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Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Norwich set to become a “Nature City” thanks to major funding boost

    Source: City of Norwich

    An ambitious new project that will transform how nature is protected, connected and celebrated across the city has been given the green light.

    Norwich City Council has been awarded more than £750,000 in funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver “NatureCityNorwich”, working in partnership with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Broadland District Council, South Norfolk Council and Norfolk County Council.

    NatureCityNorwich is one of several projects across the UK supported through the Nature Towns and Cities programme, which helps urban areas protect and enhance their natural heritage.

    Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will co-create a community-led urban nature recovery action plan, placing nature and people at the heart of Norwich’s future. It will map and address the city’s ‘nature gaps’, improve access to green and blue spaces, and empower communities to shape a more resilient, biodiverse and inclusive city.

    This partnership work will build on other collaborations which exemplify how urban nature recovery can deliver both ecological and community benefits, such as Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Sweet Briar Marshes nature reserve and their work enabling nearby communities to enjoy and help their local wildlife. NatureCityNorwich will extend this approach citywide, connecting sites like Sweet Briar Marshes into a coherent Urban Nature Recovery Network and scaling up the principles of inclusion, innovation and long-term stewardship.

    The three-year project will also establish a new Nature Commission for Norwich, develop innovative funding and land management models, and support the city’s journey toward Nature Towns and Cities Advanced Accreditation.

    Councillor Emma Hampton, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for climate and environment, said: “This is a landmark moment for Norwich. NatureCityNorwich will bring together communities, experts and decision-makers to create a greener, healthier and more connected city.

    “This money accelerates our mission to bring people closer to nature, from the city’s rural fringes into the city centre, ensuring that both our environment and communities thrive together.”

    Natalie Bailey, Engagement Director at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: ‘We’re delighted to be able to build on our work at Sweet Briar Marshes – a place that nurtures wildlife and people in the heart of Norwich that was created by, and for, its local communities. 

    ‘We know just how important it is to create wild spaces in our urban environments, and we are looking forward to working with Norwich City Council to realise our shared ambition to make Norwich a city whose nature and people are thriving.’

    Visit Norwich City Council’s website for updates on this project as it progresses.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Get beach ready as the seaside comes to Leeds for summer holidays

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds is getting its own seaside resort this summer, complete with beach huts, a pier and a fairground.

    Lotherton’s grounds have been transformed for the summer holidays with their new installation which will run from 19 July until 31 August.

    A Lotherton Summer Holiday invites the entire family to come and enjoy the beach and pier display and a full entertainment programme including live music, dance class pop ups, hilarious magic and sublime science shows. 

    The Lotherton beach boasts a giant deck chair and traditional seaside shop, and beach dwellers can also visit the fortune teller display or the games room for the quintessential British seaside pier experience.

    Rowing boats that were used on Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park in the 1980s have also been donated to the installation. The park’s boat hire started in the early 1900s and Lotherton’s visitors can now experience what it was like on summer afternoons 40 years ago.

    Families can also take part in arts and crafts activities and search for picnic items in a trail around the impressive Edwardian house, Lotherton Hall.

    By popular demand, last year’s deer park tractor tours will be returning for the holidays, taking visitors out among the estate’s deer herd to get close to the magnificent animals. Running every weekday at 11am and 1pm each tour can take up to 30 people who will get to learn all about Britain’s biggest native mammal.

    Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “It’s great to see summer return to Lotherton, with this year’s display being bigger and better than before.

    “They’ve got everything that is unique about a British seaside resort right here in Leeds and there are plenty of activities to take part in.

    “Lotherton is also home to a spectacular variety of wildlife species including emus, cranes, Arthur the tapir and critically endangered Visayan warty pigs, so it is the perfect day out for the whole family.”

    A Lotherton Summer Holiday runs from 19 July until 31 August. The fairground will finish on the 25 August. Full entertainment programme can be found at A Lotherton Summer Holiday | Leeds Museums and Galleries.

    The deer park tours run on weekdays and can be booked as an add-on to ticket admission (at an additional cost) at Deer Tractor Tours | Leeds Museums and Galleries.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni’s statement on establishment of a national day in memory of journalists killed because of their work

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    It is with great satisfaction that I welcome Parliament’s unanimous approval of the bill establishing a national day in memory of journalists killed because of their work.

    From now on, 3 May will be a solemn occasion to honour those who have put their passion, professionalism and courage at the service of us all, guaranteeing citizens the right to be informed. Men and women whose precious work has allowed our eyes to see things we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. In Italy and abroad. From crisis zones to forgotten conflicts, from areas plagued by organised crime to all those physical and non-physical places that are invisible to the public. 

    I am thinking of people such as Cosimo Cristina, Mauro De Mauro, Giovanni Spampinato, Peppino Impastato, Mario Francese, Giuseppe Fava, Mauro Rostagno, Beppe Alfano, Giancarlo Siani, Walter Tobagi, Ilaria Alpi and Miran Hrovatin, Marco Luchetta, Alessandro Saša Ota, Dario D’Angelo, Antonio Russo, Enzo Baldoni, Andrea Rocchelli, Maria Grazia Cutuli, Almerigo Grilz.

    Paying tribute to these journalists is a duty, which has today become enshrined in State law and which we are committed to honouring. 

    [Courtesy translation]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: London to Essex c2c services return to public control in step towards Great British Railways

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    London to Essex c2c services return to public control in step towards Great British Railways

    c2c’s rail services to be brought into public ownership.

    • trains services across London and Essex will be publicly-owned from this Sunday
    • this marks another move towards Great British Railways, doing away with decades of fragmentation and private profiteering, while rebuilding a world class service for passengers
    • key step in rail reset to boost reliability, increase passenger numbers and drive economic growth under the Plan for Change

    Passengers across London and Essex will be travelling on publicly-owned train services from this Sunday (20 July 2025), as c2c’s services become the next to be brought into public ownership through government plans to restore pride in the railways.

    From Sunday, c2c services operating from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness will be placed in public hands, marking the second operator’s services to be brought into public ownership under new legislation, and the sixth operator run by the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) – meaning around 4 in 10 passenger journeys will be run under public ownership. c2c will be joining Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, LNER and South Western Railway currently operated by DFTO.

    The move marks another step forwards toward Great British Railways, which will unite track and train under a complete reset that will mark the high standard of service and delivery the public should expect to receive, encouraging more people to take the train, driving growth and opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    c2c is consistently rated one of the best performing operators in the country, recently achieving high customer satisfaction ratings of 89%, supporting thousands of jobs, and driving economic growth from London to Essex. Under public ownership it will continue to thrive – engaging closely with local communities, sharing best practices across other operators and working towards a more efficient railway with passengers at its heart.

    Public ownership puts passengers back at the heart of the rail network. Passengers can use their tickets on another publicly owned operator at no extra cost during disruption, and passengers in the north are now making journeys across Northern and TransPennine Express with just one booking, with over 15,000 journeys estimated to be booked this way since June 2024. Through working with Network Rail, Southeastern has increased capacity to popular seaside spots in the summer months allowing more passengers to take the train to beaches like Margate, Whitstable and Herne Bay.

    Two-thirds of Britons have already expressed their support for public ownership, which will save the taxpayer up to £150 million a year in fees alone and ensure every penny can be spent for the benefit of passengers.

    Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

    Whether you’re shopping in Lakeside or walking along the beach in Southend-on-Sea, from this Sunday you will be able to get there on a train service run by the public, for the public.

    Public ownership is already tackling deep-rooted problems we see on the railway that’s led to spiralling costs, fragmentation and waste. A unified network under Great British Railways will take this further with one railway under one brand with one mission – delivering excellent services for passengers wherever they travel.

    This follows the passing of the Public Ownership Act in November 2024 which will enable passenger services operating under contracts with the department to be brought into public ownership.

    Rob Mullen, Managing Director of c2c said:

    At c2c, we are proud of the reliable and high level of service we offer our passengers, consistently being rated as one of the best performing operators in the country.

    We now have a golden opportunity to collaborate with the wider family of publicly owned operators, sharing our successes and best practice, but also learning from a wide range of different and diverse operators who have already benefited from public ownership, to drive even more improvements for the people and places we all serve.

    A unified and focused railway can deliver more for our communities, including better growth, jobs and houses. If we are thriving as a train operator it helps our communities to thrive. This is the positive feedback loop we are excited to deliver, supported by better and closer collaboration with our partners in the lead up to GBR.

    Earlier in May, South Western Railway’s services became the first to come into public ownership under new legislation, c2c’s will follow as the second this Sunday, and Greater Anglia’s services will be next to be brought in on 12 October. The Railways Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament later this year, will enable the establishment of Great British Railways. This means passengers will travel on GBR trains, running on GBR tracks, working to a GBR timetable.

    In the meantime, public sector operators will have to meet rigorous performance standards and earn the right to be called ‘Great British Railways’. Public sector operators will be set bespoke standards on things like punctuality, cancellation and passenger experience, so we can rebuild a world class public service. These will be set out in due course.

    Rail media enquiries

    Media enquiries 0300 7777878

    Switchboard 0300 330 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: GCA publishes 2024/25 annual report

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    GCA publishes 2024/25 annual report

    Read the GCA’s latest annual report.

    The GCA has published GCA Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 (PDF, 10.3 MB, 82 pages)

    During the year covered by the report, Code compliance across the sector improved. According to the GCA’s 2025 annual survey, suppliers experienced fewer Code issues and the large retailers’ average Code compliance also increased. Eight of the retailers improved perceptions of their compliance, including each of the five lowest scoring retailers from 2024.

    The report covers the GCA’s work during 2024/25 to prevent potential Code breaches and ensure that the 14 retailers treated their suppliers fairly and lawfully. The issues that the GCA tackled included ensuring:

    • Suppliers are paid on time including by challenging issues with the retailers’ goods-in processes. The proportion of suppliers reporting having experienced a delay in payments fell from 14% to 11% in the 2025 survey.
    • Cost price increases and decreases are negotiated fairly. There was a drop from 16% to 14% in the proportion of suppliers highlighting issues with a retailer’s handling of a request for a cost price increase.
    • The large retailers are clearly communicating to suppliers about their change programmes, such as the introduction of new systems to provide more accurate forecasts or improve goods-in processes.

    The annual report fulfils the GCA’s statutory reporting requirements, providing an update on its financial position.

    Further information

    Provide evidence confidentially to the GCA’s investigation into Amazon

    Register to attend the GCA annual conference on 30 September 2025

    See the GCA’s 2025 annual survey results

    Sign up to the GCA newsletter

    Follow the GCA on LinkedIn and X

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: ​The 8th China (Ordos) International Cashmere and Wool Exhibition Opened

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    On July 18, the 8th China (Ordos) International Cashmere and Wool Expo opened in Dongsheng District, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It not only created an effective platform for exchange and cooperation in the global cashmere and wool industry, but also injected strong impetus into the high-quality development of cashmere and wool industry in Ordos.

    During the exhibition, 11 diverse activities will also be held, including a presentation on attracting investment to the cashmere industry in Ordos, which will promote the comprehensive and multi-level development of exchange and cooperation in this industry.

    It is reported that the exhibition was carefully organized into 6 large exhibition areas, which attracted more than 30 international companies from 10 countries including the UK, France, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia, as well as nearly 200 exhibitors and more than 220 buyers.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Sujeet Kalkal strikes gold at Budapest Wrestling Ranking Series

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal on Thursday clinched the gold medal in the 65kg men’s freestyle category at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial 2025 wrestling tournament in Budapest, Hungary.

    In the final of the 65kg men’s freestyle category, Sujeet delivered a clinical performance to defeat four-time European medallist Ali Rahimzade of Azerbaijan 5-1. His triumph marked India’s first gold medal in wrestling at any of the Ranking Series events this year. Earlier, Indian grapplers had returned empty-handed from the tournaments in Amman and Mongolia, according to Olympics.com.

    In the first period of the final, Sujeet conceded an activity point, but he raised the tempo in the second period to complete two takedowns. He secured another activity point en route to a commanding victory in the gold medal bout.

    Sujeet’s journey to the final was equally impressive. He began with a dominant 11-0 win over Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Islam Dudaev of Albania in the round of 16. He then overwhelmed European silver medallist Khamzat Arsamerzouev of France in the quarter-finals, before stamping his authority with a 6-1 win over Vazgen Tevanyan of Armenia in the semi-finals.

    India added another medal in the men’s 57kg category, where Rahul clinched bronze with a 4-0 victory over Germany’s Niklas Stechele. Earlier, he had defeated Kim Sung-gwon of the Republic of Korea 5-3 in the quarter-finals, before narrowly losing a hard-fought semi-final 7-6 to the USA’s Luke Joseph Lilledahl.

    Meanwhile, India’s Udit and Vicky suffered defeats in the repechage rounds of the 61kg and 97kg divisions, respectively. The Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial in Budapest is the fourth and final wrestling Ranking Series tournament of the year.

    Ranking points earned at this event will help wrestlers secure better seedings for the World Wrestling Championships, scheduled to be held in Zagreb, Croatia, in September later this year.

    India fielded wrestlers in the men’s and women’s freestyle, as well as Greco-Roman, categories at the ongoing Budapest meet, which will conclude on Sunday.

    (ANI)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New report finds systemic water company failure and underperformance

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    New report finds systemic water company failure and underperformance

    Serious pollution incidents up 60% in 2024 from previous year

    • Serious pollution incidents up 60% in 2024 from previous year, new report shows 

    • Three water companies responsible for 81% of serious incidents 

    • Environment Agency now has greater powers and more funding than ever to hold poor performers to account 

    The number of water company pollution incidents across England rose sharply last year, a new report from the Environment Agency has found. The report shows consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage companies in the region, with serious pollution incidents in 2024 up 60% from 2023. 

    The Environment Agency (EA) assesses all pollution incidents, with category 1 (major) and category 2 (significant) incidents being the most serious. In 2024, 75 category 1 and 2 incidents were recorded, a steep rise from 47 serious incidents the previous year. 81% of these serious incidents were the responsibility of just three water companies – Thames Water (33 incidents), Southern Water (15 incidents) and Yorkshire Water (13 incidents). All pollution incidents (category 1 to 3) have increased by 29%: last year water companies recorded 2,801 incidents, up from 2,174 in 2023. 

    The EA is particularly concerned about the increasing trend in pollution spills from pipes carrying wastewater uphill – these accounted for 20% of the serious incidents in 2024 and impacted some protected waters for wildlife and swimming.  

    Reasons behind the 2024 results include persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience due to the impacts of climate change.  

    Last financial year, the EA carried out over 4,000 inspections of water company assets. With more inspections, the EA discovers more non-compliance: last year 24% of sites breached their permits. The EA is clear that none of these factors, including wet weather, can excuse the unacceptable number of incidents last year, and water companies must meet their legal obligations to the environment and communities or face enforcement action.  

    Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency said: 

    This report demonstrates continued systemic failure by some companies to meet their environmental targets. 

    The water industry must act urgently to prevent pollution from occurring and to respond rapidly when it does.  

    We have made significant changes to tighten our regulation of the water industry and ensure companies are held to account. With a dedicated larger workforce and increased funding, our officers are uncovering and acting on failures to comply with environmental law.

    The EA’s expectations for water companies are set out in the Water Industry Strategic Environmental Requirements (WISER) guide, which states there should be a trend to zero serious pollution incidents by 2025, a reduction in all pollution incidents and high levels of water company self-reporting. It is evident that some companies are failing to meet these targets. 

    Under the Water (Special Measures) Act, the EA will have greater powers to take swift action against polluting companies, allowing them to close the justice gap and ultimately deter illegal activity from happening in the first place. To boost funding for water regulation, the EA is consulting on a new levy on the water sector to recover the cost of enforcement activities.  

    It comes as last week, Defra confirmed an £189m uplift for the EA’s water regulation, coming from charges paid by the sector rather than the public purse. This represents a 64% increase in funding since 2023/2024.  

    So far, the EA is on track to deliver 10,000 inspections of water company assets next year and we will continue to work closely with government and fellow regulators to hold companies to account so they deliver the environmental improvements for communities and wildlife.  

    The Act also requires companies to produce annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans to address the root cause of persistent problems and prevent pollution incidents.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: INVL Technology terminated agreement with investment advisor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    INVL Technology (hereinafter – the Company) notifiesthat on 17 July 2025 it terminated the agreement with a company of the Corum group, specifically, the Zurich branch of Luxembourg-based Corum Group International S.à.r.l., which was hired to assist INVL Technology in divesting of it‘s portfolio companies before the end of the envisaged investment period. Certain terms will remain in force for the 12 month period after the termination date (tail period).

    Despite the termination of the collaboration with Corum Group, the Company continues to actively pursue the sale of its portfolio companies. Negotiations with potential buyers are ongoing, and initiated processes are not being suspended. the Company will also launch a search for new investment advisors that have expertise in business divestments.

    The decision to terminate the collaboration with Corum Group was made to provide greater flexibility in exploring alternative strategic options for the sale of the portfolio companies.

    Additional information:

    INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, decided to terminate the contract with the Zurich branch of Corum Group’s Luxembourg-based unit Corum Group International on intermediary services in the divestment of INVL Technology’s portfolio companies on 17 July 2025. Certain terms of the agreement will remain in force for a 12-month tail period.

    “Notwithstanding the challenging economy and ongoing stagnation of B2B technology companies in Europe, the US and Canada, resulting in a less-than-ideal situation in the market for divesting businesses, we have interested parties, and we are continuing the sale process. We decided to terminate the contract with our current investment advisor in order to be able to explore other divestment possibilities. We are not halting the process and Corum Group will complete negotiation processes with the parties that have expressed interest in the portfolio companies. INVL Technology will seek for other exit opportunities,” says Kazimieras Tonkūnas, the Managing Partner at INVL Technology. “The portfolio companies are performing well, their results will be reflected in the report for the first half of the year which we will publish at the end of August.” 

    INVL Technology, which is managed by INVL Asset Management, the leading alternative asset manager in the Baltics, is a closed-end investment company.

    INVL Technology owns and manages the cybersecurity company NRD Cyber Security, the GovTech company NRD Companies, and the Baltic IT company Novian.

    The shares of INVL Technology are traded on the secondary list of the Nasdaq Vilnius stock exchange (INC1L).

    The person authorized to provide additional information:
    Kazimieras Tonkūnas
    INVL Technology Managing Partner
    E-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: INVL Technology terminated agreement with investment advisor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    INVL Technology (hereinafter – the Company) notifiesthat on 17 July 2025 it terminated the agreement with a company of the Corum group, specifically, the Zurich branch of Luxembourg-based Corum Group International S.à.r.l., which was hired to assist INVL Technology in divesting of it‘s portfolio companies before the end of the envisaged investment period. Certain terms will remain in force for the 12 month period after the termination date (tail period).

    Despite the termination of the collaboration with Corum Group, the Company continues to actively pursue the sale of its portfolio companies. Negotiations with potential buyers are ongoing, and initiated processes are not being suspended. the Company will also launch a search for new investment advisors that have expertise in business divestments.

    The decision to terminate the collaboration with Corum Group was made to provide greater flexibility in exploring alternative strategic options for the sale of the portfolio companies.

    Additional information:

    INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, decided to terminate the contract with the Zurich branch of Corum Group’s Luxembourg-based unit Corum Group International on intermediary services in the divestment of INVL Technology’s portfolio companies on 17 July 2025. Certain terms of the agreement will remain in force for a 12-month tail period.

    “Notwithstanding the challenging economy and ongoing stagnation of B2B technology companies in Europe, the US and Canada, resulting in a less-than-ideal situation in the market for divesting businesses, we have interested parties, and we are continuing the sale process. We decided to terminate the contract with our current investment advisor in order to be able to explore other divestment possibilities. We are not halting the process and Corum Group will complete negotiation processes with the parties that have expressed interest in the portfolio companies. INVL Technology will seek for other exit opportunities,” says Kazimieras Tonkūnas, the Managing Partner at INVL Technology. “The portfolio companies are performing well, their results will be reflected in the report for the first half of the year which we will publish at the end of August.” 

    INVL Technology, which is managed by INVL Asset Management, the leading alternative asset manager in the Baltics, is a closed-end investment company.

    INVL Technology owns and manages the cybersecurity company NRD Cyber Security, the GovTech company NRD Companies, and the Baltic IT company Novian.

    The shares of INVL Technology are traded on the secondary list of the Nasdaq Vilnius stock exchange (INC1L).

    The person authorized to provide additional information:
    Kazimieras Tonkūnas
    INVL Technology Managing Partner
    E-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The World Health Organization (WHO) Strengthens Tanzania’s Recovery from Marburg Outbreak with Critical Medical Equipment

    Source: APO


    .

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has reinforced its support to Tanzania’s post-Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) recovery by handing over essential medical equipment worth over TZS 112 million to health authorities in Biharamulo District, one of the areas most affected by the outbreak.

    The equipment package includes personal protective equipment (PPE), diagnostic tools, hospital beds, and emergency medical kits, critical to restoring routine health services and enhancing outbreak preparedness at the district level.

    Speaking during the official handover ceremony, Dr. Galbert Fedjo, acting WHO Representative in Tanzania, reaffirmed WHO’s long-term support: “This handover is part of a broader commitment to strengthen outbreak preparedness and response capacities in Tanzania. We are proud to stand with the Government and the people of Tanzania on the road from recovery to resilience.”

    The donation is part of a larger post-Marburg support package made possible through funding from the Government of the United Kingdom via the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Beyond medical supplies, the support has also contributed to risk communication, psychosocial recovery, and training of health workers across affected regions.

    Receiving the equipment on behalf of the Government, The Director of Emergency at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Erasto Sylvanus, expressed appreciation to WHO and partners: “This support comes at a critical time as we continue to strengthen our health systems and ensure our frontline workers are equipped to handle future health emergencies. We thank WHO and the UK Government for standing with us.”

    The Marburg Virus Disease outbreak was officially declared in March and successfully contained through rapid response efforts led by the Ministry of Health with support from WHO and partners. Today’s handover marks a significant step in the recovery phase and in enhancing Tanzania’s long-term public health emergency preparedness.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – United Republic of Tanzania.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Good customer activity and strong credit quality led to solid results for the first half of 2025. Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release Danske Bank
    Bernstorffsgade 40
    DK-1577 København V
    Tel. + 45 45 14 14 00

    18 July 2025

    Page 1 of 3

    Good customer activity and strong credit quality led to solid results for the first half of 2025
    Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion

    Carsten Egeriis, Chief Executive Officer, comments on the financial results:

    “In the first half-year, we continued our robust performance and delivered solid results in line with our expectations. We saw new business customer relations being established, a continued uplift in lending and a steady development in core income, and we maintained our focus on cost management. Furthermore, credit quality remained strong, resulting in a low level of loan impairments.

    Our solid financial results and capital position enable us to be a strong financial partner, providing expert advice and standing by our customers and society in times of volatile markets.

    With our increased investments in technology and customer offerings, we continue to deliver on our Forward ’28 strategy and are well on track to meet our guidance for the full year.”

    Solid performance in uncertain environment
    Driven by good customer activity across our business and our ongoing commitment to efficiency, we achieved a net profit of DKK 11.2 billion and a return on equity of 13% in the first half of the year. These solid financial results reflect our successful execution and strategic focus in key growth areas.

    Net interest income remained steady, as the adverse effect of the sale of the personal customer business in Norway and a reduction in deposit margins was offset by enhanced lending activity and our deposit hedge strategy.

    Net fee income for the first half of the year was stable year on year, supported by growing demand for everyday banking services in the first quarter, although this demand decreased in the second quarter. Fee income related to capital markets and investment activity was impacted by the decline in investment appetite caused by the market volatility.

    On the basis of continued cost discipline, the cost trajectory is in line with the full-year 2025 guidance. Furthermore, credit quality remained strong, supported by favourable macroeconomic conditions, including the employment rate. Loan impairment charges remained low and amounted to DKK 266 million in the first half of the year.

    With prudent asset and liability management, our capital and liquidity positions remain solid, with substantial buffers well above regulatory requirements.

    “In the first half of the year, we achieved a solid financial performance, fuelled by good customer activity that led to resilient core banking income and an increase in net trading income year on year. Net profit was stable, despite the impact of rates and market volatility. Our diversified business model and operational efficiency contributed to an improved cost/income ratio of 45.4% and a return on equity of 13.0%. We are on track to meet our 2025 guidance and are progressing towards achieving our 2026 financial targets,” says Cecile Hillary, Chief Financial Officer.

    H1 2025 vs H1 2024
    Total income of DKK 27.9 billion (DKK 28.0 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Operating expenses of DKK 12.7 billion (DKK 12.8 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Loan impairments of DKK 266 million (net reversal of DKK 99 million in the first half of 2024)
    Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion (DKK 11.5 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Return on shareholders’ equity of 13.0% (13.1% in the first half of 2024)
    Total capital ratio of 22.4% and CET1 capital ratio of 18.7% (total capital ratio of 22.5% and CET1 capital ratio of 18.5% in the first half of 2024)

    Resilient macroeconomic outlook amid uncertainty
    Despite the challenges posed by geopolitical turbulence and market volatility, the macroeconomic environment in our operating markets remains robust. The Nordic economies continue to exhibit resilience.

    The economies are increasingly supported by increased household spending power and lower interest rates. However, this has not translated into improved consumer sentiment, as retail customers remain cautious and consumer confidence is low.

    According to the latest macroeconomic outlook by Danske Bank Research, we continue to expect robust economies with high employment rates and single-digit growth, particularly in Denmark.

    “Nordic businesses still have a cautiously positive outlook, and we share their view that growth is likely to become moderately higher, despite the uncertainty hanging over the global economy. Though conditions are in place with higher real incomes and lower interest rates, we do not expect a strong recovery. Households remain deeply worried about the economic situation, which could hold growth back, but there is also a potential for the situation to improve,” says Las Olsen, Head of Macro Research.

    Personal Customers
    Profit before tax amounted to DKK 4,217 million in the first half of 2025 (H1 2024: DKK 5,028 million). The decrease was mainly due to a decline in net interest income caused by lower deposit margins, a decline in fee income that was mainly the result of positive one-offs in the first half of 2024 and relatively subdued refinancing activity, as well as to slightly higher loan impairment charges. These were partly offset by rising deposit volumes and the impact of deposit hedging. Both income and operating expenses were affected by the divestment of the personal customer business in Norway. Loan levels remained stable, and deposits increased 5%.

    Business Customers
    In the first half of 2025, we saw continuously good progress in terms of customer inflow and a positive development in lending volumes, and business with existing customers remained strong across our mid-sized customer segment. Profit before tax amounted to DKK 5,085 million, an increase of 23% from the same period last year (H1 2024: DKK 4,140 million). The increase was driven by loan impairment reversals. Net fee income also increased, although the effect was offset by lower income from our leasing operations.

    Large Corporates & Institutions
    In the first half of 2025, we achieved solid financial results. Our efforts to attract new corporate customers outside Denmark and to strengthen customer relations across our markets have improved our position within cash management. Furthermore, we maintained our leadership within sustainable finance. Profit before tax decreased to DKK 4,544 million, or 9%, from the level in the same period last year, with the decrease driven by higher loan impairment charges.

    Danica 
    Net income at Danica decreased to DKK 714 million in the first half of 2025, down 25% from the level for the same period in 2024 due to a decrease in the insurance service result, which was impacted by a strengthening of provisions related to legacy life insurance products in run-off. The insurance service result for the health and accident business for the first half of 2025 recorded a loss, however, Danica saw an improvement during the first half of 2025 supported by a positive trend in the treatment and prevention of long-term illness and injury that was driven by intensified efforts with new healthcare solutions and improved digital solutions.

    Northern Ireland
    Residential mortgage lending volumes continued to grow, reflecting an increased market share of new business in Northern Ireland. Financial performance remained positive with profit before tax of DKK 1,110 million in the first half of 2025, 18% higher than for the same period last year.

    Outlook for 2025
    We maintain our guidance and expect net profit to be in the range of DKK 21-23 billion. The outlook is subject to uncertainty and depends on economic conditions.

    Danske Bank        

    Contact: Helga Heyn, Head of Media Relations, tel. +45 45 14 14 00

    Attachments

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  • MIL-OSI: Coop Pank unaudited financial results for Q2 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    By the end of the Q2 2025, Coop Pank had 218,000 customers, increased by 5,000 customers in the quarter (+2%) and by 22,000 in the year (+11%). The bank had 103,600 active customers, increased by 1,800 (+2%) in the quarter and by 8,300 (+9%) in the year.

    In Q2 2025, volume of deposits in Coop Pank decreased by 98 million euros (-5%), reaching total of 1.81 billion euros. The deliberate reduction of deposits is a result of the successful covered bond issuance carried out in the first quarter. Deposits from private clients increasing by 0.4 million euros: demand deposits decreased by 0.4 million euros and term deposits increased by 0.8 million euros. Deposits from domestic business customers decreased by 78 million euros: demand deposits decreased by 10 million euro and term deposits decreased by 68 million euros. Deposits from international deposit platform Raisin and other financing decreased by 21 million euros. Compared to Q2 2024, volume of Coop Pank’s deposits has increased by 77 million euros (+4%). In an annual comparison, share of demand deposits of total deposits has increased from 32% to 33%. In Q2 2025, the bank’s financing cost was 2.5%, at the same time last year the financing cost was 3.4%.

    In Q2 2025, net loan portfolio of Coop Pank increased by 125 million euros (+7%), reaching 1.94 billion euros. Over the quarter, the strongest growth was shown in the business loans portfolio, which increased by 82 million euros (+10%). Home loans increased by 37 million euros (+5%). The volumes of leasing portfolio increased by 3 million euros (+2%) and consumer finance portfolio increased by 2 million euros (+2%). Compared to Q2 2024, total loan portfolio of Coop Pank has grown by 322 million euros (+20%).

    In Q2 2025, overdue loan portfolio of Coop Pank was at the level 2.8%. A year ago, overdue loan portfolio was at the level of 2.2%.

    Impairment costs of financial assets in Q2 2025 were 1.4 million euros, which is 1.1 million euros more than in previous quarter and 0.1 million euros more than in Q2 2024.

    Net income of Coop Pank in Q2 2025 was 19.5 million euros, increasing by 1% in a quarterly comparison and decreasing by 5% in an annual comparison. Operating expenses reached 10.1 million euros in Q2 – operating expenses increased by 6% in the quarterly comparison and remained unchanged in the annual comparison.

    In Q2 2025, net profit of Coop Pank was 6.6 million euros, which is 16% less than in the previous quarter and 17% less than a year ago. In Q2 2025, cost to income ratio of the bank was 52% and return on equity was 12.1%.

    As of 30 June 2025, Coop Pank has 34,700 shareholders.

    Heikko Mäe, Interim Chairman of the Management Board of Coop Pank, comments the results:

    “The Estonian economy as a whole has not yet picked up new growth momentum this year. However, interest rates are stabilizing, there are signs that economic headwinds are easing, and Coop Pank’s results show that the rapid growth of a domestic bank is continuing.

    On one hand, 5% inflation has reduced consumer confidence and directly affects the purchasing power of households. The rising unemployment rate, approaching 9%, is also a negative signal. On the other hand, there are positive signs in the industrial sector, where capacity utilization is increasing thanks to the recovery of export markets and lower interest costs.

    In this economic environment, Coop Pank achieved strong results in the second quarter: the bank grew its loan portfolio by a record 125 million euros and is growing nearly twice as fast as the market. The strongest growth came from business loans and home loans. We see that both the manufacturing and real estate sectors are actively investing. Among home loan applicants, there is particularly strong demand for construction loans, and many large-scale repair and renovation works are in progress across homes in Estonia, financed through home loans. While business volumes are growing quickly, the bank’s operating costs have remained the same as a year ago, and credit losses are still minimal. This demonstrates that Coop Pank is operating efficiently and responsibly.

    Since June, the bank has taken its cooperation with Coop retail to a new level by offering a new cashback solution to shared private customers. This is an important addition to the value proposition for joint customers and is part of the bank’s recently introduced account package upgrade.

    Our results confirm that a strong local bank can grow successfully with its customers even in a challenging economic environment. We continue to provide banking services and financing solutions across all of Estonia – for households seeking stability and for businesses looking for investment opportunities.

    Growth in business volumes, the high quality of the loan portfolio, cost control, and the decline in financing costs due to the interest rate environment and scale effects resulted in a strong net profit of 6.6 million euros for Coop Pank in the second quarter. The bank’s cost-to-income ratio was 52%, and return on equity was 12.1%.”

    Income statement, in th. of euros Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q2 2024 6M 2025 6M 2024
    Net interest income 18 003 17 930 19 319 35 933 38 400
    Net fee and commission income 1 166 1 155 1 000 2 321 2 015
    Net other income 375 225 146 600 271
    Total net income 19 544 19 310 20 464 38 854 40 686
    Payroll expenses -5 917 -5 578 -5 858 -11 496 -11 267
    Marketing expenses -453 -358 -775 -811 -1 308
    Rental and office expenses, depr. of tangible assets -777 -807 -775 -1 584 -1 570
    IT expenses and depr. of intangible assets -1 724 -1 613 -1 474 -3 337 -2 879
    Other operating expenses -1 220 -1 162 -1 208 -2 382 -2 494
    Total operating expenses -10 091 -9 519 -10 091 -19 610 -19 518
    Net profit before impairment losses 9 453 9 791 10 374 19 244 21 168
    Impairment costs on financial assets -1 367 -226 -1 224 -1 594 -1 800
    Net profit before income tax 8 086 9 565 9 150 17 650 19 368
    Income tax expenses -1 437 -1 652 -1 152 -3 088 -2 232
    Net profit for the period 6 649 7 913 7 998 14 562 17 136
               
    Earnings per share, eur 0,06 0,08 0,08 0,14 0,17
    Diluted earnings per share, eur 0,06 0,08 0,08 0,14 0,16
    Statement of financial position, in th. of euros 30.06.2025 31.03.2025 31.12.2024 30.06.2024
    Cash and cash equivalents 356 473 564 441 343 678 335 710
    Debt securities 47 832 49 536 37 751 36 980
    Loans to customers 1 943 420 1 818 109 1 774 118 1 621 000
    Other assets 36 090 34 711 33 066 32 608
    Total assets 2 383 816 2 466 796 2 188 614 2 026 298
    Customer deposits and loans received 1 816 313 1 914 526 1 886 145 1 739 709
    Debt securities issued 253 537 250 250 0 0
    Other liabilities 30 645 19 096 27 683 28 121
    Subordinated debt 63 148 63 363 63 148 63 148
    Total liabilities 2 163 642 2 247 235 1 976 977 1 830 978
    Equity 220 174 219 561 211 637 195 320
    Total liabilities and equity 2 383 816 2 466 796 2 188 614 2 026 298

    The reports of Coop Pank are available at: https://www.cooppank.ee/en/reporting

    Coop Pank will organise a webinar on 18 July 2025 at 9:00 AM, to present the financial results of Q1 2025. For participation, please register in advance at: https://bit.ly/CP-veebiseminar-registreeru-18072025

    The webinar will be recorded and published on the company’s website www.cooppank.ee and on the YouTube channel.

    Coop Pank, based on Estonian capital, is one of the five universal banks operating in Estonia. The bank has 218,000 daily banking clients. Coop Pank aims to put the synergy generated by the interaction of retail business and banking to good use and to bring everyday banking services closer to people’s homes. The strategic shareholder of the bank is the domestic retail chain Coop Eesti, comprising of 320 stores.

    Additional information:
    Paavo Truu
    CFO
    Phone: +372 516 0231
    E-mail: paavo.truu@cooppank.ee

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sixth China-Croatia Joint Police Patrol Mission Launched in Zagreb

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    ZAGREB, July 18 (Xinhua) — The sixth joint police patrol mission between China and Croatia started here on Thursday. Eight Chinese police officers will work for a month in popular tourist destinations from China: Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Plitvice Lakes National Park.

    Speaking at the launch ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin noted that the joint police patrol mission has become a symbol of Chinese-Croatian cooperation and friendship. Beijing is ready to work with Zagreb to unlock the potential for cooperation in other areas, he added.

    Croatian Police Headquarters spokesman Ante Maric said police officers from the two countries had successfully cooperated on joint patrols, which had increased the safety of tourists in the Balkan country.

    China first joined the project in 2018. Since then, 46 Chinese police officers have taken part in the joint patrols. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polish Ambassador to Hungary Stops Working — MFA

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    WARSAW, July 18 (Xinhua) — Polish Ambassador to Hungary Sebastian Kieciek completed his tenure on July 15, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said on Thursday.

    A day earlier, Hungary’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Levente Magyar acknowledged the downgrade in diplomatic relations and expressed regret over this development.

    According to P. Wronski, it is not yet clear how the situation with the further appointment of diplomats will develop.

    He recalled that Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski recalled S. Kęciek to Warsaw in December 2024 for “consultations for an indefinite period” following Hungary’s decision to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, the former Deputy Minister of Justice of Poland. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Britain, Germany sign defense, migration deal

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

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) shakes hands with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, on July 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday signed a wide-ranging bilateral deal covering various areas including defense and migration, which is believed to be the most significant treaty between Britain and Germany since the end of World War II.

    The treaty includes security and defense items requiring the two countries to conduct joint military and training exercises, counter cyber threats and information warfare, and coordinate on arms exports.

    In the treaty, the two countries have also reaffirmed their commitment to limit global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which is laid out in the Paris Agreement on tackling climate change and its negative impacts.

    The treaty also pledges strengthening bilateral trade within the framework of European Union-Britain agreements and the commitment to free and open markets, as well as increasing employment and growing the number of high-quality jobs.

    Dubbed as the Kensington Treaty, Starmer said it was “the first of its kind ever” between the two countries and was evidence of “the closeness of our relationship as it stands today.”

    He added that this treaty highlighted the two countries’ “strong and close relationship at a time of real volatility in the world.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 18, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 18, 2025.

    WA had the highest rates of Indigenous child removal in the country. At last, the state is finally facing up to it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenna Woods, Dean, School of Indigenous Knowledges, Murdoch University Matt Jelonek/Getty Images First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. In 1997, Australia was confronted with the landmark Bringing Them Home

    Separated men are nearly 5 times more likely to take their lives than married men
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Wilson, Research Fellow and PhD Candidate in Men’s Mental Health, The University of Melbourne Breakups hurt. Emotional and psychological distress are common when intimate relationships break down. For some people, this distress can be so overwhelming that it leads to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. This problem

    Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology Purnima Shrestha /AFP via Getty Images Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn’t know better, you might think it’s just a nice hike in

    Pragmatic engagement – what Albanese’s visit reveals about China relations in a turbulent world
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Sing Yue Chan, Postdoctoral Fellow in China Studies, Australian National University The Albanese government has faced an increasingly uncertain world since its re-election in May. US President Donald Trump has cast a long shadow over the Australia–US alliance, raising fresh questions about Canberra’s long-term regional strategy.

    ‘Don’t tell me!’ Why some people love spoilers – and others will run a mile
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anjum Naweed, Professor of Human Factors, CQUniversity Australia DreamBig/Shutterstock, The Conversation This article contains spoilers! I once leapt out of a train carriage because two strangers were loudly discussing the ending of the last Harry Potter book. Okay – I didn’t leap, but I did plug my

    Keith Rankin Analysis – Letter from Westphalia, Germany; 6 June 1933
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. On Saturday I came into possession of this letter, transcript below. I will note that the recipient of the letter is someone I know a bit about; I would like to know more about his time in London, circa 1930-1932. I understand that he attended the London School of Economics. I

    Australian law is clear: criticism of Israel does not breach the Racial Discrimination Act
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Swannie, Senior Lecturer, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University Earlier this month, the Federal Court found controversial Muslim cleric Wissam Haddad breached the Racial Discrimination Act. Justice Angus Stewart ruled a series of speeches Haddad posted online were “fundamentally racist and antisemitic [and] profoundly offensive”

    New Barbie with type 1 diabetes could help kids with the condition feel seen – and help others learn
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynne Chepulis, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, University of Waikato Mattel Inc/AP, The Conversation, CC BY Barbie has done many things since she first appeared in 1959. She’s been an astronaut, a doctor, a president and even a palaeontologist. Now, in 2025, Barbie is something else: a woman

    Rising seas threaten to swallow one of NZ’s oldest settlement sites – new research
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter N. Meihana, Senior Lecturer in History, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Veronika Meduna, CC BY-SA One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest settlement sites is at risk of being washed away by rising seas, according to new research. Te Pokohiwi o Kupe (Wairau Bar) near

    AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Fitzgerald, Associate Professor and Deputy Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, The University of Queensland MTStock Studio/ Getty Images Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming an everyday part of lives. Many of us use it without even realising, whether it be writing emails, finding

    Susi Newborn among activists featured in Pacific ‘nuclear free heroes’ video
    Pacific Media Watch Greenpeace pioneer and activist Susi Newborn is among the “nuclear free heroes” featured in a video tribute premiered this week in an exhibition dedicated to a nuclear-free Pacific. The week-long exhibition at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Ellen Melville Centre, titled “Legends of the Pacific: Stories of a Nuclear-Free Moana 1975-1995,” closes tomorrow afternoon.

    Grattan on Friday: New parliament presents traps for Albanese and Ley
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese hasn’t been in any rush to convene the new parliament, which Governor-General Sam Mostyn will open on Tuesday. It’s only mildly cynical to observe that governments of both persuasions often seem to regard having pesky members and senators

    Police protection for New Caledonian politicians following death threats
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonian politicians who inked their commitment to a deal with France last weekend will be offered special police protection following threats, especially made on social media networks. The group includes almost 20 members of New Caledonia’s parties — both pro-France and pro-independence — who took

    12 countries agree to confront Israel collectively over Gaza after Bogotá summit
    ANALYSIS: By Mick Hall Collective measures to confront Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people have been agreed by 12 nations after an emergency summit of the Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia. A joint statement today announced the six measures, which it said were geared to holding Israel to account for its crimes in Palestine and

    Rainbow Warrior bombing by French secret agents remembered 40 years on
    SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News Forty years ago today, French secret agents bombed the Greenpeace campaign flagship  Rainbow Warrior in an attempt to stop the environmental organisation’s protest against nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in Mā’ohi Nui. People gathered on board Rainbow Warrior III to remember photographer Fernando Pereira,

    Why a surprise jump in unemployment isn’t as bad as it sounds
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Borland, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne New figures show Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.3% – its highest level since late 2021 – in June this year, up from 4.1% in May. While this is bad news, it’s not as bad

    Australia got off on a technicality for its climate inaction. But there are plenty more judgement days to come
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney This week, the Federal Court found the Australian government has no legal duty to protect Torres Strait Islanders from climate change. The ruling was disappointing, but it’s not the end of the matter. The plaintiffs,

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mathieu Duval, Adjunct Senior Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University, and Ramón y Cajal (Senior) Research Fellow, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)

    185,000-year-old human fossil jawbone from Misliya Cave, Israel. Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna, CC BY-ND

    Fossils are invaluable archives of the past. They preserve details about living things from a few thousand to hundreds of millions of years ago.

    Studying fossils can help us understand the evolution of species over time, and glimpse snapshots of past environments and climates. Fossils can also reveal the diets or migration patterns of long-gone species – including our own ancestors.

    But when living things turn to rock, discerning those details is no easy feat. One common technique for studying fossils is micro-computerised tomography or micro-CT. It’s been used to find the earliest evidence of bone cancer in humans, to study brain imprints and inner ears in early hominins, and to study the teeth of the oldest human modern remains outside Africa, among many other examples.

    However, our new study, published today in Radiocarbon, shows that despite being widely regarded as non-destructive, micro-CT may actually affect fossil preservation and erase some crucial information held inside.

    Preserving precious specimens

    Fossils are rare and fragile by nature. Scientists are constantly evaluating how to balance their impact on fossils with the need to study them.

    When palaeontologists and palaeoanthropologists (who work on human fossils) analyse fossils, they want to minimise any potential damage. We want to preserve fossils for future generations as much as possible – and technology can be a huge help here.

    Micro-CT works like the medical CT scans doctors use to peek inside the human body. However, it does so at a much smaller scale and at a greater resolution.

    This is perfect for studying small objects such as fossils. With micro-CT, scientists can take high-resolution 3D images and access the inner structure of fossils without the need to cut them open.

    These scans also allow for virtual copies of the fossils, which other scientists can then access from anywhere in the world. This significantly reduces the risk of damage, since the scanned fossils can safely remain in a museum collection, for example.

    Micro-CT is popular and routinely used. The scientific community widely regards it as “non-destructive” because it doesn’t cause any visual damage – but it could still affect the fossil.

    Jaw bone of the human fossil species Homo antecessor from Spain. Left: micro-CT scan with a cutting plane to visualise the inner structures, bone and teeth; right: 3D reconstruction based on the high-resolution micro-CT images.
    Laura Martín-Francés

    How does micro-CT imaging work?

    Micro-CT scanning uses X-rays and computer software to produce high-resolution images and reconstruct the fossil specimens in detail. Typically, palaeontologists use commercial scanners for this, but more advanced investigations may use powerful X-ray beams generated at a synchrotron.

    The X-rays go through the specimen and are captured by a detector on the other end. This allows for a very fine-grained understanding of the matter they’ve passed through – especially density, which then provides clues about the shape of the internal structures, the composition of the tissues, or any contamination.

    The scan produces a succession of 2D images from all angles. Computer software is then used to “clean up” these high-resolution images and assemble them into a 3D shape – a virtual copy of the fossil and its inner structures.

    Example of micro-CT results on a hominin fossil known as Little Foot, from southern Africa.

    But X-rays are not harmless

    X-rays are a type of ionising radiation. This means they have a high level of energy and can break electrons away from atoms (this is called ionisation).

    In living tissue, ionising radiation can damage cells and DNA, although the level of damage will depend on the duration and intensity of exposure. X-rays and CT scans used in medicine generally have a very low risk since the exposure of the human body is reduced as much as possible.

    However, despite what we know about the impact of X-rays on living cells, the potential impact of X-rays on fossils through micro-CT imaging has never been deeply investigated.

    What did our study find?

    Using standard settings on a typical micro-CT scanner, we scanned several modern and fossil bones and teeth from animals. We also measured their collagen content before and after scanning.

    Collagen is useful for many analytical purposes, such as finding out the age of the fossils using radiocarbon dating, or for stable isotope analysis – a method used to infer the diet of the extinct species, for example. The collagen content in fossils is usually much lower than in modern specimens because it slowly breaks down over time.

    After comparing our measurements with unscanned samples taken from the same specimens, we found two things.

    First, the radiocarbon age remained unchanged. In other words, micro-CT scanning doesn’t affect radiocarbon dating. That’s the good news.

    The bad news is that we did observe a significant decrease in the amount of collagen present. In other words, the micro-CT scanned samples had about 35% less collagen than the samples before scanning.

    This shows micro-CT imaging has a non-negligible impact on fossils that contain collagen traces. While this was to be expected, the impact hasn’t been experimentally confirmed before.

    It’s possible some fossil samples won’t have enough collagen left after micro-CT scanning. This would make them unsuitable for a range of analytical techniques, including radiocarbon dating.

    What now?

    In a previous study, we showed micro-CT can artificially “age” fossils later dated with a method called electron spin resonance. It’s commonly used to date fossils older than 50,000 years – beyond what the radiocarbon method can discern.

    This previous study and our new work show that micro-CT scanning may significantly and irreversibly change the fossil and the information it holds.

    Despite causing no visible damage to the fossil, we argue that in this context the technique should no longer be regarded as non-destructive.

    Micro-CT imaging is highly valuable in palaeontology and palaeoanthropology, no doubt about that. But our results suggest it should be used sparingly to minimise how much fossils are exposed to X-rays. There are guidelines scientists can use to minimise damage. Freely sharing data to avoid repeated scans of the same specimen will be helpful, too.

    Mathieu Duval receives funding from the Spanish State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación). He is currently the recipient of a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC2018-025221-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ‘‘ESF Investing in your future”. This work is also part of Spanish Grant PID2021-123092NB-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE, and by ‘‘ERDF A way of making Europe”.

    Laura Martín-Francés receives funding from Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the EU Ninth programme (2021-2027) under the HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-Project: 101060482.

    – ref. Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe – https://theconversation.com/scientists-could-be-accidentally-damaging-fossils-with-a-method-we-thought-was-safe-258827

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology

    Purnima Shrestha /AFP via Getty Images

    Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn’t know better, you might think it’s just a nice hike in the Nepalese countryside.

    Typically the lower staging post for attempts on the summit, the camp is still 5,364 metres above sea level and a destination in its own right. Travel agencies say no prior experience is required, and all equipment will be provided. Social media, too, is filled with posts enticing potential trekkers to make the iconic journey.

    But there is a real risk of creating a false sense of security. An exciting adventure can quickly turn into a struggle for survival, especially for novice mountaineers.

    Nevertheless, Sagarmatha National Park is deservedly popular for its natural beauty and the allure of the world’s highest peak, Chomolungma (Mount Everest). It is also home to the ethnically distinctive Sherpa community.

    Consequently, the routes to Everest Base Camp are among the busiest in the Himalayas, with nearly 60,000 tourists visiting the area each year. There are two distinct trekking seasons: spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October).

    High mountains require everyone to be properly prepared. Events which under normal conditions might be a minor inconvenience can be magnified in such an environment and pose a serious risk.

    Even at the start of the trek in Lukla (2,860m), one is exposed to factors that can directly or indirectly affect one’s health, especially altitude mountain sickness or unfamiliar bacteria.

    We interviewed 24 trekkers in May this year, as well as 60 residents and business owners in May 2023, to explore some of the safety issues anyone considering heading to base camp should be aware of.

    Life at high altitude

    First, it’s vital to choose goals within one’s technical and physical capabilities. While the human body can adapt to altitudes of up to 5,300m, the potential risk of altitude mountain sickness can occur at only 2,500m – lower than Lukla.

    Proper acclimatisation above 3,000m means ascending no more than 500m a day and resting every two to three days at the same altitude. The optimal (though rarely followed) approach is the “saw tooth system” of climbing during the day but descending to sleep at a lower level.

    Residents of the Khumbu region (on the Nepalese side of Everest) are familiar with the problem of tourists not acclimatising, or not paying attention to their surroundings. As one hotel owner said, pointing to a trekker setting out:

    He’s going uphill and it’s already late. It’s going to get dark and cold soon. He won’t make it to the next settlement. We have to report this to the authorities or go after him ourselves.

    Inexperienced trekkers should hire a local guide. Several we interviewed had needed medical evacuation, including a woman in her mid-20s who had to leave base camp after one night. She found her guides – not locals – online. But they never checked her vital signs during the trek:

    [The doctors] said that I had high-altitude pulmonary edema […] it was just really important to come down the elevation. And if I had tried to go higher, it probably would have been really bad.

    Health checks throughout the trek are imperative. This includes assessing the four main symptoms of altitude mountain sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. If they appear, the trekker shouldn’t go higher and might even need to descend.

    A Sherpa woman at the market in Namche Bazar, Nepal: respect the culture, eat local food.
    Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

    Take time to adapt

    Using a reputable local trekking agency might be more expensive, but it will help ensure safety and also familiarise the visitor with the local culture, helping avoid negative impacts on the host community.

    Too often, the primary goal of trekkers is a photo on the famous rock at base camp. Once obtained, many simply take a helicopter back to Kathmandu. As a helicopter tour agency owner said:

    They don’t want to get back on their feet. The goal, after all, has been achieved. In general, tourists used to be much better prepared. Now they know they can return by helicopter.

    Helicopter travel can be dangerous on its own, of course. But this tendency to view the trek as a one-way trip also affects host-guest relations and can irritate local communities.

    It’s also important to monitor your food and drink intake and watch for signs of food poisoning. Diarrhoea at high altitudes is particularly dangerous because it leads to rapid dehydration – hard to combat in mountain conditions.

    Low air pressure and reduced oxygen exacerbate the condition, weakening the body’s ability to recover. Also, the symptoms of dehydration can resemble altitude mountain sickness.

    When travelling in other climate zones or countries with different sanitary standards, there is inevitable contact with strains of bacteria not present in one’s natural microbiome.

    A good solution is to spend a few days naturally adapting to bacterial flora at a lower altitude in Nepal before heading to the mountains. Also, try to eat the local food, such as daal bhat, Nepal’s national dish. According to one hotel owner in Pangboche:

    Tourists demand strange food from us – pizza, spaghetti, Caesar salad – and then are angry that it doesn’t taste the way they want. This is not our food. You should probably eat local food.

    Most of the trekkers we interviewed during this spring season reported experiencing gastrointestinal issues, often for several days.

    Overall, diarrhoea-related infections are the leading cause of illness among travellers, including base camp trekkers. Studies conducted in the Himalayas show as many as 14% of mountain tourists contract gastroenteritis, accounting for about 10% of all helicopter evacuations.

    In the end, the commonest cause of failure or accident in the mountains is overestimating one’s abilities – what has been called “bad judgement syndrome” – when the route is too hard, the pace too fast, or there’s been too little time spent acclimatising.

    A simple solution: walk slowly and enjoy the views.

    Michal Apollo receives funding from the National Science Centre NCN Poland, the small-scale project awarded by the Institute of Earth Sciences, and the Research Excellence Initiative of the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is affiliated with the Global Justice Program, Yale University, and Academics Stand Against Poverty.

    Heike Schanzel 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. Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice – https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-trekking-to-everest-base-camp-dont-leave-home-without-this-expert-advice-260497

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    The RBA welcomes ASIC’s decision to grant Clearstream Banking S.A. (Clearstream) a clearing and settlement facility licence.

    Clearstream plays an important part in the Australian debt securities market. It is important the RBA and ASIC, as co-regulators of clearing and settlement facilities operating in Australia, are able to have sufficient oversight of such facilities. The licence granted by ASIC will support this oversight.

    The RBA has completed an initial licensing assessment of Clearstream against the relevant obligations under Part 7.3 of the Corporations Act 2001. The RBA and ASIC have also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Clearstream’s home regulators, Banque centrale du Luxembourg and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The RBA will rely on the supervision of Clearstream’s home regulators, where appropriate, consistent with the Reserve Bank’s Approach to Supervising and Assessing Clearing and Settlement Facility Licensees.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    The RBA welcomes ASIC’s decision to grant Clearstream Banking S.A. (Clearstream) a clearing and settlement facility licence.

    Clearstream plays an important part in the Australian debt securities market. It is important the RBA and ASIC, as co-regulators of clearing and settlement facilities operating in Australia, are able to have sufficient oversight of such facilities. The licence granted by ASIC will support this oversight.

    The RBA has completed an initial licensing assessment of Clearstream against the relevant obligations under Part 7.3 of the Corporations Act 2001. The RBA and ASIC have also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Clearstream’s home regulators, Banque centrale du Luxembourg and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The RBA will rely on the supervision of Clearstream’s home regulators, where appropriate, consistent with the Reserve Bank’s Approach to Supervising and Assessing Clearing and Settlement Facility Licensees.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI China: Club World Cup ends with success, controversy and questions

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

    FIFA’s bold reimagining of the Club World Cup (CWC) culminated July 13, ushering in what the governing body hailed as “a golden era of club football.”

    The expanded 32-team format, along with sweeping technological and presentation changes, aimed to elevate the tournament’s global appeal, fairness and influence. While the 2025 edition delivered significant successes, it also revealed persistent challenges that demand attention.

    GLOBAL PARTICIPATION EXPANDS

    The most radical change was the expansion from seven to 32 teams. Players from 81 countries and regions took the pitch, many experiencing FIFA’s top-tier competition for the first time. This dismantled the previous barrier that limited participation mostly to continental champions, advancing FIFA’s mission to “truly globalize football.”

    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (R) of Paris Saint-Germain vies with Malo Gusto of Chelsea FC during the final match between Chelsea FC (England) and Paris Saint-Germain (France) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

    Smaller clubs responded with enthusiasm. Facing giants like Real Madrid and Manchester City enriched player resumes and sparked pride back home-fulfilling FIFA’s core goal of showcasing diverse football cultures.

    “It shows how big football is worldwide and how good some of these players are,” said Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. “I’m loving this tournament so far, and hopefully we can be here for a while.”

    Zhou Tong, the sole Chinese player representing New Zealand’s semi-professional Auckland City, captured the spirit: “Football connects people, changes lives, opens eyes to the world. That’s magic-like universal language.”

    Unlike elite clubs, most Auckland City players hold full-time jobs and play part time. Zhou works as a community coach focused on grassroots development. Their participation powerfully embodied FIFA’s “Football Unites the World” campaign.

    CALENDAR AND COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES

    Criticism focused on increased player workload and injury risks. The CWC schedule fully overlapped with Europe’s summer league breaks. With next summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, European players face back-to-back grueling seasons.

    UEFA and others have long criticized FIFA’s crowded calendar. Opponents argue players are overworked while domestic leagues face disruption. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reiterated: “Players are not machines.” The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) escalated the issue by filing a complaint with the European Commission.

    Another concern was the competitiveness gap. Heavy defeats, such as Auckland City’s 10-0 loss to Bayern Munich and Al Ain’s 6-0 defeat to Manchester City, highlighted the disparity. Teams from Asia, Africa and North America generally struggled, resulting in matches that lacked suspense and neutral appeal.

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged criticism from European clubs and fans, as well as concerns about heat, noting future use of roofed stadiums and cooling breaks.

    Luka Modric (L) of Real Madrid vies with Senny Mayulu of Paris Saint-Germain during the semifinal match between Paris Saint-Germain (France) and Real Madrid (Spain) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

    “So maybe some criticize it a little bit, but it’s something new. It’s something special,” Infantino said. “It’s a real World Cup with the best teams and the best players.”

    He added: “The heat is an issue. Cooling breaks are very important, and we will see what we can do. But we have stadiums with roofs, and we will definitely use these during the day next year.”

    Infantino emphasized the tournament’s value for underrepresented regions like Oceania: “Auckland City, to some extent, represents 99.9% of football players and fans – those of us who dream of being on that stage but may never get the chance. Suddenly, one of us gets to play against the best. It must be a place for everyone.”

    REFEREEING REVOLUTION

    The tournament also served as a testing ground for technological innovation. A key rule change from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) debuted: goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds would concede a corner kick.

    FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina reported widespread approval. “It was very successful. The tempo of the match improved, and we saw no time wasting by goalkeepers, as happened quite often before.” Only two violations occurred, fulfilling the rule’s preventative goal.

    Referees wore head-mounted cameras to broadcast a first-person view, enhancing viewer engagement. Collina said the “ref cam” exceeded expectations and spurred interest in broader adoption.

    Referees also announced VAR decisions on-field via microphone, while fans in stadiums viewed the same replays as officials, increasing transparency. Coaches used tablets for substitutions and real-time player data (e.g., distance covered, heart rate), reducing errors and supporting tactical decisions. Collectively, the innovations improved fairness and flow.

    “The outcome of using the ref cam at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 went beyond our expectations,” Collina said. “We’ve received great feedback – people ask, ‘Why not in all matches?’ and even more: ‘Why not in all sports?’”

    BILLION-DOLLAR GAMBLE

    FIFA dramatically increased the prize pool from 16 million US dollars for seven teams in the previous edition to 1 billion dollars for 32 teams, surpassing the 440 million dollars awarded at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It became the richest prize pool in football.

    Clubs earned money based on performance and commercial impact. Even bottom-ranked Auckland City received 4.6 million dollars – about seven times their 2024 total revenue.

    Infantino dismissed skepticism over the tournament’s financial viability: “We heard it wouldn’t work financially, but we generated over 2 billion dollars in revenue from this competition. We earned an average of 33 million dollars per match. No other cup competition comes close.”

    “It is already the most successful club competition in the world by all different measurements,” he added.

    To maximize accessibility, FIFA struck a 1-billion-dollar global broadcast deal with streaming service DAZN, including free streams of all 63 matches in 32 languages.

    New presentation features such as individual player walkouts and a mid-final halftime show added spectacle-but sparked backlash. The 24-minute halftime performance violated FIFA’s 15-minute maximum break rule.

    Attendance figures varied widely: four matches drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with the lowest being 3,412 for a Group F match between Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns. Sixteen matches exceeded 60,000 fans, with the highest attendance at 81,118 for the Chelsea vs. PSG final.

    “We respect everyone’s opinion,” Infantino said. “But it has been successful. We had over 2.5 million spectators in the stadiums – around 40,000 per match. No league in the world reaches that number, except the Premier League.”

    MEDIA ZONE REFORMS

    The revamped CWC mixed zone abandoned the traditional TV-first format. Instead, four interview pods were set up – two per team.

    Clubs designated players to give interviews in their native language and in English. Written press were allowed to film and photograph, but videos could only be posted online one hour after the mixed zone closed and had to be removed within 48 hours.

    Many journalists welcomed the guaranteed access. Marcio Dolzan of Brazil’s Lance contrasted it with the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, where reporters waited two hours for Argentine players, who avoided interviews entirely.

    Others were critical. “Having covered nine World Cups, this format is unfamiliar,” said Antonio Carrasco of Venezuela’s Meridiano TV. “It feels like mini press conferences. All journalists hear the same thing. There’s no opportunity for exclusives or choice of whom to interview.”

    West Lamy of The Huffington Post pointed out logistical issues: At English-language pods, non-English-speaking journalists often interviewed players in their own language, undermining the pod’s purpose.

    FIFA provided translators, but they were often ineffective – journalists spoke over them or asked new questions before translations finished. Star players drew crowds, while others were overlooked. On-screen player data helped with question prep but didn’t solve access inequities.

    “But if this is a change FIFA has already decided on, we will adapt,” Carrasco said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Universiade: First gold goes to Denmark as Sandersen triumphs in taekwondo

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

    With a Danish flag wrapped around her shoulders, taekwondo athlete Eva Eun-Kyung Sandersen raced around the venue Thursday after claiming the first gold of the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games in the women’s individual poomsae with a score of 8.732.

    A nine-time World Poomsae medalist and 11-time European champion, Sandersen dominated the final with refined technique and precise coordination, finishing ahead of South Korea’s Jung Haeun. Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado of the United States and China’s Pan Meijing shared bronze.

    “I feel so relieved,” said Sandersen, pausing to catch her breath in a post-match interview. “I’m really happy and proud of my trainer and everything we’ve worked for. I can finally tell them that we did something great together.”

    Despite having stood on many podiums before, the gold at the University Games held special significance for the 24-year-old.

    “I’ve practiced taekwondo for about 15 years. The sport is my whole life – it’s everything I think about. This gold medal means so much to me.”

    This marked Sandersen’s first and last appearance at the Universiade. She had hoped to make her debut two years ago in China’s Chengdu, but a last-minute injury ended those plans.

    “I was supposed to go to Chengdu, but I injured my knee just one month before, due to intense training over a long period,” she said, becoming emotional. “It was a tough time, and it was hard to recover both physically and mentally.”

    Born to South Korean parents and raised in Denmark, Sandersen wasn’t introduced to taekwondo right away.

    “My sports journey actually started with ballet,” she said. “But my mom suggested I try taekwondo because of our Korean heritage.”

    After a decorated career that spans both continental and global success, Sandersen now hopes to combine her two passions: sport and science.

    “I’m a student majoring in pharmacy, and ideally I’d love to find a way to blend pharmacy with sports. I want to promote taekwondo around the world and show people how beautiful it is.”

    She also shared a personal dream: to one day see her discipline recognized at the Olympic level.

    “I know individual poomsae isn’t currently part of the Olympic program, so I may never get the chance to compete at the Olympics,” she said. “But I really hope it will be included one day, and if it is, I’ll definitely fight for that glory.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees robust IP progress, fueling high-quality development

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

    BEIJING, July 17 — China has made significant strides in intellectual property (IP) protection during its 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), providing impetus for innovation and high-quality development, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said on Thursday.

    CNIPA head Shen Changyu, speaking at a press conference on reviewing China’s IP progress, outlined the administration’s comprehensive strategy to establish a world-class IP governance system, institutional framework, cultural environment and professional talent pool. “Our clear objective is to establish China as a global IP powerhouse by 2035.”

    He emphasized four strategic focus areas: advancing the modernization of the IP governance system and its capabilities, supporting China’s high-level self-reliance in science and technology, cultivating new quality productive forces and modern industrial systems, and promoting high-standard opening-up and market system development.

    Through a quality-oriented approach, the CNIPA has refined key performance metrics such as high-value invention patents per 10,000 people, the value-added of patent-intensive industries as a percentage of GDP, the total import and export volume of IP royalties, and IP examination quality and efficiency standards.

    “These indicators reflect a more scientific approach to measuring China’s IP progress,” Shen said, adding that the administration will actively engage stakeholders in shaping the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) to ensure practical, innovation-friendly policies that boost industries and benefit public welfare.

    As the 14th Five-Year Plan period nears its conclusion, China is clocking up a series of achievements in the transformation and industrialization of patents, IP in green and low-carbon technologies, geographical indication (GI) products and international IP cooperation.

    China has effectively promoted the transformation and industrialization of a large number of patents, with the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents up from 44.9 percent in 2020 to 53.3 percent in 2024.

    As of June 2025, China’s number of valid domestic invention patents has reached 5.01 million, which is an increase of 13.2 percent year on year, according to Shen, while ownership of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people has reached 15.3.

    Additionally, the dominant position of enterprises in technological innovation continues to be enhanced in China, Shen said.

    There were 524,000 domestic enterprises that held valid invention patents in June 2025, by which time the total number of valid invention patents held by those enterprises had reached 3.7 million, accounting for 74.4 percent of the total number in China — an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).

    China has seen increasingly vibrant innovation in green and low-carbon technologies, with 53,000 invention patents granted in the sector in 2024 alone, said Liang Xinxin, an official of the CNIPA. The 2024 figure, which doubled 2020’s, reflects an average annual growth rate of 19.2 percent.

    The clean energy and energy storage sectors showed robust growth, with respective invention patent authorizations rising 34.9 percent and 32.8 percent year on year — the highest increases among all green technology categories, Liang noted.

    China has cumulatively recognized 2,861 GI products, according to Shen. The annual output value of China’s GI products increased from 639.8 billion yuan (about 89.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 to 969 billion yuan in 2024, he noted.

    A total of 7,424 GIs have been registered as collective or certification trademarks, and over 37,000 business entities have been authorized to use the special GI symbol.

    China has established IP cooperation partnerships with over 80 countries and regions. The China-EU agreement on GIs has come into force, realizing the mutual recognition and protection of the first group of listed products, Shen said, adding that China has successfully acceded to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

    CNIPA Deputy Commissioner Hu Wenhui noted that the administration treats domestic and foreign enterprises equally in terms of IP protection. In the first half of the year, foreign applicants filed 94,000 trademark applications in China — a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percent, with significant growth of over 20 percent in applications from Germany, Italy and the United States, Hu said.

    By the end of 2024, the CNIPA had provided a total of 2,393 guidance services and 6,885 advisory consultations to domestic enterprises engaging in global expansion, helping them reduce litigation costs by 1.32 billion yuan and recover economic losses amounting to 38.04 billion yuan, he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology

    Purnima Shrestha /AFP via Getty Images

    Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn’t know better, you might think it’s just a nice hike in the Nepalese countryside.

    Typically the lower staging post for attempts on the summit, the camp is still 5,364 metres above sea level and a destination in its own right. Travel agencies say no prior experience is required, and all equipment will be provided. Social media, too, is filled with posts enticing potential trekkers to make the iconic journey.

    But there is a real risk of creating a false sense of security. An exciting adventure can quickly turn into a struggle for survival, especially for novice mountaineers.

    Nevertheless, Sagarmatha National Park is deservedly popular for its natural beauty and the allure of the world’s highest peak, Chomolungma (Mount Everest). It is also home to the ethnically distinctive Sherpa community.

    Consequently, the routes to Everest Base Camp are among the busiest in the Himalayas, with nearly 60,000 tourists visiting the area each year. There are two distinct trekking seasons: spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October).

    High mountains require everyone to be properly prepared. Events which under normal conditions might be a minor inconvenience can be magnified in such an environment and pose a serious risk.

    Even at the start of the trek in Lukla (2,860m), one is exposed to factors that can directly or indirectly affect one’s health, especially altitude mountain sickness or unfamiliar bacteria.

    We interviewed 24 trekkers in May this year, as well as 60 residents and business owners in May 2023, to explore some of the safety issues anyone considering heading to base camp should be aware of.

    Life at high altitude

    First, it’s vital to choose goals within one’s technical and physical capabilities. While the human body can adapt to altitudes of up to 5,300m, the potential risk of altitude mountain sickness can occur at only 2,500m – lower than Lukla.

    Proper acclimatisation above 3,000m means ascending no more than 500m a day and resting every two to three days at the same altitude. The optimal (though rarely followed) approach is the “saw tooth system” of climbing during the day but descending to sleep at a lower level.

    Residents of the Khumbu region (on the Nepalese side of Everest) are familiar with the problem of tourists not acclimatising, or not paying attention to their surroundings. As one hotel owner said, pointing to a trekker setting out:

    He’s going uphill and it’s already late. It’s going to get dark and cold soon. He won’t make it to the next settlement. We have to report this to the authorities or go after him ourselves.

    Inexperienced trekkers should hire a local guide. Several we interviewed had needed medical evacuation, including a woman in her mid-20s who had to leave base camp after one night. She found her guides – not locals – online. But they never checked her vital signs during the trek:

    [The doctors] said that I had high-altitude pulmonary edema […] it was just really important to come down the elevation. And if I had tried to go higher, it probably would have been really bad.

    Health checks throughout the trek are imperative. This includes assessing the four main symptoms of altitude mountain sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. If they appear, the trekker shouldn’t go higher and might even need to descend.

    A Sherpa woman at the market in Namche Bazar, Nepal: respect the culture, eat local food.
    Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

    Take time to adapt

    Using a reputable local trekking agency might be more expensive, but it will help ensure safety and also familiarise the visitor with the local culture, helping avoid negative impacts on the host community.

    Too often, the primary goal of trekkers is a photo on the famous rock at base camp. Once obtained, many simply take a helicopter back to Kathmandu. As a helicopter tour agency owner said:

    They don’t want to get back on their feet. The goal, after all, has been achieved. In general, tourists used to be much better prepared. Now they know they can return by helicopter.

    Helicopter travel can be dangerous on its own, of course. But this tendency to view the trek as a one-way trip also affects host-guest relations and can irritate local communities.

    It’s also important to monitor your food and drink intake and watch for signs of food poisoning. Diarrhoea at high altitudes is particularly dangerous because it leads to rapid dehydration – hard to combat in mountain conditions.

    Low air pressure and reduced oxygen exacerbate the condition, weakening the body’s ability to recover. Also, the symptoms of dehydration can resemble altitude mountain sickness.

    When travelling in other climate zones or countries with different sanitary standards, there is inevitable contact with strains of bacteria not present in one’s natural microbiome.

    A good solution is to spend a few days naturally adapting to bacterial flora at a lower altitude in Nepal before heading to the mountains. Also, try to eat the local food, such as daal bhat, Nepal’s national dish. According to one hotel owner in Pangboche:

    Tourists demand strange food from us – pizza, spaghetti, Caesar salad – and then are angry that it doesn’t taste the way they want. This is not our food. You should probably eat local food.

    Most of the trekkers we interviewed during this spring season reported experiencing gastrointestinal issues, often for several days.

    Overall, diarrhoea-related infections are the leading cause of illness among travellers, including base camp trekkers. Studies conducted in the Himalayas show as many as 14% of mountain tourists contract gastroenteritis, accounting for about 10% of all helicopter evacuations.

    In the end, the commonest cause of failure or accident in the mountains is overestimating one’s abilities – what has been called “bad judgement syndrome” – when the route is too hard, the pace too fast, or there’s been too little time spent acclimatising.

    A simple solution: walk slowly and enjoy the views.

    Michal Apollo receives funding from the National Science Centre NCN Poland, the small-scale project awarded by the Institute of Earth Sciences, and the Research Excellence Initiative of the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is affiliated with the Global Justice Program, Yale University, and Academics Stand Against Poverty.

    Heike Schanzel 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. Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice – https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-trekking-to-everest-base-camp-dont-leave-home-without-this-expert-advice-260497

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Perspective article on genome editing for conservation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A Perspective article published in Nature Reviews Diversity looks at genome engineering for biodiversity conservation and restoration. 

    Prof Bruce Whitelaw, Professor of Animal Biotechnology and Director of The Roslin Institute, said:

    “Biodiversity across our planet is both facing unprecedented challenges and increasing recognised as critical for planetary health. Genome editing technology offers approaches that overcome aspects that current approaches addressing biodiversity cannot address – it can restore lost genetic diversity and increase the resilience of endangered species. Genome editing technology is advancing fast and for species where we know much about their genetic make-up could be used now to reduce genetic load and enable adaption to environmental change. This could include restoration of lost variation but we are still some way-off from restoring a species – although this is foreseeable for the future. No single technology can solve all biodiversity concerns. Genome editing should be adopted alongside traditional conservation methods and habitat restoration. The driver should be for social benefit, have societal involvement, and be guided by science-based regulation – and should be viewed as another useful method in the race to safeguard the world’s needed biodiversity.”

    Prof Dusko Ilic, Professor of Stem Cell Science at King’s College London, said:

    “The article is a thoughtful and forward-looking synthesis, offering a powerful vision for integrating genome engineering into conservation biology. However, its weaknesses lie in over-optimism, lack of robust comparative cost-effectiveness analysis, and occasional underplaying of ecological, regulatory, and ethical risks—especially in complex field scenarios.

    “The paper persuasively argues that genome engineering can address genomic erosion—an underappreciated long-term threat in conservation biology—by restoring adaptive genetic variation and reducing genetic load. The technology has potential, but the evidence base is currently stronger in theory and in model organisms than in demonstrated success with real-world.

    “The authors assume that the relationship between genome-wide variation and fitness is sufficiently understood to justify editing decisions. In reality, the genotype–phenotype–fitness map remains poorly resolved in most non-model organisms, which weakens confidence in editing targets. What improves fitness in captivity or small restored habitats may not translate under fluctuating wild conditions.

    “The paper clearly articulates how genome engineering can target fixed deleterious alleles, reintroduce lost immunogenetic diversity, and enhance climate adaptation capacity—things traditional conservation (e.g. protected areas, captive breeding) cannot accomplish once variation is lost.

    “The concept is compelling but lacks quantitative modelling or comparative data to support the claim that genome editing is more effective or feasible than scaled-up traditional approaches in most cases.

    “The argument presumes that ancestral or heterospecific alleles can be confidently identified and reintroduced without negative pleiotropic effects, but this is rarely tested rigorously outside lab settings.

    “The paper is also light on cost-benefit comparisons. For example, how does gene editing for climate resilience compare (in cost, efficacy, and ecological risk) to investing in habitat corridors that allow natural gene flow?

    “International approvals for edited wildlife release is a probable limiter of near-term feasibility. Regulatory inertia and public scepticism that have historically limited the rollout of genetically modified (GM) organisms—particularly in agriculture, where decades of commercial GM crop use remain contentious in many countries despite robust safety data. Scientific bodies (e.g., WHO, NAS, EFSA) consistently find no substantiated health risks from approved GM crops, yet public acceptance varies widely. The first GM crop was approved in the US in 1994. Thirty years later, only about 30 countries cultivate GM crops, and about 70 allows imports but not domestic cultivation.

    “The distinction between technical readiness (editing) and ecological readiness (release, integration, adaptation) is important. Timescales needed for breeding, backcrossing, release, and population establishment, are equally complex. In species with long generation times, edited lineages may not reach ecological relevance for decades.

    “While critical of de-extinction, the authors do not fully confront the blurring of boundaries in practice—e.g. Colossal Biosciences’ projects (which some authors are affiliated with) walk a fine line between de-extinction branding and conservation justification.

    “The critique of de-extinction would be more credible if potential conflicts of interest were explicitly addressed, and if more scrutiny were applied to projects that market proxy-species restorations as conservation.

    “The call for responsibility is ethically sound, but implementation guidance is vague. How, for example, will conservation scientists ensure openness when working with private-sector collaborators like biotech firms or proprietary genome platforms? How engineered lineages may tie future conservation efforts to specific technologies or patents, raising issues of access, control, and continuity?”

    Prof Tony Perry, Head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology at the University of Bath, said:

    “This timely Perspective collates potential contributions from the revolution in ‘genome engineering’ (including genome editing) to biodiversity conservation.  The piece points out that to be effective, these advances need to include advanced assisted reproduction methodologies, such as embryonic and stem cell chimeras and nuclear transfer cloning.  In addition, the behaviour of individual or small numbers of gene variants moved into a foreign genome may be difficult or impossible to predict, making it desirable to replicate entire genomes from the oldest sources available.  

    “The challenges of achieving this are considerable even for well-studied species, but by raising the profiles of these challenges, the Perspective promises to accelerate our efforts to solving them for species conservation and its retroactive cousin, de-extinction.”

    ‘Genome engineering in biodiversity conservation and restoration’ by Cock van Oosterhout et al. was published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity at 00.01 UK time Friday 18 July.

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00065-6

    Declared interests

    Dusko Ilic: “I declare no conflict of interest.”

    Tony Perry: “None”

    Bruce Whitelaw: “I receive funding from BBSRC, Roslin Foundation, and Gates Foundation.  I am a member of FSA’s Advisory Committee for Novel Foods & Processes, and the Engineering Biology Responsible Innovation Advisory Panel.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at scarring and heart arrhythmia in veteran male athlete’s hearts

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging looks at cardiac scarring and arrhythmia in veteran males. 

    Prof Steffen Petersen, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Queen Mary University of London; Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust; BHF Data Science Centre Interim Director; and Immediate Past President, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, said:

    “This study is an important contribution to improving our current understanding of the long-term heart health impact of endurance exercise in older asymptomatic male athletes.  First, scar formation in the heart is common in about half of those athletes enrolled.  Second, a type of scar which is not due to poor blood supply of the heart muscle predicts the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, but a very common type (insertion point between the left and right heart) is not concerning, which is reassuring to know.

    “A strength of the study is the confidence we can have in the accuracy of the outcome regarding ventricular arrhythmias, as determined by implantable loop recorders.  A weakness is the limited generalisability of the findings due to the small sample size, exclusive inclusion of male endurance athletes over 50 years of age from a single centre.”

    Prof James Ware, Professor of Cardiovascular and Genomic Medicine, Imperial College London and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, and NHS consultant cardiologist, said:

    “This is in my opinion a well designed and well executed study.  The authors themselves acknowledge the principal limitations of the study, and the conclusions are balanced and fair.  The press release is a fair reflection of the science described in the article.

    “I would note:

    “This is a highly selected group of competitive athletes who have trained intensively for many years.  I would not expect these findings to have direct relevance to most recreational athletes, and I would not want anyone to be scared of exercise as a result of this study.  Regular physical activity is hugely beneficial for the vast majority of people, and I would encourage participation and enjoyment.  Dr Swoboda emphasises this in his own comments.

    “Nonetheless, fibrosis (scarring) is evidently more common in these high intensity athletes, and associated with heart rhythm abnormalities.  This is something we need to understand better.

    “Most of the arrhythmias observed were non-sustained ventricular arrhythmia (NSVT) – that is short runs of abnormal rhythm lasting

    ‘VENTricular arrhythmia and cardiac fibrOsis in endUrance eXperienced athletes (VENTOUX)’ by Wasim Javed first author et al. was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging at 00:01 UK time on Friday 18 July 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Prof Steffen Petersen: “Disclosures:

    1. Consultancy, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada (in my view no conflict related to this work).
    2. Named reviewer of two relevant European guidelines:
    1. Pelliccia A, Sharma S, Gati S, Bäck M, Börjesson M, Caselli S, Collet JP, Corrado D, Drezner JA, Halle M, Hansen D, Heidbuchel H, Myers J, Niebauer J, Papadakis M, Piepoli MF, Prescott E, Roos-Hesselink JW, Graham Stuart A, Taylor RS, Thompson PD, Tiberi M, Vanhees L, Wilhelm M; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2020 ESC Guidelines on sports cardiology and exercise in patients with cardiovascular disease. Eur Heart J. 2021 Jan 1;42(1):17-96. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa605. Erratum in: Eur Heart J. 2021 Feb 1;42(5):548-549. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa835. PMID: 32860412.
    2. Visseren FLJ, Mach F, Smulders YM, Carballo D, Koskinas KC, Bäck M, Benetos A, Biffi A, Boavida JM, Capodanno D, Cosyns B, Crawford C, Davos CH, Desormais I, Di Angelantonio E, Franco OH, Halvorsen S, Hobbs FDR, Hollander M, Jankowska EA, Michal M, Sacco S, Sattar N, Tokgozoglu L, Tonstad S, Tsioufis KP, van Dis I, van Gelder IC, Wanner C, Williams B; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2022 Feb 19;29(1):5-115. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwab154. PMID: 34558602.
    1. Author of relevant European consensus paper:

    Galderisi M, Cardim N, D’Andrea A, Bruder O, Cosyns B, Davin L, Donal E, Edvardsen T, Freitas A, Habib G, Kitsiou A, Plein S, Petersen SE, Popescu BA, Schroeder S, Burgstahler C, Lancellotti P. The multi-modality cardiac imaging approach to the Athlete’s heart: an expert consensus of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015 Apr;16(4):353. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeu323. PMID: 25681828.”

    Prof James Ware: “I was not involved in this study, though have collaborated with Dr Swoboda on other research projects.

    Industry relationsships (in the last 2 years):  I have received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb, and have acted as a paid advisor to Health Lumen, Tenaya Therapeutics, and Solid Biosciences.  I am a founder with equity in Saturnus Bio.

    I do not consider that these relationships are directly related to the subject of this paper.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Europe urged to diversify trade markets over US tariff coercion, supply chains disruption

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

    As Washington presses ahead with additional tariffs on products from the European Union (EU) and beyond, European officials and experts are urging the diversification of trade markets to mitigate the damage that such coercive financial statecraft is inflicting on global supply chains.

    TARIFF GAME SETTING OFF CHAIN REACTION

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his administration would impose 30 percent tariffs on EU and Mexican exports, arguing that bilateral trade had long been unbalanced and lacked reciprocity.

    Trucks wait to enter the Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg, Germany, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

    The Irish Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the tariff threat as “volatile” and “not helpful at all.” “That poses a challenge for Ireland, for Europe, for the world,” she told Xinhua at a press conference in London.

    Countries across Europe have been warning about the impact of the seemingly unrelenting tariff assaults on their economies.

    The Bank of Slovenia estimated that U.S. tariffs could indirectly disrupt the broader European value chain and impact about 15,000 jobs in Slovenia, a significant number in a country of just 2.1 million people.

    The Bank of England also said in its latest Financial Stability Report that the global economy faces rising downside risks, citing U.S. tariffs, and despite a new trade agreement between Britain and the United States in May, a further escalation in trade disputes globally could amplify financial stress and drag on economic growth in Britain.

    Companies of all sizes, from those exporting to the U.S. to manufacturers heavily reliant on global supply chains, are feeling the strain that the tariffs are placing on their operations.

    Neb Chupin, founder of Croatia’s Hermes International, a successful fig jam producer in the U.S. market, said, “With 10 percent tariffs, we are losing about 20,000 U.S. dollars a week. What would happen with 30 or even 50 percent tariffs? I cannot even sleep at night as the situation is very unstable.”

    With 40 percent of exports going to the U.S., Finland’s pharmaceutical industry could also be severely affected by potential U.S. tariffs. Johanna Sipola, deputy CEO of Keskuskauppakamari, or the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, called the tariffs “unrealistic” and warned that the greater risk is the uncertainty they create.

    “If the tariffs were implemented, the repercussions for international pharmaceutical production would be significant. The industry’s delivery chains are unusually global, and even minor disruptions can trigger substantial changes in medicine prices and demand,” Sipola said.

    Beyond the immediate effects, the high-stakes tariff game is setting off a chain reaction across global supply chains and geopolitical dynamics.

    Gavran Igor, an economic analyst from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the longer-term impact of the tariffs could prove even more damaging for Balkan manufacturers that are integrated into EU-based industries, particularly automotive supply chains.

    Czech Republic’s Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura said that exports to the United States account for less than 3 percent of the country’s total exports. However, the country would also be indirectly affected through its European partners who purchase Czech goods and components.

    STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH MULTI-PARTNERS URGED

    Inevitably, even countries with modest trade ties to the world’s largest economy can still feel the ripple effects of Washington’s unpredictability. In response, experts recommend that European nations broaden their trade partnerships, especially with China, Southeast Asia and other regions.

    “Europe must, in the long term, become more independent from the American market. A joint free trade zone with the ASEAN countries and the rapid ratification of the agreement with Mercosur are urgently needed,” Dirk Jandura, president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said in a statement after Trump’s new tariff announcement.

    Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said that the shifting dynamics might prompt Europe to reconsider its external economic strategy. In his view, strengthening cooperation with China is a “highly strategic choice.”

    “If economies, like the EU, China, the United Kingdom, Brazil and India, keep global trade open, the U.S. tariffs’ impact on global supply chains will be lower. That’s the opportunity,” said Carlo Altomonte, associate professor of the Department of Social and Political Sciences of Bocconi University in Milan.

    Martin Geissler, Partner at the management consultancy Advyce & Company, echoed the suggestions by sharing Germany’s auto industry as an example. “German automakers have often not yet recognized the growth prospects that exist in Africa and many emerging countries,” Geissler said, contrasting this with China’s strategic engagement with multi-partners.

    Bernardo Mendia, Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is leading a Portuguese delegation to the ongoing China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.

    A key factor driving Portugal’s participation this year, in his words, is the rise of protectionism, logistical disruptions and geopolitical shifts. In the face of these challenges, China offers a distinctive platform to develop innovative solutions, business models, and collaborative partnerships, he said.

    Looking ahead, experts believe that Washington’s trade policies could ultimately backfire on the U.S. economy itself.

    “The U.S. needs many of our industrial products, which cannot be easily replaced in the short term. This allows German manufacturers of these goods to largely pass on the tariffs in their prices to the detriment of the U.S. economy,” said Juergen Matthes, head of International Economic Policy, Financial and Real Estate Markets Research Unit at the German Economic Institute. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Intel Chairs Cotton and Crawford to Gabbard: Review Intelligence Sharing with Spain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353July 17, 2025
    Intel Chairs Cotton and Crawford to Gabbard: Review Intelligence Sharing with Spain
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Rick Crawford (Arkansas-01), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence requesting a review on all intelligence sharing with Spain’s intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services. This letter comes after Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei, which has deep ties to the CCP, to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems.
    In part, Senator Cotton and Congressman Crawford wrote:
    “Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP.”
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    The Honorable Tulsi GabbardDirector of National IntelligenceOffice of the Director of National Intelligence1500 Tysons McLean DriveMcLean, VA 22102
    Dear Director Gabbard:
    We write to urge you to review intelligence sharing arrangements with the government of Spain to ensure that any information shared with Spanish intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services does not reveal U.S. national security secrets to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  
    As you are likely aware, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems.   Huawei has deep ties to the CCP and is subject to China’s National Intelligence and Data Security laws, which compel Huawei to provide the CCP access to any Huawei information that the CCP deems necessary.  In essence, Huawei and the CCP could have backdoor access to the lawful intercept system of a NATO ally—enabling them to monitor Spanish investigations of CCP spies and innumerable other intelligence activities. 
    Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. 
    Sincerely,
    Tom Cotton Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    Rick CrawfordChairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    The Government has announced a huge boost to UK industry as it powers ahead with its plan to cut electricity costs.

    • Plans to slash electricity network costs for energy-intensive businesses by 90% are set in motion as Government launches new consultation.
    • Around 500 of UK’s most energy-intensive firms set to save up to £420m a year when current 60% discount on network charging costs increases to 90% from 2026.
    • Shows UK getting on with delivering announcements in Modern Industrial Strategy that will level the playing field for British businesses, backed by Plan for Change

    Around 500 of the UK’s most energy-intensive businesses such as British Steel and INEOS are set for a huge boost as the Government powers ahead with a 90% discount for businesses’ network charging costs.

    Delivering on its promise in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy launched last month to slash energy costs for heavy industry, the Government today (18 July) launches a four-week consultation on its plans to increase the discount on businesses’ electricity network charges from 60% to 90%.

    The landmark new support is expected to save around 500 of Britain’s most energy-intensive firms in key sectors like steel, ceramics, glass and chemicals up to £420m per year from 2026 when in force and bring the UK’s industrial energy prices in line with European competitors, helping secure jobs and attract new investment as part of the Plan for Change.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    This government is on the side of British industry. When we make promises we deliver on them. That’s why we’re wasting no time in powering ahead with our plans to tackle energy costs for great British businesses and level the playing field.

    The cornerstone of our modern Industrial Strategy, this landmark new support will meet a longstanding need from industry which other governments shirked – paving the way for new investment and job creation at the heart of our Plan for Change.

    The launch of the consultation on the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme, part of the Government’s British Industry Supercharger package of measures to tackle industrial electricity costs, will seek industry’s views on the 30% uplift and double the window which businesses have to apply for support through the scheme from one month to two.

    Network charges are the costs paid by electricity network users for access to the service and are already discounted by 60% for some of the UK’s biggest industrial businesses through the NCC scheme since April 2024, saving businesses millions of pounds every month.

    The proposals in the consultation launched today would see their costs fall by around a further £7 per megawatt hour (/MWh) bringing electricity prices more into line with European countries such as France and Germany.

    The news follows Deloitte’s latest survey of finance officers which has found the UK is the joint top location for investment in the world, and new data from Make UK and BDO which finds that manufacturing in the UK has recovered to 2019, pre-pandemic, levels in every region, with 12,000 new jobs created in the year to March 2024.

    The uplift follows other new landmark support for British industry announced in last month’s modern Industrial Strategy, with the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme expected to slash energy costs by up to 25 percent for over 7,000 businesses.

    This scheme, which government will consult on shortly and is due to come into force in 2027, will cut costs for thousands of electricity-intensive businesses in key manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive and chemicals, supporting hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs by exempting firms from paying levies like the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.

    A new Connections Accelerator Service will also come into force by the end of 2025, streamlining access to the UK electricity grid for major investment projects to speed up delivery and bring new high-quality jobs and economic growth.

    New powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, could also allow the Government to reserve grid capacity for strategically important projects, cutting waiting times and unlocking growth in key sectors.

    Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel, and Chair of Energy Intensive Users Group, said:

    Increasing network charge compensation under the Government’s Supercharger scheme is a very welcome and much-needed step towards achieving competitive electricity prices for the UK’s steel sector and other foundation industries.

    These reforms reflect solutions that UK Steel has long advocated to address the persistent challenge of uncompetitive industrial electricity costs. While more still needs to be done, this is meaningful progress.

    Truly competitive energy prices are essential to unlocking investment, creating jobs, accelerating decarbonisation, and securing the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK.

    Investment Minister Baroness Gustafsson visited Special Melted Products – an historic British advanced manufacturing firm which currently benefits from the 60% network charging discount – in Sheffield yesterday to welcome the news, as well as a major investment in the company from Taiwanese firm Walsin Lihwa, set to create over 200 skilled jobs by 2028.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Government’s modern Industrial Strategy can be found here.
    • The consultation will be published on Gov.UK later today here.
    • The total estimated value of the network charging compensation component of the Supercharger (at 90%) is £310-420m this year (in 2025 prices).
    • The NCC uplift will provide an estimated additional £7-10/MWh discount to eligible businesses.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –