Category: Eurozone

MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada attends the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

June 13, 2025

Nice, France – Canada’s oceans are facing increasing impacts from climate change, including species decline, biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, harm from aquatic invasive species, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the effects from waste and other pollutants. In response to these challenges, Canada is collaborating internationally with maritime nations across the globe to better protect our oceans for present and future generations.

From June 9-13, Fisheries and Oceans Canada led the Canadian delegation at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which took place in Nice, France. During the Conference, Canada led on a series of events including:
- An Ocean Action Panel co-chaired with Palau, leading thoughtful discussions on advancing sustainable ocean governance, conservation and responsible use of marine resources for our shared global oceans.
- An Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance (IUU-AA) event to reinforce the importance of transparency while improving efforts to govern, enforce and work with international partners to combat IUU fishing. As the current chair of the IUU Fishing Action Alliance, Canada recognizes the challenges of IUU fishing and its devastating impacts on fish stocks, ecosystems and economies around the world.
- The launch of a High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean, co-led alongside Panama, which was endorsed by 35 other countries. This Coalition marks a significant global commitment to reduce ocean noise, a key threat to ecosystem health and marine biodiversity around the world.
Canada also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom to strengthen our long history of cooperation on the sustainable use of marine resources, ocean protection and preservation, and ocean science.

By continuing to collaborate with international partners to better understand the environmental changes we are seeing in the global ocean and create more economic opportunities for coastal and inland communities, Canada can help contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous blue economy for all.

MIL OSI Canada News –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI: Trusted Crypto Casinos Are Taking Over Online Gambling in 2025: Exclusive Report By Radcred
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Glendale, CA, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Independent Research Report Shows Why Licence-Backed, Instant-Pay Blockchain Sites Outpace Legacy Casinos

Trust, not gimmicks, now decides where U.S. players place their crypto chips. Radcred’s Crypto-Casino Research Report scrutinized more than 200 digital-currency gambling sites, stress-testing everything from licensing to ledger speed. The audit confirms that total bet volume doubled to $26 billion in Q1 2025, while payout disputes fell by 38 per cent at operators meeting tier-one compliance and provably fair standards.

Only a few platforms earned Radcred’s coveted Gold Trust accreditation; dozens were rejected for opaque bonus rules, slow withdrawals, or missing security protocols.Together, these findings outline the benchmarks that separate the best crypto casinos 2025 from the rest of the market.

How Crypto Casinos Are Revolutionising Online Gambling

The digital gambling scenario is undergoing a seismic shift as blockchain technology fundamentally transforms the way players interact with online casinos. Unlike traditional platforms that rely on centralized systems and legacy banking infrastructure, crypto casinos are redefining transparency, speed, and global accessibility by utilizing distributed ledger technology.

Immutable Gaming Records
Every bet, game outcome, and payout is permanently recorded on-chain, creating an unalterable audit trail that players can independently verify. This eliminates the opacity of traditional casinos that store critical game data in private, centralized databases.

Provably Fair Gaming
Cryptographic algorithms enable players to validate results in real time—crucial for anyone seeking provably fair crypto games.. This revolutionary approach allows independent verification of outcomes, removing the need to trust casino operators blindly.

Instant Settlement Times

Withdrawals typically clear within 5-15 minutes; the fastest test result came from an instant-withdrawal Bitcoin casino at just 4.9 minutes, compared to traditional casinos that may take days for international transfers. This speed advantage is particularly pronounced for weekend transactions when traditional banking systems are often offline.

Elimination of Payment Processors
Direct peer-to-peer transfers remove the need for third-party payment processors and their associated fees and delays. This streamlined approach reduces transaction costs while dramatically improving processing speeds.

24/7 Global Accessibility
Blockchain networks operate continuously, allowing players worldwide to access gambling services regardless of local banking hours or weekend restrictions. This constant availability particularly benefits international players who previously faced significant barriers with traditional payment methods.

Detailed Casino findings are available in Radcred’s full 2025 report.

Game Selection at the Top Crypto Casinos

Leading sites now bundle 5,000+ RNG titles, live-dealer studios, crash games, and on-chain originals providing the variety legacy brands need years to match. BitStarz alone adds 200 new releases monthly, while Jackbit’s slot lobby covers every volatility tier from low-risk warm-ups to fast-paying crypto casino jackpot chasers.

1) Slots
Crypto sites host thousands of slot titles, from three-reel classics to video machines loaded with Megaways, cascading reels, and progressive jackpots. Fan favourites such as Sweet Bonanza and Book of Dead sit alongside exclusive Bitcoin-themed slots, most posting return-to-player rates near 95-97 %. Spin wagers typically start at $0.10, yet pooled jackpots can climb into six figures.

2) Table Games
Core staples include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and multiple poker variants. European roulette carries the lower house edge (2.7 %) versus its double-zero American cousin, while crypto blackjack often supports perfect-strategy RTPs above 99 %. Minimum bets hover around $1, but VIP tables raise limits well past $5,000.

3) Live Dealer Tables
Live studios stream in 4K from providers such as Evolution and Pragmatic Play, pairing professional croupiers with real-time chat. Options span live blackjack, speed roulette, Andar Bahar, and game-show formats like Crazy Time or Monopoly Live. Entry stakes can be as low as $0.20.

4) Provably Fair Originals
Blockchain titles—Crash, Dice, Mines, and Plinko—let players verify every result through on-chain hashes. The transparency appeals to trust-minded users, while lightning-fast rounds give the genre an arcade feel. Typical wagers range from a few cents to several hundred dollars.

5) Specialty Games
Light-hearted picks such as keno, bingo, scratch cards, and virtual sports round out the lobby. Tickets often cost under $1, deliver instant outcomes, and require no complex rules—ideal for a quick session between bigger bets.

6) Sports & eSports Betting
Many crypto platforms include full sportsbooks covering NFL, NBA, soccer, UFC, and eSports titles like CS:GO and League of Legends. Odds are priced in BTC or USDT, and same-wallet payouts hit accounts within minutes after matches settle.

7) Poker Rooms & Tournaments
Dedicated poker lobbies run cash tables, sit-and-go’s, and multi-table events with buy-ins from $1 to $10,000. Players join anonymously and withdraw chips directly to their wallets once play ends.

8) Crash & Multiplier Games
Titles such as Aviator, Bustabit, and JetX let users cash out before a rising line “crashes.” RTPs hover above 99 %, and rounds last under ten seconds, popular with bankroll builders seeking quick swings.

9) Lottery & Jackpot Draws
Daily crypto lotteries and hourly jackpot wheels sell tickets for a few satoshis. Prize pools grow block-by-block, draws are blockchain-verifiable, and winnings pay out instantly to the player’s wallet.

List of Top Games Reviewed by Radcred Experts

Legal Landscape of Crypto Casinos (U.S. & Global)

While no federal statute outlaws crypto wagering, state-by-state rules vary. Offshore platforms licensed in Curaçao, Malta, or the Isle of Man can legally accept American traffic, yet players should verify state restrictions before depositing. Europe is moving toward unified licence classes, and Asia-Pacific regulators are drafting sandbox frameworks to balance innovation and consumer protection.

How Players Use Crypto Casinos

• Bankroll building: Players grind low-stake slots to clear bonuses, then switch to provably fair dice for high-volatility bursts.

• Anonymity seekers: Privacy-minded users favour no-KYC crypto casino accounts tied to self-custody wallets.

• High rollers: VIPs capitalise on daily cashback ladders and wager-back rebates that would be impossible under fiat-card fees.

Bonuses and Promotions at Crypto Casinos

Welcome packages have exploded—some platforms tout 500 % matches worth $10,000 plus 500 free spins. Radcred’s audit focuses on rollover fairness: any deal above 40×, with max-win caps mirroring deposit size, is flagged. Ongoing perks—reload boosts, rakeback, and loyalty NFTs now rival sign-up deals for overall value.

Welcome Bonuses
First deposits routinely trigger 100 %–325 % matches, often capped at 5 BTC (or 50,000 USDT) and bundled with 50–250 free spins. Wagering is usually 20×–40× on the bonus—or occasionally on “deposit + bonus,” so reading the terms is non-negotiable.

No-Deposit Bonuses
A handful of trusted crypto casinos drop tiny crypto credits (0.0002–0.001 BTC) or 10–50 free spins just for signing up. Great for testing the lobby, but expect steeper rollover—typically 40×–60×—and modest cash-out caps around 0.005 BTC.

Reload Bonuses
Weekly or VIP reloads add 25 %–100 % to subsequent top-ups, usually worth $50–$300 in coin value. Wagering mirrors welcome offers (20×–40×), though elite tiers may see requirements cut in half.

Cashback Deals
Loss rebates of 5 %–20 % appear daily or weekly. The better platforms credit these funds wager-free; others attach a light 10×–20× roll-through before withdrawals unlock.

Free Spins
Blocks of 10–200 spins (valued at $0.10–$0.50 each) accompany welcome, reload, or new-game promos. Spin winnings usually face 20×–45× wagering and may top out at roughly $100 in withdrawable value.

Loyalty & VIP Programs
Long-term play earns points that escalate through bronze-to-diamond tiers. Perks scale from birthday spins to 40 % rakeback, higher withdrawal ceilings, physical gifts, and 24/7 concierge hosts often with no extra wagering attached, though unused bonus chips expire after 30–90 days.

Full bonus data appears in the 2025 Radcred report

Crypto-Gambling Trends to Watch in 2025

Crypto-gambling is evolving fast, blending blockchain innovation with high-stakes entertainment. From Bitcoin betting platforms to NFT-based rewards, U.S. players are seeing more secure, fast, and anonymous ways to play. Here’s a look at the biggest trends shaping the future of online crypto casinos this year.

AI-Powered Personalization

Advanced artificial intelligence algorithms are revolutionizing player experiences by analyzing behavior patterns, game preferences, and betting habits to deliver tailored recommendations and dynamic bonuses. These systems enhance engagement while providing early warnings for problematic gambling behaviors.

Instant Withdrawals and Lightning Transactions

Crypto casinos are prioritizing sub-10-minute withdrawal speeds, with a few platforms processing Bitcoin withdrawals in under 12 minutes. This trend addresses traditional banking delays and attracts players seeking immediate access to winnings.

NFT Integration and Tokenized Rewards

Non-fungible tokens are being incorporated as in-game rewards, collectibles, and play-to-earn mechanisms. This creates new revenue streams and adds digital ownership elements to traditional gambling experiences.

Decentralized Casinos and Web3 Adoption

Blockchain-powered platforms are eliminating centralized control through smart contracts, offering provably fair games and transparent operations. These decentralized systems provide enhanced player autonomy and reduced operational costs.

Mobile-First Crypto Gaming

With over 59% of gaming activity occurring on mobile devices, operators are prioritizing mobile-optimized crypto gambling experiences. This includes seamless crypto wallet integration and touch-friendly interfaces designed for smartphones.

Why Crypto Casinos Are the Top Choice of Players

The digital gambling revolution has positioned crypto casinos as the preferred destination for modern players worldwide. With a market that has surged to $250 million and witnessed an 83.6% increase in crypto bets in 2024, these platforms are redefining player expectations through superior technology, enhanced privacy, and unprecedented convenience.

Identity Protection

Wallet addresses replace names and card numbers, so breaches or charge-back fraud can’t touch you. End-to-end encryption keeps every spin or hand tied only to a hash—not your personal details.

No KYC Hassles

Most leading sites skip document uploads entirely. You register with an email, set a wallet, and play in under a minute—eliminating the data-sharing risk many mainstream gamblers now avoid.

Instant Deposits & Withdrawals

On-chain transfers settle in 5-15 minutes; benchmark brand CoinCasino routinely clocks Bitcoin cash-outs below 15. Weekends or bank holidays no longer freeze bankrolls.

Minimal Fees

With processors removed, network costs often fall below $1, and some operators cover them. That translates to more spins, bets, or hands from the same budget.

Provably Fair Games

Roughly 77 percent of crypto casinos publish hashed server/client seeds. Anyone can verify randomness after every round, reinforcing trust without third-party auditors.

Super-Charged Bonuses

Welcome deals reach 500 percent plus hundreds of free spins. Reloads, daily rakeback, and loyalty NFTs push total promo value far past what fiat sites offer.

VIP Treatment

Tiered programs award up to 40 percent cashback, higher withdrawal caps, dedicated hosts, and even luxury trips for high rollers—perks unlocked through transparent point systems, not opaque invitations.

How Crypto Casinos Are Evaluated

Evaluating crypto casinos means looking beyond flashy bonuses. U.S. players prioritize secure blockchain payments, fair game mechanics, fast withdrawals, and strong user reputations. With more platforms entering the space, understanding how these casinos are evaluated helps players find trustworthy and rewarding experiences in the growing world of crypto gambling.
- Licence & Jurisdiction Verification – Analysts cross-reference licence numbers with regulators in Malta, Curaçao, and the Isle of Man, checking disciplinary dockets for unresolved complaints. Sites without a publicly searchable certificate or those linked to dormant holding companies are excluded immediately, preventing unsafe operators from reaching readers.
- Provably Fair Confirmation – Every in-house slot, roulette wheel, or dice game is hashed against its server seed, client seed, and nonce. Radcred reruns thousands of rounds to ensure the outcome history matches blockchain-published randomness proofs, hard evidence that no hidden code tilts results.
- On-Chain Transaction Speed Audit – Deposits and withdrawals are executed every six hours for a week. Analysts log confirmation counts, network fees, and manual-review delays. Platforms clearing cash-out requests in under ten minutes on at least 95 percent of attempts score the highest.
- Security & Privacy Controls – Evaluation covers mandatory two-factor authentication, SSL/TLS strength, DDoS mitigation, and cold wallet segregation. Zero-knowledge KYC methods, where available, receive bonus credit for minimizing identity exposure while still complying with anti-money laundering regulations.
- Bonus-Term Transparency – Fine print is dissected for wagering multipliers, game exclusions, and maximum-win caps. Operators hiding key conditions below the fold, or inflating advertised bonus value through unrealistic rollover hurdles, are penalised.
Visit Casino Sites Researched by Radcred’s Experts

Why Radcred Is Your Trustworthy Crypto-Casino Radar?

The modern crypto-gambling scenario demands reliable guidance through countless platforms and endless promotional claims. Radcred emerges as your definitive compass, cutting through industry noise to deliver transparent, merit-based casino evaluations that prioritize player protection over profit margins.

Comprehensive Platform Testing

Radcred’s team conducts rigorous 7-day real-money testing sessions across multiple crypto casinos, evaluating everything from deposit speeds to withdrawal reliability during peak and off-peak hours. This hands-on approach ensures authentic insights rather than surface-level promotional content that plagues many review sites.

Transparent Scoring Methodology

Unlike biased platforms that accept upfront payments from casinos, Radcred maintains editorial independence by utilizing merit-based evaluation criteria, including licensing verification, payout speeds, and responsiveness to customer service. Their 4.3-star average rating system reflects genuine user experiences rather than inflated promotional scores.

Security-First Assessment

Every reviewed platform undergoes thorough security audits, examining SSL encryption standards, regulatory compliance, and data protection measures to ensure player safety. Radcred’s commitment to 256-bit encryption standards and fraud prevention education demonstrates their dedication to consumer protection over affiliate commissions.

Real-Time Market Intelligence

The platform continuously monitors crypto casino developments, tracking regulatory changes, bonus structure modifications, and industry trends to provide up-to-date recommendations. This dynamic approach ensures players receive current, actionable information rather than outdated reviews that could lead to poor platform choices.

Community-Verified Feedback

Radcred integrates verified player testimonials and community-driven insights, creating a comprehensive feedback ecosystem that highlights both positive experiences and potential red flags across different crypto gambling platforms.

SEE HOW RADCRED SCORES YOUR FAVORITE CASINO SITE

Safe Crypto Casino Actionable Tips

Even with professional rankings, personal due diligence remains vital. Use the following four rules as a pre-deposit checklist.
- Verify Licence Details in Regulator Databases – If a licence number fails to populate official records or the corporate entity name differs from the site’s footer, treat it as a red flag.
- Stress-Test Customer Support – Send a basic payout question before making a deposit. A sub-five-minute human response often predicts smoother conflict resolution later.
- Scrutinise Bonus T&Cs – Rollover above 40×, limited game eligibility, or maximum win caps that equal the deposit can erode perceived generosity.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication Immediately – Phishing remains rampant. Hardware-key or app-based 2FA blocks account takeovers that simple passwords cannot.
Conclusion

Trust-centric design, verifiable randomness, and license-backed operations are pushing crypto casinos from fringe curiosity to mainstream entertainment. Radcred’s 2025 research report shows that when transparency meets speed, players follow. Relying on independent audits, free safety tools, and clear regulatory guidance, U.S. gamblers can enjoy blockchain wagering without unnecessary risk or confusion.

FAQs

Are crypto casinos legit?
Crypto casinos operate in a legal gray area in the U.S., with legitimacy varying by state. Platforms licensed by authorities such as Curaçao or Malta are generally considered safe. However, U.S. federal laws create uncertainty, so always verify a casino’s license and check your state’s online gambling regulations before playing.

Is it possible to win big at a crypto casino?
Big wins are absolutely possible; some players have won millions of dollars. Games with high RTPs and smart bankroll strategies can improve odds. However, gambling is risky by nature, and winning isn’t guaranteed. Play responsibly and never wager more than you can afford to lose.

How to find the best crypto casino online?
Look for licensed platforms offering secure logins, fast payouts, and thousands of games. Check for fair bonus terms and crypto support. User reviews on sites like Trustpilot and Reddit can offer honest feedback. Reputable names like JACKBIT, BitStarz, and 7Bit are strong, proven options.

How to verify the trustworthiness of cryptocurrency casinos?
Verify proper licensing and conduct third-party audits by reputable bodies, such as iTech Labs or eCOGRA. Trustworthy sites use SSL encryption, offer provably fair games, and have responsive customer support. Always read genuine player reviews and be cautious of platforms with unclear terms, fake reviews, or delayed payouts.

Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute gambling advice or an invitation to wager. Online gaming may be illegal in some jurisdictions and involves financial risk. Always verify local laws, set personal limits, and seek help via the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

The MIL Network –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Africa: Unlocking the Power of Women and building strong movement for Peace in the Sahel

Since the outbreak of crises in Libya in 2012, then in Mali and the entire central Sahel, as well as the proliferation of Boko Haram in the countries of the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel region has been facing enormous security challenges that are aggravated by political, geopolitical, socio-economic, and environmental factors. The deterioration of the security situation is aggravated by highly porous borders, attacks by non-state armed groups as well as inter-community conflicts that have had and continue to have negative impacts on communities and force millions of people to be displaced. But also this situation has generated a major crisis of governance and lack of confidence in the governments of the affected countries having led to a wave of coups d’état and political transitions in : Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and Chad. The crisis in the Sahel prevails in a context where women were already subject to several forms of violence and discrimination underpinned by socio-cultural barriers deeply rooted in tradition.

Against this backdrop, women are actively working for peace. They have organized themselves into associations at local, national, and regional levels to influence peace and to advocate for the advancement of their rights. But their efforts face several challenges, mainly organizational and lack of funding. It is in this context that UN Women has developed and is implementing since 2023 a program aimed at strengthening the capacities of women’s organizations for peace in the Sahel. Funded by the Government of Netherlands, the program plans to support 103 organizations applying a comprehensive approach combining institutional, technical and advocacy support and partnership.

Building on the commitments of UNSCR 1325, 2024 marked a pivotal shift toward strengthening local women’s organizations and positioning them as key actors for inclusive peace. At the core of the initiative, lies a powerful bet on grassroots transformation. A total of 103 women-led peace organizations received tailored support spanning institutional diagnostics, technical training, coaching, and access to equipment. Twelve organizations now operate from fully equipped, staffed offices, and five have successfully mobilized new funding based on project proposals developed with the program’s guidance. Fifteen organizations began designing income-generating initiatives to secure independent funding streams.

“The project transformed our structure. We revised our policies, gained visibility, and secured international funding.”
– Young women leader, APSJ Mauritania

Beyond capacity building, the program invested in coalition building and advocacy. A mapping of peace-focused women’s organizations was completed in all five countries, laying the foundation for connected national networks and an emerging regional alliance. Virtual convenings and a digital platform piloted in Mali are facilitating knowledge exchange and cross-border solidarity. The 103 organizations are now informally networked across countries, forming the backbone of a regional movement of women peacebuilders in the Sahel.

A cohort of 170 women leaders across the five countries received in-depth training in advocacy strategy, messaging, and influence. Women’s organizations developed national advocacy plans with concrete actions, strategic targets, and implementation roadmaps. The execution of those plans has already begun through targeted lobbying and partner engagement. So many successful advocacy initiatives have been conducted. For example, a National Women’s Dialogue was organized in Niger after the July 2023 coup, uniting 44 women’s groups to define priorities for inclusive transition. Those priorities were presented to the government and some of them considered in the transition roadmap.

In all the five countries, women hold quarterly citizen dialogues to reflect on solutions for durable peace and their inclusion in peace processes.

With a dedicated visual identity “Sahel Women’s Leadership for Peace” the initiative rolled out communications campaigns targeted millions of people across all countries. Public debates, radio programs, and digital storytelling amplified the voices and priorities of women peacebuilders, while increasing public awareness of the WPS agenda.

With this innovative approach, UNWOMEN is catalyzing deep shifts in the peace infrastructure of the region. From grassroots organizations gaining legitimacy and funding, to regional coalitions taking shape and national advocacy plans being rolled out, women are now repositioned as peace leaders. The initiative is not just building capacity, it is reshaping systems. And as these women organize, influence, and lead, they are redefining what inclusive peace looks like in some of the region’s most fragile contexts. Even though the region is still in crisis, there is hope that this women’s movement will contribute to the stabilization of the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

MIL OSI Africa –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI: SSCP Lager BidCo AB (publ) successfully issues subsequent notes of SEK 200 million
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SSCP Lager BidCo AB (publ) (“Logent” or the “Company”) has successfully issued subsequent senior secured floating rate notes in an amount of SEK 200,000,000 under the terms and conditions of the Company’s outstanding notes loan 2023/2026 with ISIN SE0021021193 (the “Subsequent Notes”). The order book was significantly oversubscribed, and the Subsequent Notes were issued to 102 per cent. of nominal amount.

The Subsequent Notes carry a floating interest rate of 3m Stibor + 625 basis points and will mature in December 2026. Logent intends to apply for admission to trading of the Subsequent Notes on the corporate bond list of Nasdaq Stockholm.

The net proceeds from the issuance of the Subsequent Notes will be applied towards consummation of the acquisition of the Finnish entity HUB logistics Finland Oy, financing transaction costs and general corporate purposes. Following the issuance of the Subsequent Notes, the aggregate outstanding nominal amount under the notes loan is SEK 1,050 million.

The Company has mandated Nordea Bank Abp and Pareto Securities AS as Joint Bookrunners in connection with the issuance of the Subsequent Notes. Snellman Advokatbyrå AB has acted as legal advisor to the Company and Gernandt & Danielsson Advokatbyrå KB has acted as legal advisor to the Joint Bookrunners.

For further information, please contact:

Joel Engström, CEO, telephone number: +46 734 36 36 29, joel.engstrom@logent.se

About Logent Group
Logent is an independent logistics partner, with a Nordic base present in Northern Europe and global networks. We have a wide range of services and create value for our customers through guaranteed cost and quality improvements. Our service offer include Logistics Services such as Warehouse design and operations, Transport Management and Customs, Port and Terminal operations, Staffing Services and Consulting Services. This means that Logent has grown to a turnover of about SEK 2.4 billion from the start in 2006 and employs approximately 2,800 people in Northern Europe.

Attachment
- Swedish-fsa-doc-eng-13-06-2025.pdf
The MIL Network –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design

Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hone, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Queen Mary University of London

Travelershigh / Shutterstock

Pterosaurs were an amazing group of flying reptiles that occupied the skies around the same time that dinosaurs roamed on land. Appearing in the fossil record around 230 million years ago, pterosaurs survived until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid impact helped wipe them, and many other life forms, out.

The pterosaurs are often the animals in the background, while the dinosaurs occupy the foreground. However, they are worthy of much more recognition than they are commonly given, not just as interesting ancient animals, but because they could also inspire aircraft designs.

Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight. They were in the air 80 million years before birds and around 180 million years before bats. However, their flight apparatus was rather different to either. The wings of bats are supported by multiple digits (like our fingers). Birds use feathers as structural units in the wings.

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But pterosaurs primarily had one finger to support their wings. Their main wing was composed of a single giant “spar” – a structural unit – made of up of the bones of the arm and the greatly elongated fourth finger, with a membrane that stretched from the tip of the finger down to the ankle. This membrane acted as a flight surface.

As a group, pterosaurs were diverse – some were specialist fishers, filter feeders, terrestrial predators, insect hunters, seed crackers, and more. Some could climb well and many species were highly mobile on the ground.

They also got very large. The biggest pterosaurs had wingspans of over 10m and could weigh over 250kg. Even the smallest pterosaurs could fly: juveniles with 10cm wingspans were probably capable of flight within days or even hours of hatching.

The bones of pterosaurs, like those of birds and many dinosaurs, were filled by extensions of the lungs called air-sacs, and they were extremely thin walled. This made the skeletons of the animals very stiff for their weight (rather important when flying). It also made their skeletons very fragile after death, and so pterosaur fossils are rare.

However, in a handful of sites around the world – most notably in Germany, Brazil and China – where the preservation of fossils is exceptionally good, we have huge numbers of pterosaur fossils with both complete skeletons and a lot of soft tissue. This gives us an incredible insight into the shape and structure of their wings and how they flew.

In addition to the main wing surface, pterosaurs had two other smaller subsidiary surfaces that would have given them extra control. At the front of the main wing sitting in the crux of the elbow was a small membrane between the wrist and the base of the neck, supported by a unique long wrist bone called the pteroid.

At the back of the body, earlier pterosaurs had a single large sheet of membrane between the legs, supported in the middle by a long tail and on each side by long fifth toes on the feet. Later pterosaurs split this rear membrane and had only a small piece of membrane running from the ankle on each leg to the base of a short tail.

As well as the outer skin-like layers, the wings had at least three major layers, comprising blood vessels, a layer of muscles, and a layer of stiffening fibres. Some might well have had extensions of the airsacs in the main wing membranes too, which could presumably be inflated and deflated to a degree. The wing as a whole was therefore extremely elastic and flexible.

Artist’s impression of pterosaurs in flight.
Natalie Jagielska

This would have given pterosaurs extraordinary control over their wings. All of this makes them an intriguing model for future aircraft design.

Flight challenge

Aircraft wings are not (and cannot) be perfectly stiff. Adding flexibility, or better still, actual shape changing potential, could give them substantial performance benefits. But stiffness and flexibility need to be balanced. Problems with aeroelasticity – the tendency of a soft wing to vibrate in ways that greatly reduce performance (or even cause flight to fail outright) – limit how pliable the wings can be.

Pterosaurs had multiple mechanisms to address this challenge, from passive mechanisms, such as fibres within the wing, to active mechanisms, such as the muscles that ran throughout the wing and could tighten on demand. This wing tensioning anatomy is*is?* among the most sophisticated aeroelastic control systems known to science.

Survey and rescue drones of the future could look very different to this one.
Sobrevolando Patagonia / Shutterstock

The key to applying our knowledge of pterosaurs to future aircraft design comes not in closely mimicking the exact shape and form of pterosaurs, but instead, in understanding and extracting core principles from their anatomy.

The membranous wings of pterosaurs were great at changing shape. The leading
edge could lie flat or depress to a sharp angle, thanks to the small anterior membrane. The main wing surface could change its curvature, or camber. There is even evidence that the wing could manage what is called reflex camber – a shape in which the trailing edge of the wing curves upwards.

Even the stiff portion of the wing (the spar) made of bone and surrounding muscles, was mobile – through motions of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist and flexibility within the bone itself near the wingtip. This soft, shape changing structure gave pterosaurs exceptional control over their moment-to-moment wing performance, optimising for lower speed or higher speed within fractions of a wingbeat. This would have made them particularly adept at slow speed flight – good for tight turns and precise, soft landings.

Greater manoeuvrability and pinpoint landings are a premium for autonomous vehicles working in busy environments – such as cities or natural disaster zones full of debris. So future survey and rescue drones could take lessons from pterosaur wing control systems.

Lessons from pterosaur anatomy could also be applied to wingsuits.
Rick Neves / Shutterstock

The jointed, flexible wing anatomy of pterosaurs also meant that the wings could fold tightly, and unlike the wings of birds, the folded wings of pterosaurs doubled as powerful walking limbs. Because the hands contacted the ground while walking, the forelimbs were available to help push the animals into the air during take-off leaps. Mathematical models predict half-second launch times, from a standing start, in even the largest pterosaurs.

The exceptional mechanical loads associated with these launches were handled
by one of the highest stiffness-to-weight skeletons to ever evolve. This folded-wing, rapid-launch system has great potential for applications to future technologies.

So much so, in fact, that a prototype folding wing system modelled on pterosaurs has already undergone some testing (through a Nasa-funded university project on which one of the authors, Michael Habib, consulted). A folding, flapping wing that doubles as a launch system could allow future drones to take off with limited space – perhaps while on ships at sea. It could also be used to allow small flying drones to land and launch again out of craters on Mars.

The red planet has just enough atmosphere to make flapping wing and rotor wing systems work. But it’s energetically costly and hovering is tough – better to land, measure and launch again. Similarly, rapid take offs from uneven terrain, precise landings, tight turns, and on demand tweaks to improve performance are all features that could be applied to the drones of the future, in wingsuits, and more.

As the control systems for drones become increasingly driven by intelligent software, we will need a new generation of hardware to match. Pterosaurs may hold the keys to unlocking a future of highly manoeuvrable autonomous aerial vehicles that are competent in harsh conditions and urban environments. These would be ideal for search and rescue or surveys in locations that are too dangerous for humans.

So despite having been extinct for 66 million years, the pterosaurs have huge potential as the inspiration for aircraft design. Sometimes looking back can be the best way to look forward.

Michael Habib has worked on a prototype folding wing system based on pterosaur flight through a Nasa-funded university project.

David Hone and Liz Martin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design – https://theconversation.com/how-pterosaurs-can-inspire-aircraft-design-256823

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 14, 2025

MIL-OSI: The Government of Barbados Announces an Offer to Purchase for Cash its 6.500% Notes due 2029

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Government of Barbados (the “Offeror”) announces that it has today launched an offer (the “Offer”) to holders (the “Noteholders”) of any and all of its outstanding U.S.$407,642,670 6.500% Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) to purchase any and all of such Notes for cash on the terms and subject to the satisfaction of the New Financing Condition (as defined below) and the other conditions set forth in the tender offer memorandum dated 13 June 2025 (the “Tender Offer Memorandum”).

Capitalised terms used in this announcement but not defined have the meanings given to them in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

All documentation relating to the Offer including the Tender Offer Memorandum and any amendments or supplements thereto will be available to Noteholders via the website for the Offer accessible at: www.dfking.com/barbados. The Offer is subject to offer and distribution restrictions in, among other countries, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium and France, as described below.

Summary of the Offer

Description of Notes

Outstanding Principal
Amount as of the Date
Hereof and subject to the Offer

ISINs / CUSIP No.

Purchase Price⁽¹⁾

6.500% Notes due 2029

U.S.$407,642,670

Rule 144A Notes:
US067070AH54 / 067070 AH5

Regulation S Notes:
USP48864AQ80 / P48864 AQ8

U.S.$1,000

(1)

Offered as Purchase Price per each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline (as defined below) and accepted for purchase. The Purchase Price does not include Accrued Interest (as defined below). On 26 June 2025 (subject to the right of the Offeror, at its sole discretion, to extend, re-open, amend and/or terminate the Offer) (the “Settlement Date”), Noteholders will also receive Accrued Interest on all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase.

Rationale for the Offer

The Offeror is making the Offer (subject to the New Financing Condition (as defined below)) in connection with the Offeror’s broader debt management strategy to refinance short-dated debt with longer-dated debt.

All Notes purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled and will not be re-issued or re-sold.

Tender Offer Consideration

The Offeror will, on the Settlement Date, pay for the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before the Expiration Deadline pursuant to the Offer and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer a cash amount (rounded to the nearest U.S.$0.01) equal to the sum of (i) the Purchase Price for such Notes, as set forth in the table above; and (ii) interest accrued and unpaid on the Notes from (and including) the interest payment date for such Notes immediately preceding the Settlement Date to (but excluding) the Settlement Date in respect of such Notes (the “Accrued Interest” and the payment thereof, the “Accrued Interest Payment”).

The Offeror will calculate any Accrued Interest with respect to the Notes accepted for purchase in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes, and the calculation will be final and binding on all Noteholders whose Notes were accepted for purchase, absent manifest error.

The Offeror reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to modify in any manner and at any time any of the terms and conditions of the Offer.

New Financing Condition

Whether the Offeror will accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered in the Offer is subject to (unless such condition is waived by the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion), among other things, the prior closing of the issuance by the Offeror of one or more series of debt securities (the “New Notes”) in the international capital markets (the “New Notes Offering”) in an aggregate principal amount, and at a price and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion, a portion of the net proceeds of which will be used by the Offeror to purchase any Notes tendered and accepted pursuant to the Offer (the “New Financing Condition”).

The New Notes Offering will be made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to the New Notes Offering (the “New Notes Offering Memorandum”), and this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes. You may not participate in the New Notes Offering unless you have received and reviewed the New Notes Offering Memorandum, and not in reliance on, or on the basis of, this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum. The New Notes will be offered only to qualified institutional buyers in the United States in reliance on Rule 144A and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act, and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction.

Even if the New Financing Condition is satisfied, the Offeror is not under any obligation to accept for purchase any Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer.

In order to be valid, Tender Instructions must be submitted in respect of a minimum nominal amount of U.S.$100 and in integral multiples of U.S.$100 in excess thereof (the “Minimum Denomination”). Noteholders who do not tender all of their Notes must ensure that they retain a principal amount of Notes amounting to at least the Minimum Denomination.

Expected Timetable of Events

The times and dates below are indicative only.

Date	Events
13 June 2025	*Commencement of the Offer* Offer announced. Tender Offer Memorandum available from the Information and Tender Agent.

20 June 2025, 5 p.m. (New York Time)	*Expiration Deadline* Deadline for receipt by the Information and Tender Agent of all Tender Instructions in order for Noteholders to be able to participate in the Offer and to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest Payment on the Settlement Date.

As soon as reasonably practicable on or after the Expiration Deadline and expected to be 23 June 2025	*Announcement of Results* Offeror’s announcement of the amount of Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offer.

Promptly after the New Financing Condition has been met or waived	*Announcement of Notes accepted for purchase* The Offeror will announce, promptly after the New Financing Condition has been met or waived, (i) the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered that will be accepted for purchase, and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Notes remaining outstanding following the completion of the Offer. See “Terms and Conditions of the Offer –Announcements” in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

26 June 2025 (but subject to change without notice)	*Settlement* Expected Settlement Date for the Offer. Payment of Purchase Price and Accrued Interest Payment in respect of the Offer. All Notes purchased pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled on the Settlement Date and will no longer be outstanding.

The above times and dates are subject to the right of the Offeror to extend, re-open, amend, waive any condition of and/or terminate the Offer at any time (subject to applicable law and as provided in the Tender Offer Memorandum). Noteholders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a Noteholder in order for that Noteholder to be able to participate in, or (in the limited circumstances in which revocation is permitted) revoke their instruction to participate in, the Offer before the deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and each Clearing System for the submission of Tender Instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above. See “Procedures for Participating in the Offer” in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Announcements

Unless stated otherwise, announcements in connection with the Offer will be by the issue of a press release through the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and by the delivery of notices to the relevant Clearing Systems for communication to Direct Participants. Such announcements may also be made by the issue of a press release to a Notifying News Service. Copies of all such announcements, press releases and notices and will be available on the Offer Website or alternatively they can also be obtained upon request from the Information and Tender Agent, the contact details for which are below. Significant delays may be experienced where notices are delivered to the Clearing Systems and Noteholders are urged to contact the Information and Tender Agent for the relevant announcements during the course of the Offer. In addition, Noteholders may contact the Dealer Managers for information using the contact details below.

Tender Instructions

In order to participate in and be eligible to receive the relevant Purchase Price and any Accrued Interest Payment pursuant to the Offer, Noteholders must validly tender their Notes by delivering, or arranging to have delivered on their behalf, a valid Tender Instruction in respect of the Offer that is received by the Information and Tender Agent by 5.00 p.m. New York City time on 20 June 2025 (the “Expiration Deadline”).

Tender Instructions will be irrevocable except in the limited circumstances described in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Noteholders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a Noteholder in order for that Noteholder to be able to participate in, or (in the limited circumstances in which revocation is permitted) revoke their instruction to participate in, the Offer by the deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and each Clearing System for the submission of Tender Instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Tender Instructions must be submitted in respect of a nominal amount of Notes equal to or greater than the Minimum Denomination.

A separate Tender Instruction must be completed on behalf of each beneficial owner.

Disclaimer

This announcement does not contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer. The terms and conditions of the Offer are contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum, and are subject to the Offer and distribution restrictions set out below and more fully described therein.

Further information

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Standard Chartered Bank have been appointed by the Offeror to serve as dealer managers (the “Dealer Managers”) for the Offer. D.F. King (the “Information and Tender Agent”) has been appointed by the Offeror to act as the information and tender agent in connection with the Offer.

For additional information regarding the terms of the Offer, please contact J.P. Morgan Securities LLC by telephone at (866) 846-2874; Collect: (212) 834-7279 and Standard Chartered Bank by telephone at (212) 667-0351 (U.S.) or +44 20 7885 5739 (U.K.) and by email at liability_management@sc.com.

Requests for documents and questions regarding the tender of Notes may be directed to the Information and Tender Agent D.F. King & Co., Inc. via:

Banks & Brokers Call: (212) 269-5550

Toll free: (866) 342-4881

Email: barbados@dfking.com

The Tender Offer Memorandum is expected to be distributed to Noteholders beginning today. A copy of the Tender Offer Memorandum is available on the tender offer website accessible at www.dfking.com/barbados.

No Recommendation

The relevant Purchase Price, if paid by the Offeror with respect to the Notes of any series accepted for purchase, will not necessarily reflect the actual value of such Notes. Noteholders should independently analyse the value of the Notes and make an independent assessment of the terms of the Offer. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent has or will express any opinion as to whether the terms of the Offer are fair. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent makes any recommendation that Noteholders should submit an offer to sell or tender Notes or refrain from doing so pursuant to the Offer, and no one has been authorised by any of them to make any such recommendation.

Offer and Distribution Restrictions

Neither this announcement nor the Tender Offer Memorandum constitutes an offer to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession the Tender Offer Memorandum comes are required by the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions

Nothing in this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum or the electronic transmission thereof constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

In addition, each Noteholder participating in an Offer will also be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in “Procedures for Participating in the Offer” of the Tender Offer Memorandum. Any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer from a Noteholder that is unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer, whether any such representation given by a Noteholder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender shall not be accepted. The acceptance of any tender shall not be deemed to be a representation or a warranty by any of the Offeror, the Dealer Manager or the Information and Tender Agent or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates that it has undertaken any such investigation and/or that any such representation to any person underwriting any such Notes is correct.

United Kingdom

The communication of the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is only directed at and may be communicated to (1) those persons who are existing creditors of the Offeror within Article 43(2) of the FSMA (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, and (2) to any other persons to whom these documents and/or materials may lawfully be communicated.

Belgium

Neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been, or will be, submitted to or notified to, or approved by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorité des services et marchés financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Article 3 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on takeover bids (loi relative aux offres publiques d’acquisition/wet op de openbare overnamebiedingen), as amended or replaced from time to time.

