finance and highlighted ASEAN Secretariat’s readiness to facilitate engagement with dialogue partners to push the initiative forward for the ASEAN region.

    The post Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community attended the Trade Finance Registry (TFR) Dialogue appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB Provides Infrastructure for Ethnic Minorities in Phu Yen and Quang Tri

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    ADB and the Government of Viet Nam signed a $60 million financing package to upgrade and construct transport and water supply infrastructure in five upland districts with the highest concentration of ethnic minority communities in the central coastal provinces of Phu Yen and Quang Tri, Viet Nam.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Amended trade union bill gazetted

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2025 was published in the Government Gazette today.

     

    The bill seeks to amend the Trade Unions Ordinance to strengthen the regulation of trade unions to safeguard national security and improve the trade union regulatory regime, thereby facilitating trade unions’ healthy development, the Government explained.

     

    The Labour Department further elaborated that the proposed amendments will strengthen the statutory powers of the Registrar of Trade Unions to supervise and regulate trade unions to better fulfil the duty of safeguarding national security under the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

     

    At the same time, the amendments, giving due regard to Hong Kong residents’ freedom and right to form and join trade unions, will not adversely affect the operation of law-abiding trade unions, it stressed.

     

    The bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first and second readings on April 30. Subject to the passage of the bill, the amendment ordinance will come into operation on the expiry of six months after the day on which it is published in the Gazette.

     

    In the meantime, the department will further publicise and explain the amendments to trade unions in order to aid their understanding and compliance.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi’s Malaysia visit sets new milestone in bilateral ties, regional cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping, Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for a group photo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ongoing state visit to Malaysia marks a significant step in strengthening China-Malaysia all-round cooperation as the two sides have agreed to work together to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

    On Wednesday, Xi met with Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, respectively. Both sides emphasized their commitment to enhancing economic cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and developing future industries such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and green economy.

    High-level exchanges

    When meeting the king, Xi said that China is ready to work with the Malaysian side to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, so as to usher in new “Golden 50 Years” for bilateral ties.

    China and Malaysia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners who visit each other as often as family, Xi said, adding that bilateral relations have gone through a magnificent half-century and are embracing an even brighter future.

    Xi called on the two sides to ensure good implementation of major projects such as the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” program and the East Coast Rail Link, and to actively foster cooperation in future industries such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and green economy.

    China supports Malaysia in its role as the 2025 ASEAN chair and stands ready to work with the country to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Xi said.

    For his part, King Sultan Ibrahim expressed his belief that Xi’s visit will comprehensively upgrade bilateral relations and promote vigorous development of cooperation in various fields, adding that China’s impressive development achievements are attributable to the foresight of President Xi and the hard work of the Chinese people.

    Malaysia attaches great importance to its relations with China and will work with China toward win-win cooperation and promote the building of the high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future no matter how the international situation evolves, he said.

    Malaysia values regional economic integration, firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and stands ready to strengthen trade and investment cooperation with China, jointly stabilize industrial and supply chains, enhance connectivity and boost people-to-people and educational exchanges, said the king.

    While meeting the prime minister, Xi urged joint efforts to resist decoupling, supply chain disruptions, “small yard with high fences” and arbitrary imposition of tariffs with openness, inclusiveness, unity and cooperation.

    He also called for responding to the law of the jungle with Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, and responding to an unstable and uncertain world with a stable and certain Asia.

    Thriving cooperation, flourishing ties

    China-Malaysia ties run deep. From the voyages of renowned Chinese navigator Zheng He in the 15th century to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1974, and to the building of a community with a shared future today, the two countries have long enjoyed cultural affinity and strategic trust.

    During Xi’s 2013 visit, the two countries upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. A decade later, the relationship was elevated again to a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

    In a signed article published in Malaysian media ahead of his arrival, Xi said the decision on building the China-Malaysia community with a shared future marked “a new milestone in the bilateral relations.”

    “Our bilateral cooperation potential is being progressively realized in the digital economy, green development, industrial investment and transport infrastructure construction,” he wrote.

    As a vital node along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Malaysia is among the first to participate in Belt and Road cooperation. Thanks to joint efforts and Xi’s steadfast push, bilateral collaboration within the framework has achieved many results.

    In 2024, China-Malaysia trade reached 212 billion U.S. dollars, nearly 1,000 times the level at the inception of diplomatic relations. China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.

    On top of that, bilateral initiatives like the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” program, which pairs industrial zones in Qinzhou and Kuantan, have emerged as a model for regional collaboration. This partnership has spurred the expansion of port collaboration and infrastructure connection.

    A notable example is the East Coast Rail Link, a 665 km railway whose construction is in full swing. The railway, once completed, will bridge Malaysia’s less-developed east coast with its economic powerhouse on the west coast, enhancing connectivity and fostering balanced growth.

    Samirul Ariff Othman, an economist at Malaysia’s Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, said, “the flourishing economic ties between Malaysia and China demonstrate the resilience and mutual benefits of our bilateral relationship.”

    “The continued expansion of investments in high-value sectors such as technology, green energy and manufacturing will further deepen our cooperation,” said Othman.

    Multilateral collaboration

    Experts believe that the significance of Xi’s visit goes beyond bilateral relations. “It will greatly impact ASEAN-China relations, injecting new momentum into regional development and stability,” said Ong Tee Keat, president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific.

    In the signed article, Xi noted that China was the first ASEAN dialogue partner to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the first to establish a free trade area and a comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN.

    Bilateral cooperation between China and ASEAN is more robust than ever, he said, adding that in 2024, China-ASEAN trade exceeded 980 billion dollars, making the two sides each other’s largest trading partner for five consecutive years.

    According to China’s General Administration of Customs, ASEAN remained China’s largest trading partner in the first two months of 2025. During this period, trade between China and ASEAN countries reached a total of 1.03 trillion yuan, or 15.8 percent of China’s overall trade value.

    China fully supports Malaysia in its role as the ASEAN chair for 2025 and looks forward to Malaysia serving as a stronger bridge between the two sides as the country coordinator for China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations, Xi said.

    China will work with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to combat the undercurrents of geopolitical and camp-based confrontation, as well as the countercurrents of unilateralism and protectionism, said the Chinese leader.

    “We must brave the waves ahead and advance the high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, and jointly build a stronger China-ASEAN community with a shared future,” Xi said.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Panasonic HD develops SegLLM, an interactive segmentation technology that allows for image referencing, enabling recognition under complex conditions

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic HD develops SegLLM, an interactive segmentation technology that allows for image referencing, enabling recognition under complex conditions

    Osaka, Japan, April 17, 2025 – Panasonic R&D Company of America (PRDCA) and Panasonic Holdings Co., Ltd. (Panasonic HD), in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), have developed SegLLM, an interactive segmentation technology that allows users to specify recognition targets using language and reference images.
    Segmentation is a technology that divides an image into multiple regions at the pixel level. By integrating with image recognition, it enables the detection of specific objects and accurately captures their position and shape. This makes it applicable to various fields, such as object recognition in factories, environmental recognition around vehicles and object manipulation by robots. Recently, in the field of image recognition, there has been an increasing use of large language models (LLMs) to specify recognition targets using text. However, when providing instructions interactively, if new instructions are based on objects recognized in past interactions, the text can become complex, leading to a higher likelihood of misrecognition. The newly developed SegLLM addresses this issue by allowing the input of both text and reference images into prompts, enabling the recognition of hierarchical relationships between objects and interactions among objects, even for untrained objects. It also makes it possible to recognize only specific objects in more complex scenes where there are many similar looking objects.
    This technology has been internationally recognized for its advanced capabilities and has been accepted at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2025), a leading conference in AI and machine learning technologies. It will be presented at the conference held in Singapore from April 24 to April 28, 2025.

    Future Outlook:

    The newly developed SegLLM is a technology that significantly enhances the performance of interactive segmentation. Panasonic HD plans to implement this technology into the automatic annotation tool they are developing with FastLabel. By expanding the range of application to include targets that are difficult to detect with traditional text-only instructions, such as untrained objects or items held by specific individuals, this tool will evolve into a more versatile solution. Leveraging the characteristics of SegLLM, it can reduce training costs on-site in factories and production lines where a wide variety of instruments and tools exist. This will accelerate optimization in factories and similar environments through applications in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS).
    Panasonic HD will continue to accelerate the implementation of AI in society and promote research and development of AI technologies that will contribute to improving our customers’ lives and workplaces.
    * [Press Release] Panasonic R&D Company of America Develops New Multimodal Foundation Model That Can Perform Image Recognition and Segmentation in Response to Any Text Input (Nov 21, 2023)https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/en231121-5

    Related Information:

    “SegLLM: Multi-round Reasoning Segmentation”This research is the result of a collaborative effort between Konstantinos Kallidromitis from PRDCA, Xudong Wang from UC Berkeley, and Yusuke Kato and Kazuki Kozuka from Panasonic HD.https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.18923Panasonic × AI websitehttps://tech-ai.panasonic.com/en/

    About the Panasonic Group
    Founded in 1918, and today a global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022 with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. The Group reported consolidated net sales of 8,496.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on April 16, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India


    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

      Volume
    (One Leg)
    Weighted
    Average Rate
    Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,42,987.93 5.76 4.00-6.55
         I. Call Money 18,005.06 5.85 4.95-5.95
         II. Triparty Repo 4,28,281.20 5.71 5.38-5.99
         III. Market Repo 1,94,927.67 5.85 4.00-6.55
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,774.00 6.01 6.00-6.20
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 100.85 5.65 5.45-5.85
         II. Term Money@@ 625.00 6.10-6.10
         III. Triparty Repo 9,042.50 5.86 5.50-5.96
         IV. Market Repo 1,277.58 6.06 5.55-6.10
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Wed, 16/04/2025 1 Thu, 17/04/2025 10,346.00 6.01
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Wed, 16/04/2025 1 Thu, 17/04/2025 102.00 6.25
    4. SDFΔ# Wed, 16/04/2025 1 Thu, 17/04/2025 1,88,292.00 5.75
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -177844.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,998.94  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     7,998.94  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -1,69,845.06  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on April 16, 2025 9,25,756.95  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending April 18, 2025 9,31,571.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ April 16, 2025 10,346.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on March 21, 2025 1,11,247.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/120

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 17, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 17, 2025.

    Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thrive
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Marie Jackson, PhD Candidate, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University _Lasioglossum dotatum_ kerrysturat/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC-ND Of the more than 20,000 bee species in the world, 70% nest in the ground. And like many of their counterparts that nest above ground, these bees are facing

    Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Westerners, in particular, have been largely welcomed and provided with

    In the trade war, China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize the moment?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, Technology and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney China has placed curbs on exports of rare germanium and gallium which are critical in manufacturing. Shutterstock In the escalating trade war between the United States and China, one notable exception stood out: 31 critical

    ‘The pay is not worth the stress’: research finds 10% of lawyers plan to quit within a year
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivien Holmes, Emerita Professor, Australian National University Momentum studio/Shutterstock No one goes into the legal profession thinking it is going to be easy. Long working hours are fairly standard, work is often completed to tight external deadlines, and 24/7 availability to clients is widely understood to be

    Contemporary television is rarely as good as The Narrow Road to the Deep North
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Prime The Narrow Road to the Deep North stands as some of the most visceral and moving television produced in Australia in recent memory. Marking a new accessibility and confidence to director Justin Kurzel, it reunites him with

    NZ’s over-reliance on roads for freight means natural disasters hit even harder. But there is a fix
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cécile L’Hermitte, Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Waikato In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the driving time between Napier and Wairoa stretched from 90 minutes to over six hours, causing major supply chain delays. Retail prices rose and shoppers faced empty shelves.

    ‘They are like my children’: research reveals 4 types of indoor plant owners. Which one are you?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia maramorosz/Shutterstock Walk into any home or workplace today, and you’re likely to find an array of indoor plants. The global market for indoor plants is growing fast – projected to reach more than US$28 billion (A$44

    Cracks in social cohesion – the major parties must commit to reinvigorating multiculturalism
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney In the run up to the May 3 election, questions are being raised about the value of multiculturalism as a public policy in Australia. They’ve been prompted by community tensions arising from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the

    State of the states: six experts on how the campaign is playing out around Australia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The federal election campaign has passed the halfway mark, with politicians zig-zagging across the country to spruik their policies and achievements. Where politicians choose to visit (and not visit) give us some insight into their electoral

    People are ‘microdosing’ weight-loss drugs. A GP explains what to watch out for
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Yates, General Practitioner, PhD Candidate, Bond University MillaF/Shutterstock Injectable medications originally developed for the treatment of diabetes are also effective for weight loss, and have surged in popularity for this purpose around the world. In Australia, Ozempic is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes,

    With the end of Flybuys NZ, what happens to the personal data of nearly 3 million Kiwis?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Doctoral Candidate, Business School, University of Sydney JuSun/Getty Images After almost three decades in New Zealand, loyalty programme Flybuys announced it would be closing in 2024. The company behind the scheme, Loyalty New Zealand, has since entered liquidation, leaving the future of one

    New Aussie film The Correspondent is an extraordinary retelling of Peter Greste’s story
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Jean Baker, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash University Maslow Entertainment The Correspondent is a film every journalist should see. There are no spoiler alerts. It is based on the globally-publicised jailing in Cairo in 2013 of Australian journalist Peter Greste (played by Richard Roxburgh) and his

    Fiji defence minister draws flak for six-week trip to meet peacekeepers
    RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs is facing a backlash after announcing that he was undertaking a multi-country, six-week “official travel overseas” to visit Fijian peacekeepers in the Middle East. Pio Tikoduadua’s supporters say he should “disregard critics” for his commitment to Fijian peacekeepers, which “highlights a profound dedication to duty and

    Election Diary: there were a couple of ‘moments’ in second Albanese-Dutton encounter
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Two “moments” stuck out in Wednesday’s leaders’ debate, the second head-to-head of the campaign. Peter Dutton cut his losses over his faux pas this week when he wrongly named Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto as having said there had been a

    Second leaders’ debate is a tame affair befitting a ‘deeply uninspiring’ campaign
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have had their second showdown of the 2025 federal election campaign. The debate, hosted by the ABC, was moderated by David Speers in the national broadcaster’s studios in

    Poll shows Australians hate Trump policies and have lost trust in US, but still strongly believe in alliance
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australians strongly disagree with key policies of US President Donald Trump, and have overwhelmingly lost trust in the United States to act responsibly in the world, according to the Lowy Institute’s 2025 poll. Despite this, 80% of people say the

    NZ’s Palestine Forum calls on Luxon to take ‘firm stand’ over Israeli atrocities with temporary ban on visitors
    Asia Pacific Report A Palestinian advocacy group has called on NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters to take a firm stand for international law and human rights by following the Maldives with a ban on visiting Israelis. Maher Nazzal, chair of the Palestine Forum of New Zealand, said in an open

    We compared the Labor and Coalition’s income tax proposals to see who benefits most
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Shutterstock We now have the competing bids for our votes by the alternative governments on income tax policy. From Labor, future cuts to the lowest marginal tax rate and new standard deductions for

    Half of Australian landlords sell their investments after 2 years, adding to renters’ insecurity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ranjodh B. Singh, Senior Economics and Finance Lecturer, Curtin University Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock Australia’s renters have to battle rising rents and a lack of available properties. They also face ongoing instability. Our new research suggests half of all landlords sell their investment properties after only two years, adding

    Labor and the Greens likely to gain Senate seats at the election
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne As well as the election for the full House of Representatives, there will be an election on May 3 for 40 of the 76 senators. The 72

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Buddhist practitioners visit key Tibetan sites

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Foreign monks and officials visit an exhibition on the reincarnation system of Living Buddhas in Beijing on Monday, gaining insights into the centuries-old spiritual succession system in Tibetan Buddhism. [Photo/China Daily]
    Foreign Buddhist practitioners and religious affairs officials said visits to key Tibetan sites and research institutions in China this week have deepened their understanding of the reincarnation system of Living Buddhas and the development of Tibetan Buddhism in the country.
    More than 20 monks and officials from 12 countries visited the Lama Temple and the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing, as well as the Sera Monastery, Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Tibet University in Lhasa, capital of the Xizang autonomous region, from Monday to Wednesday.
    At the Lama Temple, monks expressed strong interest in the Discourse of Lama, an inscription carved in Manchu, Han, Mongolian and Tibetan. Written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the piece outlines the policy of selecting reincarnated Living Buddhas through a lot-drawing process using a golden urn.
    Emperor Qianlong granted two golden urns in 1792, placing one at the Lama Temple in Beijing and the other at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The current procedure for identifying reincarnated Living Buddhas in China has been standardized and legalized based on historical practice, according to Hu Xuefeng, abbot of the Lama Temple.
    “According to the procedure, the reincarnation of a Living Buddha must be carried out in China and approved by the central government,” Hu said during a briefing on the temple’s history and development.
    Lharkyal Lama, vice-chairman of Nepal’s Lumbini Development Trust, said Living Buddhas play a vital role in promoting Tibetan Buddhism and that their reincarnation has a long and rich history.
    After viewing an exhibition on the reincarnation of Living Buddhas — including the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama — at the Museum of Tibetan Culture at the China Tibetology Research Center, Penh Vibol, a member of the Secretariat of the Supreme Sangha Council of Cambodia, said the visit helped him better understand the background of the reincarnation tradition in China.
    “I think it’s a very good lesson and experience for us to come here and learn about the reincarnation story,” Vibol said.
    Monks said they were also pleased to see that Buddhist heritage sites and relics are well protected and that Buddhism remains vibrant in China.
    “The Lama Temple is a symbol of cultural connection between many different places,” said Lharkyal Lama. “You can see scriptures in different languages, including Tibetan and Chinese, and the architecture and relics have been beautifully preserved.”
    Phra Sophonvachirabhorn, assistant abbot of Wat Arun Ratchawararam in Thailand, said he was surprised to see so many young people worshiping at the Lama Temple.
    Hu, the abbot, said the temple receives an average of 20,000 visitors and worshipers daily — a sign that religious freedom is fully protected in the country.
    Nguyen Van Tan, a member of the General Buddhist Association of Vietnam, said he was impressed by the grandeur of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to visit it for the first time. There are so many worshipers here, which shows that Buddhism has been well promoted,” he said.
    Mendbayar Demberel, an abbot from Mongolia, said he had in-depth exchanges with local Buddhist practitioners during visits to the Sera Monastery, Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, which he described as both pleasant and fruitful.
    Jampa Choipel, a monk from the Sera Monastery, said the number of visitors from both China and abroad has grown in recent years.
    “Such exchanges have boosted understanding of Buddhism among practitioners from different parts of the world,” he said. “Together, we can contribute more to the harmonious development of local communities.”

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi calls for joint efforts to steadily build China-Cambodia community with shared future in new era

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

    Xi calls for joint efforts to steadily build China-Cambodia community with shared future in new era

    PHNOM PENH, April 17 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Cambodia must work together to promote the steady and sustained progress in building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.

    Xi made the remarks in a signed article titled “Together We Strive, Together We Thrive: Toward a Stable and Sustainable China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era” published Thursday in Cambodian media outlets Khmer Times, Jian Hua Daily and Fresh News ahead of his arrival in Cambodia for a state visit.

    Xi said that China and Cambodia should bring the mutual political trust to a higher level, and expand the mutually beneficial cooperation of higher quality.

    Xi urged the two countries to forge greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Pentagonal Strategy, and advance the development of the Industrial and Technological Corridor and the Fish and Rice Corridor.

    He called on both sides to work together to ensure greater security, have more frequent people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen strategic coordination of higher standards.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi hopes Cambodia visit to spearhead progress in building China-Cambodia community with shared future

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

    Xi hopes Cambodia visit to spearhead progress in building China-Cambodia community with shared future

    PHNOM PENH, April 17 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hopes his visit to Cambodia will spearhead progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

    Xi made the remarks in a signed article titled “Together We Strive, Together We Thrive: Toward a Stable and Sustainable China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era” published Thursday in Cambodian media outlets Khmer Times, Jian Hua Daily and Fresh News ahead of his arrival in Cambodia for a state visit.

    Noting that a China-Cambodia community with a shared future is deeply rooted in the historic legacy of good-neighborly relations, Xi said that the two countries’ friendly exchange spans two millennia of their shared history, thanks to the geographical proximity.

