Category: Politics

MIL-OSI USA: Rodney Butler, Ahead of CAHNR Commencement Speech, Reflects on Decades Spent Helping His Tribe

Source: US State of Connecticut

Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, never aspired to become a Tribal leader. Yet, he has served on tribal council for over two decades, overseeing tremendous progress for his tribe.

Butler ‘99 (BUS) will deliver the commencement address for the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) on May 10, 2025. He will also be awarded an honorary degree “in recognition of extraordinary and lasting distinction.”

“I can’t think of someone more deserving and better suited to usher our class of 2025 into their next chapter,” says CAHNR Dean Indrajeet Chaubey. “Rodney’s ability to make a difference through innovation, collaboration, and a drive for the common good is remarkable. It’s a model we can all look to and learn from.”

Butler studied finance at UConn and initially intended to work on Wall Street.

From left, Chief/Treasurer Marilyn Malerba, former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and Rodney Butler in DC. (Contributed photo)

“I’ve had my own savings account since I was four or five years old, and I’ve always been an avid investor,” Butler says. “The stock market was pretty steady in the 90s and my father set me up with a small investment account and I was dabbling with that and growing that, and I just fell in love with finance and analytics.”

Butler was also a member of the UConn Football team, playing defensive back during his undergraduate years.

After graduation, Butler returned to Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to work as a financial analyst for Foxwoods Resort Casino. He later served as the interim CEO of Foxwoods in 2018.

“Coming out of college and coming back to work for my tribe, it was just such an incredible honor to be able to do that, to give back to my community and work for my family,” Butler says.

Butler transitioned to managing the Tribe’s non-gaming assets, like hotels, golf courses, and a pharmaceutical company. Through this work, Butler joined various governmental committees that support the Tribal Council.

“I enjoyed it, and I was making contributions,” Butler says. “Even then, though, I didn’t think I would get into tribal leadership.”

When Tribal Council elections rolled around in 2004, a cousin encouraged Butler to run. And he won.

Two weeks later, Butler’s first child, his son, was born.

“It gave me a much different perspective,” Butler says. “Yes, I’m doing this for my larger tribal family. But what I’m working for every single day is that baby at home and making sure that I’m doing right by him. It kept me humbled, grounded, and focused on long term success for the Tribe.”

After seeing the Tribe through the 2008 financial crisis as its treasurer, Butler was elected to his first term as chairman in 2010. He has held the position ever since.

Butler, center, with the UConn Native American and Indigenous Studies team at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation powwow. (Contributed photo)

“Because [my tribe] it’s my family, it’s personal, and every day knowing that I’m working to make a life better for them, and the tens of thousands of people who rely on Pequot, that’s very, very rewarding and keeps you driven,” Butler says.

Despite his profile as a leader, Butler credits everything he does to community efforts.

“What I do, especially in this position, is all about teamwork and working together for a collective success,” Butler says.

The Mashantucket Pequot Nation was federally recognized in 1983. Since then, the tribe has made great strides developing their economy and community infrastructures.

“What we’ve done in the last 40 years as a Tribal Nation, going from rocky ledge and wooded land, raising pigs and producing maple syrup, to a billion-dollar enterprise with multiple business units and a thriving community…to me that’s the accomplishment,” Butler says. “There’s been so much growth in a very short period of time that you just can’t help but be proud of what this community has accomplished.”

Since 2017, the Tribe has partnered with UConn Extension to develop their agricultural infrastructure.

This partnership has been supported by a Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture program.

This collaboration stemmed from the initiative of tribal members who wanted to develop agriculture to support the tribe’s food sovereignty, or the ability of a community to feed itself.

“It initially was just a labor of love by my cousins Jeremy Whipple and Councilor Menihan with a dream to achieve food sovereignty,” Butler says. “Their efforts and the relationship with UConn kept blossoming organically into a thriving agriculture department that has become a core initiative for our community.”

Meechooôk Farm on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is now a vibrant food producer for the tribe. The farm includes produce, cattle, hydroponic tunnels, and a sugar shack.

In 2021, the Tribe established the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Department of Agriculture.

“The passion of everyone at UConn for this and the commitment that UConn has made to the tribe and vice versa – these are lifelong friendships that just continue creating success as we grow our agriculture initiatives here,” Butler says.

Butler (front left) at Meechooôk Farm on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation with former General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Janie Simms Hipp, and CAHNR Dean Indrajeet Chaubey (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)

Mashantucket Pequot recently hosted a food sovereignty conference with more than 30 tribes from the Northeast represented, highlighting their relationship with UConn and how it has supported the tribe’s food sovereignty efforts.

“We as a tribe have the ability to provide for our own in a way that we didn’t prior,” Butler says. “We’re thankful that UConn has been committed to helping us get to this level of self-resilience from a food perspective, and we’re continuing to build on it.”

This work is one example of many that Butler has seen throughout his life and career that highlights the importance of collaboration.

Butler encourages this year’s graduating class to remember, as he has, that everything is built through working with others.

“I live through the notion that people are all so interconnected and you have to realize how much we need each other,” Butler says. “Real success is pulling others in, lifting them up, working together, and having that shared success.”

Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

MIL OSI USA News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Brooke County Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Child Pornography Charge

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Harry Fred Wells, age 54, of Follansbee, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Wells came to the attention of investigators after he pursued inappropriate communications with a minor through social media. During the investigation, a search of Wells’ home and phone revealed that Wells possessed child pornography depicting children under the age of 12.

Wells will serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

The Department of Homeland Security investigated the matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking Operation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Evans, 35, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Monongalia County.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Evans traveled from the Philadelphia area to Monongalia County to sell controlled substances. During the execution of a search warrant on an apartment in Morgantown, officers found Evans asleep with a loaded pistol, three more stolen firearms, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 150 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine. Evans has prior drug and firearms convictions.

Evans will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.

This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Harrison County Man Sentenced for Selling Methamphetamine

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shawn Michael Bork, 49, of Mount Clare, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in Harrison County, WV.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bork was selling methamphetamine, at time using social media to traffic drugs. A search of his apartment resulted in the seizure of a firearm, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a duffle bag containing $166,315 in cash. Bork has prior convictions for violation of a domestic violence order, harassment, obstructing, transporting controlled substances into a prison, and drug trafficking.

Bork will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

This case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Sentenced for Roles in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking Organization

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two people have been sentenced for selling large quantities of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin in Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire Counties.

Andrew Ross Hose, age 40, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 293 months in prison. Bradley Allen Lopp, age 36, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hose and Lopp worked with the drug trafficking organization to sell controlled substances in the Eastern Panhandle.

Hose will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Lopp will serve three years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

MIL Security OSI –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Best Online Casinos Canada: 7Bit Casino Voted #1 by Experts for Canadian Players
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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Final Words About Best Online Casinos in Canada – 7Bit Casino

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Email: support@7bitcasino.com

Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure

This article is for info and promo purposes only, not legal or financial advice. We’ve tried to keep it accurate, but things can change, so check stuff yourself. We’re not responsible for any mistakes or issues from using this info.

We might earn a bit if you click our links and spend money, but it doesn’t cost you extra. Those links don’t mess with our honest opinions. Gambling’s for folks 19+ in Canada and can be risky. Play smart and get help if it stops being fun.

All trademarks belong to their owners. By reading this, you agree it’s at your own risk, and we’re not liable for any problems.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80d161da-12ce-477f-be6f-e1d93279f735

The MIL Network –
May 8, 2025

MIL-OSI: Fastest Payout Online Casinos: JACKBIT Ranked #1 for Instant Withdrawals with No Verification

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MIAMI, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the dynamic world of online gambling, speed is a game-changer. Players want their winnings quickly, without delays or complicated processes. After evaluating numerous platforms, JACKBIT stands out as the fastest payout online casino for 2025.

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Why JACKBIT Stands Out as the Fastest Payout Online Casino

JACKBIT has redefined online gambling by prioritizing payout speed, a critical factor for players seeking same day withdrawal online casinos. Its use of blockchain technology enables instant pay casino withdrawals, with crypto transactions often completed in minutes. This efficiency is complemented by a no-KYC policy for crypto users, ensuring privacy and a hassle-free experience.

Beyond speed, JACKBIT offers an extensive game library of over 6,000 titles, sourced from 90+ top providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Evolution Gaming. From classic slots to live dealer games and a robust sportsbook, the platform caters to every gaming preference. Its mobile-optimized design and intuitive interface make it accessible on any device, positioning JACKBIT as a leader among the fastest paying online casinos.

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JACKBIT Casino Features: A Comprehensive Overview

JACKBIT’s appeal as the fastest payout online casino is rooted in its robust features, designed to enhance the player experience:

Feature	Details
Welcome Bonus	30% Rakeback + 100 wager-free spins on first deposit + No KYC
Game Count	Over 6,000 titles from 90+ providers
Payment Methods	16+ cryptocurrencies, Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, Apple Pay
Withdrawal Speed	Instant crypto withdrawals (under 10 minutes)
Customer Support	24/7 via live chat and email
License	Curacao Gaming Authority

Welcome Bonuses: New players receive a 30% Rakeback bonus + no KYC and 100 free spins, providing a strong start without wagering requirements on spins.
Expansive Game Library: Over 6,000 games, including slots, table games, live dealers, and sports betting, ensure variety for all players.
Cryptocurrency Payments: Supports 16+ cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, for fast, secure transactions.
No KYC for Crypto Users: Crypto players enjoy anonymity, bypassing extensive verification processes.
Instant Withdrawals: JACKBIT’s online casino instant payout system processes crypto withdrawals in minutes, often instantly.
Mobile-Friendly Design: Optimized for desktops, smartphones, and tablets, offering flexibility for on-the-go gaming.
Sportsbook: Covers 140+ sports, including football, esports, and virtual sports, with competitive odds and live betting.

These features make JACKBIT a benchmark for quick pay casino experiences, appealing to players worldwide.

Promotions and Incentives at JACKBIT

JACKBIT keeps players engaged with a variety of promotions:

Welcome Bonus: 30% Rakeback+ no KYC + 100 free spins on the first deposit, with no wagering requirements on spins, allowing immediate use of winnings.
Weekly Giveaways: Compete for a share of $10,000 in cash and 10,000 free spins, adding excitement to regular play.
VIP Program: Earn up to 30% Rakeback through the Rakeback VIP Club, rewarding loyal players with cashback and exclusive perks.
Social Media Bonuses: Engage with JACKBIT on platforms like X for exclusive rewards, such as bonus spins or cash prizes.
Pragmatic Drops & Wins: Participate in slot and live game tournaments with a €2,000,000 prize pool, offering significant winning opportunities.

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These promotions, with fair terms, position JACKBIT among the best online casinos fast payout for value-driven players.

What Sets JACKBIT Apart from Other Crypto Casinos?

JACKBIT distinguishes itself from competitors in several ways:

Unmatched Payout Speed: While many crypto casinos take hours or days, JACKBIT delivers funds in minutes, making it the fastest paying online casino.
Diverse Game Selection: With over 6,000 games, JACKBIT surpasses rivals, offering everything from slots to niche esports betting.
Privacy Focus: The no-KYC policy for crypto users ensures anonymity, a feature not all instant withdrawal casinos provide.
Generous Promotions: Bonuses like rakeback and tournaments come with fair terms, unlike some casinos with restrictive requirements.
Sports Betting Integration: Unlike many crypto-focused platforms, JACKBIT’s sportsbook adds versatility, appealing to a broader audience.

These advantages make JACKBIT a standout new instant withdrawal casino for 2025.

Pros and Cons of JACKBIT Casino

To offer a balanced perspective, here’s a detailed look at JACKBIT’s strengths and weaknesses:

Pros	Cons
Fastest payout online casino with instant crypto withdrawals	No dedicated mobile app (mobile-optimized site available)
Over 6,000 games from 90+ providers	Withdrawals are crypto-only, limiting fiat options
No KYC policy for crypto users	Some bonuses have specific wagering requirements
Supports 16+ cryptocurrencies and fiat deposits	Curacao license may not suit players seeking stricter regulation
24/7 multilingual customer support
Generous bonuses, including 30% Rakeback and 100 free spins

These factors make JACKBIT a compelling choice among online casinos with instant withdrawal, though players should weigh the cons based on their preferences.

How to Join JACKBIT Casino

Joining JACKBIT is a quick and user-friendly process, ideal for players seeking an instant pay casino:

Visit JACKBIT: Click here to navigate to the official website and click “Sign Up.”
Register: Enter your email address and a secure password. Crypto users skip KYC verification for faster setup.
Verify Email: Confirm your account via the verification email sent by JACKBIT.
Deposit Funds: Choose from 16+ cryptocurrencies or fiat methods like Visa or MasterCard. Meet the minimum deposit to activate the welcome bonus.
Claim Welcome Bonus: Enter the promo code to receive the 30% Rakeback and 100 free spins.
Start Playing: Explore the game library and enjoy the fast payout casino experience.

This streamlined process reflects JACKBIT’s commitment to accessibility, making it a top pick for those seeking same day withdrawal online casinos.

How We Selected JACKBIT as the Fast Paying Online Casino

Our selection process for the best online casinos that payout instantly was rigorous, ensuring only the most reliable platforms were recommended. We evaluated JACKBIT based on the following criteria:

License and Security: JACKBIT is fully licensed under the Curacao Gaming License, offering a secure environment with SSL encryption. The platform also ensures fairness with provably fair games, giving players peace of mind and transparency.
Bonuses and Promotions: We focused on casinos that offer fair and generous bonuses. JACKBIT stands out with its great welcome bonus and ongoing promotions that give players excellent value.
Game Variety: A diverse game library is essential. JACKBIT offers over 6,000 games, including slots, table games, and sports betting, making sure there’s something for every type of player.
Casino Game Providers: JACKBIT partners with well-known providers like NetEnt and Evolution Gaming to ensure top-quality and fair games.
Banking Methods: Fast, secure payment options are critical. JACKBIT’s crypto-focused approach, with instant withdrawals, excels in this area.
Customer Support: 24/7 availability and responsiveness are key. JACKBIT’s multilingual support team ensures player satisfaction.
User Experience: An intuitive, mobile-friendly interface enhances accessibility. JACKBIT’s sleek design and fast loading times deliver a seamless experience.

JACKBIT outperformed competitors across these metrics, earning its title as the best fast payout casino for 2025.

License and Security

JACKBIT operates under a Curacao Gaming License, ensuring compliance with industry standards for fair play and player protection. While Curacao’s regulations are less stringent than those of the UKGC or MGA, they provide a solid framework for a secure gaming environment. The platform employs advanced SSL encryption to safeguard player data and transactions, and its provably fair crypto games allow players to verify game outcomes independently.

The no-KYC policy for crypto users is a significant advantage for privacy-conscious players, enabling anonymous play without compromising security. This feature positions JACKBIT as a leader among fast payout online casinos for those prioritizing discretion.

Bonuses and Promotions

JACKBIT’s bonuses enhance the gaming experience for both new and returning players:

Welcome Bonus: 30% Rakeback + 100 free spins on the first deposit, with no wagering requirements on spins, allowing immediate use of winnings.
Weekly Giveaways: Compete for a share of $10,000 in cash and 10,000 free spins, adding excitement to regular play.
VIP Program: Earn up to 30% Rakeback through the Rakeback VIP Club, rewarding loyal players with cashback and exclusive perks.
Social Media Bonuses: Engage with JACKBIT on platforms like X for exclusive rewards, such as bonus spins or cash prizes.
Pragmatic Drops & Wins: Participate in slot and live game tournaments with a €2,000,000 prize pool, offering significant winning opportunities.

These promotions, combined with fair terms, make JACKBIT a top choice among best online casinos fast payout for value-driven players.

Casino Games

JACKBIT’s game library is a cornerstone of its appeal, offering over 6,000 titles across multiple categories. This diversity ensures it caters to all player preferences, solidifying its status as a fast payout casino.

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Online Slots

Slots dominate JACKBIT’s offerings, with over 5,000 titles ranging from classic 3-reel games to modern video slots and progressive jackpots. Popular games include:

Starburst (NetEnt): A vibrant slot with 96.09% RTP and expanding wilds.
Gates of Olympus (Pragmatic Play): A high-volatility slot with 96.50% RTP and cascading wins.
Book of Dead (Play’n GO): An adventure-themed slot with 96.21% RTP and free spins.
Mega Moolah (Microgaming): A progressive jackpot slot with life-changing payout potential.

These games, with high RTPs and engaging features, make JACKBIT a prime destination for slot enthusiasts.

Blackjack

Blackjack players can enjoy multiple variants, including:

European Blackjack: Low house edge of 0.5% with basic strategy.
Atlantic City Blackjack: Multi-hand options for strategic play.
Vegas Strip Blackjack: Popular for its player-friendly rules.

Live blackjack tables, powered by Evolution Gaming, add an immersive element, appealing to players at instant withdrawal casinos.

Roulette

Roulette options include European, French, and American variants:

European Roulette: 2.7% house edge, ideal for beginners.
French Roulette: 1.35% house edge with La Partage rule, offering better odds.
American Roulette: Higher house edge due to double zero, but thrilling for risk-takers.

Live roulette tables enhance the experience with real-time interaction.

Poker

JACKBIT offers video poker and live poker games, including:

Texas Hold’em: Popular for its strategic depth.
Caribbean Stud: A house-banked poker variant with progressive jackpots.
Jacks or Better: A video poker classic with a 0.5%–2% house edge using optimal strategy.

These options cater to skill-based players seeking an online casino instant payout experience.

Live Dealer Games

Live Blackjack: Multiple tables with varying stakes.
Live Roulette: European and French variants with professional dealers.
Game Shows: Titles like Crazy Time and Monopoly Live for casual fun.

These games replicate a land-based casino atmosphere, making JACKBIT a leader among fastest paying online casinos.

Craps

Craps offers fast-paced dice action with bets like Pass Line (1.41% house edge) and Don’t Pass (1.36% house edge). Its inclusion adds variety to JACKBIT’s portfolio, appealing to players at same day withdrawal online casinos.

Sportsbook

JACKBIT’s sportsbook covers over 140 sports, including football, basketball, tennis, cricket, esports, and virtual sports. With over 82,000 live monthly events and 75,000 pre-match events, it offers competitive odds and live betting options. Features include:

Live Streaming: Watch select events directly on the platform.
In-Play Betting: Place bets during matches for dynamic wagering.
Cash-Out Options: Secure profits or minimize losses before events conclude.
Sports Welcome Bonus: 100% refund on a losing first bet (minimum $20).

This comprehensive sportsbook enhances JACKBIT’s appeal as a quick pay casino, catering to sports betting enthusiasts alongside casino players.

Specialty Games

JACKBIT also offers lottery, scratch cards, and instant win games for quick, casual play. These games provide a break from traditional casino offerings, enhancing the platform’s versatility.

Casino Game Providers

JACKBIT, fast payout online casino, collaborates with 90+ industry-leading providers to deliver its extensive game library:

NetEnt: Known for visually stunning slots like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest.
Evolution Gaming: The gold standard for live dealer games, offering immersive experiences.
Pragmatic Play: Delivers engaging slots like Gates of Olympus and Drops & Wins promotions.
Microgaming: Renowned for progressive jackpots like Mega Moolah.
Play’n GO: Offers adventure-themed slots like Book of Dead.
Yggdrasil: Known for innovative mechanics and high-quality graphics.

These partnerships ensure JACKBIT’s games are fair, engaging, and cutting-edge, reinforcing its position as a fast payout casino.

Fastest Payout Methods at JACKBIT

JACKBIT’s payment options are tailored for speed and flexibility, making it a standout fastest payout online casino.

Cryptocurrencies

JACKBIT supports over 16 cryptocurrencies, including:

Bitcoin (BTC)
Ethereum (ETH)
Litecoin (LTC)
Tether (USDT)
Ripple (XRP)
Solana (SOL)
Cardano (ADA)
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Binance Coin (BNB)
Monero (XMR)
USD Coin (USDC)
TRON (TRX)
Polygon (MATIC)
DAI
SHIBA INU
Chainlink (LINK)

Deposits are instant and fee-free, while withdrawals are processed in under 10 minutes, often instantly, making JACKBIT a leader among online casinos with instant withdrawal. The platform’s crypto focus ensures enhanced security and anonymity, ideal for players seeking an instant pay casino.

Fiat Methods

For deposits, JACKBIT accepts:

Visa
MasterCard
Bank Transfer
Google Pay
Apple Pay

However, withdrawals are crypto-only, which may limit options for fiat users. Processing times for fiat deposits are instant, but withdrawals via crypto maintain JACKBIT’s same day withdrawal online casinos status.

Buy Crypto Option

JACKBIT offers a “Buy Crypto” feature, allowing players to purchase cryptocurrencies directly on the platform using fiat methods. This simplifies the process for newcomers, enhancing accessibility at this quick pay casino.

Limitations

Weekly withdrawal limits are €10,000, with monthly caps at €20,000, which may affect high rollers. The crypto-only withdrawal policy, while fast, may inconvenience players preferring fiat payouts. Despite these, JACKBIT’s payment system excels for those prioritizing speed and security.

Payment Method	Deposit Time	Withdrawal Time	Fees
Cryptocurrencies	Instant	<10 minutes	None
Visa/MasterCard	Instant	N/A (crypto-only)	Varies
Bank Transfer	1–3 days	N/A (crypto-only)	Varies
Google Pay/Apple Pay	Instant	N/A (crypto-only)	Varies

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Customer Support

JACKBIT provides 24/7 customer support via live chat and email (support@JACKBIT.com). The team is fluent in multiple languages, including English, and responds promptly to queries. A comprehensive FAQ section addresses common issues, such as account setup, withdrawals, and bonus terms, enhancing the support experience. This reliability makes JACKBIT a top choice among the best online casinos fast payout.

Responsible Gambling at JACKBIT

JACKBIT is committed to promoting responsible gambling, offering tools to help players manage their gaming habits:

Deposit Limits: Set daily, weekly, or monthly caps to control spending.
Loss Limits: Restrict losses over a specified period.
Wagering Limits: Limit total bets to maintain financial discipline.
Session Time Limits: Monitor and restrict gaming duration.
Cooling-Off Periods: Temporary account suspensions for short breaks.
Self-Exclusion: Permanent or temporary account closure for extended breaks.
Reality Checks: Periodic notifications reminding players of playtime.

These tools, combined with access to support resources like the National Council on Problem Gambling, ensure JACKBIT remains a responsible fast payout casino by prioritizing player well-being.

Mobile Gaming Experience

JACKBIT’s mobile-optimized website delivers a seamless gaming experience on smartphones and tablets, despite the absence of a dedicated app. Players can access the full game library, manage accounts, and process transactions with ease. The responsive design adapts to various screen sizes, ensuring smooth navigation and fast loading times. Key features include:

Full Game Access: Play slots, table games, live dealers, and bet on sports directly from mobile browsers.
Intuitive Interface: Touch-friendly controls and clear menus enhance usability.
Fast Transactions: Deposit and withdraw instantly using crypto, maintaining JACKBIT’s fastest paying online casino status.
Cross-Platform Consistency: The mobile experience mirrors the desktop version, with no loss of functionality.

This mobile compatibility makes JACKBIT a top choice for players seeking online casinos with instant payout on the go.

User Experience and Interface

JACKBIT’s website is designed for ease of use, featuring a sleek, modern interface with intuitive navigation. Key elements include:

Clear Categorization: Games are organized into slots, table games, live casino, and sportsbook sections.
Search Functionality: Quickly find specific titles or providers.
Fast Loading Times: Optimized for minimal lag, even on slower connections.
Multilingual Support: Available in English, French, Spanish, and more, catering to a global audience.

This user-centric design enhances the overall experience, positioning JACKBIT among new instant withdrawal casinos for accessibility and engagement.

Comparing JACKBIT to Other Fast Payout Casinos

Compared to competitors, JACKBIT excels in several areas:

Payout Speed: Instant crypto withdrawals outpace many rivals, which may take hours or days, making it a best online casino fast payout leader.
Game Variety: Over 6,000 games surpass most competitors’ offerings.
Privacy: The no-KYC policy is a unique advantage for crypto users.
Sportsbook: Comprehensive sports betting options add versatility, unlike many casino-only platforms.

While some casinos offer stricter regulatory oversight or broader fiat withdrawal options, JACKBIT’s focus on speed, privacy, and variety makes it a preferred instant withdrawal casino for 2025.

Sportsbook Excellence

JACKBIT’s sportsbook is a standout feature, offering betting on over 140 sports, including:

Popular Sports: Football, basketball, tennis, cricket, and rugby.
Esports: League of Legends, Dota 2, CS:GO, and more.
Virtual Sports: Simulated events for instant betting.
Niche Markets: Darts, snooker, and table tennis.

With over 82,000 live monthly events and 75,000 pre-match events, the sportsbook provides competitive odds and live betting options. Features include:

Live Streaming: Watch select events directly on the platform.
In-Play Betting: Place bets during matches for dynamic wagering.
Cash-Out Options: Secure profits or minimize losses before events conclude.
Sports Welcome Bonus: 100% refund on a losing first bet (minimum $20).

This comprehensive sportsbook enhances JACKBIT’s appeal as a fast payout casino, catering to sports betting enthusiasts alongside casino players.

Popular Games with Bonus Opportunities

JACKBIT ties promotions to popular games, offering extra incentives:

Tasty Bonanza (Pragmatic Play): 96.48% RTP, tumbling reels, and free spins, often featured in Drops & Wins.
Wolf Haven (Pragmatic Play): 96.01% RTP, Money Respin feature, popular in bonus campaigns.
Big Catch Bonanza (Reel Kingdom): 96.71% RTP, scatter-triggered free spins, tied to promotional offers.
Mega Ace (Microgaming): 88.12% RTP, progressive jackpot potential, eligible for free spins.

These games, available across devices, enhance JACKBIT’s status as a best online casinos that payout instantly destination, offering exciting gameplay and bonus potential.

JACKBIT Casino Conclusion: The Ultimate Fast Payout Casino

After evaluating numerous fast payout online casinos, JACKBIT emerges as the top choice for 2025. Its extensive game library, featuring over 6,000 titles, caters to every player preference, from slots to sports betting. The platform’s status as the fastest payout online casino, with instant crypto withdrawals, ensures players access their winnings without delay. Generous bonuses, including a 30% Rakeback welcome offer and 100 free spins, provide exceptional value, while the no-KYC policy enhances privacy for crypto users.

JACKBIT’s commitment to player satisfaction is evident in its 24/7 multilingual support, mobile-optimized design, and robust responsible gambling tools. The comprehensive sportsbook, covering 140+ sports with live betting and competitive odds, adds versatility, making JACKBIT a one-stop shop for gaming and betting. While the Curacao license and crypto-only withdrawals may not suit everyone, these are minor drawbacks compared to the platform’s strengths.

For players seeking a best fast payout casino with variety, speed, and security, JACKBIT is unmatched. Join today at JACKBIT and experience why it’s the fastest paying online casino for 2025.

Email: support@JACKBIT.com

Legal Disclaimer
This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or gambling advice. Information is provided “as is,” with no warranties regarding accuracy or completeness. Readers must verify details and ensure compliance with local gambling laws. The publisher and authors are not liable for any losses or consequences from relying on this information.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/035eb7b1-a3c1-4fc0-9d7c-8eb5faf59b85

The MIL Network –

May 8, 2025

MIL-OSI Global: The dangerous business of predicting the death of popes – a history

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Pfeffer, Research Fellow in Early Modern History, University of Oxford

Portrait of Michel de Nostredame (Nostradamus), painted by his son César de Nostredame. Wiki Commons

Michel de Nostredame (1503-66), better known as Nostradamus, is often hailed as one of the most successful prophets of all time. Said to have foreseen major world events from the rise of Hitler to COVID, the 16th-century astrologer was recently credited with predicting Pope Francis’s death – and what would happen next.

‘Through the death of a very old Pontiff

A Roman of good age will be elected.

Of him it will be said that he weakens his seat

But long will he sit in biting activity.

Like all the quatrains in Nostradamus’s collection of prophecies, Les Prophéties (1555-68), this one is as enigmatic as it is flexible. Short, sweet and decontextualised, his prophetic poems feel timeless, and it is deliciously satisfying to recognise a real-world correlation. The problem is that his prophecies are so vague that they can be linked to any number of events – or old Pontiffs.

Nostradamus’s “dark and cryptic” language was intentional. If he had been more explicit, not only his career, but perhaps even his life, may have been at risk.

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Many of his prophecies concerned the rise and fall of the great and the good, and political prophecy was a high-risk business. In ancient Rome, astrologers had been expelled from the city for forecasting the death of emperors, and Renaissance leaders were no less paranoid. To avoid “scandalising and upsetting”, Nostradamus chose to veil his true meaning.

This was not just a matter of self-preservation, but also a way to obscure politically explosive information. Claiming to know when a civic or church leader might die was valuable intelligence. This made astrology a key tool of Renaissance spy-craft, but also a dangerous weapon that needed to be monitored and regulated.

Astrology, politics and the papal court

As a system that promised to forecast plagues, natural disasters, war, and even the economy, astrology was a logical interest for Renaissance rulers.

Universities taught their students how to make these predictions, and for some lucky graduates this led to a job in a royal, princely, or even papal court. Here their horoscopes could inform political decision-making and produce potent astrological propaganda.

A horoscope for the founding of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican in April 1506, cast by the astrologer Luca Gaurico. Luca Gaurico (1552).
Tractatus Astrologicus

Despite the condemnations of theologians, many popes patronised astrologers and sought their guidance.

Julius II (1443-1513) chose the start date for the construction of Saint Peter’s Basilica based on astrological counsel. Leo X (1475-1521) founded a professorship in astrology at Rome’s first university, La Sapienza. And Paul III (1468-1549), heeding the judgment of the astrologer Luca Gaurico, appointed his grandson a cardinal at just 14.

In a period in which popes could have a decisive impact on international politics, speculation about the health of the pontiff was rampant. Astrologers capitalised on this.

When Ludovico Sforza (1452-1508), de facto ruler of Milan, asked his astrologer to predict the death of Innocent VIII, it was nothing unusual. The answer was that the pope would die around August 10 1492, if not sooner. When Innocent died on July 25, Ludovico was no doubt pleased. As the historian Monica Azzolini has shown, he had consulted his astrologer in the hope the next pope would be more supportive of his illegitimate regime.

Some popes asked astrologers about their own deaths. But they didn’t like it so much when others did so – especially when the forecasts were made public. Even worse, such predictions often fed into Protestant propaganda.

Popes knew public predictions about their death were politically destabilising, not to mention humiliating. At the end of 1559, the Index of Prohibited Books, a list of books forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church, banned texts containing astrological “divinations” about “future contingent events”.

Earlier that year, just as Pope Paul IV was trying to conceal a serious illness from the public, the sighting of a comet had led to widespread speculation about his death. As the pope knew all too well, astrology could be a political liability.

Orazio Morandi and Urban VIII

Such legislation did not stop astrologers from making political predictions, not least because their clients never stopped asking. But increasingly these astrologers were playing with fire. As the historian Brendan Dooley has shown, Orazio Morandi learned this the hard way in 1630.

Morandi made predictions about Pope Urban VII.
Vatican Museums

Morandi was an abbot at the monastery of Santa Prassede in Rome. He had been practising astrology for years, and he had been careful, framing his political forecasts in allusive language. But soon he went too far.

In 1629, Morandi wrote an astrological commentary on various past papacies, critiquing their flaws. When he came to the present incumbent, Urban VIII (1568-1644), he not only predicted that his pro-French allies would destroy Italy, but that the pope himself would very soon suffer great violence, then death.

There are several astrological techniques for predicting someone’s death. As above, astronomical phenomena like comets and eclipses could prompt speculation about an upcoming papal demise. But Morandi used the gold standard – a technique called “prorogation”. This required access to the person’s birth chart, from which astrologers could identify the planets or luminaries that were their “giver of life” and “giver of years”.

Different planets gave different lifespans. For example, if the sun was your “giver of years”, and it was in a good position on your horoscope, you might expect to live to 120. If the sun was badly placed, your life expectancy might be just 19 years. Other parts of the horoscope could then modify these figures.

Morandi identified the sun as Urban’s life giver. But the positions of the more nefarious planets on his birth chart meant he was lucky to have lived beyond the age of seven. In June 1630, Morandi concluded, a solar eclipse would seal the pope’s fate.

Morandi’s prediction spread widely in clandestine circles, and it wasn’t long until his prediction was reported as fact. The pro-Spanish faction in Rome was thrilled. It was even rumoured that Spanish and German cardinals had begun the long journey to Rome for a new conclave.

The earth surrounded by the planets, luminaries, and zodiac signs (1708).
Andreas Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica

Embarrassingly, Urban first learned of the prophecy not through his own informants, but from the powerful French prelate Cardinal Richelieu. Himself an avid believer in astrology, Urban was greatly disturbed. He had Morandi arrested and jailed. During the trial, a young man called Matteo, servant to the current prior of Santa Prassede, was interrogated and tortured. Morandi himself soon died in prison under suspicious circumstances.

But Urban lived on. The next year, he decreed it punishable by death to predict “the life or death of the sitting Roman Pontiff, including his blood relatives to the third degree inclusive”.

Making a career in political forecasting was – and is – risky. But astrologers were ambitious and knew their efforts would be well remunerated. Predicting the death of a pope could help you quickly build a public profile, expanding your business. But after 1630, it was a risk many astrologers were no longer willing to take.

Michelle Pfeffer 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. The dangerous business of predicting the death of popes – a history – https://theconversation.com/the-dangerous-business-of-predicting-the-death-of-popes-a-history-255816

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: By VE Day in 1945, Stalin had got what he wanted in Poland – now Putin may get what he wants in Ukraine

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Wendy Webster, Professor of Modern Cultural History, University of Huddersfield

Sell out: most Polish people felt they had been abandoned by their allies in the US and Great Britain at the Yalta Conference. US government

As Britain celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8 1945, the Polish airmen of RAF 305 Bomber Squadron captured a starkly different sentiment in their diary. “‘Victory!’ every Anglo-Saxon says in greeting instead of the traditional ‘Hello!’. The word ‘Victory!’ is devoid of meaning, power and any sense today only for the Poles.”

Despite their critical contributions to the allied war effort, from the Battle of Britain to Monte Cassino, Polish forces felt isolated and betrayed, their hopes of a free Poland crushed by the Yalta agreement. On that first VE Day, many Poles who fought with the allied forces recorded feeling sad, isolated or bitter.

Tadeusz Szumowski, who served in the RAF in Britain found it almost impossible to join in the celebrations. He wrote in his diary: “Our war is lost, the war which we fought so hard and so long to win … It is a very long time since I felt so alone.”

A Polish soldier in Italy wrote: “The war is over – but not for us. The population of the greater part of the world are happy, in consequence; but we are sad. I am afraid that we have lost so many of our best men all for nothing.”

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What made “victory” devoid of meaning for Poles? In her study of Poland during the second world war, historian Halik Kochanski quotes the famed American journalist Martha Gellhorn, who reported from Italy: “All the Poles talk about Russia all the time. The soldiers gather several times a day around the car which houses the radio and listen to the news.”

Many of these soldiers came from eastern Poland, which was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939. Along with their families, they had been deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan and came out only under a so-called “amnesty” after Russia entered the war on the allied side. Gellhorn reported: “They follow the Russian advance across Poland with agonized interest.”

As I found when researching my book about the diverse nationalities fighting alongside Britain in the second world war, Polish soldiers wrote about Russia all the time as well as talking about it. Their letters were censored and quoted in censorship reports.

As they watched the Russian advance and heard news of the Yalta agreement which consigned Poland to the Soviet sphere of influence, they express anger, fear, bitterness, desolation, a sense of loss and betrayal, shock, bewilderment.

The letters are striking for the many words which take on meanings that demonstrate a gulf that opens up, separating Poles from other allied soldiers. Victory belongs to others while Poles have gone down to a catastrophic defeat.

Russia, widely regarded as a valued ally, is the enemy of Poles. The Polish slogan “For our freedom and yours” is rewritten in one letter: “We are fighting for yours and our freedom, but now I think rather only for yours.” Another letter asks: “What are we fighting for if Poland is to be enslaved?”

Polish pilots of RAF 303 (Polish) Fighter Squadron during the second world war.
Imprial War Museum

Poles find it unbearable to be told that Russia is liberating Poland, using heavy irony. “The ‘liberation’ of Poland by our so-called Allies is causing us great anxiety. Probably my own home will soon be ‘liberated’.”

Another soldier cautions: “Never, never congratulate our people of Warsaw and Poland being ‘liberated’. This sounds like the most cruel irony and is deeply resented by every Pole. You could speak about a lamb being liberated from a bear by a tiger.”

The concept of “home” also acquires new meanings that are devoid of any association with pleasure or belonging. As the war ends, allied soldiers’ thoughts are increasingly about the prospect of returning home – but censors reported in 1944: “Thousands of letters written by Polish soldiers in the last days repeat as a cardinal topic that to Poland governed by communists they won’t return.”

One soldier writes: “It would be better to be killed here on the battlefield than to be alive in the new ‘Red Paradise’ in Poland.” Another writes: “There is no return for us to the Soviet republic of Poland which seems to be the newest invention of our Allies.”

Echoes of Yalta

The Yalta agreement of February 1945 between America, Britain and Russia, the “Big Three” powers, confirmed Poles’ worst fears. Censors report that in the soldiers’ letters, it “overshadows all other topics”, and has “evoked a terrible shock amongst the Polish troops … they find that they are lost and betrayed”.

One soldier writes: “For the last few days I have been in a state of dumb bewilderment. Occasionally I ask myself, ‘Can it be true?’ … I cannot believe that it has really happened.”

Another soldier writes to his “Britisher friend” about his feelings of betrayal: “When this morning we heard the news about the statements from the Big Three meeting we got deadly silent … We sacrificed most of all countries – more than you even. We trusted you so much, and what have we got. Our biger [sic] friend let us go down.”

Yalta is in Crimea – part of the territory annexed by Russia before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has made it clear he will offer no concessions on Ukraine, which he has argued all along he sees as an inalienable part of Russia. This is a stark reminder of Yalta when Josef Stalin made concessions on other matters, but none on Poland.

Trump’s administration has offered Ukraine no security guarantees. Its framework to end the war will allow Russia to retain the territory it has seized. There are now echoes of what one Polish soldier wrote in 1945 of the Yalta agreement: “This business smells and no high-sounding words can disguise the stench of a bad deed.”

Wendy Webster receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council

– ref. By VE Day in 1945, Stalin had got what he wanted in Poland – now Putin may get what he wants in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/by-ve-day-in-1945-stalin-had-got-what-he-wanted-in-poland-now-putin-may-get-what-he-wants-in-ukraine-255982

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Italy’s areas of wartime fascist resistance remain less susceptible to the far right today

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Juan Masullo, Assistant Professor, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University

Across Europe, far-right parties are making unforeseen breakthroughs – from local councils to national and supranational parliaments. As their presence becomes normalised, these parties promote nationalist rhetoric, challenge democratic institutions, and attempt to reshape a political present rooted in hard-won struggles against authoritarianism.

Yet, not all communities are equally permeable to these growing forces. Some actively resist, mobilising to block authoritarian ideologies and defend democratic values.

Our recent research in Italy offers one explanation as to why some communities are less easily enticed into far-right politics than others. Local histories of wartime resistance continue to shape political cultures in ways that, even generations later, inspire people to push back against the resurgence of fascist and neo-fascist ideologies.

In areas where anti-fascist resistance movements were active during the second world war, civic engagement to defend democratic values is stronger. In these communities, support for far-right parties is weaker.

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These legacies aren’t accidental. They are cultivated, reinforced, and passed on through intensive and continuous local memory work.

During Italy’s civil war (1943–1945), students, workers, farmers and clergy mobilised into bands of resistance to fight the Nazi-fascist regime. Their efforts were central to Italy’s liberation and the establishment of its democratic republic. While this story is often told at the national level, our research examines its enduring local consequences.

Using an original dataset mapping resistance activity across about 8,000 Italian municipalities, we compared places with strong partisan mobilisation to those without. Even today, eight decades later, residents of areas with a resistance past are more likely to support initiatives that counter far-right ideologies.

This was especially evident in the response to a recent initiative. In 2020 and 2021, a grassroots campaign proposed a law to ban the public glorification of fascism. To bring it for discussion before parliament, the campaign needed 50,000 signatures.

Despite the pandemic, it collected over 240,000 within a few months. While support was widespread, municipalities with strong resistance histories were significantly more likely to participate. Our estimates show roughly 40% more signatures in these places.

These patterns suggest that wartime resistance can leave legacies that translate into contemporary political behaviour. But data alone can’t explain how these legacies endure. That’s where our fieldwork comes in.

We have been closely studying towns with deep resistance roots and strong support for the 2021 initiative to see how they keep these legacies alive and who is involved.

We have followed (and participated in) memorialisation efforts in the Cuneo region, one of the main centres of wartime resistance, and in areas deeply affected by Nazi violence and known for creating some of the strongest partisan brigades. These include villages around Stazzema in Tuscany and Marzabotto in Emilia.

The main insight is that remembrance isn’t just ceremonial – it’s part of daily life. Schools, hiking clubs, cultural associations, and city halls all contribute to preserving and activating the memory of resistance.

One public elementary school in the rural hills around Bologna, for example, created a “memory garden” to honour local residents who died fighting fascism. Through interviews, art and storytelling, students have engaged directly with their community’s past, creating not only a commemorative space but a living bridge between generations.

The memorial garden planted by students in.
J Masullo, CC BY-ND

Similarly, local Alpine clubs in Emilia Romagna and Piedmont restored partisan trails through the mountains, now used for memory treks. These hikes attract people who might not otherwise engage politically but who, by walking the paths of wartime partisans, connect with stories of sacrifice and solidarity. What begins as recreation becomes an encounter with democratic values.

These deeply localised memory efforts – anchored in the names, stories and spaces of the community – often intensify during democratic threats. The 2021 campaign emerged amid growing support for parties like Lega and Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy).

Related studies show that when exclusionary welfare policies gain ground, local communities sometime organise in defence of vulnerable groups. In towns with a resistance past, local “memory entrepreneurs” doubled their efforts in response to far-right victories.

Memory as a political battle

This is not just an Italian phenomenon. Across Europe, historical memory is a political battleground. In Germany, the Stolpersteine – brass plaques in sidewalks commemorating Nazi victims – serve as grassroots reminders that shape civic attitudes. In Hungary, activists have created “living memorials” to Holocaust victims, directly contesting government efforts to whitewash fascist collaboration.

These commemorations also have measurable political effects. In Berlin, neighbourhoods where one or more Stolpersteine was placed before an election saw fewer votes for the far-right AfD (a 0.96%-point decrease) compared to those with no Stolpersteine. This happened across federal, state and EU elections between 2013 and 2021.

A stolperstein in Berlin.
Wikipedia/Drrcs15, CC BY-SA

What unites these efforts is a belief that remembering the past matters – not only to honour it, but to shape the future. Local narratives of wartime resistance and victimisation help instil democratic values and inoculate communities against authoritarianism.

But this doesn’t happen automatically. It requires effort. Teachers, students, parents, associations, and local councils all play a role in keeping memory alive and politically meaningful.

Recognising this is especially vital today, when the meaning of anti-fascism itself is a polarising subject. Far-right leaders, including those in office, downplay and discredit the resistance’s legacy, replacing it with revisionist myths.

A local cycling club marks liberation day with a tour of monuments dedicated to partisans.
J Masullo, CC BY-ND

When communities take ownership of their histories, they are more likely to uphold democratic principles not only in ceremonies, but at the ballot box and in everyday actions. The past is never just the past. The legacies of wartime resistance continue to shape how people view democracy, justice, and belonging. In times like these, remembering the resistance is more than homage – it is civic defence.

Juan Masullo has received funding for this research from UNUWIDER and Leiden University.

He is affiliated with the University of Milan.

Simone Cremaschi has received funding for this research from UNUWIDER, the European Research Council (grant number 864687), and Leiden University.

– ref. Italy’s areas of wartime fascist resistance remain less susceptible to the far right today – https://theconversation.com/italys-areas-of-wartime-fascist-resistance-remain-less-susceptible-to-the-far-right-today-255859

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Conclave: the chemistry behind the black and white smoke

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull

White smoke from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel (Vatican City) indicates that the Pope has been elected. MartiBstock/Shutterstock

This week, 133 cardinals have gathered in the Vatican to elect a new leader of the Catholic church. During their deliberations, the only indications of their progress are the regular plumes of smoke wafting from a freshly installed chimney perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

Tradition holds that black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet agreed on a new leader, while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been elected. But what kind of smoke is it exactly? Let’s take a look at the science.

The tradition of cardinals burning their ballot papers to maintain secrecy dates back to at least the 15th century. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century — when a chimney was installed in the Sistine Chapel to protect Michelangelo’s frescoes from soot — that the resulting smoke became visible to anyone outside the chapel.

At the time, the smoke was not intended as a public signal, but once it was visible, onlookers began interpreting it as an indicator of the voting outcome.

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By the 19th century, it had become customary to use smoke deliberately: if smoke was seen, it meant no Pope had been elected, whereas no smoke indicated a successful election. This of course lacked clarity and often caused confusion.

The Vatican eventually sought to clarify matters by formalising the practice of fumata nera (black smoke) and fumata bianca (white smoke). Initially, damp straw and tar were added to the burning ballots. As anyone who has tried to light a damp bonfire knows, wet oily fuel can be difficult to ignite, but once it gets going, it produces plenty of dark smoke.

This is the result of incomplete combustion: the energy from the flames is initially used to evaporate the water, which keeps the fire’s temperature low. As a result, many of the larger molecules in the tar do not fully combust, leading to the production of soot and dark smoke.

However, once the moisture is driven off, the fire burns more efficiently, producing mainly steam and carbon dioxide. At that stage, the smoke diminishes and becomes much lighter.

This fluctuating fumata — combined with the subjective interpretation of its colour — caused considerable confusion, particularly during the 1939 and 1958 conclaves. It wasn’t clear whether grey smoke was closer to black or white, for example. By the 1970s, the straw method had been abandoned in favour of more controllable chemical mixtures. This has since evolved into an unambiguous method for generating the required smoke signals.

Current recipe

In 2013, the Vatican confirmed that their fumata recipes now consist of a clear black smoke recipe: potassium perchlorate (KClO₄), an “oxidising substance” that provides oxygen to the reaction; anthracene, a hydrocarbon derived from coal tar that serves as a heavy smoke-producing fuel; and sulphur, added to adjust the burn rate and temperature.

The result is a deliberately inefficient combustion reaction, producing a high volume of unburnt carbon particles. This abundance of carbon (soot) makes the smoke thick and black — akin to the smoke you might see from burning oil or rubber, which is rich in carbon-based particles.

Black smoke from the Sistine Chapel, indicating that there was not a two-thirds majority in the papal election at the Conclave.
wikipedia

Meanwhile, white smoke is produced using a much cleaner fuel mix and a more powerful oxidiser. Potassium chlorate (KClO₃) — even more reactive than perchlorate — ensures a hot, vigorous burn. Lactose acts as the fuel, burning quickly and cleanly into water vapour and carbon dioxide.

The rapid combustion of sugar yields large amounts of gaseous output (steam and CO₂), generating a voluminous white cloud. The final ingredient, pine rosin, produces thick white smoke when heated – releasing tiny droplets and light-coloured ash that appear whitish. It also contains terpenes that burn to yield a pale, visible smoke.

When combined, the oxidising power of potassium chlorate allows the lactose and rosin to burn hot and fast, yielding mostly clean combustion products along with a cloud of vapour and resin particles.

Rather than soot, the smoke contains microscopic droplets and fine solids that are transparent or white. The result is a mixture of steam and white or light gray smoke that contrasts sharply with the dark, carbon-rich black smoke.

Over the years, the papal conclave smoke signal has evolved from an incidental byproduct of burning ballots into a carefully engineered communication tool.

Today, thanks to modern chemistry, the smoke is unmistakable — thick black billows for inconclusive votes, or a bright white plume when a new pope is elected.

Mark Lorch 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. Conclave: the chemistry behind the black and white smoke – https://theconversation.com/conclave-the-chemistry-behind-the-black-and-white-smoke-255980

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – The 2025 Report on the State of Schengen  – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source: European Parliament

Schengen Area © European Union, European Parliament 2025

On 12 May, the Commission will present in LIBE its latest State of the Schengen Report. The EU’s passport-free travel space, known as the Schengen area, celebrates this year the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen Agreement.

It now applies to 30 countries within the EU and beyond. Permanent internal border controls have been lifted between 29 countries. It is the world’s largest area of free movement. Lifting the internal borders goes hand in hand with the strengthening of the EU’s external borders. A revised Schengen Borders Code entered into force last year to adapt Schengen to the evolving geopolitical security landscape.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – EP TODAY – Wednesday 7 May
Source: European Parliament

Securing a just peace in Ukraine

At 9:00, MEPs, Commission President von der Leyen and Polish Minister for EU Affairs Szłapka will discuss how the EU can contribute to achieving a just, sustainable, and comprehensive peace deal for Ukraine. The debate is set to focus on the EU’s political, financial and military support for Ukraine, and its role in efforts to secure a peace settlement that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is based on international law.

Viktor ALMQVIST

(+32) 470 88 29 42

Snjezana KOBESCAK SMODIS

(+32) 470 96 08 19

@EP_ForeignAff

@EP_Defence

Parliament to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe

To commemorate the end of World War II in Europe, a flag raising will take place on the WEISS esplanade at 10:30, followed by a wreath laying ceremony by Presidents Metsola and Costa and World War II veterans. At 11:30, President Metsola will address plenary, followed by statements by President Costa and three war veterans from Belgium and Poland.

Andreas KLEINER

(+32) 498 98 33 22

Estefania NARRILLOS

(+32) 498 98 39 85

@EuroParlPress

Parliament’s priorities for post-2027 long-term EU budget: vote on a resolution

At noon, MEPs are set to adopt a resolution outlining their vision and demands for the EU’s 2028-2034 budget. The draft text calls on the EU to deliver on the rising expectations of citizens for EU action and adopt a flexible post-2027 budget that reflects current geopolitical, economic, and environmental realities. A press conference with EP President Metsola and the two rapporteurs will take place at 14.00.

Eszter ZALÁN

(+32) 477 99 20 73

@EP_Budgets

In brief

Gas supply. In the early evening, MEPs and Commissioner Jørgensen will debate a proposal to prolong rules on gas storage refilling to address gas market speculation and bring down prices. The vote will take place on Thursday.

Iberian peninsula electricity blackout. In a debate at around 15:30, MEPs will discuss with Commissioner Jørgensen and Polish Minister Szłapka how to improve electricity grid resilience and interconnections in the wake of the recent blackout incident.

TikTok. MEPs and Commissioner McGrath will debate the fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms, from round 20:30.

Malta’s ‘golden passport’ scheme. In the late afternoon, Parliament, Commissioner McGrath and Polish Minister Szłapka will debate the follow-up to the EU Court of Justice verdict that Malta’s citizenship by investment programme is illegal.

Erdoğan/Cyprus. In the evening, plenary will assess the illegal visit of President Erdoğan to the occupied areas of Cyprus in a debate with Commissioner Várhelyi.

Increase in food prices. Earlier in the afternoon, MEPs will discuss with Commissioner Kadis and Polish Minister Szłapka how high levels of retail food prices are affecting European consumers.

Human rights. In the evening, Parliament will debate the arrest and risk of execution of Tundu Lissu, Chair of Chadema, the main opposition party in Tanzania; the return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred and deported by Russia; and violations of religious freedom in Tibet. MEPs will vote on three separate resolutions on Thursday.

Votes

At noon, MEPs will vote, among other files, on:
- the management of the 2023 EU budget by the Commission and other EU institutions and agencies;
- the 2023 and 2024 reports on Türkiye, Serbia and Kosovo; and
- the European water resilience strategy.
Live coverage of the plenary session can be found on Parliament’s webstreaming site and on EbS+.

For detailed information on the session, please also see our newsletter.

Find more information regarding plenary.
MIL OSI Europe News –
May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Employment policy – 06-05-2025

Source: European Parliament

The European employment strategy, dating back to 1997, established common objectives for employment policy and contributed to ‘soft coordination’ among the Member States. Creating more and better jobs was one of the main goals of the Europe 2020 strategy. In the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the Commission has proposed new and more ambitious targets in employment policy as well as concrete actions for a fair, equitable and well-functioning labour market. EU law is relevant in certain areas, even if the responsibility for employment policy lies primarily with national governments. Employment policy is monitored and assessed in the European Semester.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Affordable and accessible childcare must not be added to the scrapheap of government’s broken election promises – Claire Kerrane TD

Source: Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Children, Claire Kerrane TD has said that the delivery of affordable and accessible childcare education cannot be allowed to be added to the scrapheap of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s broken election promises.
She added that the government must urgently give a timeline to deliver affordable, high-quality and accessible early childhood education, and add state-led capacity where needed.
Speaking ahead of her party’s Dáil motion, to be debated this evening, which highlights the impact the crisis in the Early Years Sector is having on parents when it comes to the cost of childcare and difficulties in accessing a place for their child, Deputy Kerrane said that the time for talk is over and that parents now urgently want to see delivery.
Sinn Féin’s motion is supported by the 43 organisations and trade unions who have come together to form the Together for Public Alliance for a Public System of Early Childhood Education & Care, and also has widespread support across the Opposition.
Teachta Kerrane said:
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael talked the talk before the election, now is the time to act.
“We are now over 100 days into the lifetime of this government, and we still haven’t seen any action on childcare.
“Instead, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, backed up by the Michael Lowry independents, have been ditching election promises like there’s no tomorrow.
“They have abandoned the Occupied Territories Bill, delayed increasing sick day entitlement, delayed pension auto-enrolment scheme and backtracked on increasing the minimum wage.
“Affordable and accessible childcare simply cannot be allowed to be added to the scrapheap of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s broken election promises.
“That is why Sinn Féin is this week bringing forward a Dáil motion this week that calls on government to honour their commitments to parents and to the Early Years Sector.
“Ahead of the General Election, Simon Harris spoke a number of times of his commitment to a public childcare model, and it being a ‘key priority’ if Fine Gael were returned to government.
“The Programme for Government commits the government to undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and to add state-led capacity where needed.
“Meanwhile, waiting lists for childcare places continue to grow and costs continue to put huge pressure on parents.
“These parents and their families cannot afford to wait any longer. We need to see a willingness from the Minister, in particular to engage with the Together for Public Alliance on the Terms of Reference for the consultation, and provide a detailed timeframe for the Action Plan.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Valour Launches Curve DAO (CRV) and Litecoin (LTC) ETPs on Spotlight Stock Market, Expands Nordic Presence and Reveals New Products in Roadmap to 100 ETPs
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Valour Launches CRV and LTC ETPs on Spotlight: Valour, a subsidiary of DeFi Technologies, has listed the Valour Curve DAO (CRV) and Valour Litecoin (LTC) SEK ETPs on Sweden’s Spotlight Stock Market, further expanding its Nordic footprint.
- Comprehensive Digital Asset Exposure: With over 65 ETPs live, Valour is advancing toward its 100 ETP goal with new single-asset, thematic basket, and leveraged products—including upcoming listings for Tron (TRX), Stellar (XLM), BTC 2x, and ETH 2x.
- Continued Product Innovation Across Europe: Valour’s growing pipeline of regulated digital asset ETPs reinforces its leadership in Europe, offering investors diversified access to blockchain assets through familiar and secure investment structures.
TORONTO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DeFi Technologies Inc. (the “Company” or “DeFi Technologies”) (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B) (OTC: DEFTF), a financial technology company that focuses on the convergence of traditional capital markets with the world of decentralised finance (“DeFi”), is pleased to announces that its subsidiary Valour Inc. (“Valour“), a leading issuer of exchange-traded products (“ETPs“) providing simplified access to digital assets, has launched two new ETPs on the Spotlight Stock Market in Sweden: the Valour Curve DAO (CRV) SEK ETP (ISIN: CH1108679064) and the Valour Litecoin (LTC) SEK ETP (ISIN: CH1108679072).

These new listings expand Valour’s presence in the Nordics and reinforce its mission to offer regulated, easy-to-access digital asset investment products globally.

Valour Curve DAO (CRV) ETP
Curve is a decentralized exchange (“DEX”) tailored for stablecoin and low-slippage trading. The CRV token governs the Curve DAO and plays a central role in DeFi infrastructure through liquidity provisioning, governance, and incentive mechanisms. The CRV ETP provides straightforward exposure to this protocol without the complexities of self-custody. Curve (CRV) currently holds a market capitalization of $940 million, placing it among the top 75 digital assets globally.

Valour Litecoin (LTC) ETP
Litecoin is one of the longest-standing cryptocurrencies and a foundational layer-1 blockchain. Known for its fast settlement times and low transaction costs, it has long been considered the “digital silver” complement to Bitcoin. The LTC ETP offers investors direct access to Litecoin through a secure, exchange-traded structure. Litecoin (LTC) has a market capitalization of $6.6 billion, ranking it among the top 25 digital assets worldwide.

Each product carries a 1.9% management fee and provides seamless access through traditional brokerage accounts.

Johanna Belitz, Head of Nordics at Valour, commented:
“Nordic investors are increasingly seeking regulated and transparent ways to access the digital asset market. The region has a mature and engaged trading community that’s now looking beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum toward altcoins with strong use cases. By launching ETPs on Curve and Litecoin on the Spotlight Stock Market, we’re meeting that demand and expanding access to a broader range of digital assets. These additions reflect our commitment to leading in product innovation and staying responsive to investor needs.”

Elaine Buehler, Head of Products, added:
“When developing new ETPs, we look closely at assets that combine strong market fundamentals with real-world utility. Curve and Litecoin both meet those criteria — one driving innovation in decentralized finance, the other proving itself over a decade as a fast and efficient payment network. These ETPs are built to give investors simple, regulated access to these assets through platforms they already trust, aligning with Valour’s goal of removing complexity from digital asset investing.”

With these new additions, Valour now offers over 65 unique digital asset ETPs—the most comprehensive lineup of its kind globally. This expansion marks continued progress toward Valour’s strategic goal of launching 100 ETPs by the end of 2025, with product rollouts planned not only across existing European exchanges like Spotlight, Börse Frankfurt, and Euronext but also in upcoming jurisdictions across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Upcoming Product Releases

Valour continues to advance its mission to provide secure, regulated, and diversified digital asset exposure through traditional financial infrastructure. As part of its strategic roadmap to launch 100 ETPs by the end of 2025, the company is actively developing a range of new offerings, including:

Planned Single-Asset ETPs
- Valour Tron (TRX) ETP
  Tron is a high-throughput blockchain optimized for decentralized applications. It consistently ranks among the top digital assets by market capitalization and transaction volume, making it a compelling addition to Valour’s expanding lineup.
- Valour Stellar (XLM) ETP
  Stellar enables fast, low-cost cross-border payments and asset transfers. Its strong adoption in financial infrastructure use cases positions it well for institutional and retail investor interest.
- Valour OM SEK, MOVE SEK, and MOVE EUR ETPs
  These upcoming single-asset listings will offer exposure to the emerging digital assets MANTRA (OM) and Move (MOVE), in both SEK and EUR denominations.
Thematic Basket ETPs in Development
- Real-World Asset (RWA) & Tokenization Basket
  This basket will include leading projects focused on asset tokenization and on-chain financial infrastructure, such as Mantra, Ondo, Paxos Gold (PAXG), Tether Gold (XAUt), BUIDL, Centrifuge, Maple, and Polymesh.
- Digital Gold Basket
  Combining traditional and digital store-of-value assets, this product will feature Bitcoin (BTC), Paxos Gold (PAXG), and Tether Gold (XAUt), offering investors a diversified hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.
- Institutional Layer-1 Basket
  This basket will highlight blockchain networks with strong enterprise and government partnerships, including Avalanche, Algorand, Hedera, Polkadot, Sei, and BUIDL.
Leveraged ETPs
- Valour BTC 2x and ETH 2x ETPs
  These leveraged products are designed to provide 2x daily exposure to the price movements of Bitcoin and Ethereum, catering to investors pursuing high-conviction or tactical trading strategies.
Continued Product Innovation

In addition to these forthcoming launches, Valour is actively progressing on additional products across a wide range of digital assets. This continued innovation underscores Valour’s position as a leader in the European digital asset ETP market and further accelerates its progress toward the 100-ETP milestone by year-end.

About DeFi Technologies
DeFi Technologies Inc. (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B) (OTC: DEFTF) is a financial technology company that pioneers the convergence of traditional capital markets with the world of decentralized finance (DeFi). With a dedicated focus on industry-leading Web3 technologies, DeFi Technologies aims to provide widespread investor access to the future of finance. Backed by an esteemed team of experts with extensive experience in financial markets and digital assets, we are committed to revolutionising the way individuals and institutions interact with the evolving financial ecosystem. Follow DeFi Technologies on Linkedin and X/Twitter, and for more details, visit https://defi.tech/

About Valour
Valour Inc. and Valour Digital Securities Limited (together, “Valour”) issues exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that enable retail and institutional investors to access digital assets in a simple and secure way via their traditional bank account. Valour is part of the asset management business line of DeFi Technologies Inc. (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B) (OTC: DEFTF). For more information about Valour, to subscribe, or to receive updates, visit valour.com.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information:
This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to the the listing of Valour Curve DAO (CRV) and Valour Litecoin (LTC) ETPs; the development of the Curve DAO and Litecoin blockchains; development of additional ETPs and the number of ETPs anticipated by end of 2025; investor confidence in Valour’s ETPs; investor interest and confidence in digital assets; the regulatory environment with respect to the growth and adoption of decentralized finance; the pursuit by the Company and its subsidiaries of business opportunities; and the merits or potential returns of any such opportunities. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but is not limited the acceptance of Valour ETPs by exchanges; growth and development of decentralised finance and cryptocurrency sector; rules and regulations with respect to decentralised finance and cryptocurrency; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

THE CBOE CANADA EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

For further information, please contact:

Olivier Roussy Newton
Chief Executive Officer
ir@defi.tech
(323) 537-7681
The MIL Network –
May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: EAT & BEYOND COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF 100% OF MILO MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VANCOUVER, BC, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eat & Beyond Global Holdings Inc. (CSE: EATS) (OTCPK: EATBF) (FSE: 988) (“Eat & Beyond” or the “Company”), an investment issuer focused on incubating first-mover opportunities in emerging markets, is pleased to announce, further to its news release of January 31, 2025, that the Company has completed the acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Milo Media Technologies Inc. (“Milo Media”) in exchange for securities of Eat & Beyond pursuant to the terms and conditions of a securities exchange agreement dated January 31, 2025 (the “Definitive Agreement”) among the Company, Milo Media, the shareholders and the warrant holders of Milo Media (the “Transaction”).

Transaction Terms

Pursuant to the terms of the Definitive Agreement and in consideration for 100% of the issued and outstanding shares, Eat & Beyond has issued an aggregate of 15,000,000 common shares of Eat & Beyond (the “Payment Shares”) to Milo shareholders at a deemed price of $0.185 per Payment Share and issued 15,000,000 common share purchase warrants (the “Replacement Warrants”) as consideration for the disposition of all of the warrants of Milo (the “Milo Warrants”). Each Replacement Warrant permits the holder thereof to acquire one common share in the capital of Eat & Beyond (a “Share”) at a price of $0.075 per Share on or before January 30, 2025, the same exercise price and expiry date of the original Milo Warrants surrendered for cancellation.

There is no statutory hold period for the Payment Shares or the Replacement Warrants pursuant to applicable securities laws, however, the Payment Shares are subject to voluntary hold periods as follows: 10% of the Payment Shares will become freely tradable upon the Company filing a Business Acquisition Report for the Transaction (the “BAR”), and the remaining 90% of the Payment Shares will be subject to a hold period expiring four months after the BAR is filed.

The Transaction is an arms-length transaction and there is no change in management or the Board of Directors of Eat & Beyond.

Strategic Significance of the Acquisition

The acquisition of Milo Media has provided Eat & Beyond with a first-mover advantage as the first publicly traded company – to the best of the Company’s knowledge – to actively participate in the XRPL ecosystem. Milo Media’s financial infrastructure solutions are expected to enable Eat & Beyond to acquire Ripple (XRP) through active participation on the XRP network, akin to how Bitcoin miners earn Bitcoin. This unique model is expected to position Eat & Beyond to generate value directly from the network’s growth and adoption.

“With the acquisition complete and Liquid Link now officially launched, we’re entering a new era, one where everyday users, developers, and institutions can interact with the XRPL and beyond in ways never before possible. The XRP Army has always believed in utility. Now, we’re helping deliver it” said Young Bann, CEO of Eat & Beyond.

About Milo Media

Milo Media is a private company existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia. Following the closing of the Transaction, Milo Media Technologies will now operate under the trade name Liquid Link and is proud to unveil its new home at www.liquidlink.ai.

Introducing Liquid Link: Built for the Web3 Era

Liquid Link is developing Xrpfy, a next-generation discovery and analytics platform purpose-built for the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Designed for client-side transitions and as a self-custody-first interface, Xrpfy enables users to:
- Search for real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoins, and the full spectrum of Web3 tokens on the XRPL ledger.
- Discover the least-cost trading routes and identify arbitrage opportunities across the XRPL decentralized exchange (DEX).
- Navigate the XRPL with no middlemen — Liquid Link does not facilitate trades or custody funds, but instead empowers users with powerful analytics and user-friendly tools.
Future versions of the platform may incorporate AI agent capabilities, providing even smarter, faster ways to interact with the XRPL.

Expanding Beyond XRPL

While Liquid Link is laser-focused on unleashing the full potential of the XRP Ledger, it is also charting a bold multi-chain future. The company plans to build and support tools for emerging Bitcoin Layer 2 ecosystems, including:
- The Lightning Network
- Liquid Network
- RGB
- Taproot Assets
Additionally, support for Axelar and the broader Web3 ecosystem is being actively considered, with timelines to be determined.

These integrations will enable enterprise-grade adoption of RWAs, stablecoins, and Web3 applications across the decentralized economy.

The Opportunity Ahead

The global market for tokenized assets — from real estate to carbon credits, commodities to currencies — is projected to exceed $16 trillion by 2030, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group and ADDX¹¹. With its ultra-fast, low-cost transaction environment, the XRP Ledger is uniquely positioned to lead this revolution.

Liquid Link’s Xrpfy platform is built to be the gateway to this future.

By combining intelligent search, seamless discovery, and powerful routing tools, Xrpfy will give individuals and businesses the tools they need to build, trade, and scale confidently in the Web3 economy.

Launch Timeline

The Xrpfy platform is currently in active development and is scheduled to launch by the end of Q2 2025.

Join the Movement

For updates, partnerships, and early access to Xrpfy, visit www.liquidlink.ai and follow us on social media.

Marketing Agreements

The Company is also pleased to announce the following marketing service agreements. The Company’s engagement of the service providers is intended to improve the Company’s visibility and prominence in the capital markets.

On May 1, 2025, the Company entered into a marketing agreement with an arm’s length firm, Senergy Communications Capital Inc. (“Senergy”). Senergy has agreed to provide content development and digital marketing services. The agreement will remain in effect for one month with the option to renew. The Company has agreed to pay an aggregate cash fee of $150,000, plus applicable taxes. Senergy does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Senergy’s business is located at 122 Mainland Street (Suite 228) Vancouver, BC, V6B-5L1. The contact person is Aleem Fidai, email: info@senergy.capital.

On May 1, 2025, the Company has entered into a marketing agency agreement (the “Marketing Agreement”) with an arm’s length firm, Global One Media Limited (“Global One”) to provide, among other things, social media management, marketing and distribution services to the Company. The Marketing Agreement has an initial term of six months, and the Company will pay Global One a monthly retainer fee of US$4,500. Global One Media does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Global One’s business is located 100 Tras Street #16-01, 100 AM Singapore, 079027. The contact person is Bastien Boulay, email: bastien@globalonemedia.com.

On May 1, 2025, the Company has entered into a marketing consultant agreement with an arm’s length firm, Bergskogar Limited (“Bergskogar”) to provide marketing services to the Company. The agreement commences May 1, 2025 and continues to April 30, 2026, except if terminated or extended by mutual written agreement. The Company will pay Bergskogar an aggregate cash fee of EUR 75,000. Bergskogar does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Bergkogar’s business is located 1203, 12/F, Tower 3, 33 Canton Road, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong. The contact person is Paul Druce, tel: +44 20 3290 3801.

The Company has engaged with an arm’s length firm, Aktien Check (“Aktien”) to provide European marketing awareness services to the Company. Aktien will provide its services for a period of three months commencing on May 1, 2025 and ending on July 31, 2025. The Company will pay Aktien a cash fee of EUR 50,000. Aktien does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Aktien’s business is located at Bad Marienberg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. The contact person is Mr. Stefan Lindam, email: Stefan.lindam@aktiencheck.de.

About Eat & Beyond

Eat & Beyond (CSE: EATS) is a publicly traded investment issuer that identifies and makes equity investments in global companies that are developing and commercializing innovative food tech, sustainability and technology. Led by a team of industry experts, Eat & Beyond provides retail investors with the unique opportunity to participate in the growth of a broad cross-section of opportunities in the alternative food, sustainability and technology sectors. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Liquid Link, the Company is entering the blockchain technology sector with a focus on real-world asset tokenization, decentralized infrastructure, and advanced trading analytics.

Learn more: https://eatandbeyond.com/

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

For further information: For further information, please contact Young Bann, CEO, young@purposeesg.com.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release includes certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is frequently, but not always, identified by words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “potential”, “possible”, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results “will”, “may”, “could”, or “should” occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the Company’s business plans and expected future growth, the expected benefits of the Transaction, the Company’s future cryptocurrency plans and strategies, the Company’s proposed strategic expansion and growth strategies, the Company’s ability to provide investors with exposure to digital assets, the potential success of the Company’s business and its brand, the growth of XRP and other digital assets and the mainstream adoption of various cryptocurrencies. Forward-looking information reflects the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, including the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to execute on its business plans; the Company’s ability to raise debt or equity through future financing activities; the Company’s ability to increase its business in cryptocurrency-based technologies; any adverse changes and developments regarding XRP, XRPL or the cryptocurrency ecosystem; the growth and development of decentralized finance and the digital asset sector; any new rules and regulations with respect to decentralized finance and digital assets; the inherent volatility in the prices of certain cryptocurrencies including XRP; increasing competition in the crypto and blockchain industries; general economic, political and social uncertainties in Canada and the United States; currency exchange rates and interest rates; the limited resources of the Company; the Company’s reliance on the expertise and judgment of senior management and the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel; the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies in general; and the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

¹ BCG & ADDX Report: “Relevance of On-Chain Asset Tokenization in ‘Traditional Finance’” — Boston Consulting Group, 2022

The MIL Network –
May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Abaxx Announces First Carbon Futures Delivery on Abaxx Exchange

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Abaxx Technologies Inc. (CBOE:ABXX)(OTCQX:ABXXF) (“Abaxx” or the “Company”), a financial software and market infrastructure company, majority shareholder of Abaxx Singapore Pte Ltd., the owner of Abaxx Commodity Exchange and Clearinghouse (individually, “Abaxx Exchange” and “Abaxx Clearing”), and producer of the SmarterMarkets™ Podcast, today announced the successful first delivery under a carbon futures contract on Abaxx Exchange.

The delivery, involving 50 lots of May 2025 CORSIA¹ Phase 1 Carbon Offset Unit Futures (“CP1”) priced at USD $24.25/tCO₂e², validates the clearing, delivery, and settlement processes underpinning Abaxx Exchange’s physically-deliverable futures contracts. It marks the first live exercise of Abaxx’s end-to-end infrastructure for managing the transfer of environmental assets through a regulated futures market.

The transaction was completed between Mercuria Energy Trading SA (METSA) and a U.S. based counterparty, with Eagle Commodities, a division of Marex, facilitating the original trade. Clearing services were provided by KGI Securities, Marex, and another bank clearing firm.

The delivery involved the transfer of eligible CORSIA Phase 1 carbon units from Mercuria to a registry account established for the buyer, fulfilling the delivery obligations under the May 2025 CP1 futures contract.

“This marks the first delivery through Abaxx’s carbon futures infrastructure, a contract structure designed to support price formation, risk management, and forward planning,” said Alasdair Were, Head of Environmental Markets at Abaxx Exchange. “These are the functions needed to make environmental markets investable and connect capital to climate-linked exposures.”

“We are proud to support the execution, clearing and delivery of the May 2025 CORSIA Phase 1 Carbon Offset Unit Futures,” said Ken Ong, CEO of KGI Securities. “This transaction underscores the strength of Abaxx Exchange’s infrastructure and our commitment to sustainable finance, empowering clients in the evolving environmental asset landscape.”

The CORSIA Phase 1 Carbon Offset Unit Futures contract, launched in June 2024, is part of Abaxx Exchange’s growing suite of physically-deliverable products across energy, environmental, battery materials, and precious metals markets.

Abaxx’s full suite of futures contracts is open for trading 14 hours a day, Monday through Friday. For a full list of clearing firms and execution brokers, visit our market directory.

About Abaxx Technologies

Abaxx Technologies is building Smarter Markets: markets empowered by better tools, better benchmarks, and better technology to drive market-based solutions to the biggest challenges we face as a society, including the energy transition.

In addition to developing and deploying financial technologies that make communication, trade, and transactions easier and more secure, Abaxx is the majority shareholder of Abaxx Singapore Pte. Ltd., the owner of Abaxx Exchange and Abaxx Clearing, and the parent company of wholly owned subsidiary Abaxx Spot Pte. Ltd., the operator of Abaxx Spot.

Abaxx Exchange delivers the market infrastructure critical to the shift toward an electrified, low-carbon economy through centrally-cleared, physically-deliverable futures contracts in LNG, carbon, battery materials, and precious metals, meeting the commercial needs of today’s commodity markets and establishing the next generation of global benchmarks.

Abaxx Spot modernizes physical gold trading through a digitally integrated, physically-backed gold pool in Singapore. It is set to become the first market infrastructure to align spot and futures gold markets in the same location—enabling secure electronic transactions, efficient OTC transfers, and physical delivery for Abaxx Exchange’s gold futures contracts to deliver smarter gold markets.

For more information, visit abaxx.tech | abaxx.exchange | abaxxspot.com | basecarbon.com | smartermarkets.media

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Steve Fray, CFO
Tel: +1 647-490-1590

Media and investor inquiries:

Abaxx Technologies Inc.
Investor Relations Team
Tel: +1 647-490-1590
E-mail: ir@abaxx.tech

¹ Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
² Tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” which do not consist of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe Abaxx’s future plans, objectives, or goals, including words to the effect that Abaxx expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “seeking”, “should”, “intend”, “predict”, “potential”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “will”, “continue”, “plan” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Since forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to Abaxx, Abaxx does not provide any assurance that actual results will meet respective management expectations. Risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors involved with forward- looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information related to Abaxx in this press release includes, but is not limited to: the business plans and objectives of Abaxx; the development of new products, futures contracts, markets and technologies and associated benefits. Such factors impacting forward-looking information include, among others: the inability to receive regulatory approvals in connection with financings or inability to finalize transaction documentation; risks relating to the global economic climate; dilution; Abaxx’s limited operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; the competitive nature of the industry; currency exchange risks; the need for Abaxx to manage its planned growth and expansion; the effects of product development and need for continued technology change; protection of proprietary rights; the effect of government regulation and compliance on Abaxx and the industry; acquiring and maintaining regulatory approvals for Abaxx’s products and operations; the ability to list Abaxx’s securities on stock exchanges in a timely fashion or at all; network security risks; the ability of Abaxx to maintain properly working systems; reliance on key personnel; global economic and financial market deterioration impeding access to capital or increasing the cost of capital; and volatile securities markets impacting security pricing unrelated to operating performance. In addition, particular factors which could impact future results of the business of Abaxx include but are not limited to: operations in foreign jurisdictions; protection of intellectual property rights; contractual risk; third-party risk; clearinghouse risk; malicious actor risks; third-party software license risk; system failure risk; risk of technological change; dependence of technical infrastructure; changes in the price of commodities; capital market conditions; restriction on labor and international travel and supply chains; and the risk factors identified in the Company’s most recent management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+. Abaxx has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of Abaxx’s normal course of business.

Abaxx cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. In addition, although Abaxx has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. When relying on forward- looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Abaxx has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Abaxx as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Abaxx undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and information. Cboe Canada does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

The MIL Network –

May 8, 2025

MIL-OSI: Best Crypto Casinos: JACKBIT Rated As Top Crypto Casino with BTC Bonuses & No KYC Policy

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark., May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the surge in popularity of cryptocurrency, the number of crypto gambling sites has skyrocketed, offering players a blend of anonymity, rapid transactions, and diverse gaming options. However, navigating this crowded market to find the best crypto casino can be challenging.

After an exhaustive review of numerous platforms, our team has identified JACKBIT as the top crypto casino for 2025. Renowned for its no KYC policy, extensive game library, and lightning-fast payouts, JACKBIT stands out among the best crypto casinos.

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This article covers why JACKBIT is our favorite, its pros and cons, how to join, our selection process, available games, supported payment methods, and responsible gambling tools.

A Closer Look At The Best Crypto Casino: JACKBIT

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CLAIM YOUR 100 FREE SPINS BONUS

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JACKBIT Casino – Our Favorite Crypto Casino

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Pros And Cons

Pros	Cons
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No KYC for enhanced privacy	Limited fiat withdrawal options
Supports 17+ cryptocurrencies and fiat methods
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Debit Card / Credit Card

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E-Wallets

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Cryptocurrency vs. Fiat

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b39b2889-fe38-4424-8931-e5912e823686

The MIL Network –

May 8, 2025

MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel must immediately abandon any plans for annexation in Gaza and mass forcible transfer of Palestinians

Source: Amnesty International –

The Israeli government must immediately abandon its recently unveiled plans for expanded military operations including plans to annex territory and forcibly displace Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip, which would gravely violate international law, said Amnesty International today. 

Israel has continued to commit genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreversible harm being inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza. Any move by Israel to displace Palestinians to the south of the Gaza Strip and confine them into so-called “closed bubbles” or continue to impose inhumane conditions of life to push Palestinians out of Gaza, would amount to the war crime of unlawful transfer or deportation. If these actions are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population, they would also constitute crimes against humanity.

“After imposing two months of full siege on Gaza, Israel’s declared intentions to expand its already devastating military offensive, further entrench its unlawful occupation of the Gaza Strip, and forcibly displace Palestinians could inflict a final blow leading to the destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, who for months on end have been struggling to survive amid Israel’s ongoing genocide,” said Erika Guevara Rosas Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns at Amnesty International.

Since October 2023, the world has witnessed repeated waves of forced displacement of Palestinians within Gaza under inhumane conditions. The manner in which these waves of displacement have been implemented have been key to Israel’s inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. At the moment, nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip is under “evacuation orders” or designated as no-go zones.

Israel’s new plans indicate the authorities are planning a horrifying escalation by seizing territory, establishing a ‘sustained physical presence’ there and indefinitely displacing the majority of the population.

“These plans demonstrate Israel’s utter disregard for international law and its contempt for the rights of Palestinians. Amnesty International reiterates its unequivocal call on Hamas and other armed groups to immediately and unconditionally release civilian hostages. Israel appears to be using the release of the hostages, as a pretext to justify further crimes and violations against Palestinians and its continued genocide in the Gaza Strip, which some families of those still held in Gaza have denounced,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.

Israel’s plans to control and militarize humanitarian aid distribution will also undermine the independent and impartial delivery of essential assistance to a population in dire need. These plans have been widely condemned by UN agencies and humanitarian organizations, who have unanimously rejected any attempt to weaponize aid.

The ongoing siege which has completely blocked the entry of life-saving aid, including food, medicine and fuel, for more than two months is being used by Israel as a weapon of war and unlawful collective punishment. This is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits collective punishment and requires all parties to allow and facilitate the provision of impartial humanitarian assistance for civilians in need.

Any attempts to weaponize humanitarian aid, use it to coerce forced displacement, or establish discriminatory aid distribution zones would violate international law and must be rejected.

Erika Guevara Rosas Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns at Amnesty International.

“Any attempts to weaponize humanitarian aid, use it to coerce forced displacement, or establish discriminatory aid distribution zones would violate international law and must be rejected,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.

“The international community must unequivocally reject these dangerous plans and pressure Israel to comply with its obligations under international law and ensure unhindered humanitarian aid access throughout Gaza.”

The majority of Palestinians in Gaza are descendants of those who survived the 1948 Nakba and have already suffered decades of displacement and dispossession by Israel while being denied their right of return. Israel’s latest plans risk compounding this historic injustice.

Israel must immediately stop its genocide in Gaza, end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, in line with the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of July 2024, and dismantle its system of apartheid against Palestinians.

Erika Guevara Rosas.

“Instead of pursuing policies that lead to further forced displacement and potentially to illegal annexation, Israel must immediately stop its genocide in Gaza, end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, in line with the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of July 2024, and dismantle its system of apartheid against Palestinians,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.

MIL OSI NGO –

May 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cyber is a poster child for growth

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech

Cyber is a poster child for growth

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster spoke about the cyber threat landscape and how the government is using cyber to drive economic growth in a speech at CyberUK 2025 in Manchester.

Introduction:

Good morning everyone,

It’s really great to be here with you in Manchester.

This is one of Britain’s great cities.

From music to sport to industry, Manchester has made its mark on the world in so many ways…

And today I want to talk to you about an area where I believe Manchester, the North West, the whole country can grow in strength in the future.

There might have been times when a government minister making a speech about cyber security was thought to be something routine.

Ritual calls for preparedness, and it might not seem to have much connection to the real world.

But not today. Not this time. Not this week. Not with what we have been seeing happening over the past few weeks.

Great British businesses. Household names like M&S, the Co-op, Harrods, all the subject of serious cyber incidents.

These cyber attacks are not a game. They’re not a clever exercise. They are serious organised crime.

The purpose is to damage and extort good businesses. It’s the digital version of an old-fashioned shake down. Either straight theft or a protection racket where your business will be safe as long as you pay the gangsters.

And what we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks should serve as a wake-up call for everyone – for government and the public sector, for businesses and organisations up and down the country, as if we needed one, that cybersecurity is not a luxury – it’s an absolute necessity.

Whether it is a system failure or a deliberate attack, no organisation can afford to treat cyber security as an afterthought.

So it’s not routine. It’s a good time to be gathering today, to discuss what we can do to make our defences as strong as possible.

Now it’s one of the paradoxes of modern life: technology brings huge benefits, and there’s no going back – but it also brings risks.

The internet is one of the greatest engines for creativity and innovation in modern history. It has transformed the way we live, work and learn.

Just think of the applications. Busy parents who can save so much time by ordering goods online, students with an unfathomable range of knowledge at their fingertips, families all around the world able to share pictures of those precious moments – birthdays, christenings, weddings – just at the press of a screen. All of us benefit from this astounding level of connectedness.

Yet the technology that underpins it can be weaponised by those who want to destabilise our infrastructure, our information systems, or our industrial base.

The UK’s critical infrastructure is now more interconnected than ever. That is empowering…

But it also carries risks, because there are vulnerabilities – and more than we had years ago. Right down to the household level.

As the cost of the tech has plummeted, and broadband speeds have risen, more and more devices are connected online. In 2020, it was thought to be about 50 billion. By 2030 – which isn’t that far away now – it will be 500 billion, according to projections.

More connections, more interconnectedness.

Technological leaps are rarely born in comfort; more often, they are forged during conflict, or competition or by sheer necessity. And history shows us that innovation always accelerates when the stakes are highest, from nuclear energy to the space race.

The stakes are high right now. And we are in the middle of another huge technological leap – a “technology shock” if you like – with AI and other emerging technologies developing at breakneck speeds.

It’s a duty for Government and all of us to keep up.

Because in the modern world, where everything is connected, and so much of it’s online, it doesn’t take much if that is attacked to cause serious disruption.

Just ask anyone in Spain or Portugal who went through the power outage last week. Passengers stuck in underground trains. Payment systems disabled and suddenly, for a day, cash is king again. And a host of other effects.

I experienced last July, just a couple of weeks after the general election, the CrowdStrike incident. We worked closely with one of the sponsors of this conference, CrowdStrike, to manage the fallout of that.

That wasn’t a cyber attack but it did cause ripples right across the country and the world.

Flights grounded. Hospital appointments disrupted. Holidays cancelled. GP services cut off.

We worked closely with the company to resolve it. But what did we learn?

Lessons:

First, you’ve got to bring people together and coordinate. We had the National Cyber Security Centre, the Cabinet Office – the department I lead – Microsoft and CrowdStrike, all the different parts of government to understand what the incident was.

Secondly, Government cannot do it alone. You have to have good partnerships between the public and private sector.

And thirdly, even though it exposed a responsibility, there is also a prize to be grasped here.

Because if interconnectedness that I’ve spoken about requires greater protection and powers of recovery, then those countries that think about this, that invest in the cybersecurity services, will be able to offer those services to those that need them.

Just think about previous waves of interconnectedness and how the UK led the way in protecting them. Think about how Lloyds of London, for example, insured shipping right across the globe, well so too can the UK play a major role in cyber security. A new kind of technological insurance.

We are already the third largest exporter of these products and services in the world.

And as the technology continues to develop, I believe that our cyber companies and start-ups can use that current competitive advantage as a launchpad for greater success – for the benefit of the entire UK economy.

So my message this morning to you is that it’s not just about vulnerability and risk – it’s about economic growth too.

Later this year, we’ll publish a new National Cyber Strategy that will set out how we want to approach these challenges and opportunities in the years to come.

Today I want to touch on three aspects of that today: threats, security and growth.

Threat landscape

Scale of activity:

The threat is growing.

Last year the NCSC received almost 2,000 reports of cyber attacks – of which 90 were deemed significant, and 12 at the top end of severity.

That is three times the number of severe attacks compared to the year before (2023).

They’re targeted both Government and private systems.

Combatting it is a constant challenge. I can’t stand here this morning and tell you that Government systems are bombproof. That is not the case.

These are new systems, built on top of legacy systems, and we’re doing everything in our power to modernise the state, and to upgrade those core systems . But the Government, and the country as a whole, has to take this seriously if we’re going to do it securely in the future.

Artificial Intelligence:

It’s our strong conviction that Artificial Intelligence will bring huge opportunities to the UK. We want this country to be a good home both for investment and adoption in this field. But like all general purpose technologies, it can be used for good or ill.

And just as people and businesses across the country are using AI in all sorts of applications, so too are our adversaries.

Today, we are declassifying an intelligence assessment that shows AI is going to increase not only the frequency, but the intensity, of cyber attacks in the coming years.

Our security systems will only remain secure if they keep pace with what our adversaries are doing.

And that’s why it’s imperative to understand what they’re doing and why.

State-actors:

And today state-backed cyber hacking has become the new normal.

Hostile states constantly working to degrade our military advantage. With cyber criminals who will routinely sell their services to other states. These cyber mercenaries can cause huge harm.

Sometimes to steal money. For example, it is thought that North Korea stole $1.34bn through cryptocurrency theft last year, causing US officials to describe their hackers as the “world’s leading bank robbers”.

The cyber activity we are seeing in countries like North Korea reflects that grey area that exists between some states and cyber criminals.

My colleagues at the Home Office, under the leadership of the Home Secretary and the Security Minister, are working hard to strengthen our overall response to cyber crime. They have been consulting on a number of ransomware proposals designed to thwart our enemies.

Other state-backed hacking is done as part of a wider war – and we’ve seen that with Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

How Ukraine is putting up an incredibly brave fight against cyberwarfare unleashed by the Russians, and we have vowed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend their sovereignty.

And so we’re going to invest £8 million in the Ukraine Cyber Programme over the next year to counter the Kremlin’s cyber aggression.

What Russia is doing doesn’t stop in Ukraine. There have been a number of other attacks and disinformation campaigns in other countries.

For example, in Moldova’s presidential election last year. And we know that they will keep trying. So we will be investing £1 million in cyber capabilities in Moldova, to help give that country the tools to combat Russian cyber attacks and ensure their upcoming parliamentary election can be as democratic, fair and open as possible.

Our country has always defended freedom.

This is part of the defence of freedom and democracy that has been part of our country’s history.

But defence today is not just about troops and missiles.

It’s also about this cyber realm, too – and this Government is absolutely committed to making sure we and our allies are strong in this domain.

China:

And let me say a word about China.

When we think about international activity in cyberspace, we need to be clear-eyed about the challenge posed by China.

It is well on its way to becoming a cyber superpower. It has the sophistication. The scale. And the seriousness.

It’s one of the world leaders in AI, as the world’s second largest economy it’s deeply embedded in global supply chains and markets.

We need to view China’s approach to cyberspace with open eyes. Disengagement economically from China is not an option. Neither’s naivety.

The job of a responsible Government is to protect our people and constructively engage with the world as it is.

“Stop the world I want to get off” is not in the United Kingdom’s interests.

Rather, our approach should be to engage constructively and consistently with China where it is in the UK’s economic interests, but also to be clear that we will robustly defend our own cyberspace.

Bolstering our defences

And I want to thank the organisations that do that. GCHQ, NCSC, the National Cyber Force – they keep watch, working tirelessly with our allies, with the Five Eyes alliance, to stay ahead of our competitors.

Our intelligence agencies also play a key role in growing our overall cyber ecosystem – acting as a training bed for all kinds of experts who go on to be successful cyber entrepreneurs.

LASR:

And we’re investing in new capabilities in this regard.

Last year, I launched a new public-private partnership to keep the UK on top of some of the risks emerging on how we harness AI.

The idea behind the Laboratory for AI Security Research – or LASR, as we’ve come to call it – is simple: accelerate innovation and research into how AI can protect our national security.

Since November, its funded 10 PhDs at Oxford University; funded an in-house team of 9 researchers at The Turing Institute; and its funded research at 8 other leading UK universities including Queen’s University Belfast and Lancaster University.

And we are committing an extra £7million to LASR’s research over the next financial year.

And I’m pleased to announce it has agreed a new partnership with one of the biggest tech companies in the world, Cisco.

They are going to be collaborating with GCHQ and the NCSC, and other partners to expand the research and innovation capacity of the Lab.

They will be running challenges across the UK, and build a demonstrator here in the North West to showcase how our scientists and entrepreneurs can work together to manage the risks, build the skills and grasp the opportunities of AI security.

This is the first collaboration of its kind with LASR, and will be a trailblazer and it will help LASR drive cutting-edge research into the impact of AI on national security.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill:

We’re also modernising the way the state approaches this, through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.

That legislation will bolster our national defences. It will grant new powers to the Technology Secretary to direct regulated organisations to reinforce their defences.

And as we begin scrutiny of that Bill in Parliament, we will be launching a new Software Security Code of Practice – to help all organisations take the measures they need to embed security and resilience.

And the prize of all this is growth. Safe economic growth.

Growth

When we’re talking about cyber, it’s easy to focus on the risks and threats.

But we also need to think about the reward. There is enormous potential for cyber security to be a driving force in our economy.

We already have over 2,000 businesses across the UK. An estimated 67,000 jobs – with an increase of 6,000 in the last 12 months.

Revenue of more than £13billion.

And as I said, we’re exporting this across the world.
But there is still potential on the table.
So we’re supporting an independent report from Imperial College and Bristol University, who are going to apply their knowledge and expertise to help us establish which levers we need to pull, and how we do that.

And ahead of the report, we are already making some big investments like the £1billion going into a new state-of-the-art Golden Valley campus near GCHQ’s Cheltenham office.

That site alone is expected to create 12,000 jobs and be home to hospitality, retail businesses, as well as 3,700 new homes. It is all growth.

Industrial Strategy:

And that is why cyber is part of our Industrial Strategy too. It is a significant part of our economic future.

Conclusion:

So as I said at the start of my remarks, we are in a new world.

In fact, it’s incredible to think it’s been only 36 years since Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide Web.

I have teenage children and sometimes I try to explain to them the world before the internet. It’s not something they find easy to understand. The pace of change that we have seen during that time is unlikely to slow down.

So we have got to take the long view: not just think about the technologies of today, but what it might look like in 10 or 20 years.

Cyber attacks and cyber hacking are likely to be permanent features of this new global order – there is no point in pretending otherwise.

But the opportunities are also huge, and I believe that this country, in its position of creativity and innovation, will be at the vanguard of cyberspace and cybersecurity for decades to come.

Seizing the opportunities to grow the sector, protecting and defending other parts of the economy.

Standing by our allies in an ever changing world, and defending democracy right across the world.

It is at once one of the challenges and opportunities of our time, and we have to work together to meet it.

–ENDS–

Updates to this page

Published 7 May 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 7 May 2025 Departmental update Low-cost, quality-assured HIV tests to sustain access to life-saving services

Source: World Health Organisation

HIV testing is an essential health service and is the critical gateway to both prevention and treatment. With several countries facing significant financial uncertainty, it is urgent for countries to adopt pragmatic cost-saving measures. By prioritizing low-cost and effective differentiated HIV testing solutions, countries can ensure continuity of services for people living with HIV on life-saving treatment and protect hard-won public health gains.

To adapt to this new environment, WHO encourages countries to adopt low-cost WHO pre-qualified HIV rapid tests as the first test in their testing strategy and update their national algorithms accordingly. This also applies to the HIV syphilis dual tests in antenatal care. Adopting a high quality and low-cost first test in a national HIV testing algorithm will result in an immediate and substantial reduction in testing costs for countries. Countries can refer to WHO’s Toolkit to optimize HIV testing algorithms to select a listed low-cost product and to be able to rapidly transition their testing programmes.

WHO recommends flexible algorithms and supports verification studies during or after the algorithm transition, using multiple WHO prequalified products as the first test.

For additional savings, WHO urges countries to adopt low-cost and quality-assured HIV self-tests (blood or oral). Programmes with limited health workers and testing capacity may also consider using HIV self-tests as an alternative first test, especially in contexts where gaps in maintaining service delivery remain. Further guidance on using HIV self-tests can be found in the 2024 WHO Consolidated guidelines on differentiated HIV testing service. This includes a recommendation on facility-based self-testing. It also aims to help countries sustain and expand HIV testing coverage amid constrained budgets.

“The global HIV response and epidemic control is at risk,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes. “We must continue to do everything we can to support countries in delivering life-saving HIV services. Providing countries flexibility and shifting to low-cost, quality-assured HIV rapid tests , dual HIV/syphilis and self-tests will ensure impact, quality and allow more resources to reach people living with HIV and prevent new infections.”

WHO can support countries to expedite product availability in countries, such as through waivers to expedite regulatory approvals, which are needed to make this rapid transition. Existing national regulatory pathways can also help fast-track the introduction and registration of new products.

There is a wide selection of low-cost, WHO-prequalified HIV tests available. Countries can use the WHO diagnostic catalogue and product selection tool to review these options and optimize their national testing strategies. “This guidance is only possible thanks to WHO’s Prequalification (PQ) Programme, which ensures that quality-assured diagnostics are accessible and affordable for all low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr Rogerio Gaspar, Director of WHO Department of Regulation and Prequalification.

The WHO PQ Programme evaluates HIV in vitro diagnostics against international standards of quality, safety and performance. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that countries can provide high-quality diagnosis, effective prevention, and access to treatment for those who need it.

Engagement with procurers and those hosting pooled procurement mechanisms is critical as well.

“The Global Fund welcomes this important guidance from the World Health Organization, which will help countries sustain life-saving HIV services,” said Marijke Wijnroks, the Global Fund’s Head of Strategic Investment and Impact. “We look forward to working with countries to support adoption and implementation of this guidance to both minimize the costs of HIV tests and ensure sustained provision and access to HIV testing services.”

With support from global partners, WHO continues to work to secure access to HIV diagnostics in all countries and across all settings to ensure life-saving services continue and no one is left behind.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Singapore on successful completion of general election

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

ROC (Taiwan) government congratulates Singapore on successful completion of general election

Date：2025-05-04
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

May 4, 2025No. 134Singapore smoothly completed the election of its 15th Parliament on May 4. The result was a victory for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the People’s Action Party that he leads. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its sincere congratulations to the people and government of Singapore on the successful conclusion of yet another parliamentary election.Taiwan and Singapore have long shared cordial ties. Bilateral cooperation has developed steadily in recent years, with the two sides maintaining close exchanges in economics, trade, semiconductors, technology, culture, and other domains. Taiwan looks forward to building on the existing foundations to further deepen collaboration with Singapore, jointly respond to global and regional challenges, and contribute to the advancement of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific. (E)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA congratulates Australia on successful completion of federal election

Date：2025-05-04
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

May 4, 2025No.136Australia held a federal election on May 3 to elect its 48th Parliament, including all 150 seats of the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate. According to the results, the ruling Australian Labor Party won a majority of seats. The smooth and peaceful election process was characteristic of a mature democracy. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses sincere congratulations to the people and government of Australia.Taiwan and Australia share the universal values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and human rights. Bilateral relations have continued to steadily grow in recent years. Collaboration is close in such fields as economics and trade, science and technology, information security, energy, and whole-of-society defense resilience. Last August, the Australian Senate passed an urgency motion refuting China’s flagrant misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. The passage of the motion underlined the staunch cross-party support for Taiwan in the Australian Parliament.Building on these robust foundations, the government of Taiwan hopes to further enhance cooperation in all domains with the new government of Australia and jointly work to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin leads cross-sector delegation to US state of Texas

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin leads cross-sector delegation to US state of Texas

Date：2025-05-06
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

May 6, 2025
No. 140

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on May 6 is traveling to the US state of Texas, leading a delegation representing industry, government, academia, and research institutes. The delegation includes representatives of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association, the AI Innovation and Application Alliance, and Taiwan’s Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association. Minister Lin will attend and address the Texas-Taiwan AI and Innovation Summit on May 9.

Since taking office, Minister Lin has actively advocated a policy of integrated diplomacy. His visit to Texas aims primarily to promote a Taiwan investment team for the United States and a US investment team for Taiwan as part of a roadmap introduced by President Lai Ching-te to deepen bilateral trade relations. This will facilitate the formation of a joint Taiwan-US economic task force that applies a new model for the division of labor, helping Taiwanese businesses expand into the US market and employ local technology, capital, and human resources to integrate into the US innovation ecosystem. It is further hoped that exchanges of views among frontline industry, government, academia, and research institutes will lead to an increase in bilateral investments, attract US companies to invest in Taiwan, and contribute to Taiwan’s industrial innovation and development.

Minister Lin’s visit is expected to steadily deepen exchanges between Taiwan and US states. Since President Lai assumed office, six US state governors, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have led delegations to Taiwan. Their concrete actions to support bilateral collaboration have enhanced Taiwan-US economic and trade exchanges and created substantive business opportunities. In recent years, the US federal government has issued three letters encouraging US states and the top 500 US businesses to foster relations with Taiwan, explicitly showing support for strengthening exchanges with Taiwan at all levels and across all areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs anticipates that the visit to Texas by Minister Lin and the industrial groups will further deepen reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships across various economic domains between Taiwan and the United States and Texas. (E)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and Taiwan International Solidarity Act

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and Taiwan International Solidarity Act

Date：2025-05-06
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

May 6, 2025

On May 5, the US House of Representatives adopted two acts supportive of Taiwan. The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and the Taiwan International Solidarity Act were passed on voice votes without opposition. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes this development and thanks the US Congress for continuing to demonstrate bipartisan support for Taiwan through concrete legislation.

The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act requires the US secretary of state to conduct periodic reviews of guidelines on relations with Taiwan, including any successor or related documents. It stipulates that reviews should be conducted at least once every five years and that a report should be submitted to Congress within 90 days after completing a review.

The Taiwan International Solidarity Act explicitly states that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 did not address the issue of representation of Taiwan and its people in the UN or related organizations. It also points out that the resolution did not take a position on the relationship between China and Taiwan or include any statement pertaining to Taiwan’s sovereignty. The act reaffirms US opposition to any initiative that seeks to change Taiwan’s status without the consent of the Taiwanese people. It calls on the US government to instruct its representatives in international organizations to advocate to resist China’s efforts to distort the decisions, language, policies, or procedures of the organizations regarding Taiwan. The act also urges the US government to appropriately encourage its allies and partners to oppose China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s official diplomatic relationships and its partnerships with countries with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations.

The passage of the pro-Taiwan legislation by the US Congress follows the US administration strongly condemning China at a recent UN Security Council meeting for misusing UNGA Resolution 2758 to try to isolate Taiwan. Minister Lin sincerely thanks the US administration and both sides of the congressional aisle for their support of Taiwan and calls on the international community to continue to take concrete actions against China’s mischaracterization of UNGA Resolution 2758. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely follow developments relating to the acts, maintain close contact with the US Congress and administration, and pragmatically and steadily deepen the cordial partnership between Taiwan and the United States.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA congratulates Friedrich Merz on appointment as German chancellor and formation of new government

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA congratulates Friedrich Merz on appointment as German chancellor and formation of new government

Date：2025-05-07
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

May 7, 2025
No. 142

The Bundestag officially elected Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as the new federal chancellor of Germany in a vote on May 6. The new government of Germany was formed by a coalition comprising the CDU/Christian Social Union faction and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The new cabinet was sworn in on the same day.

On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends sincere congratulations to the people and government of Germany. It has also instructed the Taipei Representative Office in Germany to promptly forward a congratulatory letter from President Lai Ching-te conveying expectations for even closer and more cordial relations between Taiwan and Germany.

In the new government’s coalition agreement, the chapter on foreign relations, national defense policy, development cooperation, and human rights states that Germany will continue to foster relations with Taiwan and reiterates that any change to the status quo regarding Taiwan must be carried out in a peaceful manner. It further maintains that a free, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific is in Germany’s fundamental interests. Such content underlines the new German government’s high regard for Taiwan-Germany relations and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Taiwan and Germany share the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Taiwan looks forward to building on the existing solid foundation to steadily deepen comprehensive collaboration with the new German government and to jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. (E)

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin leads cross-sector delegation to US state of Texas
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Lin leads cross-sector delegation to US state of Texas
- Date：2025-05-06
- Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
May 6, 2025

No. 140

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on May 6 is traveling to the US state of Texas, leading a delegation representing industry, government, academia, and research institutes. The delegation includes representatives of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association, the AI Innovation and Application Alliance, and Taiwan’s Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association. Minister Lin will attend and address the Texas-Taiwan AI and Innovation Summit on May 9.

Since taking office, Minister Lin has actively advocated a policy of integrated diplomacy. His visit to Texas aims primarily to promote a Taiwan investment team for the United States and a US investment team for Taiwan as part of a roadmap introduced by President Lai Ching-te to deepen bilateral trade relations. This will facilitate the formation of a joint Taiwan-US economic task force that applies a new model for the division of labor, helping Taiwanese businesses expand into the US market and employ local technology, capital, and human resources to integrate into the US innovation ecosystem. It is further hoped that exchanges of views among frontline industry, government, academia, and research institutes will lead to an increase in bilateral investments, attract US companies to invest in Taiwan, and contribute to Taiwan’s industrial innovation and development.

Minister Lin’s visit is expected to steadily deepen exchanges between Taiwan and US states. Since President Lai assumed office, six US state governors, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have led delegations to Taiwan. Their concrete actions to support bilateral collaboration have enhanced Taiwan-US economic and trade exchanges and created substantive business opportunities. In recent years, the US federal government has issued three letters encouraging US states and the top 500 US businesses to foster relations with Taiwan, explicitly showing support for strengthening exchanges with Taiwan at all levels and across all areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs anticipates that the visit to Texas by Minister Lin and the industrial groups will further deepen reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships across various economic domains between Taiwan and the United States and Texas. (E)

MIL OSI China News –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and Taiwan International Solidarity Act
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and Taiwan International Solidarity Act
- Date：2025-05-06
- Data Source：Department of North American Affairs
May 6, 2025

On May 5, the US House of Representatives adopted two acts supportive of Taiwan. The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and the Taiwan International Solidarity Act were passed on voice votes without opposition. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes this development and thanks the US Congress for continuing to demonstrate bipartisan support for Taiwan through concrete legislation.

The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act requires the US secretary of state to conduct periodic reviews of guidelines on relations with Taiwan, including any successor or related documents. It stipulates that reviews should be conducted at least once every five years and that a report should be submitted to Congress within 90 days after completing a review.

The Taiwan International Solidarity Act explicitly states that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 did not address the issue of representation of Taiwan and its people in the UN or related organizations. It also points out that the resolution did not take a position on the relationship between China and Taiwan or include any statement pertaining to Taiwan’s sovereignty. The act reaffirms US opposition to any initiative that seeks to change Taiwan’s status without the consent of the Taiwanese people. It calls on the US government to instruct its representatives in international organizations to advocate to resist China’s efforts to distort the decisions, language, policies, or procedures of the organizations regarding Taiwan. The act also urges the US government to appropriately encourage its allies and partners to oppose China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s official diplomatic relationships and its partnerships with countries with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations.

The passage of the pro-Taiwan legislation by the US Congress follows the US administration strongly condemning China at a recent UN Security Council meeting for misusing UNGA Resolution 2758 to try to isolate Taiwan. Minister Lin sincerely thanks the US administration and both sides of the congressional aisle for their support of Taiwan and calls on the international community to continue to take concrete actions against China’s mischaracterization of UNGA Resolution 2758. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely follow developments relating to the acts, maintain close contact with the US Congress and administration, and pragmatically and steadily deepen the cordial partnership between Taiwan and the United States.

MIL OSI China News –
May 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: MOFA congratulates Friedrich Merz on appointment as German chancellor and formation of new government
Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MOFA congratulates Friedrich Merz on appointment as German chancellor and formation of new government
- Date：2025-05-07
- Data Source：Department of European Affairs
May 7, 2025

No. 142

The Bundestag officially elected Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as the new federal chancellor of Germany in a vote on May 6. The new government of Germany was formed by a coalition comprising the CDU/Christian Social Union faction and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The new cabinet was sworn in on the same day.

On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends sincere congratulations to the people and government of Germany. It has also instructed the Taipei Representative Office in Germany to promptly forward a congratulatory letter from President Lai Ching-te conveying expectations for even closer and more cordial relations between Taiwan and Germany.

In the new government’s coalition agreement, the chapter on foreign relations, national defense policy, development cooperation, and human rights states that Germany will continue to foster relations with Taiwan and reiterates that any change to the status quo regarding Taiwan must be carried out in a peaceful manner. It further maintains that a free, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific is in Germany’s fundamental interests. Such content underlines the new German government’s high regard for Taiwan-Germany relations and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Taiwan and Germany share the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Taiwan looks forward to building on the existing solid foundation to steadily deepen comprehensive collaboration with the new German government and to jointly advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. (E)

MIL OSI China News –
May 7, 2025

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Updates to this page

Foreign Minister Lin leads cross-sector delegation to US state of Texas

MOFA response to US House of Representatives passing Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and Taiwan International Solidarity Act

MOFA congratulates Friedrich Merz on appointment as German chancellor and formation of new government