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  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Grayskull Culminates in Lengthy Sentences for Managers of Darkweb Site Dedicated to Sexual Abuse of Children

    Source: US FBI

    Operation Grayskull Eradicated Four Dark Web Child Abuse Sites and Led to the Convictions of 18 Offenders to Date, Who Have Collectively Received More than 300 Years in Prison

    Today, the Justice Department announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To date, the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including a Minnesota man who was sentenced yesterday to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.

    “Today’s announcement sends a clear warning to those who exploit and abuse children: you will not find safe haven, even on the dark web,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong.  Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners we have exposed these perpetrators for who they are, eliminated their websites and brought justice to countless victims.”

    “This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”

    “Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks.”

    Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise and conspiracy to distribute child pornography on Feb. 27. According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, advertised and distributed CSAM over the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the web site, which, among other things, involved moderating the site, enforcing the site’s rules for posting CSAM, and advising the site’s users about how to post CSAM.

    In addition to Katsampes, eight individuals have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement in running the primary site targeted by Operation Grayskull.

    Defendant Residence Case Status
    Selwyn David Rosenstein Boynton Beach, Florida

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Matthew Branden Garrell Raleigh, North Carolina

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Robert Preston Boyles Clarksville, Tennessee

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Gregory Malcolm Good Silver Springs, Nevada

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    William Michael Spearman Madison, Alabama

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Addison Martin Tahuya, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Joseph Robert Stewart Milton, Washington

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

    Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
    Keith David McIntosh Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.

    Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.

    The website’s leaders advertised and distributed CSAM, promulgated rules for the website, enforced the rules by banning or scolding users who violated them, held staff meetings, recruited members to serve as staff members, recommended users for promotion, edited and deleted user posts, praised individuals for participating in and contributing to the website, kept records of CSAM posts made by individual members, and paid for and maintained the website servers, among other things.

    Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of a total of four sites dedicated to images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. These websites were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement – for example, by using sophisticated technologies.

    In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites, including the following:

    • Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
    • Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
    • Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
    • David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
    • Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
    • Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
    • Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
    • Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
    • Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.

    Two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.

    The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.

    Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller of the Southern District of Florida coordinated the operation and prosecuted the defendants in the Southern District of Florida.

    Substantial assistance for the cases prosected in the Southern District of Florida was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Tacoma, Washington; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Wisconsin, Western District of Washington, Western District of Michigan, and District of Minnesota.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Prime Minister Modi meets King Charles III at Sandringham Estate

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on His Majesty King Charles III at Sandringham Estate, the summer residence of the British monarch, during his visit to the United Kingdom.

    During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his happiness over the recovery of His Majesty’s health and the resumption of his royal duties. The two leaders held discussions on a range of issues including health, sustainable living, and traditional practices such as Ayurveda and Yoga. Both sides expressed interest in promoting these practices for the benefit of people around the world.

    Bilateral relations between India and the United Kingdom also featured in the talks. The leaders noted that the recent signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) would bring new momentum to the partnership. The Prime Minister briefed His Majesty on the progress made by India in the field of renewable energy, with a focus on sustainable development.

    Discussions also covered areas of cooperation on climate change and sustainability, and both leaders reiterated their shared commitment to working together towards a greener future. The two also explored ways to strengthen collaboration within the framework of the Commonwealth.

    Prime Minister Modi thanked His Majesty for joining the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign and presented him with a sapling, which will be planted at Sandringham Estate during the upcoming autumn planting season.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Baird Applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA for Reorganization Efforts and Moving Operations to Indiana

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

    Congressman Baird Applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA for Reorganization Efforts and Moving Operations to Indiana

    Washington, July 24, 2025

    Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) applauded U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s announcement on reorganizing the department to better align with its mission of supporting American agriculture by moving a portion of USDA’s operations to Indianapolis, IN.

    “For far too long, our federal agencies in Washington, D.C., have made decisions affecting millions of Americans with no connection to the people they serve,” said Congressman Baird. “The bloated bureaucracy in the swamp has grown, while the services our federal agencies provide have not improved, all at taxpayers’ expense. I am proud that the USDA has chosen to make better use of taxpayer funds through this reorganization and relocate a portion of the agency to the great State of Indiana. Our state truly is the crossroads of America, and with our thriving and diverse agricultural industries, Secretary Rollins made an excellent decision in choosing to relocate USDA closer to our farmers. Indiana boasts of its diverse agricultural products and exports and is one of the top agricultural states in our country. With our excellent land-grant universities and their extensions, Indiana is also a leader in research and development, making our state uniquely poised to provide our farmers with access to cutting-edge innovations and technologies. I thank Secretary Rollins for her outstanding leadership at USDA and for her continued commitment to prioritizing our great American farmers and producers.”

    “We are thrilled to see the responsiveness of Secretary Rollins and the administration to support farmers and ranchers by moving government closer to farmers and ranchers. A big win for Indiana and Midwest farmers in particular,” said Scott Beck, President of Beck’s Hybrids.
     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • PM Modi, UK PM Keir Starmer hold ‘chai pe charcha’ at Chequers

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with his UK counterpart Keir Starmer at Chequers, the countryside retreat of the British Prime Minister. A photo shared by PM Modi in a post on X showed the two leaders engaged in a deep conversation over tea.

    In his post, PM Modi said, “‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with PM Keir Starmer at Chequers… brewing stronger India-UK ties!”

    At the same venue, the two leaders also interacted with business leaders, highlighting the importance of the recently signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which they said has opened up new avenues for trade and investment.

    “Interacted with business leaders at Chequers. The signing of the India-UK CETA has opened up new avenues for trade and investment. It marks a pivotal step in strengthening our economic partnership,” PM Modi posted on X.

    The leaders also toured an exhibition showcasing flagship products and innovations from both India and the UK. In another post, PM Modi said, “At Chequers, PM Keir Starmer and I saw an exhibition which gave a glimpse of the strong economic linkages between India and the UK. With the signing of CETA, these linkages will rise manifold.”

    Later, the Prime Ministers interacted with young players from the Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs, where PM Modi gifted them a bat signed by the Indian cricket team that won the T20 World Cup.

    Sharing moments from the interaction, PM Modi posted, “India and the UK are connected by a shared passion for cricket. At Chequers, PM Keir Starmer and I interacted with players from Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs. Great to see sport fostering people-to-people ties between our nations. Also gave my young friends a bat signed by the Indian cricket team which won the T20 World Cup.”

    The two leaders also posed with the Premier League trophy. Sharing the photograph on X, PM Modi said, “Football is widely admired among India’s youth and several football clubs based in the UK are very popular in India.”

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Could climate anxiety be a form of pre-traumatic stress disorder? A psychologist explains the research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology, Edge Hill University

    Malchevska/Shutterstock

    We are living in an age of anxiety. People face multiple existential crises such as climate change and conflicts that could potentially escalate into nuclear war.

    So how do people cope with competing threats like this? And what happens to climate anxiety when wars suddenly erupt and compete for our attention?

    Climate change affects our physical and mental health, directly through extreme climate-related droughts, wildfires and intense storms. It also affects some people indirectly through so-called “climate anxiety”. This term covers a range of negative emotions and states, including not just anxiety, but worry and concern, hopelessness, anger, fear, grief and sadness.

    A team of researchers led by Caroline Hickman from the University of Bath surveyed 10,000 children and young people (aged 16 to 25 years) in ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, the UK and the US). They found that 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily lives. It was worse for respondents from developing countries.

    Climate anxiety can potentially serve a positive function. Anger, for example, can push people to act to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

    But it can also lead to “eco-paralysis”, a feeling of being overwhelmed, inhibiting people from taking any effective action, affecting their sleep, work and study, as a result of them dwelling endlessly on the problem.

    Climate anxiety is not included in the American Psychiatric Association’s authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. In other words, it is not officially recognised as a mental disorder.

    Climate anxiety relates to other forms of clinical anxiety.
    Malchevska/Shutterstock

    Some say this is a good thing. The author and Stanford academic Britt Wray wrote: “The last thing we want is to pathologise this moral emotion, which stems from an accurate understanding of the severity of our planetary health crisis.”

    But if it is not officially recognised, will people take it seriously enough? Will they just dismiss people who suffer from it as “snowflakes” – too sensitive and too easily hurt by the hard realities of life. This is a major dilemma.

    I explore how climate anxiety relates to other types of clinical anxiety in my recent book, Understanding Climate Anxiety, recognising that there are adaptive and non-adaptive forms of anxiety.

    According to Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist from the University of British Columbia, adaptive anxiety can “motivate climate activism, such as efforts to reduce one’s carbon footprint”. Maladaptive anxiety, however, may “take the form of anxious passivity”, he warned, where the person feels anxious but utterly helpless.

    Identifying different types of climate anxiety, understanding their precursors and how they interact with personality is a major psychological challenge. Identifying ways of alleviating climate anxiety and making it more adaptive, and focused on possible climate mitigation, is a major societal challenge.

    But there’s another important issue. Some global leaders, including Donald Trump, don’t believe in human-induced climate change, claiming it’s “one of the great scams”. He seems to view climate anxiety as an overblown reaction to propaganda pumped out by a biased media.

    This can make the experience much worse for those who feel anxious but then having their feelings dismissed.

    Some psychologists argue that climate anxiety can be a form of pre-traumatic stress disorder. This hypothesis arose from observations of climate scientists and their growing feelings of anger, distress, helplessness and depression as the climate situation has worsened.

    In 2015, researchers devised a new clinical measure to assess pre-traumatic stress reactions using items found in the diagnostic and statistical manual for post-traumatic stress disorder, but now focused on the future rather than the past, asking about “repeated, disturbing dreams of a possible future stressful experience”, for example.

    They tested Danish soldiers before their deployment in Afghanistan and found that “involuntary intrusive images and thoughts of possible future events … were experienced at the same level as post-traumatic stress reactions to past events before and during deployment”.

    They also found that soldiers who experienced higher levels of pre-traumatic stress before deployment had an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder after their return from the war zone. Their hypervigilance primed their nervous system to react more strongly when anything untoward occurred.

    This would suggest that we need to take stress reactions to future anticipated events such as climate change very seriously.

    The crisis response

    But how important is climate anxiety in the context of these other threats? Researchers assessed the emotional state and mental health of people aged 18 to 29 years in five countries (China, Portugal, South Africa, the US and UK) focusing on three global issues: climate change, an environmental disaster (the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan), and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

    They found the strongest emotional engagement was with the ongoing wars, with climate change a close second, and the radiation leak third. The strongest emotional responses to the wars were concern, sadness, helplessness, disgust, outrage and anger. For climate change, the strongest responses were concern, sadness, helplessness, disappointment and anxiety.

    All three crises made young people feel concerned, sad, and very importantly helpless, but climate change has this burning level of anxiety added into the bubbling mix.

    It seems that climate anxiety still has this undiminished power regardless of all the other awful things that are currently happening in the world, and I suspect the stigma of being dismissed as “snowflakes” makes this particular fear response all the more unbearable.

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

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

    Geoff Beattie has received funding from the British Academy and the AHRC to investigate psychological barriers to climate change mitigation and the effects of climate change on emotional responses.

