NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI: 21Shares AG – Announcement: 2024 Financial Statements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    21Shares AG, the issuer of ETPs listed on various trading venues, has published its financial statements for the financial year ending 31 December 2024. The financial statements are available at: https://21shares.com/ir/financials

    Contact:
    Email: press@21shares.com
    Phone: +41 44 260 86 60

    About 21Shares AG:
    21Shares AG, Pelikanstrasse 37, 8001 Zurich, is a Swiss corporation registered in the commercial register of Zurich under the number CHE-347.562.100. It was incorporated on 27 July 2018 and its purpose is the issuance of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) in Switzerland and worldwide.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Mast Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on State Department Authorization

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast delivered opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled, “The Need for an Authorized State Department.”

    Watch Here

    -Remarks- 

    As I said, I called this hearing really to establish a simple fact: the State Department has many broken parts, and it’s been in many ways a broken part of our government for many years. It’s been too big. It’s had no clear mission or definition for public diplomacy, has very little command and control over the dollars that it sends across the globe. It’s spent your tax dollars in ways that would have been better if the State Department just lit the money on fire in many cases.

    Right now, more than 80% of the State Department is not authorized by Congress. That includes the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, with a budget of $57 million and 247 employees; the Bureau of International Organizations, with a budget of $90 million and 370 employees; and the Bureau of Administration, with a budget of $394 million and a staff of 700.

    Now, despite 80% of it not being authorized, the State Department’s bureaus, offices, and programs continued to grow each and every year. Last year, the State Department employed more than 80,000 people across the globe. Between the year 2000 and the year 2024, the State Department’s budget grew from roughly $9.5 billion to more than $55 billion over the course of that time.

    Where did that money go? Does our foreign policy feel like it’s five times more effective as we’ve spent five times more dollars? Instead, we’ve had a State Department with plenty of duplicative programs, but again, not a clear mission and a clear outline on how to go out there and affect the missions positively on behalf of the American people and all of our interests.

    The largest operation of the State Department in any of our lifetimes was the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was an abysmal failure. The State Department failed to plan everything from how many people would be requesting visas to how many people would be needed to process those visas and a thousand other things.

    The State Department is too big, and it’s also unaccountable because we’ve not conducted a comprehensive standalone reauthorization since 2002. It’s also prioritizing the wrong things, in my opinion. That is why we saw American dollars going out the door to foreign companies, foreign countries, foreign NGOs, and foreign adversaries like the Taliban with less oversight than it takes the average American citizen to get a driver’s license at the DMV.

    Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what the State Department’s funded with your tax dollars. Many of you heard me give lists of hundreds and hundreds of items. I’ll list just a couple: $14 million in cash vouchers for migrants at our southern border; $24,000 for a national spelling bee in Bosnia; $1.5 million to mobilize elderly, lesbian, transgender, non-binary, and intersex people to be involved in the Costa Rica political process; $20,000 for a drag show in Ecuador; $32,000 for an LGBTQ comic book in Peru.

    I would challenge anybody in here to refute that American tax dollars were not spent in this way. I don’t see anybody refuting that.

    I have hundreds of more examples of these, if not thousands. We have proof that these things happened. We have the documents. We have the photos. We have the receipts. These things are too stupid for us to try and make up, really.

    But this is not about scoring political points with each of those; otherwise, I’d give the full list. These programs were funded with American tax dollars because somewhere, some person down the line at the State Department thought that programs like that were actually public diplomacy. The spending was not life-saving. It didn’t make American citizens visiting those countries safer or American businesses operating there more prosperous or a better partner. It didn’t bring any of the countries in which the money was spent closer to America. In fact, many of these countries actively opposed what the State Department was actually doing.

    Yet State Department officials thought this was public diplomacy and exactly what America should be doing. Again, I personally disagree with that definition of public diplomacy, but we should have this debate and we should figure out what American tax dollars should and should not be used for abroad. That’s what the debate about a State Department reauthorization is all about. That’s what this hearing and a reauthorization process will accomplish.

    We need to restore command and control over the State Department so that you don’t have USAID betraying its core mission by funding an $850,000 transgender job fair in Bangladesh or $15 million in condoms to the Taliban. That did nothing to bolster America’s national security.

    Even worse, the lack of accountability allows USAID to create a bloated industry where D.C. contractors profited off sky-high overhead costs while people most in need received very little compared to what those contractors received. Even USAID admitted that just 12% of its grants went directly to local organizations.

    This lack of accountability at USAID is exactly why the agency needed to be brought back under the control of the State Department. And this is an idea that was embraced by Bill Clinton—President Bill Clinton—and President Joe Biden, and it’s a move that we should make permanent in our reauthorization bill.

    The State Department has been broken. That has been true. But it’s also our responsibility as the Foreign Affairs Committee to fix those issues permanently. Until now, the State Department has never shrunk. It’s never downsized its budget or eliminated an office or an envoy.

    President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Doge are already making changes, and they’re looking at us to be a partner in that process. We look forward to seeing Secretary Rubio to speak to us about that later in the month, next month. The only way that we do this as authorizers in the U.S. House of Representatives is by conducting that first full comprehensive State Department reauthorization again since 2002.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Body in Thames confirmed to be Kaliyah Coa

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Metropolitan Police can confirm the body recovered in Maritime Quay on Sunday, 13 April is sadly that of 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa.

    Officers responded to reports of a girl entering the River Thames at 13:23hrs on Monday, 31 March. Kaliyah had been playing near Barge House Causeway during a school inset day.

    First responders arrived on the scene swiftly to support His Majesty’s Coastguard, Royal National Lifeboat Institute, the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade in a large scale search and rescue effort.

    In a statement Kaliyah’s family said:

    “Our hearts are broken and our lives will never be the same. We were blessed to have Kaliyah, even if it was for such a short time. She will be missed so much. Kaliyah went to a birthday party and never returned home to her family.

    “The family would like to thank all those who were involved in the search and recovery of Kaliyah.

    “We sincerely hope that everyone will respect our wishes to be given the space and time to grieve as a family.”

    Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, who led the Met’s investigation, added:

    “This tragic accident took away a little girl who was loved by many. Our specialist officers will continue to support Kaliyah’s family as they process this heart-breaking news.

    “I echo her family’s request for privacy while they navigate the difficult road ahead, and urge the public to refrain from wholly inaccurate speculation both on and offline.

    “I would like to extend my thanks to our search and recovery teams, supported by blue light partners. I know the local community has been deeply impacted by this incident and also thank them for their support.”

    The Met was alerted to a body in the River Thames in Maritime Quay, E14 on Sunday, 13 April at 09:03hrs. The formal identification was conducted on Tuesday, 29 April.

    An inquest into Kaliyah’s death is due to open on Friday, 2 May.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Landsbankinn hf.: Financial results of Landsbankinn for the first three months of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Landsbankinn’s after-tax profit during the first three months of 2025 was ISK 7.9 billion, compared with ISK 7.2 billion for the same period of 2024.
    • Return on equity (ROE) in the period was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% for the same period the previous year.
    • Net interest margin as a ratio of average total asset position was 2.7%, compared with 2.9% for the same period of 2024. The net interest margin of domestic households was 2.1%, unchanged from 2024.
    • Net interest income amounted to ISK 14.8 billion and net fee and commission income was ISK 3.0 billion. Both items are up between years.
    • The cost-income ratio was 38.7%, compared with 33.6% for the same period of 2024.
    • The total capital ratio was 23.6% at the end of the period. The Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) of the Central  Bank of Iceland sets the total capital requirement at 20.4%.
    • In February, the Bank finalised the sale of Additional Tier 1 securities (AT1) in the amount of USD 100 million. This was the Bank’s inaugural AT1 issuance. The Bank also issued senior non-preferred bonds in the amount of NOK 500 million and SEK 1,300 million. There was considerable over-demand for the bonds.
    • The Bank’s AGM on 19 March 2025 approved payment of a dividend of ISK 18.9 billion to shareholders. Total dividend paid by the Bank since 2013 will amount to ISK 210.6 billion at the end of the year.
    • Settlement of the purchase by Landsbankinn of TM tryggingar hf. and delivery took place 28 February 2025 and the Bank has assumed operation of the company.

    Lilja Björk Einarsdóttir, CEO of Landsbankinn:
    “The Bank’s performance in the first three months of the year was solid. Profit amounted to ISK 7.9 billion and return on equity was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% in the same period last year.

    This is the first financial statement since the Bank took over operation of TM and the collaboration is off to a good start. In the first few weeks since the acquisition, significant progress has been made, including the merger of three of the Bank’s and TM’s branches, and the completion of a complex IT systems transfer. We are experiencing goodwill and interest from customers regarding these changes and will be introducing various innovations in insurance services in the near future. The joint operation of an insurance company and a bank is a good fit and offers opportunities for better and more diverse financial services. TM is included in the Bank’s financial reporting from the beginning of March, so this financial statement reflects one month of its operations. The insurance segment performed well in March, but a decline in investment assets due to volatility in capital markets led to an overall negative result.

    In Akureyri, Landsbankinn and TM have come together in new and impressive facilities at Hofsbót, in the town centre. Landsbankinn offers interconnected services across the country. In addition to an excellent app and online banking platform, customers can receive service from branch staff at 34 locations nationwide, through the Bank’s strong service centre and a chatbot capable of resolving various queries on landsbankinn.is. We see strong customer satisfaction with the Bank’s services, which we attribute directly to powerful and integrated service, fair terms and outstanding employees.

    On Monday, it was announced that international rating agency S&P had upgraded the Bank’s credit rating to the A category, from BBB+ to A-. We are thrilled with this change, as we have taken strategic steps to improve the Bank’s credit rating by improving its capital structure. In recent years, requirements for systemically important banks regarding capital structure have increased and S&P’s rating is a significant recognition of our efforts. The higher credit rating reflects the Bank’s solid access to markets, sound operation and strong capital position.

    Market volatility and global uncertainty impacted the quarter in various ways. Lending growth has slowed, both among individuals and corporates, some of which are holding off on investments and other decisions. Under such circumstances, it is reassuring to note that the overall financial position of both corporates and individuals remains strong. Uncertainty often brings opportunities as well and, during the quarter, Landsbréf completed the financing of a new ISK 15 billion private equity fund, Horn V, following the strong performance of the previous four Horn funds.

    Landsbankinn continues to offer highly competitive interest rates on both deposits and loans. The Bank’s solid operation allows us to maintain a 2.1% interest margin for households while still delivering satisfactory profitability and consistent dividends to shareholders. The Bank has the most satisfied customers among the domestic commercial banks. The Bank’s performance is sound and our team is dedicated to providing customers with excellent service. Despite a challenging external environment, the Bank is in a strong position to support Icelandic society.”

    Landsbankinn’s financial calendar

    • Q2 2025 17 July 2025
    • Q3 2025 23 October 2025
    • Annual results 2025 29 January 2026

     

    For further information contact:

    Public Relations, pr@landsbankinn.is

    Investor Relations, ir@landsbankinn.is

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Viridien: Combined General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting of April 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Combined General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting

    of April 30, 2025

    Paris, France – April 30, 2025

    The Combined General Meeting of Viridien, chaired by Mr. Philippe SALLE was held on April 30, 2025 in Paris. The voting results and video replay of the event will be available on the Company’s website at the following address: https://www.viridiengroup.com/investors/shareholders/general-meetings.

    The General Meeting approved all resolutions that were submitted to it and notably:

    • The statutory financial statements and consolidated financial statements for the financial year 2024;
    • Appointment of DELOITTE & ASSOCIES, in replacement of ERNST & YOUNG et Autres, as statutory auditor in charge of certifying financial statements;
    • Appointment of BDO PARIS, in replacement of MAZARS, as statutory auditor in charge of certifying financial statements;
    • The Appointment of BDO PARIS as statutory auditors in charge of certifying the sustainability information;
    • The Say on Pay resolutions on the remuneration of corporate officers;
    • The renewals of Mr. Philippe SALLE, Mrs. Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN and Mr. Michael DALY’s term as Director for a period of four years and the co-optation of Mrs. Amélie OYARZABAL as Director.

    The Board of Directors, at its meeting following the General Meeting, appointed:

    • Mrs. Sophie ZURQUIYAH as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer until the end of her term of office as director at the latest, i.e. until the Annual General Meeting of 2026,
    • Mr. Philippe SALLE as Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director.

    The Board also noted the end of Patrick CHOUPIN’s term of office as Director representing the employees. As the Company no longer exceeds the headcount thresholds requiring the appointment of a director representing the employees, no new director representing the employees will be appointed. The Board thanks Patrick CHOUPIN for his valuable insights, bringing the employees’ view to the Board room.

    The Board of Directors therefore comprises 8 directors, of whom 87.5% are independent and 50% are women. The Board is composed of:

    • Sophie ZURQUIYAH, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
    • Philippe SALLE*, Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director
    • Michael DALY*
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*
    • Colette LEWINER*
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    The Board also modified the composition of its committees as follows:

    Audit and Risk Management Committee

    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*, Chairwoman 
    • Colette LEWINER *
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*

    Appointment, Remuneration and Governance Committee

    • Colette LEWINER*, Chairwoman
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    New Businesses and M&A Committee

    • Michael DALY*, Chairman
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    Sustainability Committee

    • Philippe SALLE*, Chairman
    • Michael DALY*
    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    Sophie Zurquiyah, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Viridien:

    “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Philippe SALLE for his exceptional leadership and vision. His guidance has empowered the Group to undertake a bold and pivotal transformation, laying the foundation for a sustainable future. We are fortunate to have his continued presence on the Board as Vice-Chair and Lead Independent Director, which will be a precious assurance of continuity and stability.
    I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors for the trust they have placed in me by appointing me as Chairperson of the Board, in addition to my current role as Chief Executive Officer. This responsibility is a true honor, and I am committed to fulfilling it with determination, while awaiting the Board’s definition of a new governance structure for Viridien starting in 2026.”

    * Independent director

    About Viridien :

    Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridien employs around 3,400 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN: FR001400PVN6).

    Contact:
    Group General Secretary
    general.secretary@viridiengroup.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Slams Trump’s First 100 Days: This Is A Story Of Incompetence, Theft, And Mind-Blowing Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to deliver a scathing indictment of President Trump’s first 100 days in office. Murphy detailed the litany of corrupt acts that have defined this Administration, including the sale of White House access for the Trump family’s personal profit, manipulation of federal agencies for financial gain, and the systematic dismantling of anti-corruption safeguards.
    “This is not normal. None of this is normal. This is outlandish, this is illegal, this is unconstitutional, brazen corruption, and this is only the first 100 days. I just detailed 40 instances of mind-blowing corruption in just 40 days, capped off by an attempt to just sell access to the White House to people who put money in the pocket of Donald Trump’s personal businesses. Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works. That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open. But this is not how government works. This has been the story of his first 100 days, but it’s our choice as a nation to allow it to be the story of the rest of his term. We need to expose what he is doing. We need to rally everybody, from the left to the right. Nobody in this country, whether you’re a hardened conservative or a hardened progressive, should root for the president of the United States to be enriching himself off of this position. We need to rally this nation against this corruption and bring it to an end, because if Donald Trump gets what he wants, and we just start allowing our government’s leaders to openly steal from us during the first 100 days or for the rest of his term, then I am telling you, American democracy is not going to survive.”
    Last month, he highlighted Trump’s first six weeks of corruption.
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. My colleagues, you’re going to hear a lot of stories about the first 100 days of President Trump’s second presidency, and indeed there are a lot of stories. There is a story of incompetence. We’re dealing with multiple measles outbreaks all across the country. There is the story about abdicating our responsibility to lead around the world – Vladimir Putin is laughing at us as Trump goes about the business of handing Ukraine to a brutal Kremlin dictator. There is the story of a transferring wealth from the poor and the middle class through massive cuts to Medicaid, to the very, very wealthy, who are asking for another massive tax cut. 
    “But I would argue, Mr. President, that the most important story to tell is a story of corruption. A story of mind-blowing, massive, scalable corruption. That story is important because we are watching the theft of taxpayer money by the decision of the Republican Party to look the other way as Donald Trump essentially monetizes at scale the White House and the powers given to him by the Constitution and the American people in order to enrich himself and his friends. And if we don’t tell this story, and if we don’t mount a national bipartisan, apolitical resistance to this thievery, to this corruption, and it becomes normalized as just a part of doing business in America, a normal facet of residents in the White House, then shame on us, because our democracy will not survive this level of corruption, grift, and graft. 
    “So I am going to try to tell the story really quickly. I’ve got two charts and it’s hard to read – these words are really small – because over the course of 100 days, there are 40, 50, 60 individual acts of precedent-breaking corruption. And that’s intentional because what President Trump is trying to do is engage in so much public corruption that you just become normalized to it, that you stop paying attention to the corruption because can it be corruption if it is just playing out in public? He’s trying to make you think that this kind of stuff happens all the time behind the scenes and now all that’s different is you are seeing it publicly. 
    “But that is not true. This is not actually how government works. And I refuse to accept that just because the corruption is happening in public, in front of the cameras for everybody to see, that we should accept it. 
    “Okay. I’m going to try to do this. I’m going to try to do this as quickly as possible. I’m just going to highlight for you maybe the 40 most egregious examples of corruption in the first 100 days, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. 
    “So, on January 6th – this is before Trump is even sworn in – Amazon, which has a ton of business before the incoming Trump White House, pays $40 million to the Trump family to license a documentary in a series about Melania Trump. Just a cash payment from a company that has huge interests before the incoming White House to the Trump family. 
    “On January 17th, a few days before Trump is sworn in – maybe the most corrupt act in the history of the White House – this is the creation of the Trump meme coin. This is just a backdoor way for anybody with business before the Trump administration to send him millions of dollars in total secret. Trump doesn’t disclose who buys the coin. He launders his income from the coin through an unregulated Chinese exchange. He promotes the coin on his social media feeds. In the first minute of trading, one buyer – and what we know is that this was likely a Chinese individual – purchases six million coins, sending the price through the roof and immediately making a ton of money for Trump, who makes money off of every transaction. Trump knows who this person is, no doubt, but American citizens do not. 
    “January 20th, he is now sworn in and he fulfills a campaign promise to the oil and gas industry. There’s a report from the campaign that says they came down to Mar-a-Lago, I think, and said ‘We’ll give you a billion dollars in campaign contributions.’ This is not me alleging this, this is an open report. The oil and gas industry says we’ll give you a billion dollars in campaign contributions if you do what we want when you are sworn in. And the day he’s sworn in, Trump issues an executive order gutting environmental rules so that the oil and gas industry can start making bigger amounts of money. 
    “On January 25th, Trump eliminates the Inspectors General, the ethics officials in government and whistleblower offices. It’s a late-night purge, so you know it’s fishy. On January 25th, 17 Inspectors General get fired, clearing the way for the president to engage in even more corruption because that’s what the Inspectors General do. They sit in these agencies and they look for corruption. Now the Inspectors General are gone. They’re just gone. 
    “But that’s not good enough because on that same day, Trump fires the head of the Office of Special Counsel. Why would you do that? Well, that office is an investigative and prosecutorial office that works to end government and political corruption and protects government employees who become whistleblowers. That office is gone now, along with all of the whistleblowers. 
    “Two days later, Trump illegally fires NLRB member Gwen Wilcox. This effectively shuts down, illegally, the NLRB for a period of time. Why is that important? Because the guys who were standing behind Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they are being investigated at the moment by the NLRB for massive workplace violations. Now the NLRB is shut down, a big gift to the people who financed Donald Trump’s inauguration and stood behind him to give him political endorsement and cover on his inauguration day. 
    “On January 31st, a trend begins: enforcement actions are paused against Trump loyalists. This is Representative Andy Ogles from Tennessee. He was being investigated for illegal, or potentially illegal, loans made to his 2022 campaign. But right after Rep. Ogles introduces a bill to amend the constitution to allow Trump to serve for a third term, what happens? Trump makes the investigation go away. Because as you will see, Trump’s justice system will often look the other way if you cheat or steal but you are a friend of Donald Trump.
    “At the same time, another of Trump’s friends, his IRS nominee Billy Long, gets his donors – almost all of them have direct interest before the IRS – to pay off his six-figure campaign debt. It’s a fabulously corrupt thing to do, but it’s just all normal now. So when Trump is showing you the way, then the folks who work for him follow suit. 
    “Alright, we’ll jump to February now. February 4th. We’re into Week 2 of the Trump White House. Trump hauls the PGA and the Saudi government into the White House to broker an agreement between the two rival golf leagues so that Trump can make more money hosting golf tournaments. He’s in business with one of the entities, the Saudi-owned LIV league. In a normal world, the president of the United States wouldn’t be in business with any foreign government. But the president is, and not only is that okay, but it is also apparently okay for him to bring the golf league that he’s in business with into the White House and pressure the other golf league, the rival golf league, to cut a deal. And guess what happens? The PGA, which had long said they were not going to host events at Trump’s courses, after being hauled into the White House, looking the president of the United States in the eye – somebody they clearly have to do business with – they announce that they’re going to start allowing their tournaments to be held at Trump courses. Big benefit to Donald Trump’s personal bottom line. 
    “February 6th, two days later: Trump ends the criminal enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Do you know what this is? You should. It requires people who are being paid by foreign governments to register. It’s no longer going to be enforced, so now members of the Trump administration can get backdoor payments from foreign governments and nobody is going to enforce the law. This isn’t theoretical. There were people who got arrested for doing this exact same thing, getting paid by foreign governments while working for the Trump administration, in term one. He wants to make sure it’s not a problem in term two, so he pauses enforcement of the actual act. 
    “Four days later, Trump eliminates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This is just a magnificent present to all of his billionaire enablers because this is the agency that stops big businesses, banks, and other financial firms from ripping off consumers and now it is just shut down. 
    “The same day, DOJ drops charges against Eric Adams in a mind-blowingly public and brazen quid pro quo. Adams says he will pledge loyalty to Trump and support Trump’s political priorities in New York City, Trump drops the corruption charges against Adams. Just like the Ogles case, the door is now wide open to engage in corruption or criminality as long as you support Donald Trump. The thing that makes this one so egregious is that Adams and the White House go on TV to announce the corrupt deal. They don’t hide it. They just say that Adams is now supporting Donald Trump and we’re now going to drop the charges against him, and everybody gets the message. There’s a lot of stuff I can get away with as a corrupt official as long as I am in bed politically with Donald Trump. 
    “Same day, February 10th, DOJ pauses enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is the law that stops American companies from bribing foreign governments in order to get business. On February 10th, Trump suspends enforcement of an antibribery statute, paving the way for his friends in corporate America to start bribing foreign governments again. 
    “Two days later, the State Department forecasts that they are going to dramatically upscale the amount of money that they’re going to send to Tesla. This is the first time that Elon Musk shows up in this story. By February 12th, Elon Musk is pretty well embedded in the White House, and guess what? The State Department is now going to spend $400 million for armored Teslas – its largest expected contract in the upcoming year. 
    “February 12th, the same day, Musk infiltrates the Department of Labor and OSHA, giving him exclusive secret access to labor law violation data against him and his competitors. Unethical, corrupt, but this stuff is just happening every single day. A few days later, on February 15th and 16th, Musk now starts really testing the limits of what his boss will let him get away with. He fires a specific set of regulators at the FDA that are reviewing one of his medical products, Neuralink. The message is clear: you’ve got to do right by my applications or you risk getting the ax too. 
    “Three days later, on February 19th, Trump’s new U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, starts to use his government power to harass Trump critics. He launches something called Operation Whirlwind and is pretty unapologetic about the fact that this is going to be an enforcement operation against anybody who just seeks to get in the way of DOGE. He doesn’t say he’s going after people who are acting illegally. He says anybody who tries to stop or protest or harass DOGE’s work is now going to be the subject of Operation Whirlwind, and he starts trolling critics of DOGE online. The U.S. Attorney for D.C. is now trolling DOGE critics online, obviously threatening criminal enforcement. 
    “You see what’s happening here? We’re 30 days into the administration, and everybody in Trump’s world, including the supposedly independent U.S. Attorneys, are getting the message: that it is now part of your job, if you work for Trump, to use your government powers to either enrich yourself or Trump or to help Trump politically. 
    “February 21st, two days later, the SEC drops a major investigation into a company called Robinhood. Why does this matter? You guessed it: this firm donated $2 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. 30 days later, the SEC drops an investigation into that firm. 
    “Put a pin in that, because you’re going to hear stories like it over and over again. 
    “Throughout February, we watched the rich guys that are surrounding Trump come up with new ways to monetize their positions. Kash Patel is a perfect example. He’s the nominee to head the FBI – maybe the most important independent bureau in the federal government – and while he’s going through that process, he is selling merchandise online ranging from T-shirts to playing cards, with the proceeds supposedly going to whistleblowers’ education and defamation cases. 
    “February 26th, news breaks that the FAA is considering giving a $2.4 billion contract to Elon Musk’s Starlink. But it’s not like a regular contract that’s up for bid. It’s a contract that was already awarded to one of Musk’s competitors, Verizon, and word leaks that the White House is thinking of just ripping the contract away from Verizon – because Verizon is not a political supporter of Donald Trump in the way Elon Musk is – and just giving it to Elon Musk. Now, that doesn’t happen. As reported, the contract has not been canceled yet. But there are regular reports of the administration still relentlessly attacking Verizon in a clear attempt to try to undermine their contract. 
    “February 27th, the next day, Trump drops a lawsuit against Capital One. Why does this matter? Capital One donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. It’s now just kind of automatic. You donate a big amount of money to Trump’s inauguration, and you can ask him for something. 
    “We’re not done. That same day, the SEC drops a lawsuit against Coinbase. You got the story now. Coinbase donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. They are now told it’s okay to keep cheating consumers. 
    “We’re not done. On February 28th, a day later, the DOJ announced that it would drop a complaint against SpaceX, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, for labor discrimination. Elon is like wait a second, all these other big donors to your inauguration are getting out of jail free, I want my get out of jail free card as well. He gets it from DOJ. 
    “We’re now into March. March 1st, a report breaks – this is maybe second to [the meme coin], the most stunning act of corruption. On March 1st, word breaks that Trump is selling meetings at Mar-a-Lago. On at least one occasion, Trump charged guests $1 million to dine with him at Mar-a-Lago. According to the same report, business leaders can secure a one-on-one meeting with the president of the United States for a $5 million payment to Donald Trump. 
    “If you were mayor of a medium-sized town and it was reported that you were selling meetings for like $200, you would be arrested. You would be run out of town. But not Donald Trump. He’s selling meetings for $5 million, according to this report. And because the corruption in this White House is daily and normal, he gets away with it. 
    “March 2nd, Trump launches a crypto reserve fund. This is going to involve government taxpayer dollars purchasing and holding a variety of digital assets in a strategic reserve fund –a move that definitely inflates and protects Trump’s investment portfolio, [which], by now, you understand, [is] very heavily dependent on crypto assets. This normally wouldn’t be a problem because normally when somebody takes a high position like president or governor or mayor, they divest from their own personal assets, or they put it all in a blind fund. Trump does none of that. He’s controlling his own assets, his family is controlling their own assets, while he makes policy that benefits himself and his family financially. 
    “On March 3rd, a really curious thing: DOJ intervenes in an obscure but open-and-shut 2020 Colorado elections case. This is the case of Tina Peters, who tampered with voting machines on Trump’s behalf in Mesa County, Colorado. She was convicted by a jury of her peers, open and shut. But because Peters is a MAGA loyalist, now DOJ, on March 3rd, said it’s going to step in and review the case because there are concerns about how it was prosecuted. This is just President Trump again clearly shielding those that violated the law to help him from consequences. 
    “Same thing, different day. No, not even a different day. This is actually still March 3rd. Yuga Labs, a blockchain company, donated $100,000 to the Trump inauguration fund. They now get in line. They get what everybody else is getting. The SEC closes an ongoing investigation into the company. 
    “On March 4th, DOGE lays off thousands of IRS employees. This is bad for a lot of reasons, but it certainly helps Trump’s Mar-a-Lago friends because the IRS now cannot enforce the law against the big, giant tax cheats in the way that it could have when it had those personnel on the books. Mar-a-Lago is celebrating. 
    “March 4th – same day – word breaks that the Commerce Department is considering changes to this very specific rural broadband program and who’s eligible. Why? Because Elon Musk wants to dominate that program. Under the program’s original rules, Starlink was capped at $4.1 billion. This curious change now will allow Elon Musk’s company, Starlink, to receive between $10 billion and $20 billion from the rural broadband program. 
    “This is like a broken record, but six days later, the CFPB – which is basically shut down but exists in name only – drops a lawsuit against the Bank of America and J.P. Morgan. Bank of America donated $500,000 to the inauguration. J.P. Morgan donated $1 million to the inauguration.
    “On March 11th, a day later, Trump and Musk hold this now very well-known advertisement for Tesla on the White House lawn. This is just taxpayer dollars used to support the personnel at the White House and the White House being used to sell cars for Elon Musk, and the message again is pretty simple here: if you are loyal to me, and you pay any kind of price for your loyalty to me, I will use government resources to help you, to get you out of trouble, even including free advertising. 
    “On March 19th – we’re eight days later – the GEO Group donated $500,000 for Trump’s inauguration fund. This is a private prison company, and the NLRB drops its investigation into this company. It’s really getting disgusting at this point. I don’t know that there’s anybody left that made a major donation to the inauguration fund that has not gotten their favor from Donald Trump. 
    “On March 24th, the Treasury Department guts something called the Corporate Transparency Act. This is the regulation that requires businesses to reveal their true owners to the government. These new rules now make it easier for billionaires to hide money, to avoid taxes, to engage in corruption – less accountability for corporations. 
    “March 25th, a day later, the SEC reduces, from $125 million to $50 million, an existing fine. So, this has already been litigated: this company, Ripple, it’s a blockchain-based digital payment company. It’s been fined, and Trump comes in and reduces the fine from $125 million to $50 million. You know the story by now. These guys made a big investment in the inauguration. Most of these companies that got a get-out-of-jail-free or had their investigations terminated were giving $500,000, $1 million. Ripple wanted to make sure they got it right. They made a $5 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund, and they got their fine reduced by $75 million. 
    “March 28th, Trump pardons the founder of Nikola Autos, one of his campaign mega donors. Again, this is a pardon for one of his major campaign contributors. When asked about the pardon, Trump said ‘They say the thing they did was wrong, but he was one of the first people who supported me for president.’ He just tells you what he did. He said, ‘yeah, they said what he did was wrong, he did something that was probably pretty wrong, but he supported me for president, so I’m giving him a pardon.’ I’m not saying that there hasn’t been a lot of really bad stuff that’s happened in the pardon program under Democratic and Republican presidents, but let’s just name it when Donald Trump names it. 
    “April 8th, we’re into April. Trump issues an executive order to expand coal mining. This is part of his down payment on the promise he made to those oil executives. The shares of the company owned by Joseph Kraft, the billionaire coal magnate who helped lead those Trump fundraising efforts during the presidential campaign, immediately shoots up.
    “On April 9th, this really curious timeline of events plays out, in which Trump posts on his social media, ‘This is a great time to buy.’ A lot of his followers complied; they make investments in the market. There’s reports and speculation that many of his inner circle might have done the same thing, and then a couple hours later, he announces that he’s pausing most of his tariffs, and the market shoots up. People who followed his directions online make a lot of money, and potentially other people who had access to that insider information might have made a lot of money as well. 
    “On April 17th, Musk steers billions of taxpayer dollars to something called the Golden Dome. Reuters, on April 17th, reports that Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company, SpaceX, has emerged as the frontrunner to develop Trump’s proposed Golden Dome. This is a really ill-defined, technologically unproven defense system. It supposedly has a price tag of hundreds of billions of dollars, money that now looks as if it will be funneled directly to Elon Musk. At this point it is just head-shaking.
    “On April 23rd, now it’s like he can do anything he wants. He has just blown the lid off of any expectations about what a president can and cannot do to enrich himself. On April 23rd, a message appears on the homepage of the website for Trump’s meme coin declaring that the top 220 meme coin holders would be invited for an exclusive dinner with Trump and the top 25 coin holders – these are private investors in Donald Trump’s financial empire–would get a special VIP tour of the White House. After the message went up, the price of Trump’s coin jumped by more than 50%. In the two days following the announcement of the special VIP tour in the people’s house, the White House, Trump and his allies made nearly a million dollars in trading fees alone. They are just selling access to the White House out in the open.
    “April 26th, Trump’s family, this is just last weekend, announces the launch of a private club called the Executive Branch, a new private club in Washington. The initiation fee is around half a million dollars. It is advertised as a place where you can hold secret audiences with the Trump administration, as long as you pay Donald Trump’s family and their financial backers over $500,000 in membership fees. It is apparently already sold out.
    “This is not normal. None of this is normal. This is outlandish, this is illegal, this is unconstitutional, brazen corruption, and this is only the first 100 days. I just detailed 40 instances of mind-blowing corruption in just 40 days, capped off by an attempt to just sell access to the White House to people who put money in the pocket of Donald Trump’s personal businesses. 
    “Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works. That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open. But this is not how government works. This has been the story of his first 100 days, but it’s our choice as a nation to allow it to be the story of the rest of his term. We need to expose what he is doing. We need to rally everybody, from the left to the right. Nobody in this country, whether you’re a hardened conservative or a hardened progressive, should root for the president of the United States to be enriching himself off of this position. We need to rally this nation against this corruption and bring it to an end, because if Donald Trump gets what he wants, and we just start allowing our government’s leaders to openly steal from us during the first 100 days or for the rest of his term, then I am telling you, American democracy is not going to survive.
    “I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Passed by Senate Commerce Committee: Fischer’s Bill to Strengthen U.S. Telecommunications Against Foreign Adversaries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    FACT Act now eligible for Senate Floor vote

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) legislation to strengthen American telecommunications against foreign adversaries passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee. The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act now awaits consideration on the Senate floor. Fischer introduced the bill in January of this year. 

    If signed into law, the FACT Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publicly identify entities that hold FCC licenses, authorizations, or other grants of authority that are owned, wholly or partially, by foreign adversarial governments. This includes the governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. In addition to Fischer, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

    “We cannot let authoritarian and adversarial regimes like China and Russia continue to have silent footholds in our tech and telecommunications markets. My bill will direct the FCC to evaluate the communications risks foreign ownership ties pose to America’s national securityand ensure that we can respond to these threats. I’m grateful a bipartisan group of my colleagues voted yes on this legislation, and I look forward to its passage on the Senate Floor,” said Fischer.

    “We must protect our nation in every way we can from global adversaries who are trying to hack our systems and access our information. I’m glad to see that our bipartisan bill to help protect our telecommunications systems from adversarial nations, including China, Russia, and Iran, passed out of committee today. I’ll keep pushing to secure our networks and strengthen our national security,” said Rosen. 

    Click here to view Fischer’s remarks in support of her FACT Act in today’s hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens: Availability of documents and information relating to the Combined General Meeting of 23 May 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PRESS RELEASE
    MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE – 30 APRIL 2025

    EXOSENS ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO THE COMBINED GENERAL MEETING OF 23 MAY 2025

    Shareholders of Exosens (the ‘Company’) are invited to attend the Combined General Meeting (ordinary and extraordinary) to be held on Friday, 23 May 2025 at 10 a.m. at Apostrophe, 83 avenue Marceau, 75016 Paris, France.

    The meeting notice, including the agenda and the text of the proposed resolutions, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO) No. 47 on 18 April 2025. The notice of meeting will be published in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO) No. 54 on 5 May 2025 and in a legal gazette : Echos-judiciaires.com. The procedures for participating and voting at this Combined General Meeting are set out in these notices.

    Shareholders may consult and download the information and documents provided for in Article R.22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code relating to the Combined General Meeting on the Exosens website at the following address: www.exosens.com (section Investors/General Meeting of Shareholders).

    Documents that must be made available to shareholders in connection with General Meetings will be available at Exosens’ registered office, Domaine de Pelus 18 Avenue de Pythagore Axis Business Park Bat 5e 33 700 Mérignac, France, in accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions.

    Any shareholder may inspect these documents at Exosens’ registered office or send a request by email to the following address: investor.relations@exosens.com during the 15 days preceding the date of the General Meeting.

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.

    Investor relations

    Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why are women paid less than men? New research in South Africa shows the company you work for makes the biggest difference

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ihsaan Bassier, Researcher in Economics, University of Surrey

    Why do women earn less than men? The usual suspects – occupation, hours, experience – explain some of it. But a powerful, often overlooked reason is simply this: where women work. The companies that hire them play a huge role in shaping their lifetime earnings.

    South Africa has a severe gender pay gap, much of which is unexplained by worker characteristics such as occupation, skills or experience.

    In our new study published in the Journal of Development Economics, using tax data on the universe of formal workers in South Africa, we uncover a striking fact: nearly half of the gender pay gap in South Africa is explained by women working at lower-paying companies than men. That is, more women tend to work at companies that pay all workers less.

    In addition, this phenomenon evolves dramatically over a woman’s life.

    We tracked millions of workers between 2010 and 2018 using tax data. We wanted to figure out how much money different companies paid, relative to each other, regardless of the type of worker. To do this, we compared what two companies pay the same worker. We looked at workers who switched companies and compared how their pay changed when they moved to a new company. By doing this for many workers and many companies, we could see how much more or less that company tends to pay people with the same kind of background or job.

    In the formal sector in South Africa, women, on average, get paid 12% less than men. We find that about 45% of this gap – 5.5 percentage points – is due to women being concentrated in firms that pay less overall (to both women and men).

    This isn’t because women are paid less within the same company — that kind of direct discrimination plays a much smaller role. Instead, it’s largely about sorting: women and men end up at different companies, and those pay differently.

    Women disproportionately enter lower-paying sectors such as education, retail, or personal care, while men are over-represented in high-premium sectors like construction, mining, and manufacturing.

    As labour and development economists, we argue that reducing the gender pay gap takes more than putting women into male-dominated jobs or promoting equal pay for equal work. It means tackling the invisible structures that steer women into lower-paying companies.

    A gender gap that grows, then shrinks

    What’s particularly revealing is how the firm-pay gap changes across the life cycle. For workers in their early twenties, this gap is almost nonexistent. But from the mid-20s to the mid-40s — roughly the child-rearing years — the gap widens significantly.

    Why does this happen?

    First, women who remain continuously employed through their 30s tend to move to worse-paying firms than men, even though they switch jobs at similar rates.

    Second, women entering or re-entering formal work (after a spell of unemployment or informal work) tend to start at lower-paying firms than men. This disadvantage when re-entering contributes to the overall gap, but is more constant over the life cycle.

    Interestingly, churn (moving in and out of employment) is common — but men and women do it at similar rates. The key difference is what type of firm they land in when they return. Nearly half the gap among entrants is explained by industry sorting — women disproportionately enter lower-paying sectors such as education, retail, or personal care, while men are overrepresented in high-premium sectors like construction, mining, and manufacturing.

    This isn’t because women have less (or different) skills. That might be another contributor to the overall gender gap in pay, but it’s not what we looked at. This is the pay disadvantage that women face from being at firms that pay less for the same job or skill.

    The firms that women join tend to be in lower-paying industries, have fewer resources, and are less likely to be covered by collective bargaining agreements (union-negotiated industry wages) that boost pay.

    Just like women leave or re-enter formal jobs at the same rates as men, they are in fact just as likely to switch jobs when employed. The problem then is that their job switches are less likely to lead to upward moves in the pay hierarchy, possibly due to employer discrimination or a need to prioritise non-pay job characteristics (like flexibility).

    Then something remarkable happens. As women age into their late 40s and 50s, the gender gap begins to close. They start making more advantageous moves than men. This is likely because, having been sorted into lower-paying firms earlier in their careers, they have more room to climb. And with child-related constraints easing later in life, they finally can.

    Firms in developing countries

    Our finding — that women ending up in lower-paying companies accounts for nearly half of the pay gap — is higher than estimates from high-income countries like Portugal or Italy, where it explains around 20%–25%. But in developing countries like Brazil and Chile, the contribution is similar to what we find.

    Why do firms matter more in places like South Africa?

    Labour markets are more “monopsonistic” — firms have more power to set wages due to high unemployment and few outside options for workers. So because formal jobs are scarce, entering or moving up within the formal sector is harder, especially for women. In fact, we show that in regions of South Africa with lower levels of formality, the gender gap in firm pay is wider.

    Policy takeaways

    One instructive exception is the public sector, where the state has actively pursued gender equity in hiring. Public administration employs a much higher share of women than men and offers relatively high pay premia.

    In developing countries especially, where formality is limited and transitions into good jobs are harder, policy can focus on easing women’s access to high-paying companies.

    This can mean policies that support childcare, promote flexibility without penalising pay, or reduce discrimination in hiring. Otherwise, sorting into low-paying firms will keep reproducing the gender pay gap, one job move at a time.

    Ihsaan Bassier has previously received funding for several research projects, including this one, through the SA-TIED joint initiative between UNU-WIDER and the South African National Treasury. He is a research affiliate at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at the University of Cape Town.

    Leila Gautham 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. Why are women paid less than men? New research in South Africa shows the company you work for makes the biggest difference – https://theconversation.com/why-are-women-paid-less-than-men-new-research-in-south-africa-shows-the-company-you-work-for-makes-the-biggest-difference-254221

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens: Availability of 2024 Universal Registration Document

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PRESS RELEASE
    MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE – 30 APRIL 2025

    EXOSENS ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF ITS 2024 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

     

    Exosens announces today that it has filed its 2024 Universal Registration Document with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) on 29 April 2025 under number R.25-001.

    Exosens‘ 2024 Universal Registration Document contains the Group’s 2024 annual financial report, the Group’s management report, the Board of Directors’ report on corporate governance and the Group’s sustainability report.

    The 2024 Universal Registration Document can be viewed on Exosens‘ website (www.exosens.com) in the section Investors/Regulated Information, as well as on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

    A printed version of the Universal Registration Document may be obtained from the Company at its registered office: Domaine de Pelus 18 Avenue de Pythagore Axis Business Park Bat 5e 33 700 Mérignac, France, upon request.

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.

    Investor relations

    Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SUTNTIB AB Tewox publishes its factsheet for the first quarter of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Vilnius, Lithuania, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    SUTNTIB AB Tewox (the Company) publishes its factsheet, providing information about Company’s financial indicators and key events as at 31 March 2025.

    2025 Q1 KEY EVENTS

    • The 10 mEUR Tewox bond emission was fully redeemed, with the final repayment of 7.5 mEUR made in January.
    • The third tranche of 11 mEUR was issued, marking the completion of the 35 mEUR bond program offered under public prospectus.
    • A construction permit was received for a grocery store in Vilnius.
    • The 35 mEUR Tewox bond issuance was listed on the Nasdaq Baltic Bond List on March 3.
    • The acquisition of two Lidl grocery stores, each approximately 2,000 sqm in size and located in Jurbarkas and Panevėžys, was successfully closed. Luminor bank provided a 6.7 mEUR loan for the acquisition.
    • A land plot in Klaipėda district with a construction permit and long-term lease agreement with a grocery store operator was acquired.

    Contact person for further information:

    Paulius Nevinskas

    Manager of the Investment Company

    paulius.nevinskas@lordslb.lt

    https://lordslb.lt/tewox_bonds/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Mission and Ministry of Sports and Youth strengthen local support for youth participation

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

    Headline: OSCE Mission and Ministry of Sports and Youth strengthen local support for youth participation

    Center left to right: Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Giovanni Gabassi, Director of the Directorate for Youth and Cooperation with NGOs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth Darko Stojanović, Podgorica, 29 April, 2025. (OSCE/Irena Marunović) Photo details

    On 29 April, representatives from the Ministry of Sports and Youth, local governments, and local youth services gathered in Podgorica for the introductory capacity-building training titled “Networking and Cooperation of the Youth Sector at the Local Level.” The event was organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
    Opening the event, Giovanni Gabassi, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, emphasized that the goal of these capacity-building trainings is to foster a shared understanding of youth policies among different stakeholders and improve the inclusion of youth in their everyday work. “Networking and cooperation between youth and those who work with and for them is essential for achieving meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes, both at the national and local levels,” Gabassi noted.
    Darko Stojanović, Director of the Directorate for Youth and Cooperation with NGOs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, highlighted the importance of the training, aimed at strengthening local structures for involving young people in social processes. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting initiatives that empower young people and amplify their voices in the community, expressing hope that the meeting would lead to new partnerships and positive local changes.
    During the interactive sessions, 40 participants from 23 municipalities explored ways to enhance cooperation between national and local youth policy actors, identifying opportunities for joint action. They also discussed key challenges in communication with various stakeholders and identified capacity gaps that need to be addressed to support effective youth participation in local communities.
    The inputs gathered will be used to design a three-day capacity-building training scheduled for June. During this next phase, youth policy actors will build long-term partnerships with each other and engage young people in processes that concern them, such as the drafting and implementation of local youth action plans.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise

    Source: US State of California

    Arrests Mark Significant Takedown Within Violent Online Network Known as ‘764’

    Note: View the criminal complaint.

    Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as War, 21, a citizen of the United States residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, also known as Trippy, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, are charged for their crimes operating an international child exploitation enterprise in connection with a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network known as 764. Nepal was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. Varagiannis was arrested yesterday in Greece.

    According to the affidavit unsealed today in the District of Columbia, 764 is a violent online network that seeks to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors. The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government.

    “These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered — a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”

    “These defendants allegedly recruited others to exploit children and created a guide for the disgusting online content they wanted,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let me be very clear about our efforts. The FBI and our partners are determined to protect juveniles from predators, and we will track down and hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities. We will continue to work closely with our partners at the Department of Justice to bring justice to the victims of such cruel abuse.”

    “The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent’s nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.” 

    As alleged, the defendants engaged in a coordinated criminal enterprise and led a core subgroup within 764 known as 764 Inferno, operated through encrypted messaging applications. As alleged, they directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors. Varagiannis and Nepal allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors. The affidavit alleges that the group targeted vulnerable children online, coercing them into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation. This content includes “cut signs” and “blood signs” through which young minors would cut symbols into their bodies.

    The defendants and their co-conspirators around the world used the CSAM and other gore and violent material to create digital “Lorebooks,” which NVEs used as digital currency within the 764 network — traded, archived in encrypted “vaults,” and used as a means to recruit new members or maintain status within the network. The affidavit also details how the defendants instructed other members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits. In multiple instances, the defendants threatened and caused their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.

    Also according to the complaint affidavit, the defendants exploited at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, with some content traced back to children as young as 13 years old. The network’s activities spanned from late 2020 through early 2025, with core leadership roles attributed to both defendants throughout the period.

    If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

    The FBI Washington Field Office and the FBI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office and the FBI Athens (Greece) Legal Attaché Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided crucial assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Hughes, Karen Ditzler Shinskie, and Jack Korba for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli, Kristina Hamil, and Jorge Casillas.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Companjon and Omio expand globally with Cancel for any reason – No questions asked and no documentation required

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Companjon is a global leader in CFAR and in embedded insurance solutions
    • Omio is the leading multi-modal travel booking platform
    • Omio Flex, CFAR developed with the partnership between Omio and Companjon, was first introduced in EEA countries and the UK, and now make it available for the rest of the world

    DUBLIN, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Companjon, a leading Insurtech company specializing in dynamic embedded insurance, announced the rollout of its flexible cancellation solution for Omio to the rest of the world. Omio Flex was developed in partnership with the multi-modal travel booking platform, bringing ultimate flexibility to travel plans. From now on, Omio customers from all over the world can cancel their train and bus journeys for any reason up to 15 minutes before departure (depending on fare type).

    The solution is seamlessly integrated into Omio’s customer journey from purchasing to cancelling. Users can select it in the ticket configuration process. If customers with Omio Flex decide not to travel, they can simply cancel their trip and receive a payment of up to 100% of the purchase fare (depending on fare type). Omio pays the compensation directly to the customer. The solution was first introduced in EEA countries and the UK, and after a successful trial period, Omio decided to make it available for the rest of the world as well. Companjon will use its advanced technology into Omio’s booking platform and ensuring a seamless customer experience for Omio users.

    Matthias Naumann, CEO, Companjon, said: “We’ve been proud of our collaboration with Omio since day one, and we’re thrilled to take it a step further. The expansion of Omio Flex allows customers across the world to cancel for any reason, with no questions asked and no documentation required. Travellers consistently highlight flexibility as one of the most valued features when booking trips. Embedding our technology into Omio’s booking platform is essential to staying ahead of the competition. Both teams—Omio and Companjon—have invested heavily in developing this product, with our unique technology and data-driven insights playing a key role in bringing it to life.”

    Veronica Diquattro, President B2C Europe, Omio, commented, “Journeys don’t always go as planned. The ability to cancel a booking for any reason is an important cornerstone of our promise to offer seamless travel anywhere in the world. Our customer data shows that flexibility is a key travel consideration, which is why we’re excited to now offer Omio Flex globally. Companjon’s advanced technology and data insights were instrumental in helping us address the evolving demands of our users and developing this product.”

    About Omio

    Since its foundation in 2013, the Omio Group has helped customers discover new ways of travelling. Thanks to its two interconnected platforms, Omio and Rome2Rio, Omio is the world’s leading travel platform for searching, comparing, and booking. Omio B2B Partnership services OTAs and mobility providers with bespoke business solutions. Omio supports its customers in their desire to explore Europe, the US, Canada and Southeast Asia by train, bus, flight, and ferry. Omio sells more than 80,000 tickets daily, employs over 430 staff from more than 50 countries and maintains offices in Berlin, Prague, Melbourne, London and Bangalore. The Omio Group offers its customers journeys that move them.

    www.omio.com

    About Companjon 

    Companjon is a leading B2B2C Insurtech start-up specializing in fully digital, AI-driven embedded insurance. Its modern, end-to-end insurance solutions enable companies to delight their customers and drive more business value from stronger brand loyalty and new ancillary revenue opportunities. Companjon designs, builds, and underwrites its dynamic solutions on a 100% cloud-based platform capable of issuing 32,000 policies per second, integrating API gateways easily, and leveraging the latest advanced technology. It has been recognized as one of the World’s Top Insurtech Companies 2024 by CNBC and one of the world’s most innovative insurtechs by FinTech Global for four consecutive years (2021-2024).

    Companjon seeks to change the way people think about insurance by creating seamless and positive experiences when things don’t go as planned: being right there when ‘life’ happens. The company is registered in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

    www.companjon.com

    Media Contact:
    Simone Vottari
    +353 86 032 4630
    press@companjon.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State provides update on Brown case

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Secretary of State provides update on Brown case

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has today (30 April) filed applications with the Court of Appeal

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has today filed applications with the Court of Appeal seeking an extension of time for decision-making and seeking protective leave to appeal to the Supreme Court in the case brought by Bridie Brown, whose husband was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997.

    Mr Benn said:

    The murder of Sean Brown nearly 28 years ago was brutal and despicable and it has caused deep pain and anguish to Mrs Brown, her family, and many in the wider community. I know that this has been exacerbated by the time it has taken to find answers.

    As I have said many times, I am committed to ensuring that there is a full, thorough and independent Article 2-compliant investigation into the murder of Sean Brown.

    I am taking steps to repeal and replace the previous government’s Legacy Act to ensure that we have a legacy system that is capable of delivering for all families who lost loved ones during the Troubles, and who are seeking answers.

    It is clear that the detailed judgement requires a full and considered response. I have therefore today asked the Court of Appeal for more time to consider it and the terms of the declaration. This will allow me to receive comprehensive advice that responds in full to the issues the Court has identified.

    Also, given the approaching deadline from the Court for requesting leave to appeal, I have today asked the Court for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, in case that should ultimately be necessary.

    These steps will not delay the Government’s determination to take the necessary steps to ensure that the system for dealing with legacy is human rights compliant and can command the confidence of victims and families.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Business Leader of the Future: What Skills and Approaches Determine Success Today

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    How can top managers adapt to rapidly changing market conditions? What is behind the effective implementation of innovative projects? Why should adult experienced specialists undergo training again? Maria Petrova, Vice President of Sales at Health, talks about all this, as well as new approaches to management, the value of partnerships, and the advantages of the HSE HSE Corporate Program “Business Leader of the Future” Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    — What can you say about the skills and competencies of the participants of the “Business Leader of the Future” program? How did the listeners improve themselves?

    — The first thing I have already mentioned is the general business outlook and perspective, the ability to look ahead and, based on this, plan the present and the near future. The second is the skills of design thinking and working with uncertainty. This was one of the most significant and, in my opinion, one of the most successful blocks of the program. The third is, of course, the skills of cross-functional interaction, working with stakeholders, communication skills, the ability to present and defend your idea or project in a very short time. This is also a key competency. There were other important blocks, for example, on financial management, as well as blocks related to leadership and taking responsibility.

    And I will separately mention risk management, if I am not mistaken – the topic of the third module of the program. Taking risks is a really important point. Over the last 2-2.5 years in the company, we have included this in our routine: we try to assess risks, anticipate them and find scenarios for an effective response.

    — Did the knowledge and skills acquired in the program find application in the professional activities of the students within the company?

    — I would divide the application into two aspects: the implementation of specific projects, which we may discuss further, and changes in the behavioral habits and patterns of the participants, which I observe as a manager. Now they have begun to prepare for presentations much better, convey their ideas more clearly, and understand the business as a whole better. This is the very same business-acumen — an expanded business outlook. In addition, employees have begun to strive for more productive cross-functional interaction, not to focus on themselves when making decisions, and to take into account the KPIs of different departments.

    — Can you say a few words about the defense of the final projects? Which of them were put into production and what did they consist of?

    — The project defense was a separate amazing story. The entire management committee really enjoyed it. Usually, you go to such events thinking, “Now I’m going to sit and listen to something for six hours.” But this time, all the participants were unanimous in the opinion that everything went by in one breath. After the defense, we, as organizers, were taken to a separate room and asked to evaluate the projects. We were given the task of choosing three winners. We sat down and began to discuss. In the third minute, the question was asked: “Are there any projects here that we are ready to say “no” to?” And everyone answered that there are no such projects. We are ready to give the green light to all initiatives for further implementation in real business. We collectively decided that there is no point in looking for one winner; it would be much more appropriate to provide the teams with high-quality feedback to improve their solutions. As a result, when we went out into the audience, we announced that we were saying “yes” to all the projects.

    — Is it possible to tell a little more about a couple of projects if they do not contain business secrets?

    — We had several initiatives related to the development of new products and the corresponding modification of production capacities. I think I will not reveal any big secrets by saying that we have a trend in the dairy category for high-protein products. There is also a trend for ready-made food and for consuming products outside the home. Of course, we focus on those areas that are interesting to consumers.

    There are also projects related to operational efficiency, optimizing various processes and reducing costs, including through partner solutions in the field of logistics and supply chains. For example, how best to develop remote territories. These solutions are mainly operational and logistical. In addition, there are initiatives to develop individual trade channels and cooperate with new partners.

    — Could you briefly describe the features and advantages of the educational program at our business school?

    — The first is the desire or even a conscious wish to understand the client. This understanding is not for show, but in order to identify the client’s real need and offer a solution that will be selected individually, or, as they say now, customized for this need. The second advantage is a high-level teaching staff with excellent knowledge and material that the teachers are ready to adapt to the students.

    It is also worth noting the overall engagement in the outcome of the program. We felt throughout the entire process – from the design to the final stage – a desire to achieve, or rather, to help participants achieve specific results. And this is how we measure the success of the program, and not just by the participants listening to lectures.

    — Which courses or topics within the program did you personally like the most?

    — Personally, I especially liked two topics — the block on strategizing and foresights and the part related to design thinking. As the leader of the organization, I am responsible for the future of the company, for its independence and ability to pilot its development as a separate large business. Now we ourselves come up with new products and business areas, we implement them ourselves and learn from our own mistakes. Design thinking is one of the key methods that helps to see the business perspective and turn ideas into real solutions.

    — Did your expectations from the program at the start match the final result?

    — As you have understood, I have the most positive impressions. And here is why: I am a result-oriented person, and when I see it, I feel good. And when I see a double result, and it is really specific, right “lying on the table”, it is generally wonderful. You know, when you go to training and understand that there will be project activity, there is always a perception that this is just an educational project for the sake of it, the main thing is to learn. Yes, of course, the main thing is to learn. If the project did not work out, then you can always say that at least different methods were tried. But this is the case when you not only learned, but also got a real business result.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON – Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as “War,” 21, a citizen of the United States residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, also known as “Trippy,” 20, of North Carolina, were arrested and charged for operating an international child exploitation enterprise known as “764,” a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network. Varagiannis was arrested yesterday in Greece; Nepal was arrested on April 22, 2025, in North Carolina and had a court appearance. Court hearings in Washington, D.C. are pending for both defendants.

    The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the New York Field Office.

    According to the affidavit in the District of Columbia, 764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct in the United States and abroad, seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors. The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government.

    As alleged, the defendants engaged in a coordinated criminal enterprise and led a core subgroup within 764 known as 764 Inferno, operated through encrypted messaging applications. As alleged, they directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors. Veragiannis and Nepal allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors. The affidavit alleges that the group targeted vulnerable children online, coercing them into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation. This content includes “cut signs” and “blood signs” through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies.

    The defendants and their co-conspirators around the world used the CSAM and other gore and violent material to create digital “Lorebooks,” which NVEs used as digital currency within the 764 network — traded, archived in encrypted “vaults,” and used as a means to recruit new members or maintain status within the network. The affidavit also details how the defendants instructed others members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits. In multiple instances, defendants threatened and caused their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.

    Also according to the complaint affidavit, the defendants exploited at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, with some content traced back to children as young as 13 years old. The network’s activities spanned from late 2020 through early 2025, with core leadership roles attributed to both defendants throughout the period.

    “The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent’s nightmare” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.”

    “These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered – a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,” said Attorney General Bondi. “We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”

    “The charges against these subjects represent our resolve to dismantle violent networks that seek to destroy civilized society,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Our work is not done until justice is restored for all impacted victims.”

    “Prasan Nepal, a leader of 764, allegedly instructed other members of the network to use explicit material to induce and extort victims into producing child exploitative content,” said Assistant Director in Charge Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “Manipulating the most vulnerable members of society—our children—to produce sexually harmful material to further their depraved goals is unconscionable. The FBI is determined to do whatever necessary to stop the heinous actions of 764 members and hold them accountable in the justice system.”

    If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

    This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office and the FBI Athens (Greece) Legal Attaché Office.

    It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Hughes, Karen Ditzler Shinskie, and Jack Korba for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli, Kristina Hamil, and Jorge Casillas provided assistance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina provided invaluable assistance.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Pre Stabilisation Notice

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Toucan FinCo Limited, Toucan FinCo Can Inc, and Toucan FinCo US LLC

    PARIS, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HSBC (contact: syndexecution@noexternalmail.hsbc.com) hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities

    The securities:
    Issuer: Toucan FinCo Limited, Toucan FinCo Can Inc, and Toucan FinCo US LLC
    Guarantor (if any): NA
    Aggregate nominal amount: EUR Benchmark
    Description: Fixed rate 5yr (2030)
    Offer price: TBC
    Other offer terms:
    Stabilisation:
    Stabilising Manager(s): HSBC Continental Europe
    Stabilisation period expected to start on: 2nd May 2025
    Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 13th June 2025
    Existence, maximum size & conditions of use of over-allotment facility[1]: 5% of the aggregate nominal amount
    Stabilisation Venue(s) Over the counter (OTC)
       

    In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

    In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus Regulation”) (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State.

    This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

    This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States.

    [1] Please note that the existence and the maximum size of any greenshoe option, the exercise period of the greenshoe option and any conditions for exercise of the greenshoe option must also be disclosed, if such option exists. In addition, the exercise of the greenshoe option must be disclosed to the public promptly, together with all appropriate details, including in particular the date of exercise and the number and nature of securities involved 

    This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statements on Ukraine and Middle East by Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and foreign Affairs, at the UN Security Council

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    Ministers,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    My European partners and I would have preferred not to have to convene this Security Council meeting on Ukraine, but Russia’s high-intensity war of aggression continues to ravage Ukraine, as reiterated by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, with drastic humanitarian consequences in violation of international law and in violation of the Charter of the United Nations: our Charter.

    How did this happen?

    It started with the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to freedom and democracy, which Russia sought to repress in the 2014 Maidan Uprising.

    Ten years ago, a fragile ceasefire was agreed in Minsk. It was violated twenty times.

    Three years ago, Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, a unilateral, brutal, unjustifiable war of aggression that must end now. A war that was not a defensive war, and that was not inevitable. A war that was not justified, and continues to be unjustifiable. It is quite simply the expression of an overt revisionist plan.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    On 24 February this year, the Security Council adopted an American resolution, Resolution 2774, and I wish to cite it as a reminder: “the Security Council […] implores a swift end to the conflict”.

    What has Ukraine done since 24 February?

    On 9 March, Ukraine accepted the principle of a total and unconditional ceasefire, in accordance with Resolution 2774, showing its good faith and sincere desire to move towards peace.

    And what has Russia done since 24 February and the adoption of Resolution 2774?

    It has continued its war crimes and crimes against humanity by striking infrastructures and targeting civilians, women and children, and humanitarian workers.

    While it is totally violating international law, Russia would have us believe that is in within its right and that it may lay claim to the Ukrainian territories in the name of the principle of self-determination. But it is a diversion; it is false. What is true is that Russia is violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Russia is attacking its neighbour, and in this war of aggression, it is violating international law and international humanitarian law. Everyone can see that, and everyone knows it.

    And today, the only obstacle now to the ceasefire, the only obstacle to the implementation of Resolution 2774 adopted by the Council on 24 February, is Vladimir Putin.

    So why oppose the implementation of this resolution in this way?

    Vladimir Putin’s Russia most likely wants to push Ukraine to surrender. But France, like many other members of this Council, is opposed to this, and will continue to oppose it.

    First, because it is a security challenge for Europe and France, which Russia seeks to destabilize.

    Yes, ladies and gentlemen, France has already been targeted.

    Since the beginning of the conflict, our country, a supporter of Ukraine, has been targeted by Russian cyber attacks originating in the Russian military intelligence services, GRU, carried out by threat actor APT28. They targeted a dozen French entities including public services, enterprises, and sports organizations involved in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We condemn these cyber attacks in the strongest terms. They are unworthy of a permanent member of the Security Council and contrary to the framework set by the United Nations. They must cease immediately.

    But if France, like other members of this Council, is opposed to any form of surrender by Ukraine, it is not only for the sake of Europe’s and France’s security, it is also for the sake of global peace and security. Because such an outcome in this war would enshrine the concept of “might is right”, and inevitably lead the world into a frenetic arms race, and most certainly proliferation.

    I believe that quite simply we must return to some of the elementary principles of our Charter, which I would once again like to cite to refresh the memories of all members of this Council. In Chapter I, Article 2, Paragraph 4, it states that: “States shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations (…)”.

    So let’s get back to simple principles: aggressors must not be rewarded at the victim’s expense; borders are intangible; and States, no matter which, are sovereign.

    I therefore call on President Putin to say to him:

    Cease fire!

    Cease fire!

    Cease fire!

    That is when peace will become possible again.

    A just and true peace.

    A peace that complies with the Charter of the United Nations and international law.

    A peace that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Ukraine.

    We can succeed.

    That is why, while commending the mediation efforts undertaken by the United States of America and at the highest level, France wants this Council to unanimously demand a total, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and by that I mean that weapons be laid down.

    Thank you.

    Open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinain issue

    Statement by the Minister for Europe and Foreign affairs, Jean Noel Barrot

    Dear Secretary-General,

    Ministers,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    I wanted to make the debate on the Middle East a focus of the French Presidency of the Security Council.

    The anti-Semitic massacres on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing military conflagration have upended the region.

    As we are speaking here today, Gaza has been devastated by war, Lebanon is struggling to recover, Syria is engaged in a fragile and uncertain transition, and Iran is pursuing its dangerous race towards nuclear weapons. This spiral of destabilization must not lead us to a situation that cannot be undone. That is why we must work together to find a path to peace and security for all.

    Our first priority is to stop the hostilities and end the suffering of civilian populations.

    In Lebanon, in close cooperation with our American partners, we managed to achieve a ceasefire agreement five months ago. Its implementation still needs to be fine-tuned, but it has brought about peace. It is crucial and must be upheld.

    In Gaza, war rages on. The fact that the ceasefire has been broken and Israel has resumed its military strikes should alarm us all. It is a huge step backwards for the Palestinian civilian population, for the Israeli hostages and their loved ones, and for the security of the entire region. Negotiations urgently need to resume and bring about a lasting ceasefire. We support mediators’ efforts to achieve that.

    This ceasefire must bring about the unconditional and immediate release of all the hostages being held arbitrarily by Hamas. I would like to take a moment to mention before this Council our fellow Frenchman, Ofer Kalderon, who was released after 484 days in captivity. I would also like to pay homage to the memory of another fellow Frenchman, Ohad Yahalomi, taken hostage on 7 October, arbitrarily held and murdered in Gaza. He has left behind a widow and three innocent children.

    The ceasefire must also bring about deliveries of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, as all humanitarian aid has been blocked for two months. I was able to see this for myself when I visited the Egyptian border and I testify before you that this situation is unacceptable. Because since the end of March, Israeli bombings have killed more than 1,300 people, including many civilians, women and children. And these military strikes have also killed humanitarian workers and UN staff members. The tremendous suffering of the civilian populations in Gaza has to stop. I call on Israel to remove all obstacles so that massive amounts of humanitarian aid can finally be delivered to Gaza.

    France is fully doing its part to address this humanitarian emergency. Since 2023, we have contributed €250 million in humanitarian aid to civilian populations. A portion of this aid was distributed via UNRWA and France supports UNRWA’s action and efforts of committed reform. In close cooperation with our regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, we have also directly provided healthcare, food and shelter for people living in Gaza who are victims of the war.

    Our second priority is to help the territories ravaged by conflicts to recover.

    The International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty held in Paris on 24 October 2024 raised more than $1 billion. This aid went to the population and security forces. The new authorities have begun reform and reconstruction efforts that we support. When the time is right, we will hold an international conference in support of Lebanon’s economic recovery in Paris. The role of the United Nations throughout this process will be key.

    Lebanon needs to recover its sovereignty – its full sovereignty. We call on Israeli forces that are still in Lebanon to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory so that the Lebanese Armed Forces can be redeployed there. It is up to them to ensure the security and sovereignty of the State, assisted by UNIFIL and the supervision mechanism in which France participates alongside the United States, and which includes the United Nations. France is continuing its efforts with determination to ensure the full implementation of Council’s Resolution 1701.

    In Syria, a historic transition process has begun since Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship was overthrown. France is prepared to provide support. With its European partners, it has started to lift the first sanctions under certain conditions. The transition process must respect and protect the rights of all Syrians, regardless of their ethnic background, religion or gender. It must also ensure effective and determined action to counter terrorism. I will say this before the United Nations General Assembly: the terrible crimes committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime must not be forgotten. The UN has an important role to play against impunity and in Syria’s reconstruction.

    In Gaza, we will support our Arab partners’ efforts to build a robust and credible framework for the “day after”. This framework should enable the reconstruction, governance and security of the enclave. But these efforts can only produce their effects if they are carried out from a political standpoint.

    That is why our third priority is to work on political solutions ensuring a just and lasting peace

    There is only one solution to achieve a political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: it is the two-state solution, the only solution that can ensure peace and security over the long term for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    This solution is now being threatened by the increasing settlement building in the West Bank, by the violence of extremist settlers, by the desire to weaken the Palestinian Authority and by discourse on an annexation and forced displacement of the population.

    Amid faits accomplis on the ground, the prospect of a Palestinian State has to be protected. That is why France is holding an international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution with Saudi Arabia here in New York in June. Our aim is clear: to advance the recognition of Palestine and the normalization of relations with Israel. That is how we will successfully ensure Israel’s security and regional integration, while responding to the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians to have a State. This roadmap for the effective implementation of the two-state solution also involves disarming Hamas, defining a credible governance from which it will be excluded, and reforming the Palestinian Authority. The UN and its agencies must have a full role in this process.

    Also, we are not toning down our efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the challenge related to the headlong pursuit of Iran’s nuclear programme. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi explained the situation clearly yesterday during our meeting on non-proliferation.

    Amid destabilizing interference, we have to continue to work on reinforcing the sovereignty of the States in the region.

    Having just visited Iraq, I would like to stress how much headway this country is making. Destroyed recently by conflicts and power plays, it is now on the sidelines of regional tensions. Iraq has resumed its role as a hub for balance and stabilization. The third Baghdad Conference, which will be held at the end of 2025, testifies to this. It will provide an opportunity to work on regional cooperation and security, countering the fragmentation and confrontation approach at work today.

    Secretary-General,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    France is working for peace and sovereignty; without them nothing is possible. We are deeply committed to the Middle East for historic and geographic reasons. Today, everyone’s security and stability depend on this region. We are therefore determined to build a path to peace there, for you and with you.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DfE Update: 30 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    DfE Update: 30 April 2025

    Latest information and actions from the Department for Education about funding, assurance and resource management, for academies, local authorities and further education providers.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    DfE Update further education: 30 April 2025

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    DfE Update academies: 30 April 2025

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    DfE Update local authorities: 30 April 2025

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    Details

    Latest for further education

    Article Title
    Information 16 to 19 funding rules for 2025 to 2026
    Information  Adult skills fund (ASF) – funding rules, funding rates and formula guidance for 2025 to 2026
    Information Advanced learner loans – launch of the application service for 2025 to 2026
    Information Getting a better understanding of your Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data

    Latest information for academies

    Article Title
    Information PE and sport premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 academic year
    Information 16 to 19 funding rules for 2025 to 2026
    Information Schools and Academies Show, ExCel London 15 May 2025 – find out more about buying for your school or trust
    Events and webinars Academies chart of accounts – mapping review workshop
    Events and webinars Financial management system (FMS) comparison matrix
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – cyber workshop

    Latest information for local authorities

    Article Title
    Information PE and sport premium allocations for 2024 to 2025 academic year
    Information 16 to 19 funding rules for 2025 to 2026
    Information Adult skills fund (ASF) – funding rules, funding rates and formula guidance for 2025 to 2026
    Information Advanced learner loans – launch of the application service for 2025 to 2026
    Information Schools and Academies Show, ExCel London 15 May 2025 – find out more about buying for your school or trust
    Events and webinars Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – cyber workshop

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Red Arrows could return to Ryde for Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day 30 April 2025 Red Arrows could return to Ryde for Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The RAF’s iconic Reds Arrows could return to Ryde for Armed Forces Day, helping to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

    Last year marked a historic first as the Red Arrows soared over Ryde sands, performing breath-taking manoeuvres that left thousands of spectators in awe. The possibility of their return this June has stirred excitement across the Island once again.

    Ian Dore, event organiser, said: “As you may have seen, there is a currently a space in the Red Arrows display season calendar, and we have the opportunity to fill it as it’s reserved for us.

    “We had hoped to go firm with this at the beginning of the year, but circumstances out of our control prevented that.

    “Once the MOD comes through with their support, it will enable us to provide the necessary safety elements for a sky-high, seat-of-your-pants salute to the Island’s Armed Forces community.

    “We are one of only three Armed Forces Days to be offered the Reds, so it should be pursued at full throttle as it’s a considerable privilege.”

    Currently, the Red Arrows are engaged in their annual assessment in Croatia. Their first scheduled display is a flypast in London on 5 May, with a return to the Capital in June for His Majesty the King’s birthday flypast. If all goes well, they could be dazzling the skies over Ryde on Sunday, 29 June.

    Ian added: “We’ve done all the groundwork, and the air planning is in place. However, until the MOD commits further, I am not 100 per cent sure what we are looking at. Working off the known numbers as they stand, if everyone who attended last year’s event chipped in £2, we’d be there overnight.

    “I’m pleased to say that two major Island businesses have already stepped up to support this element of the event. Ultimately, it will be down to public generosity to get it fully airborne. If some more Armed Forces Covenant signatories do the same, the challenge lessens.”

    He added: “Times are tough, but given the significance of this year, it’s appropriate to rally together, helping to fund a spectacular display that honours the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of our Armed Forces community.

    “It’s also easy to forget that many youngsters and families, through no fault of their own, lack the resources to visit such a dynamic air display on the mainland. We strive to combine excitement and adventure with history and high-octane action for everyone to enjoy.

    “The Red Arrows are more than just a display team; they are a symbol of national pride. If the Island’s community can help crowd-fund their appearance at Armed Forces Day, it will demonstrate that our support is not just in words but in action. We surely must give it our best shot and try?”

    Next Wednesday afternoon, the official Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day website will provide details on any proposed fundraisers.

    Businesses, individuals, and corporate bodies have exclusive opportunities to support and facilitate this element of the event.

    For more information, please contact Ian Dore at ian.dore@iow.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Unknown Soldiers Buried in France

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Unknown Soldiers Buried in France

    Remains from six Commonwealth soldiers who fought in World War 1, none of them identifiable by name, have been laid to rest in France.

    The bearer party from 4RLC carry the coffin to the graveside at Loos British Cemetery (Crown Copyright)

    The men were commemorated in two burial ceremonies this week: 

    • On 29 April, remains from four unknown Commonwealth soldiers were buried at the Commonweath War Graves Commission (CWGC) Ovillers Military Cemetery. 

    • On 30 April, two unknown Commonwealth soldiers were buried at CWGC Loos British Cemetery Extension 

    All services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’. The services were supported by serving soldiers from Abingdon-based 4 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps. 

    The burial party was composed of soldiers from 4RLC and a bugler from The Band and Bugles of The Rifles (Crown Copyright)

    The soldiers buried at CWGC Ovillers Military Cemetery were discovered in fields near Fricourt, in the Somme region of France – whilst this land was fought over extensively during several phases of the war, these men are most likely casualties of the Battle of the Somme, 1916.  

    Two soldiers from 4RLC lay wreaths at the graveside in Ovillers Military Cemetery (Crown Copyright)

    The soldiers buried at CWGC Loos British Cemetery Extension were recovered from Tilloy-les-Mofflaines and Loos-en-Gohelle – both in the Pas de Calais region of France. The man found at Tilloy most likely died during the Battle of Arras in 1917, whereas the man found at Loos was most likely killed either during the Battle of Loos in 1915, or the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. 

    Due to the extensive fighting in the recovery areas by multiple battalions of different regiments over a long period, the list of those missing is extensive. Though the General Service buttons and ammunition found alongside the remains indicate the men were of Commonwealth origin and unlikely to be officers, no artefacts could identify individuals. With no way to distinguish these men from the thousands recorded there as missing, they were buried as unknown soldiers, known unto God.  

    Alexia Clark, MOD War Detective said: 

    Whilst it is disappointing that we have been unable to name these men, they have been afforded a dignified and respectful military burial to honour their sacrifice. Their memory will be kept alive by visitors to the cemeteries, and by those of us here to witness their burials. 

    Reverend Joseph Roberts, Chaplain to 4 Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps said: 

    It is a huge privilege to officiate at these burial services, even though these soldiers are unknown to us, they are forever known, named and loved by God. As they are laid to rest alongside their comrades who too made the ultimate sacrifice, for the freedoms and liberties of our way of life, it is therefore only right and proper to bury them, with the honour, respect and dignity that they are owed. May they rest in eternal peace. 

    Head of Commemorations at the CWGC, Dr James Wallis, said:

    We are deeply honoured to have these soldiers laid to rest at our cemeteries in France, after they tragically lost their lives more than a century ago. Although their names remain unknown, their graves will be cared for by us, in perpetuity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft held a series of patriotic events in Samara in honor of the Great Victory

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Employees of the Samara group of enterprises of NK Rosneft organized a large-scale project dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The action united more than 500 participants – veterans and employees of Rosneft enterprises, students, volunteers and residents of the Samara region.

    The patriotic initiative began with a flash mob in Novokuibyshevsk. Next to the memorial complex to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, volunteers unfurled an 80-meter St. George ribbon – a symbol of valor, fortitude and pride in the Great Victory. Participants honored the memory of the fallen heroes with a minute of silence and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

    A bright continuation of the event was the motor rally – 30 cars and motorcycles with the Victory Banners, went to the city of Samara. During the Great Patriotic War, Kuibyshev (now Samara) became the “reserve capital” of the country and the largest industrial center. The route of the rally included significant historical places, including the Kuibyshevsky district of Samara, which appeared on the city map in 1943 thanks to the construction of the Kuibyshev Oil Refinery.

    The grand opening of the open-air historical photo exhibition took place on the Volga River embankment. The exhibition “Samara Oil – for Victory” reflects the main stages of the formation and development of the oil industry in the region during the war years. Having received the order from the Motherland to accelerate the development of the oil industry for the uninterrupted supply of fuel to the front, Samara oil workers of Kuibyshevneft (now Samaraneftegaz) were the first in the USSR to find Devonian oil and increase production fivefold. They also built two oil refineries, the Syzran and Kuibyshev Oil Refineries, in record time.

    The culmination of the event was the screening of the film “War of Motors”, created on the initiative of NK “Rosneft” and dedicated to the selfless work of Soviet oil workers during the Great Patriotic War. Home front workers demonstrated courage, fortitude and heroism, providing the front with fuel – forged Victory in the rear.

    The event ended with a festive concert, which featured the beloved songs of the war years, “Smuglyanka”, “Katyusha” and “Blue Scarf”, performed by the company’s employees – winners of the corporate festival “Energy of Talents”.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 30, 2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Alley Theatre to host powerful reflection on the impact of flooding

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Alley Theatre to host powerful reflection on the impact of flooding

    30 April 2025

    On the 8th and 9th of May, the Alley Theatre will host a special installation piece reflecting the devastating impact of flooding on local communities.

    ‘In at Midnight and Away by Morning: The Uninvited Guest’, is a powerful sound and light installation from the BluePrint Project, capturing the lived experience of communities facing the reality of flooding and their ongoing adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

    The BluePrint Project, which is funded by Creative Ireland, led by University College Cork with support from The Playhouse, Derry City and Strabane District Council, and Mayo County Council, involved a co-creation process with flood-affected communities in Eglinton and Newtownstewart, and an All-Island learning exchange with Mayo.

    The poetic piece features the sonification of historic and predicted rainfall data and has been shaped through the voices and creativity of flood-affected communities in Eglinton and Newtownstewart.  It was created in collaboration with artist Sara Walmsley, and this immersive work explores resilience, community action and hope in the face of an uncertain climate future.

    On May 8th the Sound and Light Installation will be shared at a special event in the Alley Theatre attended by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, the Director of Creative Ireland, government representatives, researchers, artists and community organisations.

    Looking ahead to the event, Mayor Barr said: “The Blueprint Project is a call to action and we must respond to this climate emergency with a renewed sense of urgency. The fight against climate change requires all of us to play our part, the simple changes we can all make in our everyday life can have a collective impact. It’s time for us to step up as a community.”

    The evening will also mark the launch of the BluePrint Toolkit, a resource capturing insights from this co-creation process and all-island exchange with Mayo. Designed to support government and community actors, the Toolkit offers guidance and inspiration for climate adaptation and flood resilience efforts across Ireland.

    ‘In at Midnight and Away by Morning: The Uninvited Guest’, will be open to the public from 10am to 3pm on the 9th of May at the Alley Theatre.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Victorian school buildings update

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    The possible options, estimated costs and timescales to improve the sustainability of Aberdeen City Council’s Victorian school buildings went before the Education and Children’s Services committee yesterday (Tuesday 29 April).

    Committee members approved the recommendations of the Victorian Schools Programme report which included the Outline Business Case.  The preferred options (Appendix A) for the 10 in-scope schools were detailed in a confidential report due to the commercially sensitive costs involved and heard in private.

    Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “It is important to do all we can to ensure that every city schools is able to provide the best possible learning environment for the benefit of pupils. The ‘Outline Business Case’ for the ten Victorian Granite schools is the latest part of the Council’s strategy to maintain and improve the school estate in the long term. Detailed and careful planning is needed to identify how we can manage to upgrade these older buildings. Funding will be a major challenge with the very finite resources available.”

    Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “The Victorian Schools Programme report highlights the significant amount of work that we are committed to delivering over the next 15 years to ensure that we can provide the highest quality, sustainable and nurturing environments in our Victorian Schools. It’s important we invest in our heritage schools, whilst ensuring our learning environments are accessible and fit for purpose.”

    The Victorian school buildings included within the scope of this project are:

    • Aberdeen Grammar School
    • Ashley Road School
    • Broomhill School
    • Culter School
    • Gilcomstoun School
    • Kittybrewster School
    • Skene Square School
    • St Joseph’s RC School
    • Sunnybank School
    • Woodside School

    Some of the common suitability challenges affecting many of the schools include accessibility issues; lack of breakout spaces for small group work and pupil support; limited space for outdoor learning; lack of space for dining and PE provision; and inadequate toilet facilities. In addition, several schools are at or already exceed their available pupil capacity, and space within the school sites for extending the buildings is severely limited.

    The cost of the preferred option, programming and cost implications for the Victorian Schools Programme will be added to the development of the School Estate Plan annual update report, which will be presented to the Education and Children’s Services committee in September 2025.

    This will enable the costs to be considered within the budget setting process for 2026/27 along with the cost for any other new priorities which may be identified in the School Estate Plan update. 

    Photo: Aberdeen Grammar School. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kanga power! Homegrown cotton for a homegrown economy – UK & Kenya launch Lamu cotton processing facility.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    Kanga power! Homegrown cotton for a homegrown economy – UK & Kenya launch Lamu cotton processing facility.

    A partnership between Kenya, the UK and private sector to deliver growth and jobs by reducing reliance on foreign imports, supporting women and the environment.

    The (L-R) Lamu County Governor, H.E Issa Timamy; Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, CS Trade Investments and Industry, Kenya; Principal Secretary for Investments – Mr. Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, Kenya; and Ms. Tejal Dodhia, Managing Director, Thika Cotton Mills; officially lay the foundation stone at the Lamu cotton ginnery, Lamu County, Kenya.

    The UK, Kenya, and the County Government of Lamu have joined forces to lay the foundation stone at a new cotton processing facility in Lamu County. 

    This four-way partnership between the UK, national government, local government and the private sector is a great example of the how the UK and Kenya are working together to deliver homegrown economic growth and jobs – a standout example of the tangible results that collaboration can achieve. 

    Construction will begin immediately and is hoped to be completed by November 2025. The project is expected to support up to 5000 jobs in the next three years. 

    The Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, said:

    The ginnery, by Thika Cloth Mills, will boost cotton uptake and thus earn farmers more income, create jobs, and provide raw material for the textile industry. 

    With the infrastructure supporting export including a special economic zone, Lamu Port and LAPPSET, Lamu will be the hub for investors in the region.

    British Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya, Ed Barnett, said:

    The UK is a long-term partner for long-term economic growth in Kenya. This project is a testament to the power of partnerships – the UK, national government, and county governments have joined forces with the private sector to deliver 5,000 jobs and future economic growth. 

    This partnership will reduce reliance on imports, put money in the pockets of farmers. It will strengthen, stabilise and support a sustainable homegrown cotton industry in Kenya. Long live Kenya kanga!

    This partnership directly supports the Government of Kenya’s textiles and garments national development priority, by reducing reliance on foreign imports – which currently make up around 90% of cotton in the country. Kenya currently produces 3,000 bales of cotton per year, whilst the total demand ranges between 140,000 – 260,000. This partnership will develop a homegrown cotton industry and allow Kenyan businesses to capitalise on economic opportunities within their own country. 

    The processing plant will create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Lamu County. It is hoped the facility will triple cotton production in Lamu from 2,000 bales per year to 6,000 over the next three years. This will also support local cotton farmers as the facility will be built close to farms, reducing transportation costs as well as providing them with a larger market for their produce. The proposed plant will not only source cotton from Lamu County but from Kilifi, Tana River, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties. 

    The reduced need for transportation is expected to decrease the carbon footprint of the textile production process by 262 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, supporting Kenya’s climate ambitions. 

    This project will also have a positive social impact and place a significant emphasis on providing substantial economic opportunities to women and promoting gender equality, as the employees at the processing plant are expected to be at least 50% women.  

    The programme falls under the UK’s Sustainable Urban Economic Development programme (SUED), which aims to add value to Kenyan agricultural produce before export. 

    The UK has provided seed-funding to de-risk the investment for all partners involved. The Government of Kenya has provided additional funding, with the remaining funds being provided by Thika Cotton Mills. Lamu County sealed the deal by providing land for the ginnery. 

    SUED has been operational in Lamu for four years, and this is the programme’s fourth value-chain project in the county. It has secured investors for the cotton ginnery as well as fish processing, coconut processing, and cashew nut processing facilities. Across Kenya, our £8 million seed fund investments through SUED have helped unlock £48 million in private capital and supported the creation of more than 10,000 jobs. 

    The UK Government partners with Kenya across multiple sectors in Lamu County. The UK supports: trade and investment though the development of infrastructure and customs processes at Lamu Port; regional security through programmes to counter violent extremism; and environmental programmes to reduce plastic pollution and increase biodiversity. 

    Notes for Editors

    Photo and video content

    Google Drive link

    The UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership

    The UK-Kenya strategic partnership joint statement can be found here. 

    Funding

    • The UK has provided seed funding to de-risk a private sector investment project. 

    • The Government of Kenya has subsequently provided additional financing to further support the investment through the Kenya Development Corporation (KDC) 

    • The Lamu county government has supported the venture with land acquisition and created an enabling local operating environment.  

    What is the SUED program?

    SUED is a seven year, £43m programme that seeks to create jobs and promote inclusive economic growth in selected municipalities across Kenya, through better urban planning and by attracting increased investment – including both investments in climate resilient infrastructure and agricultural processing projects 

    Thika Cotton Mills

    • Thika Cloth Mills Limited (TCM) was established in 1958 and is one of the leading Kenyan textile manufacturers. 

    • The mission of the company is “Bringing textiles home”, and the vision is “Creation of employment to improve livelihoods and alleviate poverty in Kenya”.  

    • The company has been an active participant in the “Buy Kenya Build Kenya”3 initiative, sourcing most of their raw materials locally. 

    • TCM owns and operates a plant in Thika that employs 700 staff and manufactures 100% cotton fabrics, polyester cotton fabric and blended polyester viscose. 

    • TCM currently sources raw cotton lint from ginneries in Makueni, Kitui, Rift Valley, and Meru. 

    • They work with over 10,000 farmers covering approximately 50% of Kenya’s cotton growing region   

    Contact

    British High Commission: Tom Walker tom.walker2@fcdo.gov.uk  

    SUED: Louisa Nandege Ssennyonga louisa.nandegessennyonga@tetratech.com

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham wholesaler which left trail of debts is shut down

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Birmingham wholesaler which left trail of debts is shut down

    Wholesaler accused of falsely inflating company credit rating and failing to pay for goods and services purchased on credit

    • Investigators feared SAK Wholesale Limited in Birmingham had become a ‘vehicle for fraud’ 

    • They were unable to trace where funds for more than £2.5 million of payments came from 

    • Accounts were falsely inflated to boost company credit rating – then management disappeared, leaving creditors out of pocket 

    A Birmingham-based wholesaler has been shut down amid concerns it was a ‘vehicle for fraud’. 

    SAK Wholesale Limited, based on the Alexandra Trading Estate in Handsworth, was wound up at a hearing at the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 29 April. 

    The court was told there were concerns about the accuracy of the company’s annual accounts and that profits may have been overstated, enabling the directors to apply for thousands of pounds of goods and services on credit which were never paid for.  

    The directors failed to co-operate with Insolvency Service investigators, who discovered the company’s registered office in Handsworth had been stripped and abandoned, despite its website still being operational.  

    David Hope, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “There are serious concerns about SAK Wholesale being used as a vehicle for fraud. 

    The company has seemingly been abandoned – but still owes over £270,000 to its creditors. Despite this, payments of over £2.5million were made from the company over a period of two months in 2022, but without proper records, we were unable to confirm where this money came from. 

    Accounts were not submitted for the last financial year, and the veracity of accounts submitted in previous years is in doubt. 

    Despite the directors of SAK Wholesale refusing to cooperate with our investigation, the records we uncovered showed the company operated with a real lack of transparency and had a history of improper behaviour. 

    This winding-up order will help protect the public and business community by ensuring SAK Wholesale can’t be used for future trading.

    Investigators from the Insolvency Service found the company had used its good credit rating to secure thousands of pounds of goods and services from suppliers.    

    Investigators also discovered that wording on the company’s website had been lifted directly from a local competitor’s website.  

    A lack of banking records for SAK meant investigators were unable to identify legitimate trading, customers or company expenditure – with £2.5m of payments made from a company account between April and June 2022 essentially unaccounted for.  

    Alongside this, one of SAK’s company accounts received an unauthorised third-party payment of £200,000 which SAK was not entitled to. This transaction was refunded by the bank when the third party discovered the money had left its account.  

    The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of SAK Wholesale Limited. 

    All enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to the Official Receiver of Public Interest Unit: PO Box 16664, Birmingham, B2 2JQ. piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.  

    Further information 

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA authorises cancer treatment variation with an administration time of 3–5 minutes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    MHRA authorises cancer treatment variation with an administration time of 3–5 minutes

    As with all products, the MHRA will keep its safety under close review.

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today (30 April 2025) approved a new under-the-skin injection version of the cancer therapy, nivolumab (Opdivo), offering a quicker administration option for eligible patients. 

    The subcutaneous formulation of nivolumab can be given as a 3–5-minute injection instead of the 30- or 60-minute intravenous (IV) infusion. Several common cancers can be treated by nivolumab, including lung, bowel, kidney, bladder, oesophageal, skin, and head and neck cancers. 

    Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by binding to a protein called PD-1 (programmed death-1) on a type of immune cell called T-cells. This blocks cancer cells from switching off T-cells, allowing the immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells.

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:  

    “Patient safety is our top priority, which is why I am pleased to confirm the national approval of the new under-the-skin injection version of nivolumab.   

    “This approval marks an important step forward in improving treatment access and reducing the time patients spend in clinics. It has the potential to ease pressures on NHS services, while also giving patients flexibility in their care. 

    “We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality, and efficacy for the approval of this new formulation have been met. As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.”   

    Today’s national approval is based on evidence from a randomised, open-label Phase 3 clinical trial, involving patients with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Participants received either the new injection version of nivolumab or the established IV version.

    Results showed that the injection produced comparable levels of drug in the body (pharmacokinetics) and a similar safety and tumour response profile to the IV formulation.  

    A full list of side effects can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) or the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available on the MHRA website within 7 days of approval.  

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of nivolumab under close review. 

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine is encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.   

    Notes to editors     

    • The approval was granted on 30 April 2025 to Bristol Myers Squibb. 

    • This product was submitted and approved via national procedure.   

    • Subcutaneous administration delivers treatment under the skin and is an alternative to intravenous infusion.  

    • A randomised, open-label Phase 3 clinical trial is a large, late-stage study where participants are randomly assigned to different treatment groups, both doctors and patients know which treatment is being given (open-label), and the goal is to confirm the treatment’s effectiveness and safety before potential regulatory approval. 

    • The approval covers a broad range of cancers, including kidney, skin (melanoma), lung, head and neck, bladder, bowel (colorectal), liver, stomach, and cancers of the oesophagus. 

    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.   

    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.   

    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.   

    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flying Heavy: How DASA-funded UAS Revolutionises Military Logistics

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Flying Heavy: How DASA-funded UAS Revolutionises Military Logistics

    With the help of DASA funding, ISS Aerospace developed a 600kg heavy-lift unmanned aerial system (UAS) capable of carrying 250kg payloads

    • The innovation features a unique hybrid turbine generator power system that eliminates the need for complex electrical recharging infrastructure in the field
    • DASA’s Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) provided critical funding that enabled ISS to create this technology
    • Successfully trialled in 2025, this project represents the first completed DTEP project

    From Ship to Shore in Minutes

    On naval vessels around the world, the same time-consuming scene plays out daily: crew members transfer supplies between ships or from ship to shore using small boats, manual labour, and helicopter support. This process can be slow, resource-intensive, and vulnerable to disruption from weather conditions.

    Now picture a different scenario: an unmanned aerial system takes flight from a ship, automatically lands on a waiting pallet of supplies, autonomously secures its load without human intervention, and lifts off – delivering cargo to shore in a fraction of the traditional time – and then – heads back to the ship for more supplies.

    With the help of DASA funding, this vision of automated logistics is becoming reality thanks to Newbury-based ISS Aerospace and their revolutionary heavy-lift drone system, funded through DASA’s Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP).

    Funded by DASA: ISS Aerospace UAS Flight Test

    The Innovation: Power and Payload

    ISS Aerospace’s system represents a significant leap forward in unmanned aerial capabilities. At 600kg total weight, it can carry a remarkable 250kg payload – equivalent to two fully-equipped soldiers – with flight times currently at 35-40 minutes.

    “The innovation is three-pronged,” explains Ryan Kempley, CEO, and founder of ISS Aerospace. “First, it is a super heavy-lift UAS, which itself is quite unique. Second, we’ve brought across our heritage of super reliable, super safe systems. Third, and the main reason DTEP funded this project was because of our unique turbine power plant that powers the system”.

    The innovation’s standout feature is its hybrid turbine generator power system. Rather than relying on traditional battery packs that require complex and frequent recharging infrastructure, ISS Aerospace developed a system that uses efficient aviation fuel.

    The hybrid turbine generator power system

    “Our UASs fly around at 100 to 120 kilowatts, so they need a lot of power,” Kempley explains. “You can buy auxiliary power unit (APU) turbine generators off the shelf, but they’re extremely expensive – in the hundreds of thousands of pounds – and very heavy, around 100+ kilos.”

    ISS’s solution repackages high-end micro gas turbines with hybrid battery technology to create their own 100-kilowatt generator at a fraction of the cost and weight of conventional systems.

    Engineering Challenges and Breakthroughs

    Creating this power system required solving complex engineering challenges. The team developed sophisticated control systems to maintain perfect balance between turbine power generation and battery usage.

    “If we charge the battery too fast, problems happen. If we deplete the battery too fast, problems happen,” notes Kempley. “But we came out with something that essentially means if all the turbines die, we still keep flying. If the battery dies and the turbines are running, we still keep flying. If one or two turbines die, we still keep flying. It’s very robust in terms of resilience.”

    This level of reliability is crucial for military logistics operations where failure could compromise mission-critical supplies.

    The system already outperforms competitors in its class, but ISS has identified further enhancements. “We’ve already identified a new supporting turbine that takes us up to around 3-3.5 hours of flight,” Kempley notes.

    Transforming Military Logistics

    In the competitive landscape of heavy-lift drones, ISS has positioned itself in a unique category. Below their 250-300kg payload capability sits systems carrying 60-100kg, while above them are much larger single-rotor helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft that are around the size of shipping containers.

    The potential military applications are significant, particularly for naval logistics. The system can be used for last-mile ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore transport, where Kempley notes “90% of stores between ships or even on last-mile logistics are below 150 kilos.”

    Further enhancing its capabilities, ISS recently won another MOD contract under Project Morrigan to develop a universal payload release mechanism, allowing the drone to automatically pick up and deliver cargo without human intervention.

    “You just land on top of your package on the deck and then take off again. You’re done. There’s no unloading or loading,” explains Kempley. “When you get to that stage, it’s many multiples quicker than current methods.”

    DTEP: Making Innovation Possible

    For ISS Aerospace, DASA’s DTEP funding was transformative. Founded ten years ago, the company has evolved from a small commercial business into a growing enterprise with 14 staff, projected to reach 22 by year’s end – all through organic growth.

    “Developing that kind of turbine system and UAS is costly – raw materials alone are a couple hundred thousand pounds, plus hundreds of hours of man-time,” Kempley emphasises. “As a small company, we could never have afforded to just go out and decide to develop this UAS. It would have been impossible without DTEP.”

    DTEP’s emphasis on commercialisation and post-project success has been particularly valuable for the SME. “There’s a lot more emphasis on commercialisation, what we’re going to do afterwards and how we’re going to make it successful”, Kempley notes.

    From Concept to Flight

    Funded back in September 2023, this represents the first completed DASA DTEP project, highlighting the programme’s ability to bring innovative concepts to reality quickly.

    The project recently culminated in successful test flights of the UAS, proving the design, and gaining valuable in-flight data, with a further demonstration planned to showcase the complete system to stakeholders. Next steps also include cosmetic additions to the platform, such as a cowling (a removable engine cover) and testing and improvement to the control and power systems before the V1 system is rolled out to end users later in 2025.

    The ISS Aerospace team with the UAS

    For a company that began in commercial applications before gradually expanding into defence, DASA’s support has been instrumental in enabling growth and technological advancement. ISS now balances its business with approximately 60-70% defence work and 30-40% commercial applications.

    As drones continue revolutionising military logistics, ISS Aerospace’s innovation stands to transform how supplies move between ships and shore – making operations faster, more efficient, and ultimately more effective in supporting forces on the ground.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Polish parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Polish parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński

    Date：2024-12-13
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    December 13, 2024  
    No. 459  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on December 12 hosted a luncheon to welcome a parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Poland led by Deputy Senate Marshal Michał Kamiński. During the event, the two sides exchanged views on regional developments, Taiwan-Poland relations, and economic and trade exchanges. 
     
    Minister Lin pointed out that both Taiwan and Poland had previously gone through periods of authoritarian rule but had since chosen the path of democracy. He remarked that bilateral relations had steadily advanced in recent years in such areas as the economy, trade, higher education, law enforcement, and science and technology. Minister Lin also affirmed that Taiwan would continue to work with Poland and other like-minded countries to bolster democratic resilience, deepen Taiwan-Europe economic and trade linkages, and forge resilient democratic supply chains throughout the world. 
     
    Furthermore, Minister Lin noted that the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group released statements in April last year and May this year advocating Taiwan’s international participation and expressing concern over peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He thanked friends from the Polish parliament for taking such concrete action in support of Taiwan and added that he looked forward to further collaborating in the future and deepening bilateral interactions and exchanges.
     
    In his remarks, Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński stated that Taiwan and Poland could learn from each other through exchanges in such fields as culture, the economy and trade, science and technology, and academia. He also said that due to Poland’s considerable economic development potential, many major Taiwanese enterprises had already invested in Poland, including Chi Mei Frozen Food and Compal, and that he anticipated that even more Taiwanese businesses would seek to develop market opportunities in Poland. 
     
    Taiwan and Poland share such universal values as freedom and democracy. In the future, the two countries will continue to work closely together to jointly promote prosperity and progress and protect hard-earned democratic achievements. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –