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  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    Developers can now access the Apple Intelligence on-device foundation model to power private, intelligent experiences within their apps

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced new Apple Intelligence features that elevate the user experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for users to communicate with features like Live Translation; do more with what’s on their screen with updates to visual intelligence; and express themselves with enhancements to Image Playground and Genmoji.1 Additionally, Shortcuts can now tap into Apple Intelligence directly, and developers will be able to access the on-device large language model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving them direct access to intelligence that is powerful, fast, built with privacy, and available even when users are offline. These Apple Intelligence features are available for testing starting today, and will be available to users with supported devices set to a supported language this fall.

    “Last year, we took the first steps on a journey to bring users intelligence that’s helpful, relevant, easy to use, and right where users need it, all while protecting their privacy. Now, the models that power Apple Intelligence are becoming more capable and efficient, and we’re integrating features in even more places across each of our operating systems,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We’re also taking the huge step of giving developers direct access to the on-device foundation model powering Apple Intelligence, allowing them to tap into intelligence that is powerful, fast, built with privacy, and available even when users are offline. We think this will ignite a whole new wave of intelligent experiences in the apps users rely on every day. We can’t wait to see what developers create.”

    Apple Intelligence features will be coming to eight more languages by the end of the year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese.

    Live Translation Breaks Down Language Barriers

    For those moments when a language barrier gets in the way, Live Translation can help users communicate across languages when messaging or speaking. The experience is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages. If a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type, delivered in the recipient’s preferred language, and when they get a response, each message can be instantly translated.2 On FaceTime calls, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.3

    News Ways to Explore Creativity with Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves. In addition to turning a text description into a Genmoji, users can now mix together emoji and combine them with descriptions to create something new. When users make images inspired by family and friends using Genmoji and Image Playground, they have the ability to change expressions or adjust personal attributes, like hairstyle, to match their friend’s latest look.

    In Image Playground, users can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe what they want. Image Playground sends a user’s description or photo to ChatGPT and creates a unique image. Users are always in control, and nothing is shared with ChatGPT without their permission.

    Visual Intelligence Helps Users Search and Take Action

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across their apps.

    Visual intelligence already helps users learn about objects and places around them using their iPhone camera, and it now enables users to do more, faster, with the content on their iPhone screen. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at on their screen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. If there’s an object a user is especially interested in, like a lamp, they can highlight it to search for that specific item or similar objects online.

    Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar.4 Apple Intelligence then extracts the date, time, and location to prepopulate these key details into an event.

    Users can access visual intelligence for what’s on their screen by simply pressing the same buttons used to take a screenshot. Users will have the choice to save or share their screenshot, or explore more with visual intelligence.

    Apple Intelligence Expands to Fitness on Apple Watch

    Workout Buddy is a first-of-its-kind workout experience on Apple Watch with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session.5

    To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data from a user’s current workout along with their fitness history, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout. Workout Buddy processes this data privately and securely with Apple Intelligence.

    Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. It will be available starting in English, across some of the most popular workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

    Apple Intelligence On-Device Model Now Available to Developers

    Apple is opening up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence.

    With the Foundation Models framework, app developers will be able to build on Apple Intelligence to bring users new experiences that are intelligent, available when they’re offline, and that protect their privacy, using AI inference that is free of cost. For example, an education app can use the on-device model to generate a personalized quiz from a user’s notes, without any cloud API costs, or an outdoors app can add natural language search capabilities that work even when the user is offline.

    The framework has native support for Swift, so app developers can easily access the Apple Intelligence model with as few as three lines of code. Guided generation, tool calling, and more are all built into the framework, making it easier than ever to implement generative capabilities right into a developer’s existing app.

    Shortcuts Get More Intelligent

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence. Users will see dedicated actions for features like summarizing text with Writing Tools or creating images with Image Playground.

    Now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used in the shortcut. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses the Apple Intelligence model to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT to provide responses that feed into their shortcut.

    Additional New Features

    Apple Intelligence is even more deeply integrated into the apps and experiences that users rely on every day:

    • The most relevant actions in an email, website, note, or other content can now be identified and automatically categorized in Reminders.
    • Apple Wallet can now identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants or delivery carriers. This works across all of a user’s orders, giving them the ability to see their full order details, progress notifications, and more, all in one place.
    • Users can create a poll for anything in Messages, and with Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one. In addition, Backgrounds in the Messages app lets a user personalize their chats with stunning designs, and they can create unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground.

    These features build on a wide range of Apple Intelligence capabilities that are already available to users:

    • Writing Tools can help users rewrite, proofread, and summarize the text they have written. And with Describe Your Change, users can describe a specific change they want to apply to their text, like making a dinner party invite read like a poem.
    • Clean Up in Photos allows users to remove distracting elements while staying true to the moment as they intended to capture it.
    • Visual intelligence builds on Apple Intelligence and helps users learn about objects and places around them instantly.
    • Genmoji allow users to create their own emoji by typing a description. And just like emoji, they can be added inline to messages, or shared as a sticker or reaction in a Tapback.
    • Image Playground gives users a way to create playful images in moments, with concepts like themes, costumes, accessories, and places. And they can add their own text descriptions, and create images in the likeness of a family member or friend using photos from their photo library.
    • Image Wand can transform a rough sketch into a polished image that complements a user’s notes.
    • Mail summaries give users a way to view key details for an email or long thread by simply tapping or clicking Summarize.
    • Smart Reply provides users with suggestions for a quick response in Mail and Messages.
    • Siri is more natural and helpful, with the option to type to Siri and tap into its product knowledge about the features and settings on Apple products; Siri can also follow along if a user stumbles over their words, and maintain context from one request to the next.
    • Access to ChatGPT is integrated in Writing Tools and Siri, giving users the option to tap into ChatGPT’s image- and document-understanding capabilities without needing to jump between tools.
    • Natural language search in Photos makes it easier for users to find a photo or video by simply describing it.
    • Users can create a memory movie in Photos by typing a description.
    • Summaries of audio transcriptions in Notes are automatically generated to surface important information at a glance.
    • Users can generate summaries of call transcriptions to highlight important details.
    • Priority Messages, a section at the top of the inbox in Mail, shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day invitation to lunch or a boarding pass.
    • Priority Notifications appear at the top of a user’s notifications, highlighting important notifications that may require immediate attention.
    • Notification summaries give users a way to scan long or stacked notifications and provide key details right on the Lock Screen.
    • Previews in Mail and Messages show users a brief summary of key information without needing to open a message.
    • The Reduce Interruptions Focus surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention.

    A Breakthrough for Privacy in AI

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence so a user’s data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request. Independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise, and are already doing so. This is an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

    Availability

    All of these new features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. Users who enable Apple Intelligence on supported devices set to a supported language will have access this fall, including all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later, with Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more details, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    2. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    3. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    4. The ability to add an event to Calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    5. Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone starting in English.

    Press Contacts

    Nadine Haija

    Apple

    nhaija@apple.com

    Anna Tabet

    Apple

    atabet@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Source: Apple

    Headline: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Introducing a stunning new design, more Continuity experiences with the Phone app and Live Activities, the biggest update to Spotlight ever, and expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed the next major macOS release — macOS Tahoe 26 — which introduces a stunning new design and powerful capabilities that enable users to get even more done. With the new design, iconic elements of macOS will feel more expressive, delightful, and personal while remaining instantly familiar, including the desktop, Dock, in-app navigation, and toolbars. Users can further personalize the experience with an updated Control Center and new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. Continuity gets even better with the Phone app arriving on Mac, so users can access familiar features from iPhone — including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails — and new ones like Call Screening1 and Hold Assist.2 And with Live Activities from iPhone, users can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming flight, right on their Mac. Spotlight gets its biggest update ever, allowing users to now directly execute hundreds of actions — like sending an email or creating a note — and take advantage of all-new browsing experiences to get to content faster.

    Apple Intelligence expands with powerful new features that elevate the Mac experience further, while protecting privacy at every step. Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. Genmoji and Image Playground offer new options for creativity.3 Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to now tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to automate complex tasks.

    “macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever.”

    A Gorgeous New Design

    The gorgeous new design enhances the Mac experience in new ways, while maintaining the familiarity of macOS. It is crafted with Liquid Glass, a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined, bringing greater focus to a user’s content. The menu bar is now completely transparent, making the display feel even larger. There are more ways to customize what controls appear in the menu bar and Control Center, along with how they’re laid out. The new design also unlocks more personalization on the Mac. App icons come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. Users can also change the colors of folders and add a symbol or emoji to give them a unique identity. And when combined with personalized wallpapers and theme colors, it’s easier than ever to make Mac a seamless extension of a user’s style.

    New Continuity Experiences with the Phone App and Live Activities

    The Phone app arrives on Mac thanks to Continuity, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone. The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.

    Live Activities from a user’s nearby iPhone will now appear in the menu bar on their Mac so they can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming Uber ride, flight, or live sports score. When clicking on a Live Activity, the app opens in iPhone Mirroring to show more information so users can take action right from their Mac.

    The Biggest Update Ever to Spotlight

    Spotlight, the central place to search for things on Mac, makes finding what users are looking for easier than ever, and provides users with all-new ways to take action. During a search, all results — including files, folders, events, apps, messages, and more — are now listed together and ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user. New filtering options rapidly narrow searches to exactly what a user is looking for, like PDFs or Mail messages. Spotlight can also surface results for documents stored on third-party cloud drives. And when a user doesn’t know exactly what they’re searching for, Spotlight’s new browse views make it easy to scan through their apps, files, clipboard history, and more.

    Users can now take hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight — like sending an email, creating a note, or playing a podcast — without jumping between apps. Users can take actions from both Apple apps and apps built by developers, because any app can provide actions to Spotlight using the App Intents API. Users can also run shortcuts and perform actions from the menu bar in the app they’re currently working in, all without lifting their hands off the keyboard. Spotlight learns from users’ routines across the system and surfaces personalized actions, such as sending a message to a colleague a user regularly talks to. Additionally, Spotlight introduces quick keys, which are short strings of characters that get users right to the action they’re looking for.

    Brand-New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence, gets even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step.

    • Seamless communication across language barriers with Live Translation: In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages, so if a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type and delivered in the recipient’s preferred language. And when the user receives a response, each text can be instantly translated.4 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when a user is on a call in the Phone app, their words are translated for the recipient as they speak.5 This is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so conversations stay private.
    • Shortcuts get more intelligent: A whole new class of intelligent actions lets users create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. And now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT for its broad world knowledge and expertise. Additionally, users can now run shortcuts automatically on macOS, such as at a specific time of day, or when taking a specific action like saving a file to a folder or connecting a display.
    • Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground: macOS Tahoe brings new ways to create Genmoji, giving users the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions based on the moment. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want.
    • Increased productivity with Reminders: Apple Intelligence can review an email, website, note, or other content on Mac to find the most relevant action items. And users can also choose to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize Reminders into sections to make them more manageable.

    New Apple Games App, Game Overlay, and More Titles

    macOS Tahoe introduces Apple Games, a dedicated app that gives players a home for all their games, making it easier to jump back into favorites, discover new games tailored just for them, and play with friends in whole new ways. With the new Game Overlay, players can conveniently adjust their system settings, chat with friends, or invite them to play, all without having to leave their game. Players can also turn on Low Power Mode, which extends gaming sessions and maximizes playtime on battery. For developers, macOS Tahoe introduces Metal 4, which brings even more advanced graphics and next-generation rendering technologies to games, like MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising, for smoother visuals and faster frame rates.

    Alongside these improvements, developers continue to deliver exciting new games on Mac, including upcoming titles like Crimson Desert and InZOI. Both games leverage powerful software technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to accelerate performance and deliver high-quality visuals, as well as take advantage of the M3 and M4 family of chips with ray tracing for a breathtaking experience. Additional titles on the way include Cyberpunk 2077, Cronos: The New Dawn, Architect: Land of Exiles, Lies of P: Overture, HITMAN World of Assassination, EVE Frontier, Where Winds Meet, and more.

    Additional features in macOS Tahoe include:

    • Safari, the world’s fastest browser,6 offers a fresh but familiar experience, featuring a rounded tab design that floats in the toolbar, along with a refreshed sidebar with new sections to help users more easily find saved content like iCloud Tabs and Saved. When compared to Chrome, Safari is 50 percent faster at loading frequently visited websites7 and offers up to four more hours of battery life when streaming video.8 And for even greater protection from trackers when browsing, Safari now offers advanced fingerprinting protection in all browsing by default.
    • The Messages app brings Backgrounds, Polls, and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation. Plus, it features typing indicators in groups to let participants know exactly who is going to chime in, as well as the ability to add new contacts easily right from the group chat and search with more natural language.
    • Journal comes to Mac, making it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events when inspiration strikes. On Mac, it’s easy to type long, thoughtful entries and view them on a map. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, which are all synced across Apple devices.
    • Photos has an updated design that includes beautiful Liquid Glass elements, enhancements for customization, easier workflows, and sidebar consistency with iPadOS. Pinned Collections now come to Mac, so users can access the collections they use most with a click on the sidebar. Users will also find new buttons to quickly access filtering and sorting options in all views, and the ability to customize the size of Collections tiles, so they can view their library just how they like.
    • On FaceTime, the reimagined landing page features beautiful Contact Posters of recent callers, Liquid Glass controls now float in the bottom right and recede to create more space, and a new More button lets users quickly access features like SharePlay and Live Translation.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, and support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Magnifier on Mac, which enables users with low vision to zoom in on their surroundings using Continuity Camera on iPhone or attached USB cameras, apply image filters so items are easier to see or read, and even change perspective when viewing presentations or books from an angle. Additional features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed with accessibility in mind; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for those with a connected braille display; and Vehicle Motion Cues, which helps reduce motion sickness in a moving vehicle.
    • With Passwords, users can easily reference changes they make to their accounts, including checking previous versions of passwords they save, along with details on when they were changed.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. The release will be available as a free software update this fall. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/macos and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    2. Hold Assist will be available in English (U.S.), English (Canada), English (UK), English (Singapore), English (Australia), English (India), French (France), Spanish (U.S.), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    5. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    6. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 using JetStream 2.2, MotionMark 1.3.1, and Speedometer 3.1 performance benchmarks. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and latest stable versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox at the time of testing on: 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4 and prerelease macOS Tahoe, and Intel Core Ultra 9-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Home; iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) units with prerelease iPadOS 26.0, and Intel Core Ultra 7-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Pro; and iPhone 16 Pro Max with prerelease iOS 26.0, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite-based smartphones with Android 15. Devices tested with a WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    7. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 by measuring page load performance of snapshot versions of 10 popular websites under simulated network conditions. Tested on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    8. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Systems tested with WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection while running on battery power, with display brightness set to 8 clicks from bottom and keyboard backlight off. Video streaming tested with 1080p content on prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Not all features are available on all devices. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    Source: Apple

    Headline: watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected

    A new software design makes using Apple Watch even more delightful, Workout Buddy brings a first-of-its-kind workout experience with Apple Intelligence, and the Smart Stack and Messages are more intelligent

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed watchOS 26, offering a beautiful new look and even more intelligence for a more personalized experience, to support users in staying active, healthy, and connected. A new design with Liquid Glass makes features like the Smart Stack, Control Center, the Photos watch face, and in-app navigation and controls more expressive, while maintaining the instant familiarity of watchOS. Apple Intelligence enhances the fitness experience with Workout Buddy, which provides personalized, spoken motivation. The Workout app features a new layout, and offers music to listen to based on a user’s tastes and the workout type. watchOS 26 makes everyday interactions even more convenient with Smart Stack hints and updates to Messages, and introduces a new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications.

    “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion for millions of people around the world, and watchOS 26 uses intelligence to offer an even more personalized experience,” said David Clark, Apple’s senior director of watchOS Engineering. “From a gorgeous new design, to Workout Buddy with Apple Intelligence, personalized music suggestions in the Workout app, and more intelligence in the Smart Stack and Messages, we’re excited about the many ways watchOS 26 will support each user in staying active, healthy, connected, and safe throughout their day.”

    A Beautiful New Design

    A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass brings a fresh look to watchOS 26. Across apps, this new design enables a vibrant and expressive experience that reflects and refracts content using real-time rendering, which brings even more focus to content and makes using Apple Watch even more delightful. Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation will adopt the new design. The popular Photos watch face is enhanced with numerals made of Liquid Glass, allowing users to see even more of their photo.

    Apple Intelligence Comes to Fitness with Workout Buddy

    Workout Buddy is a first-of-its-kind fitness experience with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and their fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.

    For example, as a user starts a run, Workout Buddy will give a personalized pep talk that may remind them of their running mileage for the week so far, or share how they are doing against their Activity ring goals: “Way to get out for your run this Wednesday morning. You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring. So far this week, you’ve run 6 miles. You’re going to add to that today.”

    During the workout, Workout Buddy can mark key moments like their mile splits, or tell them if they hit a new milestone based on their fitness history: “Mile four. You picked up the pace and ran that last one in 8 minutes and 28 seconds.” “Hey, check this out. Your total running distance for the year just crossed the 200-mile mark! That’s a lot of running!”

    When a user ends a workout, Workout Buddy will recap their workout stats and congratulate them on their achievements: “Way to get your workout in! You went 4.3 miles in just over 38 minutes. Your average pace was 8 minutes and 58 seconds, and your average heart rate was 128. That was your longest run of the last 28 days. What will you do next?”

    To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data privately and securely, with Apple Intelligence. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout.

    Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. It will be available starting in English, across some of the most popular workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

    Additional Updates to the Workout Experience

    The Workout app is one of the most popular apps on Apple Watch, and in watchOS 26, it debuts the biggest update to its layout and navigation since its introduction. Four new buttons in the corners of the app make it easier for users to access their favorite features to customize workouts, like Workout Views, Custom Workout, Pacer, Race Route, and more.