    A China-Cambodia community with a shared future is also defined by the two countries’ mutual commitment to friendship and righteousness, he said, recalling that the friendship was forged by Cambodia’s King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai among the elder generations of Chinese leaders.

    Xi noted that a China-Cambodia community with a shared future is powered by equality and mutual benefit. For many years, China has been Cambodia’s largest trading partner and largest source of investment, and the industrial and supply chain cooperation between the two countries has continued to deepen, he said.

    A China-Cambodia community with a shared future is founded upon inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi said.

    Over the past 30 years, China has sent many experts to Cambodia across diverse fields, including archaeology, geological exploration, cultural heritage, history, architecture and the arts. They have helped bring renewed splendor to the Angkor legacy, a gem of human civilizations, he added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Contemporary television is rarely as good as The Narrow Road to the Deep North

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University

    Prime

    The Narrow Road to the Deep North stands as some of the most visceral and moving television produced in Australia in recent memory.

    Marking a new accessibility and confidence to director Justin Kurzel, it reunites him with screenwriter Shaun Grant. Having produced some of the most compelling and confronting cinema on Australia’s darker history, this latest collaboration is no exception.

    Their previous features Snowtown (2011), True History of the Kelly Gang (2020) and Nitram (2021) focused on disturbed psychopaths wanting to unleash their fury onto a society they blame for their own wrongs and injustices.

    The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the World War II five episode miniseries, continues their exploration of Australia’s violent past while navigating a new direction in how they depict confused and damaged men.

    Trauma of survival

    Dorrigo Evans (Jacob Elordi/Ciarán Hinds) is a doctor sent to World War II. Captured during the Battle of Java he is taken as a prisoner of war (POW), where he is forced to lead his Australian soldiers on the building of the Burma-Thailand Railway.

    Rather than an executor of violence, he is a pacifist and victim. Ultimately he has to make peace with his own trauma and guilt of survival when many around him perished – some of whom he knowingly sent to their inevitable death to ensure his own survival.

    Faithfully adapted from Richard Flanagan’s novel, this production effectively creates interchanging timelines (seamlessly edited by Alexandre de Francesch) including prewar, war and postwar, and then flashes forward to Dorrigo in his mid-70s.

    Elordi’s younger depiction of Dorrigo is filled with nuance and subtleties, often exuded through his stillness. This is harmoniously taken up by Hinds, who has to carry the weight of Dorrigo’s trauma and guilt decades later, with a worn and damaged quietness. Hinds is remarkable when faced to confront his celebrity as a war hero, desperate to give the truth over the expected yarns of mateship and heroism.

    How do we tell the truth?

    The Narrow Road to the Deep North has been scheduled to be released close to ANZAC Day, which always provokes broader conversations around the mythmaking and truth-telling of our war service and human sacrifice.

    This production arrives as a thought-provoking essay on how military history continues to be told. Does the public really want accurate accounts, or more stories on mateship and heroism? Such questions filter dramatically across each episode and up to the final shot leaving us with much to consider.

    As a war drama, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is almost entirely static. The combat the battalion engages in is eclipsed by the soldiers held as starving and malnourished prisoners, brutally forced in several graphic scenes to continue as slaves on the building of the railway at all costs.

    The brutal and endless beating of Darky Gardiner (Thomas Weatherall), who crawls to the latrine full of excrement to drown himself, rather than endure more beating, is horrific but necessary to see the endless torture these skeletal and sick POWs are subjected to.

    90,000 Asian civilians and 2,800 Australian prisoners of war died constructing the Burma Railway.
    Prime

    One misleading depiction Grant and Kurzel disappointingly do not amend from Flanagan’s novel is the view that the Burma Railway was constructed almost entirely by the bloody hands of Australian soldiers. In reality more than 90,000 Asian civilians died, and 16,000 POWs from several nations, including 2,800 Australians.

    Moving across time

    Cinematogropher Sam Chiplin brings a sense of gothic dread. The framing of every shot is masterful.

    Odessa Young as Amy, Dorrigo’s true love, is a standout. She gives us someone struggling in a loveless marriage and desiring her husband’s nephew while she watches him sent to war. Her sense of entrapment in the quiet seaside Tasmanian coastal town is quite brilliantly realised.

    Elordi’s Dorrigo is filled with nuance and subtleties. Odessa Young as Amy, Dorrigo’s true love, is a standout.
    Prime

    Other performances worthy of mention are the Japanese soldiers tasked with the project of building the leg of the Burma-Thailand Railway. Major Nakamura (Shô Kasamatsu) is compelling as the scared and conflicted guard who ultimately spends his post-war years hiding among the ruins of Shinjuku to avoid capture as a war criminal.

    Moving across the scenes and contrasting time frames is the haunting, unsettling and dissonant score by Jed Kurzel. Like the memories and trauma of the past, the music follows the characters across time and space.

    Immaculate

    Structurally immaculate, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is not defined by its brutal torture of the POWs or comradeship of the starving soldiers (though they are powerful to watch). Instead, it points us towards the quieter visions of characters having to sit alone with their distorted memories.

    The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a deeply compelling contribution to the Australian war genre.
    Prime

    The tonal inspiration may be drawn from earlier literary anti-war novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and The Naked and the Dead (1948), but The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a work of its own depth and beauty. It will deserve its place as one of the most compelling contributions to the Australian war genre.

    The final moments of cutting between the faces of Elordi and Hinds left me silent and reaching for a reread of Flanagan’s novel.

    Contemporary television is rarely this good.

    The Narrow Road to the Deep North is on Prime from April 18.

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

    ref. Contemporary television is rarely as good as The Narrow Road to the Deep North – https://theconversation.com/contemporary-television-is-rarely-as-good-as-the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north-253611

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: In the trade war, China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize the moment?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, Technology and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney

    China has placed curbs on exports of rare germanium and gallium which are critical in manufacturing. Shutterstock

    In the escalating trade war between the United States and China, one notable exception stood out: 31 critical minerals, including rare earth elements, were strategically exempted from tariffs.

    This was not a gesture of goodwill. It was a tacit acknowledgment of the United States’ deep dependence on China for materials essential to its technological competitiveness, clean energy transition and national defence.

    Beijing’s response was swift and calculated. China’s Ministry of Commerce announced expanded export controls and a shift in pricing principles. The move reflects China’s long-standing effort to shift rare earth pricing from market supply and demand to pricing based on their strategic value.

    The impact was immediate. Rare earth exports from China effectively ground to a halt, as exporters awaited approvals under a new, opaque licensing regime.

    The announcement prompted President Trump to issue a new executive order directing a review of national security risks stemming from the US reliance on imported, processed critical minerals.

    As global supply chains reel from these disruptions, Australia finds itself in a unique strategic position. As a trusted US ally, it possesses the resources, partnerships and political capital to step into the breach. But can Australia seize this opportunity – or will it come with strings attached?

    China’s new playbook

    China’s latest restrictions target seven rare earths – such as dysprosium and terbium – crucial for electric vehicles, wind turbines, fighter jets and missile systems.

    While stopping short of a full export ban, the policy functions as a chokepoint. It leverages China’s near-total global control of rare earth refining (around 90%) and its monopoly on heavy rare earth processing (98%).

    Domestically, China’s rare earth sector is dominated by two state-owned giants which together control nearly 100% of national mining quotas.

    These measures have exposed the vulnerability of Western supply chains. The US has only one operational rare earth mine – Mountain Pass in California – and minimal domestic refining capacity. A new processing facility in Texas owned by Australia’s Lynas is under development, but it will take years to establish a self-sufficient supply chain.

    Rare earths have become a source of contention in the tariff war.
    Shutterstock

    Europe faces similar challenges. While rare earths are vital to the EU’s green transition, domestic production remains limited. Efforts to diversify through partners like Australia and Canada show promise but are hindered by high production costs and continued reliance on Chinese technology.

    China is also working to redefine how rare earths are priced. One proposal would tie the value of key elements like dysprosium to the price of gold, elevating them from industrial inputs to geopolitical assets. Another would settle rare earth transactions in yuan rather than US dollars, advancing Beijing’s broader ambition to internationalise its currency.

    For China, this strategy goes beyond economics. It is a deliberate national resource policy comparable to OPEC’s management of oil, designed to link pricing to the strategic significance of critical minerals.

    Australia’s window?

    Investors
    are closely watching Australian producers. Strategic deposits such as Mt Weld in Western Australia have drawn renewed interest from Japan, Europe and the US.

    Industry observers argue Australia is better positioned than the US to develop secure supply chains, due to its rich geological endowment and transparent regulatory environment.

    To seize this opportunity, the government has begun to act.

    Under its Future Made in Australia initiative, the federal government is considering measures such as strategic stockpiling, production tax credits and expanded support for domestic processing. Iluka Resources has secured A$1.65 billion to build a rare earth refinery, due to be operational by 2026.

    Emerging projects like Browns Range and Lynas’s Malaysian refinery already serve as alternative nodes in the global rare earth supply chain network.

    However, structural barriers remain. The Western allies, including Australia, still lack key processing technologies and have potentially high environmental compliance costs. Lynas’s Texas plant was intended to expand allied capacity but has faced delays due to environmental approvals.

    Walking a diplomatic tightrope

    Geopolitical tensions add another layer of complexity. Australia’s dual role – as a major upstream supplier to China and a strategic ally of the US – places it on a diplomatic tightrope.

    Aligning too closely with the US could invite Chinese retaliation. Appearing overly aligned with China may provoke scrutiny from Washington.

    Ownership concerns are also rising. The government has blocked or forced divestment of Chinese stakes in rare earth and lithium companies including Northern Minerals.

    Market volatility compounds these challenges. Prices are currently buoyed by geopolitical risk, but have been volatile. Moreover, China’s ability to undercut global prices could erode the competitiveness of Australian exports.

    A strategic opportunity – but with strings attached

    Australia stands at the centre of a rare strategic inflection point. It is both a beneficiary of China’s retreat and a potential casualty of intensifying great power competition.

    In a world where resources confer influence, the question for Australia is not simply whether it has the mineral deposits but whether it has the strategy to match.

    If the government can capitalise on this moment – diversifying partnerships, investing in capabilities, and navigating allies and rivals with strategic care – it could emerge as a leader in a more diverse critical minerals landscape.

    In the era of mineral geopolitics, possessing the resources is no longer enough. The real test is whether Australia has the foresight and the will to lead.

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

    ref. In the trade war, China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize the moment? – https://theconversation.com/in-the-trade-war-china-has-moved-to-curb-supply-of-critical-minerals-can-australia-seize-the-moment-254574

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia

    Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

    Westerners, in particular, have been largely welcomed and provided with a measure of protection from harassment by the authorities. Thailand’s economy is extremely dependent on foreign tourism. Many Westerners also work in a variety of industries, including as academics at public and private universities.

    That arrangement now seems under pressure. Earlier this month, Paul Chambers, an American political science lecturer at Naresuan University, was arrested on charges of violating the Computer Crimes Act and the lèse-majesté law under Section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code for allegedly insulting the monarchy.

    Chambers’ visa has been revoked and he now faces a potential punishment of 15 years in jail.

    The lèse-majesté law has become a common tool for silencing Thai activists. At least 272 people have been charged under the law since pro-democracy protests broke out in 2020, according to rights groups.

    Its use against foreigners has, until now, been limited. No foreign academic has ever been charged with it. Because of the law, however, most academics in Thailand usually tread carefully in their critiques of the monarchy.

    The decision to charge a foreign academic, therefore, suggests a hardening of views on dissent by conservative forces in the country. It represents a further deterioration in Thailand’s democratic credentials and provides little optimism for reform under the present government.

    Thailand’s democratic deficit

    Several other recent actions have also sparked concerns about democratic backsliding.

    Following a visit by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to China in February, the government violated domestic and international law by forcibly returning 40 Uyghurs to China.

    The Uyghurs had fled China a decade earlier to escape repression in the western Xinjiang region and had been held in detention in Thailand ever since. They now potentially face worse treatment by the Chinese authorities.

    Then, in early April, Thailand welcomed the head of the Myanmar junta to a regional summit in Bangkok after a devastating earthquake struck his war-ravaged country.

    Min Aung Hlaing has been shunned internationally since the junta launched a coup against the democratically elected government in Myanmar in 2021, sparking a devastating civil war. He has only visited Russia and China since then.

    In addition, the military continues to dominate politics in Thailand. After a progressive party, Move Forward, won the 2023 parliamentary elections by committing to amend the lèse-majesté law, the military, the unelected Senate and other conservative forces in the country ignored the will of the people and denied its charismatic leader the prime ministership.

    The party was then forcibly dissolved by the Constitutional Court and its leader banned from politics for ten years.

    In February, Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission criminally indicted 44 politicians from Move Forward for sponsoring a bill in parliament to reform the lèse-majesté law. They face lifetime bans from politics if they are found guilty of breaching “ethical standards”.

    Even the powerful former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who is also the uncle of the current prime minister, is not immune from the lèse-majesté law.

    He was indicted last year for allegedly insulting the monarchy almost two decades ago. His case is due to be heard in July.

    This continued undermining of democratic norms is chipping away at Thailand’s international reputation. The country is now classified as a “flawed democracy” in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, with its ranking falling two years in a row.




    Read more:
    Thailand’s democracy has taken another hit, but the country’s progressive forces won’t be stopped


    Academic freedom at risk

    The lèse-majesté law has always represented something of a challenge to academic freedom in Thailand, as well as freedom of speech more generally. Campaigners against the law have paid a heavy price.

    The US State Department has provided a statement of support for Chambers, urging the Thai government to “ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression”. However, given the Trump administration’s attacks on US universities at the moment, this demand rings somewhat hollow.

    Academic freedom is a hallmark of democracies compared with authoritarian regimes. With the US no longer so concerned with protecting academic freedom at home, there is little stopping flawed democracies around the world from stepping up pressure on academics to toe the line.

    The undermining of democracy in the US is already having palpable impacts on democratic regression around the world.

    With little international pressure to adhere to democratic norms, the current Thai government has taken a significant and deleterious step in arresting a foreign academic.

    In the future, universities in Thailand, as in the US, will find it harder to attract international talent. Universities – and the broader society – in both countries will be worse off for it.

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

    ref. Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic – https://theconversation.com/thailands-fragile-democracy-takes-another-hit-with-arrest-of-us-academic-254706

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, STANDING WITH ROCHESTER-FINGER LAKES VETERANS AT THE CANANDAIGUA VA, SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘DOGE’ CUTS TO SLASH LOCAL JOBS & PROGRAMS, ELIMINATE 80,000+ VA WORKERS NATIONWIDE; SENATOR SAYS WE CAN’T…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Thousands Of Vets & VA Workers Were Already Fired, Including In The Rochester-Finger Lakes; Canandaigua VA Workers Say Cuts Creating Chaos, With Local Vet Suicide Crisis Line Workers Even Being Mistakenly Fired & Rehired, Elsewhere NY Addiction Services Staff & Other VA Programs Staff Have Been Slashed

    Now With ‘DOGE’ Plan To Slash 80,000+ VA Jobs– NEARLY ONE-FIFTH OF ALL VA WORKERS – Schumer Says Places Like Canandaigua VA, Which He Saved From Being Closed, Could Face Devastating Damage

    Schumer: We Can’t Let ‘DOGE’ Attack Health Care For Over 33,000 Vets In Finger Lakes

    With ‘DOGE’ and the Trump administration’s plans to fire over 80,000 workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) looming, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood outside the Canandaigua VA to sound the alarm on the devastating impacts for the over 33,000 veterans in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. The senator said across Upstate NY, VA workers, many of whom are veterans, have already been fired, creating chaos in the workforce and new massive cuts would spell disaster for both the Canandaigua VA and the care for vets across NY. Schumer called on the Trump administration to restore fired veterans and VA workers and stop any plans to further decimate the VA workforce.

    “This is not how you treat our veterans – it’s not just unacceptable, it’s un-American. Firing over 80,000 VA workers, many of whom are veterans themselves, will undoubtedly hurt the healthcare and benefits for the 33,000 veterans here in the Rochester-Finger Lakes. We have already seen the chaos firsthand, VA workers fired without warning across Upstate NY, chaos across the VA workforce. Here in Canandaigua they even fired workers on the veterans suicide crisis hotline before reversing themselves after public outcry. It is gut wrenching to think this is how we are treating the services of those who defended our freedoms,” said Senator Schumer. “Make no mistake, these cuts are a direct assault on our veterans here in Upstate NY. These cuts don’t just mean fewer VA workers, they mean longer wait times for our veterans to get the help they need. It means they won’t get the most advanced treatment, and ultimately it means many will likely be denied healthcare they deserve. Our nation told our veterans that if they put their lives and health on the line to protect our freedoms, we would take care of them, and the Trump administration is breaking that promise by cutting the VA to the bone. We need to make sure these cuts never happen. Not in Canandaigua or at any VA across America, and that they rehire all the veterans and VA workers who only were trying to serve those who served our country.”

    “Canandaigua VA workers, including our Veteran Crisis Line professionals are literally on the front lines every day saving veterans lives minute by minute, all while now dealing with the additional stress of their own jobs needlessly being as risk of termination.  They are fielding an increasing number of calls from stressed veterans worried that the VA cuts will affect their care or worse,” said Ronnie Orlowski, Canandaigua VA employee and President of AFGE Local 3306 that represents Canandaigua VA workers including Veteran Crisis Line workers. “A significant number of our VA workers are veterans themselves, and they bring a personal commitment and empathy to their jobs which is why it was unconscionable that dozens of Canandaigua VA workers on the Veteran Crisis Line and Homeless Veterans Hotline -several veterans themselves – were terminated earlier this year.  This includes workers who alert first responders to dispatch ambulances and police in real time to the location of a veteran in crisis calling on the line who needs immediate emergency intervention.  We fought back and while they were eventually reinstated, many do not feel their jobs are safe with the looming threat of 83,000 additional layoffs.  These proposed layoffs strike at the very heart of services that are essential to our veteran’s wellbeing, including those who have shared how the VA has been crucial in their post-service lives, from critical medical procedures and PTSD therapy to ongoing support. I thank Senator Schumer for his steadfast opposition to the proposed staffing cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and urge others to stand firm with him in ensuring our nation’s continued commitment to its veterans.” 

    Schumer said ‘DOGE’ has already fired thousands of veterans across the country, many of whom have service-connected disabilities. 2,400 VA employees, many of whom are veterans themselves, have already been terminated. The VA, however, has refused to even explain where all these cuts have been in New York, leading to chaos, and with 80,000 more looming, the senator said it could turn into a real crisis.

    Schumer said these broader ‘DOGE’ firings are especially cruel as veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, with approximately 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies. The federal government has long made it a priority to hire veterans and military spouses, encouraging them to do so as a continuation of public service, making these cuts by the Trump Administration uniquely hurtful. Schumer has repeatedly highlighted this, including bringing a Western NY disabled Army veteran who served in Afghanistan who was fired from the Buffalo VA, as his personal guest to attend President Trump’s Joint Session of Congress

    Dozens of workers in the VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System have already been caught in the crossfire of Trump’s firing chaos:

    1. Last February according to the AFGE, 9 Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) workers at the Canandaigua VA were fired, only to be reinstated days later after public outcry across the country. These included workers whose job is to call local first responders to dispatch intervention rescues when a veteran on the line is in crisis.
    2. 10 workers in the Finger Lakes VA system were fired.
    3. Additionally, VA union officials report that VA Homeless Hotline workers hired through Canandaigua VA as remote workers are under a pending return-to-work order which has already led the call center to lose 30 percent of its workforce which will reduce the line’s effectiveness.
    4. An office manager at the Veteran’s Mental Health Center in Rochester was fired, and though the manager was rehired, a supervisor has been fired since then.
    5. Spectrum News reported layoffs at the Bath VA’s Detox and Substance Use Rehab Center, risking its shutdown due to staffing shortages. Every Veteran Court in Monroe County sends their defendants to Bath for rehab, and the Bath facility is one of the only facilities that can provide in-patient detox care in the greater Rochester-Finger Lakes region.

    ‘DOGE’ has also directed the VA to cancel over 800 contracts that support chemotherapy treatment, screenings for veterans suffering from toxic exposure, detecting and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse, digitizing veterans’ disability claim records, and more. Schumer said these cuts have already hurt health care services that the VA can offer veterans and are just a small example of what’s to come. While Secretary Collins claimed the contract cancellations will have no negative impact on veterans’ health care, VA employees claim the contracts being cancelled are “central to patient safety.”

    Schumer added, “I am all for cutting out inefficiency, but you use a scalpel, not a chainsaw. Jobs and care for our veterans in Upstate NY is not government waste – full stop. This will hurt our veterans and their families.”

    These cuts also come at potentially the worst time, as more veterans had just started receiving healthcare than ever before thanks to Schumer leading the PACT Act to passage through Congress, which after years of denying vets treatment extended health coverage for exposure to burn pit smoke and other environmental hazards that caused cancers and other illnesses during their service In 2023 alone, the VA hired more than 60,000 new employees to serve thousands of new patients seeking care after the passage of the PACT Act. Trump’s plan to gut the VA workforce will reverse progress made in recent years to provide quality and continuous care to veterans suffering from diseases brought on by exposure to toxic burn pits. Schumer said if proposed firings go through, health care services for 33,000 veterans in the Finger Lakes and millions more across the country will be at risk.

    These drastic workforce cuts to the VA will cripple the agency’s ability to serve the 400,000 veterans enrolled in benefits between March 2023 and March 2024. VA employees and advocates indicate when these cuts take place, wait times, as well as delays or denial in care, will worsen as the longstanding staffing shortage problem at the VA will be significantly exacerbated. Cuts to the VA research workforce will prevent VA from delivering enhanced, tailored care to the veterans they are still able to serve, undoubtedly resulting in worse health outcomes for veterans suffering from service-connected illnesses.

    Ontario County U.S. Marine Corps and Vietnam Era Veteran Wayne Thompson said, “As a veteran, I know firsthand how important the role VA services and programs play in supporting those of us who have served. The proposed staffing cuts would be detrimental, not only to veterans in need of assistance but also to the remaining employees who provide these vital services. Reductions like these are likely to overburden the already dedicated staff and risk leaving many veterans without the support they desperately need. The current White House’s chaotic administration of multiple aspects of citizens lives is raising havoc with Veterans and the general public’s mental and physical wellbeing. It needs to stop before it’s too late! I join Senator Schumer to oppose these proposed cuts and to protect our access to essential VA services.”

    Nick Stefanovic, Director of the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency said, “The Department of Veterans Affairs is crucial in providing life-saving rehabilitation and mental health services to our veterans, and any cuts to this vital resource could have devastating consequences. With positions at critical medical facilities already being lost, I am very concerned about the direct impact on the care our veterans receive. I am thankful for Senator Schumer’s strong stance against these reductions. His commitment is vital in our fight to ensure that our veterans continue to have access to the care they need.”

    Senator Schumer has a long history both fighting to keep the Canandaigua VA Medical Campus open, and delivering robust federal funding to modernize the campus to boost the quality of care for Finger Lakes veterans. In 2003, the VA released its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhancement Services (CARES) Draft National Plan which recommended closing the Canandaigua Veteran’s Medical Campus, which would have forced local veterans to travel much farther to VA hospitals in other cities to receive the care they needed, and removing one of the region’s major employers. Schumer launched an all-out campaign to keep the Canandaigua Medical Campus open, even convincing the former VA secretary to visit in person. Since then, Schumer has secured hundreds of millions of federal dollars to modernize and expand the facility to provide Rochester-area veterans with the new state-of-art medical facilities and housing they have long deserved. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Everbright Digital Holding Limited Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Everbright Digital Holding Limited (the “Company” or “Everbright”), an integrated marketing solutions provider headquartered in Hong Kong, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 1,500,000 ordinary shares, par value US$0.00004 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), at a public offering price of US$4.00 per ordinary share. The ordinary shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and are expected to commence trading on April 17, 2025, U.S. Eastern time, under the ticker symbol “EDHL.”

    The Company expects to receive aggregate gross proceeds of US$6.0 million from the sale of Ordinary Shares offered by the Company in the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 225,000 ordinary shares at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts. The Offering is expected to close on or about April 21, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

    Net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for marketing and business expansion, continued research and development of our core technologies, business development overseas, talent acquisition and training, as well as for general working capital and corporate purposes.

    The Offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. Dominari Securities LLC is acting as the lead underwriter and Revere Securities LLC is acting as co-underwriter for the Offering. Pacific Century Securities, LLC is acting as an advisor to the Company. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP is acting as U.S. counsel to the Company, and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC is acting as U.S. counsel to the underwriters in connection with the Offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the Offering was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (File Number: 333-285191), as amended, and was declared effective by the SEC on March 31, 2025. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the registration statement. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering, when available, may be obtained from Dominari Securities LLC by email at info@dominarisecurities.com, by standard mail to Dominari Securities LLC, 725 Fifth Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by calling (212) 393-4500. In addition, copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering, when available, may be obtained via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company’s securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of any of the Company’s securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

    About Everbright Digital Holding Limited

    Everbright Digital Holding Limited is an integrated marketing solutions provider headquartered in Hong Kong. The Company conducts all operations in Hong Kong through its operating subsidiary, Hong Kong United Metaverse Limited. The Company is an integrated marketing solutions provider in Hong Kong that is deeply involved in the metaverse and related technologies, providing one-stop digital marketing services to support businesses through every stage of their development, including metaverse stimulation, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) design and creation, creative event planning and management, IP character creation and social media marketing.

    For more information, please visit the Company’s website: https://umeta.hk/.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the Company’s proposed Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions in this prospectus. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    Everbright Digital Holding Limited
    Leung Chun Yip, CEO
    Email: michael@umeta.hk

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Leads Committee Democrats in Letter to Secretary Rubio on Trump Administration’s Weak Response to Burma Earthquake

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today led 18 Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing alarm over the United States’ failure to respond effectively to the devastating earthquake in Burma on March 28. 

    The letter highlights how the administration’s unlawful shuttering of USAID and gutting of U.S. foreign assistance undermines the United States’ capacity to respond to crises, jeopardizes lives, and betrays American leadership and national security interests around the world. The lawmakers demand answers from Secretary Rubio about the administration’s response to the earthquake in Burma, including its firing of a three-person assessment team on the ground just days after their arrival. 

    Text of the letter can be found below. A PDF copy of the letter can be found here.

    Dear Secretary Rubio: 

    We write to express our alarm at the United States’ failure to respond effectively to the devastating earthquake in Burma on March 28. We are further concerned that the Administration’s unlawful shuttering of USAID and gutting of U.S. foreign assistance programs has compromised America’s ability to respond to this crisis. 

    The United States has long been a leader in humanitarian assistance and disaster response globally, including in Asia after the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami. These efforts have enhanced America’s reputation, bolstered our diplomatic influence, and strengthened our military-to-military cooperation and bilateral relationships with nations in the region. The Trump Administration’s disastrous response to the earthquake in Burma severely undercuts that leadership, and, unless corrected, will damage our influence and interests in the region. 

    The 7.7 magnitude earthquake near Mandalay damaged buildings as far away as Bangkok, Thailand. The Burmese government estimates more than 3,300 people have died and more than 4,800 were wounded, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the death toll could be higher than 10,000 people given the impact on heavily populated areas. Countless buildings, bridges and homes were destroyed in Burma, with hospitals overwhelmed. To make matters worse, the horrific Burmese military continued to bomb its citizens in the aftermath of the earthquake. 

    President Trump initially confirmed to reporters after the quake that the U.S. would be rushing assistance to the region. Instead, public reporting suggests that the United States has been missing in action. In stark contrast to USAID’s typical work to mobilize dozens of expert American first responders for early life-or-death recovery efforts, the Administration waited several days to send a small response team of three personnel to the region to assess the damage—and then dismissed them from their roles two days later. The United States initially agreed to send $2 million dollars in relief funding—later increasing it to $9 million after public criticism, but still a pittance compared to past U.S. humanitarian and disaster response efforts and the assistance pledged by other nations.

    The United States’ scant and chaotic response to this crisis created a vacuum that other nations are exploiting to boost their own influence. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), in particular, has filled the gap by pledging $14 million for relief efforts and sending 600 rescue workers to the impacted region. So, instead of seeing American relief workers wearing the USAID logo, crisis-affected populations in Southeast Asia are seeing images and videos of PRC rescue workers pulling people out of rubble, helping the sick, providing life-saving food and medicine, and building credibility with local governments. 

    USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia was based in Bangkok and could have mobilized to lead the relief efforts if the Trump Administration had not unilaterally gutted it in the weeks prior. Tragically, many USAID staff who had been stationed in the region and could have rushed to the scene instead received termination notices on the day of the earthquake. The way they and the three members of the short-lived response team were treated is unprofessional and insulting and underscores the negligent way this Administration has handled this crisis and stewarded U.S. government personnel and resources. 

    Moreover, at a time when people in the affected region would ordinarily turn to Voice of America (VOA) Burmese and Radio Free Asia to get critical updates, the Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Global Media have forced both to go silent. VOA Burmese was critical in getting information out during the 2009 Cyclone Nargis crisis, while RFA played a vital role in closely covering Cyclone Mocha and its devastating aftermath in 2023. Now, VOA staff are on administrative leave and RFA has furloughed of most of its journalists and staff. 

    If the Administration does not act quickly to turn things around on its response to the current disaster in Southeast Asia, U.S. credibility risks being severely damaged within ASEAN and the broader region. Your statement last week that “we are not the government of the world” and have “other needs” and “other priorities” burns friendships we have built and commitments we have made in the region—including with treaty allies and through bilateral security cooperation agreements that anchor humanitarian and disaster response as shared national security priorities. This will only encourage our partners and allies to look to and work with China instead. 

    Notwithstanding the gravity of this emergency, the State Department has provided little information to House Foreign Affairs Committee staff despite several requests. So, we reiterate here our request for the Administration to brief the Committee this month on its response to the Southeast Asia quake, and we request a written response from you by April 22 with answers to the following questions: 

    The U.S. response thus far has betrayed our moral leadership and U.S. national security interests. We seek answers to the questions above so that we can partner with you to remedy the damage and restore the U.S. foreign assistance tools we need to be a global leader. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks, Hoyer Introduce Major Russian Sanctions, Ukraine Assistance Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer today introduced a comprehensive bill to support Ukraine and thwart Russia’s ability to wage its illegal war there. Like the Senate bill introduced earlier this month by Senator Lindsey Graham, this legislative package imposes numerous sanctions and other economic measures against Russia should it fail to cease its war of aggression against Ukraine. But this legislation also includes further vital provisions to sustain security assistance to Ukraine for its defense, generate resources for post-war reconstruction, and override presidential actions to terminate existing sanctions without cause. The bill also imposes new sanctions and export control authorities to place additional pressure on Russia, including to curb tankers carrying Russian oil above the international price cap and to ensure dual-use controls on semiconductors and other technologies that could be used to support Russia’s weapons capabilities.

    A section by section of the legislation can be found here. A PDF of the bill can be found here

    Additional cosponsors of the bill include Representatives William Keating, Ranking Member of the Europe Subcommittee; Gerry Connolly, Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Lloyd Doggett. 

    “The US-led international response to Russia’s illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine has isolated Moscow as a global pariah, devastated the Kremlin’s capacity to fund this war, and provided essential support to the Ukrainians fighting for freedom. Now is not the time to ease up on this successful approach nor put pressure solely on the victim, Ukraine. The U.S. must remain committed to shoring up Ukraine’s ability to negotiate a just, acceptable end to this war and to holding Russia – and those supporting its illegal invasion – accountable for as long as Putin’s war of choice continues. This weekend’s missile attack in Sumy that claimed dozens of civilian lives, including children, further demonstrates the barbarity Russia has used to sow terror throughout this war, and the need to impose serious consequences for its atrocities. Make no mistake – Vladimir Putin started this war. He is a bully with no respect for peace, Ukrainian sovereignty, or international norms, and he will only end this illegal war when the world compels him to, said Ranking Member Meeks.

    “Our allies in Ukraine are on the front lines of freedom – fighting not only for their nations’ sovereignty but also against authoritarianism worldwide. I am glad to join my colleagues in introducing urgently needed legislation that will support our allies in Ukraine and invest in their recovery through tougher sanctions on Russian oil exports, security and military assistance, and dual use export provisions. Importantly, this legislation also includes provisions that will allow the Congress, a coequal branch of government, to advance resolutions of disapproval if the President waves his authority – and assert with our own voice that Ukraine has bipartisan support in the United States,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer. “I thank Ranking Member Greg Meeks for his work to put together comprehensive legislation that reflects our values, strengthens our democracy, and ensures the United States remains on the right side of history. We must not give aid and comfort to our enemy, Russia, and we must remain steadfast in the battle for democracy.”

    “I am co-sponsoring this legislation because it reaffirms the American people’s unwavering commitment to a sovereign, democratic Ukraine,” said Ranking Member Keating. “As Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, it is critical that the United States stands firmly by its side—not just militarily, but economically and diplomatically. This legislation includes key provisions from my own bills that aim to support Ukraine across multiple fronts. It provides war risk insurance to ensure the continued flow of international commerce with Ukraine, blocks illegal U.S. technology exports to Iran where they are used to manufacture drones deployed by Russia, and promotes the diversification of Ukraine’s energy supply. Ukraine’s victory requires more than military support – it demands a comprehensive strategy to help rebuild its economy, secure its infrastructure, and restore its independence.”

    “Our friends in Ukraine are fighting for the democratic ideals we share against a war criminal, Vladimir Putin, and the rising threat of authoritarianism globally,” said Ranking Member Connolly. “The American commitment to Ukraine, its sovereignty, and its recovery must be lasting and ironclad. We must stand firmly behind the Ukrainian people by countering Russian disinformation, advocating for multilateral support for Ukraine’s reconstruction, providing additional U.S. security assistance, and implementing crippling sanctions on Russia and its enablers to force Putin to the negotiating table. That’s why this bill includes provisions from my bipartisan legislation to expand sanctions on North Korea for its material support for Russia’s illegal invasion. The war in Ukraine is a battle between dictatorship and democracy. Between freedom and oppression. The United States must remain on the right side of history. Slava Ukraini.” 

    “Pleased to join Rep. Meek’s comprehensive bill, including provisions I authored to stop laundered Russian oil imports and to use frozen Russian assets for compensation to Ukrainians. We support Ukraine and reaffirm our recognition of Putin as a war criminal with sole responsibility for the war. We reject appeasement by Trump and his Republican enablers of Putin, who should bear the ever-mounting costs of his ongoing destruction. The world is watching whether America will remain a beacon of hope, standing with our democratic allies, or drift itself into Russian-style authoritarianism,” said Rep. Doggett.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI China: China-Cambodia ties set model for building community with shared future — Chinese ambassador

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

    China-Cambodia ties set model for building community with shared future — Chinese ambassador

    PHNOM PENH, April 16 — The friendly and close cooperation between China and Cambodia has become a model for building a community with a shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations as well, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin has said.

    Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cambodian leaders, the building of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future has entered a new era of high quality, high level and high standard, Wang said in a written interview with Xinhua.

    China and Cambodia established diplomatic relations in 1958, and their traditional friendship fostered by successive generations of Chinese and Cambodian leaders has been continuously advanced, becoming a model of mutual respect and equal treatment between countries with different social systems and different sizes, he said.

    Recent years have seen steady growth in their friendly and practical cooperation under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two countries, said the Chinese ambassador.

    The two sides, he said, have been working to implement a new action plan on building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future, not least by promoting the synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy, enriching the dimensions of the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework and accelerating the building of the “industrial development corridor” and the “fish and rice corridor.”

    The efforts have yielded fruitful results, Wang said.

    First, two-way trade has expanded remarkably thanks to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade deal and the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). China has been Cambodia’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years. And in 2024, two-way trade reached 17.83 billion U.S. dollars, up by 20.7 percent year-on-year.

    The approval for high-quality Cambodian agricultural and fishery products such as rice, bananas, mangoes, longans, coconuts and basa fish to enter the Chinese market has not only graced the dining tables of Chinese consumers but also boosted the incomes of Cambodian people.

    Second, investment cooperation has continued to deepen. China has remained Cambodia’s largest source of foreign investment for 13 consecutive years, with investments spanning a wide range of sectors, including transportation, power, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, special economic zones, as well as information and communications technology, characterized by extensive coverage, large scale and strong results.

    Take the power sector. By the end of 2024, Chinese companies had completed and put into operation 10 hydropower plants and two thermal power plants in Cambodia, with a total installed capacity accounting for over 60 percent of the country’s total. This has provided a robust guarantee for Cambodians to “access electricity” and “enjoy reliable electricity.”

    Third, mutually beneficial cooperation has improved people’s livelihoods. Major China-Cambodia landmark projects of Belt and Road cooperation, such as the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, have become key drivers of Cambodia’s economic and social development, creating tens of thousands of local jobs.

    Additionally, China has helped Cambodia build or upgrade approximately 4,000 km of roads and construct over 10 mega bridges, and implemented multiple “small yet smart” public wellbeing projects, including rural roads and water supply systems, significantly improving the living conditions of local residents.

    Wang said that China-Cambodia people-to-people exchanges, as a key pillar of China-Cambodia friendship and cooperation, were boosted by the China-Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Year 2024. Over the years, the medical cooperation programs including “Love Heart Journey,” “Bright Journey” and “Smile Journey” have provided quality healthcare service to grassroots populations in more than 20 Cambodian provinces and cities.

    The envoy said he expects people-to-people exchanges to continue to expand under the guidance of the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative, which, according to him, will benefit areas ranging from culture, youth, media, think tanks, tourism and technology, to healthcare and cultural relics restoration.

    As history and reality have both proven, he said, China and Cambodia are good neighbors, good brothers, good friends and good partners who share weal and woe and stand together through thick and thin.

    The friendship between the two countries is not a transactional relationship, nor a stopgap measure, still less a bloc confrontation, he said.

    Rather, it is rooted in the practical needs of our respective national development and rejuvenation, serves the common interests of both nations and peoples, and aligns with the historical trend of solidarity, self-strengthening and shared development among Global South countries, Wang said.

    Facing an international landscape of turbulence and transformation along with ever-emerging global challenges, both China and Cambodia are committed to advancing peace, development and progress in the world, he said.

    China will continue working hand in hand with Cambodia to carry forward their everlasting friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation so as to elevate their traditional friendship to new heights and make fresh contributions to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity both regionally and globally, Wang added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB Establishes Resident Mission in Solomon Islands

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    ADB has announced the establishment of its Resident Mission in Solomon Islands, upgrading its Honiara-based country office that has been active since 2008. The move comes following a request from the Government of Solomon Islands amid the country’s increasing development needs.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: Bigstack Opportunities I Inc. Enters Into Definitive Agreement For Qualifying Transaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bigstack Opportunities I Inc. (“Bigstack”) (TSXV: STAK.P), a capital pool company as defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV” or the “Exchange”), is pleased to announce that, further to the non-binding letter of intent dated November 3, 2024 between Bigstack and Reeflex Coil Solutions Inc. (“Reeflex”) and its press releases dated November 4, 2024 and January 17, 2025, it has entered into a business combination agreement dated April 14, 2025 (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Reeflex and 2704122 Alberta Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bigstack (“Subco”). Reeflex and all of the shareholders (the “Coil Shareholders”) of Coil Solutions Inc. (“Coil”) have entered into a share purchase agreement dated April 14, 2025 (the “Share Purchase Agreement”).

    Terms of the Transaction

    The Business Combination Agreement provides for a three-cornered amalgamation (the “Business Combination”), whereby (i) Reeflex will amalgamate with Subco under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta), (ii) all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Reeflex (the “Reeflex Shares”) immediately prior to the Business Combination will be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holders thereof (the “Reeflex Shareholders”) will receive one common share in the capital of Bigstack (“Bigstack Share”) on the basis of one Reeflex Share for one Bigstack Share at a deemed price of $0.10 per Bigstack Share and (iii) the amalgamated corporation (the “Amalco”) will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bigstack, all on the terms and conditions of the Business Combination Agreement.

    Prior to the completion of the Business Combination, pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, it is intended that Reeflex will purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Coil (the “Acquisition” and, together with the Business Combination, the “Transaction”) from the Coil Shareholders for aggregate consideration of $5.8 million, subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment, which is expected to be paid and satisfied by way of (i) Reeflex issuing secured non-interest bearing promissory notes to each Coil Shareholder with an aggregate principal amount equal to $1,700,000 that are to be fully paid within 5 business days of the closing of the Acquisition, (ii) Reeflex issuing secured promissory notes to each Coil Shareholder with an aggregate principal amount equal to $2,300,000 that bear interest at the prime rate published by the Bank of Canada from time to time and are paid down monthly and to be fully paid on the fifth anniversary of the closing of the Acquisition and (iii) Reeflex issuing an aggregate of 18,000,000 Reeflex Shares to the Coil Shareholders at a deemed price of $0.10 per Reeflex Share, all upon the terms and conditions of the Share Purchase Agreement.

    After giving effect to the Transaction, the Reeflex Shareholders will collectively exercise control over Bigstack, Bigstack will wholly-own Amalco and Amalco will wholly-own Coil. Bigstack, as it exists upon completion of the Transaction (the “Resulting Issuer”), is expected to continue the business of Coil.

    It is anticipated that all convertible securities of Bigstack will be exercised prior to completion of the Transaction; however, if any warrants to purchase common shares of Bigstack remain outstanding following the completion of the Transaction, they shall continue to be exercisable for common shares of the Resulting Issuer in accordance with their terms. It is anticipated that Bigstack will change its name to “Reeflex Solutions Inc.” on or immediately prior to the completion of the Transaction.

    Immediately prior to the closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that (i) assuming completion of the anticipated exercise of all convertible securities of Bigstack, there will be 10,662,000 Bigstack Shares issued and outstanding and (ii) holders of Reeflex Shares will hold 36,239,500 Reeflex Shares. Therefore, immediately following the closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that there will be 46,901,500 common shares of the Resulting Issuer issued and outstanding.

    Bigstack anticipates that the Transaction will constitute its Qualifying Transaction pursuant to Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the Exchange (the “CPC Policy”), as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange, and it is expected that Bigstack will be a Tier 2 Industrial Issuer on the Exchange upon completion of the Transaction.

    The proposed Transaction is not a “Non-Arm’s Length Qualifying Transaction” as such term is defined in the CPC Policy. No Non-Arm’s Length Party to Bigstack (as such term is defined in the CPC Policy) (a) has any direct or indirect beneficial interest in Reeflex or Coil, or (b) is an insider of Reeflex or Coil. There is no relationship between or among a Non-Arm’s Length Party to Bigstack and a Non-Arm’s Length Party to the Qualifying Transaction (as such terms are defined in the CPC Policy). It is not expected that the Transaction will be subject to approval by the shareholders of Bigstack.

    Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, the satisfaction of all conditions provided for in the Business Combination Agreement, which will include representations, warranties, covenants and conditions customary for a transaction of this nature, and the receipt of all necessary regulatory, corporate and third party approvals, including TSXV acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

    Business and History of Reeflex

    Reeflex is a privately-held corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) on June 14, 2024. Its head and registered offices are located in Calgary. Reeflex currently has no business operations or assets other than cash and a management team that has been working on the Transaction and the proposed going public structure for the past year.

    Business and History of Coil

    Founded in 2007 in Redcliff, Alberta, Coil specializes in innovative drilling products and services for the global oil and gas industry. In 2010, Coil expanded its operations, opening a second facility in Calgary, Alberta, introducing a line of downhole fracking tools and venturing into custom tool design. In 2012, Coil launched its coil tubing injector line. In 2013, Coil opened a third facility in Red Deer, Alberta. In 2014, Coil developed two distinct models of, and manufactured, its first full coil tubing units. In 2016, Coil expanded sales to Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Europe. In 2017, Coil designed and built the largest free-standing mast unit in the world. In 2022, Coil established a dedicated manufacturing division in Calgary, Alberta, operating under its tradename, Ranglar, for injectors and mobile equipment. In 2024, Coil completed a reorganization with its shareholders, which resulted in the conversion of preferred shares and debt into common shares. Today, Coil continues to focus on coiled tubing solutions and downhole tools, offering a comprehensive range of services including rentals, sales, training, testing and consulting. With 41 employees, Coil has developed patented products that are distributed worldwide, including a key distributor in Germany and more than 60 active clients.

    The following tables set out selected financial information of Coil for the periods indicated therein:

      Financial Year ended
    2024

    (audited)
    ($)
    Financial Year ended
    2023

    (audited)
    ($)
    Total revenues 14,265,524 14,069,331
    Income from continuing operations 1,750,495 2,193,603
    Net income or loss, in total 1,089,024 1,554,716
    Total assets 9,969,946 11,752,788
    Total long term financial liabilities 735,009 1,006,362
    Cash dividends NIL 111,736

    Concurrent Financing

    In advance of the Transaction, Reeflex completed a non-brokered private placement of 4,139,500 subscription receipts (each, a “Subscription Receipt”) at a price of $0.20 per Subscription Receipt, for aggregate gross proceeds of $827,900 (the “Concurrent Financing”).

    The gross proceeds resulting from the Concurrent Financing are (and will continue to be) held by Marrelli Trust Company Limited as subscription receipt and escrow agent until certain escrow release conditions are satisfied, including the completion of the Acquisition and the receipt of written confirmation from the TSX Venture Exchange that all conditions precedent to the Transaction have been satisfied (collectively, the “Escrow Release Conditions”). Upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, and prior to the completion of the Transaction, the gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be released from escrow and each Subscription Receipt will automatically convert into one Reeflex Share. In connection with the Concurrent Financing, Reeflex has paid to registered dealers and such other persons permitted under applicable securities laws who act as finders for the Concurrent Offering a finder’s fee an aggregate of $21,336, representing 7% of the gross proceeds resulting from subscriptions that were introduced to Reeflex by the finder. Except for the foregoing, it is not expected that any finder’s fee or commission will be payable in connection with the Transaction.

    Reeflex intends to use the proceeds of the Concurrent Financing for general corporate and working capital purposes.

    Resulting Issuer

    The Parties expect that the Resulting Issuer following from the Transaction will carry on the existing business of Coil and be an industrial issuer focused on providing coiled tubing and downhole tool solutions to the oil and gas industry. See “Terms of the Transaction” above for details concerning the expected corporate structure of the Resulting Issuer upon completion of the Transaction.

    Upon completion of the Transaction, the Parties expect that the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will consist of the following four (4) directors, of whom three (3) will be independent. John Babic will not be independent as he will be the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Resulting Issuer.

    John Babic – Proposed President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Resulting Issuer

    John Babic is an accomplished executive with nearly 40 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, covering upstream, downstream, and manufacturing operations. He currently serves as the President and CEO of 1175317 Alberta Ltd., an investment and real estate holding company.

    Throughout his career, Mr. Babic has held several senior executive positions, including CEO of Reeflex Coil Solutions Inc. and CEO and Director of various public companies such as Dalmac Energy Inc., an oilfield transportation and services company; Raydan Manufacturing Inc., a manufacturer specializing in heavy-duty transportation suspension systems; Hyduke Energy Services Inc., a manufacturer of oilfield equipment, including drilling and service rigs; and Sawtooth Resources Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company.

    In addition, Mr. Babic has served for 7 years as a Director of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, contributing to the city’s economic growth and development initiatives.

    Mr. Babic holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

    Shawn Szydlowski – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

    Shawn Szydlowski is a seasoned business leader with over 30 years of experience in corporate management, entrepreneurship, and financial oversight. As the founder of Care For A Ride, established in 2009, Mr. Szydlowski built a successful business focused on providing safe, reliable transportation for seniors, enabling them to maintain independence and quality of life.

    His career also includes 15 years with Dalmac Energy, where he held key roles such as Interim CFO and Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Szydlowski played a crucial role in navigating the company through complex financial challenges, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering sustainable growth. Additionally, he brings 20 years of experience in corporate sales and account management, where he consistently drove strategic results, earning the President’s Club Award for three consecutive years.

    Eric Szustak – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

    Mr. Szustak is currently the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and a director of Bigstack. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Accountant with over 35 years’ experience in financial services, business development, marketing, accounting, and as Chief Financial Officer of various reporting issuers. Mr. Szustak is currently Chairman and Corporate Secretary of Quinsam Capital Corporation, which is a public merchant bank listed on the CSE, a director of Copper Road Resources Inc., a mining company listed on the TSXV, and a director of Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc., a fertilizer company listed on the CSE. Mr. Szustak’s previous experience also includes 14 years with three national brokerage firms: Midland Walwyn, Merril Lynch and BMO Nesbitt Burns, in various positions, including private client wealth groups, management and securities compliance. Mr. Szustak will be Chair of the Audit Committee of the Resulting Issuer in addition to his general duties as a director of the Resulting Issuer. Mr. Szustak will devote such percentage of his working time to the affairs of the Resulting Issuer as is required to fulfill his duties to the same.

    Derrek Dobko – Proposed Director of Resulting Issuer

    Derrek Dobko is a seasoned financial officer with over 20 years of experience in the oilfield service, manufacturing, and transportation industries. He has held senior finance positions in both public and private companies, showcasing his expertise in financial management and reporting.

    As controller of Raydan Manufacturing, Mr. Dobko was responsible for the company’s financial reporting in accordance with IFRS and the preparation of all financial information required under TSXV reporting standards. His career also includes senior accounting roles at Peak Energy Services, Alta-Fab Structures, and his current position with NTS Amega Canada.

    Additionally, Mr. Dobko has gained valuable operational experience in the transportation sector, particularly in managing financial operations for Liquids in Motion, a mid-sized trucking company. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and is a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), with a designation from CPA Alberta.

    Upon completion of the Transaction, the following persons are also expected to constitute insiders of the Resulting Issuer:

    Trevor Conway – Proposed Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Resulting Issuer

    Trevor Conway is an accomplished mid-market investment banking professional with extensive transaction experience across various industry sectors, including energy. He previously served as CFO of Reconciliation Energy Transition Inc., a Calgary-based energy transition project development company and as Special Advisor to BluMaple Capital Partners, a Calgary-based private equity firm focused on low-carbon energy innovators.

    Prior to these roles, Mr. Conway was the Managing Director and Head of Energy Investment Banking at iA Capital Markets, a division of iA Private Wealth and part of iA Financial Group, a leading Canadian financial institution.

    Mr. Conway holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University, a BA (Special) in Economics from the University of Alberta, and a Sustainable Investment Professional Certificate (SIPC) from the John Molson Executive Centre at Concordia University. He is also a former Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI).

    In addition to his professional work, Mr. Conway has contributed to several industry and community initiatives. He has served on the National & Local Advisory Committee of the TSX Venture Exchange and was Past Director and Governor of the Canadian Energy Executive Association.

    George Wu – Proposed Director of Amalco

    George Wu is a distinguished financial executive with a proven track record in leading complex financial strategies and driving portfolio success. With extensive expertise in bank debt, structured finance, fixed income, and equity analysis, he excels in portfolio management and strategic financial planning. His leadership has successfully optimized portfolios, resulting in a 20% increase in returns over the past three years.

    Known for his exceptional relationship-building skills, Mr. Wu has effectively engaged as a financial strategist with c-suite executives and diverse stakeholders. He holds a CFA, MBA, and B.Sc. (Honours Program) and currently serves as Portfolio Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at a leading independent portfolio management firm in Edmonton, ensuring top-tier financial stewardship and compliance.

    In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Wu mentors commerce undergraduates through the University of Alberta’s PRIME Program, contributing to the development of future leaders in investment management. Mr. Wu and his family have called Edmonton home since 2000, where they enjoy a multilingual household speaking English, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

    Cecil Hassard – Proposed Director of Amalco

    Mr. Cecil Hassard is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and operational excellence in the oil and gas industry. In 2007, he co-founded Coil which has grown to become a global provider of high-quality products and innovative solutions for the energy sector. He further diversified the company’s offerings by introducing the “Ranglar” division, based in Calgary, Alberta, which manufactures custom mobile equipment for industries such as oil and gas, mining, and more.

    Under his leadership, Coil has established a strong presence in Canada and the United States, and in serving clients worldwide. He broadened Coil’s capabilities with the “Ranglar” division, enabling tailored solutions to a broader range of industries with specialized equipment. He has driven advancements in operational efficiency and provided cutting-edge solutions for the energy sector. Mr. Cecil Hassard’s entrepreneurial vision has established Coil as a dynamic and influential leader in the global oil and gas industry.

    Bryan Hassard – Proposed Chief Operating Officer of Coil

    Mr. Bryan Hassard is an accomplished business leader and co-founder of Coil, established in 2007. He serves as the Vice President of Manufacturing and a director of Coil, playing a critical role in the company’s operations and strategic direction.

    Mr. Bryan Hassard’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding Coil’s sales from Canada to the United States and globally, enhancing the company’s ability to serve the oil and gas industry on a broader scale utilizing distributors in different areas. As Vice President of Manufacturing, he oversees production processes, ensuring high-quality standards and operational efficiency. Mr. Bryan Hassard’s dedication to innovation and excellence has significantly contributed to the growth and success of Coil.

    Sponsorship

    Sponsorship of a qualifying transaction of a capital pool company is required by the TSXV unless an exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available. Bigstack has applied for a waiver from the sponsorship requirements. There is no assurance that the Bigstack will be able to obtain such a waiver.

    Trading Halt

    Trading in the Bigstack Shares was halted, as previously disclosed in Bigstack’s press release dated November 4, 2024, and is not expected to resume until the Transaction is completed or until the Exchange receives the requisite documentation to resume trading.

    Further updates with respect to the Transaction may be provided as the Transaction proceeds.

    Overview of Bigstack

    Bigstack is a “capital pool company” under the policies of the Exchange and it is intended that the Transaction will constitute the “Qualifying Transaction” of Bigstack, as such term is defined in CPC Policy. The Bigstack Shares are currently listed on the Exchange and Bigstack is a reporting issuer in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Bigstack was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on November 25, 2020.

    Additional Information

    All information contained in this press release with respect to Reeflex and Coil was provided by Reeflex and Coil, respectively, to Bigstack for inclusion herein. Bigstack and its directors and officers have not independently verified such information and have relied exclusively on Reeflex and Coil for any information concerning Reeflex and Coil.

    Forward Looking Information

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” (“forward-looking information”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information.

    More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Transaction and its constituents steps, including the Acquisition and the Business Combination (including the completion, structure, terms and timing thereof), the binding definitive agreements relating to the Transaction, including in respect of the Acquisition, the expected capital structure and expected shareholders of, and the expected size of their shareholdings in, the Resulting Issuer, the expected corporate structure of the Resulting Issuer and its subsidiaries, if any, the future financial performance of the Resulting Issuer or any of the parties, the Concurrent Financing, including the amount expected to be raised thereunder, any finder’s fees or commissions payable in relation to the same, and expected use of proceeds therefrom, the Subscription Receipts and Escrow Release Conditions, the expected composition of the board of directors and management of the Resulting Issuer and its subsidiaries, if any, TSXV sponsorship requirements and any exemptions therefrom, the issuance of additional press releases describing the Transaction, the trading of the Bigstack Shares on the TSXV and the holding of shareholder meetings in connection with the Transaction. Although Bigstack believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; inability to complete the Concurrent Financing on the terms described herein or at all; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no certainty that the Transaction and related transactions will be completed on the terms set out in the Letter of Intent and other agreements among the Parties or at all. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Bigstack disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

    Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

    The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

    Bigstack Opportunities I Inc.

    For further information, please contact Eric Szustak, the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and a director of Bigstack.

    Eric Szustak
    President, CEO, CFO, Corporate Secretary and Director
    Email: eszustak@jbrlimited.com
    Telephone: (905) 330-7948

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Graduated licensing changes improve accessibility, safety

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province has introduced legislation to improve graduated licensing programs to create a simpler, more accessible process for new drivers, while improving safety standards for motorcycle drivers.

    “These changes are intended to improve road safety for new drivers and motorcyclists by ensuring they gain more on-road experience, and improve licensing accessibility by addressing barriers experienced by Indigenous and rural and remote communities,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “By removing unnecessary barriers for new drivers and strengthening safety measures for new riders, we’re making the licensing system more accessible, while helping to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.”

    If approved, the changes will update the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) to remove the requirement for a second road test to obtain a Class 5 licence. Instead, for those drivers eligible to move to a Class 5 licence, government will be creating a new 12-month restriction period, during which they must demonstrate safe driving behaviour to progress.

    Research indicates that age and inexperience contribute to crash risk. As new drivers get more experience, their crash risk decreases. Evidence shows that having an extended period with restrictions and enhanced driver-record reviews builds the necessary skills and behaviours to promote safe driving. The changes remove requirements not proven to increase road safety, which will reduce wait times for those seeking a road test to earn their Novice (Class 7) licence.

    The proposed legislative changes will also establish a new Motorcyclist Licensing Program (MLP) that all new motorcycle riders will need to complete. This approach ensures new riders gain the unique skills required to ride safely. The new MLP will also have a restriction period and enhanced safety measure requirements for protective gear, which will be established through regulations. These changes will help reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle-related crashes.

    Proposed changes to the GLP and MLP will continue to be informed by engagements with key partners, including Indigenous communities, driver training schools and health authorities, with implementation planned for early 2026.

    Quotes:

    David Wong, president and CEO, ICBC – 

    “Since its introduction more than 25 years ago, our graduated licensing programs have helped improve road safety in our province. We’re looking forward to working with government and our partners to both build on those improvements and ensure new drivers and riders are confident and ready to safely travel on our roads.”  

    Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) – 

    “We are working with the Province to implement recommendations from the UBCIC’s Road to Reconciliation report, which identifies the profound impacts that the driver licensing regime has on First Nations, as well as the current barriers many First Nations face. We welcome the amendments to the GLP and MLP as important steps to help remove barriers that prevent First Nations from accessing driver licenses.”

    Denise Lodge, C.O.R.E.Y (coalition of riders educating youth), CoreySafe Society – 

    “As someone who’s dedicated to rider safety, I fully support these changes. When learning to ride, introducing changes like zero drugs and alcohol, as well as protective gear, are common-sense measures that will help save lives. Giving new riders more time to learn is an investment in a safer future. It will help riders gain the skills and awareness they need to stay safe and be seen by all road users.”

    Quick Facts:

    • B.C.’s graduated licensing programs for passenger vehicles and motorcycles has not been significantly updated in the past 25 years.
    • The decision to update provincial licensing programs is guided by a commitment to road safety and aligns with most other jurisdictions.
    • Ontario will be the only province that requires a second road test to exit the Graduated Licensing Program.
    • Removing the second road test will make the process more efficient while drivers continue to develop safe driving habits.
    • Motorcycle riders are over-represented in fatal crashes in B.C.
    • They make up 3.7% of insured vehicles yet are involved in 14.2% of all road fatalities.
    • Of motorcycle crashes where licensed riders were at fault, 46% involved a licensed rider with less than five years of riding experience. 

    A backgrounder follows.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force Arrests Chicago Man for Violent Stabbing

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Chicago, IL – The U.S. Marshals Service’s (USMS) Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force (GLRFTF) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) April 8 arrested a man for a stabbing that occurred in the Loop area of downtown Chicago March 18.

    Ralwin Galito Perez, 30, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after a verbal altercation turned physical and he stabbed the victim in the chest and arm.

    During their search for Galito Perez GLRFTF and CPD investigators developed information that led them to a residence in the 100 block of West 87th Street where they found Galito Perez and took him into custody without incident. He was booked into a local detention facility. 

    The U. S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U. S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, GLRFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to assist state, county, and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kalispell man sentenced to over 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute drugs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Kalispell man who conspired to distribute drugs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 128 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Cameron Lee Richard Carr, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that in early November 2023, law enforcement received information Carr was trafficking illegal drugs from Kalispell, Montana to Browning, Montana. On November 28, 2023, Carr was observed leaving the Going to the Sun Inn in Browning. A Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officer saw Carr run a stop sign and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Carr fled before eventually stopping his vehicle and attempting to run away on foot. He was apprehended by the officer and arrested. The officer saw Carr reach for his waistband when he was arrested, so the officer searched him for weapons before placing him in a patrol vehicle. The officer recovered suspected meth and fentanyl from and noticed a 9 mm Ruger handgun on the ground near the area where Carr was apprehended.

    Law enforcement searched Carr’s vehicle and seized 11 additional firearms, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 168 grams of fentanyl in pill and powder form, and small amounts of heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and cocaine. On December 1, 2023, during an interview with law enforcement, Carr admitted distributing drugs in Browning.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI