Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: NextNRG to Be Added to Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNRG, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXT), a pioneer in AI-powered energy innovation, today announced its inclusion in the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes, according to a list of additions published by FTSE Russell. The Company leverages advanced technologies—including its Next Utility Operating System®, smart microgrid infrastructure, wireless EV charging, and on-demand mobile fuel delivery—to transform how energy is produced, managed, and delivered.

    The official reconstitution will take effect after market close on Friday, June 27, 2025. Trading in the reconstituted indexes will begin on Monday, June 30, 2025.

    The Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index-based funds and benchmarking. FTSE Russell estimates that approximately $10.6 trillion in assets are benchmarked to the Russell U.S. indexes.

    “This recognition marks an important milestone in our continued growth,” said Michael D. Farkas, Founder and CEO of NextNRG. “We believe that inclusion in the Russell indexes reflects our disciplined execution and growing investor recognition of NextNRG’s unique position at the convergence of efficient energy, intelligent mobility, and AI-powered infrastructure. As we scale transformative projects across the country, this expanded visibility will support deeper institutional engagement and long-term value creation.”

    The Russell index reconstitution ranks the 3,000 largest U.S. stocks by total market capitalization. Companies included in the all-cap Russell 3000® Index are automatically assigned to the large-cap Russell 1000® or small-cap Russell 2000® Index, as well as relevant growth and value indexes.

    NextNRG’s addition to the Russell indexes follows strong quarterly growth and strategic progress across key markets, including new state expansion, enterprise partnerships, and continued advancement of its proprietary energy infrastructure platform.

    About NextNRG, Inc.
    NextNRG Inc. (NextNRG) is Powering What’s Next by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into renewable energy, next-generation energy infrastructure, battery storage, wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging and on-demand mobile fuel delivery to create an integrated ecosystem.

    At the core of NextNRG’s strategy is its Next Utility Operating System®, which leverages AI and ML to help make existing utilities’ energy management as efficient as possible; and the deployment of NextNRG smart microgrids, which utilize AI-driven energy management alongside solar power and battery storage to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve grid resiliency. These microgrids are designed to serve commercial properties, healthcare campuses, universities, parking garages, rural and tribal lands, recreational facilities, and government properties, expanding energy accessibility while supporting decarbonization initiatives.

    NextNRG continues to expand its growing fleet of fuel delivery trucks and national footprint, including the acquisition of Yoshi Mobility’s fuel division and Shell Oil’s trucks, further solidifying its position as a leader in the on-demand fueling industry. NextNRG is also integrating sustainable energy solutions into its mobile fueling operations. The company hopes to be an integral part of assisting its fleet customers in their transition to EV, providing fuel delivery while advancing efficient energy adoption. The transition process is expected to include the deployment of NextNRG’s innovative wireless EV charging solutions.

    To find out more visit: www.nextnrg.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing NextNRG’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions, or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “expect,” “intends,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to NextNRG’s business and macroeconomic and geopolitical events. These and other risks are described in NextNRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NextNRG’s forward-looking statements involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although NextNRG’s forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by NextNRG. Except as required by law, NextNRG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact
    NextNRG, Inc.
    Sharon Cohen
    SCohen@nextnrg.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Founder Group Secures Additional Contracts with Solar Installation Companies in Malaysia of US$ 1.5 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Founder Group Limited (NASDAQ: FGL) (“Founder Group” or the “Company”), a leading engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) solutions provider for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Malaysia, is pleased to announce that it has secured additional contracts with prominent solar installation companies in Malaysia.

    The Company secured a contract totaling RM3.4 million (approximately US$806,193) engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contract for the development of a 29.99 megawatt (MWac) large-scale solar (LSS) photovoltaic plant in Bukit Badong, Selangor. The Founder Group will be responsible for the mechanical and wiring of the facility.

    Further, the Company secured an additional contract valued at RM2.8 million (approximately US$662,452) from the same business that Founder Group contracted with on a previous solar PV project deal which was announced earlier in the year. The business that the Company contracted with has a solid track record in the industry focusing in investment of renewable energy assets throughout Malaysia.

    This partnership with two prominent industry players will be a construction contract that is expected to be completed this year. Founder Group has secured contracts with this solar installation company for similar types of facilities and expects additional contracts from them over the next few years.

    For one of the projects, Founder Group will serve as a contractor, responsible for the design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of a roof-top solar PV generating facility with nominal capacity.

    “We are excited about the continued momentum in securing additional contracts which have been a combination of brand-new partnerships and additional contract wins from our current collaborative business customers. Our latest contracts will be instrumental in enhancing Founder Group’s revenue growth, operational capabilities, and ability to expand our footprint in the Malaysian market. Additionally, we look forward to building solid relationships with premiere companies in the industry that are growing in the region and share the same vision of working together to support the country’s renewable energy goals and focused on promoting a greener, more sustainable future,” said Lee Seng Chi, Chief Executive Officer of Founder Group Limited.

    About Founder Group Limited

    Founder Group Limited is a pure-play, end-to-end EPCC solutions provider for solar PV facilities in Malaysia. The company’s primary focus is on two key segments: large-scale solar projects and commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects. The company’s mission is to provide customers with innovative solar installation services, promote eco-friendly resources and achieve carbon-neutrality.

    For more information on the Company, please visit https://www.founderenergy.com.my/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    For media queries, please contact:
    Founder Group Limited info@founderenergy.com.my

    Investor Relations Inquiries:

    Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
    Scott Powell, President
    1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
    New York, New York 10036
    Office: (646) 893-5835
    Email: info@skylineccg.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Mercurity Fintech Announces $800 Million Financing Plan for Bitcoin Treasury; Achieves Preliminary Inclusion in the U.S. Russell 2000 Index

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “MFH”) (Nasdaq: MFH), a digital fintech group, today announced its plans to raise $800 million to establish a long-term Bitcoin treasury reserve. Through this fundraising effort, MFH aims to leverage its established expertise in blockchain-driven financial infrastructure to strategically acquire and manage Bitcoin assets. The Company also plans to integrate these holdings into its digital reserve framework through blockchain-native custody, staking integration, and tokenized treasury management services.

    Additionally, through this fundraising effort, the Company intends to systematically build a Bitcoin reserve position and implement an integrated digital asset treasury framework. This will involve deploying institutional-grade custodial infrastructure, blockchain-native liquidity protocols, and staking-enabled capital efficiency tools. The objective is to transition a portion of the Company’s treasury into a yield-generating, blockchain-aligned reserve structure that reinforces long-duration asset exposure and balance sheet resilience.

    “We’re building this Bitcoin treasury reserve based on our belief that Bitcoin will become an essential component of the future financial infrastructure,” said Shi Qiu, CEO of the Company. “We are positioning our company to be a key player in the evolving digital financial ecosystem.”

    Concurrently, according to FTSE Russell’s preliminary 2025 annual reconstitution list, the Company is poised to be included in the broad-market Russell 3000® and Russell 2000® Index, representing an upgrade from its prior classification within the Russell Microcap Index. The index reclassification and upgrade could broaden the Company’s exposure to institutional investors, including those managing index-linked and actively managed funds. Furthermore, the Company believes that such inclusion signals to the market that MFH is demonstrating consistent execution capability and growing relevance of its blockchain-based infrastructure strategy within the public markets.

    “Moving from the Russell Microcap to the Russell 2000 shows that investors recognize the value we are creating in blockchain finance,” Qiu added. “Our Bitcoin treasury reserve initiative is the next logical step in this evolution.”

    About Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc.
    Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: MFH) is a fintech group powered by blockchain infrastructure, offering technology and financial services. Through its subsidiaries including Chaince Securities, LLC, MFH aims to bridge traditional finance and digital innovation, offering services spanning digital assets, financial advisory, and capital markets solutions.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

    Contacts:
    International Elite Capital Inc.
    Annabelle Zhang
    Tel: +1(646) 866-7928
    Email: mfhfintech@iecapitalusa.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Depot Acquires the Assets of Regional Bitcoin ATM Operator Pelicoin, Expanding U.S. Presence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ: BTM), a U.S.-based Bitcoin ATM (“BTM”) operator and leading fintech company, announced it has acquired the assets of Pelicoin, LLC, a crypto ATM operator based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The deal will add kiosk locations across Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas, strengthening Bitcoin Depot’s presence in the Gulf South.

    “Pelicoin is a strategic addition to our footprint in a region where we see real opportunity,” said Brandon Mintz, CEO and founder of Bitcoin Depot. “Pelicoin’s locations give us a stronger presence in the Gulf South, and we can immediately apply our scale and experience to operate their machines more efficiently. This acquisition is part of our broader effort to consolidate a fragmented market and extend our leadership in cash-to-crypto access nationwide. As the industry matures, we believe our ability to integrate and optimize smaller networks is a key advantage.”

    Pelicoin’s ATM network will be fully integrated into Bitcoin Depot’s platform in the coming weeks, with all locations transitioning to Bitcoin Depot branding.

    “I’m extremely proud of what we built at Pelicoin,” said Will Haynie, Founder and CEO of Pelicoin. “What started as a small regional effort became a trusted brand throughout the Gulf South. Bitcoin Depot is one of the most respected names in the industry, and their ability to execute on this transaction quickly made them the obvious choice for us. Our network and loyal customers will add value to their growing operation, and those customers will now benefit from the advantages only a large-scale operator can provide, like 24/7 customer support, a strong compliance program, and continued investment in technology and service.”

    For Pelicoin customers, there will be no disruptions. ATMs currently branded as Pelicoin will soon transition to Bitcoin Depot branding, with the same functionality, now backed by 24/7 customer support, a robust compliance team, and the advantages that come from working with an industry leader.

    The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. For more information, visit www.bitcoindepot.com.

    About Bitcoin Depot 
    Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) was founded in 2016 with the mission to connect those who prefer to use cash to the broader, digital financial system. Bitcoin Depot provides its users with simple, efficient and intuitive means of converting cash into Bitcoin, which users can deploy in the payments, spending and investing space. Users can convert cash to bitcoin at Bitcoin Depot kiosks in 47 states and at thousands of name-brand retail locations in 31 states through its BDCheckout product. The Company has the largest market share in North America with over 8,500 kiosk locations as of June 2025. Learn more at www.bitcoindepot.com

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release and any oral statements made in connection herewith include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of plans, business strategies, objectives and growth and anticipated financial and operational performance, including our growth strategy and ability to increase deployment of our products and services, the anticipated effects of the Amendment, and the closing of the Preferred Sale. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. Forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “anticipate,” “appears,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “designed,” “effect,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “initiative,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “priorities,” “project,” “pursue,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “when,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of any of those words or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond our control.

    These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; future global, regional or local economic and market conditions; the development, effects and enforcement of laws and regulations; our ability to manage future growth; our ability to develop new products and services, bring them to market in a timely manner and make enhancements to our platform; the effects of competition on our future business; our ability to issue equity or equity-linked securities; the outcome of any potential litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries; and those factors described or referenced in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our assessments to change.

    We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

    Contacts: 

    Investors  
    Cody Slach
    Gateway Group, Inc.  
    949-574-3860  
    BTM@gateway-grp.com 

    Media  
    Brenlyn Motlagh, Ryan Deloney  
    Gateway Group, Inc. 
    949-574-3860  
    BTM@gateway-grp.com 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Trawick International Expands LATAM Offerings with Corporate IPMI for Businesses in Latin America & the Caribbean

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trawick International, a leading provider of international insurance, announced today that it is expanding its innovative Plan VIVA international private medical insurance (IPMI) product line with the launch of VIVA Corporate, a group IPMI plan for businesses across Latin America and the Caribbean.

    Building on the success of Plan VIVA for individuals, VIVA Corporate offers businesses an opportunity to prioritize employee well-being while enhancing their ability to attract and retain top talent. The plan is designed for companies with five or more employees, offering a modular structure that allows organizations to customize coverage according to the specific needs and budget of their workforce.

    VIVA Corporate integrates the same core principles that have made Plan VIVA a preferred choice for international medical coverage: affordability, long-term sustainability, and personalized service. Businesses can select from various coverage options, ensuring their employees receive access to world-class healthcare without unnecessary costs.

    Key features include:

    • Flexible Coverage Options – A modular design that allows businesses to tailor plans to their workforce needs.
    • Premium Stability – Responsible underwriting practices to prevent sudden rate fluctuations.
    • Wellness and Preventive Care – Health programs and early detection screenings to encourage proactive healthcare management.
    • Seamless Digital Experience – A technology-driven platform for enrollment, policy management, and claims processing.
    • Global Access to Top-Tier Medical Facilities – Policyholders receive quality care wherever they are in the world.
    • Financial Security – Coverage reinsured by Lloyd’s of London.

    David Capote, President, Trawick International Latin America, commented, “We’re proud to introduce our new group IPMI plan tailored specifically for businesses across Latin America and the Caribbean. This offering reflects our commitment to providing flexible, high-quality international health coverage that meets the evolving needs of today’s globally mobile workforce. As companies in the region continue to expand and attract top talent, we’re here to ensure their teams are protected, wherever their work takes them.”

    Businesses interested in learning more about how this group IPMI solution can support their employees’ healthcare needs can contact info@trawicklatam.com.

    About Trawick International
    For over 25 years, Trawick International has been a leading provider of international insurance, administration, and assistance services. The company offers a full suite of innovative products and services designed to support today’s globally mobile population. To learn more about Trawick International and the Trawick family of companies, visit trawickholdings.com.

    Media Contact

    Melissa Nicholson
    Director, Corporate Communications
    Trawick International
    Melissa.Nicholson@trawickinternational.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: RTI Connext Receives Industry Recognition as Leading Data Platform for Autonomous Systems

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the software framework company for physical AI systems, today announced that RTI Connext® has been selected as the winner of the Top Unmanned Systems Data Processing and Analytics Platform award by the Inside Unmanned Systems Innovation Vanguard Awards (IVA) program. This recognition underscores the crucial role Connext plays in providing real-time data connectivity essential for autonomous operations, sensor fusion, and multi-domain coordination in unmanned systems.

    “The challenge of autonomy isn’t just building fast—it’s building right,” said Stan Schneider, CEO of RTI. “Connext provides a proven software framework that helps emerging innovators get to the field faster while enabling established primes to integrate new capabilities. Connext delivers the secure, intelligent foundation needed to scale autonomy across domains.”

    In today’s race to field autonomous systems faster, initiatives like the DoD’s Replicator program are reshaping expectations across the defense landscape. Speed is no longer a goal—it’s the requirement. Connext helps new innovators, including Silicon Valley disruptors, field autonomy concepts quickly. Its proven, standards-based framework eliminates the burden of building infrastructure from scratch. At the same time, established defense primes rely on Connext to move at mission speed, modernizing legacy systems while accelerating the deployment of next-gen capabilities. Connext is already trusted across 2,000+ systems and 500+ programs of record including over 300 autonomous vehicle designs. And yet, Connext also delivers the industry’s most scalable, secure, and future-ready foundation for autonomy.

    Connext excels at tough deployments. It provides the data confidentiality, integrity, and resilience across multiple security domains that autonomous systems need. It can operate reliably in contested environments, where the risk of disruption or compromise is high. Because it can handle these challenges, Connext leads the industry in real-world use, running more than $1 trillion of total deployed systems.

    The pace of unmanned systems development has also raised the bar for real-time data processing and analytics. Meeting this demand requires a robust data infrastructure that can support complex autonomous behaviors across domains—whether in the air, on land, at sea, or in space.

    For more information on RTI in Aerospace & Defense, please visit the RTI website.

    About RTI

    RTI is the software framework company for physical AI systems, with a mission to run a smarter world. RTI Connext® provides the data architecture for over 2,000 designs in Aerospace and Defense, Medtech, Automotive, and Robotics – running in more than $1T of total deployed systems worldwide. Only RTI combines decades of technical expertise with industry-leading software and tools to develop smarter systems, faster. Learn more at www.rti.com.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Sunrun’s Distributed Power Plant Capacity Surpasses 650 Megawatts, Ready to Support Grid Reliability Ahead of Summer Heat and Hurricanes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced that it is activating more than 130,000 home batteries, representing over two-thirds of Sunrun’s total battery fleet, to support America’s power grid this summer. In its grid service programs, Sunrun has the capability of dispatching 650 megawatts of peak power—enough to power 480,000 homes, or a city the size of Austin, Texas—at critical times every day to help meet America’s skyrocketing demand for electricity.

    “America is entering a period of insatiable, hockey-stick energy demand driven by manufacturing, data centers, and AI,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “Sunrun’s laser focus on pairing storage with solar puts us in a position to rapidly bring new generating capacity online to stabilize the grid and help lead the nation toward energy independence.”

    Sunrun’s storage-first strategy has placed the company among the top five energy storage operators nationwide, with nearly a gigawatt of total battery capacity installed—the equivalent of a nuclear power plant’s worth of peak power. Sunrun is the largest distributed battery power plant provider and operator in the world. In the first quarter of this year, Sunrun’s storage attachment rate surged to nearly 70% of new solar customers. The company accounts for roughly half of all new home battery installations in the country.

    Sunrun’s dispatchable power plants recently provided hundreds of megawatts of peak power to the grid in several states:

    • Texas: Sunrun dispatched essential energy during unseasonably hot temperatures, providing cost control to all customers of two retail electricity providers.
    • Arizona: Arizona Public Service called on Sunrun for three consecutive days to dispatch essential energy during unseasonably hot temperatures.
    • California: Sunrun’s statewide residential battery power plant dispatched an average of more than 300 megawatts during a recent two-hour peak load window.
    • New York: Orange and Rockland Utilities activated Sunrun’s residential battery power plant—the largest in the state—several times so far this year to relieve grid stress.
    • Puerto Rico: In response to capacity shortfalls from centralized power plants, the island’s utility provider, LUMA, asked Sunrun to dispatch stored solar energy during 26 emergency power events since January.

    As the U.S. prepares for energy demand spikes and rising temperatures, utilities and grid operators are actively planning future battery dispatches to help stabilize the grid and improve reliability. Notably, Orange and Rockland and LUMA have already asked Sunrun to prepare emergency dispatches as both service areas brace for unusually high temperatures.

    In partnership with electric utilities across the country, Sunrun operates 17 dispatchable power plant programs that improve reliability and help prevent blackouts. With the unique ability to deploy utility-scale battery capacity within months, Sunrun delivers critical grid services with unmatched speed. These programs also help utilities avoid or defer transmission and distribution investments, saving money for all families connected to the grid.

    Sunrun’s subscription model is key to its ability to aggregate, manage, and dispatch hundreds of thousands of home batteries to improve grid reliability. The 48E investment tax credit enables the construction of this grid infrastructure to quickly address America’s looming electricity supply crisis.

    About Sunrun
    Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com

    Media Contact
    Wyatt Semanek
    Director, Corporate Communications
    press@sunrun.com

    Investor & Analyst Contact
    Patrick Jobin
    SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
    investors@sunrun.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: BigCommerce Earns 2025 Top Rated Award from TrustRadius

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC), a leading provider of open, composable commerce solutions for B2C and B2B brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors, today announced that TrustRadius has recognized BigCommerce with a 2025 Top Rated Award.

    With a TRScore of 7.8 out of 10 and over 450 reviews, BigCommerce is recognized by their customer reviews as a top player in the ecommerce category.

    “This recognition is based entirely on our customers’ positive sentiment and is especially fulfilling because it reflects the value they receive from our platform as well as our customer success services,” said Ryan Means, senior vice president of global services at BigCommerce. “Winning this TrustRadius award validates that our customers are successful with our platform and it is helping them optimize revenue and grow their businesses.”

    “BigCommerce earning a TrustRadius Top Rated award showcases its impact in empowering merchants to scale without limits,” said Allyson Havener, chief marketing officer at TrustRadius. “Their customers consistently praise BigCommerce for its flexibility, robust feature set, and ease of use—making it a trusted platform for businesses looking to grow and compete in an ever-evolving eCommerce landscape.”

    Since 2016, the TrustRadius Top Rated Awards have become the B2B’s industry standard for unbiased recognition of excellent technology products. Based entirely on customer feedback, they have never been influenced by analyst opinion or status as a TrustRadius customer. Here is a detailed criteria breakdown of the methodology and scoring that TrustRadius uses to determine Top Rated winners.

    Hear from verified users on how much they value BigCommerce:

    “Big commerce certainly helped us increase our web traffic through its integrated SEO,” wrote one review. “SEO is super important for web visibility/where your page ranks on search engines. The integrated SEO along with the integrated search analytics really helps us target/cater to what our customers or potential customers are searching for.”

    “BigCommerce had a much stronger B2B integration and platform in general than Shopify,” said another reviewer. “Netsuite was too expensive at the time to consider it.”

    BigCommerce is proud to create products that inspire such gracious feedback in our user community. Looking to share your own feedback? Please leave a review here.

    About BigCommerce
    BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC) is a leading open SaaS and composable ecommerce platform that empowers brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors of all sizes to build, innovate and grow their businesses online. BigCommerce provides its customers sophisticated professional-grade functionality, customization and performance with simplicity and ease-of-use. Tens of thousands of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries and numerous industries rely on BigCommerce, including Coldwater Creek, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., MKM Building Supplies, United Aqua Group and Uplift Desk. For more information, please visit www.bigcommerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

    BigCommerce® is a registered trademark of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

    About TrustRadius:
    TrustRadius is a buyer intelligence platform for business technology. We enable buyers to make confident decisions, through comprehensive product information, in-depth customer insights, and peer conversations. We help technology brands capture and activate the authentic voice of customers to improve their products, build confidence with prospects, and engage in-market buyers to improve ROI. Founded by successful entrepreneurs and headquartered in the technology hub of Austin, Texas, TrustRadius is backed by Mayfield Fund, LiveOak Venture Partners, and Next Coast Ventures.

    Media Contact:
    Brad Hem
    pr@bigcommerce.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: OSS’s BRESSNER Receives the 2024 EMEA Growth Partner of the Year Award from Digi International

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ESCONDIDO, Calif., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS or the Company) (Nasdaq: OSS) today announced that its subsidiary, BRESSNER Technology GmbH, a leading specialized high-performance computing supplier in Europe, has been named Digi International’s 2024 EMEA Growth Partner of the Year.

    Digi International’s prestigious Global Channel Awards are given annually to Digi’s most impactful worldwide channel partners, celebrating their leadership, innovation, customer-first mindset, and outstanding contributions to the expansion of connected technologies.

    “Digi is a long-standing partner, and we are honored to be named their 2024 EMEA Growth Partner of the Year,” said Martin Stiborski, Managing Director of BRESSNER. “This award reflects our commitment to providing state-of-the-art hardware solutions for demanding applications.”

    “Our channel partners are at the heart of Digi’s global success,” said Ron Konezny, President and CEO of Digi International. “Each award recipient has demonstrated unmatched dedication to advancing IoT and infrastructure management, while delivering exceptional value to customers in every region we serve. Their commitment and results speak volumes — and together, we are empowering digital transformation across industries and geographies.”

    To learn more and view this year’s additional winners, visit:
    https://www.digi.com/company/press-releases/2025/digi-celebrates-2024-global-channel-awards   

    About BRESSNER Technology GmbH
    As a system integrator, manufacturer, value-added distributor, and system house for industrial hardware solutions, components, accessories, and built-to-order solutions, BRESSNER offers an extensive portfolio for various applications in the industrial environment. Tailored solutions for machine automation, logistics & transport, and production are part of the company’s range of services, as well as comprehensive support for topics such as AI applications, machine/deep learning, networks, intelligent retail, communication, and security. The company’s headquarters is located in Germany, with its parent company, One Stop Systems, based in the USA.

    About One Stop Systems
    One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

    OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

    OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

    As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

    OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    One Stop Systems cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by One Stop Systems or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved, including but not limited to the potential and/or the results participating in the ROTH Conference, any results relating to one-on-one meetings with management, and the expansion of the Company’s offerings and/or relationship with commercial customers and/or investors. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Media Contacts:
    Robert Kalebaugh
    One Stop Systems, Inc.
    Tel (858) 518-6154
    Email contact

    Investor Relations:
    Andrew Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    Tel (216) 464-6400
    Email contact

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Western Cape Government condemns latest Langa shootings

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Western Cape Government (WCG) has condemned the recent Langa shootings that claimed the lives of two people and left another person injured.

    Reports indicate that Monday’s fatalities are connected to the ongoing taxi violence, which is having a widespread impact across the Cape Town Metro area.

    “The provincial government appeals to anyone with information to come forward and assist in ensuring those responsible are arrested,” the statement read. 

    Meanwhile, the Western Cape MEC for Mobility, Isaac Sileku, expressed has since deep concern about the incident. 
    “More lives have been lost to criminality. We cannot allow this to continue. These killings are robbing families of loved ones and placing the entire mini-bus taxi industry, as well as the communities it serves, under threat,” he said. 

    He has since called on all the role players to remain calm and allow the law to take its course. 

    “We must never accept violence to resolve disputes. Protecting lives and ensuring safety across the public transport network remains central to our mission.”

    The WCG has since stated that the response to this ongoing violence is coordinated across departments.

    MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has also condemned the killings while also urging all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue. 

    “Violence is not the answer. We will not tolerate these acts of violence. I urge the SAPS [South African Police Service] to deal decisively with those responsible for this violence,” Marais said.

    In addition, the MEC confirmed that SAPS investigations are ongoing and that law enforcement presence in affected areas has been intensified. 

    Additional police resources, including the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement and Provincial Traffic, have also been deployed. 
    The provincial government announced that high-density patrols are being conducted along key routes between Somerset West and Mfuleni to stabilise the situation and prevent any further violence.

    In addition, an urgent Mini-Bus Task Team meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, 12 June 2025, to bring together key stakeholders to find solutions through dialogue and coordinated action.

    The Department of Mobility, in close collaboration with safety and law enforcement agencies, said it remains focused on fostering peaceful resolutions and ensuring that public transport remains safe, reliable, and dignified for all who depend on it.

    “We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by these acts of violence. The Western Cape Government stands united in its efforts to restore peace and safeguard every commuter, operator, and transport worker in our province.” – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Tzaneen dam wall project revised completion for 2026

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced a revised completion date for the raising of Tzaneen Dam Wall project, which was initially scheduled for March 2025.

    In a statement on Wednesday, the department announced that the new target for the project completion is March 2026.

    The Tzaneen Dam Wall Raising project, which is part of the Groot Letaba River Water Augmentation Project (GLeWaP), was resumed on 06 June 2023.

    The project includes raising the dam wall by 3 metres, which will significantly increase the dam’s storage capacity to meet the growing water demands and improve water security in the Limpopo Province.

    Once completed, the additional water supply is expected to benefit households, agricultural and industrial sectors the region.

    According to the department, the project is currently 46% complete.

    Anthony Bhasopo from the department’s Water Resource Infrastructure Development unit, expressed satisfaction with the progress and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to deliver the project within the revised timeframe.

    While acknowledging some unforeseen incidents that hampered with progress to complete the project within the stipulated timeline, Bhasopo said the department has made strides since the beginning of the project in 2023.

    “We have progressed well and achieved significant milestones of the project, and we are confident that the revised timeline will be met. This project will ensure that the objective to meet the projected growing primary water requirements for the next 20 years in the region, is finally realised,” Bhasopo said.

    The construction project that has been carried out includes the demolition of the upper section of the existing ogee spillway, construction of a new labyrinth spillway to increase discharge capacity, strengthening of the earthfill embankments for improved dam stability, realignment of the permanent access road downstream of the dam, and additional supporting and safety-related works.

    The components that have been completed, or are in progress are as follows:
    •    Temporary fencing around the site.
    •    Temporary access road from Deerpark and river diversion pipeline.
    •    Realignment of the permanent access road, which is 20 % complete. 
    •    Embankment strengthening, which is 36% complete.
    •    Tongue wall construction, which is 19 % complete.
    •    Labyrinth spillway construction, which is 11% complete.

    “The project enabled 241 people to be employed, which includes the main contractor and sub-contractors. Females count to 76, and the youth count to 108,” Bhasopo said.

    Originally completed in 1977, the Tzaneen Dam features a mass concrete gravity spillway flanked by earthfill embankments. The existing ogee-type spillway, which is 91.44 metres long with a crest level of 723.90 metres above sea level (masl), will be replaced by a more efficient labyrinth spillway.

    The non-overspill crest currently measures 1,063.5 metres at 730.60 masl, with protective interlocking concrete blocks on both the upstream and downstream embankment faces.

    The dam’s current gross storage capacity is 157.3 million cubic metres (m3), and the project will increase the total storage capacity by 35.7 million m3. After the completion of the project, the new capacity will be 193 million m3. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Appendix cancer rising among younger generation – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    sasirin pamai/Shutterstock.com

    Appendix cancer is a condition that, until recently, was so rare that most people never gave it a second thought. For decades, it was the kind of disease that doctors might encounter only once or twice in a career, and it was almost always found in older adults.

    But now a surprising and concerning trend is emerging: appendix cancer is being diagnosed more often, and it’s increasingly affecting people in their 30s, 40s and even younger. This shift has left many experts puzzled and searching for answers.

    The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine. Its purpose in the body is still debated, but it’s best known for causing appendicitis, a painful inflammation that often requires emergency surgery. What’s less well known is that cancer can develop in the appendix, usually without any warning signs.

    A new study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, has shown that the number of appendix cancer cases has increased dramatically among people born after the 1970s. In fact, the incidence has tripled or even quadrupled in younger generations compared with those born in the 1940s.


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    While the overall numbers are still small (appendix cancer affects just a handful of people per million each year) the rapid rise is striking. Even more notable is that about one in three cases now occurs in adults under 50, a much higher proportion than seen in other types of gastrointestinal cancers.

    So, what’s behind this surge? No one knows for sure, but one of the first suspects is the dramatic change in lifestyle and environment over the past several decades. Obesity rates have soared since the 1970s, and being overweight is a known risk factor for many cancers, including those of the digestive system.

    At the same time, diets have shifted toward more processed foods, sugary drinks, and red or processed meats, all of which have been linked to increased cancer risk in other parts of the gut.

    Physical activity has also declined, with more people spending long hours sitting at desks or in front of screens.

    Another possibility is that we are being exposed to new environmental factors that previous generations didn’t face. The industrialisation of food production, the widespread use of plastics and chemicals, and changes in water quality might all play a role. However, the evidence is still in its early stages.

    Hard to detect

    What makes appendix cancer especially challenging is how difficult it is to detect. Unlike colon cancer, which can sometimes be found early through screening colonoscopies, appendix cancer usually flies under the radar.

    The symptoms, if they appear at all, are vague and easy to dismiss. People might experience mild abdominal pain, bloating or changes in bowel habits, which are common complaints for many benign conditions. As a result, most cases are only discovered after surgery for suspected appendicitis, when it’s often too late for early intervention.

    Despite the rise in cases, there is no routine screening test for appendix cancer. The disease is simply too rare to justify widespread screening, and the appendix can be difficult to visualise with standard imaging or endoscopy. This means that both patients and doctors need to be extra vigilant.

    If someone experiences persistent or unusual abdominal symptoms, especially if they’re under 50, it’s important not to ignore them. Early investigation and prompt treatment can make a significant difference in outcomes.

    The increase in appendix cancer among younger adults is part of a broader trend seen in other gastrointestinal cancers, such as those of the colon and stomach. These cancers, too, are being diagnosed more often in people under 50, suggesting that shared risk factors may be at work.

    The reasons for this shift are complex and probably involve a mix of genetics, lifestyle, environment and perhaps even changes in our gut microbiome – the bacteria in our intestines that live with us.

    Over the past few decades, antibiotics have been used more frequently, both in medicine and in agriculture. This widespread use can alter the balance of bacteria in our guts, which might influence cancer risk. Some recent research suggests that early-life exposure to antibiotics could have long-term effects on the digestive system, but more studies are needed to confirm this link.

    Could early-life exposure to antibiotics have something to do with the rise in appendix cancer?
    luchschenF/Shutterstock.com

    For now, the best advice is to focus on prevention and awareness. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and staying physically active are all steps that can lower the risk of many types of cancer.

    Avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol intake are also important. While these measures can’t guarantee protection against appendix cancer, they are proven strategies for overall health.

    Researchers are working hard to unravel the mystery of why appendix cancer is rising so rapidly among younger generations. Understanding the causes will be crucial for developing better ways to prevent, detect and treat this rare but increasingly important disease.

    In the meantime, raising awareness among healthcare providers and the public is essential. By recognising the signs and taking action when symptoms arise, we can improve the chances of catching appendix cancer early and giving patients the best possible outcomes.

    The story of appendix cancer’s rise is a reminder that even rare diseases can become more common when our environment and lifestyles change. It’s also a call to action for further research and for all of us to pay attention to our bodies, seek medical advice when something feels off, and support efforts to understand and combat this puzzling trend.

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

    ref. Appendix cancer rising among younger generation – new study – https://theconversation.com/appendix-cancer-rising-among-younger-generation-new-study-258607

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A traffic-light system for dogwalkers could protect breeding birds, seal pups and other wildlife

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sarah Crowley, Senior Lecturer in Human and Animal Geography, University of Exeter

    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    Like millions of people, we have experienced the physical and mental health benefits, as well as the simple enjoyment, of a daily dog walk. However, amid the UK’s growing population of dogs (around 13.5 million at the latest estimate), recent reports have highlighted growing concern about how dogs affect wildlife and ecosystems.

    Potential issues include disturbance or active chasing of wildlife, spreading of diseases and parasites, and water pollution from flea and tick treatments.

    By collaborating with more than 40 organisations from the Wildlife Trusts to the Dogs Trust, we have created a new guide to explain and help manage the effects of dog walking on biodiversity, based on current evidence.

    The Renew programme, a research collaboration between the University of Exeter and the National Trust, takes a “people in nature” approach to address complex challenges like this. We reviewed the existing scientific literature and mapped the relationship between current dog densities and England’s protected habitats.

    We found that dog walking can have negative environmental consequences including substantial effects of disturbance, pollution and disease in some places.


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    We then discussed these findings in workshops with specialists in dog behaviour, biodiversity conservation and land management. We explored what dog walkers and landowners can do to minimise the disturbance of wildlife and ecosystems, while still enabling public access to natural spaces for people and their dogs.

    One of our key findings was that different organisations and landowners take very different approaches to managing dog walking on their sites, which is inconsistent and can be confusing for dog walkers. There are also multiple voluntary codes for responsible dog walking, including the countryside code, the Kennel Club’s canine code, the National Trust’s canine code, and Forestry England’s dog code.

    While these codes often share central principles, they differ in specific guidance and level of detail. To address this, land managers could take a more standardised approach to managing dog walking – based on a shared code for dog walkers, and different zones of access for land managers.

    A green pawprint sign would indicate where dogs don’t have to be kept on leads.
    Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock

    We recommend such a zoning approach should employ a traffic-light system, highlighted by coloured pawprints. Green zones would welcome dogs without restriction and ideally provide dog-friendly facilities.

    Amber zones would require “paws on paths” (that is, keeping dogs on marked trails) and, in the presence of livestock, dogs on leads. Red zones would indicate sensitive sites in which dogs aren’t allowed, such as areas of lowland heath where birds nest on the ground or beaches where young seal pups are resting.

    Zone colours might change depending on the time of year – this is already common on beaches, which often have seasonal dog restrictions. As long as the signage is clear, our idea is that wherever a dog walker finds themselves, they will know what is expected of them.

    More zones, less disturbance

    Some organisations and sites, including Dorset Dogs and the Holkham Hall estate in Norfolk, already use zoning approaches to reduce incidences of wildlife disturbance. But as was recently demonstrated by the legal battle over wild camping on Dartmoor, public access to land is a sensitive topic in the UK. Restrictions meet resistance because they can impinge on what for many is considered a basic freedom – to access the outdoors with one’s dog.

    Consequently, meaningful engagement with dog owners and local communities when designing zoning is vital. Perhaps counterintuitively, simply increasing restrictions on access to land may actually exacerbate disturbance from dog walking, as people, dogs and protected areas become crowded together in the same landscapes.

    A zoning approach that also involves creating new green pawprint zones for off-lead dog walking, where access elsewhere is restricted, would ensure that no access to wild places is lost overall.

    The effects of dog walking on the environment are linked to broader social and cultural factors, including people’s knowledge and skills when it comes to managing their dogs’ behaviour. But other factors include the availability of facilities such as dog poo bins, and the widespread use of “spot-on” flea and tick treatments – pesticides that are applied directly to the fur and can contaminate the environment more than medication given orally.

    In our Paws for Thought workshops, the research team found that emphasising how the health of people, animals and ecosystems are all interconnected resonated with our participants more than focusing on wildlife protection alone.

    Dogs are vital companions for many of us – but unfortunately, their presence and behaviour can cause problems for other species. Rather than demonising dogs and their owners as environmental threats, collaborative, evidence-based approaches can help create accessible spaces for people, dogs and wildlife.


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

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


    Sarah Crowley works at the University of Exeter and receives funding from the UKRI as part of the Renew programme.

    David Bavin receives funding from UKRI and National Trust.

    Professor Matthew Heard receives funding from UKRI and National Trust.

    ref. A traffic-light system for dogwalkers could protect breeding birds, seal pups and other wildlife – https://theconversation.com/a-traffic-light-system-for-dogwalkers-could-protect-breeding-birds-seal-pups-and-other-wildlife-258035

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: South Korea is finally reckoning with its decades-long foreign adoption scandal

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Youngeun Koo, Assistant Professor, Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University

    Kim Tak-un was four years old when he was adopted by a Swedish family in 1974. Originally from South Korea, Tak-un had lived with his single father, a labourer who moved frequently for work. One day in the summer of 1974, while staying with his aunt, Tak-un wandered outside and disappeared.

    Local police considered him abandoned and referred him to an adoption agency, which arranged his adoption to Sweden within five months. When his father realised his son was missing, he searched everywhere, only to discover – too late – that Tak-un had already been sent overseas. Devastated, he demanded Tak-un’s return. When the adoption agency failed to respond, he went public with the story.

    In March 2025, South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission released initial findings from its investigation into the country’s 72-year-old international adoption programme. The full report is expected in the next few weeks as the investigation is now completed.

    Based on more than 360 cases submitted by Korean adoptees from 11 countries, the commission uncovered widespread human rights violations, including falsified documents, lack of parental consent, and cases of child switching – shaking up adoptees and their families.


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    Since the end of the Korean War (1950–1953), South Korea has sent over 200,000 children abroad, becoming the world’s largest country for adoption, even as it grew into an advanced economy.

    Existing studies have shown that international adoption from South Korea began as a response to the large number of mixed-heritage children born to Korean mothers and US soldiers during the war.

    It is estimated that thousands of such children were born, and South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, ordered their overseas placement on the grounds that they were “unfit” for a nation imagined as ethnically homogeneous.

    However, international adoption did not end once this perceived “emergency” was over. From the mid-1960s onward, it expanded to include children from other vulnerable backgrounds, including those affected by poverty, family breakdown, and out-of-wedlock births. This, and the role of international adoption, is explored in my upcoming book.

    This was closely tied to the policies pursued by South Korea’s military regimes. The most important figure was Park Chung Hee, a military general who came to power through a 1961 coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979.

    His regime prioritised rapid economic growth, relegating social welfare to the lowest priority. Childcare was treated as an individual, not a state, responsibility. As I point out in my earlier research, public systems to categorise and care for children – whether abandoned, lost, or runaway – were extremely limited, and authorities largely placed the burden on parents to retrieve their separated children. This is probably why, after only cursory checks, authorities referred Tak-un to an adoption agency.

    Tak-un’s case attracted media attention in Sweden as well. However, in an interview with Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish national board of health and welfare – which oversaw the Korean adoption programme – dismissed the claims, stating they were “99 percent certain” the story was false and insisting that Korean social workers had followed proper procedures.

    The trust that Swedish authorities placed in South Korean adoption procedures may have been because of the way the Korean social workers presented their work. As the first generation of Koreans trained in US-style professional social work, they framed international adoption as being about the child, the importance of a family, and emotional wellbeing.

    The research for my upcoming book shows that while they may have genuinely believed in international adoption as a valid form of child welfare, there were also practical reasons why this happened. With virtually no public funding for child welfare, many saw international adoption – where adoptive parents covered the costs of care – as an ideal way to apply their training.

    In interviews with me, now-retired social workers acknowledged flaws in South Korea’s broader child welfare system, such as the inability to verify a child’s true status. Yet, without public resources to build a reliable system or prioritise family reunification, they often treated international adoption as a first, rather than a last, resort.

    Moreover, the prevailing belief at the time that “normal” middle-class families offered the most stable environment for a child’s development provided further moral justification for sending children abroad.

    Western authorities often interpreted Korean social workers’ professionalism as evidence of shared liberal child welfare values and placed strong trust in their procedures. When serious flaws surfaced – as in Tak-un’s case – they were frequently dismissed as exceptions rather than signs of deeper systemic problems.

    Even when the facts were confirmed in 1975, Swedish authorities still refused to return the child. The Swedish consul-general in Seoul at the time, Lars Berg, argued that it was in Tak-un’s “best interest” to remain in Sweden, rather than be sent back to “an uncertain fate of the father without work and residence”.

    This reflected, in part, Sweden’s domestic realities: like many western societies at the time, Sweden faced a shortage of adoptable children, and international adoption had become an important way to meet the wishes of prospective parents.

    In the early 1970s, nearly half of all internationally adopted children arriving in Sweden came from South Korea. Which meant that when issues like Tak-un’s emerged, Swedish authorities prioritised the rights of adoptive parents, framing their defence in the language of child welfare.

    Sweden’s Adoption Commission has just released its own report on June 2, examining the country’s international adoption practices, including those involving South Korea. Echoing my research findings, it recommended an end to allowing Swedes to adopt children from abroad.

    So, what became of Tak-un? Ultimately, South Korean officials acquiesced to the Swedish authorities, and the Korean adoption agency was cleared of any wrongdoing. Tak-un never returned. The last trace in the archives is his birth father’s plea to hear from him.

    I located Tak-un, who now goes by his Swedish name and lives in a small town in Sweden. Despite attempts to reach him, he didn’t respond. It remains uncertain whether his father’s message ever reached him or if he knows anything about his early life in Korea.

    This silence is not merely personal. A system that claimed to act for the child’s welfare instead routinely erased adopted children’s pasts, ignored their birth families and decided their futures for them. Tak-un’s story isn’t just a painful exception – it is a haunting reminder of what was lost in the name of care.

    This project has been supported by funding from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), the Korea Foundation, the Academy of Korean Studies, the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University, the Clarke Chambers Travel Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, and the Presbyterian Historical Society Research Fellowship.

    ref. South Korea is finally reckoning with its decades-long foreign adoption scandal – https://theconversation.com/south-korea-is-finally-reckoning-with-its-decades-long-foreign-adoption-scandal-255135

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How I uncovered a potential ancient Rome wine scam

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Conor Trainor, Ad Astra Research Fellow / Assistant Professor, University College Dublin

    Dan Henson/Shutterstock

    Before artificial sweeteners, people satisfied their cravings for sweetness with natural products, including honey or dried fruit. Raisin wines, made by drying grapes before fermentation, were particularly popular. Historical records show these wines, some known as passum, were enjoyed in the Roman Empire and throughout medieval Europe. The most famous of raisin wine of the period was Malmsey, with varities of this type produced across the Mediterranean.

    Today, the popularity of raisin wines has declined, although some still are held in very high esteem. The best-known of these are Italy’s appassimento (literally “withering”) wines, such as Amarone. High-quality modern raisin wines from the Veneto region of Italy are left to dry for three months before being pressed and undergoing fermentation, a time-consuming process.

    Ancient sources describe similar techniques for producing raisin wines. Columella, a Roman agricultural writer, noted that drying and fermentation together took at least a month. The Roman author, Pliny the Elder, mentioned a process in which grapes were partially dried on the vine, then further dried on racks before being pressed eight days later.

    For the past ten years, I have been studying the process of how this wine was created at the archaeological site of Knossos in Crete. While famous for its earlier, Minoan, remains, Crete was renowned throughout the Roman empire for producing high-end sweet raisin wine, which was traded far and wide.


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    High-quality raisin wines required patience and time but it seems as if Knossos’s wine producers might not have been following these traditional methods.

    What my archaeological investigations of a wine production site, as well as at wine shipping container (amphora) production sites at Knossos, is that Cretan wine-producers may have been deceiving their Roman-era customers with a knock-off version of passum.

    Crete’s winemaking legacy

    Remains of a wine production facility in Knossos present a picture of winemaking practices a generation or so before the Romans conquered Crete. More intriguingly, ongoing studies of excavated Roman-era pottery kilns revealed a repeated pattern of four key artefacts being produced in one region of Knossos: amphorae for transporting wine, amphora stands for filling them, large ceramic mixing bowls, and ceramic beehives.

    Crete, the largest Greek island, has been producing wine for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence from Myrtos suggests winemaking as early as 2170 BCE. Its strategic location between Greece and North Africa made it a valuable asset and in 67 BCE, after a brutal three-year campaign, the Romans conquered the island.

    Following the conquest, Crete’s economy underwent major changes. The Romans established a colony at Knossos, transformed the governance system, and significantly expanded wine production. Rural activity surged, and archaeologists have found large numbers of amphorae (clay jars used for transporting wine) suggesting that Cretan wine was exported in huge quantities.

    Romans bought so much Cretan wine partly because of shipping routes. Grain shipments that helped feed the people of Rome frequently stopped at Crete en route from Alexandria to Italy, allowing merchants to load additional cargo. But demand was also driven by the reputation of Cretan raisin wine, which was considered a luxury product, much like Italy’s appassimento wines today. Beyond taste, it was also valued for supposed medicinal properties. The Roman army physician Pedanius Dioscorides wrote in his famous five-volume medical work Materia Medica that the wine cured headaches, expelled worms and even promoted fertility.

    The sudden rise in demand for sweet Cretan wine in Rome and on the Bay of Naples in the early days of empire may have encouraged winemakers to speed up production.

    Pliny the Elder described one shortcut for making raisin wine – boiling grape juice in large pots. However, the mixing basins found at Knossos show no evidence of heating. This suggests another possibility: adding honey to wine before packaging. The beehives, excavated from Roman-era pottery kilns and identifiable by their rough interior surfaces designed for honeycomb attachment, hint at a connection between winemaking and honey. Similar discoveries at other Greek sites suggest that honey and wine may have been mixed before shipping.

    This method would have been quicker and cheaper than drying grapes for weeks. But if Cretan producers were substituting honey for traditional drying techniques, was this truly raisin wine? And, were Roman consumers aware? The vast quantities of Cretan wine imported into Rome suggest that buyers weren’t too concerned either way. Based on the sheer volume of now-empty wine amphoras from Crete that have been found in archaeological sites in Rome, I suspect that the populous of Rome likely cared less about authenticity than we do today.

    Conor Trainor receives funding from University College Dublin, the British School at Athens, and previously for this research, the University of Warwick.

    ref. How I uncovered a potential ancient Rome wine scam – https://theconversation.com/how-i-uncovered-a-potential-ancient-rome-wine-scam-258215

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: No packaging, no problem? The potential drawbacks of bulk groceries

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Fanny Reniou, Maître de conférences HDR, Université de Rennes 1 – Université de Rennes

    High-income professionals over the age of 50 make up 70% of all consumers of bulk products.
    DCStudio/Shutterstock

    The bulk distribution model has been in the news again lately, with well-known brands such as The Laughing Cow making their way into French supermarkets. Stakeholders in the bulk sector are seeking to introduce innovations in order to expand and democratise the concept. But is the bulk model such a clear-cut approach to consuming in a sustainable way?

    Bulk can be described as a consumer practice with a lower impact on the environment, since it involves the sale of products with no packaging, plastic or unnecessary waste and the use of reusable containers by consumers. In this type of distribution, predetermined manufacturer packaging becomes a thing of the past.

    In this model, distributors and consumers take on the task of packaging the product themselves to ensure the continuity of the multiple logistical and marketing functions that packaging usually fulfils. Unaccustomed to this new role, stakeholders in the bulk sector may make mistakes or act in ways that run counter to the environmental benefits that are generally expected to result from this practice.

    Contrary to the usually positive discourse on bulk products, our research points to the perverse and harmful effects of bulk distribution. When bulk stakeholders are left to “cope with” this new task of packaging products, can bulk still be described as ecologically sound?

    A new approach to packaging

    Packaging has always played a key role. It performs multiple functions that are essential for product distribution and consumption:

    • Logistical functions to preserve, protect and store the product: packaging helps to limit damage and loss, particularly during transport.

    • Marketing functions for product or brand recognition, which is achieved by distinctive colours or shapes to create on-shelf appeal. Packaging also has a positioning function, visually conveying a particular range level, as well as an informative function, serving as a medium for communicating a number of key elements such as composition, best-before date, etc.

    • Environmental functions, such as limiting the size of packaging and promoting certain types of materials – in particular recycled and recyclable materials.

    In the bulk market, it is up to consumers and distributors to fulfil these various functions in their own way: they may give them greater or lesser importance, giving priority to some over others. Insofar as manufacturers no longer offer predetermined packaging for their products, consumers and distributors have to take on this task jointly.

    Assimilation or accommodation

    Our study of how consumers and retailers appropriate these packaging functions used a variety of data: 54 interviews with bulk aisle and store managers and consumers of bulk products, as well as 190 Instagram posts and 428 photos taken in people’s homes and in stores.

    The study shows that there are two modes of appropriating packaging functions:

    • by assimilation – when individuals find ways to imitate typical packaging and its attributes

    • by accommodation – when they imagine new packaging and new ways of working with it

    Bulk packaging can lead to hygiene problems if consumers reuse packaging for a new purpose.
    GaldricPS/Shutterstock

    Some consumers reuse industrial packaging, such as egg cartons and detergent cans, because of their proven practicality. But packaging may also mirror its owners’ identity. Some packaging is cobbled together, while other packaging is carefully chosen with an emphasis on certain materials like wax, a fabric popular in West Africa and used for reusable bags.



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    Once packaging disappears, so does relevant information

    Appropriating the functions of packaging is not always easy. There is a “dark side” to bulk, with possible harmful effects on health or the environment, and social exclusion. Bulk can lead, for example, to hygiene-related problems or misinformation when consumers fail to label their jars correctly, or use packaging for another purpose. For example, using a glass juice bottle to store detergent can be hazardous if a household member is unaware of its contents.

    Bulk shopping can also appear exclusive for people with less culinary education. (High-income professionals over the age of 50 make up 70% of all consumers of bulk products.) Once the packaging disappears, so does the relevant information. Some consumers actually do need packaging to recognize, store and know how to cook a product. Without this information, products may end up in the garbage can!

    Our study also shows the ambivalence of the so-called “environmental function” of bulk shopping – the initial idea being that bulk should reduce the amount of waste generated by packaging. In fact, this function is not always fulfilled, as many consumers tend to buy a great deal of containers along with other items, such as labels, pens and so on, to customise them.

    Some consumers’ priority is not so much to reuse old packaging, but to buy new storage containers, which are often manufactured in faraway lands! The result is the production of massive amounts of waste – the exact opposite of the original purpose of the bulk trade.

    Lack of consumer guidance

    After a period of strong growth, the bulk sector went through a difficult period during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to closures for many specialist stores in France, according to a first survey on bulk and on reuse. In supermarkets though, some retailers invested to make their bulk aisles more attractive – though in the absence of any effective guidance, consumers failed to make them their own. Bulk aisles have become just one among a host of other aisles.

    Things seem to be improving however, and innovation is on the rise. In France, 58% of the members of the “Bulk and Reuse Network” (réseau Vrac et réemploi) reported an increase in daily traffic between January and May 2023 compared with 2022.

    Distributors need to adapt to changing regulations. These stipulate that, by 2030, stores of over 400 m2 will have to devote 20% of their FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sales areas to bulk sales. Moreover, bulk sales made their official entry into French legislation with the law on the fight against waste and the circular economy (loi relative à la lutte contre le gaspillage et à l’économie circulaire) published in the French official gazette on February 11, 2020.

    In this context, it is all the more necessary and urgent to support bulk stakeholders, so that they can successfully adopt the practice and develop it further.

    Fanny Reniou has received funding from Biocoop as part of a research partnership.

    Elisa Robert-Monnot has received funding from Biocoop as part of a research partnership and collaboration.

    Sarah Lasri ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    ref. No packaging, no problem? The potential drawbacks of bulk groceries – https://theconversation.com/no-packaging-no-problem-the-potential-drawbacks-of-bulk-groceries-258305

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Outbreaks of Koi herpesvirus (KHV) disease in 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Outbreaks of Koi herpesvirus (KHV) disease in 2025

    The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) have found Koi herpesvirus (KHV) disease in fish at the following sites in England and Wales

    KHV is a serious viral disease of fish and is a listed disease in the United Kingdom. It affects all varieties of common and ornamental carp species (Cyprinus carpio) and can result in large scale mortalities. Fish with KHV disease may show the following signs, especially when water temperatures are between 16 to 28 °C:

    • necrotic (white or brown) patches on the gills

    • rough patches on the skin and sloughing mucous

    • sunken eyes

    You must contact the FHI if you suspect an outbreak of KHV. This includes fish with the above signs, or deaths of carp or carp hybrids.

    There is no risk to public health.

    Sites with KHV disease must undergo a formal monitoring programme immediately following the outbreak. The FHI visit these sites to look for evidence of disease and to inspect compliance with the conditions of the statutory controls in place.

    Confirmed designation

    If a notifiable disease is confirmed, FHI places controls to limit the spread of disease (these are known as confirmed designations). The following conditions are applied under disease controls:

    • No person may, without the previous consent in writing of the FHI, move any aquatic animal including eggs, and gametes, into, out of or within a confirmed designation area.

    • Disposal of dead aquatic animals, including eggs and gametes, must be by an approved method for disposal of Category 2 animal-by-product waste in compliance with local Environmental Health department requirements

    • Notify the Fish Health Inspectorate immediately should mortalities re-occur or spread to other waters/facilities within the designated area.

    • Notify the FHI in advance of all intended physical changes to sites within the designated area – such as site boundaries, number or size of waters, use of the site. FHI written permission will be required beforehand for all such changes.

    • All requests for consents required under this Confirmed Designation Notice must be submitted to the FHI with a minimum of 5 working days’ notice.

    New outbreaks

    When laboratory testing confirms KHV disease at a site, the FHI place statutory controls to limit the spread of the disease. These controls restrict movement of aquatic animals.

    Disease controls have been applied at:

    Diseases controls lifted at:

    You can:

    Background

    Koi herpesvirus disease (KHV) is a listed disease under The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009. KHV outbreaks have been subject to statutory controls in the UK since 2007. The UK maintains a surveillance programme for this disease.

    When the FHI confirm an outbreak, they take steps to control and, wherever possible, remove the disease. This may involve movement controls on susceptible species in the affected area, enhanced biosecurity, culling of fish, and cleaning and disinfecting of the premises.

    Once statutory controls are in place the site operators must write to the FHI to get permission to move live fish into, out of, or within the designated area, and to make material changes to the site or site activities. This also applies to fish eggs and gametes.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Housing placed at the heart of Cabinet

    Source: Scottish Government

    First Minister announces changes to Ministerial team.

    Tackling the housing emergency will be at the heart of the Scottish Cabinet, First Minister John Swinney has announced.

    Màiri McAllan has been appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Housing upon her return to government from maternity leave. Ms McAllan has responsibility for all aspects of housing policy, including heat in buildings.

    This appointment will ensure government action is focused on tackling the housing emergency and providing energy efficient homes for the future – helping stimulate economic growth, deliver Net Zero commitments and tackle child poverty.  

    Gillian Martin has been appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, having held the portfolio during Ms McAllan’s maternity leave.

    Following the death of Christina McKelvie in March, Maree Todd will become Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, while retaining her existing responsibility for Sport. Tom Arthur has been appointed as Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing.

    Housing Minister Paul McLennan has requested to leave the Scottish Government and he does so today. Acting Minister for Climate Action Alasdair Allan will leave Government at the end of this week, having indicated that he only wished to serve on an interim basis.

    Excluding the Law Officers, the overall size of government reduces to 23, down from 27 in May 2024.

    First Minister John Swinney said:

    “Scotland’s strengths lie in our people, our communities and our resolve to leave a better future, and better country for the next generation. As First Minister, I am firmly focused on leading a government that unlocks the potential for every person in Scotland to thrive.

    “I have made changes to the Cabinet which will further enable us to realise that potential. Màiri McAllan has been tasked with tackling the housing emergency, including ensuring we have energy efficient homes to help bring down bills and tackle the climate emergency. These are two of the biggest challenges facing people across the country and I want them to know they have a government firmly on their side and focused on delivering real change.

    “Following the sad passing of Christina McKelvie, I have asked Maree Todd to take on responsibility for Drugs and Alcohol Policy. This government has shown it is not afraid to take bold measures to prevent harm and death, and we must redouble our efforts.

    “I want to thank Paul McLennan and Alasdair Allan for the service they have provided to me, the government and to the people of Scotland. They both held two very important Ministerial appointments in housing and climate action and have helped to drive forward progress in tackling two issues which are central to Scotland’s long-term success as a nation.” 

    Background

    The changes mean the Scottish Cabinet now consists of twelve, the majority of whom are women. Further changes mean the Ministerial team reduces to eleven, from fourteen.

    The Scottish Cabinet is as follows:

    • First Minister John Swinney
    • Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes
    • Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison
    • Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth
    • Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance
    • Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville
    • Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop
    • Cabinet Secretary for Housing Màiri McAllan
    • Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin
    • Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon 
    • Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray
    • Cabinet Secretary for Constitution External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson

    Màiri McAllan has been on maternity since 1 July 2024. Gillian Martin was acting Cabinet Secretary Net Zero and Energy, with Alasdair Allan temporarily assuming responsibility for Climate Action. Màiri McAllan maternity cover – gov.scot

    Christina McKelvie, Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, passed away in March 2025.  First Minister pays tribute to Christina McKelvie MSP – gov.scot

    Tom Arthur was previously Minister for Employment and Investment. His investment responsibilities will be assumed by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, while Richard Lochhead’s extended responsibilities see him become Minister for Business and Employment.

    Paul McLennan has left government today. Alasdair Allan will leave his post at end of this week.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trading Standards seize illegal tobacco and vapes in Tunstall

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 11th June 2025

    Illegal tobacco and vapes worth £25,000 have been taken off Stoke-on-Trent streets as part of a national operation and the council mission to reclaim our streets.

    Trading Standards officers raided four premises on Tunstall High Street and were accompanied by Staffordshire Police and a Wagtails UK Tobacco Detection Dog and handler.

    In total, 20,000 cigarettes, 6.5kg of hand rolling tobacco, 650 vapes and 22 tubs of shisha were seized.

    The raids took place as part of Operation Cece, a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, which is aimed at tackling the supply of illegal tobacco.

    This activity also follows the introduction of the ban on single use vapes, which came into force on Sunday 1 June.

    Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Our Trading Standards officers continue to work to protect our communities and get these illegal products off our streets. Illegal tobacco and vapes often exploit vulnerable workers and undermine legitimate business.

    “This work is part of the council’s commitment to creating a cleaner, greener and safer city for all and you will face serious consequences if you choose to sell illegal products.”

    Anyone who wants to report a similar issue to Trading Standards can call the Trading Standards Hotline 01782 238444 or visit stoke.gov.uk.

    Businesses can find advice and guidance on the ban on single use vapes here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-vapes-ban

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Carers portal launched offering around the clock instant online support

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Wednesday, 11th June 2025

    A new 24/7 online portal is launched today to provide the city’s valued community of carers a range of instant support, information and advice.

    The portal, which is being launched during National Carers Week, can be reached at www.stoke.gov.uk/helpforcarers.

    It includes:

    • News and events for carers
    • Help with carer assessments
    • Advice on supporting clients to access financial support
    • A community directory of useful local organisations
    • Equipment and adaptations
    • Information on health from autism and learning disabilities through to mental health support, local facilities
    • Housing advice: private rents, councils and social housing
    • Out and about: public transport, accessible toilets and changing, sports and activities.
    • Money and legal: paying for care and support, benefits, power of attorney.

    This is the third portal launched by the council’s Adult Social Care team in the last few months – both the Bettercare Support portal and Professional Portal are also available 24/7 to make accessing services, support and signposting better than ever before.

    The aim of all three is to help people lead the most independent lives they possibly can by tapping into the right amount of support, whatever their circumstances.

    In addition, a new Finance Portal that will enable people to quickly see if they are likely to be eligible to have support funded, will also be available in the next few weeks.

    Councillor Duncan Walker, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and All-Age Commissioning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Our carers are often unsung heroes, of all ages, many unpaid looking after relatives or other loved ones, and deserve all the support we can offer.

    “The services available at the click of a button through this new portal are aimed at just that – helping them to access all the advice they need along with a range of organisations who can support them.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor announces record investment to rebuild National Health Service

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Chancellor announces record investment to rebuild National Health Service

    The Chancellor has today (Wednesday 11 June) announced a record £29 billion investment to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.

    • Rachel Reeves announces record £29 billion funding boost to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.
    • New investment includes up to £10 billion on technology and digital transformation, GP training to deliver millions more appointments and rolling out mental health support to all schools.
    • Reeves tells the House of Commons: “There’s no strong economy without a strong NHS.”

    New investment announced at the Spending Review will enable the NHS to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change to cut waiting lists, improve patient care and modernise services.

    Up to £10 billion allocated towards technology and digital transformation, thousands more GPs to be trained and funding allocated to deliver an additional 700,000 urgent NHS dentist appointments a year.

    The funding boost came as the Chancellor unveiled a Spending Review to deliver Britain’s renewal, with record investment in the country’s security, health and economy.

    Security

    The Chancellor confirmed a £11 billion real-terms increase in defence spending over the spending review period, backing our Armed Forces, creating British jobs in British industries, and prioritising the security of Britain when it is most needed.

    Today’s funding will provide the Ministry of Defence with the resources and capital necessary to start delivering the Strategic Defence Review, rebuilding the armed forces and investing heavily in UK intelligence capabilities. This includes £15 billion for a nuclear sovereign warhead programme, supporting over 9,000 jobs in the UK, £7 billion of infrastructure funding for a once-in-a-generation renewal of military accommodation, and £6 billion for munitions, investing in supply chains and factories in the UK and generating over 1,000 jobs and export potential. 

    At least £280 million a year will also be invested into border security by 2028-29, including into the Border Security Command, to tackle people-smuggling gangs running small boats. Funding of at least £400 million a year by 2028-29 will speed up the process of asylum processing, increase appeals capacity and continue asylum returns alongside ending the costly use of hotels for accommodation.

    Police spending power will see an average 2.3% real terms increase over the Spending Review period as the government puts police back on the beat in communities across England and Wales, supporting the government’s Plan for Change commitment to put an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood roles.

    Growth

    Roads, infrastructure and towns outside of London and the South East will receive investment to ensure Britain’s renewal is one that is truly national. Revisions to the Treasury’s Green Book announced by the Chancellor mark a new approach to appraisal in the public sector, one which will enable the more effective assessment of place-based interventions. 

    The Chancellor announced £15.6 billion funding in total by 2031-32 for local transport projects in England’s city regions and £2.3 billion from 2026-27 to 2029-30 for local transport improvements outside of these nine regions, improving everyday journeys for all. The Chancellor announced a further £2.5 billion to connect Oxford and Cambridge through the continued delivery of East-West Rail and confirmed she will set out plans to take forward work on Northern Powerhouse Rail in the coming weeks.

    Funding announced today will deliver upgrades to Cardiff Central station, reduce journey times between Manchester and Leeds through continued investment in the TransPennine Route Upgrade, and progress the delivery of Midlands Rail Hub, enhancing connections from Birmingham across the West Midlands and to other regions.

    The Chancellor also confirmed the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, confirming £39 billion of investment over ten years through a new Affordable Homes Programme, turbocharging the Plan for Change commitment to get the country building and deliver the 1.5 million homes Britain needs.

    This significant settlement represents the first time in living memory that the government has set out a programme that provides ten years of certainty – giving the sector the confidence to deliver for now and for the future of housing in Britain and turning the tide on the housing crisis in this country.

    Today’s Spending Review also supports the development of home-grown, clean power to deliver energy security by committing £14.2 billion for Britain’s first state-funded nuclear power station since 1988 in Sizewell C, providing over £2.5 billion for one of Europe’s first Small Modular Reactor programmes and allocating £9.4 billion to UK carbon capture and storage over the Spending Review period – all while supporting Britain’s acceleration to net zero and driving growth.

    The Chancellor also confirmed additional funding for up to 350 communities, especially those in deprived areas, through Plans for Neighbourhoods – giving new long-term regeneration funding and supporting councils in their fightback against graffiti and fly-tipping across Britain.

    The government will also establish a Growth Mission Fund to expedite local projects that are important for growth but have been forgotten, such as Southport Pier, Kirkcaldy’s seafront and High Street, and a new sports quarter in Peterborough.

    In the coming weeks, the government will release its Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies – providing the certainty and stability sectors need to invest and work to drive our growth mission.

    Devolved nations

    The devolved administrations will receive their largest real terms settlements since devolution began in 1998, enabling them to deliver on local priorities that matter most to communities.

    The Scottish Government will receive an average extra £2.9 billion across the duration of this Spending Review through the operation of the Barnett formula. In recognition of Scotland’s unique needs, they will have 20% more to spend per individual than comparable UK Government spending for people in the rest of the UK.

    The Welsh Government will benefit from an average extra £1.6 billion over the Spending Review period through the Barnett formula to deliver against the priorities of working people in Wales, and 20% more to spend per individual than comparable UK Government does for people in the rest of the UK.

    The Northern Ireland Executive will receive an average extra £1.2 billion through the Barnett formula, 24% more to spend per person than the comparable UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, reflecting Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances.

    These record settlements are made possible by the tough but necessary decisions taken in the October Budget.

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU attracted the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences to develop a unified system for forecasting processes in agribusiness

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On June 11, 2025, a delegation from the State University of Management visited the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPb FRC RAS).

    The working tour of the scientific team of the State University of Management continues in Saint Petersburg. Earlier we reported on meetings with the management of the Leningrad Region Committee for Transport and the BGTU “VOENMEKH”.

    The State University of Management was represented at the meeting by Vice-Rector Maria Karelina, Chief Researcher of the Scientific Research Coordination Department Alexey Terentyev (a leading scientist in the field of developing decision-making models under uncertainty), Director of the Engineering Project Management Center Vladimir Filatov, Researcher of the Center Dmitry Rybakov and Junior Researcher of the Reverse Engineering Laboratory Nikita Akinshin.

    Scientists and specialists of the State University of Management visited the Laboratory of Information Technologies in Systems Analysis and Modeling. The laboratory works on the development, research and implementation of methodological, methodological and technological foundations for the automation and intellectualization of processes of complex modeling of complex systems at various stages of their life cycle, and also conducts scientific research in the following areas:

    Integrated modeling of the functioning of complex technical objects (STO); Planning the functioning of STO; Parallel structural and functional synthesis of STO; Data analysis; Development of automated systems for intelligent monitoring and management of the life cycle of STO; Development of digital twins based on information and analytical support.

    During the visit, a joint meeting was held with scientists from the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences – leading researcher Stanislav Mikoni and young scientist of the research center Andrey Zakharov. The parties discussed the development of joint R&D in the field of digital twins, unmanned vehicles and predictive analytics. A special vector of joint work was defined as interaction within the framework of the implementation of a large scientific project by research teams of the State University of Management and the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences in order to create a unified system that predicts technological and economic processes in agribusiness.

    The joint meeting of representatives of the State University of Management and the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences took place within the framework of the signed agreement – in May, the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev and the director of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Ronzhin signed an agreement on cooperation in the educational and scientific spheres.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft employees celebrate Russia Day

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft employees organized patriotic events to mark one of the main state holidays – Russia Day. Oil workers organize volunteer, environmental and sports initiatives, creative events and Days of National Cultures.

    In Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, Samotlorneftegaz volunteers organized an intellectual quiz called “Russia is a Generous Soul”. Participants demonstrated excellent knowledge of the country’s history and geography, biographies of statesmen and outstanding scientists, literary and artistic figures. The drawing master class “Soul of Russia”, which was organized as part of the volunteer project “Creative Mentor”, aroused great interest. Participants painted landscapes of their native places on canvas, most of them dedicated their works to the nature of the Samotlor field, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

    Workers and veterans of RN-Nyaganneftegaz took part in the “Round Dance of Friendship”. Hundreds of oil workers in national costumes, holding hands, walked along the central street of the city of Nyagan, demonstrating the unity and ethnocultural diversity of the peoples living in the region.

    In the Tyumen region, in one of the largest parks in Tyumen, employees of RN-Uvatneftegaz ran five kilometers with the Russian flag. Not only oil workers took part in the race, but also their relatives, who also decided to express a sense of pride in their country.

    In Yamal, young specialists from ROSPAN International held a charity event called “Goodness Fair” on the eve of the holiday. They presented hand-made products. The proceeds were used to purchase everything necessary for the wards of the Novy Urengoy Society of Disabled People.

    Employees of SevKomNeftegaz and activists of the youth Movement of the First held a bike quest in Gubkinsky. Moving along the city streets, the teams completed tasks related to the history and culture of Russia.

    Volunteers from Kharampurneftegaz introduced the team to the national traditions of our country and the cuisines of the peoples living in it – Russian dishes and tea drinking traditions, customs of the Turkic peoples with a tasting of traditional echpochmak, chak-chak, kystybay.

    In Krasnoyarsk Krai, oil workers from RN-Vankor organized a photo exhibition about the achievements of the largest oil-producing enterprise in the region. The exhibition clearly demonstrates the enterprise’s contribution to the development of the region, talks about the development of a large-scale oil-producing production complex in the north of the region, environmental initiatives and the preservation of biodiversity in the territory of presence, volunteer and patriotic events.

    Achinsk Oil Refinery held a bike ride through the iconic patriotic places of the city of Achinsk. The column with the Russian tricolor included young specialists of the plant, students of the sponsored Oil and Gas Technical School and activists of the All-Russian “Movement of the First”.

    In the Irkutsk Region, the Angarsk Petrochemical Company held a patriotic event among children vacationing in a summer camp at the corporate sanatorium “Rodnik”. More than 100 children recited poems about the Motherland and sang the Russian anthem. In a mass flash mob, children lined up in the colors of the Russian tricolor and performed a fiery dance to the song “Mother Earth”. The organizers of the event also told the children about the symbols of unity and independence of our country.

    Members of the running club of the Rosneft Research and Design Institute in Tomsk took part in the city’s patriotic race. In the relay, the athletes passed a ribbon in the colors of the Russian tricolor.

    On Sakhalin, Sakhalinmorneftegaz-Shelf employees celebrated Russia Day with a family sports festival and a mini-football tournament. Children participated in interactive master classes prepared for them by the company’s volunteers. The celebration ended with a mass action with the Russian flag.

    In the Samara Region, volunteers from the Syzran Oil Refinery, together with school graduates, planted 80 birches in school gardens. Young trees decorated the territory of School No. 28. Last year, for the first time in 70 years of operation, the building underwent major repairs as part of the Cooperation Agreement between PJSC NK Rosneft and the Government of the Samara Region.

    Volunteers of the Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery together with the Russian Society “Knowledge” held a series of intellectual video lectures on the technological leadership of our country in the children’s health camp named after Yuri Gagarin. The children learned about the main successes and achievements of Russian industry, science, medicine, agriculture, sports, culture and education. The plant workers in an interactive format introduced the children to the history of the enterprise, with the biographies of the plant’s builders who made a significant contribution to the development of the oil industry.

    Orenburgneft held a master class on creating drawings about the Motherland in the Orenburg Region. A professional artist helped participants depict a field of blooming sunflowers on canvas – a symbol of the steppe region. In the reading club of the city of Buzuluk, literature lovers held a discussion about artistic techniques for expressing love for the Motherland using the example of great works of Russian classics.

    In the Ryazan region, employees of the Ryazan Oil Refining Company took part in the quiz “Experts of Russia”. They answered questions on history, geography, as well as the culture and traditions of Russia.

    In the Saratov Region, volunteers from the Saratov Oil Refinery organized a sports and patriotic festival for students in grades 3-4 of the Aviator Gymnasium. The children were told about the state symbols and history of the country. The plant workers also held a master class in football. Football players from the plant team, winner of the qualifying round of the XX Summer Sports Games Rosneft and winner of the Romantsev Cup, taught the children how to act as a single team in various sports. At the end of the festival, all participants were presented with memorable souvenirs in the colors of the Russian tricolor.

    About a hundred employees of NK Rosneft-Stavropol climbed 1,400 meters and unfurled the Russian flag on the top of Mount Beshtau, the highest point in the Caucasian Mineral Waters. The oil workers also organized a festival of “Cuisines of the Peoples of Russia” with the study of recipes and tasting of dishes from different regions.

    The employees of RN-Chernozemye organized a festival of national cultures with folk costumes, a photo zone, performance of patriotic and folk songs, and dishes from the cuisine of different nations. White doves were released into the sky, symbolizing peace, freedom, and prosperity of Russia.

    Festive events and activities united thousands of oil workers, representatives of different faiths and nationalities in different regions, and became a symbol of the unity of the peoples of our country.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 11, 2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI China: China activates emergency response to flooding as this year’s first typhoon approaches

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

    China activates emergency response to flooding as this year’s first typhoon approaches

    BEIJING, June 11 — China’s Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday issued a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in southern and southeastern regions, following a tropical depression over the South China Sea that had grown into this year’s first typhoon in the morning.

    The center of Typhoon Wutip (Butterfly) was located near Yongxing Dao in the city of Sansha in China’s southernmost island province of Hainan, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the ministry.

    Strong rain caused by the approaching Typhoon Wutip will hit China’s regions including Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian from Thursday to Sunday, and the water levels of some medium and minor rivers in the regions are projected to exceed warning thresholds, the ministry said.

    The ministry emphasized the importance of preventing floods in small and medium-sized rivers, as well as mountain torrents in the affected areas, to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.

    The ministry has dispatched two teams to Hainan and Guangdong to aid flood prevention work.

    China has a four-tier emergency response system for flood control, with Level I being the most severe.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: 5.8-magnitude quake hits waters off Taiwan: CENC

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

    A 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted waters off the Taitung County, Taiwan, at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

    The epicenter was monitored at 23.33 degrees north latitude and 121.72 degrees east longitude. The earthquake struck at a depth of 20 km, the center said. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier urges US to resolve trade disputes with China through dialogue, cooperation

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

    The United States should resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has said.

    China reiterates that the United States should work with China to honor their words with actions, and demonstrate sincerity in keeping commitments and concrete efforts to implement consensus, so as to jointly safeguard the hard-won outcomes of dialogue, He said.

    He made the remarks during the first meeting of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism held in London from Monday to Tuesday with U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

    During the talks, the two sides held candid and in-depth talks, and thoroughly exchanged views on economic and trade issues of mutual concern.

    The two sides reached principled agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone call on June 5 and the framework of measures to consolidate the outcomes of the economic and trade talks in Geneva, and made new progress in addressing each other’s economic and trade concerns.

    Calling the meeting an important consultation held under the guidance of the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state on June 5, He said that China’s position on China-U.S. economic and trade issues is clear and consistent.

    Noting that the essence of China-U.S. economic and trade relations lies in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, the vice premier said cooperation between China and the United States in the economic and trade field benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.

    There are no winners in trade wars, He said, adding that China does not seek conflict but will not be intimidated by one.

    He urged the United States to resolve trade disputes with China through equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that while China is sincere in pursuing economic and trade consultations, it also has its principles.

    Next, the two sides should, in accordance with the important consensus and requirements reached by the two heads of state during their phone call, make better use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, and work to enhance consensus, reduce misunderstanding and strengthen cooperation, He said.

    The two sides should maintain communication and consultation, and promote the steady and sustained growth of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, so as to inject more certainty and stability into the world economy, He added.

    The U.S. side said that the meeting had achieved positive outcomes and further stabilized bilateral economic and trade relations, adding that the U.S. side would walk in the same direction as China in accordance with the requirements of the phone call between the two heads of state to jointly implement the consensus reached at this meeting. Enditem

    MIL OSI China News

  • From Surgical Strikes to Operation SINDOOR: tracking 11 years of internal security measures

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s firm and clear-eyed approach to internal security and counter-terrorism over the last eleven years reflects the government’s unwavering resolve to prioritise national interest above all. From precision military strikes across borders to strategic dismantling of insurgent networks within, India has shed the hesitations of the past. A clear doctrine now guides action, swift, decisive and backed by intelligence. With the abrogation of Article 370, the campaign against Naxalism, and new capabilities in high-tech defence, India today stands more secure and self-reliant than ever before. Operation SINDOOR, India’s swift and precise military response to a terror attack in April 2025, further demonstrated this resolve. These successes are a result of political will, military strength and a deeply rooted belief in putting the country first.
     
    Surgical Strikes and Balakot Air Strikes
     
    In a bold departure from past restraint, India responded to the terrorist attack in Uri on 18 soldiers by conducting Surgical Strikes on 28-29 September 2016. These strikes inflicted heavy losses on terrorists and their protectors across the Line of Control. A few years later, on 14 February 2019, the Pulwama terror attack claimed 40 CRPF jawans. India’s response came swiftly. On 26 February 2019, in an intelligence-led operation, the Balakot airstrikes eliminated a large number of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, including senior commanders. The facility targeted was located far from civilian areas and headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar. These pre-emptive actions showed the world that India would no longer tolerate proxy war through terrorism.
     
    Operation SINDOOR
     
    In April 2025, following a brutal terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, India launched Operation SINDOOR, executing precise retaliatory strikes against nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian military, acting on accurate intelligence, relied on drone strikes, loitering munitions, and layered air defence to neutralise key threats without crossing international boundaries. Key command centers of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were destroyed, severely disrupting their operational capabilities. The strikes resulted in over 100 terrorists killed in action, including individuals linked to IC-814 hijack and Pulwama blast like Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf and Mudassir Ahmad.
     
    When Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on 7–8 May against multiple Indian cities and bases, these were swiftly intercepted, showcasing the effectiveness of India’s net-centric warfare systems and integrated counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) grid.
     
    In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s firm policy on cross-border terrorism and its approach towards Pakistan. He underlined that national security is non-negotiable and outlined clear red lines regarding dialogue, deterrence, and defence. Key points from his address include:
     
    1. Firm response to terror attacks: Any terrorist attack on India will be met with a fitting and decisive response, regardless of where the perpetrators operate from.
     
    2. No tolerance for nuclear blackmail: India will not be deterred by nuclear threats and will continue to carry out precise strikes against terrorist hideouts.
     
    3. No distinction between terror elements: There will be no difference between the masterminds and the sponsors of terror, both will be held accountable.
     
    4. Terrorism first in any talks: Any engagement with Pakistan, if at all, will be focused only on terrorism or the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
     
    5. Zero compromise on sovereignty: The Prime Minister declared, “Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together,” firmly closing the door to normal relations amid terror threats.
     
     
    Counterterrorism Measures in Jammu and Kashmir
     
    On 5 August 2019, Parliament approved the removal of Article 370 and 35-A, marking a historic correction of a decades-old imbalance. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were brought at par with other regions, and over 890 Central laws were applied. As many as 205 state laws were repealed, and 130 modified to align with the Constitution of India.
     
    Since then, development in the region has accelerated. Marginalised groups like Valmikis, Dalits, and Gorkhas now enjoy full rights. Laws such as the Right to Education and Child Marriage Act now protect all citizens in the region. The impact is clear: terrorist-initiated incidents have dropped from 228 in 2018 to just 28 in 2024, demonstrating a strong correlation between integration and peace. Additionally, stone-pelting incidents have recorded a 100% drop, marking a new era of peace.
     
    The successful conduct of the J&K Assembly Elections in 2024, held in three phases with a 63% voter turnout, further underscores the region’s embrace of democratic participation and stability, demonstrating a strong correlation between integration and peace.
     
    Fight Against Naxalism
     
    The multi-pronged approach to Left Wing Extremism has delivered historic gains. From 126 affected districts in 2010, the number has come down to just 38 by April 2024. Most affected districts were reduced from 12 to 6, and the number of casualties is at a 30-year low. Violence has declined sharply from 1,936 incidents in 2010 to 374 in 2024, a drop of 81 percent. Deaths have reduced by 85 percent over the same period.
     
    In 2024 alone, 290 Naxals were neutralised, 1,090 arrested, and 881 surrendered. Major recent operations in March 2025 saw 50 Naxals surrender in Bijapur, 16 neutralised in Sukma, and 22 killed in Kanker and Bijapur. Another landmark achievement came with Operation Black Forest in Chhattisgarh, where 27 dreaded Maoists, including Basavaraju, a general secretary ranked leader, the first such high ranking neutralisation in 30 years, were eliminated. Additionally, 54 Naxalites were arrested, and 84 surrendered in this operation.
     
    With continued support through Special Central Assistance and targeted development, the government is on track to eliminate Naxalism by 31 March 2026.
  • PM Narendra Modi highlights 11 years of inclusive growth

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday shared an article by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighting what he described as 11 years of inclusive growth — a phase marked by citizen empowerment, social upliftment, and national advancement.

    In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister said:

    “Union Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw reflects on 11 years of inclusive growth, a journey that has benefited citizens in multiple ways and, more importantly, instilled a belief. A belief that empowers, uplifts, and propels the nation forward”, PM Modi said in his post.

    “An insightful read!”, he added.

    https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1932719914550493284

     

     

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Management consultant who ‘wanted to get as much money as he could’ banned as a director for 11 years after securing two Covid loans

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Management consultant who ‘wanted to get as much money as he could’ banned as a director for 11 years after securing two Covid loans

    Romain McLean, from Brent, exaggerated the turnover of RMC Associates Limited to secure two Bounce Back loans.

    • Romain McLean was the director of RMC Associates Limited, a management consultancy company registered in Wimbledon.  

    • He overstated his company’s turnover twice to secure two loans.  

    • McLean is now disqualified from being a director until 2036. 

    A Brent director who secured two Covid Bounce Back Loans – totalling £80,000 – having twice significantly overstated his company’s turnover has been disqualified for 11 years.  

    Romain McLean was the sole director of RMC Associates Limited, registered at Kingston Road in Wimbledon.  

    The 41-year-old of Pember Road, Brent, applied for a £30,000 Covid Bounce Back loan for his business in May 2020, when it was only entitled to around £12,000. 

    An Insolvency Service investigation found that he had overstated the turnover of his company by more than £100,000 to secure the initial loan. 

    In an interview during the investigation, Mr McLean admitted exaggerating his turnover to secure the loan, stating that he ‘just wanted to get as much money as he could’.     

    He also applied for a second loan at the maximum of £50,000, in July 2020, having falsely stated it was his first and only application and again overstating the turnover of his business by thousands of pounds. 

    Following the Insolvency Service investigation, he signed an undertaking disqualifying him from being a director for 11 years and offered a settlement repayment of £60,000. 

    Insolvency Service Chief Investigator Ann Oliver said:  

    Romain McLean overstated his company’s turnover to claim not one but two Covid Bounce Back loans.  

    He secured money for his company it was not wholly entitled to not once but twice. 

    This lengthy director disqualification demonstrates the seriousness of his actions and serves as a warning to others who seek to wrongfully claim taxpayers’ money.

    McLean did not dispute the undertaking, agreeing to an 11-year director disqualification which began on 30 May 2025. 

    RMC Associates Limited was incorporated in 2008 and was subject to a winding up petition in 2023. 

    The Bounce Back loan scheme helped small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, at a low interest rate, guaranteed by the Government.   

    The loans were made on the condition that they were not to be used for personal purposes, but could be used, for example, to purchase a company asset such as a vehicle, if it would provide an economic benefit to the business. 

    The money lent to a company had to be paid back, over six or 10 years, with payments starting 12 months after the company received the loan. 

    Further information:  

    Updates to this page

    Published 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth welcomes new elected members of the Youth Parliament

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Earlier this year, people across the city elected their new faces to be the voice for young people across the city.

    The Youth Parliament members pictured with Councillors, who together held a mock debate session to discuss the campaigns.

    Two members have been elected, with two deputy members, and are ready to get stuck into their projects over the next year.

    Bill, aged 13 aims to reduce homework, by ensuring teachers are aware of the struggles students face, and they offer help and support to those that need it.

    Sienna, aged 16 was elected last year and re-elected this year, Sienna aims to tackle violence against women and girls, by challenging harmful attitudes, and advocating for safe spaces.

    Our deputy members

    Faith, aged 16 aims to reduce bus fares for children, young people and students. Focusing on school holidays.

    The final project aims to tackle the cost of living crisis, with online campaigns highlighting the effects and to work with local leaders to promote support schemes.  This is being led by Robin, 16.

    Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said: “Our members of the Youth Parliament are all inspiring young people who are excellent role models as they are campaigning for change in our city. They are the voice for their generation, and all their campaigns are very strong focusing on current issues.

    “I look forward to seeing them progress with their work over the next year and huge congratulations to them.”

    Plymouth Youth Parliament is open to young people aged 11 to 18.

    They are involved in supporting the above campaigns as well as a range of other work including attendance and involvement in the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny committee.

    If you are interested in working with them and feel you can contribute to supporting the young people in meeting their campaign aims or can link them to workstreams relevant to their campaigns, or if you know of any young people interested in getting involved, please contact The Participation Team via [email protected].

    MIL OSI United Kingdom