NewzIntel.com

Category: Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft shares a decade of learning from building a dynamic neurodiverse workforce

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft shares a decade of learning from building a dynamic neurodiverse workforce

    Over the past decade, we’ve learned to effectively welcome exceptional candidates through the Neurodiversity Program, empower managers, and drive business impact.  We have hired a wide variety of positions, spanning early-career engineers in AI, Azure, Windows, and Xbox, as well as corporate positions in finance, customer support, and marketing. Besides recruiting top talent, the Neurodiversity Program also provides manager training in effective coaching skills, thereby enhancing people management practices across the organization. The program has been so successful that in 2024 we expanded to our Data Centers, offering employment opportunities in communities across the U.S. for roles such as Data Center Technicians and Critical Environment Technicians. 

    This isn’t just relevant for tech companies; nearly every business today is embracing AI, and to keep up, you need divergent thinkers. The Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable, that Microsoft co-founded with EY, SAP, and JP Morgan Chase, includes over 50 employers across 10 industries, who share best practices and extend their learnings to the broader employer community. Neurodivergent employees bring unique strengths, and this program has benefited our hiring practices across the board, making our workforce stronger and more resilient. 

    Video: Neurodiversity in the AI-powered workplace.

    Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage insights from our Neurodiversity Program to drive meaningful organizational change. In today’s era of AI, divergent thinkers are crucial for driving innovation and maintaining a competitive edge. By fostering an environment where neurodiverse talent can thrive, we optimize our workforce and build a more dynamic organization. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 6 ways to create memorable Earth Day experiences for students

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: 6 ways to create memorable Earth Day experiences for students

    Discover interactive classroom-ready activities for Earth Day 2025 to help spark curiosity, creativity, and a commitment to protecting our planet.

    With Earth Day approaching on April 22, 2025, many classrooms around the world will highlight sustainability, environmental awareness, and the importance of caring for our planet. Each year, Earth Day is a chance to engage students in meaningful discussions and hands-on activities that inspire real-world action. Incorporate interactive Earth Day activities from Microsoft Education into your plans to help spark curiosity, creativity, and a commitment to protecting our planet.

    From coding challenges to immersive Minecraft Education experiences, there are many ways to bring Earth Day themes to life while helping students develop essential skills. Discover six classroom-ready resources to help you celebrate Earth Day 2025 and make a lasting impact on your students.

    1. Dive into data to protect the Earth with Data Explorers

    Data Explorers is an action-packed Minecraft Education world that aims to build data science and sustainability skills, created by ReWrite Edu in collaboration with NetApp and World’s Largest Lesson. This choose-your-next-path style game takes students across five different ecosystems in search of scientists who help them use data to solve specific environmental problems. Along the way, students can hone their data collection and analysis skills, as well as see how scientists apply data to real-world problems.

    At-a-glance:

    • Designed for students ages 11-14
    • Focused on data collection and analysis skills
    • Includes an educator guide for easy implementation
    Discover Data Explorers

    2. Engage in animal adventures with Planet Earth III Worlds

    This beautiful lesson collection is the third installment in Minecraft Education and BBC Earth’s series of worlds inspired by the groundbreaking series from BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit. Students will step into wondrous realms of the natural world to experience the struggles and triumphs of survival while playing as a series of incredible creatures, including the great white shark, the Arctic wolf, the musk ox, and more. They’ll explore the way these animals’ lives are intertwined by playing as both predator and prey, parent and offspring, friend and ally, and discover the precarious balance of survival.

    At-a-glance:

    • Designed for students aged 8-13
    • Explores the challenges and victories of survival
    • Experience beautiful visuals inspired by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit
    Explore Planet Earth III Worlds

    3. Build eco-themed games with MakeCode Arcade

    Microsoft MakeCode is a free, online learn-to-code platform where students can build games, code devices, and mod Minecraft. Support your students’ programming skills with MakeCode Arcade by quickly creating and modding retro arcade games with Blocks and JavaScript in the MakeCode editor.

    This Earth Day, check out these eco-themed MakeCode Arcade experiences:

    • Save the Forest – Engage students in an interactive coding challenge where they help control wildfires. Using block-based coding, students program an air tanker and set up technology to support a ground team working to protect the forest.
    • Happy Flower – Teach students about the relationship between flowers and pollinators by coding a digital flower that sends bees back to the hive. This activity introduces basic programming concepts while reinforcing key science connections.
    • Shark Splash – Take students on an underwater adventure where they code a shark navigating the deep sea in search of food. This skillmap blends game design and computer science with marine ecology.
    Start coding with MakeCode Arcade

    4. Foster a sustainable future with FarmBeats for Students

    Empower students to explore how technology can drive sustainability with FarmBeats for Students. This hands-on program brings precision agriculture to classrooms, engaging learners in real-world applications of digital sensors, data analysis, and AI. Through interactive activities, students collect and analyze environmental data, build machine learning models, and discover how AI can help optimize farming practices—supporting a future where we can feed a growing population while preserving our planet’s resources.

    At-a-glance:

    • Combines an affordable micro:bit-based hardware kit with free, curated curriculum
    • Features interactive activities that engage students in real-world applications of AI
    • Focuses on sustainability in agriculture and environmental stewardship
    Get started with FarmBeats for Students

    5. Enhance literacy skills with Earth Day reading assignments

    Use Reading Progress to seamlessly blend Earth Day topics into your reading lessons while supporting each student’s literacy growth. With AI-powered passage generation, you can create customized reading passages on environmental themes in just a few clicks. Simply choose the topic, age level, length, and language—and adjust the complexity as needed to meet your students where they are and deepen their engagement with Earth Day.

    You can also use AI-generated comprehension questions based on the passage. Specify how many questions you want, review the questions before assigning them, and easily tailor them to fit your students’ learning goals.

    At-a-glance:

    • Quickly generate Earth Day-themed reading passages with AI-powered passage generation
    • Personalize reading passages based on phonics patterns or words students find challenging
    • Use AI-generated comprehension questions to check for understanding
    Learn more about Reading Progress

    6. Design, update, and personalize Earth Day lesson plans

    Spark creativity and save time with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Whether you’re planning an Earth Day lesson, generating engaging content, or creating visuals to bring your teaching to life, Copilot Chat can help—for free.

    Try Copilot Chat today

    Need fresh activity ideas or ready-to-use classroom materials? Just ask Copilot Chat! Try these prompts to enhance your Earth Day lessons:

    • Create a detailed lesson plan on sustainable farming practices for [grade level]. The lesson should highlight concepts like crop rotation, organic farming, soil conservation, and water management, with real-world examples and student-friendly explanations.
    • Generate a list of thought-provoking, open-ended discussion questions for a [grade level] Earth Day lesson. Ensure the questions encourage critical thinking, personal responsibility, and diverse perspectives. They should be designed to spark meaningful conversations about [topic] and connect students’ thinking to their role in protecting the planet.
    • List a variety of engaging, hands-on eco-centric activities for a [grade level] class to do for Earth Day. Include indoor and outdoor options with a brief description, required materials, estimated time, and how it connects to [a specific topic like environmental awareness, sustainability, or climate action].

    Explore the Copilot Chat learning module on Microsoft Learn to discover practical ways to use it in your daily workflow.

    Start the learning module

    Celebrate Earth Day 2025 by bringing sustainability to life in your classroom. These ready-to-use resources are designed to help you engage students and spark meaningful conversations about our planet’s future. Empower your students to take action for a greener future—one engaging, interactive lesson at a time.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: EIA projections show U.S. energy consumption decreasing in the near term, increasing after early 2040s

    Source: US Energy Information Administration – EIA

    Headline: EIA projections show U.S. energy consumption decreasing in the near term, increasing after early 2040s

    U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
    WASHINGTON DC 20585

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    April 15, 2025

    U.S. energy consumption decreases in the next several years and doesn’t increase again until the early 2040s through 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2025 (AEO2025). U.S. energy consumption in 2050 is lower than in 2024 in most of the scenarios modeled in AEO2025, but the range of outcomes varies significantly based on the underlying assumptions in the scenarios EIA analyzed.

    AEO2025 explores long-term energy trends in the United States. It relies on a Reference case that assumes laws and regulations in effect as of December 2024 remain in effect through 2050. AEO2025 also includes scenario-based analyses of separate side cases that make various other assumptions about the energy sector:

    • The Alternative Electricity case assumes electric generators can operate under regulations that existed prior to April 2024, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented a new rule targeting carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing generating units.
    • The Alternative Transportation case assumes recent rules targeting vehicle fuel economy and emissions from the EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the California Air Resource Board are not in place.
    • The High Oil Price case assumes the price of Brent crude oil increases to $155 per barrel (b) in 2050, compared with $91/b in the Reference case and $47/b in the Low Oil Price case.
    • The High Oil and Gas Supply case assumes ultimate recovery for new tight oil, tight gas, or shale gas wells are 50% higher than in the Reference case. The case also assumes 50% higher undiscovered resources in Alaska and offshore fields. Technological improvement is assumed to be 50% faster. The Low Oil and Gas Supply case assumes the converse.
    • The Low Zero-Carbon Technology Cost case assumes faster cost declines for zero-emissions electricity-generating technologies resulting in 40% lower costs in 2050 than in the Reference case. The High Zero-Carbon Technology Cost case assumes no additional cost reductions with additional deployment.
    • The High Economic Growth case assumes the compound annual growth rate for U.S. GDP is 2.1% through 2050, compared with 1.2% in the Low Economic Growth case and 1.8% in the Reference case.

    For AEO2025, EIA significantly updated the model that underpins the results, adding a hydrogen market module; a carbon capture, allocation, transportation, and sequestration module; and an enhanced upstream oil and natural gas resources module. EIA also enhanced many existing modules to better reflect market dynamics and emerging technologies.

    The full Annual Energy Outlook 2025 is available on the EIA website, including full projection tables, a brief narrative, and a detailed description of the assumptions used in each case.

    The product described in this press release was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analysis, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. government. The views in the product and this press release therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy or other federal agencies.

    EIA Press Contact: Chris Higginbotham, EIAMedia@eia.gov

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 15 April 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    The Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) was unchanged at 1.9 percent of the previous week, for a paper maturing on 23 April 2025. The summarised results of the auction held on 15 April 2025, are attached below:

    BOBC Results 15 April 2025.pdf

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Forging Futures: How Samsung’s PrePARe Programme is Pioneering a New Era of Research Leadership

    Source: Samsung

     
    In today’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem, the ability to translate academic research into real-world impact has become a defining need. Recognising this, Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore (SRI-B) launched the Ph.D. Internship Programme for Advanced Industrial Research (PrePARe) in 2022.
     
    The programme is designed to empower India’s brightest Ph.D. scholars with industry exposure, deep tech research opportunities, and mentorship from seasoned experts, enabling them to work on next-generation technologies such as Generative AI, Deep Learning, 6G, MIMO, AI in Wireless, and Computer Vision.
     
    Through PrePARe, Samsung is creating a unique platform where academic brilliance meets industrial scale. Scholars selected for this six-month internship are given the chance to contribute to high-impact projects that align with Samsung’s vision of building a better future through innovation.
     
    “We continue to strengthen our R&D capabilities with next-gen thinking and fresh ideas. PrePARe connects our seasoned experts with the top Ph.D. scholars to co-create impactful technologies. The programme offers interns an unmatched opportunity to tackle real-world challenges while shaping their careers. I wish them a meaningful and purpose-driven journey with us,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, SRI-B.
     
    Research scholars for this programme are selected from top-tier institutions including IISc, IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Madras, Hyderabad, Roorkee, BHU, Kharagpur), and IIITs (Hyderabad, Bangalore). They go through a rigorous selection process based on their research track record, relevance of their thesis, and innovation potential.
     
    More than 80 scholars have joined the programme so far, contributing to patents, publications, and future-ready tech solutions. At SRI-B, they are not treated as interns—they are seen as domain experts. Each is entrusted with meaningful projects that push the boundaries of applied research.
    For Chaitra D Desai, joining SRI-B as a Ph.D. intern was a turning point.
     
    “Beyond theoretical research, I am gaining robust experience working with large-scale datasets, optimizing models for edge devices, helping me inculcate a product-focused approach. Transitioning from academia to industry was an eye-opening experience,” she said.
     
    Chaitra is currently working on innovations in Robotics, AR/VR, and Autonomous Driving. Meanwhile, Bhogavalli Satwika is tackling a different challenge—integrating Radio Frequency (RF) sensing capabilities into the 5G framework to enhance network efficiency.
     
    The exposure to real-world innovation is what sets PrePARe apart. Interns work closely with SRI-B mentors, contribute to ongoing research projects, and present their findings to SRI-B leadership at the end of the programme—receiving critical insights on how their work fits into Samsung’s broader innovation strategy.
     
    Most of them also speak highly of the collaborative, high-performance culture at SRI-B.
     
    “The hands-on experience I get at Samsung will significantly improve my research,” said Sumit Sharma, while Yamini Shankar said, “I’m loving the collaboration and support my team empowers me with.”
     
    In just three years, PrePARe has emerged as a high-impact initiative one that not only nurtures academic talent but also enables them to contribute meaningfully to industry innovation. As these Ph.D. scholars push the boundaries of what is possible, they are not just gaining experience, together with Samsung, they are helping shape the technologies of tomorrow.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Debuts 2025 Soundbars with New Designs, Improved Bass and Enhanced AI

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics America today introduced its 2025 audio lineup, including new soundbars in the flagship Q-series and B-series. The newest lineup is designed to amp up the audio for any living space, combining innovative hardware with adaptive, AI-driven features for exceptional sound and impressive versatility.
    In addition to five new Q-series models and four B-series models, we’re also continuing to offer our S-series soundbars, which deliver quality audio in a slim, discrete package that elegantly blends with your space. Plus, there’s Music Frame, our customizable speaker that elevates your aesthetic by playing your favorite audio while framing your favorite photo.
    “We believe everyone should be able to enjoy immersive sound when watching their favorite content – regardless of the space, size or layout of their room,” said Jim Kiczek, Head of Audio at Samsung Electronics America. “That’s why in 2025, we’re offering even more flexibility in our soundbars than ever before. Our lineup includes new, innovative designs and advanced AI integrations to deliver truly adaptive, personalized listening wherever and however you’d like.”

    The Q-series includes the HW-Q990F, HW-Q900F, HW-Q800F, HW-QS700F and HW-Q600F – all equipped with 3D Dolby Atmos sound to put you at the center of the action – whether enjoying your favorite films, concerts, shows, songs or soundtracks.
    With 11 front & surround channels, 1 subwoofer channel, and 4 up firing channels, the flagship HW-Q990F surrounds you with powerful sound from every angle. It ships with a newly redesigned compact subwoofer that’s half the size of its predecessor, while improving bass performance – delivering even better sound in our smallest ever size.

    The soundbar also leverages AI and embedded sensors to personalize audio based on where you’re listening and what you’re listening to. SpaceFit Sound Pro Plus uses advanced algorithms to calibrate the soundbar’s output to the layout, shape and dimensions of your room.
    Plus, you can enable Samsung Q-Symphony1 to synchronize the audio between your Samsung TV, soundbar and even your Music Frame to create a more robust and nuanced sound experience. New for 2025 on the HW-QS700F and above, Q-Symphony can now recognize the exact position and angle of your Music Frame and optimize its audio for next-level sound – tailored to your specific room.
    And, Active Voice Amplifier Pro ensures you’ll never miss a moment of your show or movie. This feature enhances dialogue clarity, making it easier to hear conversations over background noise and other distractions. On the bass front, Dynamic Bass Control2 reduces distortion for sound that’s true to the original audio.

    The 2025 lineup of Q-series soundbars also features the HW-QS700F, a design first for Samsung.
    This soundbar delivers the same great audio quality – whether wall-mounted or tabletop. An integrated gyro sensor can automatically detect if the soundbar is positioned vertically or horizontally, optimizing its sound in real time.
    You can have the HW-QS700F sitting on your mantel or up on the wall, it’s completely up to you. It’s all about giving you the flexibility to use your soundbar where and how you want, offering the same rich, multidimensional sound in both configurations.

    Whatever your preference, our 2025 audio lineup will truly have something for every space, set-up or budget. And, these products will make a perfect complement for the 2025 Samsung TV lineup – including Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, OLED, The Frame and The Frame Pro. This year, Samsung Vision AI powers our TV lineup, delivering AI enhanced picture and sound, as well as new personalized features that help you engage more deeply with your content.

    Be sure to read on for the full list of new 2025 soundbars (with MSRP pricing).
    Q-series
    HW-Q990F: $1,999
    HW-Q900F: $1,399
    HW-Q800F: $999
    HW-QS700F: $699
    HW-Q600F: $599 (Coming Soon)
    B-series
    HW-B750F: $449 (Coming Soon)
    HW-B630F: $299 (Coming Soon)
    HW-B550F: $199 (Coming Soon)
    HW-B400F: $119 (Coming Soon)

    Across our entire soundbar lineup, you can shop with confidence from the #1 soundbar brand for 11 years running3. For more on the latest Samsung TV and audio products, visit www.samsung.com/us/.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanctions Update – 15 April 2025

    Source: Isle of Man

    Belarus

    ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida

    Counter-Terrorism (Domestic)

    Global Anti-Corruption

    Global Human Rights

    Iran

    Russia

    Syria

     

    The Authority has been notified that the Isle of Man Treasury, Customs and Immigration Division has recently published new and updated information regarding the above Sanction regimes.

    News Releases advising details of the updates to the above Sanctions regimes can be read on the IOM Government website (www.gov.im/news) at:

    Belarus

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/19/financial-sanctions-republic-of-belarus/

     

    Financial Sanctions: ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/13/financial-sanctions-isil-daesh-and-al-qaida/

    Financial Sanctions: Counter-Terrorism (Domestic)

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/09/financial-sanctions-counter-terrorism-domestic/

     

    Global Anti-Corruption

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/14/financial-sanctions-global-anti-corruption/

    Global Human Rights

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/19/financial-sanctions-global-human-rights/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/24/financial-sanctions-global-human-rights/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/27/financial-sanctions-global-human-rights/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/02/financial-sanctions-global-human-rights/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/10/financial-sanctions-global-human-rights/

     

    Iran

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/14/financial-sanctions-iran/

    Russia

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/07/financial-sanctions-russia/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/19/financial-sanctions-russia/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/20/financial-sanctions-russia/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/24/financial-sanctions-russia/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/27/financial-sanctions-russia/

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/apr/14/financial-sanctions-russia/

     

    Syria

    https://www.gov.im/news/2025/mar/06/financial-sanctions-syria/

    Copies of extant Sanctions Notices, are available free of charge over the Internet from the Sanctions and Export Control page on the website of the Isle of Man Treasury, Customs and Immigration Division located at: https://www.gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/sanctions-and-export-control

    Any queries regarding the above, or any Sanctions related matter should be addressed to the Isle of Man Treasury, Customs and Immigration Division, Sanctions Officer  on telephone number +44 (0) 1624 648109 or by email to sanctions@gov.im

     

    To receive regular updates about sanctions, including updates to the UK Sanctions List, you can subscribe to the RSS feed for sanctions & Excise news releases by copying and pasting this URL:

    https://gov.im/categories/tax-vat-and-your-money/sanctions-and-export-control/news/RssCategorisedNews 

     

    into your RSS feed reader or Microsoft Outlook RSS feeds folder. You can also view our guidance on how to use RSS Feeds.

     

    The UK Treasury operate an ‘alert’ system to provide email updates as and when changes to sanctions are introduced.  Licenceholders may consider it very prudent to avail themselves of this service if they do not already have relevant notification processes in place. 

     

    This service can be found at   Subscribe to Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updates

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Expert Panel Expects Home Price Growth to Moderate

    Source: Fannie Mae

    WASHINGTON, DC – Following national home price growth of 5.8% in 2024, a panel of more than 100 housing experts forecasts home price growth to average 3.4% in 2025 and 3.3% in 2026, according to the Q1 2025 Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC. The panel’s latest estimates of national home price growth represent revisions from last quarter’s expectations of 3.8% for 2025 and 3.6% for 2026, as measured by the Fannie Mae Home Price Index (FNM-HPI).

    The full HPES data sets are available on Fannie Mae’s Research and Insights page: https://www.fanniemae.com/research-and-insights .

    Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views of Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group, Pulsenomics, LLC, and the surveyed experts included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae’s business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR Group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, beliefs, and other views published by the ESR Group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.

    About Fannie Mae’s Home Price Expectations Survey
    Fannie Mae’s Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES), produced in partnership with Pulsenomics, LLC, polls over 100 experts across the housing and mortgage industry and academia for forecasts of national home price percentage changes in each of the coming five calendar years, with the Fannie Mae Home Price Index as the benchmark. On a quarterly basis, Fannie Mae plans to publish the latest panelist-level expectations. The Q1 2025 HPES had 108 respondents and was conducted by Pulsenomics, LLC, between February 25, 2025, and March 10, 2025.

    About the ESR Group
    Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, led by Chief Economist Mark Palim, studies current data, analyzes historical and emerging trends, and conducts surveys of consumer and mortgage lender groups to provide forecasts and analyses on the economy, housing, and mortgage markets.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Bank of America’s multifaceted advertising strategy emphasizes financial empowerment, digital convenience, and business support, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Bank of America’s multifaceted advertising strategy emphasizes financial empowerment, digital convenience, and business support, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Bank of America’s YouTube ad campaigns from the last six months (October 2024 to March 2025), strategically allocated resources to enhance financial literacy, digital banking experiences, and entrepreneurial growth. By leveraging educational platforms, streamlined mobile applications, and bespoke business solutions, Bank of America’s approach reflects an intent to function as a significant contributor to financial empowerment across a diverse customer base, according to Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Bank of America’s advertising demonstrates a deliberate effort to balance transactional efficiency with knowledge dissemination, showcasing efficient digital services (mobile transfers, online banking) alongside educational initiatives like “Better Money Habits.” The campaigns feature direct, functional demonstrations of these digital tools with platforms designed to increase financial literacy. This dual approach, using both practical instruction and educational content, aims for the bank to be seen as a source of immediate solutions and sustained financial growth.”

    GlobalData’s Global Ads Platform reveals the key focus areas of Bank of America’s advertisements below:

    Convenient Mobile Banking: Bank of America’s mobile banking emphasizes convenience and ease of use through its app, offering features like quick money transfers between accounts and integrated services like Zelle for peer-to-peer payments. These features target existing customers, tech-savvy individuals, and busy professionals, highlighting the app’s user-friendliness, efficiency, and seamless integration for managing finances on the go and facilitating quick, free transactions with contacts.

    Centralized Business Finance: Bank of America’s Connected Apps offer a centralized online dashboard for businesses to manage finances, track key metrics, and integrate third-party services. Targeting small business owners and financial decision-makers, the ads highlight efficiency, growth enablement, and enhanced financial control through this streamlined platform.

    Rewards and Personalized Service: The Preferred Rewards program is showcased as a tiered benefits system for existing customers, offering enhanced rewards, relationship bonuses, and personalized service. The advertisements highlight the program’s ability to maximize financial potential and reward customer loyalty, designed for current clients, affluent individuals, and those pursuing financial advancement.

    Financial Education and Empowerment: Bank of America’s Better Money Habits platform is promoted as a free resource, empowering individuals to take control of their finances through knowledge and personalized guidance on budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt. The ads highlight empowerment, support, and opportunity, aimed at those seeking to improve their economic independence.

    Community Support and Inclusion: The ‘Business Owner Spotlight’ campaign showcases Bank of America’s backing of diverse communities, particularly Hispanic entrepreneurs. This initiative illustrates the bank’s dedication to inclusivity and community development, highlighting the bank’s provision of support for underrepresented business owners.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: US card payments market growth to slow in 2025 amid tariffs and inflationary pressures, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US card payments market growth to slow in 2025 amid tariffs and inflationary pressures, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Banking

    The US card payments market is projected to grow by a modest 2.4% in 2025, reaching $10.8 trillion, as economic uncertainty and rising tariffs weigh on consumer spending. While strong foundations like high card penetration and contactless adoption persist, inflationary pressures and trade disruptions are expected to challenge the market’s resilience and slow its previously robust growth trajectory, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s report, “United States (US) Cards and Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2028,” reveals that the card payment value in the US registered a growth of 6% in 2023, driven by the rise in consumer spending. The value registered an estimated growth of 5% in 2024 to reach $10.6 trillion. However, the latest tariffs can pose a challenge for the overall economic growth, while rising inflation is expected to curb consumer spending, resulting in a slowdown in the overall card payments value.

    The US card payments market is highly mature, and arguably even over-served by its financial institutions with high card penetration and usage. Ready access to formal financial services has resulted in a population that is very comfortable using debit, credit, and charge cards for payments.

    Ongoing investments in payment infrastructure, increasing contactless payment adoption, and e-commerce growth have accelerated expansion in the US card payment market. Contactless cards have driven low-value daily transactions, further bolstered by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, economic uncertainty fueled by Trump’s tariffs now threatens to slow this momentum, creating headwinds for sustained growth in the sector.

    Ravi Sharma, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Economic forecasts for many markets, including the US, were seen as positive until the beginning of the year due to expected economic recovery and reduced inflation. However, the current situation is now considered uncertain once again. The trade wars have already disrupted financial markets and caused businesses to face uncertainty, potentially leading to weakened economic growth.”

    While tariffs pose challenges for all players in the economy, the main impact on the card payments will be via inflation, and depressing retail activity. As a result, both payment volumes and average transaction values will see slowdown, ultimately hurting the revenues of card issuers, payment processors, networks, and acquirers, including any business segments involved in the value chain.

    Furthermore, tariffs on imports and supply chain disruptions from China and other markets may also increase costs of payment terminals and hardware components, which may impact small businesses accepting card payments.

    Sharma concludes: “Looking ahead, the transition to electronic payments is expected to continue over the next five years due to the growing number of electronic payments. However, ongoing economic uncertainty will continue to present challenges for the industry. The card payments value is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% between 2024 and 2029 to reach $12.9 trillion.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Goldman Sachs and PwC top M&A financial advisers in Europe in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Goldman Sachs and PwC top M&A financial advisers in Europe in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Goldman Sachs and PwC were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial advisers in Europe during the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 by value and volume, respectively, according to the latest financial advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Deals Database has revealed that Goldman Sachs achieved its leading position in terms of value by advising on $17.6 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, PwC led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 29 deals.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “PwC registered improvement in the total number of deals advised by it during Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. Resultantly, it went ahead from occupying the fourth position by volume in Q1 2024 to top the chart by this metric in Q1 2025.

    “Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs, which was the top adviser by value in Q1 2024, also managed to retain its leadership position by this metric in Q1 2025 as well. Despite a fall in the total value of deals advised by it in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, Goldman Sachs stayed much ahead of its peers. During Q1 2025, it advised on five billion-dollar deals*. Involvement in these big-ticket deals helped Goldman Sachs secure the top spot by value. Apart from leading in terms of value, it also occupied the seventh position by volume in Q1 2025.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Jefferies occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $12.4 billion worth of deals, followed by Bank of America with $11.1 billion, Barclays with $7.9 billion, and Lazard with $7.2 billion.

    Meanwhile, Clearwater occupied the second position in terms of volume with 21 deals, followed by Ernst & Young with 20 deals, Deloitte with 18 deals, and Rothschild & Co with 17 deals.

    *Valued more than or equal to $1 billion

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Kirkland & Ellis and CMS top M&A legal advisers in Europe in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Kirkland & Ellis and CMS top M&A legal advisers in Europe in Q1 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Kirkland & Ellis and CMS were the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal advisers in Europe during the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 by value and volume, respectively, according to the latest legal advisers league table by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Deals Database has revealed that Kirkland & Ellis achieved its leading position in terms of value by advising on $16.9 billion worth of deals. Meanwhile, CMS led in terms of volume by advising on a total of 48 deals.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Despite a decline in the number of deals advised by CMS in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, it managed to maintain its lead and remain much ahead of its peers in terms of deal volume. In fact, it fell short of only two deals from hitting the 50-deal volume mark during Q1 2025.

    “Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis registered more than a double-fold jump in the total value of deals advised by it during Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. Resultantly, its ranking by value also took a leap from 13th position in Q1 2024 to the top position in Q1 2025. Involvement in three billion-dollar deals during the quarter played a pivotal role for Kirkland & Ellis in registering the massive growth in value as well as improvement in its ranking by this metric.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $13.7 billion worth of deals, followed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer with $11.2 billion, Arthur Cox with $9.8 billion, and Gilbert + Tobin with $8.8 billion.

    Meanwhile, White & Case occupied the second position in terms of volume with 26 deals, followed by Cuatrecasas with 23 deals, Allen & Overy with 19 deals, and Clifford Chance with 16 deals.

    *Valued more than or equal to $1,000 million

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Key takeaways from the first ICC WCF African Summit 2025 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Key takeaways from the first ICC WCF African Summit 2025 

    With support from 20 National Committees and more than 130 chamber members, the event underscored the expanding influence of ICC in the region. It provided a valuable space for African businesses to engage in international trade and foster connections that will drive future growth.  

    In an inspiring opening keynote, the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. DR. William Ruto, said:

    “Africa is becoming more connected, integrated and entrepreneurial. Our success will depend on how ready we are to embrace change. Hosting this first ever WCF Africa Summit, it is such an honour. Chambers of commerce are indispensable because they bring smart solutions to business and help them navigate the world complexity.”

    ICC Chair Philipe Varin added :

    “The International Chamber of Commerce is firmly committed to working with individual African countries and pan-African organisations to ensure that the full potential of the continent can be fully realised – in line with the objectives set forth in the Agenda 2063, the continent’s blueprint for sustainable development.” 

    Making business work for Africa 

    This landmark event was organised under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework to foster economic growth, innovation, and collaboration. The two-day event highlighted Africa’s growing investment potential and innovative ecosystems while showcasing the region’s leadership in sustainable development. 

    Two key workshops were held focusing on the digitalisation of trade and the impact of global policy changes on Africa.  

    A masterclass led by Managing Director of ICC Digital Standards Initiative Pamela Mar, addressed major challenges in digital trade, including standards interoperability, digital trust, and legal frameworks. It highlighted the importance of policy and legal reforms in supporting Africa’s digital trade transformation. 

    Another masterclass on the recent U.S. tariff changes, was led by ICC Head of Trade, Valerie Picard, and explored recent tariffs’ impact on African exporters and trade policy. The session emphasised the role of chambers in helping members adapt and shape a responsive trade agenda for Africa. 

    The sessions aimed to provide African businesses and chambers with the tools to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.   

    The African Summit was full of valuable insights into digitalisation of trade and shifting global policies. As the first major WCF event in 20 years held in Africa, the summit marked a crucial step in strengthening the continent’s trade position.  

    The next WCF event will be held in Melbourne, the host city for the 14th World Chambers Congress.  

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs meets with Ambassador of Republic of Korea (ROK) to ASEAN

    Source: ASEAN

    Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, H.E. Nararya Sanggramawijaya Soeprapto, had a meeting with Ambassador of ROK to ASEAN, H.E. Lee Jang-keun, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ ASEAN Secretariat today. DSG Nararya expressed appreciation to Ambassador Lee for the ROK’s continued support under the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Fund (AKCF) for the fiscal year 2025. During their discussion, DSG Nararya provided updates on ongoing AKCF funded projects and together with Ambassador Lee focused discussion on reviewing and enhancing cooperation under the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Fund (AKCF). In addition to discussing the ongoing collaboration, they explored potential areas for the forthcoming ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action 2026–2030.

    The post Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs meets with Ambassador of Republic of Korea (ROK) to ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Artificial Intelligence fuels rise of hard-to-detect bots that now make up more than half of global internet traffic, according to the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Artificial Intelligence fuels rise of hard-to-detect bots that now make up more than half of global internet traffic, according to the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report

    • Rise in accessible AI tools significantly lowered the barrier to entry for cyber attackers, enabling them to create and deploy malicious bots at scale.
    • For the first time in a decade, automated traffic surpassed human activity, accounting for 51% of all web traffic.
    • API-directed attacks surged to 44% of advanced bot traffic, with the travel sector topping the list for bot attacks overall.

    Thales, the leading global technology and security provider, today announced the release of the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report, a global analysis of automated bot traffic across the internet. This year’s report, the 12thannual research study, reveals that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the development of bots, allowing less sophisticated actors to launch a higher volume of bot attacks with increased frequency. Today’s attackers are also leveraging AI to scrutinize their unsuccessful attempts and refine techniques to evade security measures with heightened efficiency, amidst a growing Bots-As-A-Service (BaaS) ecosystem of commercialized bot services.


    Automated bot traffic surpassed human-generated traffic for the first time in a decade, constituting 51% of all web traffic in 2024. This shift is largely attributed to the rise of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), which have simplified the creation and scaling of bots for malicious purposes. As AI tools become more accessible, cyber criminals are increasingly leveraging these technologies to create and deploy malicious bots which now account for 37% of all internet traffic – a significant increase from 32% in 2023. This is the sixth consecutive year of growth in bad bot activity, posing security challenges for organizations striving to safeguard their digital assets.

    Both the Travel and the Retail sectors face an advanced bot problem, with bad bots making up 41% and 59% of their traffic respectively. In 2024, the travel industry became the most attacked sector, accounting for 27% of all bot attacks, up from 21% in 2023. The most notable shift in 2024 is the decline in advanced bot attacks targeting the travel industry (41%, down from 61% in 2023) and the sharp increase in simple bot attacks (52%, up from 34%). This shift indicates that AI-powered automation tools have lowered the barriers to entry for attackers, allowing less sophisticated actors to initiate more basic bot attacks. Rather than relying exclusively on sophisticated techniques, cybercriminals are increasingly utilizing high volumes of simpler bots to inundate travel sites, resulting in more frequent and widespread attacks.

    The Rise of AI-Driven Bots: A New Era of Cybersecurity Challenges

    The emergence of advanced AI tools, including ChatGPT, ByteSpider Bot, ClaudeBot, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI, and Cohere AI, are transforming not just user interactions but also the methods by which attackers execute cyber threats. According to the Imperva Threat Research team, widely used AI tools are being leveraged for cyberattacks, with ByteSpider Bot alone responsible for 54% of all AI-enabled attacks. Other significant contributors include AppleBot at 26%, ClaudeBot at 13%, and ChatGPT User Bot at 6%.

    “The surge in AI-driven bot creation has serious implications for businesses worldwide,” said Tim Chang, General Manager of Application Security, Thales Cybersecurity Products. “As automated traffic accounts for more than half of all web activity, organizations face heightened risks from bad bots, which are becoming more prolific every day.”

    As attackers become more adept at utilizing AI, they can execute a variety of cyber threats—ranging from DDoS attacks to custom rules exploitation and API violations. While bot-driven attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, they pose significant challenges for detection efforts.

    “This year’s report sheds light on the evolving tactics and techniques utilized by bot attackers. What were once deemed advanced evasion methods have now become standard practice for many malicious bots,” Chang said. “In this rapidly changing environment, businesses must evolve their strategies. It’s crucial to adopt an adaptive and proactive approach, leveraging sophisticated bot detection tools and comprehensive cybersecurity management solutions to build a resilient defense against the ever-shifting landscape of bot-related threats.”

    Bad Bots Targeting API Business Logic Pose Increased Threat to Modern Enterprises

    Recent findings from the Imperva Threat Research team reveal a significant surge in API-directed attacks, with 44% of advanced bot traffic targeting APIs. These attacks aren’t just limited to overwhelming API endpoints; rather, they target the intricate business logic that defines how APIs operate. Attackers deploy bots specifically designed to exploit vulnerabilities in API workflows, engaging in automated payment fraud, account hijacking, and data exfiltration.

    Analysis in the report reveals a deliberate strategy by cyber attackers to exploit API endpoints that manage sensitive and high-value data. Implications of this trend are especially impactful for industries that rely on APIs for their critical operations and transactions. Financial services, healthcare, and e-commerce sectors are bearing the brunt of these sophisticated bot attacks, making them prime targets for malicious actors seeking to breach sensitive information.

    APIs serve as the backbone of modern applications, enabling connectivity across services, streamlining operations, and delivering personalized customer experiences at scale. They underpin essential functions such as payment processing, supply chain management, and AI-driven analytics, making them indispensable for enhancing efficiency, accelerating product development, and unlocking new revenue streams.

    “The business logic inherent to APIs is powerful, but it also creates unique vulnerabilities that malicious actors are eager to exploit,” Chang said. “As organizations embrace cloud-based services and microservices architectures, it’s vital to understand that the very features that make APIs essential can also leave them susceptible to risk of fraud and data breaches.”

    Financial Services, Healthcare, and E-commerce Industries Face Heightened Risk

    The 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report provides an in-depth analysis highlighting the industries most at risk. Financial services, healthcare, and e-commerce are the most affected sectors, industries that rely on APIs for critical operations and sensitive transactions, making them attractive targets for sophisticated bot attacks.

    The financial services sector was the most targeted industry for account takeover (ATO) attacks, accounting for 22% of all incidents, followed by Telecoms and ISPs with 18%, and Computing & IT with 17%. Financial Services has long been a prime target for ATO attacks due to the high value of accounts and the sensitive nature of the data at stake. Banks, credit card companies, and fintech platforms possess vast amounts of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including credit card and bank account details, which can be profitably sold on the dark web. Additionally, the growing proliferation of APIs within the industry has broadened the attack surface, allowing cyber criminals to exploit vulnerabilities such as weak authentication and authorization methods, thereby facilitating account takeovers and data theft.

    About the Research

    The 12th Annual Imperva Bad Bot Report is based on insights from our Threat Research and Security Analyst Services (SAS) teams. Our analysis draws from data collected from across the Imperva global network in 2024, including the blocking of 13 trillion bad bot requests across thousands of domains and industries. This dataset provides key insights into bot activity to help organizations understand and address the growing risks of automated attacks.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

    The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

    Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Welcomes UK Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh MP to Manchester Training Centre to Discuss Growing Demand for Heat Pumps and the Workforce of the Future

    Source: Samsung

     
     
    Samsung welcomed the Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh MP to the Manchester Training Centre to discuss the growing heat pump industry and the opportunity for upskilling the workforce of the future, particularly around apprenticeships.
     
    Minister Fahnbulleh spoke to Samsung Technical Degree Apprentice Joshua Long, who is currently in his third year of a Building Services Design Engineering Degree at London Southbank University while working on the design and specification of heating and cooling systems at Samsung.  The Minister also met with the Samsung Climate Solutions team and toured the training facility in Sale, learning about the range of products, training offered and future plans.
     
    Collaboration between government and industry is central to hitting government targets for heat pump installs and reaching Net Zero by 2050. This is reflected in the current growth in installs, as February 2025 saw a 68% increase in Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers issued compared to February 2024.[1] Training the workforce is essential to meet the rising demand and Samsung is committed to delivering continued growth in 2025 following an increase in its training numbers in the UK by almost 70% in 2024 compared to 2023[2].
     
    Minister Fahnbulleh said: “The figures for our Boiler Upgrade Scheme speak for themselves. Heat pump demand is rising rapidly, meaning we need a growing, highly-skilled workforce to deliver thousands more installations. It was fantastic to visit Samsung and hear from apprentices about the brilliant work being done to train the next generation of heat pump installers.”
     
    Joshua Long commented: “I really valued the opportunity to meet the Minister and discuss why apprenticeships are such an important part of ensuring we have the skills needed for the transition towards Net Zero. For me, my apprenticeship has opened up a new career path to learn from my experienced colleagues as well as earn my degree. I chose this apprenticeship because I wanted to be part of the bigger picture of changing the way we use energy and heat our buildings in the UK. This is a really exciting time to join the sector, and I’m proud to be part of the growth and development of heat pumps.”
     
    [1]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/boiler-upgrade-scheme-statistics-february-2025
    [2]Training data from internal records at Samsung Climate Solutions

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Coby Sammis Joins NOIA as Vice President of Government Affairs

    Source: National Ocean Industries Association – NOIA

    Headline: Coby Sammis Joins NOIA as Vice President of Government Affairs

    For Immediate Release: Monday, April 14, 2025NOIA .org
    Coby Sammis Joins NOIA as Vice President of Government Affairs
    Washington, D.C. – The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) is pleased to announce that Coby Sammis is taking over as our new Vice President of Government Affairs. NOIA President Erik Milito said:
    “We are thrilled to welcome Coby Sammis to the NOIA team. Coby brings extensive experience from his tenure with Congressman Clay Higgins, where he expertly shaped legislative strategies and forged coalitions on a host of issues critical to the offshore energy sector. A Louisiana native, Coby possesses a deep understanding of the Gulf Coast’s unique history and its vital connection to offshore energy, environmental stewardship, and national security.
    “As we tackle a dynamic 2025 landscape—encompassing oil and gas, wind, carbon sequestration, ocean minerals, and more—Coby will be invaluable. I, together with the entire NOIA team, look forward to working with him to advance America’s offshore energy future and champion smart policy solutions.”
    About Coby SammisCoby Sammis joins the National Ocean Industries Association as the Vice President of Government Affairs, bringing extensive experience in policy advising and coalition building. Previously, Coby served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Congressman Clay Higgins (LA-03) and had been with the office since 2018. In this role, he provided strategic counsel on a diverse portfolio of issues critical to the offshore energy sector, including appropriations, coastal infrastructure, conservation, energy, environmental policy, finance, foreign affairs, natural resources, sportsmen’s issues, and infrastructure.
    Coby played a pivotal role in shaping legislative priorities, developing strategies, and fostering coalitions to advance key initiatives. Coby’s perspective will help NOIA advocate for the Gulf of America and the larger U.S. offshore energy sector and how they intertwine with environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and national security.
    Coby is an alumnus of McNeese State University.
    ##
    About NOIA The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN receives Director-General of Arms Control Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China

    Source: ASEAN

    Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community, H.E. Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz received a call by the Director-General of the Department of Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Sun Xiaobo, on 15 April 2025 at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. Both sides exchanged views on regional issues, including cyber security, humanitarian mine action, and ASEAN-China security cooperation.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Pronounced spike in low-level crimes in Singapore Straits 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Pronounced spike in low-level crimes in Singapore Straits 

    A total of 45 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded in the first three months of 2025 – an almost 35 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.   

    Of the incidents reported, 37 vessels were boarded, four were hijacked and four had attempted attacks. The threat to crew safety remains high with 37 crew members taken hostage, 13 kidnapped, two threatened and one injured. 

    Rise of incidents in Singapore Straits 

    The Q1 report highlights a spike in recorded incidents in the Singapore Straits as 27 incidents were reported from vessels transiting these waters compared to seven for the same period in 2024.  

    While most incidents were considered low-level opportunistic crimes, crew members were at great risk with guns reported in 14 incidents. For the whole of 2024, guns were reported in 26 incidents globally. Ten crew members were taken hostage in six separate incidents, two were threatened and one was reported injured.  

    Ninety-two percent of all vessels targeted in the Singapore Straits were successfully boarded, including nine bulk carriers and tankers over 100,000 deadweight tonnage in size.  

    IMB Director Michael Howlett said:

    “The reported rise of incidents in the Singapore Straits is concerning, highlighting the urgent need to protect the safety of seafarers navigating these waters.  Ensuring the security of these vital routes is essential and all necessary measures must be taken to safeguard crew members.” 

    Caution advised in the Gulf of Guinea  

    Although the number of reported incidents within the Gulf of Guinea waters and adjoining littoral states continues to be at its lowest in nearly two decades, the IMB urges continued caution as crew members remain at risk.   

    All 13 kidnapped crew were reported in these waters in two separate attacks – with a total of six incidents reported in the first quarter of the year. In March, pirates hijacked a bitumen tanker southeast of Santo Antonio, in Sao Tome and Principe, kidnapping 10 crew members – while a fishing vessel south of Accra, Ghana, was boarded by armed pirates who kidnapped three crew members. 

    “While we welcome the reduction of incidents, the safety of crew members in the Gulf of Guinea remains at greater risk. It is essential to maintain a strong regional and international naval presence to address these incidents and ensure the protection of seafarers,”

    Mr Howlett said. 

    Somali piracy threat remains 

    Between 7 February and 16 March 2025, two fishing vessels and a dhow were hijacked off the coast of Somalia. In these incidents, 26 crew members were taken hostage, demonstrating the continued capabilities of Somali pirates. Reports indicate all crew have been released along with the vessels. 

    The IMB advises ships navigating these waters to exercise caution and to strictly follow the latest version of the Industry Best Management Practice (BMP). 

    Download your copy of the 2025 Jan – Mar Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships report here. 

    About the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre 

    Since its founding in 1991, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre has served as a crucial, 24-hour point of contact to report crimes of piracy and lend support to ships under threat. Quick reactions and a focus on coordinating with response agencies, sending out warning broadcasts and email alerts to ships have all helped bolster security on the high seas. The data gathered by the Centre also provides key insights on the nature and state of modern piracy. 

    IMB encourages all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspected global piracy and armed robbery incidents to the Piracy Reporting Centre as a vital first step to ensuring adequate resources are allocated by authorities to tackle maritime piracy.   

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on April 15, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Tenor 1-day
    Notified Amount (in ₹ crore) 25,000
    Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore) 9,564
    Amount allotted (in ₹ crore) 9,564
    Cut off Rate (%) 6.01
    Weighted Average Rate (%) 6.01
    Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%) NA

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/99

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on April 11, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,26,258.32 5.75 1.00-6.90
         I. Call Money 14,691.71 5.79 5.00-6.00
         II. Triparty Repo 3,94,644.55 5.73 5.00-5.85
         III. Market Repo 2,15,303.06 5.76 1.00-6.90
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,619.00 5.95 5.94-5.95
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 552.00 5.79 5.35-5.85
         II. Term Money@@ 470.00 – 6.00-6.10
         III. Triparty Repo 5,597.00 5.84 5.79-5.95
         IV. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Fri, 11/04/2025 4 Tue, 15/04/2025 14,317.00 6.01
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Fri, 11/04/2025 1 Sat, 12/04/2025 39.00 6.25
      Fri, 11/04/2025 2 Sun, 13/04/2025 0.00 6.25
      Fri, 11/04/2025 3 Mon, 14/04/2025 0.00 6.25
      Fri, 11/04/2025 4 Tue, 15/04/2025 0.00 6.25
    4. SDFΔ# Fri, 11/04/2025 1 Sat, 12/04/2025 1,34,711.00 5.75
      Fri, 11/04/2025 2 Sun, 13/04/2025 63.00 5.75
      Fri, 11/04/2025 3 Mon, 14/04/2025 740.00 5.75
      Fri, 11/04/2025 4 Tue, 15/04/2025 55,950.00 5.75
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -1,77,108.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,804.70  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     7,804.70  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -1,69,303.30  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on April 11, 2025 9,37,278.50  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending April 18, 2025 9,31,571.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ April 11, 2025 14,317.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on March 21, 2025 1,11,247.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/97

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: NDB Board of Directors Approved City Bank Sustainable Infrastructure Project

    Source: New Development Bank

    Home News & Events News NDB Board of Directors Approved City Bank Sustainable Infrastructure Project

    On April 1, 2025, the Board of Directors (Board) of the New Development Bank (NDB) approved a loan of up to USD 25 million to City Bank PLC for the City Bank Sustainable Infrastructure Project, the NDB’s first non-sovereign loan in Bangladesh. The Project is co-financed by NDB, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

    The City Bank Sustainable Infrastructure Project will promote sustainable infrastructure projects in Bangladesh by providing medium to long-term financing to the private sector, fostering sustainable economic growth. The Project will support private sector participation in infrastructure development in the country and also support climate change mitigation measures in Bangladesh.

    The loan will be utilized by City Bank PLC, one of the largest and oldest private commercial banks in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh established in 1983, for on-lending to sub-borrowers for financing investments in infrastructure projects in clean energy and energy efficiency, digital infrastructure and e-mobility sectors.

    Background Information

    NDB was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 2024 Annual Procurement Report

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    As a multilateral institution, ADB is instrumental in financing procurement transactions and consulting services for investment projects in Asia and the Pacific.
    The 2024 Annual Procurement Report marks a leap forward in how the bank communicates procurement activities and features a wide range of impactful stories from our team.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Exploring Good Lock ③] 3 Features Recommended by Samsung Developers and Newsroom Editors

    Source: Samsung

    Parts one and two of this series explored Good Lock, Samsung Electronics’ user interface (UI) customization app developed for Galaxy devices — highlighting the platform’s evolution with the One UI 7 update, from the redesigned Home Up module to the top three most-used tools.
     
    In this final installment, Samsung Newsroom editors and the Good Lock development team spotlight standout features.
     
     
    Wonderland: Dynamic Customization for Lock and Home Screens
    Wonderland enables users to create animated wallpapers for the lock and home screens — bringing a vibrant, dynamic aesthetic to the first screens encountered when the device is turned on.
     
    Previously, the same wallpaper had to be applied to both the lock and home screens. However, in response to user feedback, each screen can now be customized independently for greater creative freedom.
     
    Users can layer various design elements — such as images, text, videos and particle effects1 — and apply motion effects including left-right, up-down and front-back movement to create 3D wallpapers that respond dynamically to device tilt and touch.
     

    ▲ Wonderland
     

    ▲ A wallpaper created using Wonderland
     
    Moreover, users can personalize the transition effects between the Always On Display (AOD) and the lock screen to add a stylish touch to their device’s first impression. Detailed controls over transition speed and depth allow for playful effects, such as stickers that appear and disappear over an image.
     
    As one of Good Lock’s defining features, Wonderland combines creativity with the satisfaction of a visually immersive experience.
     

    ▲ Customized transitions between the AOD and the lock screen
     
     
    Edge Lighting+: Customized Notifications That Catch the Eye
    Edge lighting+ transforms everyday notifications into eye-catching visuals — adding a personalized touch to every alert that appears on the screen.
     
    Through the Set Custom Style menu, users can fully customize the image, color and animation that accompany incoming notifications. Beyond default images, stickers created on Galaxy devices can be applied to give each notification a unique and personal touch.
     

    ▲ Edge lighting+
     
    The Style by keyword menu allows users to assign specific effects to notifications containing certain keywords — ensuring that important messages stand out. For example, terms like “boss,” “report” or “meeting” can trigger distinct visuals for relevant notifications.
     
    
    ▲ Style by keyword
     
    Additional customization options include changing the notification image to appear as an app icon or activating effects only when the screen is off.
     
    Despite its wide range of features, Edge lighting+ makes it easy for users to create stylish, personalized notifications with minimal effort.
     
     
    Nice Shot: Effortless Screenshot Management
    Nice Shot streamlines screenshot management — making it easy to capture, delete and organize images the moment they appear on screen.
     
    A delete button appears immediately after taking a screenshot, allowing users to remove images they don’t need without opening the Gallery app.
     
    ▲ Deleting an unwanted screenshot using Nice Shot
     
    Furthermore, users can configure their device to automatically enable Do Not Disturb mode during screen recordings to prevent interruptions from notifications or messages.
     
    As one of Good Lock’s most practical enhancements, Nice Shot adds everyday convenience to Galaxy devices.
     
    The diverse Good Lock features showcased throughout this series reflect the thoughtful collaboration between Galaxy users seeking a truly personalized experience and the Samsung developers dedicated to making that vision a reality.
     
    By delivering greater convenience and deeper customization, Good Lock continues to evolve in step with the needs of its users and the creativity of its developers — and this is just the beginning.
     

     

     
     
    1 Visual effects in Wonderland such as flying snowflakes, scattered raindrops, rising bubbles, twinkling stars and fluttering petals.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: A Bridge to Progress: AfDB Executive Directors Visit Transformative Project in The Gambia

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    Standing on the Senegambia Bridge – an emblem of regional integration and economic resilience – a team of Executive Directors from the African Development Bank Group witnessed firsthand how infrastructure investment is reshaping lives in West Africa.

    “This bridge is more than steel and concrete—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when countries come together to build shared prosperity,” said Nomfundo Ngwenya, spokesperson for the mission and one of seven Executive Directors on the high-level visit.

    Fully funded by the African Development Fund, with 24 km of access roads supported by the European Union, the Senegambia Bridge is a vital artery connecting The Gambia and Senegal. It has eased cross-border transport, boosted trade, and improved daily life for thousands.

    “The difference this makes to traders, transporters, and families on both sides of the border is profound,” said Executive Director Darkortey Rufus. “We saw it. We heard it.”

    The delegation also visited several other projects with transformative impact, including:

    • The Women’s Garden in Bassori, empowering female farmers through irrigation and training, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)
    • The OMVG 225/30 kV substation in Soma, part of a broader push for regional energy connectivity
    • A rural Energy Access Program site in Ker Ali, bringing electricity to previously off-grid villages.

    “This is what development looks like: local, practical, and community-owned,” said Chantal Nonault, another Executive Director on the mission. “We’re not just reviewing numbers—we’re seeing results.”

    Strengthening Partnerships, Shaping Future Support

    Held from 24 – 28 February, the mission was part of the Bank’s ongoing engagement with Regional Member Countries. The delegation, representing 34 of the Bank’s 81 member nations, met with President Adama Barrow and senior officials, including Finance Minister Seedy Keita.

    President Barrow expressed appreciation for the Bank’s sustained support and welcomed the Executive Directors’ first collective visit to The Gambia. He also emphasized the government’s reform agenda and home-grown solutions designed to complement external support. He referred to the mission as being not only a vote of confidence in The Gambia’s national development path but also a strong signal about partnerships that matter.

    The visit came at a critical moment as The Gambia advances its 2023–2027 National Development Plan, focusing on economic diversification, climate adaptation, digital transformation, and domestic resource mobilization. These priorities closely align with the African Development Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033).

    Since joining the Bank in 1974, The Gambia has built a robust partnership with the institution. The current portfolio includes 17 active projects valued at $227.47 million, with transport (45%), agriculture (20%), and energy (18%) as leading sectors.

    “The hospitality of the Gambian people and the commitment of its leadership were deeply inspiring,” the EDs said in a joint statement. “We leave with a clear sense of the progress made—and what more can be done.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: “The era of aid or free money is gone. Africa must overhaul its approach toward achieving fast-paced development.”

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    In the face of dwindling global funding, tariffs, and geopolitical tensions, African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina said on Friday that Africa must wean itself from aid dependency and urgently chart its future through self-reliance, strategic partnerships, and leveraging its vast natural resources.

    He spoke on Friday in Abuja at the 14th Convocation Ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), where he delivered a thought-provoking lecture. 

    The address “Advancing Africa’s Positioning within Global Development and Geopolitical Dynamics” outlined a bold vision for Africa’s future in a rapidly changing global landscape.

    “The recent dismantling of the official development aid agency in the US, and similar anti-aid measures in other parts of Europe, means that the old development models that Africa has always relied on will no longer work,” he told the audience.

    “The era of aid or free money is gone. African countries must now learn to develop via investment discipline. Countries can no longer rely on aid for growth or count it as part of government revenue, as has been the case for decades. Benevolence is not an asset class,” the Bank Group president said.

    At Nigeria’s largest open university, Adesina emphasized that Africa must overhaul its approach to achieving fast-paced growth and development. He said for the continent to spur growth it should rapidly ensure the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area: “Produce local, buy local, trade more locally,” he charged the continent.

    Adesina highlighted several critical challenges facing the continent, including declining development aid, restrictive immigration policies, undervalued natural capital, and global tariff wars. However, he positioned these challenges as opportunities for Africa to redefine its global standing.

    The African Development Bank is leading the development of a new framework to re-estimate Africa’s GDP based on the proper valuation of its vast natural capital. This will lower Africa’s debt to re-estimated GDP and expand its ability to borrow more resources to finance its development. The Bank believes properly valuing Africa’s green wealth will improve the risk profiles and credit ratings of countries across the continent.

    He said of recent global tariff tensions:   “47 out of 54 African countries have been placed under higher US tariffs. The immediate direct effects of the tariffs on African countries will be a significant reduction in exports and foreign exchange availability. This will send other shock waves through African economies.”

    He continued: “Local currencies will weaken on the back of reduced foreign exchange earnings. Inflation will increase as costs of imported goods rise and currencies devalue against the US dollar. The cost of servicing debt as a share of government revenue will rise, as expected revenues decline.”

    To build resilient economies, Adesina said:  “Africa must chart its future, relying not on the benevolence of others but on its own determination for self-reliance, building reliable alliances, leveraging opportunities in the global dynamics, while putting Africa first. Only then will Africa be great again!”

    AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina performs groundbreaking ceremony for the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning building at the National Open University of Nigeria Abuja

    Some key initiatives led by the African Development Bank under Adesina’s leadership include the establishment of the Africa Financing Stability Mechanism to help African countries refinance debt service payments;  the development of Security-Indexed Investment Bonds to rebuild areas devastated by conflict; the creation of the African Credit Risk Agency to fairly assess Africa’s investment risks; the implementation of the $25 billion African Adaptation Acceleration Program to support the continent’s resilience to climate change; and the development of a framework to revalue Africa’s GDP based on its natural capital wealth.

    The Bank Group president emphasized the importance of adding value and processing natural resources, explaining that this is the key to Africa’s future prosperity. He also cautioned that Africa must also carefully negotiate its engagement in the global geopolitical rush for critical minerals and rare earth elements.

    “Africa can be competitive in these global value chains. It must move away from exporting raw minerals and move into processing and value addition to benefit from the high returns at the top of global value chains,” Adesina said who was accompanied by his wife Grace Yemisi Adesina.

    He called for greater value addition to everything Africa produces, from oil to gas, minerals, metals, rare earths, and agricultural products.

    The African Development Bank is working with the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa to develop the African Green Minerals Strategy. The strategy will support countries in embracing strong corporate governance, transparency, environmental protection, and sound mineral stewardship, including social responsibility and protection of communities’ lands and rights.

    “Africa must end the exports of its raw materials,” Adesina warned.  “The export of raw materials is the door to poverty. The export of value-added products is the highway to wealth. And Africa is tired of being poor.”

    The lecture also addressed the importance of investments in youth education and entrepreneurship. With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.4 billion by 2050 and 75% under 35, Adesina stressed the need for quality education and skills development aligned with the digital economy.

    As he approaches the end of his second five-year term as president of the African Development Bank Group in September, Adesina reflected on his legacy of strengthening and transforming the institution. Under his leadership, the Bank’s general capital increased from $93 billion in 2014 to $318 billion today, while achieving recognition as the Most Transparent Financial Institution in the world for two consecutive years.

    Adesina will be awarded an honorary doctorate from NOUN on Saturday. He is dedicating the honor to his late father, Roland F. Adesina, whom he credits with instilling in him the value of education.

    The National Open University of Nigeria is considered Africa’s largest and the world’s second largest open learning university. Through distance learning and online education, NOUN offers over 2,000 courses to more than 600,000 students, providing accessible and quality education to all Nigerians.

    The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Olufemi Peters, told the gathering that Adesina was carefully chosen to deliver this year’s convocation lecture “to enable Nigerians to benefit from his outstanding global experience”.

    Adesina also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning building at the university. The institute is a flagship open and distance learning center in West Africa.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Nigeria’s Cross River State second to commence construction of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    Nigeria’s Cross River State became the second to mark construction of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone after the country’s Vice President Kashim Shettima and African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina broke ground at the project site on Thursday 10 April.

    The SAPZ aims to tackle food insecurity, enhance local production, and position Nigeria as a food export leader by leveraging Cross River’s ports and research assets to boost global trade, reduce food imports, and drive prosperity through the agro-industrialization of crops like cocoa and cassava.

    The groundbreaking in Cross River follows that of Kaduna which took place few days earlier. Six other states – Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory – are included in Phase 1 of the $538 million SAPZ program, with plans to expand to the remaining 28 states this year pending the African Development Bank’s Executive Board approval for Phase 2 funding.

    Shettima emphasized the project’s priority and need for national collaboration: “The SAPZ program has been recognized as a national priority for food security in Nigeria.” He noted, “There is no better time than now for the federal and state governments, development partners, the private sector, and our communities to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the SAPZ project.”

    Adesina celebrated the milestone, saying, “Today is a big day for Nigeria,” and added, “The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones is bringing good news to Nigeria, State Governments and Local Governments. Good news to farmers, agribusinesses, and all rural areas of Nigeria. Good news of jobs, wealth, and prosperity with agriculture as a business.

    “With the abundant arable land, cheap labor and vast agro-ecological areas, Nigeria should not be importing food,” said Adesina who was accompanied by his wife Grace Yemisi Adesina.

    The Bank Group president highlighted Cross River’s export potential: “Bakasi deep seaport will turn the state into a logistics hub in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, enabling trade with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.”

    The 130-hectare Agro-Industrial Hub in Adiabo will leverage the Calabar Sea Port, Bakassi Deep Sea Port, a 23 kVA power plant in Tinapa, and a 630 kVA Calabar Power Plant. Its Agricultural Transformation Centre, supported by the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and the University of Calabar, lies less than 45 minutes from Ikom, Etung, and Boki, boosting cocoa production for global markets.

    Governor Bassey Otu outlined the state’s vision, saying, “For us in Cross River State, the establishment of clusters of smallholder farmers focused on staple and cash crops such as rice, cassava, millet, cocoa, and oil palm is a vital step toward agro-industrialization.”

    “These initiatives are aimed at strengthening food security, diversifying our state’s economy toward export-oriented agriculture, and boosting our GDP,” added Governor Otu, saying the state should expect to see a big difference in two years. 

    Vice President Kashim Shettima, African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Governor Bassey Out, and other dignitaries unveil the plaque for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone in Adiabo, Cross River State, on April 10, 2025, harnessing the state’s ports to boost global trade in cocoa and cassava.

    The African Development Bank Group is investing $210 million, including $50 million from its Africa Growing Together Fund. The Islamic Development Bank is contributing $150 million, the International Fund for Agricultural Development is contributing $100 million, the Green Climate Fund is contributing $60 million, and the government is contributing $18 million.

    Speaking during the occasion, the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Country Director, Dede Ekoue, noted that the SAPZ will build on the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project which has empowered 26,000 youth and women agripreneurs in the Niger Delta, including 4,000 in Cross River, with plans to scale to 100,000 by 2028.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said, “The SAPZ program is a powerful catalyst for economic growth and import substitution. By investing in agro-processing development, we are investing in the future of our communities.”

    The African Development Bank Group has committed $934 million to SAPZs in 11 African countries. The 2024 Africa Investment Forum, held in Morocco, recorded $2.2 billion in investor interest for 28 Nigerian states, which make up the second phase of the project.

    Adesina explained that with the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, Nigeria will reduce food imports, conserve foreign exchange, expand local production and processing of food and agricultural commodities, strengthen the Naira, and attract significant private investment into the development of agricultural value chains.

    The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones will also revive and transform rural economies and create millions of jobs.

    Adesina was accompanied by the African Development Bank Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Dr Beth Dunford, the Director General for Nigeria Dr Abdul Kamara, Prof Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation, Director Richard Ofori-Mante, Director of the Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department, and Dr Yusuf Kabir, National Coordinator for SAPZ, Nigeria.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IT and security pros: Explore how to secure AI by attending new Learn Live Series

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: IT and security pros: Explore how to secure AI by attending new Learn Live Series

     Register to attend Learn Live: Security for AI with Microsoft Purview and Defender for Cloud starting April 15 

    In this month-long webinar series, IT pros and security practitioners can hone their security skillsets with a deeper understanding of AI-centric challenges, opportunities, and best practices using Microsoft Security solutions.  

    Each session will follow a hosted demo format and cover a Microsoft Learn module (topics listed below). You can ask the SMEs questions via the chat as they show you how to use Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Defender for Cloud to protect your organization in the age of AI. 

    Learn Live dates/topics include: 

    • April 15 at 12pm PST – Manage AI Data Security Challenges with Microsoft Purview: Microsoft Purview helps you strengthen data security in AI environments, providing tools to handle challenges from AI technology. Learn to safeguard your data and adapt to evolving security challenges in AI technology. This session will help you: 
      • Understand sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 Copilot 
      • Secure against generative AI data exposure with endpoint Data Loss Prevention 
      • Detect generative AI usage with Insider Risk Management 
      • Dynamically protect sensitive data with Adaptive Protection 
      • Audit Copilot interactions within Microsoft 365 using Microsoft Purview 
      • Investigate Copilot interactions using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery 
      • Manage Copilot data retention with Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management 
      • Monitor and mitigate risks in Copilot interactions using Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance 
    • April 29 at 12pm PST – Identify and Mitigate AI Data Security Risks: Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI helps organizations monitor AI activity, enforce security policies, and prevent unauthorized data exposure. Learn how to configure DSPM for AI, track AI interactions, run data assessments, and apply security controls to reduce risks associated with AI usage. You will learn how to: 
      • Explain the purpose and benefits of Microsoft Purview DSPM for AI 
      • Set up and configure DSPM for AI to monitor AI interactions 
      • Identify and analyze AI security risks using reports and insights 
      • Run and review AI data assessments to detect oversharing risks 
      • Apply security policies, such as DLP and sensitivity labels, to protect AI-referenced data 
      • Understand how Defender for Cloud can protect AI workloads 
      • Enable threat protection workloads for AI 
      • Gain application and end user context for AI alerts 

    Register today for these new sessions. We look forward to seeing you! 

    If you’re unable to attend a session, don’t worry—the recordings will be made available on-demand via YouTube. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Announcing the GPT-4.1 model series for Azure AI Foundry developers

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Announcing the GPT-4.1 model series for Azure AI Foundry developers

    We are excited to share the launch of the next generation of the GPT-4o model series with GPT-4.1, 4.1-mini, and 4.1-nano to Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service.

    We are excited to share the launch of the next iteration of the GPT model series with GPT-4.1, 4.1-mini, and 4.1-nano to Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. The GPT-4.1 models bring improved capabilities and significant advancements in coding, instruction following, and long-context processing that is critical for developers. We’re also excited to announce fine-tuning support for GPT-4.1 and 4.1-mini, allowing developers to further customize the models for their specific business needs.

    Build custom generative AI solutions with Azure OpenAI

    What is GPT-4.1? 

    GPT-4.1 is the latest iteration of the GPT-4o model, trained to excel at coding and instruction-following tasks. This model will improve the quality of agentic workflows and accelerate the productivity of developers across all scenarios.

    Key features of GPT-4.1

    GPT-4.1 brings several notable improvements: 

    • Enhanced coding and instruction following: The model is optimized for better handling of complex technical and coding problems. It generates cleaner, simpler front-end code, accurately identifies necessary changes in existing code, and consistently produces outputs that compile and run successfully. 
    • Long context model: GPT-4.1 supports one million token inputs, allowing it to process and understand extensive context in a single interaction. This capability is particularly beneficial for tasks requiring detailed and nuanced understanding as well as multi-step agents that increase context as they operate.
    • Improved instruction following: The model excels at following detailed instructions, especially agents containing multiple requests. It is more intuitive and collaborative, making it easier to work with for various applications. 

    Model capabilities

    In addition to the post-training improvements and long context support, GPT-4.1 retains the same API capabilities as the GPT-4o model family, including tool calling and structured outputs. 

    Model  Reasoning & Accuracy  Cost & Efficiency  Context Length 
    GPT-4.1  Highest  Higher Cost  1M 
    GPT-4.1-mini  Balanced  Balanced  1M 
    GPT-4.1-nano  Lower  Lowest Cost  1M 

    Coming soon: Fine-tune GPT-4.1 to your business needs

    Later this week, we’ll be enabling supervised fine-tuning for GPT-4.1 and 4.1-mini, empowering developers to adapt these models to their unique business requirements. Fine-tuning enables you to securely customize the base models on your own datasets, helping align responses with your organization’s specific tone, domain terminology, and task workflows. Fine-tuned models are managed and deployed through the Azure AI Foundry, giving you full control over versioning, security, and scalability. 

    Explore GPT-4.1 today 

    GPT-4.1 is now available on Azure OpenAI Service, bringing unparalleled advancements in AI capabilities. This release marks a significant leap forward, offering enhanced performance, efficiency, and versatility across a wide array of applications. Whether you’re looking to improve your customer service chatbot, develop cutting-edge data analysis tools, or explore new frontiers in machine learning, GPT-4.1 has something to offer. 

    We invite you to delve into the new features and discover how GPT-4.1 can revolutionize your workflows and applications. Explore, deploy, and build applications using these models today in Azure AI Foundry to access this powerful tool and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of AI. 

    Explore GPT-4.1 today. 

    Create with Azure AI Foundry

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: We’re bringing the latest GPT-4.1 models from OpenAI to Foundry, representing significant advancements in coding, instruction following, and long-context processing. Big upgrades for devs building with AI.

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: We’re bringing the latest GPT-4.1 models from OpenAI to Foundry, representing significant advancements in coding, instruction following, and long-context processing. Big upgrades for devs building with AI.

    On the 75th anniversary of the stored-program computer, I’m thrilled to announce our next leap forward: OpenAI GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini, and GPT-4.1-nano—now rolling out on Azure AI Foundry. These models represent something special—a generational advancement in coding, reasoning, and understanding context. With a remarkable 1 million token context window, advanced instruction-following capabilities, and code that truly works, GPT-4.1 is changing what’s possible. What makes this release particularly exciting is how it empowers developers. You can fine-tune these models directly in Foundry, customizing them to your specific needs, tone, and workflows. Whether you’re creating agent-based systems, support assistants, or enterprise copilots, GPT-4.1 offers performance and flexibility to bring your vision to life. This is starting to feel like a new foundation for the era of human and AI collaboration. And I can’t wait to see what we build together. https://lnkd.in/ganFFiNU #AzureAI #OpenAI #AIagents #ArtificialIntelligence #Microsoft

    MIL OSI Economics –