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  • MIL-OSI Security: Laurence Taylor and Rachel Williams appointed as Assistant Commissioners

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    The Met has appointed Laurence Taylor and Rachel Williams as Assistant Commissioners.

    Assistant Commissioner Taylor, who has been temporarily occupying the post of Assistant Commissioner for Professionalism, has been permanently appointed as Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations.

    Assistant Commissioner Williams has been serving temporarily as the Assistant Commissioner for Trust and Legitimacy. She has been permanently appointed as Assistant Commissioner for Professionalism.

    Laurence and Rachel will move into their new roles in July.

    Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am very pleased to welcome both Laurence and Rachel into their new permanent Assistant Commissioner positions.

    “They bring a wealth of experience, having served at forces across the country before coming to the Met. Here, they have both been pivotal part of our senior leadership team, with Laurence driving forward changes in frontline policing and Rachel improving our culture so we can increase public trust in the Met.

    “I wish them both the best of luck in their new roles and look forward to working closely with them as they help us deliver a New Met for London.”

    Bios

    AC Taylor joined policing in 1996 as a constable with Sussex Police.

    Working hard to become an inspector in just eight years, his work at the beginning of his career spanned patrolling the neighbourhoods of East Sussex to leading on 24/7 response policing in central Brighton – one the UK’s busiest cities.

    His final position at Sussex Police was Deputy Chief Constable, where he managed Local Policing, Operations and Specialist Crime Command.

    From there, he joined the Met in 2018 as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Uniformed Operations. In this role AC Taylor was responsible for more than 8,000 officers and staff, delivering specialist policing and pan-London services, including firearms, roads policing and safer transport teams, and taskforce. He was critical in the Met’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some of the city’s most challenging political moments in modern history.

    Before his most recent post, AC Taylor was Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Frontline Policing – Local Policing from March 2021 to February 2023. Under his leadership, the number of wanted offenders outstanding reduced by 20 per cent and several new initiatives were established, including community mental health projects and town centre teams.

    AC Taylor then served as DAC Specialist Operations from February 2023 until April 2024 when he took over the role of Temporary Assistant Commissioner for Professionalism.

    AC Williams joined policing in February 1998.

    Rachel had an impressive career at Avon and Somerset Police and worked her way up the ranks to T/Assistant Chief Constable Crime and Operations where she led on several areas including crime and investigations, intelligence and covert work.

    She then moved to the Met in 2020 and joined as Commander Intelligence and Covert Policing. Rachel oversaw 2,000 staff and officers leading on covert, sensitive and frontline intelligence work.

    Following this role, Rachel moved on to become Commander Rebuilding Trust / Serious Violence where she focused on improving public confidence in the Met and driving down violence across the city.

    In November 2022 she moved to Gwent Police as Deputy Chief Constable, where she was critical in the protection of some of the most diverse and vulnerable communities in Wales.

    Rejoining the Met in 2024, Rachel returned to occupy the role of Temporary Assistant Commissioner for Trust and Legitimacy, helping deliver high standards and professionalism – a key pillar in the Met’s New Met for London strategy.

    During this time AC Williams was also head of the Met’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion directorate, chair of the CD&I group and led on the force’s culture programme.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Aurora Mobile’s Subsidiaries EngageLab and GPTBots.ai Achieve SOC 2 Type II Certification, Setting a New Benchmark for Global Data Security

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, China, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aurora Mobile Limited (NASDAQ: JG) (“Aurora Mobile” or the “Company”), a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, today announced that its flagship platforms, EngageLab and GPTBots.ai, have both successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II certification. This milestone underscores Aurora Mobile’s unwavering commitment to the highest international standards of data security, privacy, and operational excellence.

    SOC 2 Type II, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), is a globally recognized auditing standard that rigorously evaluates the design and operational effectiveness of a company’s controls over a defined period. This certification covers five key trust service criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

    What This Means for Our Clients and Partners:

    • Enterprise-Grade Security: Aurora Mobile, through its platforms EngageLab and GPTBots.ai, safeguards client data with industry-leading security controls and continuous monitoring, ensuring protection across critical areas such as security, availability, and confidentiality.
    • Global Compliance: SOC 2 Type II certification supports our clients’ regulatory and business requirements worldwide, facilitating secure business expansion.
    • Operational Excellence: The certification validates our ability to deliver reliable, secure, and scalable solutions for mission-critical applications across industries.

    “Data security and privacy are at the heart of Aurora Mobile’s mission,” said Chris Lo, CEO at Aurora Mobile. “Achieving SOC 2 Type II certification for both EngageLab and GPTBots.ai is a testament to our ongoing investment in security and compliance, empowering our clients to innovate and grow with absolute confidence.”

    With this achievement, Aurora Mobile further strengthens its position as a trusted technology partner for enterprises seeking secure, compliant, and intelligent customer engagement and AI solutions on a global scale.

    About EngageLab
    EngageLab is a world-leading AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement solution provider, unites technology and versatility to offer seamless customer interactions across every channel, including Email, AppPush, WebPush, OTP, SMS and WhatsApp Business. It empowers businesses to build lasting relationships and achieve higher conversions and retention. With a strong focus on innovation and performance, EngageLab supports businesses in over 220 countries and regions, delivering more than 1 million messages every second across various channels.

    About GPTBots.ai
    GPTBots.ai is an enterprise AI agent platform that empowers businesses to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. Offering end-to-end AI solutions across customer service, knowledge search, data analysis, and lead generation, GPTBots.ai enables enterprises to harness the full potential of AI with ease. With seamless integration into various systems, and support for scalable, secure deployments, GPTBots.ai is dedicated to reducing costs, accelerating growth, and helping businesses thrive in the AI era.

    For more information, please visit www.engagelab.com and www.gptbots.ai.

    About Aurora Mobile Limited

    Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.

    For more information, please visit https://ir.jiguang.cn/.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Aurora Mobile’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Aurora Mobile may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Aurora Mobile’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Aurora Mobile’s strategies; Aurora Mobile’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Aurora Mobile’s ability to attract and retain customers; its ability to develop and effectively market data solutions, and penetrate the existing market for developer services; its ability to transition to the new advertising-driven SAAS business model; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand; the competition with current or future competitors; its ability to continue to gain access to mobile data in the future; the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Aurora Mobile undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

    For more information, please contact:

    Aurora Mobile Limited
    E-mail: ir@jiguang.cn

    Christensen

    In China
    Ms. Xiaoyan Su
    Phone: +86-10-5900-1548
    E-mail: Xiaoyan.Su@christensencomms.com

    In US
    Ms. Linda Bergkamp
    Phone: +1-480-614-3004
    Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com

    The MIL Network –

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    		 2024:

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

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

    Launched food delivery on the JD platform in February

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

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

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

    Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Low return rate

    Instant fulfillment

    		 High-frequency demand

    High return rate

    Long fulfillment cycle

    		 Pre-purchase vouchers

    Redemption rates fluctuate

    Unstable fulfillment window

    		 Low-frequency demand

    Low return rate

    Instant fulfillment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Table 5: Platform-level New User Scale Growth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Month Average Usage Time (mins/month)

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

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

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

    Table 8: Platform Characteristics Comparison

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

    Policy Advantages

    		 0% commission for select premium merchants

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

    Job & insurance support for couriers

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

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

    Data Source: Public information, compiled by MoonFox Research Institute

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

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

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

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

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

    About MoonFox Data

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

    About Aurora Mobile

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

    For Media Inquiries:

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Grow Your IB and Affiliate Business with Axi at the 2025 Money Expo Colombia

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SYDNEY, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi has announced that it will attend this year’s Money Expo Colombia, taking place June 25-26, 2025, in Bogota, Colombia.

    Event attendees will have the opportunity to explore how they can grow their IB and Affiliate business. “We invite all traders to visit our booth and connect with our team,” says Santiago Vazquez-Munoz, Regional Head for UK, Europe, and LATAM, before adding, “We look forward to showcasing how our exceptional partnership opportunities can help traders elevate their business. Attendees at the expo will also have access to exclusive deals available only during the event.” Furthermore, attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about Axi Select, Axi’s capital allocation program featuring zero registration or registration fees, capital funding up to $1,000,000 USD, the opportunity to earn up to 90% of the profits, and advanced tools to accelerate traders’ trading potential.

    Football enthusiasts can also visit Axi’s booth to get an inside look at the broker’s longstanding partnership with Manchester City, Premier League Champions. Manchester City memorabilia and the club’s mascots will be on-site for photo opportunities, and attendees will have the chance to win exciting prizes from the broker – including signed player shirts and other merchandise.

    The broker has a longstanding partnership with Manchester City FC, Girona FC, and Esporte Clube Bahia. In 2023, they also announced England international John Stones as their Brand Ambassador. In 2024, the broker was recognised with the ‘Innovator of the Year’ award at the Dubai Forex Expo, and was honoured by Finance Feeds with the titles of ‘Most Reliable Broker’, ‘Broker of the Year’ and ‘Most Innovative Proprietary Trading Firm’.

    Watch video : https://youtu.be/92qBSHsGHMM?si=0pdt_bV7sAdQVOsB

    About Axi

    Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.

    For more information from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Mary-Elizabeth McMunn: Outcomes and opportunities – responding to challenge and change

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning.  Thank you to Irish Funds for the invitation to address their Annual Global Funds Conference today.

    The theme of this year’s conference – ‘Towards 2030: Acceleration, Transformation & Innovation’ – is a fitting one. 

    Given the volatility of global events over the last few weeks, it is more important than ever that we continue to look to future.  Both to understand and be able to take advantage of potential opportunities – particularly with regard to transformation and innovation – but also to be prepared for whatever the future may hold.  

    But before I look to the future, I will spend a few moments looking back – and taking stock of recent and potentially seismic global developments. 

    Shifting geo-political plates

    The last few months and indeed weeks have seen a sudden shift in geo-economic fragmentation both in terms of an accelerated pace and scale. 

    While a return to more protectionist policies had been forecast for some time – and specific events such as COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine provided concrete examples of trade fragmentation and heightened geopolitical tensions – the recent and potentially significant fracturing of trading relations has come about quite suddenly.

    MIL OSI Economics –

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

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

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

    Introduction

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

    The Global Economic Context

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

    The Economics of Protectionism

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

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Blog: Why Central Banks in Asia Should Consider Cutting Interest Rates

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Amid global trade uncertainty and moderating inflation, several Asian economies face growing pressure to reduce interest rates. Falling inflation, high real interest rates, weakening growth, and a softening US dollar suggest conditions may be right for monetary easing in parts of the region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

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

    Source: City of Birmingham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vitaly Savelyev visited the exhibition of Russian unmanned technologies

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Vitaly Savelyev visited the exhibition of Russian unmanned technologies.

    Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev familiarized himself with promising technologies and solutions in the Russian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry.

    The samples were presented at the public platform “Boiling Point” of the National Technological Initiative. The Deputy Prime Minister was shown more than 50 models of drones and examples of their implementation in various sectors of the economy and life.

    Vitaly Savelyev highly appreciated the presented samples. “The development of the high-tech UAS sector and the creation of a promising independent branch of the economy related to the creation and use of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles are the key tasks of the national project “Unmanned Aircraft Systems”. The solutions presented at the exhibition reflect a wide range of possibilities for their application. The growth of production dynamics and the commercial implementation of new technologies will contribute to strengthening national technological sovereignty and increasing the competitiveness of the domestic economy,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    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: Minimum income (minimumsudlodning) 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Privately taxed investors in funds managed by Storebrand Asset Management AS are subject to minimum income tax (minimumsudlodning) for 2025.

    Investors who owned units in the equity funds below on 30 April 2025 (value date 2 May) will be taxed as follows:

    Fund name and share class Symbol SE-number Technical distribution pr unit in DKK (Aktieindkomst)
    SKAGEN Focus A NO0010735129 13 34 14 27 26,69
    SKAGEN Global A NO0008004009 13 34 12 65 0
    SKAGEN Kon-Tiki A NO0010140502 13 34 14 19 128,12
    SKAGEN Vekst A NO0008000445 13 34 12 57 240,19
    Storebrand Global Multifactor A5 NO0010841596 13 34 15 67 185,32
    Storebrand Global Plus A5 NO0010841604 13 34 17 10 0
    Storebrand Global Plus B5 NO0012882333 13 38 33 67 6,18
    Storebrand Global Plus C5 NO0012882341 13 37 68 24 0
    Storebrand Global Solutions A5 NO0010841612 13 34 16 64 98,89
    Storebrand Indeks – Alle Markeder A5 NO0010841588 13 34 16 21 38,77
    Storebrand Indeks – Alle Markeder B5 NO0012882101 13 37 67 27 21,48
    Storebrand Indeks – Alle Markeder C5 NO0012882119 13 37 67 51 21,37
    Storebrand Indeks – Nye Markeder A5 NO0010841570 13 34 16 56 48,36

    Note that the dividend is not paid out but remains in the fund.

    For tax purposes, the technical distribution (non-effective payment) should be added to the purchase price of original units. The amount is considered to have been acquired at the same time as the original units, and with a sum that corresponds to the technical distribution.

    Regards
    Storebrand Asset Management AS

    Contacts:

    Henrik Budde Gantzel, Director, henrik.budde.gantzel@storebrand.no
    Frode Aasen, Product Manager, fdc@storebrand.com

    Storebrand is Norway’s largest private asset manager with an AuM of around DKK 900 billion, and a leading Nordic provider of sustainable pensions and savings. The company has been a global pioneer in ESG investing for over 30 years, offering broad and scalable solutions for both institutional and private investors in the Nordic region and other European countries. In Denmark, Storebrand delivers sustainable investment solutions and client value through a multi-boutique platform, with the brands Storebrand Funds, SKAGEN Funds, Cubera Private Equity, Capital Investment and a majority ownership of AIP.

    The MIL Network –

  • Indian companies post satisfactory Q4 results despite global challenges: Bank of Baroda Report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Corporate performance of Indian companies in the fourth quarter of financial year 2025 remained satisfactory despite a tough global economic environment, according to a recent report by Bank of Baroda.

    The report highlighted that most companies are optimistic about their future growth prospects, and there is potential for further improvement once consumption demand picks up in FY26.

    The report said, “Corporate performance in Q4 FY25 was on the whole satisfactory and there is scope for an upward movement once consumption pick up in FY26. Importantly, despite a challenging global environment, companies remain positive on future growth prospects”.

    The report pointed out that certain sectors are already showing signs of recovery. Sectors linked to infrastructure are experiencing steady growth even though they are being compared to a high base from last year.

    In the case of consumer-related sectors like FMCG and consumer durables, strong rural demand and seasonal factors have played a key role in supporting recovery.

    The services sector has also continued to grow at a steady pace, driven by strong demand.

    The report noted that stable commodity prices, low inflation in India, a favourable monsoon outlook, trade agreements, government spending on infrastructure, and tax benefits are expected to be important drivers of growth and demand in the coming months.

    According to the report, aggregate net sales of a sample of 1,893 companies increased by 5.4 per cent in Q4 FY25, while net profits rose by 7.6 per cent. Expenses and interest costs remained under control, which helped improve the debt repayment ability of companies.

    However, some slowdown in sales was seen in large sectors such as oil and gas, textiles, and iron and steel. This had a negative impact on the overall performance of the sample. But the report suggested that this is likely a one-time occurrence and not a long-term concern.

    Similarly, the BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) sector, which performed strongly last year, saw some moderation in growth. This has been linked to a slowdown in credit growth.

    Overall, the report painted a positive picture of India Inc’s performance in Q4 FY25 and suggests that companies are well-positioned to benefit from improving demand and supportive policy measures in the next financial year.

    (ANI)

  • India urges deeper BRICS cooperation for building future-ready digital ecosystem

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready digital development at the 11th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting held in Brasília, Brazil.
     
    Delivering India’s national statement, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, highlighted the country’s progress in digital governance under the theme set by Brazil’s BRICS presidency—Universal and Meaningful Connectivity, Space Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, and the Digital Ecosystem.
     
    Dr. Chandra Sekhar showcased India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a global model for inclusive and transformative digital governance. He underlined the impact of flagship platforms such as Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), stating that Aadhaar has empowered over 950 million Indians with secure digital identity and seamless access to services, while UPI has revolutionised real-time digital payments, contributing to 46 percent of the world’s digital transactions.
     
    He called upon BRICS nations to deepen collaboration and leverage digital public infrastructure for inclusive growth. “India’s DPI model, based on open and interoperable platforms, is a catalyst for good governance, financial inclusion and digital innovation while acting as a safeguard against monopolistic practices,” he added.
     
    Dr. Sekhar also spoke about India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, the growing digital skills network, and progressive legislations such as the Telecommunications Act and the Data Protection Act. Stressing the need for digital trust and user safety, he highlighted India’s Sanchar Saathi initiative to combat telecom-related fraud.
     
    The Minister emphasised the importance of international cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, data protection and digital integrity, noting that the safety and trustworthiness of interconnected digital societies are crucial for the future.
     
    Reflecting on India’s digital progress, Dr. Sekhar said the country has transitioned from digital divide to digital leadership. He presented the Digital Bharat Nidhi programme as a flagship initiative that has supported projects like BharatNet, which now connects over 2.18 lakh gram panchayats through optical fibre. 
     
    He said that India’s indigenous development and mass deployment of 4G and 5G technologies have brought high-speed connectivity to over 95 percent of the population with 4G and more than 80 percent with 5G. India, he noted, also leads the world in affordable data access, with internet data prices as low as 12 cents per gigabyte.
     
    Speaking on the issue of space sustainability, the Minister said, “Space is no longer a distant frontier—it is now a vital part of our digital infrastructure.” He outlined India’s reforms in satellite communication, including streamlined SATCOM regulations and expanded licensing for mobile and IoT satellite services. He urged BRICS nations to work jointly on global issues such as orbital equity, spectrum management and space traffic regulation through cooperation rather than competition.
     
    Addressing environmental sustainability, Dr. Sekhar acknowledged the dual challenges of climate change and rising e-waste. Citing projections from the Global E-Waste Monitor, he warned that global e-waste could reach 82 billion kilograms by 2030. He informed the forum about India’s initiatives like the Green Development Pact from the G20 Summit in Delhi and the Panchamrit goals announced at COP-26. He urged BRICS members to adopt circular economy practices, integrate green energy into ICT infrastructure and support global frameworks like the ITU’s Green Digital Action.
     

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    (IANS)

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    RSH publishes its quarterly survey for Q4 2024-25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Will Perry, Director of Strategy at RSH, said:  

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

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

    Notes to editors

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

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

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

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

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM remarks at the Show Racism the Red Card reception: 2 June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    PM remarks at the Show Racism the Red Card reception: 2 June 2025

    Prime Minister’s remarks at the Show Racism the Red Card reception in Downing Street.

    Thank you, Shaka [Hislop] and thank you for all that you’ve done and all that you have inspired—because to look out here so many years after the instant you described a moment ago and see so many people who’ve contributed to this really important campaign and cause—must be inspiring for you. It’s certainly inspiring for us with this great charity, Show Racism the Red Card.

    And as you said, it was almost 30 years ago now from that moment in the petrol station near Saint James’s Park, where you were facing appalling racism and abuse. I think a moment ago you told me you’d just got married. You were newly married, simply stopping to fill up the car, facing that abuse until the perpetrators realised that the person they were targeting was the Newcastle goalkeeper that they so admired. In that moment, they changed completely and you saw the power of football with that—to change our country—and were determined to seize it and to build something better out of that moment. The way Shaka put it to me just now was that at 100 yards he faced racism and hatred; at 100 feet, when people were closer, he experienced friendship and a wanting to have his autograph. That, I think, has driven you—this sense that if we can pull people closer and act in that way, the power of doing so is phenomenal.

    In that particular case, it was the very same individual whose behaviour changed in a very short period of time. And here we are, years later, in Downing Street, and it is my privilege to be able to host you and to host everybody here in this garden with a charity that has reached 1.3 million people. And not just the work that’s been done in football grounds themselves, but in schools, in workplaces, and stadiums across the country. And of course, with so many others that have joined this mission—all of those that are here tonight, but many other people who can’t be here this evening—have played a huge part as well. And we say thanks to them.

    We’ve got pioneers like Trevor Sinclair, Anita Asante, Richard Offiong, and Chris Hughton here today. We’re so special. Thank you to all of them and people across the football world, all doing so much in their own right to support this cause. So not just on behalf of myself as Prime Minister, but on behalf of the whole country, I’d like to say a huge thank you. And when I say the whole country, I always remind myself that it’s a privilege to stand here, and there are millions of people who would love to stand here this evening and say thank you to you for all that you have done.

    I say that as Prime Minister, but I say it on behalf of all the people who would love to stand here and say hello to you and say thank you to you—people whose lives have been affected. As you said, Shaka, the people who you won’t even know, won’t ever meet, but whose lives have been changed by the work that has been done. And that’s the power of inspiration—reaching beyond the immediate and bringing other people in behind this important work and using the power of football to fight racism and build a better, more inclusive Britain. And there’s only one further step tonight that we need to take. I’ve been determined to do it for a long time, which is to put some five-a-side goals back here. 

    I’m a season ticket holder, go to football now, but I’ve been going for many years like other people here. And I do remember when going to football was a very different experience than it is today, especially for fans and players from certain communities, it was a very different experience. And I remember that as a fan watching football week in, week out. So yes, we celebrate today how far we’ve come—and we should—but it is also a call to action because we know we’ve got to go further. And we can’t be complacent, even within football itself.

    Never forget, it was only four years ago, in the summer of 2021, when those young England stars faced appalling abuse after that penalty shootout against Italy in the finals of the Euros. But yet that team, after that experience, I can still remember the players going up to take those penalties and the aftermath. And then the outpouring of hatred, vitriol, abuse that came, which I think was shocking for them—certainly shocking for all of us, including for me—because just as we think that we’ve made great strides forward, there’s a brutal reminder: not so fast. Don’t be complacent.

    And yet that team, those young players, supported by Gareth, stood up and showed real leadership in the face of that hatred and that abuse. They used the honour of representing our country in our national game to help us build a better nation, a more inclusive nation, and to make us proud of our national identity, of who we are and what we stand for. And that was a brilliant response to what happened just four years ago and enabled us to bring the country together through that shared emotion of football. And that’s the power of football that we’re all here to harness today, because it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what you do for a living—the basic joy of stepping onto a pitch and kicking a ball is deep in our humanity. And I say this from personal experience: football is for everyone. There’s something special about stepping onto the pitch where almost everything else falls away, and it just depends on you and your teammates around you. And it’s a reminder of the power of football and that football is for everyone.

    Even for me, I am unashamedly ambitious about how we can use the unifying power of football to educate, as you are doing, to fight discrimination, bring our communities together, and promote health and fitness. And it really gives people a leg up with skills, employability, and confidence. And for young people, to my mind, confidence is probably the number one most valuable thing in whatever they do—the confidence it gives and the way that football contributes to all of that. And many of you here are leading the way with that, including many of our football clubs. But just to take some examples that I’ve seen from Arsenal: David Dein pioneering the Twinning Project, using football to reduce reoffending. What a brilliant project that is—to go into prisons and to work with young people to give them a chance when they come out of not going back into prison in the future through the Twinning Project. The Dirt Is Good campaign—tackling the stigma of stains on clothes and bringing down the barriers that have stopped girls playing sport for too long. And how far have we come because of campaigns like that with our women’s football, which has gone through massive strides in the last few years. And the support of Adidas to create new local pitches for people from all backgrounds to come and play, including in my own constituency—what a valuable contribution. Because that gives sport to children and young people who wouldn’t otherwise have it and gives them the chance not to be mucking about on the streets doing other things which wouldn’t do them any good in the long term.

    And they’re just examples. But I’m determined we can do so much more so that in each place there’s the pride that comes with football, the facilities and opportunities for everyone to play. Because investing in high-quality grassroots facilities in our communities can rebuild the social fabric of our country. We have our big clubs, and we have clubs across the whole of the country. And the pride in place of the local club is huge. The power of that to bring young people into the facilities is huge. And just look at any of the playoffs at Wembley. The whole town wants to go to support their community. Something comes out that is bigger than football, and that’s the pride of place that football showcases.

    And so here we are in the Number 10 garden to talk about how we use football to change our country for the better. On my first day as Prime Minister, I stood on the other side of this building, outside on the steps of Downing Street, and said that we would be a government of service. And that means that this is my place of work. It’s also where I live, incidentally. But it also belongs to you. And I want you to feel a sense of this. It’s not a privilege to be here in this garden, because if we’re the government of service, then we’re in your service. And therefore, this is a place to which you’re entitled to come—not just privileged to come. And I want you to feel a real sense that this is my workplace. But in a sense, today I want it to feel like your workplace as well. You’re not just invited to be here—you are entitled to be here, and you’re welcome. And to put your fingerprints on the work of this government—it’s very important that you push us and tell us what else we should be doing. You have the right, given everything you have already contributed, to tell us what else we should do—to put your fingerprints on the next policy, to make sure that we together shape a better future. And what an inspiring group of people to be able to do this here in this garden.

    Thank you for coming. Let’s show racism the red card and use football to help deliver the change this country needs.

    Thank you so much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Letter to governors and trustees in schools and academy trusts

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Letter to governors and trustees in schools and academy trusts

    A letter of thanks from Catherine McKinnell, the Minister for School Standards, recognising school and trust governance volunteers in England.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Letter of thanks to governors and trustees in schools and academy trusts

    PDF, 119 KB, 1 page

    Details

    This letter marks Volunteers’ Week.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 3) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2025.
     
         In the first quarter of 2025, total port cargo throughput decreased by 3.9% to 41.1 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 10.8% to 24.5 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 8.6% to 16.6 million tonnes.
     
         On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 2.6% in the first quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 1.3% compared with the preceding quarter, while outward port cargo increased by 8.9% compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
     
    Port cargo
     
         In the first quarter of 2025, within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 3.7% and 4.2% to 25.9 million tonnes and 15.2 million tonnes respectively over a year earlier.
     
         Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, a double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Chile (+33.3%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Vietnam (-30.6%), Taiwan (-23.9%), Malaysia (-21.6%), Thailand (-21.4%), Korea (-18.5%), Japan (-13.8%) and the mainland of China (-13.2%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Australia (+28.3%), Taiwan (+22.8%) and the mainland of China (+22.5%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the United States of America (-31.9%), the Philippines (-30.6%), Malaysia (-27.8%), Thailand (-25.9%), Japan (-21.5%) and Vietnam (-18.1%).
     
         Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+24.9%), “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-15.0%) and “stone, sand and gravel” (-37.7%). As for outward port cargo, triple-digit or double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+122.9%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+15.6%) and “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-20.6%).
     
    Containers
     
         In the first quarter of 2025, the port of Hong Kong handled 3.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, representing an increase of 1.6% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers decreased by 3.3% to 2.58 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 21.2% to 0.80 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 2.9% and 3.6% to 1.39 million TEUs and 1.19 million TEUs respectively.
     
         On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward laden containers increased by 3.3%, while outward laden containers decreased by 0.4%.
     
         In the first quarter of 2025, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 3.3% and 3.2% to 1.82 million TEUs and 0.76 million TEUs respectively over a year earlier.
     
    Vessel arrivals
     
         Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 1.1% to 4 506, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.8% to 70.8 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 0.7% to 19 800, while the total capacity increased by 22.6% to 23.1 million net tons.
     
    Further information
     
         Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD. Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded.
     
         Table 1 presents the detailed port cargo statistics.
     
         Table 2 and Table 3 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by main countries/territories of loading and discharge.
     
         Table 4 and Table 5 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by principal commodities.
     
         Table 6 presents the detailed container statistics.
     
         Table 7 presents the statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong.
     
         More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report “Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, First Quarter 2025”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230).
     
         For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chris Sun to visit Geneva, Munich

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun will depart for Geneva, Switzerland, tonight to attend the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference, before heading to Munich, Germany, to continue his visit.

    Mr Sun will attend the conference as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation. Commissioner for Labour May Chan, as well as Labour Advisory Board employee and employer members will join him.

    While in Geneva, Mr Sun will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials of the International Labour Organization and leading figures of international organisations attending the conference.

    He will also meet government, employer and employee representatives of the PRC delegation, as well as representatives from the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organisations in Switzerland.

    On June 7, Mr Sun will leave for Munich, Germany, for the second leg of his visit.

    Joined by Hong Kong Talent Engage Director Anthony Lau, the labour chief will meet young entrepreneurs and talent to exchange ideas and introduce the latest developments in manpower policies in Hong Kong.

    Mr Sun will arrive in Hong Kong on June 9. During his absence, Under Secretary for Labour & Welfare Ho Kai-ming will be Acting Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

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

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

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

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

    There were 403,745 land register searches last month.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s lowest paid workers just got a 3.5% wage increase. Their next boost could be even better

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Buchanan, Professor, Discipline of Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney

    Carlos Castilla/Shutterstock

    A week ago, the Australian Financial Review released this year’s “Rich List”. It reported the number of billionaires in Australia increased from 150 to 166 between 2024 and 2025.

    A very different story is happening at the other end of the market. On Tuesday the Fair Work Commission awarded the lowest paid 20% of wage earners a 3.5% increase as a result of its annual review.

    The commission acknowledged even with this increase, our lowest paid employees will not be earning as much in real terms as they did before the post-COVID inflationary surge of 2021-2022.

    Why such a meagre increase?

    In Australia it has long been accepted that – all things being equal – wages should move with both prices and productivity.

    Adjusting them for inflation ensures their real value is maintained. Adjusting them for productivity means employees share in rising prosperity associated with society becoming more productive over time.

    This “prices plus productivity” model of wage rises is, however, subject to economic circumstances. In recent times the key circumstance of concern has been inflation.

    Depending how it is measured it peaked at between 6.5% and 9.6% in 2022-2023.

    Since 2022, economic agencies such as the Reserve Bank and state treasuries, along with finance sector economists, have been preaching about the threat of inflation persisting.

    Cutting real wages to control inflation

    Interest rates were increased to tame the inflation dragon. And these
    agencies all issued dire warnings about the threat of long-term inflationary pressure if wages were adjusted to maintain lower and middle income earners living standards.

    In its last three decisions the Fair Work Commission accommodated this narrative. Since July 2021 it ensured wages for the lowest paid 20% of employees did not keep up with inflation.

    Unsurprisingly, real wages for award-dependent employees fell.

    The commission has done its best to look after those on the absolute lowest rates: that is the 1% or so on the national minimum wage.

    Their wages have fallen by 0.8% over the period since July 2021. For those in the middle of the bottom 20% of employees dependent on awards the fall has been in the order of 4.5%.

    For example, this is the fall experienced by an entry level tradesperson in manufacturing dependent on an award.

    Because inflation is currently running at about 2.4%, the 3.5% increase marks a modest 1% real wage gain for a worker on or close to the entry level manufacturing tradesperson rates.

    In making this increase, the commission argued if real wage cuts continued, the entrenchment of lower minimum award rates was likely. It noted the economy is in pretty good shape – not just in terms of inflation and employment – but also many firms are turning a profit.

    What about productivity?

    The other striking feature of the post-COVID economic recovery has been poor productivity performance. It initially went backwards and more recently has flatlined.

    The commission rejected arguments recent poor performance in national productivity numbers should prevent raising the minimum award higher than inflation.

    It did this because it distinguished between productivity in the market and non-market sectors. In the former, productivity growth has been modest, but positive.

    Poor numbers in the non-market sector like health and social services were an artefact of both measurement problems and the need for more workers per unit output to boost the quality of these services.

    Silver linings?

    It is always a judgement call as to what is the appropriate scale of any wage increase. Given low paid workers were not the source of recent inflationary pressure, it is reasonable to claim now is the time to reverse the recent trends of cutting their real wages.

    Whether the increase had to be so modest is something the commission has
    indicated it is open to considering in future hearings. It has sent this signal by floating two novel arguments.

    The first argument concerns how cuts in real pay are calculated. In its decision it makes the very important point that conventional measures of real wage movements use monthly measures of inflation but wages only increase annually.

    It’s on this basis the 4.5% cut for the benchmark entry level trade worker in manufacturing was calculated.

    The commission notes, however, that if you take into account wages only rise once a year and inflation rises continuously, the overall loss of earnings power for such workers has been 14.4% since July 2021.

    This is a much higher account of real wage cuts than has previously informed debates on wages policy.


    FairWork Commission Annual Wage Review 2025, CC BY-NC-ND

    Secondly, the commission has noted consideration should be given to phasing out some of the lowest classifications in the award system. This is something it has done in the past.

    In this way it does not have to “increase rates” for low paid
    classifications as such. Rather, it just eliminates the possibility of having rates for exceptionally low paid jobs – and so raises the base rates dramatically for the lowest paid workers.

    Next year, things could be better. Australia has a long history of having a wages system that takes seriously the needs of all workers, and especially the low paid. This decision marks a break with the recent habit of using the lowest paid workers as a shock absorber for macroeconomic policy.

    The 3.5% rise is a modest increase but an important one. More important is the framework the commission has set up for decisions in future years. Devising a more accurate measure of real wage cuts and noting the importance of abolishing whole classifications of low paid work lays the foundations for potentially very exciting developments in Australian wages policy in coming years.

    John Buchanan has undertaken research on wages policy for over forty years. His most recent work has been supported by funding provided by the Electrical Trades Union, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (NSW Branch). He is member of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and Branch Council Member of that union at the University of Sydney.

    – ref. Australia’s lowest paid workers just got a 3.5% wage increase. Their next boost could be even better – https://theconversation.com/australias-lowest-paid-workers-just-got-a-3-5-wage-increase-their-next-boost-could-be-even-better-258072

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Leeds campaign takes stand against all discrimination

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds City Council is launching a new campaign taking a stand against all forms of discrimination.

    This comes as the council is preparing a new Stronger Leeds Strategy 2025-30, outlining the council’s commitment to strengthening social cohesion across the city. It includes plans for addressing issues that impact on people’s sense of belonging and celebrating the city’s vibrant diversity.

    Social cohesion refers to how well people from different backgrounds, cultures, and social groups get on and live together peacefully, sharing common values, goals, and responsibilities.

    Between October 2023 and September 2024 3,234 instances of hate crime were recorded in Leeds. Many instances of discrimination and hate crime are never reported, so the real number is thought to be much higher.

    The new anti-discrimination campaign uses posters across the city centre and social media activity to spread a message of non-tolerance for misogyny, racism, anti-Muslim prejudice, anti Semitism, ageism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, and disability discrimination. It also aims to highlight the pride that people feel in the city’s diversity through the overall tagline “What makes us different makes us Leeds”.

    Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer services and community safety, said: “At Leeds City Council, we will not tolerate discrimination in any form. Leeds has a proud tradition of welcoming people from all backgrounds, faiths and beliefs and we want to celebrate being a diverse and vibrant city.

    “We are proud of our diverse communities and tackling hate crime and intolerance is a top priority for us as we work to strengthen community cohesion.

    “This campaign is part of what we’re doing to take a stand against discrimination, challenge harmful attitudes and build a city where everyone feels and is respected and safe.”

    Read more about the campaign at leeds.gov.uk/strongerleeds. 

    ENDS

    The campaign has sourced funding from the community recovery fund: Community Recovery Fund: Guidance – GOV.UK. This is a pot made available to areas who experienced unrest in 2024, and can be used for a range of things, including “To reduce the risk of further disorder in the future” and “To rebuild social trust and promote cohesion between communities”.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow to Present City Management Projects at Conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The 10th conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” is taking place in Nizhny Novgorod. At it, the Moscow Government will present the best technological projects for managing the metropolis, as well as useful services for city residents. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    “You can see more than 60 innovative solutions at the capital’s stand. Among the flagship ones are a digital twin of Moscow with new capabilities, the Mos.Tech platform, laptops with their own operating system and software package,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    Key projects

    The laptops presented at the conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” were assembled according to the technical specifications of the capital Department of Information TechnologyEach of them has its own operating system “MosTech.OS” (based on the Linux kernel) and a package of Moscow-developed services – similar to foreign ones.

    It includes a text editor, spreadsheet and presentation software, an app store, a video conferencing service, a messenger, email, and a cloud storage system. They are based on open-source solutions that have been refined to meet the city’s needs.

    More than 120 thousand of such laptops and monoblocks are already used in some Moscow institutions and departments. All programs are developed and placed on a single technological platform Mos.Tech.

    Another significant development for the city is the digital twin of the capital. This project helps authorities make informed decisions on the development of infrastructure in the metropolis. Its base is an accurate photogrammetric model of Moscow with all buildings, communications and infrastructure (photogrammetry is a method of creating three-dimensional images using photographs taken at different angles).

    Thanks to the new functionality of “Generative Design”, the modern tool is able not only to test different scenarios, but also to offer its own ideas based on the specified parameters. Artificial intelligence creates dozens of projects of social institutions, road network objects and engineering infrastructure in a few seconds, maintaining a balance of resources.

    In real time

    For the first time, visitors to the conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” will be able to observe the life of the inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo. The stand will show videos from cameras located in the pavilions of pandas Katyusha, Dindin and Zhui, manul Timofey, capybaras, raccoons and other animals. Residents of the capital can watch the broadcasts at any time on thematic site.

    More than 30 popular places in the capital will be presented on the big screen in real time. Among them are VDNKh, the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, Gorky Park and the Ostankino TV Tower.

    The exhibition will showcase services useful for city residents and business representatives: the capabilities of the mos.ru portal, the Moscow Innovation Cluster platform, the MetaVDNKh project, and many others. All these solutions form a single digital ecosystem for the capital.

    Dialogue with industry leaders

    As part of the business program, the capital will organize its own session “Ecosystems rule the market. Who and how forms digital Russia” for the first time. At it, experts will discuss with leaders of the IT industry the impact of information technologies on the lives of citizens.

    Moscow has one of the most developed digital ecosystems in the world, which allows you to perform almost any everyday task online. Its key link is the mos.ru portal, which contains more than 450 services. Since 2011, city residents have taken advantage of its capabilities over five billion times.

    For example, on the portal you can reserve books in the library, buy tickets for performances, concerts and exhibitions, submit water and heat meter readings, make an appointment with specialists and resolve other issues.

    To access all services, you only need one account — Mos ID. It gives access to more than 150 different resources.

    The capital also has a number of industry projects that are part of the city’s unified ecosystem, in particular the Mos.Hub developer platform, the Moskino film platform, and the Moscow Innovation Cluster platform. I. Moskov, Suppliers portal.

    Over the past year, the capital’s departments and IT projects have received more than 60 specialized awards.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154713073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

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

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: How was the animation and children’s film festival in the Moskino cinema park

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    One of the main events of the weekend at the Moskino cinema park was Moscow Festival of Animation and Children’s Cinema. It was visited by 14 thousand people. In addition, from May 31 to June 1, concerts, master classes and a parade of cartoon characters were held at the cinema park venues.

    Cinema Park as a point of assembly

    On May 31, a presentation of animation projects was held at the educational center. The works were presented by professional directors, animators, as well as aspiring filmmakers — university students.

    The jury included Vladimir Vereshchagin, curator of the children’s and family direction of the Kinopoisk platform, Kirill Kiychenko, CEO of Paranoid Animation Studio, Vasily Solovyov, CEO of Visual Story, Sergey Melnikov, Deputy CEO of Mosrazvitie, and others. The experts assessed the quality of the animators’ work and the originality of their ideas, and presented them with memorable gifts.

    “Film production is currently actively developing, including animation projects, and quantity is turning into quality. Producers strive to create exactly the content that the viewer needs, and the film park makes their work much easier. Just a few years ago, we could not even imagine that such a place would appear in our industry, so I am delighted with what I saw here. The technology and versatility of this site in terms of the number and variety of decorations are amazing. And holding pitching sessions and conferences promotes the exchange of experience,” shared producer Vasily Solovyov.

    At an educational event dedicated to the creation of animation and visual content, trends in the development of children’s programs were discussed, as well as the role of musical and theatrical projects in the life of the city.

    The speakers included producer Vladimir Vereshchagin, editor-in-chief of the Karusel TV channel Tatyana Tsyvareva, producer Sergei Netievsky, deputy head of the Moscow Department of Information Technology Boris Frolov and others.

    “It is very important now to create family content that parents and children would watch. Our TV channel shows exactly these kinds of films, TV shows and cartoons. It is especially pleasant that domestic content is of interest. Its share on the channel has increased significantly and today amounts to about 75 percent. The top 20 popular animated series include projects that have magic and sorcery. Therefore, it is important for us that representatives of the film industry continue their active work, and the Moskino cinema park, in turn, will help to implement their ideas,” Tatyana Tsyvareva emphasized.

    The filmmakers walked around the film park’s sites and noted that each of them is unique. Thus, producer Vladimir Vereshchagin said that he is very pleased to see how everything that was invented is brought to life. The film park was created as a place for filming in one place – and now this is exactly how it is. There is an amazing site “Provincial Cities of Europe”, built for the future film “Buratino”, the necessary decoration “Center of Moscow” to film city life without blocking the streets, “Cathedral Square” and many others. The film park is becoming a popular place among tourists. Muscovites and guests of the capital can see the sets in which famous films were shot, learn about the filmmaking process and, most importantly, spend time with their families.

    Producer Kirill Kiychenko shared his impressions of the Moskino cinema park venues and noted that the future lies with it. In the near future, a number of music festivals, historical reconstructions and other holidays for the whole family are planned there.

    Children’s party at the Moskino cinema park

    The children’s holiday on the weekend began with a fairy-tale parade. Accompanied by drummers, about a hundred animators in costumes of favorite characters from Soviet and modern cartoons, including Cheburashka, Prostokvashino, The Adventures of Buratino, Smeshariki, Winnie the Pooh and many others, walked through the territory of the cinema park.

    On the central square, children and parents took part in a fun concert program: they danced to the songs “Chunga-Changa” and “Babushki” from the cartoon “Three Cats”, did exercises, played with balloons and soap bubbles. They also recalled the words from the famous songs “Where Childhood Goes” and “The Mammoth’s Song”.

    In addition, during thematic master classes, children played drums in a music tent, created flower arrangements and drew their favorite characters. The most active young guests took part in tug-of-war games and building a wall using soft cubes.

    The aspiring actors played in the staged filming of the movie “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession”, which took place on the “Cathedral Square of Moscow” stage. Children and adults dressed up as Streltsy and courtiers and performed the scene of the tsar’s exposure.

    The Cowboy Town set hosted a shoot based on the fairy tale “Aibolit”. The participants dressed up as animals cured by the genius doctor and witnessed his joke: to save himself from the treacherous Barmaley, Aibolit had to give the villain castor oil.

    Moscow Cinema Universe

    The Moskino cinema park is part of Sergei Sobyanin’s “Moscow – City of Cinema” project and an object of the Moscow cinema cluster, which is being developed by the capital Department of CultureThe first stage of creation has already been completed here: 24 natural sites, four pavilions and six infrastructure facilities have been built, including the sets “Center of Moscow”, “Moscow in the 1940s”, “Vitebsk Station”, “Cathedral Square of Moscow”, “County Town”, “Cowboy Town”, “St. Petersburg Bar” and other sites.

    The Cinema Park is actively developing as a cultural and leisure venue. Exhibitions, master classes, lectures, meetings with famous actors and other events for Muscovites and guests of the capital are held here.

    The Moscow Film Cluster is an infrastructure facility, services and facilities for filmmakers, which are being developed by the Moscow Government within the framework of the Moscow — City of Cinema project. Its structure includes the Moskino Film Park, the Gorky Film Studio (sites on Sergei Eisenstein Street and Valdaisky Proyezd), the Moskino Film Factory, the Moskino Cinema Network, the Film Commission and the Moskino Film Platform.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154733073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Frontex releases Annual Risk Analysis 2025-2026

    Source: Frontex

    Today, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, published its Annual Risk Analysis for 2025–2026, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges and pressures at the European Union’s external borders.

    The report comes at a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty. With challenges stretching from the Eastern land borders to Africa, and new tactics used to challenge Europe’s unity, Frontex’s role has never been more vital: offering accurate, timely intelligence that empowers Member States to foresee crises, not just react to them.

    In a world of shifting challenges, trustworthy information is Europe’s essential protection,” said Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens. “This report is about readiness. It helps EU Member States prepare, plan and act together.

    The report’s key findings include:

    • Eastern Borders: Use of migration as a pressure tool continues to drive unpredictability and hybrid threats.
    • Southern routes: Instability, external influence in Africa, and worsening humanitarian crises across the Sahel are fuelling new migratory routes and smuggling activity.
    • Air borders: Fraudulent documents, visa misuse, and increased use of lesser-controlled airports present a growing challenge.
    • Cross-border crime: Organised criminal groups are becoming more agile, making use of digital tools, drones, and fake documents to bypass border security.
    • Hybrid threats: Disinformation, sabotage, and attempts to destabilise the EU’s cohesion remain ongoing concerns.

    Looking ahead, Frontex experts anticipate continued migratory pressure and an expanding mix of security threats, ranging from the movement of high-risk individuals to the development of smuggling routes and weapon trafficking.

    Frontex has evolved into a strategic partner to Member States, not just supplying operational support, but helping build preparedness through intelligence, coordination, and a deep commitment to accountability and fundamental rights.

    The Annual Risk Analysis is an essential part of the EU’s integrated border management strategy. It supports national authorities in safeguarding their borders while upholding the European values.

    The full report is available here.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    (With inputs from IANS)

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

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

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

    Infrastructure Lifecycle Management

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

    Helvetia Insurance | How Terraform supported an ambitious cloud migration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Security Lifecycle Management

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

    IG Group | Strengthened security while accelerating delivery with HCP Vault

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Media and analyst contact
    media@hashicorp.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Result of the auction of 0.10 per cent DGBi 2034 and 2.25 per cent DGB 2035

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bids, sales, cut-off price, pro rata and yield are presented in the table below:           

    ISIN Bid mill. DKK (nominal) Sale mill.DKK (nominal) Cut-off price Pro rata Yield
    99 24458 DGB 0.10% 15/11/2034 620 600 93.04 100 % 0.87 % p.a.
    99 24961 DGB 2.25% 15/11/2035 1,450 950 97.97 100 % 2.47 % p.a.
    Total 2,070 1,550      

    Settlement: 6 June 2025

    The MIL Network –