    – ref. Could climate anxiety be a form of pre-traumatic stress disorder? A psychologist explains the research – https://theconversation.com/could-climate-anxiety-be-a-form-of-pre-traumatic-stress-disorder-a-psychologist-explains-the-research-260849

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester Guest City programme announced for iconic Barcelona La Mercè 2025 festival

    Source: City of Manchester

    The programme has been announced for Manchester’s role as Guest City at this year’s iconic La Mercè festival in Barcelona – which each year attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into the city for a 6-day cultural festival that sets the very highest of bars for festivals everywhere, showcasing the very best of traditional Catalan culture, outdoor arts, and music.

    Manchester was chosen last year by its Catalan counterparts to be the first-ever English guest city at this year’s event which takes place from 23 – 28 September.

    A Memorandum of Understanding signed between Manchester and Barcelona last year, noted that the two cities share both a very similar industrial past with histories that are linked to workers’ movements, as well as a present and future with great cultural wealth linked to the creative industries. 

    The Memorandum kicked off a cultural collaboration between the two cities, providing a working framework for artists, organisations, and other partners, focusing initially on music and street arts events for this year’s La Mercè festival.

    Since then the two cities have been working closely to put together a spectacular programme of Mancunian grown talent in outdoor arts and music for audiences in Barcelona to enjoy.

    Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said:  “Guest City status for Manchester at this year’s La Mercè festival is a huge honour for us and we’re enormously grateful to our partners, colleagues and friends in Barcelona for the opportunity to collaborate and play a part in their iconic festival.

    “Culture and diversity are big deals for us in Manchester and play a vital part in helping strengthen and shape our communities, pride and prosperity. Thanks to our wonderfully diverse artists, venues, festivals, and creative workforce, culture has had a transformative effect on our city.

    “The Manchester programme for La Mercè showcases the very best of our fantastically diverse cultural scene and our hugely talented artists and creators.

    “We hope it gives a flavour of the vibrant and thriving cultural scene we have here in Manchester and look forward to further strengthening our ties with the great city of Barcelona and welcoming new visitors and audiences to our city off the back of this.”

    The resulting programme is a celebration of fantastic outdoor work created by Manchester artists and organisations. 

    Highlights in the special cultural exchange include two unique new commissions from Manchester-based creators working with Barcelona-based performers, alongside new work created to celebrate Manchester and its people at La Mercè.

    The programme for Manchester as Guest City has been led by XTRAX and Without Walls. It showcases the diverse cultural communities of Manchester and the rich diversity of the UK outdoor arts scene – including parades, dance, music, poetry, fire and installations.

    Maggie Clarke, Director at XTRAX, said: “I’m delighted that Manchester will be Guest City at La Mercè 2025, which is the result of many years of collaboration between XTRAX and colleagues in Barcelona City Council and the Catalan arts scene. La Mercè is recognised as one of the greatest festivals of outdoor arts in the world, and it is an honour to present some of the fantastic work from Manchester at this prestigious event.

    “XTRAX firmly believes in the importance of outdoor festivals, and their valuable role in bringing people and communities together. Our programme at La Mercè celebrates the diversity and quality of work from our region and we hope will inspire other global cities to seek collaborations with Manchester and the great artists from our city.

    “I’m thrilled to have secured a great opportunity for UK artists in Barcelona and we look forward to continuing this exchange by hosting Barcelona artists in Manchester in 2026, and ongoing collaboration in years to come.”

    Manchester at La Mercè has been produced by XTRAX, and co-curated by Without Walls.

    Ralph Kennedy, Chief Executive at Without Walls, said: “We’re honoured to have collaborated with XTRAX as a strategic partner for Mercè Arts de Carrer (MAC), the La Mercè outdoor programme.  Without Walls has been proudly based in Manchester since its founding, and we’re absolutely thrilled to be part of this exciting city to city partnership.

    “Manchester is a vibrant hub for some of the best outdoor art being created in the UK today.  The programme of shows curated by XTRAX and Without Walls for Barcelona, in partnership with the artistic director of MAC, stands as a testament to the city’s incredible creative energy.”

    The Manchester at La Mercè programme features several major collaboration projects between Manchester and Barcelona artists, as well as new work created especially for this unique event.

    Here are some of the highlights:

    Bee for Barcelona

    Carnival arts specialists Global Grooves (Manchester) team up with renowned Catalan artists Pau Reig and Dolors Sans (Barcelona) to create Bee for Barcelona – a striking new collaboration to create two Giant Bees, celebrating shared industrial heritage, cultural pride, and artistic exchange. These Giants will perform in front of thousands of people as part of La Mercè world famous Parades of Giants and Beasts.

    Queen Bee Gigante, wears a costume reflecting Greater Manchester’s communities and cotton legacy. She transforms into a maypole, surrounded by 30 community dancers and musicians in a fusion of Morris and Classical Indian dance—re-imagining May Day and Carnival traditions.

    Alongside her, Worker Bee, a 4-metre kinetic sculpture, shimmers with hand-painted silks encased in fibreglass, evoking stained glass. Copper legs and cog motifs nod to the textile mills and industrial histories of Manchester and Barcelona and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.

    Blending Mancunian, Catalan, Pan-African, and South Asian influences, the project features 30 diverse performers from groups including Saddleworth Women’s Morris and Clog, and The Indian Association Oldham’s Dancing Diyas.

    Leon Patel, CEO, Carnival arts organisation Global Grooves, said: “Queen Bee and Worker Bee tell a powerful story of how they earned their stripes.

    “Queen Bee represents the evolution of that labour into opportunity, progress, culture, and celebration.  She is not born of royal blood, but is Queen for a day, like the Cotton Queens of Greater Manchester’s mill towns, the Carnival Queens of the Afro-Brazilian tradition, and the flower-crowned May Queen.  Work Bee honours the sweat and toil of workers wo build Manchester’s global industrial might.

    “Both bees will be animated in parades and performances at La Mercè accompanied by an original musical score blending Mancunian, Catalan, Pan-African, and South Asian sounds.”

    Both bees will be brought to life in parades and performances with an original multicultural musical score.

    Global Grooves producers visited Barcelona in March 2025, with Pau Reig and Dolors Sans joining a Manchester residency from 21–27 July 2025.

    Bee for Barcelona is commissioned by XTRAX for MCRxLaMerce2025. Supported by Manchester City Council, Arts Council England and XTRAX. Funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), GM Arts, Oldham Council, and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

    Following its premiere at La Mercè 2025, Queen Bee Gigante and Worker Bee will return for Manchester Day in July 2026.
                                                                                                       

    The Ultimate Player’s Handbook

    Manchester’s leading contemporary dance company Company Chameleon has been commissioned to create a new dance performance, The Ultimate Player’s Handbook, for La Mercè with Barcelona dance duo Clémentine & Lisard

    In the heart of a town’s square, a living handbook unfolds — one written not on paper, but in movement, strategy, and play.

    The Ultimate Player’s Handbook is a vibrant street performance that explores the games we play every day – where rules are made and broken, roles shift between winner and loser, and cooperation is as vital as competition.

    Co-directed by Company Chameleon (UK) and Clémentine & Lisard (CAT), the piece transforms public space into a playground where teams form, alliances shift, and every move asks us to reflect on the parts we play.

    With music, dance, and celebration, this handbook in motion invites us to question: how do we navigate rules – and how do we bring a sense of playfulness in our everyday lives?

    Barcelona-based Clémentine & Lisard have spent the last two weeks in Manchester (14-25 July) to create this new choreographed performance with two of Company Chameleon’s dancers and Artistic Director Kevin Turner, MBE, at Company Chameleon’s studios in Gorton.

    Kevin Turner, MBE, Artistic Director of Company Chameleon said: “International collaboration has always been at the heart of Chameleon’s work, and we’re delighted to be working with Clémentine & Lisard. The commission allows us to work with a really exciting and innovative Barcelona based dance company and create something new and interesting.  The collaboration gives us the chance to learn from each other, explore commonalities in our practice, and share and benefit from each other’s touring networks.”

    Blending the athletic and emotionally rich movement styles of both groups, the work will debut at La Mercè in Barcelona on 24, 27, and 28 September 2025 and return for Manchester Day 2026.

    The Ultimate Players’ Handbook is commissioned by XTRAX and the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona and funded by Arts Council England and Manchester City Council.

    Barcelona Bee Hive

    Another World Premiere, Barcelona Bee Hive will also be created especially for Manchester at La Mercè.

    Artizani is a UK-based arts company specialising in spectacular theatre performed in unconventional spaces. One of Europe’s most stylish and striking street theatre acts, their work is accessible and thought-provoking, featuring high production values and a surreal twist.

    The bee is the symbol of Manchester – historically representing its hard-working, unified community, and more recently serving as a powerful emblem of unity and resilience.

    Audiences are invited to wander among the honey-perfumed colony, tended by ethereal beekeepers, and peer into surreal miniature worlds of ‘working’ wonder.  In a specially commissioned new bee hive, created to celebrate Manchester at La Mercè, visitors can see Mancunian bees enjoying scenes from traditional Catalan festivities.

    Barcelona Bee Hive is commissioned by XTRAX and funded by Arts Council England and Manchester City Council. 

    OUR CITY SPEAKS – poetry films from Manchester                                                                                    

    Another unique project developed especially for Manchester’s programme at La Mercè that celebrates Manchester’s wealth of poets and spoken word artists working in a wide range of diverse styles and languages.

    A captivating curated selection of short films featuring some of the city’s current leading poetry performers will take viewers on a journey through poetry that talks about identity, unity, resistance, and resilience.

    Jo Flynn, Director of External Affairs, Manchester City of Literature said: “Barcelona and Manchester already share cultural ties as sister UNESCO Cities of Literature, and in many ways their dynamic cultural identity and literary boldness align too. We’re thrilled at Manchester City of Literature to be part of La Mercè programme celebrating this partnership with Manchester poetry films on stage for the festival in September. We can’t wait to see where the partnership between the cities will take us next, across all artforms.”

    Manchester UNESCO City of Literature has curated this collection to share with Catalan audiences in Manchester’s sister UNESCO City of Literature during La Mercè.

    The project builds on Manchester City of Literature’s strong relationship with Barcelona City of Literature which has seen a number of artistic exchanges. The partnership between the two UNESCO Cities of Literature has seen Manchester novelists, poets and performers featured at Barcelona Literary festivals throughout 2025, in celebration of La Mercè. Barcelona poets will be commissioned to help translate the work of the Manchester poets into Catalan, so the works can be understood by local audiences and a number of Catalan poets will be invited to share work about Barcelona in Manchester in 2026.

    The project has been commissioned by XTRAX, funded by Manchester City Council and Arts Council England, and is delivered in partnership with Manchester City of Literature and Barcelona City of Literature.

    Fire Garden by Walk The Plank

    Walk the Plank, one of the UK’s leading outdoor arts specialists, will bring their acclaimed Fire Garden installation to Trinitat Park for La Mercè 2025. Known for creating ambitious public celebrations and immersive outdoor spectacles for over thirty years, the company will transform the park into a glowing landscape of metal, fire and music created by local musicians in Barcelona.

    Liz Pugh, Creative Producer for the Fire Garden, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing some Mancunian magic to La Mercè, and particularly excited to see how our installation of kinetic fire sculptures animate Parc de la Trinitat in a new and different way.  To be invited to bring UK work to the heart of the Catalan cultural festival is an honour indeed.”

    Walk the Plank will be working with students recruited from local colleges, offering the opportunity for young people from Barcelona and elsewhere to work alongside the company’s professional fire technicians.

    Liz added: “Investing in the talent of the next generation is important to us, and we seek to provide opportunities for young people to gain experience. The chance to work alongside international artists is valuable for young people: they can gain new skills and expand their ideas of what is possible through culture. We look forward to welcoming some of the Catalan artists, the musicians and the students to Manchester next year too – let’s find a way to repay the warm invitation which the city of Barcelona and MAC festival are offering to us.”

     

    Other dynamic performances from Manchester outdoor arts companies featuring at La Mercè festival in Barcelona in September 2025 will include: Company Chameleon – Umbra; DamaeDance – IRMÃ-sister; Ghetto Fabulous – Family Catwalk Extravaganza; Joseph Toonga, Just Us Dance Theatre – Born to Protest; Mark Anderson in collaboration with Liam Walsh – Warning Notes; Motionhouse – WILD; Mr Wilson’s Second Liners; Stopgap Dance Company – RO-TES រទេះ

    Music programme

    The Manchester Guest City music programme at La Mercè is presented by Manchester Music City, led by Brighter Sound.

    Kate Lowes, Director, Brighter Sound (sector lead Manchester Music City) said: “We’re thrilled to announce such an exciting group of artists representing Manchester at La Mercè 2025 – Children of Zeus, Chloe Slater, Clara la San, Porij, Ríoghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet, and Space Afrika – a powerful showcase of the city’s rich and genre-defying music scene. We’re also proud to be supporting a brand-new musical collaboration between Manchester’s Werkha and Catalan artist Queralt Lahoz, which will premiere at the festival. As a member of the Music Cities Network, Manchester is proudly international in its musical outlook. This is a fantastic opportunity to deepen creative exchange between Manchester and Barcelona, and to celebrate our shared love of music on an international stage.”

    International Speakers Panel Discussions and Professional Networking Events                               

    Alongside the outdoor performance programme at La Mercè there will also be a number of panel discussions and networking events exploring the importance of outdoor festivals in giving visibility to cultural communities and bringing people together.

    These discussions will include international speakers and policy makers and will be attended by festival organisers, local authorities, artists and producers from across Europe. These events are a prelude to Mondiacult, the world’s biggest cultural policy conference for the member states of UNESCO taking place in Barcelona from 29 September – 1 October 2025.

    This programme has been organised by XTRAX, Without Walls, La Mercè, ICEC Catalan Arts and Unlimited, with support from British Council and the British Embassy in Spain.

    The Manchester guest city programme at La Mercè  is being supported by Arts Council England through a grant to producers XTRAX.

    Jen Cleary, Director North West, Arts Council England said: “We’re proud to be supporting Manchester’s Guest City programme at La Mercè in Barcelona this September. Not only will it create opportunities for talented Mancunian artists to showcase their work on an international stage, but it is a shining example of how arts and culture can support greater connections and dialogue between cities and communities across the world. La Mercè is a major event in the European outdoor arts calendar and we can’t wait to see Manchester take pride of place as the Festival’s Guest City.” 

    Find out full details about the Manchester programme at La Mercè  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation Launches 2025 AI Bootcamps

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Mark Cuban Foundation today announced significant updates and a nationwide expansion of its free AI Bootcamps, designed to bring advanced artificial intelligence education to underserved high school students and educators. The program will operate in 29 cities across the U.S. this fall, reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to closing the digital divide and nurturing future innovators.

    Applications are now open for high school students (grades 9–12) and educators interested in the Teacher Bootcamp, a year-long, free professional development initiative. The AI Bootcamps are open to all high school students, and prioritize accepting girls, students of color, first-generation college-goers, and students from low-income backgrounds. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2025.

    “As AI becomes an integral part of daily life, it’s essential that all young people have access to this powerful technology,” said Mark Cuban, Founder of the Mark Cuban Foundation. “Our goal is to ensure that every interested student, regardless of background or resources, can explore AI and its limitless possibilities.”

    The updated curriculum includes hands-on experience with generative AI tools, modules on ethical AI, and specialized tracks covering healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, and future readiness. Participants will complete capstone projects under mentorship from industry professionals. Additionally, each location will now have a dedicated Teacher Fellow to further enhance educational outcomes and community involvement. Applications for the Teacher Fellowship program open in January.

    All student bootcamps will take place over three Saturdays (November 1, 8, and 15, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with meals, transportation assistance, and technology provided at no cost.

    Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation, emphasized, “By equipping underserved students and educators with practical AI skills and ethical insights, we’re actively working toward equity in education and preparing young people for the future.”

    Confirmed 2025 Bootcamp Locations:

    • Arizona: Tempe
    • California: Mountain View
    • Colorado: Denver
    • Connecticut: Hartford
    • Florida: Melbourne, Miami
    • Georgia: Atlanta
    • Illinois: Chicago
    • Indiana: Fort Wayne, Indianapolis
    • Iowa: Johnston (Des Moines area)
    • Kansas: Hutchinson
    • Michigan: Pontiac
    • Minnesota: Minneapolis
    • Missouri: St. Louis
    • Nebraska: Omaha
    • New York: New York City
    • North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh
    • Ohio: Cleveland
    • Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
    • Rhode Island: Providence
    • Texas: Houston, Richardson, San Antonio, Plano
    • Utah: Salt Lake City
    • Virginia: Richmond

    Key local partnerships include Girls Inc. in San Antonio, Miami Dade College in Florida, Electric Works in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Perficient in St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Plano, TX.

    Since 2019, the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp has successfully provided AI education to thousands of students in over 30 cities nationwide. The Teacher Fellowship, which began in March 2025 and runs through May 2026, supports 30 selected educators with stipends, mentorship, and national opportunities to showcase their achievements. Teacher Bootcamps have participants in 48 states and impact over 100,000 students.

    Interested students and educators can apply for bootcamps now at markcubanai.org. 

    Companies interested in hosting a future bootcamp can complete our interest form.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays, underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    Media Contact:
    bishop.wash@markcubanai.com

    The MIL Network –

  • India-UK relations enter new era with landmark deals on trade, tech and security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his official visit to the United Kingdom from July 23-24. The meeting, held at the British Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire.

    The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks, covering the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation.

    During the talks, the two sides welcomed the signing of the historic India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The agreement is expected to boost trade, investment, economic collaboration, and job creation in both countries, taking the strategic partnership to a new level.

    In a key development, the two countries also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention, which will support professionals and service industries by reducing operational costs and promoting competitiveness. Prime Minister Modi also proposed deeper cooperation between India’s GIFT City-India’s first international financial services centre-and the UK’s financial ecosystem.

    The two leaders adopted the India-UK Vision 2035, a roadmap for the next decade that aims to enhance cooperation in the areas of economy, technology, innovation, research, education, defence, climate action, health, and people-to-people ties.

    The finalisation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap was also welcomed. It aims to promote joint design, development, and production of defence products for domestic use and global markets. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the growing defence partnership and regular engagement between the armed forces.

    Underlining the importance of emerging technologies, the Prime Ministers agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Technology and Security Initiative (TSI). The TSI, which completed one year, focuses on areas such as telecom, critical minerals, AI, biotechnology, semiconductors, health technology, advanced materials, and quantum research.

    In the education sector, the leaders hailed the growing collaboration under India’s New Education Policy (NEP). Notably, Southampton University became the first foreign university to open a campus in India, in Gurugram, on June 16. Several other UK universities are expected to follow suit.

    The two Prime Ministers also acknowledged the significant contribution of the Indian diaspora in the UK across various fields, calling them a “living bridge” between the two countries.

    Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Starmer for his support and solidarity following the Pahalgam terror attack. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism and agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation to counter extremism and radicalisation. PM Modi also sought the UK’s assistance in bringing economic offenders and fugitives to justice.

    The leaders also exchanged views on key regional and global developments, including in the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Starmer to visit India at a mutually convenient time and thanked him for the warm hospitality.

    The following documents were signed/adopted by the two sides during the visit:

    ● Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [CETA]

    ● India-UK Vision 2035

    ● Defence Industrial Roadmap

    ● Statement on Technology and Security Initiative

    ● MoU between Central Bureau of Investigation, India and National Crime Agency of UK

  • MIL-OSI Africa: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.

    Read more: What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.

    Read more: Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    – What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers
    – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • PM Modi, UK PM meet industry leaders following India-UK trade pact

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met top business leaders from India and the United Kingdom on Thursday, following the signing of the historic India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

    Captains of industry from diverse sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, automobiles, energy, manufacturing, telecom, technology, IT, logistics, textiles, and financial services participated in the meeting. These sectors play a vital role in job creation and inclusive economic development across both countries.

    During the interaction, the two leaders acknowledged the growing momentum in bilateral trade and investment relations in recent years. They urged businesses to fully utilise the opportunities arising from the new trade pact, which is expected to significantly boost economic cooperation, investment flows, and innovation exchange.

    Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing economic growth through stronger bilateral collaboration. They observed that the CETA would not only strengthen business confidence in both economies but also contribute to the broader global economic landscape.

    As part of the engagement, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Starmer visited a special showcase displaying flagship products and technological innovations from both countries. The exhibition featured high-quality consumer goods, gems and jewellery, engineering products, and advanced tech solutions, reflecting the dynamic capabilities of Indian and UK industries.

    Business leaders from both sides welcomed the agreement and voiced optimism about its impact. They said the CETA would usher in a new era in the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with enhanced cooperation not only in trade and economic sectors but also in emerging fields such as education, innovation, research, and healthcare.

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province strengthens local evacuation routes, public notification planning

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The public notification and evacuation route planning funding stream of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) supports projects that develop or update evacuation route plans and/or public notification plans. This funding is provided by the Province and is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

    Local governments and First Nations throughout B.C. will receive nearly $2 million from the public notification and evacuation route planning (PNERP) funding stream as follows:

    Alert Bay – Review hazard and vulnerability assessment, develop evacuation route plan and develop a public information process.
    Amount: $46,844
    Sub-applicant: ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation

    Capital Regional District – Review and update evacuation planning guides and develop evacuation maps for Salt Spring Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Pacheedaht First Nation and Juan de Fuca.
    Amount: $40,000

    Central Coast Regional District – Develop a comprehensive emergency and disaster communications plan, conduct a gap analysis, identify multi-channel notification tools and provide staff training to enhance public alerting and responder co-ordination.
    Amount: $40,000

    Coldstream – Develop evacuation route and public notification plans for people, livestock and movement of property to a safe location.
    Amount: $40,000

    Columbia Shuswap Regional District – Update the Salmon Arm evacuation route plan within the Shuswap Emergency Program and enhance evacuation guidance for high-risk communities.
    Amount: $39,816
    Sub-applicant: Salmon Arm

    Cook’s Ferry Indian Band – Develop evacuation route and notification plans, identifying routes and transport modes and outlining emergency alert strategies.
    Amount: $40,000

    Cowichan Valley Regional District – Develop evacuation route plans to address high-risk communities.
    Amount: $160,000
    Sub-applicants: Duncan; North Cowichan; Ladysmith

    Delta – Create a public notification strategy, establish multi-channel alerts, partner with neighbouring First Nations and run a readiness exercise.
    Amount: $40,000

    Dzawada’enuxw First Nation – Create comprehensive evacuation route and public notification plans for Kingcome Inlet, including route mapping, multi-modal evacuation strategies, stakeholder co-ordination and community education.
    Amount: $40,000

    Fort St. James – Update the evacuation route plan, assess routes for alternative highway access and develop a multi-channel public notification plan integrated with an emergency alert system.
    Amount: $40,000

    Fraser Valley Regional District – New evacuation route plan for Boston Bar Electoral Area A.
    Amount: $40,000

    Gitxaala Nation – Ladm gyina sguuyu Gyinasguu sumsxsit Leave Something Good Behind: Update evacuation route and public notification plans using technologies and cultural knowledge, including identifying a new route to higher ground and planning for air and water evacuations.
    Amount: $40,000

    Granisle – Update evacuation route and public notification plans by mapping routes and transport options, integrating early warning tools, engaging the community and testing the plan with a tabletop exercise.
    Amount: $40,000

    Huu-ay-aht First Nations – Develop a clear evacuation route plan including identifying, mapping and capacity of available routes for residents and visitors.
    Amount: $36,193

    Kimberley – Develop an evacuation route plan, outlining route capacity, timelines, control points and best practices.
    Amount: $40,000

    Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans.
    Amount: $40,000

    Kootenay-Boundary Regional District – Develop water-based evacuation route plans for boat-only residents on Christina Lake using best practices from the 2023 North Shuswap evacuations.
    Amount: $40,000

    Lake Country – Align the municipal evacuation route and notification plan with the regional plan by collaborating with neighbours and Indigenous partners and adding geographic information system (GIS) mapping support.
    Amount: $40,000

    Langley Township – Update evacuation route plan, integrating BC Alerting technology, and update the public notification plan and tabletop exercises.
    Amount: $40,000

    Lheidli-T’enneh First Nation – Develop and implement a new evacuation route plan, including community consultations.
    Amount: $29,320

    Lions Bay – Develop a comprehensive new evacuation route plan, targeted public notification plan, community education, and evacuation drills.
    Amount: $40,000

    McLeod Lake Indian Band – Update evacuation route plan and evacuation communications strategy.
    Amount: $35,000

    Merritt – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans based on lived experiences of residents.
    Amount: $40,000

    Metchosin – Develop a public notification plan that integrates the Earthquake Early Warning system, multi-channel alerts, stakeholder co-ordination and exercise testing.
    Amount: $40,000

    Nelson – Update evacuation route and public notification plans, including GIS mapping enhancements and a multi-agency tabletop exercise.
    Amount: $40,000

    North Okanagan Regional District – Update the evacuation route plan and the public notification plan for Electoral Areas B and C to reflect growth and integrate Indigenous and neighbouring communities with consistent messaging.
    Amount: $40,000

    Northern Rockies Regional Municipality – Develop a crisis communication plan with staff training resources, mapping and communications.
    Amount: $31,900

    Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – Update evacuation route and public notification plans with improved GIS mapping, updated hazard data and stakeholder engagement to ensure plans meet community evacuation needs.
    Amount: $160,000
    Sub-applicants: Osoyoos; Keremeos; Summerland

    Peace River Regional District – Develop new evacuation route plan and update the public notification plan.
    Amount: $40,000

    Pemberton – Update the Pemberton Valley evacuation route plan with current census data and expand its scope to include social and broader emergency management factors.
    Amount: $41,000
    Sub-applicant: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

    Penticton – Create a public notification and communications plan with workshops and a tabletop exercise, and update the evacuation route plan with mapping, traffic data and alternative transport options.
    Amount: $40,000

    Port McNeill – Create new evacuation route and public notification plans for low-lying, sea-level-rise and tsunami-vulnerable areas, including detailed route mapping, regional connectivity and stakeholder engagement.
    Amount: $38,400

    Pouce Coupe – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, mapping safe corridors and co-ordinating alert strategies with community partners.
    Amount: $39,750

    qathet Regional District – Updating evacuation route plans and the community’s public notification plan.
    Amount: $40,000

    shíshálh Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, including running a tabletop exercise with Chief, council and administration.
    Amount: $40,000

    Sts’ailes – Develop a new evacuation route master plan.
    Amount: $40,000

    Tla’amin Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, which includes identification and capacity of available routes, collaboration, modes of transportation and methods of evacuation.
    Amount: $36,000

    Tsawwassen First Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, collaborating with neighbouring jurisdictions and revising relevant local plans and policies.
    Amount: $40,000

    Tseshaht First Nation – Develop a new public notification and evacuation route plan tailored to Tseshaht First Nation’s evacuation needs, cultural context, infrastructure and communication preferences.
    Amount: $40,000

    Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) – Develop a new evacuation route plan with mapping, workshops and resources, engaging with community knowledge keeper and across TWN departments.
    Amount: $40,000

    West Kelowna – Developing a new evacuation route plan by evaluating the evacuation capacity of the Glenrosa area, includes reviewing alternate roads and exit routes to ensure residents can leave quickly and safely.
    Amount: $39,620

    Witset First Nation – Update the evacuation route and public notification plans to ensure timely evacuations and clear information sharing during emergencies.
    Amount: $40,000

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.



    Read more:
    What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.



    Read more:
    Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    Todd Pezzuti received funding from ANID Chile to conduct this research.

    – ref. What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

    From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

    But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

    In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

    We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.



    Read more:
    What makes a person seem wise? Global study finds that cultures do differ – but not as much as you’d think

    The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

    Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

    These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

    A brief history of cool

    Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

    Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

    Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

    This is what makes someone cool

    Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

    Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

    This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

    We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

    What about South Africa and Nigeria?

    One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

    In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.



    Read more:
    Which African countries are flourishing? Scientists have a new way of measuring well-being

    Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

    Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

    Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

    Why does this matter?

    The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

    Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

    So what can we learn from this?

    For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

    Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

    And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

    Todd Pezzuti received funding from ANID Chile to conduct this research.

    – ref. What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with Prime Minister Modi of India: 24 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM meeting with Prime Minister Modi of India: 24 July 2025

    The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Chequers today.

    The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Chequers today.

    The leaders celebrated the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement, which was signed today and will see growth in every part of the country – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

    The deal will see tariffs lowered so businesses can expand more easily in one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Prime Minister highlighted that UK consumers will benefit from lower prices and greater choice too.

    The Prime Minister also welcomed nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, which will create 2,200 jobs across the UK.

    The leaders also discussed the importance of the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which will see closer collaboration on trade, defence, security, technology and education – underscored by the close and historic relationship between the two countries.

    The leaders also discussed the Air India plane crash last month, and said their sympathies are with all the families and loved ones of the victims. The Prime Minister said the UK will continue to support all those affected by the tragedy. 

    They looked forward to seeing one another soon.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • PM Modi to attend Maldives Independence Day, pushes forward India-Maldives ties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26. Following his engagements in London, the Prime Minister will arrive in Malé on July 25 for the second leg of his tour, marking his third visit to the Maldives and the first by any head of government during President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure.

    The visit is expected to build on the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, particularly in the context of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, which was adopted during President Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.

    India and the Maldives have long shared close ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious bonds. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established soon after the Maldives gained independence in 1965, with India being one of the first countries to recognize the island nation. The geographical proximity-barely 70 nautical miles from India’s Minicoy Island-gives the Maldives strategic importance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), particularly in the context of maritime security and commercial sea-lanes.

    Under India’s “Neighbourhood First” foreign policy and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, the Maldives continues to occupy a special place. India has consistently responded to the Maldives’ needs, be it during the 1988 coup attempt, the 2004 tsunami, the 2014 water crisis, or the COVID-19 pandemic, earning its reputation as a trusted partner and first responder.

    The current visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the bilateral agenda. Prime Minister Modi and President Muizzu will review the implementation of the “India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership,” which was adopted during President Muizzu’s state visit to India in October 2024.

    Over the past few years, both countries have maintained a high frequency of exchanges at various levels. In June 2024, President Muizzu had travelled to India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers. This was followed by several ministerial visits, including by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, who inaugurated key projects supported by India, such as water and sewerage networks across 28 islands, and community development initiatives in sectors like mental health and special education.

    The bilateral engagement has been marked by robust cooperation in areas of defence, economic development, infrastructure, health, and capacity building. India has extended multiple Lines of Credit and grant assistance to the Maldives. Initiatives like the construction of social housing units in Hulhumale, restoration of heritage sites, gifting of vessels and vehicles to the Maldivian armed forces, and the introduction of India’s UPI digital payment system in the Maldives highlight the comprehensive nature of the partnership.

    Recent interactions between ministers of both countries have furthered collaboration in sectors ranging from disaster management and cybersecurity to fisheries and civil services training. The introduction of MoUs in these areas demonstrates India’s continued commitment to the socio-economic development of the Maldives.

  • PM Modi to attend Maldives Independence Day, pushes forward India-Maldives ties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26. Following his engagements in London, the Prime Minister will arrive in Malé on July 25 for the second leg of his tour, marking his third visit to the Maldives and the first by any head of government during President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure.

    The visit is expected to build on the strong bilateral ties between the two nations, particularly in the context of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, which was adopted during President Muizzu’s visit to India in October 2024.

    India and the Maldives have long shared close ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious bonds. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established soon after the Maldives gained independence in 1965, with India being one of the first countries to recognize the island nation. The geographical proximity-barely 70 nautical miles from India’s Minicoy Island-gives the Maldives strategic importance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), particularly in the context of maritime security and commercial sea-lanes.

    Under India’s “Neighbourhood First” foreign policy and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, the Maldives continues to occupy a special place. India has consistently responded to the Maldives’ needs, be it during the 1988 coup attempt, the 2004 tsunami, the 2014 water crisis, or the COVID-19 pandemic, earning its reputation as a trusted partner and first responder.

    The current visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the bilateral agenda. Prime Minister Modi and President Muizzu will review the implementation of the “India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership,” which was adopted during President Muizzu’s state visit to India in October 2024.

    Over the past few years, both countries have maintained a high frequency of exchanges at various levels. In June 2024, President Muizzu had travelled to India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers. This was followed by several ministerial visits, including by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, who inaugurated key projects supported by India, such as water and sewerage networks across 28 islands, and community development initiatives in sectors like mental health and special education.

    The bilateral engagement has been marked by robust cooperation in areas of defence, economic development, infrastructure, health, and capacity building. India has extended multiple Lines of Credit and grant assistance to the Maldives. Initiatives like the construction of social housing units in Hulhumale, restoration of heritage sites, gifting of vessels and vehicles to the Maldivian armed forces, and the introduction of India’s UPI digital payment system in the Maldives highlight the comprehensive nature of the partnership.

    Recent interactions between ministers of both countries have furthered collaboration in sectors ranging from disaster management and cybersecurity to fisheries and civil services training. The introduction of MoUs in these areas demonstrates India’s continued commitment to the socio-economic development of the Maldives.

  • MIL-OSI Banking: RBI to conduct 7-day Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction under LAF on July 25, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    On a review of the current and evolving liquidity conditions, it has been decided to conduct a Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction on Friday, July 25, 2025, as under:

    Sl. No. Notified Amount
    (₹ crore)    		 Tenor
    (days)    		 Window Timing Date of Reversal
    1 1,25,000 7 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM August 01, 2025
    (Friday)

    2. Further, it has been decided not to conduct the 14-day main operation on Friday, July 25, 2025, for the ensuing fortnight.

    3. The operational guidelines for the auction as given in the Reserve Bank’s Press Release 2019-2020/1947 dated February 13, 2020 will remain the same.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)   

    Press Release: 2025-2026/777

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • Industry leaders hail game changing India-UK free trade agreement

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer on Thursday signed the eagerly-awaited India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a landmark moment in the bilateral economic relationship.

    As part of the historic pact, the UK will reduce duties on 99 per cent of Indian exports, while India will lower tariffs on 90 per cent of British goods, significantly easing tariff barriers and regulatory procedures across multiple sectors.

    The agreement is expected to make imported goods more affordable for Indian consumers, including luxury cars, cosmetics, medical devices, gin, and Scotch whisky. Within the next two years, India’s leather industry is projected to increase its market share in the UK by 5 per cent.

    A high-level industry delegation led by Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chair of the India-UK CEO Forum, accompanied Prime Minister Modi. The delegation included 16 key business leaders and was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

    Calling the pact a “game-changer,” Indian industry leaders praised the FTA for opening new opportunities and strengthening long-term economic collaboration between the two nations.

    “Indian industry across all sectors welcomes the India–UK FTA with great optimism. This agreement establishes a modern, forward-looking partnership that will stimulate innovation, ease market access, and foster investment,” said Mittal. “Businesses in both India and the UK stand to benefit as this lays the foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation across key growth sectors.”

    Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO and MD of Mahindra Group, called the agreement a transformative milestone in the global economic landscape. “It’s not just a win for trade, but a blueprint for a modern, values-led partnership that puts innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth at the heart of global collaboration,” he said.

    Kirit Bhansali, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, noted the FTA’s positive impact on India’s gem and jewellery sector. “Currently, exports to the UK stand at $941 million. With the duty concessions in place, this figure is expected to surge to $2.5 billion within the next three years, elevating overall bilateral trade in our sector to an estimated $7 billion,” Bhansali said.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI: Chicken Road Game India – Play and Win Real Money By Chicken Road

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Gurugram, Haryana, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Chicken Road Game Introduced to Indian Market

    The Chicken Road Game, a mobile-based casual title, has officially entered the Indian gaming space. The game, designed around a simple premise of navigating a chicken across busy roads and obstacle-filled environments, is now accessible through select digital platforms catering to mobile-first audiences.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    The release comes as India continues to experience rapid growth in mobile and casual gaming, with millions of new players engaging in quick-session titles that require minimal setup or technical expertise.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    Contextualising the Launch Chicken Road Game

    The launch of Chicken Road Game in India coincides with a broader shift toward hyper-casual mobile games that cater to diverse user groups — from urban commuters to players in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. With smartphone penetration surpassing 750 million users and data costs remaining among the lowest globally, the Indian market is increasingly attractive for lightweight, instantly accessible gaming formats.

    >>> Learn More About Chicken Road Game >>>

    The game’s structure, based on a universally understandable “cross-the-road” mechanic, reflects the demand for entertainment that is simple to learn, playable in short intervals, and broadly accessible across demographics.

    Format and Accessibility

    Chicken Road Game has been released with a mobile-first approach, optimised for Android devices commonly used across India. The game’s technical requirements remain minimal, allowing smooth operation even on entry-level smartphones and in areas with limited bandwidth.

    Features include:

    • A tap-based control system designed for short bursts of gameplay.
    • Randomised obstacle patterns to ensure varied playthroughs.
    • Lightweight installation size for users with limited device storage.

    The game is accessible for free on supported platforms, with optional ad-supported modes and cosmetic enhancements offered through in-app systems.

    Alignment with Casual Gaming Trends

    India’s gaming landscape has shifted dramatically toward hyper-casual experiences over the last five years. Titles that can be played without prior experience or extended learning curves now represent a significant share of downloads across app marketplaces.

    Chicken Road Game joins this category, offering entertainment that appeals to a broad spectrum of players — including those who may not identify as traditional gamers but engage with digital content during commutes, work breaks, or leisure time.

    Industry analysts note that these formats also help introduce new players to interactive entertainment ecosystems, often serving as an entry point into mobile gaming.

    Regulatory and Market Considerations

    The Chicken Road Game is delivered through established digital platforms that operate within India’s existing guidelines for mobile applications. As a casual, non-real-money title, it falls outside the regulatory frameworks governing online betting and wagering, making it widely accessible across states.

    Platforms distributing the game have incorporated standard user protection measures, including parental control features, to ensure suitability for varied age groups.

    Industry Observations

    The introduction of Chicken Road Game in India highlights the continued growth of quick-session, low-complexity mobile titles. Industry experts view these releases as a key driver for audience engagement, particularly as the country’s gaming audience expands beyond metro hubs to semi-urban and rural markets.

    Developers and publishers are increasingly focused on titles that leverage simple mechanics, low data usage, and universal appeal to build sustainable player bases across diverse regions.

    Conclusion

    The arrival of Chicken Road Game in the Indian market reflects the ongoing evolution of digital entertainment consumption. By combining a straightforward concept with a mobile-first design, the game underscores the role of hyper-casual formats in attracting and retaining players in one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets.

    As casual gaming continues to gain momentum, titles like Chicken Road Game represent the type of accessible entertainment that resonates with India’s mobile-first audience.

    Company Name: Chicken Road

    Address: 673, JMD Building, Gurugram, Haryana

    Website: https://chicken-roadd.com

    Email: sumit@chicken-roadd.com

    Phone: +91-2049157035

    Media Contact: Sumit

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 2X Appoints Amber Tobias as SVP of Corporate Development, Accelerating Strategic M&A Initiatives and Integration Excellence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MALVERN, Pa., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2X, the leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, today announced the appointment of Amber Tobias as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. With over 10 years of corporate development and M&A experience at private equity portfolio companies, Tobias brings proven expertise in end-to-end acquisition processes, strategic integration, and building scalable inorganic growth strategies from the ground up.

    Tobias joins 2X at a pivotal moment as the company accelerates its strategic acquisition program following recent investments from Insight Partners and successful integrations of StraightArrow and Intelligent Demand, and strategic investment in Get Levrg. Her appointment reinforces 2X’s commitment to executing a disciplined M&A strategy that expands service capabilities, deepens market expertise, and strengthens technology partnerships.

    Driving Strategic Growth Through Proven M&A Leadership

    In her role as SVP of Corporate Development, Tobias will lead 2X’s strategic acquisition initiatives, overseeing target identification, deal execution, and post-acquisition integration. Her extensive experience managing complex transactions and challenging market dynamics positions her to accelerate 2X’s inorganic growth strategy while ensuring seamless integration of acquired capabilities into the company’s scalable managed services model.

    “Amber’s appointment comes at exactly the right time in 2X’s evolution,” said Dom Colasante, CEO of 2X. “She’s worked across private equity and PE-backed portfolio companies and has an outstanding track record of creating great outcomes for acquired company employees, customers, and platform acquirers. Her expertise in building inorganic growth strategies and gaining strong organizational buy-in will be instrumental as we continue to expand our capabilities and market presence through strategic acquisitions.”

    Extensive Private Equity and Integration Experience

    Prior to joining 2X, Tobias served as Head of Corporate Development at FluentStream, a growth-stage SaaS company and PSG portfolio company, where she executed the company’s programmatic M&A strategy and led end-to-end acquisition processes. Her experience spans multiple private equity environments, including roles at Aspirion (formerly backed by Aquiline Capital Partners), Illuminate Education (formerly backed by Insight Partners), and as an M&A Associate at specialty investment firm Nadavon Capital Partners.

    “I’m excited to join the 2X team and contribute to the company’s impressive growth trajectory,” said Tobias. “2X has built something truly special with their innovative subscription-based go-to-market services, and their recent strategic acquisitions demonstrate a thoughtful approach to expanding capabilities while maintaining service excellence. I look forward to working with our world-class investors Recognize Partners and Insight Partners, Dom, and the entire 2X team to identify and execute acquisitions that strengthen 2X’s market leadership and create value for clients, employees, and stakeholders. We’re eager to partner with businesses that share our values and are looking for a strategic home to scale their next chapter.”

    Strengthening M&A Capabilities for Continued Growth

    The addition of Tobias to 2X’s leadership team reflects the company’s commitment to building best-in-class corporate development capabilities. Her expertise in integration planning and execution will be particularly valuable as 2X continues to enhance its service portfolio, expand geographic reach, and deepen technology partnerships that bring more value to clients.

    Tobias holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Indiana University Bloomington and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Monterey Bay.

    About 2X

    2X is the global leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, helping GTM leaders achieve greater impact while lowering costs through its comprehensive managed services delivery model. Building on its foundation as the leader in B2B marketing as a service (MaaS), 2X now provides end-to-end go-to-market solutions including marketing operations and MarTech management, campaign build and optimization, content and creative production, revenue operations, sales technology implementation, and strategic consulting services. 2X is a services partner of 6sense, Salesforce, Adobe Marketo Engage, HubSpot, Gong, Bombora, Drift, WordPress, Google, Meta, and many other leading revenue platforms.

    With more than 1,000 team members globally, 2X is backed by private-equity firms Recognize Partners and Insight Partners. 2X has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. and the Financial Times. For more information, visit 2X.marketing or our LinkedIn.

    About Recognize

    Recognize is a distinguished investor and business builder focused on next-generation Digital Services companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm seeks to back visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are building innovative businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. Recognize provides deep operational expertise, industry relationships, and strategic capital to drive accelerated growth of these specialized businesses. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com.

    About Insight Partners

    Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.

    Media Contact
    Audree Hernandez
    JMAC PR for 2X
    2X@JMACPR.com   

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/753c3c4d-5ea1-4dce-8c50-221199c1a75d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 2X Appoints Amber Tobias as SVP of Corporate Development, Accelerating Strategic M&A Initiatives and Integration Excellence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MALVERN, Pa., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2X, the leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, today announced the appointment of Amber Tobias as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. With over 10 years of corporate development and M&A experience at private equity portfolio companies, Tobias brings proven expertise in end-to-end acquisition processes, strategic integration, and building scalable inorganic growth strategies from the ground up.

    Tobias joins 2X at a pivotal moment as the company accelerates its strategic acquisition program following recent investments from Insight Partners and successful integrations of StraightArrow and Intelligent Demand, and strategic investment in Get Levrg. Her appointment reinforces 2X’s commitment to executing a disciplined M&A strategy that expands service capabilities, deepens market expertise, and strengthens technology partnerships.

    Driving Strategic Growth Through Proven M&A Leadership

    In her role as SVP of Corporate Development, Tobias will lead 2X’s strategic acquisition initiatives, overseeing target identification, deal execution, and post-acquisition integration. Her extensive experience managing complex transactions and challenging market dynamics positions her to accelerate 2X’s inorganic growth strategy while ensuring seamless integration of acquired capabilities into the company’s scalable managed services model.

    “Amber’s appointment comes at exactly the right time in 2X’s evolution,” said Dom Colasante, CEO of 2X. “She’s worked across private equity and PE-backed portfolio companies and has an outstanding track record of creating great outcomes for acquired company employees, customers, and platform acquirers. Her expertise in building inorganic growth strategies and gaining strong organizational buy-in will be instrumental as we continue to expand our capabilities and market presence through strategic acquisitions.”

    Extensive Private Equity and Integration Experience

    Prior to joining 2X, Tobias served as Head of Corporate Development at FluentStream, a growth-stage SaaS company and PSG portfolio company, where she executed the company’s programmatic M&A strategy and led end-to-end acquisition processes. Her experience spans multiple private equity environments, including roles at Aspirion (formerly backed by Aquiline Capital Partners), Illuminate Education (formerly backed by Insight Partners), and as an M&A Associate at specialty investment firm Nadavon Capital Partners.

    “I’m excited to join the 2X team and contribute to the company’s impressive growth trajectory,” said Tobias. “2X has built something truly special with their innovative subscription-based go-to-market services, and their recent strategic acquisitions demonstrate a thoughtful approach to expanding capabilities while maintaining service excellence. I look forward to working with our world-class investors Recognize Partners and Insight Partners, Dom, and the entire 2X team to identify and execute acquisitions that strengthen 2X’s market leadership and create value for clients, employees, and stakeholders. We’re eager to partner with businesses that share our values and are looking for a strategic home to scale their next chapter.”

    Strengthening M&A Capabilities for Continued Growth

    The addition of Tobias to 2X’s leadership team reflects the company’s commitment to building best-in-class corporate development capabilities. Her expertise in integration planning and execution will be particularly valuable as 2X continues to enhance its service portfolio, expand geographic reach, and deepen technology partnerships that bring more value to clients.

    Tobias holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Indiana University Bloomington and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Monterey Bay.

    About 2X

    2X is the global leader in subscription-based go-to-market services, helping GTM leaders achieve greater impact while lowering costs through its comprehensive managed services delivery model. Building on its foundation as the leader in B2B marketing as a service (MaaS), 2X now provides end-to-end go-to-market solutions including marketing operations and MarTech management, campaign build and optimization, content and creative production, revenue operations, sales technology implementation, and strategic consulting services. 2X is a services partner of 6sense, Salesforce, Adobe Marketo Engage, HubSpot, Gong, Bombora, Drift, WordPress, Google, Meta, and many other leading revenue platforms.

    With more than 1,000 team members globally, 2X is backed by private-equity firms Recognize Partners and Insight Partners. 2X has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. and the Financial Times. For more information, visit 2X.marketing or our LinkedIn.

    About Recognize

    Recognize is a distinguished investor and business builder focused on next-generation Digital Services companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm seeks to back visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are building innovative businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. Recognize provides deep operational expertise, industry relationships, and strategic capital to drive accelerated growth of these specialized businesses. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com.

    About Insight Partners

    Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $90B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv, and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on X @insightpartners.

    Media Contact
    Audree Hernandez
    JMAC PR for 2X
    2X@JMACPR.com   

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/753c3c4d-5ea1-4dce-8c50-221199c1a75d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Business leaders welcome the UK-India Free Trade Agreement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Business leaders welcome the UK-India Free Trade Agreement

    Business leaders have strongly welcomed the signing of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement.

    Business leaders have strongly welcomed the signing of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, as Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds and India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, signed the landmark trade deal.

    The £4.8bn trade deal will unlock economic growth for each region and nation of the UK, and is widely backed by large and small businesses across aerospace, financial and professional services, food and drink, and the automotive sector.

    Business Groups  

    Rain Newton-Smith, CEO, CBI said: 

    In an era of rising protectionism, today’s announcement sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade.  

    A trade agreement with India – one of the world’s fastest-growing economies – is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage.  

    The CBI looks forward to working closely alongside the Confederation of Indian Industry to turn ambition into action and negotiation into real-world impact. Ensuring this agreement delivers tangible benefits for businesses on both sides will be critical to meeting the UK’s growth ambitions.

    William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: 

    The signing of this agreement is a clear signal of the UK’s continuing commitment to free and fair trade. It will open a new era for our businesses and boost investment between two of the world’s largest economies.    

    Currently around 16,000 UK companies are trading goods with Indian companies, and there is high interest in our Chamber Network to grow that.  This deal will create new opportunities in the transport, travel, creative and business support sectors alongside traditional strengths in finance and professional services.

    Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Tina McKenzie, said: 

    India is the fourth largest economy in the world, and today’s trade deal provides exciting growth potential for UK small businesses. 

    Already one-in-seven (14%) of our members who export have India among their overseas markets, and this deal opens the way for that number to grow. It’s welcome that the agreement includes a specific small business chapter. 

    Encouraging more small firms to trade internationally, and making it easier for those who already do to increase their international trade, is an important flank in the quest for economic growth. Reducing barriers is key to achieving that.

    Richard Heald OBE, Chair, UK-India Business Council, said:  

    The UK-India FTA marks a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship.

    Businesses across both countries have long called for an agreement that reduces barriers, enhances market access, and creates a clear framework for long-term, sustainable growth. We congratulate both governments for their commitment and ambition in bringing this complex negotiation to fruition. Success in the FTA will support further economic growth for the world’s 5th and 6th largest economies. It will catalyse collaboration into other areas too.

    Aerospace  

    Tufan Erginbiligic, Rolls-Royce CEO, said: 

    India is an important market for our business, with over 90 years of partnership with Indian industry and the Indian Government.

    We welcome the provisions in this Free Trade Agreement, including those that bring closer alignment with international standards for trade in civil aerospace.

    These agreements will benefit Rolls-Royce and our customers, paving the way for future aerospace growth in India.

    Financial and professional services 

    Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC UK, said: 

    Today’s signing of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement marks an important milestone for both countries.

    This is a vibrant and fast-growing corridor and will bring huge opportunities for both British and Indian businesses as they seek to grow internationally.  

    As the world’s largest trade bank with deep roots in both countries, we look forward to supporting our clients to take advantage of the full benefits of this historic agreement. 

    Bill Winters CBE, Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered and Co-Chair of the UK-India Financial Partnership, said: 

    This landmark agreement between the UK and India – two of the world’s largest and most dynamic economies – is a tremendous achievement.

    It will drive greater innovation, unlock growth, and build prosperity across this long-established corridor of trade, capital and investment.

    As one of the largest and oldest international banks in India, we welcome the certainty the FTA provides for UK services and the meaningful opportunities that lower tariffs will create for businesses large and small in both markets.

    Rohan Malik, EY EMEIA and UK & Ireland Government & Public Sector Managing Partner, said:   

    Over the past decade, total trade value between the UK and India has more than doubled from £16.6bn to £40bn and this agreement will further strengthen the flourishing economic relationship between the two countries. 

    Enhanced access to one of the world’s largest markets should offer considerable advantages for financial and professional services businesses, unlocking commercial opportunities and supporting growth across two strategically significant sectors of the UK economy.

    Adam Gagen, Global Head of Government Affairs at Revolut, said:  

    As a UK fintech with significant business in India, we welcome the announcement of this UK-India FTA.

    It is an important partnership to bring these two vital economies closer together and to foster improved trade links, better investment flows and more jobs.

    Revolut looks forward to working with the UK Government to maximise the value of this FTA and we strongly congratulate the hard work of DBT for getting this over the line.

    Nicola Watkinson, Managing Director for International, TheCityUK, said:  

    India is a market with huge growth potential and a strong FTA between our two markets will open up valuable new trade and investment opportunities for UK businesses.

    The UK financial and related professional services industry is well placed to support India’s growth ambitions through the provision of services in areas such as green finance, risk management and capital market development, as well as benefit from India’s digital innovations.

    We welcome the formal signing of the FTA and look forward to continuing to build on its foundations to forge a strong and lasting partnership with India.

    Automotives  

    Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said:  

    The UK-India trade agreement represents a significant achievement, partially liberalising the Indian automotive market for the first time.

    While the highly complex deal confirms some compromises, its entry into force will provide commercial opportunities for UK manufacturers who will be able to access vastly reduced tariffs on internal combustion vehicles from day one, and on electrified vehicles and parts in the longer term.

    To ensure maximum and timely benefit, we now need rapid ratification and renewed efforts to agree fair and workable solutions on tariff-rate-quotas administration.

    A JLR spokesperson said:  

    We welcome this free trade agreement between the UK and India, which over time will deliver reduced tariff access to the Indian car market for JLR’s luxury vehicles.

    India is an important market for our British built products and represents significant future growth opportunities.

    Food and drink 

    Nik Jhangiani, Interim Chief Executive, Diageo, said: 

    This agreement marks a great moment for both Scotch and Scotland, and we’ll be raising a glass of Johnnie Walker to all those who have worked so hard to get it secured. 

    Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, said: 

    Signature of the UK-India FTA is a sign of hope in challenging times for the spirits industry. 

    India is the world’s biggest whisky market by volume and greater access will be an eventual game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands, such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s.

    The deal will support long term investment and jobs in our distilleries in Speyside and our bottling plant at Kilmalid and help deliver growth in both Scotland and India over the next decade.

    Let’s hope that both governments will move quickly to ratification so business can get to work implementing the deal!

    Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the SWA said:  

    The Scotch Whisky industry has long championed a free trade agreement between the UK and India.

    The signing of the FTA is an historic moment and is an important milestone to reducing tariffs on Scotch Whisky in a growing market.

    This will contribute to the government’s growth objective, by laying the foundations for further investment and jobs.

    George Hyde, Head of Trade, The Food and Drink Federation: 

    We’re pleased to see the details of the new Free Trade Agreement with India, with tariffs for iconic British products, including chocolate, breakfast cereals and biscuits set to be phased out over the next decade.

    We also welcome that this agreement protects the UK’s sugar and rice milling sectors, reflecting the vital role these industries play in boosting local economies. 

    With exports of UK food and drink to India already worth nearly £300 million annually, improved access to this growing market will help strengthen the competitiveness of our sector and help future-proof the nation’s food security.

    We look forward to working with government to help businesses make the most of this opportunity.

    Nick Spencer, Export and Travel Retail Manager at Southwestern Distillery Ltd, said: 

    There are tremendous hurdles for UK spirits producers in terms of entering and succeeding in the Indian market.

    The extremely high import tariffs are probably the most significant barrier to entry we have experienced anywhere internationally.

    The FTA is a fabulous step forward. Since its announcement, we have already received significant new interest from Indian importers and the prospect of success in the Indian market now looks much brighter.

    Stephen Davies, Chief Executive of Penderyn Distillery, said:  

    We are developing our business and brand awareness in both domestic and travel retail sectors in India. It’s an exciting and developing market for us.

    The agreement to reduce tariffs will provide a better platform for us and our industry to develop links and build business over the next five years.

    These are exciting times. 

    Medtech  

    Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, said:  

    The UK-India Free Trade Agreement is more than a policy document it’s a foundation for action. 

    India’s deep scientific talent, clear ambition and growing global influence make it one of the most exciting places in the world to build long-term partnerships in science and healthcare.

    And this moment, with the FTA in place, gives companies like ours the confidence to invest, to scale and to co-create in ways that weren’t possible before.

    Deepak Nath, Chief Executive Officer, Smith+Nephew, said: 

    Given the size of the Indian economy and its healthcare system, India is an important location for Smith+Nephew. The Free Trade Agreement offers the potential to build trading links in the healthcare sector. 

    We hope that the Free Trade Agreement will enable Smith+Nephew’s innovative medical technologies to support more healthcare professionals to return their patients to health and mobility.

    Philip McKee, Sales Manager at Biopanda, a Belfast-based medtech manufacturer which exports in vitro test kits for clinical laboratories, veterinary practice, and food safety laboratories, said:   

    Biopanda have been supplying a range of diagnostic products to the Indian market throughout the past ten years. We value the business we have done already throughout India and with the introduction of the UK-India FTA this should benefit in increased trade with the removal of export barriers.  

    This will hopefully increase the market access, allowing our distributors throughout India to provide a larger range of our highly accurate clinical diagnostic products at a lower price to the consumer. 

    Manufacturing 

    Graeme Macdonald, JCB Chief Executive, said:  

    India is a great country in which to do business. JCB has been manufacturing machines there since 1979. So, we know India very well and the opportunity for British businesses in that huge market is significant.  

    It’s the fifth largest economy in the world and is tipped to become the third largest by 2028. This Free Trade Agreement should give British businesses the confidence they need to enter the market, trade more easily and benefit from the massive opportunity.

    Professor Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, Chairman Coltraco Ultrasonics Limited & Director-General The Durham Institute of Research, Development & Invention, said: 

    Coltraco Ultrasonics is strongly supportive of the India FTA Trade Agreement and proud to have modestly contributed to and advising the British negotiating team on various chapters. 

    The UK private sector can now, because of the India FTA, the Windsor Framework CPTPP, and a variety of other UK FTAs, look out to the world, balancing our exporting and investment opportunities between the USA, the EU and Asia Pacific. 

    It is a tremendous success and we thank British and Indian Civil Servants for their public service in the UK-India FTA.

    Mark Ridgway OBE DL, CEO of Rhodes Group, said: 

    As a manufacturer of advanced metalforming machinery used in the forming and lightweighting of aircraft, India is a strong market for Group Rhodes and offers significant growth potential. The recent UK-India trade deal not only sets the scene for reduced tariffs on machinery but also serves to both enhance our competitiveness as a UK exporter and reduce the complexity of trade with this fast-growing market. 

    Importantly, the UK-India FTA recognises UK origin content of at least 20% as qualification as a ‘local supplier’ in India. This provides equal treatment in the Indian government procurement process and the opportunity for Group Rhodes to build on its existence reference sites within the Indian aerospace sector.

    Idir Boudaoud, Founder and CEO at Sensoteq, said: 

    India is a key growth market for Sensoteq — its vast and rapidly evolving manufacturing sector aligns perfectly with our mission to improve machine reliability through smarter monitoring. This trade deal is a real breakthrough for us. 

    Simplified and transparent customs procedures, modernised rules of origin, and stronger IP protections mean we can enter the market with greater speed, confidence, and security. 

    This agreement gives businesses like ours the access and assurance needed to thrive in one of the world’s most important industrial markets.

    William Crawford, Director of Concrete Canvas Ltd, said:  

    India is a dynamic and vibrant economy and an increasingly important market for Concrete Canvas products. A UK-India FTA will help to accelerate our plans for growth by reducing trade barriers and making us more competitive. 

    This is welcome news for both UK and Indian businesses!

    Creative Industries 

    Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive, said: 

    India continues to be incredibly important to the Premier League and our clubs. It is a vibrant country that presents exciting opportunities and significant potential. The opening of our office in Mumbai earlier this year was a significant milestone for the Premier League, demonstrating our commitment to build on longstanding work to engage local fans, develop grassroots and elite football and further promote the game in India.   

    The continued growth of the Premier League and UK businesses in India will have a positive impact on our domestic economy. We welcome the signing of this new trade deal which will support UK businesses operating in India.

    Richard Pring, Co-Founder at Wales Interactive, said: 

    The UK-India Free Trade Agreement has the potential to strengthen creative partnerships and streamline production across borders. With India’s vast film and television industry, it creates new opportunities for studios like ours to collaborate with international talent and share our interactive stories and games with even wider audiences. 

    Digital and Tech 

    Simon Hansford, Chief Commercial Officer at Civo, a cloud provider founded in Hertfordshire, said:  

    The UK-India trade deal is a game-changer for UK businesses. Significant tariff reductions on our exports will mean our products can be more competitive and accessible in India’s rapidly growing market. Guaranteed access to India’s public procurement market and simplified customs processes could be transformational for many.  

    This deal offers substantial benefits, boosting confidence and creating new avenues for growth in areas that were previously challenging to navigate, making it easier for UK SMEs to trade and thrive internationally.

    Clean Energy  

    Neil Spann, CEO of Power Roll, said: 

    As a UK clean energy company committed to fostering global impact, the UK-India trade agreement marks a significant milestone for us.  It lowers barriers to entry and enhances our ability to collaborate with Indian partners in one of the world’s most dynamic renewable energy markets. India’s ambitious solar targets and drive for domestic innovation align perfectly with our flexible solar technology and long-term growth strategy.  

    As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a key player in the global renewable energy transition, India presents a major opportunity for UK clean energy technology. This trade deal enables us to position UK flexible solar as a key solution to India’s energy goals. We are excited to continue to build upon our existing relationships with valued collaborators by expanding our presence in India following a successful visit earlier this year.

    Transport 

    Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport Managing Director, said:  

    We are proud this new route with IndiGo will deliver growth here in the North, and for the UK as a whole. 

    Boosted by the new UK-India FTA, the direct connectivity it provides will unlock opportunities for the region’s businesses to trade with India and will facilitate investment into the UK. 

    That will help turbo charge the Government’s Industrial Strategy by boosting innovation and productivity in the sectors that will sit at the heart of the country’s future prosperity.

    Textiles  

    Bill Leach, Global Sales Director, John Smedley Ltd, said: 

    India is one of the fastest growing luxury markets in the world, and we are very excited about the UK- India Free Trade Agreement coming to fruition. 

    John Smedley knitwear is already sold in over 50 countries around the world, and now that the FTA has been signed, we shall very much look forward to ensuring that an ever-increasing number of discerning luxury consumers in India will enjoy greater access to The World’s Finest Knitwear. 

    We are thankful to DBT for their significant efforts in bringing this FTA to successful conclusion.

    Cosmetics 

    Dr Emma Meredith OBE, Director-General, CTPA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association), said:  

    The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) represents a significant opportunity for the cosmetics and personal care industry.  Tariff reduction and the commitments to ongoing cooperation will enhance market access and create new opportunities for growth for UK brands and manufacturers.  CTPA welcomes the strengthening of the bilateral ties through the negotiation process, a great first step in the delivery of substantial benefits for our sector.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • India–UK CETA to strengthen global footprint of Indian SMEs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), aimed at enhancing access to goods and services between the two countries.

    The agreement, signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is set to give a major boost to India’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the country’s economy. SMEs contributed around 30.1% to India’s GDP in 2022–23 and accounted for 45.8% of India’s total exports in 2024–25.

    SMEs benefit from various provisions of the CETA, including through provisions on faster processing at customs, agreements to recognise and facilitate digital systems and paperless trade, and a dedicated chapter to help SMEs. A contact point for SMEs will be established under the ambit of the CETA, facilitating communication and coordination benefiting SMEs.

    In addition to lower tariffs and better market access, SMEs will also benefit from the cooperation between India and the UK on best practices regarding trade education and finance, digital skills, business infrastructure and other important areas, facilitating business opportunities for SMEs.

    The Working Group on Government Procurement and on Innovation enable cooperation to address the issues of SMEs and facilitate participation in government procurement and innovation.

  • India–UK CETA to boost employment, gender equality and youth opportunities

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), aimed at enhancing access to goods and services between the two countries.

    The agreement, signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will generate tangible employment gains and create brighter futures for Indian workers across multiple sectors. It also focuses on fostering inclusive economic growth by creating meaningful opportunities for women and youth across both nations.

    The immediate removal of duties on Indian products from labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather and footwear, and food processing will not only boost employment but also directly benefit Indian workers in these industries.

    The CETA offers a range of protections to workers by endorsing internationally recognized labour rights. Workers will benefit from increased public awareness of labour laws and access to impartial and independent tribunals and proceedings for the enforcement of their rights in an accessible and transparent manner.

    Expanding opportunities for women and youth

    India’s youth, aged 15 to 29, make up approximately 27.3% of the population and are key drivers of social and economic change. The CETA is poised to expand high-quality employment pathways for this demographic by easing access to services markets, securing mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and facilitating short-term mobility for talent in sectors such as IT, healthcare, finance, and the creative industries.

    By fostering cooperation on gender-responsive standards, sharing best practices in financial services, and improving digital inclusion, the CETA ensures that women business owners, entrepreneurs, and young professionals can access new markets, acquire valuable information, and participate equitably in global, regional, and domestic economies.

    Dedicated working groups under the CETA will promote activities that address discriminatory practices, encourage diversity, and further gender equality. Lower tariffs on inputs and advanced manufacturing equipment can spur MSME supply-chain integration, creating skilled vocational jobs beyond metros.

    Additionally, the CETA will promote cooperative activities between the Parties that will enable capacity and skill development of workers.

    The CETA also provides enhanced market access for workers which include better mobility access to the UK for Indian workers engaged in maintenance and repair and tourist guides, among others. The CETA and its enhanced market access will create job opportunities for a wide range of workers across various sectors.

  • Parliament Monsoon Session: Both Houses adjourned till Friday amid Opposition protest

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Thursday following continued protests by Opposition members demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar.

    The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will reconvene at 11 a.m. on Friday.

    In the Lok Sabha, uproar broke out during a discussion on the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024. Amid the commotion, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was chairing the session, adjourned the House for the day.

    Earlier in the day, the Lower House had faced repeated disruptions. The House was initially adjourned till 2 p.m. shortly after convening at 11 a.m., following loud sloganeering by Opposition members. Speaker Om Birla appealed for decorum, expressing concern over the members’ conduct.

    “Such behaviour lowers the dignity of the House,” Birla said, urging members not to raise slogans or carry banners inside the chamber. In a veiled remark directed at the Congress party, the Speaker said, “This is not in a party’s ‘sanskar’, but the new generation is setting a different example for the nation to see.”

    Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill was under discussion when disruptions resumed. Chairing the House, MP Bhubaneshwar Kalita adjourned the session after Opposition members raised slogans over the SIR issue.

    Speaking to reporters, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “The Lok Sabha can function if the government agrees to discuss the Special Intensive Revision of the voter list in Bihar. That is our only demand.

    As Parliament heads into another day of the Monsoon Session, tensions between the Treasury and Opposition benches continue to dominate proceedings.

    (With ANI inputs) 

  • India–UK CETA paves global pathways for Indian businesses

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), aimed at enhancing access to goods and services between the two countries.

    The agreement, signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is poised to offer wide-ranging benefits for Indian businesses, enabling them to expand their global footprint and deepen their presence in the UK market.

    Beyond lower tariffs and broader market access for Indian goods and services, the agreement promotes ease of doing business with the UK through simplified and streamlined customs and trade facilitation processes. This includes established systems like a Single Window and the Authorised Economic Operator framework.

    Moreover, the provision of non-discriminatory treatment for Indian businesses and exporters across goods, services, and government procurement will strengthen their competitive position within the UK market.

    The CETA serves as a strategic catalyst for Indian enterprises operating within the UK, facilitating the optimal deployment of skilled personnel to deliver competitively benchmarked services aligned with UK market expectations.

    Prominent service sector entities, particularly in information technology with an established presence in the UK, stand to benefit from enhanced regulatory certainty regarding visa provisions for the assignment of Indian professionals. This framework is expected to strengthen bilateral economic ties and support the sustained growth of India’s services exports to the UK.

    Businesses will also benefit from the cooperative efforts enshrined in various chapters of the CETA, like the Innovation Working Group and cooperation on digital identities and trade, that will help promote connectivity, digital trade growth, collaboration on best practice principles and innovative opportunities; and responsible business conduction and corporate responsibility practices.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Policy paper: India-UK Vision 2035

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Policy paper

    India-UK Vision 2035

    The Prime Ministers of India and the UK endorsed the new ‘India-UK Vision 2035’ during their meeting in London on 24 July 2025.

    Documents

    India-UK Vision 2035

    PDF, 1.36 MB, 22 pages

    India-UK Vision 2035

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    Details

    The Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom, during their meeting on 24 July 2025 in London, endorsed the new ‘India-UK Vision 2035’ that reaffirms their shared commitment to unlocking the full potential of a revitalised partnership.

    This ambitious and future-focused agreement underscores the 2 nations’ resolve to work together for mutual growth, prosperity and to shape a prosperous, secure, and sustainable world in a time of rapid global change.

    Increased ambition: since elevating the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, India and the UK have catalysed significant partnerships and growth across all sectors. The new vision builds on this momentum, setting ambitious goals to deepen and diversify bilateral cooperation.

    Strategic vision: by 2035, flagship partnerships will redefine the India-UK relationship delivering transformative opportunities and tangible benefits for both countries. The India-UK Vision 2035 sets clear strategic goals and milestones, tracking a path for sustained future collaboration and innovation.

    Comprehensive outcomes: the pillars of the India-UK Vision 2035 are designed to reinforce one another, creating a partnership that is greater than the sum of its parts across a wide and deep range of outcomes including:

    • growth and jobs in the UK and India, building on an ambitious trade deal that unlocks markets and opportunities for both countries
    • an education and skills partnership to nurture the next generation of global talent, deepening transnational education collaborations between UK and Indian universities, including the establishment of campuses of leading universities in each other’s countries
    • develop cutting-edge technology and research, building on the Technology Security Initiative, focused on future telecoms, AI and critical minerals, laying the ground for future collaboration on semi-conductors, quantum, bio-technology and advanced materials
    • a transformative climate partnership focussed on accelerating clean energy, mobilising climate finance at scale, and strengthening resilience
    • defence and security cooperation, including a common commitment to peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • India and UK sign landmark trade deal: How CETA could benefit different sections of society

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India and the United Kingdom have inked a landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment. The deal is expected to bring substantial benefits across various segments of Indian society.

    By promoting greater market access, technology exchange and investment flows, the agreement would create inclusive and sustainable growth opportunities.

    The CETA document outlines targeted advantages for farmers, fisherfolk, tribal communities, informal and formal workers, women entrepreneurs, youth, MSMEs and professionals.

    It emphasizes trade facilitation, skill development, value chain integration and enhanced mobility. CETA would act as a vehicle for equitable growth, rural upliftment and greater global integration of India’s diverse economic stakeholders.

    Indian farming communities stand to gain from easier access to the UK market and more opportunities to sell their produce due to tariff elimination.

    Among other concessions, the UK will liberalise access, effective from the date of implementation, for a range of Indian agricultural and food products, including meats, dairy, tea, coffee, spices, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, and processed foods. By unlocking preferential access to the UK’s USD 63.4 billion agricultural market, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) gives Indian farmers a direct route to a high-value global customer base and achieve better returns for their goods.

    The CETA agreement takes fully into account the interests of Indian producers of sensitive agricultural products like dairy products, vegetables, apples, edible oils, oats, etc. by keeping those tariff lines under a sensitive list.

    The agricultural sector also benefits from the non-application of safeguard duties on Indian exports. Farmers will also benefit from commitments taken under the CETA to acknowledge traditional knowledge, especially in the patent process for genetic resources.

    The immediate removal of duties on Indian products from labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather and footwear, and food processing will not only boost employment but also directly benefit Indian workers in these industries.

    The CETA marks a significant step forward in advancing opportunities for women and youth across both nations. It includes progressive provisions designed to break down barriers and promote greater participation in international trade, digital innovation, and government procurement for women, youth, and under-represented groups.

    By fostering cooperation on gender-responsive standards, sharing best practices in financial services, and improving digital inclusion, the CETA ensures that women business owners, entrepreneurs, and young professionals can access new markets, acquire valuable information, and participate equitably in global, regional, and domestic economies.

    India’s youth, aged 15 to 29 and comprising approximately 27.3% of the population, are at the forefront of the country’s social and economic transformation. The CETA is poised to expand high-quality employment pathways for Indian youth by easing services market access, securing mutual recognition of professional qualifications and facilitating short-term mobility for talent in IT, healthcare, finance, and creative sectors.

    Lower tariffs on inputs and advanced manufacturing equipment can spur MSME supply-chain integration, creating skilled vocational jobs beyond metros. By fostering access to global value chains and enhancing competitiveness, CETA will empower Indian youth with essential skills and pathways to participate in international markets and future growth.

    SMEs are a vital part of India’s economy, contributing around 30.1% of India’s GDP in 2022-23 and 45.8% in India’s total export in 2024-25.

    SMEs benefit from various provisions of the CETA, including through provisions on faster processing at customs, agreements to recognise and facilitate digital systems and paperless trade, and a dedicated chapter to help SMEs. A contact point for SMEs will be established under the ambit of the CETA, facilitating communication and coordination benefiting SMEs.

    Indian businesses will gain a lot from this CETA. Other than lower tariffs and market access for Indian goods and services, the CETA offers ease of doing business with the UK through simplified and streamlined customs and trade facilitation processes from established systems like a Single Window and Authorised Economic Operator.

    Non-discriminatory treatment to Indian businesses and exporters when it comes to goods, services and government procurement, benefits Indian businesses in the UK market.

    Qualified professionals such as architects, engineers and medical professionals will be able to take advantage of the enhanced market access under the CETA and provide services in the UK. This is expected to create direct and indirect jobs through the expansion of service sectors.

    CETA also provides professionals with better mobility access to the UK. Independent professionals providing services such as R&D and computer services will be able to take advantage of these mobility commitments and provide their services in the UK. This will directly lead to job creation and better opportunities for a wide range of professionals, thereby increasing the quality of life.

    The CETA ensures comprehensive market access for goods across most sectors, fully addressing India’s export interests. India stands to benefit from the duty elimination of tariffs on approximately 99% of tariff lines, covering nearly 100% of the trade value.

    This opens up significant opportunities to boost bilateral trade between India and the UK.

    In key labor-intensive sectors, duties have been reduced to zero from previously high levels- up to 20% on marine products, 12% on textiles and clothing, 8% on chemicals, and 10% on base metals. Notably, in the processed food sector, tariffs on 99.7% of lines have been slashed from as high as 70% to zero, offering a major boost for Indian exporters.

    (ANI)

  • India-UK CETA to empower Indian fisherfolk with global opportunities

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom is poised to significantly enhance the competitiveness of India’s fishery and aquaculture sector, which accounts for 7.96% of global fish production and supports the livelihoods of approximately 28 million individuals.

    By eliminating tariffs and providing preferential access to the USD 3 billion fisheries market of the UK, the CETA directly benefits Indian seafood exporters, particularly those supplying high-demand products such as shrimp and other seafood.

    The enhanced market access is set to boost exports, which will directly benefit Indian fishermen of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, and Maharashtra.

    Overall, the CETA will not only strengthen India’s fisheries exports but also contribute to the welfare and livelihoods of fishermen, promote coastal economic development, and enhance the competitiveness of the Indian fisheries sector on the global stage. Through this agreement, India strengthens not only its seafood exports but also its commitment to inclusive and equitable trade.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-India Technology Security Initiative – Anniversary Statement

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UK-India Technology Security Initiative – Anniversary Statement

    Statement on the one-year anniversary of the landmark UK-India Technology Security Initiative

    On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the landmark UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), the UK and India reaffirmed their shared commitment to harness frontier technologies to drive economic growth and strengthen national security.

    Both parties welcomed the Initiative’s achievements to date and underscored the transformative potential of the TSI to deliver cutting-edge innovations and generate investment across the entire technology value chain.

    The TSI has already enabled industry, academia and government to deliver new strategic opportunities. Over the past year, both sides have:

    • Launched a flagship £7 million joint research programme on Future Telecoms in 2024 to support joint Open RAN and 5G/6G testbed development.
    • Formalised collaboration between key telecoms lab facilities – India’s Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and the UK’s Smart RAN Open Network Interoperability Centre (SONIC) for bilateral collaboration in telecom innovation, testing and emerging technology.
    • Accelerated development in responsible and trustworthy AI, including through the first UK-India Conference on AI opportunities, held in Bengaluru in February 2025.
    • Completed the successful first phase of the world’s first UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory. Phase Two, supported by £1.8 million of new funding, will deliver the world’s largest digital data infrastructure on the critical minerals value chain and establish a new satellite campus at the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad.
    • Strengthened our partnership in FEMTECH – Women-Orientated Health Tech by collaboration between National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
    • Initiated several new partnerships between private sector from both sides in the fields of Telecoms, Critical Minerals, Advanced Materials and AI.

    To further our strategic collaboration, both sides will:

    • Harness together, the benefits of the global AI revolution and boost economic growth through a UK-India joint centre for AI that will promote trusted real world AI innovations and widespread adoption.
    • Advance next generation, secure-by-design telecommunications through joint research, development and innovation, strategically collaborating on advanced connectivity and cyber resilience. Establish an India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre to pioneer AI-driven telecoms, non-terrestrial networks and secure 5G and 6G. Work together through international fora like ITU and 3GPP for 6G.
    • Secure resilient and sustainable critical mineral supply chains to power the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Establish a UK-India Critical Minerals Guild to transform financing standards and innovation. Together, the two sides will prioritise processing, R&D, recycling, managing risk to supply chains, market development etc. and will champion circular economy principles and advance traceability.
    • Use the UK-India biotechnology partnership to unlock the potential in biofoundries, bioprinting, biomanufacturing, bio-based materials, advanced biosciences and drive innovation across health, clean energy and sustainable agriculture. Explore the possibility of setting up a UK-India Biotechnology Accelerator.

    The UK and India continue to work together across other TSI commitments including the collaboration on Graphene and 2D Materials Technology.
    In recognition of the TSI’s success, the two leaders agreed to expand the TSI into new frontier domains, particularly to unlock engagement on futuristic, secure and strategic technologies. This expansion will further align UK and Indian national security priorities and unlock new opportunities for industry and researchers.

    Both parties called on industry, including start-ups and academia to further catalyse the UK-India technology partnership and to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the TSI.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –