NewzIntel.com

Category: Switzerland

  • MIL-OSI China: IOC to review process for future Olympic host election

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

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to pause the host election process for future Olympic and Winter Olympic Games after a two-day Executive Board meeting concluded in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.

    Newly-elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry invited IOC members to participate in a day-and-a-half of consultations on Tuesday, following a presidency handover ceremony on Monday.

    An LA 2028 sign and a blazing Olympic cauldron are seen at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the United States, Sept. 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong)

    The “Pause and Reflection” workshop with IOC members focused on five main topics, namely athletes, the Olympic Games, the Olympic Movement, a Better World Through Sport, and other aspects such as revenue generation and engagement.

    “There were so many incredible ideas. We really just touched the surface. I think the members felt that we could have probably spent a week together to really come out with stronger recommendations,” Coventry said.

    One of the main topics is the bidding process and the proper time of host selection of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Winter Games.

    “We will be setting up a working group to look into this for two main reasons. Members want to be engaged more in the process. And secondly, there was a very big discussion in and around when the next host should be awarded,” Coventry said.

    “We want to use the learnings from LA [the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics)] and from Brisbane [the 2032 Olympics], as well as the French Alps [2030 Winter Olympics], who have had a much shorter lead time. But in the case of LA and Brisbane, a much longer lead time. So there was a lot of discussion from all the members on when is the appropriate time to select a future host,” she added.

    The IOC Future Host Commission nominated the French Alps as the hosts of the Games in November 2023, seven years before the start of the event. Los Angeles was formally awarded the 2028 Games in September 2017, and Brisbane was awarded at the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo in July 2021, both 11 years ahead of time.

    Coventry said: “All the interested parties are going to be a part of this consultation. They wanted to be included in the process a little bit more and to be able to better understand the process. How do we include the members so that they can also be educated on those steps taken? When do we award the Games? What does that look like? Let’s have a reflection. Let’s have a review of the process to really analyze when is the best time to award the Games.”

    As the first female IOC President, Coventry has positioned herself as a leading advocate on gender issues.

    “There was an overwhelming support — not just the majority, but all the members — shared with us before they left that we should protect the female category.

    “With that, we are going to set up a working group, made up of experts and International Federations. We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports, but it was fully agreed that we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and that we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders,” she said.

    The EB meeting reallocated the medals of the women’s 1,500m in athletics after the disqualification of Russia’s Tatyana Tomashova due to an anti-doping violation. Tomashova’s silver medal was awarded to Abeba Aregawi of Ethiopia, and the bronze medal went to Shannon Rowbury of the United States.

    The disqualification of Belgium’s Domien Michiels also resulted in the modification of the ranking of the Equestrian Team Finals at the 2024 Olympics, as Belgium was disqualified from its fifth-place finish.

    Among other topics, Patricia O’Brien was appointed interim Chair of the Ethics Committee until the next IOC Session. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese skater Han Cong to run for IOC Athletes’ Commission

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

    Chinese figure skater Han Cong and 10 other athletes will run for election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission (AC), the IOC announced on Thursday.

    Sui Wenjing (R)/Han Cong of China perform their free skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

    Han, along with his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Sui Wenjing, announced earlier this month their return to competition next season after being absent since their victory at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

    The 11 athletes were approved by the IOC Executive Board to be candidates for the AC during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. The eight men and three women from five different sports and 11 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will vie for the two available positions on the commission.

    The list of the candidates is:

    Oleksandr Abramenko (Freestyle Skiing, Ukraine)

    Zhanbota Aldabergenova (Freestyle Skiing, Kazakhstan)

    Dario Cologna (Cross-Country Skiing, Switzerland)

    Yohan Goncalves Goutt (Alpine Skiing, Timor-Leste)

    Han Cong (Figure Skating, China)

    Ilkka Herola (Nordic Combined, Finland)

    Adam Konya (Cross-Country Skiing, Hungary)

    Magnus Nedregotten (Curling, Norway)

    Johanna Taliharm (Biathlon, Estonia)

    Marielle Thompson (Freestyle Skiing, Canada)

    Won Yun-jong (Bobsleigh, South Korea)

    All athletes competing at Milano Cortina 2026 will be eligible to vote, starting Jan. 30. Voting closes Feb. 18, with results announced the following day.

    The two candidates who receive the most votes from at least two different sports will be elected to serve eight-year terms on the IOC AC. They will replace Emma Terho and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, whose terms will end during the Games.

    Following the election, the commission will elect a chair and two vice chairs.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: CIIE reflects China’s commitment to global development: Chinese ambassador

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

    GENEVA, June 26 — A seminar focused on the China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) was jointly held on Wednesday by the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva and the China International Import Expo (CIIE) Bureau.

    Representatives from international organizations, diplomatic missions in Geneva and global businesses attending the event praised China’s continued efforts to open up to the world and promote shared development.

    Ambassador Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, said that since its launch in 2021, the GDI has taken root on Geneva’s multilateral platforms, with growing consensus and expanding cooperation networks.

    The CIIE, as a global public good, has become an important practice for China to deepen economic and trade cooperation with other developing countries, Chen said. “It demonstrates China’s commitment to global development cooperation,” he added.

    According to official data, the CIIE has been held seven consecutive times since its inception in 2018, attracting participation from more than 180 countries, regions, and international organizations.

    Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said she attended the CIIE in 2019 and witnessed “how China opens its doors to the world and how trade can be a source of economic opportunities for all.”

    High-level representatives from international organizations expressed their support for the CIIE and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They also voiced their readiness to strengthen cooperation with China to promote inclusive economic globalization that benefits all.

    The ambassadors of Pakistan, Cambodia, Peru, and other members of the Group of Friends of the GDI expressed their appreciation for China and the CIIE, calling the expo an important platform for advancing the initiative.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s driverless tech finds new traction on global roads

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

    Driverless sedans glide smoothly to the curb, autonomous shuttles whisk travelers through airport terminals, and robotic sweepers hum along busy streets. These once-futuristic scenes are fast entering everyday life across the globe, and many of them are powered by Chinese technology.

    From San Jose of California to Paris and Riyadh, China’s swiftly advancing autonomous driving industry is gaining ground, exporting cutting-edge solutions that are quietly transforming how people move and how cities function.

    “Chinese autonomous driving firms are accelerating their global expansion, fueled by mature technologies, swift deployment cycles and rising international demand,” said Liu Jinshan, a professor at Jinan University in south China’s Guangzhou.

    This photo taken on April 17, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus (front) operating at an airport in Zurich, Switzerland. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Going global 

    In late May, Chinese autonomous driving firm WeRide made headlines as its self-driving vehicles began rolling through the streets of the capital Riyadh and the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia.

    Almost simultaneously, another major player, Guangzhou-based Pony.ai, also shifted its global ambitions into higher gear, announcing a strategic partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch autonomous transport services.

    These moves are among the latest examples of a broader trend — a larger push by Chinese autonomous vehicle (AV) developers to expand their global presence.

    Chinese-developed autonomous driving technologies have made inroads into a growing number of global markets — including the United States, France, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    Chinese tech giant Baidu serves as a prime example of this momentum. In the first quarter of 2025, its autonomous ride-hailing arm, Apollo Go, completed over 1.4 million rides, up 75 percent year on year, bringing its global total to over 11 million rides by May.

    Much of this success can be attributed to China’s innovation-friendly environment. By the end of 2024, the country had established 17 national-level intelligent connected vehicle testing zones, with more than 32,000 kilometers of open test roads and over 120 million kilometers of cumulative test mileage, according to official figures.

    As Chinese AV firms gain global traction, collaboration with global players is deepening. Uber, for instance, has teamed up with WeRide and Pony.ai to integrate Chinese-developed AVs into its ride-hailing platform, starting with pilot operations in the Middle East.

    “It’s clear that the future of mobility will be increasingly shared, electric and autonomous,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “We look forward to working with Chinese leading AV companies to help bring the benefits of autonomous technology to cities around the world.”

    This photo taken on March 11, 2025 shows an interior view of a WeRide Robobus operating in downtown Barcelona, Spain. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Mutual benefits 

    The rise of China’s autonomous driving industry is creating ripple effects across global markets, offering development opportunities far beyond transportation.

    Peng Jun, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, said the company’s overseas expansion has sparked deep collaboration across the broader mobility value chain — spanning auto manufacturing, R&D, logistics and smart mobility services.

    “Deploying autonomous vehicles attracts global component suppliers to invest in local facilities, which helps form industrial clusters and boosts the competitiveness of local manufacturing,” Peng noted.

    The benefits go beyond factories. According to Zhang Yuxue, WeRide’s director of PR and marketing, local partnerships have also led to job creation in areas such as safety operations, fleet management and technical support.

    Notably, as Chinese AV companies venture into regions with varied road conditions, climates and regulatory environments, their technologies are evolving in step.

    “Expanding globally helps us sharpen our algorithms to adapt to complex, real-world scenarios, ranging from the narrow urban roads of Europe to the extreme heat of the Middle East,” said Zhang.

    Wu Qiong, an autonomous driving expert at Baidu, said Apollo Go is building a “full-spectrum technical validation chain” as it expands overseas. “For example, we’re testing in Switzerland, a right-hand-drive country with some of the world’s most stringent traffic laws, which offers one of the toughest proving grounds for autonomous vehicles,” Wu said.

    This photo taken on May 25, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus operating in the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Challenges on road ahead 

    Despite impressive strides, industry insiders note that autonomous driving remains in the early stages of commercialization and global expansion.

    China’s autonomous driving industry still faces significant headwinds on its path to global growth, said Wu Zhanchi, a professor at Jinan University. “Challenges range from adapting to overseas regulatory frameworks and overcoming high technical localization barriers, to ensuring compliance with cross-border data regulations and fierce competition from international giants,” Wu added.

    “The sector also faces significant challenges in technological innovation and the development of sustainable business models,” said Zhu Xichan, professor at Tongji University in Shanghai.

    Zhu emphasized that achieving scale is crucial for the long-term viability of the AV industry. “Global expansion not only broadens the range of real-world application scenarios but also boosts deployment volumes, both of which are vital for refining technologies and developing commercially viable models,” he said.

    Yet, several companies have begun to tackle these hurdles head-on. Peng Jun of Pony.ai said the company has overcome key challenges — such as cost reduction and front-end mass production. “Our products have reached a level of maturity, and we have achieved positive unit economics,” he noted.

    Looking ahead, Peng said Pony.ai will continue to expand in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, leveraging existing partnerships to accelerate the growth of its global footprint.

    Zhang Yuxue echoed this sentiment, saying that WeRide is committed to broadening its international reach by promoting a diverse fleet of autonomous solutions, ranging from robotaxis and minibuses to freight trucks, sanitation vehicles and advanced self-driving systems.

    General Manager of Apollo Go for Europe and the Middle East Zhang Liang said Baidu aims to build the largest driverless fleet in Abu Dhabi by partnering with local stakeholders to jointly foster a robust autonomous driving ecosystem.

    In addition, Baidu is exploring cooperation with local new energy firms to develop innovative services, including battery swapping, which Zhang said will help improve operational efficiency.

    “Given their growing track record in both domestic and international markets, there is good reason to believe that Chinese AV firms will secure a strong foothold in this global mobility market, ultimately becoming a hallmark of ‘Made-in-China’ innovation,” Wu noted. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Journal Feature: Flying High

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    This article was featured in the Summer 2025 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative John Lett.

    For decades, the IAM Air Transport Territory has been the backbone of the IAM. It weathered the airline bankruptcies of the 2000s resulting from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. IAM Air Transport fought for its members and preserved contracts, pensions and a quality way of life for thousands of working-class families across the United States.

    But about a decade ago, labor in general was stagnant, with mini­ mal growth and an uncertain future.

    “There was a time when people thought unions would go extinct, but J think we are changing that,” said Richie Johnsen, who has ser­ ved as IAM Air Transport Terri­ tory General Vice President for the past three years.

    IAM Air Transport Territory and District leadership gather at a conference in March. From left: 1AM Air Transport Territory Airline Coordinator Tom Regan, District
    141 President and Directing General Chair Mike Klemm, Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, District
    142 President and Directing General Chair John Coveny Jr., and Air Transport Territory Coordinator James Carlson.

    Under Johnsen’s leadership, IAM Air Trans­ port has experienced a resurgence. The territory has become the largest airline labor conglomerate in the AFL-CIO, representing more than 65,000 active members and 40,000 retirees at airlines across the country, including Puerto Rico and Guam. The territory, which represents mechanics, customer service agents, ramp workers and more, is divided into two large groups-District 141 with 42,000 members, from United, American, Spirit and other carriers and District 142, with 25,000 members, who pri­marily work for Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian and American.

    “My exposure to the union came as far back as I can remem­ber. My father was a Machinist member. He was a shop steward. His father was an officer with the Longshoremen,” said Johnsen, who joined the IAM in I988 as an airline mechanic with United Air­ lines in San Francisco. “When J talk to my father, and he sees how the union has evolved, I think he’s fired up by seeing how we continue to grow.”

    Johnsen credits his territory’s ascension with an influx of new leadership from top to bottom, nego­tiating industry leading contracts, a fresh approach to labor activism, and a renewed hunger for organizing workers.

    “It’s very personal to me. What they’ve done is incredible. It has set the standard for what I believe union representation should look like,” said Johnsen. “In recent years, their wages have increased almost $8 an hour. For someone that was making $32 an hour, they’re making $40 now. Those are massive increases that we haven’t seen in decades.”

    Assisting General Vice Pre­sident Johnsen is Air Transport Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, a member since 2002, who originally hired on at Southwest Airli­nes in Baltimore. Fraser says he’s excited about the direction of the territory.

    “As a leader in the Air Transport Territory I am extremely proud of the work that Districts 141 and 142 have done,” said Fraser. ‘The leaders of those districts have embraced the growth of the districts and put the members first. With our help, from Headquarters, we’ve been able to support them 100%.”

    Qantas Airways aircraft maintenance engineers organized by the 1AM in 2024.

    Recent union victories include organizing wins at Qantas Airlines, PSA Airlines, multiple Swissport locations, Atlantic Aviation and Unifi Aviation, wins that have uplifted the lives of hundreds of workers. A large-scale victory of note took place in 2020 when the IAM negotiated a new contract for I0,000 union members at American Airlines, including Kenny Geis, a member and grievance committee chair at Local 1903M at Charlotte International Airport in North Carolina. Geis, who helped negotiate the contract, has been in the airline industry for 40 years, raised a family with three kids and says !AM Air Transport is enhancing lives across the country.

    “It was an industry-leading contract in pay, but more importantly in benefits. By far, the IAM gave us the best contract for work rules and scope of lan­ guage. Just recently, the company did a percentage rate increase to bring us back to the top of the industry as far as pay, and we keep all of our bene­ fits. That was huge,” said Geis, who works at American as a line aircraft inspector, testing for cra­ cks and corrosion in planes. “Not only are we the highest paid in the industry, we have the best benefits. That helps me and my family on a daily basis. As far as our medical, dental and eye coverage, I believe it’s the best in the industry and it’s all because of the IAM and the negotiating it did.”

    DISTRICT 141: A POWERHOUSE FOR AIRLINE WORKERS

    A decade ago, IAM District 141 had 23,000 members. Now, under the guidance of President and Directing Chairman Mike Klemm, it has increased in size to 41,000 members, 14 con­ tracts, and a budget that has tripled over IO years. Klemm, who became an IAM member in 1992, while working on the ramp for United Airlines at JFK Airport in New York, credits the district’s success to organizing, building relationships with members, rolling out an award-winning website, increasing safety standards on the shop floor, and updated training for members and shop stewards.

    “I feel very lucky. I couldn’t have done it without the support of the incredible members, especially at JFK Airport where 1 got my start, and the Executive Board,” said Klemm, who says his IAM membership has helped him provide a good life for his wife and two daughters. “If I didn’t have a strong team, I wouldn’t be able to be here. I never forget that, and I always make sure I keep in touch with my membership. I always work on improving their lives through the collective bar­ gaining agreements that I negotiate.”

    Growth at District 141 is also contributing to the communities it serves by supporting non-profit organizations at the local and national level.

    “We raised and donated at least $250,000 to the IAM Disaster Relief Fund. We felt like we were in a good monetary situation where we could contribute to the IAM and its members in need. We are certainly proud of that,” said Klemm. “We also give to Guide Dogs of America I Tender Loving Canines and even schools with kids that are less fortunate who have trouble finding school supplies. We also do Santa Clause gift runs during Christmas.”

    Members on a local level have high praises for the leadership and direction within IAM District 141. Marcello Serrao, IAM Local 1322 Commit­ tee Chair, who’s worked as a ramp serviceman at busy New York area airports for decades, says it’s refreshing to see top district representatives rou­tinely communicate with members and listen to their concerns.

    “It ‘s a great experience. It ‘s so necessary to have that relationship with the members,” said Serrao, a resident of Long Island. “There’s been such a change, more transparency, and what an improvement. It’s really good to see. In the past, you felt like you didn’t get a lot of information. It was very stagnant. But now there ‘s more updates on the website, more emails and people can keep track of what’s going on.”

    DISTRICT 142: RISING RAPIDLY TO SERVE IAM MEMBERS

    IAM District 142 has also experienced a rapid rise, increasing its membership in recent years from 16,000 to 20,000, with 36 contracts at 20 companies. District President and Directing Chairman John Coveny took over in 2022, after rising through the union ranks for years, with stops in Upstate New York, Pittsburgh and now Arizona.

    “The union is where I truly belong. Once I got involved with the union, that became my passion, and my desire,” said Coveny. “It’s a 24/7, 365 job. I love what I do. I live, eat and sleep this union because I believe in it that much.”

    After his installation, Coveny immediately moved district headquarters from Kansas City to Phoenix, where more IAM members resided. He and his staff also utilized social media with Facebook, X (For­mally known as Twitter), lnstagram and TikTok. Coveny and his staff reenergized organizing cam­paigns, streamlined technology and promoted diver­sity within the ranks.

    “We’ve established an organizing committee, a women’s committee, a young workers committee,” said Coveny. “We also put in place new dues processing software.”

    Coveny, who joined the union in 1988 as a mechanic at US Airways in Buffalo, N.Y., is passio­nate about the TAM because it has given him and his family a better quality of life. Strong union contracts and salaries over the years gave Coveny the ability to pay college tuition for his three children, and also hike, bike and enjoy time off with his wife of 37 years.

    “The purpose of the union is to provide a reaso­nable living for the members. I truly stand by every contract that we’ve negotiated,” said Coveny. “We lead the industry in almost every contract we’ve negotiated.”

    Coveny is also committed to mentoring a new generation of IAM leaders at the district. Nearing retirement, Coveny says he’s excited about a new generation of District 142 representatives who can build on the foundation, he and his staff, have laid.

    “It’s very important to me, that people who are younger and help push them forward, so when folks who are in office today leave, somebody is ready to fill that role,” said Coveny.

    Steve Oheme is a member of IAM Local 1976 in Pittsburgh who joined the union in 1986 as a mechanic at United Airlines. He says new district leadership has boosted communication with mem­bership, fought for lucrative collective bargaining agreements and pressured airlines to protect IAM mechanics by maintaining stricter safety standards in aircraft hangers.

    ‘They’re doing a fantastic job. They keep us up to date. We are better than we were. It’s amazing. And it’s a great deal,” said Oheme, who works as a crew chief and supervisor of 16 mechanics. ‘There is a big push for safety that wasn’t there before. They make sure we get all the tools, supplies and anything we need, like eyewear and hearing protection. The district pushes the company to supply that stuff. It’s good knowing that they fought for us. I feel secure. It’s awesome.”

    Industry-leading IAM contracts, negotiated by District 142, have helped members like Oheme to thrive. As his four-decade career winds down, he’s proud of raising two children with his wife of 40 years, and enjoys hobbies like pickleball, skiing, mountain biking and golfing, a way of life that embo­dies the success and mission of the district, and the IAM Air Transport Territory as a whole.

    “I want us to continue to grow and I want these Districts to be larger and stronger,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser.

    IAM Air Transport has set ambitious goals for 2025 and beyond. The union is gaining ground in two large organizing campaigns, 20,000 ramp and cargo workers at Delta Air Lines, and 3,000 ramp workers at JetBlue Airways, and is aggressively organizing the ground handling sector across the United Sta­tes. Leadership believes it will win those campaigns, grow the territory and continue to boost the quality of life for aviation workers, and their families, across the country.

    “I feel like we set the standard. No one does what we do. I feel like we lead the way and it’s our job to lead the way. Were big, we’re progressive and we’re diverse,” said General Vice President Johnsen. “We move people and cargo. Without air transportation, the economy stops. It shuts down. There is no eco­nomy without us taking care of the passengers and the cargo This 1s an exciting time “

    The post IAM Journal Feature: Flying High appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Landmark report spotlights Switzerland’s rise as a global leader in Deep Tech where startups are driving $100B in value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Zurich, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While global attention has often centered on innovation hubs such as Silicon Valley, Berlin, or Paris, today, fresh data from Dealroom.co and Startupticker in a new report spotlights how Switzerland has quietly become one of the world’s most advanced and efficient Deep Tech ecosystems. 

    The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025, a Deep Tech Nation Switzerland initiative, offers a comprehensive new dataset and analysis on the Swiss Deep Tech ecosystem. It was curated in close collaboration with Dealroom.co, Startupticker and venture capital firms Founderful and Kickfund. The report is the first of its kind to map the full scope of Switzerland’s Deep Tech performance – from research institutions and patents to venture activity and late-stage outcomes. 

    The report’s findings are striking: 

    • Swiss Deep Tech companies have created more than $100 billion in combined enterprise value.
    • From 2019 to 2025, Switzerland allocated 60% of its total venture capital into Deep Tech – more than any other country globally. 
    • Over the same period, Switzerland ranked first in Europe and third worldwide for Deep Tech VC funding per capita, backed by both a strong domestic research base and increasing levels of international capital. 
    • Nearly 96% of late-stage Deep Tech rounds in Switzerland were led by global investors, with US and EU firms now accounting for the majority of capital inflow. 
    • Behind Oxford and Cambridge, 2 of the top 4 universities creating Deep Tech spinouts in Europe are Swiss: ETH Zurich and  EPFL 

    The report establishes a definitive benchmark for the ecosystem’s strength and signals its global potential. With over 1500 Swiss Deep Tech startups analyzed and data spanning more than five years, the report positions Switzerland not just as a center of academic excellence, but as a global-scale producer of science-based innovation and venture outcomes.

    “Switzerland has long excelled in fundamental research, but we believe the next decade belongs to the scientists and engineers who turn that research into global companies,” said Alex Stöckl, Founding Partner at Founderful. “This report is about making that transformation visible – about telling the story of Swiss Deep Tech in hard data and positioning it clearly on the world stage. Founderful is proud to lead that effort.”

    The report also highlights a new generation of Swiss startups driving that shift. AI/ML already accounts for 23 percent of companies founded since 2021, almost double its previous share. Climate & Energy, Robotics and TechBio have each expanded at speed.. The strength of this cohort reflects a deeper pipeline forming at the intersection of academic excellence, local entrepreneurial talent, and increasing support from sector-focused investors. The international visibility of these startups is growing rapidly, but local capital – particularly at the later stages – remains limited, creating both a challenge and an investment opportunity.

    Geraldine Naja, Director for Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness at the European Space Agency, commented: ‘‘With the launch of the European Space Deep Tech Innovation Centre in Villigen, Switzerland is proving how precision science, agile industry and open collaboration can propel space technologies from lab to orbit. This new hub is more than a facility—it’s a testbed where European autonomy meets global opportunity. At ESA, we see Switzerland’s deep tech strengths as a catalyst for advancing Europe’s technological sovereignty, commercial competitiveness and innovation resilience.’’ While, Severin Schwan, Chairman of Roche, added: “Switzerland has long been a global hotspot for biotech innovation. The exceptional concentration of pharma expertise around Basel, combined with academic excellence and access to capital, continues to make it one of the world’s most fertile grounds for breakthrough biomedical innovation.”

    Investors are reallocating capital toward the next wave of AI-powered verticals. In 2024 almost one-third of all Swiss deep-tech funding went to AI-first startups, from generative protein design and industrial autonomy to foundation-model safety, tripling the share recorded in 2020. This funding surge is matched by a rising cohort of growth-stage companies such as Scandit, Distalmotion and Climeworks, underscoring Switzerland’s ability to turn lab breakthroughs into mission-critical products for Fortune 500 customers.

    Chris Keller, Managing Director Central Europe at AWS, added: “Switzerland stands at the forefront of global AI innovation, leading with the highest AI patents per capita and one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems.”

    As Switzerland’s Deep Tech ecosystem matures, the report authors plan to deepen the dataset and track sector performance across key hubs including Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and Basel. As more Swiss Deep Tech startups reach scale, the goal is to give founders, investors, and policymakers a reliable view of progress – and a strong case for the country’s leadership in Deep Tech.

    The full report is available for download here: https://deeptechnation.ch/resources/swiss-deep-tech-report-2025

    Media images can be founder here. 

    About Deep Tech Nation Switzerland
    Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation is a private, not-for-profit initiative backed by leading companies, foundations, associations, and universities. Our mission is to position Switzerland as the world’s leading deep tech nation. We work independently and systemically to strengthen the Swiss innovation ecosystem for the long term. Acting as a neutral catalyst, we shape the future  for Switzerland – so that others can invest, create, and scale.

    About Dealroom.co 
    Dealroom.co is is the source of record on startups, innovation, high-growth companies, venture capital and tech ecosystems globally. Its European Deep Tech Report is the reference study for investors and policymakers.

    About Startupticker
    Deeply rooted in the Swiss start-up ecosystem and supported by leading initiatives, organisations and companies, Startupticker.ch is the trusted provider of daily news and analysis including the annual Swiss Venture Capital Report. 

    About Kickfund
    Kickfund is a Swiss venture capital fund investing at the earliest stages in high-tech startups emerging from Switzerland’s top academic institutions. Kickfund systematically backs winners of Venture Kick, Switzerland’s leading accelerator, which has supported over 1,000 startups to date – including many of the globally leading deep tech companies that have come out of Switzerland, such as Climeworks, Scandit, and Kandou.

    About Founderful
    Founderful is Switzerland’s leading pre-seed fund, backing founder teams building tech companies with the potential to become global market leaders. Founderful has a track record of supporting exceptional founders in creating breakthrough companies and has the passionate conviction that the Swiss startup ecosystem is just starting to write its best success stories.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two drug kingpins jailed for life following Met EncroChat investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been jailed for life for importing and dealing a tonne of cocaine and plotting a murder.

    The Met’s investigation uncovered the two men’s plan to commit a murder, as well as their role in delivering millions of pounds worth of drugs across the capital and beyond.

    The evidence of the offences were identified after officers trawled through thousands of messages on encrypted communication service EncroChat.

    Thought to be impenetrable by law enforcement, Met officers accessed chats between James Harding and Jayes Kharouti.

    It was identified that James Harding, 34 (01.01.1991), of Alton, Hampshire, was the head of a sophisticated organised drug dealing network, turning over an estimated £5 million profit in just 10 weeks. Harding resided in Dubai at the time of his arrest.

    Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey, who led the investigation, said:

    “This sentencing shows the severity of the crimes the duo committed.

    “Following one of the largest EncroChat investigations in the Met’s history, I am pleased that both criminals are serving the time they deserve.

    “Not only did they have a detailed plan to kill, their conspiracy to import and deal drugs harmed a number of our communities in London and across the country.

    “This sends a clear message to other potential offenders: we will investigate and we will put you before the courts.”

    Harding was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to commit murder on Tuesday, 24 June at The Old Bailey, following a seven-week trial.

    He was sentenced to life at The Old Bailey on Thursday, 26 June, and will have to serve a minimum of 32 years’ imprisonment.

    Kharouti, 39, (09.02.1986) of Depot Road, Epsom, previously admitted to his role in supplying drugs on Friday, 8 November 2024 at The Old Bailey. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder alongside Harding on Tuesday, 24 June at the same court.

    He was sentenced to life at The Old Bailey on Thursday, 26 June, and will have to serve a minimum of 26 years’ imprisonment.

    Chats on the encrypted messaging site unveiled they both spoke, in detail, about their plan to kill a suspected drug courier from a ‘rival crime network’.

    This case is part of a wider operation to take down those who utilised EncroChat, after the National Crime Agency (NCA) passed information onto the Met after European agencies cracked the encrypted communications platform.

    So far, Met investigations have led to more than 5,000 years-worth of prison sentences for criminals on the site.

    The investigation

    Following the thorough investigation into a series of conversations on EncroChat, the Met discovered Harding used the handle “thetopsking”, while Kharouti used “besttops”. They used the platform to confidently communicate with each other about their vast criminal enterprise.

    The Met spent hundreds of hours reviewing and analysing these messages. Among them were clear conspiracies to carry out a murder of a rival drug gang member with detailed plans, involving recruiting paid hitmen, arranging firearms and getaway vehicles. They had also discussed times, dates and locations.

    This was on top of plans to coordinate deliveries of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine across the country, manage their vast finances and discuss security threats.

    The court heard that approximately 50 importations were made into the UK, with a total weight of one tonne, between April and June 2020.

    This allowed Harding to live a lavish lifestyle in the United Arab Emirates, where he conducted his criminal enterprise.

    The arrests

    Harding was arrested on Monday, 27 December 2021 at Geneva Airport, Switzerland. On Friday, 27 May 2022, he was extradited from Switzerland to the UK when he was arrested by Met officers.

    Kharouti’s home was searched in 2020 after he was linked to the messages. Police found a handset with the same number he gave to Harding. He fled the country shortly after this, before being found in Turkey and extradited back to the UK.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: SFO cracks down on corruption through international alliance

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    SFO cracks down on corruption through international alliance

    UK Serious Fraud Office joins global anti-corruption alliance to combat cross-border corruption.

    • Serious Fraud Office joins International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre to strengthen the fight against cross-border corruption

    • Move follows creation of pioneering tri-national taskforce with France and Switzerland

    • Enhanced intelligence gathering will target companies and individuals involved in overseas corruption involving politically exposed persons

    The Serious Fraud Office has today expanded its global reach by joining the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), strengthening the UK’s ability to tackle grand corruption and illicit finance across borders.

    This strategic alliance builds on the SFO’s recent establishment of a taskforce with French and Swiss authorities to tackle international bribery and corruption.

    Based within the National Crime Agency, the IACCC brings together specialist law enforcement officers from agencies around the world to tackle allegations of grand corruption that span multiple jurisdictions.

    Organisations with a proven intention to fight domestic and international corruption can be considered for membership, with the SFO gaining enhanced access to key partners in the fight against grand corruption involving politically exposed persons. 

    The partnership will boost the SFO’s capacity to gather intelligence and evidence on companies and individuals suspected of corruption overseas while maintaining full control over its investigations.

    Nick Ephgrave QPM, Director at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said:

    This is another step forward for the SFO and further demonstration of our determination to use every power and partnership we can to confront the threat of bribery and corruption.

    This membership will bring us closer to global law enforcement and strengthen our intelligence gathering capabilities on those companies and individuals engaged in international bribery and corruption.

    The SFO recently issued new guidance to companies on their responsibilities to report suspected criminality.

    Rob Jones, Director General of Operations at the NCA, said:

    We welcome the SFO’s membership of the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre. Their membership will assist the collective effort of supporting overseas partners with hugely important investigations into grand corruption.

    Since its launch in 2017 the IACCC has helped identify over £1.8 billion of suspected stolen assets, supported the freezing of nearly half of those assets in various global jurisdictions, and helped with the arrest and charging of a significant number of suspects involved in high profile investigations in over 40 separate countries.

    Press Office

    Email news@sfo.gov.uk

    Out of hours press office contact number +44 (0)7557 009842

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: World Solar Challenge 2025: Gebrüder Weiss and ETH Zurich students team up again

    Source: Gebrüder Weiss 

    Gebrüder Weiss is once again the a Centauri Solar Racing Team’s logistics partner / Branches in Zurich, Wolfurt, and Adelaide ensure seamless transport of the custom-built solar-powered racing car.

    Wolfurt, June 26, 2025. Logistics company Gebrüder Weiss is once again supporting the students of the a Centauri Solar Racing Team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich as they travel to Australia for the World Solar Challenge 2025. At this year’s international solar vehicle race, the Swiss students are aiming to improve on their 12th place debut result from 2023, having developed a vehicle with improved aerodynamics and a larger solar surface area. To ensure that everything runs smoothly before the race begins in Darwin on August 24, the team has once again entrusted Gebrüder Weiss with the complex transport.

    “We are delighted to be accompanying the aCentauri team from ETH Zurich again this year. Such collaborations are in line with our understanding of partnership: long-term, trusting, and focused on a sustainable future for mobility,” explains Frank Haas, Head of Communications at Gebrüder Weiss. “The students already demonstrated in 2023 that solar mobility works, and we wish them every success in reaching the top ten.”

    The technical equipment was shipped to Australia by sea freight back in May. Now, the vehicle itself is embarking on its journey by air freight, after a live presentation at the Gebrüder Weiss location in Wolfurt. After completing a final test drive in front of press representatives, the vehicle was prepared for air transport at the IATA-certified terminal.

    Certification from the IATA (International Air Transport Association) means that the Air & Sea Terminal at Wolfurt is an officially recognized air freight terminal where shipments can be prepared for air transport in accordance with IATA standards – including special packaging, security checks, and all required inspection processes. The flight will then depart for Australia via Frankfurt Airport without any intermediate steps.

    Upon arrival in Australia, the logistics experts at the new Gebrüder Weiss location in Adelaide will take charge of the next stage of the process: They will coordinate the import formalities and transport to the University of Adelaide.

    The World Solar Challenge starts on August 24, 2025, and covers 3,000 kilometers across the Australian outback. First held in 1987, the race promotes innovation in the areas of sustainable mobility and renewable energies.

    As a company with a history spanning over 500 years, Gebrüder Weiss is eager to play an active role in shaping the future of mobility. Since 2021, the company has been involved in relevant projects, working closely with universities, research teams, and start-ups. In addition to logistics, Gebrüder Weiss promotes exchange between project partners and raises the profile of forward-thinking ideas. The aim is to implement new technologies at an early stage.

    Further background information on the projects can be found at: https://www.gw-world.com/company/sustainability/future-of-mobility, or via the logistics company’s social media channels.

    About Gebrüder Weiss

    Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG, based in Lauterach, Austria, is a globally operative full-service logistics provider with about 8,600 employees at 180 company-owned locations. The company generated revenues of 2.71 billion euros in 2024. Its portfolio encompasses transport and logistics solutions, digital services, and supply chain management. The twin strengths of digital and physical competence enable Gebrüder Weiss to respond swiftly and flexibly to customers’ needs. The family-run organization – with a history going back more than half a millennium – has implemented a wide variety of environmental, economic, and social initiatives. Today, it is also considered a pioneer in sustainable business practices. www.gw-world.com

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The most obedient dogs will compete for the Capital Cup

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The first championship for dog owners will be held as part of the Summer in Moscow project “Capital Cup” in obedience. The competition will be held on June 28 from 10:00 in the canine park on Kolskaya Street (property 16a). They will be part of the all-Russian sports competitions and the Russian Cynological Federation (RKF) championship in obedience. In addition, the championship is included in the program of the series of events “Friend, savior, protector”, aimed at highlighting the role of dogs in the life of modern society.

    Sports discipline “obedience”

    Obedience is an international sport discipline in which a dog, under the guidance of a handler, must perform exercises with maximum precision, speed, and initiative. It arose from the basic skills of animal training: calling, moving close, endurance, control at a distance.

    Inna Baranova, chief judge of the RKF championship “Cup of the Capital”, RKF judge for working qualities of dogs of national certification competitions, sports judge of the first category, says that at the competitions not only the correctness and technique of completing tasks are assessed, but also the nature of the interaction between a person and a pet during the performance.

    Russian athletes remain among the leaders in obedience in the world. In 2016, the Moscow region hosted the World Championship, which brought together participants from 25 countries. The Russian team then took second place, and in 2021, they won gold at the World Championship in Switzerland.

    This discipline is currently experiencing a period of growth in our country. Almost every subject of the Russian Federation has a section in which athletes take their first steps under the guidance of experienced instructors. Five or six all-Russian competitions are held annually. Trainers from Russia are in demand in neighboring countries.

    The first “Capital Cup” championship in obedience together with the RKF championship in Moscow is aimed at developing and popularizing the culture of systematic dog training based on mutual understanding between the animal and the person. The focus is not only on sports achievements, but also on the social significance of the discipline: it clearly demonstrates the importance of ethical treatment of animals, a careful and thoughtful approach to their training. The higher the level of training, the safer the dog is for both others and the owner.

    Such events help to strengthen the culture of responsible dog ownership, reduce the level of conflicts between pet owners and local residents, and also become a good factor in the development of a comfortable urban environment – a priority goal of the “My District” program.

    Sergei Sobyanin: Full-fledged canine parks will be created in MoscowA large canine park has appeared in the south of Moscow

    Features of the competition

    Sports pairs compete in three difficulty classes: Obedience 1, Obedience 2 and Obedience 3. The latter is the most difficult, and it is in this class that major international competitions and world championships are held under the auspices of the International Cynological Federation (FCI).

    “The pair (human and dog) must demonstrate a set of exercises, the number and complexity of which depend on the class in which they perform. Points from five to 10 are awarded for each exercise, where five is the minimum positive assessment, and 10 is the ideal performance of the exercise. The accuracy of command execution, the speed of the dog’s reaction, and its ability to maintain concentration throughout the entire exercise are taken into account. The overall impression of the work during the entire performance is also assessed: contact with the handler, desire to work, and positive mood,” says Inna Baranova.

    Championship program

    The championship in the canine park on Kolskaya Street will also be held in the highest difficulty class. Athletes will compete in two parallel rings. 12 sports pairs from Moscow, Moscow, Voronezh, Kostroma and Vladimir regions will compete for the title of RKF champion and the sports title of “Master of Sports of Russia”. The overwhelming majority of participants in the “Obedience-3” class perform with border collie dogs, but this championship will feature a pair that includes a Russian black terrier – the pride of Russian cynology.

    After lunch, the program will continue with all-Russian competitions in the Obedience-2 and Obedience-1 classes, where there will be a fight for sports ranks.

    The Obedience 2 class will feature 12 sports pairs from Moscow, Moscow, Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Spectators will see such breeds as the Labrador Retriever, Russian Hunting Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Belgian Shepherd and Australian Kelpie.

    The largest class, “Obedience-1,” will bring together newcomers: 20 sports pairs from five regions of Russia with a wide variety of dogs, from a tiny Pomeranian to a giant Great Dane.

    Each participant will perform eight exercises, and their performance will be assessed by a panel of judges consisting of two sports judges and two stewards, who work in two parallel rings.

    Accessibility of the discipline and requirements for participants

    The discipline “obedience” is suitable for dogs of all breeds and sizes, including mongrel animals. The main requirements are the absence of aggression, physical and mental health, readiness to interact with the handler. You can try your hand at the initial level from the age of 10 months.

    Most often, border collies participate in such competitions, but animals of other breeds, from small to large, including service and decorative ones, regularly join them. The level of training of the handler plays a significant role. The discipline requires systematic work, a consistent approach and a long training process.

    Obedience demonstrates the possibilities of effective interaction between humans and dogs, being one of the most universal and accessible areas in modern sports cynology.

    Master classes on training and expert advice

    An additional program has been prepared for guests. There will be master classes on training, as well as consultations with specialists – dog handlers, groomers, veterinarians. A separate area will be made for children, where creative activities will be held. Quizzes and a photo zone will be organized for visitors with animals.

    The series of events “Friend, Rescuer, Defender” will begin in the capital on May 24

    “Pets in Moscow” — a project of the Moscow Mayor’s “My District” program aimed at creating new types of dog walking areas. Today, the capital has 79 such spaces, including two dog parks. They are suitable not only for free walks with pets and effective training, but also for large dog events — competitions and exhibitions.

    “My area” — a comprehensive program of the Mayor of Moscow for the development of the urban environment. Its goal is to create comfortable living conditions in all areas of the capital. Convenient courtyards, landscaped parks, modern social infrastructure facilities within walking distance are important components of the program.

    Cycle “Friend, savior, protector” — a project covering more than 200 events, is a platform for a full-fledged dialogue between professionals — dog handlers, veterinarians, groomers, zoopsychologists — and dog owners, as well as for anyone who is just thinking about getting a four-legged friend. The series is aimed at popularizing a responsible attitude towards animals and raising the level of knowledge of city residents about the maintenance, upbringing and role of dogs in society. This year, the events are held from May 24 to September 14.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155775073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: /China Focus/ 2025 Summer Davos Discusses Interaction of Sustainable Development and AI in Global Cooperation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    TIANJIN, June 26 (Xinhua) — Summer Davos 2025, a leading barometer of global economic trends and industrial transformation, has attracted a record number of participants in recent years, with more than 1,700 representatives from around the world.

    Its popularity is a testament to both the influence of the forum, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, and the unprecedented appeal of China’s mega-market.

    The forum, also known as the 16th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) of emerging global leaders, is being held this year under the theme “Entrepreneurial Spirit for a New Era”.

    “This theme, which has been at the core of the meeting’s DNA since its inception, places particular emphasis on how innovation, entrepreneurship and technological advancement can unlock the potential for growth, competitiveness and productivity,” WEF Managing Director Mirek Dušek said at the forum’s opening press conference on Tuesday.

    This year’s event focuses on five key areas: interpreting the global economy, China’s prospects, industries in a changing world, investing in people and the planet, and new energy and materials.

    Unlike the WEF’s annual meeting in January in Davos, Switzerland, “Summer Davos” focuses more on the future of business and technological progress. This year’s forum not only showcases China’s achievements in high-quality economic development and its strong commitment to high-level opening up to the outside world, but also serves as a platform for actively sharing the opportunities and dividends of its development with the rest of the world.

    GREEN TRANSFORMATION

    On the roof of the Tianjin National Exhibition and Convention Center, where Summer Davos is being held for the first time, solar panels provide a continuous supply of clean energy to power the event site.

    According to State Grid Corporation of China, the forum achieved 100 percent green power supply for its facilities, using a total of 800,000 kWh of renewable electricity, equivalent to saving about 300 tons of standard fuel and reducing carbon emissions by about 600 tons.

    The event venue uses photovoltaic energy generation and sponge city technologies to replace traditional energy sources with renewable ones, reduce the carbon footprint of infrastructure and significantly improve the efficiency of energy, water and materials use.

    Sustainability is at the heart of WEF events, said Severin Podolak, Head of Event Management at WEF, adding that sofas and other furniture at venues are made from materials recycled in 2023, and some of the paint used in decoration comes from renewable resources such as fishing nets.

    In addition, a fleet of hundreds of electric vehicles from six leading car manufacturers, including Audi FAW, provides clean and low-carbon transportation for forum participants, contributing to the event’s carbon neutrality goals.

    The concept of green development was carefully and comprehensively integrated everywhere: from the design of the venues to the brochure with the forum agenda, where key topics such as Asian carbon markets and further steps in climate change adaptation became central points of discussions directly related to sustainable development.

    Green nitrogen fixation has been included in the WEF’s “Top 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025” list, alongside innovations such as participatory sensing and autonomous biosensing, further highlighting the trend towards sustainable development becoming a global priority.

    Today, China is the world leader in renewable energy investment and has pioneered transformative technologies in batteries and electric vehicles, creating millions of quality jobs in these promising sectors, said WEF Managing Director Jim Hui Neo.

    “I think there is huge potential in this area to learn from the Chinese experience, where constructive partnerships can be formed between China and other parts of the world to support the global energy transition,” she said, adding that “the climate emergency and the planetary crisis cannot be resolved unless everyone is united in this journey.”

    AI REVOLUTION

    The futuristic exhibition area has become a major attraction, where cutting-edge AI products such as humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, and fully autonomous drone inspection systems attract numerous visitors. These innovations vividly showcase the technological breakthroughs of Chinese enterprises and the pioneering application of AI.

    “China may have found the key to restarting global economic growth – its ‘AI Plus’ strategy,” said Liu Gang, chief economist at the China Institute of Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies.

    He explained that the integration of artificial intelligence with the real sector of the economy provides remarkable economic advantages. For example, his team’s research shows that the use of AI in the development of new materials can increase efficiency by 100-1000 times.

    Discussions on AI are unfolding with unusual intensity across the various sessions at Summer Davos 2025, mirroring the heated debates at other leading global forums. Notably, a special session on “Understanding China’s Approach to AI” will be convened, highlighting the growing international recognition of China’s key role in global AI development.

    “It will be like an industrial revolution,” former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, speaking about new technologies at the forum. Countries that embrace it go up, and countries that don’t go down, he said.

    “I think understanding, harnessing and using the technological revolution is the greatest government challenge of the 21st century,” he said.

    GLOBAL SYNERGY

    Global growth forecasts are at their lowest in decades, according to the WEF. Reviving the spirit of cooperation will require unprecedented commitment and creativity.

    Nankai University Professor Tong Jiadong, who has long led the China Agenda Research Team for the Tianjin Summer Davos, noted that the event has evolved from a leading global summit of thought leaders into a dynamic platform for promoting international exchange and cooperation.

    Zhao Yan, Chairman and CEO of China’s Bloomage Biotech, is a regular participant in Summer Davos. Over the years, the company has built a global supply network in more than 70 countries and regions around the world.

    “Despite complex uncertainties, the enterprise has never resorted to isolationism, but instead strives to reformat the global rules of competition through open innovation,” Zhao Yan said.

    In the first five months of this year, China’s total import and export volume of goods grew by 2.5 percent year on year, and the consumption enthusiasm of foreign visitors to China increased significantly.

    “We value our cooperation with China very much. We are seeing increasing interest and engagement here,” said WEF President Borge Brende. “I am relatively optimistic about the Chinese economy in both the medium and long term,” he added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON US STRIKE ON IRAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

    WASHINGTON – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement on June 22, 2025

    As we wait for more details on this evening’s U.S. actions against Iran’s nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and most significantly, Fordow, I proudly thank the brave service members who put their lives on the line for our defense and security. America and the world are more secure because of their success. I am grateful all have safely returned, and I pray for the safety of our 40,000 U.S. troops, our many diplomats and the thousands of U.S. citizens living, working and visiting the region.

    Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, the regime in Tehran has effectively waged an undeclared war on the United States, Israel, and the broader West. A nuclear armed Iran poses a grave and unacceptable threat to the United States, and is an existential threat to Israel and every Arab state in the Gulf.

    Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Ever.

    A diplomatic path to reversing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and permanently dismantling Iran’s nuclear development programs was preferable to war. Negotiations were recently restarted, but Iran dug in its heels at the recent talks in Italy, in Oman, and again this week in Switzerland. Iran gave every signal that diplomacy in this moment was a dead end.

    I still hope that, after tonight’s actions, Iran accepts that it will never have a nuclear weapon and returns in good faith to the negotiating table.

    While Iran’s nuclear ambitions demand a strategic, serious and coordinated response, it remains the sole Constitutional authority of Congress—not the President—to take our nation into war. That prerogative exists not only as a matter of law, but as a safeguard. The Administration must immediately engage with Congress and urgently provide a bipartisan, classified briefing so we can assess the intelligence, legal justifications, objectives, and consequences of this action.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Members review farm policies, food security, technology transfer and transparency issues

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Updates on agricultural market developments and food security

    Members heard updates from observer international organizations, including the International Grains Council (IGC), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Their contributions encompassed the overarching theme of global food security and related challenges, with a particular focus on the unique difficulties faced by least developed countries (LDCs) and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs), along with their continuous efforts to mitigate these challenges.

    The IGC reported that the prospects for the next grain harvest remain broadly favourable, although an unusually dry winter and early spring has reduced yield potential in parts of East Asia. Including upgrades for the Americas, the global crop projection is boosted by 2 million tonnes, to a record 2,375 million. Due to a slightly lower estimate for feed use, the forecast for total grain consumption has been revised down slightly month-on-month, now standing at 2,372 million tonnes.

    With grains and oilseeds markets expected to be comfortably supplied, the IGC emphasized the importance of open trade, noting that global price developments may be strongly influenced by demand-side measures, including trade policies. It also underscored the value of market transparency and drew members’ attention to the Wheat Maritime Trade and Food Security Dashboard, developed jointly with the WTO. This tool supports the monitoring of short-term trends in international wheat maritime trade flows in response to changing market conditions and enables analysis of longer-term developments.

    FAO shared with members the main information contained in The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2024. The publication confirmed that global progress towards the goal of ending hunger is not on track, with chronic hunger and food insecurity persisting at elevated levels. After a sharp increase between 2019 and 2021, the prevalence of undernourishment remained well above pre COVID-19 figures, reaching 9.1% in 2023. This means an estimated 713 to 757 million people facing hunger, with a mid-range estimate of 733 million – approximately 152 million more than in 2019.  

    FAO reminded members that the vast majority of people and countries facing acute food insecurity have remained in that situation for several years, underscoring the protracted nature of the crisis and the importance of resilience-building efforts. FAO also noted that it has been closely monitoring the global food security situation and has developed a dedicated web page – FAO Response to Global Food Security Challenges – which provides detailed information on various aspects of food security.

    The WFP stressed that global food insecurity remains alarmingly high, with 295 million people acutely affected. Catastrophic hunger, the most severe form, has surged – rising from 80,000 people in 2018 to 1.9 million in 2024. Conflict remains the primary driver, with 70% of the acutely food insecure living in fragile, violent contexts. Extreme weather, such as droughts and floods, also threatens food security, as do economic factors like inflation, debt and high food prices. Humanitarian operations are further strained by severe funding shortfalls, said the WFP, which in 2025 expects to assist 24 million fewer people than in 2024.

    To address this crisis, increased funding, humanitarian access and robust data systems are urgently needed. The WFP thanked WTO members for the Decision adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) to exempt humanitarian food purchases from export restrictions. The decision has improved access to local and regional production, facilitating international and regional movement of commodities and positively impacting the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of WFP operations

    Nairobi and Bali decisions – transparency

    Regarding the implementation of the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition, the Chair called on members concerned to make all possible efforts to fully conclude this exercise of aligning export subsidy schedules with the obligations under the Nairobi Decision. The next export competition dedicated discussion is scheduled for the Committee meeting in September. Referring to the Committee’s Decision in G/AG/2/Add.2 of December 2024, the Chair reminded members that 2024 is the last implementation year for which the information required under the export competition questionnaire (ECQ) needs to be provided via a response to the questionnaire.

    Starting from the implementation year 2025, members will be required to submit a new annual export competition notification, which consolidates and streamlines existing export competition related notification requirements and formats, including the ECQ. Members were urged to redouble efforts to submit outstanding responses to the ECQ, and to use the ECQ Agriculture Information Management System (AG IMS) on-line facility for this purpose.

    The Chair noted that the second triennial review of the operation of  the Bali Decision on Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) administration is due in 2025. This topic will remain on the Committee’s agenda all this year. Members shared thoughts on the possible contents and outcomes of this review. The Chair also reminded members of the specific issues raised at the March 2025 Committee meeting and invited them to build on those discussions.

    Issues addressed included the need for better follow-up on the first review’s conclusions , improved transparency and completeness of market access notifications, particularly for TRQs with country-specific allocations in the schedule of commitments, as well as the inclusion of tariff data in TRQ notifications. Members also called for action on TRQ underutilization by addressing barriers, such as unrelated licensing requirements, enhancing notification practices, compiling current challenges and exploring ways to reallocate underused quotas to improve TRQ effectiveness and transparency.

    Technology transfer

    Members expressed interest in advancing discussions on the transfer of technology to developing economies in the food and agricultural sector. Delegations expressed support for continuing discussions on the topic, with calls to shift from educational exchanges to examining how WTO rules could bolster technological development.

    To capitalize on this momentum, the Chair encouraged delegations to turn this interest into concrete, substantive ideas for collective exploration, utilizing the Committee’s nearly three decades of experience with the implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture. Despite encouragement from the previous Chair, Anna Leung of Hong Kong, China, at the March 2025 meeting, no written proposals have been submitted.

    The Chair suggested convening informal discussions and continuing to include this topic on formal agendas to support ongoing reflection and shape collective guidance.

    Agricultural policies review

    A total of 180 questions were raised by members concerning individual notifications and specific implementation matters during the meeting. This peer review process allows members to address issues related to the implementation of commitments outlined in the Agreement on Agriculture. Of these, 14 issues were raised for the first time, while 23 were recurring matters from previous Committee meetings.

    The 14 new items covered a range of topics, including Australia’s livestock industry funds, Brazil’s rural development efforts, Canada’s involvement in farm and dairy support, and the European Union’s emergency agricultural measures and tariff actions on Russian products.

    Other discussions focused on India’s domestic support programmes, sugar policy, and export duties, as well as Indonesia’s agricultural support. Japan’s initiatives to lower carbon emissions and secure fertilizers were also reviewed, along with Paraguay’s rural assistance project, Switzerland’s payments to farmers, Thailand’s debt relief and rice support policies, Türkiye’s tax and pricing systems, the United Kingdom’s schemes to enhance farm productivity, and the United States’ trade programmes, avian flu response, and broad agricultural support measures.

    Since the previous meeting in March 2025, a total of 53 individual notifications have been submitted to the Committee: 24 related to market access, 14 concerning domestic support, 11 regarding export competition, and four related to the implementation of the Marrakesh Decision on LDCs and NFIDCs.

    The Chair urged members to submit timely and complete notifications and to respond to overdue questions, stressing the critical importance of enhanced transparency.

    All questions submitted for the meeting are available in G/AG/W/255. All questions and replies received are available in the WTO’s Agriculture Information Management System.

    Next meeting

    The next meeting of the Committee on Agriculture is scheduled for 25-26 September 2025.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Polymath Research Inc. to Present at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference June 26th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Polymath Research Inc., based in Toronto, is a fintech company pioneering the infrastructure for compliant tokenization of real-world assets on the blockchain. Today it was announced that Vince Kadar, CEO, will present live at the Small Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 26th, 2025.

    DATE: June 26th
    TIME: 3:00 PM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

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      On May 13th, AnalytixInsight Inc. (TSXV: ALY) (OTC Pink: ATIXF) announced an amended and restated amalgamation agreement (original amalgamation agreement was dated March 3rd, 2025) relating to the upcoming Reverse Takeover (RTO) transaction. This transaction involves a three-cornered amalgamation where Polymath and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AnalytixInsight will merge to form a new entity, resulting in Polymath becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of AnalytixInsight. Following the RTO, AnalytixInsight plans to change its name to “Polymath Network Inc.” and consolidate its shares on a 25:1 basis. The exchange ratio for Polymath shareholders has been adjusted from 4.292 to 6.25427 AnalytixInsight shares per Polymath share, reflecting Polymath’s increased valuation after acquiring assets from Polymesh Association, including the Polymesh blockchain and POLYX tokens. The transaction’s completion is contingent upon shareholder and regulatory approvals, as well as the successful closing of a concurrent financing round aiming to raise at least $18.75 million through the issuance of subscription receipts. The annual general and special meeting of AnalytixInsight shareholders to approve the transaction has been rescheduled to August 25, 2025.
    • Acquisition of Polymesh Assets by Polymath
      On May 13, 2025, pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, Polymath, indirectly through Polymesh Labs, agreed to acquire certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Polymesh Switzerland, including POLYX tokens held by Polymesh Switzerland (the “Polymesh Labs Acquisition“). Polymesh Switzerland is a not for profit association formed under the laws of Switzerland and is an Arm’s Length Party (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSXV). The Polymesh Labs Acquisition is subject to certain conditions, and is expected to close prior to the Transaction.

    The Polymesh Labs Acquisition will enable Polymesh Labs’ principal business to include the oversight of the Polymesh blockchain, including POLYX tokens associated with the Polymesh blockchain, and the development of TokenStudio, the Polymesh wallet, other software application, and further investment in developing the Polymesh ecosystem. The Polymesh blockchain is a Layer-1 public-permissioned blockchain using Polkadot’s modular tool substrate framework that is designed for tokenizing real-world assets. It builds on the ERC1400 standard and layers in additional capabilities around governance, identity, compliance and confidentiality. POLYX tokens are the native tokens of the Polymesh blockchain and are used as a utility tokens to provide holders access to the Polymesh blockchain. POLYX tokens are only created when block rewards are minted to reward those that participate in the proof-of-stake consensus mechanisms that validates transactions and produces new blocks on the blockchain. These participants are referred to as “validators” and “nominators”, collectively referred to as “stakers”.

    About Polymath Research Inc.

    Polymath’s principal business is the creation of its flagship white label SaaS technology solution, referred to as Polymath’s Capital Platform, which includes the Polymath dApps and enables customers to create platforms to tokenize real-world assets. Polymath’s Capital Platform technology solution is available for license by third parties. Under this licensing arrangement, Polymath may provide technology services to its customers for the setup, maintenance, and support of their use of Polymath’s Capital Platform technology solution. In each case, Polymath works with, or will work with, the customer to tailor the technology to the particular requirements of the customer and the assets to be tokenized. Polymath as a technology services provider is not registered with any Canadian or foreign securities regulatory authority and its services do not include acting as a broker or the promotion or marketing of securities.

    Polymath also generates revenue by staking proprietary POLYX token that is held in its treasury. Staking is not a service offered to third parties, but it is a revenue stream that monetizes treasury assets. Crypto staking is an important aspect of the nominated proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, which defines which blocks get written to the blockchain, as well as the blockchain network’s roles, rules, and incentives. Polymath stakes 100% of the POLYX tokens held in its treasury, with 50% of the staking rebonded on the Polymesh blockchain and the other 50% converted to fiat and bitcoin reserves.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Polymath Research Inc.
    Vince Kadar
    CEO
    Vince@polymath.network
    +1-613-276-0695

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ghana’s innovation hubs move from recovery to resilience


    Download logo

    From Accra to outlying areas, Ghana’s innovation hubs are showing what’s possible when local knowledge meets international support. This is how they’re scaling solutions, building networks, and shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs. 

    After the pandemic, many of Ghana’s innovation hubs faced significant challenges. Several hubs struggled to deliver services, support startups effectively, or sustain their own business models. Without intervention, the broader ecosystem risked fragmentation.

    ‘We were coming off the back of COVID, and most hubs had been hit hard,’ says Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of the Ghana Hubs Network. ‘Their service and product models had collapsed. They needed to rebuild, and quickly.’

    From 2022 to 2025, the Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF V) Ghana Tech project supported Ghana’s innovation hubs with targeted training and expert guidance. The NTF V project partnered with the Ghana Hubs Network and international trainers to help hubs improve their operations, deliver better support to startups, and play a stronger role in the innovation economy.

    Investing in foundational skills

    In 2022, NTF V launched an eight-week training programme for hub staff and leadership. Led by Swiss-based business models and tools expert Nadine Reichenthal, the programme introduced tools such as the business model canvas, empathy mapping, and value proposition design. Additional sessions covered marketing, communication, business planning and startup coaching techniques.

    ‘This training helped hubs gain structure and clarity,’ says Adu-Gyamfi. ‘It enabled them to rethink how they operate and how best to support the startups in their network.’

    In 2023, the focus shifted to coaching hub leaders to apply the tools in practice. By 2025, the Ghana Hubs Network had taken full ownership of this process and began delivering training and guidance independently.

    ‘That was a turning point,’ he says. ‘It meant the ecosystem no longer depended on external facilitation. We were now equipped to sustain and scale the knowledge locally.’

    Practical application in the field

    AgricoHub, an rural hub focused on agritech and entrepreneurship, is one of the many hubs that completed the full training cycle. Co-founder David Yeboah joined the first cohort in 2022.

    ‘Before, we supported startups, but not in a structured way,’ he says. ‘Now, we use tools like the empathy map and value proposition canvas to help founders identify customer needs and refine their offerings.’

    Yeboah highlights the success of one entrepreneur who manufactures and exports shea butter. ‘We worked closely with her using what we’d learned. She’s now been accepted into UNICEF’s Startup Lab (based in the capital). That’s the kind of result we’re aiming for.’

    AgricoHub has since trained over 20 startups, several of which are now part of a Startup Cooperative Credit Union to access funding and peer support. ‘We’ve embedded these tools into our daily work,’ Yeboah says. ‘They’ve become part of how we do business.’

    “The training built my confidence. I now mentor other hub leaders, and we’re building a peer-learning platform for startups to share knowledge with one another.” David Yeboah, AgricoHub co-founder

    Strengthening partnerships and access to funding

    A critical barrier for many hubs was limited access to funding and difficulty meeting grant requirements. In response, NTF V introduced a follow-on programme in 2025 focused on grants, fundraising, and partnership development. This was done in conjunction with the Ecosystems and Institutions division with training led by Tonia Dadwe. Participants learned how to identify funding opportunities, engage with donors, and build sustainable funding strategies.

    ‘This filled a major gap,’ says Adu-Gyamfi. ‘Hubs were previously unable to position themselves well with funders. The training gave them the tools to meet requirements and communicate their value more effectively.’

    National reach, local impact

    Over 50 hubs across Ghana participated in the training, ensuring that all regions had the opportunity to benefit.

    ‘We were deliberate about geographic spread,’ says Adu-Gyamfi. ‘Hubs in smaller towns and rural areas play a vital role in job creation and problem-solving in their communities. Strengthening them is critical to inclusive economic growth.’

    He adds that well-equipped hubs often become anchors for local innovation. ‘They support MSMEs (small businesses), encourage entrepreneurship, and enable solutions to local challenges. That’s how you strengthen the economy from the ground up.’

    Reaching underserved regions

    While the formal training under NTF V has ended, both Adu-Gyamfi and Yeboah are clear that this is just the beginning. There is increasing demand for maker spaces in underserved regions, and a growing need for support in agritech, green economy, and digital services.

    ‘There is real appetite for hands-on facilities like maker spaces in rural areas,’ says Adu-Gyamfi. ‘Many young people have ideas, but no access to tools or prototyping resources. That’s something we must address.’

    AgricoHub’s startup cooperative encourages peer learning and reduces overreliance on coaching staff. ‘We want startups to take ownership of their development and learn from each other’s experience,’ says Yeboah.

    The Ghana Hubs Network is now exploring new partnerships to scale this work.

    ‘We’ve made significant progress, but there are still more hubs and startups that need support,’ says Adu-Gyamfi. ‘With the right partners, we can build on what we’ve started and expand the impact.’

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Zillmer, Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University

    Rittenhouse Square Park in Center City made it onto the Philly Happiness Map. Matthew Lovette/Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    What makes you happy? Perhaps a good night’s sleep, or a wonderful meal with friends?

    I am the director of the Happiness Lab at Drexel University, where I also teach a course on happiness. The Happiness Lab is a think tank that investigates the ingredients that contribute to people’s happiness.

    Often, my students ask me something along the lines of, “Dr. Z, tell us one thing that will make us happier.”

    As a first step, I advise them to spend more time outside.

    Achieving lasting and sustainable happiness is more complicated. Research on the happiest countries in the world and the places where people live the longest, known as Blue Zones, shows a common thread: Residents feel they are part of something larger than themselves, such as a community or a city.

    So if you’re living in a metropolis like Philadelphia, where, incidentally, the iconic pursuit of happiness charge was ratified in the Declaration of Independence, I believe urban citizenship – that is, forming an identity with your urban surroundings – should also be on your list.

    The Greek island of Ikaria in the Aegean Sea is a Blue Zone famous for its residents’ longevity.
    Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Safety, social connection, beauty

    Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss psychoanalyst, wrote extensively about the relationship between our internal world and our external environment.

    He believed that this relationship was crucial to our psychological well-being.

    More recent research in neuroscience and functional imaging has revealed a vast, intricate and complex neurological architecture underlying our psychological perception of a place. Numerous neurological pathways and functional loops transform a complex neuropsychological process into a simple realization: I am happy here!

    For example, a happy place should feel safe.

    The country of Croatia, a tourist haven for its beauty and culinary delights, is also one of the top 20 safest countries globally, according to the 2025 Global Peace Index.

    The U.S. ranks 128th.

    The availability of good food and drink can also be a significant factor in creating a happy place.

    However, according to American psychologist Abraham Maslow, a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, the opportunity for social connectivity, experiencing something meaningful and having a sense of belonging is more crucial.

    Furthermore, research on happy places suggests that they are beautiful. It should not come as a surprise that the happiest places in the world are also drop-dead gorgeous, such as the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mauritius, which is the happiest country in Africa, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report from the University of Oxford and others.

    Happy places often provide access to nature and promote active lifestyles, which can help relieve stress. The residents of the island of Ikaria in Greece, for example, one of the original Blue Zones, demonstrate high levels of physical activity and social interaction.

    A map of 28 happy places in Philadelphia, based on 243 survey responses from Drexel students.
    The Happiness Lab at Drexel University

    Philly Happiness Map

    I asked my undergraduate psychology students at Drexel, many of whom come from other cities, states and countries, to pick one place in Philadelphia where they feel happy.

    From the 243 student responses, the Happiness Lab curated 28 Philly happy places, based on how frequently the places were endorsed and their accessibility.

    Philadelphia’s founder, William Penn, would likely approve that Rittenhouse Square Park and three other public squares – Logan, Franklin and Washington – were included. These squares were vital to Penn’s vision of landscaped public parks to promote the health of the mind and body by providing “salubrious spaces similar to the private garden.” They are beautiful and approachable, serving as “places to rest, take a pause, work, or read a book,” one student told us.

    Places such as the Philadelphia Zoo, Penn’s Landing and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are “joyful spots that are fun to explore, and one can also take your parents along if need be,” as another student described.

    The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, a historic library with eclectic programming, feels to one student like “coming home, a perfect third place.”

    Some students mentioned happy places that are less known. These include tucked-away gardens such as the John F. Collings Park at 1707 Chestnut St., the rooftop Cira Green at 129 S. 30th St. and the James G. Kaskey Memorial Park and BioPond at 433 S. University Ave.

    The James G. Kaskey Memorial Park and BioPond in West Philadelphia is an urban oasis.
    M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia

    My students said these are small, unexpected spots that provide an excellent opportunity for a quiet, peaceful break, to be present, whether enjoyed alone or with a friend. I checked them out and I agree.

    The students also mentioned places I had never heard of even though I’ve lived in the city for over 30 years.

    The “cat park” at 526 N. Natrona St. in Mantua is a quiet little park with an eclectic personality and lots of friendly cats.

    Mango Mango Dessert at 1013 Cherry St. in Chinatown, which is a frequently endorsed happiness spot among the students because of its “bustling streets, lively atmosphere and delicious food,” is a perfect pit stop for mango lovers. And Maison Sweet, at 2930 Chestnut St. in University City, is a casual bakery and cafe “where you may end up staying longer than planned,” one student shared.

    I find that Philly’s happy places, as seen through the eyes of college students, tend to offer a space for residents to take time out from their day to pause, reset, relax and feel more connected and in touch with the city.

    Happiness principals are universal, yet our own journeys are very personal. Philadelphians across the city may have their own list of happy places. There are really no right or wrong answers. If you don’t have a personal happy space, just start exploring and you may be surprised what you will find, including a new sense of happiness.

    See the full Philly Happiness Map list here, and visit the exhibit at the W.W. Hagerty Library at Drexel University to learn more.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

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

    – ref. Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest – https://theconversation.com/philly-psychology-students-map-out-local-landmarks-and-hidden-destinations-where-they-feel-happiest-258790

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eric Zillmer, Professor of Neuropsychology, Drexel University

    Rittenhouse Square Park in Center City made it onto the Philly Happiness Map. Matthew Lovette/Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    What makes you happy? Perhaps a good night’s sleep, or a wonderful meal with friends?

    I am the director of the Happiness Lab at Drexel University, where I also teach a course on happiness. The Happiness Lab is a think tank that investigates the ingredients that contribute to people’s happiness.

    Often, my students ask me something along the lines of, “Dr. Z, tell us one thing that will make us happier.”

    As a first step, I advise them to spend more time outside.

    Achieving lasting and sustainable happiness is more complicated. Research on the happiest countries in the world and the places where people live the longest, known as Blue Zones, shows a common thread: Residents feel they are part of something larger than themselves, such as a community or a city.

    So if you’re living in a metropolis like Philadelphia, where, incidentally, the iconic pursuit of happiness charge was ratified in the Declaration of Independence, I believe urban citizenship – that is, forming an identity with your urban surroundings – should also be on your list.

    The Greek island of Ikaria in the Aegean Sea is a Blue Zone famous for its residents’ longevity.
    Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Safety, social connection, beauty

    Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss psychoanalyst, wrote extensively about the relationship between our internal world and our external environment.

    He believed that this relationship was crucial to our psychological well-being.

    More recent research in neuroscience and functional imaging has revealed a vast, intricate and complex neurological architecture underlying our psychological perception of a place. Numerous neurological pathways and functional loops transform a complex neuropsychological process into a simple realization: I am happy here!

    For example, a happy place should feel safe.

    The country of Croatia, a tourist haven for its beauty and culinary delights, is also one of the top 20 safest countries globally, according to the 2025 Global Peace Index.

    The U.S. ranks 128th.

    The availability of good food and drink can also be a significant factor in creating a happy place.

    However, according to American psychologist Abraham Maslow, a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, the opportunity for social connectivity, experiencing something meaningful and having a sense of belonging is more crucial.

    Furthermore, research on happy places suggests that they are beautiful. It should not come as a surprise that the happiest places in the world are also drop-dead gorgeous, such as the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mauritius, which is the happiest country in Africa, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report from the University of Oxford and others.

    Happy places often provide access to nature and promote active lifestyles, which can help relieve stress. The residents of the island of Ikaria in Greece, for example, one of the original Blue Zones, demonstrate high levels of physical activity and social interaction.

    A map of 28 happy places in Philadelphia, based on 243 survey responses from Drexel students.
    The Happiness Lab at Drexel University

    Philly Happiness Map

    I asked my undergraduate psychology students at Drexel, many of whom come from other cities, states and countries, to pick one place in Philadelphia where they feel happy.

    From the 243 student responses, the Happiness Lab curated 28 Philly happy places, based on how frequently the places were endorsed and their accessibility.

    Philadelphia’s founder, William Penn, would likely approve that Rittenhouse Square Park and three other public squares – Logan, Franklin and Washington – were included. These squares were vital to Penn’s vision of landscaped public parks to promote the health of the mind and body by providing “salubrious spaces similar to the private garden.” They are beautiful and approachable, serving as “places to rest, take a pause, work, or read a book,” one student told us.

    Places such as the Philadelphia Zoo, Penn’s Landing and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are “joyful spots that are fun to explore, and one can also take your parents along if need be,” as another student described.

    The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, a historic library with eclectic programming, feels to one student like “coming home, a perfect third place.”

    Some students mentioned happy places that are less known. These include tucked-away gardens such as the John F. Collings Park at 1707 Chestnut St., the rooftop Cira Green at 129 S. 30th St. and the James G. Kaskey Memorial Park and BioPond at 433 S. University Ave.

    The James G. Kaskey Memorial Park and BioPond in West Philadelphia is an urban oasis.
    M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia

    My students said these are small, unexpected spots that provide an excellent opportunity for a quiet, peaceful break, to be present, whether enjoyed alone or with a friend. I checked them out and I agree.

    The students also mentioned places I had never heard of even though I’ve lived in the city for over 30 years.

    The “cat park” at 526 N. Natrona St. in Mantua is a quiet little park with an eclectic personality and lots of friendly cats.

    Mango Mango Dessert at 1013 Cherry St. in Chinatown, which is a frequently endorsed happiness spot among the students because of its “bustling streets, lively atmosphere and delicious food,” is a perfect pit stop for mango lovers. And Maison Sweet, at 2930 Chestnut St. in University City, is a casual bakery and cafe “where you may end up staying longer than planned,” one student shared.

    I find that Philly’s happy places, as seen through the eyes of college students, tend to offer a space for residents to take time out from their day to pause, reset, relax and feel more connected and in touch with the city.

    Happiness principals are universal, yet our own journeys are very personal. Philadelphians across the city may have their own list of happy places. There are really no right or wrong answers. If you don’t have a personal happy space, just start exploring and you may be surprised what you will find, including a new sense of happiness.

    See the full Philly Happiness Map list here, and visit the exhibit at the W.W. Hagerty Library at Drexel University to learn more.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

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

    – ref. Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest – https://theconversation.com/philly-psychology-students-map-out-local-landmarks-and-hidden-destinations-where-they-feel-happiest-258790

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Wallet Adds Digital Key Compatibility for Mercedes-Benz

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, today announced that Samsung Wallet will support digital key compatibility for Mercedes-Benz vehicles starting in July 2025. With this new integration, Galaxy users1 can now experience a more seamless way to lock, unlock and start their Mercedes-Benz2 vehicle from their smartphone.
    “We’re excited to bring Mercedes-Benz drivers the incredible convenience that comes with Samsung Digital Key access,” said Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz advances our vision of providing effortless access to tech-enabled experiences across the Galaxy ecosystem.”
    “Bringing convenience and luxury to our customers is our top priority as we strive to bring them the best vehicle experience possible,” said Stefan Blossey, Director of Body-/Comfort-E/E, UX Components at Mercedes-Benz AG. “Samsung Digital Key allows Mercedes-Benz to continue offering our customers convenient access and connectivity to their vehicles.”

    Samsung Wallet is a versatile platform that allows Galaxy users to organize digital keys, payment methods, identification cards, and more — all in one secure and easy-to-use application. Launched in June 2022, and backed by defense-grade security from Samsung Knox, Samsung Wallet smoothly integrates across the broader Galaxy ecosystem to offer powerful connectivity and fortified protection for users in their everyday lives.
    With the addition of the Mercedes-Benz Digital Key on Samsung Wallet, users can experience a new level of convenience at their fingertips. Once inside the vehicle, Samsung’s Digital Key enables drivers to start their vehicle without using their physical key or even removing their smartphone from their pocket. Users can also securely share the digital key with friends or family, through an easy-to-use interface that lets owners grant or disable access as needed.

    The integration of the Mercedes-Benz Digital Key in Samsung Wallet is also backed by Samsung’s commitment to providing a safe, secure and reliable mobile experience for users. Digital keys are securely embedded within the device, meeting rigorous EAL6+3 security standards for protection against unauthorized access. By utilizing Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technologies, a standardized communication protocol set by the Car Connectivity Consortium, the digital key provides precise functionality, significantly reducing the risk of unwanted attempts to access the vehicle.
    If a device containing the digital key in Samsung Wallet is misplaced or stolen, users can log in to the SmartThings Find service to remotely lock or delete the device, securing access to the digital key and further safeguarding their vehicle. With biometric or PIN-based user authentication requirements, Samsung Wallet helps to protect vehicles by keeping access private and secure.4
    Availability
    Digital Key functionality for select Mercedes-Benz vehicles will roll out starting July 2025 in select regions5 worldwide. Users can register their Digital Key through the Mercedes Me application.

    Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance
    Mercedes‑Benz AG is part of the Mercedes‑Benz Group AG with a total of around 175,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for the global business of Mercedes‑Benz Cars and Mercedes‑Benz Vans. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes‑Benz brand with Mercedes‑AMG, Mercedes‑Maybach and G‑Class with their all-electric models as well as products of the smart brand. Mercedes‑Benz AG is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-end passenger cars. In 2024 it sold around 2,4 million passenger cars and vans. In its two business segments, Mercedes‑Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with more than 30 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. As sustainability is the guiding principle of the Mercedes‑Benz strategy and for the company itself, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of the Mercedes‑Benz Group. The company thus takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.
    1 Samsung Wallet Digital Key support is available on select devices, including: Galaxy S21 Ultra/S21+, S22 Ultra/S22+, S23 Ultra/S23+, S24 Ultra/S24+, S25 Ultra/S25+, S25 Edge, Note20 Ultra, Z Fold2, Z Fold3, Z Fold4, Z Fold5, Z Fold6, Z Fold Special Edition.
    2 Mercedes-Benz vehicles supporting Digital Car Key differ per region, in the US these include: E-Class Sedan W214, E-Class Wagon S214, Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Z296, EQS Sedan V297, EQS SUV X296, EQE Sedan V295, EQE SUV X294, S-Class Sedan W223, S-Class Sedan Long V223, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Z223, Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé C192, Mercedes-AMG SL R232, Mercedes-Maybach SL Z232, C-Class Saloon W206, C-Class Estate S206, GLC SUV X254, GLC Coupé C254. For the full breakdown per region, please visit https://moba.i.mercedes-benz.com/baix/cars/dck-compatibility/landingpage/index.html.
    3 Evaluation Assurance Level6+, for which a product must be evaluated for specific protection against side-channel attacks or other advanced attack vectors, plus additional, more extensive testing and verification of the product’s security functions.
    4 Requires compatible device, SmartThings and Samsung account.
    5 Available regions include: Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and USA.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Wallet Adds Digital Key Compatibility for Mercedes-Benz

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, today announced that Samsung Wallet will support digital key compatibility for Mercedes-Benz vehicles starting in July 2025. With this new integration, Galaxy users1 can now experience a more seamless way to lock, unlock and start their Mercedes-Benz2 vehicle from their smartphone.
    “We’re excited to bring Mercedes-Benz drivers the incredible convenience that comes with Samsung Digital Key access,” said Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz advances our vision of providing effortless access to tech-enabled experiences across the Galaxy ecosystem.”
    “Bringing convenience and luxury to our customers is our top priority as we strive to bring them the best vehicle experience possible,” said Stefan Blossey, Director of Body-/Comfort-E/E, UX Components at Mercedes-Benz AG. “Samsung Digital Key allows Mercedes-Benz to continue offering our customers convenient access and connectivity to their vehicles.”

    Samsung Wallet is a versatile platform that allows Galaxy users to organize digital keys, payment methods, identification cards, and more — all in one secure and easy-to-use application. Launched in June 2022, and backed by defense-grade security from Samsung Knox, Samsung Wallet smoothly integrates across the broader Galaxy ecosystem to offer powerful connectivity and fortified protection for users in their everyday lives.
    With the addition of the Mercedes-Benz Digital Key on Samsung Wallet, users can experience a new level of convenience at their fingertips. Once inside the vehicle, Samsung’s Digital Key enables drivers to start their vehicle without using their physical key or even removing their smartphone from their pocket. Users can also securely share the digital key with friends or family, through an easy-to-use interface that lets owners grant or disable access as needed.

    The integration of the Mercedes-Benz Digital Key in Samsung Wallet is also backed by Samsung’s commitment to providing a safe, secure and reliable mobile experience for users. Digital keys are securely embedded within the device, meeting rigorous EAL6+3 security standards for protection against unauthorized access. By utilizing Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technologies, a standardized communication protocol set by the Car Connectivity Consortium, the digital key provides precise functionality, significantly reducing the risk of unwanted attempts to access the vehicle.
    If a device containing the digital key in Samsung Wallet is misplaced or stolen, users can log in to the SmartThings Find service to remotely lock or delete the device, securing access to the digital key and further safeguarding their vehicle. With biometric or PIN-based user authentication requirements, Samsung Wallet helps to protect vehicles by keeping access private and secure.4
    Availability
    Digital Key functionality for select Mercedes-Benz vehicles will roll out starting July 2025 in select regions5 worldwide. Users can register their Digital Key through the Mercedes Me application.

    Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance
    Mercedes‑Benz AG is part of the Mercedes‑Benz Group AG with a total of around 175,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for the global business of Mercedes‑Benz Cars and Mercedes‑Benz Vans. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes‑Benz brand with Mercedes‑AMG, Mercedes‑Maybach and G‑Class with their all-electric models as well as products of the smart brand. Mercedes‑Benz AG is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-end passenger cars. In 2024 it sold around 2,4 million passenger cars and vans. In its two business segments, Mercedes‑Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with more than 30 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. As sustainability is the guiding principle of the Mercedes‑Benz strategy and for the company itself, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of the Mercedes‑Benz Group. The company thus takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.
    1 Samsung Wallet Digital Key support is available on select devices, including: Galaxy S21 Ultra/S21+, S22 Ultra/S22+, S23 Ultra/S23+, S24 Ultra/S24+, S25 Ultra/S25+, S25 Edge, Note20 Ultra, Z Fold2, Z Fold3, Z Fold4, Z Fold5, Z Fold6, Z Fold Special Edition.
    2 Mercedes-Benz vehicles supporting Digital Car Key differ per region, in the US these include: E-Class Sedan W214, E-Class Wagon S214, Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Z296, EQS Sedan V297, EQS SUV X296, EQE Sedan V295, EQE SUV X294, S-Class Sedan W223, S-Class Sedan Long V223, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Z223, Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé C192, Mercedes-AMG SL R232, Mercedes-Maybach SL Z232, C-Class Saloon W206, C-Class Estate S206, GLC SUV X254, GLC Coupé C254. For the full breakdown per region, please visit https://moba.i.mercedes-benz.com/baix/cars/dck-compatibility/landingpage/index.html.
    3 Evaluation Assurance Level6+, for which a product must be evaluated for specific protection against side-channel attacks or other advanced attack vectors, plus additional, more extensive testing and verification of the product’s security functions.
    4 Requires compatible device, SmartThings and Samsung account.
    5 Available regions include: Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and USA.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Negotiations update on an enhanced UK-Switzerland FTA

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Negotiations update on an enhanced UK-Switzerland FTA

    The seventh round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Switzerland took place in London between 5 and 13 June 2025.

    Economic growth is our first mission in government and FTAs have an important role to play in achieving this. An enhanced trade agreement with Switzerland will support British businesses, back British jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets.

    Switzerland is the UK’s 10th biggest trading partner and the UK-Swiss trade relationship was worth more than £45 billion in 2024. Services exports account for more than £18 billion of this, making Switzerland the UK’s 6th largest services export partner. This included over £700 million from Scotland and £1 billion from the North West in 2022. The trading relationship supported 130,000 services jobs across the UK in 2020.    

    An enhanced FTA with Switzerland aims to deliver long-term certainty for UK services firms, by locking in access to the Swiss market, guaranteeing the free flow of data and cementing business travel arrangements.

    Provisional agreement was reached on a number of areas, including Rules of Origin, Dispute Settlement, Development, Consumer Protection, Anti-Corruption, and Animal Welfare.

    Round 8 of negotiations is set to take place in Switzerland in Autumn 2025.

    The government will only ever sign a trade agreement which aligns with the UK’s national interests, upholding our high standards across a range of sectors, alongside protections for the National Health Service.

    Any organisations or individuals interested in speaking to the Department for Business and Trade about negotiations with Switzerland should do so by emailing ch.fta.engagement@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: 36/2025・Trifork Group: Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no. 36 / 2025
    Schindellegi, Switzerland – 25 June 2025

    Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Pursuant to the Market Abuse Regulation Article 19, Trifork Group AG (Swiss company registration number CHE-474.101.854) (“Trifork”) hereby notifies receipt of information of the following transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities in Trifork in connection with fixed salaries paid in shares. Reference is made to company announcement no. 1/2025 on 21 January 2025.

    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
    a) Name Jørn Larsen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status CEO
    b) Initial notification/
    Amendment    		 Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name Trifork Group AG
    b) LEI 8945004BYZKXPESTBL36
    4.1 Details of the transaction(s)
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

    		 Shares

    ISIN CH1111227810
    b) Nature of the transaction A share of 25% of the fixed monthly salary is paid out in shares as described in the company announcement no. 1/2025.
    c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s)
    DKK 0 1,081
    d) Aggregated information
    —
    Aggregated volume —
    Price    		 N/A
    e) Date of the transaction 25 June 2025
    f) Place of the transaction Outside a trading venue
    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
    a) Name Kristian Wulf-Andersen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status CFO
    b) Initial notification/
    Amendment    		 Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name Trifork Group AG
    b) LEI 8945004BYZKXPESTBL36
    4.1 Details of the transaction(s)
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

    		 Shares

    ISIN CH1111227810
    b) Nature of the transaction A share of 10% of the fixed monthly salary is paid out in shares as described in the company announcement no. 1/2025.
    c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s)
    DKK 0 288
    d) Aggregated information
    —
    Aggregated volume —
    Price    		 N/A
    e) Date of the transaction 25 June 2025
    f) Place of the transaction Outside a trading venue


    Investor and press contact
    Frederik Svanholm, Group Investment Director, frsv@trifork.com, +41 79 357 73 17

    About Trifork
    Trifork (Nasdaq Copenhagen: TRIFOR) is a pioneering global technology company, empowering enterprise and public sector customers with innovative digital products and solutions. With 1,215 professionals across 71 business units in 16 countries, Trifork specializes in designing, building, and operating advanced software across sectors such as public administration, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, retail, and real estate. The Group’s R&D arm, Trifork Labs, drives innovation by investing in and developing synergistic, high-potential technology companies. Learn more at trifork.com.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: WISeSat Signs a Service Agreement with Astrocast to Allow Access to Astrocast’s Operational Satellite Constellation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    WISeSat Signs a Service Agreement with Astrocast to Allow Access to Astrocast’s Operational Satellite Constellation

    Geneva, Switzerland – June 25, 2025 – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, today announces that its subsidiary, WISeSat.Space, a provider of secure satellite communications and space infrastructure, signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Astrocast, a Swiss-based nanosatellite IoT network operator, under which WISeSat will be gaining access to the operational satellite constellation of Astrocast. This collaboration significantly expands WISeSat’s existing operational satellite connectivity as Astrocast operates one of the largest LEO satellite networks in Europe.

    This agreement marks a major step in WISeSat’s mission to build a fully sovereign and secure European space ecosystem, aligned with EU space autonomy goals and ambitions. The expanded constellation access will strengthen connectivity, resilience, and coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) and critical infrastructure services across Europe and other strategic global regions.

    Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey and WISeSat.Space, stated: “This is a decisive moment for the future of secure space communications in Europe. By utilizing Astrocast’s operational constellation, WISeSat’s is not only expanding its orbital reach, but it is also reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy in space. This partnership allows us to deliver more robust, real-time, and cyber-secure satellite-based services across key industries and geographies. It’s a powerful example of how Swiss-led innovation can shape the future of a sovereign, digital Europe.”

    This service agreement with Astrocast will support WISeSat’s secure IoT and communication services, which are powered by WISeKey’s cybersecurity and digital identity technologies, and deployed across sectors such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, logistics, energy, and defense.

    Fabien Jordan, CEO of Astrocast, added: “After a very challenging period of restructuring, the Astrocast constellation remains very reliable. We are excited to make this unique network usable for WISeSat and to help them shape the future of secure European space related services. This partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration in advancing innovation and delivering high-value, satellite IoT solutions.”

    This agreement also paves the way for deeper cooperation in areas such as edge AI in space, post-quantum cryptography, and satellite cybersecurity, further cementing Europe’s leadership in next-generation space technology.

    About Astrocast

    Astrocast SA operates a global nanosatellite IoT network, enabling reliable and cost-effective connectivity for remote and underserved regions. With a strong focus on innovation, Astrocast’s technology supports a wide range of industrial and environmental applications.

    About WISeSat.Space

    WISeSat.Space, a subsidiary of WISeKey International Holding Ltd (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), provides secure satellite infrastructure designed to support sovereign European communications, IoT services, and critical mission applications. Its constellation of small satellites ensures end-to-end security and data sovereignty across strategic sectors.

    About WISeKey

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: WISeSat Signs a Service Agreement with Astrocast to Allow Access to Astrocast’s Operational Satellite Constellation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    WISeSat Signs a Service Agreement with Astrocast to Allow Access to Astrocast’s Operational Satellite Constellation

    Geneva, Switzerland – June 25, 2025 – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global cybersecurity, blockchain, and IoT company, today announces that its subsidiary, WISeSat.Space, a provider of secure satellite communications and space infrastructure, signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Astrocast, a Swiss-based nanosatellite IoT network operator, under which WISeSat will be gaining access to the operational satellite constellation of Astrocast. This collaboration significantly expands WISeSat’s existing operational satellite connectivity as Astrocast operates one of the largest LEO satellite networks in Europe.

    This agreement marks a major step in WISeSat’s mission to build a fully sovereign and secure European space ecosystem, aligned with EU space autonomy goals and ambitions. The expanded constellation access will strengthen connectivity, resilience, and coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) and critical infrastructure services across Europe and other strategic global regions.

    Carlos Moreira, CEO of WISeKey and WISeSat.Space, stated: “This is a decisive moment for the future of secure space communications in Europe. By utilizing Astrocast’s operational constellation, WISeSat’s is not only expanding its orbital reach, but it is also reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy in space. This partnership allows us to deliver more robust, real-time, and cyber-secure satellite-based services across key industries and geographies. It’s a powerful example of how Swiss-led innovation can shape the future of a sovereign, digital Europe.”

    This service agreement with Astrocast will support WISeSat’s secure IoT and communication services, which are powered by WISeKey’s cybersecurity and digital identity technologies, and deployed across sectors such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, logistics, energy, and defense.

    Fabien Jordan, CEO of Astrocast, added: “After a very challenging period of restructuring, the Astrocast constellation remains very reliable. We are excited to make this unique network usable for WISeSat and to help them shape the future of secure European space related services. This partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration in advancing innovation and delivering high-value, satellite IoT solutions.”

    This agreement also paves the way for deeper cooperation in areas such as edge AI in space, post-quantum cryptography, and satellite cybersecurity, further cementing Europe’s leadership in next-generation space technology.

    About Astrocast

    Astrocast SA operates a global nanosatellite IoT network, enabling reliable and cost-effective connectivity for remote and underserved regions. With a strong focus on innovation, Astrocast’s technology supports a wide range of industrial and environmental applications.

    About WISeSat.Space

    WISeSat.Space, a subsidiary of WISeKey International Holding Ltd (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), provides secure satellite infrastructure designed to support sovereign European communications, IoT services, and critical mission applications. Its constellation of small satellites ensures end-to-end security and data sovereignty across strategic sectors.

    About WISeKey

    WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions, and (v) SEALCOIN AG which focuses on decentralized physical internet with DePIN technology and house the development of the SEALCOIN platform.

    Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.

    Disclaimer
    This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FinSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

    Press and Investor Contacts

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Work, wages and apprenticeships: sifting for clues about the lives of girls in ancient Egypt

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julia Hamilton, Lecturer in History and Archaeology, Macquarie University

    Weavers in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II, Beni Hassan, Egypt. Painted by Norman de Garis Davies (MMA 33.8.16)

    We know surprisingly little about the lives of children in ancient Egypt.

    And what records we do have about them often concern the lives of the elite – the young king or the children of senior officials. They are more prominent in surviving material evidence, especially funerary art. Infant mortality rates were high in ancient Egypt.

    As a result, much of the work in Egyptology on representations of childhood in ancient Egypt is dominated by evidence for the lives of boys and young adult men.

    But what were the lives of ordinary girls like in ancient Egypt? And how did they make their way in a deeply patriarchal culture?

    Finding hieroglyphic words for girls

    An initial problem in studying girls’ lives in ancient Egypt is answering the question: who was a girl in ancient Egypt?

    Chronological age was not always recorded by ancient Egyptians in their letters or inscriptions.

    Instead, more general words and hieroglyphic signs tended to accompany images of men, women and children to indicate their social roles.

    A woman is shown nursing a child while another woman is dressing her hair.
    Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (22.2.35)

    These words and signs were only loosely associated with biological development.

    Hieroglyphic words for infants and small children, for instance, could be marked with an image of a small, seated child – sometimes with a finger held to its mouth.

    Among the words used to describe young girls – talking, walking, and participating alongside adults in their work – was sheriyt.

    This is the word often found in ancient accounting documents recording payments of wages, indicating a girl-child worker. They are distinguished from older women in these documents, although it is difficult to know precisely how young they might have been.

    In this way, written administrative records and archaeological evidence reveals girls of many social classes were integrated into economic production from an early age.

    Payment for work

    Elephantine, a town at Egypt’s southern frontier near modern-day Aswan, provides a unique window into the urban life of some girls who worked in textile workshops during the ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom, which dates approximately 2030–1650 BCE.

    First published in 1996, archaeologists found a ceramic bowl repurposed as a writing surface in a house in the densely packed urban settlement.

    The excavators initially dated the bowl to the reign of King Amenemhat III, who ruled almost 3,800 years ago. However, based on the style of writing and the types of names listed, some scholars have also dated it earlier. It contains lists of payments of provisions of grain for textile workers over the course of a month.

    What makes this document so important is that it names at least 18 child workers. Of these, 11 are girls, clearly marked with the Egyptian word sheriyt, working alongside 28 adult women.

    The list shows adult women in this workshop received between 50–57 heqat (around 240–274 litres) of grain – although it’s not entirely clear if this was a one-off payment, a payment per month, or something else. The girls earned smaller but still significant wages of 3–7 heqat (around 14–34 litres).

    Some other adult women seem to have also received comparable provisions to the girls, although without further information it is difficult know their social status or age.

    This document not only confirms that girls received payment for their labour. It also suggests a structured apprenticeship system where young girls (and boys) worked alongside experienced craftswomen.

    This corroborates evidence from visual art of textile workshops from the same period.

    Weavers in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II, Beni Hassan, Egypt. Painted at the tomb in 1931 by Norman de Garis Davies.
    Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (33.8.16)

    Work life, home life

    Archaeological evidence suggests textile production occurred both within homes and in dedicated workshops.

    Evidence from the excavations at Elephantine suggests homes had several rooms with multiple purposes, including courtyards, entrance vestibules, kitchens with ovens (recognisable by blackened walls and ash deposits), and possible stairs leading to roof spaces.

    Privacy would have been limited. Daily life would have included close interaction with animals, as evidenced by attached animal pens.

    More recently, close to the house where the provision list was discovered, archaeologists found needles, spindles, shuttles, and remains of pegs for a large loom.

    These were found both inside houses and in the courtyards attached to them.

    It’s hard to know what exactly these buildings were for; they probably served multiple purposes.

    Lives shaped by class and legal status

    Not all girls at Elephantine had the same experience of life. The town’s position at Egypt’s southern frontier in this period meant it was home to diverse populations, which included migrants, enslaved people and transitory workers.

    A letter dating to the reign of King Amenemhat III documents some families, including women and children, arriving at Elephantine seeking work during a famine in their home region.

    This ancient letter mentions families, including women and children, looking for work.
    © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence, CC BY-NC-SA

    This evidence can be compared to a legal document from the same time period but from another Egyptian town, El Lahun. This document mentions the purchase and transfer of enslaved women and infants who are called Aamut, referring to a region in West Asia. The document shows they have been given new Egyptian names.

    These documents remind us factors such as class and legal status have always profoundly shaped girls’ lives.

    Valuing the work of girls

    Accessing the everyday thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of many ancient people, especially children, is challenging for historians. We don’t, for instance, have a wealth of personal diaries from ancient Egypt to learn about girls’ interior lives.

    But what’s clear is that girls were not merely passive participants in society. They were active economic contributors, who often received formal compensation for their work.

    Historians must always look beyond elite contexts to incorporate diverse evidence types – administrative documents, archaeological remains, and artistic representations – to construct a more complete picture of ancient lives.

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

    – ref. Work, wages and apprenticeships: sifting for clues about the lives of girls in ancient Egypt – https://theconversation.com/work-wages-and-apprenticeships-sifting-for-clues-about-the-lives-of-girls-in-ancient-egypt-249581

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: 2025 Summer Davos sees sustainability and AI meet global collaboration

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

    Guests attend the parallel session “Checking In on the Energy Transition” during the 2025 Summer Davos Forum at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A premier barometer of global economic trends and industrial transformation, the 2025 Summer Davos Forum has seen record attendance for recent years, with over 1,700 participants traveling from around the world.

    Its popularity is testament to both the convening power of the event, which is taking place from Tuesday to Thursday in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, and the unparalleled magnetism of China’s mega-scale market.

    Also called the 16th Annual Meeting of New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF), this year’s forum is themed “Entrepreneurship for a New Era.”

    “The theme, which builds on the DNA of this meeting since its inception, particularly focuses on how innovation, entrepreneurship and technological advancements can unlock growth, competitiveness and productivity,” Mirek Dusek, managing director of the WEF, said on Tuesday at the forum’s opening press conference.

    The event spotlights five key areas: deciphering the world economy, outlook on China, industries disrupted, investing in people and the planet, and new energy and materials.

    Unlike the annual meeting of the WEF held every January in Switzerland’s Davos, the Summer Davos Forum places greater emphasis on the future of business and technological advancement. This year’s edition not only demonstrates China’s achievements in high-quality economic development and its steadfast commitment to high-standard opening-up to the international community — it is also a platform for China to actively share the opportunities and dividends of its development with the world.

    Green transformation 

    On the rooftop of the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin), where the 2025 Summer Davos Forum is being held for the first time, solar panels supply continuous clean energy to power the venue during the event.

    According to the State Grid Corporation of China, this edition of the forum has achieved a 100 percent green power supply for its venues, utilizing a total of 800,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity — equivalent to saving about 300 tonnes of standard coal combustion and cutting approximately 600 tonnes of carbon emissions.

    The venue utilizes photovoltaic power generation and sponge city technologies, replacing conventional energy sources with renewables to reduce infrastructure carbon emissions, while significantly enhancing energy, water and material efficiency.

    Sustainability is at the core of WEF events, said Severin Podolak, head of event management and operations for WEF, adding that the sofas and other furniture used in the venues are recycled materials from 2023, and some of the paints used for decoration were derived from renewable resources such as fishing nets.

    Additionally, a fleet of hundreds of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from six leading carmakers, including Audi FAW, are facilitating eco-conscious transportation for forum participants, advancing the event’s carbon neutrality goals.

    The concept of sustainability has been integrated thoroughly — from venue design to the forum’s agenda, with key topics such as Asia’s carbon markets and the next steps for climate resilience becoming focal points of discussions, addressing sustainable development directly.

    Green nitrogen fixation has been named in the WEF’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025, alongside innovations like collaborative sensing and autonomous biochemical sensing, further solidifying sustainability as a global priority.

    Today, China stands as the global leader in renewable energy investment. The nation has pioneered transformative technologies in the fields of batteries and electric vehicles, creating millions of high-quality jobs in these future-oriented sectors, according to Gim Huay Neo, managing director of the WEF.

    “I think this is an area where there’s a lot of scope for us to learn from China’s experience, where there could actually be constructive partnerships between China and other parts of the world to also support the global energy transition,” Neo said. “The climate emergency and the planetary crisis cannot be resolved if we do not bring everybody along on this journey.”

    AI revolution

    A futuristic exhibition zone at the venue has become a major attraction, where cutting-edge AI products like humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and fully autonomous drone inspection systems are drawing large crowds of attendees. These innovations vividly showcase Chinese enterprises’ technological breakthroughs and pioneering applications of AI.

    “China may have found the key to restarting global economic growth — its ‘AI Plus’ strategy,” said Liu Gang, chief economist of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies.

    He explained that integrating artificial intelligence with the real economy yields remarkable economic benefits. For example, research conducted by his team shows that applying AI to the development of new materials can improve efficiency 100-fold to 1,000-fold.

    Across various sessions at the 2025 Summer Davos, discussions on AI are unfolding with remarkable intensity, mirroring the fervent debates witnessed at other premier global forums. Notably, a dedicated session titled “Understanding China’s approach to AI” will be convened, underscoring the international community’s growing recognition of China’s pivotal role in the global AI development landscape.

    “It will be like the industrial revolution,” former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said when talking about new technologies at the forum. Countries that embrace it go up, and countries that don’t go down, he said.

    “I think how you understand, master and harness the technology revolution solution is the single biggest government challenge for the 21st century,” he noted.

    Global synergy 

    According to the WEF, the global growth outlook has reached its lowest point in decades. Reigniting the spirit of cooperation will require greater commitment and creativity than ever before.

    Professor Tong Jiadong at Nankai University, who has served as the long-term Chinese agenda research leader for the Tianjin Summer Davos Forum, observed that the event has evolved beyond a premier global thought leadership summit into a dynamic platform facilitating international exchange and cooperation.

    Zhao Yan, chairman and general manager of Chinese firm Bloomage Biotech, has been a regular participant at the Summer Davos Forum. Over the years, the company has established a comprehensive global supply chain network across over 70 countries and regions.

    “Despite navigating complex uncertainties, the enterprise has never resorted to isolationism, but instead strives to reshape global competition rules through open innovation,” Zhao said.

    In the first five months of this year, the total volume of China’s imports and exports of goods grew 2.5 percent year on year, and the consumption enthusiasm of foreign visitors surged significantly.

    “We value our cooperation with China very much. We’re seeing more and more interest and participation coming here,” said Borge Brende, president and CEO of the WEF. “I’m relatively optimistic for the Chinese economy, both in medium term and long term.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Unprecedented fires fueled by climate change threaten iconic World Heritage forests

    Source: United Nations

    In an update to the joint UNESCO-WRI-IUCN report “World Heritage forests: carbon sinks under pressure”, new data reveals that fires have accounted for approximately 75% of tree cover loss in World Heritage sites. Steadily increasing tree cover loss due to fires, fueled by climate change, has led to record high emissions, and threatens the robust carbon sinks of forests in World Heritage sites.

    Fires are the primary cause of forest loss in World Heritage sites

    Since 2001, approximately 4.5 million hectares of forest—more than the area of Switzerland—have been lost across World Heritage sites, with fires responsible for around 75% of that loss. The vast majority — approximately 80% — of all fire-related tree cover loss occurred in high-latitude forests, primarily across North America and Siberia. Forests in Australia account for an additional 15% of the loss, while all other regions contributed approximately 5%.

    Solid lines show annual tree cover loss in World Heritage sites by cause, while dotted lines indicate long-term trends.
    Source: WRI Land & Carbon Lab

    While the number of World Heritage sites affected by fires annually has slightly declined in recent years — averaging around half of all forested sites per year — the severity of these events is escalating. Since 2020, fire-related tree cover loss has averaged approximately 240,000 hectares per year — more than twice the annual average recorded in the early 2000s.

    In contrast, non-fire-related tree cover loss has remained relatively stable, averaging around 45,000 hectares per year. This loss is primarily attributed to anthropogenic land-use pressures, such as illegal logging, wood harvesting, and agricultural encroachment related to livestock grazing and crop production, mainly in sites included in the List of World Heritage in Danger. Increases in non-fire-related forest loss were observed in 2016-2017 and 2020, linked to the impacts of hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and Asia, and intensified agricultural expansion resulting from limited ability to monitor illegal activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. However, forest loss from non-fire causes has since gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels.

    “The data is clear: climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is here, now, and it is threatening the irreplaceable natural heritage of our world.”

    Climate change is intensifying fires in World Heritage sites

    The steady increase in fire-related tree cover loss highlights the growing influence of climate change on fire regimes in World Heritage sites. While fire plays a natural role in many ecosystems —particularly in temperate and boreal forests in higher latitudes— rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and changing weather patterns are creating conditions that fuel more intense fires. When forests burn, they release vast amounts of carbon stored in trees and soils into the atmosphere, primarily as carbon dioxide (CO₂). These emissions further exacerbate climate change and increase the likelihood of further fires in a self-reinforcing “fire-climate feedback loop.”

    Source: WRI Global Forest Watch

    Forest fires in World Heritage sites have resulted in an average of nearly 60 million tonnes CO2-equivalent (Mt CO2e) emissions per year, equivalent to Austria’s annual fossil fuel emissions[1]. Largely due to extreme fires, fire-related emissions in World Heritage forests have surged in recent years. In 2023, a record-breaking fire swept through over 300,000 hectares of forest in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park, releasing an estimated 190 Mt CO₂e—roughly equivalent to Argentina’s annual fossil fuel emissions. This more than doubled the previous record set in 2021 in Canada’s Pimachiowin Aki (86 Mt CO2e). Australia’s devastating 2019–2020 fires torched around 300,000 hectares in the Greater Blue Mountains Area, emitting over 45 Mt CO2e.

    Tree cover loss due to fires (brown) in Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park after the 2023 fires (left), Pimachiowin Aki after the 2021-2022 fires (middle) and Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains Area after the 2019-2020 fires (right) 
    Source: WRI Global Forest Watch

    In the tropics—where fires have historically been rare—fire activity has surged, driven by intense outbreaks in sites such as Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in the Amazon Basin, and Brazil’s Pantanal Conservation Area. Since 2020, fire has been responsible for approximately 35% of tree cover loss and associated emissions in World Heritage tropical forests—more than four times the annual average recorded in the early 2000s.

    Source: WRI Land & Carbon Lab

    “These intensifying fires are not just destroying tree cover and understory—they are unraveling ecological systems and pristine primary forests which underpin people’s livelihoods and provide several ecosystem services, such as climate regulation and human health maintenance.”

    Carbon sinks and biodiversity in World Heritage sites are under increasing risk

    Fires can have profound negative impacts on ecosystems, particularly by contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss. Covering more than 70 million hectares of forests—more than the area of Germany— World Heritage sites have traditionally played a crucial role in sequestering carbon. However, as fire intensity and frequency increases, this role is under threat. Fire-related emissions in World Heritage forests now account for about 40% of the carbon these forests absorb each year (80 vs. 200 Mt CO2/year), resulting in a net carbon sink of 120 Mt CO2e/year. High-latitude World Heritage forests have now collectively shifted from being carbon sinks to becoming net carbon sources, emitting around 5 Mt CO₂e/year. In contrast, lower latitude forests—mainly in the tropics—remain strong carbon sinks, absorbing roughly 130 Mt CO₂e/year. However, fires in tropical regions are especially damaging because their dense vegetation and high biomass cause them to release more carbon per unit of forest lost than fires in cooler regions. This makes tropical fires a growing threat to climate stability, accelerating the fire–climate feedback loop and pushing ecosystems closer to irreversible tipping points.

    Beyond carbon, fires are also placing fragile ecosystems at serious risk. In ecosystems not adapted to fire—such as tropical rainforests and wetlands—fires can permanently alter habitats, disrupt species interactions, and erase biodiversity that has taken millennia to evolve. Australia’s 2019–2020 fires, for example, are estimated to have affected the habitats of at least 293 threatened animal species and 680 threatened plant species. In the Greater Blue Mountains Area alone, over 140 million animals were impacted, including approximately 15 million mammals, 17.7 million birds, and 110.4 million reptiles. Similarly, in the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve—which includes the Pantanal Conservation Area World Heritage site—an estimated 17 million vertebrates may have perished during the 2020 fires. These fires also drastically worsened air quality, exposing surrounding communities to hazardous levels of smoke and particulate pollution, which can lead to serious respiratory and cardiovascular health problems and straining healthcare systems.

    © M & G Therin-Weise / Jaguar coming out of the forest, Pantanal Conservation Area, Brazil

    “The transformation of carbon sinks into carbon sources signals not just an ecological crisis, but a critical tipping point in our climate system — one that threatens both the natural world and the communities that rely on it. Investing in robust fire prevention and response systems is essential to combat wildfires, especially in carbon-rich forests.”

    Helping communities prepare and respond to fires

    As fire continues to threaten both ecological integrity and human livelihoods, proactive fire response and preparedness are more critical than ever. Communities living in and around World Heritage sites are often the first affected by these events—facing loss of land, water resources, cultural heritage, and biodiversity that their lives and traditions depend on.

    To support rapid and informed action, UNESCO has been leveraging real-time fire alert data through platforms like Global Forest Watch, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI). These tools enable early detection of fire outbreaks and offer actionable insights that help local authorities and conservation managers respond quickly and effectively.

    Complementing this, Land & Carbon Lab – an applied geospatial research lab convened by WRI and the Bezos Earth Fund – provides critical data on carbon storage, emissions and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—enhancing global understanding of how fires and other human activities are imperiling carbon sinks and converting some forests to carbon sources. This data helps inform not only emergency response, but also long-term restoration and climate resilience strategies.

    A notable example of these data in action is their integration into the World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP), which has supported the deployment of the Rapid Response Facility (RRF)— a joint initiative from UNESCO and Fauna and Flora. These tools have helped guide emergency response efforts at critical sites, including Brazil’s Pantanal Conservation Area and Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. In these areas, satellite monitoring and fire alerts have enabled early fire detection, faster mobilization of resources, and timely support for both ecosystems and local communities.

    © Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano 

    “The grant from the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) was crucial in quickly mobilizing resources to keep the ranger corps, community brigade firefighters, and firefighting authorities active in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Without this swift support, the damage to the park’s forests and the species that depend on them could have been far more severe.”

    © Panthera

    “The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) made it possible to train brigades, improve communication, support government institutions and, above all, strengthen integrated firefighting actions between the various stakeholders involved.”

    Beyond immediate response, these efforts also strengthen local capacity, foster community engagement, and promote sustainable land management practices. By combining cutting-edge technology, operational monitoring systems based on Earth observation data, and on-the-ground collaboration, UNESCO and its partners are helping vulnerable communities become more prepared and resilient in the face of escalating fire risks. Ultimately, these initiatives play a vital role in safeguarding the world’s natural heritage for future generations—preserving the ecological, cultural, and climate value of these irreplaceable landscapes.

    UNESCO thanks the support of the Government of Norway to the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and the Government of Flanders (Belgium) to the World Heritage Online Map Platform (WHOMP). WRI thanks the Bezos Earth Fund and Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI).

    [1] All country emissions equivalencies are for CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in 2023, according to the Global Carbon Atlas produced by the Global Carbon Budget: https://globalcarbonatlas.org/emissions/carbon-emissions/

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Announces Appointments to the Homeland Security Advisory Council

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Trump Announces Appointments to the Homeland Security Advisory Council

    resident Donald J

    Trump and Secretary Noem appointed new members to the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) and announced the date of the council’s first meeting

    Formed on March 19, 2002, the HSAC leverages the experience, expertise, and national and global connections of its membership to provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with real-time, real-world and independent advice on homeland security operations

    This new-look, America First HSAC will draw upon a deep well of public and private sector experience from homeland security experts committed to fulfilling President Trump’s agenda

    The Homeland Security Advisory Council will hold its first meeting at DHS headquarters in Washington, D

    C

    on July 2nd, 2025

    Appointed Members:

    Henry McMaster, Governor, South Carolina, Chair
    Joseph Gruters, State Senator, Florida, Vice Chair
    Marc Andreessen, Co-Founder and General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
    David Chesnoff, Attorney, Chesnoff and Schonfeld

    Christopher “Chris” Cox, Founder, Bikers for Trump
    Mark Dannels, Cochise County Sheriff, Arizona
    Richard “Bo” Dietl, CEO and Founder, Beau Dietl & Associates
    Matthew Flynn, Attorney, Steptoe

    Former Deputy Assistant to the President

    Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

    Rudolph W

    Giuliani, Former Mayor, New York City
    Harvey C

    Jewett IV, Retired President of Super 8 Motels Inc

    , Retired President and Chief Operating Officer, Rivett Group LLC

    , President Great Plains Education Foundation, Inc

    Steve Kirby, Founding Partner, Bluestem Capital Company
    Mark Levin, Broadcast News Analyst, The Mark Levin Show
    Corey Lewandowski, Chief Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
    Nicholas Luna, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Implementation, The White House
    George Lund, CEO and Chairman, Torch Hill Investment Partners
    Edward McMullen Jr, Senior Policy Advisor, Adams and Reese LLP

    Former Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein,
    Georgette Mosbacher, Co-Chair, Three Seas Programming, Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, Former Ambassador to Poland
    James “Jim” Pallotta, Managing Partner and Founder, The Raptor Group

    Omar Qudrat, CEO, Maden, Founder, Muslim Coalition for America, Major, U

    S

    Army Reserve
    Stephen Sloan, Global Head of Private Market Secondaries, Portfolio Advisors and Co-Founder, Cogent Partners
    Robert “Bob” Smith, Former U

    S

    Senator, New Hampshire
    Alexei Woltornist, Co-Founder and President, ATHOS

    Former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Department of Homeland Security

    To learn more about the Homeland Security Advisory Council, including its previous taskings, reports, and recommendations, visit DHS

    gov/Homeland-Security-Advisory-Council

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission President’s participation at the WEF – E-000243/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. On 20, 21 and 23 January 2025, the President of the Commission participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission met with Her Excellency Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Helvetic Confederation, and the President of the United States National Academy of Medicine.

    The President participated in the following events:

    — Opening remarks and question and answer (Q&A) session at ‘Deutsche Meets Davos’ Event;

    — Opening remarks and Q&A session ‘Europe‘s Competitiveness Compass: A Conversation with Ursula von der Leyen and International Business Council’;

    — Opening remarks at the launch of the Energy Transition Forum ‘All Hands on Deck for the Energy Transition’, together with the President of Peru;

    — Opening remarks and Q&A session at Financial Times lunch;

    — Remarks at the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ high-level event, organised by Global Citizen as a follow up to the campaign launched with South Africa in November 2024.

    3. The President’s mission costs will be published on a dedicated website[1].

    2. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission delivered a keynote speech, where she addressed topics like competitiveness, simplification, decarbonization, energy supplies and the relations with China and the United States[2]. Following her address, she provided more details by replying to questions by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum. The keynote address and the exchange can be watched online[3].

    • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiative/meetings/mission.do?host=a2c7c963-a9ad-4c47-aa73-4bb46b06dd5d.
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_25_285.
    • [3] https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-265956.

    MIL OSI Europe News –