Accordingly, the Offer may not be, and are not being advertised, and the Tender Offer Memorandum, as well as any brochure, or any other material or document relating thereto (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar document) may not, have not and will not be distributed, directly or indirectly, to any person located and/or resident within Belgium, other than those who qualify as qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés/qekwalificeerde beleggers), within the meaning of Article 2, e), of the Prospectus Regulation acting on their own account. Accordingly, the information contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum or in any brochure or any other document or material relating thereto may not be used for any other purpose, including for any offering in Belgium, except as may otherwise be permitted by law, and shall not be disclosed or distributed to any other person in Belgium.

France

The Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are only addressed to and are only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation in France. Each person in France who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Dealer Managers and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.

European Economic Area

In any European Economic Area (“EEA”) Member State, this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum are only addressed to, and are only directed at, “qualified investors” (as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”)) in that Member State.

Each person in a Member State of the EEA who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with each Dealer Manager and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

The MIL Network –

June 14, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Statement from the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke

Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

13th June 2025

This afternoon, Michael Carey tendered his resignation as Chair of Enterprise Ireland.

A process will now commence through the Public Appointments Service to appoint a new Chair. Jim Woulfe sits on the board of Enterprise Ireland and has agreed to act as interim Chair in advance of the formal process concluding.

I would like to thank Michael Carey for his work and dedication to Irish enterprises over the last two years as Chair of Enterprise Ireland and wish him all the best in the future.

The Government and Enterprise Ireland have ambitious plans over the coming period, including to increase exports to €50bn by 2029, to establish 1,700 new Irish-owned exporters and to increase jobs in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland to 275,000.

Supporting Irish SMEs, together with realising the significant potential we have in our innovative economy, remain my absolute priority. I am working closely with Jenny Melia, as CEO designate, and the board of Enterprise Ireland in this regard.

ENDS

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MIL OSI Europe News –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ministers discuss ‘AI in Reform and Transformation’ at 43rd BIC Summit13 June 2025 The Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, and Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, represented Jersey at the British-Irish Council, BIC, Summit in Northern Ireland on Thursday 12 to… Read more

Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

13 June 2025

The Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, and Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, represented Jersey at the British-Irish Council, BIC, Summit in Northern Ireland on Thursday 12 to Friday 13 June.

The 43rd Summit, hosted by the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, and the Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, brought together all the representatives of the BIC administrations, including the Irish, Welsh, Scottish and UK Governments, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Governments of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

The theme of the meeting was ‘The Role of AI in Reform and Transformation’.

After the summit, Deputy Farnham said: “The British-Irish Council remains a vital forum that brings together member administrations to discuss, and address, our many joint challenges and opportunities. Deputy Gorst and I had useful conversations with ministers from across the British Isles against the backdrop of challenging global and national events.

“I would like to thank the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for the kind hospitality that we were shown throughout the Summit.”

Deputy Gorst added: “It was immensely worthwhile to discuss how AI can enhance our public services, particularly in health diagnosis and prevention of illness. We will be sharing expertise with other jurisdictions which are exploring advances in many of the same areas.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The Club World Cup 2025 shows sharing the stage is the future of global sport

Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Cook, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Nottingham Trent University

Before it kicked off, the all new revamped and expanded men’s 2025 Fifa Club World Cup had already attracted controversy.

Some think even more football matches at the end of a long season pose a risk to player welfare. Others are concerned about a lack of fan engagement.

But aside from these issues the tournament, which features 32 clubs from around the world, provides fresh evidence of a new model emerging in global sport.

This event, which is being staged in 12 different cities across the US, is the latest experiment in “polycentric” hosting, where multiple locations collaborate as destinations for international sporting events.

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

The next men’s Fifa World Cup in 2026 will take place across the US, Canada and Mexico. Four years later, the event will be spread across different continents, starting in South America, before moving to Europe and Africa. In between, the men’s Euros of 2028 will be co-hosted by the UK and Ireland.

The trend is not limited to football. The 2026 Winter Olympics is being shared in Italy between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Commonwealth Games are also moving towards a more pragmatic model of hosting.

Our research, which focused on the men’s Euro 2020 tournament (delayed by COVID and held in 2021), suggests that polycentric hosting has many advantages.

Spanning 11 European countries, Euro 2020 was conceived as a celebration of the tournament’s 60th anniversary.

From a branding perspective, this posed significant challenges. Each city had its own visual identity, with localised fan engagement strategies.

Without a singular geographic or cultural anchor, Uefa, the governing body of European football, had to balance the benefits of celebrating local diversity with the need for a coherent overarching narrative.

Yet overall, the format worked. Despite the pandemic’s disruption, the tournament still reached broad audiences and activated fanbases in multiple regions.

Instead of one city or nation shouldering the financial and logistical burden of building infrastructure, accommodating visitors, and managing security and transport, responsibilities were shared.

A team effort

This can significantly reduce the risk of the problem of “white elephants” where expensive stadiums or facilities fall into disuse after an event has finished.

By using infrastructure and venues which already exist, the environmental and economic costs of hosting are minimised. It also makes hosting more feasible for countries that might not have the capacity to do it alone.

At the same time, many of the perceived benefits of staging sports events – such as economic boosts to local economies, increases in tourism, improved transport links, and civic pride – can be shared more widely. Rather than one host reaping all the rewards, several places can potentially benefit, engaging local communities and stimulating regional development.

Euro 2020, on the road to Wembley.
Michael Tubi/Shutterstock

Collaborative multi-host formats also allow for widespread sharing of knowledge and opportunities for innovation. When cities and organising committees work together, they can bring diverse perspectives, cultural insights, operational practices, and even healthy competition to the table.

We found that the development of friendly rivalries between Euro 2020 hosts actually encouraged a competitive mindset that motivated organising committee staff to attempt to outperform counterpart cities.

Read more:
Trump’s travel ban casts shadow over the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup and other US-hosted sporting events

Meanwhile Uefa enabled those different cities to develop branding strategies which reflected local character while contributing to a broader European narrative of unity through sport. One example was each city selecting a landmark bridge to tie in with the tournament’s overarching “bridging Europe” theme.

This collaborative way of thinking also led to creative and inclusive ideas. Glasgow, for example, integrated a cultural festival into its role as a host city, featuring local artists and musicians.

Polycentric tournaments aren’t without challenges of course. There is a risk of fragmentation, where the tournament feels like a series of disconnected mini-events rather than something cohesive.

But overall, the environmental, economic and cultural benefits can be substantial. And what began as a celebratory one-off with Euro 2020 is fast becoming the design for future major sport events.

By sharing the spotlight, cities and countries also share the strain and the opportunity. The age of the single host nation isn’t over, and the looming Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup is a stark reminder that above all, money still talks. But the era of shared hosting is clearly here, and might just be what global sport and its fans need.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Club World Cup 2025 shows sharing the stage is the future of global sport – https://theconversation.com/the-club-world-cup-2025-shows-sharing-the-stage-is-the-future-of-global-sport-256117

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Councillor Clarke looks forward to a right Royal Saturday in Carrickfergus

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Statement by TUV Carrickfergus councillor David Clarke:

“This Saturday is the annual Royal Landing festival in Carrickfergus. Carrickfergus is a town very proud of its rich culture, heritage and history.

“It is a long-running Orange pageant which marks the arrival of King William on his way to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Over 40 bands and lodges are expected to partake in the parades in the famous east Antrim costal town.

“The Royal Landing is a wonderful day where history and heritage come alive in the historic walled town of Carrickfergus. It is a proud day for the town and everyone is invited to join in for what is sure to be a positive family fun day out with live music, dancing and history. There will also be ample food stalls available.

“Given this is a family event for everyone, it is expected that all who attend will help to create a safe, respectful and positive day celebrating our culture.

“I want to place on record my thanks to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for helping to fund this event along with other contributors. Without their generosity this event would not be possible.

“Whatever the weather, it is sure to be a day to remember.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Major banks set industry milestone with endorsement of ICC’s Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance

Source: International Chamber of Commerce

Headline: Major banks set industry milestone with endorsement of ICC’s Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance

A group of leading Trade Finance banks have today announced their endorsement of the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance (ICC PSTF). This group, and further supporting banks, collectively represent as much as 25% of the global trade finance market by volume.

The work, led by ICC, with support from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and newly announced endorsement by Commerzbank, ING, Santander, and Standard Chartered aims to provide clear, transparent, and consistent guidelines to enable banks, corporates and investors to effectively channel capital towards sustainable and inclusive trade finance facilities.

Unlike for many other financial products, trade finance practitioners have historically not had a clear, consistent and consensus definition on what constitutes sustainable trade finance, limiting its application. The principles, launched in October 2024, therefore provide a robust methodology for evaluating sustainable trade finance transactions, including a globally acceptable approach for assessing use-of-proceeds in trade finance transactions, proposed due diligence protocols for sustainability verification and unified reporting standards to ensure consistency across financial institutions.

As a next step, with support of these banks, ICC plans to further build on the principles including defining legal terms and extending its coverage to social sustainability, while also working with the broader trade ecosystem – including banks, corporates and regulators – to expand further endorsement. ICC welcomes any users who also wish to endorse the PSTF to an additional endorsement announcement in circa Q3 2025.

“We welcome the endorsement of the ICC Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance by four leading banks. This is a strong signal of market alignment behind a common framework to scale sustainable trade finance in a practical, credible and commercially viable way. We look forward to more banks endorsing the ICC principles ahead of COP30 in November – sending a clear signal that trade is a core part of the solution to climate change.”

Philippe Varin, ICC Chair

Raelene Martin, Head of Sustainability at ICC, added:
“We are thrilled to welcome the banks’ endorsement of ICC’s Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance, which marks an important step in aligning the industry around common methodology for the assessment of sustainable trade finance. We are thankful for their tremendous support in providing thought leadership and guidance that is fit for purpose for industry globally. We believe that the ICC Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance present an important milestone in embedding sustainability at the heart of global trade in a practical and robust way.”

The first ICC member banks to endorse the ICC principles shared their initial thoughts:

“At Santander CIB, we are committed to empowering our clients with innovative trade and working capital solutions aligned to their sustainability goals that promote resilience across global supply chains. To that end, we are happy to endorse the ICC principles, a landmark initiative in sustainable trade finance, and to continue to pave the way for more original solutions that deliver positive financial and sustainable impacts to businesses everywhere.”

— Pablo Ballesteros, Head of GTB Cross Solutions at Santander CIB

“Standard Chartered introduced its sustainable trade finance proposition in 2021 and as a pioneering advocate for sustainable trade finance standards across the industry, we are pleased to adopt ICC’s principles. We are committed to offering our clients innovative solutions that empower them to achieve their sustainability goals while effectively managing associated risks. We applaud ICC for leading the way in setting the international guidelines for the industry and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them to shape the future of sustainable trade finance globally.”

— Sofia Hammoucha, Global Head of Trade & Working Capital at Standard Chartered.

“Commerzbank, as a leading bank for foreign trade particularly for Germany and Europe, welcomes the publication of ICC’s Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance and actively contributed to them. They are suitable for establishing a consistent approach among international market participants and are referenced in our ESG framework.”
— Sven O. Schmidt, Head of International Trade Finance Operations, Commerzbank AG

“ING is proud to have contributed to ICC’s new Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance, which set a clear and actionable framework specifically tailored for the unique nature of trade finance transactions. These principles align with ING’s commitment to supporting clients in their transition to a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem. We will actively support further development of the framework into Social Trade Principles and further guidance for Sustainability Linked Supply Chain Finance.”

— Anthony van Vliet, Head of Product Management Trade – Transaction Services – ING Wholesale Banking

“Accelerating sustainable trade is a critical enabler in decarbonising some of the world’s most complex supply chains. Unlike for many other financial products, trade finance practitioners have not historically had a clear, consistent, and consensus definition on what constitutes sustainable trade finance, limiting its application. The formal recognition and endorsement of ICC’s Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance by leading global financial institutions is a huge step forward on this journey.”

— Ravi Hanspal, Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a long-term strategic partner of ICC, co-leading ICC’s Sustainable Trade programme since its inception, including the working group that developed the most recent Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance.

Read more about the ICC Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance, and ICC’s broader work on sustainable trade

MIL OSI Economics –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with President Macron of France and Chancellor Merz of Germany: 13 June 2025
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

PM call with President Macron of France and Chancellor Merz of Germany: 13 June 2025

The Prime Minister’s call with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, this morning.
The Prime Minister spoke to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, this morning following the developments in the Middle East overnight.

The leaders discussed the long-held grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme, and called on all sides to refrain from further escalation that could further destabilise the region.

The leaders reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence, and agreed that a diplomatic resolution, rather than military action, was the way forward.

They looked forward to speaking again soon.

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Published 13 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Last Month in the Field – May
Source: Frontex

The month of May marked a series of important developments for Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, reflecting its ongoing commitment to security, innovation, and cooperation at Europe’s borders. From participating in the EU’s flagship space event to piloting advanced surveillance technology and supporting thousands of voluntary returns, the Agency continued to deliver concrete results across its key missions. 

Frontex took part in EU Space Days, held this year in Gdańsk, Poland. The event brought together more than 700 participants, including senior EU officials, policy experts, industry leaders, and innovators from across Europe. As the EU’s leading forum for space policy and innovation, the event focused on advancing the strategic use of space technologies to meet Europe’s security, economic, and environmental goals.

Frontex highlighted how satellite-based technologies are being used to strengthen border management and enhance situational awareness. Satellite-based navigation and communication systems play a critical role in tracking and operating assets—on land, at sea, and in the air—including in remote and difficult-to-access areas, where staying connected is essential.

The Agency currently provides 17 Copernicus-based products to EU Member States, supporting the monitoring of cross-border crime, irregular migration, and other key risks. These services enable national authorities to respond more effectively and in a timely manner.

Frontex is also advancing the integration of data from multiple sensors, a process known as data fusion, to build a more robust surveillance architecture. This supports early detection of threats and improved coordination among operational partners. Participation in EU Space Days underscored the growing importance of innovation in strengthening border security and showcased Frontex’s role in delivering cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions.

On 26 May, Frontex and the Bulgarian Border Police launched a new pilot project testing the use of long-endurance tactical drones for aerial surveillance of external borders. The initiative is part of Frontex’s broader strategy to operationalise next-generation European Border Surveillance capabilities.

The drones are equipped with advanced sensors and communication systems, offering real-time surveillance that significantly enhances situational awareness. The project aims to evaluate the drones’ operational performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness while reducing the logistical burden on ground teams. “This is not just about seeing more—it’s about seeing smarter,” said Hans Leijtens, Executive Director of Frontex. “By working together with Bulgaria and leading industry partners, we are taking concrete steps to future-proof European border security.”

The pilot involves three contracted companies—Global SAT, Shield AI, and DAT CON—which will deliver aerial surveillance services under a company-owned, company-operated model. The drones will support the detection of irregular border crossings and cross-border crimes, helping national authorities act quickly and effectively. A live demonstration of the new technology will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, on 4 and 5 June 2025, bringing together representatives from EU Member States, EU agencies, and partner countries to observe the system in action and discuss its future potential.

Since March, Frontex has facilitated the voluntary return of more than 1,000 Syrian nationals from 14 EU Member States, following the political transition in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. This development has led many displaced Syrians to seek a return to their home country after years of conflict.

Frontex plays a critical role in supporting Member States by ensuring that all returnees are fully informed of their rights and the voluntary nature of their decision. Each return is carried out in line with EU legislation and international standards for the protection of fundamental rights.

“Returning home is a deeply human aspiration,” said Executive Director Hans Leijtens. “For many, it means reuniting with loved ones and rebuilding lives. We are proud to support this process in full respect of dignity and choice.” These returns are part of the EU’s broader commitment to humane and voluntary repatriation. Frontex also assists in pre-return counselling, coordination, and soon, reintegration support through an expanded European Reintegration Programme (EURP), now including Syria.

In a milestone for Frontex operations, one of the Agency’s surveillance aircraft flew for the first time directly from a non-EU country. The flight took off from Tirana International Airport in Albania and covered both Joint Operations in Albania and Montenegro during a single mission. Until now, Frontex aircraft had only operated from within EU territory. This development marks a new chapter in border cooperation, enabling earlier detection of irregular migration, better prevention of cross-border crime, and improved coordination of Search and Rescue operations. Real-time images captured by the aircraft are shared with national authorities in Albania and Montenegro, as well as with Frontex Headquarters in Warsaw, allowing for rapid and informed decision-making.

Frontex participated in the Barracuda 2025 exercise in Sicily, a joint maritime training operation led by the Italian Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of Malta. The exercise covered critical areas including search and rescue, maritime monitoring, environmental protection, and accident response.

Supported by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), the training was a strong demonstration of cross-border cooperation and operational readiness. Frontex teams contributed operational knowledge and helped ensure seamless coordination across participating agencies. Exercises like Barracuda strengthen Europe’s collective ability to protect lives at sea and respond swiftly to maritime emergencies.
This month also saw other important milestones:

In Leixões, Portugal, the deployment of an Advanced Level Document Officer (ALDO) helped strengthen national capacity in detecting document fraud, thanks to close cooperation between Frontex and Portuguese authorities.

In Montenegro, a joint operation led to the seizure of 200 kilograms of illegal cut tobacco. With the support of vigilant Frontex officers and the swift action of Montenegrin authorities, this operation highlighted the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation in combatting smuggling.
May 2025 demonstrated the full scope of Frontex’s mission: leveraging innovation, supporting Member States, and strengthening cooperation across borders. With continued investments in technology, partnerships, and people, the Agency remains committed to helping build a secure and well-managed European border system. Frontex will continue to work side by side with EU Member States and partners—on land, at sea, and now even from space—to keep Europe’s borders strong, secure, and future-ready.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Your next summer read and our award-winning podcasts – what you should read, watch, see and listen to this week

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Naomi Joseph, Arts + Culture Editor

The Women’s prize was founded in 1991 in bold riposte to the year’s all-male Booker prize shortlist. It’s funny to think how male-dominated the industry once was when you look at it now. There has been a real renaissance in literary fiction by women since then. Take last year’s Booker prize shortlist where the only male writer nominated was Percival Everett for his brilliant book James.

That women dominate the literary landscape has not diminished the need for the Women’s prize, however. In fact, I would say it has grown in boldness and depth, now taking on non-fiction, a world still dominated by men. The prize has also launched their first outstanding contribution award, which this year was won by the inimitable Bernadine Evaristo.

This year’s shortlisted books are a testament to the depth and variety of fiction being written by women. From a multi-generational tale of one Iranaian family to a daring and laugh-out-loud comedy about the rehabilitation of Isis brides by a researcher who worked for the UN doing just that. It serves as a perfect summer reading list. I have read four of the books so far and have loved every single one for very different reasons.

This year’s winner, The Safekeep by Yael van der Woeden, is a queer romance exploring the lesser-documented consequences of the second world war in the 1980s Netherlands. It’s a book I have gifted several times already and might be my favourite book of 2024. I would also recommend reading last year’s winner, Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan, which has made its way slowly around The Conversation newsroom.

Read more:
Women’s prize for fiction 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels

Scotland on screen

Set in Edinburgh, Netflix’s Dept. Q follows arrogant maverick detective Carl Mork (Matthew Goode) whose hubris got him shot through the neck, his partner paralysed and a rookie officer killed. Back at work after this horrifying ordeal, he’s wracked with survivor’s guilt and more than a touch of post traumatic stress disorder. He’s been banished to the basement to lead a new cold case unit.

Surprisingly, instead of being the fool’s errand his commander thinks Dept. Q will be, Mork and his rag tag team find themselves suited to this sort of work. Rather than throw him completely off his game, his new obsessive qualities and hyper-awareness of negative stimuli actually make him better at his job. Our reviewer, an expert in psychological vulnerabilities, analytical thinking patterns and cognitive processing styles, thoroughly enjoyed the show and found it really chimed with his research into how trauma can change the brain.

Read more:
Netflix’s Dept Q. suggests that psychological trauma might help a detective investigate – neuroscience backs this up

From a Scottish detective crime thriller series to a Scottish samurai-western film. Yes, you read that right. Tornado is a revenge tale about a young samurai performer on the run from a gang of bandits in 18th-century Scotland. It might seem like an odd splicing of genres, but in his review film studies scholar Jonathan Wroot argues that the two have a long-shared history. Both westerns and samurai films envision a world full of lone warriors, greedy gangs, wild landscapes, epic struggles and, of course, violence.

Read more:
Tornado is a Scottish samurai-western film – genres with a long-shared history

Tornado is in cinemas now

Big birthdays and news

This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen and JMW Turner. Though the pair never met, both were great documenters of Regency England. A new exhibition at Leeds’s Harewood House explores the common threads in their work in relation to the cultural and societal significance of British country houses and their landscapes.

At Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter, visitors will be able to look upon rarely seen paintings and manuscripts, including the unfinished manuscript of Austen’s last work, Sanditon. Our reviewer, an expert in literature, found it wonderfully brought to life the reality of the landed aristocracy of the time. It’s sure to move anyone who has an interest in art and history.

Read more:
Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter captures the spirit of two great geniuses, born 250 years ago

Our final recommendation is our own podcast. This week a series of Conversation products were nominated at the Publisher podcast and newsletter awards, including Something Good. While we didn’t win, The Conversation did take home the big podcast prize, being named podcast publisher of the year.

The Conversation Weekly talks to academics about their discoveries and explores the big questions they are still trying to answer.

This week we take you to Indonesia where conservation scientist Hollie Booth trialled a programme paying fishermen to release any sharks and rays accidentally caught in their nets in the hope it would help to keep more alive. Listen to Booth and her colleague M. Said Ramdlan discuss the unintended consequences of the incentive programme.

We also can’t recommend the limited series podcast Scam Factories enough, which took home best investigative podcast. The three-part series takes you inside the world of scammers, many of whom are often victims too.

Read more:
Cash for sharks: the unintended consequences of paying fishermen to release sharks caught in their nets – podcast

Read more:
Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds

– ref. Your next summer read and our award-winning podcasts – what you should read, watch, see and listen to this week – https://theconversation.com/your-next-summer-read-and-our-award-winning-podcasts-what-you-should-read-watch-see-and-listen-to-this-week-257747

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Second Central Asian regional simulation-based training strengthens joint response to human trafficking

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: Second Central Asian regional simulation-based training strengthens joint response to human trafficking

Labour inspectors inspect a construction site as part of the simulation. (OSCE) Photo details

Over 130 practitioners from Central Asia and Türkiye gathered this week at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, for a five-day regional simulation-based training exercise on combating trafficking in human beings.
The training was opened by Nurlanbek Azygaliev, Vice Speaker of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, who emphasized during his opening remarks that, “platforms created by the OSCE, especially simulation trainings, have become not just a place for training, but a real tool for establishing partnership, trust and interaction.”
Throughout the week, participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan took part in an immersive “learning-by-doing” training that reflected real-world human trafficking scenarios. Set in a complex, multi-country fictional environment, the simulation focused on trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, as well as forced criminality. Participants worked through realistic cases involving the recruitment, transport, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals including children, persons with disabilities, and undocumented migrants. They were tasked with carrying out joint multi-agency and cross-sectorial investigations, applying standard operating procedures to identify presumed victims, and delivering victim-centered assistance and protection, especially for those facing multiple, overlapping risks.
“With our simulations, we aim to break down silos and foster a spirit of cooperation in your joint efforts to combat human trafficking. True progress can only be achieved when law enforcement, civil society, prosecutors, asylum authorities, labour inspectors, and social workers work hand in hand” said Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings during the closing ceremony today.
The exercise was organized by the OSCE Programme Offices in Bishkek and the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, in close co-operation with the Migration and Human Trafficking Council under the Speaker of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Ministry of Labour, Social Care and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as OSCE Field Operations in Central Asia.
The event was made possible thanks to support from the governments of Germany, Ireland, Italy, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Switzerland, as well as the United States Mission to the OSCE. The training also benefited from the expertise and financial support of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Prague Process Secretariat.

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Second Mattei Plan steering committee meeting

Source: Government of Italy (English)

The second meeting of the Mattei Plan steering committee was held at Palazzo Chigi today, chaired by the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.

The meeting was attended by all Ministries concerned and the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces as well as by representatives from the various State bodies and companies, publicly-owned enterprises, universities and research institutions, third sector organisations and private companies involved in cooperation and development activities.

The meeting recalled President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni’s recent trips to Egypt (17 March) and Tunisia (17 April), which allowed for important agreements to be signed in a number of the Plan’s action areas: agriculture, water, education and training. The meeting also reviewed the trips to eastern Africa that have been undertaken by Task Force members, development cooperation officials and the ‘Sistema Italia’, as well as the future trips scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Lastly, the meeting examined a consolidated version of the Mattei Plan summary document, in light of the observations made by steering committee members and ahead of finalising the document before its subsequent submission to Parliament for the parliamentary committees in charge to provide their opinion.

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Orange Becomes the Strategic Partner of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group for digital initiatives
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
- The Orange group and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group announce the signing of a framework agreement at VivaTech 2025 making Orange the reference partner in digital matters.
- This unprecedented agreement with a telecom operator aims to strengthen cooperation between the two groups to improve access to digital services, support innovation and accelerate environmental transition in their common areas of intervention.
Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange (www.Orange.com), Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group, and Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparco, signed an innovative partnership agreement to jointly accelerate digital inclusion and sustainable digital development. The three-year agreement provides a structured framework for cooperation on expertise and the emergence of joint projects internationally. It covers 17 countries in the Africa-Middle East region where Orange is present, as well as Moldova and French overseas departments. Priority themes include:
- Digital inclusion of populations through the deployment of strategic infrastructure (ex. backbone equipment of very high-speed networks and submarine cables);
- Financial and energy inclusion, and access to e-services (agriculture, health, education), especially in rural areas;
- Reduction of the environmental footprint of digital technology;
- Training and professional integration through digital tools;
- Support for innovation and entrepreneurship;
- Forward-looking discussions on ethical data use, security and artificial intelligence for development.
As a multi-service operator and key partner in the digital transformation of the Africa-Middle East region, Orange has already opened 16 Orange Digital Centers and 32 Orange Digital Center Clubs in partnership with universities. These are free and accessible to all, and are designed to promote digital inclusion among youth and foster entrepreneurship.

AFD Group supports public authorities, businesses, civil society and innovative ecosystems in their transition toward a more open, accessible and responsible digital world. It works alongside its partners to leverage digital solutions to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the basis of this experience, Orange and AFD Group have worked together for over 20 years on various projects, such as supporting the deployment of fixed and mobile telecom networks for Orange subsidiaries in Jordan and Senegal, training youth in digital tools through Orange Foundations in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar and Tunisia, and supporting coding training programs at Orange Digital Centers in Jordan.

This new partnership will strengthen the synergies and increase the dissemination of best practices and innovations in the digital sector. It reflects a renewed ambition aimed at striving towards digital equality and SDG achievement through innovative solutions and collaborative initiatives.

On signing the agreement, Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange, stated:“This strategic partnership with AFD Group marks an important milestone in our collaboration. I look forward to continuing this dynamic of international cooperation for a more inclusive and sustainable digital future, reinforcing Orange’s commitment to expanding access to digital technology everywhere we operate. “

Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group, said: “AFD Group believes that digital technology is a powerful lever for transforming a diverse range of sectors, including public services, education, health and entrepreneurship. This first strategic partnership with Orange exemplifies this shared ambition to support the emergence of sovereign digital services at a local level by investing in solutions that are innovative, open and responsible.”

Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparco, added: “Proparco, AFD Group’s subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, is fully committed to strengthening its partnership with Orange, both strategically and operationally. By combining our networks, expertise and resources, we are working with determination to improve digital access for all in France and emerging countries.”

– on behalf of Orange Middle East and Africa.

Press contacts:
Flaminia le Maignan: flaminia.lemaignan@orange.com
Service presse AFD: _afdpresse@afd.fr

Follow us on:
X: @ orangegrouppr (https://apo-opa.co/4jKVTnh)

About Orange:
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 40.3 billion euros in 2024 and 125,800 employees worldwide at 31 March 2025, including 69,700 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 294 million customers worldwide at 31 March 2025, including 256 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. These figures account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain following the creation of MASORANGE. The Group is present in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries).

Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan “Lead the Future”, built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. “Lead the Future” capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange’s leadership in service quality.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA).

For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.Orange.com, www.Orange-Business.com and the Orange News app.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

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MIL OSI Africa –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Modern Trenches, Modern Threats: Combat Engineering in the Drone Age

Source: United States Navy

SKRUNDA, Latvia – As part of exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2025, U.S. Navy Seabees, U.S. Marines from 8th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), and Latvian Army engineers are constructing a fortified trench network designed for survivability in a drone-contested battlespace. The project serves both as a realistic rehearsal and a proof of concept for how modern combat engineers support maneuverability, concealment, and endurance in multi-domain operations.

MIL Security OSI –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Chair of the NATO Military Committee visits Greece

Source: NATO

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone travelled to Greece to meet the country’s top military leadership. While in Athens, he also paid respects at the Monument of the Unknown Solider.

The official visit began with Admiral Cavo Dragone participating in a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated to Greek soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

During his meeting with the Chief of Defence, General Dimitrios Choupis, and his staff, CMC praised Greece for its steadfast contribution with professional and committed armed forces to the Alliance’s approach to deterrence and defence. The discussion then focused on the road to the NATO Summit in The Hague, and in particular about the call to Allies to invest more in defence. “NATO must be ready to face any potential threat, coming from any domain,” said Admiral Cavo Dragone. “We are ready now, but we must continue to be ready in the future. For this, Allies have agreed on ambitious capability targets last week. And this requires an urgent step up in defence budgets, by each of the Allies.” In this regard, CMC commended Greece for “continually meeting the threshold of defence spending, and even investing well above the 2% mark.”

Additionally, in reference to the contribution that Greece provides for a stronger Alliance, General Choupis discussed with Admiral Cavo Dragone the national defence plan called ‘Agenda 2030’. The recent launch of the ‘Achilles Shield’ project was also highlighted, as an initiative to bolster the nation’s air and missile defence systems, which are part of the capabilities NATO has placed major emphasis on.

MIL Security OSI –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Meet Daniela Espinal Fondeur and Gabrijela Papec, Recipients of the Competitive Schwarzman Scholars Programme
Source: Universities – Science Po in English

Daniela Espinal Fondeur and Gabrijela Papec have been selected to be part of the 150 students from 38 countries of the 10th cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, one of the most competitive scholarship programmes in the world – with an acceptance rate of below 3%. With its first anniversary coming up in 2026, this programme has reached this year the biggest number of applications and has admitted its 100th country represented, thanks to Sciences Po student Gabrijela Papec, from Croatia.

This scholarship offers the equivalent of €150,000 to each recipient, with automatic acceptance to the best university in Asia (Times Higher Education World University Rankings), Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, for a one-year master’s degree on a campus reserved exclusive to the 150 graduates, the Schwarzman College. The core purpose of this programme can be summed up in this quote from its founding trustee, Stephen A. Schwarzman, “Those who will lead the future must understand China today”.

Meet this year’s two Sciences Po recipients, Daniela Espinal Fondeur, a graduate from the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and Gabrijela Papec, a master’s student from the Law School.

Who are you?

Daniela E. F.: I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where I studied economics as an undergraduate student. In 2022, I joined the Master in International Governance and Diplomacy at Sciences Po, and graduated in June 2024. My interest lies in international cooperation. I undertook internships in embassies, UNESCO, and the Dominican Republic Consulate in Paris. I wish to become a diplomat in the near future.

Gabrijela P.: I am from Croatia. I began my journey at Sciences Po as an undergraduate student on the Reims campus, and its North America minor – just like Felipe Chertouh (2024 Schwarzman Scholar, article in French). I have a strong interest in the way advocacy work can be intertwined with human rights and international law, which grew even stronger after a summer internship at Genocide Watch. After a year as a master’s student in Economic Law, I decided to take a gap year and applied to the Schwarzman Scholar programme.

What are you expecting from this programme?

Daniela: I am really excited to benefit from this unique opportunity. China is so remote from the Dominican Republic, it is priceless to learn about a country while living there. I aim to build a bridge between China and my country through an internship at the Dominican Embassy in Beijing. Considering all the turmoil that’s happening in our world, it is incredible to go through that experience.

Gabrijela: Getting a deep cultural understanding of the way international law is applied in China – a gigantic country which holds much power over other countries – is very important. I feel that China needs to be included in the very making of international law and policies, or they will never work out. I already experienced working in Asia, for a South Korean company, and I can’t wait to further enrich my skill set.

How was your experience at Sciences Po ?

Daniela: It was my first time away from home! I met remarkable colleagues, professors, and had a unique experience as a Paris Peace Forum volunteer, assigned to the Montenegro delegation. You can access many academic opportunities, such as the European Forum Alpbach in Austria. One of my favourite courses was about great strategies in diplomacy, past and present, taught by Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. I made the most out of my Sciences Po experience by joining different clubs as well, in the fields of diplomacy and debate.

Gabrijela: Reims being quite a small city, I found it easy to meet people, who came from everywhere. The course that made a lasting impression on me was about conflict-related sexual violence, taught by David Eichert. This excellent course focused on the way international criminal law evolved to include sexual violence. I do believe that I, too, can change the course of history. I used to complain about the way Sciences Po gave me so much work, but I can see now that it prepared me to think for myself, to be responsible. It enabled me to apply to this programme, filling in a comprehensive file.
What advice would you give to sciences po students applying to the Schwarzman Scholars programme?

Daniela: Be open to getting out of your comfort zone, to consider living in other places that can challenge you, mentally and culturally. It can turn into the greatest opportunity for growth at all level.

A Schwarzman recipient must meet three main criteria :

demonstrated leadership,

intellect,

exemplary character and integrity.

Gabrijela: Be open to yourself and who you want to be, but also, try to be the best student you can be.

Both: Reach out to previous scholars, ask for help. Sciences Po has an alumni base for this programme now, rely on it, on its sense of community. We can’t wait to meet the 1,300+ programme graduates in 2026 for its 10th anniversary.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 14, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Eugene Doyle: Team Genocide and the West’s war on Iran

COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle

I have visited Iran twice. Once in June 1980 to witness an unprecedented event: the world’s first Islamic Revolution. It was the very start of my writing career.

The second time was in 2018 and part of my interest was to get a sense of how disenchanted the population was — or was not — with life under the Ayatollahs decades after the creation of the Islamic Republic.

I loved my time in Iran and found ordinary Iranians to be such wonderful, cultured and kind people.

When I heard the news today of Israel’s attack on Iran I had the kind of emotional response that should never be seen in public. I was apoplectic with rage and disgust, I vented bitterly and emotively.

Then I calmed down. And here is what I would like to say:

Just last week former CIA officer Ray McGovern, who wrote daily intelligence briefings for the US President during his 27-year career, reminded me when I interviewed him that the assessment of the US intelligence community has been for years that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and had not recommenced since.

The departing CIA director William Burns confirmed this assessment recently. Propaganda aside, there is nothing new other than a US-Israeli campaign that has shredded any concept of international laws or norms.

I won’t mince words: what we are witnessing is the racist, genocidal Israeli regime, armed and encouraged by the US, Germany, UK and other Western regimes, launching a war that has no justification other than the expansion of Israeli power and the advancement of its Greater Israel project.

This year, using American, German and British armaments, supported by underlings like Australia and New Zealand, the Israelis have pursued their genocide against the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, and attacked various neighbours, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran.

They represent a clear and present danger to peace and stability in the region.

Iran has operated with considerable restraint but has also shown its willingness to use its military to keep the US-Israeli menace at bay. What most people forget is that the project to secure Iran’s borders and keep the likes of the British, Israelis and Americans out is a multi-generational project that long predates the Islamic Revolution.

I would recommend Iran: A modern history by the US-based scholar Abbas Amanat that provides a long-view of the evolution of the Iranian state and how it has survived centuries of pressure and multiple occupations from imperial powers, including Russia, Britain, the US and others.

Hard-fought independence
The country was raped by the Brits and the Americans and has won a hard-fought independence that is being seriously challenged, not from within, but by the Israelis and the Western warlords who have wrecked so many countries and killed millions of men, women and children in the region over recent decades.

I spoke and messaged with Iranian friends today both in Iran and in New Zealand and the response was consistent. They felt, one of them said, 10 times more hurt and emotional than I did.

Understandable.

A New Zealand-based Iranian friend had to leave work as soon as he heard the news. He scanned Iranian social media and found people were upset, angry and overwhelmingly supportive of the government.

“They destroyed entire apartment buildings! Why?”, “People will be very supportive of the regime now because they have attacked civilians.”

“My parents are in the capital. I was so scared for them.”

Just a couple of years ago scholars like Professor Amanat estimated that core support for the regime was probably only around 20 percent. That was my impression too when I visited in 2018.

Nationalism, existential menace
Israel and the US have changed that. Nationalism and an existential menace will see Iranians rally around the flag.

Something I learnt in Iran, in between visiting the magnificent ruins of the capital of the Achaemenid Empire at Persepolis, exploring a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, chowing down on insanely good food in Yazd, talking with a scholar and then a dissident in Isfahan, and exploring an ancient Sassanian fort and a caravanserai in the eastern desert, was that the Iranians are the most politically astute people in the region.

Many I spoke to were quite open about their disdain for the regime but none of them sought a counter-revolution.

They knew what that would bring: the wolves (the Americans, the Israelis, the Saudis, and other bad actors) would slip in and tear the country apart. Slow change is the smarter option when you live in this neighbourhood.

Iranians are overwhelmingly well-educated, profoundly courteous and kind, and have a deep sense of history. They know more than enough about what happened to them and to so many other countries once a great power sees an opening.

War is a truly horrific thing that always brings terrible suffering to ordinary people. It is very rarely justified.

Iran was actively negotiating with the Americans who, we now know, were briefed on the attack in advance and will possibly join the attack in the near future.

US senators are baying for Judeo-Christian jihad. Democrat Senator John Fetterman was typical: “Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”

We should have the moral and intellectual honesty to see the truth: Our team, Team Genocide, are the enemies of peace and justice. I wish the Iranian people peace and prosperity.

Eugene Doyle is a writer based in Wellington. He has written extensively on the Middle East, as well as peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific region. He contributes to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific, and hosts the public policy platform solidarity.co.nz.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Nuclear energy is a risky investment, but that’s no reason for the UK government to avoid it

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University

Sizewell B on the UK’s Suffolk coast. Nick Beer/Shutterstock

The UK government’s investment of around £14 billion in a new nuclear power plant marks a big economic shift for the country’s approach to energy.

The Sizewell C plant in Suffolk will be the second of a new generation of reactors to be built in the country, after Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which is expected to open in 2031.

French energy firm EDF is building Hinkley and will probably end up building Sizewell too. But it seems that the British government is finally prepared to take on the considerable financial risk which these projects bring.

Previously it has preferred to look elsewhere. China, notably, has a longstanding appetite for investment in British infrastructure. (Although in 2022, the UK government bought back China’s stakes in Sizewell C amid geopolitical concerns.)

But the money has to come from somewhere. And after EDF announced it wanted to limit its participation in Sizewell C – and in particular, exposure to the risk of cost overruns – the UK government has stepped in.

EDF has has already lost a lot of money building Hinkley Point C. When construction began in 2017, costs were estimated at £18 billion.

At the time, the UK government agreed to pay a set rate for the electricity produced so the French company could recoup its cost and make a reasonable profit. That price was perceived by some as as extremely high and remains higher than current wholesale prices.

But as construction costs have more than doubled, the project has generated an estimated loss of around £13 billion for EDF. The company hopes to keep construction costs down this time, after similar costs overruns in projects it completed in France and in Finland.

But now Sizewell C will only progress because the British government has said it will take on almost all of the financial risk.

In doing so, the UK is not an outlier. In France, China and South Korea, nuclear power plants are built by state-owned companies. In the US, private companies are waiting for public funding to finance Donald Trump’s dream of a nuclear renaissance.

And perhaps it’s an expense the state should be willing to take on.

After all, although nuclear reactors (like solar farms and wind turbines) are expensive to set up, once they are built, the cost of producing electricity is very small.

And if the long-term goal is to eliminate the need for fossil fuels, it means all electricity will need to come from a mixture of renewables, batteries and nuclear. Electricity could then become much cheaper than it is now.

But building the means of creating this power comes with varying degrees of risk.

Solar, for example, is not that risky. Panels are usually imported, there are no major safety concerns, and investors can roughly predict how much sun there will be in a typical year.

For nuclear energy, production is also predictable. But the time it will take to complete construction of a plant and the associated costs are not.

Part of this is down to choice. UK regulations around nuclear energy are complex and strict, and other countries build faster and cheaper. This may be why globally, solar power is attracting much more investment than other sources of energy.

Political energy

But this does not mean governments should ignore the nuclear option. One of the main reasons governments are useful to society is that they can afford to take risks that private investors cannot, and finance long term innovation.

This in turn can lead to much greater strategic and geopolitical autonomy. While solar panels and batteries are getting ever cheaper, the vast majority of production is in China.

Domestic production of nuclear allows for greater diversity in energy sourcing, and arguably from some more predictable partners. The key component, uranium, can be found in large quantities in places like Canada or Australia, or directly reused.

Research suggests that nuclear energy may be particularly suited to feed the needs of digital datacentres and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, the government also hopes to get small nuclear reactors from domestic producer Rolls Royce which could be built in factories at a much more predictable cost. Russia and China have each already built this kind of reactor.

Plus there’s £2.5 billion for UK research on nuclear fusion, with the potential to deliver electricity on an unprecedented scale.

No one knows if fusion will ever be possible. It is the kind of uncertain, incredibly expensive projects (with potentially massive returns) that pretty much no private investor would risk looking at.

But again, it is the kind of bet only governments can take. For nuclear power, for reasons of scale, risk and uncertainty, is mostly a government business – and ultimately a political choice.

It will take a long time to know if the decision to spend taxpayers’ money on Sizewell C was the right way to respond to the country’s energy needs. But ending reliance on private or foreign financing for nuclear projects could one day be seen as a positive reaction.

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

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

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

– ref. Nuclear energy is a risky investment, but that’s no reason for the UK government to avoid it – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-energy-is-a-risky-investment-but-thats-no-reason-for-the-uk-government-to-avoid-it-258645

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State challenged on Baroness O’Loan appointment to Finucane inquiry

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Statement by TUV leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister:

“The Secretary of State’s decision to appoint Baroness Nuala O’Loan as an assessor to the Pat Finucane public inquiry is highly questionable and fundamentally undermines public confidence in a process which is already highly suspect in the eyes of many.

“Baroness O’Loan has been personally and publicly invested in the Finucane case for nearly two decades. As Police Ombudsman her office produced Operation Ballast in 2007, a report that investigated alleged collusion between the RUC and loyalist paramilitaries, including in relation to the Finucane murder. That report formed a key part of the narrative that ultimately led to sustained political pressure for a public inquiry.

“On her departure from the Ombudsman role, The Guardian noted that her work had been dominated by collusion cases, and highlighted her personal frustration that no prosecutions had followed, singling out the Finucane case. This was not the dispassionate stance of an investigator concluding her work — it was the expression of someone who clearly regarded the Finucane case as unfinished business.

“More than a decade later, in December 2020, she publicly criticised the UK government for its refusal to initiate a public inquiry, continuing to advocate for the very process she has now been appointed to help direct. Her comments made clear she had already formed a view on the need for such an inquiry and on the alleged failures of state agencies.

“To now place her in a formal advisory role — after so many years of active and vocal involvement — compromises the credibility of the inquiry before it has even begun. This is not a matter of legal competence, but of perceived impartiality, which is essential if justice is to be seen to be done.

“At a time when countless victims of terrorist violence have never had so much as a day in court, let alone a public inquiry, the decision to proceed with this case in this manner, and with this appointment, will be seen by many as confirmation of a two-tier approach to victims.

“I have therefore today written to the Secretary of State to formally challenge the appointment of Baroness O’Loan.

“I am not questioning Baroness O’Loan’s professionalism, but nonetheless this is not the case for her talents.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Cryptocurrency Financial Services Firm “Gotbit” and Founder Sentenced for Market Manipulation and Fraud Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOSTON – Gotbit Consulting LLC (Gotbit), a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for criminal charges relating to Gotbit’s fraudulent manipulation of cryptocurrency trading volume on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies.

Aleksei Andriunin, 26, of Russia and Portugal, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to eight months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In March 2025, Andriunin pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. Andriunin was arrested in Portugal on Oct. 8, 2024 and extradited to the United States on Feb. 25, 2025.

As part of its criminal resolution, Gotbit was ordered to forfeit a total of approximately $23 million in seized cryptocurrency. The court also sentenced Gotbit to a term of probation for five years, during which time Gotbit shall cease to exist or operate.

Gotbit and Andriunin were indicted by a federal grand jury on the same charges in October 2024. The indictment also charges two of Gotbit’s directors, Fedor Kedrov and Qawi Jalili.

Gotbit was a well-known “market maker” in the cryptocurrency industry. Between 2018 and 2024, Gotbit provided market manipulation services to create artificial trading volume for multiple cryptocurrency companies, including companies located in the United States and companies whose cryptocurrencies traded on platforms available to investors located in the United States. Andriunin was Gotbit’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. In a 2019 interview, Andriunin described how he developed a code to “wash trade” cryptocurrencies to artificially inflate trading volume for the purpose of getting cryptocurrencies listed on CoinMarketCap (a website that published information about “trending” cryptocurrencies) and trading on larger cryptocurrency exchanges. Andriunin and Gotbit’s employees marketed these wash trading tactics to prospective clients and explained how Gotbit used multiple accounts to avoid detection of the wash trades on the public blockchain. Gotbit made wash trades worth millions of dollars on behalf of clients and received tens of millions of dollars in payments from clients.

Gotbit admitted that it engaged in manipulative trades to artificially increase the trading price and volume of tokens for clients that included Robo Inu and Saitama. Leaders of those cryptocurrency companies were charged in separate cases unsealed in October 2024.

Gotbit is the third market maker to resolve criminal charges relating to wash trading in the cryptocurrency industry. In October 2024, the founder of MyTrade pleaded guilty in connection with providing an unlawful wash trading service identified through an undercover law enforcement operation. In April 2025, CLS Global FZC LLC was sentenced in connection with offering illegal “volume support” services uncovered by the same operation.

The Securities & Exchange Commission brought a related civil enforcement action against Gotbit alleging violations of the securities laws.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter.

MIL Security OSI –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI: Introducing Surfshark Everlink: patented self-healing VPN infrastructure for stable VPN protection
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Surfshark, a leading provider of VPN services, unveils Surfshark Everlink, an industry-first patented (patents: US11190491B1, US20240080302A1) technology designed to deliver greater VPN connection stability. Surfshark Everlink is a supporting, self-healing infrastructure that ensures continuous VPN connectivity by seamlessly recovering dropped VPN connections. This technology allows users to enjoy a stable VPN connection and minimizes the risk of IP address exposure.

“This technology allows us to improve the most important VPN quality metric – connection stability. While other shiny metrics, such as the number of servers might seem important, connection stability is something that truly makes the difference to the user experience,” says Donatas Budvytis, Chief Technology Officer at Surfshark.

How does Surfshark Everlink work?

Surfshark Everlink is an additional layer of security which helps to recover lost connections. When connected to the VPN, Surfshark user connects not only to the VPN infrastructure, but also to Everlink infrastructure. In case there is a drop of connection, Surfshark Everlink instantly acts as a “self-healing” mechanism and revives user’s connection by reconfiguring the VPN tunnel without having to disconnect and reconnect from the VPN service, protecting the user from potential data exposure.

“Think of a well-known VPN comparison to an encrypted tunnel – if the VPN is a tunnel which secures your traffic, imagine Surfshark Everlink as another one which secures that VPN tunnel. If one connection goes down, you’re automatically switched to another, so you stay connected and secure,” explains Donatas Budvytis.

Surfshark Everlink also ensures that the VPN service for the user remains stable in case of server maintenance repairs. “If, let’s say, we had to shut down some of our servers for maintenance, Everlink would route all traffic to another closest server without any interruptions to user experience.”

More than just convenience: protecting users’ privacy

Budvytis emphasizes that Surfshark Everlink isn’t only essential for seamless connectivity, but is also an important new technology for privacy and security.

“At best, an unstable VPN connection is simply annoying, however, it can also be risky, as an unstable connection can lead to exposed user data. For journalists, activists, whistleblowers and anyone who values online privacy, this can be a significant risk. If the server connection drops out, it could expose the person’s IP address and leave them traceable and vulnerable.”

Budvytis compares the new technology to an already existing, industry-standard Kill Switch. “The main difference between Kill Switch and Surfshark Everlink is that the Kill Switch does exactly what it says on the tin – kills your connection in case of a server failure. To put it simply, if your VPN’s off, you’re offline. And while that’s a good way to stay secure and prevent leaks, we wanted to improve this industry standard and take it to the next level – instead of killing the connection, we want users to stay securely connected and private. Users can still choose to use the Kill Switch feature, but we wanted to offer something in addition to this.”

The Surfshark Everlink technology is enabled by default on WireGuard protocol on all platforms, including iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.

Surfshark Everlink was built on a patented technology (patent: US11190491B1, Method and apparatus for maintaining a resilient VPN connection; patent: US20240080302A1, Clustering of Virtual Private Network Servers). Currently holding multiple patents for industry innovation, the company seeks to improve not only on its VPN offering, but also help build a better internet for everyone. Recently, Surfshark launched a free DNS service, offering a more private alternative to default DNS providers.

ABOUT SURFSHARK

Surfshark is a cybersecurity company offering products including an audited VPN, certified antivirus, data leak warning system, private search engine, and tool for generating an alternative online identity. Recognized as a leading VPN by CNET and TechRadar, Surfshark has also been featured on the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies ranking. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Surfshark has offices in Lithuania and Poland. For information on Surfshark’s operations and highlights, read our Annual Wrap-up. For research projects, visit our Research Hub.

Attachment
- Surfshark Everlink
The MIL Network –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Jersey to offer a more personalised cervical screening programme13 June 2025 From July, Jersey will follow NHS England and the recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee, to offer a more personalised cervical screening service. The more accurate Human Papillomavirus… Read more

Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

13 June 2025

From July, Jersey will follow NHS England and the recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee, to offer a more personalised cervical screening service.

The more accurate Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing has enabled this change in line with major clinical evidence.

Cervical screening detects HPV, these are types of viral infection which are the main cause of cervical cancer. If HPV is detected, the screening sample will then be checked for any changes to the cells in the cervix. If caught early, these can be treated before they turn into cervical cancer.

Since December 2019, all cervical screening samples taken in Jersey have been tested for high-risk HPV, which is more accurate than the previous method of cytology testing, known as a ‘smear test’.

From July, younger women and people with a cervix, aged 25 to 49, who test negative for HPV or who have previously tested negative for HPV and are therefore known to be at very low risk of cervical cancer over the next 10 years and will safely be invited by their GP for their free screening appointment at five-year intervals rather than three. This is in line with major clinical evidence and follows the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation.

Those women and people with a cervix whose sample indicates the presence of HPV or who have a recent history of HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers, will continue to be invited to more frequent screenings to check whether HPV has cleared and if not, if any cell changes have developed. This approach is already used for women and those with a cervix aged 50 to 64 and follows robust evidence on how often those eligible need to be safely screened.

The body often clears the infection itself within 36 months. By testing those who have tested positive for HPV every year, cell changes can be picked up very quickly. If abnormal cells are found, the patient will be referred for another examination called a colposcopy which takes a closer look at the cervix.

Dr Fiona Nelson, Clinical lead for Cervical Screening, said: “Since 2019 all cervical samples have been tested first for high-risk HPV which is a more accurate test then previous cytology testing. This change has allowed us to move to a more personalised programme in Jersey. Cervical cancer is preventable and curable, and we now have the ability to make the disease a thing of the past. The cervical screening programme, together with our HPV vaccination programme and treatment, helps us move towards our goal of eliminating cervical cancer in Jersey.

“The reason we have decided to follow England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland with this change is because the new test used in cervical screening picks up problems earlier than the older screening test that was previously used by the programme. Women and people with a cervix who test negative for HPV are very low risk and those who have a recent history of HPV will be invited more frequently.

“The HPV test is an objective test which means the sample is not dependent on a person looking at cells and making a judgment and this means there are fewer missed cases. The HPV test is very good at picking up if someone has HPV and because it typically takes 10-15 years for cancer to develop after an HPV infection a five-year interval for those who are HPV negative is safe.”

The Jersey Screening Board added: “This change aligns Jersey with the latest evidence-based guidance. HPV testing offers greater accuracy, enabling safer and more personalised screening. It marks a significant step towards the prevention and eventual elimination of cervical cancer.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: UNOC3: “Fine words must now translate into action”, Greenpeace comment

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Nice, France, The UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) concludes today with significant progress made towards the ratification of the High Seas Treaty and a strong statement on a new plastics treaty signed by 95 governments. Once ratified, it will be the only legal tool that can create protected areas in international waters, making it fundamental to protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. 50 countries, plus the European Union, have now ratified the Treaty.

Deep sea mining rose up the agenda in the conference debates, demonstrating the urgency of opposing this industry. The expectation from civil society and a large group of states, including both co-hosts of UNOC, was that governments would make progress towards stopping deep sea mining in Nice. UN Secretary General Guterres said the deep sea should not become the wild west. French President Macron said a deep sea mining moratorium is an international necessity. Four new countries pledged their support for a moratorium at UNOC bringing the total to 37. Attention now turns to what actions governments will take in July to stop this industry from starting.

Megan Randles, Greenpeace Head of Delegation regarding the High Seas Treaty and progress towards stopping deep sea mining said: “High Seas Treaty ratification is within touching distance, but the progress made here in Nice feels hollow as this UN Ocean Conference ends without more tangible commitments to stopping deep sea mining.

“We’ve heard lots of fine words here in Nice, but these need to turn into tangible action. Countries must be brave, stand up for global cooperation and make history by stopping deep sea mining this year. They can do this by committing to a moratorium on deep sea mining at next month’s International Seabed Authority meeting. We applaud those who have already taken a stand, and urge all others to be on the right side of history by stopping deep sea mining.”

Following this UNOC, attention now turns to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meetings in July. In the face of The Metals Company teaming up with Trump to mine the global oceans, the upcoming ISA provides a space where governments can come together to defend the deep ocean by adopting a moratorium to stop this destructive industry.

Negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty resume in August.

John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director, Greenpeace USA said: “The majority of countries have spoken when they signed on to the Nice Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty that they want an agreement that will reduce plastic production. Now, as we end the UN Ocean Conference and head on to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Geneva this August, they must act. The world cannot afford a weak treaty dictated by oil-soaked obstructionists.

“The ambitious majority must rise to this moment, firmly hold the line and ensure that we will have a Global Plastic Treaty that cuts plastic production, protects human health, and delivers justice for Indigenous Peoples and communities on the frontlines. Governments need to show that multilateralism still works for people and the planet, not the profits of a greedy few.”

Nichanan Thantanwit, Project Leader, Ocean Justice Project said: “Coastal and Indigenous communities, including small-scale fishers, have protected the ocean for generations. Now they are being pushed aside by industries driving ecological collapse and human rights violations.

“As the UN Ocean Conference ends, governments must recognise small-scale fishers and Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders, secure their access and role in marine governance, and stop destructive practices such as bottom trawling and harmful aquaculture. There is no ocean protection without the people who have protected it all along.”

The anticipated Nice Ocean Action Plan, which consists of a political declaration and a series of voluntary commitments, will be announced later today at the end of the conference. None will be legally binding, so governments need to act strongly during the next ISA meeting in July and at plastic treaty negotiations in August.

ENDS

Photos and Video available in the Greenpeace Media Library.

Contacts:

James Hanson, Head of Communications, Greenpeace Protect the Oceans campaign, +44 7801 212 994, [email protected]

Magali Rubino, Global Media Lead, Greenpeace Protect the Oceans campaign, +33 7 78 41 78 78, [email protected]

Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

MIL OSI NGO –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General in Stockholm, highlights Sweden’s defence industry leadership and support to Ukraine

Source: NATO

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on Friday (13 June 2025) to discuss preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague.

Mr Rutte noted that Sweden – NATO’s newest member – is “already making major contributions across the Alliance” since joining in March 2024, including through contributions to Forward Land Forces in Latvia, and leading NATO’s newly established Forward Land Forces in Finland.

“Your Gripen fighter jets help patrol the skies over Poland, and your ships contribute to our enhanced military presence in the Baltic Sea through Baltic Sentry,” he said. The Secretary General also highlighted how Sweden’s expertise in the High North strengthens NATO’s regional posture and reinforces the Alliance’s ability to support Baltic Allies.

In 2024, Sweden invested 2.66% of GDP on defence, with plans to go further. “This is a clear demonstration of Sweden’s commitment to collective defence,” said the Secretary General. Mr Rutte also underlined Sweden’s leadership in strengthening NATO’s defence industrial base. “You have a world-class defence sector,” he said. He welcomed Sweden’s role in defence industrial production, research, and resilience.

Secretary General Rutte also commended Sweden for its staunch support of Ukraine. “Since 2022, you have provided over 7 billion euros in military assistance – including 1.25 billion in the first four months of this year alone. In terms of GDP, this places Sweden among the top contributors to Ukraine.” He also welcomed Sweden’s investment in Ukraine’s defence industry, saying: “You are truly leading by example.”

Turning to the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, the Secretary General highlighted the need for increased investment and stronger defence industrial capacity. “I expect leaders to make bold decisions to further strengthen our deterrence and defence – including agreeing a new defence investment plan that would bring our defence investment to 5% of GDP.”

In Stockholm, Secretary General Rutte also took part in a panel discussion at the annual Bilderberg meeting, alongside the President of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calviño and US Army General Chris Donahue. The discussion was moderated by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski.

MIL Security OSI –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Advice issued ahead of City Cemetery Blessing of the Graves

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Advice issued ahead of City Cemetery Blessing of the Graves

13 June 2025

Preparations are underway for the annual Blessing of the Graves service at the City Cemetery and with thousands of people expected to attend, Council is advising that visitors familiarise themselves with the arrangements for the day.

The event will take place at 3pm on Sunday June 22^nd, and a number of measures are being introduced to ensure the event runs smoothly.

A limited number of parking spaces are still available on site for blue badge holders who must register their details in advance via www.derrystrabane.com/cemeterysunday Please note that anyone booking will need to provide a Name, Mobile number, Vehicle Registration Number, Blue Badge Number and email address – any submissions without this information will be considered invalid.

Those who have booked can access their parking via the Lone Moor Road entrance – gates will open at 1pm until 2pm to allow time for cars to park.

Anyone planning to prepare graves for the service in the coming days are advised that the cemetery will be busy, particularly on Saturday June 21^st. It’s recommended that preparations are made earlier in the week if possible if visitors wish to avoid busier times and any congestion. Please follow the traffic directions and be mindful of other pedestrians and visitors accessing the site. With later opening visits can be spread throughout the day.

The City Cemetery will be closed to the general public on the day itself, except for burials. Those with a pre-booked parking space must be in place by 2pm, as there will be no access for vehicles after this time. Parking spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis and it will not be possible to reserve a space in a particular area. Please keep in mind that you may still have to walk some distance to reach family graves and make provision for this.

Once on site, vehicles will remain there until the crowds have dispersed which, it’s estimated, will be approximately 30 minutes after the service finishes.

Other car parking is being made available for blue badge holders at St Mary’s Church, Creggan, St Cecilia’s College and Celtic Park. There is no prior booking for these sites, access will only be given to vehicles that display a current Disability Blue Badge Permit on arrival and these too will be filled on a first come basis first served basis.

For those who cannot attend the service, a livestream of the Blessing of the Graves can be viewed online at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/9ZS-utqxlfQ?feature=share

You will find information on the Blessing of the Graves service and blue badge parking here – https://tinyurl.com/mr4ytacu

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Oceans British actors, authors, musicians and environmentalists urge UK government to ‘stop failing the ocean’ Photos of some of the signatories available here Some of the UK’s best-loved stars have joined a call on the UK government to stop failing the ocean and sign the… by Alexandra Sedgwick June 11, 2025
Source: Greenpeace Statement –
- Photos of some of the signatories available here
Some of the UK’s best-loved stars have joined a call on the UK government to stop failing the ocean and sign the Global Ocean Treaty into law, as the pivotal UN Ocean Conference is taking place in Nice this week. 18 more states ratified the Treaty yesterday, bringing the total so far to 49, but embarrassingly there is no sign of action from the UK government.

Household names and longtime ocean, climate and nature ambassadors Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Bonnie Wright (who was in Nice for the summit), Dan Smith, Cel Spellman, Meera Sodha and Mya-Rose Craig are together appealing to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to urgently sign the Global Ocean Treaty (also known as the High Seas Treaty) into UK law. Prime Minister Keir Starmer must support the legislation being brought to parliament before the summit ends on Friday.

Their joint statement said:

“All life on earth depends on healthy oceans, yet they are under threat like never before. I urge the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to protect the oceans by rapidly passing the Global Ocean Treaty into UK law. It’s high time the UK got onboard. The Treaty is our best chance to achieve protection of 30% of the ocean by 2030, which scientists agree is essential for marine life to survive and thrive. The UK has turned up empty handed to a pivotal UN Ocean Conference where countries are committing to ocean protection right now. The UK must stop failing the ocean and swiftly join the 49 states that have already ratified. David Lammy has to ensure the Treaty legislation is tabled by the end of this vital conference.”

After a flurry of ratifications on day one of the UN Global Ocean Conference, 49 states (plus the European Union) have now signed the Treaty into law, including 14 EU countries, but the UK is notably absent from this list[1][2]. A total of at least 60 states is required to bring the Treaty into force, and this threshold could be reached as soon as this week, but so far there’s no sign the UK will be included in the leading pack of countries.

The UN Ocean Conference (9-13 June) is the most significant political moment about the ocean since the agreement of the Global Ocean Treaty by the UN in 2023. Dozens of Heads of State are attending, according to the organisers. This level of attendance, and the diplomatic efforts of the organisers, provide an opportunity to set a high level of ambition for global ocean protection for the coming years. Ahead of the conference the UK government announced a package of domestic ocean protection measures but international action is also urgently needed to deliver on the commitment to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Chris Thorne, Greenpeace UK senior oceans campaigner, said:

“The UK government wants to be a leader on climate and nature, but 49 countries have beaten them to it on ocean protection. This vital international agreement could soon enter into force and begin delivering protection at sea on a scale we’ve never seen before. We’re tantalisingly close to a huge moment for the planet and the UK government could have pushed us closer. Embarrassingly, despite having had 20 months to do it, it hasn’t even begun the parliamentary process to sign the Treaty into UK law.

“All life on Earth depends on the ocean. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy must stop failing it, and bring legislation to parliament before the summit concludes on Friday. The government must also loudly support calls for a global moratorium on deep sea mining. Global ocean protection cannot wait, and Starmer’s government shouldn’t either. This historic Treaty can help to protect a third of our blue planet from threats like industrial fishing, which devastates marine life. The UK needs to get onboard.”

Actress Emma Thompson in Svalbard, Norway as part of a Greenpeace campaign. © Nick Cobbing / Greenpeace

Mya-Rose Craig, ornithologist, writer, environmentalist and activist, said:

“We stand at a crossroads. In my lifetime, I’ll either witness the devastation of marine life and the decimation of coastal communities – or I’ll see a world where the oceans are properly protected, with thriving ecosystems, wildlife and people. Healthy oceans are also fundamental to tackling the climate crisis. I sailed to the Arctic with Greenpeace a few years ago, where I saw the Arctic sea ice shrinking. Each year, the sea ice retreats even further. But this is just one threat – destructive fishing, shipping, oil drilling and deep sea mining all pose a risk. Time is fast running out for governments to protect the oceans and the UK needs to deliver on its promises right now. Foreign Secretary David Lammy must ratify the Global Ocean Treaty immediately. It is the only tool that can help protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.”

Cel Spellman, actor, writer and presenter, said:

“The health and balance of our bountiful oceans are at a critical tipping point. What happens at the UN Ocean Conference will define the future of our oceans; for the plant & wildlife species that call them home, for the communities that rely on them, and for the future of our precious planet. There is no other option than ensuring 30% of our oceans are protected, it’s as simple as that. Nothing less will suffice. The warning signs are there, the science is clear. If you want to understand why this is the case and how we’ve got in this mess, I implore you to watch or read Ocean with David Attenborough.”

Dan Smith, Bastille playing guitar on board the Arctic Sunrise. © Tavish Campbell / Greenpeace

Greenpeace UK is calling on the UK government to:
- Prioritise ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty
- Speak out in favour of a global moratorium on deep sea mining and use diplomatic influence to build support for this and the multilateral system
- Implement a full ban on all forms of destructive fishing, including bottom trawling, in all UK marine protected areas
- Work with the UK Overseas Territory of Bermuda and other nations to champion one of the world’s first high seas sanctuaries in the Sargasso Sea. This stunning ecosystem supports a plethora of iconic wildlife including humpback whales, sharks, dolphins and sea turtles
ENDS

Photos of some of the signatories are available in the Greenpeace Media Library here

Contact: Alex Sedgwick, Greenpeace UK press officer, alexandra.sedgwick@greenpeace.org, 07739 963301.

Notes for editors:
1. Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, Monaco, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Cuba, Maldives, Singapore, Bangladesh, Barbados, Timor Leste, Panama, St. Lucia, Spain, France, Malawi, Antigua and Barbuda, Marshall Islands, Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovenia, Dominica, Norway, Romania, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Fiji, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Malta, Mauritania, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.
2. The European Union has also ratified the Treaty, in its capacity as an ‘enhanced observer’ at the UN.However, EU ratification does not count towards the total of 60 ratifications by UN member states required for the Treaty to enter into force.
MIL OSI NGO –
June 13, 2025

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Political energy

13 June 2025

Advice issued ahead of City Cemetery Blessing of the Graves

Notes for editors: