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Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs visits innovative technology projects of CLP (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs visits innovative technology projects of CLP  
         Upon arriving at the CLP’s Shatin Centre, Members received a briefing from the management of the CLP on its progress in accelerating transport electrification. Members noted that the CLP had been offering technical support to charging service operators to expedite the development and installation of charging facilities to promote the use and popularization of electric vehicles. Moreover, Members noted that the CLP had signed memorandums pleading its participation in the development of the Northern Metropolis. The power company had reserved power system capacity to meet the area’s current and future developments, including innovation and technology, industry and commerce, housing, etc.
     
         Members then watched a demonstration of a “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) drone for inspecting power facilities. The BVLOS drone project was one of the first batch of pilot projects under the Government’s Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox. The CLP had been conducting trials with BVLOS drones on designated flight routes to evaluate their feasibility, safety and effectiveness in checking critical power supply facilities to increase inspection efficiency.
     
         Afterwards, Members learnt about the CLP’s Grid-Visualization (Grid-V), an advanced management system introduced for monitoring the operation of the power company’s critical power facilities to further enhance the reliability of power supply. Utilizing AI, the Grid-V management system integrates and monitors real-time signals from about 3 000 sensors and cameras across the power company’s electricity networks in Hong Kong, alerting engineering personnel to respond to incidents immediately when potential risks are detected.
      
         A total of 10 members and non-members of the Panel on Environmental Affairs participated in the visit.
    Issued at HKT 18:00

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 3, 2025

  • At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site, medics say

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said, in the third day of chaos and bloodshed to affect the aid operation.

    The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah.

    It added it was still investigating what had happened.

    The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave.

    A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told media that its field hospital in Rafah received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after.

    More than 35 patients required immediate intervention, the spokesperson added.

    The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza’s war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting.

    The Foundation’s aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles.

    The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early on Tuesday and that the aid operation was “conducted safely and without incident within the site”.

    However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies.

    On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire.

    The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday’s distribution “fabrications” by Hamas.

    On Tuesday, it said IDF forces had identified “a number of suspects” moving towards them while deviating from the access routes. “The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces,” it said.

    MASS EVACUATIONS ORDERED

    U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was “appalled” by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation.

    The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents of several districts in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip late on Monday, warning that the army would act forcefully against militants operating in those areas.

    The military told residents to head west towards the Mawasi humanitarian area. Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas in the enclave, and that most of its 2.3 million population has become internally displaced.

    The territory’s health ministry said on Tuesday that the new evacuation orders could halt work at the Nasser Hospital, the largest, still-functioning medical facility in the south, endangering the lives of those being treated there.

    Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

    In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.

    (Reuters)

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Media release: New bike hub makes getting a bargain as easy as riding a bike

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    A new “Bike Hub” has opened at the Reuse Shop at Hazlehead Recycling Centre to sell refurbished bikes, diverted from our recycling centres.

    A second hub is set to follow as part of the new Recycling Centre on Claymore Drive, Bridge of Don, opening this autumn.

    Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “The Reuse Shop at Hazlehead Recycling Centre has gone from strength to strength, breathing new life into unwanted household items.

    “Reuse helps divert materials away from recycling and incineration. This helps to reduce carbon emissions and contributes to a circular economy, helping us meet our net zero goals, and supporting “green” jobs in the repair and retail sectors.”

    Net Zero, Environment, and Transport Vice-convenor Miranda Radley added: “We would like to thank our partners for their work to bring the Bike Hub to life.

    “As well as supporting reuse, the project increases opportunities for active travel for our residents, by offering access to pre-loved bikes that are fully safety checked.”

    Nine-year-old Phoebe, who was visiting the Reuse Shop, said: “I got my bike two years ago from someone who outgrew it. I’m always riding it and it’s so much fun. I’m happy now that more kids in Aberdeen can get good, reused bikes.”

    Colin Forshaw, Production Operations Manager at SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, said: “SUEZ has always been a champion of reuse and we’re very proud of The Reuse Shop which not only offers everyday items at a low cost for residents of Aberdeen, saving items from going to waste, but also supports local community projects through a fund generated from the proceeds.

    “This new partnership means that we can now add another spindle to our wheel, and we look forward to seeing people out on their bikes this summer.”

    The new scheme is a collaboration with Stella’s Voice, CycleHub.Org, and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK. The scheme sees unwanted bikes delivered to a local workshop where qualified mechanics repair and safety test bikes to ensure they are roadworthy. A selection of refurbished adult and kids bikes are now available to Aberdeen residents at the Reuse Shop, just in time for the summer holidays.

    Aberdeen’s residents are encouraged to clear out unwanted bikes from garages and garden sheds and drop these off at Hazlehead recycling centre where they will be given a new lease of life. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 640 thousand gas stoves have been checked in Moscow since the beginning of the year

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Since the beginning of this year, specialists from the city services complex have checked over 640 thousand gas stoves installed in Muscovites’ apartments. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “Gas safety issues are under special control, we conduct scheduled maintenance of all gasified housing stock in the capital every year. In January-May, we checked the operability and compliance with safety requirements of more than 640 thousand gas stoves, which is over 35 percent of the total number,” noted Petr Biryukov.

    Gas workers eliminate minor problems on the spot, and if serious violations are detected, they eliminate safety hazards and provide recommendations for further operation and repair.

    In the capital, more than 1.8 million families use gas stoves. In order for the equipment to operate safely, it is very important to check it in a timely manner. Responsibility for maintaining gas equipment in proper condition and replacing it rests with the owner or tenant of the residential premises.

    The service life of a gas stove is on average 10-12 years. After that, gas taps wear out, burner diffusers become deformed, and the thermal insulation of the oven is damaged. It is impossible to maintain the safe operation of such devices; replacement is necessary.

    The gas stove must be equipped with a gas control system, which stops the gas supply if the flame in the burner goes out.

    Information on dates and times of gas equipment inspections is published in advance on the official website JSC Mosgaz, and is also placed on stands installed in entrances and courtyards.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154753073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025

  • Dutch far-right leader Wilders quits coalition, toppling government

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders’ PVV party left the governing coalition on Tuesday, in a move that is set to topple the right wing government and will likely lead to new elections.

    Wilders said his coalition partners were not willing to support his ideas on halting asylum migration.

    “No signature under our asylum plans. The PVV leaves the coalition,” Wilders said in a post on X.

    Wilders said he had informed Prime Minister Dick Schoof that all ministers from his PVV party would quit the government. Schoof has not yet reacted to the resignation.

    Wilders’ surprise move ends an already fragile coalition which has struggled to reach any consensus since its installation last July.

    It will likely bring new elections in a few months, adding to political uncertainty in the euro zone’s fifth-largest economy.

    It will likely also delay a decision on a possibly historic increase in defense spending to meet new NATO targets.

    And it will leave the Netherlands with only a caretaker government when it receives NATO country leaders for a summit to decide on these targets in The Hague later this month.

    DISBELIEF, ANGER

    Wilders’ coalition partners responded with disbelief and anger.

    “This is making us look like a fool,” the leader of the conservative VVD party Dilan Yesilgoz said. “There is a war on our continent. Instead of meeting the challenge, Wilders is showing he is not willing to take responsibility.”

    “This is incredible,” leader of the centrist NSC party Nicolien van Vroonhoven said. “It is irresponsible to take down the government at this point.”

    With PVV out, the others parties have the theoretical option to try and proceed as a minority government. They are not expected to, and have yet to confirm it.

    Wilders won the most recent election in the Netherlands, but recent polls show he has lost support since joining government.

    Polls now put his party at around 20% of the votes, roughly at par with the Labour/Green combination that is currently the second-largest in parliament.

    Wilders had last week demanded immediate support for his proposals to completely halt asylum migration, send Syrian refugees back to their home country and to close asylum shelters.

    Coalition partners did not embrace his idea, and had said it was up to the migration minister from Wilders’ own party to work on specific proposals. Wilders was not part of the government himself as its leader or a minister.

    He was convicted for discrimination after he insulted Moroccans at a campaign rally in 2014 and only managed to strike a coalition deal with three other conservative parties last year after he gave up his bid to become prime minister.

    Instead, the cabinet was led by the independent and unelected Schoof, a career bureaucrat who had led the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD and was the senior official at the ministry of justice.

    (Reuters)

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Investors can buy large non-residential premises from the city in the north-east of the capital

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Business can acquire large non-residential premisesin the North-Eastern Administrative District. This was reported by Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of City Property.

    The premises are located in a four-story building on Verkhoyanskaya Street (building 10). The building is located between Yeniseyskaya and Letchika Babushkina Streets.

    “The city has put up for auction a commercial property with an area of almost 580 square meters in the Babushkinsky district. It is located on the first floor of a residential building, which is a 10-minute walk from the Sviblovo metro station. The future owner will be able to organize two separate entrances: the main one for visitors and a service one for staff. The property offered by the city is suitable for opening a food outlet, a supermarket or a department store,” said Ekaterina Solovieva.

    The premises are connected to all main utilities: electricity, gas and water supply, sewerage. The entrance is equipped with a ramp.

    “The bidding campaign will last until July 10, and the open auction will be held on July 22 on the electronic platform “RoselTorg”. To participate, you must have registration and an enhanced qualified electronic signature,” added the head of the Moscow City Department for Competition Policy Kirill Purtov.

    All information about the premises put up for auction is presented on the capital’s investment portal. You can learn more about them, study the lot documentation and the rules for conducting auctions in the section “Property from the city”.

    The development of electronic services for entrepreneurs is being implemented within the framework of the national project “Data Economy”.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154732073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Committee finishes Stage 2 scrutiny of Housing (Scotland) Bill

    Source: Scottish Government

    Amendments passed to strengthen protection for tenants.

    Legislation to improve tenants’ rights and introduce homelessness prevention measures has completed Stage 2 scrutiny by a cross-party committee of MSPs.

    The Scottish Government introduced the Housing (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament last year to help tackle poverty by improving the experience of renters and introducing a range of new duties to prevent homelessness.

    The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee approved a number of Scottish Government amendments to the Bill at Stage 2, including powers to implement Awaab’s Law that would give social tenants greater protection against damp and mould, and measures to set out how rents could be capped in rent control areas.

    Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

    “The Housing Bill will play an important role in our efforts to tackle poverty by keeping rent affordable and ensuring people can stay in their homes by securing tenancies.

    “Our amendments on rent control not only provide certainty for tenants but also provide more clarity to the housing sector on what our rent control proposals will look like, giving investors confidence to continue to support housebuilding in Scotland.

    “We have also introduced plans to implement Awaab’s Law which will mean everyone can have the right to live in a warm, safe and secure home free from disrepair.

    “Scotland has led the way in protecting tenants and providing rights for people threatened with homelessness. The Housing Bill will provide even greater protection, so I am pleased the Committee has completed its Stage 2 scrutiny and I look forward to working with Members across the chamber as the legislation goes through the final Stage 3 process.”

    Background

    Housing (Scotland) Bill | Scottish Parliament Website

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Changes to Cabinet | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, Matt Noble, has announced that he is to stand down from Cabinet. 

    This follows Cllr Noble’s decision not to seek re-election next year. He will continue in his role as a ward councillor for Church Street until May 2026.  

     Cllr Noble was first elected to the Council in 2018 representing residents of Church Street and, as well as serving as a cabinet member, he has sat on the planning committee and on the pension board.  

    He will be replaced by Cllr Ellie Ormsby who will become Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters. Cllr Ormsby will also be responsible for setting policy and strategic direction regarding the Council’s commitment to co-operative principles in service delivery and civic leadership, including its involvement in the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network.

    Cllr Ormsby will leave her position as Chief Whip and the Deputy Cabinet Member for Housing Improvement and Procurement to take on the role, but will remain the Armed Forces Champion.  

    Cllr Adam Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, said: 

     “Matt has been the driving force behind the council’s push to deliver new affordable housing. His dedication to his community and passion to advocate for the interests of residents will be a huge loss for the council. 

     “However, I’m pleased that, in Ellie, we have such a capable and committed replacement. As the council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Housing Improvement and Procurement and Chief Whip, she has already demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges we face as a council. I’m confident Ellie will bring energy, insight, and compassion to the role and a strong commitment to delivering better homes and services for our residents.” 

    These changes will take effect immediately (2 June 2025). 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Westminster Council supports residents with £1million cost of living boost  | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council is investing an additional £1 million in its cost of living programme, bringing total support to £26 million as part of the ongoing commitment to residents facing financial hardship. 

    This latest funding will support essential services delivered by trusted local partners, including Cardinal Hume Centre, Age UK, and a network of community charities. These organisations provide vital advice and practical support, helping residents who continue to struggle due to rising costs, such as fuel, energy bills and food. 

    The new funding will also support key initiatives such as: 

    • Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) – supporting families during school holidays 

    • Winter in the City – providing activities and resources throughout the colder months 

    • Food banks and community pantries – making sure people have access to nutritious meals and essentials 

    • Community Wardrobes – supplying free clothing, including school uniforms, to those who need it 

    In addition, the council is investing £1.2 million over three years through its Advice Grants Programme, supporting eight local charities that help low-income households increase their income and reduce debt. This funding will strengthen the capacity of organisations delivering crucial advice and guidance services to residents. 

    Cllr Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council, said: 

    “We know that many people in Westminster are still feeling the strain of rising costs. This additional £1 million investment means we can make sure residents have access to vital services and support.  

    “Whether it’s a warm meal, school holiday activities, or free clothing for children, we’re working with our community partners to help people through difficult times.” 

    For more information on the support available, please visit the Cost of Living Support Hub.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coventry receives record £103 million new government investment in education

    Source: City of Coventry

    Coventry City Council has recently been awarded a record-breaking £102.8 million in government education funding – the highest basic need allocation of any local authority in England.

    The unprecedented investment, announced as part of the government’s basic need funding programme, will be used to expand school capacity and build sustainable education infrastructure through to 2028.

    The funding recognises Coventry’s continued growth and success in attracting new families to the city.

    Since 2021/22, Coventry has experienced significant increases in pupil numbers, with many families choosing to move to the city throughout the school year, and Coventry already has a good track record of creating additional school places having added in over 1800 primary, secondary and special places since 2017.

    The funding will support the delivery of the Coventry One Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which sets out how the council will ensure sufficient school places across primary, secondary and special educational needs provision.

    The plan includes the potential development of a new secondary school, planned to open in September 2027, alongside expansions at existing schools.

    Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “This record investment is testament to Coventry’s success as a thriving, growing city that families want to call home.

    “The government has recognised our strategic approach to education planning and our commitment to ensuring every child has access to a high-quality school place.

    “This funding will allow us to not only meet the immediate needs of our growing population but to build for the future with sustainable, net-zero school buildings that will serve our community for generations to come.

    “We’re particularly proud that this investment will also enhance support for children with special educational needs, ensuring truly inclusive education across Coventry.”

    The allocation represents the largest single education capital investment in Coventry’s recent history and will fund:

    • Expansion of existing primary and secondary schools
    • Enhanced provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
    • New school buildings designed to net-zero carbon standards
    • Energy efficiency improvements across the existing school estate

    Since 2016 the number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans nationally has increased significantly, and Coventry has seen a 130% increase during this time.

    The new funding will help create approximately 190 additional specialist school places through building projects at Castle Wood, Baginton Fields, Woodfield and Sherbourne Fields Special Schools.

    It is intended that all new buildings are designed to meet net-zero operational standards, supporting the government’s target for the education sector to lead on sustainability and climate change by 2030.

    The Coventry One Strategic Plan has been developed in partnership with headteachers across the city through the Coventry Education Partnership, ensuring that expansion plans meet the real needs of schools and communities.

    Cabinet will consider the strategic plan at its meeting on Tuesday 10 June, following scrutiny by the Co-ordination Committee on Thursday 5 June.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: MoonFox Data Releases New Report: Instant Retail Becomes the Next Battleground as JD.com and Meituan Intensify Food Delivery Competition in China

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Shenzhen, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [Shenzhen, China] – [June 3, 2025] – MoonFox Data, a leading provider of market intelligence and data analytics, today released its latest report, “Instant Retail Remains a Long-Term Battle, and the Food Delivery Battle Is Just the Beginning.” The report reveals how China’s instant retail sector is entering a new phase of fierce competition, with JD.com and Meituan at the forefront, leveraging food delivery as a critical driver of user growth and market expansion in 2025.

    In 2025, JD.com and Meituan engaged in several rounds of online “cross-platform jabs” over their food delivery services. Topics such as “Food Delivery Battle” and “Meituan Issues Another Statement” trended on social media. Amid the ensuing “war of words” and mounting public debate, both platforms’ ambitions in the “instant retail” space were laid bare.

    Tracing back their development, it is evident that JD.com and Meituan have been investing in instant retail for over a decade. As early as 2018, Meituan internally launched the “Flash Sale” brand focused on instant delivery of retail items. However, after 7 years and multiple rounds of fierce competition in community group purchase, “Meituan Flash Sale” was only officially launched as an independent brand in 2025. Meanwhile, from 2015 to 2023, JD.com steadily bolstered its capabilities in supply chain, digitalization, and logistics. By integrating diverse service segments, including JD Health, JD Car Care, and convenience supermarkets, the company established a robust localized service chain. In 2024, building on this integrated capacity, JD.com officially unveiled “JD Instant Delivery” as its flagship instant delivery service.

    Table 1: Development History of Instant Retail Business on Various Platforms

    JD.com Meituan
    2015: Launched “JD Home Delivery” service 2018: Internally launched “Meituan Flash Sale”
    2019: Launched “Meituan Vegetable Shopping”, rapidly expanding into first-tier cities and entering the community group purchase market
    2021: JD.com and DADA jointly launched “JD Hourly Purchase” 2020:

    In July, launched “Meituan Selected” to capture community e-commerce in lower-tier markets

    In September, began deploying “Meituan Flash Warehouse” in first-tier cities
    2022: JD became the controlling shareholder of DADA Group Upgraded “Meituan Vegetable Shopping” to “Xiaoxiang Supermarket” in December 2023, expanding supply from fresh produce to daily retail goods
    2024:

    Integrated “JD Hourly Delivery”, “JD Home Delivery”, etc., and launched “JD Instant Delivery” with a primary entrance on the JD homepage in May

    JD’s fresh food business “7FRESH” opened its first pre-warehouse in Beijing and commenced operations in September

    		 2024:

    Xiaoxiang Supermarket increased its proportion of self-operated products, benchmarking against Freshippo and Sam’s Club, featuring single-portion/small-quantity offerings for differentiation

    Meituan initiated a “Ten Thousand Warehouses for Thousand Cities” network layout; by October, the number of Flash Warehouses exceeded 30,000
    2025:

    Launched food delivery on the JD platform in February

    Rebranded “JD Vegetable Shopping” to “JD 7FRESH” in March, transitioning to a platform model to offer fresh food access from Sam’s Club, Pagoda, Dingdong Vegetable Shopping, and others

    JD launched “Self-operated Instant Delivery” e-commerce service in April; over 100,000 JD-branded offline stores have connected to Instant Delivery; Starbucks Delivery and HLA Group officially came on board

    		 Official launch of Meituan Flash Sale as an independent brand in April 2025

    Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute

    I. Instant Retail Shows Strong Potential, but Sustained Survival Remains Challenging

    To begin with, it’s essential to clarify the concepts of local life services and instant retail: Local life services refer to the use of online channels to display information about local brick-and-mortar businesses, with transactions completed offline services (through in-store visits or home). This model emphasizes “geographic relevance”. Instant retail, as a key component of local life services, involves delivering products from local retail models (such as supermarkets, warehouses, and storefronts) directly to consumers through same-city delivery. It covers a wide range of categories, including food & beverages, fresh produce, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Services like hourly delivery, half-day delivery, community group purchase, and food delivery all fall within the scope of instant retail. Its high time sensitivity is the key factor distinguishing it from traditional e-commerce and parcel delivery.

    The local life services sector is constantly seeing the emergence of new entrants. However, most of these newcomers tend to focus on “in-store” business models rather than delivery-heavy services, as the latter demand robust and fast-changing delivery ecosystems that many find difficult to sustain.

    For example, Douyin launched “Beckoning Food Delivery” in 2021 and formed strategic partnerships with service providers like Ele.me, DADA, and SF Express. However, after lukewarm results, Douyin Life Services pivoted its local service strategy to focus on the business from group purchase to in-store visits. Kwai trialed food delivery through selected local life service merchants in 2023 but did not scale up, maintaining its focus on in-store deals of group purchase. DiDi attempted to launch food delivery twice in China but failed both times and has since shifted its food delivery ambitions to overseas markets in 2025. Community group purchase brands like Nice Tuan, Chengxin Selected and MissFresh shut down around 2023 due to operational difficulties…

    Despite these setbacks, instant retail still holds vast potential within China, especially in lower-tier markets.

