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Category: Internet

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Christopher Hui attends SH seminar

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today attended a seminar in Shanghai discussing the collaborative development of the Shanghai and Hong Kong international financial centres.

    A 2025 Lujiazui Forum event, the seminar featured a research report, “Synergistic Development of Shanghai & Hong Kong as International Financial Centres in the New Era”, jointly released by the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council and the Shanghai Research Center for Financial Stability & Development.

    Addressing the seminar, Mr Hui highlighted that Hong Kong and Shanghai are unlocking many more new opportunities for collaborative development, with their positions as the country’s “dual engine” financial centres, providing strong support for the country’s “dual circulation” strategy.

    On Wednesday, the treasury chief attended the Lujiazui Forum opening ceremony and plenary session.

    Speaking at the fourth plenary session titled “Deepening the Cooperation between Shanghai & Hong Kong as International Financial Centers”, Mr Hui said the mutual-market access between financial markets on the Mainland and Hong Kong has been expanding in scope and capacity.

    The programmes enhance not only the product offering for domestic and foreign investors but also the attraction for more capital influx into the capital markets of the two places, promoting long-term development of the markets.

    “In future, we anticipate closer collaboration with Shanghai in areas such as financial innovation and green finance to achieve synergy effects.”

    On Monday morning, Mr Hui signed the Action Plan for Collaborative Development of Shanghai & Hong Kong International Financial Centres, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, with Shanghai.

    The action plan covers various measures to promote collaborative development, including supporting Mainland banks and financial institutions headquartered in Shanghai to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong, and pressing ahead with the linkage of the Faster Payment System in Hong Kong with the Internet Banking Payment System on the Mainland.

    During his two-day trip to Shanghai, Mr Hui also visited the Shanghai Gold Exchange, the Shanghai Clearing House and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and met Bank of China (Hong Kong) Deputy Chief Executive Wang Huabin and Bank of Communications President Zhang Baojiang.

    During these engagements, discussioins were held to explore the opportunities and models for co-operation.

    Mr Hui returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Huawei and China Telecom Win TM Forum’s Excellence Award 2025 in Data and AI Innovation

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Huawei and China Telecom Win TM Forum’s Excellence Award 2025 in Data and AI Innovation

    [Copenhagen, Denmark, June 18, 2025] At the Digital Transformation World (DTW) 2025 hosted by TM Forum, the project AI Agents Driving New Era of O&M and Transforming Customer Experience jointly created by Huawei and China Telecom won the Excellence Award 2025 in Data and AI Innovation. This prestigious international award is a testimony to the industry’s recognition of their efforts in integrating AI with communication technologies.

    Huawei and China Telecom win the excellence award in data and AI innovation

    Implementing the AI+ Strategy and Making Groundbreaking Joint Innovations
    China Telecom has spent years fine-tuning their AI+ strategy. Collaborating with its strategic partner Huawei, China Telecom established the Future Agent Joint Innovation Center to explore the application of network foundation models and agents in cloud-network operations. Through substantial advancements in key technologies like domain-specific model training and chain-of-thought optimization, the two companies have developed and deployed the Home Broadband Installation and Maintenance Agent and the Wireless Network Optimization Task Model. These developments have significantly enhanced O&M efficiency and helped upskill O&M personnel.
    Agent Applications Yield Outstanding Results and Boost Service Efficiency
    China Telecom reports that it has developed a range of AI assistants and agent applications based on its network foundation model. By the end of 2024, the total number of service invocations exceeded 46 million, with monthly active users reaching 120,000. In addition, 39 ecosystem partners have utilized these tools to create more than 2,000 AI applications. The Home Broadband Installation and Maintenance Agent revolutionizes service experience through two key innovations:

    Customer self-service: This agent supports real-time consultation and self-service troubleshooting, shifting the service model from reactive response to intelligent interaction.
    O&M efficiency: This agent assists installation and maintenance personnel in accurately locating faults, shortening the troubleshooting duration by 30% and reducing the workload of inquiry center experts by 10%. It is now applicable in all home broadband, IPTV, and home Wi-Fi scenarios. Online self-service channel usage has risen by 10%, enabling tens of millions of households to enjoy intelligent services with instant responses and zero wait times.

    The Wireless Network Optimization Task Model elevates traditional localized performance optimization, which relies on expert experience, to global experience optimization using high-precision network simulation and intelligent parameter adjustment. This enhances both quality and efficiency. In pilot regions, user experience has improved by 10% to 15%, the handling time of typical issues has reduced by 20% to 30%, and the test workloads in poor-QoE areas have decreased by 10% to 15%.
    Leading Technical Standards and Building an Industry Ecosystem
    Huawei and China Telecom have improved the accuracy of the foundation model and the success rate of agent tasks, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of AI applications. In addition, China Telecom, along with TM Forum and Huawei, has developed several standards, including lifecycle management for foundational models and technical specifications for AI agents. These standards aim to transform innovative practices into industry-wide frameworks, and expedite the intelligent transformation of the global ICT sector.
    Prospects
    This award underscores the leading role of Huawei and China Telecom in the AI+network domain. Both companies have committed to deepening their strategic partnership, driving technological innovation and standards development, and strengthening the digital transformation of the global communications industry.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST attends Lujiazui Forum to foster collaborative development of Shanghai and Hong Kong (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, attended the 2025 Lujiazui Forum and related events in Shanghai yesterday (June 18) and today (June 19). Addressing a seminar titled “Collaborative Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong International Financial Centres” today (June 19), he said that Hong Kong and Shanghai are unlocking many more new opportunities for collaborative development with their positions as the country’s “dual engine” financial centres, providing strong support for the country’s “dual circulation” strategy. Mr Hui also met with relevant heads of financial institutions during his stay in Shanghai.
     
    This year’s Lujiazui Forum is themed “Financial Opening-up and Cooperation for High-Quality Development in a Changing Global Economy”. Mr Hui attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Forum yesterday and addressed today’s seminar where the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council and the Shanghai Research Center for Financial Stability and Development jointly released a research report on the “Synergistic Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong as International Financial Centres in the New Era”.
     
    Speaking at the Plenary Session IV titled “Deepening the Cooperation between Shanghai and Hong Kong as International Financial Centers” yesterday, Mr Hui said, “Riding on the solid foundation of Stock Connect, mutual-market access between financial markets on the Mainland and Hong Kong has been expanding in scope and capacity. Programmes such as Bond Connect, the inclusion of Exchange Traded Funds into Stock Connect, and Swap Connect have been implemented. These programmes enhance not only the product offering for domestic and foreign investors but also the attraction for more capital influx into the capital markets of the two places, promoting long-term development of the markets.
     
    “At the same time, Hong Kong needs to further enrich the offerings of its offshore Renminbi (RMB) market to facilitate the adoption of RMB by global market participants. To this end, we will step up efforts in four areas, namely enhancing offshore RMB liquidity, increasing products, improving infrastructure, and expanding new markets.”
     
    When talking about stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), Mr Hui pointed out that by utilising the innovative capabilities of private institutions, stablecoins are meant to create and implement new use cases for the digital economy with the integration of the financial system with the real economy. Hong Kong’s stablecoin regulatory framework takes into account both innovation and systemic risk prevention, covering the establishment of a transparent reserve asset system, the introduction of independent third-party institutions for regular audits, and the establishment of risk assessment mechanisms. Separately, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is currently engaging the industry to carry out initial exploration on wholesale CBDCs.
     
    “In future, we anticipate closer collaboration with Shanghai in areas such as financial innovation and green finance to achieve synergy effects.”
     
    Yesterday morning, Mr Hui signed the Action Plan for Collaborative Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong International Financial Centres on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government with Shanghai to promote collaborative development, with a view to further forming a “dual hub” landscape of the two financial centres of Shanghai and Hong Kong, for better promotion of the internationalisation of RMB, thus contributing to a joint effort to building the country into a financial powerhouse. The Action Plan covers a number of measures, including supporting the Shanghai Clearing House (SHCH) to strengthen co-operation with Hong Kong banks and offshore Chinese banks in Hong Kong, supporting Mainland banks and financial institutions headquartered in Shanghai to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong, and pressing ahead with the linkage of the Faster Payment System in Hong Kong with the Internet Banking Payment System on the Mainland.
     
    During his stay in Shanghai, Mr Hui also visited several financial institutions, including the Shanghai Gold Exchange, the SHCH, and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and met with Deputy Chief Executive of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Mr Wang Huabin, and the President of Bank of Communications, Mr Zhang Baojiang, to discuss and exchange views to explore opportunities and models for co-operation regarding matters such as promoting gold market development in Hong Kong, enhancement to the offerings of the offshore RMB centre, and fostering collaborative development with the Mainland in financial derivatives and futures markets.
     
    Mr Hui will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Build a Prosperous F5.5G All-Optical Network Industry for New Growth in the AI Era

    Source: Huawei

    Headline: Build a Prosperous F5.5G All-Optical Network Industry for New Growth in the AI Era

    [Shanghai, China, June 18, 2025] During MWC Shanghai 2025, the F5.5G All-Optical Industry Summit was successfully held with the theme of “10 Gbps Broadband and All-Optical Premium Transmission for a Win-Win AI Era.” At the summit, the booming F5.5G industry was a key topic of discussion among the Information and Communication Technology Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Maxis of Malaysia, and CTM. In particular, they shared the latest commercial practices of global carriers in 10 Gbps all-optical broadband as well as all-optical premium transmission. Huawei also shed light on its latest innovations in F5.5G all-optical networks from four aspects. These innovations help carriers develop four-in-one high-value packages to provide users with optimal AI application experience.
    In recent years, as the industry has come to a consensus and successful pilots emerge, F5.5G all-optical networks have seen accelerated commercial deployment. In optical access, more than 70 carriers worldwide have launched 10 Gbps packages, and the large-scale commercial use of 10 Gbps all-optical broadband has paved the way for new AItoH services. In optical transmission, more than 240 networks, each operating at 400G, have been deployed worldwide. Meanwhile, the industry is exploring the construction of 1 ms latency metro networks for ensuring that end users can quickly access computing power over the cloud, enabling AItoB application innovation. Han Xia, Executive Deputy Director & Secretary-general of Information and Communication Technology Committee of MIIT, China, noted in his opening speech, “Accelerating the upgrade of 10 Gbps all-optical broadband and all-optical premium transmission and the development of the technology industry are of great significance to promote the integration of digital economy and real economy, drive information consumption and effective investment, and improve people’s livelihood and well-being.”
    Deep cloud-intelligence-network-device collaboration drives new growth in the AI era
    With AI poised to become the core driving force of the global digital economy and reshape life and production, global carriers are also actively embracing AI. In particular, frontrunners are transforming from connection service providers to connection + computing + application service providers. When expanding intelligent services based on their connectivity advantages, carriers also face challenges such as insufficient application ecosystems, non-unified terminal interconnection ecosystems, and lack of differentiated network assurance.

    Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, delivering a speech

    Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service said in his speech, “Homes and enterprises will become the most valuable scenarios in carriers’ AI strategic transformation. Huawei hopes to work with the industry to promote the development of F5.5G all-optical networks, support deep cloud-intelligence-network-device collaboration, and drive the application of AI to households and industries, achieving win-win growth in the AI era.”
    Continuous Innovation of AI-Centric F5.5G All-Optical Networks Stimulates New Growth of Home Broadband Services in the AI Era
    In the AI era, the key to the growth of carriers’ home broadband services is to provide end users with new values and sense of worthiness. Bob Chen, President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, shared Huawei’s latest innovations in F5.5G all-optical networks from four dimensions. He pointed out that, “To fully improve the sense of worthiness for home broadband users, and make bandwidth upgrades visible, differentiated experience assurance sensible, new home devices attainable, and new services more popular, Huawei has continuously innovated to help carriers build four-in-one high-value packages and provide users with ultimate AI application experiences.”

    Bob Chen, President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, delivering a keynote speech

    Huawei’s solution is fully upgraded in bandwidth upgrade, differentiated experience, new terminals, and rich home applications. The innovative 50G PON solution supports upgrade to ultra-gigabit and 10 Gigabit. Besides, Huawei’ solution improves the end-to-end network capabilities to provide high-value users with differentiated experience assurance. In addition, Huawei’s new terminal — AI home hub — as a smart home hub for users and offers rich intelligent applications based on home AI interaction entry. Meanwhile, Huawei and carriers are jointly exploring the construction of 1 ms latency all-optical metro networks, allowing users to access cloud computing resources and AI applications through deterministic low-latency networks.
    MWC Shanghai 2025 will be held from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).
    The commercial adoption of 5G-Advanced is accelerating in 2025. Huawei collaborates with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore how innovations in AI can be used to reshape telecom services, infrastructure, and operations to generate new revenue sources and accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
    For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwcs2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Unaudited Interim Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    19 June 2025

    HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
    (the “Company”)

    Unaudited Interim Results

    The Company announces its half-year results for the six months ended 31 March 2025.

    These half-year results will be available on the Company’s website at  https://www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk/document-library/.

    In accordance with UK Listing Rule 6.4.1, a copy of this document will also be submitted to the UK Listing Authority via the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for viewing shortly at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    Additionally, the interim report can also be found here:  HHV 2025 Interim Report

    Financial highlights

    Net asset value (NAV) per share   NAV total return   Tax free dividends paid in the period   Share price total return   Ongoing charges ratio
    34.48p   -8.19%   2.75   -6.28%   2.45%
    • £3.6m invested in Qualifying Companies in the period.
    • 92.29% invested by VCT tax value in Qualifying Investments at 31 March 2025.
    • Offer for subscription launched on 9 October 2024 to raise up to £20m. At the date of this report 14m Shares have been issued raising gross proceeds of £5.4m.
    • Final dividend of 1.25 pence and special dividend of 1.50 pence per Share paid 14 February 2025.
    • Interim dividend of 0.75 pence and special dividend of 0.50 pence per Share approved by the Board.
    Summary financial data Six months

    ending

    31-Mar-25

    		 Six months

    Ending

    31-Mar-24

    		 Year

    ending
    30 Sept-24
    NAV (£m) 126.75 155.74 148.01
    NAV per Share (p) 34.48 43.64 40.55
    NAV total return (%) -8.19 -2.59 -3.86
    Market capitalisation (£m) 124.25 150.60 142.34
    Share price (p) 33.80 42.20 39.00
    Share price discount to NAV per Share (%) 1.97 3.30 3.82
    Share price 5 year average discount to NAV per Share (%) -5.52 -5.83 -5.79
    Share price total return (%) -6.28 1.63 0.00
    Loss per Share for the period (p) -3.39 -1.22 -1.86
    Dividends paid per Share (p) 2.75 1.50 4.00
    Ongoing charges ratio (%) 2.45 2.45 2.43

    Investment Manager’s report

    Overview

    What would Harold Wilson, who famously quipped that a week was a long time in politics, have made of the extraordinary times we are living through? If JD Vance’s Munich speech signalled that the new administration was unconstrained by red lines, established protocols or strategic alliances, few truly anticipated the confusion and chaos that would follow on ‘Liberation Day’.

    The tumultuous reaction to Trump’s Rose Garden speech reflected the upending of the principles that had underpinned global trade for decades. Uncertainty swept through markets as analysts assessed the implications for the global economy, a task that was made considerably more difficult by the rapidly evolving nature of the proposed tariff regime and, more broadly, US trade policy. With future outcomes very difficult to predict and price in, significant volatility emerged in a huge range of financial assets. In the medium term, there are potentially profound implications for the value of invested capital as companies review their business models and supply chains.

    Spectacular as this has been, the impact on AIM has been relatively muted. Whilst risk assets in the US were overdue a correction, the same was not true of companies listed on AIM. The early part of the financial year was difficult with the 2024 UK Autumn Budget preceded by some unhelpfully stark messaging from the government. GDP, employment reports and PMI surveys all highlighted a notable softening in the UK economy through the second half of the 2024 calendar year. Measures of UK consumer and business confidence dipped, suggesting that households and companies were becoming increasingly cautious. Both the Office for Budget Responsibility and Bank of England reduced their GDP forecasts for 2025.

    Although UK fiscal policy is seen as being negative to growth and positive for inflation, a very significant increase in public spending is expected to support a pick up in UK economic activity in 2025 with the market consensus for GDP growth in 2025 currently +1.0%. While the Bank of England is currently forecasting 3.5% inflation in 2025, significantly above the 2.0% target, the downside risks to the global economy that have subsequently emerged, along with falling energy prices, are expected to reduce CPI to comfortably below 3.0% by early 2026. As a result, the outlook for interest rate cuts has significantly improved with the market now pricing in up to four interest cuts in 2025. For context, the market was expecting just one cut as we entered into 2025.

    You might reasonably expect all of this to heap more selling pressure onto UK equities. Whilst that was the case within the period under review, it is not so more recently. Although the constantly evolving narrative threatens to undermine the current dynamic, as it stands UK equity markets are going through a mini renaissance. As we have previously observed, UK markets are cheap, both in relative and absolute terms. As the US economy falters and the US exceptionalism narrative comes under pressure, investors are starting to look elsewhere. With a high weighting to more defensive companies, an expectation that the UK economy should emerge relatively unscathed from the new tariff regime, stable politics and low valuations, there is clear interest in UK equities from investors rotating away from US equities. This is yet to result in fund inflows to the IA UK Small Cap sector; however, the flow picture has improved. For now, at least, the market’s focus has shifted away from UK fiscal policy to international trade and the impact of tariffs.

    Returning to events within the six months to 31 March 2025, we regrettably report that AIM was again notably weak, with the Deutsche Numis Alternative Market (ex IC) returning -7.51% over the period on a total return basis. This was not specific to AIM, the domestically focused FTSE 250 Index also endured a difficult period as business and financial markets returned a withering assessment of the 2024 Autumn Budget. Ultimately, pressure on UK government borrowing costs forced the Chancellor to announce spending cuts in her 2025 Spring Statement. More will need to be done and we expect the government to come forward with new initiatives to promote growth, contain spending and/or increase taxes. It will be a difficult balancing act.

    Performance 

    In the six months to 31 March 2025 the unaudited NAV per Share decreased from 40.55 pence to 34.48 pence. A final dividend for FY24 of 1.25 pence and a special dividend of 1.50 pence were paid on 14 February 2025, giving a NAV total return to Shareholders of -3.32 pence per Share, which translates to a loss of -8.19%.

    The Qualifying Investments made a net contribution of -2.70 pence per Share whilst the Non-Qualifying Investments returned -0.25 pence per Share. The contribution to net asset performance is split out in further detail below.

    Qualifying Investments 

    Positive Contributors 

    In November 2024, Aquis Exchange (+95.8%, +£1.71m) received a takeover offer from its larger Swiss peer SIX Exchange at 727p, equivalent to an enterprise value of £194m. The offer price, which was at a 120% premium to the previous closing price and slightly above the 2021 share price high, resulted in an exit multiple of 4.7x book cost. The deal was approved by Aquis shareholders on 18 December 2024 and is expected to complete in July 2025.

    Shares in Cohort (+26.1%, +£1.12m) continued to perform strongly as European nations announced plans to significantly boost defence spending. The UK government announced plans to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, an additional spend of £13.4bn p.a. from current levels. The company announced its subsidiary MASS Consultants received a two-year extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training contract for UK Strategic Command worth over £17.5m. Cohort also completed the acquisition of Australian-based satellite communications company EM Solutions.

    Oberon Investment Group (+43.3%, +£0.49m) raised a further £2.5m in February 2025, providing additional investment to accelerate growth across corporate broking, wealth management and fund management. We used the opportunity to increase our investment in the company. H1 2025 results showed revenue growth of 78% to £4.8m, coupled with a reduction in EBITDA losses. Current trading remains positive with like for like revenue growth of over 30% expected for FY25 (March YE).

    Ilika (+56.5%, +£0.48m) continued to make technical progress with Goliath, its solid state battery technology for electric vehicles (EV). In partnership with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the company built a prototype battery using industrial equipment and processes, demonstrating the scalability of key steps in the manufacturing process. Goliath has achieved energy density parity with current lithium-ion cells, successfully reached its D6 milestone of testing 10Ah cells, and expects to achieve minimum viable product for EV applications within 2026. The company also successfully completed the transfer of its Stereax micro-battery production to US-based partner Cirtec Medical and expects this partnership to generate revenues in H2 2025.

    Intelligent Ultrasound (+30.0%, +£0.41m) received a takeover offer from Swedish medical simulation company Surgical Science at 13p in December 2024. The transaction valued Intelligent Ultrasound at an enterprise value of £4.7m. Adjusting for the sale of the Clinical-AI business to GE Healthcare in October 2024 for £40.5m, the offer placed a relatively low value on the simulation division. Whilst we voted against the scheme due to the low valuation, the transaction was approved by shareholders on 6 February 2025 and completed on 18 February 2025.

    Negative Contributors 

    Despite reductions to its overheads, a difficult retail environment undermined Kidly (-100.00%, -£1.26m) in its attempts to establish a fundable pathway to profitability. Kidly was placed into administration on 4 March 2025 following a formal sales process. Although the company was subsequently sold from administration, the proceeds did not result in any recoverable value to the Company.

    Zoo Digital (-74.3%, -£1.14m) issued a disappointing year-end trading update with FY25 revenues growing 24% to $50.5m (consensus: $55m) and EBITDA of at least $1m. Cash was also below expectations at $1m. Whilst the film and TV industry has begun to recover from the 2023 strikes, the company has been impacted by project delays and cancellations as streaming platforms continue to evaluate their commercial models.

    On 31 March 2025, Equipmake (-40.0%, -£0.93m) announced a £5m strategic investment from Caterpillar Ventures and a development agreement with Caterpillar. We view this outcome as a significant achievement for a company that was operating with limited working capital . The company also announced a development agreement with JCB, and post period-end, a £650,000 development agreement with CorPower Ocean. A new CFO was appointed.

    Team Internet (-54.8%, -£0.86m) shares fell sharply in Q4 2024 as the company announced that revenues at a recently acquired online marketing business, Shinez would fall short of expectations. This was followed by the negative news in Q1 2025 when the company announced that 2025 would be impacted by changes being made by Google, with a major impact on revenues in the company’s online marketing business. The company also confirmed that it was no longer in talks regarding a potential takeover offer. The year end trading update confirmed 2024 net revenues of $188m (-2% vs prior year) and an operating profit of $8.2m following a $36m impairment to the value of Shinez.

    Eagle Eye (-21.3%, -£0.85m) issued a profit warning in January 2025, cautioning that FY25 revenues would be below market expectations due to lengthening sales cycles. The warning was exacerbated by the company’s decision to make a strategic shift away from professional services work. More promising was the announcement of a major new partnership with a large software vendor where Eagle Eye will be directly integrated into the vendor’s product. Whilst this opportunity will take time to generate revenues, the partnership could become a very material profit generator in time. H1 2025 results reported revenues of £24.2m (unchanged year on year), and adjusted EBITDA of £5.9m.

    Recurring revenue represented 82% of the total with annual recurring revenue increasing by 16% to £41m. The company continues to benefit from a strong balance sheet with net cash of £11.7m.

    Non-qualifying Investments

    Within the non-qualifying portfolio, the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund declined by £1.27m over the period. We reduced our investments in both to release liquidity ahead of scheduled dividend payments.

    Within the non-qualifying direct equities portfolio, the weaker outlook for the UK economy following the 2024 Autumn Budget impacted WH Smith and Hollywood Bowl. Bodycote struggled with weak end markets, notably automotive and aerospace, and we sold the position. BAE Systems performed well as the outlook for defence spending in the UK and Europe strengthened and TP ICAP rose as the company announced plans to spin-out its data business Parameta Solutions alongside good results. We exited BAE Systems and took profits in Chemring following strong share price performance and initiated a new position in Trustpilot. The direct equity holdings returned -£0.14m (-1.3%). The losses were offset by gains in the non-qualifying fixed income portfolio, which returned +£0.35m.

    We released £0.99m of liquidity through the sale of the Next 3.0% 2026 bond, again to support scheduled dividend payments. The average maturity of the current portfolio of six investment grade corporate bonds is just over two years with an average yield to maturity of 4.9%. This part of the Company’s portfolio is expected to generate annual income of approximately £0.85m.

    Portfolio structure 

    The VCT is comfortably through the HMRC defined investment test and ended the period at 92.29% invested as measured by the HMRC investment test.

    The market for new Qualifying Investment remained very subdued with just two VCT qualifying IPOs within the 12 months to 31 March 2025. Within the period under review, AIM VCTs invested £27.2m across 17 companies. We were measured in our deployment of capital, investing £3.6m into five companies. The new Qualifying Investments included follow on investments into Rosslyn Data Technologies and Oberon Investments Group. We invested in one IPO, RC Fornax, in addition to two new equity investments into existing AIM companies, Feedback and IXICO.

    Feedback. The company provides software solutions for the NHS which deliver secure, compliant clinical workforce tools and data management. The company’s flagship product, Bleepa, is a secure, cloud-based platform that enables healthcare professionals to share and view medical images, as well as notes and other records between primary and secondary care settings. The company has secured partnerships with both a primary care record provider and an IT consultancy to implement the solution. The VCT invested as part of a £6.1m fundraise in November 2024.

    IXICO. The company is a contract research organisation which provides tech-enabled imaging analysis services to pharma companies conducting clinical trials in neurological diseases, with a focus on Huntingdon’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The company has a network of more than 1,000 qualified sites and currently works with 18 pharma clients across 26 studies. The VCT invested as part of a £4m fundraise in October 2024.

    RC Fornax. The company is an engineering consultancy founded by former RAF engineers which serves the defence industry. The VCT invested as part of the AIM IPO in February 2025 which raised £3.7m.

    Within the qualifying portfolio, we exited through takeover Equals Group, Intelligent Ultrasound and Learning Technologies Group. The Equals Group exit valuation of £277m resulted in a gain of 141% over book cost. The Learning Technologies Group exit valued the company at £858m, a gain of 376% over book cost. We also sold our investments in Gfinity and Surface Transforms following poor performance and reduced our holding in Cohort following a period of strong share price performance.

    By market value, the VCT had an increased 58.4% (Sep 24: 56.0%) weighting to Qualifying Investments, an increased 14.2% (Sep 24: 12.9%) weighting to non-qualifying fixed income, a reduced combined 11.9% (Sep 24: 13.4%) weighting to the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund following disposals, and a reduced 7.3% (Sep 24: 8.1%) weighting to non-qualifying direct equities. New investment into Qualifying Companies and the return of capital through dividend distributions resulted in a reduced weighting to cash of 7.6%(1) (Sep 24: 9.3%(1)) of net assets despite inflows from the offer for subscription and the sale of Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Investments.

    The HMRC investment tests are set out in Chapter 3 of Part 6, ITA , which should be read in conjunction with this Investment Manager’s report. Funds raised by VCTs are first included in the investment tests from the start of the accounting period containing the third anniversary of the date on which the funds were raised. Therefore, the allocation of Qualifying Investments as defined by the VCT Rules can be different to the portfolio weighting as measured by market value relative to the net assets of the VCT.

    Outlook

    Although tail risks remain, broadly speaking the US appears to be inching towards a more moderate and workable position on trade policy. Whilst equity markets have quickly moved to price in a benign outcome, other measures such as borrowing costs and exchange rates continue to signal concern about the medium and long term impact on the US. Historically, this would be perceived as a major risk for the global economy; however, in a multi-polar world, there is potential for a moderate decoupling.

    Back at home, the government has completed two reviews that have shown increased support for defence, healthcare and housebuilding. We have good exposure to the first two. There continues to be much discussion about the outlook for the UK as a leading financial hub and the manner in which we support our growth companies. This debate will continue for some time; however, we draw comfort from the level of engagement by a variety of stakeholders. Greater and more coordinated support for the broader growth ecosystem, even if in areas that are adjacent to where we operate, will provide welcome second order benefits.

    This has fed through to AIM, which has been strongly positive since the post ‘Liberation Day’ correction with the index moving higher as investors react to the growth and value opportunity. It remains too early to comment on the durability of the rally but the foundations are being laid. Whilst government spending, as recently outlined, will support the UK growth story for several years to come; we will need to wait until the 2025 Autumn Budget to see whether this is offset by further changes to tax policy.

    We continue to see signs that deal flow is improving, albeit slowly. UK fund flows remain negative; that is the missing piece that must fall into place before investors can finally feel that a corner may have been turned.

    END

    For further information, please contact:

    Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
    Oliver Bedford    		  +44 20 7523 4837
    JTC (UK) Limited
    Uloma Adighibe
    Alexandria Tivey    		 HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com
    +44 203 832 3877
    +44 203 832 3891

    LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Unaudited Interim Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    19 June 2025

    HARGREAVE HALE AIM VCT PLC
    (the “Company”)

    Unaudited Interim Results

    The Company announces its half-year results for the six months ended 31 March 2025.

    These half-year results will be available on the Company’s website at  https://www.hargreaveaimvcts.co.uk/document-library/.

    In accordance with UK Listing Rule 6.4.1, a copy of this document will also be submitted to the UK Listing Authority via the National Storage Mechanism and will be available for viewing shortly at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

    Additionally, the interim report can also be found here:  HHV 2025 Interim Report

    Financial highlights

    Net asset value (NAV) per share   NAV total return   Tax free dividends paid in the period   Share price total return   Ongoing charges ratio
    34.48p   -8.19%   2.75   -6.28%   2.45%
    • £3.6m invested in Qualifying Companies in the period.
    • 92.29% invested by VCT tax value in Qualifying Investments at 31 March 2025.
    • Offer for subscription launched on 9 October 2024 to raise up to £20m. At the date of this report 14m Shares have been issued raising gross proceeds of £5.4m.
    • Final dividend of 1.25 pence and special dividend of 1.50 pence per Share paid 14 February 2025.
    • Interim dividend of 0.75 pence and special dividend of 0.50 pence per Share approved by the Board.
    Summary financial data Six months

    ending

    31-Mar-25

    		 Six months

    Ending

    31-Mar-24

    		 Year

    ending
    30 Sept-24
    NAV (£m) 126.75 155.74 148.01
    NAV per Share (p) 34.48 43.64 40.55
    NAV total return (%) -8.19 -2.59 -3.86
    Market capitalisation (£m) 124.25 150.60 142.34
    Share price (p) 33.80 42.20 39.00
    Share price discount to NAV per Share (%) 1.97 3.30 3.82
    Share price 5 year average discount to NAV per Share (%) -5.52 -5.83 -5.79
    Share price total return (%) -6.28 1.63 0.00
    Loss per Share for the period (p) -3.39 -1.22 -1.86
    Dividends paid per Share (p) 2.75 1.50 4.00
    Ongoing charges ratio (%) 2.45 2.45 2.43

    Investment Manager’s report

    Overview

    What would Harold Wilson, who famously quipped that a week was a long time in politics, have made of the extraordinary times we are living through? If JD Vance’s Munich speech signalled that the new administration was unconstrained by red lines, established protocols or strategic alliances, few truly anticipated the confusion and chaos that would follow on ‘Liberation Day’.

    The tumultuous reaction to Trump’s Rose Garden speech reflected the upending of the principles that had underpinned global trade for decades. Uncertainty swept through markets as analysts assessed the implications for the global economy, a task that was made considerably more difficult by the rapidly evolving nature of the proposed tariff regime and, more broadly, US trade policy. With future outcomes very difficult to predict and price in, significant volatility emerged in a huge range of financial assets. In the medium term, there are potentially profound implications for the value of invested capital as companies review their business models and supply chains.

    Spectacular as this has been, the impact on AIM has been relatively muted. Whilst risk assets in the US were overdue a correction, the same was not true of companies listed on AIM. The early part of the financial year was difficult with the 2024 UK Autumn Budget preceded by some unhelpfully stark messaging from the government. GDP, employment reports and PMI surveys all highlighted a notable softening in the UK economy through the second half of the 2024 calendar year. Measures of UK consumer and business confidence dipped, suggesting that households and companies were becoming increasingly cautious. Both the Office for Budget Responsibility and Bank of England reduced their GDP forecasts for 2025.

    Although UK fiscal policy is seen as being negative to growth and positive for inflation, a very significant increase in public spending is expected to support a pick up in UK economic activity in 2025 with the market consensus for GDP growth in 2025 currently +1.0%. While the Bank of England is currently forecasting 3.5% inflation in 2025, significantly above the 2.0% target, the downside risks to the global economy that have subsequently emerged, along with falling energy prices, are expected to reduce CPI to comfortably below 3.0% by early 2026. As a result, the outlook for interest rate cuts has significantly improved with the market now pricing in up to four interest cuts in 2025. For context, the market was expecting just one cut as we entered into 2025.

    You might reasonably expect all of this to heap more selling pressure onto UK equities. Whilst that was the case within the period under review, it is not so more recently. Although the constantly evolving narrative threatens to undermine the current dynamic, as it stands UK equity markets are going through a mini renaissance. As we have previously observed, UK markets are cheap, both in relative and absolute terms. As the US economy falters and the US exceptionalism narrative comes under pressure, investors are starting to look elsewhere. With a high weighting to more defensive companies, an expectation that the UK economy should emerge relatively unscathed from the new tariff regime, stable politics and low valuations, there is clear interest in UK equities from investors rotating away from US equities. This is yet to result in fund inflows to the IA UK Small Cap sector; however, the flow picture has improved. For now, at least, the market’s focus has shifted away from UK fiscal policy to international trade and the impact of tariffs.

    Returning to events within the six months to 31 March 2025, we regrettably report that AIM was again notably weak, with the Deutsche Numis Alternative Market (ex IC) returning -7.51% over the period on a total return basis. This was not specific to AIM, the domestically focused FTSE 250 Index also endured a difficult period as business and financial markets returned a withering assessment of the 2024 Autumn Budget. Ultimately, pressure on UK government borrowing costs forced the Chancellor to announce spending cuts in her 2025 Spring Statement. More will need to be done and we expect the government to come forward with new initiatives to promote growth, contain spending and/or increase taxes. It will be a difficult balancing act.

    Performance 

    In the six months to 31 March 2025 the unaudited NAV per Share decreased from 40.55 pence to 34.48 pence. A final dividend for FY24 of 1.25 pence and a special dividend of 1.50 pence were paid on 14 February 2025, giving a NAV total return to Shareholders of -3.32 pence per Share, which translates to a loss of -8.19%.

    The Qualifying Investments made a net contribution of -2.70 pence per Share whilst the Non-Qualifying Investments returned -0.25 pence per Share. The contribution to net asset performance is split out in further detail below.

    Qualifying Investments 

    Positive Contributors 

    In November 2024, Aquis Exchange (+95.8%, +£1.71m) received a takeover offer from its larger Swiss peer SIX Exchange at 727p, equivalent to an enterprise value of £194m. The offer price, which was at a 120% premium to the previous closing price and slightly above the 2021 share price high, resulted in an exit multiple of 4.7x book cost. The deal was approved by Aquis shareholders on 18 December 2024 and is expected to complete in July 2025.

    Shares in Cohort (+26.1%, +£1.12m) continued to perform strongly as European nations announced plans to significantly boost defence spending. The UK government announced plans to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, an additional spend of £13.4bn p.a. from current levels. The company announced its subsidiary MASS Consultants received a two-year extension to its Joint Command and Staff Training contract for UK Strategic Command worth over £17.5m. Cohort also completed the acquisition of Australian-based satellite communications company EM Solutions.

    Oberon Investment Group (+43.3%, +£0.49m) raised a further £2.5m in February 2025, providing additional investment to accelerate growth across corporate broking, wealth management and fund management. We used the opportunity to increase our investment in the company. H1 2025 results showed revenue growth of 78% to £4.8m, coupled with a reduction in EBITDA losses. Current trading remains positive with like for like revenue growth of over 30% expected for FY25 (March YE).

    Ilika (+56.5%, +£0.48m) continued to make technical progress with Goliath, its solid state battery technology for electric vehicles (EV). In partnership with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the company built a prototype battery using industrial equipment and processes, demonstrating the scalability of key steps in the manufacturing process. Goliath has achieved energy density parity with current lithium-ion cells, successfully reached its D6 milestone of testing 10Ah cells, and expects to achieve minimum viable product for EV applications within 2026. The company also successfully completed the transfer of its Stereax micro-battery production to US-based partner Cirtec Medical and expects this partnership to generate revenues in H2 2025.

    Intelligent Ultrasound (+30.0%, +£0.41m) received a takeover offer from Swedish medical simulation company Surgical Science at 13p in December 2024. The transaction valued Intelligent Ultrasound at an enterprise value of £4.7m. Adjusting for the sale of the Clinical-AI business to GE Healthcare in October 2024 for £40.5m, the offer placed a relatively low value on the simulation division. Whilst we voted against the scheme due to the low valuation, the transaction was approved by shareholders on 6 February 2025 and completed on 18 February 2025.

    Negative Contributors 

    Despite reductions to its overheads, a difficult retail environment undermined Kidly (-100.00%, -£1.26m) in its attempts to establish a fundable pathway to profitability. Kidly was placed into administration on 4 March 2025 following a formal sales process. Although the company was subsequently sold from administration, the proceeds did not result in any recoverable value to the Company.

    Zoo Digital (-74.3%, -£1.14m) issued a disappointing year-end trading update with FY25 revenues growing 24% to $50.5m (consensus: $55m) and EBITDA of at least $1m. Cash was also below expectations at $1m. Whilst the film and TV industry has begun to recover from the 2023 strikes, the company has been impacted by project delays and cancellations as streaming platforms continue to evaluate their commercial models.

    On 31 March 2025, Equipmake (-40.0%, -£0.93m) announced a £5m strategic investment from Caterpillar Ventures and a development agreement with Caterpillar. We view this outcome as a significant achievement for a company that was operating with limited working capital . The company also announced a development agreement with JCB, and post period-end, a £650,000 development agreement with CorPower Ocean. A new CFO was appointed.

    Team Internet (-54.8%, -£0.86m) shares fell sharply in Q4 2024 as the company announced that revenues at a recently acquired online marketing business, Shinez would fall short of expectations. This was followed by the negative news in Q1 2025 when the company announced that 2025 would be impacted by changes being made by Google, with a major impact on revenues in the company’s online marketing business. The company also confirmed that it was no longer in talks regarding a potential takeover offer. The year end trading update confirmed 2024 net revenues of $188m (-2% vs prior year) and an operating profit of $8.2m following a $36m impairment to the value of Shinez.

    Eagle Eye (-21.3%, -£0.85m) issued a profit warning in January 2025, cautioning that FY25 revenues would be below market expectations due to lengthening sales cycles. The warning was exacerbated by the company’s decision to make a strategic shift away from professional services work. More promising was the announcement of a major new partnership with a large software vendor where Eagle Eye will be directly integrated into the vendor’s product. Whilst this opportunity will take time to generate revenues, the partnership could become a very material profit generator in time. H1 2025 results reported revenues of £24.2m (unchanged year on year), and adjusted EBITDA of £5.9m.

    Recurring revenue represented 82% of the total with annual recurring revenue increasing by 16% to £41m. The company continues to benefit from a strong balance sheet with net cash of £11.7m.

    Non-qualifying Investments

    Within the non-qualifying portfolio, the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund declined by £1.27m over the period. We reduced our investments in both to release liquidity ahead of scheduled dividend payments.

    Within the non-qualifying direct equities portfolio, the weaker outlook for the UK economy following the 2024 Autumn Budget impacted WH Smith and Hollywood Bowl. Bodycote struggled with weak end markets, notably automotive and aerospace, and we sold the position. BAE Systems performed well as the outlook for defence spending in the UK and Europe strengthened and TP ICAP rose as the company announced plans to spin-out its data business Parameta Solutions alongside good results. We exited BAE Systems and took profits in Chemring following strong share price performance and initiated a new position in Trustpilot. The direct equity holdings returned -£0.14m (-1.3%). The losses were offset by gains in the non-qualifying fixed income portfolio, which returned +£0.35m.

    We released £0.99m of liquidity through the sale of the Next 3.0% 2026 bond, again to support scheduled dividend payments. The average maturity of the current portfolio of six investment grade corporate bonds is just over two years with an average yield to maturity of 4.9%. This part of the Company’s portfolio is expected to generate annual income of approximately £0.85m.

    Portfolio structure 

    The VCT is comfortably through the HMRC defined investment test and ended the period at 92.29% invested as measured by the HMRC investment test.

    The market for new Qualifying Investment remained very subdued with just two VCT qualifying IPOs within the 12 months to 31 March 2025. Within the period under review, AIM VCTs invested £27.2m across 17 companies. We were measured in our deployment of capital, investing £3.6m into five companies. The new Qualifying Investments included follow on investments into Rosslyn Data Technologies and Oberon Investments Group. We invested in one IPO, RC Fornax, in addition to two new equity investments into existing AIM companies, Feedback and IXICO.

    Feedback. The company provides software solutions for the NHS which deliver secure, compliant clinical workforce tools and data management. The company’s flagship product, Bleepa, is a secure, cloud-based platform that enables healthcare professionals to share and view medical images, as well as notes and other records between primary and secondary care settings. The company has secured partnerships with both a primary care record provider and an IT consultancy to implement the solution. The VCT invested as part of a £6.1m fundraise in November 2024.

    IXICO. The company is a contract research organisation which provides tech-enabled imaging analysis services to pharma companies conducting clinical trials in neurological diseases, with a focus on Huntingdon’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The company has a network of more than 1,000 qualified sites and currently works with 18 pharma clients across 26 studies. The VCT invested as part of a £4m fundraise in October 2024.

    RC Fornax. The company is an engineering consultancy founded by former RAF engineers which serves the defence industry. The VCT invested as part of the AIM IPO in February 2025 which raised £3.7m.

    Within the qualifying portfolio, we exited through takeover Equals Group, Intelligent Ultrasound and Learning Technologies Group. The Equals Group exit valuation of £277m resulted in a gain of 141% over book cost. The Learning Technologies Group exit valued the company at £858m, a gain of 376% over book cost. We also sold our investments in Gfinity and Surface Transforms following poor performance and reduced our holding in Cohort following a period of strong share price performance.

    By market value, the VCT had an increased 58.4% (Sep 24: 56.0%) weighting to Qualifying Investments, an increased 14.2% (Sep 24: 12.9%) weighting to non-qualifying fixed income, a reduced combined 11.9% (Sep 24: 13.4%) weighting to the IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund following disposals, and a reduced 7.3% (Sep 24: 8.1%) weighting to non-qualifying direct equities. New investment into Qualifying Companies and the return of capital through dividend distributions resulted in a reduced weighting to cash of 7.6%(1) (Sep 24: 9.3%(1)) of net assets despite inflows from the offer for subscription and the sale of Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Investments.

    The HMRC investment tests are set out in Chapter 3 of Part 6, ITA , which should be read in conjunction with this Investment Manager’s report. Funds raised by VCTs are first included in the investment tests from the start of the accounting period containing the third anniversary of the date on which the funds were raised. Therefore, the allocation of Qualifying Investments as defined by the VCT Rules can be different to the portfolio weighting as measured by market value relative to the net assets of the VCT.

    Outlook

    Although tail risks remain, broadly speaking the US appears to be inching towards a more moderate and workable position on trade policy. Whilst equity markets have quickly moved to price in a benign outcome, other measures such as borrowing costs and exchange rates continue to signal concern about the medium and long term impact on the US. Historically, this would be perceived as a major risk for the global economy; however, in a multi-polar world, there is potential for a moderate decoupling.

    Back at home, the government has completed two reviews that have shown increased support for defence, healthcare and housebuilding. We have good exposure to the first two. There continues to be much discussion about the outlook for the UK as a leading financial hub and the manner in which we support our growth companies. This debate will continue for some time; however, we draw comfort from the level of engagement by a variety of stakeholders. Greater and more coordinated support for the broader growth ecosystem, even if in areas that are adjacent to where we operate, will provide welcome second order benefits.

    This has fed through to AIM, which has been strongly positive since the post ‘Liberation Day’ correction with the index moving higher as investors react to the growth and value opportunity. It remains too early to comment on the durability of the rally but the foundations are being laid. Whilst government spending, as recently outlined, will support the UK growth story for several years to come; we will need to wait until the 2025 Autumn Budget to see whether this is offset by further changes to tax policy.

    We continue to see signs that deal flow is improving, albeit slowly. UK fund flows remain negative; that is the missing piece that must fall into place before investors can finally feel that a corner may have been turned.

    END

    For further information, please contact:

    Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
    Oliver Bedford    		  +44 20 7523 4837
    JTC (UK) Limited
    Uloma Adighibe
    Alexandria Tivey    		 HHV.CoSec@jtcgroup.com
    +44 203 832 3877
    +44 203 832 3891

    LEI: 213800LRYA19A69SIT31        

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow to help industrial enterprises strengthen information security

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital’s enterprises will be provided with modern domestic technologies and solutions in the field of information security (IS). A number of special events will also be organized for them to exchange experience and test advanced information systems. The corresponding agreement was signed at the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum by the Minister of the Moscow Government, the head of the capital’s Department of Investment and Industrial Policy Anatoly Garbuzov and the general director of the Solar Group of Companies (GC), vice president for information security of the public joint-stock company Rostelecom Igor Lyapunov.

    “Information security of the industrial sector plays a key role in ensuring national security. It is especially relevant in the context of growing digitalization of production and the increase in the volume of data processed by enterprises every day. The city’s initiative will allow industrialists to improve their competencies in the field of information security on the basis of the capital’s Bank of Technologies service and ensure reliable protection of corporate resources, technological processes, confidential data and personal information from cyber threats,” noted Anatoly Garbuzov.

    The parties will organize joint work with industrial enterprises of Moscow to inform about modern domestic technologies in the field of information security and to improve the efficiency of production processes. In addition, comprehensive solutions in the areas of information security, multifunctional platforms and systems that combine advanced Russian developments and expertise will be tested. Thematic events are also planned to develop the theoretical and practical skills of the organizations’ employees.

    In 2024, the Bank of Technologies service included nine information security solutions from the Solar group of companies for the capital’s business and the public sector. The list included a DLP platform, a next-generation firewall, and a service for controlling user access to the Internet.

    The Bank of Technologies service has been expanded with new high-tech developments

    The service also includes technologies in the field of monitoring the efficiency of employees’ working hours and protecting workstations from targeted attacks, an IdM system, a platform for managing privileged access and a solution for monitoring access to confidential information. The secure development segment features a Russian application code analyzer.

    “Moscow is home to the largest and most significant companies, federal agencies and control centers of critical information infrastructure facilities, which daily repel the most powerful flow of cyberattacks in Russia. Many of these organizations are protected by Solar Group. Our information security products are based on attack-centric technologies, deep expertise in repelling cyber threats, and experience in implementing and operating in the largest infrastructures in Russia. In this way, we help provide turnkey protection for corporations, small and medium-sized businesses,” said Igor Lyapunov, CEO of Solar Group.

    “Bank of Technologies”— a free Moscow service that helps save time and quickly select the necessary high-tech tools and innovative IT solutions for digitalization and automation of production, product lifecycle management, information security, mathematical modeling, expansion of new lines. The online registry contains over 530 advanced proven domestic developments.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155459073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Diversity of Ownership in Broadcast Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service (VOICES) Act to increase diversity of ownership in the broadcasting industry by encouraging investment in women and minority-owned stations. 

    “Millions of Americans get their news everyday through TV and radio. When broadcasters reflect the people they serve, it helps elevate different perspectives and stories that may not yet have been told,” said Senator Peters. “That’s why I am proud to again lead the Broadcast VOICES Act to encourage more investment in minority-owned stations and boost diversity in American television and radio.”

    Peters’ Broadcast VOICES Act would: 

    • Reestablish a Minority Tax Certificate Program to incentivize capital investment in women and minority-owned stations, as well as investment in the sale of stations to women and minority purchasers, throughout the broadcast industry. 
    • Establish a tax credit for broadcast owners who donate their stations to train individuals in the management and operation of broadcast stations.
    • Require annual reports from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on ways to increase diversity in the industry.

    Peters’ Broadcast VOICES Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV).

    First established in 1978, the Minority Tax Certificate Program provided a tax incentive to those who sold their majority interest in a broadcast station to individuals with diverse backgrounds. From 1978 to 1995, the program was highly effective in leveling the playing field for underrepresented broadcasters, increasing diverse ownership in broadcast stations by more than 550 percent. Despite this success, Congress repealed the program in 1995.

    However, a 2023 report found that among the approximately 1,760 full-power commercial broadcast television stations in the United States, only 5 percent were owned by women and less than 4 percent by minorities. Further, it found that women owned only 10 percent of FM broadcast radio stations, and minorities owned less than 3 percent of those stations. 

    By reinstating this historically effective tax certificate, the Broadcast VOICES Act would help bring more women and people of color into station ownership while also assisting with access to capital. Peters has consistently led this legislation. 

    The Broadcast VOICES Act is supported by the National Urban League, National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council, League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Federation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Diversity of Ownership in Broadcast Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service (VOICES) Act to increase diversity of ownership in the broadcasting industry by encouraging investment in women and minority-owned stations. 

    “Millions of Americans get their news everyday through TV and radio. When broadcasters reflect the people they serve, it helps elevate different perspectives and stories that may not yet have been told,” said Senator Peters. “That’s why I am proud to again lead the Broadcast VOICES Act to encourage more investment in minority-owned stations and boost diversity in American television and radio.”

    Peters’ Broadcast VOICES Act would: 

    • Reestablish a Minority Tax Certificate Program to incentivize capital investment in women and minority-owned stations, as well as investment in the sale of stations to women and minority purchasers, throughout the broadcast industry. 
    • Establish a tax credit for broadcast owners who donate their stations to train individuals in the management and operation of broadcast stations.
    • Require annual reports from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on ways to increase diversity in the industry.

    Peters’ Broadcast VOICES Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). Companion legislation was introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV).

    First established in 1978, the Minority Tax Certificate Program provided a tax incentive to those who sold their majority interest in a broadcast station to individuals with diverse backgrounds. From 1978 to 1995, the program was highly effective in leveling the playing field for underrepresented broadcasters, increasing diverse ownership in broadcast stations by more than 550 percent. Despite this success, Congress repealed the program in 1995.

    However, a 2023 report found that among the approximately 1,760 full-power commercial broadcast television stations in the United States, only 5 percent were owned by women and less than 4 percent by minorities. Further, it found that women owned only 10 percent of FM broadcast radio stations, and minorities owned less than 3 percent of those stations. 

    By reinstating this historically effective tax certificate, the Broadcast VOICES Act would help bring more women and people of color into station ownership while also assisting with access to capital. Peters has consistently led this legislation. 

    The Broadcast VOICES Act is supported by the National Urban League, National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council, League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Federation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Amnesty International – Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran

    Source: Amnesty International
    As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.
    On 16 June, an Iranian government spokesperson reported that Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people, including 74 women and children, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The health ministry also stated 1,800 people have been injured.
    In Israel, the Israeli Military Home Front reported that Iranian attacks had killed at least 24 people, including women and children, stating that they were all civilians, with nearly 600 injured.
    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
    “Further escalation of these hostilities risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.
    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognise the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.
    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, states must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.
    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.
    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.
    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”
    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimize their suffering and casualties. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.
    For this reason, weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.
    In the deadliest incident in Israel, eight people including three children, were killed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on 15 June.
    In Iran, at least 12 people including children and a pregnant woman were killed in one attack in Tajrish square in Tehran on 15 June.
    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.
    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained and should relocate other prisoners away from locations at risk of being attacked by Israel.
    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘ warnings’
    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.
    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people- via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.
    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.
    Evacuation warnings, even if detailed and effective, do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to these civilians.
    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran.
    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future … Do not allow the criminal regime to use you as human shields. Avoid residing or moving near the aforementioned locations and know that even underground shelters will not provide you with safety.”
    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters. However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens
    Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law. To constitute effective warnings under international humanitarian law, parties must provide civilians with clear and practical instructions on moving away from military objectives that will be targeted rather than unlawfully calling for the mass exodus of millions – an approach that appears designed more to incite panic and terror among civilians than to ensure their protection.
    Internet shutdowns and media censorship
    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.
    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran,” said Agnès Callamard.
    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.
    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement,” said Agnès Callamard.
    Background
    On 13 June 2025, Israeli authorities launched air and drone strikes against Iranian territory. Shortly afterwards, Israeli officials announced that they launched the operation to target Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and decapitate Iran’s military leadership. The Israeli strikes began as Iran and the US were in the process of negotiating a new deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
    Iranian authorities have retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israeli territory.
    Israeli attacks have struck cities in multiple provinces across Iran, including the provinces of Alborz, East Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Lorestan, Ilam, Markazi, Qom, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Khorasan Razavi.
    Iranian attacks have struck several urban areas in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Tamra, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Haifa, Herzliya.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Review: BRICS Cooperation Space Constantly Expands – SPIEF Participants

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    St. Petersburg, June 18 (Xinhua) — The cooperation space between the BRICS countries is constantly expanding, especially after the expansion of the association began in 2024. This was stated on Wednesday by participants of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) at the session “BRICS and Partners: Creating a Joint Business Future.”

    Director of the Beijing-Moscow International Trade and Economic Center Ma Shuang noted that China has a long-term strategy for building relations with the BRICS countries. Among the areas that have the greatest potential for joint investment and opening up new markets, she named information technology and the Internet.

    Vice President of the India-South Africa Chamber of Commerce Lebohan Zulu stressed that the main barrier to increasing cooperation among BRICS countries is the legacy of the unipolar world system, which is expressed in the dominance of one currency in the world market, and the insufficient development of international transport and logistics networks. In her opinion, work in these areas, as well as the development of e-commerce platforms, can open up a huge number of prospects and opportunities for BRICS members and partners.

    According to Anna Nesterova, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Global Rus Trade and Chairperson of the Russian Part of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, the expansion of the association has demonstrated broad interest in it among countries around the world. She believes that education and the involvement of more and more women in entrepreneurial activity are relevant areas for the development of cooperation in BRICS. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 437

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 437
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    450 PM EDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Indiana
    Northern Kentucky
    Southwest Ohio

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 450 PM
    until 1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A fast moving line of thunderstorms over Indiana will
    track eastward this afternoon and evening. Damaging winds along the
    leading edge of the storms is the primary risk.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70
    statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles northwest of
    Columbus OH to 45 miles south of Cincinnati OH. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 432…WW 433…WW
    434…WW 435…WW 436…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    26035.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW7
    WW 437 SEVERE TSTM IN KY OH 182050Z – 190200Z
    AXIS..70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    55NW CMH/COLUMBUS OH/ – 45S LUK/CINCINNATI OH/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 60NM E/W /25NE ROD – 37SSE CVG/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26035.

    LAT…LON 40558229 38438313 38438571 40558495

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU7.

    Watch 437 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (30%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 435

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 435
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    205 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Southern Illinois
    Southern Indiana
    Western Kentucky
    Southeast Missouri

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 205 PM
    until 800 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will continue to develop along and ahead of
    a boundary over southern Illinois and spread eastward through the
    afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail are possible, along with a
    few tornadoes.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 40 miles west of Fort Campbell KY to 75
    miles northeast of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 432…WW 433…WW 434…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25035.

    …Hart

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 435
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    205 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Southern Illinois
    Southern Indiana
    Western Kentucky
    Southeast Missouri

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 205 PM
    until 800 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will continue to develop along and ahead of
    a boundary over southern Illinois and spread eastward through the
    afternoon. Damaging winds and large hail are possible, along with a
    few tornadoes.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 40 miles west of Fort Campbell KY to 75
    miles northeast of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 432…WW 433…WW 434…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25035.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 435 TORNADO IL IN KY MO 181905Z – 190100Z
    AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40W HOP/FORT CAMPBELL KY/ – 75NE EVV/EVANSVILLE IN/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /67NE DYR – 53SE TTH/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.

    LAT…LON 36668928 38798766 38798543 36668712

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 435 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: US Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Crypto Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    Related: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIcFRqCvsbE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    Related: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel-Iran: Urgent call to end ‘reckless military action’ and protect civilians amid growing hostilities

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israeli and Iranian authorities repeatedly demonstrate utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law with impunity

    Escalation masks Israel’s deepening starvation of Gaza and West Bank oppression in ongoing apartheid

    Iran responds to Israeli attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists, and executing a man for alleged espionage

    ‘Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, governments must ensure the protection of civilians’ – Agnès Callamard

    As civilians continue to suffer the devastating impact of the escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel since 13 June, and with threats of further violence looming, Amnesty International is calling on both governments to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians.

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said:

    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, both parties must comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action.

    “Further escalation of these hostilities’ risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.

    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognise the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.

    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, governments must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.

    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.

    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”

    International law prohibits attacks on civilians

    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimise their suffering and casualties.

    International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.

    Weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.

    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.

    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained.

    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘warnings’

    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.

    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.

    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to  “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.

    Evacuation warnings do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimise harm to these civilians.

    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran. 

    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future. Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law.”

    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters.  However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens. 

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship

    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.

    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.

    Agnès Callamard added:

    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran. 

    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran

    Source: Amnesty International –

    As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

    On 16 June, an Iranian government spokesperson reported that Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people, including 74 women and children, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The health ministry also stated 1,800 people have been injured.

    In Israel, the Israeli Military Home Front reported that Iranian attacks had killed at least 24 people, including women and children, stating that they were all civilians, with nearly 600 injured.

    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. 

    “Further escalation of these hostilities risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.

    As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International

    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognize the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.

    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, states must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.

    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.

    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”

    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimize their suffering and casualties. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.

    For this reason, weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.

    In the deadliest incident in Israel, eight people including three children, were killed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on 15 June.

    In Iran, at least 12 people including children and a pregnant woman were killed in one attack in Tajrish square in Tehran on 15 June.

    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.

    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained and should relocate other prisoners away from locations at risk of being attacked by Israel.

    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘warnings’

    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.

    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened  on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people- via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.

    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to  “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.

    Evacuation warnings, even if detailed and effective, do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to these civilians.

    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran. 

    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future … Do not allow the criminal regime to use you as human shields. Avoid residing or moving near the aforementioned locations and know that even underground shelters will not provide you with safety.”

    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters.  However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens

    Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law. To constitute effective warnings under international humanitarian law, parties must provide civilians with clear and practical instructions on moving away from military objectives that will be targeted rather than unlawfully calling for the mass exodus of millions – an approach that appears designed more to incite panic and terror among civilians than to ensure their protection.

    Internet shutdowns and media censorship

    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.

    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran,” said Agnès Callamard.

    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.

    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement,” said Agnès Callamard.

    Background

    On 13 June 2025, Israeli authorities launched air and drone strikes against Iranian territory. Shortly afterwards, Israeli officials announced that they launched the operation to target Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and decapitate Iran’s military leadership. The Israeli strikes began as Iran and the US were in the process of negotiating a new deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

    Iranian authorities have retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israeli territory.

    Israeli attacks have struck cities in multiple provinces across Iran, including the provinces of Alborz, East Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Lorestan, Ilam, Markazi, Qom, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Khorasan Razavi.

    Iranian attacks have struck several urban areas in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Tamra, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Haifa, Herzliya.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust Declares Q2 Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES.
    FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAW.

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (“Alaris” or the “Trust”) (TSX: AD.UN) announces that the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has declared a trust distribution (“Distribution”) of $0.34 per trust unit for the second quarter of 2025, representing $1.36 per unit on an annualized basis. The Distribution is payable on July 15, 2025 to unitholders of record on June 30, 2025.

    About Alaris:
    The Trust, through its subsidiaries, invests in a diversified group of private businesses (“Private Company Partners“) primarily through structured equity. The primary goal of our structured equity investments is to deliver stable and predictable returns to our unitholders through both cash distributions and capital appreciation. This strategy is enhanced by common equity positions, which allow us to generate returns in alignment with the founders of our Private Company Partners.

    For further information please contact:
    Investor Relations
    P: (403) 260-1457
    ir@alarisequity.com

    Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust
    Suite 250, 333 24th Avenue S.W.
    Calgary, Alberta T2S 3E6
    www.alarisequitypartners.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 434

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL4

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 434
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1200 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northeast Illinois
    Northern and Central Indiana
    Southwest Lower Michigan
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from NOON until
    700 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Intense thunderstorms currently developing over central
    Illinois will spread northeastward through the afternoon. High
    instability and favorable wind fields will promote a risk of
    damaging winds and tornadoes.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 85 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 25 miles north northwest of South Bend
    IN to 35 miles south of Bloomington IN. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU4).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 432…WW 433…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW4
    WW 434 TORNADO IL IN MI LM 181700Z – 190000Z
    AXIS..85 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    25NNW SBN/SOUTH BEND IN/ – 35S BMG/BLOOMINGTON IN/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 75NM E/W /18NNW GIJ – 59SSE TTH/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 42028485 38638505 38638819 42028816

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU4.

    Watch 434 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Mod (30%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (70%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 433

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 433
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1245 PM EDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    District Of Columbia
    Delaware
    Eastern Maryland
    Southern New Jersey
    Southeast Pennsylvania
    Northern Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 1245 PM
    until 700 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms will spread eastward across the
    watch area through the afternoon. The strongest cells will be
    capable of localized damaging wind gusts.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 80
    statute miles east and west of a line from 30 miles northwest of
    Philadelphia PA to 55 miles southeast of Washington DC. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 432…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    27025.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW3
    WW 433 SEVERE TSTM DC DE MD NJ PA VA CW 181645Z – 182300Z
    AXIS..80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    30NW PHL/PHILADELPHIA PA/ – 55SE DCA/WASHINGTON DC/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 70NM E/W /25S ETX – 38W SBY/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27025.

    LAT…LON 40167414 38287483 38287779 40167717

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU3.

    Watch 433 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police in England and Wales to get more money – but increasing funding won’t necessarily mean less crime

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Graham Farrell, Professor of Crime Science, University of Leeds

    Ian Dewar Photography/Shutterstock

    Police spending will rise by a real-terms 2.3% per year between now and 2028-29, the government announced in its latest spending review, drawn from local council tax. The government says this will help its mission to put 13,000 neighbourhood police on the streets, and “keep communities safe”.

    Police say this is far from enough to meet the government’s ambitions, particularly on cutting knife crime and violence against women, and that it is likely to be “swallowed up” by pay rises for police.

    The awkward truth, however, is that marginal changes to police funding and hiring make little difference to crime either way. Austerity cuts of around 20% to policing budgets in the 2010s were accompanied by declining crime, including domestic violence and antisocial behaviour.

    Widespread security improvements were responsible for the close to 90% reductions in many crime types. For example, engine immobilisers prevent car theft, and secure household doors and windows prevent burglary.

    Crime has been declining across developed countries for decades. But those countries vary greatly in policing practices and funding, so it is clear more policing was not the cause.

    American policing researcher pioneer David Bayley wrote in 1994:

    The police do not prevent crime. This is one of the best kept secrets of modern life. Experts know it, the police know it, but the public does not know it. Yet the police pretend they are society’s best defense against crime and continually argue that if they are given more resources, especially personnel, they will be able to protect communities against crime. This is a myth.

    This does not mean we don’t need police – we do. If there were no police, crime rates would soar. The issue here is diminishing marginal returns (we’re at the level where more funding doesn’t have the same effect).

    But it means the spending review debate had little to do with crime prevention. Rather, it was about how senior staff in public services routinely seek more for their departments. And following the spending review, police chiefs gave themselves an escape clause by claiming the increase is insufficient.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    In recent years, we’ve learned problem-solving policing can reduce some crimes in some contexts. For example, burglary at construction sites can often be theft of building materials and tools, so the crime problem can be reduced through improved site management (rather than just more arrests).

    However, problem-solving is not easy and so is not widely applied. Simply patrolling hotspots does not affect the crime opportunity structure (factors that tempt, facilitate or precipitate a particular cluster of crimes).

    Additionally, all types of crime, except homicide, are more likely to recur, and relatively soon, after prior victimisation. And while policing to prevent repeat victimisation can reduce crime, it has fallen by the wayside in recent years.

    A recent review by crime scientist Shannon Linning and colleagues examined the effect of more police hiring and more arrests on crime, concluding: “When a sensational crime happens, residents demand action. Often someone will cry for more police and more arrests … neither approach is likely to be helpful.”

    This makes it rather awkward that the government has recently committed to recruiting 13,000 additional neighbourhood police.

    Since most people don’t know the limitations of policing, both the government and the police have been able to maintain the illusion that more police means less crime. Academic police researchers will rarely admit it in case it risks their funding, and the media enjoy a perennially newsworthy topic. Taxpayers foot the bill as well as the emotional, financial and other costs of crime.

    How to stop crime

    There is, however, some room for optimism. What we have learned from the long-term international crime drop and dozens of small-scale successes against different crime types is that reducing crime opportunities is the best approach. With some strategic adjustment, there is much that police and government can do.

    A particular focus for the government and police should be encouraging businesses to take more responsibility for crime. Knife manufacturers and retailers should be involved in introducing a ban on pointed kitchen knives, the most common homicide weapon in England and Wales. The gradual approach over many years that research (in which I was involved) recommended is too long: it should be done within this government’s term.

    A lot of other crimes, including computer-enabled crimes, are generated, facilitated or hosted by businesses. Internet service providers and network providers benefit from advertising and payments, including when they are being used for crime (from stalking and sexual victimisation to fraud and terrorism).

    Manufacturers benefit from theft of phones and other products that need replacing. Online marketplaces profit from usage and advertising when stolen goods are sold, which inadvertently encourages shoplifting, theft and robbery. Online banking and financial services also host significant amounts of fraud, and are now sometimes required to pay up to £85,000 compensation to victims.



    Read more:
    Child sexual exploitation and abuse is a multibillion-dollar industry – new report shows who benefits

    Government and police should develop a portfolio of incentives and disincentives to promote private sector crime prevention, to include regulation and market-based incentives. When businesses have an economic incentive they are tremendously efficient at preventing crime, as car manufacturers showed by improving security that brought 90% reductions in car crime.

    Reducing crime opportunities is also the best way to stop criminality. When young people do not get involved in easy crimes like shoplifting, they do not progress to further crime, including violence against women and girls.

    In short, extra police funding will not reduce crime. A shift in strategy is what is really needed.

    Graham Farrell receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Police in England and Wales to get more money – but increasing funding won’t necessarily mean less crime – https://theconversation.com/police-in-england-and-wales-to-get-more-money-but-increasing-funding-wont-necessarily-mean-less-crime-258977

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: US State of Vermont

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held the over $225.3 million in cryptocurrency were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions and was used to disperse proceeds of cryptocurrency investment fraud across many cryptocurrency addresses and accounts on the blockchain to conceal the source of the illegally obtained funds. 

    “Today’s civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.”

    “Under my leadership, with the support of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is taking a leading role in the fight against crypto-confidence scams, partnering with law enforcement throughout the country to seize and forfeit stolen funds and rip them from the hands of foreign criminals, all with the eye toward making victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia.

    “The forfeiture of these illicit funds is a powerful tool in the FBI’s toolbox to stop the fraudsters who are operating online from stealing from the American people,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division. “The FBI will not standby while these criminals target unsuspecting victims who believe they are making legitimate investments. The hard work of the FBI and our partners continues as we work with victims and potential victims across the country to put an end to these scams and warn others about their devastating effects.”

    “This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service (USSS) history,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the USSS San Francisco Field Office. “These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims. The USSS, FBI, and our private partners worked diligently to trace these illicit transactions, identify victims and seize these funds so that they can eventually be returned to their rightful owners.”

    As part of the investigation of the laundering network, over 400 suspected victims are believed to have lost funds after being duped into believing that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments. The complaint recounts millions of dollars in victim losses. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. The USSS San Francisco Field Office and FBI San Francisco Field Offices investigated the case. The Department of Justice thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.

    Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Ethan Cantor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Rick Blaylock Jr. for the District of Columbia are handling the matter.

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held the over $225.3 million in cryptocurrency were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions and was used to disperse proceeds of cryptocurrency investment fraud across many cryptocurrency addresses and accounts on the blockchain to conceal the source of the illegally obtained funds. 

    “Today’s civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.”

    “Under my leadership, with the support of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is taking a leading role in the fight against crypto-confidence scams, partnering with law enforcement throughout the country to seize and forfeit stolen funds and rip them from the hands of foreign criminals, all with the eye toward making victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia.

    “The forfeiture of these illicit funds is a powerful tool in the FBI’s toolbox to stop the fraudsters who are operating online from stealing from the American people,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division. “The FBI will not standby while these criminals target unsuspecting victims who believe they are making legitimate investments. The hard work of the FBI and our partners continues as we work with victims and potential victims across the country to put an end to these scams and warn others about their devastating effects.”

    “This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service (USSS) history,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the USSS San Francisco Field Office. “These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims. The USSS, FBI, and our private partners worked diligently to trace these illicit transactions, identify victims and seize these funds so that they can eventually be returned to their rightful owners.”

    As part of the investigation of the laundering network, over 400 suspected victims are believed to have lost funds after being duped into believing that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments. The complaint recounts millions of dollars in victim losses. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. The USSS San Francisco Field Office and FBI San Francisco Field Offices investigated the case. The Department of Justice thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.

    Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Ethan Cantor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Rick Blaylock Jr. for the District of Columbia are handling the matter.

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 432

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL2

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 432
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    945 AM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Central and Southern Illinois
    Eastern Missouri

    * Effective this Wednesday morning and afternoon from 945 AM
    until 400 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are expected to rapidly develop over eastern
    Missouri and western Illinois this morning, tracking northeastward
    across the watch area. Large hail and damaging winds are possible,
    along with an increasing risk of a few tornadoes with time.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 80 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 50 miles north northeast of Peoria IL
    to 30 miles south of Carbondale IL. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Hart

    SEL2

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 432
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    945 AM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Central and Southern Illinois
    Eastern Missouri

    * Effective this Wednesday morning and afternoon from 945 AM
    until 400 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms are expected to rapidly develop over eastern
    Missouri and western Illinois this morning, tracking northeastward
    across the watch area. Large hail and damaging winds are possible,
    along with an increasing risk of a few tornadoes with time.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 80 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 50 miles north northeast of Peoria IL
    to 30 miles south of Carbondale IL. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW2
    WW 432 TORNADO IL MO 181445Z – 182100Z
    AXIS..80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    50NNE PIA/PEORIA IL/ – 30S MDH/CARBONDALE IL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 70NM E/W /17NE BDF – 51ESE FAM/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 41338777 37348779 37349071 41339085

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU2.

    Watch 432 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI helps tell snow leopards apart, improving population counts for these majestic mountain predators

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eve Bohnett, Assistant Scholar, Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, University of Florida

    Snow leopards are hard to find and count, which makes protecting them difficult. zahoor salmi/Moment via Getty Images

    Snow leopards are known as the “ghosts of the mountains” for a reason. Imagine waiting for months in the harsh, rugged mountains of Asia, hoping to catch even a glimpse of one. These elusive big cats move silently across rocky slopes, their pale coats blending so seamlessly with snow and stone that even the most seasoned biologists seldom spot them in the wild.

    Travel writer Peter Matthiessen spent two months in 1973 searching the Tibetan plateau for them and wrote a 300-page book about the effort. He never saw one. Forty years later, Peter’s son Alex retraced his father’s steps – and didn’t see one either.

    Researchers have struggled to come up with a figure for the global population. In 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified the snow leopard from endangered to vulnerable, citing estimates of between 2,500 and 10,000 adults in the wild. However, the group also warned that numbers continue to decline in many areas due to habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Those who study these animals want to help protect the species and their habitat – if only we can determine exactly where they live and how many there are.

    Traditional tracking methods – searching for footprints, droppings and other signs – have their limits. Instead of waiting for a lucky face-to-face encounter, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, led by experts including Stéphane Ostrowski and Sorosh Poya Faryabi, began deploying automated camera traps in Afghanistan. These devices snap photos whenever movement is detected, capturing thousands of images over months, all in hopes of obtaining a rare glimpse of a snow leopard.

    But capturing images is only half the battle. The next, even harder task is telling one snow leopard apart from another.

    Are these the same animal or different ones? It’s really hard to tell.
    Eve Bohnett, CC BY-ND

    At first glance, it might sound simple: Each snow leopard has a unique pattern of black rosettes on its coat, like a fingerprint or a face in a crowd. Yet in practice, identifying individuals by these patterns is slow, subjective and prone to error. Photos may be taken at odd angles, under poor lighting, or with parts of the animal obscured – making matches tricky.

    A common mistake happens when photos from different cameras are marked as depicting different animals when they actually show the same individual, inflating population estimates. Worse, camera trap images can get mixed up or misfiled, splitting encounters of one cat across multiple batches and identities.

    I am a data analyst working with Wildlife Conservation Society and other partners at Wild Me. My work and others’ has found that even trained experts can misidentify animals, failing to recognize repeat visitors at locations monitored by motion-sensing cameras and counting the same animal more than once. One study found that the snow leopard population was overestimated by more than 30% because of these human errors.

    To avoid these pitfalls, researchers follow camera sorting guidelines: At least three clear pattern differences or similarities must be confirmed between two images to declare them the same or different cats. Images too blurry, too dark or taken from difficult angles may have to be discarded. Identification efforts range from easy cases with clear, full-body shots to ambiguous ones needing collaboration and debate. Despite these efforts, variability remains, and more experienced observers tend to be more accurate.

    Now people trying to count snow leopards are getting help from artificial intelligence systems, in two ways.

    Spotting the spots

    Modern AI tools are revolutionizing how we process these large photo libraries. First, AI can rapidly sort through thousands of images, flagging those that contain snow leopards and ignoring irrelevant ones such as those that depict blue sheep, gray-and-white mountain terrain, or shadows.

    Unique spots and spot patterns are key to telling snow leopards apart.
    Eve Bohnett, CC BY-NC-ND

    AI can identify individual snow leopards by analyzing their unique rosette patterns, even when poses or lighting vary. Each snow leopard encounter is compared with a catalog of previously identified photos and assigned a known ID if there is a match, or entered as a new individual if not.

    In a recent study, several colleagues and I evaluated two AI algorithms, both separately and in tandem.

    The first algorithm, called HotSpotter, identifies individual snow leopards by comparing key visual features such as coat patterns, highlighting distinctive “hot spots” with a yellow marker.

    The second is a newer method called pose invariant embeddings, which operates similar to facial recognition technology: It recognizes layers of abstract features in the data, identifying the same animal regardless of how it is positioned in the photo or what kind of lighting there may be.

    We trained these systems using a curated dataset of photos of snow leopards from zoos in the U.S., Europe and Tajikistan, and with images from the wild, including in Afghanistan.

    Alone, each model worked about 74% of the time, correctly identifying the cat from a large photo library. But when combined, the two systems together were correct 85% of the time.

    These algorithms were integrated into Wildbook, an open-source, web-based software platform developed by the nonprofit organization Wild Me and now adopted by ConservationX. We deployed the combined system on a free website, Whiskerbook.org, where researchers can upload images, seek matches using the algorithms, and confirm those matches with side-by-side comparisons. This site is among a growing family of AI-powered wildlife platforms that are helping conservation biologists work more efficiently and more effectively at protecting species and their habitats.

    A view from an online wildlife-tracking system suggests a possible match for a snow leopard caught by a remote camera.
    Wildbook/Eve Bohnett, CC BY-ND

    Humans still needed

    These AI systems aren’t error-proof. AI quickly narrows down candidates and flags likely matches, but expert validation ensures accuracy, especially with tricky or ambiguous photos.

    Another study we conducted pitted AI-assisted groups of experts and novices against each other. Each was given a set of three to 10 images of 34 known captive snow leopards and asked to use the Whiskerbook platform to identify them. They were also asked to estimate how many individual animals were in the set of photos.

    The experts accurately matched about 90% of the images and delivered population estimates within about 3% of the true number. In contrast, the novices identified only 73% of the cats and underestimated the total number, sometimes by 25% or more, incorrectly merging two individuals into one.

    Both sets of results were better than when experts or novices did not use any software.

    The takeaway is clear: Human expertise remains important, and combining it with AI support leads to the most accurate results. My colleagues and I hope that by using tools like Whiskerbook and the AI systems embedded in them, researchers will be able to more quickly and more confidently study these elusive animals.

    With AI tools like Whiskerbook illuminating the mysteries of these mountain ghosts, we have another way to safeguard snow leopards – but success depends on continued commitment to protecting their fragile mountain homes.

    Eve Bohnett receives funding from San Diego State Research Foundation and Wildlife Conservation Society. She is affiliated with University of Florida.

    – ref. AI helps tell snow leopards apart, improving population counts for these majestic mountain predators – https://theconversation.com/ai-helps-tell-snow-leopards-apart-improving-population-counts-for-these-majestic-mountain-predators-258154

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The Sciences Po Summer School has officially begun!

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    The Sciences Po Summer School opened its doors for its 14th edition on our Paris campus! This summer, Sciences Po is welcoming over 900 students from around the world, with a session in June and a second session in July.

    The University Programme

       Credits: Annie for the Summer School

    The University Programme began on 2 June with a sunny orientation day. Just over 150 students have joined for the June session. Participants will study an intensive course for 4 weeks, in either social sciences or French as a foreign language. Courses in social sciences are offered by faculty members of Sciences Po, researchers and experts in their respective fields. The topics range from global challenges on inequality, through the course Tackling Inequality and Social Risks: A Global Perspective, diplomacy, with the course Diplomacy in Times of Global Crises: Theory & Practice, digital challenges on politicisation, with the course Internet & Politics, and major international challenges, through the course World Politics.

    42 nationalities are represented in the June cohort, and 35 students are supported by programmes with partner universities, namely the organisation Pour le Brésil, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Professional Certificate for Young Refugees. 

    A Custom Programme

       Credits: Annie for the Summer School

    On 10 June, we welcomed 200 students from ESADE Business and Law School for our annual custom programme. These students, with an average age of 19, will spend 2 weeks on our Paris campus studying public international law and European law, with members of Sciences Po’s faculty and a team of young researchers specialized in these areas. 

    Like each programme held at the Summer School, before embarking on a programme of intensive study, the students were able to enjoy a river cruise on the Seine, under a bright blue and sunny sky!

    Pre-College Programmes

    Finally, the Pre-College Programmes kicked off on 16 June with an online programme centred on the risks and regulations of artificial intelligence and new technologies. This innovative programme has welcomed 14 high school students from 11 countries, with an average age of 16, to explore global questions and the regulatory challenges related to new technologies as well as the corresponding law and policy development processes, both from a practical and theoretical perspective.

    The theoretical teachings within the framework of these programmes are supplemented by simulation sessions which allow students to develop their analytical comprehension of the issues, while also gaining practical negotiation skills.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SCO Member States Intend to Strengthen Cooperation in Digital Technologies

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    URUMQI, June 18 (Xinhua) — Participants from various countries expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the relevant field within the SCO framework at the 4th meeting of heads of ministries and departments of the SCO member states responsible for the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), which was held in Karamay city, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Tuesday.

    At the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China Xiong Jijun called promoting sustainable development and accelerating modernization common goals of the SCO countries.

    According to him, China is ready to work with all parties to improve the quality and level of cooperation among the member states by improving institutional mechanisms, strengthening political dialogue, deepening practical cooperation in the field of digital technologies and ICT, promoting the transformation and modernization of industries, building a more just, accessible and inclusive digital world, thereby contributing to the formation of a community of shared destiny of the SCO.

    First Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus Pavel Tkach stated that joint digital development allows for a significant deepening of integration, mutual trade and other sectors of the economy, and the exchange of experience in this area can be carried out within the framework of the SCO.

    He stressed that due to the rapid growth of data in Belarus, there is a need to create centers for their processing and storage, adding that Belarus is interested in China’s experience in this area and expects to participate in specific projects with it.

    Karamay City, the venue for the event, boasts of its dynamic digital economy in Xinjiang. According to local authorities, as of the end of 2024, the computing power of the cloud computing industrial park was 17,042 petaflops (1 petaflop equals 1 quadrillion floating-point operations per second), becoming the first such industrial park in the region with a computing power of more than 10,000 petaflops.

    Zhanat Dzhabasova from Kazakhstan, head of the center for international cooperation and project implementation at the M. Dulatov Kostanay Engineering and Economics University, emphasized the prospects of Karamay to become a future hub of digital technologies. She stated that due to its geographical location, the city is quite capable of combining the experience of Kazakhstan and China in this area and becoming a center for digital transformation and exchanges between the two countries.

    Zh. Dzhabasova also expressed hope for the development of cooperation with Chinese universities in the field of information technology and other areas, especially for conducting joint scientific research through the exchange of experience.

    The head of Tajikistan’s Communications Service, Isfandiyor Sadullo, said that Karamay, as a city whose main industry is the oil industry, is making active efforts to develop digital technologies. According to him, he sees broad prospects here in the field of big data exchange.

    I. Sadullo also said that Tajikistan expects cooperation with China in the field of digital and information and communication technologies, as well as in digital development and transformation.

    Let us recall that the meeting adopted an action plan aimed at deepening exchanges and cooperation between the SCO member states in the development of measures for digital transformation, creation of digital infrastructure, digital government, cloud computing, digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, development and application of digital technologies, exchange of specialists in the field of digital technologies, etc. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – National recovery plans should add to EU resilience and strategic autonomy

    Source: European Parliament 3

    MEPs want to extend EU recovery funding beyond 2026 to ensure the completion of key investments and large-scale projects.

    A plenary resolution adopted by 421 votes to 180, and with 55 abstentions highlights the stabilising effect of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) at a time of significant economic uncertainty in Europe.

    Strengthening EU resilience and autonomy

    MEPs note that the RRF prevented the fragmentation of the EU internal market and promoted recovery. They want RRF funding to respect the principle of additionality and not replace cohesion policy funding. The resolution calls for targeted investment in EU defence, education and skills, and more cross-border and multi-country measures, including high-speed railway. MEPs insist on accelerating investment in social protection and the integration of vulnerable groups. They also encourage member states to amend their national investment plans using REPowerEU to boost EU’s energy autonomy.

    RRF expires in 2026

    MEPs are concerned that the short timeframe for the implementation of outstanding RRF funding poses challenges to the completion of key reforms, large-scale investments and innovative projects, as well as the 70% of milestones and targets that have still to be reached. They urge the Commission to set up new programmes, which should be flexible and reactive to changing circumstances and guarantee predictability. MEPs also demand an 18-month extension for ongoing mature projects.

    Transparency and simplification

    The RRF’s long-term benefits to gross domestic product are likely to be between three to six times greater than the money spent, but MEPs are concerned about the total cost of Next Generation EU (NGEU) capital interest repayments. They reiterate the need for a strong auditing and monitoring mechanism for RRF expenditure to prevent misuse, double funding, and duplication with other EU programmes. They demand clearer links between milestones, targets, and the actual implementation of projects, and urge the Commission to take into account European Court of Auditors recommendations for any future performance-based instruments similar to the RRF, in particular in the context of a more targeted MFF.

    MEPs value the way the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard provides citizens with basic information on overall progress on the implementation of national plans. They insist, though, that it should include information on the companies involved, including contractors and sub-contractors, and their ultimate owners. They also call for the urgent simplification of application and reporting requirements, to help smaller applicants and maximise the absorption and impact of funding, while reinforcing the role of local and regional authorities in the design, revision and implementation of national recovery and resilience plans (NRRPs).

    Quotes

    Victor Negrescu (S&D, RO), co-rapporteur on behalf of the Committee on Budgets, said: “We must ensure that every single euro is spent correctly, transparently and has a positive impact on our citizens and businesses. Unless we act now, critical investments risk being left unfinished after the end of the Facility in August 2026. We need to speed up implementation, reduce the bureaucracy and help the beneficiaries. As Budgets Rapporteur on the file, I pushed for concrete solutions and called for an extension of funding of 18 months for mature projects. I also demanded that unfinished projects can continue under other EU instruments such as the cohesion funds, InvestEU, or a future Competitiveness Fund, and that Member States should be allowed to adjust faster and easier their National Recovery and Resilience Plans in line with the RRF objectives. We do not accept halfway solutions. Today, the Parliament is sending a clear message: we stand by the citizens and fight for the finalisation of essential projects”.

    Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, RO), co-rapporteur on behalf of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said: “We are determined to ensure that the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds deliver tangible benefits to citizens. This is why the Parliament is calling for an 18‑month extension for mature RRF projects. This extension would apply to projects on track for successful completion, provided the extension is granted. At the same time, we are calling for a review of how unspent RRF funds can support Europe’s new strategic priorities, notably strengthening competitiveness and reinforcing our defence capabilities. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions, Europe must act decisively to defend its citizens.”

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Arrangements for Registration of Persons services after Registration of Persons – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office to cease operation

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Arrangements for Registration of Persons services after Registration of Persons – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office to cease operation 
    ​     Currently, the ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office processes the following types of identity card applications: replacement with new smart identity cards for persons still holding old identity cards, replacement of juvenile or adult identity cards for persons already holding identity cards who have reached 11 or 18 years of age, replacement of permanent identity cards for persons holding Hong Kong Identity Cards with their eligibility for permanent identity cards verified, and replacement of identity cards for persons whose identity cards have been lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced.
     
    ​     The ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office will provide identity card application services until October 11 this year and will cease to accept identity card applications thereafter. Notwithstanding, applicants can still collect their new identity cards at the ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office until October 25. After the ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office ceases to operate, applicants who have yet to collect their new identity cards are required to collect them at the ROP – Tseung Kwan O Office.
     
    ​     Members of the public who wish to submit identity card applications on or after October 13 can make an appointment at any of the other six ROP Offices starting from tomorrow (June 19). They may make an appointment by scanning the QR codes (see Annex I) to download the ImmD mobile application or via the Internet (www.gov.hk/icbooking 
    ​     Eligible persons can also use the Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks (PDSKs) located at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O for identity card applications in a self-service manner, which does not require an appointment. For the types of identity card applications that can be processed via the PDSKs, as well as the address and service hours of the PDSKs, please refer to Annex III.
     
    ​     The ImmD reminds the public that all old forms of smart identity cards bearing a year of birth in or after 1970 have already become invalid on May 12 this year. Old forms of smart identity cards bearing a year of birth in or before 1969 will become invalid on October 12 this year. The ImmD appeals to residents still holding old forms of smart identity cards to replace them with new smart identity cards as soon as possible. For those who are unable to have their identity cards replaced during the specified call-up periods under the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise due to being absent from Hong Kong, they should replace their identity cards within 30 days of their return to Hong Kong.
     
    ​     For details of the ROP services, invalidation of old forms of smart identity cards and the replacement arrangements, please visit the ImmD website (    www.immd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 17:33

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: IG Drones (India) and VoxelSensors (Belgium) Forge Global Partnership to Advance Civilian Drone Capabilities for Industrial and Emergency Use

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRUSSELS, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IG Drones, a leading Indian drone technology company, has announced a strategic collaboration with Belgian deep tech pioneer VoxelSensors to integrate next-generation 3D perception systems into its UAV platforms. This partnership is set to transform how drones navigate and operate in GPS-denied and visually complex environments, such as dense forests, urban infrastructure zones, tunnels, and industrial interiors.

    At the heart of this partnership lies the integration of VoxelSensors’ SPAES™ (Single Photon Active Event Sensor) technology — renowned for its ultra-low latency and high-precision spatial sensing — with IG Drones fleet of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicles. The result is a new generation of drones with advanced environmental awareness, enhanced obstacle avoidance, and higher-fidelity mapping capabilities for infrastructure inspection, emergency response, environmental monitoring, and smart city applications.

    Mr Paneerselvam Madanagopal, CEO, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, welcomed the announcement, stating, “This partnership between IG Drones and VoxelSensors marks a significant step forward in the evolution of autonomous aerial technology. By combining India’s deep-rooted commitment to scalable drone solutions with VoxelSensors’ cutting-edge 3D spatial intelligence, we are witnessing the kind of global cooperation that advances innovation in a responsible, civilian-first manner. MeitY supports such collaborations that not only strengthen India’s digital and industrial capabilities but also foster meaningful international partnerships aligned with sustainable and high-impact technological progress.”

    “This collaboration truly marks a new chapter for us,” said Mr Sambit Parida, Chief Technology Officer at IG Drones. “By embedding VoxelSensors’ breakthrough 3D sensing technologies into our systems, we’re enabling smarter, safer, and more autonomous drone operations. These capabilities are vital for civilian missions where situational complexity and safety demand real-time perception and adaptive decision-making. We remain committed to our vision of delivering cutting-edge, indigenous drone technologies aligned with India’s broader digital and infrastructure goals.”

    The partnership comes at a time when IG Drones is expanding rapidly, with over 200 drones deployed in FY25, a 330% jump in revenue, and the rollout of 50 Drone Centres of Excellence in collaboration with AICTE across India. As the demand for intelligent drone systems increases across sectors — from disaster management to industrial inspection — IG Drones is positioning itself to meet the challenge through global technology collaborations that fuse precision with performance.

    Mr Andre Miodezky, President of VoxelSensors, also commented on the partnership: “We’re excited to join forces with IG Drones to bring our sensing innovation into practical, high-impact use cases. Our SPAES technology provides real-time depth perception and motion awareness that empowers UAVs to function reliably, even in visually complex and dynamic environments. This partnership bridges European innovation with India’s drone ecosystem, and together we’re helping shape the future of aerial intelligence.”

    Both companies share a commitment to sustainability, safety, and scalability in autonomous systems. By combining VoxelSensors advanced 3D sensor suite with IG Drones’ versatile drone platforms, the collaboration aims to redefine operational efficiency in industries such as energy, infrastructure, urban planning, environmental conservation, and public safety.

    This strategic alliance underscores IG Drones ongoing journey to become a global leader in unmanned aerial solutions — while reaffirming that innovation, when grounded in collaboration, can push the boundaries of what’s possible across borders and industries.

    About IG Drones:
    IG Drones is a deep-tech company building intelligent aerial systems powered by AI, autonomy, and real-time data. Our mission is to deliver scalable drone technologies that bridge physical environments with digital intelligence — enabling faster decisions, greater efficiency, and smarter insights across critical sectors. Through innovation in machine learning, sensor fusion, and edge computing, we make next-gen aerial intelligence more accessible, adaptive, and human-centric.

    For Press Information contact:
    Email: contact@igdrones.com; sambit@igdrones.com
    Website: https://www.igdrones.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igdrones

    About VoxelSensors:
    VoxelSensors is a Belgian deep-tech startup committed to developing advanced sensing technologies that enhance human-centered contextual interaction. With a focus on efficiency and scalability, we aim to empower AI with the necessary contextual data for smarter and more personal insights.

    For Press Information contact:
    Karina Kovalenko – Marketing and Communications Manager
    Email: press@voxelsensors.com
    Website: https://voxelsensors.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voxelsensors

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3dd4a0ea-2dfc-4b17-8ec5-aef4051d36f0

    The MIL Network –