MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State visit highlights NI company’s major growth under Windsor Framework

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Secretary of State visit highlights NI company’s major growth under Windsor Framework

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland visits food distribution company, PRM, as figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show the Northern Ireland economy grew faster than the UK as a whole in the final quarter of 2024.

Secretary of State Hilary Benn with CEO and Founder of PRM Group Philip Morrow and Company Director Lynne Morrow.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland today [Wednesday 14 May] visited PRM, a leading food distribution company based in Lisburn. While there, he learned more about the significant growth the company has seen from having the benefit of dual market access provided under the Windsor Framework. This status, unique only to Northern Ireland, allows the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and the EU.

PRM has said that dual market access to both the UK and EU is a major factor behind its growth strategy, which over the past year has enabled it to commit to a £15m investment in its Lisburn headquarters paired with the creation of 40 additional jobs.

The NI Composite Economic Index (NICEI) from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows that in each of the five sectors it tracks, Northern Ireland grew in output between October and December 2024. Output rose by 0.9% in Q4, contributing to a yearly growth in output of 3.6% across NI. Whilst for the UK overall, Q4 growth was 0.1% and yearly growth was 1.4%.

Today’s visit follows the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of two new trade deals with the US and India. Both deals will open up new export opportunities for businesses across Northern Ireland, providing them with full market access to two of the world’s largest economies and enabling them to grow further and thrive. Sectors said to benefit the most from these trade deals include agricultural food products, biotechnology manufacturing and whiskey.

Speaking after his visit, the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, said:

“PRM’s expansion is a great example of how dual market access is helping Northern Ireland’s businesses to expand and create more jobs.

“With full access to both the UK and EU markets, and now new trade opportunities with the US and India, Northern Ireland is uniquely placed for success.

“These are tangible benefits that are strengthening Northern Ireland’s economy and creating prosperity.”

Philip Morrow, CEO and Founder of PRM Group, said:

“While Brexit brought with it understandable apprehension, there’s no doubt that the Windsor Framework has unlocked unique advantages for businesses and individuals in Northern Ireland.

“We have found ourselves in a very favourable position perfectly positioned between the UK and EU with full access to both markets. That’s an enviable place to be, and it’s been instrumental in shaping our investment decisions and future growth.

“At PRM, it’s allowed us to commit £15 million to expanding our Lisburn headquarters and create over 40 new jobs. Businesses here have been handed the key to the best of both worlds and that’s something we should champion, celebrate and capitalise on.”

Our Plan for Change sets out a bold vision for Northern Ireland’s economic future – to go further and faster in driving growth, attracting investment, and putting more money in the pockets of working people. Expanding international trade, cutting red tape and supporting innovation are key pillars to this plan.

The government continues to operate the Duty Reimbursement Scheme, allowing companies to claim back any additional duties paid on goods deemed “at risk” of entering the EU, ensuring fairness and competitiveness.

Published 15 May 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Luján: Trump Administration Illegally Blocking Nearly $316 Billion Owed to Native Communities

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
WATCH Senator Luján’s Remarks in Senate Indian Affairs Committee
Washington, D.C.— A new tracker revealed that the Trump administration is blocking or freezing more than $430 billion in federal funding owed to communities across the country — including nearly $316 billion for national programs that support Indian Country and Native communities. The data reflects just how widespread the damage is — with funding for public safety, housing, disaster recovery, child care, transportation, infrastructure, and education either delayed or terminated, and whole agencies and offices closed down, cutting off vital services.
“The Trump administration is illegally withholding hundreds of billions of dollars owed to communities across the country – including nearly $316 billion owed to Native communities – just to hand out more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests,” said Senator Luján, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. “This is a profound betrayal of Native communities and a shameful failure to uphold the federal government’s trust responsibility to Tribes. Blocking these funds has real consequences – stripping away vital resources from the health care, education, and child care services families depend on. This reckless decision puts the well-being and safety of New Mexicans and Tribal Nations at risk.”
As these cuts take effect, the Trump administration has imposed “Defend the Spend,” a sweeping new policy that requires grantees to justify spending line by line, even for items that have already been awarded. Grantees have received inconsistent guidance on how to navigate the new mandate, and many have faced significant delays in accessing funding they were already awarded — including funding for essential Tribal services.
At the same time, the Trump administration is proposing to slash $911 million — a 24% cut — from core Tribal programs in its Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget. These cuts would gut basic services like public safety and justice, education and workforce training, Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) housing grants, Native Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFIs), forestry management, and programs for Native children and families. They would also nearly eliminate funding to construct or repair Tribal schools, which are already chronically underfunded, and reduce support for Tribal law enforcement by 20 percent. As the economy slows and prices rise due to President Trump’s policies, these devastating cuts and burdensome new processes would make life harder in Native communities.
If you or your community has been impacted by withheld or terminated federal funding, you are encouraged to share your story by emailing oversight@indian.senate.gov. Your name and contact information will be kept confidential. Please include the federal agency and program involved in your submission.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI: ConnectM Completes Acquisition of Cambridge Energy Resources, Strengthening Foothold in India

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (OTC: CNTM) (“ConnectM” or the “Company”), a high-growth technology company on the leading edge of the energy economy, today announced it has secured regulatory approval and completed the acquisition of Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd. (CER), an India-based Energy-Management-as-a-Service (EMaaS) provider.

The acquisition provides ConnectM with a strategic beachhead in India’s booming distributed energy and telecommunications sectors, solidifying the Company’s expansion into one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy and digital infrastructure markets. ConnectM beat out four other bidders in a competitive process to acquire CER in 2021 for INR 120 million ($1.4M) which has fair value assessment at INR 240 million ($2.8M). Since winning the bid in 2021, it took an additional three years to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.

CER’s offerings span rooftop solar installations and energy management solutions for telecommunications infrastructure, supporting India’s 5G network deployment through clean energy initiatives. With this acquisition, ConnectM gains an established operating presence in India and the ability to immediately participate in two sectors central to India’s sustainability and digital growth. The Company will leverage CER’s local expertise to deploy its proprietary Home and Building Electrification (HBE) platform and Energy Intelligence Network (EIN) across new projects in the region. ConnectM’s full-stack, digital-first approach—proven in its U.S. operations—combined with CER’s on-ground capabilities is expected to drive growth in both distributed energy and telecom energy management solutions.

“This is a pivotal step in our international Home and Building Electrification (HBE) expansion,” said Bhaskar Panigrahi, Chairman and CEO of ConnectM. “By adding Cambridge Energy Resources to the ConnectM family, we secure a foothold in one of the world’s largest and highest-growth energy and telecommunications markets. We are now positioned to accelerate the deployment of our integrated electrification platform across India, furthering our mission to drive sustainable energy transformation on a global scale.”

The transaction carries significant strategic value for ConnectM and its stockholders. Our India business is growing organically at more than 100% per year. With this CER acquisition, we expect our business from India to grow to 15% of our global revenue in next twelve months ($10M annualized) from 5% it is currently now. CER not only provides an operational base in India but also broadens ConnectM’s service offerings into two high-growth domains that align with India’s ambitious development goals. India has set a target of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030, supported by an estimated $384.5 billion in power sector investments, alongside a nationwide 5G rollout. These initiatives are driving robust demand for distributed renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient telecom infrastructure—areas where ConnectM, through CER, is now well positioned to deliver innovative solutions.

This acquisition follows ConnectM’s March 26, 2025, announcement of its first HBE project in India and is a key part of the Company’s broader strategic expansion into India and international markets. ConnectM plans to continue pursuing opportunities that strengthen its presence in high-growth regions as it scales its HBE platform globally.

About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.:

ConnectM is a constellation of companies powering the next generation of electrified equipment, mobility, and distributed energy—thus enabling a faster, smarter transition to a modern energy economy. The Company provides residential and light commercial service providers and original equipment manufacturers with a proprietary Energy Intelligence Network platform to accelerate the transition to all-electric heating, cooling, and transportation. Leveraging technology, data, artificial intelligence, and behavioral economics, ConnectM aims to lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions globally.

For more information, please visit: https://www.connectm.com/

About Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd.:

Cambridge Energy Resources Ltd. (CER) is a privately held Energy-Management-as-a-Service provider based in India. Headquartered in New Delhi, CER delivers integrated clean energy solutions for enterprises and telecom operators, including the development and management of distributed solar projects and the deployment of energy-efficient power systems for 5G telecommunications infrastructure. By offering these services on an outcome-based model, CER helps clients reduce energy costs and carbon footprint while enhancing power reliability across their operations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding our future financial performance and our strategy, expansion plans, future operations, future operating results, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. We caution you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. In addition, we caution you that the forward-looking statements regarding the Company contained in this press release are subject to the risks and uncertainties described in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 18, 2024. Such filing identifies and addresses other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ConnectM is under no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:

Investor Relations
Dave Gentry, CEO
RedChip Companies, Inc.
1-407-644-4256
CNTM@redchip.com

The MIL Network –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Rescheduled: Community Conversations with Congressman Frank Mrvan

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (IN)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced the rescheduled Community Conversations that will be held throughout Indiana’s First Congressional District on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Congressman Mrvan stated, “I invite residents to attend one of my rescheduled Community Conversations that I will be holding on May 29, 2025. I believe these opportunities allow me to hear directly from constituents and better represent our collective interests in our nation’s capital. Additionally, I will provide a brief update on the 119th Session of Congress and my work on the House Appropriations Committee.”

Thursday – May 29, 2025

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Michigan City – City Hall Council Chambers, 100 East Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, IN 46360
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Indiana University Northwest, Bergland Auditorium in the Savannah Center, 65 West 33rd Avenue, Gary, IN 46408

Please note that all times listed are Central Time.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Hanieh, Professor of Political Economy and Global Development, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

After signing a US$142 billion (£107 billion) arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump said the US bond with that country was “more powerful than ever”. He was also reportedly quite pleased with the gift of a private jet from Qatar.

But these arrangements are just the latest developments in a long history of the Gulf monarchies supporting the architecture of American global power. And while the six Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) have recently started redirecting their energy and trade ties eastward, especially towards China, they remain deeply embedded in the US-led financial order.

As I explore in my recent book, Crude Capitalism, the Gulf states were instrumental in the rise of American global economic dominance.

With oil emerging as the dominant fossil fuel through the second half of the 20th century, the Gulf’s nationalised petroleum industries generated vast amounts of income. Much of this was invested back into the US financial markets, particularly treasury bonds (essentially a long-term loan to the US government). This gave the US access to cheap foreign capital and reinforced the global dominance of the dollar.

Put simply, the Gulf states were not peripheral to the US’s growing financial power – they were an essential contributor.

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

This arrangement also involved a political bargain: US military protection for the Gulf monarchies in exchange for investment flows and energy stability. The result was a web of US military bases across the region and a deep alignment between authoritarian Gulf regimes and western strategic interests.

But much has changed in the past two decades. China’s rise as a global manufacturing hub has driven a huge increase in oil consumption, shifting the direction of the Gulf’s oil exports away from the US and western Europe towards China and east Asia.

These energy ties have been accompanied by much deeper trade interdependence and a huge increase in Chinese investments in the Gulf. In 2005, China was responsible for just 9% of the Gulf’s imports. Today, that figure is over 20%, while the US and EU’s share has fallen from 45% to 16%. China has also recently overtaken the US as the largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia.

From Beijing’s perspective, the Gulf is a critical energy lifeline. From the Gulf’s side, China’s continuing demand for oil, gas and petrochemicals is a vital part of its economic future.

For the moment, that economic situation looks pretty robust. In 2024, Gulf countries held around US$800 billion in foreign reserves (foreign currencies and other assets), which is more than India or Switzerland. Their sovereign wealth funds (a state owned investment fund) manage another US$4.9 trillion of assets.

Private wealth, including that held by ruling families, stood at US$2.8 trillion in 2022, and is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion by 2027.

Much of this money is invested domestically, in sectors including infrastructure, real estate and renewable energy. But an astonishing amount flows directly into US markets.

Oil be back

According to US Treasury data, total Gulf holdings of American securities (bonds, stocks and corporate debt) rose from US$611 billion in 2017 to over US$1 trillion in 2024. Outside of Canada and financial hubs like London and Ireland, the Gulf is now the largest foreign investor in the US stock market.

Another route through which Gulf wealth flows back into the US is via military procurement. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Gulf states accounted for 22% of all global arms imports between 2019 and 2023 – more than any other region in the world.

Riyadh, money to build.
Kashif Hameed/Shutterstock

The US supplies the overwhelming majority of these weapons. In this way, Gulf spending supports the American military industry, and in return, these states become more closely tied to the US military’s umbrella.

These deep military, financial and strategic ties help explain the real focus of Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Much of the discussion will have centred on massive investment pledges made by Gulf states to the US – including Saudi Arabia’s promise to invest up to US$600 billion, and the UAE’s commitment to a US$1.4 trillion investment over ten years.

And such pledges reflect a broader agenda which involves expanding deals in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

So Trump travelling to the region is not just about private jets and spectacle. It is about the continuing relevance of a structural relationship essential to American power, and a deepening financial integration between the Gulf and the US.

For even as the Gulf reorients its energy flows eastward, it remains deeply tied to US finance, the US military industry and US assets. In an era of weakening US global power – and the possible spectre of a deeper clash with China – this is what will define Trump’s visit.

Adam Hanieh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Not every US president gets a free private jet, but the Gulf states have boosted US economic dominance for decades – https://theconversation.com/not-every-us-president-gets-a-free-private-jet-but-the-gulf-states-have-boosted-us-economic-dominance-for-decades-256655

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: 16 May 2025 Departmental update WHO and Universal Postal Union join forces to improve access to eyeglasses

Source: World Health Organisation

“This collaboration represents an innovative approach to addressing uncorrected presbyopia, a condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, particularly in underserved communities,” said Stuart Keel, Technical Officer in WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases, Rehabilitation and Disability Department. “By combining WHO’s public health expertise with the trusted presence of postal services in local communities, we’re bringing essential eye care closer to where people live and work.”

“Postal networks have a special role in communities, beyond handling communication and business,” said Susan C. Alexander, Programme Manager from UPU’s Sustainability Services, Policy, Regulation and Markets Directorate. “Through this collaboration, we’re opening doors to improve the health and quality of life for both postal employees and the people they serve.”

The agreement, signed at WHO headquarters in Geneva, includes a joint plan of action from 2025 to 2027. The plan focuses on two key goals: using postal services to distribute near-vision glasses and promoting awareness about eye health among postal workers and the communities they serve.

Delivering SPECS 2030 initiative goals

The WHO-UPU partnership aligns closely with the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative, launched in May 2024, which aims to help countries scale up access to eye care in a sustainable way. One of the most pressing needs addressed by the initiative is presbyopia – an age-related condition that affects near vision and can be easily corrected with low-cost reading glasses. More than 800 million people worldwide suffer from presbyopia, yet many lack access to basic corrective eyeglasses. WHO and UPU will collaborate to develop, pilot, and evaluate delivery models that use postal networks to bridge this gap, in line with SPECS 2030’s five strategic pillars: Service design, Personnel development, public Education, Costing, and Surveillance and research.

This project also forms part of the UPU’s Post4Health initiative, which builds on the special role of postal networks in integrating public health logistics and community outreach. It demonstrates how these networks can serve as an effective channel not only for vision care, but for a wide range of health-related services worldwide.

The untapped potential of postal networks

With an estimated 680 000 post offices operating globally, postal services offer a unique opportunity to reach remote and underserved areas. India Post alone runs over 150 000 offices, forming the largest postal network in the world.

This vast infrastructure provides an unprecedented channel for distributing eyeglasses to communities where health services are insufficient. In many low-income countries, fewer than one in four people who need eyeglasses can obtain them – a disparity the WHO–UPU collaboration seeks to reduce. By harnessing the postal system’s reach, the collaboration aims to create a scalable and sustainable model to improve vision care for millions of people.

First pilot project: India Post in the state of Assam

In collaboration with India Post, the state of Assam in India has been chosen as the site for the first pilot project aimed at evaluating the scalability of a model for delivering near vision spectacles. It will be implemented across five postal services in the state.

As part of the pilot, postal workers will be trained to perform simple vision screenings and provide low-cost, ready-made reading glasses to individuals with near vision impairment. Local outreach will be undertaken using public education efforts and neighbourhood events to inform and engage communities.

WHO and UPU plan to leverage the results from the pilot project to support the expansion in other countries, with the goal of reaching underserved populations globally.

“This collaboration is about reimagining how care reaches people – getting beyond regular health spaces and connecting with individuals in their own environments,” Keel added.

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MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI: Best Scam Protection Software (2025): McAfee Named Top Choice for Email, Text, and Video Scam Detection by Software Experts

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK CITY, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the average person seeing 14 scam messages per day and dedicating over 90 hours each year to identifying threats*, the importance of strong digital protection is greater than ever. Today, Software Experts is proud to recognize McAfee’s Scam Detector – a key feature included at no cost with McAfee’s core plans, including McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection – as a top scam protection tool of 2025.

Top Scam Protection Software

Scam Detector – an AI-powered feature that helps users detect and block scam texts, emails, and deepfake videos in real time across their devices

Backed by decades of cybersecurity leadership, McAfee has evolved beyond traditional antivirus to meet the needs of modern users facing sophisticated scams in their inboxes, message threads, and even social media feeds. Scam Detector answers this urgent need by using AI-powered scans to detect dangerous text, email, and video scams and alert users.

All-in-One Scam Protection At No Extra Cost

Included in McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection plans, Scam Detector equips users with proactive tools to recognize and scan suspicious content across key communication channels:

Text Scams: Alerts users to SMS-based phishing attempts and dangerous links directly within the McAfee mobile app, available on both Android and iOS.
Email Scams: Users can link Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo Mail accounts for real-time scans in the background. McAfee identifies suspicious messages and explains why they’re risky – no guessing required.
Video Scams: A unique feature that uses AI to detect deepfake videos and other manipulative media designed to impersonate trusted individuals or spread disinformation. It’s the world’s first automatic deepfake detection among online protection providers.

Scam Detector works locally for privacy and supports multiple languages, ensuring scam protection is both private and accessible to diverse users. It also integrates with McAfee’s Safe Browsing technology, which blocks risky links if accidentally clicked.

Simple Setup, Smart Protection

Scam Detector is designed to deliver powerful scam protection without the complexity. Setup is quick and seamless: to enable email scam protection, users simply connect the email account registered to their McAfee subscription or link a new one – no additional apps or extensions required. For scam texts and deepfake video detection, users activate the feature through the McAfee mobile app. There’s no need to copy and paste suspicious links or upload content for review, though users can if they want to test that functionality in the app. Once activated, Scam Detector works in the background to proactively scan incoming messages, emails, and videos, alerting users when potential threats are detected.

But Scam Detector does more than just warn – it educates. Each time an email scam is flagged, McAfee provides a clear, contextual explanation of the risks involved, helping users understand the social engineering tactics, deceptive language, or impersonation strategies that scammers commonly use. This empowers individuals to recognize warning signs on their own, building long-term digital awareness and confidence.

Alerts are delivered in a non-intrusive manner, whether through a mobile notification, a flagged email, or a warning overlaid on suspicious videos. The goal is to provide helpful guidance without interrupting the user experience – keeping people informed, protected, and in control at all times.

A Response to a Growing Crisis

The need for smarter scam protection has never been more urgent. Americans are now targeted by an average of 14 scam messages a day, losing an average of $1,471 each time they fall for one*. Worse still, these scams are becoming more sophisticated – blending AI-generated deepfake videos, realistic phishing emails, and fake text alerts that mimic real businesses. It’s not just tech novices who are falling victim, even digital-savvy individuals can be deceived.

Part of the problem lies in the speed at which these scams unfold. According to McAfee’s research, only 17% of people recognize they’ve encountered a scam within five minutes*. That delay can be costly, leading to compromised identities, drained bank accounts, or irreversible emotional harm.

Scam Detector was created to meet this moment – offering fast, intelligent detection that’s built directly into the tools people already use every day. By integrating scam protection into core McAfee+ and McAfee Total Protection plans, McAfee ensures users are safeguarded from the most common and costly forms of online deception, all without needing to download or juggle additional tools.

Click here to explore McAfee’s plans. For the full review, please visit the Software Experts website.

About McAfee

McAfee Corp. is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Focused on protecting people, not just devices, McAfee’s consumer solutions adapt to users’ needs in an always online world, empowering them to live securely through integrated, intuitive solutions that protect their families, communities, and businesses with the right security at the right moment. For more information, please visit McAfee.com.

*A McAfee survey, which focused on the topic of deepfakes, text and email scam messages, and the impact of these scams on consumers, was conducted online in December 2024. 5,000 adults, age 18+, In 7 countries (US, Australia, India, UK, France, Germany, Japan), participated in the study.

About Software Experts: Software Experts provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

The MIL Network –

May 16, 2025

Rain, thunderstorms expected over Northwest India this week

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday announced further advancement of the southwest monsoon into parts of the southeast Arabian Sea, Maldives and the Comorin area, as well as into more areas of the South Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Islands, and the Andaman Sea.

According to the latest weekly update from May 15 to May 21, conditions remain favourable for the monsoon to progress further in the coming days. The IMD expects the southwest monsoon to continue advancing into additional areas of the south Arabian Sea, Maldives and Comorin region, as well as the South Bay of Bengal, the remaining parts of the Andaman Islands and Sea, and parts of the central Bay of Bengal over the next three to four days.

Meanwhile, parts of Northwest India are expected to receive isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. This weather pattern is likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh from May 18 to May 21. Rainfall is also expected in Punjab and Haryana on May 16 and again from May 19 to 21, while Rajasthan may experience wet spells in both western and eastern parts on different days during the week.

Strong, dust-raising winds with speeds reaching 25–35 kmph are also forecast over West Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on May 16 and 17. West Rajasthan is likely to witness these conditions between May 15 and 18.

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Mayor of Winchester elected at 2025 mayor-making

Source: City of Winchester

Councillor Sudhakar Achwal has been elected as the 826th Mayor of Winchester.

A ceremony took place in the King Charles Hall of Guildhall Winchester last night, Wednesday 14 May 2025.

Cllr Achwal, who is a councillor in the Whiteley and Shedfield ward, was born and raised in India before first coming to the UK in 1974 to complete a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Salford. He later travelled across Europe, the Middle East, India, the Far East, and the Americas as part of his work.

He met his wife Vivian Achwal, who is a fellow councillor in the same ward, in Newcastle. The couple, who now live in Whiteley, returned to the UK permanently in 1997. They have been together for 45 years and have one daughter and one grandson. Cllr Vivian Achwal was Mayor of Winchester in 2021-2.

Cllr Sudhakar Achwal said: “Beyond my career, I’ve found deep fulfilment in volunteering. I believe in giving back to the community that welcomed me so warmly. I’m also passionate about the environment, and I try to stay active. My shelves are always full, especially with history books, which continue to fuel my curiosity.

“Family remains at the heart of everything. My journey continues, filled with gratitude for the many experiences, lessons, and people that have shaped it.”

Cllr Achwal has selected his Mayoral Charities for 2025-6: Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC); Home-Start Winchester & Districts; and Trinity Winchester.

At the mayor-making, Cllr Jamie Scott was elected as Deputy Mayor.

Taking the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, the Mayor said: “I Sudhakar Achwal, having been elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Winchester, hereby declare that I will take the said office upon myself and will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties thereof to the best of my judgement and ability.”

Read the full biography of the new mayor.

Last Updated: Thursday 15 May 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.00 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on The Karnataka Central Co-operative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/336

MIL OSI Economics –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Mangalore, Karnataka

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on Mangalore Co-operative Town Bank Ltd., Mangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms /concerns in which they are interested’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/335

MIL OSI Economics –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Karnataka

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on The Shimoga District Co-operative Central Bank Ltd., Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 20 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

The bank had sanctioned director related loans.

This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/334

MIL OSI Economics –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bangalore, Karnataka

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 09, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) on Swarna Bharathi Sahakara Bank Niyamitha, Bangalore, Karnataka (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 31 read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said statutory provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

The bank had failed to submit its accounts and balance-sheet for the FY 2023-24 together with the auditor’s report to RBI, within stipulated timeline.

This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/333

MIL OSI Economics –

May 16, 2025

Labour force participation at 55.6% in April, shows first monthly PLFS bulletin

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the first Monthly Bulletin of the revamped Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April 2025. The report highlights key employment and unemployment indicators, including the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and Unemployment Rate (UR), across rural and urban India based on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) of individuals aged 15 years and above.

As per the bulletin, the overall LFPR stood at 55.6 per cent during April 2025. Rural areas recorded a higher participation rate at 58.0 per cent, while urban areas reported 50.7 per cent. Among males in the same age group, LFPR was significantly higher—79.0 per cent in rural areas and 75.3 per cent in urban regions. Female participation, though lower, showed encouraging figures, with rural female LFPR at 38.2 per cent.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which represents the proportion of employed individuals in the population, was recorded at 52.8 per cent at the national level. Rural areas registered a WPR of 55.4 per cent, while in urban areas, it stood at 47.4 per cent. Among women, the WPR was 36.8 per cent in rural areas and 23.5 per cent in urban areas, with an overall female WPR of 32.5 per cent.

The unemployment rate in April 2025 was observed at 5.1 per cent for individuals aged 15 years and above. The unemployment rate for males was slightly higher at 5.2 per cent, while for females it stood at 5.0 per cent.

These estimates mark the beginning of a new phase in labour force statistics, following a revamp of the PLFS methodology from January 2025. The revised survey design aims to generate more frequent and comprehensive data. Under the new rotational panel sampling approach, each selected household is visited four times over four consecutive months, allowing for a 75 per cent overlap of first-stage sampling units between any two months. This design ensures better comparability and continuity in data collection.

During April 2025, a total of 7,511 first-stage sampling units were covered nationwide, including 4,140 in rural areas and 3,371 in urban areas. The survey included 89,434 households and covered a population of 3,80,838 individuals, comprising 2,17,483 from rural areas and 1,63,355 from urban locations.

The revamped PLFS also aims to extend quarterly estimates to rural India, which were previously limited to urban areas. The restructured sample design has increased the number of households surveyed within each sampling unit from 8 to 12.

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – Between Kashmir and Baluchistan: “Now is the time for unity and peace”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Mostafameraji – Wiki Commons

Karachi (Agenzia Fides) – “Now is the time for unity and peace. I would like to recall the words of Pope Leo XIV: Peace be with you. We address this message to India, to our Indian brothers, with whom we are called to build coexistence, and also to our brothers in Baluchistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan,” Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi, told Fides. In recent days, tensions have flared between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region, a conflict for which a truce has been signed. In the west of the country, the situation has also worsened with the intensification of the conflict in Baluchistan, one of the provinces that form the Pakistani territory, in which an irredentist movement has been present since the time of Pakistan’s independence. Recently, civil society leader Mir Yar Baloch declared that “Balochistan is not Pakistan,” calling for independence from Pakistan and appealing for support from India and the international community. He has denounced decades of violence, forced disappearances, and human rights violations in the region. Father Rodrigues, who began his pastoral work in Balochistan as a young priest, recalls: “There I met peaceful, hospitable, life-loving people. We defend human dignity, fundamental rights, prosperity for all, and reject all forms of violence. Unfortunately, when terror erupts in the region, the military intervenes, and I can imagine the suffering this causes for the civilian population.” Today, Balochistan represents a concern for the Pakistani government. Despite this, the priest insists on the importance of promoting national unity and including all ethnic and religious groups and launch an appeal for the unity of Pakistan and for peace,” says the priest. “In Karachi, the Baloch communities are well integrated. We have Baloch children in our school, who live in complete harmony with their classmates. That is the model to follow,” says Rodrigues, currently principal of St. Patrick High School, a Catholic institution with more than 4,000 students.The local population continues to report serious human rights violations committed against civilians and those who oppose the policies of the Pakistani government, considered repressive. The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), an insurgent group active in the region, has carried out violent attacks. On March 11, it hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar with at least 380 people on board. The hijacking ended after the intervention of the Pakistani army. The province of Baluchistan has been involved in insurgencies and conflicts by Baloch separatists since 1948.An estimated 7 million Baloch people live in Pakistan, mainly in the province of Baluchis, although there are also significant communities in Sindh and Punjab. They represent about 3.6% of the national population. Baloch communities are also found in Iran and Afghanistan. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI: Hallador Energy to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TERRE HAUTE, Ind., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) (“Hallador” or the “Company”), today announced its participation in three upcoming investor conferences scheduled for May and June 2025.

B. Riley Securities 25th Annual Investor Conference is being held May 21-22 at The Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey, CA. The Company will participate in an analyst hosted roundtable and hold 1×1 meetings throughout the day on May 21.

Jefferies Power Conference is being held June 5 at the Allen Center in Houston, TX. The Company will hold 1×1 meetings throughout the day.

Northland Growth Conference is being held virtually on June 25. The Company will hold 1×1 meetings throughout the day.

To request a meeting with Hallador’s management team, please contact the respective conference representative or email the Company’s investor relations team at HNRG@elevate-ir.com.

About Hallador Energy Company

Hallador Energy Company (Nasdaq: HNRG) is a vertically-integrated Independent Power Producer (IPP) based in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Company has two core businesses: Hallador Power Company, LLC, which produces electricity and capacity at its one-Gigawatt (GW) Merom Generating Station, and Sunrise Coal, LLC, which produces and supplies fuel to the Merom Generating Station and other companies. To learn more about Hallador, visit the Company’s website at www.halladorenergy.com.

Company Contact

Marjorie Hargrave
Chief Financial Officer
MHargrave@halladorenergy.com

Investor Relations Contact

Sean Mansouri, CFA
Elevate IR
(720) 330-2829
HNRG@elevate-ir.com

The MIL Network –

May 16, 2025

Israeli military strikes kill scores in Gaza, medics say

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Israeli military strikes killed at least 60 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian medics said, as the United States and Arab mediators pushed for a ceasefire deal and U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Middle East.

Most of the victims, including women and children, were killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in airstrikes that hit homes and tents, they said.

The dead included local journalist Hassan Samour, who worked for the Hamas-run Aqsa radio station and was killed along with 11 family members when their home was struck, the medics said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified its offensive in Gaza as it tries to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the deadly attacks the Palestinian militant group carried out on Israel in 2023.

Hamas said in a statement that Israel was making a “desperate attempt to negotiate under cover of fire” as indirect ceasefire talks take place between Israel and Hamas, involving Trump envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha.

Israel carried out the latest strikes on the day Palestinians commemorate the “Nakba”, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced to flee their hometowns and villages during the 1948 Middle East war that gave birth to the state of Israel.

With most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza internally displaced, some residents of the tiny enclave say suffering is greater now than at the time of the Nakba.

“What we are experiencing now is even worse than the Nakba of 1948,” said Ahmed Hamad, a Palestinian in Gaza City who has been displaced multiple times.

“The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere.”

ESCALATING VIOLENCE

Palestinian health officials say the Israeli attacks have escalated since Trump started a visit on Tuesday to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that many Palestinians had hoped he would use to push for a truce.

The latest strikes follow attacks on Gaza on Wednesday that killed at least 80 people, local health officials said.

Little has come of new indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas led by Trump’s envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha.

Hamas says it is ready to free all the remaining hostages it is holding in Gaza in return for an end to the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers interim truces, saying the war can only end once Hamas is eradicated.

“At a time when mediators are exerting intensive efforts to put the negotiation back on the right track, the Zionist occupation (Israel) responds to those efforts by military pressure on innocent civilians,” the group said in a statement.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants an open-ended war and he doesn’t care about the fate of his hostages,” it said.

Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It has left Gaza on the brink of famine, aid groups and international agencies say.

A U.S.-backed humanitarian organisation will start work in Gaza by the end of May under an aid distribution plan, but has asked Israel to let the United Nations and others resume deliveries to Palestinians now until it is set up.

No humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Gaza since March 2, and a global hunger monitor has warned that half a million people face starvation in Gaza.

-Reuters

May 16, 2025

Gold prices drop sharply by Rs 2,375 per 10 grams; silver also falls

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Gold buyers in India have a reason to cheer as prices of the yellow metal saw a significant drop on Thursday.

According to the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA), the price of 24-carat gold fell by Rs 2,375 per 10 grams, bringing it down to Rs 91,484 from Rs 93,859.

The decline wasn’t limited to just 24-carat gold. The price of 22-carat gold also dropped, now standing at Rs 83,799 per 10 grams, down from Rs 85,975. Similarly, 18-carat gold saw its price fall to Rs 68,613 from Rs 70,394 per 10 grams.

This marks a sharp turnaround from just a few weeks ago, when on April 22, the price of 24-carat gold had surged close to the Rs 1 lakh mark.

Silver mirrored the downtrend seen in gold. Prices for one kilogram of silver declined by Rs 2,297 to Rs 94,103 from Rs 96,400 per kg.

The fall in precious metal prices extended to the futures market as well. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold futures for June 5 dropped 1 per cent to Rs 91,325, while silver futures for July 4 declined by a similar margin to Rs 94,458 per kg.

Market analysts attribute the fall in gold prices to easing global trade tensions, particularly between the United States and China, which had previously driven gold and silver prices higher.

As geopolitical uncertainty decreases, the appeal of safe-haven assets like gold tends to weaken.

In international markets, gold has dropped to its lowest level in a month. On COMEX, it was trading down by 1.1 per cent at $3,141.35 per ounce — a steep decline from its recent peak of around $3,500 per ounce recorded on April 22.

-IANS

May 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: 615th Meeting of Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India

Source: Reserve Bank of India

The 615^th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India was held today in Mumbai under the Chairmanship of Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Governor. As part of the agenda, inter alia, the Board reviewed the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) of the Reserve Bank of India.

Deputy Governors Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao, Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Shri Swaminathan J., Dr. Poonam Gupta and other Directors of the Central Board – Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Shri Nagaraju Maddirala, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Shri Satish K. Marathe, Shri S. Gurumurthy, Smt. Revathy Iyer, Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Shri Venu Srinivasan, Shri Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel and Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia – attended the meeting.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2025-2026/329

MIL OSI Economics –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung ‘Galaxy empowered’ launches Immersive Programme for Bhutan’s Teaching Community

Source: Samsung

The ‘Galaxy empowered’ Community from Bhutan

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, is welcoming passionate educators from remote corners of Bhutan into its growing community, ‘Galaxy empowered’, a one-of-a-kind community-led programme designed to transform education by empowering teachers, principals, and administrators in the education sector.

‘Galaxy empowered’, which aims to prepare teachers for the classrooms of tomorrow through recurring on-ground and online learning events, was launched in India in December 2024. Now, through immersive workshops and collaborative learning, Bhutanese teachers are also part of the movement that is redefining classrooms with technology and innovation.

Samsung organised a ‘Galaxy empowered’ immersion programme for these educators, many of whom serve in remote and underserved communities in Bhutan, at its Executive Business Centre (EBC) in Gurugram. During the immersion programme, teachers gained hands-on experience with the Galaxy ecosystem, including Galaxy smartphones, Galaxy Books, Tablets, flipboards, and displays.

In addition, they were introduced to Samsung’s latest innovations in education, including Galaxy devices and Galaxy AI applications tailored for modern, inclusive teaching. This was facilitated in partnership with the Teacher and Educational Leadership Division (TELD), Department of School Education, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Bhutan.

“I had never used an interactive whiteboard before. Seeing it in action gave me so many ideas for making lessons more engaging for my students,” said Khandu, teacher at Wangdue Primary School.

Innovation spreading smiles across

The Immersion Programme at Samsung Regional Headquarter witnessed the participation of educators from various schools across Bhutan, including Khandothang Primary School (Samtse), Pelrithang Higher Secondary School (Gelephu, Sarpang), Lobesa Lower Secondary School (Punakha Dzongkhag), Yoechen Central School (Pema Gatshel), Phuentsholing Primary School (Phuentsholing Thromde), and Chhukha Dzongkhag, among others.

“The technology we saw today showed how classrooms can become more exciting and student-friendly. I am thinking about how we can try small changes in our own schools,” said Ghana Shyam Dhungana, Academic Head at Pelrithang Higher Secondary School (Gelephu, Sarpang).

As a global leader in technology, Samsung is dedicated to transforming the future of education by developing future-ready classrooms that empower teachers to integrate the latest technology and modern teaching methodologies. Through initiatives such as ‘Galaxy empowered’, Samsung not only supports educators but also helps schools emerge as leaders in educational innovation.

Taking a glance into the future

“At Samsung, we understand that empowering a teacher is about inspiring a transformation that turns classrooms into vibrant spaces of curiosity, creativity, and connection. Through ‘Galaxy empowered’, we aim to ignite a spark that shapes the minds of future generations. We are proud to see this programme expand its reach beyond India, evolving into a global platform for learning and collaboration,” said a Samsung India spokesperson.

The ‘Galaxy empowered’ programme is offered free of charge to both teachers and schools, ensuring that valuable resources for educational advancement are accessible without financial constraints. It offers no-cost online training, self-paced courses on the Galaxy empowered site, and physical boot camps.

“This visit reminded me that technology is not only for big cities. With the right support, even remote schools can benefit from these innovations,” said Pema Dorji, Officiating Principal at Jigmeling Primary School (Tang, Bumthang).

In India, under the umbrella of ‘Galaxy empowered’, over 4,800 teachers from more than 250 schools have been awarded certificates since December 2024. The programme aims to empower 20,000 teachers across 600 schools of India by 2025.

MIL OSI Economics –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Open Market Operation (OMO) – Purchase of Government of India Securities held on May 15, 2025: Cut-Offs

Source: Reserve Bank of India

Security	7.10% GS 2029	7.26% GS 2032	7.50% GS 2034	6.67% GS 2035	7.41% GS 2036
Total amount notified	Aggregate amount of ₹25,000 crore (no security-wise notified amount)
Total amount (face value) accepted by RBI (₹ in crore)	4,965	1,205	5,571	8,361	4,898
Cut off yield (%)	6.0304	6.2556	6.3414	6.3644	6.4269
Cut off price (₹)	103.68	105.78	107.99	102.32	107.94
Detailed results will be issued shortly.

Ajit Prasad
Deputy General Manager
(Communications)

Press Release: 2025-2026/328

MIL OSI Economics –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: Where do cuts to USAID leave the future of foreign aid in Africa? Podcast

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation

Three months after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to its aid agency, USAID, the effects are being felt across the world, particularly in Africa.

Donald Trump has long been a critic of foreign aid, arguing that it’s not aligned with American interests. But he is by no means the first person to criticise the aid industry. Debates about the effectiveness of foreign aid have rumbled on for decades, taking in everything from the way development assistance is distributed, to what happens to countries which become dependent on it.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to Bright Simons, an African aid expert and visiting senior fellow at ODI Global, about where the decimation of USAID leaves the debate about the future of development assistance.

Bright Simons tells The Conversation that in broad terms, USAID spending in Africa is pretty small: “It’s about US$12 billion (£9 billion) roughly, so you’re talking about less than 0.5% of GDP in Africa.”

A lot of the aid spending on the continent was targeted at life-saving programmes in specific programmes, for example HIV programmes in Nigeria and Uganda. At the same time, some countries such as South Sudan or Rwanda rely heavily on aid. “ It’s not the same picture all across the continent, but there were specific spots that were very badly hit,” says Simons.

The USAID cuts come amid a general reduction in overseas development assistance by 7% in 2024 compared to 2023, the first fall in five years. The UK government has also announced its intention to reduce the percentage of gross national income it spends on aid from 0.5% to 0.3% from 2027.

No learning curve

Simons believes the crisis in aid is bigger than Trump. He’s critical of the lack of accountability in the way aid is spent both through the western model of development spending and through the more transactional approach of countries such as Russia, India or the United Arab Emirates. He argues that policies and programmes are often put in place and promoted with little scrutiny on the ground, and weak oversight on the way they’re delivered.

“ You don’t have a learning curve to get out of aid because you don’t know enough about what is working, what is not working, why it’s working, why it’s not working to chart a path that gets you away from that dependency,” says Simons.

Simons suggests that aid delivered through multilateral institutions does have advantages over bilateral agreements between countries. “ In theory, there is room for that kind of accountability. Whether or not you are allowed to actually exercise it as a different matter,” he says.

However, Simons suggests one response to the current reduction in foreign aid could be for multilateral institutions to borrow more money from capital markets and lend it on to low-income countries.

Listen to Simons talk about the history and future of aid on The Conversation Weekly podcast. The episode also includes an introduction with Adejuwon Soyinka, West Africa editor at The Conversation Africa.

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware. Mixing and sound design by Eloise Stevens and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

Newsclips in this episode from CBS News, CBS Evening News and DW News.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts.

Bright Simons is Honorary Vice-President at IMANI, a think tank in Ghana. He is President of mPedigree, a technology social enterprise.

– ref. Where do cuts to USAID leave the future of foreign aid in Africa? Podcast – https://theconversation.com/where-do-cuts-to-usaid-leave-the-future-of-foreign-aid-in-africa-podcast-256608

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI: SHELL PLC – REPORT ON PAYMENTS TO GOVERNMENTS FOR THE YEAR 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Shell plc – Report on Payments to Governments for the year 2024

Basis for preparation – Report on Payments to Governments for the year 2024
This Report provides a consolidated overview of the payments to governments made by Shell plc and its subsidiary undertakings (hereinafter referred to as “Shell”) for the year 2024 as required under the UK’s Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 (as amended in December 2015). These UK Regulations enact domestic rules in line with Directive 2013/34/EU (the EU Accounting Directive (2013)) and apply to large UK incorporated companies like Shell that are involved in the exploration, prospection, discovery, development and extraction of minerals, oil, natural gas deposits or other materials. This Report is also filed with the National Storage Mechanism (https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism) intended to satisfy the requirements of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. This Report is also published pursuant to article 5:25e of the Dutch FMSA (Wft) and is furnished with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) according to Section 13(q) under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Report is available for download from www.shell.com/payments.

Legislation
This Report is prepared in accordance with The Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 as enacted in the UK in December 2014 and as amended in December 2015.

Reporting entities
This Report includes payments to governments made by Shell plc and its subsidiary undertakings (Shell). Payments made by entities where Shell has joint control are excluded from this Report.

Activities
Payments made by Shell to governments arising from activities involving the exploration, prospection, discovery, development and extraction of minerals, oil and natural gas deposits or other materials (extractive activities) are disclosed in this Report. It excludes payments related to refining, natural gas liquefaction or gas-to-liquids activities. For a fully integrated project, which does not have an interim contractual cut-off point where a value can be attached or ascribed separately to the extractive activities and to other processing activities, payments to governments are not artificially split but are disclosed in full.

Government
Government includes any national, regional or local authority of a country, and includes a department, agency or entity that is a subsidiary of a government, including a national oil company.

Project
Payments are reported at project level, except those payments that are not attributable to a specific project which are reported at entity level. Project is defined as operational activities which are governed by a single contract, licence, lease, concession or similar legal agreement, and form the basis for payment liabilities with a government. If such agreements are substantially interconnected, those agreements are to be treated as a single project.

“Substantially interconnected” means forming a set of operationally and geographically integrated contracts, licences, leases or concessions or related agreements with substantially similar terms that are signed with a government giving rise to payment liabilities. Such agreements can be governed by a single contract, joint venture, production sharing agreement or other overarching legal agreement. Indicators of integration include, but are not limited to, geographic proximity, the use of shared infrastructure and common operational management.

Payment
The information is reported under the following payment types:

Production entitlements
These are the host government’s share of production in the reporting period derived from projects operated by Shell. This includes the government’s share as a sovereign entity or through its participation as an equity or interest holder in projects within its sovereign jurisdiction (home country). Production entitlements arising from activities or interests outside of its home country are excluded.

In certain contractual arrangements, typically a production sharing contract, a government through its participation interest may contribute funding of capital and operating expenditure to projects, from which it derives production entitlement to cover such funding (cost recovery). Such cost recovery production entitlement is included.

In situations where a government settles Shell’s income tax obligation on behalf of Shell by utilising its share of production entitlements (typically under a tax-paid concession), such amount will be deducted from the reported production entitlement.

Taxes
These are taxes paid by Shell on its income, profits or production (which include resource severance tax and petroleum resource rent tax), including those settled by a government on behalf of Shell under a tax-paid concession. Payments are reported net of refunds. Consumption taxes, personal income taxes, sales taxes, property and environmental taxes are excluded.

Royalties
These are payments for the rights to extract oil and gas resources, typically at a set percentage of revenue less any deductions that may be taken.

Dividends
These are dividend payments other than dividends paid to a government as an ordinary shareholder of an entity unless paid in lieu of production entitlements or royalties. For the year ended December 31, 2024, there were no reportable dividend payments to a government.

Bonuses
These are payments for bonuses. These are usually paid upon signing an agreement or a contract, or when a commercial discovery is declared, or production has commenced, or production has reached a milestone.

Licence fees, rental fees, entry fees and other considerations for licences and/or concessions
These are fees and other sums paid as consideration for acquiring a licence for gaining access to an area where extractive activities are performed. Administrative government fees that are not specifically related to the extractive sector, or to access to extractive resources, are excluded. Also excluded are payments made in return for services provided by a government.

Infrastructure improvements
These are payments which relate to the construction of infrastructure (road, bridge or rail) not substantially dedicated for the use of extractive activities. Payments which are a social investment in nature, for example building of a school or hospital, are excluded.

Other
Operatorship
When Shell makes a payment directly to a government arising from a project, regardless of whether Shell is the operator, the full amount paid is disclosed even where Shell as the operator is proportionally reimbursed by its non-operating venture partners through a partner billing process (cash-call).

When a national oil company is the operator of a project to whom Shell makes a reportable payment, which is distinguishable in the cash-call, it is included in this Report.

Cash and in-kind payments
Payments are reported on a cash basis. In-kind payments are converted to an equivalent cash value based on the most appropriate and relevant valuation method for each payment, which can be at cost or market value, or such value as stated in the contract. In-kind payments are reported in both volumes and the equivalent cash value.

Materiality level
For each payment type, total payments below £86,000 to a government are excluded from this Report.

Exchange rate
Payments made in currencies other than US dollars are translated for this Report based on the foreign exchange rate at the relevant quarterly average rate.

Report on Payments to Governments [1]

Summary report (in USD)
Countries	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Europe
Germany	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441
Italy	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631
Norway	2,083,221,642	1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056
United Kingdom	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218
Asia
Brunei	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353
China	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616
India	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Kazakhstan	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Malaysia	2,317,002,807	305,924,901	500,008,822	–	–	–	3,122,936,530
Middle East
Oman	633,711,368	3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819
Qatar	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Oceania
Australia	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028
Africa
Egypt	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783
Nigeria	3,804,949,166	648,734,398	780,231,463	–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193
Sao Tome and Principe	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Tanzania	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Tunisia	–	24,904,580	4,941,633	–	–	–	29,846,213
North America
Canada	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846
Mexico	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002
USA	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870
South America
Argentina	53,082,051	1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304
Brazil	327,688,819	656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247
Colombia	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Trinidad and Tobago	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992
Total	11,387,783,976	10,456,840,201	4,322,795,167	12,976,786	1,913,987,033	1,127,250	28,095,510,413

[1] The figures in this Report are rounded.

Germany

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FEDERAL CENTRAL TAX OFFICE	–	294,891,077	–	–	–	–	294,891,077
MUNICIPALITY OF COLOGNE	–	-2,763,591	–	–	–	–	-2,763,591
MUNICIPALITY OF DINSLAKEN	–	-386,534	–	–	–	–	-386,534
MUNICIPALITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN	–	-483,145	–	–	–	–	-483,145
MUNICIPALITY OF OSTSTEINBEK	–	584,685	–	–	–	–	584,685
MUNICIPALITY OF WESSELING	–	-3,943,262	–	–	–	–	-3,943,262
TAX AUTHORITY HAMBURG	–	-43,963,789	–	–	–	–	-43,963,789
Total	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
DEUTSCHE SHELL HOLDING GmbH	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441
Total	–	243,935,441	–	–	–	–	243,935,441

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Italy

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
CALVELLO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	884,083	–	–	–	884,083
CORLETO PERTICARA MUNICIPALITY	–	–	1,964,671	–	–	–	1,964,671
GORGOGLIONE MUNICIPALITY	–	–	302,257	–	–	–	302,257
GRUMENTO NOVA MUNICIPALITY	–	–	505,190	–	–	–	505,190
MARSICO NUOVO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	378,893	–	–	–	378,893
MARSICOVETERE MUNICIPALITY	–	–	126,298	–	–	–	126,298
MONTEMURRO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	126,298	–	–	–	126,298
REGIONE BASILICATA	–	–	44,157,199	–	79,302,465	–	123,459,664
TESORERIA PROVINICIALE DELLO STATO	–	4,128,063	22,264,135	–	718,305	–	27,110,503
VIGGIANO MUNICIPALITY	–	–	3,504,758	–	200,016	–	3,704,774
Total	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ITALY UPSTREAM ASSET	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631
Total	–	4,128,063	74,213,782	–	80,220,786	–	158,562,631

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Norway

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
EQUINOR ASA	853,946,278	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	853,946,278
PETORO AS	1,229,275,364	[B]	–	–	–	–	–	1,229,275,364
SKATTEETATEN	–		1,300,962,023	–	–	–	–	1,300,962,023
SOKKELDIREKTORATET	–		–	–	–	122,391	–	122,391
Total	2,083,221,642		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ORMEN LANGE	2,083,221,642	[C]	–	–	–	–	–	2,083,221,642
Entity level payment
A/S NORSKE SHELL	—		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	1,301,084,414
Total	2,083,221,642		1,300,962,023	–	–	122,391	–	3,384,306,056

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $853,946,278 for 12,291 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (kboe) valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $1,229,275,364 for 17,693 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $2,083,221,642 for 29,984 kboe valuated at market price.

United Kingdom

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS	–	-16,649,747	–	–	–	–	-16,649,747
NORTH SEA TRANSITION AUTHORITY	–	–	–	–	11,355,210	–	11,355,210
THE CROWN ESTATE SCOTLAND	–	–	–	–	128,319	–	128,319
Total	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BRENT AND OTHER NORTHERN NORTH SEA PROJECTS	–	-32,113,820	–	–	563,325	–	-31,550,495
ONEGAS WEST	–	–	–	–	3,232,597	–	3,232,597
UK EXPLORATION PROJECTS	–	–	–	–	1,117,783	–	1,117,783
UK OFFSHORE OPERATED	–	–	–	–	2,119,313	–	2,119,313
WEST OF SHETLAND NON-OPERATED	–	–	–	–	1,076,456	–	1,076,456
Entity level payment
SHELL U.K. LIMITED	–	15,464,073	–	–	3,374,055	–	18,838,128
Total	–	-16,649,747	–	–	11,483,529	–	-5,166,218

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Brunei

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY	–	44,229,620	–	–	–	–	44,229,620
PETROLEUM AUTHORITY OF BRUNEI DARUSSALEM	3,983,642	–	8,660,091	–	–	–	12,643,733
Total	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
SHELL DEEPWATER BORNEO B.V.	–	39,001,133	–	–	–	–	39,001,133
SHELL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION BRUNEI B.V.	3,983,642	5,228,487	8,660,091	–	–	–	17,872,220
Total	3,983,642	44,229,620	8,660,091	–	–	–	56,873,353

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

China

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
TIANJIN MUNICIPAL TAXATION BUREAU	–	5,911,867	–	–	–	–	5,911,867
YULIN MUNICIPAL TAXATION BUREAU	–	4,431,749	–	–	–	–	4,431,749
Total	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
SHELL CHINA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY LIMITED	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616
Total	–	10,343,616	–	–	–	–	10,343,616

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

India

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Total	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
BG EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION INDIA LIMITED	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638
Total	–	-17,715,638	–	–	–	–	-17,715,638

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Kazakhstan

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
WEST KAZAKHSTAN TAX COMMITTEE	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Total	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
KARACHAGANAK	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780
Total	–	242,741,780	–	–	–	–	242,741,780

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Malaysia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
BRUNEI NATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY SENDIRIAN BERHAD	301,048,915	[A]	–	–		–	–	–	301,048,915
LEMBAGA HASIL DALAM NEGERI	–		305,924,901	–		–	–	–	305,924,901
MALAYSIA FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS	–		–	469,060,363	[B]	–	–	–	469,060,363
PETROLEUM SARAWAK EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SDN. BHD.	74,656,856	[C]	–	–		–	–	–	74,656,856
PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD	990,078,563	[D]	–	30,948,459		–	–	–	1,021,027,022
PETRONAS CARIGALI SDN. BHD.	951,218,473	[E]	–	–		–	–	–	951,218,473
Total	2,317,002,807		305,924,901	500,008,822		–	–	–	3,122,936,530

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
SABAH GAS (NON-OPERATED)	–		16,208,714	3,017,327		–	–	–	19,226,041
SABAH INBOARD AND DEEPWATER OIL	1,435,194,825	[F]	158,435,164	303,452,674	[G]	–	–	–	1,897,082,663
SARAWAK OIL AND GAS	881,807,982	[H]	116,047,586	193,538,821	[I]	–	–	–	1,191,394,389
Entity level payment
SABAH SHELL PETROLEUM COMPANY LIMITED	–		4,502,043	–		–	–	–	4,502,043
SARAWAK SHELL BERHAD	–		3,394,907	–		–	–	–	3,394,907
SHELL ENERGY ASIA LIMITED	–		2,616,753	–		–	–	–	2,616,753
SHELL OIL AND GAS (MALAYSIA) LLC	–		595,653	–		–	–	–	595,653
SHELL SABAH SELATAN SENDRIAN BERHAD	–		4,124,081	–		–	–	–	4,124,081
Total	2,317,002,807		305,924,901	500,008,822		–	–	–	3,122,936,530

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $301,048,915 for 3,355 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (kboe) valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $342,702,511 for 3,909 kboe valuated at market price and $126,357,852 for 6,336 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $59,554,178 for 3,011 kboe valuated at fixed price and $15,102,678 for 201 kboe valuated at market price.

[D] Includes payment in kind of $783,520,240 for 8,933 kboe valuated at market price and $209,732,743 for 10,921 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[E] Includes payment in kind of $624,146,940 for 7,163 kboe valuated at market price and $327,071,533 for 16,397 kboe valuated at fixed price.

[F] Includes payment in kind of $1,435,194,825 for 15,977 kboe valuated at market price.

[G] Includes payment in kind of $297,371,578 for 3,339 kboe valuated at market price.

[H] Includes payment in kind of $596,358,454 for 30,329 kboe valuated at fixed price and $288,623,948 for 3,675 kboe valuated at market price.

[I] Includes payment in kind of $126,357,852 for 6,336 kboe valuated at fixed price and $45,330,933 for 570 kboe valuated at market price.

Oman

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERALS	633,711,368	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	633,711,368
MINISTRY OF FINANCE	–		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	3,954,962,451
Total	633,711,368		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 6 CONCESSION	–		3,954,062,451	–	–	–	–	3,954,062,451
BLOCK 10 CONCESSION	633,711,368	[A]	–	–	–	400,000	–	634,111,368
BLOCK 11 CONCESSION	–		–	–	–	250,000	–	250,000
BLOCK 55 CONCESSION	–		–	–	–	250,000	–	250,000
Total	633,711,368		3,954,062,451	–	–	900,000	–	4,588,673,819

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $60,839,756 for 4,551 kboe valuated at fixed price and of $572,871,612 for 7,095 kboe valuated at the government’s selling price.

Qatar

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
QATARENERGY	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Total	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
PEARL GTL	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685
Total	1,801,453,896	1,507,244,066	–	–	30,538,723	–	3,339,236,685

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Australia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE	–	1,277,737,693	–	–	–	–	1,277,737,693
BANANA SHIRE COUNCIL	–	–	–	–	217,920	–	217,920
FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES	–	–	111,989,284	–	–	–	111,989,284
QUEENSLAND REVENUE OFFICE	–	–	356,590,166	–	–	–	356,590,166
QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE	–	–	–	–	935,554	–	935,554
QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES	–	–	–	–	581,472	–	581,472
RESOURCES SAFETY AND HEALTH QUEENSLAND	–	–	–	–	1,359,992	–	1,359,992
WESTERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL	–	–	–	–	10,317,519	266,428	10,583,947
Total	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
NORTH WEST SHELF	–	–	111,989,284	–	–	–	111,989,284
QGC	–	583,570,540	356,590,166	–	13,412,457	266,428	953,839,591
Entity level payment
SHELL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	–	694,167,153	–	–	–	–	694,167,153
Total	–	1,277,737,693	468,579,450	–	13,412,457	266,428	1,759,996,028

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Egypt

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
EGYPTIAN GENERAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783
Total	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
EGYPT OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT	–	41,164,348	–	540,000	–	–	41,704,348
Entity level payment
SHELL EGYPT N.V.	–	–	–	1,296,435	–	–	1,296,435
Total	–	41,164,348	–	1,836,435	–	–	43,000,783

[I] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Nigeria

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes		Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE	–		648,734,398	[A]	–		–	–	–	648,734,398
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE	–		–		–		–	3,931,917	–	3,931,917
NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION	–		–		–		–	97,260,899	–	97,260,899
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION	3,804,949,166	[B]	–		–		–	–	–	3,804,949,166
NIGERIAN UPSTREAM PETROLEUM REGULATORY COMMISSION	–		–		780,231,463	[C]	–	1,732,350	–	781,963,813
Total	3,804,949,166		648,734,398		780,231,463		–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes		Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
EAST ASSET	1,300,681,939	[D]	–		–		–	–	–	1,300,681,939
PSC 1993 (OML 133)	–		136,652,153	[E]	–		–	–	–	136,652,153
PSC 1993 (OPL 212/OML 118, OPL 219/OML 135)	649,948,707	[F]	303,125,852	[G]	452,170,096	[H]	–	32,015,797	–	1,437,260,452
WEST ASSET	1,854,318,520	[I]	–		–		–	–	–	1,854,318,520
Entity level payment
SHELL NIGERIA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY LIMITED			–		–		–	440,468	–	440,468
THE SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF NIGERIA LIMITED			208,956,393		328,061,367			70,468,901		607,486,661
Total	3,804,949,166		648,734,398		780,231,463		–	102,925,166	–	5,336,840,193

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $439,778,005 for 5,293 kboe valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $3,804,949,166 for 80,289 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $452,170,096 for 5,432 kboe valuated at market price.

[D] Includes payment in kind of $1,300,681,939 for 49,766 kboe valuated at market price.

[E] Includes payment in kind of $136,652,153 for 1,654 kboe valuated at market price.

[F] Includes payment in kind of $649,948,707 for 7,916 kboe valuated at market price.

[G] Includes payment in kind of $303,125,852 for 3,639 kboe valuated at market price.

[H] Includes payment in kind of $452,170,096 for 5,432 kboe valuated at market price.

[I] Includes payment in kind of $1,854,318,520 for 22,607 kboe valuated at market price.

Sao Tome and Principe

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DO PETRÓLEO DE SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Total	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
DW BLOCK 4	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000
Total	–	–	–	1,300,000	–	–	1,300,000

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Tanzania

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
PETROLEUM UPSTREAM REGULATORY AUTHORITY	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Total	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 1 AND 4	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000
Total	–	–	–	–	140,000	–	140,000

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Tunisia

	Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
ENTREPRISE TUNISIENNE D’ACTIVITÉS PÉTROLIÈRES	–	–	2,140,627	[A]	–	–	–	2,140,627
LE RECEVEUR DES FINANCES DU LAC	–	24,904,580	2,801,006		–	–	–	27,705,586
Total	–	24,904,580	4,941,633		–	–	–	29,846,213

	Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties		Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
HASDRUBAL CONCESSION	–	24,904,580	4,941,633	[A]	–	–	–	29,846,213
Total	–	24,904,580	4,941,633		–	–	–	29,846,213

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $2,140,627 for 37 kboe valuated at market price.

Canada

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA	–	–	656,638	–	119,099	–	775,737
MINISTRY OF FINANCE (BRITISH COLUMBIA)	–	–	2,915,313	–	625,526	–	3,540,839
MINISTRY OF JOBS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION (BRITISH COLUMBIA)	–	–	–	–	679,158	–	679,158
PROVINCIAL TREASURER OF ALBERTA	–	60,864,405	–	–	–	–	60,864,405
RECEIVER GENERAL FOR CANADA	–	111,702,667	1,126,040	–	–	–	112,828,707
Total	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ATHABASCA OIL SANDS	–	172,567,072	–	–	–	–	172,567,072
FOOTHILLS	–	–	1,126,040	–	–	–	1,126,040
GREATER DEEP BASIN	–	–	656,638	–	119,099	–	775,737
GROUNDBIRCH	–	–	2,915,313	–	1,304,684	–	4,219,997
Total	–	172,567,072	4,697,991	–	1,423,783	–	178,688,846

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Mexico

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
FONDO MEXICANO DEL PETRÓLEO PARA LA ESTABILIZACIÓN Y EL DESARROLLO	–	–	–	–	17,154,483	–	17,154,483
SERVICIO DE ADMINISTRACIÓN TRIBUTARIA	–	–	–	–	4,372,519	–	4,372,519
Total	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Entity level payment
MEXICO EXPLORATION DEEPWATER	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002
Total	–	–	–	–	21,527,002	–	21,527,002

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

USA

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES	–	–	–	–	243,408	–	243,408
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA	–	-400,000	–	–	–	–	-400,000
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE	–	53,638,500	–	–	–	–	53,638,500
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT	–	–	–	–	–	860,822	860,822
OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE	–	–	1,187,594,021	–	80,435,119	–	1,268,029,140
Total	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ALASKA EXPLORATION	–	–	–	–	243,408	–	243,408
GULF OF AMERICA (CENTRAL)	–	–	1,076,187,269	–	282,312	–	1,076,469,581
GULF OF AMERICA (WEST)	–	–	111,406,752	–	126,720	–	111,533,472
GULF OF AMERICA EXPLORATION	–	–	–	–	80,026,087	–	80,026,087
Entity level payment
SHELL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION COMPANY	–	-400,000	–	–	–	–	-400,000
SHELL OFFSHORE INC.	–	–	–	–	–	860,822	860,822
SHELL PETROLEUM INC.	–	53,638,500	–	–	–	–	53,638,500
Total	–	53,238,500	1,187,594,021	–	80,678,527	860,822	1,322,371,870

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Argentina

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGENCIA DE RECAUDACIÓN Y CONTROL ADUANERO	–		1,984,309	–	–	–	–	1,984,309
GAS Y PETRÓLEO DEL NEUQUÉN S.A.	53,082,051	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	53,082,051
PROVINCIA DE SALTA	–		–	2,475,819	–	–	–	2,475,819
PROVINCIA DEL NEUQUÉN	–		–	141,493,849	–	123,276	–	141,617,125
Total	53,082,051		1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
ACAMBUCO	–		–	2,475,819	–	–	–	2,475,819
ARGENTINA UNCONVENTIONAL PROJECTS	53,082,051	[A]	1,984,309	141,493,849	–	123,276	–	196,683,485
Total	53,082,051		1,984,309	143,969,668	–	123,276	–	199,159,304

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $53,082,051 for 785 kboe valuated at market price.

Brazil

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DO PETRÓLEO GÁS NATURAL E BIOCOMBUSTÍVEIS	–		–	–	9,540,351	–	–	9,540,351
MINISTÉRIO DA FAZENDA	–		–	1,147,687,680	–	1,556,282,443	–	2,703,970,123
PRÉ-SAL PETRÓLEO S.A.	327,688,819	[A]	–	–	–	–	–	327,688,819
RECEITA FEDERAL DO BRASIL	–		656,740,954	–	–	–	–	656,740,954
Total	327,688,819		656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements		Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BASIN EXPLORATION PROJECTS	–		–	–	9,540,351	3,244,993	–	12,785,344
BC-10	–		–	31,254,519	–	1,251,598	–	32,506,117
BIJUPIRA AND SALEMA	–		–	–	–	501,608	–	501,608
BM-S-9, BM-S-9A, BM-S-11, BM-S-11A AND ENTORNO DE SAPINHOÁ	29,716,011	[B]	–	882,483,636	–	1,551,284,244	–	2,463,483,891
LIBRA PSC	297,972,808	[C]	–	233,949,525	–	–	–	531,922,333
Entity level payment
SHELL BRASIL PETROLEO LTDA.	–		656,740,954	–	–	–	–	656,740,954
Total	327,688,819		656,740,954	1,147,687,680	9,540,351	1,556,282,443	–	3,697,940,247

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

[A] Includes payment in kind of $327,688,819 for 4,585 kboe valuated at market price.

[B] Includes payment in kind of $29,716,011 for 410 kboe valuated at market price.

[C] Includes payment in kind of $297,972,808 for 4,175 kboe valuated at market price.

Colombia

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
AGENCIA NACIONAL DE HIDROCARBUROS	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Total	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
COLOMBIA EXPLORATION (OPERATED)	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880
Total	–	–	–	–	489,880	–	489,880

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Trinidad and Tobago

Government report (in USD) [1]
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Governments
MINISTRY OF FINANCE	–	561,771	–	–	–	–	561,771
MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND ENERGY INDUSTRIES	362,690,585	–	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	378,920,221
Total	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992

Project report (in USD)
	Production entitlements	Taxes	Royalties	Bonuses	Fees	Infrastructure improvements	Total
Projects
BLOCK 5C	84,428,910	–	–	–	1,714,071	–	86,142,981
CENTRAL BLOCK	–	561,771	2,210,566	–	900,921	–	3,673,258
COLIBRI	120,876,414	–	–	–	3,332,208	–	124,208,622
DEEPWATER ATLANTIC AREA	–	–	–	–	537,570	–	537,570
EAST COAST MARINE AREA	99,098,428	–	–	–	2,100,156	–	101,198,584
EXPLORATION	–	–	–	300,000	2,017,530	–	2,317,530
MANATEE	–	–	–	–	847,999	–	847,999
NORTH COAST MARINE AREA 1	58,286,833	–	–	–	2,268,615	–	60,555,448
Total	362,690,585	561,771	2,210,566	300,000	13,719,070	–	379,481,992

[1] For the definitions of any terms used in this chart (e.g. activities and payment types), please refer to pages 1-2 of this Report.

Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this Report “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this Report refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

The MIL Network –

May 15, 2025

Trump says US close to a nuclear deal with Iran

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and Tehran had “sort of” agreed to the terms.

“We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” Trump said on a tour of the Gulf, according to a shared pool report by AFP.

“We’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this… there (are) two steps to doing this, there is a very, very nice step and there is the violent step, but I don’t want to do it the second way,” he said.

An Iranian source familiar with the negotiations said there were still gaps to bridge in the talks with the United States.

Oil prices fell by about $2 on Thursday on expectations for a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal that could result in sanctions easing.

Fresh talks between Iranian and U.S. negotiators to resolve disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme ended in Oman on Sunday with further negotiations planned, officials said, as Tehran publicly insisted on continuing its uranium enrichment.

Though Tehran and Washington have both said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long nuclear dispute, they remain divided on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new deal and avert future military action.

Iran’s president reacted to Trump’s comments on Tuesday calling Tehran the “most destructive force” in the Middle East.

“Trump thinks he can sanction and threaten us and then talk of human rights. All the crimes and regional instability is caused by them (the United States),” Masoud Pezeshkian said.

“He wants to create instability inside Iran.”

However, in an interview with NBC News published on Wednesday, an Iranian official said Iran was willing to agree to a deal with the U.S. in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Iran would commit to never making nuclear weapons and getting rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process, NBC reported.

‘RED LINE’

U.S. officials have publicly stated that Iran should halt uranium enrichment, a stance Iranian officials have called a “red line” asserting they will not give up what they view as their right to enrich uranium on Iranian soil.

However, they have indicated a willingness to reduce the level of enrichment.

Iranian officials have also expressed readiness to reduce the amount of highly enriched uranium in storage—uranium enriched beyond the levels typically needed for civilian purposes, such as nuclear power generation.

But they have said it would not accept lower stockpiles than the amount agreed in a deal with world powers in 2015 – the deal Trump quit.

The Iranian source said that while Iran is prepared to offer what it considers concessions, “the issue is that America is not willing to lift major sanctions in exchange.”

Western sanctions have severely impacted the Iranian economy.

Regarding the reduction of enriched uranium in storage, the source noted: “Tehran also wants it removed in several stages, which America doesn’t agree with either.”

There is also disagreement over the destination to which the highly enriched uranium would be sent, the source added.

(Reuters)

May 15, 2025

World Test Championship winners to get $3.6 million as ICC bumps up prize money

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The winners of next month’s World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa will take home $3.6 million following a significant increase in the prize money by the governing International Cricket Council on Thursday.

Holders Australia pocketed $1.6 million for winning the 2023 WTC final against India, who claimed $800,000 as runners-up.

The losers of the June 11-15 test at Lord’s will get $2.1 million – more than the winners’ purse in the last two WTC finals.

“The increase in prize money exhibits the ICC’s efforts to prioritise test cricket as it looks to build on the momentum of the first three cycles of the nine-team competition,” the ICC said in a statement.

Australia captain Pat Cummins said they were ready to overcome any challenge to retain their WTC title.

“We are enormously proud to have the opportunity to defend the World Test Championship, especially at Lord’s,” the paceman said.

“It’s a testament to all those involved across the past two years who have worked incredibly hard to reach the final, which is a great honour for all of us.”

Counterpart Temba Bavuma said South Africa were determined to win their maiden ICC title.

“Everyone understands the importance of test cricket and the World Test Championship lends context to this vital format of the game.

“Lord’s is a fitting venue for this mega fixture and all of us will be out there trying to give our best against Australia,” Bavuma said.

-Reuters

May 15, 2025

J&K: Three terrorists killed in Awantipora under Operation Nader

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Nader area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Awantipora, the Indian Army said on Thursday.

“Three hardcore terrorists have been eliminated in the ongoing operation at Nader, Awantipora. The identity of the terrorists is being ascertained”, the Chinar Corps said in a post on X.

https://x.com/ChinarcorpsIA/status/1922921351259513177

Earlier on Thursday, security forces launched a joint anti-terror operation in the Nader area of Tral, Awantipora, based on special intelligence input. The Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF were involved in the operation

The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps confirmed the operation in a post on the social media platform X. “On 15 May 2025, based on specific intelligence input from an agency, a Cordon & Search Operation was launched at Nader, Tral, Awantipora. Upon being challenged, terrorists opened heavy fire. A fierce gunfight ensued. The operation is in progress.”

On Tuesday, three terrorists — including a local commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy outfit The Resistance Front (LeT/TRF) — were killed in an encounter in Shopian. The operation, carried out by the Army along with J&K Police and the CRPF, led to the recovery of AK-series rifles, grenades, and a large cache of ammunition.

May 15, 2025

DRDO develops advanced polymeric membrane for desalination of sea water

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully developed a high-pressure nanoporous multi-layered polymeric membrane for seawater desalination. The advanced membrane, designed to withstand harsh saline conditions, has been developed by the Kanpur-based Defence Materials Stores and Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE), a premier laboratory under DRDO.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on Thursday, the indigenous technology has been specifically tailored to meet the operational needs of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships. The development, completed in a record time of just eight months, addresses the serious challenge of membrane degradation caused by exposure to chloride ions in saline water.

DMSRDE, in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard, has successfully conducted initial technical trials using the new membrane in an existing desalination unit onboard an Offshore Patrolling Vessel (OPV). The initial safety and performance results have been found to be fully satisfactory, the Ministry said.

“The final operational clearance will be given by ICG after 500 hours of operational testing,” the statement added.

Currently, the new membrane is undergoing further trials on an OPV. Once fully approved, it holds the potential to significantly benefit desalination efforts in coastal areas, with minor modifications for civilian use as well.

May 15, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in March 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for March 2025 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (May 15) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.

In March 2025, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 15.8% and 13.5% respectively over March 2024.

For the first quarter of 2025 as a whole, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 8.7% and 7.3% respectively over the same period in 2024.

Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with the fourth quarter of 2024 on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 9.5% and 7.5% respectively.

Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.

Comparing March 2025 with March 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods both increased by 2.1%.

As regards price changes in the first quarter of 2025 over the same period in 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 1.9% and 2.0% respectively.

Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.

The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2024, the index remained virtually unchanged in March 2025, whereas it decreased by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025.

Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.

Comparing March 2025 with March 2024, increases were recorded for the total export volume to Taiwan (52.4%), Vietnam (40.0%), the mainland of China (the Mainland) (22.3%) and the USA (9.6%). On the other hand, the total export volume to India decreased by 7.0%.

Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to Taiwan (5.7%), the Mainland (2.1%), Vietnam (1.4%) and the USA (1.2%) increased. On the other hand, the total export prices to India decreased by 0.7%.

Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.

Comparing March 2025 with March 2024, increases were recorded for the import volume from Vietnam (80.6%), Taiwan (66.4%) and the Mainland (7.2%). On the other hand, the import volume from Singapore (-4.6%) and Korea (-26.9%) decreased.

Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (6.7%), Taiwan (3.4%), Singapore (2.7%), Vietnam (2.6%) and the Mainland (0.5%).

Further information

Details of the above statistics are published in the March 2025 issue of “Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers”. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).

Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 15, 2025

Are nukes safe in the hands of a rogue nation?: Rajnath Singh targets Pakistan, praises Indian forces for Operation Sindoor

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Srinagar on Thursday and lauded the armed forces for their successful execution of Operation Sindoor. During his visit, Singh raised concerns over Pakistan’s ability to manage nuclear weapons, questioning the safety of such weapons in the hands of a “rogue” nation.

Addressing the armed forces, the defence minister said, “The world knows that our army’s aim is precise, and when they hit the target, they leave the counting to the enemy. How strong is India’s commitment against terrorism today? It can be seen from the fact that we did not even care about their nuclear blackmail. The whole world has witnessed how irresponsibly Pakistan has threatened India. Today, from the land of Srinagar, I want to raise this question: Are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation? I believe that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be placed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

“The entire country is proud of what you did during Operation Sindoor under the able leadership and guidance of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I may be your Defence Minister, but before that, I am a citizen of India. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their anger towards Pakistan and terrorism with complete unity. I congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I have come to feel the energy that has destroyed the enemy. The way you destroyed the Pakistani posts and weavers across the border, the enemy can never forget that”, Singh added.

The Union Minister began his address with the chant of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while battling terrorism.

“First of all, I would like to bow to the supreme sacrifice of the brave jawans who fought against terrorism. I pay my respects to their memory. I also pay respect to the innocent civilians who were killed in Pahalgam. I salute the valour of the injured soldiers and pray to God for their swift recovery,” Singh said.

Earlier, Singh took stock of the prevailing security situation, evaluated the combat readiness of the IAF, and inspected Pakistani shells that had been dropped in the border areas.

(ANI)

May 15, 2025

Are nukes safe in the hands of a rogue nation?: Rajnath Singh targets Pakistan, praises Indian forces

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Srinagar on Thursday and lauded the armed forces for their successful execution of Operation Sindoor. During his visit, Singh raised concerns over Pakistan’s ability to manage nuclear weapons, questioning the safety of such weapons in the hands of a “rogue” nation.

Addressing the armed forces, the defence minister said, “The world knows that our army’s aim is precise, and when they hit the target, they leave the counting to the enemy. How strong is India’s commitment against terrorism today? It can be seen from the fact that we did not even care about their nuclear blackmail. The whole world has witnessed how irresponsibly Pakistan has threatened India. Today, from the land of Srinagar, I want to raise this question: Are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation? I believe that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be placed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

“The entire country is proud of what you did during Operation Sindoor under the able leadership and guidance of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I may be your Defence Minister, but before that, I am a citizen of India. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their anger towards Pakistan and terrorism with complete unity. I congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I have come to feel the energy that has destroyed the enemy. The way you destroyed the Pakistani posts and weavers across the border, the enemy can never forget that”, Singh added.

The Union Minister began his address with the chant of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while battling terrorism.

“First of all, I would like to bow to the supreme sacrifice of the brave jawans who fought against terrorism. I pay my respects to their memory. I also pay respect to the innocent civilians who were killed in Pahalgam. I salute the valour of the injured soldiers and pray to God for their swift recovery,” Singh said.

Earlier, Singh took stock of the prevailing security situation, evaluated the combat readiness of the IAF, and inspected Pakistani shells that had been dropped in the border areas.

(ANI)

May 15, 2025

Category: India

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