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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China has become the largest importer of honey from Kyrgyzstan

    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

    BISHKEK, May 13 /Xinhua/ — China has become the largest importer of honey from Kyrgyzstan since the beginning of 2025, the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan reported on Tuesday.

    As noted, in the first four months of 2025, Kyrgyzstan exported 143.7 tons of honey, which is 45.9 tons more than in the same period last year. The largest importer of Kyrgyz honey was China, which purchased 82.1 tons of honey from Kyrgyzstan during the reporting period. Next come the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Qatar.

    At the same time, honey imports to Kyrgyzstan itself have practically ceased. If 44.8 tons of honey were purchased in 2024, then in 2025 – only 0.5 tons. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russia’s food and agricultural raw material exports fell by 14 percent in the first quarter

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, May 13 (Xinhua) — Russia exported food products and agricultural raw materials worth a total of 9 billion U.S. dollars in January-March 2025, down 14 percent year-on-year, the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation reported.

    At the same time, imports of agricultural products into the Russian Federation increased by 12.5 percent during the reporting period and amounted to $9.5 billion.

    In agriculture, Russia’s main export products are grain and leguminous crops, oil and fat products, fish and seafood. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What will the Antichrist look like? According to Western thought, an authoritarian king – or the pope

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland

    Composite image by The Conversation. Images courtesy of TruthSocial/@realDonaldTrump and Wikimedia Commons

    The US presidency and the papacy came together on May 3 when Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photograph of himself dressed as the pope to Truth Social. The image was then shared by the White House’s accounts.

    Seated in an ornate (Mar-a-Lago-style) golden chair, he was wearing a white cassock and a bishop’s hat, with his right forefinger raised.

    Trump has since told reporters he “had nothing to do with it […] somebody did it in fun”.

    This image of “Pope Donald I” is of historical significance, for reasons of which, no doubt, the White House and Trump were blissfully unaware. It is the first ever image to combine the two most important understandings of the figure of the Antichrist in Western thought: on the one hand, that of the pope, and on the other, that of the authoritarian, despotic world emperor.

    On April 22, the day after Pope Francis’ death, Trump declared “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice”. On April 28, Trump told The Atlantic “I run the country and the world”.

    So, both pope and world emperor.

    The Imperial Antichrist

    In the New Testament, the First Letter of John says, before Christ came again, the Antichrist will appear: the most conspicuous sign the end of the world was near.

    The Antichrist would be the archetypal evil human being who would persecute the Christian faithful. He would be finally defeated by the forces of good. As Sir Isaac Newton suggested, “searching the Prophecies which [God] hath given us to know Antichrist by” is a Christian obligation.

    The first life of the Antichrist was written by a Benedictine monk, Adso of Montier-en-der, around 1,100 years ago. According to Adso, the Antichrist would be a tyrannical evil king who would corrupt all those around him with gold and silver. He would be brought up in all forms of wickedness. Evil spirits would be his instructors and his constant companions.

    The Antichrist, left, is depicted as a king, in this image from a 12th century manuscript.
    Wikimedia Commons

    Seeking his own glory, as Adso put it, this king “will call himself Almighty God”.

    The Antichrist was opposite to everything Christ-like. According to the Christian tradition, Christ was fully human yet absolutely “sin free”. The Antichrist too was fully human, but completely “sin full”. The Antichrist was not so much a supernatural being who became flesh, as a human being who became fully demonised.

    Influenced by Christian stories of the Antichrist, Islam and Judaism constructed their own Antichrists – al-Dajjal, the Antichrist of the Muslims, and Armilus, the Antichrist of the Jews. Both al-Dajjal and Armilus are king-like messiahs.

    Over the centuries, many world leaders have been labelled “the Antichrist” – the Roman emperors Nero and Domitian were Antichrist figures, and the French emperor Napoleon was named the Antichrist in his own time.

    There have been more recent leaders who have been likened to the Antichrist, among them former president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, King Charles III, former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev, al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, and Trump.

    The Papal Antichrist

    In the year 1190, King Richard I of England, on his way to the Holy Land, was informed by the Italian theologian Joachim of Fiore (c.1135–1202) the next pope would be the Antichrist.

    In the history of the Antichrist, this was a momentous occasion. From this time on, the tyrannical Antichrist outside of the Church would be juxtaposed with the papal deceiver within it.

    That the Catholic pope was the Antichrist was the common reading of the pope in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation.

    Martin Luther (1483–1546), the founder of the Protestant revolution, declared the pope “is the true […] Antichrist who has raised himself over and set himself against Christ”.

    Just as all Christians would not worship the Devil as God, he went on to say, “so we cannot allow his apostle the pope or Antichrist, to govern as our head or lord”.

    This 1877 painting depicts Martin Luther summoned by the Catholic Church in 1521, to renounce or reaffirm his views criticising Pope Leo X.
    Wikimedia Commons

    As he was about to be burned by the Catholic Queen Mary for his Protestant beliefs, the Anglican bishop Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556) declared, “as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ’s enemy and antichrist with all his false doctrine”.

    Even in 1988, as Pope John Paul II addressed the European Parliament, the Northern Ireland hardline Protestant leader Ian Paisley roared, “Antichrist! I renounce you and all your cults and creeds” – to which, we are told, the pope gave a slight bemused smile.

    Except among the most extreme of Protestant conservatives, the idea of the papal Antichrist no longer has any purchase. The papal Antichrist has vacated the Western stage for the imperial Antichrist.

    The Antichrist and the end of the world

    In the history of Christianity, the idea of the Antichrist was a key part of Christian expectations about the return of Christ and the end of the world.

    In the final battle between the forces of good and evil, the Antichrist would be defeated by the forces of Christ. In short, the rise of the world emperor who was the Antichrist was a sign that the end of the world was at hand.

    In the light of the Western history of “the Antichrist”, the image of the imperial and papal US president is a powerful sign that the global order – at least as we have known it for the last 80 years – may be at an end.



    Read more:
    Five things to know about the Antichrist

    Philip C. Almond 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. What will the Antichrist look like? According to Western thought, an authoritarian king – or the pope – https://theconversation.com/what-will-the-antichrist-look-like-according-to-western-thought-an-authoritarian-king-or-the-pope-256205

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Met officer jailed over inappropriate relationship

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A former Met constable has been jailed for misconduct in public office following an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl while he was a serving officer.

    Che Homersham was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, 13 May following an investigation by the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, as directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

    Former PC Homersham’s offending came to light after he was arrested over a separate matter in August 2023.

    An examination of his phone found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl he had met while attending a domestic incident involving the teenager in December 2018.

    The investigation found he had pursued her over several weeks, sending intimate messages and touching her inappropriately when they met.

    He was arrested in December 2023.

    Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, who leads policing in north west London, said:

    “Former PC Homersham’s conduct in making inappropriate contact with a victim of crime was completely unprofessional and unacceptable.

    “Any woman or girl should feel safe with a male police officer, but Homersham’s actions have clearly undermined that trust the public have in us. It is right he has faced criminal charges, and is no longer a part of the Metropolitan Police Service.”

    Homersham, who was attached to the North West policing team, resigned from the Met in January 2024.

    A misconduct hearing was held in June 2024 which found that had he still been serving, he would have been dismissed without notice. The hearing found Homersham had breached professional standards of behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, honesty and integrity and authority, respect and courtesy.

    Homersham was added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

    Anyone with any information about a police officer or member of staff who works for the Met and is corrupt, or abusing their position and power, can call the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Hotline, run by independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 085 0000 or complete the online form at www.crimestoppers-org.uk.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Honors 522nd Field Artillery Battalion at Historic 80th Anniversary Ceremony in Germany

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was humbled to speak in honor of the soldiers that liberated prisoners on a death march from the Dachau Concentration Camp at an 80th Anniversary remembrance, days before the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day). This historic rescue by the soldiers of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. These were “Nisei” Japanese-American soldiers, 58 percent from Hawaii, while the rest were from the mainland, often the West Coast.

    At the Memorial showing sculptures honoring those who died on the Dachau death march before thousands were rescued by the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion (US Army photo)

    The ceremony with the German War Graves Commission and the Japanese American Veterans Association, included prayers, a wreath-laying, placement of a new plaque at the Memorial, local musicians, and remarks by German leaders and mayors, and U.S. Army and other officials including Congresswoman Amata; Dr. James Miller, Consul General, U.S. Consulate Munich; and Ellen Germain, U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues. 

    Brig. Gen. Steven P. Carpenter, Commanding General, 7th Army Training Command, took time to speak to our Samoan families in Germany

    Of local interest to American Samoa, there is a unique historic link between these heroes and the American Samoa Army Reserve unit, which was a component of the Hawaii-based 100th Infantry Battalion – the only successor unit of the 442nd Regimental Battalion. For more than three decades, until 2021, members of the American Samoan community served with Charlie Company of the 100th Infantry Battalion in American Samoa.

    “Some of these heroic soldiers served in the U.S. military during World War II while they had relatives waiting out the war in internment camps, a difficult and sad chapter in U.S. history. One member of the 442nd became a U.S. Senator, Daniel Inouye, now a towering figure in Hawaii’s history, which I’m reminded of every time I land at the Honolulu International Airport named for him. Senator Inouye knew me and came to my wedding, as he was close friends with my father. After both served in World War II, Governor Coleman and Senator Inouye were both in law school in Washington, graduating from universities in the same city one year apart. They were active together in what was then the Hawaii Territorial Society of Washington, DC. So, it’s very personal to me to honor these Japanese-American soldiers, and this Hawaii connection to our Pacific region for this anniversary,” said Congresswoman Amata.

    Congresswoman Amata and Brig. Gen. Carpenter, 7ATC CG, with our Samoan group in Germany

    In 1945, the 522nd was assigned to the Seventh Army to support the last great Allied advance into Germany. On April 26, 1945, the SS started 14,180 prisoners on a death march from the Dachau concentration camp and Munich area subcamps. 

    On May 2, 1945, with the approach of U.S. troops, the SS abandoned the survivors on the road where the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, along with units of the 12th Infantry Regiment, and 4th Infantry Division, arrived and rescued 2,700 to 3,000 mostly Jewish Dachau prisoners along with 990 German political prisoners and 100 Slavic, Russian and Polish prisoners. About 3,300 other prisoners were rescued by other American troops nearby. Of the starting 14,180, fewer than half, approximately 6,300, survived to be rescued. The majority of the prisoners had died from murder, disease, medical neglect, exposure, exhaustion, and starvation.

    The Pacific soldiers of the 522nd saw these terrible sights and were able to stay with the rescued prisoners to provide food, security and care for the next few days. 

    “At the 80th Anniversary, we memorialize their role in rescuing and restoring these prisoners after the terrible crimes against them. I am here, first because of the historic ties to our Pacific soldiers who were here, but also because my own father-in-law, Hobart Radewagen, was a member of the 20th Armored Division, one of the three divisions involved in the liberation of Dachau 80 years ago. He was awarded a Bronze Medal for his part in a battle at an SS barracks outside Dachau, another direct link for my family. 

    “In a personal parallel, in 2023, I was at Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands where my father served. They had just marked the 80th anniversary of the first allied offensive against the Japanese which halted their Pacific expansion. Now, I have the humbling honor to join you here to mark the 80th anniversary of Waakirchen, Dachau and the capture of Munich, leading to the end of the war. 

    “Truly, we can look at these events and understand why these soldiers are known as the greatest generation,” she concluded. “God bless the memories here, the important history, and the many descendants as we seek to live in peace and harmony.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mauritania’s Gas Future Will Take Center Stage in Exclusive Fireside Chat at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, May 13, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum in Paris is set to host a pivotal session – In Conversation with Mauritania – featuring a fireside chat with Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Petroleum and Energy of Mauritania. This exclusive dialogue will examine how large-scale energy projects – including the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG development – are ushering in a new era of gas-driven growth in West Africa.

    The GTA project, a collaborative cross-border initiative between Mauritania and Senegal, reached a significant milestone with the launch of first gas production in January 2025. Phase 1 is expected to produce approximately 2.3 million tons of LNG per annum, positioning the two nations as major LNG exporters. The focus now shifts to securing a final investment decision (FID) for Phase 2, which could increase production to 2.5-3 million tons per annum through the implementation of a gravity-based structure, further strengthening the region’s position in the global energy market. FID will depend on continued cross-border cooperation, regulatory alignment and securing additional investment.

    IAE 2025 (https://apo-opa.co/3ZicRSy) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Beyond the GTA project, the session will highlight other major developments, including Mauritania’s BirAllah gas field, which is currently seeking new development partners. Estimated to hold 80 trillion cubic feet of offshore gas reserves, BirAllah represents a significant opportunity to enhance national energy self-sufficiency while supporting the country’s broader industrial growth.

    Leveraging its exceptional solar and wind resources, Mauritania is also pursuing an ambitious green hydrogen strategy. This includes the $40-billion AMAN project – developed in partnership with CWP – which aims to install 30 GW of renewable energy capacity to produce 1.7 million tons of green hydrogen annually. Other key initiatives include Chariot’s Project Nour and GreenGo’s Megaton Moon. Overall, Mauritania is targeting a 1.5% share of the global hydrogen market by 2050, supported by the implementation of the world’s first national hydrogen law.

    “If these projects progress as planned, Mauritania could emerge as a key leader in Africa’s energy transition, achieving an unprecedented level of energy self-sufficiency, driving socioeconomic development and strengthening its position within the West African energy market,” says Sandra Jeque, Event and Project Director, Energy Capital & Power.

    IAE 2025 offers a strategic platform to spotlight these opportunities, foster dialogue among policymakers and investors, and promote the sustainable development of the region’s natural resources.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Defendants Sentenced for Their Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    ATLANTA – Six members of a drug trafficking organization have been sentenced for their roles in distributing deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the metro-Atlanta area.

    “These defendants distributed substantial amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine with no regard for the grave public safety risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office will continue to closely coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute drug traffickers and prevent dangerous narcotics from poisoning our communities.”

    “These drug traffickers endangered countless lives by distributing large quantities of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “DEA will continue to aggressively pursue the criminals that contribute to the drug crisis.”

    “This case highlights the critical role Homeland Security Investigations plays in dismantling transnational drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The defendants in this case were responsible for introducing massive quantities of deadly narcotics into the metro-Atlanta area—methamphetamine that was trafficked across borders, chemically altered, and distributed without regard for the devastating impact on public health and safety. Through the combined efforts of HSI and our federal, state, and local partners, we’ve disrupted a dangerous supply chain and brought key members of this organization to justice.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, federal special agents discovered that a drug trafficking organization (DTO) was distributing drugs obtained from a Mexico-based supplier throughout metro-Atlanta. These drugs included methamphetamine which arrived from Mexico in liquid form and was converted to crystal methamphetamine.

    During an early phase of the investigation, defendant Erik Rosales-Lopez was arrested in December 2022 at a residence used to process liquid methamphetamine that had been mixed with paint. Rosales Lopez had distributed methamphetamine on three previous occasions, including to an undercover agent. During a search of his residence, investigators seized 11 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine. 

    In April 2023, agents surveilled defendants Brayan Garcia-Picasso and Bryan Pacheco-Carranza as they left a residence believed to be used as a methamphetamine lab. Local law enforcement then conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. Police officers seized approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle. Agents later searched the residence as well and, while doing so, confirmed that the location was a methamphetamine lab. The agents found approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine and methamphetamine conversion equipment on the premises.

    Following the arrests of Garcia-Picasso and Pacheco-Carranza, agents continued to investigate the DTO. In June 2023, defendant Alex Chamorro-Valencia was arrested after a search of a vehicle he was driving was found to contain nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine. Investigators also searched the residence from which he was seen departing and discovered a second methamphetamine lab used by the DTO. Agents recovered 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine and 135 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine in the residence. Defendant Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was encountered in the residence and arrested.  

    The following defendants were convicted and sentenced:

    • Juventino Rodriguez was sentenced earlier today by U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert to 54 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after he pled guilty on December 19, 2024.
    • Garcia-Picasso was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown to 12-and-a-half years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Garcia-Picasso was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on November 7, 2023.
    • Pacheco-Carranza was sentenced by Judge Brown to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Pacheco-Carranza was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on January 18, 2024.
    • Chamorro-Valencia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Chamorro-Valencia was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on October 16, 2023.
    • Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was sentenced by Judge Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Gameno-Cortez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on February 28, 2024.
    • Erik Josue Rosales-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rosales-Lopez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on July 31, 2023.

    The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Clayton County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Renaud and Sandra E. Strippoli, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Howard, prosecuted the case. 

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI methods help predict the emergence of ‘gazelles’ and other high-growth firms, but challenges remain

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Tatiana Beliaeva, Enseignante–chercheuse en entrepreneuriat, UCLy (Lyon Catholic University)

    Predicting whether or not companies will be successful is crucial for guiding investment decisions and designing effective economic policies. However, past research on high-growth firms – enterprises thought to be key for driving economic development – has typically shown low predictive accuracy, suggesting that growth may be largely random. Does this assumption still hold in the AI era, in which vast amounts of data and advanced analytical methods are now available? Can AI techniques overcome difficulties in predicting high-growth firms? These questions were raised in a chapter I co-authored in the De Gruyter Handbook of SME Entrepreneurship, which reviewed scientific contributions on firm growth prediction with AI methods.

    According to the Eurostat-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) definition, high-growth firms are businesses with at least 10 employees in the initial growth period and “average annualised growth greater than 20% per annum, over a three year period”. Growth can be measured by the firm’s number of employees or by its turnover. A subset of high-growth firms, known as “gazelles”, are young businesses – typically start-ups – that are up to five years old and experience fast growth.


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    High-growth firms drive development, innovation and job creation. Identifying firms with high-growth potential enables investors, start-up incubators, accelerators, large companies and policymakers to spot potential opportunities for investment, strategic partnerships and resource allocation at an early stage. Forecasting outcomes for start-ups is more challenging than doing so for large companies due to limited historical data, high uncertainty, and reliance on qualitative factors like founder experience and market fit.

    How random is firm growth?

    Accurate growth forecasting is especially crucial given the high failure rate of start-ups. One in five start-ups fail in their first year, and two thirds fail within 10 years. Some start-ups can also contribute significantly to job creation: research analysing data from Spanish and Russian firms between 2010 and 2018 has shown that while “gazelles” represented only about 1-2% of all businesses in both countries, they were responsible for approximately 14% of employment growth in Russia and 9% in Spain.

    High-growth firms are “widely considered essential for stimulating economic growth and employment” but are difficult to identify. Stakeholders need accurate growth predictions to help optimize decision-making and minimize risks by identifying firms with the highest potential for success.

    In an effort to understand why some firms grow faster than others, researchers have looked into various factors including the personality of entrepreneurs, competitive strategy, available resources, market conditions and macroeconomic environment. These factors, however, only explained a small portion of the variation in firm growth and were limited in their practical application. This led to the suggestion that predicting the growth of new businesses is like playing a game of chance. Another viewpoint argued that the problem of growth prediction might stem from the methods employed, suggesting an “illusion of randomness”.

    As firm growth is a complex, diverse, dynamic and non-linear process, adopting a new set of methods and approaches, such as those driven by big data and AI, can shed new light on the growth debate and forecasting.

    AI offers new opportunities for predicting high-growth firms

    AI methods are being increasingly adopted to forecast firm growth. For example, 70% of venture capital firms are adopting AI to increase internal productivity and facilitate and speed up sourcing, screening, classifying and monitoring start-ups with high potential. Crunchbase, a company data platform, claims that internal testing has shown that its AI models can predict start-up success with “95% precision” by analysing thousands of signals. These developments promise to fundamentally change how investors and businesses approach decision-making in private markets.

    The advantages of AI techniques lie in their ability to process a far greater volume, variety and velocity of data about businesses and their environments compared to traditional statistical methods. For example, machine learning methods such as random forest (RF) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) help identify key variables affecting business outcomes in datasets with a large number of predictors. A “fused” large language model has been shown to predict start-up success using both structured (organized in tables) fundamental information and unstructured (unorganized and more complex) textual descriptions. AI techniques help enhance the accuracy of firm growth predictions, identify the most important growth factors and minimize human biases. As some scholars have noted, the improved prediction indicates that perhaps firm growth is less random than previously thought. Furthermore, the ability to capture data in real time is especially valuable in fast-paced, dynamic environments, such as high-technology industries.

    Challenges remain

    Despite AI’s rapid progress, there is still considerable potential for advancement. Although the prediction of high-growth firms has been improved with modern AI techniques, studies indicate that it continues to be a challenge. For instance, start-up success often depends on rapidly changing and intangible factors that are not easily captured by data. Further methodological advances, such as incorporating a broader range of predictors, diverse data sources and more sophisticated algorithms, are recommended.

    One of the main challenges for AI methods is their ability to offer explanations for the predictions they make. Predictions generated by complex deep learning models resemble a “black box”, with the causal mechanisms that transform input into output remaining unclear. Producing more explainable AI has become one of the key objectives set by the research community. Understanding what is explainable and what is not (yet) explainable with the use of AI methods can better guide practitioners in identifying and supporting high-growth firms.

    While start-ups offer the potential for significant investment returns, they carry considerable risks, making careful selection and accurate prediction crucial. As AI models evolve, they will increasingly integrate diverse and unstructured data sources and real-time market signals to detect early indicators of potential success. Advancements are expected to further enhance the scalability, accuracy, speed and transparency of AI-driven predictions, reshaping how high-growth firms are identified and supported.

    Tatiana Beliaeva ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. AI methods help predict the emergence of ‘gazelles’ and other high-growth firms, but challenges remain – https://theconversation.com/ai-methods-help-predict-the-emergence-of-gazelles-and-other-high-growth-firms-but-challenges-remain-255907

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New ‘engine for growth’ package announced as Defence Secretary closes London Stock Exchange

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New ‘engine for growth’ package announced as Defence Secretary closes London Stock Exchange

    Industry, innovators and investors will benefit from a new partnership with UK Defence, making it easier and more attractive to do business than ever before.

    • New partnership with business launched in the heart of City of London to unlock innovation, create skilled jobs and boost investment, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
    • John Healey MP becomes first Defence Secretary to close the day’s market at London Stock Exchange, announcing new Defence ‘Tech Scaler’ initiative to drive innovations from idea to frontline.
    • New report shows small and medium enterprises funded by the Ministry of Defence have attracted nearly £600 million private equity investment, supporting over 1,000 new jobs across the UK.  

    Launching this new partnership with a package of measures including a new ‘Tech Scaler’ pilot, John Healey MP will today become the first Defence Secretary to close the day’s market at the London Stock Exchange, underlining the government’s backing for the defence industry as an engine for national renewal and economic growth.

    Speaking to business leaders, military personnel and private financiers, he called for an end to prejudice against defence investment and outlined how defence is driving economic growth, boosting British jobs and national security, underpinning the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    The war in Ukraine confronts us with the truth that a military is only as strong as the industry which stands behind it.

    I’m here today – at this most crucial time – to help forge a new partnership between industry, innovators and investors.

    UK Defence is open for business and together we can make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    National security is at the heart of our Plan for Change, and is essential for economic security, investor confidence and social stability.

    The Defence Secretary set out a package of measures to foster easier access to the defence market, including:

    • Defence Tech Scaler: A new Ministry of Defence Marketplace to drive innovations from idea to front line, with Enterprise Agreements for software, data and AI suppliers, to make it easier for innovative businesses, of all sizes, to do business with defence. As part of this, the Ministry of Defence has signed four Enterprise Agreements with firms including Adarga, Haedean, Oxford Dynamics and WhiteSpace – to a total value of up to £50 million.

    • Procurement Reform: A new segmented approach and radically faster targets for procurement in three areas: 1) major equipment – planes, tanks, ships – will go from an average of six to two years to get on contract; 2) upgrades to communications and weapons systems will go from an average of three to one year to get on contract, and 3) purchases of off-the-shelf kit – such as drones and software – will run in three-month cycles. For Armed Forces, this will mean they will get what they need when they need it, and for investors, it will mean a timelier return on investment.

    • Defence Innovation: A new innovation organisation, UK Defence Innovation, will help deliver cutting-edge technology to the Armed Forces and will be up and running by July this year, with a ring-fenced budget of £400 million this financial year.

    • Defence Industrial Joint Council, led by the Defence Secretary, will host its first meeting next month, and help co-ordinate public-private investment strategies – boosting investment into UK defence and delivering new jobs across Britain.

    These measures come as a new report shows the value of the defence industry to the wider UK economy. The report, published today, found that funding from the MoD’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to 461 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) resulted in nearly £600m in private investment and created 1,842 new jobs across the UK. £174 million was raised in 2024 alone, demonstrating defence as an engine for UK economic growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. DASA continues to fund and support SMEs developing defence technology innovations, particularly dual-use technologies serving both civilian and military needs.

    Daniel Maguire, Group Head, London Stock Exchange Group said: 

    The defence industry plays a vital role in the wider UK economy, supporting jobs and creating long-term value alongside ensuring our national security. We welcome the Government’s new measures and hope that LSEG can support in initiatives designed to help unlock capital for companies, boost growth, and promote innovation.

    Last month, the Government welcomed the launch of a new UK Defence and Economic Growth Task Force – led by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) CEO and consulting firm Oliver Wyman, and jointly chaired by the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Defence. The Task Force will meet for the first time this month to unlock the potential of the UK’s defence sector to drive long-term national growth, innovation, and economic resilience.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Well-known voice backs Manchester homelessness fund’s work to give homelessness the elbow

    Source: City of Manchester

    Guy Garvey has lent his distinctive voice to a short film promoting the work of a Manchester fund which helps people experiencing homelessness.

    The Elbow singer has provided the voiceover for the clip which highlights the work of Real Change MCR, a fund which helps people build new lives away from the streets.

    The Real Change MCR fund is accessed by more than 20 homelessness organisations and charities which provide support people who are, or have been, sleeping rough. 

    Grants are awarded to individuals to help them get off – and stay off – the streets. The money funds a wide range of practical support: From helping towards the deposit on a flat or the first month’s rent or buying furniture or essential household appliances to securing smart clothes or a training course to help get a job. 

    Since the Fund was launched it has raised almost £500,000 and helped more than 1750 people to move their lives forward. 

     James Charnock, The Chair of Real Change MCR said:
    “The plight of people who find themselves sleeping on the streets is something which moves us all. 100% of donations to the Real Change MCR Fund are used to provide direct grants to people in Manchester who are experiencing homelessness to support them off the streets. 

    “We would never discourage people from donating to the many charities who are doing good work in Manchester tackling homelessness, not least because we work closely with them.

    “But if you want to give differently, and to know that your donation will directly benefit someone in Manchester, please remember Real Change MCR. As this video illustrates, your small change can make a big difference.” 

    The short film can be viewed here: www.realchangemcr.co.uk  

    To find out more about Real Change MCR, or to make a donation, visit www.realchangemcr.co.uk  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USNH Sigonella and USNMRTU Bahrain Honor Nurses with Blessing of the Hands Ceremonies

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    SIGONELLA, Italy – On May 6, 2025, United States Naval Hospital (USNH) Sigonella and U.S. Naval Medical Readiness and Training Unit (USNMRTU) Bahrain marked the beginning of Nurses Week with solemn Blessing of the Hands ceremonies—a cherished tradition that recognizes the sacred role of nurses and corpsmen in healing and compassionate care.

    The ceremonies, led by Navy chaplains at each location, served as a spiritual and symbolic gesture to affirm the healing mission at the heart of military medicine. At USNH Sigonella, Lieutenant Pedro Fernandez Soto guided staff through the ritual, while in Bahrain, Lieutenant Commander James Hardy facilitated the event for deployed and stationed personnel.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BTCC Exchange Announces Proof of Reserves in April 2025, Demonstrating Powerful 161% Asset Backing for Security

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BTCC, the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchange, has recently released its Proof of Reserves (PoR) report for April 2025, demonstrating a robust 161% total reserve ratio. This step marks a significant advancement in BTCC’s commitment to transparency and security of user funds.

    The PoR report dated April 15, 2025 reveals that BTCC maintains reserves well above the 100% threshold across all major cryptocurrencies:

    • Bitcoin (BTC): 165%
    • Ethereum (ETH): 160%
    • Ripple (XRP): 135%
    • Tether (USDT): 162%
    • USD Coin (USDC): 142%
    • Cardano (ADA): 166%

    “The release of our Proof of Reserves report is a natural extension of BTCC’s foundational principles to being transparent,” said Alex, Head of Operations at BTCC Exchange. “We’re committed to increasing transparency around user assets and reinforcing our vision of making cryptocurrency trading reliable and accessible to everyone.”

    A reserve ratio exceeding 100% means users’ assets are not only fully backed 1:1, but over-collateralized—the exchange holds more assets in custody than all users collectively own.

    Proof of Reserves is an audit procedure that verifies the assets held by exchanges to ensure a minimum 1:1 backing of all user funds. BTCC employs the widely recognized Merkle Tree cryptographic tool for its proof of reserves, and users can verify that their assets are securely backed in the exchange’s reserves with the latest Merkle root hash available on the BTCC website.

    This release highlights BTCC’s unwavering commitment to industry transparency and accountability. The exchange will publish PoR report monthly to provide users with continuous verification of their asset security. This regular reporting establishes a new standard of openness for the exchange and demonstrates BTCC’s dedication to building lasting trust with its user community.

    BTCC has maintained an impeccable security record since its founding in 2011, operating for 14 years without a single security breach. As the exchange prepares to celebrate its 14th anniversary this year, this PoR release further solidifies its reputation as a trusted platform in secure cryptocurrency trading.

    About BTCC

    Founded in 2011, BTCC is one of the world’s longest-serving cryptocurrency exchanges, offering secure and user-friendly trading services to millions of users globally. With a commitment to security, innovation, and community building, BTCC continues to be a trusted platform in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

    Website: https://www.btcc.com/en-US

    X: https://x.com/BTCCexchange

    Contact: press@btcc.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2f857007-fb8e-421c-9555-d8be27a53009

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government celebrates geographers in seventh annual awards

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Government celebrates geographers in seventh annual awards

    The seventh Geography in Government awards took place on 12 May 2025

    The seventh annual Geography in Government Awards took place on Monday 12 May 2025 at Geovation in London, celebrating the work done by members of the geography profession across the public sector.

    These awards reflect the importance of geography and spatial thinking in the design and delivery of public policy and celebrates the successes of our members, who come from a diverse range of organisations.

    This year had a record number of nominations across the seven categories, the winners of those categories were;

    Communication

    This award is in collaboration with the British Cartographic Society and recognises excellence in communication of geographic content.

    • English offshore Marine Protected Area (MPA) byelaw work (stage 2), Marine Management Organisation.

    Innovation (joint winners)

    This award recognises excellence by a team or individual in advancing geography through the introduction and/or implementation of innovative methods.

    • Mapping peatland using AI and machine learning, Natural England
    • AI Predicted Historic Woodlands, Welsh Government

    Knowledge Driven Policy Making

    This award recognises the application of geographic knowledge and skills to develop excellent domestic or international policy-making in action and have an impact.

    • National Infrastructure Spatial Tool, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

    Local Impact

    This award is in collaboration with Geoplace and recognises the breadth and depth of geographical work undertaken at a local or regional level.

    • Report It, Westminster City Council

    Making a Difference (joint winners)

    This award recognises projects, teams or individuals whose efforts support sustained ‘business as usual’ work.

    • Improvements to Great Britain 1:50,000 air charts, Defence Geographic Centre, MOD
    • Cultural Lighting product to assist Amphibious Operations, Scotia Kaczor, UK Hydrographic Office

    Leading by Example

    This award recognises a team or individual who has made a difference within their work area through the application of geography or through promoting geography.

    • Transforming data processing in the marine domain to improve customer experience, Andrew Talbot, UK Hydrographic Office

    Rising Star

    This award is in collaboration with the Association for Geographic Information – Early Careers Network.

    This award is to recognise someone in the first five years of their career as a geographer in government or a public sector organisation, who has gone above and beyond what would be expected for someone of their experience or has championed the importance of applying a geographic approach.

    The three rising stars this year were;

    • Jasmine Elliot, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
    • Tyde D’Souza, Office for National Statistics
    • Gabriella Fasoli, Natural England

    Winner of Government in Geography Award 2025

    From all of the category winners, the winner of the Geography in Government Awards 2025, was won by;

    • National Infrastructure Spatial Tool, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

    The decision was announced at the ceremony, but they will also be presented with their award at the prestigious Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) medals and awards ceremony in June.

    David Wood, Head of Government Geography Profession said:

    It is great to recognise the outstanding contributions of our Government Geography Profession members every year. The awards emphasise the importance of space and place in policy design and implementation.

    If you are a crown, civil or public servant applying geographic principles in your work and would like to become a member of the Government Geography Profession, you can join via our members site.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville on Kudlow: “We’re so fortunate to have President Trump”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss how President Trump is delivering wins for the American people left and right.
    Read excerpts from the interview below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

    KUDLOW: “The great Alabama Senator, Mr. Tommy Tuberville. Senator Tuberville, welcome, sir, as always. You know, Charles Payne was on in the first segment of the show, and he was talking about ‘Pax Americana’ and, you know, listing things that Mr. Trump is getting done. India, Pakistan, perhaps a ceasefire deal, the last American hostage being released by Hamas, the potential for, you know, Zelensky-Putin meeting, Trump himself might broker it. President Trump will be in the Middle East and maybe something is cooking with Iran. Is there a ‘Pax Americana’ back on? Is Mr. Trump reordering the chaos of the world under Biden into something resembling, you know, peace and prosperity and America first?”
    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, Larry. Don’t forget about the Abraham Accords. I think that might be one of the reasons he’s going to see the Saudis and bounce around the Middle East, but I don’t know how he keeps up with it. It’s hard for us here in the States to keep up with what’s going on. From the tariffs to the wars to the, you know, great big beautiful bill—it is mind boggling. But I’m enjoying every bit of bit of it. The Democrats are running for cover. We dealt for four years with somebody that had no negotiation skills. Now we got somebody that just loves to do it. He eats and breathes it, and we’re so fortunate to have President Trump as President.”
    KUDLOW: “So, think about this, on the home front, I guess, but it’s also international affairs. Basically, in the same four- or five-day period, we got a very good trade deal with the United Kingdom, and we have a 90-day pause and a significant easing of tariffs with China and the US. What do you make of that?”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, and there’s about 30 to 35 [countries] Larry. I know for a fact they’re lined up ready to make deals with the United States. We’re controlling it, and we should, you know—[…] we’re the grocery store of the world. You know, we make everything in terms of being able to make it available to other people. Now, we’ve got to get in the manufacturing business again—that’s what President Trump’s doing all this for. But we’ve got to be choosy with it. But in my state of Alabama, I have people coming every day about new manufacturing ideas [saying] ‘We wanna move it here from either Ireland or Germany.’ It is amazing how much busier we are here in the Senate as Republicans [who are] wanting to bring [manufacturing] back and on the contrary of what the Democrats just tried to say, ‘No, we don’t want you here. We wanna raise all of our food out of the country, put our farmers out of business.’ It is totally different than what it was six months ago.”
    KUDLOW: “So, nobody really talks much about it, but President Trump has raised $4 or $5 trillion dollars for American investment. He’s gone to the Middle East and so forth. He’ll probably raise, I don’t know, a couple trillion dollars more. I’m just guessing, but that’s part of the deal. The tax changes, the tax policy coming out of the Ways and Means Committee will provide incentives for those people who invest in the United States. So, there’s a tide of onshoring that seems to be coming not only from foreign relations and trade relations, but also just tax incentive relations. Where, you know, this is unheard of. This is unseen. It all goes hand in glove. Trump is taking advantage of this. What do you make of it? Can it all pass the Senate? I guess that’s my final thought. Is it gonna get through the Senate?”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, all the tax incentives normally come from the states, in which they still do. President Trump’s doing it on a national level. You know, the Opportunity Zones, all those things that he’s put into place. But right now, they’re negotiating [potential reforms to] Medicare, Medicaid, all the things that everybody are a little bit worried about. But always remember this—there’s really, as we’ve looked at all this, it’s all about reform. We have algorithms now that can go into the Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid that can be hooked up to these machines that can make sure that we can cut out all this fraud and all this nonsense with people getting on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, that shouldn’t be on it. We’re not in the 20th century. This is the 21st century, and all those things will kick in this year. You don’t hear much talk about AI in that area, but Larry, we will get it passed. It’s gonna be tough. We have to get cuts. We cannot pass a bill that does not have cuts in it. We’ve got to cut back somewhere close to the 2019 budget [spending levels]. And if we don’t do that, I don’t know how we can save the country, but President Trump is all for that, but he wants to do it in the right spot.”
    KUDLOW: “But, Senator Tuberville, you know, able-bodied young men should not be on Medicaid. They should not be on Medicaid and the expansion of eligibility. So that’s not a cut really, sir. That’s enforcing the eligibility mandate, which Barack Obama tried to break. Now you all have a chance to put it back together again. And Medicaid is still gonna grow significantly. It’s just gonna grow by slightly less. It’s not really a cut. It’s just a slowdown in the phenomenal, bankrupting growth.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, illegals are on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Everything that goes along with people that, as you said, are sitting around at home, watching The View on television, getting [EBT] cards, food stamps, and on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid—that’s got to be over with. Our country is not gonna make it. We cannot afford [for] that to happen, and President Trump is all about that. That’s what the House is pushing very hard. All the reforms that you just talked about have to be in there, but we cannot afford to take care of the world. Let’s take care of the people in this country first and then we might be able to help outside our borders.”
    KUDLOW: “Actually, [if] we cut taxes and spending and have an investment-led boom and onshoring, the rest of the world might copy us. That’s what happened under Reagan. Anyway, Senator Tommy Tommy Tuberville. Thank you, sir, as always. We appreciate your wisdom.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Secretary-General – Remarks to the Ministerial Meeting on the Future of Peacekeeping

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    [Bilingual, as delivered]

    Dear Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, our generous hosts.

    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

    My thanks to Germany for bringing us together at this consequential moment.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Our organization was founded on the conviction that peace is possible if we work as one united human family.

    That is what our peace operations are about. 

    From preventive diplomacy to peacekeeping…

    From negotiating ceasefires to helping to implement them…

    From electoral support and observer missions to de-mining operations and protection of civilians…

    To the focus of today’s Ministerial meeting — peacekeeping.

    Excellencies,

    UN Blue Helmets are the most globally recognized symbol of the world’s ability to come together to help countries move from conflict to peace.

    Peacekeepers hail from every corner of the world.

    But they are united in their commitment to peace.

    As we meet today, UN peacekeepers are hard at work helping to ensure that ceasefires are respected…

    Protecting civilians caught in the line of fire…

    Helping provide the conditions for lifesaving aid to flow to those in need…

    And laying the foundations for long-term recovery.

    In trouble spots around the world, Blue Helmets can mean the difference between life and death.

    And they are also a clear demonstration of the power of multilateral action to maintain, achieve and sustain peace.

    There is a long list of countries that have achieved durable peace with the support of UN Peacekeeping — including Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Liberia, Namibia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Timor Leste.  

    Many of these countries now themselves contribute troops. 

    At the same time, we recognize that peace comes at a price.

    Through the decades, 4,400 peacekeepers have fallen in the line of duty.

    Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.  

    Please join me in a moment of silence to honour all those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace.

    [MOMENT OF SILENCE]

    Thank you.

    Excellencies,

    We owe it to peacekeepers — and the populations they protect — to continue strengthening their ability to answer this call to peace.

    And to do so in the face of daunting challenges.

    Complex, intertwined and frequently borderless conflicts…

    Growing polarization and division around the globe…

    Targeting of peacekeepers through deadly misinformation spreading through social media…

    Terrorism and transnational crime, which find fertile ground in instability…

    The ongoing climate crisis that is exacerbating conflict while leaving more of the planet uninhabitable…

    All the continued trampling of international law and international humanitarian law.

    As a result, we are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the foundation of the United Nations, and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge.

    We must recognize that peacekeeping operations are only as effective as the mandates directing them, and can struggle in contexts where political support and clearly defined outcomes and solutions are absent or elusive.

    Meanwhile, we see increasing differences of views around how peacekeeping operations should work, under what circumstances, with what mandates they should be deployed, and for how long.

    And we face dramatic financial constraints across the board.

    We’ve worked to adapt in the face of these challenges.

    But we need to do more.

    Today, I want to highlight three areas of focus.

    First — help us shape peacekeeping operations that are fit for the future.     

    The Pact for the Future called for a Review of Peace Operations — including peacekeeping.

    The review will examine how we can make peacekeeping operations more adaptable, flexible and resilient — while recognizing the limitations in situations where there is little or no peace to keep.

    It will also aim to critically examine the tools we have today and propose concrete recommendations to make them fit for the future.  

    Through this review, we must ensure that the United Nations is prepared to deploy peace operations tailored to each individual conflict, while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.

    We can draw inspiration from our UNIFIL operation, which recently developed an adaptation plan to keep peace along the Blue Line, and ensure lifesaving aid can flow to civilians in southern Lebanon.

    In the Central African Republic, we see MINUSCA protecting civilians and assisting the government to extend its reach beyond the capital where people are in desperate need. 

    In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite ongoing fighting, UN Peacekeepers remain in the field, protecting vulnerable populations. 

    We’re also seeking efficiencies through partnerships — from Member States to regional and sub-regional organizations, to local communities.

    Most important among them is our strong partnership with the African Union.

    Security Council resolution 2719 has lifted this partnership to a new level as we work to establish peace enforcement missions under the AU’s responsibility, supported by the United Nations through assessed contributions.

    Today, the Review of Peace Operations will need to be informed — and inspired — by your views.

    Member States make peacekeeping possible.

    They must lead the way as we strengthen it for the future.

    Second — as we make our operations more adaptable and flexible, we need to do the same in the use of our resources.

    Peace operations can only succeed when backed by robust mandates and clear, predictable and sustained contributions, both financial and logistical. 

    But these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.

    Peacekeeping is no exception.

    It is crucial that we are able to use the increasingly limited resources we have — and use them well.

    That requires more flexible rules and processes.

    This means updating our approach to abolishing or establishing positions, and working with troop-contributing countries to ensure we can deliver.

    It means working with Member States and the UN Security Council to ensure that any new mandates are prioritized and achievable with the resources available and with a clear exit strategy.

    And it means driving efficiencies and improvements across our work in light of the continued funding challenges we face.

    Our Review of Peace Operations will work hand-in-hand with our UN80 initiative, to ensure we maximize efficiencies wherever possible, supported at every step by Member States.

    We look forward to your governments’ support and ideas as we tackle these challenges together.

    Troisièmement, nous avons besoin de votre soutien politique – qui passe notamment par les engagements que vous prendrez demain.

    Sans solution politique, les opérations de paix sont vouées à l’échec.

    Ensemble, nous devons rallier un soutien accru en faveur des solutions politiques pour toutes les missions de maintien de la paix.

    Faire avancer ces solutions politiques nécessite d’avoir les moyens nécessaires pour mener à bien nos opérations – notamment un soutien politique unifié de la part des États Membres, un leadership fort, des troupes bien préparées, du matériel et des technologies.

    Ces éléments peuvent renforcer nos opérations et améliorer sensiblement la vie des gens.

    Cela nécessite aussi un soutien de tous les États membres pour assurer la sécurité des Casques bleus sur le terrain, ainsi que le plein respect des privilèges et immunités pertinentes de notre Organisation et de son personnel.

    Nous sommes profondément reconnaissants de votre soutien et des contributions concrètes que nombre d’entre vous annonceront demain.

    Excellences,

    Le budget des opérations de la paix des Nations Unies, réparti entre les 193 États Membres, ne représente qu’une infime partie des dépenses militaires mondiales – environ 0,5 %. Ces opérations demeurent donc l’un des moyens les plus efficaces et les plus économiques de consolider la paix et la sécurité internationales.

    Toutefois, leur force est tributaire de l’engagement des États Membres à leur égard.

    Malheureusement, les opérations de maintien de la paix sont soumises a un sérieux problème de liquidité. Il est absolument essentiel que tous les Etats Membres respectent leurs obligations financières en payant les contributions intégralement et dans les temps.

    Aujourd’hui plus que jamais, le monde a besoin de l’ONU.

    Et l’ONU a besoin que les opérations de maintien de la paix disposent de tous les moyens nécessaires pour faire face aux réalités d’aujourd’hui et relever les défis de demain.

    Ensemble, faisons en sorte que les opérations de maintien de la paix de l’ONU répondent aux défis du moment, aux attentes des États Membres, et aux besoins légitimes de nos soldates et soldats de la paix – et des personnes à qui ils viennent en aide.

    Je vous remercie.

    Full translation in English.

    Full translation in French.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures Historic $600 Billion Investment Commitment in Saudi Arabia

    Source: The White House

    STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY:
    Today in Saudi Arabia, President Donald J. Trump announced Saudi Arabia’s $600-billion commitment to invest in the United States, building economic ties that will endure for generations to come. The first deals under the announcement strengthen our energy security, defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals. 

    • The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
    • From day one, President Trump’s America First Trade and Investment Policy has put the American economy, the American worker, and our national security first.
    • The following represent just a few of the many transformative deals secured in Saudi Arabia:
      • Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.
      • Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries.
      • Iconic American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in U.S. services exports.
      • Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.
      • In the healthcare sector, Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC will be investing $5.8 billion, including a plant in Michigan to launch a high-capacity IV fluid facility.
      • Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with a strong emphasis on U.S. deployment—such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund—each channeling substantial capital into American industries, driving innovation, and creating high-quality jobs across the United States.
    • Underscoring our commitment to strengthening our defense and security partnership, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history—nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms.
      • The sales that we intend to complete fall into five broad categories: (1) air force advancement and space capabilities, (2) air and missile defense, (3) maritime and coastal security, (4) border security and land forces modernization, and (5) information and communication systems upgrades. 
      • The package also includes extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and military medical services.
      • This deal represents a significant investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense and regional security, built on American systems and training.
    • The United States and Saudi Arabia celebrate these and many other deals today as a result of the growing momentum of the last four months. The total package has quickly built to more than $600 billion–the largest set of commercial agreements on record between the two countries.

    UNLOCKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH DEEPER ALLIANCES: The strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia has grown increasingly robust over the past eight decades since the meeting between King Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on board the USS Quincy, the 80th anniversary of which was celebrated earlier this year.

    • Saudi Arabia is one of the United States’ largest trading partners in the Middle East.
      • Saudi direct investment in the United States totaled $9.5 billion in 2023, focused on the transportation, real estate, and automotive sectors.
      • In 2024, U.S.-Saudi Arabia goods trade totaled $25.9 billion, with U.S. exports at $13.2 billion, imports at $12.7 billion, and a trade surplus in goods of $443 million. 
    • The United States and Saudi Arabia share a commitment to deeper economic integration, underscoring the Kingdom’s pledge of expanding cooperation in critical sectors such as health, energy, and science.
      • The U.S. Department of Energy and the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have concluded an agreement for cooperation in the field of energy.  This agreement builds upon their strong existing relationship; it will focus collaboration on examining the potential for innovation, development, financing, and deployment of energy infrastructure.
      • The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Department of Energy of the United States of America have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to collaborate on mining and mineral resources.  The agreement contributes to economic development and the diversification and resilience of critical mineral supply chains.
      • NASA and the Saudi Space Agency have signed an agreement for a CubeSat to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight. Saudi Arabia’s CubeSat will measure aspects of space weather at a range of distances from Earth and deploy in high Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on the Space Launch System rocket after the Orion spacecraft is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts.
      • The United States and Saudi Arabia recently agreed to modernize the Air Transport Agreement to allow U.S. airlines to carry cargo between Saudi Arabia and third countries without needing to stop in the United States, an important right for cargo hub operations. Saudi carriers will have the same rights to serve the United States.
    • The United States and Saudi Arabia further underscored their commitment to deeper cultural, educational, and scientific partnerships through the signing of agreements between the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art and the Royal Commission for AlUla on collaborative research and an exhibition focused on artifacts from ancient Dadan in AlUla, and between the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Royal Commission for AlUla to support the conservation of the endangered Arabian leopard through creation of a dedicated exhibit in Washington, D.C.
    • Saudi Arabia remains our largest Foreign Military Sales partner with active cases valued at more than $129 billion.
      • Our defense relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever under President Trump’s leadership, and the package signed today, the largest defense cooperation deal in U.S. history, is a clear demonstration of our commitment to strengthening our partnership.
      • The agreement opens the door for expanded U.S. defense industry participation and long-term sustainment partnerships with Saudi entities.
    • The deepening United States-Saudi Arabia partnership reflects a joint vision for long-term prosperity and employment opportunities in both nations.

    BUILDING ON A RECORD OF WINNING AT HOME AND ABROAD: President Trump is delivering on his promise to Make America Great Again by catalyzing investment and negotiating fair trade deals to accelerate American employment and prosperity.

    • President Trump is the dealmaker in chief, and he has once again secured a historic deal that strengthens America’s economic dominance and global influence. 
    • This comes just one week after President Trump announced a U.S.-UK trade agreement that levels the playing field, creates jobs, and opens market access with the United Kingdom.
    • Leading up to this historic deal, President Trump had already secured trillions in U.S.-based investments, setting the stage for a new era of American prosperity.
    • The $600 billion in Saudi investment in the United States builds on President Trump’s record in 2017 of securing billions in commercial deals and agreements with Saudi Arabia for the defense, energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces Genentech Will Build New Manufacturing Plant in Wake County Creating 400 Jobs

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces Genentech Will Build New Manufacturing Plant in Wake County Creating 400 Jobs

    Governor Stein Announces Genentech Will Build New Manufacturing Plant in Wake County Creating 400 Jobs
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Governor Josh Stein announced today that Genentech, one of the world’s premiere biotechnology companies, will invest $700 million to build a new manufacturing plant in Holly Springs, creating 400 jobs.

    “World-class companies like Genentech recognize that North Carolina is a leading state for biotechnology,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These companies know that our life science workforce is ready to help them deliver their cutting-edge medicines to the world. We are proud to welcome Genetech to North Carolina.”

    Genentech, with headquarters in South San Francisco, California, is a member of Switzerland’s Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and is considered the original biotechnology pioneer. For more than 40 years the company has pursued groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious or life-threatening diseases. Genentech’s project in Holly Springs will establish a new 700,000 sq. ft. high-volume fill-finish operation to support its existing product portfolio as well as its future pipeline, allowing the company to meet growing demand for its medicines.

    “Genentech would like to thank Governor Stein and Commerce Secretary Lilley for their support and for welcoming us to North Carolina. We are thrilled to establish this relationship with the city of Holly Springs, where we will create new manufacturing and construction jobs while making a broader positive impact on the local economy and community for many years to come,” said Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee. “Our new facility will serve as an important new setting within our manufacturing network to help deliver on the promise of our company’s life-changing science and industry-leading pipeline.”

    “Genentech siting its first East Coast production facility in North Carolina is a gamechanger for our already strong biotechnology sector,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Thanks to amazing state leadership from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and continued investments in workforce and infrastructure, these kinds of successes breed great jobs and great therapies that make the world a healthier place.”

    Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $119,833, compared with an average wage in Wake County of $76,643. The new positions will bring an annual payroll impact to the community of more than $50 million per year.

    The company’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $3 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and the capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $9,846,750, spread over 12 years and based on the creation of 420 jobs. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 230 per cent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $3.30 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company. 

    Because Genentech chose to expand in Wake County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $3,282,250 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Wake, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

    “Our momentum in biotech is off the charts as these new jobs and new investment come to Holly Springs,” said N.C. Senator Lisa Grafstein. “Genentech is a renowned brand in the industry, and we welcome the company to our growing family of life science partners.”

    “Economic development success takes teamwork, and I’m proud of the many local, regional, and state organizations that worked hard to bring Genentech to our community,” said N.C. Representative Ya Liu. “We look forward to seeing this innovative company put down roots and grow in Holly Springs, Wake County, and North Carolina.”

    Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, N.C. State University, Duke Energy, Enbridge Gas North Carolina, Capital Area Workforce Development, Wake Tech, the Town of Holly Springs, Wake County, and Wake County Economic Development, a program of the Greater Raleigh Chamber.  

    May 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Ministerial Meeting on the Future of Peacekeeping [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    ear Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, our generous hosts.

     
    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
     
    My thanks to Germany for bringing us together at this consequential moment.
     
    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.
     
    Our organization was founded on the conviction that peace is possible if we work as one united human family.
     
    That is what our peace operations are about. 
     
    From preventive diplomacy to peacekeeping…
     
    From negotiating ceasefires to helping to implement them…
     
    From electoral support and observer missions to de-mining operations and protection of civilians…
     
    To the focus of today’s Ministerial meeting — peacekeeping.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    UN Blue Helmets are the most globally recognized symbol of the world’s ability to come together to help countries move from conflict to peace.
     
    Peacekeepers hail from every corner of the world.
     
    But they are united in their commitment to peace.
     
    As we meet today, UN peacekeepers are hard at work helping to ensure that ceasefires are respected…
     
    Protecting civilians caught in the line of fire…
     
    Helping provide the conditions for lifesaving aid to flow to those in need…
     
    And laying the foundations for long-term recovery.
     
    In trouble spots around the world, Blue Helmets can mean the difference between life and death.
     
    And they are also a clear demonstration of the power of multilateral action to maintain, achieve and sustain peace.
     
    There is a long list of countries that have achieved durable peace with the support of UN Peacekeeping — including Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Liberia, Namibia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Timor Leste.  
     
    Many of these countries now themselves contribute troops. 
     
    At the same time, we recognize that peace comes at a price.
     
    Through the decades, 4,400 peacekeepers have fallen in the line of duty.
     
    Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.  
     
    Please join me in a moment of silence to honour all those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace.
     
    [MOMENT OF SILENCE]
     
    Thank you.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    We owe it to peacekeepers — and the populations they protect — to continue strengthening their ability to answer this call to peace.
     
    And to do so in the face of daunting challenges.
     
    Complex, intertwined and frequently borderless conflicts…
     
    Growing polarization and division around the globe…
     
    Targeting of peacekeepers through deadly misinformation spreading through social media…
     
    Terrorism and transnational crime, which find fertile ground in instability…
     
    The ongoing climate crisis that is exacerbating conflict while leaving more of the planet uninhabitable…
     
    All the continued trampling of international law and international humanitarian law.
     
    As a result, we are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the foundation of the United Nations, and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge.
     
    We must recognize that peacekeeping operations are only as effective as the mandates directing them, and can struggle in contexts where political support and clearly defined outcomes and solutions are absent or elusive.
     
    Meanwhile, we see increasing differences of views around how peacekeeping operations should work, under what circumstances, with what mandates they should be deployed, and for how long.
     
    And we face dramatic financial constraints across the board.
     
    We’ve worked to adapt in the face of these challenges.
     
    But we need to do more.
     
    Today, I want to highlight three areas of focus.
     
    First — help us shape peacekeeping operations that are fit for the future.     
     
    The Pact for the Future called for a Review of Peace Operations — including peacekeeping.
     
    The review will examine how we can make peacekeeping operations more adaptable, flexible and resilient — while recognizing the limitations in situations where there is little or no peace to keep.
     
    It will also aim to critically examine the tools we have today and propose concrete recommendations to make them fit for the future.  
     
    Through this review, we must ensure that the United Nations is prepared to deploy peace operations tailored to each individual conflict, while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
     
    We can draw inspiration from our UNIFIL operation, which recently developed an adaptation plan to keep peace along the Blue Line, and ensure lifesaving aid can flow to civilians in southern Lebanon.
     
    In the Central African Republic, we see MINUSCA protecting civilians and assisting the government to extend its reach beyond the capital where people are in desperate need. 
     
    In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite ongoing fighting, UN Peacekeepers remain in the field, protecting vulnerable populations. 
     
    We’re also seeking efficiencies through partnerships — from Member States to regional and sub-regional organizations, to local communities.
     
    Most important among them is our strong partnership with the African Union.
     
    Security Council resolution 2719 has lifted this partnership to a new level as we work to establish peace enforcement missions under the AU’s responsibility, supported by the United Nations through assessed contributions.
     
    Today, the Review of Peace Operations will need to be informed — and inspired — by your views.
     
    Member States make peacekeeping possible.
     
    They must lead the way as we strengthen it for the future.
     
    Second — as we make our operations more adaptable and flexible, we need to do the same in the use of our resources.

    Peace operations can only succeed when backed by robust mandates and clear, predictable and sustained contributions, both financial and logistical. 
     
    But these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.
     
    Peacekeeping is no exception.
     
    It is crucial that we are able to use the increasingly limited resources we have — and use them well.
     
    That requires more flexible rules and processes.
     
    This means updating our approach to abolishing or establishing positions, and working with troop-contributing countries to ensure we can deliver.
     
    It means working with Member States and the UN Security Council to ensure that any new mandates are prioritized and achievable with the resources available and with a clear exit strategy.
     
    And it means driving efficiencies and improvements across our work in light of the continued funding challenges we face.
     
    Our Review of Peace Operations will work hand-in-hand with our UN80 initiative, to ensure we maximize efficiencies wherever possible, supported at every step by Member States.
     
    We look forward to your governments’ support and ideas as we tackle these challenges together.

    Third — we need your political support, including through the pledges you will make tomorrow.

    Peace operations cannot succeed in the absence of a political solution.

    Together we need to mobilize greater support for political solutions across our peacekeeping missions. 

    Pursuing these political solutions requires adequate means of delivering our operations — including unified political support from Member States, strong leadership, well-trained troops, equipment and technology.

    These can strengthen our operations, and make a real difference in people’s lives.

    And it requires the support of all Member States to ensure the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers in the field, and the full implementation of the relevant privileges and immunities of the Organization and its personnel.

    We are deeply grateful for the support and for the concrete pledges so many of you will announce here tomorrow.

    Excellencies,

    With a budget shared by all 193 Member States and representing a tiny fraction of global military spending — around one half of one per cent — UN Peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.

    But it’s only as strong as Member States’ commitment to it.

    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. 

    Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations.

    And the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges. 

    Together, let’s shape the UN peacekeeping operations that the challenges require, that Member States demand, and that our peacekeepers and the people they support need and deserve.
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Legalization of illegal income becomes more complicated – Russia restricts transfers without opening an account

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Mainfin Bank –

    How will the transfer limit work?

    Amendments to Federal Law No. 115 will come into effect in Russia on May 30 – the previously adopted document proposes the introduction of the following restrictions:

    the limit for sending funds without opening an account, including through various money transfer systems, will be 100 thousand rubles; a similar limit will apply to wallets and accounts with simplified identification; for transfers in foreign currency, a limit equivalent to the specified amount will also be set.

    There are currently no such limits for transferring funds – if a client wants to send an amount over 15 thousand rubles, he only needs to provide passport details. With smaller amounts, the situation is even more anonymous – identification is not required for sending.

    Why is a new limit being introduced for transfers?

    The authors of the bill, which provides for a limit on transfers without identification or opening a bank account, are confident that the measure will help in the fight against money laundering and the sponsorship of terrorist activities. It will now be more difficult for criminals to send large sums – they will have to make many small transactions, which can also attract attention from jar.

    “Transfers without identification are rarely used by bona fide clients due to high fees – sending funds often requires paying 3-5%, while transactions between accounts are much more profitable,” the lawyer noted.

    Russians were reminded of the possibility of sending money from one account to another or from cards to the card – restrictions will not apply to such transactions. Moreover, the commission for interbank transfers is on average up to 1%, and you can send funds via the SBP free of charge (with a commission of 0.5% when exceeding the limits).

    15:00 05/13/2025

    Source:

    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: //Mainfin.ru/novosti/ Legalization-nezakonnaya-renewal-is sunk-in-Russia-restore-translates-bez-open-account-accounts

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU sets out steps towards introducing a joint European degree

    Source: European Union 2

    EU education ministers have laid the groundwork for establishing a joint European degree label and set out the next steps towards introducing a joint European degree. This would boost the attractiveness and competitiveness of European higher education on a global scale.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: 2025 Helsinki OLAF Conference

    Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

    The Conference will host both panel discussions and interactive workshops bringing together leading experts from OLAF, the European Commission, and Member States to discuss the most recent and upcoming developments in administrative investigations into expenditure fraud and irregularities and anti-fraud policy. 

    The Conference will focus on shaping the EU anti-fraud landscape, also covering the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Cohesion policy funds, Artificial Intelligence and possible future performance-based EU funding instruments. We intend to take stock of the latest developments in the areas such as conflict of interest, anti-money laundering or detecting, and reporting fraud and irregularities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Major Review of the Judicial Salary Structure: Terms of Reference

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Major Review of the Judicial Salary Structure: Terms of Reference

    The Lord Chancellor writes to the Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body setting out the Terms of Reference for the Major Review of Judicial Salary Structure.

    Applies to England and Wales

    Documents

    Letter from the Lord Chancellor to Lea Paterson CBE

    PDF, 104 KB, 2 pages

    Major Review of the Judicial Salary Structure: Terms of Reference

    PDF, 167 KB, 4 pages

    Annex A: List of judicial offices in scope of the Major Review

    PDF, 154 KB, 7 pages

    Details

    This letter to the Chair of the SSRB announces the Terms of Reference for the Major Review of the Judicial Salary Structure. The Terms of Reference sets out the purpose, remit and scope of the Major Review.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 May 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China, Brazil Issue Joint Statement on Ukraine Crisis

    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 13 (Xinhua) — China and Brazil on Tuesday issued a joint statement on the crisis in Ukraine.

    The statement said China and Brazil welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal on May 10 to begin peace talks and the positive response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    China and Brazil hope that Russia and Ukraine will begin direct dialogue as soon as possible, which is the only way to end the conflict, the statement said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Ministerial Meeting on the Future of Peacekeeping [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    Dear Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, our generous hosts.

     
    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
     
    My thanks to Germany for bringing us together at this consequential moment.
     
    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.
     
    Our organization was founded on the conviction that peace is possible if we work as one united human family.
     
    That is what our peace operations are about. 
     
    From preventive diplomacy to peacekeeping…
     
    From negotiating ceasefires to helping to implement them…
     
    From electoral support and observer missions to de-mining operations and protection of civilians…
     
    To the focus of today’s Ministerial meeting — peacekeeping.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    UN Blue Helmets are the most globally recognized symbol of the world’s ability to come together to help countries move from conflict to peace.
     
    Peacekeepers hail from every corner of the world.
     
    But they are united in their commitment to peace.
     
    As we meet today, UN peacekeepers are hard at work helping to ensure that ceasefires are respected…
     
    Protecting civilians caught in the line of fire…
     
    Helping provide the conditions for lifesaving aid to flow to those in need…
     
    And laying the foundations for long-term recovery.
     
    In trouble spots around the world, Blue Helmets can mean the difference between life and death.
     
    And they are also a clear demonstration of the power of multilateral action to maintain, achieve and sustain peace.
     
    There is a long list of countries that have achieved durable peace with the support of UN Peacekeeping — including Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Liberia, Namibia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Timor Leste.  
     
    Many of these countries now themselves contribute troops. 
     
    At the same time, we recognize that peace comes at a price.
     
    Through the decades, 4,400 peacekeepers have fallen in the line of duty.
     
    Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.  
     
    Please join me in a moment of silence to honour all those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace.
     
    [MOMENT OF SILENCE]
     
    Thank you.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    We owe it to peacekeepers — and the populations they protect — to continue strengthening their ability to answer this call to peace.
     
    And to do so in the face of daunting challenges.
     
    Complex, intertwined and frequently borderless conflicts…
     
    Growing polarization and division around the globe…
     
    Targeting of peacekeepers through deadly misinformation spreading through social media…
     
    Terrorism and transnational crime, which find fertile ground in instability…
     
    The ongoing climate crisis that is exacerbating conflict while leaving more of the planet uninhabitable…
     
    All the continued trampling of international law and international humanitarian law.
     
    As a result, we are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the foundation of the United Nations, and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge.
     
    We must recognize that peacekeeping operations are only as effective as the mandates directing them, and can struggle in contexts where political support and clearly defined outcomes and solutions are absent or elusive.
     
    Meanwhile, we see increasing differences of views around how peacekeeping operations should work, under what circumstances, with what mandates they should be deployed, and for how long.
     
    And we face dramatic financial constraints across the board.
     
    We’ve worked to adapt in the face of these challenges.
     
    But we need to do more.
     
    Today, I want to highlight three areas of focus.
     
    First — help us shape peacekeeping operations that are fit for the future.     
     
    The Pact for the Future called for a Review of Peace Operations — including peacekeeping.
     
    The review will examine how we can make peacekeeping operations more adaptable, flexible and resilient — while recognizing the limitations in situations where there is little or no peace to keep.
     
    It will also aim to critically examine the tools we have today and propose concrete recommendations to make them fit for the future.  
     
    Through this review, we must ensure that the United Nations is prepared to deploy peace operations tailored to each individual conflict, while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
     
    We can draw inspiration from our UNIFIL operation, which recently developed an adaptation plan to keep peace along the Blue Line, and ensure lifesaving aid can flow to civilians in southern Lebanon.
     
    In the Central African Republic, we see MINUSCA protecting civilians and assisting the government to extend its reach beyond the capital where people are in desperate need. 
     
    In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite ongoing fighting, UN Peacekeepers remain in the field, protecting vulnerable populations. 
     
    We’re also seeking efficiencies through partnerships — from Member States to regional and sub-regional organizations, to local communities.
     
    Most important among them is our strong partnership with the African Union.
     
    Security Council resolution 2719 has lifted this partnership to a new level as we work to establish peace enforcement missions under the AU’s responsibility, supported by the United Nations through assessed contributions.
     
    Today, the Review of Peace Operations will need to be informed — and inspired — by your views.
     
    Member States make peacekeeping possible.
     
    They must lead the way as we strengthen it for the future.
     
    Second — as we make our operations more adaptable and flexible, we need to do the same in the use of our resources.

    Peace operations can only succeed when backed by robust mandates and clear, predictable and sustained contributions, both financial and logistical. 
     
    But these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.
     
    Peacekeeping is no exception.
     
    It is crucial that we are able to use the increasingly limited resources we have — and use them well.
     
    That requires more flexible rules and processes.
     
    This means updating our approach to abolishing or establishing positions, and working with troop-contributing countries to ensure we can deliver.
     
    It means working with Member States and the UN Security Council to ensure that any new mandates are prioritized and achievable with the resources available and with a clear exit strategy.
     
    And it means driving efficiencies and improvements across our work in light of the continued funding challenges we face.
     
    Our Review of Peace Operations will work hand-in-hand with our UN80 initiative, to ensure we maximize efficiencies wherever possible, supported at every step by Member States.
     
    We look forward to your governments’ support and ideas as we tackle these challenges together.

    Third — we need your political support, including through the pledges you will make tomorrow.

    Peace operations cannot succeed in the absence of a political solution.

    Together we need to mobilize greater support for political solutions across our peacekeeping missions. 

    Pursuing these political solutions requires adequate means of delivering our operations — including unified political support from Member States, strong leadership, well-trained troops, equipment and technology.

    These can strengthen our operations, and make a real difference in people’s lives.

    And it requires the support of all Member States to ensure the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers in the field, and the full implementation of the relevant privileges and immunities of the Organization and its personnel.

    We are deeply grateful for the support and for the concrete pledges so many of you will announce here tomorrow.

    Excellencies,

    With a budget shared by all 193 Member States and representing a tiny fraction of global military spending — around one half of one per cent — UN Peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.

    But it’s only as strong as Member States’ commitment to it.

    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. 

    Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations.

    And the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges. 

    Together, let’s shape the UN peacekeeping operations that the challenges require, that Member States demand, and that our peacekeepers and the people they support need and deserve.
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Ministers to Tackle Energy Investment Gap at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, May 13, 2025/APO Group/ —

    At Invest in African Energy 2025, a high-level ministerial panel will bring together energy ministers from Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe to examine the capital requirements and strategic partnerships needed to bring Africa’s next generation of energy projects online.

    Set against a backdrop of evolving global energy dynamics and intensifying pressure to meet net-zero targets, the session – “Africa on the Global Energy Stage: Financing the Next Generation of Energy Projects” – will explore how African nations are navigating complex investment landscapes to drive sustainable hydrocarbon development. Moderated by NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, the discussion will feature Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) of Nigeria; Malam Sambu, Minister of Energy of Guinea-Bissau; Wivine Moleka, Deputy Minister of Hydrocarbons of the DRC; and July Moyo, Minister of Energy & Power Development of Zimbabwe.

    IAE 2025 (apo-opa.co/4iXGe3C) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Nigeria, which holds the largest natural gas reserves in Africa, is advancing its “Decade of Gas” agenda under a reform-oriented administration working to reposition the country as a global gas hub. The government is prioritizing infrastructure development, market liberalization and targeted policy incentives to draw large-scale investment into the sector, which has already led to major capital commitments from international players including Shell, Chevron and TotalEnergies, and the rollout of new LNG, FLNG and mini-LNG projects.

    In Guinea-Bissau, the energy sector is entering a new phase of exploration and frontier investment. As one of the continent’s least developed hydrocarbon markets, the country is laying the institutional and regulatory foundations for future growth, with an emphasis on public-private collaboration and regional integration. Last September, Guinea-Bissau spudded a deep offshore exploration well near the neighboring Sangomar discovery in Senegal, marking a significant step toward unlocking its offshore potential.

    The DRC, meanwhile, is pushing to unlock the potential of its underexplored hydrocarbon basins. With a renewed focus on exploration and development, the DRC is pursuing strategic licensing efforts and engaging international partners to accelerate activity, while also seeking to balance environmental considerations with its economic development goals.

    Zimbabwe continues to prioritize energy diversification and regional power security. In recent years, the country has undertaken efforts to expand its generation capacity and foster investment through independent power producers and infrastructure partnerships. As southern Africa faces persistent energy shortfalls, Zimbabwe is positioning itself as a critical part of the regional solution. Together, Africa’s leading energy ministers will engage in a forward-looking dialogue on innovative partnership models, policy frameworks and the capital flows needed to ensure Africa’s energy projects not only get off the ground, but also deliver long-term value for both investors and local economies.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: USNH Sigonella and USNMRTU Bahrain Honor Nurses with Blessing of the Hands Ceremonies

    Source: United States Navy

    SIGONELLA, Italy – On May 6, 2025, United States Naval Hospital (USNH) Sigonella and U.S. Naval Medical Readiness and Training Unit (USNMRTU) Bahrain marked the beginning of Nurses Week with solemn Blessing of the Hands ceremonies—a cherished tradition that recognizes the sacred role of nurses and corpsmen in healing and compassionate care.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics combines activity tracking and high-impact sensing in miniature AI-enabled sensor for personal electronics and IoT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STMicroelectronics combines activity tracking and high-impact sensing
    in miniature AI-enabled sensor for personal electronics and IoT

    Industry-first inertial measurement unit (IMU) with dual MEMS accelerometer
    and embedded AI measures accurately up to 320g full-scale range

    Geneva, Switzerland, May 13, 2025 — STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has revealed an inertial measurement unit that combines sensors tuned for activity tracking and high-g impact measurement in a single, space-saving package. Devices equipped with this module can allow applications to fully reconstruct any event with high accuracy and so provide more features and superior user experiences. Now that it’s here, markets can expect powerful new capabilities to emerge in mobiles, wearables, and consumer medical products, as well as equipment for smart homes, smart industry, and smart driving.

    The new LSM6DSV320X sensor is an industry first in a regular-sized module (3mm x 2.5mm) with embedded AI processing and continuous registration of movements and impacts. Leveraging ST’s sustained investment in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) design, the innovative dual-accelerometer device ensures high accuracy for activity tracking up to 16g and impact detection up to 320g.

    “We continue to unleash more and more of the potential in our cutting-edge AI MEMS sensors to enhance the performance and energy efficiency of today’s leading smart applications,” said Simone Ferri, APMS Group VP, MEMS Sub-Group General Manager at STMicroelectronics. “Our new inertial module with unique dual-sensing capability enables smarter interactions and brings greater flexibility and precision to devices and applications such as smartphones, wearables, smart tags, asset monitors, event data recorders, and larger infrastructure.”

    The LSM6DSV320X extends the family of sensors that contain ST’s machine-learning core (MLC), the embedded AI processor that handles inference directly in the sensor to lower system power consumption and enhance application performance. It features two accelerometers, designed for coexistence and optimal performance using advanced techniques unique to ST. One of these accelerometers is optimized for best resolution in activity tracking, with maximum range of ±16g, while the other can measure up to ±320g to quantify severe shocks such as collisions or high-impact events.

    By covering an extremely wide sensing range with uncompromised accuracy throughout, all in one tiny device, ST’s new AI MEMS sensor will let consumer and IoT devices provide even more features while retaining a stylish or wearable form factor. An activity tracker can provide performance monitoring within normal ranges, as well as measuring high impacts for safety in contact sports, adding value for consumers and professional/semi-pro athletes. Other consumer-market opportunities include gaming controllers, enhancing the user’s experience by detecting rapid movements and impacts, as well as smart tags for attaching to items and recording movement, vibrations, and shocks to ensure their safety, security, and integrity.

    With its wide acceleration measurement range, ST’s sensor will also enable new generations of smart devices for sectors such as consumer healthcare and industrial safety. Potential applications include personal protection devices for workers in hazardous environments, assessing the severity of falls or impacts. Other uses include equipment for accurately assessing the health of structures such as buildings and bridges.

    The sensor’s high integration simplifies product design and manufacture, enabling advanced monitors to enter their target markets at competitive prices. Designers can create slim, lightweight form factors that are easy to wear or attach to equipment.

    Notes to editors
    The 2.5mm x 3mm LSM6DSV320X integrates three micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, comprising the ±16g and ±320g accelerometers and a MEMS gyroscope with ±4000dps range. The sensors are fully synchronized, making the modules easy to use and helping to simplify application development.

    In addition to the MLC, which handles energy-efficient context awareness, the LSM6DSV320X integrates a finite state machine (FSM) that helps perform motion tracking in the module. The digital circuitry also includes ST’s Sensor Fusion Low-Power (SFLP) technology for spatial orientation.

    Like other smart MEMS sensors in ST’s portfolio, the LSM6DSV320X features adaptive self-configuration (ASC) to optimize power consumption. Sensors with ASC can automatically adjust their settings in real-time upon detecting a specific motion pattern or signal from the MLC, without intervention from the host processor.

    To facilitate tracking high-intensity impacts and at the same time maximize the accuracy on low-g events, ST has also created and patented the Motion XLF software library which fuses data from the low-g accelerometer and high-g accelerometer. Customers’ engineering teams can use the software freely in their designs using the X-CUBE-MEMS1 package. ST also provides, free of charge, graphical design tools that help evaluate, configure, and test the LSM6DSV320X sensor and embedded AI and connect the projects with STM32 applications. These include MEMS Studio, part of the ST Edge AI Suite, and ST AIoT Craft, the web-based environment with tools for developing and provisioning node-to-cloud AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) projects. The LSM6DSV320X is supported in ST Edge AI Suite now and will be added to ST AIoT Craft by the end of 2025.

    For more information, please go to www.st.com/lsm6dsv320x

    About STMicroelectronics
    At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.

    Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS
    Alexis Breton
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia selected by CoreSite for routing-based network edge solution to support data-intensive, mission-critical applications

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Nokia selected by CoreSite for routing-based network edge solution to support data-intensive, mission-critical applications

    • CoreSite deploys Nokia IP routing portfolio across 30 data centers in 11 U.S. markets as enterprise customers ramp up data-intensive AI and mission-critical requirements.
    • Nokia solution’s massive scale, reliability and power/cooling efficiency are the foundation of low-latency service delivery and superior interconnectivity.

    13 May 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it has been selected by CoreSite, an American Tower company (NYSE: AMT) empowering critical business and AI workloads that impact everyday life through interconnected data center solutions, to deliver an IP routing-based edge and core network solution across 30 data centers in 11 U.S. markets. Delivering massive scale, performance and efficiency, the Nokia portfolio will accommodate the intensifying cloud connectivity and interconnection needs of resource-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing workloads for CoreSite’s nearly 40,000 customer interconnections.

    As CoreSite enterprise, cloud provider and network carrier customers ramp up data-intensive services, the data center infrastructure must deliver high performance and scalable networking to ensure service availability adheres to stringent industry standards. At the same time, a data center space with advanced cooling and ultra high-density power is a must for supporting growth efficiency.

    “Our customers expect best-in-class performance and reliability at every level of the network. By deploying Nokia’s advanced IP routing portfolio across our data center campuses, we ensure that our network edge infrastructure stays ahead of market demands, providing customers with a seamless experience and faster access to mission-critical applications,” said Chris Malayter, Vice President Network and Interconnection at CoreSite.

    The Nokia 7250 Interconnect Router (IXR-s) will provide advanced routing capabilities, carrier-grade reliability and high-capacity throughput as enterprises leverage CoreSite’s colocation centers for data storage and processing, new product and service development and other business operations. The Nokia 7750 Service Router (SR) provides the massive scale, performance and reliability for IP interconnectivity within the data center campuses. In addition, Nokia FP5 silicon supports high throughput and reliability for uninterrupted data flows, and scales traffic with zero deterioration in performance.

    The seamless integration of the Nokia Service Router Operating System (SR OS) with CoreSite’s existing environment will accelerate roll-out times and dramatically reduce operation costs.  

    ”Collaborating with CoreSite has enabled us to drive the performance and scale of its multicloud connectivity and routing core. The integration of the Nokia 7250 IXR-s and 7750 Service Router allows CoreSite to adeptly manage increased traffic demands while ensuring low latency and reliable interconnection services that are essential to the modern digital economy,” said Vach Kompella, Senior Vice President and General Manager, IP Networks at Nokia.

    Resources and additional information
    Product page: Nokia 7250 Interconnect Routers
    Product page: Nokia 7750 Service Router
    Web Page: Noka Data Center Networks

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About CoreSite
    CoreSite, an American Tower company (NYSE: AMT), is a leading interconnection data center platform that empowers businesses to future-proof their digital transformation initiatives. For more than 20 years, CoreSite’s purpose-built, highly interconnected data center campuses and team of experts have delivered the cloud-enabled, resilient, and flexible digital ecosystems required for customers to quickly scale and interoperate their businesses to support the increasing demands of critical workloads, like AI and high-density applications. For more information, visit CoreSite.com and follow CoreSite on our Connect[ED] blog, LinkedIn and YouTube channels.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    CoreSite
    Megan Ruszkowski, Vice President of Marketing and Sales Development 
    Phone: 720-446-2014 
    Email: press@CoreSite.com

    Follow us on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
    Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “continue”, “believe”, “commit”, “estimate”, “expect”, “aim”, “influence”, “will”, “target”, “likely”, “intend”, “may”, “could”, “would” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in the Risk Factors above.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Pioneer Insurance Agency Inc. Accelerates CL Quoting Workflows with Epic Quotes Commercial Lines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems® today announced that Pioneer Insurance Agency, Inc. a subsidiary of Pioneer Bank, National Association (“Pioneer”), has selected Epic Quotes Commercial Lines to create a faster, more connected approach to quoting new CL business. Applied Epic’s native integration of commercial lines quoting provides the agency with appetite visibility capabilities to quickly identify markets and obtain multiple quotes that can be presented to clients in a timely fashion, creating a better customer experience that will assist with cross-selling efforts.

    “As a one-stop solution for our clients’ financial needs, we understand the importance of providing an innovative, seamless insurance experience, and the multi-day, email-based quoting process did not meet our client experience standards or allow for scalable growth,” said Todd Shepersky, vice president, insurance agency manager, Pioneer. “Epic Quotes Commercial Lines allows us to quote multiple markets simultaneously and present quotes to our clients quickly, delivering the near-instant service they’ve come to expect in today’s digital world and positioning our insurance business for rapid growth.”

    Epic Quotes Commercial Lines is a single-entry multi-carrier comparative rating natively within Applied Epic. Supporting standard commercial lines of business and providing access to more than 35 markets, the solution allows agency staff to seamlessly remarket or quote new business without ever leaving the management system. Epic Quotes for Commercial Lines uses a single data source for the quoting and application process and leverages insight-driven workflows to initiate remarketing, simplifying the bridge-to-portal bind experience and creating a connected commercial lines experience.

    “Agents traditionally spend several hours manually producing just one commercial lines quote, limiting the number of policies an agent can quote, and in turn, inhibiting commercial lines growth,” said Anupam Gupta, chief product officer, Applied Systems. “Epic Quotes Commercial Lines enables agents to collect data, compare in-appetite markets and initiate the bind process all natively embedded in one system, creating a faster commercial lines quoting experience that enhances the customer experience and propels growth.”

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    About Pioneer
    Pioneer is a bank holding company whose wholly owned subsidiary is Pioneer Bank, National Association. Pioneer provides diversified financial services through Pioneer Bank, National Association and its subsidiaries, with 23 [SJ1] offices in the Capital Region of New York State, and offers a broad array of deposit, lending, and other financial services to individuals, businesses, and municipalities. Pioneer Bank, National Association is a national bank whose wholly owned subsidiaries are Pioneer Commercial Bank, Pioneer Insurance Agency, Inc. and Pioneer Financial Services, Inc. For more information on Pioneer, please visit www.pioneerny.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Appointment of new Non-Executive Director

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    13 May 2025

    Appointment of new Non-Executive Director

    Admiral Group plc (“Admiral”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Paola Bonomo as an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 12 May 2025.

    Paola brings with her a wealth of international leadership experience in strategy, digital technology, and transformation. She spent 14 years in strategy consulting with McKinsey, specialising in technology and telecommunications. Paola spent 10 years in operational leadership roles in digital, including senior positions at eBay, Vodafone, and, latterly, Facebook where Paola was the Global Marketing Solutions Regional Director for Southern Europe.

    Paola was a Non-Executive Director of AXA Assicurazioni S.p.A., the Italian operating entity of the AXA Group, from 2014 until April 2025 and had been a member of its Audit, Internal Control and Risk, and Remuneration Committees.

    Paola is currently a Non-Executive Director of FAAC S.p.A., an international group providing access automation, parking and access control solutions. Further, Paola is a Non-Executive Director of Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane S.p.A. (INWIT), the leading Italian telecommunications tower operator. Further, Paola serves as Vice Chair of Italian Angels for Growth, where she is an angel investor and advisor to digital startups.

    Paola has extensive board experience in both public and private companies, holding recent Non-Executive Director roles in a number of digital, telecoms, and retail companies. Paola has recently been a Non-Executive Director of Telecom Italia, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, where she chaired the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, stepping down in 2024. She was a Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit Committee at Crystal Peak Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company listed on Euronext Amsterdam, leaving this position in 2023. Paola was also a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees at Piquadro S.p.A., a fashion group operating a portfolio with brands Piquadro, The Bridge and Lancel, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, leaving in 2022.

    Paola holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a degree in business administration from Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Italy.

    Mike Rogers, Chair of the Admiral Board, said:
    “I am pleased to appoint Paola to the Board. She has significant knowledge of the international financial services sector and extensive experience in digital transformation, gained whilst working for several well-known consumer-facing brands. Paola has achieved a lot of success in her executive and non-executive roles, and I believe that her insights will prove valuable as the Group continues to deliver against its strategy.”

    Paola Bonomo, incoming Non-Executive Director, said: 
    “I am honoured to be joining Admiral’s Board. Admiral has established itself as a leading personal lines insurer in the UK by focusing on data to better understand and anticipate customers’ needs. I am looking forward to working with the rest of the Board and the management team to support the Group’s ambition to deliver long-term sustainable growth in its businesses in the UK and Mainland Europe.”

    Milena Mondini de Focatiis, CEO of Admiral Group, said
    “On behalf of all my colleagues I would like to welcome Paola to Admiral. The Group continues to evolve, and I look forward to working with Paola and the rest of the Board to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of our growing customer base.”

    Effective on 12 May 2025, Paola will be appointed to the Admiral Group Remuneration Committee. From 12 May 2025 the members of the Remuneration Committee will be Karen Green (Chair), Justine Roberts, Mike Brierley and Paola Bonomo.

    This announcement is made pursuant to Listing Rule 6.4.6R. In accordance with LR 6.4.8R, the Company confirms that there is no further information to be disclosed in terms of LR 6.4.8R (1) to LR 6.4.8R (6) inclusive in respect to Paola Bonomo.

    Notes to Editors

    About Admiral Group
    Admiral Group plc is a leading FTSE 100 financial services company offering motor, household, travel and pet insurance as well as personal lending products. Established in 1993 in the UK, the Group now has offices in Canada, France, Gibraltar, India, Italy, Spain, and the US.

    For further information please contact:

    Media:        
    Addy Frederick                                Addy.Frederick@admiralgroup.co.uk         

    Investors/ Analysts:        
    Diane Michelberger                         InvestorRelationsTeam@admiralgroup.co.uk

    The MIL Network –