NewzIntel.com

Category: Russian Federation

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China handles rare earth metal exports in accordance with law: Commerce Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government will review applications for rare earth metal export licenses in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and those that meet the requirements will be approved, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

    Rare earth metals and related products have obvious dual-use properties that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, so introducing export controls on them is a recognized international practice, said He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, at a regular ministry press conference, responding to a media inquiry about China’s export of related products. -0-

    新华社北京6月5日电（记者谢希瑶）商务部新闻发言人何咏前在5日举行的例行新闻发布会上答记者问时表示，稀土等相关物项具有明显的军民两用属性，对中国政府依法依规对两用物项相关出口许可申请进行审查，对符合规定的申请，中方将予以批准，促进便利合规贸易。（完）

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xinjiang: Folk cultural event adds color to herders’ lives

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    The 6th cultural and tourism event was held in Handegate Mongolian National Township, Altay City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in early summer. Lively and cheerful song and dance performances, as well as exciting folk sports competitions, attract local herders and tourists to participate and experience the charm of national culture. Photo by Xinhua News Agency correspondent Wang Fei.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Traditional culture shapes “new national trend”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    “National Trend” (Guochao) is a fusion of the concepts of “domestic” and “trend”: “national” refers to elements of traditional Chinese culture, and “trend” means fashion trends. “New National Trend” combines these two concepts through innovation and creativity.

    Today, leading the new national trend, China’s unique traditional culture is unleashing a powerful force for socio-economic development.

    This whirlwind of Chinese-style cultural creativity is constantly gaining momentum: from the annual best-selling Forbidden City Calendar to the incredibly popular fridge magnets, internet users have dedicated themselves to collecting and recreating, creating entire “museums” of magnets depicting cultural relics in their homes.

    “New National Trend” Boosts Job Creation. In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the boom in traditional Chinese costumes, Hanfu, has created a huge demand for makeup artists and stylists. The Chang’an District government launched a free training program for stylists and makeup artists who can recreate the looks of the Tang and Han dynasties. To date, the initiative has created nearly 7,000 jobs, with an average annual income of over 90,000 yuan.

    The popularity of the “new national trend” contributes to the optimization of the division of labor, the formation of new professions and the creation of new growth points in the employment sector, which helps the population to obtain high-quality vacancies and full employment during employment.

    The Rise of “New Chinese Style”: From Cultural Phenomenon to Industrial Transformation. LaoPu Gold, a brand that revives ancient gold processing techniques, integrates intangible cultural heritage into modern design. Its sales grew by 160% in 2024. Meanwhile, the market size of “Chinese health drinks” based on herbs, fruits, and medicinal plants prepared by boiling and extracting is projected to exceed 10 billion yuan by 2028. “New Chinese Style” is penetrating niche consumer segments, forming a new growth model through cultural values.

    The national trend continuously stimulates the consumer market and the potential of enterprises. Its flourishing not only demonstrates the cultural confidence of Chinese brands, but also reflects the high vitality of traditional culture in the modern commercial environment.

    Traditional culture is no longer a “showcase” to be worshipped; it has become a living asset that can be touched, transformed, and even enhanced. Keeping pace with the times, Chinese traditional culture not only forms a spiritual reference point, but also marks cultural milestones of high-quality development.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on the Department of the Army’s Posture and Readiness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker

    Watch Video Here

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing on the Department of the Army’s posture and requirements for the challenges ahead.

    During the hearing, the committee received testimony from the Army’s senior civilian leader, Secretary Driscoll, and the highest-ranking commissioned officer within the Department of the Army, General George.

    In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized that this hearing marked the beginning of the Army’s dialogue with Congress on the Army’s Transformation Initiative (ATI) and underscored the committee’s willingness to partner with Army leadership to address fundamental problems within the service.

    Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.

    Good morning. The Senate Armed Services Committee meets today to receive testimony on the posture of the United States Army. I want to thank our witnesses, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and the Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George, for being here.  Unfortunately, it seems the detailed Fiscal Year 2026 budget will not be available for several more weeks.

    Nonetheless, we will benefit from speaking with you both, Secretary Driscoll and General George. In the past month, we’ve been speaking publicly about the Army Transformation Initiative, or “ATI”. This initiative seeks to change portions of the Army’s capabilities and force structure while maintaining the Army’s flat budget.

    The Army provided this committee with the first real set of details on the ATI about a week ago. This hearing marks the beginning of the Army’s discussion with Congress on the idea.  We are ready to work with you, gentlemen.

    In fact, we must work together rapidly to fix fundamental problems with the U.S. Army.  Since 2000, the list of failed Army modernization initiatives – such as the Comanche helicopter, the Crusader howitzer, and the Future Combat Systems – has continued to grow.

    Between 2002 and 2012, the Army spent $50 billion on programs it eventually canceled. The record in the past five years has been better but still contains significant missteps. The Army recently spent $2 billion on a scout helicopter that will never fly. Other cancellations of programs have followed, including the Strategic Long-Range Cannon program, the Extended Range Cannon Artillery programs, and the M-10 Booker armored infantry support vehicle, as well as the “Hum-Vee.”

    Fundamentally, the Army needs to decide how to adapt to the changing character of warfare and meet priority missions, particularly against China and Russia. Mr. Secretary, many ideas you propose in your Transformation Initiative and your budget will meet that mark. I think you will find widespread support for increasing investments in long-range fires and air and missile defense, as you proposed. I would note, however, the lack of logistics investments in your plan, given the Army’s central role in logistics in the Pacific – so perhaps we’ll talk about that.

    Mr. Secretary, I think you will find Congress a very willing partner when presented with convincing analysis that justifies investment changes. In particular, those changes should help American soldiers deter war and, if necessary, win in convincing fashion. Where we do disagree, will likely be in effects on the industrial base. Our defense industrial base is brittle. We cannot afford to let sites close, or we will lose the defense expertise of many skilled workers. We need investment strategies that recognize this. Our investments should provide stability and ensure the United States can maintain maximum competition. The Army cannot follow the “divest to invest” strategy that the Navy and Air Force have wanted to pursue. The United States faces too many threats today to leave gaps in capabilities. It will require tightly woven investment strategies among the Army, Congress, and industry to get this right.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: More Sons of Freedom Doukhobors receive support to heal

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More people belonging to the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor community are receiving financial health and well-being support, as part of the B.C. government’s apology for historical wrongs committed against them.

    In August 2024, the Province, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, distributed funds to living survivors who were forcibly apprehended and kept in New Denver as children. Now, the remaining health and well-being funds will be shared among:

    • living survivors who were not school-aged when they were forcibly taken, and
    • deceased survivors’ descendants, including spouses or common-law partners and legally adopted children.

    Descendants of survivors who are still alive or who have already received the health and well-being fund are not eligible to receive additional support.

    This work is part of the Province’s ongoing efforts to honour the legacy of the New Denver survivors and to acknowledge the hardships they experienced at the hands of government.

    People who believe they may be eligible to receive support but have not been contacted can email the Ministry of Attorney General: sofd@gov.bc.ca.

    The deadline to contact the ministry is January 2026.

    In 1899, the Doukhobors fled persecution in Russia, seeking refuge in Canada. Many settled in the Kootenay Boundary region in B.C. During the first half of the 20th century, the Province targeted the Sons of Freedom, a group within the Doukhobor community, with fines and seizure of property for acts of civil disobedience, such as missing school and protesting naked.

    In addition, hundreds of children from the Sons of Freedom were forcibly removed from their families and placed in institutions in New Denver between 1953 and 1959. There, many of the children were subjected to physical, emotional and sexual abuse that left deep, generation-spanning scars on them, their families, loved ones and the broader community.

    The Province issued a formal apology for these historical wrongs in February 2024.

    Learn More:

    For guidelines on determining eligibility and how to access the funds, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Backgrounder%20-%20SoF%20Health_Wellbeing%20Funds%20Phase%202.pdf

    To learn more about government’s apology, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/30239

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Discusses The 4th Financing for Development Conference—Contribution of the IMF to the International Financing for Development Agenda

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 5, 2025

    Washington, DC: On June 3, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the staff paper on the contribution of the IMF to the international financing for development agenda, prepared in view of the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) to be held in Sevilla, Spain from June 30 to July 3, 2025. The paper outlines the challenging context for development, updates staff’s assessment on the achievability of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and proposes actions to accelerate development progress.

    The series of shocks since 2020 has added to longstanding structural challenges, with low-income and fragile countries affected the most. Debt vulnerabilities deserve attention, particularly for low-income countries. While debt appears sustainable for most countries, many are facing high interest costs and elevated refinancing needs that constrain their ability to finance critical spending necessary to progress on their development path. Against this background, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 appears increasingly unlikely.

    Accelerating development progress will require a major collective effort, including advancing a strong domestic reform agenda, providing adequate international support to complement and facilitate domestic reforms, and proactively addressing debt vulnerabilities. Importantly, while developing countries share many characteristics, increasing heterogeneity across countries calls for appropriate differentiation in countries’ policy and reform agenda, as well as in the support from the international community.

    The IMF has a strong role to play in supporting countries maintain or restore macroeconomic and financial stability, which is a key condition to enable sustainable growth and development. Through its surveillance, capacity development, and financial support to countries faced with balance of payment needs, the IMF helps countries advance this agenda, including through continuous adjustments in its policies to ensure they remain fit for purpose and aligned with evolving needs of the membership. It also plays a leading role on debt and the global debt architecture, through its monitoring of debt vulnerabilities and debt sustainability assessments and further enhancing its work to tackle debt challenges and improve debt restructuring processes, including through the Common Framework and progress at the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable. In all these activities, the IMF collaborates closely with partners, particularly the World Bank.

    Executive Board Assessment[1]

    Executive Directors welcomed the opportunity to discuss the contribution of the IMF to the international financing for development agenda, as well as the review of recent experiences in the IMF’s collaboration with the World Bank, ahead of the 4th Financing for Development Conference. Directors concurred with staff’s analysis of the challenging context for development, as the series of shocks since 2020 has added to longstanding structural challenges weighing on economic and social progress in developing countries, with low‑income and fragile countries affected the most.

    Directors agreed that debt vulnerabilities deserve specific attention, in particular for low‑income countries. They noted that, while debt appears sustainable for most countries under baseline assumptions, uncertainties and risks to the baseline have increased significantly. In addition, many countries face high interest costs and elevated refinancing needs that constrain their ability to finance critical spending necessary to progress on their development path.

    Directors noted with regret that achieving the sustainable developments goals (SDGs) by 2030 appears increasingly unlikely, as it would require financing that exceeds credible assumptions and surpasses what countries could absorb without creating additional macroeconomic imbalances.

    Directors agreed that accelerating development progress requires a major collective effort comprising strong domestic reforms, significant international support, and proactively addressing debt vulnerabilities. They noted that, while developing countries share many characteristics, increasing heterogeneity across countries calls for appropriate differentiation in countries’ policy and reform agenda, as well as in the support from the international community.

    Directors emphasized the importance of advancing a strong domestic reform agenda to maintain or promote a stable and sound macroeconomic and financial environment and boost private‑sector led growth and job creation. This includes increasing the efficiency of public spending and optimizing the use of available resources, mobilizing domestic resources, strengthening debt management, and improving governance. These reforms are also key to increase resilience against external shocks.

    Directors also agreed that international support, through well‑coordinated and sequenced capacity development (CD), and additional public and private financing, will be critical to complement and facilitate domestic reforms. They underlined the importance of proactively addressing debt challenges and supported the proposed approach to: (i) improve further debt restructuring processes to ensure countries with unsustainable debt have access to timely and sufficiently deep debt relief, building on progress already made in particular under the Common Framework and through the work at the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR); and (ii) accelerate the implementation of the “3‑pillar approach” to help countries with sustainable debt and a robust reform agenda, where productive spending is crowded out by high debt service. They welcomed the recent publication of the GSDR “Restructuring Playbook” and supported further strengthening the IMF’s contribution to help address debt vulnerabilities, consistent with its role and policies and respecting its duty of neutrality. They also underlined the importance of further enhancing debt transparency and the accuracy of debt data.

    Directors agreed that, while the IMF is not a development institution, it has a strong role to play to help member countries maintain or restore macroeconomic and financial stability, which is a key condition to enable sustainable growth and development. They underlined the importance of IMF surveillance, CD, and financial support to members faced with balance of payment needs, to achieve this objective, and looked forward to the upcoming comprehensive surveillance review and review of program design and conditionality. Directors highlighted the recent reforms to ensure that the lending framework remains fit for purpose, including the finalization in October 2024 of the review of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) facilities and financing and the review of the Charges and the Surcharge Policy, and the significant expansion of CD delivery over time, with a strong emphasis on supporting low‑income countries and fragile and conflict‑affected states. In this context, some Directors saw room to further scale up the IMF’s concessional facilities and CD support. Some others cautioned against placing greater emphasis in IMF‑supported programs on development spending needs and higher financing volumes. Directors supported the continued active role of the IMF on debt issues and its sustained engagement in international efforts to address debt vulnerabilities. Some Directors noted that a greater emphasis in the paper on the IMF’s existing work on climate would have better illustrated that the Fund is already actively contributing to help address these challenges, in line with its mandate. A few Directors also highlighted the macro‑critical nature of inequality and its impact on long‑term stability and development, and supported a deeper analytical and operational engagement on these fronts within the Fund’s existing mandate.

    Directors underlined the importance of IMF collaboration with partners, in particular the World Bank and relevant UN agencies, building on comparative advantages and consistent with each institution’s mandate. They welcomed the review of recent experiences in the IMF’s collaboration with the World Bank and underscored the critical importance of maintaining or further deepening this efficient collaboration, leveraging the respective expertise of both institutions for an optimal division of work and avoiding duplication.

    Directors underscored the importance of clear communication to promote a better public understanding of the institution’s unique role, mandate, and activities in fostering macroeconomic and financial stability, which is a prerequisite for sustainable growth and development.

    [1] An explanation of any qualifiers used in summing up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/05/pr25184-imf-discusses-4th-financing-dev-conference-contribution-imf-intl-financing-for-dev-agenda

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee Chairman Lawler Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Syria

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee Chairman Michael Lawler delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled, “After Assad: The Future of Syria.”

    Watch Here

    -Remarks-

    Syria is at a turning point. The fall of Bashar al-Assad this past December following four decades of authoritarian rule has created conditions for unprecedented change for Syria and for the Middle East. This change comes with significant risk. The Syrian war dating back to 2011 has left most of the country in ruins, destroyed by years of indiscriminate bombing by Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers. The cost of reconstructing this broken country will be in the tens of billions, even by the most modest assessment, and investors face significant hurdles as they work to navigate the complex sanctions regime that has emerged after four decades of Assad family rule. While there are rightfully many who seek to break down barriers, advocating for sanctions relief to ensure reconstruction can take place and put Syria on a path of success, we must not lose sight of core US interests in this rush to embrace Syria’s new regime. There remain significant questions about Syria’s new interim authorities led by US-designated foreign terrorist organization Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate. Ahmed al Shara, despite his hardened past, continues to verbally signal a commitment to reform through his ability, though his ability to deliver remains to be seen, which is why we must be explicit with our goals for Syria. This includes the counter ISIS mission, which has been a central part of US foreign policy since 2014.

    We must set clear expectations for the interim authorities on what we expect from them with respect to counterterrorism cooperation to prevent a resurgence and assume responsibility for detention centers holding thousands of ISIS members and affiliated individuals in the Northeast. Concerns about extremism are not by any means limited to ISIS. Iran and its proxies have long used the country as a sanctuary space to plan and carry out attacks, including against Israel, while Russia sees Syria as a strategic launch pad to undermine our interest not just in the Middle East but much further afield from Africa to Europe. There must be clear red lines when it comes to Iran and its proxies as well as Russia’s ability to operate in Syria. Preventing Syria from being used as a sanctuary space is vital not just for the US but also for Syria.

    This will no doubt be one of the metrics used as the international community measures the success of Syria’s transition and by extension for the prospects for further economic relief. For Syria to succeed and reestablish itself on the international world stage, it must take action to prevent extremism from thriving once again, including by signaling a commitment to inclusive governance by establishing a positive working relationship with our Kurdish partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces. They have been at the forefront of the campaign to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. On that basis, the Trump administration has rightfully taken steps to waive US sanctions on a limited and temporary basis, giving Alhara sufficient time to demonstrate he is able to turn his words into actions, but this is not, I have to stress, a full embrace of Al Shara or those he continues to surround himself with. We must use this opportunity to press him on key US priorities, notably as to counterterrorism while also retaining limitations on US sanctions relief to ensure Iran and Russia cannot benefit financially. Al Shara has expressed a concerning willingness to embrace Moscow despite Putin’s complicity in war crimes against the Syrian people. For Russia, their presence in Syria is not just about the Middle East. It’s a vital staging ground essential to everything they do in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. We underestimate the strategic importance Syria holds for the Russians at our own peril.

    Make no mistake, what happens in Syria does not stay in Syria. The country has consistently demonstrated its ability to impact and shape affairs far outside its borders, from Europe’s migrant crisis to ISIS to the war in Ukraine. When Secretary Rubio testified before Congress last month, he said, “There is no guarantee that by outreach and working with the transitional authority in Syria, things are going to work out. It may work out. It may not work out. But if we don’t reach out and try, it’s a guarantee not to work out.” I echo the secretary’s sentiments and just came back along with the ranking member from a trip to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. That was the sentiment shared there as well. We want to give this an opportunity to work but are fully cognizant of the consequences of failure. Here during this hearing, we will further examine Syrian stability and the vital role Syria and the Syrian people play in the Middle East.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Investigates ‘Prohibited Access’ Files at FBI, Demands Accountability for Document Destruction and Obstruction in Mueller Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is following up on recent revelations in a declassified Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) analysis he released exposing the FBI for placing certain Crossfire Hurricane files under “Prohibited Access” status, potentially preventing most FBI agents, Congress and the Inspector General from accessing some FBI records.

    Grassley is demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel search for and produce all records related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Biden family that may currently be under “Prohibited” or “Restricted” Access.

    “As I’m sure you are aware, the impact of parking records in a way that impedes, or in some cases prevents, responsive records from being produced to Congress pursuant to a valid request and during the course of court litigation, whether criminal or civil, is wide-ranging and potentially catastrophic to constitutional requirements,” Grassley wrote to Bondi and Patel. “Indeed, if the FBI has failed to take steps in the past to access records in ‘Restricted’ or ‘Prohibited’ status, the FBI has not fully responded to many years of my oversight requests.” 

    Grassley is also seeking records relating to current and former Department of Justice (DOJ)/FBI officials who may have committed serious misconduct by mishandling and destroying federal records, particularly related to Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into the now-discredited Trump-Russia hoax.

    According to Freedom of Information Act disclosures, former Mueller team member Andrew Weissman deleted all of the data on his government phone multiple times over the course of the Meuller investigation.

    Additionally, whistleblowers allege the following of Special Agent (SA) Walter Giardina, who played a significant role in the investigation and prosecution of Trump advisor Peter Navarro, as well as Arctic Frost, Crossfire Hurricane, Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, and the Dan Scavino, Roger Stone and Hillary Clinton cases:   

    • SA Giardina was an initial recipient of the Steele Dossier and falsely said that the report was corroborated as true.
    • SA Giardina stated openly his animosity toward President Trump and made known his personal motivation to investigate Trump.
    • SA Giardina electronically wiped the laptop he was assigned while working for Special Counsel Mueller outside of established protocol for record preservation, raising the possibility that he destroyed government records. The destruction of the laptop was reported to the DOJ Office of Inspector General.   
    • SA Giardina instructed agents to use false Emolument Clause predication on President Trump to “dig around.” 
    • SA Giardina was a case agent assigned to the Crimson River case, later changed to Red Maasari. This case was leaked, by whom it is not known, to the Washington Post in August 2024, roughly 90 days before the presidential election, in an attempt to falsely discredit President Trump.

    Read Grassley’s full letter to Bondi and Patel HERE.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WSJ Editorial Highlights Tillis Bill to End Predatory Litigation Funding Practices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published an editorial supporting the Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act, legislation introduced by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) which would impose a new tax on profits earned by third-party entities that finance civil litigation and curb predatory practices in the litigation funding industry.
    Read the full op-ed here or below. 
    Ending a Tax Break for LawsuitsWSJJune 4, 2025
    Why are foreign investment funds that finance predatory lawsuits against U.S. companies allowed to dodge taxes on their legal payouts? Good question, and now North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern are seeking to close this anti-growth loophole.
    Third-party litigation financing has exploded in recent years as private investment funds chase high returns goosed by America’s tort-friendly legal system. Investors give law firms money to recruit plaintiffs and file often meritless lawsuits against companies in return for a share of the eventual settlement or judgment. 
    Annual returns average about 25% thanks to jackpot jury verdicts, which also create an incentive for businesses to settle claims early to avoid costly, drawn-out litigation. In 2023, 39 investors had committed some $15.2 billion in capital to U.S. commercial litigation, according to the litigation finance advisory firm Westfleet Advisors. 
    Investment funds such as Fortress Investment Group have financed major mass torts, including Roundup fertilizer claims against Bayer AG and talc litigation against Johnson & Johnson. Fortress, which is majority owned by an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, has also harassed Apple and Intel with dubious patent lawsuits. 
    Third-party financing arrangements with law firms are typically not required to be disclosed, so foreign investors could be funding lawsuits with the goal of harming U.S. businesses that may be competitors. Bloomberg Law last year detailed how Russian oligarchs had dodged sanctions by funding lawsuits in the U.S. 
    Here’s the kicker: Foreign investors in U.S. litigation don’t have to pay tax on lawsuit proceeds because the tax code exempts foreigners from paying U.S. capital-gains tax, and their legal payouts are treated as capital gains. American litigation funders pay tax at the capital gains rate (23.8%), while the actual plaintiffs in lawsuits pay at the ordinary income rate.
    The preferential tax treatment for funders, especially foreigners, is an incentive to plow money into lawsuits rather than business investment that creates jobs, boosts productivity and improves living standards. Lawsuits do the opposite. Costs of defending against litigation get passed along to workers, consumers and shareholders. 
    Enter Messrs. Tillis and Hern, who are seeking to add a provision to the current tax bill that would require U.S. and foreign litigation funders to pay tax on their earnings at the ordinary income rate (typically 37%), plus a 3.8% surcharge. This could discourage excessive litigation, which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says costs U.S. households some $4,200 each in 2022.
    Will Hild of the right-leaning outfit Consumers’ Research recently tweeted that the Tillis-Hern provision would “rob everyday Americans of a fundamental tool in fighting back” against “large, woke corporations.” This is a giant red herring. The provision wouldn’t ban third-party funding lawsuits. It would merely eliminate a tax break for them.
    Excessive litigation is a tax on everyday Americans, which is why Republican Governors like Georgia’s Brian Kemp and Florida’s Ron DeSantis have championed tort reform. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt last week signed legislation that will ban lawsuit funding from entities controlled by foreign adversaries and cap non-economic damages in personal injury suits at $500,000. 
    The plaintiffs lobby has the Senate votes to block national tort reform with a 60-vote filibuster. But Republicans only need 51 votes in their reconciliation bill to ensure that the tax code doesn’t give the Abu Dhabi wealth fund a tax break for funding lawsuits that harm America. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Bennet Introduce Bill to Strengthen Quad Space Cooperation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    Click here for audio.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the “Quad,” is an informal strategic forum for the militaries of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. The partnership between the four countries is built upon common interests: promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific and addressing regional geopolitical challenges.  

    At a time when adversaries like China and Russia are increasingly utilizing space-based capabilities to expand their interests, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee, and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Quad Space Act of 2025. The bill would direct the Secretary of Defense to initiate discussions with Quad countries to identify mutual areas of interest with respect to the formulation of best practices in space, cooperation on space situational awareness, and space industrial policy. 

    The Quad Space Act of 2025 would also require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, detailing potential areas of mutual interests. Additionally, the report must outline potential steps the Secretary intends to take to formalize cooperation among Quad members. 

    “Maintaining space dominance is vital to protecting the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” said Cramer. “The Quad’s alignment addresses shared security challenges between our countries, and we recognize the importance of space as a strategic domain. The Quad Space Act protects our interests by deepening space cooperation with trusted partners and reaffirming our commitment to advancing a free and open region.”  

    “As China and Russia rapidly develop dangerous space capabilities and behave recklessly in space, the United States must bolster cooperation with our Quad partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Bennet. “The Quad Space Act will enhance our collective capacity to address shared challenges by better ensuring safe and secure space missions, tracking objects and activities in space, and fostering shared innovation.” 

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Introduces Bill to Ban to Protect American Agriculture from Biothreats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    June 5, 2025

    Cotton Introduces Bill to Ban to Protect American Agriculture from Biothreats

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Biothreat Prevention Act, legislation that would ban federal funding for laboratories or research centers that have nationals from China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, or North Korea working on agricultural research.

    “Foreign terrorists that seek to poison and destroy America’s food supply should not have access to American labs and universities,” said Senator Cotton.

    Full text of the bill may be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Kyivstar Group Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results in Conjunction with its Nasdaq Listing Process

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Total operating revenue reaches USD 255 million or UAH 10.6 billion, up 37.1% year-on-year in USD and 49.6% in local currency terms
    • Profit for the period amounts to USD 44 million, up 22.2% year-on-year in USD and 33.7% in local currency terms, with a profit margin of 17.3%
    • Adjusted EBITDA1 reaches USD 140 million, up 50.5% year-on-year in USD and 64.6% in local currency terms, with an adjusted EBITDA margin1 of 54.9%
    • Completes acquisition of Uklon, Ukraine’s leading ride-hailing business, and increases stake in Ukraine’s leading digital health platform Helsi, subsequent to quarter-end

    KYIV, Ukraine, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kyivstar Group, Ukraine’s leading digital operator (“Kyivstar Group” or “the Company”) and a subsidiary of VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON) (“VEON Group” or “VEON”), today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

      1Q25 1Q24 YoY 1Q25 1Q24 YoY
      USD mln or % UAH bln or %
    Total operating revenue 255 186 37.1 % 10.6 7.1 49.6 %
    Profit for the period 44 36 22.2 % 1.8 1.4 33.7 %
    Adj. EBITDA1 140 93 50.5 % 5.8 3.6 64.6 %
    Average UAH/USD exchange rates: 1Q25: 41.7563 UAH/USD; 1Q24: 38.1727 UAH/USD
    End-of period UAH/USD exchange rates as of March 31, 2025: 41.4787 UAH/USD; as of March 31, 2024: 39.2214 UAH/USD
    1For more information, see section titled “Presentation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures” at the end of this press release, including the reconciliations of non-IFRS measures to IFRS measures.
     

    “Kyivstar Group continues to deliver exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders, leveraging our market-leading network and innovative digital services to drive growth,” said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar Group. “Our first quarter results reflect the strength of our digital operator strategy, delivering robust financial growth. In parallel, we continue to invest in strategic opportunities that drive Ukraine’s digital future, such as the acquisition of Uklon and increasing our stake in Helsi. We are excited to complement this operational performance with the continued progress towards our plans to list Kyivstar Group on the Nasdaq Stock Market.” 

    First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operational Highlights

    • Robust Revenue Growth: Total operating revenue for 1Q25 was USD 255 million, up 37.1% year-on-year in USD and 49.6% year-on-year in local currency terms. This result includes the impact of the customer appreciation program undertaken by the Company in the first quarter of 2024 following a cyber security incident at the end of 2023, which lowered revenue in the first quarter of 2024 by an estimated USD 46 million (UAH 1.7 billion) in value. Excluding the impact of the customer appreciation program, local currency revenue growth was 20.1% year-on-year in 1Q25.
    • Strong Profitability: Adjusted EBITDA for 1Q25 was USD 140 million, up 50.5% year-on-year. This represents an adjusted EBITDA margin of 54.9% in 1Q25. In local currency terms, 1Q25 adjusted EBITDA growth was 64.6% year-on-year, and adjusted EBITDA margin was 54.9%, driven by revenue growth and a decrease in operating costs. Excluding the impact of the customer appreciation program, local currency adjusted EBITDA growth was 10.2% year-on-year in 1Q25.
    • Multiplay Customers Supporting Growth: The Multiplay customer base, which are customers who use at least one digital application in addition to 4G data and voice connectivity, was up by 40.7% year-on-year to 6.1 million customers, and represented 29.5% of one-month-active mobile customersi reflecting increased adoption of digital products.
    • Digital Services Users: Total digital monthly active users across Kyivstar Group’s digital applications MyKyivstar, Kyivstar TV and Helsi reached 10.3 million in 1Q25, up 32.9% from 7.7 million a year earlier.

    Strategic Milestones:

    • Announced business combination agreement with Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I (Nasdaq: CCIR) (“Cohen Circle”), beginning the process for Kyivstar Group to be the only pure-play Ukrainian investment opportunity on U.S. stock markets.
    • Completed the acquisition of Uklon, a leading Ukrainian ride-hailing and delivery platform, for approximately USD 155.2 million in April 2025. Uklon operates in 28 cities across Ukraine and facilitated more than 100 million rides and 3 million deliveries in 2024, and also provides ride-hailing services in Uzbekistan.
    • Increased ownership stake in Helsi, Ukraine’s largest digital platform, from 69.99% to 97.99% in May 2025. Helsi is a digital data management platform supporting the provision of healthcare services and improving patients’ access to healthcare with over 9.4 million appointments booked in the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The results announcement is made concurrently with Kyivstar Group and VEON Holdings B.V.’s filing of a registration statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-287802) in conjunction with Kyivstar’s anticipated listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) following the anticipated completion of a business combination with Cohen Circle that was previously announced on March 18, 2025.

    With the announcement of its 1Q2025 results, Kyivstar Group also updated the investor presentation available to its potential investors. A copy of the investor presentation will be available on a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Cohen Circle with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    Kyivstar Group Ltd. and VEON Holdings B.V. have filed on June 5, 2025 a registration statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-287802) (as may be amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement) as co-registrants that includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of Cohen Circle and a preliminary prospectus of Kyivstar Group. When available, Cohen Circle will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the business combination and other relevant documents to its shareholders. This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the business combination and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the business combination. VEON, Cohen Circle and Kyivstar Group may also file other documents regarding the business combination with the SEC. Cohen Circle’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Registration Statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed in connection with the business combination, as these materials will contain important information. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed or will be filed with the SEC by Cohen Circle through the website maintained by the SEC website at www.sec.gov or by directing a written request to: Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I, 2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

    About Kyivstar Group

    Kyivstar Group operates Ukraine’s leading digital operator, serving more than 23 million mobile customers and over 1.1 million home internet fixed line customers as of December 31, 2024. Kyivstar Group and its subsidiaries provide services across a wide range of mobile and fixed line technologies, including 4G, big data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, digital TV, and more. VEON, together with Kyivstar Group, intends to invest USD 1 billion in Ukraine during 2023-2027, through social investments in infrastructure and technological development, charitable donations and strategic acquisitions. Kyivstar Group and its subsidiaries have been operating in Ukraine for more than 27 years. For more information, visit: www.kyivstar.ua.

    About VEON

    VEON is a digital operator that provides converged connectivity and digital services to nearly 160 million customers. Operating across six countries that are home to more than 7% of the world’s population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is listed on Nasdaq. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com.

    About Cohen Circle

    Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by investment firm Cohen Circle, LLC and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more technology and/or financial services businesses. Cohen Circle’s units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “CCIRU,” “CCIR” and “CCIRW,” respectively.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions mentioned herein or the proposed business combination with Cohen Circle. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Cohen Circle, Kyivstar Group, certain shareholders of Cohen Circle, VEON and certain of Cohen Circle’s, Kyivstar Group’s and VEON’s respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Cohen Circle with respect to the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such persons and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination is set forth in the Registration Statement. Free copies of these documents may be obtained from the sources indicated above.

    Financial Information Presented

    Kyivstar Group’s results and other financial information presented in this document are, unless otherwise stated, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and have not been externally reviewed and/or audited. The financial information included in this document is preliminary and is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to inherent uncertainties and subject to change. The financial information presented herein is based on internal management accounts, is the responsibility of management and is subject to financial closing procedures which have not yet been completed and has not been audited, reviewed or verified. Certain amounts and percentages that appear in this document have been subject to rounding adjustments. As a result, certain numerical figures shown as totals, may not be an exact arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede or follow them. Although we believe the information to be reasonable, actual results may vary from the information contained above and such variations could be material. As such, you should not place undue reliance on this information. This information may not be indicative of the actual results for the current period or any future period.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” “would” and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions).

    Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to, among other things, the timing of the closing of the proposed business combination and the listing of Kyivstar Group’s common shares and warrants on Nasdaq, the expected investment opportunity in Kyivstar Group following the closing of the business combination, including the expectation that Kyivstar Group will be the only pure-play Ukrainian investment opportunity and the growth potential of Kyivstar Group. These statements are based on VEON, Cohen Circle and Kyivstar Group management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Kyivstar Group’s, VEON’s or Cohen Circle’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to, the inability to complete the business combination due to the failure to obtain the necessary shareholder approvals or to satisfy other conditions to closing; changes to the proposed structure of the business combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations; the decision by the SEC to deem effective the Registration Statement; the ability to meet the Nasdaq listing standards upon closing of the business combination and admission of Kyivstar Group for trading on Nasdaq; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the escalation or de-escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine; the successful integration of Uklon; continued growth in digital services; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in the Registration Statement filed by Kyivstar Group with the SEC on June 5, 2025 and in any other subsequent filings with the SEC by Kyivstar Group or Cohen Circle. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which VEON, Kyivstar Group and Cohen Circle cannot predict with accuracy and some of which neither VEON, Kyivstar Group nor Cohen Circle might not even anticipate. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this release. VEON, Kyivstar Group and Cohen Circle do not undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after such date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.

    Presentation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Performance Metrics

    In addition to the results provided in accordance with IFRS throughout this press release, Kyivstar Group has provided the non-IFRS financial measures Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin (the “Non-IFRS Financial Measures”), as well as key performance indicators mobile ARPU, multiplay customers and total digital MAU.

    Kyivstar Group defines Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization, impairment, gain/loss on disposals of non-current assets, net foreign exchange gain and other non-operating gains/losses, net. Kyivstar Group defines Adjusted EBITDA Margin as Adjusted EBITDA divided by total operating revenues. Kyivstar Group uses the Non-IFRS Financial Measures in addition to its results determined in accordance with IFRS in order to evaluate its financial and operating performance, to generate future operating plans and make strategic decisions. Kyivstar Group believes that the Non-IFRS Financial Measures may be helpful to investors because they provide additional tools for investors to use in evaluating its ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing its financial results with other companies operating in similar industries because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance. The Non-IFRS Financial Measures are not intended to replace, and should not be considered superior to, the presentation of the Kyivstar Group financial results in accordance with IFRS. The Non-IFRS Financial Measures may not be comparable to other similarly entitled measures computed by other companies.

    The following table presents reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin to the most directly comparable IFRS financial performance measures, which are profit for the period and profit margin, respectively:

        Three months ended
    March 31,
    2025    		   Three months ended
    March 31,
    2024    		  
    (USD in millions)          
    Profit for the period   44     36  
    Income taxes   14     9  
    Profit before tax   58     45  
    Depreciation   31     31  
    Amortization   13     12  
    Impairment, net   2     1  
    Finance costs   21     21  
    Finance income   (7)     (8)  
    Other non-operating gain/(loss), net   1     (1)  
    Net foreign exchange (loss)/gain   21     (8)  
    Adjusted EBITDA   140     93  
    Profit margin   17%     19%  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin   55%     50%  
                 

    Key Performance Indicators

    Mobile ARPU measures the monthly average revenue per mobile user. Kyivstar Group calculates mobile ARPU by dividing its mobile service revenue (excluding guest roaming and wholesale interconnection revenue) during the relevant period by the average number of its mobile customers during the period and dividing by the number of months in that period. Mobile service revenue used to calculate mobile ARPU excludes guest roaming and wholesale interconnection revenue, as this revenue is not generated by Kyivstar Group’s customers but are proceeds received by other operators for the services received by its subscribers.

    Multiplay customers are doubleplay 4G customers who also used one or more of Kyivstar Group’s digital products at any time during the one month prior to such measurement date.

    Total digital MAU is a gross total cumulative MAU of applications offered. Under this metric, a single individual who is active in more than one application is counted as a separate MAU under each such application, such that the total digital MAUs may include individuals being counted more than once.

    Contact Information

    Kyivstar Group

    Media and Investor Contact:
    Kyivstar@icrinc.com

    VEON Media Contact
    Email: pr@veon.com

    i Multiplay as a % of total active Kyivstar one-month subscriber base in March 2025 (unique active subscribers over one-month period)

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Kyivstar Group Reaches Nasdaq Listing Milestone with Public Filing of Registration Statement on Form F-4

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KYIV, Ukraine, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kyivstar Group Ltd., Ukraine’s leading digital operator (“Kyivstar Group” or “the Company”) and a subsidiary of VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON) (“VEON Group” or “VEON”), today announced the public filing of its Registration Statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

    This filing represents a milestone in Kyivstar Group’s plans to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) following the anticipated completion of a business combination with Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I (Nasdaq: CCIR) (“Cohen Circle”) that was announced on March 18, 2025.

    Today, as we announce the public filing of our Registration Statement, we are excited to complement our operational performance with the continued progress towards our plans to list Kyivstar Group on the Nasdaq Stock Market,”  said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar Group.  “We are excited to be a company that not only delivers exceptional value to our customers, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity for U.S. and global investors interested in Ukraine’s growth and resilience.”

    The closing of the business combination is expected to occur during the third quarter of 2025 and is subject to the approval of Cohen Circle’s shareholders and other customary closing conditions.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    Kyivstar Group Ltd. and VEON Holdings B.V. have filed on June 5, 2025 a registration statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-287802) (as may be amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement”) as co-registrants that includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of Cohen Circle and a preliminary prospectus of Kyivstar Group. When available, Cohen Circle will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the business combination and other relevant documents to its shareholders. This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the business combination and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the business combination.  VEON, Cohen Circle and Kyivstar Group may also file other documents regarding the business combination with the SEC. Cohen Circle’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Registration Statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed in connection with the business combination, as these materials will contain important information. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed or will be filed with the SEC by Cohen Circle through the website maintained by the SEC website at www.sec.gov or by directing a written request to: Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I, 2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

    About Kyivstar Group

    Kyivstar Group operates Ukraine’s leading provider of mobile communication, serving more than 23 million mobile customers and over 1.1 million home internet fixed line customers as of December 31, 2024. Kyivstar Group and its subsidiaries provide services across a wide range of mobile and fixed line technologies, including 4G, big data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, digital TV, and more. VEON, together with Kyivstar Group, intends to invest USD 1 billion in Ukraine by 2027, through social investments in infrastructure and technological development, charitable donations and strategic acquisitions. Kyivstar Group and its subsidiaries have been operating in Ukraine for more than 27 years. For more information, visit: www.kyivstar.ua

    About VEON

    VEON is a digital operator that provides converged connectivity and digital services to nearly 160 million customers. Operating across six countries that are home to more than 7% of the world’s population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is listed on Nasdaq. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com.

    About Cohen Circle

    Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by investment firm Cohen Circle, LLC and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more technology and/or financial services businesses. Cohen Circle’s units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “CCIRU,” “CCIR” and “CCIRW,” respectively.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions mentioned herein or the proposed business combination with Cohen Circle. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Cohen Circle, Kyivstar Group, certain shareholders of Cohen Circle, VEON and certain of Cohen Circle’s, Kyivstar Group’s and VEON’s respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Cohen Circle with respect to the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such persons and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination is set forth in the Registration Statement. Free copies of these documents may be obtained from the sources indicated above.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” “would” and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions).

    Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to, among other things, the timing of the closing of the proposed business combination and the listing of Kyivstar Group’s common shares and warrants on Nasdaq, the expected investment opportunity in Kyivstar Group following the closing of the business combination, including the expectation that Kyivstar Group will be the only pure-play Ukrainian investment opportunity and the growth potential of Kyivstar Group. These statements are based on VEON, Cohen Circle and Kyivstar Group management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Kyivstar Group’s, VEON’s or Cohen Circle’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to, the inability to complete the business combination due to the failure to obtain the necessary shareholder approvals or to satisfy other conditions to closing; changes to the proposed structure of the business combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations; the decision by the SEC to deem effective the Registration Statement; the ability to meet the Nasdaq listing standards upon closing of the business combination and admission of Kyivstar Group for trading on Nasdaq; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the escalation or de-escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine; the successful integration of Uklon; continued growth in digital services; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in the Registration Statement filed by Kyivstar Group with the SEC on June 5, 2025 and in any other subsequent filings with the SEC by Kyivstar Group or Cohen Circle. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which VEON, Kyivstar Group and Cohen Circle cannot predict with accuracy and some of which neither VEON, Kyivstar Group nor Cohen Circle might not even anticipate. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this release. VEON, Kyivstar Group and Cohen Circle do not undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after such date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.

    Contact Information

    Kyivstar Group

    Media and Investor Contact:
    Kyivstar@icrinc.com

    VEON

    Media Contact:
    Email: pr@veon.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Introduces Legislation to Secure America’s Satellite Systems

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025. The legislation aims to strengthen America’s national security by preventing foreign adversaries from accessing and compromising America’s satellite systems.
    U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) is co-leading the bill with Fischer. Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.“Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably. My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure,” said Fischer.
    “As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries. This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future,” said Luján. Background: 
    The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk. 
    It amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems and includes gateway stations within its scope. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
    Click here to read text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Average price of MTPL policy in Q1 was 6.9 thousand rubles

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    In January-March 2025, the cost of a classic MTPL policy for ordinary motorists was on average 5.1% lower than a year earlier (7.3 thousand rubles). They issued almost 8.3 million such compulsory motor insurance contracts.

    Another 1.5 million classic MTPL policies were issued to other categories of policyholders (public transport, business representatives, etc.). In the first quarter, about 0.9 million were concluded.short-term OSAGO contractsThese policies are in demand mainly among taxi drivers, who took them out for an average of two days for 272 rubles.

    The total amount of premiums under compulsory motor third party liability insurance amounted to 73.9 billion rubles, and payments amounted to 51.7 billion rubles.

    Overall, the insurance market in Q1 increased almost 1.5 times, to 845.4 billion rubles. As in the previous year, almost all of the growth was provided by the segment of accumulative and investment life insurance. The volume of payments for this period increased more than twofold, to 602.5 billion rubles. Read more about the situation on the market in“Review of key performance indicators of insurers”.

    Preview photo: LeManna / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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

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

    HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 24681

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: Rosprirodnadzor’s systematic work allows us to identify and fairly stop environmental violations

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On Ecologist Day, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev spoke at a meeting of the board of Rosprirodnadzor. He spoke about the department’s successes last year and outlined the tasks for the current year.

    “Our country is consistently moving towards achieving environmental well-being. It is Rosprirodnadzor that the state has entrusted with the responsible role of verifying the quality of measures implemented within the framework of the national project of the same name in this large-scale process. This concerns control over wastewater treatment, elimination of accumulated damage, as well as the level of air pollution and other areas of work. In all these areas, a rational supervision system has been built, which, in general, allows us to identify and fairly suppress environmental violations,” Dmitry Patrushev emphasized.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that in 2024, the service’s activities provided almost 32.5 billion rubles in revenues to the consolidated budget, which is 30% more than the forecast expectations. The bulk of these funds are directed to environmental programs in regional budgets.

    The department’s activities actively include electronic services, including for collecting reports and budget administration. From 2020 to 2025, the number of services provided digitally increased 16 times and now covers their entire range. Dmitry Patrushev added that digitalization will help expand the remote control system, which in turn will increase the mobility of Rosprirodnadzor and the number of events carried out.

    The Deputy Prime Minister reported that in 2024, the number of preventive visits and warnings from the department exceeded 80 thousand, which is almost twice as much as the year before. At the same time, the number of scheduled inspections is decreasing. Last year, 30% fewer of them were carried out than in 2023.

    Rosprirodnadzor also continues to assess the impact of accumulated harm on the environment for inclusion in the relevant register. Last year, more than 230 accumulated harm objects were surveyed and assessed in 49 regions.

    Dmitry Patrushev outlined the department’s tasks for the current year, including within the framework of work to complete the construction of treatment facilities on the Volga and Baikal, issuing comprehensive environmental permits, and administering the extended producer responsibility reform.

    Rosprirodnadzor is also assigned a key role in the experiment on quotas for pollutant emissions in cities participating in the federal project “Clean Air”. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the list of such objects and the quota sizes should be established this year.

    In conclusion, Dmitry Patrushev noted that over the past six years, funding for Rosprirodnadzor and its subordinate institutions has increased by 3.5 times. In addition, in 2025, the Government has additionally allocated 6 billion rubles to increase salaries for employees of the agency over the coming years, which will also help attract young, motivated specialists to the industry.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova visited the Noginsky boarding house in the Moscow region

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On the eve of Social Worker Day, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova visited the gerontology department of the Noginsky boarding house in Chernogolovka, Moscow Region.

    “Today’s visit is connected with the fact that our colleagues, workers of the social service system, have a professional holiday. These are incredible people who give themselves to those who come to them with their difficult life situations. I sincerely want to thank all social workers of the country for this work, for the love for those people to whom they give themselves,” Tatyana Golikova congratulated the workers.

    During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister inspected the boarding house and talked to residents and staff. The institution has double occupancy, an assembly hall, a tea room, a library, and a physical therapy room.

    “Today in the Moscow Region we are also getting acquainted with active longevity technologies, which, on the instructions of the head of state, we will implement from January 1, 2025, as part of the national project “Family”. I am sure that thanks to such technologies, the number of senior citizens will grow. We see that technologies allow us to nurse even the most seriously ill patients so that they return to life, to society and become active. Now we are working in two areas: to support the older generation and those people who need help, people with disabilities, people who suffered during a special military operation, and their families. We are actively developing a long-term care system. By 2030, on the instructions of the head of state, 500 thousand of our citizens should be covered by long-term care, now it is 174 thousand. Such social homes are also one of the areas. As part of our project, together with the regions, we will carry out major repairs of 43 such houses and build 55. The most important thing is that these are not the same nursing homes that were before. This is a completely new look for social homes, where people who come here find their family, and sometimes even get married,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    The department employs 35 people, and is home to 45 elderly and disabled people. They have daily classes – Nordic walking, fitness, drawing, beading, string art, decoupage, dancing, cooking, and also have their own choir. All residents undergo annual medical examinations.

    In 2025, the boarding house took first place in the country as the best organization with the safest and most harmless working conditions.

    In total, there are 36 state-run boarding houses in the Moscow region, where 7 thousand elderly citizens and disabled people live.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: Seven winners of the third wave of selection of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence will receive 4.7 billion rubles

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    At the Government Coordination Centre, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the results of the selection of the third wave of research centres in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The winning universities and research organisations will receive grants to conduct research and create breakthrough world-class industry solutions.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko reported that the winners were HSE University, Innopolis, ISP RAS, ITMO University, MIPT, Skoltech, and for the first time, Lomonosov Moscow State University will be involved in the research.

    “Each of the seven selected third wave centers will receive 676 million rubles for two years – until 2026 – to conduct fundamental research in the field of strong, trusted, multi-agent AI. The total amount of budget funding will be 4.7 billion rubles for all centers,” he added.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin set the task of focusing on fundamental areas in the field of AI and conducting research in other areas, but with the mandatory use of AI technologies. Within the framework of the federal project “Artificial Intelligence”, the operator of which is the Ministry of Economic Development, a grant competition is being held for research centers.

    “Investments in AI research centers have already proven their effectiveness. The first wave of centers dealt with issues of strong, trusted, ethical artificial intelligence. The second wave is dedicated to industry research for medicine, transport, industry and smart cities. These centers create almost half of all Russian scientific groundwork in AI. President Vladimir Putin set the task of publishing at least 450 papers at top-level conferences in the field of AI in the world by 2030 – A*. We see that investments are achieving results, so the Government continues to develop such support programs,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

    He added that an important foresight session on fundamental and exploratory research in the field of AI was held in 2024. At it, leading Russian scientists with a global reputation identified 10 priority areas for the development of science in the field of artificial intelligence in the coming years.

    “These areas are a strategic benchmark for public investment, which, as a rule, also attracts off-budget investment. The selection of the third wave was carried out taking into account these priorities, and we plan to conduct further research in Russia in relation to them. The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Education and Science are also preparing a unified research program in the field of AI, which will consolidate this logic,” concluded Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    He asked the selected centers to support the winners and prize winners of the AI Olympiads, who also took part in the event.

    A total of 19 applications from centers from 10 regions of Russia were submitted for selection. The centers’ programs state the key areas of foresight in fundamental and exploratory research in the field of AI, conducted in 2024: agent/multi-agent systems, elements of strong AI, fundamental and generative AI models.

    “Artificial intelligence today has a significant impact on the development of many sectors of the economy. On the instructions of the President, the national strategy for the development of AI until 2030 is being implemented. Support for the activities of research centers in this area is a critically important tool that allows us to create a research base for the comprehensive development of sovereign AI in the country,” said First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Kolesnikov.

    Grigory Bokov, Director of the Research Center for Artificial Intelligence at Lomonosov Moscow State University, said that the goal of their center is to develop modern artificial intelligence technologies, including in the direction of so-called general artificial intelligence, capable of solving a wide range of problems, just as humans do.

    “We combine deep scientific research with applied developments that can already be in demand in the economy, industry, medicine and education. The project involves specialists from seven departments of Moscow State University, including leading Russian and foreign scientists,” he said.

    Expert support for the competitive selection and subsequent support for the implementation of research center activity programs is provided by the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments (SAPFIR), a project office created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation.

    “In the next two years, SAPFIR will focus on supporting research centers to achieve all their goals in both the scientific and commercial parts. Their activities will contribute to the creation of a technological reserve for Russia in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as attracting and developing the best personnel in the country,” said SAPFIR Director Tatyana Soyuznova.

    Let us recall that in 2021, the first wave of research centers in the field of AI was selected as part of the federal project “Artificial Intelligence” (national program “Digital Economy”). Six scientific and educational organizations received state support totaling more than 8 billion rubles. Their work resulted in 165 articles in leading scientific journals, 206 publications at top-level conferences, as well as the creation and support of 15 frameworks. Together with 36 industrial partners, including Sber, Yandex, MTS and other large companies, the centers have already implemented about 50 applied solutions.

    As part of the second selection wave, support was received by industry AI centers based at leading universities and research centers, such as the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, S.P. Korolev Samara University, and others. These centers focus on training industry specialists, creating databases, and supporting specialized frameworks. RUB 3.8 billion from the federal budget has been allocated to finance their activities in 2023–2026.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev and Kirov Region Governor Alexander Sokolov discussed agricultural development and regional environmental issues

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with Kirov Region Governor Alexander Sokolov. They discussed the development of the region’s agro-industrial complex, as well as the environmental agenda.

    The Kirov Region maintains its position in the ranking of regions – leaders in milk production volume, according to this indicator it is among the five largest in the Russian Federation. It constantly demonstrates growth. Last year, Kirov livestock breeders received almost 860 thousand tons of milk.

    The sowing campaign is coming to an end in the region. Spring crops have been sown on about 300 thousand hectares (more than 84% of the area). Dmitry Patrushev drew attention to the fact that farmers must be provided with all the necessary resources to carry out field work.

    The meeting also discussed issues of ecology and nature conservation. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the Kirov Region is rich in forest resources and issues related to forest management are strategic for the socio-economic development of the region.

    Alexander Sokolov spoke about the development of the waste management system in the Kirov Region. By 2030, the region plans to create 10 solid municipal waste management infrastructure facilities. The most significant project for the region is the construction of the Central waste processing complex in the Slobodskoy District. The enterprise will become one of the elements of the smart waste collection system, its sorting and processing into raw materials for further production.

    The meeting summed up the results of the implementation of the national project “Ecology” in the region. In the Kirov region, six unauthorized dumps were eliminated, measures were taken to preserve forests and improve the system of handling solid municipal waste. Almost 3 billion rubles were allocated from the federal budget for these purposes.

    Within the framework of the new national project “Environmental Well-being”, which was launched this year, work in these areas will continue.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 700 thousand meters of barrier fences will be installed on roads this year under the national project “Infrastructure for Life”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Thanks to the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, large-scale work is being carried out in the regions of the country not only to update the road network, but also to equip facilities with safety elements.

    “Improving the safety of all road users is one of the key objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, especially with the growing level of motorization, traffic intensity and population mobility. To implement it, large-scale work is being carried out in the regions participating in the national project not only to update the road network, but also to equip facilities with safety elements. Every repaired kilometer of road, traffic light and illuminated section is a contribution to preventing accidents and protecting Russians. In 2025, more than 700 traffic lights, almost 219 thousand meters of street lighting lines, over 700 thousand meters of barriers and 123 thousand meters of pedestrian fences will be installed in the participating regions. Specialists will equip more than 485 thousand meters of sidewalks and 14.5 thousand meters of pedestrian paths, 4.4 thousand meters of rumble strips, and install almost 96.1 thousand road signs,” he said. Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.

    On the instructions of the President of Russia, the mortality rate from road accidents must be reduced by 1.5 times by 2030 and by 2 times by 2036 compared to the 2023 figure.

    “The solution to these problems will require the expansion of interdepartmental cooperation in all key positions in the field of road safety. We have positive experience in implementing the previous national project. Its distinctive feature was that road works were carried out in a comprehensive manner. The current pace must be maintained in the new national project “Infrastructure for Life”. This year, to achieve its indicators, road works will be carried out on almost 26 thousand km of the federal, regional and local road network. Accordingly, measures will be taken to ensure road safety at the sites,” said Transport Minister Roman Starovoit.

    Particular attention is paid to routes to socially significant facilities, where infrastructure elements are designed taking into account increased pedestrian traffic.

    “This year, we plan to bring almost 3,000 km of regional and local roads leading to educational institutions, more than 2,000 km of roads to tourist attractions, and the same number to medical institutions into compliance with the regulations. Each facility must be served by a high-quality road with the necessary elements to ensure the safety of road users,” emphasized Igor Kostyuchenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency.

    Such work is actively carried out in the Republic of Ingushetia. Particular attention is paid to those routes that are most in demand by children during the summer holidays: these are approaches to summer and health camps, sports facilities, and playgrounds. This year, the republic plans to install almost 380 road signs, 33 pedestrian crossings, 8 speed bumps, 18,000 linear meters of sidewalks, and 196 linear meters of pedestrian fencing.

    In Krasnoyarsk Krai, about 20 km of sidewalks will be installed under the national project. In addition, new lighting lines with a length of almost 30 km will be installed within the boundaries of populated areas. It will become lighter this year in the village of Sizaya in Shushensky District, the city of Lesosibirsk in Yenisei District, the settlement of Novoangarsk in Motyginsky District, and the village of Bol’shiye Knyshi in Idrinsky District. About 64.5 km of metal barrier fencing will also be installed.

    Sidewalk construction is actively underway in the Moscow Region. In total, it is planned to build more than 60 km of sidewalks on 70 sites. In particular, in Serpukhov, work is being carried out on several sections of the Serpukhov-Glazovo-Kuzmenki highway at once: from the Sudimlya stop to the intersection with the A-108 highway and further to the Ryblovo stop, on the approach to the stops in the village of Novaya. In the Odintsovo District, a sidewalk is being built along the Zvenigorodskoye Highway in Golitsyno – it will provide residents with convenient access to the railway station and nearby infrastructure. In the Ramensky District, work is being carried out in the village of Ryleevo near the Ganusovskaya School, this will allow students to safely get to the educational institution. The new sidewalk will also make the path to the kindergarten, sports ground and Memory Alley comfortable.

    The installation of cable barriers is another effective measure to reduce accidents: by separating traffic flows, the probability of driving into the oncoming lane is reduced and head-on collisions are prevented. Road workers have already completed more than half of the planned volume of work on installing such barriers – about 15 km out of the planned 30 km. In eight municipal and urban districts, the installation of cables has been fully completed: in Istra, Kashira, Kolomna, Krasnogorsk, Solnechnogorsk, Shchyolkovo, Sergiev Posad and Leninsky districts.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow hosts photo exhibition in honor of 80th anniversary of Victory in Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, June 5 (Xinhua) — A photo exhibition titled “Shoulder to Shoulder – Towards a Common Victory” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Moscow on Thursday.

    The event featured unique photographs from the Xinhua archive, which captured key events of the war years and the heroic feat of the Chinese people in the war, and also reflected the contribution of China and the Soviet Union to the victory over fascism and militarism. In addition, visitors were able to see modern photographs telling about the development of Russian-Chinese military and cultural-humanitarian cooperation in recent years.

    Opening the exhibition, First Deputy Chairperson of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society Galina Kulikova recalled that on May 9, Russia solemnly celebrated the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The festive parade on Red Square was attended by leaders of a number of foreign countries, and the main guest was the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, she noted.

    “These events are a tribute to the Great Victory of our countries. We, on the Western Front, and China, on the Eastern Front, won a decisive victory. This Victory was achieved by our countries at the cost of more than 64 million lives. In the name of those who gave their lives so that we can gather today, celebrate these dates, and solve the problems that the heads of our states set for us, we are obliged to and will always remember them,” said G. Kulikova.

    The Plenipotentiary Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the Russian Federation Zhang Wei noted the dedication of the peoples of China and Russia in the fight against militarism and fascism, as well as the fact that during the war a deep friendship arose between the countries, which became a powerful incentive for the comprehensive development of bilateral relations.

    “At the new historical starting point of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, under the strategic leadership of the leaders of the two countries, China and Russia will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder, interact side by side, and hand in hand advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we will write a brilliant chapter of just and peaceful development,” he stressed.

    The First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation, former Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov, for his part, pointed out that the joint statement of the Russian Federation and China, adopted following the state visit of Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping to Moscow, said a lot about the war, about preserving and passing on historical memory to younger generations, and preventing the distortion of historical truth.

    “The Soviet Union and China are named at the very beginning of the first chapter of the joint statement as ‘the main theatres of military operations in Europe and Asia’. It is emphasized that they have become ‘two key forces’ in the fight against fascism and militarism,” he added, noting that he is looking forward to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, which will be held in China in September. According to him, this will be a significant political event.

    Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Dmitry Novikov expressed the opinion that the photo exhibition will become part of the commemorative events dedicated to the two 80th anniversaries. He noted that in China, as in Russia, great attention is paid to preserving the memory of the war and the fight against the falsification of history.

    “This is extremely important from the point of view of ensuring that such tragedies do not happen again. It depends on each of us that the horrors of wars, the horrors of fascist terror do not happen again. Our peoples, who made the greatest sacrifices on the altar of Victory, can, must and are obliged to do more for this than others,” he emphasized.

    The exhibition was prepared by the Xinxia Asia-Europe Bureau, China lmage Group, the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society and the Chinese Cultural Center. The co-organizers were the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia and the Passion company. The event was held with the support of the Chinese Embassy in the Russian Federation. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Armenian Prime Minister and Turkish President discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the region during a telephone conversation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Yerevan, June 5 (Xinhua) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, the press service of the head of the Armenian government reported.

    The interlocutors discussed issues of Armenian-Turkish relations and regional processes, reaching an agreement to continue the dialogue.

    Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, speaking in the country’s parliament on the same day, said that despite the lack of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, the two countries are engaged in a very active and productive dialogue. -0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Belarus sees growth in foreign trade turnover of goods in the first four months of 2025 — Belstat

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    MINSK, June 5 /Xinhua/ — Belarus’ foreign trade turnover of goods in January-April 2025 amounted to 100.02 percent of the same period last year, the Belarusian National Statistical Committee (Belstat) reported on Thursday.

    In the first four months of 2025, foreign trade turnover of goods amounted to 27.042 billion US dollars, including exports of 12.39 billion dollars and imports of 14.652 billion dollars.

    Compared to the level of January-April 2024, the turnover of foreign trade in goods calculated in current prices amounted to 100.02 percent, exports – 96 percent, imports – 103.7 percent. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov took part in the meeting of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov took part in the annual meeting of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov.

    At the meeting, the heads of the working groups of the Advisory Council summed up the results of the previous year’s activities and voiced proposals for the development of the radio-electronic industry, agricultural and transport engineering, as well as international cooperation. In addition, it was proposed to create additional working groups – on metallurgy and heavy engineering.

    The Advisory Council was formed on April 10, 2014 (Order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade No. 673). The Advisory Council includes 11 ministers of the USSR, RSFSR and the Russian Federation in the main industries: chemical, construction, electrical engineering, machine tool building, transport, defense, trade and heavy engineering. Meetings of the Advisory Council are held annually.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Five countries elected to serve on UN Security Council

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, and Liberia were elected on Tuesday to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, with two-year terms beginning in January 2026.

    They will serve through the end of 2027 on the UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

    They will join the five non-permanent members elected last year – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – who will serve through 2026. The incoming members will succeed Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025.

    The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – who hold veto power, and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms.

    Elections are held annually by secret ballot, with seats allocated by regional group. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly to be elected.

    Vote tally

    A total of 188 Member States participated in the election, which required only one round of balloting.

    In the African and Asia-Pacific group, Bahrain received 186 votes, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) garnered 183 votes, and Liberia received 181 votes, with one country abstaining.

    In the Eastern European group, Latvia received 178 votes while 10 countries abstained.

    In the Latin America and the Caribbean group, Colombia received 180 votes, with eight countries abstaining.

    Debut for Latvia

    Latvia will take a seat on the Council for the first time in its history.

    With the exception of Latvia, all the elected countries have previously served: Colombia seven times, the DRC twice, and Bahrain and Liberia once each.

    Regional groups

    The non-permanent seats on the Security Council are distributed according to four regional groupings: Africa and Asia; Eastern Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; and the Western European and other States group.

    This year’s election filled five seats: two allocated to Africa, one to Asia-Pacific, one to Eastern Europe, and one to Latin America and the Caribbean.

    By Vibhu Mishra

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: More than 250 million people speak it – but do you know what «авось» means? | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Russian Language Day is celebrated at the United Nations on 6 June – the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, widely regarded as the father of modern Russian literature.

    Join us in marking the day with a special video to discover uniquely untranslatable Russian words!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxLERQmBf-A

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Fischer Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Secure America’s Satellite Systems

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, introduced the bipartisan Secure Space Act of 2025 to protect America’s satellite systems from foreign threats and strengthen national security.
    Companion legislation – sponsored by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) – passed the U.S. House on April 28, 2025.
    “As satellite technology continues to advance, so do the threats to our national security. The Secure Space Act blocks satellite licenses for untrusted entities and protects our skies from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Luján. “This bill would help protect U.S. innovation and defend our communications networks from foreign entities that seek to hijack our future.”
    “Americans rely on crucial communications services provided by our satellite systems now more than ever. That’s why we must prevent foreign adversaries like Communist China and Russia from undermining our ability to utilize these services safely and reliably,” said Senator Fischer. “My bill strengthens our communications infrastructure against these vulnerabilities to make Americans’ network access more secure.”
    Background:
    The Secure Space Act of 2025 prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from granting satellite licenses or U.S. market access for foreign-licensed satellite systems to any entity or its affiliates that produce or provide communications equipment or services deemed a national security risk.
    The legislation amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 to extend this prohibition to both geostationary and non-geostationary orbit satellite systems, including gateway stations. It applies to new licenses and authorizations issued after the bill’s enactment and requires the FCC to establish implementing regulations within one year.
    Click here to read text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China stands ready to continue to work with all parties to build a clean, beautiful and sustainable world – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with all parties to fulfill common but differentiated obligations and promote the building of a clean, beautiful and sustainable world, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday.

    Lin Jian made the statement while answering a question at a regular briefing for reporters.

    June 5 marks World Environment Day. Lin Jian stressed that China has always been a strong advocate of green development. In the 20 years since the concept of “emerald waters and green mountains are priceless treasures” was put forward, China has overcome difficulties in environmental management and properly managed the relationship between development and protection, becoming one of the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity and the most noticeable improvement in air quality in the world, the Chinese diplomat noted.

    Noting that China has also made important contributions to global green transformation, Lin Jian recalled that China has carried out cooperation in green energy projects with more than 100 countries and regions, actively promoted the free circulation of high-quality green technologies and products, and provided more than 80 percent of the world’s photovoltaic components and 70 percent of the world’s wind power equipment.

    A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said China is committed to the policy of putting environmental priority and sustainable development, and expressed the country’s readiness to continue to shoulder the responsibility of a “power that creates conditions for progress” and work with all parties to fulfill common but differentiated responsibilities to help build a clean, beautiful and sustainable world. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Wins AI Research Center Selection

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The Higher School of Economics has become one of the winners of the third wave of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence. The HSE Center for Optimization and Adaptation of Large Fundamental Models (AI Center) will work on creating new methods and tools to make training, use, and adaptation of complex artificial intelligence models cheaper and more efficient.

    At the Russian Government Coordination Center, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the results of the selection of the third wave of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The winning universities and research organizations will receive grants to conduct research and create breakthrough world-class industry solutions.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko reported that the winners were HSE, Innopolis, ISP RAS, ITMO, MIPT, Skoltech, and for the first time, Lomonosov Moscow State University will be involved in the research.

    “Investments in AI research centers have already proven their effectiveness. The first wave of centers dealt with issues of strong, trusted, ethical artificial intelligence. The second wave is dedicated to industry research for medicine, transport, industry and smart cities. These centers create almost half of all Russian scientific groundwork in AI. President Vladimir Putin has set the task of publishing at least 450 papers at top-level conferences in the field of AI in the world by 2030 — A*. We see that investments are achieving results, so the government continues to develop such support programs,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

    A total of 19 applications from centers from 10 regions of Russia were submitted to the competition. The centers’ programs stated key areas of foresight in fundamental and exploratory research in the field of AI, conducted in 2024: agent/multi-agent systems, elements of strong AI, fundamental and generative AI models.

    Expert support for the competitive selection and subsequent support for the implementation of research center activity programs is provided by the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments (SAPFIR), a project office created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation.

    “In 2025, the Strategic Agency for Support and Formation of AI Developments (SAPFIR), created on the basis of the Skolkovo Foundation, acted as the coordinator of the third wave of the competitive selection of research centers in the field of artificial intelligence. Each of the 7 winners will receive 676 million rubles for 2 years to conduct research in the field of strong, trusted, multi-agent artificial intelligence. Over the next 2 years, SAPFIR will focus on supporting research centers to achieve all their goals in both the scientific and commercial parts. Their activities will contribute to the creation of a technological reserve in Russia in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as attracting the best personnel of the country to the development of science in the field of artificial intelligence,” said SAPFIR Director Tatyana Soyuznova.

    The Higher School of Economics has confirmed its readiness to successfully cope with the tasks set thanks to the rich experience accumulated during the previous stages. For the period 2021–2024 HSE AI Center of the first wave has implemented more than 20 socially significant projects and about 30 initiatives for industrial partners. Initially, its activities were focused on companies with a high degree of maturity of AI technologies (IT, fintech, telecommunications), but subsequently the center managed to extend its competencies to less prepared industries, such as tourism, transport, household chemicals and genetics. This made it possible to develop solutions with prospects for scaling in industries, taking into account the priorities of the National Strategy for the Development of AI.

    The HSE AI Center’s third wave program will be aimed at creating new architectures and approaches to reduce training costs, as well as to improve the efficiency and adaptation of large fundamental models. Scientific research will cover four key areas AI foresight: architecture and algorithms of machine learning, development of fundamental and generative models, ensuring security and trust, system management and decision-making. Innovative software products will be used in the financial sector, science and education, information security and the labor market. The center’s partners include the country’s leading technology companies (Sber, VTB, Alfa-Bank, MTS Web Services, Gazprombank, T-Bank, ALMI Partner) and government agencies (the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Federal Service for Labor and Employment (Rostrud)).

    The head of the HSE AI Center will be Alexey Naumov, Doctor of Computer Science, Director Institute of AI and Digital SciencesHe has authored over 40 A* level AI conference publications on high dimensional probability, statistics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and is a member of the AI Alliance scientific advisory board.

    “Our center will focus on creating fundamentally new architectures and effective methods that will significantly reduce the costs of training and operating large fundamental models of artificial intelligence, increase their performance, and expand the range of possible applications,” said Alexey Naumov. “This will allow us to get closer to creating strong artificial intelligence capable of solving the most complex problems and bringing real benefits to society and business. We actively collaborate with leading technology companies and scientific organizations, combining the efforts of the best scientists and practitioners to achieve our goals and make a significant contribution to the future of AI technologies.”

    The core of the HSE AI Center will be Institute of AI and Digital Sciences Faculty of Computer Science at HSE. Leading researchers and experts will also work on projects within the third wave Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), Center of Language and Brain, MIEM im. A.N. Tikhonova, Labor Market Research Laboratories, International Laboratory of Intangible Assets Economy, HSE – Perm, and also Schools of Computer Science, Physics and Technology of the National Research University Higher School of Economics – Saint Petersburg.

    The HSE AI Center project office team, led by Deputy Vice-Rector Elena Kozhina, will coordinate work on projects and initiatives aimed at developing AI technologies and implementing innovative solutions in various sectors of the economy and social sphere. The project office will become a key link in the successful implementation of projects, ensure effective interaction between all participants in the processes and allow for the effective implementation of orders from industrial partners.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    You can generally tell when Vladimir Putin appears rattled by an adverse event in his war on Ukraine. He (or one of his proxies) ramps up the bloodcurdling rhetoric. And so it is with Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone attack on four airbases inside Russia, which reportedly destroyed or damaged as many as 40 warplanes, a good chunk of Russia’s fleet of strategic nuclear-capable bombers.

    These aircraft have been used during the war to deliver cruise missiles at targets within Ukraine and have been kept on airbases far enough from Ukraine to be well out of range of anything Kyiv could fire at them. So Ukraine’s secret intelligence service, the SBU, hatched a plot to send truckloads of home-grown drones in vans to locations close to airbases as far away as Irkutsk in Siberia and Murmansk close to the top of Finland.

    Technological savvy aside, perhaps the most remarkable thing about the plan was that it was 18 months in the making and yet the SBU managed to keep it a secret shared by only a few, including Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Significantly, the plan was reportedly kept from the US government.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    An angry Putin is reported to have accused Ukraine of “organising terrorist attacks”, saying to aides: “How can we have meetings like this under these conditions? What is there to talk about? Who has negotiations with  … terrorists?”

    Nothing much has been revealed as to what was actually said about the drone attack when delegates for the two sides met on Monday, apparently for barely an hour, to continue their peace talks. But as Stefan Wolff and Tetyana Malyarenko suggest, the fact that both sides have continued to land blows against each other is hardly a sign of a sincere commitment to serious negotiations.

    As it is, both sides restated their maximalist positions. For Kyiv this means that any concessions over territory or sovereignty are out of the question. For Moscow this means Ukrainian and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea as well as four provinces it has partially occupied since 2014, no Ukrainian membership of Nato and limits to Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Wolff and Malyarenko, experts in international security and politics at the University of Birmingham and National University Odesa Law Academy, respectively, believe that little will change on the battlefield in the foreseeable future. A lot will now depend on Washington. And it should be noted that the US president had a lengthy chat with Putin on June 4, after which Trump delivered the Kremlin’s message that: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”

    We’ve already seen a blitz on the southern city of Kherson, where Russia launched glide bombs and attacked with drones and artillery this morning. But Trump’s envoy to Russia, Keith Kellog, among other senior officials have talked about the drone strike being an attack on part of Russia’s [nuclear] triad, impying the threat level is actually far greater.



    Read more:
    Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in 1994 in return for an undertaking, signed by Russia, the US, UK and France, to guarantee the inviolability of Ukraine’s borders. So as Matthew Sussex of the Australian National University in Canberra writes, the drone attack was very much a case of a David striking a clever blow against a Goliath.

    Sussex says this and other missions, such as the targeting of the Kerch bridge – Putin’s pride and joy – and the relentless attacks on Russia’s power infrastructure, are an effective counter to Russia’s attritional style of warfare. This involves throwing as many men as possible at its objectives, something Ukraine cannot hope to compete directly with. The truth is, writes Sussex, that Kyiv “has focused on winning the war they are in, rather than those of the past”.



    Read more:
    The secret to Ukraine’s battlefield successes against Russia – it knows wars are never won in the past

    “This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability,” concludes Michael A Lewis, an expert in autonomous vehicles at the University of Bath. Lewis notes that both sides have been using drones almost continuously on the frontlines of the war and each has developed their own strategy for countering the threat.

    But this operation combined the use of drones with smart intelligence planning. The key was getting the drones to where they could exploit vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defence systems. “In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge,” he writes. “Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.”

    The attack will have defence planners around the world scratching their heads as to how to cope with this emerging threat. Lewis believes the operation exposed the problems with centralised airspace management which will require new and better detection systems and faster responses to counter. “Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory,” he writes. “It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely.”



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Not that Russia has exactly been standing still when it comes to drone warfare. As Marcel Plichta of the University of St Andrews writes, having initially relied on Iran for the supply of its Shahed drones, Russia has been quick to establish its own sizeable drone manufacturing industry. Plichta, a drone specialist and former US government intelligence analyst, walks us through some of the innovations that Russian-made drones are now employing, including Sim cards which can transmit data back to Russia via mobile networks, carbon coating to avoid radar detection, and enhanced incendiary and fragmentation warheads that can start fires or spread large volumes of shrapnel to make them more deadly.

    But also notable is the sheer volume of drones that Russia is deploying – 472 against Ukrainian cities on June 1, as well as large numbers of decoys – with the aim of simply exhausting Ukrainian air defences. Even if Ukraine manages to shoot down 80% as it claims, that still leaves enough to wreak utter havoc for the defenders.



    Read more:
    Russia has been working on creating drones that ‘call home’, go undercover and start fires. Here’s how they work

    From the Oval Office

    The latest controversial measure announced by the White House is the planned travel ban on people from 12 countries thought by the Trump administration to pose a threat. The ban is scheduled to come into effect on June 9.

    Less than a week later, the US will host – jointly with Mexico and Canada – the Fifa Club World Cup, which will feature players from some of these countries. Next year the US hosts the Men’s World Cup and in 2028 the Olympics are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

    The announcement of the ban said that “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives travelling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting events as defined by the Secretary of State” will be exempted.

    But, as Eric Storm from Leiden University points out, this does not include fans who might have been planning to travel to these major sporting carnivals. Storm, a historian who has researched the intersection of politics and tourism, says that the way geopolitical tensions manifested themselves at big sporting events was a feature of the cold war, but that these sorts of tensions largely dissipated after 1991. Now we may see politics being played out on the pitch, once again.



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

    South Korea’s new president

    Voters in South Korea backed the liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung for the Democratic Party, by nearly 50% in the June 3 election. This gave the man who led the campaign to topple former president Yoon Suk Yeol a clear mandate in what is reported to have been the election with the highest turnout since 1997.

    But while women had been very prominent in the campaign to oust Yoon, there were no female presidential candidates and very little discussion of some of the massive gender issues besetting Korea, including structural inequality, harassment and domestic violence, write Ming Gao of Lund University and Joanna Elfving-Hwang of Curtin University, both experts in South Korean politics and society. In fact, some candidates actively campaigned in a manner they clearly hoped would engage with disenchanted young men who feel their position may be under threat from women.



    Read more:
    South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics

    The new South Korean president will bring with him what he calls a “pragmatic” approach to foreign affairs. He has restated his commitment to the longstanding alliance with the US, but has also stressed the need for his country to improve relations with China and North Korea, believing that South Korea should not be wholly dependent on Washington.

    This, writes Christoph Bluth, could become a point of tension between Seoul and Washington. “The Trump administration has taken a hawkish approach towards China and wants its allies to do the same,” he says.

    Lee has made it quite clear that while Seoul’s relationship with Washington is the “basic axis of [South Korea’s] diplomacy,” the country “should not put all [its] eggs in one basket”. He has already signalled that he would resist any attempts by the US to draw South Korea into a conflict with China over Taiwan.



    Read more:
    Why South Korea’s new leader may be on a collision course with Trump

    Gaza: when aid is politicised

    There was yet more tragedy in Gaza this week as the new aid distribution scheme backed by Israel and the US got underway and quickly descended into chaos, with Israeli troops shooting at people it claimed were Hamas militants, resulting in the deaths of dozens of people.

    The new plan handed control of aid distribution to a private company called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which established four depots, three in the very south of the Strip and one in the centre, close to Israeli checkpoints. As a result many people had to travel considerable distances to get desperately needed supplies.

    As Irit Katz of the University of Cambridge writes here, the GHF plan is similar in character to a scheme put forward last December by an Israeli veterans group that prioritises control over humanitarianism. She says the resulting chaos and violence should come as no surprise.



    Read more:
    Lethal humanitarianism: why violence at Gaza aid centres should not come as a surprise

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    – ref. Inside Ukraine’s remarkable drone attack – https://theconversation.com/inside-ukraines-remarkable-drone-attack-258326

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –