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  • MIL-OSI: DNO Reports Solid First Quarter Results; Prepares Deeper Dive into Norwegian Waters

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 15 May 2025 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today reported first quarter 2025 operating profit of USD 28 million on the back of USD 188 million in revenues, both showing a quarter-on-quarter increase.

    In a quarter marked by the announcement of its transformative USD 1.6 billion acquisition of Norway’s Sval Energi Group AS, DNO continued to deliver strong operational performance. Net production rose eight percent to 84,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), to which Kurdistan contributed 61,600 boepd, North Sea 19,300 boepd and West Africa 3,400 boepd.

    In the flagship Kurdistan Tawke license (DNO 75 percent and operator), production increased 11 percent quarter-on-quarter. Continuing strict capital discipline since the closure of the Iraq-Türkiye export pipeline, the Company stabilized, even raised, production from existing wells through rigless interventions. Output from similar reservoirs typically decline 15-20 percent per year.

    DNO’s share of oil production was sold at its Fish Khabur terminal to local buyers at USD 35 per barrel with payments made in advance. Tawke license sales averaged USD 20 million net to DNO per month, generating around USD 10 million of free cash flow.

    “In Kurdistan we are doing a remarkable job keeping up production with minimal investment,” said DNO Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani. “If a Norwegian company can accomplish this in the Middle East, we should replicate such efficiencies on our home surf whether we operate the permits or not”, he observed. “As we prepare to close the Sval acquisition around midyear,” Mr. Mossavar-Rahmani added, “DNO will pivot hard to the Anglo-Saxon culture of the early years of the Norwegian oil industry: faster, cheaper, better.”

    The Company kept up its successful exploration pace offshore Norway with two discoveries in the last quarter, Kjøttkake (40 percent and operator) and Mistral (10 percent), together adding recoverable resources of 26 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) net to the Company.

    When the Sval acquisition is closed, DNO’s North Sea proven and probable (2P) reserves will quadruple to 189 MMboe and 2C resources climb to 246 MMboe from 144 MMboe, all on a yearend 2024 basis. North Sea production also quadruples to 80,000 boepd. The acquisition turns the North Sea into the biggest contributor to DNO’s net production with some 60 percent of the total and DNO will rank in top ten among producers in Norway.

    Following the Sval announcement in early March, the Company completed a USD 600 million bond placement a week later, DNO’s 20th successful bond issue in 24 years.

    On the back of the bond issue, DNO exited the quarter with cash deposits of USD 1,473 million. However, deposits were reduced following the end of the quarter by the early redemption of the DNO04 bond (outstanding amount of USD 350 million) in April.

    Given the continuing operational performance and strength of the balance sheet, the Board of Directors has authorized a dividend payment of NOK 0.3125 per share payable in June, representing NOK 1.25 per share on an annualized basis.

    A videoconference call with executive management is scheduled today at 14:00 (CET). To access the call, please visit www.dno.no.

    Key figures

      Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Full-Year 2024
    Gross operated production (boepd) 90,945 80,765 80,280
    Net production (boepd) 84,232 77,646 77,269
    Revenues (USD million) 188 177 667
    Operating profit/-loss (USD million) 28 -82 6
    Net profit/-loss (USD million) -4 -98 -27
    Free cash flow (USD million) -19 -5 59
    Net cash/-debt (USD million) 43 99 99

    –

    For further information, please contact:
    Media: media@dno.no
    Investors: investor.relations@dno.no

    –

    DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator active in the Middle East, the North Sea and West Africa. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire and Yemen. More information is available at www.dno.no

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: KBC Group: First-quarter result of 546 million euros

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)


    KBC Group – overview (consolidated, IFRS)    		 1Q2025 4Q2024 1Q2024
    Net result (in millions of EUR) 546 1 116 506
    Basic earnings per share (in EUR) 1.32 2.75 1.18
    Breakdown of the net result by business unit (in millions of EUR)      
    Belgium 281 487 243
    Czech Republic 207 238 197
    International Markets 135 175 146
    Group Centre -77 215 -80
    Parent shareholders’ equity per share (in EUR, end of period) 58.8 56.6 54.9

    ‘We recorded a net profit of 546 million euros in the first quarter of 2025. Compared to the result of the previous quarter, our total income benefited from several factors, including increased insurance revenues, trading and fair value income and net other income, while net interest income and net fee and commission income were slightly down as a result of seasonality and some positive year-end effects in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    Our loan portfolio continued to expand, increasing by 2% quarter-on-quarter and by 7% year-on-year. Customer deposits – excluding volatile, low-margin short-term deposits at KBC Bank’s foreign branches – were stable quarter-on-quarter (with a shift from term deposits to savings accounts) and up 7% year-on-year.
    Operating expenses were up, since the bulk of the bank and insurance taxes for the full year are recorded – as usual – in the first quarter. Disregarding bank and insurance taxes, operating expenses fell by 8% quarter-on-quarter. Insurance service expenses also fell, as did loan loss impairment charges, resulting in a very favourable credit cost ratio of just 8 basis points for the quarter under review (16 basis points excluding the changes in the reserve for geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties).
    Our solvency position remained strong, with an unfloored fully loaded common equity ratio under Basel IV of 14.5% at the end of March 2025. Our liquidity position remained very solid too, as illustrated by an LCR of 157% and NSFR of 140%.

    On 8 May 2025, we paid a final dividend of 3.15 euros per share, bringing the total dividend for full-year 2024 to 4.85 euros per share. We also updated our dividend and capital deployment policy. As from 2025, we will pay a dividend of between 50% and 65% of our consolidated result, 1 euro of which will be paid in November as an interim dividend. We aim to remain amongst the better capitalised financial institutions in Europe. Each year, when announcing the full-year results, our Board will take a decision – at its discretion – on capital deployment. The focus will predominantly be on further organic growth alongside mergers and acquisitions. We see a 13% unfloored fully loaded common equity ratio as the minimum.

    Furthermore, KBC reached an agreement to acquire 98.45% of 365.bank in Slovakia based on a total value for 365.bank of 761 million euros. This investment will allow us to further strengthen our position in the Slovak market while closing the gap with the top three players in the banking sector. 365.bank is a retail-focused bank with subsidiaries in asset management and consumer finance and is very complementary to the business of KBC’s existing Slovak subsidiary ČSOB, leading to significant cost, revenue (cross-selling) and funding synergies. KBC will particularly strengthen its reach in retail banking as well as benefit from access to the unique client base and distribution network of 365.bank and its exclusive partnership with Slovak Post. Closure of the deal is subject to regulatory approval and will reduce our unfloored fully loaded common equity ratio by approximately 50 basis points upon closing, which is expected by the end of this year.

    Recent weeks have been characterised by unprecedented macro-economic (trade) uncertainty as a result of the US policy on trade tariffs and its repercussions on the financial markets. Nevertheless, we confirm our short-term and long-term financial guidance. Last but not least, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude towards our customers, employees, shareholders and all other stakeholders for their continued trust in our group.

    JohanThijs
    Chief Executive Office

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Melexis Appoints Two New Directors to Its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Tessenderlo-Ham, Belgium – May 15, 2025

    Melexis NV (Euronext Brussels: MELE), a global supplier of micro-electronic semiconductor solutions, announces the appointment of two new members to the board of directors following the approval by the annual shareholders’ meeting held on May 13, 2025. The announcement of Ms. Ling Qi and Mr. Kazuhiro Takenaka underlines Melexis’ focused ambitions in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC).

    Ms. Ling Qi has more than 20 years of international business management experience. Currently, she is CEO of two multimedia and animation film companies. Alongside this, she has been consulting for foreign invested companies in China, has extensive experience in the semiconductor industry as a board member for a European headquartered wafer foundry, and has served as a director of a Belgian private bank. Ms. Ling Qi holds a degree in international trade and English from the University of Liaoning, and obtained a certificate of Dutch at University of Antwerp.

    Mr. Kazuhiro Takenaka has a successful career of over 45 years in the semiconductor and electronics engineering industry in renowned companies such as Nissan Motor and Seiko Epson. In his role at Seiko Epson, Mr. Takenaka has also collaborated extensively with international stakeholders, working on partnerships with US companies and building relationships in markets across Europe, Asia, and the USA. He brings valuable insights and a diverse perspective to the Board, particularly in markets beyond automotive.

    This announcement brings the number of board members to seven with Ms. Françoise Chombar serving as chairwoman of the Board of Directors. The new board members will serve for a term of four years starting today and ending immediately after the annual shareholders’ meeting for the financial year ending on December 31, 2028. In addition to the two appointments of new directors, all other resolutions including the reappointment of two directors and the final dividend were approved by a clear majority of shareholders.

    Speaking about the appointments of two new directors, Ms. Chombar commented: “The Asia-Pacific area accounts for over 60% of Melexis’ total sales, with Greater China contributing nearly half of that. With the announcement of Ms. Ling Qi and Mr. Kazuhiro Takenaka, we welcome two highly experienced Asian business leaders whose insights and advice will be invaluable to Melexis implementing its strategic roadmap.”

    Please follow the link below to view Melexis’s latest annual report, which contains detailed information on its current business operations and strategic initiatives.

    About Melexis
    Melexis designs, develops, and delivers edge sensor and driver solutions with a heart for people and the planet. Its mission is to empower engineers to turn their ideas into applications that support the best imaginable future, one that is safe, comfortable, and sustainable.
    Melexis specializes in powertrain, thermal management, lighting, e-brake, e-steering, and battery solutions for the automotive sector. It also expands its presence in the emerging markets of a sustainable world, alternative mobility, robotics, and digital health.
    Founded in 1989 in Belgium, Melexis has grown to employ over 2,000 people in 12 countries, delivering cutting-edge technology to customers worldwide.
    For more information, visit www.melexis.com or follow Melexis on LinkedIn, and YouTube.
    Investors Contact:
    Philip Ludwig
    Investor Relations Director
    Tel: +32 499 41 88 91
    E-mail: plu@melexis.com 

    Media Contact:
    Tom Meynendonckx
    Corporate Communications Director
    Tel: +32 476 29 92 42
    E-mail: otm@melexis.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SBM Offshore First Quarter 2025 Trading Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, May 15, 2025

    Highlights

    • Year-to-date Directional1 revenue of US$1,103 million, up 27% versus 1Q 2024
    • Full year 2025 Directional revenue and EBITDA guidance maintained
    • Cash dividend of EUR150 million (equivalent to EUR0.8606 per ordinary share) paid on May 6, 2025
    • EUR141 million share repurchase program on track, c. 6.75% completed2
    • First oil for FPSO Almirante Tamandaré, FPSOs Alexandre de Gusmão & ONE GUYANA on track for first oil
    • Strategic Collaboration Agreement signed with Microsoft to develop carbon-free floating power solutions
    • Completion of the US$400 million sale and leaseback transaction for FPSO Cidade de Paraty
    • Refinancing and increase to US$1.1 billion of the unsecured revolving credit facility

    Øivind Tangen, CEO of SBM Offshore, commented:

    “Our first quarter results, along with our full year Directional revenue and EBITDA guidance, highlight the Company’s strong performance across all segments. They also demonstrate the resilience of our business model and our ability to navigate macroeconomic uncertainty with confidence.

    Our pro-forma Directional backlog of US$35.1 billion3 is backed by firm contracts from premium clients with inflation protection. From this we expect to generate US$9.5 billion3. We paid a cash dividend of EUR150 million in May and commenced our latest share buyback program of EUR141 million. We continue to expect that we will deliver a minimum US$1.7 billion cash return to shareholders up to 20304.

    We are on track to deliver three major vessels this year: FPSO Almirante Tamandaré achieved first oil in February 2025; FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão is progressing to achieve first oil around mid-year, while FPSO ONE GUYANA has arrived safely in Guyana. And we are set to be able to offer a near zero market-ready FPSO by the end of 2025.

    The fundamentals for deepwater developments, with low break-even costs and low emission intensity remain strong. Our Fast4Ward® program and lifecycle approach mean that we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the strong outlook for new developments.

    Building on our ocean infrastructure expertise and capabilities, with the objective of diversifying our product offering in promising markets, we recently signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Microsoft to develop standardized carbon-free floating power solutions.

    We have demonstrated our ability to access diversified sources of financing through the successful completion in April of the US$400 million sale and leaseback transaction for FPSO Cidade de Paraty. Reflecting the strong support for the Company’s strategy, we have successfully refinanced and increased to US$1.1 billion our unsecured revolving credit facility.

    We are confident in our ocean infrastructure experience and the expert capabilities of our teams. Our strategy delivers and it pays.”

    Financial Overview5

        YTD Directional
             
    in US$ million   1Q 2025 1Q 2024 % Change
    Directional Revenue   1,103 871 27%
    Directional Lease and Operate   476 554 -14%
    Directional Turnkey   627 316 98%
             
    in US$ billion   Mar-31-25 Dec-31-24 % Change
    Directional Net Debt    5.7 5.7 0%

    Directional revenue increased by 27% to US$1,103 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared with US$871 million in the same period last year, driven by the Turnkey segment.

    Year-to-date Directional Turnkey revenue stood at US$627 million, a 98% improvement compared with US$316 million in the same period last year. This increase mainly reflects the progress on FPSO GranMorgu and FPSO Jaguar, booked under the sale and operate model.

    Directional Lease and Operate revenue amounted to US$476 million in the first quarter of 2025, below the US$554 million booked in the same period last year reflecting (i) the sale in 4Q 2024 of FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny, partially offset by (ii) higher reimbursable scope and (iii) FPSO Almirante Tamandaré joining the fleet in February 2025.

    Directional net debt is stable and stood at US$5,663 million for the period ending 1Q 2025.

    Project Review and Fleet Operational Update

    Driven by execution excellence, the Company is on track to bring three FPSOs into operation in 2025 with FPSO Almirante Tamandaré formally on hire as of February 16, 2025, FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão preparing for first oil and FPSO ONE GUYANA targeting first oil in the third quarter of 2025.

    FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão – In March 2025, the FPSO arrived safely at its location in Brazil. The FPSO hook-up and installation has been completed. First oil is expected around mid-2025.

    FPSO ONE GUYANA – The vessel arrived safely in Guyana and the installation and hook-up campaign is progressing. First oil is targeted for the third quarter of 2025.

    FPSO Jaguar – The Fast4Ward® MPF hull has been delivered. The topside modules’ fabrication progress is as per plan. First oil is expected in 2027.

    FSO Trion – The engineering and procurement progress is as per plan. The fabrication of the Disconnectable Turret Mooring system has started.

    FPSO GranMorgu – The Fast4Ward® MPF hull has been delivered. The commencement of the topside modules fabrication is planned for the second half of the year.

    Fast4Ward®MPF hulls – Under the Company’s successful Fast4Ward® program, ten MPF hulls have been ordered. Four Fast4Ward® MPF hulls are in operation, another four delivered and allocated to projects under construction and two are under construction to support active discussions with clients driven by the strong FPSO market outlook.

    Fleet Uptime – Year-to-date, the fleet’s uptime was 99.5%, in line with historical performance.

    Safety 

    Safety – There were zero Fatalities or Permanent Impairment Injuries in the first quarter of 2025, within the full year target of zero.

    Blue Economy

    Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Microsoft – SBM Offshore signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Microsoft in March 2025. This partnership’s objective is to develop standardized, scalable, AI-powered Ocean Infrastructure in the growing market of floating power solutions providing carbon-free electricity. The first phase of this collaboration will focus on deploying floating gas-to-power solutions with integrated carbon capture and storage in the UK and Norway, leveraging SBM Offshore’s collaboration with Norwegian company Ocean-Power AS.

    Near Zero Emission FPSO – In line with the Company’s strategy to decarbonize traditional energy production, an important milestone has been reached in the emissionZERO® road map, which aims at proposing a near zero FPSO to the market by the end of 2025. Reflecting the Company’s solid progress, SBM Offshore has received an “Approval in Principle” from the American Bureau of Shipping for its near zero FPSO design.

    Shareholder Returns

    On April 9, 2025 shareholders of the Company voted in favor of the proposed EUR150 million cash dividend. This resulted in a dividend distribution of EUR0.8606 per ordinary share. The dividend has been paid on May 6, 2025 to all shareholders of record as at April 14, 2025.

    The Company started a new program of EUR141 million as announced on February 20, 2025 and effective from April 24, 2025. The program is progressing and was c. 6.75% completed on May 14, 2025.

    On this basis a minimum US$1.7 billion cash return to shareholders is expected up to 20304.

    Guidance

    The Company’s 2025 Directional revenue guidance is maintained at above US$4.9 billion of which above US$2.2 billion is expected from the Lease and Operate segment and around US$2.7 billion from the Turnkey segment.

    2025 Directional EBITDA guidance is maintained at around US$1.55 billion for the Company.

    Conference Call

    SBM Offshore has scheduled a conference call, which will be followed by a Q&A session, to discuss the First Quarter 2025 Trading Update.

    The event is scheduled for Thursday May 15, 2025, at 10.00 AM (CEST) and will be hosted by Øivind Tangen (CEO) and Douglas Wood (CFO).

    Interested parties are invited to register prior the call using the link: First Quarter 2025 Trading Update

    Please note that the conference call can only be accessed with a personal identification code, which is sent to you by email after completion of the registration.

    Corporate Profile

    SBM Offshore is the world’s deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert. Through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, we play a pivotal role in a just transition. By advancing our core, we deliver cleaner, more efficient energy production. By pioneering more, we unlock new markets within the blue economy.

    More than 7,800 SBMers collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, balancing ocean protection with progress.

    For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

    Financial Calendar   Date Year
    Half Year 2025 Earnings   August 7 2025
    Third Quarter 2025 Trading Update   November 13 2025
    Full Year 2025 Earnings   February 26 2026
    Annual General Meeting   April 15 2026
    First Quarter 2026 Trading Update   May 7 2026

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    Wouter Holties
    Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager

    Media Relations

    Giampaolo Arghittu
    Head of External Relations

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

    Disclaimer
    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’ and / or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the ‘Impacts, Risks and Opportunities’ section of the 2024 Annual Report.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Company’s business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

    This release contains certain alternative performance measures (APMs) as defined by the ESMA guidelines which are not defined under IFRS. Further information on these APMs is included in the 2024 Annual Report, available on our website Annual Reports – SBM Offshore.

    Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release “SBM Offshore” and “SBM” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

    “SBM Offshore®“, the SBM logomark, “Fast4Ward®”, “emissionZERO®” and “F4W®” are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore.

    1 Directional reporting, presented in the Financial Statements under section Operating Segments and Directional Reporting, represents a pro-forma accounting policy, which treats all lease contracts as operating leases and consolidates all co-owned investees related to lease contracts on a proportional basis based on percentage of ownership. This explanatory note relates to all Directional reporting in this document.
    2 As of May 14, 2025.
    3 As of December 31, 2024.
    4 Including cash returned to shareholders in 2025.

    5 Numbers may not add up due to rounding.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Best Online Casinos: 7Bit Casino Ranked #1 Top Online Casino Real Money With Extensive Games & Huge Bonuses!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/78181f9b-d489-44f2-8d78-ff15563403a7

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e860d5f7-68bd-427d-b678-c38a92e20bac

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83724787-a980-4bfc-9e83-3f3227b398c9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: J&T Finance Group and KBC announce strategic acquisition of 365.bank by KBC, expanding its presence in Slovakia and Central and Eastern Europe

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    On May 14, J&T Finance Group SE, based in the Czech Republic and the majority shareholder of 365.bank a.s. and KBC Bank NV reached an agreement for KBC to acquire a 98.45% stake in 365.bank (in cash), based on a total value for 365.bank of EUR 761 million. The transaction is subject to relevant regulatory and anti-trust approvals and is expected to close by the end of this year.

    365.bank, a commercial bank in Slovakia, holds a 3.7% market share by assets as of December 20241 with a notable strength in retail banking. Acquiring 365.bank would strengthen KBC in Slovakia ensuring KBC’s reference status across all Central and Eastern European countries of presence.

    The transaction price represents a 1.4x multiple of the December 2024 book value of 365.bank and a 9.4x P/E based on the average net profit of 365.bank from 2022 to 2024. The transaction price is subject to limited closing adjustments. This transaction price accurately reflects the quality of 365.bank, including its client base, employee professionalism, profitability, and potential synergies. The acquisition will have a limited impact on KBC’s capital position (approximately -50 basis points on KBC’s unfloored fully loaded CET-1 ratio) upon closing, which remains very solid keeping KBC’s CET1 ratio well above regulatory minimum capital requirements. 

    Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory and anti-trust approval and is expected by the end of 2025.  

    Pending such approval of the closure of the deal and the post-completion integration of the entities into KBC’s Slovakian operations, 365.bank will continue to honour its commitments to the market while continuing to provide professional service of the highest quality to its customers.

    The combination of ČSOB and 365.bank will establish a strong banking group in Slovakia, whereby 365.bank’s unique distribution model, supported by its long-standing partnership with Slovak Post, will allow KBC to significantly expand ČSOB’s customers reach across Slovakia. The acquisition of 365.bank will boost the scale of mainly retail operations, commanding (as of December 2024) an approximately 20% market share in both net retail loans and mortgages1.

    Based on the group bank-insurance model, other entities of the ČSOB Financial Group, will also benefit from the acquisition through the cross-selling of products and services to 365.bank’s retail customer base.

    Johan Thijs, CEO of KBC Group, said: “Our goal has always been and remains to strengthen our presence in Central and Eastern Europe. In Slovakia, which is one of our key markets, KBC has been growing steadily through both organic growth and acquisitions over the last 20 years. We are known for being innovative and stable, and we aim to provide our customers with safe, reliable, and personalized financial services. Today, we are proud to announce the acquisition of 365.bank in Slovakia. Through this acquisition, we strengthen our geographical diversification, we continue to build market leadership in Slovakia and boost our profitability. By combining our local ČSOB entities with 365.bank, we can offer even better customer service with innovative products and digital solutions alongside personalized service. We look forward to building the future for our customers and employees in Slovakia.”

    Peter Andronov, CEO of KBC Group’s International Markets Business Unit added: “In Slovakia, much like in other CEE countries where KBC is present, we are actively exploring sizeable synergies and integrated operations of our various financial entities. We cooperate actively and systematically within the region and the group, allowing our Slovak team to implement the best practices, technologies, and processes for our customers’ benefit. We are looking forward anxiously to welcome the customers and staff of 365.bank to the big family of KBC Group soon.”

    Daniel Kollár, CEO of ČSOB Bank Slovakia and country manager noted: “It is not so long ago that we merged with OTP Bank Slovakia and less than two decades ago with Istrobanka. This, the third bank acquisition in a row, means for us a future join with a significant player that is largely shaping the Slovak banking market with an emphasis on customer orientation and innovative solutions. This is fully in line with our strategy of bringing solutions with the goal of being relevant to the everyday lives of customers in the digital era. I am glad that we will be able to introduce our smart world to an even wider group of customers and today is a day that underlines our efforts. I am convinced that a combination of ČSOB and 365.bank will benefit not only the customers of both companies but will also bring an opportunity for colleagues from both companies to participate in the successful projects that are ahead of us.”

    Patrik Tkáč, co-founder of J&T Finance Group SE, the majority shareholder of 365.bank, states:
     “Since 2013, when 365.bank (formerly Postal bank) became part of our banking group, it has undergone a significant transformation. Today, it stands as a stable, fully digital, and modern retail bank with an irreplaceable position in the Slovak market. We hold deep appreciation for all of its employees and clients, which is why the future of the bank remains of the utmost importance to us. ČSOB Bank and its parent company, KBC Group, are our long-standing and trusted business partners. For this reason, I am confident that we are passing the bank into the right hands. I firmly believe that the sale of 365.bank will, in time, be well understood in the context of JTFG Group’s substantial development plans.“ 

    Andrej Zaťko, CEO and co-owner of 365.bank, adds: “365.bank and Postal bank carry with them a legacy of both deep history and modern transformation. This is a story of change and renewal within the banking sector—one that is truly without precedent in our region—and it is only natural that it attracted the attention of international investors. Since its inception, 365.bank has quickly emerged as a true challenger in the Slovak banking market. Today, the bank is delivering the strongest results in its history and continues on a growth trajectory. Throughout this period, we have brought fresh energy into the market, led important innovations, and helped intensify competition—enabling our clients to benefit from attractive products and services. The acquisition by KBC Group opens up a new horizon of opportunities for the bank and its clients, backed by a robust and experienced shareholder base.”

    About 365.bank
    365.bank is a retail-exposed bank with strong financial profile and a unique distribution network. 365.bank is a commercial bank with full range of products and particularly strong focus on retail customers.
    365.bank was first introduced in 2018 as fully digital bank and in 2021 it was combined with Postal bank, taking over its portfolios and branches throughout Slovakia.
    Currently, bank operates as a universal bank offering wide range of services and products to individuals as well as for corporates under two brands (365.bank and Postal bank) with different distribution models and client base for both operations. 365.bank is digital bank that caters to younger, urban mass/affluent segment, focusing on digital banking via mobile and online platforms, serving as the primary channel for new client acquisition. Postal bank targets mass and low mass customer segments in all towns with over 1,500 residents and benefits from long-standing cooperation with Slovak Post to distribute banking products through >1,400 points of sale in total.
    As of Dec-24, 365.bank had total assets of €4.7bn and shareholders’ equity of €551mm, as well as a headcount of 1,292 employees, serving ~830k customers via 57 branches of 365.bank, 105 sales points of Postal bank in Slovak Post branches  and >1,300 sales points in each branch of Slovak Post.

    About KBC’s presence in Slovakia
    Belgium-based KBC Bank NV is the parent company and sole shareholder of Československá obchodná banka (ČSOB). ČSOB is a leading Slovak bank boasting over 50 years of tradition. It is one of the most significant and strongest banking entities on the Slovak market. As a universal bank, it provides services to all customer segments, i.e.  retail, the self-employed, SMEs, corporate customers, as well as institutional and private clients. The bank is a member of the ČSOB Financial group, which also includes ČSOB Leasing, ČSOB Advisory, ČSOB Real, and ČSOB Nadácia (foundation). ČSOB Poisťovňa (insurance company) is an affiliate of ČSOB.
    The acquisition of 365.bank aligns with KBC’s strategic focus on both organic and inorganic growth in Slovakia, as evidenced by the acquisition of Slovak OTP Bank in 2021.  

    About J&T Group
    The J&T Finance Group focuses on providing comprehensive services related to private banking, retail banking, asset management for private clients and institutions, investment banking and project financing. It also provides services in the areas of administration, human resources, accounting, consolidation and tax consultancy. It develops its services primarily in the markets of the Czech and Slovak Republics, Croatia and Germany. More information at www.jtfg.com

    For more information, please contact:

    Kurt De Baenst, General Manager, Investor Relations, KBC Group
    Tel. + 32 2 429 35 73  – IR4U@kbc.be

    Katleen Dewaele, General Manager, Corporate Communications, KBC Group
    Tel. +32 475 78 08 66 – pressofficekbc@kbc.be

    1 Source: Company information, National bank of Slovakia

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It’s wild mushroom season in Australia. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid poisoning

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Roberts, Conjoint Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Sydney

    dannersjb/Shutterstock

    A number of Australian states including New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have issued warnings in recent weeks about the risks of eating wild mushrooms.

    Mushrooms generally grow in cooler and wetter times. Although these conditions are present in some parts of Australia for much of the year, in many parts of the country, mushroom growth is seen around this time (autumn and early winter).

    Wild mushrooms can be easily accessible in public spaces, including parks, nature strips and forests. They’re also found in people’s gardens.

    Wild mushrooms attract attention for many reasons, including a new or unexpected location, their interesting colours and shapes, or sometimes because they look similar to edible varieties.

    So what do you need to know about the risks of eating wild mushrooms? And what’s the best way to stay safe?

    The health risks of eating wild mushrooms

    Eating toxic wild mushrooms can have varied effects on people. The reaction can depend on the person, but mostly depends on the type of mushroom.

    The most common consequences are gastrointestinal, for example nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Less commonly, people can experience sleepiness, confusion or vision changes including hallucinations.

    Fortunately, most people experiencing these reactions will fully recover as their body eliminates the toxins.

    But some people suffer severe poisoning requiring admission to hospital. And eating certain high-risk mushrooms can result in permanent damage to vital organs such as the liver or kidneys, or even death.

    These effects have occurred from eating wild mushrooms in Australia, and consuming even a single death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) can be fatal.

    Amanita phalloides has increasingly been detected in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory in recent years. It’s also known to exist in Tasmania and SA, and has recently been found in NSW.

    It’s possible death cap mushrooms are found elsewhere in Australia, but we just haven’t seen them yet.

    Incidents are increasing

    Recent alerts from NSW and SA show the annual number of calls to poisons information centres about mushroom poisoning is increasing.

    In NSW for example, the Poisons Information Centre responded to 363 calls in 2024 regarding exposures to wild mushrooms in NSW and the ACT, an increase of 26% compared to 2023.

    What’s more, a higher proportion of cases are requiring referral to hospital.

    Roughly half of calls to poisons information centres relate to exposures among young children under the age of five. While most children didn’t have any symptoms, this volume of calls pertaining to young kids is still worrying. A number of these children required assessment and monitoring in hospital.

    Death cap mushrooms are notoriously dangerous.
    Janny2/Shutterstock

    Many calls to poisons information centres also involve adolescents and adults who forage and eat wild mushrooms. Some consume mushrooms as a food, while others seek their hallucinogenic effects. This group is usually symptomatic when the poisons information centre is contacted, and many require treatment in hospital.

    Adults tend to have more severe symptoms because they consume more than children. Most adults who contact poisons information centres with symptoms have eaten wild mushrooms that were foraged outside of a guided tour with an expert.