    To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For users’ convenience, Apple Music can now select the best playlist for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes.1 Alternatively, users can see suggestions for playlists or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.

    The Smart Stack Becomes Even More Proactive

    The Smart Stack is designed to help users quickly access important information from any watch face. In watchOS 26, the Smart Stack improves its prediction algorithms by incorporating more contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine to provide Smart Stack hints, a proactive prompt for actionable suggestions that are immediately useful. Made of Liquid Glass, Smart Stack hints will appear on the display as a gentle visual prompt. For example, a hint for Backtrack may appear when a user is in a remote location with no connectivity, or a hint for a Pilates workout may show up when a user arrives at a studio location at their usual time.

    Added Convenience in Messages

    Apple Watch now supports Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist.2 And when the user responds, their texts can be instantly translated for the person they’re having a conversation with. Live Translation will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.

    Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions in Messages using the context of a conversation, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift. Customizable Backgrounds set on iPhone will also appear on Apple Watch to make conversations feel more personal and distinct, and users can respond to polls right on their wrist. Smart Replies get even more precise for users whose device language is set to English, with an improved on-device language model that can generate relevant responses based on the content of a conversation.3

    Notifications Are Easier to Manage

    Notifications are even easier to manage with a simple wrist flick gesture on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification but isn’t ready to respond, they can quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification. The wrist flick gesture can be used to dismiss notifications and incoming calls, silence timers and alarms, and return to the watch face. It uses the accelerometer and the gyroscope — along with a machine learning model — to analyze a user’s wrist movement. Wrist flick joins the double tap gesture to allow users to do even more on Apple Watch with only one hand, for times when the user’s other hand is occupied, such as when walking the dog, cooking, or holding a cup of coffee.

    Apple Watch can also now automatically adjust the speaker volume based on the ambient noise in a user’s surroundings for notifications, timers, alarms, incoming calls, and Siri, allowing them to stay connected without worrying about disturbing those around them.

    Additional updates in watchOS 26:

    • The Notes app comes to Apple Watch, allowing users to access their notes right on their wrist. Users can also pin and unlock notes, complete checklist items, and create new notes with Siri, dictation, and the keyboard.
    • Hold Assist and Call Screening come to the Phone app, when an iPhone is nearby. When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call.4 Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.5
    • For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, Live Listen controls come to Apple Watch with a new set of features, including real-time Live Captions of what their iPhone hears on a paired Apple Watch while listening to the audio.6 Apple Watch serves as a remote control to start or stop Live Listen sessions on a paired iPhone, or jump back into a session to capture something that may have been missed.
    • The Photos face will now shuffle images based on Featured content from Photos, so users can see images of their most meaningful moments every time they raise their wrist or tap the display.
    • Users can now explore and discover watch faces more easily with the redesigned watch face gallery on Apple Watch and in the Watch app on iPhone, with faces grouped into collections.

    New Tools for Developers

    Developers are able to take advantage of new APIs in watchOS 26 across design, the Smart Stack, and more. Developers can use new SwiftUI APIs to adopt the beautiful new design materials of watchOS 26. With the Control Widget API, developers can create custom controls to be added to the Control Center, Action Button, or Smart Stack widget, and the Smart Stack Relevance API allows third-party widgets to be added to the Smart Stack with new signals like Points of Interest, with user permission to incorporate location data. For example, the Smart Stack can intelligently show a widget for Slopes when users arrive at a ski resort with improved location APIs, and now Dark Noise can add a custom control to Control Center so users can easily turn on a sleep soundscape without picking up their iPhone.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. watchOS 26 will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and all Apple Watch Ultra models, paired with iPhone 11 or later, running iOS 26. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Apple Music subscription is required for automatic music selection.
    2. Live Translation in Messages will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    3. Updates to Smart Replies will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
    4. Hold Assist requires iPhone nearby, and supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain).
    5. Call Screening requires iPhone nearby, and supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Macao, Taiwan), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    6. Live Captions support English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), German (Germany), French (Canada, France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), and Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong).

    Press Contacts

    Nikki Rothberg

    Apple

    nrothberg@apple.com

    Clare Varellas

    Apple

    cvarellas@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    The release delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design provides a more expressive and delightful experience across the system while maintaining the instant familiarity of iOS. Integrated throughout the system and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence gets even more capable. Updates to the Phone and Messages apps help users stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.

    “iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever.”

    A Beautiful New Look

    The new design makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customization options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look.

    On the Lock Screen, the time fluidly adapts to the available space in an image, and spatial scenes bring wallpapers to life with a 3D effect when users move iPhone. Updated design elements also deliver fresh experiences in apps. A simplified, streamlined Camera layout helps users keep their attention on the moment they’re capturing, and the Photos app is updated to feature separate tabs for Library and Collections views. In Safari, web pages flow from the top edge to the bottom of the screen, enabling users to see more of the page while maintaining access to frequently used actions like refresh and search. In Apple Music, News, and Podcasts, the tab bar is redesigned to float above users’ content, dynamically shrink when users are browsing to put content front and center, and then expand when they scroll back up.

    An updated set of APIs provides developers with access to Liquid Glass materials and components so they can make their apps appear just as dynamic and delightful.

    New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence elevates the iPhone experience and helps users get things done easier than ever, while unlocking new ways to communicate and do more with what’s on their screen. Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.1 Live Translation is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across apps. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at onscreen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar, repopulating key details like date, time, and location.2

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.3

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence, and will see dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.

    Apple Intelligence can now automatically identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants and delivery carriers, giving users the ability to see their full order details and progress notifications all in one place — even for purchases not made with Apple Pay.

    Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework opens up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving developers direct access to powerful intelligence that’s fast, built with privacy at its core, and available offline, using AI inference that is free of cost.

    Features for Staying Connected and Eliminating Interruptions

    Fundamental to the iPhone experience, the Phone app now offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place. Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call.4 And for the times when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist notifies the user when a live agent is available.5

    In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.

    iOS 26 also offers enhancements to conversations, including custom backgrounds and the ability to create polls. With Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one, and users can generate unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Additionally, in group chats, users can now see typing indicators, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.6

    Enhancements to CarPlay

    CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who’s calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These updates also come to CarPlay Ultra, which brings the best of iPhone and the best of the car together for a deeply integrated, unified experience across every screen.

    Updates to Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    In Apple Music, Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language. AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next.

    In Apple Maps, Visited Places help users remember the places they’ve been. Users can choose to have iPhone detect when they’re at a place like a restaurant or shop, and view all of their Visited Places in Maps. Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple. Additionally, iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to better understand a user’s daily route, presenting them with their preferred route when they’re headed home or to the office, along with notifying them of delays and offering alternate routes.

    Updates in Apple Wallet help make everyday interactions with the physical world easier than ever. Users can choose to pay with installments or rewards when they make in-store purchases with Apple Pay using iPhone. Refreshed boarding passes in Wallet offer the ability to see and share Live Activities for real-time updates on a flight. They also provide convenient access to a traveler’s most relevant information, such as Maps to navigate airports, Find My to track important items and report missing bags, and more.

    Additional features in iOS 26:

    • Apple Games is a new app that gives players an all-in-one destination for their games. It helps players jump back into titles they love, find their next favorite, and have even more fun with friends. They’ll find out what’s happening across all their games, including major events and updates, so they never miss a moment. The Games app is also the best way to experience Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service with more than 200 award-winning and highly rated games for the whole family.
    • AirPods are more versatile than ever with new features for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. Building on the benefits of Voice Isolation, studio-quality audio recording allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy even clearer calls. With camera remote, users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad.
    • Parents can now create or move kids into Child Accounts even more easily, taking advantage of a wide set of parental controls designed to keep children safe. Enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store include parental approvals for contact requests from kids, blurring out sensitive content in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums, and enabling parents to grant an exception for their child to download an app with an age rating that exceeds the app content restriction they set.
    • Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default.
    • Powerful accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, which provides a customized systemwide reading experience, and Braille Access, an all-new interface for iPhone devices with connected braille displays. Updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and more bring a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    2. The ability to add an event to a calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    5. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    6. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

    Press Contacts

    Shane Bauer

    Apple

    shanebauer@apple.com

    Tania Olkhovaya

    Apple

    tolkhovaya@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    Monsieur le Président de la République française, Cher Emmanuel Macron
    Señor Presidente de la República de Costa Rica, Estimado Rodrigo Chaves Robles
     
    Excellences, chers amis,
    Dear President of the French Republic, Dear Emmanuel Macron
    Mr. President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Dear Rodrigo Chaves Robles
    Excellencies, dear friends,
     
    Permettez-moi tout d’abord de remercier nos hôtes, les gouvernements de la France et du Costa Rica, d’avoir organisé cette conférence.
    Let me begin by thanking our hosts, the Governments of France and Costa Rica, for convening this conference.
     
    Et merci à tous d’être là, à Nissa la bella – ville à la mer d’azur et au ciel pur.
    And thank you all for being here, in “Nissa la bella” – city of azure seas and clear skies.
     
    Nous voici réunis sur les rives de la Méditerranée, carrefour de continents, de cultures et de commerce.
    We gather beside the Mediterranean –  a crossroads of continents, cultures, and commerce.
     
    Une mer qui, depuis des millénaires, est source de vie – et qui nous rappelle notre profonde dépendance à l’égard de l’océan.
    A sea that has sustained life for millennia –reminding us of our deep dependence on the ocean.
     
    L’océan produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons.
    The ocean generates half of the oxygen we breathe.  
     
    Il nourrit 3 milliards de personnes et fait vivre 600 millions d’autres.
    It feeds 3 billion people and sustains 600 million livelihoods.
     
    L’économie des océans a plus que doublé en 30 ans – et elle continue de croître.
    The ocean economy has more than doubled in 30 years – and keeps growing.
     
    Le transport maritime assure, à lui seul, plus de 80 % du commerce mondial.
    Maritime transport alone moves over 80 per cent of global trade.
     
    L’océan est notre bien commun par excellence.
    The ocean is the ultimate shared resource.
     
    Pourtant, nous sommes en train de le piller.
    But we are failing it.
     
    Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent.
    Fish stocks are collapsing.
     
    La surconsommation et la pêche illégale poussent des espèces au bord de l’extinction.
    Over-consumption and illegal fishing are pushing marine life to the brink.
     
    Chaque année, 23 millions de tonnes de plastique sont déversées dans les eaux et asphyxient les écosystèmes.
    Plastic pollution is choking ecosystems – with 23 million tonnes of waste entering waters every year.
     
    Les émissions de carbone provoquent l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail et accélérant la montée des eaux.
    Carbon emissions are driving ocean acidification and heating – destroying coral reefs and accelerating sea level rise.
     
    Si on ne change pas de cap, cette acceleration va submerger les deltas, detruire les récoltes et engloutir les littoraux, menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
    If we do not change course, this rise will submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines – threatening many islands’ survival.
     
    L’océan absorbe désormais 90 % de l’excédent de chaleur piégé par les gaz à effet de serre.
    The ocean now stores 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases.
     
    Autant de symptômes d’un système en crise… et qui s’auto-alimente.
    These are symptoms of a system in crisis – and they are feeding off each other.
     
    Brisant les chaînes alimentaires… Anéantissant les moyens de subsistance… Augmentant l’insécurité.
    Unravelling food chains. Destroying livelihoods. Deepening insecurity.
     
    Cette insécurité est exacerbée par la criminalité : piraterie, trafic d’êtres humains, réseaux organisés et pillage des ressources volent des vies, freinent le développement et privent les communautés côtières de leurs droits.
    And insecurity is rising not only from natural forces – but from criminal ones.  Piracy, organized crime, human trafficking, and the looting of natural resources are threatening lives, undermining development, and robbing coastal communities of their rights.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    Since the last UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, we have seen progress.
     
    We have also seen a growing awareness of the deep interconnection between preserving biodiversity and marine ecosystems, combatting climate change, and stopping pollution.
     
    The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set a bold pledge:
     
    To conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
     
    Member States also adopted the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction – a historic breakthrough.
     
    I urge all delegations to ratify it – and welcome good news delivered by President Macron and the momentum this Conference is generating toward its swift entry into force.
                    
    I also call on all countries to agree on an ambitious and legally binding treaty on plastic pollution – this year.
     
    It is essential to successfully conclude the agreement on fisheries currently discussed at World Trade Organization.
     
    The International Maritime Organization committed to reach net-zero emissions from shipping by 2050.
     
    And last year’s General Assembly Meeting on Sea Level Rise underscored that statehood and sovereignty cannot be undermined by rising seas.
     
    This proves multilateralism works – but only if we match words with action.
     
    By developing concrete national plans aligned with global targets;
     
    By harnessing science, driving innovation, and ensuring fair access to technology;
     
    By empowering fishers, Indigenous peoples, and youth;
     
    And above all, by investing.
     
    SDG 14 on life below water remains one of the least funded Sustainable Development Goals.
     
    This must change – through increased public finance, greater support from development banks, and bold models to unlock private capital. 
     
    I urge all countries to come forward with bold pledges.
     
    Small Island Developing States need support to build resilience and thrive in the blue economy.
     
    Many struggle to access healthy, affordable food –  underscoring the urgent need to restore local fisheries and strengthen ocean-based food systems.
     
    We must also strengthen maritime security as a pillar of sustainable development.
     
    And we must embed ocean priorities across climate, food systems and sustainable finance.
     
    Because without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet.
     
    Finally, nations are also navigating new waters on seabed mining:
     
    I support the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority on this important issue.
     
    The deep sea cannot become the Wild West.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope.
     
    Hope that we can turn the tide.
     
    That we can move from plunder to protection.
     
    From exclusion to equity.
     
    From short-term exploitation to long-term stewardship.
     
    We know it’s possible.
     
    When we reached a global moratorium on commercial whaling, whale populations recovered.
     
    When we protect marine areas, life returns.
     
    Today, we have the opportunity to restore marine abundance.
     
    What was lost in a generation can return in a generation.
     
    The ocean of our ancestors – teeming with life and diversity – can be more than legend.
     
    It can be our legacy.
     
    I wish you a successful conference.
     
    Thank you.

    **** 

    [All-French]
     
    Monsieur le Président de la République française, Cher Emmanuel Macron
    Monsieur le Président de la République du Costa Rica, Cher Rodrigo Chaves Robles
     
    Excellences, chers amis,
     
    Permettez-moi tout d’abord de remercier nos hôtes, les gouvernements de la France et du Costa Rica, d’avoir organisé cette conférence.
     
    Et merci à tous d’être là, à Nissa la bella – ville à la mer d’azur et au ciel pur.
     
    Nous voici réunis sur les rives de la Méditerranée, carrefour de continents, de cultures et de commerce.
     
    Une mer qui, depuis des millénaires, est source de vie – et qui nous rappelle notre profonde dépendance à l’égard de l’océan.
     
    L’océan produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons.
     
    Il nourrit 3 milliards de personnes et fait vivre 600 millions d’autres.
     
    L’économie des océans a plus que doublé en 30 ans – et elle continue de croître.
     
    Le transport maritime assure, à lui seul, plus de 80 % du commerce mondial.
     
    L’océan est notre bien commun par excellence.
     
    Pourtant, nous sommes en train de le piller.
     
    Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent.
     
    La surconsommation et la pêche illégale poussent des espèces au bord de l’extinction.
     
    Chaque année, 23 millions de tonnes de plastique sont déversées dans les eaux et asphyxient les écosystèmes.
     
    Les émissions de carbone provoquent l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail et accélérant la montée des eaux.
     
    Si on ne change pas de cap, cette accélération va submerger les deltas, détruire les récoltes et engloutir les littoraux – menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
     
    L’océan absorbe désormais 90 % de l’excédent de chaleur piégé par les gaz à effet de serre.
     
    Autant de symptômes d’un système en crise… et qui s’auto-alimente.
     
    La montée des eaux submerge les deltas, détruit les récoltes et engloutit les littoraux, menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
     
    L’océan est pris au piège d’un cercle vicieux – victime et accélérateur du changement climatique.
     
    Brisant les chaînes alimentaires… Anéantissant les moyens de subsistance… Augmentant l’insécurité.
     
    Cette insécurité est exacerbée par la criminalité : piraterie, trafic d’êtres humains, réseaux organisés et pillage des ressources volent des vies, freinent le développement et privent les communautés côtières de leurs droits.
     
    Mesdames et Messieurs,
     
    Depuis la dernière Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’océan, qui s’est tenue à Lisbonne, des progrès ont été accomplis.
     
    Nous avons également vu une prise de conscience croissante des liens profonds entre la préservation de la biodiversité et des écosystèmes marins, la lutte contre le changement climatique et l’arrêt de la pollution.
     
    Le Cadre mondial de la biodiversité de Kunming-Montréal contient un engagement audacieux :
     
    Conserver et gérer au moins 30 % des zones marines et côtières d’ici à 2030.
     
    Les États Membres ont également adopté l’Accord portant sur la diversité biologique marine des zones ne relevant pas de la juridiction nationale, qui marque une avancée historique.
     
    J’exhorte toutes les délégations à ratifier cet accord et je me félicite des bonnes nouvelles partagées par le President Macron et de l’impulsion donnée par la Conférence pour en favoriser l’entrée en vigueur rapide.
     
    Par ailleurs, j’appelle tous les pays à s’entendre cette année sur un traité ambitieux et juridiquement contraignant sur la pollution plastique.
     
    Il est également essentiel de conclure avec succès l’accord sur la pêche actuellement discuté à l’Organisation mondiale du commerce.
     
    L’Organisation maritime internationale est résolue à faire en sorte que, d’ici à 2025, le transport maritime ne produise plus aucune émission nette.
     
    L’année dernière, durant la réunion de l’Assemblée générale sur l’élévation du niveau de la mer, il a été dit avec force que la montée des eaux ne saurait porter atteinte à la souveraineté et à l’intégrité des États.
     
    Toutes ces initiatives montrent que le multilatéralisme fonctionne, mais seulement si nous traduisons nos paroles en actes.
     
    En développant des plans nationaux concrets alignés sur les objectifs mondiaux.
     
    En exploitant la science, en stimulant l’innovation, et en garantissant un accès équitable à la technologie.
     
    En donnant des moyens d’action aux pêcheurs, aux populations autochtones, aux scientifiques et aux jeunes.
     
    Et, par-dessus tout, en investissant.
     
    L’objectif de développement durable no 14 relatif à la vie aquatique demeure l’un des objectifs de développement durable les moins bien financés.
     
    Les choses doivent changer. Pour cela, il faut augmenter les financements publics, accroître l’appui apporté par les banques de développement et favoriser l’afflux de capitaux privés grâce à des modèles de financement audacieux.
     
    J’exhorte tous les pays à prendre des engagements ambitieux [et je remercie ceux qui l’ont déjà fait].
     
    Les petits États insulaires en développement ont besoin d’aide pour renforcer leur résilience et prospérer dans l’économie bleue.
     
    Nombreux sont ceux qui peinent à se procurer une alimentation saine à un coût abordable, ce qui montre combien il est urgent de restaurer les pêches locales et de renforcer les systèmes alimentaires basés sur l’océan.
     
    Nous devons également renforcer la sécurité maritime qui est l’un des piliers du développement durable.
     
    Nous devons intégrer les priorités liées à l’océan dans toutes nos activités touchant le climat, les systèmes alimentaires et la finance durable.
     
    Car sans un océan en bonne santé, il ne peut y avoir de planète en bonne santé.
     
    Enfin, l’exploitation minière des fonds marins pose aux pays de nouveaux défis.
     
    Je soutiens les travaux en cours de l’Autorité internationale des fonds marins sur cet enjeu important.
     
    Les grands fonds ne peuvent pas devenir un Far West.
     
    Mesdames et Messieurs,
     
    Nous vivons une époque de troubles, mais la détermination que je constate ici me donne de l’espoir.
     
    J’espère que nous pourrons redresser la situation.
     
    Que nous pourrons remplacer le pillage par la protection.
     
    L’exclusion par l’équité.
     
    La surexploitation à court terme par la bonne gestion à long terme.
     
    Nous savons que c’est possible.
     
    Lorsque nous sommes parvenus à un moratoire mondial sur la chasse commerciale à la baleine, les populations de baleines se sont reconstituées.
     
    Lorsque nous protégeons des aires marines, la vie revient.
     
    Aujourd’hui, nous avons la possibilité de redonner à l’océan son abondance.
     
    Ce qui a été perdu en l’espace d’une génération peut renaître en l’espace d’une autre.
     
    L’océan qu’ont connu nos ancêtres, qui regorgeait de vie et de diversité, peut être davantage qu’une légende.
     
    Il peut être notre héritage.
     
    Que votre conférence soit couronnée de succès.
     
    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNFPA and Partners Drive Strategic Shift in Women’s Health with Launch of Global WomenX Hub in Nairobi

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Nairobi, 9 June 2025 – UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, is proud to launch its WomenX Collective (WomenX) Nairobi Hub on 9 June 2025 at the Aga Khan University Auditorium. 

    WomenX supports locally led initiatives that develop and scale practical solutions – such as new technologies, service delivery models, and financing tools – to close gaps in care for women and girls. They are creating a network across Africa and beyond to improve women’s health by bringing together governments, health experts, innovators, and funders. Building on the October 2024 launch of its Berlin Hub, the new Nairobi Hub marks a major step in extending WomenX’s impact across the continent and globally.

    The Nairobi Hub is being launched in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and Aga Khan University. Together, these partners aim to build a global innovation hub based in Africa – advancing women’s health innovation and accelerating progress toward gender equity in health systems worldwide.

    A Strategic Investment in Women’s Health

    “Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer, or from pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA. “Through the WomenX Collective Nairobi Hub, UNFPA and our partners aim to invest in and scale transformative solutions to close critical health gaps and ensure that women and girls everywhere can access the care they deserve — and that is their right.”

    With initial funding commitments from international donors – including the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Organon & Co., among others – the WomenX Collective aims to mobilize $100 million in catalytic investment by 2030 and leverage financing to scale innovative solutions. This programme has the potential to avert at least 10.4 million unintended pregnancies, 3.2 million unsafe abortions, and 21,000 maternal deaths. Through its hubs and partnerships, the programme is uniquely positioned to bring together experience and technical expertise from across countries and regions, as well as modern technologies and sustainable financing.

    Africa as an Innovation Powerhouse
    The Nairobi Hub will serve as a platform to unite research, scalable technologies, and innovative financing strategies across Africa. With its proximity to a thriving ecosystem of health and tech innovators, Nairobi plays a central role in delivering sustainable impact for women and girls across the continent and beyond

    A Call to Action
    The inauguration of the WomenX Nairobi Hub will gather funders, regional stakeholders, health leaders, and innovators to ignite bold commitments, amplify evidence-based investment strategies, and catalyze new collaborations. It will issue a clarion call for governments, philanthropies, and the private sector to prioritize women’s health – not just as a moral imperative, but as a cornerstone of social and economic progress.

    “The Nairobi Hub is more than a location,” said Dr. Nigina Muntean, Chief of Innovation and Transformation Branch at UNFPA. “In close collaboration with the WomenX Berlin Hub, it’s a commitment to drive lasting change through the power of women-centered innovation. Every dollar invested today unlocks exponential returns for future generations.”

    Find out more about the WomenX Collective here:
    https://www.unfpa.org/womenx-collective

    Contact UNFPA: media@unfpa.org

                                                                                                        ——-

    Quotes of our partners:

    “The National Council for Population and Development, a Kenyan government agency, is proud to support the launch of the WomenX Hub in Nairobi with our partners. This programme supports our mission to improve lives and underscores the importance of empowering women and girls as a foundation for sustainable development,” said Dr. Mohamed Sheikh , Director General NCPD &  Inaugural Member of the WomenX Collective Steering Group.

    “At Africa CDC, we recognise that the health of women and girls is the backbone of strong public health systems and resilient communities. The WomenX Nairobi Hub is a timely and transformative platform that places African leadership and innovation at the centre of advancing women’s health. This initiative is a call to action for all of us to invest boldly, collaborate deeply, and ensure that women and girls are not only beneficiaries but drivers of Africa’s health security and progress.” said Dr. Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Regional Director, Africa CDC Eastern Africa RCC.

    “At Aga Khan University (AKU), we believe that the true value of knowledge lies not only in its creation but in its ability to transform lives. Our partnership with UNFPA, the Ministry of Health Kenya, and Africa CDC, in launching the WomenX Collective Africa Hub reflects our unwavering commitment to women’s and girls’ health. By contributing our research expertise and local insights, we aim to co-create and scale evidence-based, sustainable solutions that deliver real impact to the communities we serve. It is a privilege for AKU to host this launch and to stand alongside global and regional leaders in driving meaningful change in maternal and reproductive health across East Africa and beyond.”

    About UNFPA:

    UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA’s mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality Education.

    About the Government of Kenya:
    The Government of Kenya is committed to improving the health and well-being of its population through inclusive, equitable, and sustainable policies. With a strong emphasis on universal health coverage and gender equality, Kenya continues to invest in healthcare infrastructure, innovation, and strategic partnerships to ensure accessible and quality care for women and girls across the country.

    About Africa CDC:
    The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a continental autonomous public health agency of the African Union that supports member states in efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, and prevention and control of diseases. 

    About Aga Khan University (AKU):
    Aga Khan University (AKU) is an international institution of higher learning and research with campuses and programs in South and Central Asia, East Africa, and the United Kingdom. Committed to the highest standards in medical education, research, and patient care, AKU aims to improve quality of life in the developing world by investing in human capital, generating knowledge, and fostering innovation that addresses the most pressing health challenges.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN honours peacekeepers’ service and sacrifice

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    The United Nations honoured staff serving at its field missions through several events to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Thursday. 

    The first UN peacekeeping operation was established in 1948 and today more than 68,000 civilian, military, and police personnel are posted at 11 missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East as well as at Headquarters in New York.

    The Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice while honouring the more than 4,400 blue helmets who have died in the line of duty over the decades – 57 in 2024 alone.

    This year’s theme focuses on the future of peacekeeping and Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “peacekeepers face increasingly complex situations in an increasingly complex world.”

    Deadly misinformation

    He highlighted growing polarization and division across the globe, threats such as terrorism and deadly misinformation targeting peacekeepers, as well as challenges that transcend borders ranging from climate change to transnational crime.

    “Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations – and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges,” he said.

    The Secretary-General stressed that “it is essential that peacekeepers have what they need to do their jobs” and “this is the shared responsibility of the United Nations and Member States.”

    The commemoration at Headquarters included a wreath-laying ceremony as well as the presentation of awards to two outstanding women peacekeepers whose work helps to advance gender equality in the field. 

    Listen to our interview with Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana, the 2024 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year.

    ‘A very rewarding job’

    Meanwhile, peacekeepers have been sharing what it means to serve under the UN flag.

    “It’s a very rewarding job because you really do have a lot of contact with the civilian population and their concerns, their culture, their needs,” said Lieutenant Colonel Agustín García from Spain, deployed at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

    The mission was established in 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and the mandate was most recently defined in a 2006 Security Council resolution which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following their 34-day war on Lebanese territory that year.

    Despite conflict between the sides last year, UNIFIL remains on the ground, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in its efforts to restore government authority in the south and providing vital assistance to local communities including security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction of schools and hospitals.

    Making a difference

    Peacekeepers have served in challenging conditions ever since military observers were first dispatched nearly 80 years ago to monitor the armistice agreement between Israel and neighbouring countries. 

    “Most of our missions have deteriorated political and security environments,” the head of UN Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix told journalists in New York.

    He listed UNIFIL, the stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, and the observer force in the Golan (UNDOF) as examples.

    Peacekeepers everywhere “are making a critical difference on the ground in spite of all these challenges,” he said.

    “I want to insist that by preserving ceasefires, by preventing the resumption of violence in those environments, by protecting every single day hundreds of thousands of civilians, our peacekeepers are really making a huge difference in the field.”

    A vital partnership

    For Mr. Lacroix, the annual commemoration on 29 May is also a reminder of how peacekeeping is “a very vital international partnership” and this was on full display during a recent high-level summit held in Berlin, Germany.

    More than 130 delegations attended the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial which ended with many pledges of support including in areas such as personnel, specialized training and investments in emerging technologies.

    “The main takeaway from the Berlin meeting was that peacekeeping remains very strongly supported by Member States,” he said.

    “We take it as an encouragement for all the efforts that we’re making, and that we continue to make, to make sure that we remain fit for the future and nimble and adaptable, and also cost-effective.” 

    Remembering the fallen

    At the wreath-ceremony, peacekeepers gathered in the lobby of UN Headquarters alongside Secretary-General Guterres to remember their fallen colleagues.

    Dressed in national uniforms, topped by blue UN berets, they stood in silence and saluted as “Taps” rang out.

    The 57 peacekeepers who paid the ultimate price last year, as well as another who lost his life in 1973, were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal during another ceremony in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber. 

    The award is named after the UN’s first Secretary-General who died in 1961 in a plane crash in what is now Zambia.

    “We hold them all in our hearts and we grieve with their families and loved ones. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” said Mr. Guterres.

    The mood shifted from solemn to celebratory as two women peacekeepers serving in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan were presented top UN military and police awards.

    Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana received the 2024 UN Military Gender Advocate Award while Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla of Sierra Leone was named the Woman Police Officer of the Year.

    Learn more about the laureates here. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to the Law Association 2025

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Thank you all for the invitation to speak with you this morning. I have been looking forward to this opportunity. May is a busy month for the Government, and it is always a relief to have the Budget delivered. 

    Today, I would like to speak about what I see as my privilege and responsibility to uphold the rule of law, and the role that all lawyers play in this, alongside the judiciary and the executive.

    This is also an opportunity for me to hear from you. It is always wonderful to hear from Law Association members who are out there in communities, listening to what clients want from their legal system, and from those making laws that affect them. You have a front row seat to lawmakers in action and can help us understand the impacts of what we do. 

    A legal system we can be proud of

    We can be proud of our legal system. 

    As you know, the rule of law is a foundational doctrine underpinning the law and order of any civilised society. New Zealand’s adherence to the rule of law ensures that standards of justice are upheld and provides safeguards against the arbitrary exercise of power. That adherence is recognised internationally, with the World Justice Project ranking us 6th overall in the 2024 Rule of Law index. 

    This commitment to the rule of law helps maintain our international rankings as a country with low corruption rates. This reputation is important for New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity as a nation. Those living, working, and investing here know that we have a sound and accessible justice system and that success doesn’t require bribes behind the scenes.

    We are known as a country where access to independent courts, and the outcomes from these courts, cannot be bought or sold. That is invaluable and it means we are a good place to do business. 

    And it’s not just me saying this: we are currently fourth internationally in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index behind Denmark, Finland and Singapore and well ahead of Australia, which is tied for 10th place.   

    This is a great place to sit in the rankings, but we still have room for improvement. While our position is steady in the top five, our Corruption Perceptions score has fallen from a high of 91 in 2013-15 to 83 last year.

    In 2024, the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions found that only 42% of New Zealanders believed that public employees would refuse bribes to speed up service access. Even in the Rule of Law Index, there are factors such as order and security where we drop outside the top 10. 

    The Government is committed to being better. Earlier this month, my colleague Minister Mark Mitchell joined the Serious Fraud Office for the launch of their national campaign targeting foreign bribery. The campaign will raise awareness and involves the introduction of a new online platform to support safe, anonymous reporting of suspected foreign bribery.

    The campaign asks people to be on the lookout for ‘red flags’. You may come across some of these in your roles, particularly if you are advising clients engaged in international trade – things like business partners or agents refusing to provide details on transactions, or someone requesting an unusually high level of discretion around a particular contract. I think this is a great initiative, and I encourage you all to engage with the SFO’s content to learn more about the campaign.

    Moving away from traditional institutions

    Society is changing at a rapid pace. We are in a time, globally and domestically, where traditional institutions are losing the trust and respect they were once afforded. Data from the 2023 General Social Survey released last September found that New Zealanders’ trust in institutions such as Parliament, media and the courts has declined since 2021. 

    We cannot be so naïve as to think that this loss of trust has occurred entirely by accident. There will always be those that see opportunities in destabilising norms. However, it is not just “bad“ actors who undermine our institutions. Misunderstandings of the constitutional settings can also impact how our respective institutions are seen and perceived. 

    We can all think of times where emphasis is put on the Judiciary and Executive appearing to disagree. When the public see judges and politicians criticising each other, confidence in both groups can be lost, and this can affect the strength of our institutional domains.

    When your clients see the judiciary and executive seemingly at odds, how can they feel confident about the experience they will have with our legal system? 

    Comity and the separation of powers

    Those of you who attended last year will have heard me talk about our constitutional arrangements and comity. I have spoken about its importance at length, most recently to senior members of the judiciary. 

    Comity requires each branch to act with mutual restraint and respect towards the others. This principle allows them to respond in a way that reinforces, rather than undermines, the other branches’ legitimacy. It helps us ensure that we remain on the right side of our respective constitutional lines. 

    If the delicate balance that keeps the executive, Parliament and the judiciary operating well together is disturbed, it is extremely difficult to restore.  This balance helps us be strong, both individually and collectively as the institutions of government, so it is crucial we do our best to preserve it. 

    The separation of powers is something that I as Senior Law Officer pay particular attention to: what is the nature of that separation? How has it changed and how might it change in the future? How do we ensure that separate does not mean siloed, disconnected or in conflict, and that independence does not mean isolated? 

    Maintaining trust and confidence

    Those of us involved in creating the policy underpinning the laws of New Zealand need to ensure the resulting law is precise, clear, and not open to significant debate about its meaning.

    Earlier this year, I took on the portfolio of Minister for the Public Service. I’ve made it clear to Public Service leaders that the more complex and challenging it gets, the more simple we need to keep it. 

    Together with Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche, I am committed to ensuring that the purpose and functions of the Public Service are clearly understood, including the importance of free and frank advice and the efficient use of taxpayers’ money. I want New Zealanders to feel confident that all those serving them can be trusted to deliver results. 

    It is my expectation that when the Public Service delivers those core functions well, the legislation and practice that emerge will be less ambiguous. This will allow you to focus on your role and reducing the number of instances where the executive and legislature may be seen to have handed off their responsibilities.

    “The Courts will sort that out” should not be a default position for a parliamentary lawmaker. We will play our part.

    Independent, fair and efficient courts are an important cornerstone of our democracy and the rule of law, and courts are a key underpinning of social stability. They give confidence that our rights as citizens can be upheld; differences and conflicts can be resolved through law; our society can be protected from law breakers; and that the State can be required always to act in accordance with the law.

    The courts do justice according to law, on the basis of clear, certain and determinate frameworks of legal principle. That sort of stability is not only essential to the rule of law and maintaining confidence in our legal system, but also facilitates government under law and economic growth.

    New Zealand Judges are independent in their decision making and cannot be influenced by Parliament or the executive. They should hold us to account. New Zealand is not best served by courts that rubber stamp decisions.

    However, the judiciary also cannot usurp the functions of the executive and the legislature. That undermines the system for everyone. While our common law method, of course, enables judicial development of the law that is to be done carefully, incrementally and being alert to the need to preserve certainty, stability and coherence of the law. 

    We all need to respect the roles each branch of government plays even when – in fact, especially when – it is inconvenient to do so.

    King’s Counsel appointments

    While we are all here together, I would like to remind you that applications for King’s Counsel are open until 9 June. 

    Appointments of King’s Counsel are made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General and with the concurrence of the Chief Justice. The Governor-General may also appoint King’s Counsel in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the law in fields other than advocacy. I take my role in this process very seriously.

    I am proud to be the Senior Law Officer of New Zealand and to represent and advocate for lawyers. 

    However, whether it is judicial appointment or KC appointment, I will not reward poor interpersonal conduct with appointment to these important and influential roles. 

    If you experience rudeness or intolerance, overbearing or bullying behaviour, whether from judges or lawyers, please raise it through the processes available to you. Contact your law society representative if you need to know more about these options. 

    I will never apologise for having high standards. If there is one thing you take away from my remarks today, I hope it is a reinforced sense of how important it is for each of us to do our duty. 

    Do not underestimate the contribution of ensuring we speak the truth to each other and valuing what we each do. Together we all have our part to play in maintaining the trust and confidence of people, here and overseas – and long may it continue. 

    Thank you for your time today. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China showcase youthful promise at VNL in Beijing

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

    China finished the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Beijing leg with two wins and two losses, but beyond the scorelines, it was the energy and emergence of a new generation that left the deepest impression.

    In their final match against Turkiye on Sunday, the youthful China squad delivered a performance that reflected their spirit and potential, as well as the growing pains of a team in transition.

    China’s Zhuang Yushan (Front) saves the ball during the Pool 3 match between China and Türkiye at the Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 Beijing at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, June 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

    China took the first set with confidence and battled hard in the second. In the third, they staged a stunning comeback, erasing an eight-point deficit to win 31-29. But in the fourth set, at 24-20 and holding four match points, they failed to close it out, eventually falling in the tiebreak.

    “We got a little anxious at set point,” said 17-year-old middle blocker Wang Aoqian. “My attacks were too predictable, and I was blocked several times. It’s something I’ll learn from.”

    This rollercoaster match mirrored the broader picture of China’s campaign in Beijing: full of promise, courage, teamwork but also marked by youthful inconsistency.

    Head coach Zhao Yong, who guided China to the U17 world title last year, is now leading the senior team into a new Olympic cycle. With less than two months of preparation together, this new-look team is already showing signs of cohesion and resilience.

    Zhang Zixuan, making her senior international debut, took charge as starting setter and impressed with her maturity. Chen Houyu partnered veteran Wang Yuanyuan in the middle, while Tang Xin and Wang Aoqian made impactful contributions off the bench. Even players with limited playing time, like Dong Yuhan and Yang Shuming, embraced the moment with confidence.

    “Our goal is not just short-term results,” Zhao said. “It’s about building a team for the future. These players are learning fast, and they’re showing their potential.”

    Team captain Gong Xiangyu, libero Wang Mengjie and middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan provided stability, while rising stars Wu Mengjie and Zhuang Yushan took on greater responsibility, marking the passing of the torch to a new generation.

    The spirited performance of China’s young squad also earned praise from opponents throughout the tournament.

    “This mixed China team is full of energy and potential,” said Belgium captain Britt Herbots. “They are young, but already very competitive on the court.”

    Poland head coach Stefano Lavarini also acknowledged their progress. “China showed strong teamwork and their new players are clearly growing with each match.”

    Turkiye head coach Daniele Santarelli echoed similar sentiments after their five-set thriller. “They played with great passion and put us under real pressure. It was a very tough match and I believed in their great potential to become a great team.”

    The VNL competitions were held at the National Indoor Stadium, one of Beijing’s iconic “dual Olympic” venues that hosted gymnastics and trampoline at the 2008 Olympics and ice hockey during the 2022 Winter Olympics. This symbolic setting offered a fitting stage for a fresh chapter of Chinese women’s volleyball.

    China’s women’s volleyball team holds a special place in the nation’s sporting history, with three Olympic gold medals, five World Cup titles, and two World Championship crowns. In the realm of team sports, it remains China’s most decorated squad.

    However, recent Olympic cycles brought setbacks. China suffered a shocking exit in the group stage at Tokyo 2020 and fell short of the quarterfinals in Paris 2024. The need for renewal was clear, and Zhao’s bold use of young talent at the VNL is a step toward long-term rejuvenation.

    “Every team is adjusting during this early phase of the Olympic cycle,” Zhao noted. “We’re not alone in this. What matters is that our players are not afraid to fight, to take risks, and to learn.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strengthening Gaelic and Scots education

    Source: Scottish Government

    Legislation to strengthen language support.

    Parents across Scotland will be able to ask for a Gaelic school to be established in their area as part of legislation being taken forward by the Scottish Government.

    Under the plans, local authorities would be required to assess if the request was practical and affordable. After taking advice, ministers may direct local authorities to proceed with the establishment a new Gaelic school if the authority’s assessment considers it to be viable. 

    Other provisions of the Scottish Languages Bill include:

    • introducing educational standards for Gaelic and Scots
    • establishing Gaelic and Scots as official languages
    • supporting the creation of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities so that ministers can better target policies to support the language’s growth
    • enabling parents in every part of Scotland to apply for Gaelic nursery and early years places for their children

    Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes set out the measures on a visit to Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis (Inverness Gaelic Primary School). She was joined by Scotland’s first Gaelic speaking national poet, Dr Peter Mackay, who is also known as the Makar. The visit coincides with the 40th anniversary year of Gaelic medium education in Scotland.

    Ms Forbes said:

    “This Bill aims to build a strong foundation to support Gaelic’s continued growth following an encouraging increase in Gaelic speakers and learners across Scotland. It would boost Gaelic education provision throughout Scotland and better establish Gaelic and Scots as national languages.

    “Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money. Gaelic medium schools frequently demonstrate above average performance with some local authorities showing better grades across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than English medium schools.

    “To support the growth of Scotland’s indigenous languages, we are also providing an additional £5.7 million to promote Scots and Gaelic this year.”

    Dr Mackay said:

    “It’s fantastic to have seen the growth of Gaelic medium education over the last 40 years: it’s something we should be very proud of.

    “It’s vital that there’s ongoing support to maintain and develop Gaelic as a community language in the Highlands and Islands and to give people all over the country every chance to learn and speak it – and also to encourage Scots speakers and communities across Scotland.” 

    Background

    Stage 3 of the Scottish Languages Bill is expected to be considered by MSPs on Tuesday 17 June.

    Census statistics show that 130,161 people in Scotland had some Gaelic skills in 2022, an increase of 43,105 people from 2011. The census shows that 2,444,659 people in Scotland had some Scots skills in 2022, an increase of 515,215 from 2011.

    The latest version of the Scottish Languages Bill is available online.

    A’ neartachadh foghlam Gàidhlig agus Albais

    Reachdas gus taic-chànain a neartachadh.

    Faodaidh pàrantan air feadh Alba iarraidh gun tèid sgoil Ghàidhlig a stèidheachadh anns na sgìrean aca, mar phàirt de reachdas a tha ga thoirt air adhart le Riaghaltas na h-Alba.

    Fo na planaichean, dh’fheumadh ùghdarrasan ionadail measadh a dhèanamh air so-dhèantachd agus reusantachd cosgaisean an iarrtais. Às dèidh dhaibh comhairle a ghabhail, faodaidh ministearan iarraidh air ùghdarrasan ionadail a dhol air adhart le stèidheachadh sgoil Ghàidhlig ùr, ma cho-dhùineas measadh an ùghdarrais gun gabh a dhèanamh.

    Am measg chumhachan eile ann am Bile nan Cànan Albannach:

    • thèid bun-tomhasan foghlaim a thoirt a-steach do Ghàidhlig agus do dh’Albais
    • thèid Gàidhlig agus Albais a stèidheachadh mar chànain oifigeil
    • thèid taic a chumail ri cruthachadh sgìrean cànain sònraichte ann an coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig, airson ’s gum faod ministearan poileasaidhean a thaghadh nas fheàrr leis an gabh an cànan a leasachadh
    • faodaidh pàrantan ann an gach ceàrn de dh’Alba tagradh a chur airson àitichean sgoil àraich agus tràth-ìre Gàidhlig fhaighinn dhan cuid chloinne

    Chaidh na ceumannan a mhìneachadh leis an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear agus Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson na h-Eaconamaidh agus na Gàidhlig, Ceit Fhoirbeis, ’s i a’ tadhal air Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis. Còmhla rithe bha a’ chiad bhàrd nàiseanta Gàidhlig ann an Alba, an Dotair Pàdraig MacAoidh, ris an canar cuideachd am Makar. Bha iad a’ tadhal aig an aon àm ris a’ 40mh ceann-bliadhna de dh’fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig ann an Alba.

    Thuirt a’ Bh-uas. Fhoirbeis:

    “Tha a’ Bhile seo ag amas air bun-stèidh dhaingeann a thogail gus taic a chumail ri fàs leantainneach na Gàidhlig, às dèidh àrdachadh brosnachail ann an luchd-labhairt agus luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig air feadh Alba. Chuireadh i gu mòr ri solar foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig air feadh Alba, ’s i a’ daingneachadh na Gàidhlig agus na h-Albais mar chànain nàiseanta.

    “Tha foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig a’ cur beairteas ri coimhearsnachdan agus tha deagh luach an airgid na lùib. Is tric a bhios coileanadh sgoiltean Gàidhlig nas fheàrr na chìthear sa chumantas, ’s cuid a dh’ùghdarrasan ionadail a’ sealltainn chomharran nas fheàrr thar gach ìre teisteanais ged nach eil cosgaisean nas àirde na cosgaisean sgoiltean tro mheadhan na Beurla.

    “Gus taic a chumail ri fàs nan cànan a tha dùthchasach do dh’Alba, tha sinn cuideachd a’ toirt seachad £5.7 millean a bharrachd gus Albais agus Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh am-bliadhna.”

    Thuirt an Dotair MacAoidh:

    “Tha e air leth math gum facas mar a dh’fhàs foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig thairis air na 40 bliadhna a dh’fhalbh: bu chòir dhuinn a bhith gu math moiteil à rud mar seo. Tha e riatanach gum bi taic leantainneach ann airson a’ Ghàidhlig a chumail suas agus a leasachadh mar chànan coimhearsnachd air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus anns na h-Eileanan, agus airson gach cothrom a thoirt do dhaoine air feadh na dùthcha an cànan ionnsachadh agus a bhruidhinn – agus cuideachd airson luchd-labhairt agus coimhearsnachdan na h-Albais a bhrosnachadh thar Alba.”

    Cùl-fhiosrachadh

    Thathar an dùil gum beachdaich BPA air Ìre 3 Bile nan Cànan Albannach Dimàirt, an 17mh latha dhen Ògmhios.

    Tha àireamhan a’ chunntais-shluaigh a’ sealltainn gun robh beagan sgilean Gàidhlig aig 130,161 neach ann an Alba ann an 2022, àrdachadh de 43,105 neach bho 2011. Tha an cunntas-sluaigh a’ sealltainn gun robh beagan sgilean Albais aig 2,444,659 neach ann an Alba ann an 2022, àrdachadh de 515,215 neach bho 2011.

    Tha an dreachd as ùire de Bhile nan Cànan Albannach ri fhaotainn air loidhne.

    Forderin Gaelic and Scots education

    Legislation tae uphaud the leids

    Parents aw ower Scotland will be able tae speir for a Gaelic schuil tae be set up whaur they bide as pairt o legislation bein taen forrit by the Scots Government.

    Unner the plans, it wad be necessar for local authorities tae luik intae gin the speirin wis practical and affordable. Efter takkin advice, ministers micht caw upon local authorities tae gang forrit wi the settin up o a new Gaelic schuil if the authority’s ettles shaw it tae be daeable. 

    Ither provisions o the Scottish Languages Bill include:

    • settin oot educational staunards for Gaelic and Scots
    • settin forrit Gaelic and Scots as official leids
    • uphaudin the settin oot o areas o muckle linguistic mense in Gaelic communities sae that ministers can better ettle at policies tae uphaud the growin o the leid
    • allouin parents in ilka pairt o Scotland tae speir efter Gaelic nursery and early years places for their bairns

    Depute First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes set oot the meisures on a visit tae Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis (Inverness Gaelic Primary School). She wis jyned by Scotland’s first Gaelic spikkin national poet, Dr Peter Mackay, wha is kent forby as the Makar. The visit gangs alang wi the 40th anniversary year o Gaelic medium education in Scotland.

    Ms Forbes said:

    “This Bill ettles tae big strang foonds tae uphaud Gaelic’s ongawin growth follaein a hertenin increase in Gaelic spikkers and lairners aw ower Scotland. It wad forder Gaelic education provision throughoot Scotland and set forrit mair siccarly Gaelic and Scots as national leids.

    “Gaelic medium education maks communities mair strang and gies guid value for siller. Gaelic medium schuils aft kythe better-than-average ootcomes, wi some local authorities reportin better grades athort aw qualification levels, for aw that costs are nae mair muckle than English medium schuils.

    “Tae forder the growin o Scotland’s hamelt leids, we’re forby pittin forrit an extra £5.7 million tae uphaud Scots and Gaelic this year.”

    Dr Mackay said:

    “It’s braw tae hae seen the growin o Gaelic medium education ower the last 40 years: thon’s a thing we should be gey prood o. It’s vital that there’s ongawin uphaudin tae heeze up and forder forrit Gaelic as a community leid in the Hielans and Islands and tae gie fowk aw ower the country ilka chance tae lairn and spik it – and forby tae herten Scots spikkers and communities aw ower Scotland.” 

    Backgrund

    Stage 3 o the Scottish Languages Bill is expectit tae be taen tent o by MSPs on Tuesday 17 June.

    Census statistics report that 130,161 fowk in Scotland had some Gaelic skills in 2022, an increase o 43,105 fowk syne 2011. The census reports that 2,444,659 fowk in Scotland had some Scots skills in 2022, an increase o 515,215 syne 2011.

    The latest version o the Scottish Languages Bill is set furth online.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £13.6 million to help families and charities reap benefits of surplus farm produce

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    £13.6 million to help families and charities reap benefits of surplus farm produce

    Grants to ensure more than 19,000 tonnes of surplus food will be redistributed to homeless shelters, food banks and charities across the country

    A handful of potatoes

    Thousands of tonnes of nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste will help families facing food insecurity, thanks to new grants offered today (Tuesday 10 June 2025).

    Grants totalling £13.6 million have been offered to 12 food charities across England – including City Harvest, Food in Community and FareShare – to redistribute an estimated 19,000 tonnes of food directly from farms to help families and fight food poverty in communities.

    Under the Government’s Plan for Change, the Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme was set up to help charities in England boost their relationships with farmers. This will see more farm gates opened to organisations who will ensure edible food that might have been left in fields instead ends up on the nation’s plates.

    Community kitchens, food banks, shelters and cookery projects across the country are all set to receive food through these organisations thanks to the grant scheme.

    Successful redistribution organisations who applied for funding through the grants include:

    • City Harvest, a food charity which rescues surplus food and delivers it to more than 130,000 people a week, which will benefit from more than £303,000.  
    • A consortium bid led by FareShare UK and its network partners, including Felix Project, which will receive more than £9.2 million.
    • Food in Community, based in Devon, which has secured more than £1.5 million to partner with local farmers and food producers to redistribute surplus food.

    Waste Minister Mary Creagh said:

    This Government’s Plan for Change is acting on food poverty and tackling Britain’s throwaway culture, ensuring more good food ends up on plates and not in bins. 

    I am delighted to see this support go to 12 outstanding redistribution charities to form closer relationships with our hard-working farmers, and ensure their good food goes to those in need.

    Sarah Calcutt, CEO of City Harvest, said:

    We grow a frankly amazing range of fruits and veg in this country, from berries to spuds and brassicas to salads; but the truth is, as any farmer will testify, that a significant percentage of the food we grow will go to waste; and the reasons for this waste are often around shape and size not meeting retailer specifications rather than anything to do with health or nutrition.

    This new funding will allow us to increase the amount of food we pick-up directly from farms, reduce farm costs and increase further the amount of fresh food we can offer our customers.

    Catherine David, CEO of WRAP, said:

    Food waste happens wherever food is grown, made, sold and consumed – from farm to fork.

    Redistributing surplus food from retail and manufacture is a real success story, stopping thousands of tonnes of good food from going to waste every year. In 2023, 191,000 tonnes was redistributed worth £764 million – enough to make 456 million meals. Redistributing from farms isn’t so advanced.

    These Government grants will go a long way to supercharge more charitable networks to capture some of the estimated 330,000 tonnes of food that could be redistributed from UK farms every year – and use it for good – in communities around the country.

    To tackle the nation’s throwaway approach further, an independent Circular Economy Taskforce has been established to bring together the brightest minds from industry, academia and civil society to tackle this challenge.

    The Taskforce will focus on five priority sectors to begin with – including agri-food – to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials, underpinned by a Circular Economy Strategy which will be published in Autumn.

    This is alongside continued support for the UK Food and Drink Pact, managed by environmental NGO WRAP, which looks to deliver a more sustainable supply chain and reduce food waste in the home – tackling food waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK to become world leader in drug discovery as Technology Secretary heads for London Tech Week

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK to become world leader in drug discovery as Technology Secretary heads for London Tech Week

    New project to make the UK a leader in AI-drug discovery, as Imperial College also partners with the World Economic Forum on AI-Driven Innovation Centre.

    • New OpenBind consortium to make the UK a leader in AI-driven drug discovery – slashing the cost of drug discovery and development by as much as £100 billion. 
    • Imperial College London to partner with World Economic Forum to deliver new AI-Driven Innovation Centre – boosting AI adoption and innovation to grow the economy
    • Peter Kyle to set out plans at London Tech Week for technology to go further and faster in unlocking the growth driving the government’s Plan for Change

    People around the world are set to benefit from new breakthroughs in AI-driven drug discovery to tackle previously untreatable diseases and transforming patient outcomes using British AI and research expertise.  

    Announced today, the UK’s ‘OpenBind’ consortium will use breakthrough experimental technology to generate the world’s largest collection of data on how drugs interact with proteins, the building blocks of the body. This will be twenty times greater than anything collected over the last fifty years – cementing the UK’s position as a global hub for AI-driven drug discovery. 

    This will support the training of new AI models that can identify promising new drugs, giving researchers an unparalleled ability to open up new fronts in the fight against disease- slashing development costs by up to £100 billion and sparking the innovation and economic growth which underpins the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Based at Diamond Light Source – the UK’s national synchrotron facility at the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire – the consortium will close critical data gaps, driving breakthroughs in healthcare which will unlock new avenues for drugs that can treat and beat diseases, as well as helping scientists harness the transformative potential of engineering biology to face down a range of other issues, such as designing new enzymes to tackle plastic waste. 

    The consortium, backed with up to £8 million of investment from DSIT’s newly established Sovereign AI Unit, will be led by some of the world’s leading scientific minds including Professor Charlotte Deane at the University of Oxford, Professor Frank von Delft at Diamond Light Source and the University of Oxford, and David Baker, Chemistry Nobel Prize winner and head of the Institute for Protein Design at Washington University. 

    The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle said: 

    London Tech Week is where we lay down a marker – not just as a government with technology at the heart of our agenda, but as a country that will harness its opportunities for the global good.

    OpenBind is a prime example of how we’re doing exactly that. Through home-grown AI expertise, we will be the driving force that doesn’t just treat, but beats disease – benefitting every person in the world.

    This week, we’ll have plenty more to say on how we’re using technology to drive growth, improve public services, and transform communities all over the country – delivering a Plan for Change grounded in action, not words.

    This investment will also help to unlock unique strategic capabilities for UK AI and biosciences, securing the nation’s critical influence over a sector fundamental to growth, health, and wellbeing. 

    Investors from industry and philanthropy will be convened shortly to have the opportunity to co-invest and take the project to a point of maximum ambition. These discussion will include a roundtable at 10 Downing Street including Isomorphic Labs, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Apheris, Chai Discovery, Genentech, Genesis Therapeutics, Odyssey Therapeutix, Pfizer Inc, and Renaissance Philanthropy.

    Professor Gianluigi Botton, CEO, Diamond Light Source, said:

    At Diamond Light Source, a Joint Venture between the UK government through STFC and the Wellcome Trust, we are proud to be at the forefront of the UK’s ambition to lead the world in AI-driven drug discovery.

    OpenBind represents an exciting step forward in harnessing our unique capabilities to generate the high-quality data that AI needs to revolutionise healthcare, helping to cement the UK’s position as a global hub for bioscience innovation.

    Sir Demis Hassabis, CEO, Isomorphic Labs, said:

    High-quality biochemical data supports superior AI models, which in turn helps us design new drug candidates faster.

    We’re delighted to partner with the OpenBind Consortium and the UK government to cultivate this vital resource. This is a brilliant initiative for UK science, and we’re proud to support it from its inception.

    Artificial Intelligence has become one of the key drivers of the government’s Plan for Change, with its adoption across the economy sparking economic growth and creating jobs. Earlier this year the Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan – taking forward 50 recommendations which will mainline the technology into all sectors of the economy.   

    To accelerate AI’s rollout even further, Imperial College London has today announced it will partner with the World Economic Forum to deliver a Centre for AI Driven Innovation based in the UK. This dedicated centre will cement the UK’s global position as a leader in the technology, driving innovation by unlocking AI’s potential to transform economies across various sectors. The Centre will join the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network – a global network of 21 independent centres which bring together public and private sectors to maximise technological benefits while minimising risks. 

    The UK government will work with both organisations to co-design the Centre’s activities in alignment with the government’s ambitions to harness AI to deliver a new era of growth and opportunity. 

    Hugh Brady, President, Imperial College London said:  

    This is a pivotal moment for UK innovation where the power and creativity of our science and technology can drive economic growth. This new Centre for AI Driven Innovation will unlock AI’s potential to transform existing industries.

    Anchored in the World Economic Forum global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the new Centre hosted by Imperial creates a powerful multi-stakeholder platform from research through to scalable real-world innovation and adoption.

    Børge Brende, President and CEO of World Economic Forum said: 

    We are excited to collaborate with Imperial College London and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to launch the Centre for AI Driven Innovation, the first UK-based centre in the World Economic Forum’s global Network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

    This milestone comes at a pivotal moment, as AI emerges as a powerful catalyst for prosperity and accelerated transformation across all sectors of the economy. The Centre will play a key role in helping the UK shape the global AI innovation agenda, providing a unique platform for collaboration with one of the world’s largest multistakeholder communities of AI experts.

    The announcements come as the Technology Secretary prepares to deliver his keynote address to London Tech Week later today, where his speech will set out the range of actions the government is taking to harness technology to boost growth, improve public services, and unlock new opportunities for communities across the UK.

    Further commentary welcoming today’s announcements:

    Professor Charlotte Deane of the University of Oxford said:

    OpenBind realises a major gear-shift for AI in drug discovery by investing in the data that powers it. 

    This funding will mean we can begin generating a catalogue that not only dwarfs in quantity everything messily accumulated over half a century, but transcends it in quality and is geared towards powering the AI algorithms.

    Professor Frank von Delft of Diamond Light Source and the University of Oxford said:

    OpenBind is unique double opportunity:  whereas to date we experimental scientists have generated data as a byproduct of answering our scientific questions, now we combine forces with AI scientists and produce the data their AIs actually need.  And to do so, we will align several very different types of experiments, harnessing recent dramatic advances, including those we’ve achieved at Diamond. 

    As this accelerates drug design, we will gain currently unthinkable ways to dissect how diseases work and what to do about them.

    Robin Roehm, CEO and co-founder of Apheris said:

    The utility of AI models in predicting protein-small molecule structure and affinity pairs hinges on the quality and scale of training data.

    The life sciences sector urgently needs more comprehensive data, and collaborative networks like the AI Structural Biology Consortium where multiple Pharmas jointly collaborate are an example of this. OpenBind has the potential to transform small molecule drug discovery by developing datasets that are orders of magnitude larger than what is currently available.

    Karmen Čondić-Jurkić, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Open Molecular Software Foundation (OMSF) said:

    OMSF is excited to participate in OpenBind and contribute to building open datasets and infrastructure that will power the next generation of ML/AI models for drug discovery. Expanding high-quality public datasets is essential for advancing molecular science, both for training and validating new computational approaches.

    We believe this collaboration is an opportunity to bring experimental and computational researchers closer together, accelerating innovation across the field.

    Mohammed AlQuraishi, Founder, OpenFold; Professor, Departments of Systems Biology and Computer Science, Columbia University, said:

    The task of predicting structures of molecules bound to proteins is challenged by a severe paucity of data, crucial for training data-hungry machine learning models such as OpenFold3.

    The OpenBind project is poised to transform this dynamic, first by providing significant amounts of new and diverse structural data to fuel machine learning, and second by working synergistically with OpenFold to focus data acquisition on molecules and proteins with the greatest potential for improving the accuracy of predictive models.

    David Rees PhD FMedSci, FRSC, Chief Scientific Officer, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, UK.

    As a pioneer in fragment-based drug discovery, Astex is excited to be involved in this new initiative to build a unique database that will help the UK to remain at the forefront of developments in this field.

    Training AI models with experimentally determined protein-ligand crystal structure data can significantly accelerate the drug discovery process and deliver new medicines more efficiently.

    Dr Ed Griffen, Technical Director at MedChemica said:

    At MedChemica we apply chemistry machine learning at scale and speed to design and analyse large data sets to give exploitable knowledge.  

    One of the critical areas of weakness in drug discovery is relating how protein-drug structures are related to how strongly a possible drug binds to that protein structure. The goal of OpenBind is to gather and analyse enough of the right data so that machine learning can make useful predictions. With better predictions we can run drug hunting projects faster and cheaper, bringing new therapies to the clinic more quickly.

    OpenBind is a keystone in the bridge from basic science to new ways of treating the diseases and conditions that afflict patients world wide. OpenBind’s scale is globally strategic and leading beyond what is being done anywhere else. MedChemica is delighted and proud to be able to contribute to this endeavour.

    Joshua Meier, Co-founder and CEO, Chai Discovery, said:

    The UK’s OpenBind initiative provides the rich, open data frontier our AI models need to design better medicines faster, and we’re excited to contribute our open state-of-the-art structure prediction technology to this national effort.

    Notes to editors

    OpenBind will create the largest open dataset of experimentally validated drug–protein interactions in history. By addressing a long-standing gap in pharmaceutical R&D: the lack of high-quality, large-scale datasets linking small molecules to the proteins they bind. These datasets are essential for training high quality AI models for early-stage drug design.  

    OpenBind will deploy automated chemistry and high-throughput X-ray crystallography to eventually generate more than 500,000 protein – ligand complex structures and affinity measurements over 5 years. This would represent a 20-fold increase over all public data produced in the last half-century – filling a critical gap in the data ecosystem that has slowed the development and evaluation of modern generative models.  

    OpenBind provides a foundational dataset that will underpin progress across multiple areas of technology – including structure prediction, generative molecular design, docking, and active learning workflows. It is designed to work in synergy with other emerging approaches to help reduce trial-and-error experimentation, inform candidate selection, and support more systematic exploration of chemical space.  

    OpenBind’s senior consortium principal investigators are: 

    • Professor Frank von Delft (Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford) 
    • Professor Charlotte Deane (University of Oxford) 
    • Dr John Chodera (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre) 
    • Dr Mark Murcko (MIT and Disruptive Biomedical LLC)
    • Professor Mohammed AlQuraishi (Columbia University)  
    • Professor David Baker (University of Washington) 
    • Dr Ed Griffen (MedChemica Limited) 
    • Professor Paul Brennan (University of Oxford) 
    • Professor Sir David Stuart (Diamond Light Source)
    • Dr Martin Walsh (Diamond Light Source)

    About Diamond Light Source

    Diamond Light Source provides industrial and academic user communities with access to state-of-the-art analytical tools to enable world-changing science. Shaped like a huge ring, it accelerates electrons to near light speeds, producing a light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, which is then directed off into 35 laboratories known as beamlines. In addition to these, Diamond offers access to several integrated laboratories including the world-class Electron Bio-imaging Centre (eBIC) and the Electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC).     

    Diamond serves as an agent of change, addressing 21st century challenges such as disease, clean energy, food security and more. Since operations started, more than 16,000 researchers from both academia and industry have used Diamond to conduct experiments, with the support of approximately 800 world-class staff. More than 14,000 scientific articles have been published by our users and scientists.     

    Funded by the UK government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and by the Wellcome Trust, Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific research.     

    Diamond was set-up as an independent not for profit company through a joint venture, between the UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and one of the world’s largest biomedical charities, the Wellcome Trust – each respectively owning 86% and 14% of the shareholding.     

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: ETC Announces Fiscal 2025 Full Year and Fourth Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTC Pink: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the fourteen week period ended February 28, 2025 (the “2025 fiscal fourth quarter”) and the fifty-three week period ended February 28, 2025 (“fiscal 2025”).

    Robert L. Laurent, Jr., ETC’s Chief Executive Officer and President stated, “Our strong backlog and pipeline of opportunities once again translated into increases in net sales, gross profit margin, operating income and net income. These results reflect growth in each of our business units with sales increasing to $62.9 million, gross profit increasing to $18.5 million, and net income increasing to $13.1 million or $0.75 diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2025 as compared to net income of $1.8 million or $0.09 diluted earnings per share in fiscal 2024. We believe we remain well positioned for the future with a backlog of $87 million and strong pipeline of opportunities at February 28, 2025.”

    Fiscal 2025 Results of Operations

    Net Income

    Net income was $13.1 million, or $0.75 diluted earnings per share, in fiscal 2025, compared to net income of $1.8 million during fiscal 2024, equating to $0.09 per diluted share. The $11.2 million variance is primarily attributable to a $19.6 million increase in sales, a $6.1 million increase in gross profit, slightly offset by a $0.8 million increase in operating expenses. Fiscal 2025 is also being positively impacted by an income tax benefit of $5.6 million, primarily associated with the partial reversal of valuation allowance previously recorded against the deferred tax asset. The deferred tax asset valuation allowance on federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets was reversed in fiscal 2025, as it is now more likely than not that the Company will be able to fully realize these deferred tax assets.

    Net Sales

    Net sales for fiscal 2025 was $62.9 million, an increase of $19.6 million, or 45.3%, compared to fiscal 2024 net sales of $43.3 million. The increase is a result of higher International sales of $13.4 million, of which $9.3 million are within Aircrew Training Solutions (“ATS”) and $3.5 million are within Commercial Industrial Systems (“CIS”) as well as higher Domestic sales of $6.2 million, $6.0 million of which are within CIS. Further, sales in fiscal 2025 increased the greatest within the ATS business unit and Sterilizer Systems business unit, accounting for $9.9 and $7.4 million, respectively, of the overall increase of $19.6 million.

    Gross Profit

    Gross profit for fiscal 2025 was $18.5 million compared to $12.5 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $6.1 million, or 48.7%. The increase in gross profit was primarily due to higher net sales within the ATS and Sterilizers System business units. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 29.4% in fiscal 2025 compared to 28.8% in fiscal 2024.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for fiscal 2025 was $10.3 million compared to $9.5 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $0.8 million, or 8.1%. An increase in selling and marketing expenses, primarily driven by higher sales and an increase in general and administrative expenses, due primarily to an increase in salary and related expenses, along with an increase in professional fees was offset slightly by a decrease in research and development expenses.

    Interest Expense, Net

    Interest expense, net, for fiscal 2025 was $1.2 million compared to $0.9 million in fiscal 2024, an increase of $0.3 million, or 31.6%, due primarily to higher borrowing attributable to the leaseback of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in fiscal 2025.

    Other (Income) Expense, Net

    Other income, net, for fiscal 2025 was ($0.4) million, compared to other expense, net, of $0.3 million in fiscal 2024 a favorable variance of ($0.7) million, or (221.5%) attributable to a gain realized from the sale of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in fiscal 2025.

    Income (Benefit) Taxes

    As of February 28, 2025, the Company reviewed the components of its deferred tax assets and determined, based upon all available information, that it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets relating to its federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, we reversed the previously recorded valuation allowance against these deferred tax assets. If in the future there is a change in our ability to realize these deferred tax assets, then our tax valuation allowance may increase in the period in which we determine that realization is no longer more likely than not. An income tax benefit of $5.6 million was recorded in fiscal 2025 compared to income tax benefit of $0.1 million recorded in fiscal 2024.

    Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter Results of Operations

    Net Income

    Net income was $7.6 million, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter, compared to net income of $2.8 million during the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, equating to $0.17 diluted earnings per share. The $4.8 million variance is a result of $2.7 million of increased sales, $0.6 million increase in other income attributable to the sale of the Company’s demonstration equipment offset slightly by an 8.9% decrease in gross profit margin percentage, primarily attributable to increased aeromedical center building sales and higher interest expense attributable to the demonstration equipment lease. The 2025 fiscal fourth quarter is also being positively impacted by a $5.5 million increase in income tax benefit attributable to the reversal of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

    Net Sales

    Net sales for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter were $19.1 million, an increase of $2.7 million, or 16.4%, compared to net sales of $16.4 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase reflects higher overall sales within the ATS and Sterilizer Systems business units.

    Gross Profit

    Gross profit was $4.7 million in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter, a decrease of $0.8 million, or 14.5% compared to gross profit of $5.5 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. Gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales decreased to 24.6% in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter compared to 33.5% in 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The majority of the decrease was a direct result of the increase in aeromedical center building sales, which is lower margin then ETC’s core business as the work is being performed by a sub-contracted construction firm. Excluding the aeromedical center building sales, gross profit margin would have been approximately 29.7%. As the building construction of the aeromedical center accelerates over the next year, ETC expects gross profit margin to be lower in fiscal 2026 as compared to fiscal 2025.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses, including sales and marketing, general and administrative, and research and development, for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter were $2.7 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or 6.1%, compared to $2.5 million for the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in operating expenses was due primarily to higher general and administrative expenses slightly offset by lower selling and marketing and research and development expenses in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter compared to the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Interest Expense, Net

    Interest expense, net, for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was $0.6 million compared to $0.2 million in the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, an increase of $0.4 million, or 146.6%, reflecting increased borrowing attributable to the leaseback of the demonstration equipment in 2025 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Other (Income) Expense, Net

    Other income, net, for 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was ($0.5) million, compared to other expense, net, of $0.1 million in 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, a favorable variance of ($0.6) million, or (721.0%) attributable to a gain realized from the sale of the Southampton, Pennsylvania demonstration equipment in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter.

    Income (Benefit) Taxes

    An income tax benefit of $5.7 million was recorded in the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter compared to an income tax benefit of $0.2 million in the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in the income tax provision in the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter was driven primarily by the reversal of the valuation allowance on federal deferred tax assets and certain state deferred tax assets. This reversal is attributable to the change in the Company’s operating profit and expected ability to realize these deferred tax assets.

    Liquidity and Capital Resources

    As of February 28, 2025, the Company’s availability under the PNC Revolving Line of Credit was $2.2 million. This reflected cash borrowings of $14.3 million and net outstanding standby letters of credit of approximately $3.5 million. As of June 9, 2025, the date of our most current Revolving Line of Credit statement, the Company’s availability under the PNC Revolving Line of Credit was approximately $1.2 million. The Company had working capital of $19.7 million as of February 28, 2025 compared to working capital of $8.7 million as of February 23, 2024. The increase in working capital was primarily the result of a significant increase in contract assets and reduction in contract liabilities partially offset by a decrease in prepaid assets and increase in accounts payable, trade and an increase in the current portion of lease obligations. With unused availability under the Company’s various current lines of credit, the further conversion of contract assets and inventory into cash, the collection of milestone payments associated with several International contracts, and expected deposits on fiscal 2026 bookings, the Company anticipates its sources of liquidity will be sufficient to fund its operating activities, anticipated capital expenditures, and debt repayment obligations throughout fiscal 2025.

    On February 3, 2025, the Company entered into a Financing and Security Agreement with Coeur Capital, Inc. that provided for a line of credit of up to $3.0 million. The company is able to draw on the line transferring and assigning acceptable accounts receivable to Coeur Capital. The Financing and Security Agreement remains in full force until terminated by either party upon advanced written notice. As of February 28, 2025, the Company’s availability under this Financing and Security Agreement was $3.0 million. As of June 9, 2025, the date of our report, the Company’s availability under this Financing and Security Agreement with Coeur Capital was $3.0 million.

    Cash flows from operating activities

    During fiscal 2025, cash flows used by operating activities were $3.9 million, an increase of $0.2 million compared to fiscal 2024 cash flows used by operating activities of $3.7 million. Cash flows in fiscal 2025 increased as a result of the increase in contract assets and decrease in contract liabilities partially offset by net income for the fiscal year.

    Cash flows from investing activities

    Cash flows from investing activities primarily relates to funds for capital expenditures in property, plant, and equipment and software development. The Company’s fiscal 2025 investing activities provided $3.6 million as compared to fiscal 2024 investing activities which used $0.3 million. The change in investing activities is attributable to $4.0 million from the sale leaseback of the demonstration equipment in Southampton, Pennsylvania.

    Cash flows from financing activities

    During fiscal 2025, the Company’s financing activities provided $1.7 million from borrowings under the Company’s credit facility to support the significant increase in manufacturing, compared to fiscal 2024 borrowings of $2.7 million.

    About ETC

    ETC was incorporated in 1969 in Pennsylvania. For over five decades, we have provided our customers with products, services, and support. Innovation, continuous technological improvement and enhancement, and product quality are core values that are critical to our success. We are a significant supplier and innovator in the following areas: (i) software driven products and services used to create and monitor the physiological effects of flight, including high performance jet tactical flight simulation, fixed and rotary wing upset prevention and recovery and spatial disorientation, and both suborbital and orbital commercial human spaceflight: altitude (hypobaric) chambers; hyperbaric chambers for multiple persons (multiplace chambers) collectively, Aircrew Training Systems (“ATS”);; (ii) Advanced Disaster Management Simulators (“ADMS”); (iii) steam and gas (ethylene oxide) sterilizer systems (“Sterilizer Systems” or “Sterilizers”); and (iv) Environmental Testing and Simulation Systems (“ETSS”).

    We operate in two primary business segments, Aerospace Solutions (“Aerospace”) and Commercial/Industrial Systems (“CIS”). Aerospace encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) ATS products; and (ii) ADMS, as well as integrated logistics support (“ILS”) for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. These products and services provide customers with an offering of comprehensive solutions for improved readiness and reduced operational costs. Sales of our Aerospace products are made principally to U.S. and foreign government agencies and to civil aviation organizations. CIS encompasses the design, manufacture, and sale of: (i) sterilizer systems; and (ii) ETSS; as well as parts and service support for customers who purchase these products or similar products manufactured by other parties. Sales of our CIS products are made principally to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries.

    ETC-PZL Aerospace Industries Sp. z o.o. (“ETC-PZL”), our 100%-owned subsidiary in Warsaw, Poland, is currently our only operating subsidiary. ETC-PZL manufactures certain simulators and provides software to support products manufactured domestically within our Aerospace segment.

    The majority of our net sales are generated from long-term contracts with U.S. and foreign government agencies (including foreign military sales (“FMS”) contracted through the U.S. Government) for the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of ATS products, including Chambers and the simulators manufactured and sold through ETC-PZL, collectively, ATS. The Company also enters into long-term contracts with domestic and international customers for the sale of sterilizer systems and ETSS. Net sales of ADMS are generally much shorter term in nature and vary between domestic and international customers. We generally provide our products and services under fixed-price contracts.

    ETC’s unique ability to offer complete systems, designed and produced to high technical standards, sets it apart from its competition. ETC’s headquarters is located in Southampton, PA. For more information about ETC, visit http://www.etcusa.com/.

    Forward-looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, and these statements may include words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “future”, “predict”, “potential”, “intend”, or “continue”, and similar expressions. We base our forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events or future financial performance. Our forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about ETC and its subsidiaries, the economy and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

                     
    Table A                
                     
    Environmental Tectonics Corporation
    Consolidated Comprehensive Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
                     
                     
    (in thousands, except per share information)   Fifty-three / Fifty-two weeks ended   Variance
        February 28, 2025 February 23, 2024   ($)   (%)
    Net sales   $ 62,943     $ 43,307     $ 19,636     45.3  
    Cost of goods sold     44,420       30,848       13,572     44.0  
    Gross Profit     18,523       12,459       6,064     48.7  
    Gross profit margin %     29.4 %     28.8 %     0.6 %   2.1 %
                     
    Operating expenses     10,260       9,494       766     8.1  
    Operating income     8,263       2,965       5,298     178.7  
    Operating margin %     13.1 %     6.8 %     6.3 %   92.6 %
                     
    Interest expense, net     1,183       899       284     31.6  
    Other (income) expense, net     (361 )     297       (658 )   -221.5  
    Income before income taxes     7,441       1,769       5,672     320.6  
    Pre tax margin %     11.8 %     4.1 %     7.7 %   187.8 %
                     
    Income tax provision (benefit)     (5,622 )     (51 )     (5,571 )   10923.5  
    Net income     13,063       1,820       11,243     617.7  
    Preferred Stock Dividends     (493 )     (484 )     (9 )   1.9  
    Income attributable to common and participating shareholders   $ 12,570     $ 1,336     $ 11,234     840.9  
                     
    Per share information:                
    Basic earnings per common and participating share:            
    Distributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ –     $ –          
    Preferred   $ 0.08     $ 0.08     $ –     0.0  
    Undistributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ 0.81     $ 0.09     $ 0.72     800.0  
    Preferred   $ 0.81     $ 0.09     $ 0.72     800.0  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 0.75     $ 0.09     $ 0.66     733.3  
                     
    Total basic weighted average common and participating shares     15,572       15,569          
                     
    Total diluted weighted average shares     16,655       15,569          
    Table B                
                     
    Environmental Tectonics Corporation
    Consolidated Comprehensive Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
                     
        Fourteen / Thirteen weeks ended   Variance
    (in thousands, except per share information)   February 28, 2025   February 23, 2024   ($)   (%)
    Net sales   $ 19,098     $ 16,414     $ 2,684     16.4  
    Cost of goods sold     14,394       10,915       3,479     31.9  
    Gross Profit     4,704       5,500       (795 )   -14.5  
    Gross profit margin %     24.6 %     33.5 %     -8.9 %   -26.7 %
                     
    Operating expenses     2,665       2,513       153     6.1  
    Operating income     2,039       2,987       (948 )   -31.6  
    Operating margin %     10.7 %     18.2 %     -7.5 %   -40.8 %
                     
    Interest expense, net     613       249       365     146.6  
    Other (income) expense, net     (504 )     81       (584 )   -721.0  
    Income before income taxes     1,930       2,658       (728 )   -27.4  
    Pre-tax margin %     10.1 %     16.2 %     -6.2 %   (38.2 )
                     
    Income tax provision (benefit)     (5,682 )     (171 )     (5,511 )   3222.8  
    Net income     7,612       2,829       4,783     169.1  
    Preferred Stock dividends     (130 )     (121 )     (9 )   7.4  
    Income attributable to common and participating shareholders   $ 7,482     $ 2,708     $ 4,774     176.3  
                     
    Per share information:                
    Basic earnings per common and participating share:                
    Distributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ –     $ –     $ –      
    Preferred   $ 0.02     $ 0.02     $ –     0.0  
    Undistributed earnings per share:                
    Common   $ 0.48     $ 0.17     $ 0.31     182.4  
    Preferred   $ 0.48     $ 0.17     $ 0.31     182.4  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 0.45     $ 0.17     $ 0.28     164.7  
                     
                     
    Total basic weighted average common and participating shares     15,582       15,569          
                     
    Total diluted weighted average shares     16,725       15,569          

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some economists have called for a radical ‘global wealth tax’ on billionaires. How would that work?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Venkat Narayanan, Senior Lecturer – Accounting and Tax, RMIT University

    Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock

    Earlier this year, I attended a housing conference in Sydney. The event’s opening address centred on the way Australia seems to be becoming like 18th-century England – a country where inheritance largely determines one’s opportunities in life.

    There has been a lot of media coverage of economic inequities in Australian society. Our tax system has been partly blamed for this problem. The case for long-term, visionary tax reform has never been stronger. And one area of tax reform could be a wealth tax.

    First, let’s be clear about one thing. Unlike the superannuation tax reforms currently being debated for those with more than A$3 million in superannuation, the wealth tax we’re talking about would apply to a very different cohort: billionaires.

    A recent article in the Financial Times re-examined a proposal to impose such a tax on the world’s highest-net-worth individuals. It also pointed out these efforts would need to be globally coordinated.

    Such taxes could collect significant sums of money for governments. It’s previously been estimated a billionaire tax could raise US$250 billion (more than A$380 billion) globally if just 2% of the net worth of the world’s billionaires was taxed each year.

    The case for a wealth tax

    Inequality is on the rise and the argument for a wealth tax can’t be ignored – not least here at home. According to the Australia Institute, the wealth of Australia’s richest 200 people has soared as a percentage of our national gross domestic product (GDP) – from 8.4% in 2004 to 23.7% in 2024.

    If that sounds dramatic, the picture is far worse in the United States. So, what would a wealth tax look like in Australia (noting that in reality a globally coordinated effort would be needed)?

    The starting point for this is understanding of why high-net-worth individuals seemingly pay very low taxes.

    High net worth, low tax rate

    Income taxes only take into account any amounts that are received in the hands of the taxpayer – whether that is a company, a person or a trust.

    Most high-net-worth individuals do not receive much income directly but “store” their wealth in companies and other corporate structures.

    In Australia, the maximum applicable tax rate for companies is 30%. Note that the highest tax rate in Australia for individuals is 45% plus the 2% medicare levy, effectively 47%.

    Assets such as real estate may also be held by companies or trusts, and the increase in value of these assets is not taxed until they are sold (through capital gains tax).

    Even then, those gains may not be paid out directly to the high-net-worth individual who owns these entities.

    Unrealised gains

    So, how do we tax wealth that is sitting in various businesses (company structures) or other entities, but isn’t taxed at present because the “income” or “gains” from these are not taxable in the hands of the wealthy individuals who own them?

    This goes into the murky area of taxation of unrealised gains. Here, we need to tread very carefully. But we also need to recognise that we already do this, albeit rather subtly, and most of us are not billionaires.

    In your rates notice from your local council, for example, the increase in value of your residence or investment property is used to calculate your rates.

    The real difficulty, to carry on with this example, is that your residence or investment property is typically held in your name and so the tax can be directly levied on you.

    A luxury residence in Miami Beach, Florida, owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. The US is home to the most billionaires of any country in the world.
    Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock

    Making tax unavoidable

    As we’ve already explained, the bulk of the assets or net worth of wealthy individuals is not directly attributable to them. Does this mean we should give up altogether?

    Not quite. UNSW professor Chris Evans has pointed out that while we may not be able to effectively tax all the net worth of the wealthy, there are some things we can tax and they can’t avoid it.

    An obvious example is real estate. You can pack your bags and bank accounts and move to a low-tax country, but you can’t move your mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour.

    Real estate, both residential and commercial, provides one clear way in which we could implement a partial wealth tax. This method (which also has fewer valuation issues than value stored in a company in the form of retained profits) also counters the argument that the wealthy will simply move to other jurisdictions that won’t tax them.

    There is plenty of academic research looking at various wealth tax initiatives in other countries. We should learn from these, including the experience in Switzerland and Sweden.

    In Sweden, for instance, research found the behavioural effects of wealth taxation were less pronounced than those of income taxation, but the system had so many loopholes that evasion was an option for some people.

    Change faces headwinds

    In a very uncertain world that features ongoing wars and an unpredictable US president, any change that seeks to address issues of inequity is going to be met with resistance by those who hold power.

    Some billionaires in the US, however, have expressed their support for being taxed more in a letter signed by heirs to the Disney and Rockefeller fortunes. That offers some hope, and suggests the discussion about wealth taxes should not be relegated to the “too hard” basket.

    Some steps towards taxing the uber-rich would be better than the status quo.

    Venkat Narayanan 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. Some economists have called for a radical ‘global wealth tax’ on billionaires. How would that work? – https://theconversation.com/some-economists-have-called-for-a-radical-global-wealth-tax-on-billionaires-how-would-that-work-257632

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fake news and real cannibalism: a cautionary tale from the Dutch Golden Age

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

    The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers, attributed to Jan de Baen, c. 1672-1675. Rijksmuseum

    The Dutch Golden Age, beginning in 1588, is known for the art of Rembrandt, the invention of the microscope, and the spice trade of the Dutch East India Company. It ended a little under a century later in a frenzy of body parts and mob justice.

    In 1672, enraged by a fake news campaign, rioters killed the recently ousted head of state Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis. The mob hung them upside down, removed their organs, ate parts of the corpses, and sold fingers and tongues as souvenirs.

    Even in a period characterised by torture and assassination, this grisly act stands out as extreme. But it also stands as a warning from history about what can happen when disinformation is allowed to run rampant.

    The attack on Johan and Cornelis de Witt was fuelled by a relentless flood of malicious propaganda and forgeries claiming the brothers were corrupt, immoral elitists who had conspired with enemies of the Dutch Republic.

    The anonymous authors of the smear campaigns blamed Johan for war with England and “all the bloodshed, killing and injuring, the crippled and mutilated people, including widows and orphans” that allegedly kept him in power.

    According to one pamphlet, the violence was legitimate because the ends justified the means: “Beating to death is not a sin in case it is practised against a tyrant.” The sentiment echoes a quote frequently attributed to Napoleon, recently shared by US President Donald Trump on social media: “He who saves his country does not violate any law.”

    ‘Fight like hell’

    These days, of course, we’ve become accustomed to the dangers fake news (and deepfakes) pose in the promotion of political violence, hate speech, extremism and extrajudicial killings.

    In March, for example, historical footage of war crimes in Syria was manipulated by generative AI to appear as current events. Combined with disinformation in chat rooms and on social media, it incited panic and violence.

    The effects were magnified in a country with no reliable independent media, where informal news is often the only source of information.

    But even in a superpower with an established media culture, similar things happen.
    Before the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol in 2021, Trump called on thousands of supporters at a “Save America” rally to “fight like hell” or they were “not going to have a country anymore”.

    This was shortly before Congress verified the presidential election result, which Trump alleged was invalid because of voter fraud. Addressing the same crowd, Trump advisor Rudolph Giuliani called for “trial by combat”.

    What happened might not have been as extreme as the events in the Netherlands 350 years earlier, but a violent mob fired up on disinformation still shook the foundations of US democracy.

    Historical echoes: supporters of Donald Trump march through Washington DC to the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
    Getty Images

    The ‘disaster year’

    The deeper forces at work in the US were and still are complex – just as they were in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. What brought it down was a volatile mix of power struggles, geopolitical rivalries and oligarchy.

    William of Orange had been excluded from the office of stadtholder, the hereditary head of state, by a secret treaty with England under Oliver Cromwell to end the First Anglo-Dutch War.

    When the English monarchy was restored, however, the treaty became invalid and the Orangists attempted to reinstate William. Johan De Witt represented the States Party, made up of wealthy oligarchs, whereas William was seen as a man of the people.

    The republic had built an impressive navy and merchant fleet but neglected its army. A land invasion by France and allies was supported by the English navy. To prevent the invasion from advancing, land was flooded by opening gates and canals.

    The combination of floods and an occupying army threw the economy into chaos. The Orangists wouldn’t cooperate with the States Party, and the republic was on the brink of collapse. The Dutch referred to 1672 as the Rampjaar, the “disaster year”.

    Historical rhymes

    Satirists, pamphleteers and activists seized on the crises as an opportunity to ramp up their campaign against the de Witt brothers. Political opposition turned into personal attacks, false accusations and calls for violence.

    Johan was assaulted and stabbed in an attempted assassination in June 1672, resigning from his role as head of state two months later. Cornelis was then arrested for treason. When Johan went to visit him in prison, the guards and soldiers disappeared, and a conveniently positioned mob dragged the brothers into the street.

    The rest, as they say, is history. William III was strongly suspected of orchestrating the brothers’ gruesome murder, but this was never confirmed.

    Is there is a moral to the story? Perhaps it is simply that, in a time of crisis, a campaign of disinformation can transform political opposition and rebellion into assassination – and worse.

    Pamphlets – the social media of their day – manipulated public perception and amplified popular anxiety into murderous rage. A golden age of prosperity under a republic headed by oligarchs ended with ritualised political violence and the return of a monarch who promised to keep the people safe.

    They say history doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. As ever, the need to separate fact from fiction remains an urgent task.

    Garritt C. Van Dyk has been a recipient of Getty Research Institute funding.

    – ref. Fake news and real cannibalism: a cautionary tale from the Dutch Golden Age – https://theconversation.com/fake-news-and-real-cannibalism-a-cautionary-tale-from-the-dutch-golden-age-257104

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Meets with Families Impacted by Milwaukee School Closures Due to Lead Exposure, Lack of Federal Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    MILWAUKEE, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) visited Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center to meet with parents whose children’s health was at risk and schools were closed this year because of lead hazards.

    “When Milwaukee called for help to keep kids safe and address this lead crisis, their application was denied because RFK, Jr. and Donald Trump fired every single one of the lead experts who could help,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I heard firsthand from Milwaukee families whose children have been poisoned by lead and were forced out of the schools they attend, all while they continue to live in fear and think they were left behind. While Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. continue to sit on their hands, I’ll keep showing up, listening to the families, and fighting to hold the Trump administration to account so Milwaukee gets the support it deserves.”

    Baldwin’s visit comes as she continues to hold the Trump Administration accountable for failing to support Milwaukee, firing the entire Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Surveillance Branch, and not providing on-the-ground support to keep children safe.

    In early April, the Centers for Disease Control notified MPS that they would not be able to receive on-site help from lead experts because the Trump administration shut down the lead poisoning branch and fired the experts. The crisis has shuttered six schools and displaced 1,800 children in Milwaukee. Senator Baldwin has repeatedly pressed the Administration to reinstate fired experts and approve Milwaukee’s plea for federal assistance. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Codere Online Announces 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, June 9, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Codere Online Luxembourg, S.A. (Nasdaq: CDRO / CDROW) (the “Company” or “Codere Online”), a leading online gaming operator in Spain and Latin America, today announced that its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“AGM”) will be held on June 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM CET at the registered office of the Company.

    The convening notice of the AGM, including the agenda, proposed resolutions, and voting instructions, is available on the Shareholders Meetings section of the Company’s website at codereonline.com and is being furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 6-K.

    Shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 4, 2025 are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.

    About Codere Online

    Codere Online refers, collectively, to Codere Online Luxembourg, S.A. and its subsidiaries. Codere Online launched in 2014 as part of the renowned casino operator Codere Group. Codere Online offers online sports betting and online casino through its state-of-the art website and mobile applications. Codere currently operates in its core markets of Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Argentina. Codere Online’s online business is complemented by Codere Group’s physical presence throughout Latin America, forming the foundation of the leading omnichannel gaming and casino presence.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investors and Media
    Guillermo Lancha
    Director, Investor Relations and Communications
    Guillermo.Lancha@codereonline.com
    (+34) 628.928.152

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Angelina Baric, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University

    It’s not exactly news that junk food isn’t healthy.

    What may be surprising is exactly how pervasive ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become and what harm they’re doing. This includes some foods that are specifically labelled and marketed as having nutritional value.

    We are nutrition researchers, and the authors of a new study that identifies some of the specific negative effects of ultra-processed foods that are readily available, very popular and often hard to resist, especially when people are feeling pressed for time.

    Our research group leads population-based studies that integrate nutrition epidemiology, food policy, and dietary assessment to better understand how modern food environments and dietary patterns influence chronic disease risk.

    While ultra-processed foods include obvious culprits like potato chips, candy and frozen pizza, there are also some that people may believe are good for them, such as packaged granola bars, sports drinks and fruit-filled yogurt. Our study used the Nova classification system to define UPFs, which are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods, derived from food constituents with little if any intact whole food remaining.

    How UPFs harm health

    Our research, based on diet questionnaires and personal medical data that Health Canada and Statistics Canada collected from over 6,000 Canadians, shows that the effects of UPFs can pile up over time, adding to the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health issues by raising blood pressure and blood sugar levels, for example.

    Even a person who is thin, active and free from illness might be accumulating risk by consuming UPFs that may seem innocuous or even healthy.

    The ways ultra-processed foods harm our health aren’t just about calories or individual nutrients like salt, sugar and fat, though those aren’t making things better. It’s also in the way they’re made.

    Take that seemingly healthy tub of yogurt. On its own, yogurt is indeed very healthy. The problem is when things like jam-like fruit with preservatives or artificial vanilla flavouring are added. They make yogurt taste better but can push it into unhealthy territory.

    Even after we eliminated the impacts of influences such as the survey respondents’ body mass index, age, exercise and smoking habits, the numbers showed a specific risk that may be related to the additives that give ultra-processed foods longer shelf life, brighter colours and enhanced flavours. For example, we know that the modern diet of highly processed food is associated with distorted hormone levels.

    Some products are so heavily processed that it appears our bodies may not respond to them as they would to more natural foods. UPFs trigger inflammatory responses that suggest the body regards them as stressors, rather than nutrition.

    Substituting UPFs for healthy foods

    We learned from survey respondents that consumers are increasingly using UPFs as substitutes for healthy staples such as vegetables and fruit. This is not surprising when the wrapper on a granola bar proclaims its contents to be a good source of fibre, or a when a sports drink label says it’s a good source of electrolytes, Vitamin D or some other single nutrient.

    Granola bars are often marketed as containing fibre. While the claim may be factual, many granola bars are also high in sugar, fat or salt.
    (Shutterstock)

    While these claims are factual, they don’t represent the entire or even most significant effects of the products inside. For a long time, food policies have been very focused on single nutrients rather than thinking about the totality of our food supply.

    Our complex food supply has come to be heavily influenced by huge multinational companies and their need for sales instead of our need for health, to the point where marketing and packaging have made it challenging to understand exactly what we are eating or drinking.

    That is starting to change. Starting in January 2026, the Canadian government will require food packaging to prominently declare the presence of unhealthy amounts of sodium, sugar and saturated fat.



    Read more:
    Front-of-package food labels: A path to healthier choices

    While that will be a significant and welcome improvement in transparency, it will not change the fact that a loaf of mass-manufactured white bread, a package of bacon or even a tray of muffins may also be harming the people who eat them in ways they have not even considered.

    Setting reduction targets

    Canada’s food guide, produced by Health Canada, only suggests we limit the amount of processed food we eat, but it doesn’t set any clear national target for how much we should cut our consumption. While most other countries also stop short of setting specific limits, France has gone a step further by aiming to cut national consumption of ultra-processed foods by 20 per cent over five years.

    Setting a similar national reduction target in Canada could have a particularly significant, positive effect on people in care homes, hospitals and schools that are required to use Canada’s Food Guide in planning their menus.

    Individual consumers know how easy it is to fall into the habit of eating too many ultra-processed foods. They are hard to resist because they are heavily marketed, usually tasty, reasonably affordable and appear to make life easier by saving time and effort.

    Understanding more about what these appealing products are really doing to people is an important step toward helping consumers make better, more informed choices. We are already working on more research to understand more about what’s really inside those bright shiny packages that keep finding their way into shopping carts.

    Anthea Christoforou receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has previously received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    Angelina Baric 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. Ultra-processed foods are everywhere — and they’re quietly raising health risks – https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-everywhere-and-theyre-quietly-raising-health-risks-256419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Amdark Limited Offers Investment Fraud Recovery Program to Combat Surge in Online Scams in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amdark Limited, a top-tier financial recovery services provider, has unveiled a fraud recovery program, emphasizing the importance of tracking and recovering funds in online scams in 2025.

    CHELMSFORD, United Kingdom, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the latest news, Amdark Limited offers an investment fraud recovery program that helps to track and recover online scams. Investment fraud happens when someone lies or misleads others into investing money, often with false promises of guaranteed profits, low risk, or quick returns. The scammer might pose as a financial advisor, broker, or company representative and may use fake websites, social media ads, or phone calls to gain your trust.

    Significance of Investment Fraud Recovery Services

    Online scams have become a significant concern in the digital finance space, affecting both novice and experienced investors. Fraudulent schemes, such as Ponzi schemes, phishing attacks, fake Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), and rug pulls, are just a few of the ways scammers target their victims. The decentralized and anonymous nature of crypto transactions makes it incredibly difficult to trace and reverse these fraudulent activities.

    Many traditional banking systems offer ways to dispute transactions, the irreversible nature of crypto transactions means that stolen funds are typically lost forever. This leaves victims in a position where they may feel helpless, as recovering lost assets requires specialized knowledge and resources. In such cases, Amdark Limited steps in to help victims navigate the complex and often opaque world of crypto scam recovery.

    Reasons Behind Investment Fraud Growing in 2025

    Technology makes it easier than ever to connect with people but it also gives scammers new tools to exploit victims. However, individuals are investing and building a secure future but simultaneously face cybercrime issues. Amdark Limited helps track every scam and offers crypto forensic services for regulators, law enforcement, companies, and individuals to ensure that the individual’s transactions are safe and secure. When individuals need a high level of accuracy for witness or rediscovery, the company assists the clients in evaluating their legal situations and provides accurate and up-to-date forensic data. It also offers the latest technology and data recovery services, which help identify and extract data from computers and other advanced devices.

    Amdark Limited Investment Recovery Program Protects Investment Fraud

    The company shed light on how to avoid falling victim:

    • Do Your Research – Always investigate the company, the people involved, and the investment itself. Google reviews, search for scam warnings and check financial regulatory websites.
    • Verify Licensing – Legitimate brokers or advisors must be registered. Use government or financial watchdog websites to confirm credentials.
    • Avoid “Risk-Free” Offers – No investment is risk-free. Be wary of anyone claiming otherwise.
    • Don’t Trust Social Media Alone – Just because an ad appears on Facebook or Instagram doesn’t mean it’s trustworthy. Always double-check before handing over your money.
    • Consult an Expert – Before investing large amounts, speak to a licensed financial advisor or a legal expert in finance.

    Fund Recovery Services Matter

    Scammers are clever, and once they’ve taken their money, they rarely leave a trail. That’s where professionals come in. Fund recovery agencies combine legal, forensic, and digital tools to track their stolen funds and attempt to retrieve them. While not all cases lead to full recovery, many victims have successfully reclaimed a portion or even all of their lost investments through expert help.

    Furthermore, investment fraud is one of the fastest-growing financial crimes in 2025, and its consequences are both emotional and financial. To combat this online scam chain, Amdark Limited brings real solutions and become a trusted partner in investment fraud recovery that can guide them through the process of reclaiming what’s there.

    About Amdark Limited:

    For over 20 years, Amdark Limited has been an emerging provider of financial recovery services, specializing in helping victims of online scams recover their losses. The company has a team of experienced financial experts who have a proven track record of success. Amdark Limited offers a free consultation to assess each case and determine the possibility of recovery.

    Media Contact:
    Company Name: Amdark Limited
    Contact person:Alan Kalbfell
    Contact email: help@amdarklimited.com
    Website link: www.amdarklimited.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the Amdark Limited. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef5fba0b-0a0f-4eb6-b2e7-b77c99f7a18c

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a1a1235-e29e-4eb9-9cbc-422ef2d3cc43

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte: 9 June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM meeting with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte: 9 June 2025

    The Prime Minister hosted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister hosted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street this afternoon. 

    The Prime Minister began by updating on the UK’s new NATO-first Strategic Defence Review, announced last week, which underscored the UK’s steadfast commitment to the Alliance.

    NATO was vital to the security of working people in the UK and had been the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic peace and security for more than eight decades, the Prime Minister added.

    Turning to the upcoming summit in The Hague, the leaders agreed that NATO was more united than ever, but Allies still needed to go further and faster to ensure stability and security and reinforce defence industries for the future.

    The NATO Secretary General said that approach had been brought to life for him during his visit to Sheffield Forgemasters earlier in the day, where he had heard from a man who had faced losing his job, but through a new government contract for the production of artillery barrels for the first time in almost two decades, was now training his team in a skillset that could have been lost.

    That exemplified the importance of embracing rapid innovation, while fostering the skills and lessons learned across the past 80 years, the leaders agreed.

    The leaders also discussed future funding proposals for NATO and underscored the importance of going further to step up on national resilience and protect critical national infrastructure. The Prime Minister welcomed the Secretary General’s focus on ensuring the Alliance was fit for the future.

    The leaders looked forward to speaking again at the upcoming G7 summit.

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National enterprise honours for Highland school

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Budding entrepreneurs from a Highland school are celebrating following triumphs at two top enterprise events.

    In the last two weeks team Solasta, from Fortrose Academy, won the Scottish Company of the Year at the Young Enterprise Scotland Awards in Glasgow and went on to triumph in Manchester at the UK Company of the Year finals event last Wednesday (4 June).

    At both events Solasta were recognised for their expertise in designing, producing and selling their intergenerational journals which encourage families to connect and record their memories.

    The team will now go on to represent the UK at the Junior Achievement European awards in Athens, Greece on 1-3 July, known as the European “Oscars” of Youth Entrepreneurship.

    Councillor John Finlayson, chair of Highland Council’s education committee, said: “I was delighted to hear about Solasta, the team from Fortrose Academy who won the UK Young Enterprise final in Manchester on the 4th of June.

    “As someone who has always promoted the importance of including enterprise in the work of all our schools, I congratulate Fortrose staff and pupils on their success and I wish them well in the European final in Greece on 4th July.”

    The Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme for Highland and Moray runs in partnership with local schools to encourage young people to experience the challenges of running a business.

    Over the course of a year teams from individual schools learn how to run a successful business by designing and making products, marketing them and managing the financial side.

    The scheme is aimed at 15- to 19-year-olds and teams are supported by teachers, a volunteer business adviser from the local community, and a Young Enterprise Scotland area team.

    The Solasta team involved S6 pupils Amy MacRae, Natasha Browne, Imogen Geddes, Imogen Maclarty, Roisin Beattie, Abbie Harper, Freya Campbell and Keira Chisholm.

    Their idea for producing a journal was sparked through the school’s own well established inter-generational links with community charity Black Isle Cares and the Eilean Dubh Care Home.

    Keira Lyall, Head of Business Studies at Fortrose Academy, added: “The team are still on a high after their great achievement and the tremendous experience of taking part in both finals.

     “We’d like to thank everyone who generously stepped in quickly to provide sponsorship to help us travel to Manchester and represent the Highlands on a national stage.

    “We are now making plans to get to Athens for the European finals in July and if any local business would like to get involved, please email us on keira.lyall@highland.gov.uk.” 

    Linda Thomas, Chair of Young Enterprise Highland and Moray, said: “We are absolutely delighted but not at all surprised at Solasta’s success.

    “Their hard work, tenacity and creativity have been a joy to watch and they are a true credit to the Highlands.

     “Their win at the national finals in Glasgow brings the tally of teams from the Highlands and Moray who have won the top Young Enterprise Scotland award to ten over the last 18 years – a clear demonstration that young people from this area absolutely have all it takes to succeed in the world of work.”

    Fortrose has a long tradition of supporting young enterprise in the school, having been previous UK winners in 2008.

    Press release issued by Young Enterprise Highland and Moray and The Highland Council

    Caption: Solasta at the Young Enterprise UK final with Graham Farhall, Finance Director at sponsor Delta Airline and Sarah Poretta, CEO of YE UK

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Vice Chairman Announces Readiness to Implement Genuine Multilateralism Together with the UN

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    NICE, France, June 9 (Xinhua) — China is willing to take advantage of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations to further strengthen cooperation with the world body, jointly implement genuine multilateralism, and make new contributions to world peace and development, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said Sunday.

    Han Zheng made the statement during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

    Speaking about the changing and turbulent international situation, Han Zheng quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that the more changing and turbulent the international situation becomes, the more countries should uphold and protect the authority of the UN, firmly uphold the international system with the world organization at its core, the international order based on international law, and the fundamental norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

    Han Zheng said China has always supported the key role of the UN in international affairs, noting that President Xi Jinping instructed the Chinese delegation to attend the current UN Ocean Conference, which demonstrated China’s firm support for multilateralism, the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and special support for the work of the world body.

    A. Guterres, for his part, said that the world is facing serious challenges, noting that China has long been a strong and active supporter of the UN, serving as an important pillar in maintaining multilateralism and promoting global sustainable development, and is a key partner of the world organization for cooperation.

    The UN stands ready to work with China to further deepen cooperation in a comprehensive manner, uphold multilateralism and international order, ensure world peace and security, and more effectively address challenges such as the protection of marine biodiversity and climate change, so as to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Secretary-General added.

    The Chinese vice president said China highly values the UN’s unwavering and firm commitment to the one-China principle and hopes that its relevant organs will remain vigilant against attempts by some forces to deliberately distort and challenge UN General Assembly Resolution 2758.

    A. Guterres assured that the UN takes a clear and firm position on the one-China principle and will continue to strictly comply with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sample of prepackaged frozen giant scarlet shrimps detected with mercury exceeding legal limit

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Sample of prepackaged frozen giant scarlet shrimps detected with mercury exceeding legal limitPlace of origin: Spain
    Pack Lot: FCCAR25114
    Best-before: April 2027
    Importer: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) LimitedIssued at HKT 19:55

    The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 9) announced that a sample of prepackaged frozen giant scarlet shrimps imported from Spain was detected with mercury, a metallic contaminant, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the incident. Members of the public should not consume the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it. Product details are as follows: Product name: Frozen Giant Scarlet Shrimp Place of origin: Spain Pack Lot: FCCAR25114 Best-before: April 2027 Importer: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Limited “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained mercury at a level of 0.85 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 0.5 ppm,” a spokesman for the CFS said. The spokesman said that the CFS had informed the importer concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected product. The importer concerned has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions. Members of the public may call the importer’s hotline at 2612 2066 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. 09/06/2025, 19:54 Sample of prepackaged frozen giant scarlet shrimps detected with mercury exceeding legal limit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202506/09/P2025060900739p.htm#:~:text=The Centre for Food Safety, following up on the incident. 1/2 The CFS is also tracing the source and distribution of the product concerned. “Mercury may affect the nervous system, particularly the developing brain. At high levels, mercury can affect foetal brain development, and affect vision, hearing, muscle co-ordination and memory in adults,” the spokesman added. According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limit is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. The CFS will alert the Spanish authorities and the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing. Ends/Monday, June 9, 2025 Issued at HKT 19:55 NNNN 09/06/2025, 19:54 Sample of prepackaged frozen giant scarlet shrimps detected with mercury exceeding legal

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Luxembourg and EIB Global team up to help Small Island Developing States confront climate change

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • Luxembourg is tapping EIB Global expertise through the Luxembourg-EIB Climate Finance Platform (LCFP) to contribute €5 million to the Outrigger Impact Fund I.
    • The Fund has a target size of $100 million and aims to provide finance to projects in various sectors of the oceans economy.
    • Outrigger Impact Fund I will provide debt and equity financing to help Small Island Development States adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Luxembourg is joining forces with the European Investment Bank’s development arm (EIB Global) to pledge €5 million through the Luxembourg-EIB Climate Finance Platform (LCFP) to help Small Island Development States (SIDS) tackle climate change. The Government of Luxembourg is making the commitment to a new fund dedicated to the sustainable use of ocean resources – an area of activity known as the “blue economy” – and EIB Global is managing the contribution to ensure its optimal use.

    Luxembourg’s pledge will take the form of junior equity in the Outrigger Impact Fund I, which has a target size of $100 million and will be run by UK-based fund manager Outrigger Impact. The fund will operate in Small Island Development States, providing debt and equity finance to projects in various blue economy sectors such as sustainable aquaculture, ocean conservation, ecotourism and offshore renewable energy.

    “This investment reflects our ambition to drive more capital towards climate resilience where it is most urgently needed. By backing the Outrigger Impact Fund I through the provision of junior equity, we aim to de-risk innovative projects in the blue economy and mobilise private finance at scale. This is a targeted use of public capital to unlock impact where markets alone would not go,” said Luxembourg Minister of Finance Gilles Roth.  

    “Over the last decade, Luxembourg has been committed to supporting the most vulnerable countries in the fight against climate change. Small Island Development States are disproportionally affected and face a finance gap at the same time. The blue economy offers an opportunity for SIDS to help adapt to climate change, protect and restore nature, while generating sustainable income for the most vulnerable communities,” said Minister of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity Serge Wilmes.  

    EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle and Outrigger Impact Managing Director Simon Dent announced Luxembourg’s contribution at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

    “Small Island Developing States are disproportionately at risk of the impacts of climate change and receive immeasurably less financing than other developing or low-income countries. That’s why this fund is important – at the portfolio level it is expected to multiply investments with a significant leverage,” said Vice-President Fayolle.

    The involvement of Luxembourg and the EIB in the new fund advances an EU goal in its “Global Gateway Investment Agenda” to deepen worldwide cooperation on investment in areas including climate and the environment.

    The investments by the new fund will reduce greenhouse gas emissions through clean transport, contribute to conservation of protected areas and coral reefs, and reduce pollution including plastics in the ocean. The financing will also increase the resilience of local communities to climate change.

    The fund will leverage private investments and group projects across Small Island Development States to support new or small market players that are developing innovative business models backing the transition to a sustainable blue economy.

    “This new fund will provide catalytic investment in projects, small and medium-sized enterprises and nature-based solutions in Small Island Development States. These states steward over 30% of our oceans through their exclusive economic zones, meaning that their blue economies, ecosystems and sustainable marine assets are full of environmental, social and economic potential,” said Outrigger Impact Managing Director Simon Dent.

    Background information

    About EIB Global

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. It finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives.

    EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. It aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 – around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices across the world. Photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.

    About the Luxembourg-EIB Climate Finance Platform (LCFP)

    The LCFP is a de-risking platform initiated by the Government of Luxembourg in collaboration with the EIB that seeks to catalyse private sector investments in high-impact climate projects in developing countries.

    About Outrigger Impact

    Outrigger Impact is a specialised blue economy platform, which is developing a dedicated financing facility to build environmental and economic resilience and drive nature-positive outcomes in Small Island Developing States, by catalysing and leveraging the blue economy and enhancing the sustainability of ocean resources. The Outrigger Impact Fund will provide investment capital for blue economy projects in a range of Small Island Developing States, and the Outrigger Technical Assistance Facility will provide grants and concessionary loans to support early-stage projects in islands, with the common aim of delivering dedicated funding of more than $100 million to catalytic projects in island states.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years for Hacking, Fraud, and Identity Theft Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that KINGSLEY UCHELUE UTULU was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to 63 months in prison for his role in a broad hacking, fraud, and identity theft scheme targeting U.S.-based businesses and individuals.  UTULU previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    “Kingsley Uchelue Utulu took part in a scheme to hack into U.S. tax preparation businesses, trade in the stolen personal identifying information, and defraud the IRS and other governmental bodies,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Offshore scammers like Utulu and his co-conspirators may think they can target hard-working Americans with their hacking and fraud schemes and avoid prosecution.  The message from the Department and the FBI is clear, they cannot.  We are committed to protecting Americans from criminals operating offshore.”   

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Kingsley Utulu, a Nigerian national, was part of a scheme that targeted and infiltrated electronic systems of U.S.-based companies to steal more than two million dollars through fraudulent tax returns.  Along with his co-conspirators, this defendant’s scheme reached across the globe to exploit sensitive information for financial gain.  The FBI will never exempt any individual who seeks to unlawfully profit through deceitful practices, regardless of where they are located.”

    According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:

    Beginning in at least in or about 2019, UTULU and other Nigeria-based conspirators took part in a scheme to hack into U.S-based tax preparation businesses.  The conspirators utilized spearphishing emails to obtain access to these business’s electronic systems.  Once they had obtained access, the conspirators stole the tax and other identifying information of the business’ customers.  The conspirators hacked into several U.S.-based tax businesses, located in New York, Texas, and other states.

    The conspirators obtained the stolen identity information of thousands of individuals.  They used this information to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities.  The conspirators sought fraudulent refunds of at least approximately $8.4 million, of which they successfully obtained at least approximately $2.5 million.

    In addition to filing fraudulent tax returns, the conspirators used the stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.  The conspirators were able to obtain at least an additional approximately $819,000 in fraudulent payouts.

    UTULU was arrested for his involvement in this scheme while being present in the United Kingdom and was thereafter extradited to the U.S. to be prosecuted. 

    *                *                *

    In addition to the prison term, UTULU, 38, of Nigeria, was ordered to pay restitution in an amount of $3,683,029.39 and forfeiture in the amount of $290,250.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.

    The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Body in Hampshire confirmed to be Yajaira Castro Mendez

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives can confirm the body found in Hampshire on Saturday, 7 June is sadly that of Yajaira Castro Mendez from Ilford.

    Yajaira was last seen in Camden on Thursday, 29 May. Following extensive enquiries by officers a murder investigation was launched.

    Detectives carried out urgent enquiries and during searches in the Bolderwood area of Hampshire, they found a body.

    Formal identification has now taken place. Her family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Acting Detective Chief Inspector Sean Beasley, who is leading the investigation, said: “This is a very sad development in the investigation and our thoughts are very much with Yajaira’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

    “Officers have been working around the clock and continue to investigate the circumstances.

    “There are still crime scenes in place and we’re working closely with Hampshire Police. We thank the community for their patience as we carry out our investigation and we continue to appeal to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to please come forward.”

    On Friday, 6 June, Juan Francisco Toledo, 51 (17.10.1973), of Lambeth appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court charged with murder.

    He was remanded in custody to next appear on Tuesday, 10 June at the Old Bailey.

    He had been arrested on Wednesday, 4 June in Lambeth.

    Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact police via 101 or @MetCC quoting CAD 3020/06JUN2

    To remain 100 per cent anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hedgehog poo could hold important secrets about local biodiversity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Research fellow in Ecology and Conservation, University of Oxford

    Jayne Morgan

    Biodiversity, the rich variety of life found on Earth, is vanishing. I’m a conservation scientist keen to monitor this loss to better understand where efforts to reverse it will be most effective. And I might have hit on a novel solution.

    I study European hedgehogs, the popular spiky mammals that inhabit our gardens. Hedgehog populations are declining massively, with an estimated loss of up to 75% in the rural areas of the UK during the past 25 years.

    Thanks to insights gained in my research, I, Dr Hedgehog, believe that this species could be helpful for mapping wider biodiversity. More specifically, its poo.

    One probable cause of the decline in hedgehogs is a decline in insects, which form a major part of their diet. During my many nights of radio-tracking hedgehogs, I came up with the idea of analysing environmental DNA (eDNA) contained in samples of hedgehog poo to discover what the hedgehogs are eating and through that, what’s living locally.

    The eDNA method could reveal genetic traces of all organisms present in the samples in a single analysis. And, as we’ll see, these prickly mammals have a surprisingly liberal diet.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Due to the loss of natural habitats, hedgehogs are increasingly living in gardens, and this is where the battle to save the hedgehog will take place. My research showed that European hedgehogs in residential areas normally visit ten to 14 gardens a night.

    Here, they eat a wide selection of prey, primarily insects, snails, slugs and worms, but also birds’ eggs (from ground-nesting birds – they don’t climb trees). They are scavengers too, and will munch on all sorts of dead animals.

    What most people don’t realise is that these adorable little creatures are also ferocious predators. If they can get their paws (or perhaps more correctly, their jaws) on live prey, they will eat chicks that have fallen out of nests or amphibians such as salamanders, newts and frogs. They are excellent swimmers and sometimes catch fish in garden ponds.

    I have seen hedgehogs taking on adult pigeons or full-sized chickens, and winning. Hedgehogs also sometimes chew on the faeces of foxes and lick the saliva onto their spines, probably with the purpose of masking their scent against predators.

    Prickly, but not picky.
    Nojafoto/Shutterstock

    We are not sure whether hedgehogs eat fruit and plants intentionally, or if they are actually after the worms or insects living on them – hedgehogs are officially categorised as “insectivores” – but vegetation shows up in the stomachs of dead hedgehogs too. The DNA from plants ingested by the insects, worms and snails eaten by hedgehogs, will also show up in an analysis of hedgehog poo.

    In terms of a guide to local biodiversity, hedgehogs are the full package.

    Hedgehogs live and forage in a small area. They poop a lot, and their faeces are easy to recognise and collect. If we keep the hedgehog population going, we won’t run out of sample material any time soon.

    Before DNA analysis was invented, it was very difficult to determine the diet of a hedgehog, because a slug is reduced to nothing after a trip through its digestive tract, and it’s hard to identify a species from a chewed-off beetle leg. In contrast, it only takes a tiny fragment of a species to show up in an eDNA analysis of hedgehog faeces, so imagine what we could discover.

    In these times of drastic biodiversity loss, we need to establish good and reliable methods for monitoring biodiversity. An analysis of a hedgehog poo could even reveal elusive species which may have been categorised as extinct in the area.

    My idea of biodiversity monitoring through hedgehog poo has spawned ridicule and numerous rejection letters for funding applications. I refused to let it stop me. So I have created a crowdfunding campaign where you can support the research by purchasing a hedgehog poo and getting a certificate. I have 800 hedgehog faecal samples collected from all over Denmark, England and Scotland, stored in a freezer ready to be analysed.

    The work has begun, and my colleagues and I have found some very interesting results already. One is the remarkable scarcity of bird DNA in hedgehog faecal samples collected from islands, where hedgehogs are accused of posing a threat to ground-nesting birds by eating their eggs. We are confident that our method works as we tested it beforehand by feeding quail eggs to hedgehogs, and found lots of bird DNA in the samples.

    When I have managed to raise the remaining funds, we will continue the investigation.

    This is the story of how I discovered that hedgehog droppings are gold. If you would like to know more, watch my talk on the subject here.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Sophie Lund Rasmussen 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. Hedgehog poo could hold important secrets about local biodiversity – https://theconversation.com/hedgehog-poo-could-hold-important-secrets-about-local-biodiversity-256644

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: $HAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Encourages Shareholders of OPOF, PRA, SWTX and HURA to Take Action

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating:

    • Old Point Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: OPOF), relating to the proposed merger with TowneBank. Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of Old Point will elect to receive $41.00 in cash or 1.1400 shares of TowneBank common stock for each share of Old Point outstanding common stock.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for July 2, 2025.
            
    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/old-point-financial-corporation-opof/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE: PRA), relating to the proposed merger with The Doctors Company. Under the terms of the agreement, ProAssurance stockholders will receive $25.00 per share in cash.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/proassurance-corporation-pra/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for June 24, 2025.

    • SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWTX), relating to the proposed merger with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Under the terms of the agreement, SpringWorks shareholders will have the right to receive $47.00 in cash per share of SpringWorks stock held.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/springworks-therapeutics-inc-swtx/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for June 26, 2025.

    • TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HURA), relating to the proposed merger with Kineta, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, TuHURA would acquire the rights to Kineta’s novel KVA12123 antibody for a combination of cash and shares of TuHURA common stock.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/tuhura-biosciences-inc-hura/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for June 23, 2025.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in the above listed company and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2025 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fast Payout Online Casinos: Your Guide to Quick and Secure Withdrawals By All iGaming!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Houston, TX, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Fast payout online casinos are changing the game by providing players with rapid access to their winnings, often within hours or even instantly. With the growing demand for speed and reliability, these casinos prioritize quick cashouts, allowing you to enjoy your earnings without unnecessary delays. 

    All iGaming, a trusted authority in online gambling reviews, carefully evaluates the fastest payout options, focusing on withdrawal times, payment methods, and the overall trustworthiness of each platform. In this guide, we’ll help you navigate the world of fast payout online casinos, ensuring you can enjoy a seamless and efficient gaming experience.

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    The speed of withdrawals heavily depends on the payment methods available. All iGaming evaluates casinos that support cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which enable near-instant transactions, and e-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill, known for their rapid processing. These options are critical for an easy cash out online casino experience.

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    Low withdrawal limits can hinder players, especially those with significant winnings. All iGaming favors casinos with high or no withdrawal caps, ensuring players can access their full earnings in a single transaction, a hallmark of the best online casino fast payout platforms.

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    Real-world experiences provide valuable insights. All iGaming collects and analyzes player reviews to confirm that a casino’s advertised payout speeds align with actual performance, ensuring reliability in fastest online casino payout claims.

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    A casino’s platform must be robust to handle rapid transactions without errors. All iGaming tests the technical infrastructure of each casino to ensure it supports seamless, quick withdrawals, a key feature of fast payout casinos.

    ✔️Licensing and Security

    Player safety is non-negotiable. All iGaming only recommends casinos licensed by reputable authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority or Curaçao eGaming Commission, with robust security measures such as SSL encryption and two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect player data and funds.

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    Opting for a fast payout online casino offers significant advantages. Rapid withdrawals enhance player trust, as knowing funds are accessible quickly fosters confidence in the casino’s operations. This trust encourages repeat visits and long-term loyalty, making fast payout casinos a preferred choice for many.

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    All iGaming goes beyond rankings, offering a wealth of educational resources to enhance your gambling journey:

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    Regulatory compliance is crucial for player safety, even in fast payout casinos. All iGaming ensures that every recommended platform holds valid licenses from reputable jurisdictions, such as the Malta Gaming Authority or Curaçao eGaming Commission. These licenses mandate adherence to strict standards for player protection, fair gaming, and anti-money laundering measures.

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    Fast payout casinos are transforming the online gambling industry by addressing a long-standing pain point: delayed withdrawals. Traditional casinos often took days or weeks to process payouts, frustrating players and diminishing the excitement of winning. Fast payout online casinos, however, leverage technology to offer instant or same-day withdrawals, setting a new standard for player satisfaction.

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    >>GET THE FASTEST PAYOUT EXPERIENCE – BROWSE OUR TOP CASINOS FOR INSTANT WITHDRAWALS!

    ➡️Emerging Trends in Fast Payout Casinos for 2025

    The fast payout casino landscape is evolving rapidly, with several trends shaping the future in 2025:

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    These innovations promise to make fast payout casinos even more efficient, delivering unparalleled convenience for players seeking to win real money online instantly.

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    All iGaming offers these practical tips to choose a reliable fast payout online casino:

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    These steps help players select a fast withdrawal online casino that delivers a secure, efficient experience.

    Final Verdict On Fast Payout Online Casinos

    Fast payout online casinos are redefining the online gambling experience by offering players the convenience of quick access to their winnings. Whether you’re seeking an instant cash out casino, a same day withdrawal casino, or the fastest paying online casinos, the ability to withdraw funds swiftly enhances trust, satisfaction, and financial flexibility. All iGaming, with its expert reviews and player-focused insights, simplifies the process of finding these platforms, ensuring you can enjoy a seamless and rewarding gaming journey.

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    By trusting All iGaming’s recommendations, players can confidently explore the world of fast paying online casinos, knowing they’re backed by a platform dedicated to transparency, safety, and player empowerment. Whether you’re a seasoned gambler or new to online gaming, All iGaming is your partner in discovering the best online casino fast payout options for 2025 and beyond.

    >>FIND YOUR IDEAL CASINO WITH RAPID PAYOUTS – EXPERT RANKINGS INSIDE!

    ➡️About All iGaming

    All iGaming is a trusted, independent source for online gambling reviews, providing impartial evaluations of top casinos based on thorough, player-centered assessments. With a focus on transparency and player empowerment, All iGaming assesses casinos on game variety, bonuses, customer support, and payout speeds. The platform is dedicated to promoting responsible gambling through educational resources, self-assessment tools, and expert guidance to foster healthy gaming habits.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • What are fast payout online casinos?

    Fast payout online casinos process withdrawals quickly, typically within 24 hours or less, allowing players to access winnings promptly. They are also known as instant withdrawal casinos or same day payout casinos.

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    Cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) and e-wallets (e.g., PayPal, Skrill) are the fastest, often enabling instant or same-day payouts in a fast withdrawal online casino.

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    Check player reviews, independent ratings, and test the withdrawal process with a small amount to confirm the casino’s speed, ensuring it’s a fastest payout online casino.

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    Yes, if licensed by reputable authorities and equipped with security measures like SSL encryption and 2FA. All iGaming only recommends safe fast payout casinos.

    • Can I get instant withdrawals at online casinos?

    Many instant payout casinos offer immediate withdrawals, especially those supporting cryptocurrencies, which process transactions almost instantly.

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    Seek casinos with proven fast payout records, diverse quick payment methods, transparent policies, and positive feedback, ensuring an online casino with easy withdrawal.

    Disclaimer

    The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content, we do not endorse or guarantee the legitimacy of any listed casinos. Online gambling involves financial risk and may be subject to legal restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Please ensure compliance with local laws before engaging in any gambling activities. We encourage responsible gambling and recommend that players exercise caution when participating in online gambling. Always verify the details of any casino and consult legal advisors before making decisions.

    Email:support@alligaming.com

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    The MIL Network –