    Industry statistics show that in 2024, China’s instant retail market reached approximately RMB 780 billion, accounting for only 6% of total online retail of physical goods. The market distribution between major cities and county-level areas is roughly 7:3. By 2030, the market is expected to surpass RMB 2 trillion.

    Table 2: Instant Retail Market Growth in China (2018 – 2030)

    Year Instant Retail Market Transaction Volume (RMB 100 million) Transaction Volume YoY Growth Share of Online Retail Transaction Volume of Physical Goods
    2018 690 88 % 1.0 %
    2019 1,180 71 % 1.4 %
    2020 2,150 82 % 2.3 %
    2021 2,350 9 % 2.2 %
    2022 5,040 114 % 4.5 %
    2023 6,500 29 % 5.3 %
    2024 7,800 20 % 6.0 %
    2025E 10,030 29 % 7.1 %
    2026E 11,750 17 % 7.7 %
    2023E 20,000 10.1 %

    Data Source: Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, National Bureau of Statistics, Reports from SDIC Securities, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute.

    II. Platforms Face Growth Anxiety and Urgently Need New Growth Curves

    For JD.com, local life services remain fertile ground with significant untapped potential. Among them, instant retail, characterized by high purchase frequency and rapid conversion, is undoubtedly a critical lever for driving business growth and attracting UV.

    Table 3: Comparison of Different Retail Models (In Terms of Profitability Efficiency: Instant Retail > Traditional E-commerce > Offline Retail)

    Type Instant Retail Traditional E-commerce In-store Visits of Group Purchase Offline Retail
    Consumer Behavior Place order online, with hourly delivery or flash delivery Place order online → shipped via express → received Order online, redeem in-store Browse and purchase in-store, offline payment
    B2B Requirements High-frequency demand; rich product supply is essential

    Low return rate

    Instant fulfillment

    		 High-frequency demand

    High return rate

    Long fulfillment cycle

    		 Pre-purchase vouchers

    Redemption rates fluctuate

    Unstable fulfillment window

    		 Low-frequency demand

    Low return rate

    Instant fulfillment

    Traditional e-commerce has passed its high-growth phase. In recent years, large-scale promotional events such as “618” and “D11” have lost their earlier traction, signaling consumer fatigue towards excessive discounting and promotional gimmicks. In response, e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Vipshop have extended promotional periods and introduced “Billion-RMB Subsidy” to maintain total sales growth. However, Pinduoduo’s rapid rise and the increasing competitiveness of emerging e-commerce platforms like Douyin and Kwai have created new challenges. JD.com’s dominance, particularly in the electronics product category, is now under threat from multiple fronts.

    During Meituan’s Q3 2024 financial report audio conference, founder Wang Xing commented on industry trends, stating that instant retail will eventually account for over 10% of the total e-commerce market, and that Meituan Flash Sale’s growth has exceeded expectations. The 2024 financial report noted: “In 2024, ‘Meituan Flash Warehouses’ experienced significant growth, particularly in lower-tier markets, where they have become a key growth channel for many retailers. A number of major traditional retail companies have adopted ‘Meituan Flash Warehouse’ model… As our instant delivery business expands, we remain committed to building a sustainable ecosystem.”

    According to Meituan’s financial reports from 2022 to 2024, the platform’s gross profit margin has grown by over 30% YoY for three consecutive years, with its gross margin increasing from 28% to 38%. Core local services revenue maintained a YoY growth rate exceeding 20%, and new business income continued to accelerate. Although Meituan Flash Sale had not yet officially launched, it was repeatedly highlighted in annual financial reports over the past 5 years as a key growth engine for the platform.

    III. JD.com’s Surprise PR Offensive: Rapid Expansion into Meituan’s Core Territory

    In early April, JD.com CEO Xu Ran stated in an interview with 36Kr that the food delivery business could help JD.com increase both user base and purchase frequency, extending its service scenarios.

    On April 15, a leaked 7-minute internal meeting audio recording of Liu Qiangdong revealed his views on the domestic food delivery industry: Food delivery platform commissions can reach as high as 25% (sometimes over 30%), which he attributed to monopolistic practices that force small and medium-sized merchants to cut food quality, negatively impacting the consumer experience. He also proposed differentiated insurance policies for full-time and part-time couriers to better safeguard their rights.

    As early as 2022, Meituan’s financial report showed that its food delivery business had reached a peak of over 60 million orders per day. Although there is still a significant gap in order volume between the two platforms, JD Food Delivery achieved over 10 million in a single day on April 22, reflecting rapid growth.

    Comparing the daily new user growth for merchant and courier platforms since the start of 2025, JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition and DADA Instant Delivery Courier Edition apps saw a UV surge. According to MoonFox Data, JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition app peaked in daily new user numbers on April 24. Both platform initiatives and market responses clearly indicate that JD is making a bold incursion into Meituan’s food delivery “stronghold”.

    Table 4: New Daily User Growth on Merchant & Courier Platforms (2025)

    Average Daily New Users Meituan Food Delivery Merchant Edition App Meituan Courier Edition App Meituan Crowdsourcing DADA Instant Delivery Courier Edition App JD Instant Delivery Merchant Edition App
    January 13,236 18,069 18,624 12,345 2,671
    February 14,186 26,081 33,413 69,820 45,454
    March 16,606 23,781 34,178 47,042 50,499
    April 17,256 21,021 31,207 181,658 64,538

    Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: January 1, 2025 – April 27, 2025

    For users, switching between food delivery apps has low friction. With a clear intent to order, pricing and delivery time are often the only decisive factors. Last summer, Ele.me attracted UV via its “Answer to Win Free Meal” campaign, which relied on extremely low discounts and simple, engaging interactions. While Meituan launched “Meal Group Buying”, significantly lowering average order value to retain users through volume sales, though at the cost of some dining experience. In addition, Ele.me also tied its premium membership to Taobao’s 88VIP, leveraging high member stickiness from Taobao to boost Ele.me order frequency.

    For platforms, the fast migration of users and high usage frequency makes food delivery the best UV lever for JD.com to grow its instant retail business. But before that, onboarding a large number of restaurant merchants and recruiting a sufficient courier fleet are essential. Since launching JD Food Delivery on February 11, the platform has used a range of PR tactics to become a major industry topic, quickly moving beyond its cold start into a phase of explosive growth.

    • Late February: JD took the lead in advocating reform in the food delivery sector, focusing on courier welfare. This proactive stance gave JD the upper hand in the initial “war of words”. With value-driven messaging and concrete policy support, JD.com gained public recognition and courier endorsement.
    • In April, JD.com and Meituan entered a second round of confrontation. JD.com issued an open letter condemning Meituan’s various “misdeeds” and simultaneously rolled out new support policies and promotional benefits, once again pushing “JD Food Delivery” into the spotlight across the internet. The following day, “Liu Qiangdong Takes on Food Delivery” showcased JD’s strong commitment to developing its food delivery business. With a light-hearted and humorous public image, Liu won over netizens, who jokingly dubbed his delivery persona “GG Bond”. This, coupled with the platform’s swift marketing response, sparked a new wave of viral attention.

    During this second “war of words” wave, although Meituan responded swiftly with rebuttals, and some couriers questioned the accuracy of JD’s claims on social media, the incentives offered by JD helped counterbalance earlier criticism. However, overall, the various incentives released by the platform are helping to offset the negative public opinion caused by early-stage issues. JD has still managed to earn the trust of most merchants and couriers.

    Table 5: Platform-level New User Scale Growth

    Average Daily New Users Meituan App JD App
    January 2,031,496 862,633
    February 1,168,203 807,748
    March 1,265,657 889,403
    April 1,331,168 1,484,954

    Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: January 1, 2025 – April 27, 2025

    Table 6: Key Events in the 2025 “Food Delivery Battle”

    Key Date JD.com Actions Meituan Responses
    February 24 JD Food Delivery announced “Three Key Policies”: no commission all year, full social insurance for full-time couriers, and mandatory dine-in capability for merchants Meituan launched the “City Defense Plan”, lowering core merchant commissions from 23% to 6% – 8%.
    April 14 JD launched “Self-operated Instant Delivery” Meituan Flash Sale launched.
    April 21 JD issued an open letter: accusing Meituan of forcing couriers to choose one platform and announced plans to recruit 100,000 full-time couriers and offer a “late delivery, free meal” policy. Meituan denied the accusations and ramped up subsidies.
    April 22 JD Food Delivery surpassed 10 million daily orders; “Liu Qiangdong Takes on Food Delivery” trended online.

    IV. The “Food Delivery Battle” Ushers in a New Era of Instant Retail Competition

    In April, amid the intense “Food Delivery Battle” between JD.com and Meituan, both Meituan “Flash Sale” and JD’s “Self-operated Instant Delivery” services were launched simultaneously.

    Just ahead of the Labor Day holiday, “Taobao Flash Sale” went live in 50 cities, followed by a nationwide rollout on May 2. To drive up order frequency during the holiday, Taobao partnered with Ele.me to issue substantial consumer subsidies such as free-order card and treat-voucher card.

    According to MoonFox Data, since April 2025, JD.com’s daily new user volume has continuously increased, and has surpassed Meituan’s since April 16. Since the launch of its food delivery service, JD.com has also seen a steady rise in average user online time. As of April 23, average daily online time reached 14.27 minutes per user, increased by 54% compared with the same period last year.

    Table 7: Changes in JD.com’s Active User Online Time

    Month Average Usage Time (mins/month)

    MoM Changes
    2024-4 276.31 -4.3 %
    2024-5 300.10 8.6 %
    2024-6 310.27 3.4 %
    2024-7 292.11 -5.9 %
    2024-8 291.60 -0.2 %
    2024-9 309.98 6.3 %
    2024-10 337.85 9.0 %
    2024-11 332.55 -1.6 %
    2024-12 319.87 -3.8 %
    2025-1 329.24 2.9 %
    2025-2 310.20 -5.8 %
    2025-3 343.47 10.7 %
    2025-4 384.93 12.1 %

    Data Source: MoonFox iApp, Data Cycle: April 28, 2024 – April 23, 2025

    Despite reports of issues such as “inefficient processes” and “system bugs” with JD Food Delivery, there are still many shortcomings in the courier operation procedures that need to be addressed. However, driven by benefits related to commission rates and employee protection, a large number of couriers are switching platforms, while food delivery merchants and offline stores are also accelerating their entry into “JD Instant Delivery”. With intensified investment in business development models, infrastructure construction, and supporting policies, both JD and Meituan are stepping up efforts to seize market share.

    Table 8: Platform Characteristics Comparison

    Infrastructure JD Instant Delivery Meituan Flash Sale
    Warehouse Mode Centralized Warehouses (self-operated) + Branded Stores (as front warehouses) Flash Warehouse + Offline Retail Stores
    Delivery Service DADA Instant Delivery(contracted couriers) + JD Logistics Third-party Service Provider Contracted Couriers
    Introduction Stage

    Policy Advantages

    		 0% commission for select premium merchants

    “Billion-RMB Subsidy” campaign for JD Food Delivery users

    Job & insurance support for couriers

    		 0% commission for Flash Warehouse franchising (initial investment > RMB 300K)

    Exclusive UV privilege, “Climbing Plan” course and customized support for new merchants
    Digital Platform JD Instant Delivery Open Platform Meituan Morning Glory System
    Coverage Area As of May 2024, JD Instant Delivery has covered 2,300 counties/cities, with 500K+ partner stores As of October 2024, Meituan has had over 30K flash warehouses
    UV Entrance JD App (homepage + search bar) Meituan Homepage + Meituan Food Delivery

    Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute

    Meituan’s instant retail business is an extension of its food delivery capabilities, relying on third-party franchises and offline retail store partnerships for warehousing, and service-provider-based courier models. This asset-light strategy plays to Meituan’s platform operation strengths, enabling rapid territorial expansion across cities.

    JD’s instant retail business places greater emphasis on its “self-operated” model, leveraging its early investments in e-commerce warehousing as a key foundation. It expands operations based on regional fulfillment centers while strengthening partnerships with offline stores, particularly branded chain stores, to enhance delivery efficiency and ensure product quality, a strategy that aligns with users’ existing perception of JD’s authenticity and logistics capabilities in e-commerce. The supply of local couriers primarily relies on contracted riders from DADA Instant Delivery. In recent years, JD Group’s increasing equity stake in DADA has further strengthened its influence over last-mile delivery in the instant retail sector.

    The attention generated by the “Food Delivery Battle” and the boom of instant retail has created invisible pressure for traditional e-commerce giants like Taobao. Taobao, backed by Alibaba’s vast ecosystem, including Tmall Supermarket, Amap, Ele.me, Freshippo, and Alipay, has promising opportunities in the local life service sector. However, the coordination between different business units and the logistics efficiency within the last 3 to 5 kilometers remain key challenges that the platform must overcome to scale its instant retail business.

    At present, Taobao Flash Sale appears to be a combination of Ele.me’s original food delivery services and Taobao’s previous “hourly delivery” feature, swiftly entering the competition to drive UV and user engagement. During the Labor Day holiday, topics such as #Taobao Flash Sale Crashed# even trended on social media platforms.

    For Meituan, instant retail represents a new growth engine; For JD.com, it is a strategic lever to drive growth across its entire e-commerce ecosystem. Compared with the overt and covert competition between the two giants, the rapid launch of Taobao Flash Sale is more of a defensive move. Its long-term prospects remain to be seen. For now, all major platforms are still focused on strengthening infrastructure and optimizing operational efficiency, with instant retail shaping up to be a long-term battle.

    About MoonFox Data

    As a sub-brand of Aurora Mobile, MoonFox Data is a leading expert in data insights and analysis services across all scenarios. With a comprehensive, stable, secure and compliant mobile big data foundation, as well as professional and precise data analysis technology and AI algorithms, MoonFox Data has launched iAPP, iBrand, iMarketing, Alternative Data and professional research and consulting services of MoonFox Research, aiming to help companies gain insights into market growth and make accurate business decisions.

    About Aurora Mobile

    Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) established in 2011, is a leading customer engagement and marketing technology service provider in China. Its business includes notification services, marketing growth, development tools, and data products.

    For Media Inquiries:

    Contact: zhouxt@jiguang.cn | Website: http://www.moonfox.cn/en

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Edward S Robinson: Welcome remarks – 12th Asian Monetary Policy Forum

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning.
    Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, 
    Managing Director Chia Der Jiun,
    Distinguished speakers, central bank colleagues,
    Honoured Guests.

    Introduction

    Thank you for taking the time to be here for the 12th Asian Monetary Policy Forum. We are greatly honoured that DPM Heng Swee Keat has been able to join us. He provided the impetus to the inception of ABFER/AMPF a decade ago and has continued with strong counsel and encouragement.  DPM as a policymaker internalises the economic way of thinking. He applies careful and thoughtful analytical reasoning based on the evidence to a range of policy issues, including enhancing the economy’s macro-competitiveness. He has made significant contributions to the strengthening of Singapore’s international trade relationships and holds a deep conviction in the benefits of comparative advantage and broader economic complementarities across countries. DPM has played a pivotal role in ingraining the principles and practices that define Singapore’s robust, forward-looking approach to economic policy making. 

    The Global Economic Context

    In 2024, the global economy was showing clear signs of recovery. Inflation was easing, growth was holding steady at potential, and central banks were beginning to cut policy rates. Yet today, prospects have darkened against conditions of underlying unpredictability.

    The Economics of Protectionism

    Economists readily acknowledge the firm case against protectionism. Import taxes destroy trade benefits by disrupting efficient resource allocation and reducing consumer surplus, as domestic households face higher prices and fewer choices. Both the targeted and tariff-imposing economies suffer. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham joins global cities Kyoto and Jaipur as World Craft City status awarded

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Birmingham has officially been recognised as a World Craft City – making it one of just eight in Europe to receive the prestigious designation from the World Crafts Council.

    This signifies a landmark moment for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, placing the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter – home to an internationally renowned community of jewellers, makers and creative businesses – firmly on the global stage.

    Led by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT) and co-applicants Birmingham City University, a bid for World Craft City status was supported by Birmingham City Council and the Goldsmiths Company and submitted in October 2024.

    A rigorous application and judging process took place, with an international panel of judges visiting Birmingham in April 2025.

    During the judging visit, the international panel experienced the Quarter’s vibrant ecosystem of heritage and innovation first-hand. Their tour included a visit to the iconic School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University – established in 1890 and housed in a stunning Grade II-listed building on Vittoria Street – where they took part in a silversmithing workshop, viewed the artistry and craftsmanship of current students, and attended a special presentation delivered by BCU staff, the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Derrick Anderson CBE, and representatives from world-renowned local jewellery firms.

    Elsewhere in the Jewellery Quarter, judges stopped at the Birmingham Assay Office, Cooksongold, and the historic Coffin Works. Across the three-day visit, dozens of businesses, institutions and individuals came together to demonstrate the area’s exceptional craft culture and its commitment to both preserving and evolving traditional skills.

    Cllr Saima Suleman, Birmingham City Council cabinet member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, said:

    “Being named a World Craft City is brilliant recognition for Birmingham and especially for the Jewellery Quarter. The Jewellery Quarter has long been celebrated for its craftsmanship and innovation, and this designation recognises the area’s heritage and enduring excellence.

    “This recognition will help bring new opportunities for investment, tourism and international partnerships. We are proud to support the creative communities driving this forward and look forward to seeing how this recognition will positively shape the city’s future”

    Matthew Bott, Chair, Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT), said:

    “This is a moment of real pride – not just for the Jewellery Quarter, but for Birmingham and the West Midlands. We’ve always known the value of what happens here, and now the world does too. Our thanks go to everyone who helped us reach this point, and we look forward to working with partners old and new to build on this incredible foundation.”

    David Mba, Vice Chancellor, Birmingham City University, said:

    “This is such exciting news. Being recognised as a World Craft City puts a global spotlight on the skills, creativity and community we have here in Birmingham. At the School of Jewellery, we already attract talented students and practitioners from across the world – but this recognition will help us go even further. It will strengthen our international reputation, open up new collaborations, and inspire even more promising students to come here to study, work and create – a perfect example of our strategic ambition to develop the talent for tomorrow”

    With the designation now confirmed, the JQDT, supported by City Curator Alex Nicholson-Evans, will use this recognition as a springboard for further ambition. Starting with launching the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial, the UK’s jewellery festival. Envisaged as a citywide celebration, plans for the Biennial include open studios, jewellery fairs, heritage tours, a trade conference and a flagship exhibition – shining a spotlight on both internationally acclaimed artists and emerging talent, selected through a UK-wide open call.

    The new status also opens the door to international partnerships, funding opportunities and collaborative projects – not just for the Jewellery Quarter, but for the city and wider region. With both the Jewellery Quarter and Stoke-on-Trent now recognised as World Craft Cities, the West Midlands is fast becoming a national leader in championing craft as culture. From Birmingham’s world-renowned jewellery sector and Stourbridge’s glass industry, to Walsall’s historic leather trade and Sandwell’s specialist textile industries, the region boasts extraordinary depth and density in making and manufacturing.

    The World Craft City designation is awarded by the World Crafts Council – a UNESCO-affiliated organisation – to places that demonstrate exceptional craft heritage, a strong maker community, and a clear commitment to developing craft into the future. The title is independently verified and peer-reviewed, making it a meaningful and credible marker of quality.

    WCC AISBL President, Mr Saad Al-Qaddumi, said:

    “The World Crafts Council AISBL International (WCC AISBL) is very happy to recognise Birmingham as a WCC-World Craft City for Jewellery and allied-trades. This title celebrates the city’s rich heritage, skilled artisans, creative designers, proud makers, and innovative contributions to the jewellery industry. It is a reflection of Birmingham’s continued leadership in heritage craftsmanship and its role in shaping the future of the jewellery trade and creative economy across the UK and globally.”

    To stay in the loop on the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial, you can register your interest by visiting: www.birminghamjewellerybiennial.com

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • IPL 2025: Rain in focus as RCB-PBKS take centerstage for title clash in Ahmedabad

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to welcome its new winner on Tuesday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on each other in the title clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift their maiden silverware.

    RCB and PBKS have been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. Both sides have come close to lifting the IPL trophy but ended as runners-up. RCB played three finals (2009, 2011, 2016) before this year’s title clash, while Punjab had their chance in 2014.

    With the excitement among fans of both franchises reaching the pinnacle, the encounter is going to be a nail-biting affair. However, the weather is likely to make it more intense for the fans with a rain threat looming around the match.

    According to AccuWeather, the temperature in Ahmedabad will be around 36°C at the beginning of the game, dropping to around 31°C by the end. Humidity levels will range between 52% and 63% during match hours. The sky is expected to be cloudy for most of the time, and there is around 2% to 5% chance of rain to interrupt the game.

    In case of a washout on Tuesday, the IPL 2025 final will be played on the reserve day – Wednesday. In case of a complete washout on both days, which is highly unlikely, the team that has finished at the top (Punjab Kings) will lift the title.

    Ahmedabad also hosted the IPL final in 2023, which was significantly disrupted by rain. The match, initially set for May 28, had to be postponed without a single ball being bowled. Fortunately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India utilised a reserve day to hold the final the following day.

    However, rain continued to interfere, leading to a shortened contest, with the second innings limited to just 15 overs. Ravindra Jadeja’s last-ball heroics guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title against the home side Gujarat Titans.

    (IANS)

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RSH publishes its quarterly survey for Q4 2024-25

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    RSH publishes its quarterly survey for Q4 2024-25

    The report covers the period 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025. 

    The Regulator of Social Housing has today (Tuesday 3 June 2025) published the results of its latest quarterly survey of private registered providers’ financial health.

    Providers continued to build and acquire much-needed new social homes, spending £13.6bn in the 12 months to March 2025. This compares to £14.4 billion in the year to March 2024. 

    Over the next year, providers plan to spend a further £14.8bn on development, of which £10.7bn is committed. 

    This comes as housing associations continue to invest record amounts in existing stock. 12-month spend on repairs and maintenance totalled £9.0 billion, a 13% increase on the previous year, and the forecast  spend for the next 12 months also increased to a record £9.9 billion.  

    Lending to the sector remains strong, with £4.3 billion of new finance arranged in the quarter, the second highest level in almost five years. 

    Available liquidity increased to the highest level in two years, as both undrawn facilities and cash balances increased in the quarter. The level of cash and undrawn facilities would be sufficient to cover the sector’s forecast expenditure on net interest costs (£4.6 billion), loan repayments (£3.5 billion) and net development for the next year (£12.6 billion), even if no new debt facilities were arranged and no sales income were to be received. 

    The investment in existing and new homes alongside increased debt levels means that the level of aggregate cash interest cover (excluding sales) stood at 82% for the 12 months to March 2025, consistent with the previous quarter, and is forecast to remain restricted at an estimated 65% for the next year.

    75 providers (38%) anticipate reporting an impairment charge in their 2024/25 accounts. This compares to 66 (33%) in 2023/24 and 54 (27%) in 2022/23.  

    The total anticipated impairment charge is £407 million, of which £276 million relates to social housing assets. 

    Will Perry, Director of Strategy at RSH, said:  

    Landlords are continuing to build new homes for the future, although spend was lower this quarter as landlords invest record amounts on existing homes. These major investments to improve fire safety, damp and mould as well as other issues are vital for keeping tenants safe in their homes. 

    Landlords continue to make trade-offs in response to financial pressures but investor confidence remains strong and we will continue to support this through our regulation, including these surveys, as well as our inspections and stability check programme.” 

    Notes to editors

    1. The report is based on the financial regulatory returns from 200 private registered providers (housing associations and other private registered providers, including for-profits), who own or manage more than 1,000 homes.  

    2. Through its annual stability checks, RSH considers whether each provider’s current viability grade is consistent with the information contained in their regulatory returns. RSH focuses on indicators of financial robustness and evidence of any significant changes in risk profile.  

    3. RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.

    4. For general enquiries email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk. For media enquiries please see our Media Enquiries page.

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    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists send pets with cancer to radiation therapy using unique neutron capture technology

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Based at the Laboratory of Nuclear and Innovative Medicine (LNIM) Faculty of Physics Novosibirsk State University is collecting data to create a Tomographic Atlas of Animals — a large-scale database of images obtained during CT examinations of dogs and cats of various breeds, both healthy and cancer patients. This atlas will become the basis for training artificial intelligence in methods of diagnosing oncological diseases using tomographic data.

    — The use of AI for the analysis of tomographic images of animals will automate the diagnostic process, significantly reducing its dependence on the human factor. Research and treatment of our smaller brothers make a great contribution to the development of medicine and science in general. Studying animal diseases helps not only to improve their health and quality of life, but also to find new approaches to the treatment of cancer in humans, which is ultimately our goal. Artificial intelligence trained on the basis of the tomographic atlas will allow scientists to automatically receive descriptions of serial experimental studies of large groups of animals, taking into account their interspecies and intraspecies differences, — said Vladimir Kanygin, Head of the Laboratory of Nuclear and Innovative Medicine at the LYAIM PF NSU.

    The project is being implemented jointly with the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization “Siberian Research Center for Medicine and Biotechnology” (“Sibbiotech”), which provides technical and veterinary support: organizes examination of animals, their transportation, and also supports radiation therapy. The source of neutrons for NCT is the research nuclear reactor of Tomsk Polytechnic University.

    As Vladimir Kanygin explained, the employees of this non-profit organization have no direct connection to science, but their work is very important for scientists, since they provide technical and organizational aspects of conducting research and therapy, ensure the search for animals for testing and their transportation to the place of radiation therapy.

    – ANO “Sibbiotech” has contacts with several veterinary clinics and volunteer centers engaged in the help of homeless animals. They direct us cats and dogs for research and treatment. Thanks to this, even homeless dogs and cats have a unique chance to get highly qualified assistance to specialists who are studying therapeutic effects of radiation therapy using neutron capture technology. So far, this process is quite successful. Despite the fact that we are actively working on our tomograph only the last six months, today dozens of animals have passed through it. Among them were not only four -legged patients in whom we conducted a search for tumor formations, but also injured animals. So, in early April, through our partners – ANO “Sibbotech” – volunteers brought a cat found on the street to the tomographic center of our laboratory. The volunteers said that they had once been home, and then the owners threw it away. We found in her body 6 metal artifacts remaining from gunshot wounds. In addition, the cat revealed cancer. Thanks to a timely study, a correct diagnosis was made, the necessary treatment was prescribed and the animal was helped. There are other cases when, after CT, preliminary diagnoses made by the branches are seriously adjusted. For example, it turns out that the animal does not suffer from oncological disease, but in its body any inflammatory process develops. The treatment tactics are changing, and the animal receives the necessary help, ”said Vladimir Kanygin.

    According to LYAIM, over 100 animals underwent neutron capture therapy over three years. Many of them demonstrated significant improvement in their condition: decreased pain, improved quality of life, and in most cases, decreased or stabilized tumor size. A number of scientific articles have been published based on the results of the studies.

    In May, six animals underwent radiation therapy: two dogs and four cats diagnosed with melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and sarcoma. Among them was an Alabai with multiple tumor lesions on the head. The animals received therapeutic doses of radiation and are under remote observation by veterinary specialists from Tomsk. New groups of patients are formed regularly — not only residents of Novosibirsk and the region, but also pet owners from Moscow and St. Petersburg turn to scientists.

    According to experts, neutron capture therapy is effective in treating more than half of stage III and IV malignant tumors. Some animals that were previously offered euthanasia were saved and their condition improved.

    Special attention at LYAIM is given to such difficult-to-treat tumors as melanoma, glioblastoma, meningioma, and carcinoma. In most cases, a significant improvement in the condition and death of tumor cells are observed. The first positive results of therapy are usually recorded 1.5–2 months after the procedure. At the same time, the animals undergo a repeat CT examination, the data from which are also included in the tomographic atlas.

    Before CT scanning, animals are given a contrast agent under general anesthesia. All stages — from the administration of anesthesia to full awakening — are accompanied by a veterinary anesthesiologist, who monitors vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, breathing. The procedure is usually tolerated by animals easily and without complications. The scanning itself takes about 15-20 minutes, and the entire process takes an average of one and a half hours.

    In animals that have been operated on before, LAIM specialists often perform additional histological examinations at their own laboratory, and then a course of neutron capture therapy. They do not refuse help even in the case of advanced tumors with metastases, as well as in the case of malignant tumors of complex localization, such as the brain or spine, when other treatment methods are ineffective or impossible.

    In some cases, NRT can be administered in conjunction with chemotherapy.

    To launch the full-fledged work of artificial intelligence capable of diagnosing oncological diseases based on CT data, it is necessary to collect at least one and a half to two thousand tomographic images of each type of tumor, as well as thousands of scans of healthy animals of different species. The basis of the database will be images of cats and dogs, but it is planned to include data on other species – primates, rodents and other animals that have undergone tomographic examination. The study will include all stages of tumor development.

    – The primary basis of the tumor is determined at all stages, and our task is to teach artificial intelligence to diagnose one or another type of tumor primarily on animal models, so the creation of an electronic tomographic atlas is especially relevant. We see it as a constantly self -reinforcing, self -learning and self -expanding program, which will undergo a certain correction from the point of view of self -learning and from the point of view of improving the algorithm used. At the moment, we have established good working relations with colleagues from Singapore to form joint databases in some areas. The formation of a tomographic atlas is designed for a fairly long perspective. Rather, this is a kind of beta version of a specialized application that will improve the quality of the diagnosis, and its use will imply the user’s participation in improving this program. Each user is involved in this project, since one of the conditions for using the tomographic atlas will be the replenishment of its database. In the meantime, we invite to cooperate the owners of cats, dogs and rodents. If there are suspicions that the pet had any neoplasm, or he already undergoes oncological treatment in a veterinary clinic, it is advisable to conduct an examination for CT for him. Our scientists, using the tomographic and histological base of the laboratory, will make a diagnosis or clarify it if it is already delivered by other specialists, and many pets will be offered radiation neutron therapy on the reactor of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. And the pet’s data will replenish the tomographic atlas, on the basis of which artificial intelligence will be trained, ”Vladimir Kanygin explained. 

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Property sales fall 10.9%

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Land Registry logged 6,442 sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in May, down 10.9% compared with April and 12.5% lower year-on-year.

    The total consideration for such agreements in May dropped 0.5% from the previous month to $49.8 billion, representing a 20% year-on-year decrease.

    Of the agreements, 5,105 were for residential units, amounting to a 10.3% decrease from April and an 8% drop from a year ago.

    The total consideration for residential units was $38.2 billion, down 9.4% compared with April and 28.3% lower year-on-year.

    There were 403,745 land register searches last month.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Intending to Distribute Three Kilograms of Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daval Byrams, age 22, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to possessing three kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute them.  United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Byrams admitted that on March 11, 2025, he traveled from the Capital Region to New York City to pick up cocaine, and that when he returned home that evening, he was carrying a bag containing three one-kilogram bricks of cocaine.  Law enforcement arrested Byrams as he departed from a bus in Schenectady, New York. 

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “When a defendant traffics this volume of cocaine to the Northern District of New York, he should expect that my office and our law enforcement partners will find him, seize his drugs, and send him to prison.  It’s that simple.”

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Narcotics trafficking continues to have a devastating impact on our local communities. The FBI will continue to work in concert with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force to identify, investigate, and apprehend traffickers whose actions wreak havoc on our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”

    At sentencing, Byrams faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

    The FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force – which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Since 2011, entrepreneurs have bought about 6.7 thousand real estate properties outside the capital’s center

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In almost 15 years, small and medium businesses have purchased about 6.7 thousand real estate properties outside the center of the capital under preemptive rights. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “Small businesses are actively interested in non-residential real estate outside the center of Moscow. This is due to the uniform development of the urban environment and high consumer and business activity in different areas of the capital. Thus, since 2011, representatives of small and medium businesses have purchased from the city under the preemptive right about 6.7 thousand non-residential premises and buildings with a total area of more than 1.3 million square meters outside the Central Administrative District. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, almost 200 entrepreneurs took advantage of this opportunity – they acquired over 26.5 thousand square meters of real estate. This is almost twice as much as in the same period last year, when small and medium businesses privatized almost 100 objects with a total area of more than 14.1 thousand square meters,” commented Vladimir Efimov.

    Redemption by preemptive right is a measure to support small and medium-sized businesses, enshrined in Federal Law No. 159-FZ of July 22, 2008. Such transactions are concluded without a tender. Representatives of small and medium businesses buy real estate at a market price determined by independent appraisers. Entrepreneurs can do this either in installments over seven years with monthly or quarterly payments.

    “Since 2011, small businesses have bought the largest number of leased premises in the south of the capital – more than one thousand objects with a total area of over 186.5 thousand square meters. In the north of the city, more than one thousand objects with a total area of about 212 thousand square meters were also registered as property, in the southwest – 938 premises with a total area of 168 thousand square meters, and in the northeast of the city – about 820 objects, the area of which is almost 148.5 thousand square meters,” she noted.

    Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of City Property.

    Businessmen who have been leasing real estate for at least one year and are included in the register of small and medium-sized businesses can buy it from the city. Lease rights must be acquired at regular auctions under general conditions.

    If the property is sold at a specialized auction for small and medium-sized businesses, the lease term before redemption must be at least two years. At the same time, the premises must be listed in the list of objects intended for use by small and medium-sized businesses for at least five years.

    To buy out the real estate leased from the city, you need to apply for the state service “Paid alienation of real estate leased by small and medium-sized businesses from the state property of the city of Moscow.” This can only be done electronically atmos.ru portal.

    Quickly find out the main news of the capital inofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154719073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025

  • After month-long exposition in Vietnam, holy Buddha relics return to India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The holy relics of Lord Buddha returned to India on Tuesday after a month-long exposition tour across Vietnam.

    The relics were ceremoniously received at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi. The delegation accompanying the relics was led by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati , along with representation from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) led by Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden Rinpoche, Secretary General, and National Museum officials.

    “The holy relics will be publicly displayed at the National Museum, Delhi, for a day, allowing devotees and dignitaries to offer their respects. A formal prayer meeting with senior monks, IBC officials, and diplomats will follow,” the IBC said in a post on X.

    “On June 4, the relics will travel in a Presidential cavalcade to Sarnath via Varanasi, where they will be ceremonially enshrined at Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, marking the grand conclusion of this historic international pilgrimage,” it added.

    The sacred tour in Vietnam, spanning multiple locations from the south to the north, drew more than 17.8 million devotees in total.

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar had called the exhibition of these relics in Vietnam an “expression of close and friendly ties over centuries.”

    The ceremonies included relic processions, meditative gatherings, chanting, and educational sessions, fostering spiritual mindfulness among attendees of all ages.

    The holy relics arrived in Vietnam from India on May 2 with an Indian delegation led by Union Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, which also included Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh, senior monks and officials.

    The relics were supposed to remain in Vietnam until May 21 as part of the UN Day of Vesak celebrations.

    However, India extended the enshrinement of sacred relics in Vietnam beyond May 21, on the recommendation of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs after a formal request from Vietnamese government, said the local media.

    The relics were displayed at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, then in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province, Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi, Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam, Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh province, Phuc Son Pagoda, Bac Giang Province, Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery in Quang Ninh, Chuong Pagoda in Hung Yen and Quan Am Ngu Hanh Son Pagoda in Da Nang City of Vietnam.

    (With inputs from IANS)

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: HashiCorp Expands Unified Lifecycle Management for Hybrid Cloud Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today at HashiDays London, its first international user conference as an IBM company, HashiCorp unveiled the vision for partnering with IBM to shape the future of hybrid cloud automation. Despite widespread adoption, most enterprises have not reached cloud maturity — out of the 94% using cloud services, only 20% are receiving full ROI. IBM estimates that one billion new AI applications will emerge by 2028, driving greater cloud complexity and forcing enterprises to make critical decisions about their hybrid cloud strategies. Together with IBM’s software automation portfolio, HashiCorp is delivering the automated hybrid cloud platform that unifies infrastructure and security workflows, reduces complexity, and enhances visibility and control.

    At HashiDays London, HashiCorp announced new products and integrations that expand the capabilities of its Infrastructure Cloud across Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management (ILM and SLM) to help organizations automate hybrid infrastructure delivery, reduce operational risk, and improve security posture throughout the entire application lifecycle.

    “I’m excited to welcome our global community to HashiDays 2025, where we are sharing our vision for how HashiCorp and IBM will work together to build an automated hybrid cloud platform,” said Armon Dadgar, CTO and Co-Founder, HashiCorp. “With this vision, we’ll deliver a unified control plane that powers hybrid applications, embedding policy, automation, and observability into every layer of the stack, so enterprises can modernize securely, streamline operations, and unlock AI-driven automation at scale.”

    For more than 10 years, HashiCorp has helped thousands of customers across every geography and industry do cloud right. At HashiDays, customers from EMEA and APAC, including Booking.com, BT Group, Helvetia Insurance, HTX, InfoCert, shiftavenue, Trust Bank, SPH Media, and more, are sharing stories of how they manage cloud infrastructure and security with HashiCorp.

    Infrastructure Lifecycle Management

    As customers scale their hybrid strategies with IBM and HashiCorp, Infrastructure Lifecycle Management (ILM) continues to be a foundational priority. From building landing zones to enabling secure Day 2+ automation, organizations are using ILM to drive faster delivery and infrastructure resilience across teams and environments.

    Helvetia Insurance | How Terraform supported an ambitious cloud migration

    Founded in 1858 and headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Helvetia Insurance Group is a major player in the European insurance market. A few years ago, the cloud enablement team started a complete migration from on-premises datacenters to the public cloud. The ambitious goal: move 200 applications to AWS and Azure within one year. Using HashiCorp Terraform, Helvetia’s cloud enablement team created landing zones — fully configured cloud accounts with connectivity and policies — for its internal product teams. They then collaborated with a partner to build modules for hardened virtual machines and other critical resources allowing them to follow a lift-and-shift approach, expediting the migration without sacrificing security or governance. “Terraform was instrumental in achieving our migration goals. Without it, moving 200 applications in about a year would have been impossible. Our teams now have the tools to work faster and with greater confidence,” said Matthias Mertens, Cloud Solution Architect, Helvetia Insurance.

    HashiCorp’s ILM capabilities help platform and operations teams accelerate delivery, enforce policy, and optimize infrastructure from Day 0 to Day N. Today’s announcements expand support for secure, policy-enforced infrastructure delivery with new features across Terraform, Packer, Nomad, and Waypoint. These updates automate critical workflows that improve team productivity and infrastructure resilience throughout the full lifecycle.

    Build: Define and provision infrastructure in a standardized, scalable way to avoid configuration drift and manual rework.

    • Terraform ephemeral resources (GA): Protect sensitive values from persisting in state files
    • Sentinel policy library for AWS (GA): Enforce secure-by-default configurations with pre-written policies
    • Terraform + Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform: Enable orchestration of complex infrastructure workflows with end-to-end infrastructure as code

    Deploy: Enable repeatable, secure, and policy-aligned delivery of applications and environments.

    • HCP Waypoint actions (GA): Offer Day 2+ lifecycle workflows like rollback and restart, exposed through UI or CLI, to provide an internal developer platform that shields users from the underlying infrastructure complexity

    Manage: Monitor, update, and deprecate infrastructure components securely and efficiently across teams and environments.

    • HCP module revocation: Prevent use of revoked modules in HCP Terraform as part of module lifecycle management
    • HCP Terraform Premium SKU: Unlock advanced governance and private VCS support
    • Dynamic host volumes (Nomad): Enable more flexible, scalable provisioning of persistent storage across Nomad clients, essential for stateful workloads that require resilient storage operations in dynamic environments
    • Terraform provider for IBM Z: Empower organizations to integrate their mainframe platforms into modern workflows and hybrid cloud strategies

    Security Lifecycle Management

    As organizations modernize their infrastructure, their security surface area grows, along with the need to continuously inspect, protect, and govern sensitive data. Security Lifecycle Management (SLM) ensures that identity-based security, secrets management, and access governance are built directly into hybrid workflows, rather than bolted on after deployment.

    IG Group | Strengthened security while accelerating delivery with HCP Vault

    “As a security leader, my job is to reduce risk for my company without slowing down our development teams,” said Andrew Blooman, Platform Security Team Lead, IG Group. “Over the past few years, HashiCorp has helped us achieve these goals as we adopted multiple products for a number of use cases. We started with Community Edition versions of Vault, Nomad, and Consul, used HashiCorp Professional Services to accelerate this deployment, and added HCP Vault this year. We now have 63 teams onboarded to HCP Vault, with a centralized GitOps workflow allowing for version control, change approvals, and an audit log of newly onboarded teams.”

    HashiCorp’s SLM capabilities help security and compliance teams safeguard sensitive data, enforce access policies, and maintain governance from Day 0 through Day N. These updates provide proactive tools for visibility, access control, and cryptographic assurance across hybrid environments, and reflect continued investment in helping teams move faster without compromising control.

    Inspect: Identify and address potential security gaps before infrastructure or applications reach production.

    • HCP Vault Radar (GA): Detect and remediate unmanaged secrets and credential sprawl across environments
    • Consul 1.21 (GA): Simplify external service monitoring architecture for enhanced observability and service registration in complex environments

    Protect: Enforce identity-based access and secure application communication across environments.

    • Boundary transparent sessions (GA): Provide secure access to systems without altering user workflows
    • Vault and Consul integrations for Red Hat OpenShift: Streamline secure access across containerized workloads
    • Bring your own DNS to HCP Vault Dedicated: Improve connectivity and security posture in regulated environments, available now in AWS and coming soon to Azure

    Govern: Automate governance of credentials, policies, and encryption standards across systems and teams.

    • Vault Enterprise 1.19: Includes post-quantum cryptography updates, constrained certificate authorities, and automated root password rotation

    Together with IBM, HashiCorp is delivering the unified lifecycle foundation that modern enterprises need to scale securely and confidently in a hybrid world. Recent announcements, including Terraform Enterprise support for IBM Z and Vault Enterprise support for IBM Z and LinuxONE, bring HashiCorp’s ILM and SLM expertise to the mainframe, further enabling hybrid cloud automation that stretches from on-premises to private and public cloud.

    For more information and detailed coverage of all Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management announcements at HashiDays 2025, please visit the HashiCorp blog.

    About HashiDays
    HashiDays is taking place in London on June 3 and Singapore on July 22. During the multi-city event, attendees will hear from community members, partners, and customers about the latest advances in HashiCorp’s cloud infrastructure products. The HashiDays London keynote and morning sessions will be available to watch via live stream. The live stream link will be shared on the HashiDays homepage 30 minutes before the keynote begins at 9:30 a.m. BST.

    About HashiCorp
    HashiCorp, an IBM company, helps organizations automate hybrid cloud environments with Infrastructure and Security Lifecycle Management. HashiCorp offers The Infrastructure Cloud on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) for managed cloud services, as well as self-hosted enterprise offerings and community source-available products. For more information, visit hashicorp.com.

    All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

    Red Hat, the Red Hat logo, OpenShift and Ansible are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.

    Media and analyst contact
    media@hashicorp.com 

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MAJOR SAFETY UPGRADES TO BE INSTALLED AT CITY JUNCTION

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 3rd June 2025

    Work will begin next week to fit a city junction with major new safety features, to protect pedestrians and provide better links to public transport.

    Work will begin next week to fit a city junction with major new safety features, to protect pedestrians and provide better links to public transport.
     

    The junction at Park Hall Road and Weston Road will get three new pedestrian refuge points as well as a new footpath linking to existing bus stops, and access to Park Hall Country Park.

    The safety upgrade comes in response to residents’ concerns and follows a number of incidents – including the tragic death of a pedestrian in December 2023.  

    Roadworks will be in place for six weeks while the work is carried out.

    Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for infrastructure, regeneration and transport at Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “This junction has been problematic for some time, and I made it a priority to get this sorted.

    “There have been a high number of near misses and incidents, including the tragic death of a local resident, who died just yards from his home on a walk he had been doing for a many years. I hear frequently from local people about how unsafe the junction is, and I have been to see for myself on a number of occasions.

    “We have listened to residents and made taking action at this junction a priority.

    “This is a busy junction and we appreciate there will be some disruption while this vital work is carried out. We thank motorists for their patience, but trust everyone will recognise the benefits of this work in creating a safer Stoke-on-Trent.”

    Businesses will operate as normal and access to residents will be maintained.

    Please plan journeys in advance.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing Library takes home 3 more international awards

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

    Beijing Library, located in the sub-center of the Chinese capital, has recently clinched three top international awards, pushing the young institution’s tally to seven global accolades since its opening in late 2023.

    The library’s Metaverse Experience Hall captured the Best Interactive Capabilities award at the 2025 Vega Digital Awards. Judges praised the hall’s usage of cutting-edge technologies to address the limitations of traditional library services, offering an immersive reading and learning environment for visitors.

    Meanwhile, the library’s Data Visualization system won the Platinum A’ Design Award for 2025. The system merges digital-twin modeling, 3D GIS and real-time rendering, projecting a live, immersive map of the building and nearby landmarks onto an 18-meter-wide interactive screen.

    Rounding out the trio of honors, Beijing Library’s interactive project “Reading Garden” took home the 2nd place of the 2025 IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award. This project builds digital gardens for each child reader, creating an engaging and interactive journey that fosters lifelong reading habits.

    These latest wins raise Beijing Library’s haul to seven international prizes since its opening. The institution has so far hosted more than 5,000 cultural events and welcomed 4.79 million visitors.

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s young kitchen wizards establishing careers as on-demand chefs

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

    A wok sizzled as garlic chives and Chinese kale hit hot oil, while pork rib and lotus root soup simmered with a bubbling sound on a stove. In addition, a whole fish, steamed and doused in soy sauce, could be spotted on the kitchen counter, neighboring a pile of spicy crawfish coated in chili oil.

    Ding Yuqing, 23, juggled preparation of these dishes while navigating an unfamiliar kitchen. A college student in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, she was making a hometown feast for a family who hired her to cook in their home.

    “I love cooking,” she said. “Such home-cooking visits have improved my skills, and I really enjoy cooking for others.”

    Ding is part of a rising wave of young Chinese embracing a new gig, that of on-demand chef. Often students, office workers or freelancers, they offer homemade meals to time-starved urbanites seeking the likes of health, comfort and a taste of home.

    On social media, the trend is hot. Hashtags related to “on-demand chefs” have amassed over 1.45 billion views on Douyin and more than 35 million on “rednote,” an app better known as Xiaohongshu. Notably, last month, a viral story about a woman earning nearly 20,000 yuan (about 2,784 U.S. dollars) a month cooking six meals a day rocketed to the top of Sina Weibo’s trending list.

    HEALTH ON THE MENU

    For Ding, it all began with a few food photos. Over the winter break last year, she posted snapshots of her home-cooked dishes online. To her surprise, requests started rolling in, asking: “Can you come cook for me?”

    “At first, I was nervous cooking in someone else’s kitchen,” she admitted. “Now it’s second nature.”

    She currently offers services within a 10-kilometer radius on weekends and during school breaks. Before each visit, she discusses taste preferences with her clients and asks them to supply ingredients and seasonings. After preparing meals, she also tidies up, washes dishes and even takes out the trash for her clients.

    For a typical order of three dishes and one soup, Ding receives a payment of 80-100 yuan.

    Most of her clients, she noted, are young people juggling hectic schedules. One repeat customer, a 30-year-old office worker, has hired her more than 30 times. “This customer and her husband are both too busy to cook,” Ding explained.

    China’s busy urban workers have long relied on the country’s sprawling food delivery sector, which employs over 10 million scooter-riding couriers, but Ding’s case may reflect a consumption upgrade, with a sizable number of urbanites willing to dig deeper into their pockets for healthier and bespoke alternatives to takeout.

    Li Xiaoyang, a 30-year-old from Wuhan, said this new type of service became essential for him after a bad experience with takeout left him sick for a week.

    “Having someone cook for you means personalized dishes, better hygiene and a more relaxed atmosphere, whether it’s a family dinner or a classmate reunion,” Li said.

    Entrepreneurs have taken notice of this booming market. Hu Quanyu, founder of Chef51, an on-demand platform that connects professional chefs with customers, said the service now operates in over 50 cities across China and works with more than 1,500 chefs.

    Hu plans to launch a new platform aimed at part-time cooking enthusiasts, allowing them to pick up orders posted by users. The system will provide basic checks like ID and health certificates.

    “The new service of on-demand home cooking is more affordable and flexible for budget-conscious young consumers,” he said, adding that the trend reflects changing consumption habits among China’s younger generation, who, fueled by rising incomes, are increasingly investing in health, convenience and quality of life.

    A report by Zhiyan Consulting underscored this shift. It showed that the value of China’s health and wellness market surpassed 1 trillion yuan in 2023 — with people aged 18 to 35 accounting for 83.7 percent of this market.

    SIDE HUSTLE TURNS SERIOUS

    China’s “on-demand economy” has diversified rapidly in recent years, with services ranging from in-home elderly care to space organization within homes. These offerings have been hailed for meeting personalized consumer demands, thus promoting consumption, but also for creating much-needed new job opportunities.

    Back in 2022, the Chinese government issued a guideline aimed at improving gig economy services to boost employment.

    The number of flexible workers in China exceeded 265 million in 2024, including 175 million engaged in platform-based gig work, according to an industry report by Hangzhou-based Gongmall, a digital solutions provider for the gig sector. By 2050, total wages in the sector are expected to exceed 50 trillion yuan.

    Still, the fast-growing on-demand chef industry is not without risks and shortcomings. While recognizing its contribution to flexible employment and urban lifestyles, Hu Junjie, a lawyer based in Hubei, said safety and liability concerns remain due to a lack of regulations governing this novel service.

    The lawyer thus called for a clearer legal framework, better protection for workers, and more oversight from relevant platforms and authorities. “That said, China already has similar platform services like food delivery and taxi-hailing, management of which is quite mature, and thereby serves as a useful reference,” he added.

    For some, like Xia Lu (not her real name), the on-demand chef role has evolved from a side hustle to a full-time profession. Burned out from long working hours, the 27-year-old native of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, known among her social media followers for her fiery, flavor-packed cooking, quit her job with a foreign-owned company in Beijing in late 2023.

    She now charges at least 128 yuan per home-cooking trip and handles up to three clients a day. While her current income, about 7,000 yuan a month, is lower than her previous job, Xia relishes the greater freedom it offers her.

    “When the weather’s good, I go hiking. When it rains, I rest,” she said. “I’ve never felt so free and fulfilled.”

    She’s planning to leave Beijing next summer to open a private kitchen in Yunnan, a southwestern province known for its beautiful scenery, slower pace of life and constant flow of hungry tourists.

    For Ding Yuqing, meanwhile, the momentum is only just beginning.

    “I believe the on-demand chef industry will continue to grow,” she said. “It not only meets the evolving needs of health-conscious consumers, but also gives passionate cooks like me a meaningful and flexible career path.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese fireworks spark growth with expansion into Africa

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

    At the headquarters of a fireworks company in Liuyang City, central China’s Hunan Province, Hu Yichuang guided clients through the dozens of fireworks on display in the showroom.

    This photo taken on Dec. 28, 2024 shows people watching a fireworks show in Liuyang City, central China’s Hunan Province. (Xinhua)

    From time to time, he scanned QR codes on the packaging with his smartphone, instantly bringing the dazzling spectacle of each firework to life on screen.

    “These videos give clients a clearer visual understanding of how the products perform,” Hu said.

    Born in the 1990s, Hu took over the family business after completing his studies abroad. He now serves as general manager of Happy Fireworks Export Trading Co., Ltd., which has exported more than 500 types of fireworks products to over 60 countries worldwide.

    An experience abroad gave Hu a fresh perspective on the fireworks industry in his hometown of Liuyang.

    “During my time in Britain, I witnessed how fireworks displays became the highlight of London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, with spectators reserving premium viewing spots up to six months in advance,” Hu recalled.

    What truly astonished him was the discovery that the majority of these dazzling pyrotechnics originated from Liuyang, which filled him with both pride for his hometown and professional inspiration.

    “This revelation showed me how highly sought-after our hometown’s fireworks are overseas,” Hu said. “Liuyang’s pyrotechnics have tremendous potential in the global market.”

    The discovery steeled his resolve to return home, join the family business, and expand its international footprint in the fireworks industry.

    Liuyang, acclaimed as China’s fireworks hub, is currently home to 431 fireworks production enterprises with annual output exceeding 50 billion yuan (about 6.96 billion U.S. dollars). The city’s fireworks account for approximately 70 percent of China’s total exports, reaching consumers across the world.

    With traditional Western markets nearing saturation, Liuyang’s fireworks industry is increasingly focusing on emerging markets, including Africa, according to Wen Guanghui, chairman of a local fireworks industry association.

    “Africa’s booming population, vibrant festival culture, and rising purchasing power are driving rapid growth in the fireworks market,” Hu said.

    He added that his company has identified Africa as a strategic growth engine for its global operations and has established partnerships with enterprises in seven countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda. “Our fireworks exports to Africa are on track to hit 10 million yuan this year.”

    Liuyang fireworks are gaining steady recognition across Africa. Sebunya Hussien, a Ugandan pyrotechnics distributor who has long been engaged in fireworks sales and displays, recalled how “China’s Liuyang” kept appearing during his online searches for premium suppliers when he was working on expanding his import channels.

    After viewing a series of production process demonstration videos released by Hu’s company, along with vlogs documenting their staff’s participation in international trade exhibitions and market research trips across global markets, Hussien promptly reached out to the company. This initial contact ultimately led to his 40-hour cross-continental journey to conduct an on-site inspection in Liuyang.

    Witnessing firsthand how simple paper tubes are transformed into breathtaking aerial displays — and learning about Liuyang’s advanced pyrotechnic manufacturing processes — left Hussien deeply impressed. He said this experience has cemented his commitment to forging long-term partnerships with Liuyang’s fireworks producers.

    To better align with African market preferences, local fireworks manufacturers are continuously refining their product strategies.

    “African clients favor fireworks with vibrant colors and high-intensity bursts,” Hu explained. “Building on China’s popular ‘viral fireworks’ trends, we’ve developed innovative products that deliver stunning visual impact alongside exceptional cost-performance.”

    Hu noted that the company has also launched a new line of daytime fireworks specifically designed to meet the needs of African consumers for sporting events, weddings, and other daytime celebrations.  

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A pedestrian crossing will appear on Graivoronovskaya Street across the MCD-2 tracks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Another overground pedestrian crossing will appear in the Tekstilshchiki district. It will be built on Graivoronovskaya Street near building 5. This was reported by the head of the capital’s Department of Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure Vasily Desyatkov.

    “The design of the facility is currently underway. Its appearance will allow for unimpeded crossing of the MCD-2 railway tracks, and will also create an additional comfortable route for students and teachers of the Presidential Academy College. A new safe pedestrian connection will also appear between the Pechatniki and Tekstilshchiki districts,” Vasily Desyatkov noted.

    The 85-meter-long structure will be equipped with three staircases. In addition, elevators and overhead ramps will be installed.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin reported that a line had been opened between the Tekstilshchiki stations of the Big Circle and Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya metro lines. pedestrian gallery.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154721073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 3, 2025

  • Shashi Tharoor-led delegation meets Brazil’s Acting Foreign Minister, discusses enhancing anti-terror cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor held a meeting with Brazil’s Acting Foreign Minister Maria Laura da Rocha on Monday and discussed strengthening bilateral collaboration on anti-terrorism, multilateralism, and democratic values.

    The Indian Embassy in Brazil said in a statement, “A high-level All-Party Delegation led by MP Shashi Tharoor met Acting Foreign Minister of Brazil, Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha. They thanked Brazil for its understanding against terrorism, shared views on the Pahalgam attack, and discussed strengthening cooperation on anti-terrorist cooperation, multilateralism, and democratic values.”

    Earlier, the delegation met Brazilian Senator Nelson Trad Filho, President of the India-Brazil Friendship Front in the Federal Senate, and conveyed India’s bipartisan resolve, while thanking Brazil for its support in the global fight against terror.

    The delegation also briefed Ambassador Celso Amorim, Head Adviser to the President of Brazil, on India’s resolute response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and discussed the need for strengthened global cooperation against terrorism, alongside shared commitments to peace, security, and democratic values.

    In a post on X on Monday, Tharoor said: “Our day in Brasilia begins with a visit to the Presidential Palace, where we meet with my old friend the Diplomatic Advisor to the President, Ambassador Celso Amorim (Brazil’s longest-serving Foreign Minister twice & Defence Minister once). A full & rewarding discussion followed.”

    After successful visits to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, the nine-member Indian delegation arrived in Brazil on Sunday evening (local time).

    The delegation includes Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Sarfaraz Ahmad, Telugu Desam Party MP GM Harish Balayogi, Bharatiya Janata Party MPs — Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

    (With inputs from IANS)

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Land Registry releases statistics for May

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Land Registry today (June 3) released its statistics for May 2025.
     
    Land registration    
    ——————-
    *   The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in May was 6 442 (-10.9 per cent compared with April 2025 and -12.5 per cent compared with May 2024)
     
    *   The 12-month moving average for May was 5 643 (1.3 per cent below the 12-month moving average for April 2025 but 17.1 per cent above that for May 2024)
     
    *   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements of building units in May was $49.8 billion (-0.5 per cent compared with April 2025 and -20.0 per cent compared with May 2024)
     
    *   Among the sale and purchase agreements, 5 105 were for residential units (-10.3 per cent compared with April 2025 and -8.0 per cent compared with May 2024)
     
    *   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $38.2 billion (-9.4 per cent compared with April 2025 and -28.3 per cent compared with May 2024)
     
    Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme, etc, unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.
     
    Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.
     
    As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.
     
    Land search    
    ————-
    *   The number of searches of land registers made by the public in May was 403 745 (+9.6 per cent compared with April 2025 but -0.3 per cent compared with May 2024)
     
    The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Identity released in Bellerive investigation

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Identity released in Bellerive investigation

    Tuesday, 3 June 2025 – 4:35 pm.

    Police investigations are continuing into the death of a 45-year-old man whose body was found in an industrial-sized garbage bin at Bellerive.
    Officers from South East Criminal Investigation Branch have today returned to the Eastern Shore suburb and, in particular, the Percy Street area where the man’s body was found about 9am on Monday (June 2) at the rear of a business premises.
    Police, with the permission of the man’s family, have released his name – Luke Jon Telega – and a photograph of him in the hope members of the public will come forward with information as to his movements.
    “Mr Telega was last seen alive on Saturday night at 10pm, but there remains a gap in the timeline until the discovery of his body by a garbage contractor on Monday morning,” Detective Inspector David Gill said.
    “Detectives have today spoken with members of the public, conducted further door knocking of homes and businesses, and reviewed CCTV footage.
    “An autopsy was conducted earlier today and details of this will not be released to the public. However, police have confirmed there were no visible signs of injury.
    “Police continue to maintain an open mind and treat the death as a case of misadventure, or foul play, or a potential combination of both.”
    Anyone who may have seen Mr Telega in the Bellerive and greater Hobart area, especially on Sunday, June 1, or has information that can assist police is asked to contact 131 444.
    Information can also be supplied anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

    June 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Konsolidator launches financial data warehouse – Built for finance, not IT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release no. 3-2025
    Copenhagen, June 3, 2025

    Konsolidator launches financial data warehouse – Built for finance, not IT
    Today, Konsolidator announces the launch of its financial data warehouse, designed specifically for CFOs and finance teams. Built to tackle the data overload facing finance departments, the solution delivers structured, reliable data for reporting without relying on internal IT resources. Part of the product pillar from the company’s 2025–2027 “Resilient Growth” strategy, the data warehouse utilizes Konsolidator’s core expertise in financial reporting.

    A new foundation for financial data
    Konsolidator’s financial data warehouse taps into Konsolidator’s existing experience in financial reporting. The purpose of Konsolidator’s financial data warehouse is to give finance professionals a clean, structured view of their data, ready for reporting and decision-making. Finance teams today face a clear problem: too much data, from too many systems, and no clear way to use it. ERP systems, CRMs, spreadsheets, and planning tools provide complexity instead of insight.

    “It’s no longer about access to data—it’s about making sense of it. You need a solution built for finance, not developers,” says Lars Højer Paaske, Head of Product at Konsolidator.

    A solution for teams without the internal IT resources

    The financial data warehouse is designed for finance teams who want control over their data, without needing internal or external IT experts to build and maintain infrastructure. Fully integrated with Microsoft Fabric and Power BI, the solution enables advanced analytics, transaction-level transparency, and automated reporting workflows. Many companies lack the internal expertise to build or maintain a data warehouse. Konsolidator’s hosted solution has built-in governance, security, and compliance—so finance teams can focus on insight, not infrastructure.

    2025-2027 strategy: Broader product offerings

    The financial data warehouse is, together with the upcoming FP&A tool, part of Konsolidator’s broader “Build, Buy or Partner” approach. It is one of four strategic pillars of the Resilient Growth strategy and the first step in launching The Konsolidator Suite—our new platform approach that gives finance teams end-to-end control over their data, from consolidation to reporting, and fits into a more holistic view of finance digital ecosystems.

    We’re building solutions that make CFOs better with reliable data, not just in the monthly reporting, but to feed into the overall strategy.

    “This is the first step into something bigger,” says CEO Claus Finderup Grove. “We’re moving beyond ‘just being a consolidation product’ to become a central part of the entire finance department. We believe finance teams already have the right skills and data—they just need the right tools to use it.”

    Contacts

    About Konsolidator
    Konsolidator A/S is a financial consolidation software company whose primary objective is to make Group CFOs around the world better through automated financial consolidation and reporting in the cloud. Created by CFOs and auditors and powered by innovative technology, Konsolidator removes the complexity of financial consolidation and enables the CFO to save time and gain actionable insights based on key performance data to become a vital part of strategic decision-making. Konsolidator was listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark in 2019. Ticker Code: KONSOL

    Attachment

    • Press Release no. 3-2025 – DwH

    The MIL Network –

    June 3, 2025
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