NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Yorkshire second region in England to move into drought status

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Yorkshire second region in England to move into drought status

    Yorkshire has become the second region to enter drought status following the driest spring in 132 years.

    Yorkshire has become the second region to enter drought status following the driest spring in 132 years.  

    The Environment Agency announced the change in status today (12th June 2025) following declining river flows and groundwater levels because of the dry March, April and May.  

    The decision sees the regulator stepping up its operational response in Yorkshire, whilst making sure water companies deliver the actions agreed in their drought plans.  

    This includes speeding up the fixing of leaks and communicating with customers on how to reduce demand to preserve supplies. 

    In the meantime, the National Drought Group will continue to meet regularly over the summer and is receiving updates on the situation.

    Claire Barrow, Yorkshire Environment, Planning and Engagement Manager, said:  

    Our climate is changing, and we had 22 days of almost no recorded rainfall in May.  

    While we have had some rain at the start of June, it has not been enough to reverse the impacts of the prolonged dry weather. 

    We are working with Yorkshire Water to make sure they enact their drought plans. We also encourage people to be aware of the environmental impacts of droughts as we enter the summer period and note the small steps we can all take to save water.

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 

    I am receiving regular updates from the Environment Agency. 

    I’m doing everything in my power to hold Yorkshire Water to account to ensure we have the regular supply of water that is needed across the region. 

    The government is taking decisive action to secure our water supply for the decades to come. That’s why we are building nine new reservoirs and upgrading pipes to cut leakage by 17%. 

    The north-west of England entered drought status on 21st May. The recent wet weather in the region has helped stabilise the situation and improve reservoir levels, but the area remains in drought.  

    Yorkshire received 66% of the long-term average May rainfall while England has experienced its driest spring since 1893.  

    Across the country, England has only seen 57% of the long-term average rainfall for last month. Three areas – the north-east, east and west midlands – are also experiencing prolonged dry weather.  

    Periods of dry weather and low rivers can have several consequences for the environment and wildlife. Low oxygen levels in water can lead to fish kills, as well as more algal blooms and lower river flows prevent wildlife from moving up or downstream.  The EA has moved over 500 native, white-clawed crayfish to a safer location as experts are concerned about water flow in the area. 

    Hot and dry weather can increase wildfires, severely damaging vulnerable areas of heathland and moorland. Yorkshire has seen several wildfires on the Pennine moorland, including large fires at Marsden Moor, Wessenden, and Rishworth Moor.  

    Crop failure is also a major impact of drought while low water levels make navigation difficult on canals and some rivers.  

    There are a number of closures and restrictions in place to preserve water across the Canal & River Trust network, predominantly on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. 

    There are simple ways people can help save water, including taking shorter showers, using water from the kitchen to water plants, and fixing leaky toilets. 

    Read more about drought here: Drought explained – Creating a better place

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cholera vaccination campaign in Khartoum, Sudan to reach 2.6 million residents – health authorities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    KHARTOUM, June 12 (Xinhua) — A cholera vaccination campaign targeting 2.6 million residents was launched in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Wednesday, Khartoum health authorities said.

    The 10-day campaign will be carried out in 12 administrative units in Omdurman, Um Badda, Karari, Jabal Awliya and East Nile towns, health authorities said in a statement.

    According to the statement, the country has recorded a decrease in the number of cholera cases, and “the mortality rate due to complications associated with this disease has reached zero.”

    Khartoum State Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza has commended health authorities for containing the cholera outbreak and improving recovery rates.

    He called for continued efforts to combat epidemics and maintain stability in the health sector, praising the support of international and government organizations, as well as the contribution of volunteers. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Air India flight with 242 on board crashes near Ahmedabad airport

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    n Air India plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday,  airline and police officials said. 

    According to Gujarat State Police Control Room, the Air India Flight AI 171 was bound for London.

    The plane was headed to London’s Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said. 

    “At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X.

    Thick plumes of smoke were visible at the crash site, and fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the incident.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state Home Minister, and Ahmedabad Police Commissioner regarding the crash. According to ANI, Shah assured full support and assistance from the central government.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMCA announces results of South America Committee elections

    Source: International Marine Contractors Association – IMCA

    Headline: IMCA announces results of South America Committee elections

    IMCA has welcomed four new industry experts including a representative from Marinha do Brasil – the Brazilian Navy – to its South America Committee following elections among IMCA Members.

    The successful candidates, who were all nominated and voted for by IMCA Members from across the region, are:

    Fugro’s John Chatten and Daniel Marins from Subsea7 were re-elected for a third two-year session, as Committee Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, alongside Renata Cortês and Patricia Gomes from Companhia Brasileira de Offshore – Grupo CBO, Cicero Ricardo Batista Lopes from Posidonia Shipping and Trading, Nelsiane Carrara from TechnipFMC, and Michel Teicher from SISTAC Sistemas de Acesso SA.

    The South America Committee supports the development of our industry across the region, promoting IMCA’s campaigns to improve safety and sustainability among key stakeholders, and regularly bringing local Members together to share their insights and experiences. Recent in-person meetings have taken place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    The Committee works in partnership with energy company Petrobras, and Marinha do Brasil.

    For further information, contact jennifer.evans@imca-int.com.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Joint Summary of the Visit by H

    Source: ASEAN

    At the invitation of the Government of Norway and on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, undertook a working visit to Norway, from 9 to 12 June 2025.
     
    The visit underscored the growing and multifaceted cooperation between ASEAN and Norway since the formalisation of the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership in 2015. It also reflected both sides’ shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation on sustainable ocean management and green transition, trade and investments, as well as on peace and conflict management and human rights.
     
    While in Oslo, the Secretary-General paid a courtesy call on H.E. Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway. He also held meetings with H.E. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with H.E. Cecilie Myrseth, Minister of Trade and Industry. The discussions touched on the deepening of ASEAN-Norway relations, trade and investment, blue economy, regional and global developments, and the importance of ASEAN as a regional consensus builder and a stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific region. The Meetings also emphasised the importance of upholding and strengthening ASEAN Centrality, rules-based international order and the importance of practical cooperation pursued through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
     
    The Secretary-General also engaged with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) delegation at the Norwegian Parliament, took part in a roundtable discussion at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), delivered a lecture at the Centre of Geopolitics, and participated in Oslo Forum where he exchanged views with a range of stakeholders on peace, diplomacy, and regional security issues. The Secretary-General and his delegation also visited Bergen where he engaged with Norwegian businesses and institutions related to sustainable ocean management, circular economy and smart cities.
     
    The visit demonstrated the scope and depth of ASEAN-Norway relations over the past decade and reaffirmed both sides’ mutual commitment to further strengthening the partnership. Both sides look forward to the finalisation of the ASEAN-Norway Practical Cooperation Areas (2026-2030) that is ambitious yet practical and implementable, which will serve as a framework for tangible cooperation in the years ahead.
    The post Joint Summary of the Visit by H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, to the Kingdom of Norway appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK applauds Ukraine’s heroic resistance and demands Russia end its illegal war: UK Statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UK applauds Ukraine’s heroic resistance and demands Russia end its illegal war: UK Statement to the OSCE

    UK Military Advisor, Lt Col Joby Rimmer, reiterates the UK’s call for Russia to cease its unlawful aggression against Ukraine and reaffirms Ukraine’s right to self-defence under international law.

    Thank you, Madame Chair. The United Kingdom again calls on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been extremely clear: Ukraine is not defeated. On the contrary, it has emerged as a formidable fighting force, demonstrating extraordinary resilience and determination in defending its sovereignty. And let us be clear, Ukraine has an absolute right to defend itself against aggression, and the United Kingdom stands firmly in support of that right.

    We remain focused on achieving a just and lasting peace. In Istanbul, Ukraine demonstrated its commitment to peace by offering reasonable and practical proposals aimed at securing an unconditional ceasefire. Regrettably, Russia failed to reciprocate. Instead, it presented maximalist, non-negotiable demands that do not respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. This behaviour underscores that President Putin is not serious about peace and remains committed to prolonging his illegal war.

    Since Ukraine’s offer of a full, unconditional ceasefire on 11 March 2025, Russia has continued its brutal campaign, launching daily airstrikes that have killed over 500 civilians and injured more than 2,700. We fully anticipate that the Russian Federation will deliver more disinformation in this forum today about alleged ‘acts of terrorism’ from Ukraine. But the distinction between Ukraine striking military targets and Russia hitting civilian targets is a critical one, both morally and under international law.

    There is a clear difference. Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes have been targeting military infrastructure within Russian territory or illegally occupied regions. These include airbases, logistics hubs, ammunition depots, command and control centres and radar and missile systems. These strikes are intended to degrade Russia’s ability to wage war, especially its long-range bombing capabilities. Under international humanitarian law, Ukraine is within its rights to target military assets of an aggressor state, especially in self-defence.

    In contrast, Russia has repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks on civilian areas across Ukraine. These have included Residential buildings, Hospitals and Schools, Energy Infrastructure and Emergency Services. In Kharkiv, over 50 explosions were recorded, damaging residential buildings and killing civilians. In Kyiv, three firefighters were killed while responding to earlier strikes. Lviv, Lutsk, and Chernihiv also suffered civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights verified a total of 45,000 civilian casualties as of 30th April 2025 and specified that the real numbers could be higher.

    Russian strikes on civilians or civilian infrastructure are either an attempt to terrorise the civilian population and break morale (rather than achieve legitimate military objectives), or a failure to adequately distinguish military targets and act proportionately for military necessity. These are not the actions of a nation seeking peace, despite what President Putin says. These are the acts of blatant retaliation from the Kremlin, following Ukraine’s most successful and comprehensive strike against Russian Strategic bomber air bases.

    Russia’s continued occupation in Ukraine and escalating aggression are not only unlawful, but they are also unsustainable. President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has now dragged on for over 1,200 days, resulting in catastrophic losses – including an estimated one million Russian casualties. President Putin continues to sacrifice Russian lives and futures and must choose another path – one of peace, responsibility and respect for international law. We have seen what the brave men and women of Ukraine’s Armed Forces are capable of, and the UK will continue to provide them with the tools they need to defend their sovereignty and protect their people. We call on Russia to accept the unconditional ceasefire, return to the negotiating table in good faith, and end this illegal war. Thank you, Madame Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Government training IDF soldiers is active participation in genocide

    Source: Scottish Greens

    12 Jun 2025 External Affairs

    Training soldiers who participate in the atrocities in Gaza is a betrayal of every principle of human rights and international law.

    More in External Affairs

    The Scottish Greens have condemned the UK Government after it was revealed through a parliamentary question that Israeli Defence Forces personnel are currently being trained on UK military bases.

    The shocking revelation comes as Israel continues its relentless assault on Gaza. More than 55,000 Palestinians have already been murdered, the majority of whom are women, children and the elderly. 

    The further destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure has led to the situation in Palestine to be described as “worse than hell on earth” by the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Human rights organisations, UN officials and legal scholars around the world have described Israel’s actions as war crimes and acts of genocide.

    The UK Government has already faced widespread criticism for continuing to supply arms to Israel despite overwhelming evidence that they are being used in clear violation of international law. The news that UK forces are also providing military training takes that complicity to a far more serious level of active participation.

    Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:

    “The UK  is actively training members of the Israeli military while they carry out a brutal assault on Gaza. This is nothing short of disgraceful. This goes beyond complicity – it is direct, active participation in the genocide of the Palestinian people. Every bomb dropped, every home destroyed, every child killed is a crime that the UK Government is now tied to.

    “The Scottish Greens have been clear from the start, what we are witnessing in Gaza is a genocide. Tens of thousands of people, most of them women, children and the elderly, have been killed and entire communities have been wiped out. Hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been targeted. This is not self-defence – it is the destruction of a people through murder and forced displacement.”

    “It is appalling that instead of taking action to end the violence, this Labour UK Government are training the Israeli war machine that is committing these crimes. Training soldiers who are part of these atrocities is a betrayal of every principle of human rights and international law. It must stop now. 

    “We repeat our calls for an immediate ceasefire, an end to UK participation in genocide, and full accountability for war crimes. Scotland must stand on the side of peace and justice – not with those who commit and support these horrific acts. All those who are participating in these atrocities must be brought to justice.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russia Day

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Russia Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on June 12. It was established in honor of the event of 1990, when the first Congress of People’s Deputies adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. The document established the supremacy of the Constitution and laws of the RSFSR throughout the country, the principle of separation of powers, and the equality of political parties and public organizations.

    At first, the holiday was called Independence Day. In 1994, it received official status and a name – Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia. Since 1998, the holiday has been renamed Russia Day.

    On this day, our fellow citizens celebrate the beginning of a new stage in our national history. Russia Day embodies love for the Motherland, reminds us of the importance of unity and mutual respect for each other.

    The staff of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering celebrates this day together with everyone else. Everyone contributes to the development of the country – through their scientific research, conscientious work, success in studies, social activities, sports and creativity.

    On Russia Day, we wish everyone success, energy and productive work for the benefit of the Motherland!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: the galahs are chattering about ‘productivity’, but can Labor really get it moving?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Former prime minister Paul Keating famously used to say the resident galah in any pet shop was talking about micro-economic policy. These days, if you encounter a pet shop with a galah, she’ll be chattering about productivity.

    Productivity is currently the hot topic for a conversation on economic reform. Australia, like many other countries, has a serious problem with it. Our productivity hasn’t significantly increased for more than a decade (apart from a temporary spike during the pandemic).

    Now Treasurer Jim Chalmers has named productivity as his priority for Labor’s second term; assistant minister Andrew Leigh, part of the government’s economic team, has had it inserted into his title; the Productivity Commission has put out 15 potential reform areas for discussion, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a roundtable to canvass the way ahead.

    The roundtable appears to be a prime ministerial initiative. Announcing it at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Albanese made a point of saying he had asked Chalmers to convene it. Perhaps it’s a case of the prime minister emulating his forerunner Bob Hawke, with his penchant for summits, while Chalmers seeks to be a contemporary Keating, as he searches for reforms to promote.

    It would be a major achievement if people were able to remember the second-term Albanese government for paving the way for a significant lift in Australia’s productivity. It would probably also be an economic and political miracle.

    Let’s never knock a summit, but let’s not be taken in by the suggestion that the planned August meeting, involving employers, unions and the government, will mark some breakthrough moment. Business representatives are approaching it with a degree of cynicism; they saw the 2022 jobs and skills summit as preparing the ground for the new government to meet union demands.

    This summit is expected to have fewer participants than the 2022 meeting, and may be briefer. Albanese described it as “a more streamlined dialogue than the jobs and skills summit, dealing with a more targeted set of issues”. Chalmers will announce more details next week. We can expect the government will package a collection of initiatives at least for further work, and perhaps a few for early action.

    While many stakeholders give lip service to improving productivity, there are huge obstacles to actually doing so.

    There’s perennial talk about tax reform – from business and economists, rather than the government. But serious change produces winners and losers, and having “losers” has become a political no-no, especially when there is not enough money to compensate them.

    The housing crisis could be eased, with more homes built faster, if there were less onerous regulations, notably at state and local level. Governments are working around the edges of this, but attempting to seriously slash regulation immediately runs into opposition from those who, variously, argue that will harm city-scapes, the environment, safety or the like.

    Red tape hampers big projects, but interest groups concerned about fauna, flora or the climate defend extensive hurdles and appeals processes as important for other priorities.

    We’d be more productive if people with skills (whether immigrants or those moving between states) faced fewer complexities in getting their credentials recognised. But critics would point to the risk of underqualified people getting through.

    Regulations are both barriers and protections. Whether you see particular regulations as negative or positive will depend where you are coming from. Less regulation can enhance productivity – but in certain cases the trade-off can be less protection and/or more risk. We have, for good or ill, become a more risk-averse community.

    Employers say various industrial relations laws and regulations restrict changes that could boost productivity. A Labor government interlocked with the union movement is going to listen to its industrial base on that one. Asked on Tuesday whether his message to business groups going to the summit was, “don’t waste your breath if you’re going to raise IR” Albanese said, “People are entitled to raise whatever they want to raise. But I’m a Labor prime minister.”

    Artificial Intelligence presents great opportunities to advance productivity. But it will cost some jobs and produce dislocation. Industry Minister Tim Ayres said recently, “I will be looking in particular at how we can strengthen worker voice and agency as technology is diffused into every workplace in the Australian economy. I look forward to working with our trade union movement on all of this.” Employers’ ears pricked at the union reference.

    While the government is signalling it wants to do something meaningful on productivity, the prime minister is also highly cautious when it comes to getting ahead of what he considers to be the government’s electoral mandate. Nor is he one to gamble political capital.

    He is not like, for example, John Howard, who before the 1996 election said he would “never ever” have a GST, then brought forward an ambitious GST package that he took to the 1998 election. That package had plenty of compensation for losers but Howard, who had a big parliamentary majority, was nearly booted out of office.

    Reform is more difficult than it was in the Hawke–Keating era – though it wasn’t as easy then as is often portrayed now. The voters are less trusting of government, and less willing to accept the downsides of change.

    The voices of those wanting to say “no” to various proposed changes are greatly amplified, in a highly professionalised political milieu and ubiquitous media opportunities. In the era of the “permanent campaign”, opinion polling has become so constant that politicians are always measuring their support in the moment, making a government hyper-nervous.

    Progress on productivity is also harder these days because the easier things have been done, and because changes in our economy – especially the growth of the care economy – mean in some sectors efficiencies are not so readily available, or measurable.

    We don’t actually need more inquiries, or a roundtable, to come up with ideas for what could or should be done on productivity. There have been multiple reports and thousands of recommendations. What is required is for the government to devise a bold program, have the will and the skill to implement it, and the ability to sell it to the public. But that runs into the problem of not having sought permission from the voters – which forces the government back to incrementalism.

    Whatever the problems, it is not too fanciful to see Chalmers hanging his hat on the productivity peg in his longer-term bid to be the next Labor prime minister. We’ll see how he goes.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Grattan on Friday: the galahs are chattering about ‘productivity’, but can Labor really get it moving? – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-the-galahs-are-chattering-about-productivity-but-can-labor-really-get-it-moving-257337

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • India’s e-Governance turns 11: over 1.07 crore officials onboarded on Karmayogi Bharat

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past 11 years, e-Governance in India has revolutionized the way citizens interact with the government by making services more accessible, transparent, and efficient. Through robust digital platforms, it has empowered both citizens and officials, enhancing ease of governance across the country.

    Mission Karmayogi: Building a Future-Ready Civil Service
    Karmayogi Bharat, operating under the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the learning ecosystem for India’s civil servants. The initiative aims to prepare a future-ready public workforce by equipping officials with the Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge (ASK) required for efficient governance.

    As of May 2025, more than 1.07 crore civil servants, referred to as Karmayogis, have been onboarded on the platform. It currently hosts 2,588 courses across a broad spectrum of governance-related subjects. The platform has issued over 3.24 crore learning certificates, encouraging continuous learning through online, in-person, and blended formats.

    The platform also promotes peer-to-peer learning, provides structured career path guidance, and includes rigorous assessment mechanisms. Together, these features contribute to building a capable, agile, and accountable public service aligned with the vision of a New India.

    DigiLocker: Advancing Digital Empowerment
    Since its launch in 2015, DigiLocker has emerged as a cornerstone in India’s digital public infrastructure. Designed to provide citizens with secure access to authentic digital documents, the platform enables a paperless and convenient method of availing government and other services.

    As of April 2025, DigiLocker has recorded an impressive 51.6 crore users. Between January and June 11, 2025, 9.42 crore new users registered on the platform, including 33.06 lakh sign-ups in the month of June alone.

    In 2024, the platform saw an exponential rise with 2031.99 lakh yearly user sign-ups, a sharp increase compared to 9.98 lakh sign-ups recorded in 2015 — marking a significant leap in digital document adoption.

    UMANG: Simplifying Access to Government Services
    Launched in 2017, the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) platform has been instrumental in facilitating mobile governance in the country. It provides a single, unified interface for citizens to access e-Governance services ranging from Central to State and Local government bodies.

    As of May 2025, UMANG has achieved 8.21 crore user registrations and facilitated 597 crore transactions. The platform currently offers 2,300 government services in 23 Indian languages, reinforcing inclusive access to public services across diverse linguistic and regional demographics.

  • India leads global digital transactions: Amit Shah highlights 11 years of tech progress

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday highlighted the achievements of the Modi government’s digital revolution over the past 11 years, including ease of living and economic boom achieved during the ‘India’s Techade’.

    He credited the government’s vision for the technology-led development that has transformed society and every sector of the economy.

    “The Modi government democratised the use of technology and harnessed its power for the business sector, making Bharat a leading digital economy in the world in the #11YearsOfDigitalIndia. Whether it is healthcare, education, trade, or commerce, PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has transformed every sector of the economy and society through the digital revolution,” said Union Minister Shah in a post on the social media platform X.

    In his post, the Home Minister attached a digital poster titled ‘Big Picture – India’s Techade’ enlisting the achievements of the government, ranging from the launch of foreign satellites to rising internet users and mobile subscribers.

    The Union Minister’s post underscored the big digital strides taken by the government as reflected in 2.18 lakh gram panchayats getting an optical fibre connection and Rs 44 lakh crore being transferred to the poor and the needy under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) during the 11 years.

    He said that over 37 crore patients used digital consultation under the eSanjeevani scheme, over 52-plus crore people registered themselves on ‘DigiLocker’, 8 crore users used the UMANG platform for all government services, and the number of internet users rose 285 per cent during the period.

    Showcasing the strides taken in the telecom sector, Shah said the number of mobile subscribers has touched 116 crore while the cost per GB of data has declined from Rs 308 to Rs 9.34 during India’s Techade.

    The Home Minister’s post also delved into the government’s achievement of laying 6.93 lakh km of optical fibre cable under Bharat Net.

    Focusing on the economic benefits from the digital revolution, HM Shah said 49 per cent of the global real-time digital transactions happen in India.

    On the GeM portal, Rs 13-plus lakh crore worth of orders were placed on the platform till March 2025, he said.

    The Home Minister also said that during the past 11 years, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 393 foreign satellites.

    (IANS)

  • 11 years of Modi govt: Digital finance drives unprecedented financial inclusion

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    During the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, India has emerged as a global leader in digital finance and inclusion, harnessing technology to deliver accessible, efficient, and transparent financial services to every corner of the country. This digital transformation has played a pivotal role in bridging the urban-rural divide and reshaping India’s economic landscape.

    The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionised digital transactions, with over 1,867.7 crore transactions worth ₹24.77 lakh crore recorded in April 2025 alone. Now used by nearly 460 million individuals and 65 million merchants, UPI has gone global, with its presence in more than seven countries, including the UAE, Singapore, and France. According to ACI Worldwide’s 2024 report, India accounted for 49% of all global real-time transactions in 2023, underscoring its leadership in digital payments innovation.

    The Aadhaar-enabled e-KYC system has simplified access to banking and public services, with over 141.88 crore Aadhaar IDs issued as of April 2025. It has become a foundational pillar of India’s digital infrastructure, ensuring faster verification and enhanced transparency.

    Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), backed by Aadhaar authentication, has streamlined welfare delivery. Over ₹44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to beneficiaries’ accounts as of May 2025, eliminating middlemen and fake beneficiaries. This has saved the exchequer more than ₹3.48 lakh crore since 2015. The system has also removed over 5.87 crore ineligible ration card holders and 4.23 crore fake LPG connections, making welfare schemes more targeted.

    In the realm of e-commerce, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), launched in 2022, has expanded to over 616 cities, empowering small sellers and service providers. By January 2025, more than 7.64 lakh sellers had joined the platform, boosting MSME participation in the digital economy.

    Similarly, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), launched in 2016, has transformed public procurement. By January 2025, GeM had achieved a gross merchandise value (GMV) of ₹4.09 lakh crore in just 10 months of FY 2024–25, marking nearly 50% growth over the previous year. With over 1.6 lakh government buyers and 22.5 lakh sellers, GeM continues to enhance transparency and efficiency in government transactions.

    Together, these initiatives reflect a decade of digital empowerment under the Modi government, setting the foundation for a more inclusive, transparent, and resilient financial ecosystem.

  • 11 years of Modi govt: Digital connectivity and infrastructure witness remarkable growth

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    During the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, India has witnessed a digital revolution, transforming itself into a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country has made remarkable strides in expanding internet connectivity, boosting telecom infrastructure, and revolutionising public service delivery through digital platforms.

    The digital economy, which contributed 11.74% to India’s national income in 2022–23, is projected to rise to 13.42% by 2024–25, fuelled by advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure.

    Total telephone connections in India have grown from 93.3 crore in March 2014 to over 120 crore by April 2025. The overall tele-density in India which was 75.23 % in March 2014 rose to 84.49% in October 2024. Rural connectivity has significantly improved, with rural telephone connections jumping from 377.78 million in 2014 to 527.34 million in 2024. Internet connections have soared from 25.15 crore to 96.96 crore during the same period—a growth of over 285%.

    Broadband services saw an exponential rise, from just 6.1 crore users in 2014 to nearly 95 crore by August 2024. The cost of wireless data has dropped drastically from ₹308 per GB in 2014 to ₹9.34 in 2022, making digital access more affordable for millions.

    A key milestone in India’s digital journey has been the rollout of 5G services, launched in October 2022. In less than two years, India installed 4.74 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations, extending high-speed connectivity to 99.6% of districts. This leap supports a growing mobile subscriber base, which reached 116 crore in 2025.

    The BharatNet project has also played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide. As of January 2025, high-speed internet has been delivered to over 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats, with 6.92 lakh km of optical fibre cable laid, transforming connectivity in rural India.

    With this rapid progress, India continues its march towards a digitally inclusive future, powered by robust infrastructure and visionary policy implementation.

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency leads industry delegation to participate in Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market 2025 in France

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency leads industry delegation to participate in Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market 2025 in FranceIssued at HKT 16:40

    The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau led an industry delegation to participate in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market 2025 in France and joined forces with the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association (HKDEA) to set up the Hong Kong Pavilion themed “AI-assisted Animation Production” and organised a series of activities, with the aim of increasing overseas exposure of Hong Kong original animation works and creative teams, enhancing their reach in market development, and enabling them to explore collaboration opportunities.

    As the international animation film festival with a rich history and the largest scale of its kind, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival commands high respect from the global animation industry. Its film market, the Annecy International Animation Film Market, is a prominent annual business-oriented exhibition that takes place from June 10 to 13 (Annecy time). In the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion held on June 10, the Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Mrs Lowell Cho, expressed hope that through a series of activities during this promotion, the CCIDA and the industry join hands to promote Hong Kong animation works to the animation industry professionals and audiences from all over the world, hence enabling the original animation by Hong Kong to shine bright on the international stage and to strive for opportunities to strengthen ties with global industry counterparts. She also warmly congratulated the film “Another World”, funded by the Film Development Fund (FDF) and produced by an animation creative team from Hong Kong, for being selected for the non-competitive section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025 and that it will be screened at the “Midnight Specials” session on the evening of June 13 (Annecy time). “Another World” brings international recognition, which serves as a significant booster for the Hong Kong animation industry, showcasing the global appreciation for Hong Kong animation.

    The Hong Kong animation film “Another World” is directed by Tommy Ng, and produced and scripted by Polly Yeung. The production team attended the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in person to engage with audiences and industry counterparts. In 2019, the team participated in the sixth Animation Support Program, a project funded by the CCIDA through the CreateSmart Initiative (CSI), and was granted a subsidy to initiate the production of the short version of “Another World”, which won the Gold Award under the Small Animation Enterprises (Advanced Production) category. Subsequently, the team, with its proposal to develop “Another World” into a feature-length animation film, successfully applied for the Film Production Financing Scheme under the FDF and was granted the subsidy to bring the debut animation feature film directed by Ng into fruition, paving the way for the film’s global premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Yeung was also invited by the Hong Kong Film Development Council to participate in the 81st Venice International Film Festival in Italy and the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France to seek production investment, attend various producer matching activities, and exchange ideas with filmmakers from all over the world, increasing publicity for “Another World” and opening doors for overseas distribution of the film project.

    During the exhibition period, a series of networking and exchange activities were launched at the Hong Kong Pavilion, and six short original animated works created with AI assistance were also showcased, demonstrating to the international market the creativity and unique charisma of Hong Kong productions. The Hong Kong Partner Pitches was held on June 11, where the six Hong Kong companies selected under the 2nd Future Animation – AI-assisted Animation Production Support Scheme organised by the HKDEA and sponsored by the CCIDA, namely 924 Studio Limited, Astro Heart Limited, Free-D Workshop, ManyMany Creations Ltd, Morph Workshop and Stepc, conducted exchanges with elite animation companies from all over the world. They took the opportunity to broaden their horizons, enhance their promotion to overseas practitioners and investors, and pursue more collaboration possibilities.

    The Animation Support Program, a government-funded project under the CSI, is now in its 12th edition. It focuses on supporting local start-ups and small animation companies and cultivating local animation talent. Over the years, it has assisted more than 250 local animation companies and enabled them to produce more than 270 original animation works. As a scheme under the FDF with the longest history and well-received by the film industry, the Film Production Financing Scheme aims to provide government financing for film productions with small-to-medium production budgets. As of the end of May 2025, approved films have received more than 150 local and international film awards.

    Ends/Thursday, June 12, 2025
    Issued at HKT 16:40

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Apply to join the Attorney General’s Senior Treasury Counsel (Civil) Group

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Apply to join the Attorney General’s Senior Treasury Counsel (Civil) Group

    Applications to join the Attorney General’s Senior Treasury Counsel (Civil) Group are now open

    The Attorney General is creating a new Senior Treasury Counsel (Civil) Group (STCG) and is seeking applicants from both barristers and solicitors (with relevant Higher Court Advocacy qualifications) who have been appointed as King’s Counsel with regular advocacy experience.   

    This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in a new approach to the strategic management of the government’s civil litigation and most significant cross-cutting legal issues.

    Members of the Group will share responsibility with the First Treasury Counsel in co-ordinating and providing strategic direction on the most significant litigation affecting government, shaping the way that the government handles its litigation and consequently, influencing the development of civil law.

    Members will also have an important role in providing legal leadership to the Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel, supporting the Treasury Solicitor in monitoring and developing the performance of junior panel counsel.

    The Attorney General seeks KCs with a vision for how the group could operate and a clear understanding of the value they could individually bring to it.  

    The introduction of this group sits alongside proposed changes to the role of the First Treasury Counsel, principally by relaxing the current requirement that the postholder undertakes work exclusively for government.  

    Subject to any necessary transitional arrangements, STCG members will be expected to make available the time necessary to perform their new role and to prioritise and be available for government work. 

    Given the nature of the role and the access to sensitive information it will necessarily afford, for the duration of their appointments, the government would regard the acceptance by the FTC or members of the STCG of instructions to undertake work against central government as potentially giving rise to a conflict of interest, requiring the prior approval of the Treasury Solicitor.

    Application

    To obtain more details about the role and the application process, we recommend reading our Information for Candidates document (MS Word Document, 90.7 KB)

    Please submit an application via Gatenby Sanderson.

    Completed applications must be submitted by noon on Thursday 3 July 2025.

    If you have any queries, please feel free to get in touch via Julie.Myers@gatenbysanderson.com.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • UMANG crosses 8 crore users, offers 2,300 government services in 23 languages

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past 11 years, e-Governance in India has revolutionized the way citizens interact with the government by making services more accessible, transparent, and efficient. Through robust digital platforms, it has empowered both citizens and officials, enhancing ease of governance across the country.

    Mission Karmayogi: Building a Future-Ready Civil Service
    Karmayogi Bharat, operating under the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the learning ecosystem for India’s civil servants. The initiative aims to prepare a future-ready public workforce by equipping officials with the Attitude, Skills, and Knowledge (ASK) required for efficient governance.

    As of May 2025, more than 1.07 crore civil servants, referred to as Karmayogis, have been onboarded on the platform. It currently hosts 2,588 courses across a broad spectrum of governance-related subjects. The platform has issued over 3.24 crore learning certificates, encouraging continuous learning through online, in-person, and blended formats.

    The platform also promotes peer-to-peer learning, provides structured career path guidance, and includes rigorous assessment mechanisms. Together, these features contribute to building a capable, agile, and accountable public service aligned with the vision of a New India.

    DigiLocker: Advancing Digital Empowerment
    Since its launch in 2015, DigiLocker has emerged as a cornerstone in India’s digital public infrastructure. Designed to provide citizens with secure access to authentic digital documents, the platform enables a paperless and convenient method of availing government and other services.

    As of April 2025, DigiLocker has recorded an impressive 51.6 crore users. Between January and June 11, 2025, 9.42 crore new users registered on the platform, including 33.06 lakh sign-ups in the month of June alone.

    In 2024, the platform saw an exponential rise with 2031.99 lakh yearly user sign-ups, a sharp increase compared to 9.98 lakh sign-ups recorded in 2015 — marking a significant leap in digital document adoption.

    UMANG: Simplifying Access to Government Services
    Launched in 2017, the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) platform has been instrumental in facilitating mobile governance in the country. It provides a single, unified interface for citizens to access e-Governance services ranging from Central to State and Local government bodies.

    As of May 2025, UMANG has achieved 8.21 crore user registrations and facilitated 597 crore transactions. The platform currently offers 2,300 government services in 23 Indian languages, reinforcing inclusive access to public services across diverse linguistic and regional demographics.

  • Amit Shah hails 11-year digital revolution during ‘India’s Techade’

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday highlighted the achievements of the Modi government’s digital revolution over the past 11 years, including ease of living and economic boom achieved during the ‘India’s Techade’.

    He credited the government’s vision for the technology-led development that has transformed society and every sector of the economy.

    “The Modi government democratised the use of technology and harnessed its power for the business sector, making Bharat a leading digital economy in the world in the #11YearsOfDigitalIndia. Whether it is healthcare, education, trade, or commerce, PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has transformed every sector of the economy and society through the digital revolution,” said Union Minister Shah in a post on the social media platform X.

    In his post, the Home Minister attached a digital poster titled ‘Big Picture – India’s Techade’ enlisting the achievements of the government, ranging from the launch of foreign satellites to rising internet users and mobile subscribers.

    The Union Minister’s post underscored the big digital strides taken by the government as reflected in 2.18 lakh gram panchayats getting an optical fibre connection and Rs 44 lakh crore being transferred to the poor and the needy under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) during the 11 years.

    He said that over 37 crore patients used digital consultation under the eSanjeevani scheme, over 52-plus crore people registered themselves on ‘DigiLocker’, 8 crore users used the UMANG platform for all government services, and the number of internet users rose 285 per cent during the period.

    Showcasing the strides taken in the telecom sector, Shah said the number of mobile subscribers has touched 116 crore while the cost per GB of data has declined from Rs 308 to Rs 9.34 during India’s Techade.

    The Home Minister’s post also delved into the government’s achievement of laying 6.93 lakh km of optical fibre cable under Bharat Net.

    Focusing on the economic benefits from the digital revolution, HM Shah said 49 per cent of the global real-time digital transactions happen in India.

    On the GeM portal, Rs 13-plus lakh crore worth of orders were placed on the platform till March 2025, he said.

    The Home Minister also said that during the past 11 years, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 393 foreign satellites.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scotland’s unpaid carers over £4,400 better off

    Source: Scottish Government

    Carers urged to check for financial support during Carers Week.

    This Carers Week (9 – 15 June), unpaid carers across Scotland are being encouraged to find out if they are eligible for social security support – through Carer Support Payment, Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant.   

    Carer’s Allowance Supplement – a payment only available north of the border – was the first benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland in 2018 to provide extra financial support for carers, recognising their important contribution.   

    Since the payment’s introduction, unpaid carers in Scotland will be up to £4,475 better off by the end of 2025. 

    On a visit to Midlothian Carers Centre to meet with parent carers of adults with additional support needs, Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart, said: 

    “Social security in Scotland isn’t about renaming benefits previously delivered by the UK Government. We are about delivering social security with dignity, fairness and respect, continually listening to what carers and support organisations have to say to help shape the changes we’re making.  
      
    “We introduced Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant, which are only available in Scotland, and widened eligibility for Carer Support Payment to enable more carers in education to access it. We’re also committed to introducing new extra support for carers who care for more than one person. Changes to help improve the lives of carers in Scotland. 

    “Social security is something anyone may need at any point in their life. It’s a public service and I encourage all unpaid carers to find out if they are entitled to financial support and apply.”  

    Carla Bennett, Carer Services Manager at VOCAL Midlothian added: 

    “Unpaid carers often face financial hardship, with many forced to give up paid work or reduce their hours to support those they care for. Caring for someone comes with additional costs too, such as transport, heating, equipment and food. These expenses, combined with reduced income, mean carers are more likely to experience poverty.  

    “Demand for VOCAL’s income maximisation service has doubled in the past year, showing that carers are feeling the strain. Accessing financial and social security support can ease this burden and make a significant difference to the lives of carers and those they care for. We would encourage carers to find out what they might be eligible for.” 

    Background 

    • £4,475 is based on a carer who will have received every Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment since it was introduced in June 2018 to December 2025. This includes the two extra Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments made in June 2020 and December 2021. 
       
    • Over 172,000 carers have benefited from Carer’s Allowance Supplement since its introduction in 2018, totalling over £333.7 million in payments to December 2024 Social Security Scotland – Summary statistics for Carer’s Allowance Supplement to October eligibility date 2024   
    • Find out more about Social Security Scotland’s existing three payments for unpaid carers at Carer Support Payment, Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant. Carer payments are for people providing care for someone getting a disability benefit. Find out more about our disability and illness payments at Disability and illness – mygov.scot 
       
    • Further improvements are planned for carers once all clients in Scotland who are receiving Carer’s Allowance are transferred to Carer Support Payment, a process called case transfer. This includes an extra payment for carers getting Carer Support Payment and caring for more than one person receiving a disability benefit. This improvement, amongst others, will require parliamentary approval. More details available at Benefits for carers – Social security – gov.scot 
    • VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) supports and empowers unpaid carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian through individual support, information, training and access to services. VOCAL – VOCAL 
    • Information on other support for carers, such as financial support, wellbeing support and short breaks from caring, can be found at  Help if you’re a carer – mygov.scot     

    Help to apply  

    • Social Security Scotland provides a range of support for people to apply. This includes support to apply in another language and an interpreter can be arranged to help in over 100 languages.  
    • Applications can be made in British Sign Language using a video call using the Contact Scotland BSL app. 
    • People can apply over the phone, online or face to face. Paper copies of application forms are available by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 
    • A client support adviser can also help with applications. They can meet at a person’s home, a venue in the local community, provide support over the phone or through a video call. Call 0800 182 2222 for more information. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth celebrates double win at national awards

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth is celebrating a proud moment after scooping two prestigious awards last night – recognising the city’s leadership in both environmental innovation and inclusive employment.

    The prestigious Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards 2025, recognise the best in local government, with judges having to consider over 1,000 submissions from councils across the UK.

    At a ceremony last night, the city was honoured in the Environmental Services category for our pioneering Habitat Bank, and in Diversity and Inclusion for our transformative Supported Internships programme.

    These awards shine a spotlight on the incredible work being done across Plymouth to build a greener, fairer future – and the dedicated teams making it happen.

    Plymouth’s Habitat Bank, delivered through the city’s green finance vehicle Ocean City Nature, will deliver an impressive £7m in investment to restore and enhance habitats across the city. The initiative is creating a local market for Biodiversity Units, helping developers meet planning requirements while delivering real gains for nature and communities with work on the first site at Ham Woods already underway.

    Councillor Tom Briars Delve, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “This award is a huge recognition of the bold, creative work happening in Plymouth to tackle the ecological emergency. The Habitat Bank is a brilliant example of how we can use green finance to deliver real, lasting benefits for wildlife and communities. I’m incredibly proud of the team behind this – their passion and innovation are helping to put Plymouth on the map as a leader in nature recovery.”

    At the same time, the city’s Supported Internships programme scooped the top award in its category. Run in partnership with Discovery College – the programme has grown from just nine participants to 67 in just two years. The programme supports young people with learning difficulties or disabilities to gain meaningful, sustainable employment through a blend of tailored work placements, coaching and classroom learning.  Every single participant has gone on to secure a job – a remarkable achievement that’s changing lives.

    Councillor Sally Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, added: “This award is a celebration of the young people who’ve taken part in Supported Internships – and the incredible staff who’ve supported them every step of the way. It shows what’s possible when we believe in people’s potential and invest in inclusive opportunities. This work is vital to building a city where everyone can thrive.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Schools and workplaces to take part in Clean Air Day

    Source: City of Leicester

    LEICESTER schools and workplaces are getting ready to take part in Clean Air Day next week.

    Clean Air Day, on Thursday 19 June, is the UK’s biggest initiative to reduce air pollution, raising awareness about air quality and encouraging action for a healthier environment.

    Selected roads will be closed to traffic so that sports, games and fun activities can be held out on the streets in front of several schools in Leicester.  

    Among the schools taking part in Leicester are Castle Mead Academy, which will be running sporting activities on the street and waterside activities in conjunction with the Canal & River Trust and Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre, including a ‘park and paddle’ where pupils will be able to arrive at school by bell boat.

    Dovelands Primary School will have sports on the streets, cycling activities and the Hop! fully electric green bus, with its signature ‘ribbit’ effect bell, will pay a visit. The Children’s Bookbus will be at Kestrel Mead Infants School, and there will be sport on the street outside Rushey Mead Primary School, as well as a visit from Strider the walking mascot.

    Temporary road closures will be in place on Thursday 19 June from 8am until 4pm on Magnus Road, Bessingham Close, Richard III Road, Eastfield Road, Hazeldene Road and Bramble Close.

    Parking, waiting and loading will be prohibited from 8am on Wednesday 18 June until 4pm on Thursday 19 June 2025 on sections of Mundesley Road, Kestrel Lane, Richard III Road, Maidenwell Avenue, Foxglove Road and Laverton Road.

    Some of the city’s largest workplaces are also getting involved in Clean Air Day. The University of Leicester has organised a walk in Victoria Park, meeting at the memorial arch at 12pm. The walk is suitable for all abilities and is open to staff, students and the public. Researchers from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, who work on air quality and pollutants, will be taking part in the walk and will be available to discuss their research, how air pollution impacts health and ways we can all support reductions in air pollution.

    The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust will have information stands in hospital restaurants in the run-up to Clean Air Day, offering advice and information to staff and the public on how they can help reduce air pollution, with information on travel, food and nutrition, energy use and some simple flash card quizzes.

    The events are being supported by Leicester City Council, national walking, wheeling and cycling charity Sustrans and Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, as well as by the Canal & River Trust and Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre.

    Assistant city mayor responsible for air quality, Cllr Geoff Whittle, said: “Clean Air Day is a chance for schools to take part in some fun activities on traffic-free streets, while delivering an important message about improving air quality.

    “It’s also a great chance for local workplaces to get involved by promoting the benefits of active travel.

    “It is very encouraging to see so many people across the city marking Clean Air Day in this way.”

    The city council’s air quality action plan includes commitments to carry out education and awareness campaigns in communities and schools to improve knowledge and understanding of the main sources of pollution and their impact, as well as working with schools to encourage active travel.

    More information on air quality in Leicester is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/airquality

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Regional workshop on anti-money laundering co-organised by Hong Kong Customs and University of Hong Kong concludes (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The four-day Regional Workshop on AML Frameworks: Tackling Traditional and Modern Challenges in the Digital Age (Workshop), co-organised by Hong Kong Customs and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), started on June 9 and concluded today (June 12). This Workshop brought together over 60 participants from customs administrations, government agencies, international organisations, law enforcement agencies and academia across Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific (A/P) region.
     
    Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with HKU at the International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes in December last year, the Workshop was held to further strengthen Customs’ capacity in anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement with particular focus on risks and trends of virtual assets.   
     
    In his closing remarks today, the Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Wong Ho-yin, highlighted the Workshop’s success in enriching knowledge, fostering regional co-operation, and building critical connections among law enforcement agencies, academia, and industry. He reaffirmed that adaptability, international collaboration and capacity building were crucial to mitigating the risks of financial crimes. Participants should work on the groundwork laid for closer regional partnerships by the Workshop to promote intelligence sharing and support cross-boundary investigations and enforcement co-operation.
     
    The Dean of Engineering of HKU, Professor David Srolovitz, emphasised the timeliness of this Workshop in the age of rapid digital transformation and the importance of uniting academia, technology developers, law enforcement authorities, government, and the financial industry to address the complexities of financial crimes today. HKU Engineering, he said, remains dedicated to driving innovation and education to empower professionals to create a secure and transparent financial future.
     
    The Workshop featured a comprehensive programme with leading experts and practitioners delivering lectures on a wide range of topics including AML strategies and emerging typologies, regulation of virtual assets, crypto-related crime investigations, application of regtech in financial crime prevention, and international co-operation in AML/counter-terrorist financing.
     
    As the World Customs Organization (WCO) Vice-Chair for the A/P region and the WCO Regional Training Centre in the A/P region, Hong Kong Customs strives to connect with local and overseas law enforcement agencies to foster knowledge exchanges and capacity building in AML, contributing to a safer and more resilient financial environment across the A/P region.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Radware Cyber Survey Uncovers Critical Weaknesses in Application Security Measures

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Only 8% of organizations use AI-based protection solutions
    • Just 6% of respondents have full documentation for all their APIs
    • Half of respondents don’t know what third-party code is being used by their apps
    • Only 29% of security staff are fully trained to handle API business logic attacks

    MAHWAH, N.J., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, today released its new report, 2025 Cyber Survey: Application Security at a Breaking Point. The survey reveals threat areas of rapidly growing concern as organizations’ cyber defenses lag well behind. This includes a major lack of protection against AI threats, as well as API and business logic attacks, among others.

    “The weaponization of AI by malicious actors is intensifying cybersecurity threats and drawing even more attention to areas where companies are simply ill-protected,” said Shira Sagiv, Radware’s vice president of product portfolio. “Internal alarms should be sounding. Companies openly admit to major concerns about gaps in cyber protection and lack of readiness, especially around web applications and APIs; yet their usage continues to climb creating even more risk and exposure.”

    KEY FINDINGS

    The scramble is on to catch up with AI
    According to the report, the use of AI to improve and intensify hacking tradecraft is of greatest concern. Organizations have significant concerns about threat actors using AI to generate new attacks at a faster cadence, bypassing existing defenses and compromising areas that were previously too difficult to attack.

    • Top concerns: The following percentage of respondents are highly or extremely concerned about hackers using AI:
      • To create/improve hacking tools – 70%.
      • To generate a larger volume of cyberattacks – 67%.
      • To launch new zero-day attack vectors – 66%.
    • Large readiness gap: Despite the concerns about hackers embracing AI, only 8% of organizations are currently using AI-based solutions for defenses.
    • AI adoption: Four out of five organizations plan to implement AI-based cybersecurity solutions within the next 12 months.

    Security fails to keep up with sprawling API ecosystems
    APIs are in a constant state of fluctuation. Organizations are increasing their use of APIs even while they remain ill-protected.

    • Surge in API usage and updates: In 2025, API usage is up 42% compared to the highest rate of usage in 2023, with multiple daily updates to APIs surging 6X during the same time frame.
    • Widespread third-party usage: On average, organizations are using 19 third-party APIs per application, which introduces new types of threats around data compromise that cannot be mitigated at a coding level.
    • Poor business logic attack mitigation: Business logic attacks, a common form of API attacks, represent a threat area of rapidly growing concern. While 81% of respondents say it is very or extremely important to have real-time protection measures in place:
      • Just half have deployed runtime business logic protections.
      • Only 29% have security staff fully trained to detect and mitigate these attacks.
    • Lack of preparedness:
      • On average, only 6% of respondents have full documentation for all their APIs.
      • Half of respondents don’t know what third-party code is being used by their web applications, which data is being leaked to third-party services, and when malicious scripts and services are introduced.

    Risks to resilience continue to rise
    Survey respondents expressed a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of their defensive posture against growing threats.

    • Third-party breaches: Only 16% of respondents are confident in their current protection against data breach attempts of third-party services code running on their web applications.
    • Costly DDoS disruptions: Downtime caused by an application DDoS attack averages $6,100 per minute or $366,000 per hour.
    • High compliance pressures: An average of 54% of respondents express high or extreme concern about a range of regulations, including NIS2, HIPAA, SEC, PCI DSS 4, GDPR, DORA, and SOX.

    Methodology
    The survey, which was conducted with Osterman Research, includes responses from compliance, chief risk, and data privacy officers; vice presidents of research and development; senior network security administrators; senior DevOps and DevSecOps administrators; cloud security; API architects; among other titles. The survey was conducted in nine countries across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

    Radware’s complete 2025 Cyber Survey: Application Security at a Breaking Point can be downloaded here.

    About Radware
    Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

    Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, X, and YouTube.

    ©2025 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

    THIS PRESS RELEASE AND THE 2025 CYBER SURVEY: APPLICATION SECURITY AT A BREAKING POINT ARE PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE AN INDICATOR OF RADWARE’S BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OR OPERATING RESULTS FOR ANY PRIOR, CURRENT, OR FUTURE PERIOD.

    Radware believes the information in this document is accurate in all material respects as of its publication date. However, the information is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties and is subject to change without notice.

    The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements made herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Radware’s plans, outlook, beliefs, or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could.” For example, when we say in this press release that the weaponization of AI by malicious actors is intensifying cybersecurity threats and drawing even more attention to areas where companies are simply ill-protected and that their usage continues to climb creating even more risk and exposure, we are using forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware’s current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions, including as a result of the state of war declared in Israel in October 2023 and instability in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, tensions between China and Taiwan, financial and credit market fluctuations (including elevated interest rates), impacts from tariffs or other trade restrictions, inflation, and the potential for regional or global recessions; our dependence on independent distributors to sell our products; our ability to manage our anticipated growth effectively; our business may be affected by sanctions, export controls, and similar measures, targeting Russia and other countries and territories, as well as other responses to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine, including indefinite suspension of operations in Russia and dealings with Russian entities by many multi-national businesses across a variety of industries; the ability of vendors to provide our hardware platforms and components for the manufacture of our products; our ability to attract, train, and retain highly qualified personnel; intense competition in the market for cybersecurity and application delivery solutions and in our industry in general, and changes in the competitive landscape; our ability to develop new solutions and enhance existing solutions; the impact to our reputation and business in the event of real or perceived shortcomings, defects, or vulnerabilities in our solutions, if our end-users experience security breaches, or if our information technology systems and data, or those of our service providers and other contractors, are compromised by cyber-attackers or other malicious actors or by a critical system failure; our use of AI technologies that present regulatory, litigation, and reputational risks; risks related to the fact that our products must interoperate with operating systems, software applications and hardware that are developed by others; outages, interruptions, or delays in hosting services; the risks associated with our global operations, such as difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations, compliance costs arising from host country laws or regulations, partial or total expropriation, export duties and quotas, local tax exposure, economic or political instability, including as a result of insurrection, war, natural disasters, and major environmental, climate, or public health concerns; our net losses in the past and the possibility that we may incur losses in the future; a slowdown in the growth of the cybersecurity and application delivery solutions market or in the development of the market for our cloud-based solutions; long sales cycles for our solutions; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions or other investments; risks associated with doing business in countries with a history of corruption or with foreign governments; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with undetected defects or errors in our products; our ability to protect our proprietary technology; intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties; laws, regulations, and industry standards affecting our business; compliance with open source and third-party licenses; complications with the design or implementation of our new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system; our reliance on information technology systems; our ESG disclosures and initiatives; and other factors and risks over which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, refer to Radware’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware’s public filings are available from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware’s website at www.radware.com.

    Media Contact:
    Gerri Dyrek
    Radware
    Gerri.Dyrek@radware.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f5342914-5ae1-430e-a838-b75e663c5eb4

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83a75b37-0294-485f-a2b8-c968fd9fce15

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08209312-e0da-48d4-a5aa-aa7deea6b77d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Wood Mackenzie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 with Senior Delegation, Driving Investment and Insight Across Africa’s Energy Sector

    Energy research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie will participate in the African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies conference, with a senior delegation comprising Mansur Mohammed, Head of New Business Development, Africa; Gavin Thompson, Vice Chairman, EMEA; David Parkinson, Head of Exploration; and Ian Thom, Research Director, Upstream. The team will speak across multiple sessions, contributing data-led insights and strategic analysis on upstream investment, exploration trends and Africa’s energy transition planning.  

    With over five decades of experience, Wood Mackenzie has become a central player in global energy markets. In Africa, the firm’s work has been particularly impactful in supporting the development of long-term energy planning and project structuring. Its collaboration with national governments and state-owned oil companies has helped shape policy frameworks, evaluate exploration potential and guide infrastructure development. 

    One of the firm’s most notable recent contributions has been its support to the Republic of Congo in developing the country’s first Gas Master Plan, in partnership with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons. The plan outlines strategies for monetizing gas resources, expanding domestic access and establishing export mechanisms that will contribute to economic diversification. In line with this work, Wood Mackenzie has provided analysis for key projects such as the Marine XII LNG development, which recently delivered its first cargo and is progressing toward expansion with a second 3.5 billion-cubic-meter-per-year facility. 

    In the broader upstream sector, Wood Mackenzie tracks and forecasts capital investment trends across the continent. The firm’s research highlights a stabilization of upstream spending around $40 billion annually, with particular emphasis on gas and LNG-led growth. Countries such as Namibia and Mozambique are attracting heightened interest from international investors, while established producers including Angola and Nigeria continue to recalibrate their upstream portfolios in response to global energy dynamics. Wood Mackenzie’s data and modelling are often used by governments and private operators alike to assess fiscal terms, licensing strategy and project economics. 

    The firm is also playing a leading role in contextualizing Africa’s energy transition. According to its long-term energy outlooks, Africa is expected to see electricity demand double by 2050. While renewables will form an increasing share of generation, Wood Mackenzie maintains that oil and gas will remain vital to meeting the continent’s industrial and energy access needs. The firm projects that Africa will account for just 3–6% of global emissions by mid-century, underscoring the argument that continued hydrocarbon development can coexist with climate responsibility. 

    “Wood Mackenzie brings the rigorous data and applied insight necessary to unlock Africa’s energy potential. At AEW 2025, their contributions will help shape a narrative that highlights investment opportunity, energy security and the responsible pursuit of development across the continent,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. 

    The delegation’s participation at AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies comes at a time when African states are intensifying their focus on exploration licensing rounds, domestic gas utilization and large-scale LNG developments. With deep experience in asset valuation, fiscal benchmarking and upstream project modelling, Wood Mackenzie remains a trusted partner to investors, ministries and NOCs seeking to maximize returns and mitigate risk across the continent. 

    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA concerned at measures taken against ICC judges by US government

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The South African Government has expressed its “deep concern” at the decision of the United States to sanction four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    This is after the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced sanctions against four ICC judges for alleged “illegitimate transgressions against the United States and Israel”.

    According to reports, the sanctions are in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its investigation into alleged United States war crimes in Afghanistan. 

    The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) believes that this move represents a direct affront to the principles of international justice and the rule of law. 

    “Such punitive actions against judicial officers performing their mandated duties are regrettable and they undermine the independence of the ICC, and threaten the integrity of international legal institutions. 

    “They furthermore hinder the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions.” 

    The department said South Africa, as a founding member of the ICC, views these sanctions and previous threats as an attempt to intimidate and obstruct the Court’s efforts to hold accountable perpetrators of the most serious crimes. 

    “The ICC operates under the Rome Statute, to which 125 States are parties, and its mandate is to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression when national jurisdictions are unwilling or unable to do so.”

    DIRCO is of the view that these sanctions on ICC judges sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden those who seek to evade accountability for egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. 

    “It also poses a significant challenge to the global fight against impunity and the enforcement of international norms.” 

    South Africa has since reaffirmed its commitment to the principles enshrined in the Rome Statute and will continue to work with like-minded nations to safeguard the integrity of international legal institutions.

    “In this regard, we highlight our participation in the Hague Group, a coalition of countries dedicated to defending the rulings and authority of the ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    “The pursuit of justice for victims of the gravest crimes must not be compromised by political considerations. Upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability are essential for the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as a rules-based international order based on international law,” DIRCO said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Request for clarification concerning France’s possible interference in the 2025 Romanian presidential election – P-002053/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002053/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE)

    Following the recent presidential election in Romania, the runner-up, nationalist candidate George Simion, publicly made accusations of foreign interference. He spoke of external influence, in particular from France, which affected the conduct and fairness of the ballot.

    These statements have been backed up in remarks made by Valérie Hayer, Chair of Parliament’s Renew Europe Group, who admitted to having organised meetings in France for the Romanian diaspora to encourage them to vote[1].

    Furthermore, according to Pavel Durov, founder of the platform Telegram, there has been pressure coming from Paris to censor certain conservative Romanian voices. If these accusations prove to be true, it would pose a serious problem with regard to the principles of non-interference and democratic equality between candidates in a Member State or EU candidate country.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.Has the Commission been informed of such actions by French politicians or institutions?
    • 2.Do such initiatives align with the principles of neutrality and non-interference promoted by the EU?
    • 3.Will it request official explanations from the French authorities or open an independent investigation to assess the impact of these incidences on the electoral process in Romania?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] https://x.com/franceinfo/status/1921096329398190324
    Last updated: 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network – E-001728/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    A listing of a group or entity under any EU regime of restrictive measures has certain legal and political requirements.

    As regards the possibility of a listing under Council Common Position of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (2001/931/CFSP)[1], the main legal requirement is a decision by a national competent authority for the involvement of the group or entity in terrorist acts as defined by the same Common Position.

    If that legal requirement is met, a proposal to list a group or entity is adopted only if there is unanimous agreement by the Member States in the Council. Discussion on such proposals are confidential.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/compos/2001/931/oj/eng.
    Last updated: 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Review of the EU securitisation framework – The Securitisation Regulation and the Capital Requirements Regulation – 12-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    ‘Securitisation’ is the process of pooling financial assets (such as loans, mortgages and consumer credit) and turning them into tradable securities. This process allows banks to transfer the risk of some loans to other banks or long-term investors, such as insurance companies and asset managers. Banks are then allowed to use the capital which was set aside to cover the risk of those same loans to create and sell new loans. In the European Union (EU), the space freed up in banks’ balance sheets through the securitisation process can be used to support the Union’s priorities, such as the green and digital transitions. However, if left unregulated, the process of securitisation can increase vulnerabilities across the financial system, as it did in the United States with the subprime mortgage crisis which began in 2007. As part of its Capital Markets Union initiative, launched in 2015, the EU relaunched the framework establishing an EU securitisation market, helping the development of finance and the economy without creating risks to financial stability; this is the securitisation framework, which came into force in 2019. According to the Commission’s 2022 review report, while the EU’s current securitisation framework has made the EU’s market safer, it has also resulted in higher costs for issuers and investors, preventing the development of the EU’s securitisation market. The capital requirements it introduced may have reduced incentives to participate in or issue securitisations, and some stakeholders have stated that the EU’s due diligence requirements have created entry barriers or disincentives for participation by some investors. With the start of the 10th legislative term, the intention of accelerating work on all European savings and investments measures, including securitisation, was confirmed in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines of July 2024; in the mission letter of the Commissioner for Financial Services, Maria Luís Albuquerque, of September 2024; and in the 2025 Commission work programme. The European Parliament has remained supportive of securitisation as a tool for funding the EU’s economy but has remained critical of any dilution of regulatory standards that could raise systemic risk. This briefing focuses on the two legal acts of the securitisation framework that the Commission proposes to review in June 2025: the Securitisation Regulation and the Capital Requirements Regulation. These two regulations govern the general rules for securitisation, and the capital requirements for banks and investment firms that hold securitisation positions, respectively.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Latin America and the Caribbean – 10-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Union’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean are multifaceted and conducted at different levels. Guided by the New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, the EU seeks to strengthen and modernise the bi-regional strategic partnership. The EU interacts with the entire region through summits with the heads of state and government and through parliamentary diplomacy, while agreements and political dialogue bind the EU and the Caribbean, Central America, the Andean Community, Mercosur and individual countries.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOEA’s 2025 Industrial Innovation Joint Awards Ceremony: National Industrial Innovation Award and National Invention and Creation Award Showcase Taiwan’s Excellence in Innovation

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) held its flagship innovation event of the year today (June 10), featuring the joint award ceremony for the National Industrial Innovation Award and the National Invention and Creation Award. A total of 92 outstanding achievements were recognized, spotlighting Taiwan’s robust capabilities in semiconductors, AI, healthcare, and sustainability. Premier Cho Jung-tai called on award recipients to continue driving innovation forward and contribute lasting momentum to Taiwan’s economic growth. This year’s Distinguished Innovation Award in the Organization Category went to Realtek Semiconductor, Onyx Healthcare, and ITRI’s Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories. Four government agencies were also honored for their contributions to policy innovation and regional industry development. Their achievements exemplify the strong synergy among Taiwan’s industry, government, academia, and research sectors in propelling the nation’s economic future.

    In his remarks, Premier Cho highlighted Taiwan’s impressive ranking of 8th among 67 countries in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. He also noted that Taiwan ranks 3rd globally in both total R&D expenditure and business R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP. These rankings reflect the deepening commitment from both public and private sectors to investing in research and development-efforts that have earned consistent international recognition. In tandem with promoting the Five Trusted Industry Sectors, relevant ministries and agencies are currently drafting a “Top 10 AI Infrastructure Projects” program aimed at accelerating the next wave of AI development in Taiwan by scaling up industrial applications, integrating AI across various sectors, and facilitating AI adoption in both industry and government, ultimately building the most comprehensive AI supply chain. Meanwhile, this year saw the addition of a Government Agencies category, introduced to encourage government bodies to champion an innovative mindset, foster close collaboration with industry, and deliver tangible benefits for the public. Premier Cho concluded by emphasizing the shared goal of Taiwan’s domestic industry: to maintain our global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. He urged the industry to adopt a “Taiwan plus” approach that anchors investments in Taiwan while expanding global reach and competitiveness.

    Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo noted that the 9th National Industrial Innovation Award recognized 25 organizations, 8 teams, and 19 individuals from a total of 305 entries-a remarkable display of Taiwan’s innovation prowess. In semiconductors and AI, Realtek Semiconductor leads the global market in Ethernet chipsets and is expanding its core technologies into automotive and smart healthcare applications through diverse products and patents. Kneron, on the other hand, is advancing practical uses of large language models by offering powerful Edge AI computing solutions worldwide. In the healthcare arena, ITRI’s Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories have pioneered a Virtual-Physical Integration Innovation Cross-Domain Platform for Digital Healthcare, energizing Taiwan’s push toward digital innovation. On the net-zero sustainability front, TSMC has built a world-leading zero-waste manufacturing center, cutting carbon emissions by more than 40,000 tons each year in support of a circular green economy. Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp is also contributing to global sustainability through its marine waste recycling technology.

    Minister Kuo commended the 40 recipients of the National Invention and Creation Award, selected from 418 entries. With half of the winning entries from enterprises, it underscores the importance of strategic patent deployment in Taiwan’s industrial sector. These innovations span a broad range of fields, including 5G, smart AI healthcare, assistive devices for seniors, agricultural sensing, and smart living applications, all helping to cement Taiwan’s leadership in future-ready patent development.

    Beyond celebrating industrial innovation, this year’s award ceremony also embraced social care and human connection. The MOEA specially invited the choir from Baolai Junior High School in Kaohsiung’s Liouguei District to perform, with the hope of inspiring greater support for education in rural communities. Looking to the future, the MOEA reaffirms its role as a guiding force that unites industry, government, academia, and research institutions to forge an even more competitive economic landscape for Taiwan on the global stage.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • 11 years of Digital India: Technology turned into tool to empower the lives of poor

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Besides the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ pledge, the goal and vision of achieving ‘Digital India’ is beginning to realise as this forms the core of governance of the incumbent dispensation.

    The digital revolution, which began 11 years ago, is entrenched in almost every policy-making and public welfare scheme delivery with elaborate plans on how to bring benefits to the poor, downtrodden and marginalised sections.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to the social media platform X on Thursday and wrote about “leveraging the power of technology in bringing innumerable benefits for people”.

    “Service delivery and transparency have been greatly boosted. Technology has become a means of empowering the lives of the poorest of the poor,” he further said.

    Here is a look at how the Digital India mission unlocked opportunities for millions:

    The Digital India initiative, launched by PM Modi in his first term, has gone on to reshape the way the country has grown and developed in the past decade. The governance has become transparent and accessible for every citizen, while it has also unlocked massive opportunities for the common citizen.

    Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) marks one of the biggest hallmarks of the Modi government as it ensured seamless and leakage-free delivery of public welfare funds and schemes to crores of poor households. Today, the villages have access to internet services, while the digital payment system is also reaching the rural belts.

    DBT transfers

    Today, there are more than 322 schemes across 56 ministries covered under the DBT. More than Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly into the accounts of beneficiaries, while Rs 3.48 lakh crore has been saved by cutting out leakages and preventing middlemen.

    In the past ten years, there has been a 90-fold increase in DBT transfers, marking a new era of public welfare delivery, laced with speed and transparency.

    Aadhaar: The World’s largest digital ID system

    Aadhaar – a unique identity of every citizen is powering the country’s digital identity revolution.

    Today, every citizen of the 140-crore population has a unique 12-digit Aadhaar number. Aadhaar authentication transactions have crossed 150 billion mark.

    DigiLocker making India paperless

    DigiLocker, an application that facilitates document storage online, has given strong impetus to paperless governance. As per official estimates, there are more than 52 crore registered Digilocker users in the country, with over 852 crore documents issued.

    Jeevan Pramaan

    Under the Jeevan Pramaan yojana, technology was harnessed to bring dignity to human lives. Jeevan Praman Patra has simplified life for pensioners by providing hassle-free digital life certificates.

    Today, more than 10 crore pensioners are registered, which means they no longer need to visit banks for giving “life certificates” in person.

    More than 143 lakh ‘Digital Life Certificates’ have been submitted since November 2024.

    UMANG: One platform for all services

    UMANG App has been instrumental in converging all government services on one platform. It has become a single digital gateway for accessing more than 2,000 services across various government departments. As per records, there are over 8.21 crore registered users, with over 597 crore transactions.

    Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan is another scheme with far-reaching implications. It has gone a long way in bridging the digital divide in rural India.

    (IANS)