Category: Europe

MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Ministry: China pays great attention to developing relations with Canada

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang has sent a congratulatory telegram to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on his assumption of office, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Wednesday.

In the telegram, Li Qiang expressed his willingness to work with his Canadian counterpart to seize the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of China-Canada strategic partnership as favorable opportunities to push bilateral relations onto the right track of improvement and development based on equality and mutual respect, so as to better benefit the two countries and their peoples, Lin Jian said. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Among the winners of the second competition of student research papers on Moscow studies is a postgraduate student of the Higher School of Economics

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

Stepan Orlov, Elizaveta Novokreshchenova, Irina Martusevich

Photo: MGD

How reports Moscow City Duma (MCD) website, On May 13, the A.S. Pushkin Library and Reading Room hosted an awards ceremony for the participants of the Second Student Research Paper Competition. The competition was held as part of the V annual scientific and practical conference “History of Moscow: Methodology, Source Studies, Historiography, Popularization.” The initiator and main organizer was the Moscow City Duma. The winners included a postgraduate student Faculty of Humanities HSE University Elizaveta Novokreshchenova.

Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Duma, head of the working group on Moscow studies and development of the Parliamentary Library of the Moscow City Duma Stepan Orlov (United Russia faction) shared his impressions of the competition with the Moscow City Duma website. “The history of Moscow is very important for the formation of a true patriot, a citizen,” he emphasized. “Of course, we want our students, and even better, schoolchildren, to be interested in the history of their hometown. You can’t be a patriot and a citizen if you don’t know and don’t love the history of the place where you were born and where you live.”

This time, 12 higher education institutions of Moscow took part in the competition — these are the best capital universities; 51 works were submitted to the competition, Stepan Orlov told the Moscow City Duma website. “We had a very authoritative jury. And here in the old building, in the A.S. Pushkin Library and Reading Room, which was created before the revolution, we awarded the best of the best, the students who took prize places. But I believe that everyone is a winner,” he said. The students did not just write some papers, but prepared real scientific works, the Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Duma emphasized.

On May 15, the winners of the competition will be able to present their work at a scientific and practical conference at the Museum of Moscow together with academics, professors, teachers of leading Moscow universities and research fellows. The reports of the winners of the student work competition will also be included in the conference collection of scientific papers.

In an interview with the Moscow City Duma website, member of the expert council of the competition, candidate of historical sciences Elena Maksimenko, noted that the competition is not simply engaged in historical research and the preservation of historical traditions of universities. “We are engaged in the preservation of historical memory – the memory of those people who lived in Moscow, of those places that they created for us and that exist to this day, having a long history. They left us the beauty of Moscow, its history, and we support this memory and this tradition,” she said.

“I am very happy to take part in the award ceremony, which is taking place in the beautiful mansion of the A.S. Pushkin Library and Reading Room,” HSE Vice-Rector Irina Martusevich shared with the Moscow City Duma website. “I sincerely love Moscow architecture and I want to note that in addition to the fact that we walk with you every day along the most diverse streets of the capital, the city speaks to us in different languages – the languages of the names of its districts and streets. That is, we talk with architecture too. It is great that you are full participants in this dialogue and understand what is happening in our home city. Even if we become Muscovites for the time of our studies at university or graduate school, it is especially pleasant when the city becomes a part of us. We become friends for many years.

Therefore, I sincerely support this competition. I hope that we will expand and multiply this initiative. And of course, I congratulate the participants of the competition, who, in conditions of such high competition, were able to reach the final and become winners.”

The winner of the first place, postgraduate student of the Faculty of Humanities at the Higher School of Economics Elizaveta Novokreshchenova, participated in the competition for the first time. She presented a work entitled “The polisher of the Kremlin Palace Yegor Borisov – an attempt to reconstruct his biography.” An appeal to the documents of the Moscow Palace Fund of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts showed that it is possible to study the biography of this representative of the palace servants using the lists of palace servants, meeting logs, and inventories of destroyed files, Elizaveta noted in an interview with the Moscow City Duma website. “Thus, as part of the study, I was able to establish the names of his wife and children, the date of death, and trace his career path – from a freelance to a full-time polisher,” says the HSE postgraduate student. “The research conducted shows that the Moscow Palace Fund contains a sufficient number of documents to trace the life path of the lowest rank of palace servants, which, in turn, makes it possible to study their social portrait and further scientific generalizations. I am happy with the first place in the competition, but I think that I still have something to strive for with this scientific work. I cannot help but mention the venue of the award ceremony – a beautiful mansion. It was nice that they arranged a real celebration for us with a concert. This victory is very significant for me.”

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The authors of the best projects of the architectural competition “Museum of the History of SPbGASU and the Corner of Military Glory” have been named

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – From left to right: Anastasia Gancheva, Daria Antipina, Anastasia Perlina

SPbGASU summed up the results closed architectural competition “Museum of the History of SPbGASU and the Corner of Military Glory”. Let us recall that the competition was announced on February 4, and third-year students of the “Architectural Environment Design” program took part in it. Their projects were defended on April 15, and the authors of the best works were awarded on May 5.

Space for the “Book of Glory”

Director of the historical and information center of SPbGASU Elena Klimenko explained the relevance of the competition: the museum funds contain the “Book of Glory”, it was prepared for the 40th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The creation of this book was preceded by long-term work on searching and collecting information about students, teachers, and employees of the university who went to the front and did not return from the war.

“Our archive contains two thick folders with responses to letters that were sent to different parts of the country by university employees in search of relatives, fellow soldiers, friends who had at least some information about the deceased. The result of this painstaking work was the “Book of Glory”, which contains a brief biographical note about each soldier. It was planned to place it on the balustrade next to the memorial plaques to show it to guests, students and the university staff. We want to make it accessible and at the same time protect it as a museum exhibit, while thinking about the possibility of demonstrating the pages of the book,” said Elena Klimenko.

High level projects

Presenting diplomas and gifts, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy at SPbGASU Marina Malyutina emphasized that it was difficult to determine the best projects, since each one was completed at a high level and had its own unique idea.

“We want to bring the best project to life, so one of the main evaluation criteria was the possibility of implementation, and in a fairly short time. This requires the ability to design well not only a beautiful unique project, but also one that meets the requirements and wishes of the customer. Such experience is necessary in professional activities: understanding the customer’s goal, the ability to talk to him, to hear him determine the success of the architect. Therefore, next year we intend to actively develop student project activities taking into account implementation,” said Marina Malyutina.

Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU Ekaterina Voznyak confirmed the high level of the competition entries, emphasizing that until recently the Department of Architectural Environment Design had hardly designed interiors, but today professional design projects were presented here.

Head of the Department of Architectural Environment Design at SPbGASU Maria Granstrem agreed with the high assessment of the works.

“The competition task was quite difficult even for a practicing architect, since it was necessary to solve the problem of updating the interior in the context of the style of the historical university building, but with modern means, breathing new life into the memorial space. The guys approached the project creatively, the competition significantly raised their level of preparation, and we believe that third-year students now have a solid foundation for designing any interior solution,” noted Maria Granstrem.

Winners reveal secret of success

The winners were Daria Antipina, Anastasia Gancheva and Anastasia Perlina. “While searching for an idea for the project, we came up with the image of wheat: a symbol of life, war, siege bread… We began to convey this image throughout our project. Despite the fact that the Corner of Military Glory is located quite far from the museum, we chose a single style for these spaces. One of the most important points is modularity: everything is tied to cubes, they can be moved, assembled into structures. Modularity is reflected not only in the furniture, but also in the lighting. Therefore, both rooms can be used in different scenarios. We took into account the customer’s wishes and are glad that we succeeded,” shared Daria Antipina.

Anastasia Perlina added that the accent in the project is the signature brick-red color of SPbGASU, with the help of which the authors placed accents. In addition, a unified lighting system has been developed, which “descends” from the ceiling to the walls to illuminate the stands. All this creates a unified composition.

“In the process of work, we developed several ideas, analyzed them in detail and chose the best one. In addition, we studied the experience of professionals. For example, we visited a community center built in the fifties of the last century, where the floor is made of stone slabs, and between them – colored metal inserts. We decided to borrow this interesting experience and placed such inserts in red color,” explained Anastasia Perlina.

The authors of the winning project admit that the success of their working group is also due to the fact that they are friends and it was easy for them to find a common language. And working together on the project was a useful experience.

Second place went to Arina Avidzba and Ulyana Sivachenko. Third place went to Aslan Osmanov, Polina Tambova and Sergey Klechkovsky.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE helps Central Asian practitioners tackle youth crime at its roots

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: OSCE helps Central Asian practitioners tackle youth crime at its roots

Participants at a regional training course on multi-stakeholder co-operation in youth crime prevention for law enforcement and social services professionals, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 14 May 2025. (OSCE) Photo details

As part of efforts to help prevent young people from becoming criminals, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities held a regional training course on multi-stakeholder co-operation in youth crime prevention for law enforcement and social services professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 13 and 14 May.
The 28 participants were law enforcement and social services sector representatives who work with and for youth. They took part in interactive sessions, group work, and expert-led discussion to strengthen their knowledge and skills in identifying and prioritizing youth crime cases, and addressing root causes such as social vulnerability, exposure to criminal recruitment and lack of access to support services.
The course participants also explored how international models can be adapted to address local and regional challenges. They placed particular emphasis on the German “Kurve Kriegen” youth crime prevention initiative as an example of a good practice.
Looking at the future, participants discussed next steps and national follow-up activities, including potential pilot youth crime prevention practices inspired by international good practices. They concluded the event by committing to turning their ideas into concrete action and strengthening early prevention efforts across Central Asia.
The training course was part of the OSCE-wide multi-year extrabudgetary project “Enhancing youth crime and drug use prevention through education on legality and awareness campaigns addressing threats of organized crime and corruption”, funded by Germany with additional support from Andorra, Finland, Italy, Norway, Poland and Thailand.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: EU cuts red tape for farmers to boost competitiveness

Source: European Union 2

It is time consuming and costly for farmers to deal with the EU’s heavy administrative obligations on top of their actual work. The Commission has therefore proposed a set of changes to common agricultural policy rules that will relieve farmers from this regulatory burden and boost competitiveness.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: U.S. electricity prices continue steady increase

Source: US Energy Information Administration

In-depth analysis

May 14, 2025

Retail electricity prices have increased faster than the rate of inflation since 2022, and we expect them to continue increasing through 2026, based on forecasts in our Short-Term Energy Outlook. Parts of the country with relatively high electricity prices may experience greater price increases than those with relatively low electricity prices.

Overall, U.S. energy prices rapidly increased from 2020 to 2022 as economic activity recovered after the worst of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine interrupted energy supply chains. Since 2022, nominal prices for many fuels have declined, particularly for those such as gasoline and heating oil that are tied more closely to crude oil prices, which are affected by international markets. Electricity prices, though, have continued a steady increase.

Regions with already high electricity prices may see larger increases

Although we expect the nominal U.S. average electricity price to increase by 13% from 2022 to 2025, our forecasts for retail electricity price increases differ across the country. Residential electricity prices in the Pacific, Middle Atlantic, and New England census divisions—regions where consumers already pay much more per kilowatthour for electricity—could increase more than the national average. By comparison, residential electricity prices in areas with relatively low electricity prices may not increase as much.

Electricity prices include more than the cost of generating electricity

Retail electricity prices include the cost of generating, transmitting, and delivering electricity to ultimate customers, as well as taxes and other fees. In recent years, electric utilities have increased capital investment to replace or upgrade aging generation and delivery infrastructure, among other factors. Between 2013 and 2023, electricity prices closely tracked inflation, but we expect increases in electricity prices to outpace inflation through 2026.

Utility spending on electricity distribution has surpassed spending on electricity transmission and production, according to our analysis of utilities’ financial reports to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The generation-related portions of retail electricity typically lag changes in wholesale spot prices of electricity generation fuels such as natural gas and coal depending on the customer contract agreements.

Electricity expenditures are second only to gasoline

U.S. consumers spent an average of about $1,760 on electricity expenditures in 2023. Among fuel-related expenditures, electricity expenditures are surpassed only by gasoline, which averaged nearly $2,450 in 2023, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Annual fluctuations in electricity expenditures tend to be more moderate than gasoline prices, which tend to follow changes in global crude oil prices.

Principal contributor: Owen Comstock

MIL OSI USA News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council welcomes extra £2 million potholes cash as highways improvements ramp up

Source: City of Wolverhampton

The council had already committed to a £9.7 million highways capital programme, including a raft of road repairs across the city.

Now an extra £2 million has been secured from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) via West Midlands Combined Authority, meaning even more potholes can be filled and surface works carried out.

As part of council work that was already planned, crews will be in action around the city this spring and summer – including resurfacing Cannock Road at the end of July.

Other roads to be resurfaced in the coming weeks include: Merridale Road, Wellington Road, Millfields Road, Wood End Road, Lichfield Street, Hall Lane, Wrottesely Road, Ruskin Avenue, Whitgreave Avenue, Prestwood Road and Neachells Lane.

The full list of roads in line for repairs to date can be seen below. More roads will be added to the programme and people will be kept updated on progress.

With more than 460 miles of road and over 800 miles of footway to maintain, the City of Wolverhampton Council, like all other authorities in the country, must prioritise where to focus.

It does this through examining data from condition surveys and road inspections, determining where resurfacing or other surface treatments can make the most difference.

The programme follows a preventative approach aimed at reducing the need for thousands of pothole repairs the council carries out every year.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for Transport and Green City at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We know how important keeping our roads in a good condition is to people.

“That is why we are investing in more highways improvements and people will see even more work taking place across the city over the coming weeks and months.

“We welcome this additional funding, and we will make sure it’s put to use tackling more potholes on our city’s roads.

“We take responsibility of maintaining our highways network very seriously and understand how an efficient, safe and smooth flowing highway network for all modes of transport is important for economic productivity and social connection.”

As well as road resurfacing and pothole repairs the council’s highways capital programme for 2025/26 also includes resurfacing footpaths, car park and streetlighting upgrades, road safety schemes and more.

This budget includes an additional £500,000 investment from the council as part of its commitment to addressing the issue of potholes.

People can report potholes in Wolverhampton by visiting Report a pothole
https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/roads/report-pothole here Report a pothole | City Of Wolverhampton Council

From graffiti, fly posting and flytipping to potholes and faulty streetlights, people can also report issues, details and locations quickly and easily via Love Clean Streets App
https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/contact-us/love-clean-streets-app Love Clean Streets App | City Of Wolverhampton Council Photographs can also be submitted.

Planned road resurfacing
Cannock Road from Stafford Steet to Springfield Road
Merridale Road from Chapel Ash to Oaks Crescent Park/Graiseley
Lichfield Street from Bow Street to Mount Pleasant
A41 Wellington Road from Prouds Lane to Mount Pleasant
Neachells Lane, including Planetary Road to Wednesfield Way, Wednesfield Way to Alfred Squire Road and Alfred Squire Road to High Street
Wrottesley Road from Wergs Road to Chilgrove Gardens
Wood End Road – Roundabout to Amos Lane
A4039 Millfields Road
Whitgreave Avenue to the roundabout at Leacroft Avenue
Ruskin Avenue – Entire length
Hall Lane from Hurst Road to Robert Wynd
Prestwood Road from Bushbury Road to Thorneycroft Lane
Planned surface treatment
Fairview Road
Blackhalve Lane from Cannock Road to City boundary
A449 Penn Road from southbound roundabout Penn Road to the end of the dual carriageway near Lonsdale Road
Birches Barn Road from Bradmore Road to roundabout Stubbs Road
Rookery Street from roundabout at Well Lane to Rookery Bridge
Springhill Lane from Warstones Road to city boundary (Wynne Crescent)
Bhylls Lane from Langley Road to Castlecroft Road
B4484 – Pear Tree Lane from roundabout Blackhalve Lane to Cannock Road
Birchfield Avenue and Nethy Drive
Cockshutts Lane
Downing Close
Bilston Road from Moseley Road to Keyway
Elston Hall Lane from Short Road to Three Tuns Lane
Millfields Road from Manor Road to Tarmac Road
Wellington Road from no.121 to Stowheath Lane East Park
Moseley Road from Willenhall Road to Waite Road
A41 Bilston Road from eastbound roundabout Ring Road to Commercial Road
A459 Dudley Road from Goldthorn Hill to Bromley Street
A4123 Birmingham Road from Cockshutts Lane to Grove Street
Darlaston Lane from city boundary to Bilston Road
Warstones Road from Coalway Road to the roundabout at Stourbridge Road
Earl Croft Road and Enville Road and back of footway Warstones Drive
Codsall Road from city boundary to roundabout at Pendeford Avenue
Kirby Close to King Street
B4161 – Henwood Road and Tettenhall Road
B4163 – Salop Street – Oxford Street – Bank Street
A41 – Wellington Road to Prouds Lane
Cumberland Road – Cumberland Road – Prouds Lane and back of footway Central Avenue

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s loan volume reaches 10.06 trillion yuan in first four months of 2025

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) — China’s new renminbi (yuan) loans totaled 10.06 trillion yuan (1.39 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of 2025, data from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) showed Wednesday.

The balance of M2 money supply, which covers cash in circulation and all deposits, rose 8 percent year-on-year to 325.17 trillion yuan by the end of April this year, according to the PBOC. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI: Olga Haygood Named S44 Energy CEO to Lead OaaS EV Charging

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MONTVALE, N.J., May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — S44, a technology leader specializing in transformative software solutions for the automotive and energy sectors, today announced Olga Haygood as CEO of S44 Energy. Haygood, who has been leading S44 Energy’s strategic initiatives and product innovation, brings more than two decades of leadership experience to the role. As CEO, she will continue to drive S44 Energy’s mission to break software barriers and scale charging infrastructure, advancing a more sustainable, accessible future.

Over the past five years, Haygood has played a critical role in S44’s evolution, helping transform the company into a global leader in EV and mobility software. As Chief Growth Marketing Officer, she spearheaded the development of CitrineOS, the open-source charge station management system (CSMS), now part of Linux Foundation Energy. Her leadership extended across marketing, sales, brand and business development, helping shape S44’s overall strategy and guiding its expansion into international markets.

In 2024, Haygood grew S44 Energy with professional services for EV charging software while developing a new product in stealth. As CEO, she will launch the company’s new Open-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform, revolutionizing how EV charging networks are deployed and operated. This new product will provide unparalleled flexibility, transparency and scalability for operators worldwide.

“The industry doesn’t need another software company. It needs a catalyst. A way to unlock EV infrastructure at scale,” said Haygood. “As the leader of S44 Energy, I look forward to helping CPOs deploy charging networks that are reliable, flexible and future-proof.

Before joining S44, Haygood held leadership roles at global agencies including J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman, where she worked with Fortune 500 clients such as Northrop Grumman, GE Digital and Walmart. Her background spans public policy, marketing, branding and culture transformation, with a consistent focus on building high-performing, mission-aligned teams.

To learn more about S44 Energy, visit the company website and follow it on LinkedIn for updates about its OaaS EV charging software.

About S44
S44 is a technology group comprising two specialized companies: S44 Energy and S44 Automotive. S44 Energy is a software company dedicated to advancing e-mobility through scalable, open EV charging solutions for charge point operators, fleets and infrastructure providers. With a commitment to open standards, innovation and sustainability, S44 Energy empowers the transition to electric mobility. S44 Automotive, a SaaS provider to automotive retailers and OEMs, offers solutions for personalization, predictive analytics, and product configurators — enhancing customer experiences and improving sales efficiency.

Headquartered in the U.S. and Germany, S44 Holdings leverages the strengths of its two companies to drive innovation and transformation across the mobility ecosystem.

Media Contact
Liesse Jayalath
Look Left Marketing
s44@lookleftmarketing.com

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: First Busey Corporation Prices Depositary Share Offering

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LEAWOOD, Kan., May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Busey Corporation (“Busey”) (Nasdaq: BUSE), the holding company for Busey Bank and CrossFirst Bank, announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 8,000,000 depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of its 8.25% Fixed Rate Series B Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series B preferred stock”), with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25.00 per depositary share).

When, as, and if declared by the board of directors of Busey, dividends will be payable on the Series B preferred stock from the date of issuance at a rate of 8.25% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears, on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on September 1, 2025. Busey may redeem the Series B preferred stock at its option at a redemption price equal to $25.00 per depositary share, as described in the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering.

Net proceeds from the offering are expected to be used to redeem Busey’s 5.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030, and for general corporate purposes including to support balance sheet growth of Busey Bank.

Busey intends to apply to list the depositary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “BUSEP.”

Piper Sandler & Co., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. are serving as joint bookrunning managers for the offering, and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is acting as the co-manager.

The Company expects to close the offering, subject to customary conditions, on or about May 20, 2025.

The Company filed a “shelf” registration statement (File No. 333-274620) (including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”)) on September 21, 2023 and the related preliminary prospectus supplement on May 13, 2025 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, Busey, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement if you request it by emailing Piper Sandler & Co. at fsg-dcm@psc.com or calling Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-866-718-1649 or Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company at 1-800-966-1559.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Corporate Profile
As of March 31, 2025, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was a $19.46 billion financial holding company headquartered in Leawood, Kansas.

Busey Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, had total assets of $11.98 billion as of March 31, 2025. Busey Bank currently has 62 banking centers, with 21 in Central Illinois markets, 17 in suburban Chicago markets, 20 in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, three in Southwest Florida, and one in Indianapolis. More information about Busey Bank can be found at busey.com.

CrossFirst Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation headquartered in Leawood, Kansas, had total assets of $7.45 billion as of March 31, 2025. CrossFirst Bank currently has 16 banking centers located across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. More information about CrossFirst Bank can be found at crossfirstbank.com. It is anticipated that CrossFirst Bank will be merged with and into Busey Bank on June 20, 2025.

Through Busey’s Wealth Management division, the Company provides a full range of asset management, investment, brokerage, fiduciary, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and farm management services to individuals, businesses, and foundations. Assets under care totaled $13.68 billion as of March 31, 2025. More information about Busey’s Wealth Management services can be found at busey.com/wealth-management.

Busey Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, FirsTech, specializes in the evolving financial technology needs of small and medium-sized businesses, highly regulated enterprise industries, and financial institutions. FirsTech provides comprehensive and innovative payment technology solutions, including online, mobile, and voice-recognition bill payments; money and data movement; merchant services; direct debit services; lockbox remittance processing for payments made by mail; and walk-in payments at retail agents. Additionally, FirsTech simplifies client workflows through integrations enabling support with billing, reconciliation, bill reminders, and treasury services. More information about FirsTech can be found at firstechpayments.com.

For the fourth consecutive year, Busey was named among 2025’s America’s Best Banks by Forbes. Ranked 88th overall, Busey was one of seven banks headquartered in Illinois included on this year’s list. Busey was also named among the 2024 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments, the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois by Daily Herald Business Ledger, the 2025 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2024 Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine. We are honored to be consistently recognized globally, nationally and locally for our engaged culture of integrity and commitment to community development.

First Busey Corporation Contacts
For Financials:	For Media:
Scott Phillips, Interim CFO	Amy L. Randolph, EVP & COO
First Busey Corporation	First Busey Corporation
(239) 689-7167	(217) 365-4049
scott.phillips@busey.com	amy.randolph@busey.com

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to Busey’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations, and assumptions of Busey’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “position,” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Busey undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

A number of factors, many of which are beyond Busey’s ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (1) the strength of the local, state, national, and international economies and financial markets (including effects of inflationary pressures, the threat or implementation of tariffs, trade wars, and changes to immigration policy); (2) changes in, and the interpretation and prioritization of, local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and governmental policies (including those concerning Busey’s general business); (3) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks, widespread disease or pandemics, or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets (including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East); (4) unexpected results of acquisitions, including the acquisition of CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc., which may include the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions and the possibility that the transaction and integration costs may be greater than anticipated; (5) the imposition of tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the value of products produced by Busey’s commercial borrowers; (6) new or revised accounting policies and practices as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory banking agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; (7) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of Busey’s assets (including the impact of sustained elevated interest rates); (8) increased competition in the financial services sector (including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and fintech companies) and the inability to attract new customers; (9) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (10) the loss of key executives or associates, talent shortages, and employee turnover; (11) unexpected outcomes and costs of existing or new litigation, investigations, or other legal proceedings, inquiries, and regulatory actions involving Busey (including with respect to Busey’s Illinois franchise taxes); (12) fluctuations in the value of securities held in Busey’s securities portfolio, including as a result of changes in interest rates; (13) credit risk and risk from concentrations (by type of borrower, geographic area, collateral, and industry), within Busey’s loan portfolio and large loans to certain borrowers (including commercial real estate loans); (14) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (15) the level of non-performing assets on Busey’s balance sheets; (16) interruptions involving information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (17) breaches or failures of information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents; (18) the economic impact on Busey and its customers of climate change, natural disasters, and exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, and droughts; (19) the ability to successfully manage liquidity risk, which may increase dependence on non-core funding sources such as brokered deposits, and may negatively impact Busey’s cost of funds; (20) the ability to maintain an adequate level of allowance for credit losses on loans; (21) the effectiveness of Busey’s risk management framework; and (22) the ability of Busey to manage the risks associated with the foregoing. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: NB Private Equity Limited: Holding(s) in Company

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TR-1: Standard form for notification of major holdings

1. Issuer Details
ISIN
GG00B1ZBD492
Issuer Name
NB PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS LIMITED
UK or Non-UK Issuer
Non-UK
2. Reason for Notification
An acquisition or disposal of voting rights; An event changing the breakdown of voting rights
3. Details of person subject to the notification obligation
Name
Quilter Plc
City of registered office (if applicable)
London
Country of registered office (if applicable)
United Kingdom
4. Details of the shareholder
Full name of shareholder(s) if different from the person(s) subject to the notification obligation, above

City of registered office (if applicable)

Country of registered office (if applicable)

5. Date on which the threshold was crossed or reached
08-May-2025
6. Date on which Issuer notified
14-May-2025
7. Total positions of person(s) subject to the notification obligation

.	% of voting rights attached to shares (total of 8.A)	% of voting rights through financial instruments (total of 8.B 1 + 8.B 2)	Total of both in % (8.A + 8.B)	Total number of voting rights held in issuer
Resulting situation on the date on which threshold was crossed or reached	9.997996	0.000000	9.997996	4558054
Position of previous notification (if applicable)	10.002160	0.000000	10.002160

8. Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reached
8A. Voting rights attached to shares

Class/Type of shares ISIN code(if possible)	Number of direct voting rights (DTR5.1)	Number of indirect voting rights (DTR5.2.1)	% of direct voting rights (DTR5.1)	% of indirect voting rights (DTR5.2.1)
GG00B1ZBD492		4558054		9.997996
Sub Total 8.A	4558054		9.997996%

8B1. Financial Instruments according to (DTR5.3.1R.(1) (a))

Type of financial instrument	Expiration date	Exercise/conversion period	Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/converted	% of voting rights

Sub Total 8.B1

8B2. Financial Instruments with similar economic effect according to (DTR5.3.1R.(1) (b))

Type of financial instrument	Expiration date	Exercise/conversion period	Physical or cash settlement	Number of voting rights	% of voting rights

Sub Total 8.B2

9. Information in relation to the person subject to the notification obligation
2. Full chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entities (please add additional rows as necessary)

Ultimate controlling person	Name of controlled undertaking	% of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold	% of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold	Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold
Quilter Plc	Quilter Investors Limited	0.321743		0.321743%
Quilter Plc	Quilter Cheviot Europe Limited	0.331779		0.331779%
Quilter Plc	Quilter Cheviot Limited	8.182416		8.182416%
Quilter Plc	Quilter Cheviot International Limited	1.162057		1.162057%

10. In case of proxy voting
Name of the proxy holder

The number and % of voting rights held

The date until which the voting rights will be held

11. Additional Information

12. Date of Completion
14-May-2025
13. Place Of Completion
London, UK

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: Fiera Capital Corporation announces $60 million bought deal offering of 7.75% Senior Subordinated Unsecured Debentures

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MONTREAL, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fiera Capital Corporation (“Fiera Capital” or the “Company”) (TSX: FSZ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Scotiabank, CIBC Capital Markets, Desjardins Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets, as joint bookrunners, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters which also included National Bank Financial Inc., BMO Capital Markets, TD Securities Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., iA Private Wealth Inc. and Raymond James Ltd. (collectively, the “Underwriters”), whereby the Underwriters have agreed to purchase $60 million aggregate principal amount of senior subordinated unsecured debentures due June 30, 2030 (the “Debentures”) at a price of $1,000 per Debenture (the “Offering”). Fiera Capital has also granted the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional $9 million aggregate principal amount of Debentures, on the same terms and conditions, exercisable in whole or in part, for a period of 30 days following closing of the Offering. The Offering is expected to close on or about June 3, 2025.

The Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 7.75% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30 and December 31 of each year, with the first interest payment on December 31, 2025. The December 31, 2025 interest payment will represent accrued interest from the closing of the Offering, to but excluding December 31, 2025. The Debentures will mature on June 30, 2030 (the “Maturity Date”).

The Debentures will not be redeemable prior to June 30, 2028 (the “First Call Date”), except upon the occurrence of a change of control of the Company in accordance with the terms of the indenture (the “Indenture”) governing the Debentures. On and after the First Call Date and prior to June 30, 2029, the Debentures will be redeemable in whole or in part from time to time at the Company’s option at a redemption price equal to 103.875% of the principal amount of the Debentures redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, up to but excluding the date set for redemption. On and after June 30, 2029 and prior to the Maturity Date, the Debentures will be redeemable, in whole or in part, from time to time at the Company’s option at par plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, up to but excluding the date set for redemption. The Company shall provide not more than 60 nor less than 30 days’ prior notice of redemption of the Debentures.

The Company will have the option to satisfy its obligation to repay the principal amount of the Debentures due at redemption or maturity by issuing and delivering that number of freely tradeable Class A subordinate voting shares (the “Class A Shares”) in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

The Debentures will not be convertible into Class A Shares at the option of the holders at any time.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the redemption of the Company’s 8.25% Senior Subordinated Unsecured Debentures due December 31, 2026 (the “2026 Debentures”) that the Company intends to effect on the first call-date, December 31, 2025, and for general corporate purposes. Pending such use, the net proceeds from the Offering will temporarily be used by the Company to reduce indebtedness under the Company’s unsecured revolving credit facility. The foregoing is not a redemption notice with respect to the 2026 Debentures. Any redemption of the 2026 Debentures will be made pursuant to a notice of redemption under the indenture governing those securities.

The Debentures will be direct, senior subordinated unsecured obligations of the Company which will rank pari passu with one another and will rank (a) effectively subordinate to any existing and future secured indebtedness of the Company but only (other than with respect to the Senior Credit Facilities (as defined in the Indenture)) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness, (b) subordinate to the obligations under the current and future Senior Credit Facilities (as defined in the Indenture), (c) pari passu with the Company’s existing 2026 Debentures and 6.00% Senior Subordinated Unsecured Debentures due June 30, 2027 and, except as prescribed by law, all existing and future unsecured indebtedness (other than the Senior Credit Facilities) that by its terms is not subordinated in right of payment to the Debentures, including indebtedness to trade creditors, and (d) senior to all existing and future unsecured indebtedness that by its terms is subordinated in right of payment to the Debentures, including any convertible unsecured subordinated debentures which may be issued by the Company in the future. In addition, the Debentures will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of the Company’s subsidiaries.

A preliminary short form prospectus will be filed with securities regulatory authorities in all provinces of Canada. The Offering is subject to customary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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

Legal advisors

Legal advice is being provided to Fiera Capital by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Legal advice is being provided to the Underwriters by Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain certain forward-looking statements relating to future events or, future performance reflecting management’s expectations or beliefs regarding future events, including, without limitation, business and economic conditions, outlook and trends, Fiera Capital’s growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, objectives, plans and strategic priorities, new initiatives, such as those related to sustainability and other statements that do not refer to historical facts. In particular, this press release includes forward-looking statements relating to the proposed timing of completion of the Offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds of the Offering. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. These forward-looking statements may typically be identified by words and expressions such as “assumption, “continue”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “goal”, “guidance”, “likely”, “plan”, “objective”, “outlook”, “potential”, “foresee”, “project”, “strategy”, “target”, and other similar words or expressions or future or conditional verbs (including in their negative form), such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “expect”, “foresee”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “seek”, “should”, “strive” and “would”.

Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions, which make it possible for actual results or events to differ materially from management’s expectations and that predictions, forecasts, projections, expectations, conclusions or statements will not prove to be accurate. As a result, Fiera Capital does not guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the failure or delay in satisfying any of the conditions to the completion of the Offering. Additional factors include, but are not limited to, market and general economic conditions, the nature of the financial services industry, and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Fiera Capital’s interim condensed and annual consolidated financial statements, and its latest Annual Report and Annual Information Form filed on www.sedarplus.ca. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document, and Fiera Capital assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

About Fiera Capital Corporation

Fiera Capital is a leading independent asset management firm with a growing global presence. The Company delivers customized and multi-asset solutions across public and private market asset classes to institutional, financial intermediary and private wealth clients across North America, Europe and key markets in Asia and the Middle East. Fiera Capital’s depth of expertise, diversified investment platform and commitment to delivering outstanding service are core to our mission of being at the forefront of investment management science to create sustainable wealth for clients. Fiera Capital trades under the ticker FSZ on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Headquartered in Montreal, Fiera Capital, with its affiliates in various jurisdictions, has offices in over a dozen cities around the world, including New York (U.S.), London (UK), Hong Kong (SAR) and Abu Dhabi (ADGM).

Each affiliated entity (each an “Affiliate”) of Fiera Capital only provides investment advisory or investment management services or offers investment funds in the jurisdictions where the Affiliate is authorized to provide services pursuant to the relevant registrations, an exemption from such registrations and/or the relevant product is registered or exempt from registration.

Fiera Capital does not provide investment advice to U.S. clients or offer investment advisory services in the U.S. In the U.S., asset management services are provided by Fiera Capital’s Affiliates who are investment advisers that are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or exempt from registration. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For details on the particular registration of, or exemptions therefrom relied upon by, any Fiera Capital entity, please consult https://www.fieracapital.com/en/registrations-and-exemptions

Additional information about Fiera Capital, including its Annual Information Form, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca

SOURCE Fiera Capital Corporation

The information contained in press releases and company news is valid as of the date indicated. You should not assume that statements remain accurate or valid after the date.

For more information: Analysts and investors, Marie-France Guay, Senior Vice President, Treasury and Investor Relations, Fiera Capital Corporation, 514 294-5878, mguay@fieracapital.com

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The US and China have reached a temporary truce in the trade wars, but more turbulence lies ahead

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Jean Monnet Chair of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide

Defying expectations, the United States and China have announced an important agreement to de-escalate bilateral trade tensions after talks in Geneva, Switzerland.

The good, the bad and the ugly

The good news is their recent tariff increases will be slashed. The US has cut tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while China has reduced levies on US imports from 125% to 10%. This greatly eases major bilateral trade tensions, and explains why financial markets rallied.

The bad news is twofold. First, the remaining tariffs are still high by modern standards. The US average trade-weighted tariff rate was 2.2% on January 1 2025, while it is now estimated to be up to 17.8%. This makes it the highest tariff wall since the 1930s.

Overall, it is very likely a new baseline has been set. Bilateral tariff-free trade belongs to a bygone era.

Second, these tariff reductions will be in place for 90 days, while negotiations continue. Talks will likely include a long list of difficult-to-resolve issues. China’s currency management policy and industrial subsidies system dominated by state-owned enterprises will be on the table. So will the many non-tariff barriers Beijing can turn on and off like a tap.

China is offering to purchase unspecified quantities of US goods – in a repeat of a US-China “Phase 1 deal” from Trump’s first presidency that was not implemented. On his first day in office in January, amid a blizzard of executive orders, Trump ordered a review of that deal’s implementation. The review found China didn’t follow through on the agriculture, finance and intellectual property protection commitments it had made.

Unless the US has now decided to capitulate to Beijing’s retaliatory actions, it is difficult to see the US being duped again.

Failure to agree on these points would reveal the ugly truth that both countries continue to impose bilateral export controls on goods deemed sensitive, such as semiconductors (from the US to China) and processed critical minerals (from China to the US).

Moreover, in its so-called “reciprocal” negotiations with other countries, the US is pressing trading partners to cut certain sensitive China-sourced goods from their exports destined for US markets. China is deeply unhappy about these US demands and has threatened to retaliate against trading partners that adopt them.

A temporary truce

Overall, the announcement is best viewed as a truce that does not shift the underlying structural reality that the US and China are locked into a long-term cycle of escalating strategic competition.

Read more:
Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading

That cycle will have its ups (the latest announcement) and downs (the tariff wars that preceded it). For now, both sides have agreed to announce victory and focus on other matters.

For the US, this means ensuring there will be consumer goods on the shelves in time for Halloween and Christmas, albeit at inflated prices. For China, it means restoring some export market access to take pressure off its increasingly ailing economy.

As neither side can vanquish the other, the likely long-term result is a frozen conflict. This will be punctuated by attempts to achieve “escalation dominance”, as that will determine who emerges with better terms. Observers’ opinions on where the balance currently lies are divided.

Along the way, and to use a quote widely attributed to Winston Churchill, to “jaw-jaw is better than to war-war”. Fasten your seat belts, there is more turbulence to come.

Where does this leave the rest of us?

Significantly, the US has not (so far) changed its basic goals for all its bilateral trade deals.

Its overarching aim is to cut the goods trade deficit by reducing goods imports and eliminating non-tariff barriers it says are “unfairly” prohibiting US exports. The US also wants to remove barriers to digital trade and investments by tech giants and “derisk” certain imports that it deems sensitive for national security reasons.

The agreement between the US and UK last week clearly reflects these goals in operation. While the UK received some concessions, the remaining tariffs are higher, at 10% overall, than on April 2 and subject to US-imposed import quotas. Furthermore, the UK must open its market for certain goods while removing China-originating content from steel and pharmaceutical products destined for the US.

For Washington’s Pacific defence treaty allies, including Australia, nothing has changed. Potentially difficult negotiations with the Trump administration lie ahead, particularly if the US decides to use our security dependencies as leverage to wring concessions in trade. Japan has already disavowed linking security and trade, and their progress should be closely watched.

The US has previously paused high tariffs on manufacturing nations in South-East Asia, particularly those used by other nations as export platforms to avoid China tariffs. Vietnam, Cambodia and others will face sustained uncertainty and increasingly difficult balancing acts. The economic stakes are higher for them.

They, like the Japanese, are long-practised in the subtle arts of balancing the two giants. Still, juggling ties with both Washington and Beijing will become the act of an increasingly high-wire trapeze artist.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The US and China have reached a temporary truce in the trade wars, but more turbulence lies ahead – https://theconversation.com/the-us-and-china-have-reached-a-temporary-truce-in-the-trade-wars-but-more-turbulence-lies-ahead-256448

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Lady Gaga bomb plot: Thwarted plan lifts veil on the gamification of hate and gendered nature of online radicalization

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By David Nemer, Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies, University of Virginia

Lady Gaga performs at Copacabana Beach on May 3, 2025, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation

The more than 2 million people who attended Lady Gaga’s free concert on Copacabana Beach on May 3, 2025, had no idea of a plot that, if successful, would have turned the event into a tragedy fueled by hate. Just hours before a sea of admirers waved fans in sync with the singer during the event, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police thwarted a planned attack involving Molotov cocktails and improvised bombs – and targeting the American singer’s LGBTQ following.

Two people have since been arrested over the plot, which was organized by users of digital platforms such as Discord. The intent, authorities say, was radicalizing and recruiting teenagers to carry out the planned attack.

Those responsible hoped to entice these young people into actions that would gain online notoriety.

More than 2 million people are said to have attended the Lady Gaga concert in Rio.
Daniel Ramalho/AFP via Getty Images

Although authorities were able to prevent the attack, the incident stands as a stark warning about the growth of hate networks among youth − and how platforms fuel the radicalization of teenagers, especially boys and young men.

As experts in the anthropology of technology and information science, we see something deeply generational about this phenomenon. The recent Netflix series “Adolescence” broke viewership records by portraying an environment in which young people live in hyperconnected online spheres, absent of state oversight and parental supervision. In these spheres, bullying toxic masculinity permeates, and violence – often targeted at women and sexual minorities – is normalized.

The show was set in the U.K., but it holds up a mirror to the world. Data from polling company Gallup reveals a growing ideological divide between young men and women in Gen Z across the globe. Too often, that divide, in which young men and boys are turning against progressive values, is being expressed through actions associated with the “manosphere,” such as misogyny and incel behavior.

Platforms for hate

In the United States, women aged 18 to 30 are now 30 percentage points more liberal than their male counterparts, according to Gallup’s surveys. In Germany, where a right-wing coalition recently won national elections and the extreme-right AfD party is rising in popularity at an alarming rate, the gap is also 30 points. In Poland, although the far-right left power at the end of 2023 after eight years, nearly half of men ages 18 to 21 support far-right parties − compared with just one-sixth of women in the same age range.

This polarization is emerging just as online platforms such as Discord, TikTok and Reddit have become formative spaces of identity.

Instead of promoting diversity, however, many of these platforms have been used as machines for producing and spreading hate. The 2021 study Mapping Discord’s Darkside, published in the journal New Media & Society, shows that despite marketing efforts to distance itself from the far right, Discord hosts thousands of servers associated with neo-Nazi, misogynistic, racist, transphobic and conspiratorial discourse. Researchers identified 2,741 such servers − with more than 850,000 active members.

These networks end up functioning as recruitment hubs, where young people − especially boys − are lured in by edgy memes, promises of belonging and identity games based on excluding others. Discord’s structure, which prioritizes privacy and decentralization, has become fertile ground for the emergence of what scholar Adrienne Massanari calls “toxic technocultures.”

Services such as Disboard − an informal search engine for Discord servers − are used to recruit teens into communities that glorify Nazism, encourage hatred toward women and people from the LGBTQ+ community, and even offer “services” for coordinated attacks on other servers. And this appears to be the case in the thwarted attack on the Lady Gaga concert.

Presenting a challenge

A significant factor in the success of these radicalizing environments is gamification − the use of gamelike elements such as challenges, rewards and leaderboards in nongame contexts. When applied to social networks and extremist forums, gamification turns engagement into competition and hate speech into a playful challenge.

This practice makes the entrance into extremism more palatable for young, impressionable people by masking violence behind seemingly harmless mechanics. As noted in the European Commission’s 2021 report Gamification and Online Hate Speech, gamification has become a powerful tool for normalizing and spreading hate, particularly among young people seeking recognition and belonging.

This process, known as “bottom-up gamification,” occurs when users create the rules, symbolic rewards and challenges. For example, by turning hate speech into “challenges” that involve humiliating women or people from the LGBTQ+ community online, the dehumanization of targets is presented in playful, viral ways.

Turning hate into entertainment

The investigation into the foiled attack on Lady Gaga’s Copacabana concert revealed exactly this mechanism: The attack was treated as a “collective challenge,” with youths recruited to build Molotov cocktails and explosive backpacks in order to gain notoriety on social media.

The logic of gamification also creates a structure of “achievement” and “scoring” that fosters competition and reinforces radical ideology. As shown in the 2022 study by criminologists Suraj Lakhani and Susann Wiedlitzka, attacks such as the 2019 mosque attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 51 people were killed, were planned and executed with strong inspiration from gaming, including live broadcasts similar to “Let’s Play” sessions, in which people offer live commentary during walk-throughs of games, typically first-person shooting games, and viewer comments that treat the number of deaths as a “score.”

More than 50 people were killed in the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques in New Zealand on March 15, 2019.
Omer Kablan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

This aestheticization of violence serves as a bonding element among young men in digital spaces, especially those who already feel marginalized or frustrated and who find in these games of hate a sense of belonging and affirmation. In this way, gamification transforms hate into entertainment, strengthening ties in toxic communities and making it harder to recognize the behavior as extremism.

Turning a generation off hate

Society is, we believe, facing a dual challenge: the need for moderation of platforms and for support for measures preventing men and boys from being drawn into toxic digital spaces.

The gender divide within Gen Z is no small matter, too. It reflects, in broad terms, a rift between a generation of young women who, empowered by #MeToo and other feminist movements, have embraced progressive causes, and a generation of men who, threatened by their perceived diminished power in this new environment, are being co-opted by far-right and misogynistic discourse in digital spaces.

This gap has real consequences in personal relationships, in schools and for democracy at large. But it also reveals something that we believe must be stated clearly: Platform regulation is not just a technical issue. The future of a generation cannot be built on algorithms that reward hate and radicalization.

This article is a translated and adapted version of a story that was originally published by The Conversation Brazil on May 8, 2025.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Lady Gaga bomb plot: Thwarted plan lifts veil on the gamification of hate and gendered nature of online radicalization – https://theconversation.com/lady-gaga-bomb-plot-thwarted-plan-lifts-veil-on-the-gamification-of-hate-and-gendered-nature-of-online-radicalization-256199

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Territorial concessions will be central to any Ukraine peace deal, and to Russia’s long-term plan

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

If the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet in Istanbul on May 15, territory – and who controls it – will be high on their agenda.

Putin offered to start direct talks between Russia and Ukraine at a press conference on May 11. Donald Trump pushed Zelensky to accept this offer in a social media post, saying that “Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.”

The Ukrainian president, still buoyed by a meeting with the British, French, German and Polish leaders that called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, agreed shortly afterwards.

Russia has said it wants to focus on the Istanbul communique of March 2022 and a subsequent draft agreement that was negotiated, but never adopted, by the two sides in April 2022.

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These 2022 negotiations focused on Ukraine becoming a permanently neutral state and on which nations would provide security guarantees for any deal. They also relegated discussions over Crimea to separate negotiations with a ten-to-15-year timeframe.

Russia uses the phrase “the current situation on the ground” as thinly disguised code for territorial questions that have become more contentious over the past three years. This relates to Russian gains on the battlefield and the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions in September 2022 (in addition to Crimea, which Russia also illegally annexed in 2014).

Russia’s position, as articulated recently by the country’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, is that “the international recognition of Crimea, Sevastopol, the DPR, the LPR, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia is … imperative”.

This is clearly a non-starter for Ukraine, as repeatedly stated by Zelensky. There could, however, be some flexibility on accepting that some parts of sovereign Ukrainian territory are under temporary Russian control. This has been suggested by both Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, and Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.

Institute for the Study of War.

Black Sea’s strategic value

The territories that Russia currently occupies, and claims, in Ukraine have varying strategic, economic and symbolic value for Moscow and Kyiv. The areas with the greatest strategic value include Crimea and the territories on the shores of the Azov Sea, which provide Russia with a land corridor to Crimea.

The international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, as apparently suggested under the terms of an agreement hashed out by Putin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, could expand the areas of the Black Sea that Russia can claim to legally control.

This could then be used by the Kremlin as a launchpad for renewed attacks on Ukraine and to threaten Nato’s eastern maritime flank in Romania and Bulgaria. Any permanent recognition of Russia’s control of these territories is, therefore, unacceptable to Ukraine and its European partners.

Read more:
Russia-China ties on full display on Victory Day – but all is not as well as Putin is making out

Donetsk and Luhansk are of lower strategic value, compared with Crimea and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. However, they do have economic value because of the substantial resources located there. These include some of the mineral and other resources that were the subject of a separate deal which the US and Ukraine concluded on April 30.

They also include Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia and a large labour force among their estimated population of between 4.5 million to 5.5 million people who will be critical to Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Beyond the strategic and economic value of the illegally occupied territories, the symbolism that both sides attach to their control is the most significant obstacle to any deal, given how irreconcilable Moscow’s and Kyiv’s positions are. For both sides, control of these territories, or loss thereof, is what defines victory or defeat in the war.

Putin may be able to claim that some territorial gains in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 are a victory for Russia. But even for him any compromise that would see Russia give up territory that it has conquered – often at exceptionally high cost – would be a risky gamble for the stability of his regime.

Anything less than the complete restoration of the country’s territorial integrity in its 1991 borders would imply recognition of defeat in the war for Ukraine. This would critically threaten the stability of the Zelensky government, whose political programme rests on exactly the premise of a return to the 1991 borders.

Long-term consequences

As a result, the Ukrainian leadership has become hostage to its own information strategy, which has placed the “return of all territories” at the top of the criteria for victory. This is a goal widely shared among Ukrainians, according to a poll conducted by the Razumkov Center in March 2025. But it will be hard to achieve.

Read more:
US-Ukraine minerals deal looks better for Kyiv than expected – but Trump is an unpredictable partner

Apart from the potential domestic fall-out from any territorial compromises that Ukraine may be forced to make, there is another reason why the territorial question has become so intractable.

Beyond any strategic, economic and symbolic value that the occupied Ukrainian territories hold from the Kremlin’s perspective, control over territory has always been an instrument for Russia to pursue its broader geopolitical agenda of exercising influence over its neighbours – from Moldova, to Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine.

It is also important to remember that Russia’s territorial claims in Ukraine have gradually expanded since 2014. Until September 2022, when it annexed the other four regions, Russia laid claim to Crimea only.

There is no guarantee that any territorial concession from Kyiv now would put a permanent end to Moscow’s territorial expansionism. It is therefore worrying that Trump envoy Witkoff, in an interview with the Breitbart news website, reiterated the US view that the two sides need to find compromises on who controls which territories.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was not a war over territory as such, but was part of Moscow’s agenda to restore the sphere of influence that it lost at the end of the cold war. This agenda is far from finished.

The strategy of both Moscow and Washington to focus on territorial consequences may lead to a ceasefire. But it will not address the fundamental issue of how to deal with a vengeful and revisionist autocracy on Europe’s doorsteps.

Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

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

– ref. Territorial concessions will be central to any Ukraine peace deal, and to Russia’s long-term plan – https://theconversation.com/territorial-concessions-will-be-central-to-any-ukraine-peace-deal-and-to-russias-long-term-plan-256347

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Tariff-related disruptions to outweigh other oil and gas themes, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Tariff-related disruptions to outweigh other oil and gas themes, says GlobalData

Posted in Oil & Gas

US tariffs and energy security are expected to remain the focal points for oil and gas trade in 2025. Tariff-induced trade tensions might exert downward pressure on the US and global economy in the near term, potentially affecting the energy demand. It is therefore important for the industry to assess the impact of macroeconomic themes of tariffs, along with geopolitics, and supply chain while charting out its growth plans, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s thematic report, “Top 20 Oil & Gas Themes – 2025,” identifies the top 20 themes that will impact the oil and gas industry in 2025. Besides macro themes, the ones enabling the transition towards clean energy, such as renewables, low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and electric vehicles (EV) are expected to have a potential impact on oil and gas operations in 2025 and beyond.

Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The US government initially imposed hefty import tariffs on most countries in line with their respective trade deficits, which were later normalized at 10% for a period of 90 days. As a result, the global economic forecast is clouded by the frequent changes in the US tariffs and the prospect of retaliatory rate increases from affected trading partners, especially China.”

The industry has largely recovered from the geopolitical developments since 2022 that had vastly impacted global supply chains. While the global oil demand is anticipated to grow in 2025, fueled by consistent economic expansion in Asia, the stability of supply hinges on geopolitical risks and the production strategies of OPEC+ nations.

Puranik adds: “A resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, along with incremental increases in OPEC+ output post-April 2025, could ensure adequate market supply, even in the face of stringent US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.”

Traditional oil and gas themes, namely LNG, shale, and integrated refineries will continue to enable companies to remain competitive in the energy market. The report also features disruptive tech themes, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics.

Puranik concludes: “GlobalData research shows that companies who invest in the right themes become success stories; those who miss the big themes ultimately fail. Given that so many themes are disruptive, it is very easy to be blindsided by industry outsiders invading the sector. In this scenario it is important to understand the biggest themes in the industry and the how they could help companies thrive in the rapidly changing energy dynamics.”

MIL OSI Global Banks –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Top EMEA banks see revenue surge in 2024 despite rate cuts and turmoil, finds GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

The top 20 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) banks saw a healthy 14% increase in combined revenue from $1.4 trillion in 2023 to $1.6 trillion in 2024, despite a challenging macroeconomic landscape defined by geopolitical friction, rate normalization, and tariff uncertainties, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Murthy Grandhi, Company Profiles Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “European central banks implemented multiple rate cuts throughout 2024, reversing the aggressive hiking cycle of previous years. This easing supported lending growth, improved credit demand, and stimulated consumer and business activity. However, declining interest margins also pressured net interest income, forcing banks to rely more heavily on fee income and trading operations.”

Ranked by revenue, HSBC Holdings led the EMEA region with $157.8 billion, followed closely by BNP Paribas ($148.6 billion) and Banco Santander ($147.2 billion). These institutions capitalized on diversified international exposure and stable credit portfolios in a year marked by both opportunities and headwinds.

Notably, revenue growth across the board was largely positive, with all 20 banks reporting year-over-year (YoY) gains. Russia’s Sberbank Rossii and VTB Bank recorded the highest revenue growth rates at 54.0% and 48.4%, respectively. These gains likely reflect ruble depreciation effects, domestic market dominance, and a pivot toward internal financial resilience amid ongoing Western sanctions.

Southern European banks also delivered strong results. BBVA posted a 30.3% increase in revenue, driven by robust lending activity in Latin American markets and digital transformation initiatives. Spain’s Banco Santander reported a 6.8% revenue growth and a 13.6% rise in net income, showcasing stable margins and improving

Among French institutions, Societe Generale stood out with a 68.5% surge in net income, despite moderate revenue growth of 10.6%. The recovery in profitability is attributed to a successful cost-reduction program and a rebalancing of risk-weighted assets. Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas also performed well, underpinned by strong corporate banking and wealth management divisions.

In the UK, HSBC and Barclays continued to benefit from diversified global operations. HSBC saw a modest 1.9% increase in net income on a 6.7% revenue gain, reflecting stable interest income and expanding operations in Asia. Barclays’ 12.0% revenue growth and 23.3% net income jump reflect efficiency gains and rising fee-based income.

Conversely, UBS Group AG posted the sharpest decline in net income, down 81.4% despite a strong 22.3% rise in revenue. This anomaly is likely linked to the integration of Credit Suisse, involving one-time restructuring costs and asset impairments.

German and Dutch banks experienced moderate top-line growth but faced downward pressure on earnings. Deutsche Bank’s net income fell by 29.4% despite a 12.0% revenue increase, potentially due to elevated risk provisions and a cautious lending stance amid economic uncertainty.

Grandhi concludes: “Looking ahead, EMEA banks face a challenging 2025. The escalating tariff war between major economies, combined with continued geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, is expected to create volatility in capital markets and cross-border trade.

“Rising operational costs, currency fluctuations, and potential regulatory shifts may compress margins. However, banks with strong digital infrastructure, diversified geographical exposure, and robust capital buffers—such as HSBC, Santander, and BNP Paribas—are better positioned to absorb shocks.

“While revenue momentum is likely to continue in the short term, profitability may come under strain. Institutions will need to prioritize operational efficiency, credit risk management, and strategic realignment to navigate an increasingly fragmented global financial landscape.”

MIL OSI Global Banks –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Healthy eating barriers for Essex under-5s revealed

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

A child’s meal tray

The first-ever study to examine food and nutrition in preschools in Essex has uncovered significant challenges in providing healthy meals to under-5s.

Led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and commissioned by Essex County Council Public Health, the Nourishing Our Future (NOF) preschools report identified food costs and managing food preferences – including an increasing reluctance to try new foods – as the two biggest obstacles to healthy eating in the county.

Essex has extremes of health and wealth within its population of 1.5 million and the 2023-24 National Child Measurement Programme found that 21% of reception-age children (4-5 years old) in Essex are living with obesity or are overweight, underlining the need for targeted local interventions.

Of Essex’s 298 preschools, 67 took part in the Nourishing Our Future study, which set out to understand the current food environment and identify possible improvements.

The study involved workshops, an online survey, menu and photo analysis and parent interviews, and is published on the same day that report authors Dr Kay Aaronricks and the NOF team at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), along with Emily Fallon and Susie Threadgold of Essex County Council, are presenting findings to MPs at an event held by the Food Foundation at the House of Commons.

When it comes to barriers to providing nutritious meals, 59% of preschools in Essex consider the cost of food to be the greatest challenge, with children’s food preferences and allergies the second biggest factor.

The majority of preschools in the county (57%) only have basic food preparation facilities, such as a microwave, and over two thirds (69%) of children in Essex bring their own food to preschool in the form of parent-provided lunchboxes.

The study identified that these lunchboxes often contained high levels of processed food and had greater nutritional variability than meals provided by the preschools. It also found many lunchboxes of two to four-year-olds included pouches of baby food.

In contrast, meals provided by preschools more consistently adhered to nutritional guidelines, featuring higher protein content, more fruits and vegetables, and less processed food.

One preschool said: “We face a significant challenge with promoting healthy eating to families. Our children’s lunchboxes consist of a lot of processed, unhealthy foods that are high in sugar and additives.”

Another said: “Children are sometimes not used to being encouraged to try anything new! This is evident in some lunch boxes, where the contents never vary.”

One preschool adopts “family mealtimes” to encourage children to try different food. They said: “A lot of children have never eaten the type of food we serve such as soup or pulses and only consume fruit from pouches… It is an increasing challenge to encourage children to try new foods but our family mealtimes where they can watch other children and staff eating and drinking really helps.”

An analysis of 414 photographs of meals (87% home-packed food and 13% provided by the preschool) studied nutritional content. While starchy carbohydrates were well-aligned with portion size guidelines and fruit and vegetables slightly exceeded the target, dairy provision was slightly below and protein was significantly below guidelines.

When it comes to promoting healthier lunchboxes, 75% of communication with parents is carried out at drop off or pick up times Preschools also said they would appreciate support on how to better advise and engage parents in healthier food choices.

The rising cost of food was the single greatest challenge to healthy eating identified by the study. As a recent report by the Food Foundation set out, healthier foods are more than twice as expensive per calorie than less healthy foods. For preschools that provide lunches, delivering high-quality, nutritious meals is becoming increasingly difficult.

Preschools, along with childminders and day nurseries, are not permitted to charge a compulsory fee for food, meaning the cost is borne by the early years settings themselves or through a voluntary contribution from parents.

Practitioners consistently highlighted the financial strain, with one preschool noting, “Fresh food is increasing in price all the time; food purchasing in general has risen significantly over the last two years.”

Trying to provide food on a budget, while also catering to children’s individual food preferences and allergies, adds to the difficulty. One preschool said: “We really try to accommodate food allergies, but more and more children are showing [as] intolerant and [have an] allergy and it is really increasing our spending on food.”

Policy recommendations set out in the Nourishing Our Future report include a nationally funded early years food scheme to support both preschool and parent-provided meals, ensuring affordability and respecting parental choice, establishing public health support for parents on healthy eating, including nutrition advice, and developing targeted programmes to help children build positive relationships around food preferences.

“Our study involved preschools from across Essex, as well as parents, which is important as parents’ voices are often missing from healthy food policy development.

“The report shows that although there is a great deal of excellent work being done by preschools across Essex, there is a need for action to improve the nutritional landscape for young children, including improving children’s relationship with food.

“We would like to see appropriate national funding for preschools to allow them to provide healthy food for all children. However, simply replacing lunchboxes with setting-provided food for one meal a day won’t solve the wider issues for the child or their family, such as what will they eat at the weekend or during the holidays.

“We must support all families in being able to access affordable, healthy food alongside appropriate nutritional advice, because healthy food should be available to all. Of course, there are much wider societal issues around the prevalence of convenience, ultra processed food and the targeted marketing of foods that are high in fat salt and sugar, and tackling this also needs to be a priority.”

Dr Kay Aaronricks, Head of the School of Education at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

The full report is available here: https://nourishingourfuture.co.uk/2025/05/14/preschool-briefing/

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Extra funding to help take pride in the Capital

Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

Over the coming year, dedicated teams of cleansing staff from the Council are making their way around the Capital with the aim of sprucing up each neighbourhood and ward.

The funding being used is almost a million pounds of additional resource allocated in the February 2024 budget to be used this year as well as the same amount each year going forward.

The ‘Pride in our City’ project began in March when teams concentrated their efforts around the Leith Walk area (Ward 12) clearing 36 tonnes of dog fouling, litter, dumped items, graffiti, weeds and chewing gum.

The Council is using a dedicated website and email address www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cleanstreets and cleanstreets@edinburgh.gov.uk to keep residents up-to-date on when they will be in their area and asking residents to help them prioritise where they think the work most needs to be carried out. Community events are listed on the webpage and how to get involved.

Work is now moving to the Leith area (Ward 13) for the next few weeks where the team has its first community event tonight (Wednesday 14 May). This will help the cleansing teams prioritise which streets should be cleaned. They will also carry out inspections of each neighbourhood they work in and use complaint data to help prioritise the streets that most need to be spruced up.

Social media is also being used to keep residents up-to-date with progress and signage is being placed in areas where the cleansing teams are working to make local residents and businesses aware.

As the teams work in each area around the city, they will also report any other issues they spot, such as pot holes looked after by other Council teams, but which need addressed.

Cllr Stephen Jenkinson Environment Convener said:

I’m really pleased to see this project progressing with the additional funding we allocated last year as it is so important that we all take pride in our city. We’re playing our part as a Council and we’re asking residents in every neighbourhood and ward across Edinburgh to do the same. We are a stunning Capital city popular not only with our residents but also with visitors from across the globe so it’s very important that we all make an effort to do all we can to keep the city looking its best.

I’d encourage you to check out our dedicated webpage for updates on when we are coming to your neighbourhood/ward and let us know if there are particular issues in streets in your area such as dog fouling, fly tipping, weeds, graffiti or general littering. If you live, work or study in the Leith area and are aware of streets causing issues which need to be cleaned, I’d also encourage you to go along tonight and tell the team or email them using the dedicated email address.

Also for residents and visitors to Edinburgh please make sure you play your part helping us to keep our beautiful Capital city clean by binning your litter responsibly when out and about. For our residents please recycle where possible and book a special uplift appointment for bulker items if you are unable to book a slot at one of our Household and Waste Recycling Centres for appropriate disposal.

Further information

Videos being shared on social media of street cleansing and graffiti removal.

Community event – Wednesday 14 May 2025, 3pm to 6pm

Ward 13 Leith community workshop
Thomas Morton Hall, Leith Theatre
28-30 Ferry Road
Edinburgh, EH6 4AE

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leader response: Government announces major civil servant move away from Whitehall

Source: City of Manchester

Council Leader Bev Craig reacts to the announcement that thousands more civil servants will be moved to UK regions – including a major Digital and AI innovation campus in Manchester.

Bev said:

“The new Manchester Digital Campus will be transformational to our city. We have been working closely with this Government to bring forward this flagship digital campus to Ancoats that will bring 7,000 quality jobs to Manchester, building on the success of the growing Government digital and AI cluster already in the city and turbocharge our plans for economic growth in digital, AI and cyber sectors.

“This is great news from the Cabinet Office delivering on their ambition to connect Whitehall with local communities outside of London. Locating Government jobs in Manchester is a boost for our residents, and also helps national government deliver better services, tapping into our growing and talented workforce and helping get stuck in with real life issues that can improve services, lead to better Government and improve lives.

“Over the last decade Manchester has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and one of fastest growing tech and digital ecosystems in the UK. The new digital and AI campus will accelerate that and attract more businesses to the UK to help grow the economy. We are excited to work in partnership with National Government to deliver this transformational change.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to media reports that a ‘reset’ with the EU could require the precision breeding act to be dropped from UK legislation

Source: United Kingdom – Science Media Centre

May 14, 2025

Scientists comment on reports of an EU ‘reset’ which could mean the precision breeding act is dropped from UK legislation.

Dr Penny Hundleby, Senior Scientist at the John Innes Centre, said:

“As a scientist with over thirty years in genetic technologies, I’ve seen how innovation can transform agriculture. The UK now has a rare opportunity to lead globally in precision breeding — with the legislation passed and the science ready.

“To delay this progress in order to align with slower EU processes would undermine our ability to deliver resilient, sustainable crops at a time when food security and climate resilience are more urgent than ever. We risk forfeiting a clear post-Brexit advantage grounded in science, safety, and evidence.”

Prof Huw Jones, Chair in Translational Genomics for Plant Breeding, Aberystwyth University, said:

“Closer ties with the EU are a good thing but let’s not lose the logical regulatory progress we have made this side of the Channel. Simple gene editing is a speedier and more reliable breeding method to develop the crops we need in a changing world. It’s illogical to regulate these crops as GMOs and it is the EU that has been slow to follow the broad consensus on this. If there are no foreign genes, and the changes could have been generated by conventional breeding, they need regulation – but not as GMOs.”

Prof Neil Hall, Director of the Earlham Institute, said:

“Given the pressures on global food security, driven by climate change, the growing population and new diseases, it’s important that we harness all of the technical innovations at our disposal to ensure the sustainability of our agricultural systems.

“Over the past three years, including these last few months, Parliament has demonstrated important and legitimate leadership by passing the primary and secondary legislation to enable precision breeding in plants. It’s time to enable science research to help farmers adapt to our changing world.”

Prof Jonathan Jones FRS, Group Leader at The Sainsbury Laboratory, said:

“The Precision Breeding Act (PBA) provides an opportunity to protect our crops from pests and disease with biology rather than chemistry, and also enables new routes to more nutritious food, and I applaud this government and its predecessor for taking the legislation through to final approval and implementation. It is to my mind the sole Brexit dividend.

“However, it takes a long time between producing an improved plant in a lab and creating and obtaining approval for a variety that farmers can plant. I think it’s highly likely that by the time any precision bred varieties in the UK are ready to plant (likely at least 5 years from now) the EU will have approved its own version of the PBA.

“So, the government should stick to its guns on the PBA but quietly point out to the EU that, although there are no scientifically credible safety concerns with using these methods, the timelines in this industry are such that it will be a long time before any products are authorized in the UK and thus before any potential problems might arise.”

Prof Sarah Gurr, Chair in Food Security at Exeter University, said:

“It is sad to realise that whilst we embraced the need for GM vaccines during the recent COVID epidemic and we seem reticent to embrace gene edited crops. The need for climate proofed and disease resilient gene edited crops is paramount in our quest for sustainable agriculture.”

https://www.thetimes.com/article/08fe3606-e6ab-4a66-bb31-017165028f08

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14710677/Concessions-Starmer-Brexit-reset-EU-demands-UK-abandons-GM-crops.html

Declared interests

Jonathan Jones “is a senior investigator at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, and uses molecular and genetic approaches to study disease resistance in plants. Jones co-founded Norfolk Plant Sciences in 2007 with Prof Cathie Martin of JIC, with the goal of bringing flavonoid-enriched tomatoes to market (www.norfolkplantsciences.com). Jones is on the board of www.isaaa.org, the science advisory board of the 2Blades foundation (www.2blades.org) and the board of NIAB Cambridge University Farm. Jones has isolated and is deploying new resistance genes against potato late blight from wild relatives of potato, and conducting field trials to evaluate how well they work to protect the crop in the field and to generate improved varieties of potato (see http://www.tsl.ac.uk/news/blight-resistant-maris-piper/). See also http://www.tsl.ac.uk/groups/jones-group/.”

Penny Hundleby “is part of the Crop Transformation Group at the John Innes Centre and using genetic technologies to better understand the role of plant genes. The group provides gene editing resources to the UK and international research community and have been working with gene editing technologies in crops since 2014.”

Huw Jones: “I am speaking as a researcher at Aberystwyth University and not representing other organisations that I am affiliated with. I am a member of the FSA ACNFP and Defra ACRE. My declarations of interest are listed on the websites of those Depts.”

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: LISI (SPbGASU) graduate Evgeny Zhuk: “I started my career in my second year at a construction site”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Evgeny Zhuk

A graduate of LISI (now SPbGASU) Evgeny Zhuk recalls what the institute was like 60 years ago, how he passed exams and studied. At the same time, he emphasizes that he is one of many ordinary graduates of our university. In fact, Evgeny Pavlovich is quite modest. He was awarded the medal “Veteran of Labor”, the badge “Honorary Builder of Russia”, the badge “Builder of St. Petersburg” 2nd degree, the silver and gold medals of the Holy Supreme Apostle Peter, the badge “Construction Glory”, the Order “For Merit in Construction”, the badge “Labor Valor”, the honorary title “Honored Builder of the Russian Federation”, the title “Honored Builder of St. Petersburg”, the badge of the Holy Martyr Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov, for services to the St. Petersburg Metropolitanate. During his many years of work, he built objects “for three Leningrads”.

At 81, Evgeny Pavlovich works as the chief specialist of the construction control department of general education facilities of the Educational Facilities Construction Department of the St. Petersburg State Institution “Capital Construction and Reconstruction Fund”, subordinate to the St. Petersburg Construction Committee. We talk to him about how to succeed in the profession and remain in demand, despite the situation in the country and age.

– Evgeny Pavlovich, how can one choose a profession for life in one’s youth?

– I continued the family dynasty: my father and grandfather were builders, my mother also received an education in the construction industry, my uncle was an architect. Their example and advice became the determining factor in choosing a profession. I studied well at school, I had excellent math and physics teachers, so there were no problems with entering civil and industrial construction. At that time, applicants also had to successfully pass the swimming test, which is quite fair: a builder must be ready to navigate any situation, for example, during the construction of bridges over water obstacles.

The state system helped me stay in the profession. My first two years of study went like this: students who entered the daytime department right after school studied according to the evening education program, that is, on Mondays we studied during the day, worked on the construction site the rest of the weekdays, and on Wednesdays and Fridays we also went to classes in the evenings. Therefore, already in the second year, we were awarded the qualification of a first-category transport worker, then a concrete worker and a carpenter of the second and third categories. I completed my industrial practice as a backup foreman. Graduates were immediately employed, as they say now, with a good social package – with the provision of a room first in a dormitory, then in an apartment, and then – separate housing, the area of which depended on the family status and the number of children. In addition, there was a mentoring system and career advancement. Therefore, the profession was popular with young people.

– How did you start your career and what successes have you achieved?

– I worked at the Design Institute for the first two years after graduating, and then moved to Glavleningradstroy, a powerful organization with 70,000 employees, and its boss was at the ministerial level. It was interesting to work there because the workers were highly qualified, they were trained in vocational schools and construction colleges. Many of the foremen then became heads of departments, that is, the personnel were trained on the spot. But higher education was required for career growth. I always say that I was lucky to work with good mentors and managers. I always share my professional successes with them. They taught me a lot, and these skills came in handy at all stages of professional growth, starting from a foreman, a site manager, a senior foreman, a site manager to a chief engineer and a department manager.

What buildings have I participated in the construction of? 22-story buildings on Moskovsky Prospekt from the airport side, buildings at the entrance to Sestroretsk, buildings in Kupchino and Kolpino. Modern buildings include the Buff Theater, the Church of the Holy Apostle Peter in Stroiteley Park, the Triumph of the Russian Fleet monument near the cathedral in Kronstadt, the Boris Eifman Children’s Dance Theater, the first block of the oncology hospital in Pesochny, the swimming pool on Khlopina Street, and the building of the Botkin Clinical Hospital on Piskarevsky. Over the past few years, I have participated in the construction of a dozen schools in different areas of the city, for example, the 777th school for almost 2,000 students in the Primorsky District, the 147th in the Krasnogvardeisky District, the 219th school for 1,375 students in the Krasnoselsky District, and the Church of All Saints Who Shone in the Land of St. Petersburg at the Levashovskoye Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg.

– Before your eyes, the construction industry and the country have experienced dramatic changes: the Soviet system was replaced by difficult years after the collapse of the USSR, and the new history brings its own events. How did you manage to stay in the industry?

– In Soviet times, the personnel training system worked effectively. All trusts had dormitories for employees. All social issues were resolved in an elementary way: places in kindergartens, vouchers for health resorts, benefits. And suddenly the system that had been established over decades collapsed. Hard times came. In the nineties of the last century, I worked as the chief engineer of the construction department. There were orders, but there was also a time when, in order to feed the workers, we negotiated with collective farms about the supply of sugar and food. But the thought of leaving the profession never occurred to me. This is the work of my whole life, an activity that I know well and love. Times are changing, but construction will always be a popular, developing industry. Previously, concrete was transported in dump trucks, now – in mixers, modern technology, high-tech machines and materials have appeared. We rarely used the technology of monolithic housing construction, but now a lot is built in monolith. Knowledge of your profession, development in it helps to adapt to any situation.

– How can today’s graduates become successful specialists in the industry?

– I am sure that after receiving a diploma, you need to work on a construction site to gain experience, master specialties and learn to personally understand all construction processes. Dreaming of immediately becoming a boss is a mistake. It is much more correct to rise to a management position from the lowest rung of the career ladder. Then you will become a highly qualified manager, thoroughly understanding all work processes and able to effectively communicate with employees at all levels.

In addition, I was always wary when a job applicant assured that he could do everything. But if a person honestly admitted that he was a carpenter but did not know carpentry, it inspired respect. I understood that this person understood the meaning of his profession, because a carpenter is one profession, a joiner is a completely different one. Today, new in-demand professions are emerging, but the essence of success for specialists does not change: it is important to find a specific area of activity and develop in it, and not try to learn everything, but little by little. It is good that there are smart young guys who move from construction to office work: there is more trust in such managers, because they know the real state of affairs in the industry. And, of course, the main guarantee of success is to love your business, like your girlfriend or wife.

– You have maintained contact with our university for a long time and even provided sponsorship.

– In 2022, I donated about a hundred copies of educational literature on construction production, collected over the years of work in the industry, to the library of our university. At that time, the position of rector was occupied by Yuri Pavlovich Panibratov. He sent a letter of thanks to the construction corporation where I worked as chief engineer, emphasizing my participation in the events held at LISI. In response, I was thanked and awarded a certificate of the corporation. It is nice, but I donated the educational kits from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to help my native institute.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s press encounter following the Ministerial Meeting on the Future of Peacekeeping

Source: United Nations secretary general

Minister Wadepuhl, Minister Pistorius,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank the Government of Germany for hosting impeccably this important meeting in Berlin.

Germany is a pillar of the multilateral system…

A strong and generous supporter of the United Nations…

And an essential partner in our peacekeeping, peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance efforts — with almost 200 German peacekeepers now serving in our ranks.

I am especially pleased to be here so soon after the new Government took office, and I look forward to building on our partnership in the time ahead.

The commitment of the German government — and the German people themselves — is strongly reflected in this Ministerial meeting on the future of peacekeeping.

As I said in my remarks, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

And nothing symbolizes our organization’s commitment to peace more clearly than our Blue Helmets.

UN Peacekeeping operations are a cornerstone of the United Nations.

Each and every day, peacekeepers are hard at work in trouble spots around the world.

Protecting civilians caught in the line of fire.

Maintaining ceasefires.

Keeping lifesaving humanitarian aid flowing.

And building the foundations of peace in countries shattered by conflict.

Many have paid the ultimate price over the years — 4,400 in all.

Their memories, and their service in the cause of peace, will never be forgotten.

Which is why the commitments being made here today and tomorrow are so important.

I am heartened by the exceptional turn-out of Ministers from across the globe, representing the full range of peacekeeping partners.

Now more than ever we need the political support of UN Member States.

The goal is not just to keep a lid on conflicts — but to build political support for lasting solutions that can build peace.

Over these two days, we welcome Member States’ statements of support for peacekeeping — as well as their pledges of military and police capabilities, new partnerships and technological support.

This meeting is also about something more fundamental:

The future of peacekeeping itself.

Let me be clear.

Peacekeeping operations today are facing massive challenges, increasing the dangers that our brave peacekeepers already face.

A record number of conflicts.

Deepening division and mistrust.

Terrorism and transnational crime.

And the direct targeting of peacekeepers through drones, improvised explosive devices and even social media.

We need to ask some tough questions about the mandates guiding these operations, and what the outcomes and solutions should look like.

Every context is different.

From our operations in Lebanon, the Central African Republic and South Sudan…

To our partnerships with the African Union, made stronger with the Security Council’s resolution to support peace enforcement missions under the AU’s responsibility, supported by the UN, including through assessed contributions…

We are working to adapt, to tailor and to support our missions to the needs and requirements of each context.

Unfortunately, peacekeeping operations have been facing serious liquidity problems.

It is absolutely essential that all Member States respect their financial obligations, paying their contributions in full and on time.

At the same time, we’re moving forward on an ambitious Review of Peace Operations — including peacekeeping — but also the peace enforcing missions that are becoming more and more neccessary has called for by Member States in September’s Pact for the Future.

We’re examining how to make peace operations more efficient, cost-effective, flexible and resilient — including in contexts where there is no peace to keep.

Today’s Ministerial is an important part of this work as we share ideas, and explore ways to strengthen this important function for the future.

Peacekeepers — and the populations they protect — deserve nothing less.

In their names, I want to express my thanks and appreciation to Germany and all the countries in attendance, for helping us ensure that peacekeeping is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury appointed
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

New Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury appointed

Jim O’Neil has been appointed as a new Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury.
Jim brings a wealth of experience from investment banking and corporate finance to the Treasury, after a long career at Bank of America. He also has experience in the public sector, spending three years at UK Financial Investments. As Chief Executive of UKFI, he managed the government’s holdings in Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, and UK Asset Resolution.

His appointment is part of the government’s plan to deliver its number one mission to kickstart economic growth as part of the Plan for Change, and follows the Chancellor’s commitment to lead the most pro-growth Treasury in the country’s history.

Jim’s experience will help the government to secure private investment, boost the economy, and ultimately put more pounds in people’s pockets. His deep knowledge of the private sector will help the government to rip out the barriers to growth, provide support for the key industries at home, and work to secure open and fair trade abroad.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

I’m very pleased to welcome Jim as our new Second Permanent Secretary, his extensive knowledge of the private sector will be vital in helping us deliver our number one mission to grow the economy. It’s fantastic to have him join the Treasury’s top team.

Jim O’Neil said:

I am delighted to have been appointed Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury at this important time for our country and our economy. We are living through a time of great change globally, making the need for an economy of stability, resilience, and growth all the more important. I look forward to working with the Chancellor, her ministers, and officials across the department to deliver on these missions so the Treasury can bring positive change to the lives of people right across the country.

Jim is expected to start in his new position in July and will work alongside the two other Second Permanent Secretaries in HM Treasury, Beth Russell who is based at the Darlington Economic Campus and Sam Beckett who is also Chief Economic Adviser. As well as overseeing tax and spending, Beth will continue to be responsible for devolution and regional growth including engagement with regional and local government and others in the north.

Jim was appointed through a fair and open competition and has completed all of the necessary declarations of interest.

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Published 14 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: More than a thousand underground and overground pedestrian crossings were washed in Moscow

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Specialists from the city services complex have washed more than one thousand underground and overground pedestrian crossings after the winter. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

“As part of the month of improvement, we carried out measures to wash 1,075 underground and glazed overground pedestrian crossings. Each structure was thoroughly cleaned using a specific technology, and special equipment was used when necessary,” noted Petr Biryukov.

During the works, the crossings were not closed, and fences were put up on the spot to leave a passage for pedestrians. The underground crossings were cleaned manually, then the walls, granite parapets and stairwells were washed with high-pressure devices and brushes. Where necessary, individual elements of the structures were painted and repaired. Overhead crossings were washed using aerial platforms. A cleaning agent was applied to the glass structures from the outside, which was then washed off with water using professional high-pressure devices.

The head of the city services complex recalled that in total, within the framework of the month of improvement in the capital, about two thousand objects were washed: bridges, tunnels, underground and overground pedestrian crossings, embankments, fountains and monuments.

Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/153837073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Releases New Report Finding Job Loss, Economic Slowdown if Congressional GOP Restricts Medicaid Access

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

Senator Reverend Warnock Releases New Report Finding Job Loss, Economic Slowdown if Congressional GOP Restricts Medicaid Access

Senator Reverend Warnock’s new report, “Healthy People, Healthy Economy” finds that placing bureaucratic red tape between working people and their health care will lead to hospital closures, job loss, and economic slowdown
The report finds that investing in Medicaid, as opposed to adding bureaucratic and ineffective work reporting requirements, leads to economic growth that creates jobs and gets Americans to work
The Senator’s report found 458 counties across the U.S. where working Medicaid recipients are extremely vulnerable to losing access under these reporting requirements because of lack of internet access, other factors
New legislation marked up yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives would require onerous reporting requirements that do not get people working, and instead kicks working people off their health care
The House legislation would kick over 7 million Americans off Medicaid and 13.7 million Americans off their health care in total
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released a new report titled “Healthy People, Healthy Economy.” The Senator’s report is the first publication that analyzes by county which Americans are at risk of losing their health care if Washington Republicans restrict Medicaid access through bureaucratic and ineffective work reporting requirements. The report also analyzes how much it would cost each state in job loss, GDP, and devastating administrative costs.
The report finds that the best way to get the most Americans working is to invest in Medicaid, making health care accessible to eligible Americans. On the other hand, work reporting requirements do nothing to bring people into the workforce and kick working people off their health care, making those working Americans more likely to stop working if they cannot access preventative care or manage chronic illness.
“My parents raised me to have a fierce work ethic, I support getting people to work,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“The data shows that the best way to create jobs and grow the economy is to remove bureaucratic red tape that keeps working people from accessing health care. Instead, Washington politicians are ignoring clear data and forcing reporting requirements on working Americans as a cynical ploy to kick working people off their health care. All of this so they can fund a tax cut for the ultra-wealthy.”
Nowhere have work reporting requirements failed more than in the state of Georgia, where the state has spent a shocking $91 million in taxpayer dollars to create a slow, glitchy, bureaucratic system to track work reporting requirements. The state of Georgia spent $13,000 per enrollee on administrative costs, roughly five times more than the cost of actual health services, during the program’s first year. If other states follow Georgia’s failed model, millions of Americans will lose their health care access, government bureaucracy will grow, hospitals will close, jobs will be lost, and the economy will slow.
A full copy of the report can be found HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI: FDCTech Reports Over 58% Year-over-Year Revenue Growth in Q1 2025 Driven by Strong Performance Across All Business Segments
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Q1 2025 Highlights Show Continued Growth and Operating Profitability.

Irvine, CA, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FDCTech, Inc. (“FDC” or the “Company,” PINK: FDCT), a fintech-driven firm specializing in acquiring and scaling small to mid-size legacy financial services companies, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

Q1 2025 Financial Highlights
- Total Revenue: $10.11 million for Q1 2025, up from $6.38 million in Q1 2024 — an increase of 58.59%, driven primarily by the full-period contribution from the Company’s Investment and Brokerage segment (Alchemy Markets Ltd. and Alchemy Prime Ltd.) and strong performance in the Technology segment.
- Gross Profit: $5.18 million in Q1 2025, compared to $2.34 million in Q1 2024 — a growth of 121.32%.
- Net Income: $301,002 in Q1 2025, compared to $833,445 in Q1 2024. The prior-year quarter included significant non-operating income.
- Cash Position: $26.99 million as of March 31, 2025, up from $24.78 million at year-end 2024.
- Working Capital: $10.08 million as of March 31, 2025, up from $9.10 million at year-end 2024.
- Net Assets: $15.64 million as of March 31, 2025, up from $14.43 million at year-end 2024.
Performance by Segment

Investment and Brokerage
- Revenue rose to $7.76 million in Q1 2025 from $4.61 million in Q1 2024 — an increase of 69%, following full consolidation of AML and APL operations and increased trading volume across European clients.
Wealth Management
- Revenue was $1.53 million in Q1 2025, consistent with $1.51 million in Q1 2024, reflecting stable advisor-led revenues at AD Advisory Services.
Technology & Software Development
- Revenue grew 218% to $0.81 million in Q1 2025 from $0.26 million in Q1 2024, driven by new licensing agreements and custom development projects for its proprietary Condor Trading platform.
Strategic and Operational Highlights
- Condor Investing & Trading App: The Company continues development and expects commercialization.
- International Expansion: Opened and staffed new offices in Cyprus, Malta, and the UK. AML continues to onboard EU retail clients and expand product offerings under its MFSA license.
- Client Growth: AML now services clients from Germany, France, and other EU countries, including the onboarding of over 2,631 clients from Next Markets and 35 clients from a Cypriot-based broker.
- Product Offering Expansion: AML obtained MFSA authorization under Article 6 of the Investment Services Act to offer equities and money market securities, expanding its income-generating capabilities.
FDCTech’s management remains committed to building a diversified and scalable financial services company. With a strong balance sheet, improved operational margins, and growth in core segments, the Company is well-positioned for continued expansion in FY 2025.

Please visit our SEC filings or the Company’s website for more information on the full results and management’s plan.

FDCTech, Inc.

FDCTech, Inc. (“FDC”) is a regulatory-grade financial technology infrastructure developer designed to serve the future financial markets. Our clients include regulated and OTC brokerages and prop and algo trading firms of all sizes in forex, stocks, commodities, indices, ETFs, precious metals, and other asset classes. Our growth strategy involves acquiring and integrating small to mid-size legacy financial services companies, leveraging our proprietary trading technology and liquidity solutions to deliver exceptional value to our clients.

Press Release Disclaimer

This press release’s statements may be forward-looking statements or future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions, future market conditions, unusual catastrophic loss events, changes in the capital markets, and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. The Company does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or updated status of such forward-looking statements or information provided by the third party. Therefore, in no case will the Company and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages.

Contact Media Relations
FDCTech, Inc.
info@fdctech.com
www.fdctech.com
+1 877-445-6047
200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 300,
Irvine, CA, 92618

The MIL Network –
May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI: Himax and Vuzix to Showcase Integrated Industry-Ready AR Display Module at Display Week 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TAINAN, Taiwan and ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vuzix^® Corporation (Nasdaq: VUZI), (“Vuzix”), a leading supplier of AI-powered smart glasses, waveguides and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced the joint debut of a next-generation AR optical module at Display Week 2025, one of the premier symposiums and exhibitions in the display industry and taking place May 11–16, 2025 in San Jose, California. The demonstration features Himax’s latest ultra-luminous, miniature Dual-Edge Front-lit LCoS microdisplay seamlessly integrated with Vuzix’ production-ready waveguides. Together, the technologies form a fully integrated module that delivers breakthrough brightness and power efficiency in an unparalleled compact design, enabling sleek, lightweight AR glasses for both enterprise and consumer applications. This co-design initiative, scheduled for commercial release at the end of 2025, focuses on optimizing optical performance to deliver industry-leading visual quality.

Himax’s innovative and proprietary Dual-Edge Front-lit LCoS microdisplay sets a new industry benchmark with a volume of just 0.09 c.c., weighing less than 0.2 grams, yet capable of delivering 1 lumen of output and up to 350,000 nits of luminance, all while consuming no more than 250mW total power consumption. This ensures exceptional eye-level visibility across diverse lighting environments.

Vuzix’ mass production waveguides elevate the optical experience with a slim 0.7 mm thickness, industry-leading lightweight, less than 5 grams, minimal discreet eye glow below 5%, and a 30-degree diagonal field of view (FOV). Fully customizable and integration-ready for next-generation AR devices, these waveguides support prescription lenses, offer both plastic-substrate and higher-refractive-index options, and are engineered for cost-effective large-scale deployment.

“This demonstration showcases a commercially viable integration of Himax’s high-performance color LCoS microdisplay with Vuzix’ advanced waveguides, an industry-leading solution engineered for scale,” said Paul Travers, CEO of Vuzix. “Our waveguides are optically superior, customizable, and production-ready. Together, we’re helping accelerate the adoption of next-generation AR wearables.”

“We are proud to work alongside Vuzix to bring this industry-ready solution to market,” said Simon Fan-Chiang, Senior Director at Himax. “Our latest LCoS innovation redefines what’s possible in size, brightness, and power efficiency paving the way for next generation AR devices. By pairing with Vuzix’ world-class waveguides, we are enabling AR devices that are immersive, comfortable and truly wearable.”

Himax and Vuzix invite all interested parties to stop by at Booth #1711 at Display Week 2025 to experience the demo and learn more about this exciting joint solution.

About Vuzix Corporation

Vuzix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of AI-powered Smart Glasses, Waveguides and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, components and products for the enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets. The Company’s products include head-mounted smart personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality, as well OEM waveguide optical components and display engines. Vuzix holds more than 425 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the fields of optics, head-mounted displays, and the augmented reality wearables field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2024 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in: Rochester, NY; and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan. For more information, visit the Vuzix website, X and Facebook pages.

www.vuzix.com

About Himax Technologies, Inc.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEye^TM Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,603 patents granted and 389 patents pending approval worldwide as of March 31, 2025.

http://www.himax.com.tw

Forward Looking Statements

Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

Vuzix Contact:
Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations
Vuzix Corporation
Tel: (585) 359-5985
Email: IR@vuzix.com
www.vuzix.com

Himax Contacts:
Karen Tiao, Head of IR/PR
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Mark Schwalenberg, Director
Investor Relations – US Representative
MZ North America
Tel: +1-312-261-6430
Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – The Burmese people hope for Pope Leo’s support and ask for help after the earthquake

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Archdiocese of Mandalay

Mandalay (Agenzia Fides) – “Now we must rebuild hope in our communities, already affected by war and hardship. We renew an urgent appeal: help us rebuild our ecclesial communities in Mandalay,” Father Peter Kyi Maung, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Mandalay, which was hit by the devastating earthquake on March 28, told Fides. Meanwhile, in the Diocese of Mandalay, the Emergency Rescue Team has been on site assessing the severely damaged church buildings and pastoral structures. “These sacred places, where we gather for worship, prayer, and mutual support, now urgently need to be repaired and restored. We appeal to our great family of faith, asking for your generous support,” the Emergency Rescue Team wrote in a statement. The need is to repair damaged church structures, restore community centers and catechism rooms, and create safe structures for liturgy and parish meetings. “In this way,” explains Fr. Peter Kyi Maung, “we will be able to resume the spiritual and communal life of the people of God. We are called to help communities flourish anew in faith and resilience,” he notes. “For so many suffering people, we are instruments of God’s mercy and compassion in this time of trial. Therefore, we ask for the support of the faithful everywhere,” he says. Although they are in a time of crisis and serious difficulties, Burmese Catholics also rejoice at the election of Pope Leo XIV.In a congratulatory message on the inauguration of the Petrine ministry, Archbishop Marco Tin Win Mandalay asks Pope Leo “to support peace for Myanmar.” “Many non-Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims, and Protestants followed the Pope’s election with great interest. This was a moment of witness and evangelization for us,” said the archbishop. Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, who was present at the Conclave, reaffirmed everyone’s hopes: He sent photos of himself accompanied by Pope Leo to the faithful and told them: “I asked him not to forget us and expressed the hope that he would visit Myanmar soon.” Burmese Dominican Father Paul Aung Myint told Fides: “We are certain that Pope Leo will pay attention to the conflicts of the forgotten, the suffering of the poor, the marginalized, and the many refugees in Myanmar and other parts of the world: we know he will be a voice for the voiceless.”Joseph Kung, a Catholic from Yangon, emphasizes: “We do not yet know the new Pope Leo well, but we know that he has gained important missionary experience. We therefore believe that he will be deeply concerned with all the mission countries in the Global South. Furthermore, he is polyglot, and his knowledge of English will facilitate communication with many realities in Asia, certainly also with the bishops and faithful in Myanmar.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Testimony of the forgotten conflict in eastern DRC: The “100 days of liberated Goma”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Wednesday, 14 May 2025 wars

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “Goma, capital of the North Kivu region, two million inhabitants. An occupied city, on its knees. Stretched along the shores of Lake Kivu, caressed by the heat of the Nyiragongo volcano, its beauty and the peace of some thirty years are turning into tears of fear and death.” These are the words that highlight the dramatic testimony sent to Fides from Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that fell into the hands of the M23 rebels at the end of January. For security reasons, we are publishing it in full, omitting the author’s name: On January 28, after two days of intense fighting between the regular Congolese army, supported by the “Wazalendo” (patriotic militias), against the AFC (Congo River Alliance) and M23 (March 23, an invading rebel group supported by the Rwandan army), the city was once again declared “liberated.” A liberation that left a tragic toll of thousands of innocent civilians dead, many of them in their own homes, built with precarious materials, incapable of offering any shelter. Looting, rape, and abuse perpetrated by armed men from various factions have left deep scars. More than 100 days after the fighting, the wounds remain open, both on the body and in the collective memory of the population. Freedom of expression, human dignity, and the right to life and peace have been brutally violated. Today, the law of terror is imposed at gunpoint and with the blows of batons. The judicial system has collapsed. Instead of courts, detention centers have been set up that, in practice, function as places of torture. Prisons have been emptied—some 3,000 prisoners disappeared during the city’s capture—and trials, when they are held, are summary and improvised, even in the open air. The night has become a nightmare for the most vulnerable neighborhoods. Armed men break into homes to rob and sexually assault. These individuals include former prisoners, former military deserters, militia members, and others, operating anonymously under the cover of darkness. Sometimes, the attackers are captured by neighbors trying to defend the victims; their bodies often appear the next morning, abandoned or even burned. Fear, anger, and the absence of justice fuel a form of mob justice that is faceless and merciless. The search for alleged members of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), accused of participating in the 1994 genocide and now hiding in the neighborhoods of Goma, often serves as a pretext for personal vendettas or ethnic clashes, exacerbating already existing tensions. Arbitrary arrests and disappearances are part of a policy of repression aimed at silencing any dissenting voice. The economic situation is equally critical. The financial system is paralyzed: banks remain closed, preventing the payment of salaries, including those of teachers in affiliated schools. Commerce is at a standstill, and the international airport, vital to the city’s economic life, was bombed during the fighting and is out of service. The promises to keep alive hope for a better future—occupation propaganda comparing the supposedly more effective new “liberation” regime with the corrupt and ineffective old regime in Kinshasa—are numerous; but they fade with each passing day. Many young people, disillusioned with life or desperate with rage, volunteer to enlist in the army of the new masters and fight the regular army of the central government. Solution or illusion? Dying for the sake of dying: it’s worth a try. But the struggle for life has not been broken. The population helps each other in a thousand ways. The tens of thousands of displaced people, whose camps have been dismantled by the new authorities, have found refuge in the homes of friends, relatives, or people of good will. They share the same fears, the same suffering, but also the same hopes. The number of crosses increases, sometimes even invisible, because there is no trace left of the missing. But among the black lava rocks of the Nyiragongo volcano, scattered along the neighborhood roads, flowers are sprouting. With difficulty, because the earth is still soaked with blood. They are flowers with thin stems, but fragrant and colorful: red flowers, the color of the painful tears shed every day; green flowers, of hope and resistance, so that life does not die; flowers that symbolize a new society: the new society of Congo that is being born from the ashes of war. Yes, because life is like the sun: no matter how long and stormy the night, at dawn the sun reappears. (Agenzia Fides, 14/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 15, 2025

Category: Europe

Regions with already high electricity prices may see larger increases

Electricity prices include more than the cost of generating electricity

Electricity expenditures are second only to gasoline

The good, the bad and the ugly

A temporary truce

Where does this leave the rest of us?

Platforms for hate

Presenting a challenge

Turning hate into entertainment

Turning a generation off hate

Black Sea’s strategic value

Long-term consequences

Bev said:

May 14, 2025

New Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury appointed

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

Jim O’Neil said:

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