    Not all cases of mushroom poisoning are notified to a poisons information centre, so it’s very likely these case counts represent a significant underestimation of the actual number of exposures and poisonings.

    All this suggests we may need more public health messaging around the dangers of wild mushrooms.

    Some tips for avoiding poisoning

    There’s no easy way to know if a wild mushroom is edible or poisonous, so we advise people against foraging for, and eating, wild mushrooms.

    Outside perhaps of an organised tour with an expert, the only mushrooms people should eat are those purchased from a reputable supermarket, grocer or market.

    Wild mushrooms can pop up in your garden overnight and toddlers learn about their environment by touching and putting things in their mouths. So it’s worth pre-emptively removing any wild mushrooms from areas where young children play. Wear gloves and discard mushrooms in rubbish bins for landfill.

    Some websites, such as iNaturalist, allow people to upload pictures of wild mushrooms so experts may be able to help identify them. However, the quality of the photos can affect an expert’s ability to identify the mushroom species correctly.

    If you’re going to use a platform like this, consider taking pictures from multiple angles, showing the top of the cap, under the cap, the stem, the size of the mushroom and the trees that it was found close to.

    Research has suggested certain apps may not be reliable on their own for identifying mushrooms.

    If you decide to eat wild mushrooms, as well as taking lots of photos, keep samples. In the event you or someone else gets sick, it may be possible for a mycologist (mushroom expert) to identify the mushroom consumed. Knowing the mushroom species can help determine which treatments are required, if any.

    Finally, note it’s not possible to detoxify mushrooms. Washing, peeling, cooking or drying a mushroom does not deactivate or remove the toxins.

    Who to call if you’re worried

    If you or someone you know develops any symptoms from eating a wild mushroom, immediately contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice. This is a national phone number that will direct you to the nearest poisons information centre, 24 hours a day.

    Even if a child or someone else has no symptoms after eating a potentially poisonous mushroom, call before symptoms develop. Symptoms can take many hours to present with Amanita phalloides, so being asymptomatic is not necessarily reassuring.

    In a medical emergency, for example seizures, collapse or unconsciousness, call 000.

    Darren Roberts is the Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre and a clinical toxicologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW.

    – ref. It’s wild mushroom season in Australia. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid poisoning – https://theconversation.com/its-wild-mushroom-season-in-australia-heres-how-to-stay-safe-and-avoid-poisoning-256561

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Vale Kerry Murphy PSM AFSM

    Source:

    Former CFA Board Chair and long-time volunteer Kerry Murphy PSM AFSM was farewelled today by family, friends, colleagues and brigade members at a memorial service at Mt Macedon Fire Brigade.

    Kerry had been a CFA member for 52 years and was honoured for a lifetime of public service, dedication and achievement not only within this organisation, but by the broader community.

    His memorial service, attended by CFA members who he mentored and supported over many decades, heard of his skill as a strategic thinker and problem solver.

    Colleagues recalled his leadership as brigade captain during the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 when he protected the township of Mt Macedon, and in providing a calming presence during the recovery phase. He held many roles within CFA and continued to provide guidance to members across the organisation throughout his long career as a volunteer.

    Kerry’s role as CFA’s Board Chair from 2007 to 2012, and his commitment to representing the voice of the volunteer in the organisation, were recognised and highlighted, particularly in the aftermath of the 2009 fires, overseeing CFA as it implemented the changes required to improve the response to future fires.

    His honours included the Public Service Medal, Australian Fire Services Medal, Centenary Medal, National Medal and CFA Life Membership.

    Speakers reflected that Kerry’s legacy was of someone who was regarded as a caring, trusted and deeply respected friend who had left a mark on all who met him.

    At the conclusion of today’s service, CFA members formed a guard of honour outside the Mt Macedon Station to farewell Kerry Murphy for a final time.

    Submitted by CFA News

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man arrested for serious offences

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Last night police conducted an operation in a suburb south east of the city.

    Subsequently a man was arrested for serious offences relating to an ongoing investigation.

    The man is expected to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, where prosecutors will seek a suppression order.
    ​
    CO25300019872

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Truck crash at Nangkita

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A fully laden cattle truck rolled at Nangkita this morning.

    Just before 10am Thursday 15 May, emergency services were called to Nangkita Road, Nangkita (near Willowburn Drive), after reports a cattle truck had rolled. Patrols arrived to find the truck down an embankment and in a creek.

    The driver, a 29-year-old man from Craigmore was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and he will undergo mandatory blood tests. Due to the location of the truck, the number of cattle injured is currently unknown.

    A heavy vehicle tow truck is at the scene and PIRSA personnel are in attendance to assist with euthanasia of the animals.

    Nangkita Road is currently closed and road users are asked to avoid the area.

    The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dishevelled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Grace Russell, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University

    Madman Entertainment

    Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “Nouveau Shamanic” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the character’s impulses. This allows for the wild, unpredictable outbursts his characters are known for.

    Cage films are also usually about masculinity: its worst excesses, the parameters restricting it, and what ennobling versions of it might look like.

    The Surfer, a new Australian feature film from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, leans right into masculinity as a theme.

    Our unnamed protagonist (Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.

    He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.

    Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there over the next several days by the same gang. They are led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.

    The protagonist’s fast descent into dishevelled, dehydrated delirium as the group’s hazing escalates, fuels much of the first two acts.

    Fish out of water

    It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch.

    From the first moments, he seems pathetic: giving his uninterested teenage son metaphorical speeches about surfing, losing arguments on the phone with his broker and real estate agent, reeking of pomposity and desperation.

    The sense of a man out of his depth is compounded by his Americanness contrasting with the particular brand of Australian masculinity the locals display. Both types are brash and entitled, but with entirely different ways of expressing it.

    This is a man out of his depth.
    Madman Entertainment

    Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.

    “Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” they hiss at him on first meeting, forcing him to retreat, cowed, to the car park, where he remains for most of the rest of the film.

    The wide-open and the claustrophobic

    What a stroke of genius it is to use this single location.

    Filmed in Yallingup, Western Australia, The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer.

    At the same time, a confined, interstitial semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting. The only amenities are an overpriced coffee cart, ancient payphone and a dingy toilet block.

    The beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting.
    Madman Entertainment

    As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.

    It must have been attractive in getting the script funded as well. With such an affordable location, more of the budget would have been freed up for a big name like Cage.

    A modern Wake in Fright

    With its oppressive setting, overexposed orange and yellow light and grade, and a sweaty spiral into madness, The Surfer invites comparisons to Wake in Fright, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 brutal depiction of Australian men and their drinking culture.

    Both take place at Christmas and feature an antagonist who enjoys confidently explaining their dubious moral worldview to everyone. However, Wake in Fright’s horror lingers because we know the culture remains even after the hero escapes it. The Surfer struggles a little more in landing the ending.

    The film’s depiction of masculinity echoes Wake In Fright.
    Madman Entertainment

    For the mean, violent, misogynistic villains to be defeated, it would be unsatisfying for Cage to stoop to their level. This means – without spoiling too much – Cage remains an oddly passive character throughout the film, while others perform the avenging actions.

    The only way the protagonist’s masculinity can be resurrected as upright, ethical and empowering is for the character to literally turn his back on the vengeance we’ve been waiting for him to deliver.

    It’s not that the film has an inarticulate grasp of its own politics, but more that the otherwise terrific script by Thomas Martin feels written into a difficult corner.

    A blast along the way

    I don’t want to imply that this ending means The Surfer isn’t an absolute blast along the way. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.

    A spilled coffee leads to drinking recycled wastewater which leads to chewing on a dead rat, and we still haven’t reached the lowest rung on the ladder of indignities that Cage’s character suffers.

    In less skilled hands this could feel nasty or gross, but the hallucinatory quality of Finnegan’s direction makes it feel almost sublime. And Cage’s pleading, groaning, sobbing and gibbering feel believable and relatable.

    The pathos works – and it’s pretty funny too.

    The Surfer is in cinemas from today and streaming on Stan from June 15.

    Grace Russell 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. Dishevelled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast – https://theconversation.com/dishevelled-dehydrated-delirium-new-aussie-film-the-surfer-starring-nicolas-cage-is-an-absolute-blast-254580

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • PIB Fact-Check debunks fake claims about IAF Rafale pilot’s last rites

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-check unit has dismissed a viral social media claim suggesting that the last rites of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale pilot were conducted following alleged casualties during Operation Sindoor.

    On Thursday, PIB flagged multiple Pakistan-based accounts that circulated an old image, claiming it depicted the funeral of a Rafale pilot who supposedly died on May 7. The unit clarified that the image in question is from 2008 and has no connection to recent events.

    “An old image is going viral on social media, with many Pakistan-based accounts claiming that it shows the last rites of a Rafale pilot of the #IndianAirForce who died on May 7. This claim is completely fake. The image is actually from 2008 and unrelated to the current context,” PIB Fact Check posted on X.

    The image, sourced from a 2008 CNN article on emissions from Hindu funeral pyres, actually shows a mass cremation of 15 schoolgirls on the banks of the River Orsang in Bamroli, Gujarat, on April 16, 2008.

    Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7, was a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), resulting in the elimination of over 100 terrorists linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

    Following the strikes, Pakistan attempted retaliation through cross-border shelling and drone attacks, prompting a second wave of coordinated Indian strikes. These targeted and damaged Pakistan’s radar systems, communication hubs, and airfields across 11 bases.

    On Saturday, May 10, India and Pakistan reached a mutual understanding to cease hostilities and de-escalate tensions along the border.

    (With inputs from ANI)

  • MIL-OSI China: 2025 China Internet Civilization Conference to be held in June

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

    The 2025 China Internet Civilization Conference will be held in Hefei, Anhui province, from June 10 to 11, said Yang Jianwen, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, on Wednesday. The event will feature discussions on artificial intelligence, personal data protection, and other topics.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Lower Buller Gorge culvert replacement, SH6 – 48-hour closure coming up

    Source: Argument for Lifting NZ Super Age

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is gearing up for an intense 48-hours of work in early June to replace a culvert under SH6 at Te Kuha in the Lower Buller Gorge.

    The work will require a full closure of the highway for 48 hours – from 7am on Wednesday, 4 June to 7 am on Friday, 6 June.

    “A full road closure will allow our contractors to complete this work in just 48 hours, with crews working around the clock, compared to up to five weeks of disruptions for motorists if the work was completed using traditional stop-go traffic management,” says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast.

    The timing for the two-day closure has been carefully considered – in between King’s Birthday weekend and the Matariki holiday – as well as before the worst of the winter weather typically sets in.

    NZTA is urging people to plan ahead and to make alternative travel arrangements if necessary over the planned two day closure.

    NZTA has engaged with emergency services in order to ensure that they are well prepared for the planned closure.

    Freight and tourism operators, residents and the road user community are also being contacted to ensure everyone is aware of the work and the closure well in advance.

    The culvert being replaced is located around 5km east of the intersection of SH6 and SH67. It will be replaced with a much larger capacity pipe, requiring a six metre deep trench to be dug across the state highway. It is not possible to build an off-road detour around the site given the river’s location.

    The red circle indicates the site of the culvert to be replaced on SH6 in early June.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have your say on the Ngāti Hāua Claims Settlement Bill

    Source:

    The bill seeks to give effect to certain matters contained in Te Pua o Te Riri Kore, the Ngāti Hāua deed of settlement of historical claims.

    Te Pua o Te Riri Kore was signed on 29 March 2025 by the Crown, the Ngāti Hāua Iwi Trust (the mandated entity for Ngāti Hāua), and Te Whiringa Kākaho o Ngāti Hāua (the post-settlement governance entity for Ngāti Hāua). It is an agreement between Ngāti Hāua and the Crown that seeks to settle historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. It addresses breaches including loss of land, economic opportunities, and cultural disenfranchisement.

    Ngāti Hāua will receive an apology from the Crown along with acknowledgments of its breaches of te Tiriti o Waitangi—the Treaty of Waitangi. It will receive cultural redress that includes the return of 64 culturally significant sites and a $6-million cultural revitalisation fund. The iwi will also receive a range of financial and commercial redress that includes property purchasing rights and rights of first refusal.

    Tell the Māori Affairs Committee what you think

    Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on 24 June 2025.

    For more details about the bill:

    ENDS

    For media enquiries contact:

    Committee staff

    ma@parliament.govt.nz

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Probe of hospital incident completed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Department of Health today said that there was insufficient evidence to indicate that St Teresa’s Hospital has breached the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance and the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals regarding an air-conditioning interruption incident at the hospital in 2024.

     

    The department was notified by a doctor on September 2, 2024 about an air-conditioning interruption in the operating theatres on the second floor of St Teresa’s Hospital on the evening of July 31, 2024, which lasted approximately one hour.

     

    Although an air-conditioning interruption is not a reportable event of private hospitals, the department considered that the incident might have potential patient safety concerns and initiated an investigation on the date the doctor reported the incident.

     

    The department’s staff conducted an inspection at the hospital, checked relevant documents, evaluated the effectiveness of its contingency measures, assessed the environmental condition of the operating theatres during the interruption and followed up on the remedial actions.

     

    According to the investigation, the incident involved a malfunction of the air-conditioning system that is used to regulate room temperature.

     

    During the incident, 10 surgeries were performed in various operating theatres. The hospital explained that dehumidifiers were immediately deployed in the operating theatres where higher risk surgeries were proceeding, including a surgery where an operation was being performed by the doctor who subsequently notified the department of the interruption.

     

    According to the hospital and the nurses on site, the severity of condensation in the operating theatre did not result in water dripping onto the surgical site of patients. The ventilation system used for infection control in the operating theatres, including air filtration equipment, hourly air change rate and a positive pressure environment, was operating normally.

     

    Apart from immediately responding to the incident, the hospital has worked with its contractor to identify the cause and take measures to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.

     

    Based on the available evidence gathered, the department considered that there was insufficient evidence to show that the hospital has breached the requirements of the aforesaid ordinance or the code of practice.

     

    Regarding media enquiries on whether the department had received any complaints from patients, according to its existing records, the department pointed out that it received a call on September 12, 2024 from a citizen enquiring about the complaint procedure against private healthcare facilities. The caller mentioned that the air-conditioning system at St. Teresa’s Hospital was not functioning properly while surgeries were being performed.

     

    The department noted that the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance provides for a complaints handling mechanism against private healthcare facilities, which includes the formation of the statutory Committee on Complaints Against Private Healthcare Facilities,with the department serving as Secretariat, to handle complaints lodged by patients against licensed private healthcare facilities.

     

    The Secretariat promptly explained to the enquirer the function of the complaints committee and statutory procedures for lodging a complaint. One day after receiving the caller’s enquiry, the Secretariat sent information about the complaint procedures with complaint and statutory declaration forms to the email address provided as requested.

     

    The enquirer confirmed receipt of the information concerned and forms by email. Since then, the complaints committee has not received any complaint from the enquirer in relation to the incident.

     

    While the department emphasised that it completed its investigation based on all available information, it also stressed that it will continue to closely monitor licensed private healthcare facilities.

     

    It added that it will take appropriate actions as necessary to safeguard patient safety, if there is new and concrete evidence.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UNESCO intangible cultural heritage: Farmers’ dance of China’s Korean ethnic group

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

    Editor’s note: The farmers’ dance of China’s Korean ethnic group was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. This listing acknowledges the cultural significance of this dance, which is a central aspect of the Korean ethnic minority’s agricultural traditions in China. The dance, often accompanied by songs and rhythmic music, reflects the community’s agricultural lifestyle and is a vital part of their rituals, social life and labor practices.

    The farmers’ dance is particularly rooted in regions with significant Korean populations, such as Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. It is performed during agricultural activities, such as planting and harvesting, and is also a feature of important festivals and community gatherings. The dance integrates various cultural elements, such as the interaction between song, movement and community participation, illustrating the harmony between humans and nature in agricultural life.

    The origins of farmers’ dance of China’s Korean ethnic group date back to the early settlements of Korean people in northeastern China. Immigrants from Korea brought with them not only agricultural knowledge but also dance and music traditions that were deeply embedded in their farming lifestyle. Over time, these dances evolved to reflect the specific agricultural practices of the region, taking on new forms and meanings as they adapted to local customs.

    These dances are closely tied to farming seasons and labor, often performed to celebrate the harvest or during community events that mark significant agricultural milestones. The dance incorporates both symbolic and practical elements — its rhythm and movements historically helped coordinate labor tasks, boosting the morale of workers. As such, the dance is both a form of social expression and a tool for enhancing communal work.

    In the 20th century, as modernization and urbanization spread, many rural areas saw a shift away from traditional farming practices, which affected the prominence of these dances. However, efforts to preserve the farmers’ dance have been ongoing, ensuring that its cultural value is maintained.

    Today, the farmers’ dance continues to be an essential part of the cultural identity of China’s Korean ethnic communities, though its role has evolved. It is still performed in rural areas during festivals, cultural celebrations and other communal activities, but the frequency of its performance has decreased as more young people leave farming communities for urban areas. Despite this, efforts to preserve the dance are ongoing, particularly through local cultural centers, schools, and community programs aimed at passing the tradition to younger generations.

    The dance is also featured in various public performances and cultural showcases, helping maintain its relevance and introduce it to wider audiences. In addition, the dance has found new expressions in academic and artistic circles, where it is studied and revitalized as part of a broader effort to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of China’s Korean ethnic group.

    UNESCO’s recognition of the farmers’ dance of China’s Korean ethnic group highlights its cultural significance as a living tradition that has played an important role in shaping the social fabric and agricultural practices of the Korean community in China. UNESCO has praised the dance for its role in fostering unity and community cohesion, as well as for its ability to express the relationship between people and nature through movement, music and song.

    The farmers’ dance is seen as an important cultural practice that promotes social interaction and solidarity within communities. UNESCO has emphasized that the dance’s ability to bring people together, whether for labor or celebration, ensures its ongoing relevance as a means of cultural expression. By including the farmers’ dance on the Representative List, UNESCO seeks to preserve this invaluable tradition for future generations and to raise awareness of its broader cultural importance within global intangible heritage.

    Discover more treasures from China on UNESCO’s ICH list:

    • 2024: Spring Festival

    • 2022: Traditional tea processing

    • 2020: Wangchuan ceremony, taijiquan

    • 2018: Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa

    • 2016: Twenty-four solar terms

    • 2013: Abacus-based Zhusuan

    • 2012: Training plan for Fujian puppetry performers

    • 2011: Shadow puppetry, Yimakan storytelling

    • 2010: Peking opera, acupuncture and moxibustion, wooden movable-type printing, watertight-bulkhead technology of Chinese junks, Meshrep

    • 2009: Yueju opera, Xi’an wind and percussion ensemble, traditional handicrafts of making Xuan paper, traditional firing techniques of Longquan celadon, Tibetan opera, sericulture and silk craftsmanship, Regong arts, Nanyin, Khoomei, Mazu belief and customs, Dragon Boat Festival, Manas, Craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade, Xinjiang Uygur Muqam art, Hua’er, China engraved block printing technique, Chinese traditional architectural craftsmanship for timber-framed structures, Chinese paper-cut, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese seal engraving, Grand song of Dong ethnic group, Traditional Li textile techniques, Traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges

    • 2008: Kunqu opera, Guqin, Urtiin Duu

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dishevelled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Russell, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University

    Madman Entertainment

    Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “Nouveau Shamanic” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the character’s impulses. This allows for the wild, unpredictable outbursts his characters are known for.

    Cage films are also usually about masculinity: its worst excesses, the parameters restricting it, and what ennobling versions of it might look like.

    The Surfer, a new Australian feature film from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, leans right into masculinity as a theme.

    Our unnamed protagonist (Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.

    He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.

    Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there over the next several days by the same gang. They are led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.

    The protagonist’s fast descent into dishevelled, dehydrated delirium as the group’s hazing escalates, fuels much of the first two acts.

    Fish out of water

    It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch.

    From the first moments, he seems pathetic: giving his uninterested teenage son metaphorical speeches about surfing, losing arguments on the phone with his broker and real estate agent, reeking of pomposity and desperation.

    The sense of a man out of his depth is compounded by his Americanness contrasting with the particular brand of Australian masculinity the locals display. Both types are brash and entitled, but with entirely different ways of expressing it.

    This is a man out of his depth.
    Madman Entertainment

    Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.

    “Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” they hiss at him on first meeting, forcing him to retreat, cowed, to the car park, where he remains for most of the rest of the film.

    The wide-open and the claustrophobic

    What a stroke of genius it is to use this single location.

    Filmed in Yallingup, Western Australia, The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer.

    At the same time, a confined, interstitial semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting. The only amenities are an overpriced coffee cart, ancient payphone and a dingy toilet block.

    The beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting.
    Madman Entertainment

    As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.

    It must have been attractive in getting the script funded as well. With such an affordable location, more of the budget would have been freed up for a big name like Cage.

    A modern Wake in Fright

    With its oppressive setting, overexposed orange and yellow light and grade, and a sweaty spiral into madness, The Surfer invites comparisons to Wake in Fright, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 brutal depiction of Australian men and their drinking culture.

    Both take place at Christmas and feature an antagonist who enjoys confidently explaining their dubious moral worldview to everyone. However, Wake in Fright’s horror lingers because we know the culture remains even after the hero escapes it. The Surfer struggles a little more in landing the ending.

    The film’s depiction of masculinity echoes Wake In Fright.
    Madman Entertainment

    For the mean, violent, misogynistic villains to be defeated, it would be unsatisfying for Cage to stoop to their level. This means – without spoiling too much – Cage remains an oddly passive character throughout the film, while others perform the avenging actions.

    The only way the protagonist’s masculinity can be resurrected as upright, ethical and empowering is for the character to literally turn his back on the vengeance we’ve been waiting for him to deliver.

    It’s not that the film has an inarticulate grasp of its own politics, but more that the otherwise terrific script by Thomas Martin feels written into a difficult corner.

    A blast along the way

    I don’t want to imply that this ending means The Surfer isn’t an absolute blast along the way. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.

    A spilled coffee leads to drinking recycled wastewater which leads to chewing on a dead rat, and we still haven’t reached the lowest rung on the ladder of indignities that Cage’s character suffers.

    In less skilled hands this could feel nasty or gross, but the hallucinatory quality of Finnegan’s direction makes it feel almost sublime. And Cage’s pleading, groaning, sobbing and gibbering feel believable and relatable.

    The pathos works – and it’s pretty funny too.

    The Surfer is in cinemas from today and streaming on Stan from June 15.

    Grace Russell 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. Dishevelled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast – https://theconversation.com/dishevelled-dehydrated-delirium-new-aussie-film-the-surfer-starring-nicolas-cage-is-an-absolute-blast-254580

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Footy tipping comp win results in new turf for Lake Weeroona

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    What does the City of Greater Bendigo, local company CVGT Employment and a footy tipping competition have in common?  The answer is Lake Weeroona!

    In 2021 CVGT’s CEO Jason Russell, won the Bendigo Advertiser’s Footy Tipping competition with the prize being 100 square metres of turf from another local company Coolabah Turf.

    CVGT Employment, who also facilitate the City’s Parks and Open Space apprenticeship program, approached the City wishing to donate the turf to a local project.  The City gratefully accepted the offer and decided to use the turf on a newly irrigated parcel of land at Lake Weeroona located at the railway end of the lake.

    City of Greater Bendigo Sports Fields and Reserves Coordinator Tyrone Downie said this was a terrific gesture by CVGT and the City was pleased to accept the turf donation to help grass an area at the northern end of the lake.

    “Best of all the City’s Parks and Open Space apprentices will lay the turf, making this project a truly great collaboration between the City and CVGT,” Mr Downie said.

    “The City has recently installed new irrigation in this area so the turf donation has come at a great time.

    “Lake Weeroona is Greater Bendigo’s most visited and loved parklands and this project will help improve the northern end of the lake area.”

    CVGT Employment CEO Jason Russell said trying to find a local community project to donate 100square metres of turf to has been an interesting problem to have, and why it has taken a few years to resolve.

    “Coolabah Turf have been really supportive and understanding through the process,” Mr Russell said.

    “We are thrilled to donate it to the City for this project that not only beautifies this open space at Lake Weeroona but also gives the City’s CVGT apprentices a chance to work on a great collaborative project. We look forward to seeing the end result.”

    Coolabah Marketing Manager Josh Kerr said Coolabah Turf are passionate about building healthy communities, one green space at a time, ditching screen time for green time and inspiring active bodies and healthy minds.

    “We have a great relationship with the City of Greater Bendigo and are proud to supply instant turf for the Lake Weeroona project for the community to enjoy,” Mr Kerr said.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government-Iwi partnership building East Coast homes

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Te Tai Rāwhiti – East Coast whānau will enjoy greater access to modern housing thanks to a Government-Iwi partnership that will deliver 150 affordable homes, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
    The Government is partnering with East Coast Iwi collective Toitū Tairāwhiti in a $75 million development that will deliver 150 affordable rentals in Gisborne, providing warm, dry, sustainable homes in a high-needs region for housing. The Government is contributing $49 million, and the Iwi collective is contributing the rest.
    “The Tūranga Tangata Rite development today contributes to the Government’s wider $200 million commitment, announced in February, to deliver at least 400 affordable rental homes for Māori across key regions,” Mr Potaka says.
    “The new Te Tairāwhiti houses, as well as being affordable rentals, will be warm, dry, and sustainable, designed for whānau to live well. With multigenerational layouts, shared communal spaces, and energy-efficient materials, these homes reflect tikanga Māori and are built to support wellbeing. They will also help get people out of temporary accommodation and into homes.
    Mr Potaka says the project will also support local workforce development, with a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for Māori tradespeople and apprentices, supporting long-term employment pathways and regional economic resilience.

    “Many of the 150 homes we are announcing today will be constructed right here in Tairāwhiti, meaning local jobs with local businesses, and a growing local economy. These are homes for whānau, built by whānau.

    “The development also tackles housing shortages in the region. Te Tairāwhiti has one of the highest levels of housing need in the country. Together with iwi, we are delivering the scale of housing that whānau deserve to address shortages and create opportunity.

    “On top of this, partnering with land-owning Māori housing providers, and iwi collectives like Toitū Tairāwhiti, to build more affordable housing for Māori, makes sense. 

    “Through these partnerships, the Māori entities bring land and a minimum of 50 percent funding on the house build costs, meaning the Government can optimise its spending to enable more homes to be delivered in areas with high housing deprivation for Māori like the East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, and Northland.”
    Since November 2023, the Government has enabled the delivery of 1,000 homes through the Māori Housing programme. All the homes should be completed by mid-2027. The 150 homes in the Te Tairāwhiti development are scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2026.
     
    Notes to editor:

    Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing Ltd is a partnership between a collective of Ngai Tamanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Ngati Porou, plus neighbouring iwi partners in the Bay of Plenty, Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Te Whakatōhea.

    The Government will be contributing $48.75 million from the $200 million announced in February 2025 to enable 400 affordable rental homes targeted to supporting Māori land-owning entities to deliver more affordable rentals. Toitū Tairāwhiti will providing the remaining $26.25 million.

    The homes will be manufactured off-site at two facilities, Builtsmart in Huntly and the other in Gisborne in a joint venture between Builtsmart and Toitū Tairāwhiti. This method allows the homes to be built quickly and then transported to site.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government supports Tairāwhiti marae to relocate to safer ground

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Five Tairāwhiti marae impacted by the North Island weather events of early 2023, are moving to safer locations with support from the Crown,” said Mark Mitchell, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery and Tama Potaka, Minister for Māori Development.

    “The Marae Trustees of Puketawai, Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna, Okuri, Takipū, and Rangatira Marae – supported by their whānau and hapū – have made the difficult decision to relocate and re-establish their respective marae in new locations. 

    “The local council designated these marae, as Category 3 – High Risk, and not safe to occupy because of unacceptable risk to life from future extreme weather. 

    “Each of the marae have accepted the Crown’s support package and have acquired new sites to relocate to. The new sites are in close proximity within, or close to, their respective tribal boundaries,” says Mark Mitchell.

    “The impact of the severe weather on the marae was devastating for the many whānau and hapū connected to these marae and their wider community.

    “The decision to relocate is not an easy one and has come from the desire of the Marae Trustees to keep their marae, and their respective whānau, safe and secure, protecting the lives of those who might otherwise be at real risk from any future severe weather events.”

    Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka says relocating the individual marae will take time.

    “We expect the relocation works, including the rebuild of wharenui and whare kai where required due to the damage, will take place over the next two or so years.  For some of the marae, the project is a complete rebuild.

    “Reaching this point is a significant milestone.  Most importantly, it will provide affected whanau and hapu peace of mind, and will have the added benefit of creating opportunities for SMEs and jobs.  This augments the growing construction capability on the East Coast as a result of the mahi at Toitū Tairāwhiti and others,” says Mr Potaka.

    Of the five marae three are located in the Uawa – Tolaga Bay area and the other two are in Te Karaka. 

    “The Crown is also working with two Kahungunu Marae, Tangoio and Petāne in Hawke’s Bay with support packages available to both marae so they too can reestablish in safer locations. These marae were also designated, by their local council, as having an unacceptable risk to life.” 

    A total of $136.215m, allocated from Budgets 23 and 24 will fund the entire Whenua Māori and Marae relocation Programme after North Island weather events. It includes the costs to relocate owners of 24 whenua Māori properties to safety as well as demolition of residential structures and covers some assistance to support affected sites of cultural significance, principally urūpa.  

    “The Crown recognises moving a marae requires careful navigation. This is not an easy journey, and we would like to thank the Marae Trustees for working with us to ensure the safety of people on marae,” Mr Potaka says. 

    Note for Editors:

    In all cases ownership of the whenua remains with the existing owners.  

    The cost for each Marae relocation is commercially sensitive due to procurement undertakings. 

    Geographic location of all Category 3 Marae in Tairāwhiti:

    • Puketawai, Tolaga Bay
    • Hinemaurea ki Mangatuna, Tolaga Bay
    • Okuri, Tolaga Bay
    • Takipū, Te Karaka
    • Rangatira Marae, Te Karaka

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Public Accounts Committee to hold public hearing tomorrow

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LegCo Public Accounts Committee to hold public hearing tomorrow(Chapter 4 of the Director of Audit’s Report No.84)
    Date: May 16 (Friday)
    Time: 8.45am
    Venue: Conference Room 1Ms Bernadette Linn
    Secretary for DevelopmentDeputy Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands)2Director of BuildingsDeputy Director of BuildingsIssued at HKT 11:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall and Ernst Lead Effort to Streamline Conservation Practice Standards at USDA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington –U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act – legislation that modernizes the process for updating conservation standards at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This legislation would remove bureaucratic barriers and better support farmers in implementing conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality.
    “Streamlining updates to conservation practice standards helps cut the bureaucratic red tape that our farmers have been wrongly forced to navigate. Our producers work hard to find new, innovative ways to work the land while conserving its resources, and the federal government should be a partner in doing so – not a roadblock,” said Senator Marshall. “I’m proud to work on this bipartisan solution with Senator Ernst to ensure farmers have the tools necessary to support conservation efforts and help producers leave their land better than they found it.”
    “Traveling across Iowa, I regularly hear from farmers who are eager to implement conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity – but they face real barriers when rigid USDA standards slow things down,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m leading the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act to modernize how USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service updates its technical standards. Ultimately, the goal is simple: let’s cut the red tape, let’s keep standards science-based and flexible, and help farmers get conservation tools in use faster.”
    This bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) and Richard Durbin (D-Illinois).
    “By leveraging innovations in regenerative agriculture and soil health practices, we can help farmers and producers make their working lands more resilient,” said Senator Heinrich. “Our bipartisan legislation accomplishes this by updating and streamlining the process for developing new conservation practice standards at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. This will allow producers to build more resilience into their operations.” 
    “Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in planted cropland, but for years, has ranked as low as 37th in farm conservation funds that USDA distributes to help farmers adopt cover crops, conservation tillage, and other critical environmental practices. USDA’s statewide one-size-fits-all conservation practice rules do not always match the unique needs of each farm,” said Senator Durbin. “This bill creates a process to add more flexibility to these standards, provide routine updates to keep up with the latest innovations, and ensure more academic and farmer input into developing the conservation practices.”  
    The Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act would update the USDA’s process to:
    Require a regular review of existing conservation practice standards.
    Create a public process for submitting and adopting new practices.
    Prioritize the integration of innovative tools like nutrient efficiency technologies – biological fertilizer being one example that’s proven to improve plant growth.
    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump secures $243.5 billion in economic deals during Qatar visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    US President Donald J. Trump signed a landmark agreement with Qatar on Wednesday to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion, highlighting his second stop in a high-profile Middle East tour. During the visit, Trump announced economic deals totaling more than $243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.

    The centerpiece of these agreements is Qatar Airways’ purchase of 160 Boeing jets worth $200 billion, signed in Doha in the presence of Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, including a $96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines. This represents Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order, supporting an estimated 154,000 U.S. jobs annually, amounting to over one million jobs during the production and delivery period.

    The agreements extend beyond aviation into energy, defense, and technology sectors. McDermott continues its strong partnership with Qatar Energy, currently managing seven active projects worth $8.5 billion as the sole provider of offshore components for Qatar’s major LNG expansion. Engineering firm Parsons has secured 30 projects worth up to $97 billion, while Quantinuum has finalized a joint venture agreement with Al Rabban Capital that will see Qatar invest up to $1 billion in quantum technologies.

    Significant defense deals were also announced during the visit. Raytheon secured a $1 billion agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, establishing Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System. General Atomics secured a nearly $2 billion agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system. Additionally, the United States and Qatar signed a statement of intent outlining over $38 billion in potential investments, including support for Al Udeid Air Base and future defense capabilities.

    Qatar, which holds the world’s third-largest proven reserves of natural gas, has already made substantial investments in American energy infrastructure. Since 2019, QatarEnergy has invested $18 billion in the U.S. energy sector, including ExxonMobil’s Golden Pass LNG Terminal ($10 billion) and Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Golden Triangle Polymers Plant ($8 billion), both located on the Texas Gulf Coast.

    The United States maintained a $2 billion trade surplus with Qatar in 2024, continuing a positive trade balance that has existed since 2003. Last year, U.S.-Qatar trade totaled $5.64 billion, with $3.8 billion in U.S. exports and $1.8 billion in Qatari imports. Qatar’s greenfield investment in the United States totaled $3.3 billion in 2023, focused on hotels and tourism, information technology, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and oil and gas.

    This visit’s agreements build on the $600 billion investment commitment Trump secured in Saudi Arabia during the first leg of his Gulf tour, furthering his administration’s efforts to revitalize American manufacturing and create high-paying jobs across the nation.

  • Govt committed to establishing peace in Naxal-affected region: PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing peace in areas affected by Naxalism, highlighting that the efforts of security forces are yielding positive results.

    In a post on X, PM Modi said, “We are fully committed to establishing peace in the Naxal-affected areas and connecting them with the mainstream of development.”

    Security forces killed 31 Naxalites in the Karreguttalu Hills (KGH) along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border. The operation, which lasted 21 days, marked a significant milestone in the government’s mission to make India Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, praised the success of the operation, saying that “the Karreguttalu Hills, once ruled by red terror, now proudly hoist the tricolour.” He highlighted the bravery and coordination of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF), and District Reserve Guard (DRG) for carrying out the mission without any casualties among the security forces.

    Shah reaffirmed the government’s commitment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to eliminate Naxalism from its roots. He emphasized that this operation was a major achievement in the ongoing mission for a ‘Naxal-free India,’ and credited the seamless coordination between central and state agencies as part of the Modi government’s “whole-of-government” approach.

    A Complex Operation in Hostile Terrain

    The Karreguttalu Hill region, long considered an impregnable Naxal stronghold, had been home to approximately 300–350 armed cadres from various groups, including the PLGA Battalion, CRC Company, Telangana State Committee, and the technical unit of the Naxalite organization. The operation commenced on April 21, 2025, and concluded on May 11, 2025.

    Senior officials, including CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh and Chhattisgarh DGP Arun Dev Gautam, provided details in a joint press briefing in Bijapur. They confirmed that 31 Naxalites were killed, including 16 women, and 35 weapons were recovered from the encounter sites.

    Authorities also recovered over 450 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 818 BGL shells, 899 bundles of detonator codex wire, and large quantities of explosives, food supplies, and medicines. Four major Naxal technical units involved in manufacturing weapons and explosives were destroyed.

    Strategic Intelligence and Coordination

    A multi-agency special team had been established to gather and analyse real-time intelligence through technical, human, and field-based inputs. This allowed security forces to avoid IED traps and locate key Naxalite hideouts and weapon caches. More than 214 bunkers and hideouts were destroyed as part of the campaign.

    Despite the scorching summer conditions, with temperatures exceeding 45°C and the region’s treacherous mountainous terrain, security personnel remained determined. Eighteen personnel from CoBRA, STF, and DRG had sustained injuries in IED explosions but were reported to be out of danger and receiving treatment.

    Impact on Naxal Presence

    The operation significantly weakened the core infrastructure of the Naxalite movement. Analysis suggested that several senior cadres were either killed or injured. However, due to the remote geography, not all bodies had been recovered by the time the operation concluded.

    The Karreguttalu operation is seen as a turning point in India’s long-standing battle against left-wing extremism. According to government data, 197 hardcore Naxalites had been neutralized in the first four months of 2025 alone. The number of Naxal-affected districts had dropped from 126 in 2014 to just 18 in 2025. Naxal violence incidents had decreased by over 65% in the same period.

    Building on Long-Term Gains

    Since 2019, a total of 320 new security camps had been established in Naxal-affected regions, along with 68 night-landing helipads. The number of fortified police stations had increased from 66 in 2014 to 555 in 2025, strengthening security infrastructure in remote and sensitive areas.

    The long-term effects of this sustained crackdown were visible: large Naxalite formations were now splintered into smaller, less capable units, and the government continued to expand its presence in previously inaccessible areas like the National Park in Bijapur and the Maad region in Narayanpur.

    As part of its Joint Action Plan, the Ministry of Home Affairs had outlined a multi-pronged approach, combining security operations, infrastructure development, and welfare schemes, to uproot the Naxal ecosystem and integrate affected regions into the national mainstream.

     

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More jobs, low unemployment and lower inflation under Labor

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    The Albanese Labor Government continues to deliver more jobs, with ABS Labour Force data today showing a record number of Australians in paid work and unemployment remaining low.

    It is the only time since records began that the unemployment rate has been in the low 4s concurrently with headline and underlying inflation in the RBA’s target band.

    The number of employed people in Australia has reached 14,642,700 with 64.4 per cent of the population now in a job and the participation rate is at 67.1 per cent, both near record highs.

    The unemployment rate remains low at 4.1 per cent, and a total of 89,000 new jobs were created in April.

    This is another very encouraging set of jobs data which shows the progress we are making together in our economy.

    More than 1.1 million jobs have now been created under the Albanese Government, a higher rate of employment growth than any major advanced economy.

    Full‑time work was up by 59,500. The number of women in work was up by 65,300 jobs.

    Today’s jobs figures follow data yesterday showing annual real wages have grown for 18 consecutive months.

    Inflation is down, real wages are up, unemployment is low, interest rates have started to fall, every taxpayer is getting a tax cut and all this means living standards are growing again.

    Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth welcomed the jobs growth.

    “Under Labor, more people are working, earning more and keeping more of what they earn,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “Delivering more jobs and higher wages is one of the best ways we can support Australians with cost‑of‑living pressures.”

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the resilient labour market is helping us weather global uncertainty.

    “Amid all the uncertainty and volatility in the global economy, our labour market remains an encouraging source of strength,” Treasurer Chalmers said.

    “Low unemployment and much lower inflation is a remarkable combination and means we are well placed and well prepared for the challenges coming at us from abroad.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Disheveled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, staring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Russell, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University

    Madman Entertainment

    Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “Nouveau Shamanic” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the character’s impulses. This allows for the wild, unpredictable outbursts his characters are known for.

    Cage films are also usually about masculinity: its worst excesses, the parameters restricting it, and what ennobling versions of it might look like.

    The Surfer, a new Australian feature film from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, leans right into masculinity as a theme.

    Our unnamed protagonist (Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.

    He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.

    Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there over the next several days by the same gang. They are led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.

    The protagonist’s fast descent into disheveled, dehydrated delirium as the group’s hazing escalates, fuels much of the first two acts.

    Fish out of water

    It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch.

    From the first moments, he seems pathetic: giving his uninterested teenage son metaphorical speeches about surfing, losing arguments on the phone with his broker and real estate agent, reeking of pomposity and desperation.

    The sense of a man out of his depth is compounded by his Americanness contrasting with the particular brand of Australian masculinity the locals display. Both types are brash and entitled, but with entirely different ways of expressing it.

    This is a man out of his depth.
    Madman Entertainment

    Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.

    “Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” they hiss at him on first meeting, forcing him to retreat, cowed, to the car park, where he remains for most of the rest of the film.

    The wide-open and the claustrophobic

    What a stroke of genius it is to use this single location.

    Filmed in Yallingup, Western Australia, The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer.

    At the same time, a confined, interstitial semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting. The only amenities are an overpriced coffee cart, ancient payphone and a dingy toilet block.

    The beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting.
    Madman Entertainment

    As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.

    It must have been attractive in getting the script funded as well. With such an affordable location, more of the budget would have been freed up for a big name like Cage.

    A modern Wake in Fright

    With its oppressive setting, overexposed orange and yellow light and grade, and a sweaty spiral into madness, The Surfer invites comparisons to Wake in Fright, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 brutal depiction of Australian men and their drinking culture.

    Both take place at Christmas and feature an antagonist who enjoys confidently explaining their dubious moral worldview to everyone. However, Wake in Fright’s horror lingers because we know the culture remains even after the hero escapes it. The Surfer struggles a little more in landing the ending.

    The film’s depiction of masculinity echoes Wake In Fright.
    Madman Entertainment

    For the mean, violent, misogynistic villains to be defeated, it would be unsatisfying for Cage to stoop to their level. This means – without spoiling too much – Cage remains an oddly passive character throughout the film, while others perform the avenging actions.

    The only way the protagonist’s masculinity can be resurrected as upright, ethical and empowering is for the character to literally turn his back on the vengeance we’ve been waiting for him to deliver.

    It’s not that the film has an inarticulate grasp of its own politics, but more that the otherwise terrific script by Thomas Martin feels written into a difficult corner.

    A blast along the way

    I don’t want to imply that this ending means The Surfer isn’t an absolute blast along the way. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.

    A spilled coffee leads to drinking recycled wastewater which leads to chewing on a dead rat, and we still haven’t reached the lowest rung on the ladder of indignities that Cage’s character suffers.

    In less skilled hands this could feel nasty or gross, but the hallucinatory quality of Finnegan’s direction makes it feel almost sublime. And Cage’s pleading, groaning, sobbing and gibbering feel believable and relatable.

    The pathos works – and it’s pretty funny too.

    The Surfer is in cinemas from today and streaming on Stan from June 15.

    Grace Russell 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. Disheveled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, staring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast – https://theconversation.com/disheveled-dehydrated-delirium-new-aussie-film-the-surfer-staring-nicolas-cage-is-an-absolute-blast-254580

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Work-related health newsletter – May 2025

    Source:

    Check out the latest guidance and resources, and a number of upcoming courses and conferences to help you ensure a healthy and safe work environment for you and your workers.

    In this edition:

    • New tools for musculoskeletal risks
    • New hazardous substances guidance
      • Hazardous substances: how to use the quantity-ratio sum (QRS)
      • Unattended refuelling sites
      • Service station compliance with hazardous substances regulations
    • Fraudulent asbestos removals catch up with industry veteran
    • Te Rōpū Marutau o Aotearoa and ACC launch Te Takenga Mai
    • Publications
    • Conferences and events

    Read the full newsletter(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Social Security Amendment Bill passes into law

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    The Social Security Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament today expanding the welfare Traffic Light System that launched in August 2024. 

    “This bill brings new tools to ensure beneficiaries stay on track with their obligations to find or prepare for work if they are able”, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston. 

    From 26 May 2025, two new non-financial sanctions can be imposed. Rather than reducing a benefit, these non-financial sanctions are: 

    • Money Management – where half of someone’s benefit is put onto an MSD payment card that can only be used in approved shops to buy essential items, such as groceries, transport, healthcare-related items, and education-related items. This will be for a four-week period.
       
    • Community Work Experience – where someone will have up to two weeks to find suitable work experience and is required to participate in a placement at one or more community or voluntary organisations for at least five hours per week for four weeks.

    From 20 October, two more non-financial sanctions will be implemented: 

    • Upskilling – Jobseekers will be required to attend and participate, to MSD’s satisfaction, in one or more employment-related training courses or programmes for a minimum of five hours per week over a four-week period.
       
    • Report Job Search – Jobseekers must undertake at least three job-search activities per week, to MSD’s satisfaction, and report on them weekly over a four-week period.

    Also from 26 May 2025 new policy settings will be put in place: 

    • Applicants for certain benefits, and their partners if relevant, will be required to have a completed Jobseeker Profile before they can be granted a benefit.
       
    • New obligation failures will carry over for two years rather than one, increasing the likelihood that those who repeatedly refuse to comply with their obligations will have their benefit cancelled if they remain on it for more than a year.

    From 1 July 2025, Jobseeker Support clients must reapply for their benefit every 26-weeks (currently 52-weeks). This will require clients to engage with MSD more frequently, allowing for more proactive support and a focus on moving people into employment where they can. 

    “These changes will support more people into work and help achieve the Government’s target of having 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support by 2030, which is forecast to save the country over two billion dollars in welfare payments,” Louise Upston says. 

    “Because we believe having a job is the best way for people to lift themselves and their families out of hardship, the Government is setting a clear expectation that those who can work, should work.

    “Our economy is stronger when more people are in work, and as we look to unleash economic growth, it’s important that as many Kiwis as possible share in the benefits of work.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Summer arts festival International Arts Carnival tickets on sale from May 16 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Summer arts festival International Arts Carnival tickets on sale from May 16  
         This year, participating overseas artists will come from the Netherlands, Korea, Norway and the United States. Together with their Mainland and local counterparts, they are set to present a wide variety of performing arts programmes covering martial arts, acrobatics, dance, music, theatre, multimedia and more.
     
         The opening programme will be the martial arts theatre performance “Soul of Shaolin” featuring elite performers of the Henan Provincial Shaolin Wushu Center from July 11 to 13. The performance will showcase breathtaking martial arts scenes such as boxing, weaponry and qigong to demonstrate the harmony between the spiritual wisdom and physical strength of Chinese kung fu. “Soul of Shaolin” is finally coming to Hong Kong after its Broadway debut in 2009, which earned both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations. After more than two decades of world touring, it is not to be missed.
     
         Celebrated violinist Ray Chen will join Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda and members of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America to perform on July 28. During the concert, Chen will perform Mendelssohn’s ever-popular “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64” with the orchestra. The repertoire will also include Rachmaninov’s masterful “Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27” and a new work by contemporary music composer Carlos Simon. This performance will also be part of the orchestra’s Asian tour.
     
    　　To celebrate the upcoming 15th National Games, the IAC will present “Sounds of Sports” August 2 and 3. Led by pianist Phoebus Chan, the performance will blend music and sports as local musicians and athletes will combine karate, rugby, wushu and table tennis with jazz drums, shakuhachi, erhu, cello and piano, turning the concert hall into an exciting sports ground full of energy.
     
    　The award-winning Xi’an Acrobatic Troupe will perform a new adaptation of the acrobatic ballet “Swan Lake” August 8 to 10, fusing incredible acrobatics with ballet, turning this famous dance performance into a powerful yet graceful show. The show features over 20 dazzling acrobatic acts including contortionists bending and twisting, doing flips and balancing, aerial hoops and dancing on shoulders. “Swan Lake” and “Soul of Shaolin” are also programmes that are part of this year’s Chinese Culture Festival.
     
         Other IAC stage programmes include:

    * “OvO” from Norway, a dance programme for infants aged nine to 24 months and their parents by dybwikdans;
    * “Waiting!” from Korea, an exciting and hilarious multimedia theatre by HADDANGSE;
    * “Home” from the Netherlands, an interactive multimedia theatre by Mime Wave;
    * “The Secret Agent Spin-off: The Hidden Treasure”, a musical adapted from the bestselling novel “The Secret Agent” by Musical Trio;
    * “A Musical Treasure Hunt – Percussion Kaleidoscope” and “A Showcase of Parent-child works of Cheng Kwok Kong” by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra;
    * “Live Animation Cinesthetics” and “The Other Side of Schumann” by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta;
    * “Little Pigs・Little Duck・Little Riding Hood 2.0” by Pop Theatre;
    * “My Arena: Dance of Triumph” by the City Contemporary Dance Company;
    * “The Kids in Rainbow Jerseys 2.0” by the Hong Kong Dance Company;
    * “‘It’s Time to Dance’ Inclusive Dance Theatre by Dancing Andy and Dancers “; and
    * 2025 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Concerts “Summer Echoes” by the Music Office.
     
         In addition to stage performances, there will also be a fine selection of films from around the world under the Summer Family Cine Fest by the Film Programmes Office. The IAC also offers a wide range of parent-child workshops, an online programme, an outreach performance and an exhibition. Venue partners and LCSD libraries will also hold plenty of related activities and programmes during the festival period.
     
         Tickets for the IAC will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk 
         For enquiries on programmes and ticketing, please call 2370 1044 or visit its website at     www.hkiac.gov.hkIssued at HKT 12:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –