NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Court Rules in Trademark Dispute Over ‘Iceland’

    Source: Government of Iceland

    The General Court of the European Union has confirmed the decision of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to invalidate Iceland Foods Ltd. exclusive right to the word mark and figurative mark ICELAND. The General Court dismissed claims of annulment brought by the supermarket chain and agreed that the term “Iceland” is descriptive of the geographical origin of goods and services and cannot function as an exclusive trademark.

    The ruling confirms that Iceland Foods Ltd. can no longer prevent Icelandic companies from identifying themselves by their country of origin when marketing their goods and services within the European Union. The case is therefore of fundamental importance to Icelandic companies engaged in international trade.

    „We welcome this clear outcome in our favor in a case that is of fundamental importance to Iceland,“ says Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir. „For our companies it is of considerable value to be able to clearly refer to their Icelandic origin, with all the underlying thoughts of clean air and pristine nature that it carries internationally when you identify yourself as Icelandic. It carries great value for all of us, and we tend to say it with pride. We therefore put much effort into protecting our interests in this respect.“

    Iceland Foods Ltd. may still appeal the ruling on points of law within two months.

    The ruling regarding the word mark.

    The ruling regarding the figurative mark.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Drive to make taxis safer and greener

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Friday, 25th July 2025

    Stoke-on-Trent is to introduce new rules to make the city’s taxis safer and greener.

    The city council’s cabinet approved changes that will mean all taxi owners must have DBS checks for unspent convictions and cautions.

    Drivers will continue to face enhanced DBS checks and will have to attend courses about safeguarding children and vulnerable people before they begin work – and then re-attend every three years.

    The new rules recommend that all drivers install CCTV in their vehicles for their own safety, and that of their passengers.

    They mean drivers have to notify the council within 48 hours if they are questioned, interviewed or arrested by police. Previously the deadline was seven days.

    Drivers will also have to demonstrate the right to work in the UK through a UK passport or right-to-work code.

    The rules would effectively mean only electric and hybrid taxis will be licensed after April 2031. Conventional diesel or petrol taxis will be gradually phased out before then, with the least polluting, wheelchair-accessible vehicles given longer on the city’s roads.

    The new rules form part of a draft taxi and private hire licensing policy for 2025.

    Operators and drivers have been widely consulted on the planned changes, with the majority in favour of the proposals.

    Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning and governance at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “People often use taxis when they are at their most vulnerable, for example after a night out, or in the event of an emergency.

    “Adding an additional layer of security to licensing policy is a vital step in community safety. We don’t want people to just get from ‘A to B’, we want passengers to feel safe and comfortable on their journey.

    “It is fundamental the taxi firms play a part in building a safer and greener city for all with more than 1,760 city council licensed vehicles now operating in the city each year.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Summer Internship in STB Format

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    On July 21, Huang Yi, a student at China Agricultural University (CAU), operates an agricultural drone to carry out precision fertilization of corn at the Science and Technology Backyard (STB) experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province. She explained that creating a precision fertilization scenario using a drone involves several steps, including collecting spectral data and dividing into cells for trajectory planning. After data processing, flexible adjustments are also required based on actual soil moisture. During the summer holidays, Huang Yi and her classmates will be busy working in the fields, learning about agricultural technology and helping farmers reduce costs and increase yields. China Agricultural University, Jilin Agricultural University, and Lishu County government jointly developed the STB in 2009. And for more than ten years now, many students studying in agricultural specialties have come here to conduct field research, experiments and popularize advanced agricultural technologies.

    Zhao Gang (center), chairman of Xinyuan Professional Agricultural Production Cooperative, talks to students about the current growth status of corn at the STB experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province, July 21. Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Zhang Nan

    Huang Yi, a student at China Agricultural University, adjusts the parameters of an agricultural drone at an STB experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province, July 21. Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Zhang Nan

    An agrodron applies fertilizer to corn with high precision at an STB experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province, July 21 (photo by drone). Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Zhang Nan

    Huang Yi, a student at China Agricultural University, operates an agricultural drone to carry out precision fertilization of corn at an STB experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province, July 21. Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Zhang Nan

    An agrodron applies fertilizer to corn with high precision at an STB experimental field in Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province, July 21 (photo by drone). Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Zhang Nan

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Briefing of the Ministry of National Defense on July 14, 2025 2025-07-25 On the afternoon of July 14, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, answered recent media queries concerning the military.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    On the afternoon of July 14, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, answered recent media queries concerning the military.

    On the afternoon of July 14, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, answers recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Sun Yue)

    Jiang Bin: First, I would like to announce two pieces of information.

    First, the Young Leaders Conference of China-Africa Peace and Security Forum will be held in Nanjing from July 15 to 19, with about 90 mid-and-senior level military officers from over 40 African countries attending. The Conference is hosted by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and organized by the PLA Army Command College. With the theme of Building Peace Together for the Future, the conference is aimed at implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and further boosting consensus, solidarity and cooperation between China and African countries on peace and security, so as to facilitate the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

    Second, army special forces of China and Serbia will carry out Peace Guardian-2025 joint training in Hebei in the second half of July. This will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries. It will help strengthen combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two militaries.

    Journalist: The Philippine Defense Secretary has recently said in an interview that China’s willingness to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone was just a symbolic gesture. With one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, China should denuclearize first to show its sincerity. Do you have any comment?

    Jiang Bin: Some people in the Philippines often make groundless accusations against China’s efforts in preserving regional peace. Do they speak for themselves or stand for their country? We are not sure. Establishing the Southeast Asia nuclear weapon-free zone (SEANWFZ) is significant for strengthening the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promoting regional peace and stability, and is conducive to the fundamental security interests of ASEAN countries. The Chinese side is firmly committed to such an undertaking, and has made clear our willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol.

    China follows a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and has made an unconditional commitment of not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear weapon-free zones. China is the only nuclear-weapon state that has made such a commitment. China’s nuclear force and nuclear policy have been a significant contribution to world peace, which is widely recognized by the international community.

    Journalist: Sources from the Japanese government said that Japan plans to export six Abukuma-class frigates to the Philippines. Some analysts believe this is aimed at “China’s maritime expansion”. What’s your take?

    Jiang Bin: It is our consistent position that defense and security cooperation between relevant countries should not target at any third party or harm the interests of any third party. During WWII, Japanese militarists committed heinous crimes when they invaded and colonized Japan’s neighboring countries, including China and the Philippines, and occupied islands in the South China Sea. In recent years, Japan has breached its commitments under the pacifist Constitution and exclusively defense-oriented policy by continuously exporting weapons and equipment to other countries, attempting to build small cliques to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, which created destabilizing factors in the Asia-Pacific region. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. We urge the Japanese side to deeply reflect on and draw lessons from history, speak and act prudently on military and security matters, and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: The head of Taiwan’s military agency has reportedly announced the establishment of Taiwan’s first HIMARS company, and that it will greatly improve the Taiwan military’s precision strike and overall defense capabilities. In addition, Taiwan’s military agency has approved the acquisition of 168 units of US M109A7 self-propelled howitzers. Do you have any comment?

    Jiang Bin: In order to solicit US support for “Taiwan independence”, the DPP authorities are selling Taiwan’s interests to flatter the US and squandering the hard-earned money of the Taiwan people to pay protection fees. Buying US weapons to embolden themselves is useless and self-deceiving. Resisting reunification by force is a dead end. War provocations made by the “Taiwan independence” armed forces are futile, and will only lead to self-destruction.

    On the afternoon of July 14, 2025, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND, answers recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Sun Yue)

    Journalist: According to reports, the DPP authorities stated that the activation of the W121 extension of the M503 route by the Civil Aviation Administration of China intends to reduce the depth of Taiwan’s air defense and shorten its early warning time, which would ultimately eliminate the “median line of the Taiwan Strait”, thereby posing military threats to Taiwan. Some media reports said that the activation came just days before Taiwan’s Han Kuang military exercise, and might escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait. What’s your comment?

    Jiang Bin: Taiwan is a part of China and there is no so-called “median line of the Taiwan Strait”. The establishment and activation of relevant route is a routine work carried out by the competent authorities based on the needs of civil aviation development and management. It is beneficial to compatriots on both sides of the Strait. The DPP authorities used it as an excuse to hype up the so-called “military threats from the mainland” for their selfish gains, attempting to create security anxiety, intensify antagonism and confrontation, and obstruct cross-Strait exchanges. Their scheme would never be welcomed nor succeed.

    The root cause for the current tension across the Taiwan Strait lies in the DPP authorities’ collusion with external forces in their continuous provocations for “Taiwan independence”. We hope that all Taiwan compatriots can see through the true nature of the DPP authorities in seeking independence, realize the serious harm of “Taiwan independence”, firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” separatist activities, and jointly safeguard cross-Strait peace and stability.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing’s budget revenue rises 2.6% in H1

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

    Beijing’s economy showed continued stability and growth in the first half of 2025, driving a 2.6% increase in municipal budget revenue that maintained the city’s top position nationwide for revenue quality, local officials said Wednesday.

    Han Jie, director of the Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau, told the city legislature that general public budget revenue reached 357.12 billion yuan ($50 billion) in the first six months, exceeding the half-year target by 3.9 percentage points.

    All three main tax categories posted positive growth, with tax revenue accounting for 87.3% of total revenue, the highest rate nationwide, Han said during his report to the 18th session of the Standing Committee of the 16th Beijing Municipal People’s Congress.

    The figures reflect Beijing’s sustained economic momentum and high-quality fiscal performance, officials said.

    Key economic sectors drove the fiscal growth. Scientific and technological services posted a 13.4% increase in tax revenue, while information services grew 7.7%.

    On the spending front, Beijing’s general public budget expenditures totaled 459 billion yuan, surpassing the half-year target by 4.6 percentage points. The city allocated more than 80% of its budget to public welfare, prioritizing livelihood and development programs.

    Spending also increased across key areas, including science and technology, education, health care, culture and sports, social security, employment and urban-rural development.

    Science and technology investment rose to 58.49 billion yuan, up 3.5% and ranking among the nation’s highest both in scale and proportion of total spending, officials said.

    Eight newly established government investment funds deployed 18.86 billion yuan across 212 projects, leveraging about 72.8 billion yuan in private capital to support high-tech and advanced manufacturing industries.

    The city also strengthened budget oversight, expanding pre-spending evaluations to all major new projects and cutting 1.22 billion yuan from 214 projects.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Iran and Europeans begin nuclear talks with questions over future UN sanctions

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Iran pushed back on Friday on suggestions of extending a U.N. resolution that ratifies a 2015 nuclear deal as it began the first face-to-face talks with Western powers since Israel and the U.S. bombed it last month.

    Delegations from Iran, the European Union and the E3 group of France, Britain and Germany, arrived for talks at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul.

    The European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 deal – from which the U.S. withdrew in 2018 – that lifted sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.

    A deadline of Oct. 18 is fast approaching when the resolution governing that deal expires.

    At that point, all U.N. sanctions on Iran will be lifted unless a “snapback” mechanism is triggered at least 30 days before. This would automatically reimpose those sanctions, which target sectors from hydrocarbons to banking and defence.

    To give time for this to happen, the E3 have set a deadline of the end of August to revive diplomacy. Diplomats say they want Iran to take concrete steps to convince them to extend the deadline by up to six months.

    Iran would need to make commitments on key issues including eventual talks with Washington, full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and accounting for 400 kg (880 pounds) of near-weapons grade highly enriched uranium, whose whereabouts are unknown since last month’s strikes.

    Minutes before the talks began, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told the state news agency IRNA that Iran considered talk of extending U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 to be “meaningless and baseless”.

    The United States held five rounds of talks with Iran prior to its airstrikes in June, which U.S. President Donald Trump, said had “obliterated” a programme that Washington and its ally Israel say is aimed at acquiring a nuclear bomb.

    However, NBC News has cited current and former U.S. officials as saying a subsequent U.S. assessment found the strikes destroyed most of one of three targeted Iranian nuclear sites, but that the other two were not as badly damaged.

    Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.

    European and Iranian diplomats say there is no prospect of Iran re-engaging with the U.S. at the negotiating table for now.

    (Reuters)

  • Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting along their border?

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Thailand and Cambodia are engaged in their worst fighting in over a decade, exchanging heavy artillery fire across their disputed border, with at least 16 people killed and tens of thousands displaced.

    Tensions began rising between the Southeast Asian neighbours in May, following the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief exchange of gunfire, and have steadily escalated since, triggering diplomatic spats and now, armed clashes.

    WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION?

    Clashes broke out between the two countries early on Thursday along a disputed area abutting an ancient temple, rapidly spilling over to other areas along the contested frontier and heavy artillery exchanges continuing for a second straight day.

    Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh on Wednesday and expelled Cambodia’s envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. Cambodia called that accusation baseless.

    Both sides accuse each other of firing the first shots that started the conflict on Thursday, which have so far claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians, most of them on the Thai side.

    Cambodia has deployed truck-mounted rocket launchers, which Thailand says have been used to target civilian areas, while the Thai armed forces despatched US-made F-16 fighter jets, using one to bomb military targets across the border.

    Some 130,000 people have been evacuated from border areas in Thailand to safer locations, while some 12,000 families on the Cambodian side have been shifted away from the frontlines, according to local authorities.

    WHERE DOES THE DISPUTE ORIGINATE?

    Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.

    That map, which Thailand later contested, was based on an agreement that the border would be demarcated along the natural watershed line between the two countries.

    In 2000, the two countries agreed to establish a Joint Boundary Commission to peacefully address overlapping claims, but little progress has been made towards settling disputes.

    Claims over ownership of historical sites have raised nationalist tension between the two countries, notably in 2003 when rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh over an alleged remark by a Thai celebrity questioning jurisdiction over Cambodia’s World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple.

    WHAT WERE PREVIOUS FLASHPOINTS?

    An 11th century Hindu temple called Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been at the heart of the dispute for decades, with both Bangkok and Phnom Penh claiming historical ownership.

    The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but Thailand has continued to lay claim to the surrounding land.

    Tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery in 2011.

    Two years later, Cambodia sought interpretation of the 1962 verdict and the ICJ again ruled in its favour, saying the land around the temple was also part of Cambodia and ordering Thai troops to withdraw.

    WHAT’S BEHIND RECENT TROUBLES?

    Despite the historic rivalry, the current governments of Thailand and Cambodia enjoy warm ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia’s Hun Sen.

    But nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand after conservatives last year questioned the government’s plan to negotiate with Cambodia to jointly explore energy resources in undemarcated maritime areas, warning such a move could risk Thailand losing the island of Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand.

    Tensions also rose in February when a group of Cambodians escorted by troops sang their national anthem at another ancient Hindu temple that both countries claim, Ta Moan Thom, before being stopped by Thai soldiers.

    An effort by then Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter, to de-escalate the situation in a call last month with Hun Sen spectacularly backfired after a recording of the conversation was initially leaked and later released in full by the Cambodian leader.

    In the call, the 38-year-old prime minister appeared to criticize a Thai army commander and kowtow to Hun Sen, drawing public fury and a complaint from a group of senators, which led to her suspension by a court order on July 1.

    HAVE THERE BEEN ANY RESOLUTION EFFORTS?

    After the May 28 clash, both countries quickly promised to ease tension, prevent more conflict and seek dialogue via their joint border commission at a June 14 meeting.

    The neighbours have issued diplomatically worded statements committing to peace while vowing to protect sovereignty, but their militaries have been mobilising near the border.

    Cambodia, meanwhile, said existing mechanisms were not working and it planned to refer disputes in four border areas to the ICJ to settle “unresolved and sensitive” issues that it said could escalate tensions.

    Thailand has not recognised the ICJ’s rulings on the row and wants to settle it bilaterally.

    Since Thursday’s clashes, Cambodia has written to the United Nations Security Council, urging the body to convene a meeting to stop what it describes as “unprovoked and premeditated military aggression” by Thailand.

    Thailand, on the other hand, wants to resolve the conflict through bilateral negotiations but says talks can only take place after Cambodia ceases violence.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Statement on Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) July 2025

    Joint statement from UK and Australia on the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) July 2025

    1 . On 25 July 2025, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence the Hon Richard Marles MP hosted the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs the Rt Hon David Lammy MP and the Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon John Healey MP for the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) in Sydney.

    2 . Ministers noted the global security environment had become more dangerous and unpredictable since they last met in December 2024. They recognised the elevated importance of the enduring Australia-UK relationship in responding together to address these challenges.

    3 . Ministers agreed to significantly increase their cooperation to bolster Australia and the UK’s defence and national security, enhance economic security and mitigate and address the impacts of climate change. Ministers agreed on the enduring importance of the UK-Australia relationship in delivering economic growth to our peoples and globally.

    4 . Ministers underscored the role Australia and the UK play in upholding the rules, norms and institutions, including respect for universal human rights, that underpin global prosperity and security, and noted their deep, clear and longstanding commitment to the multilateral system. They committed to consider joint initiatives and advocacy on multilateral reform, including on the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 Initiative, to ensure the multilateral system is able to continue to deliver on critical core functions and mandates.

    Closer cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

    5 . Ministers reaffirmed that the security, resilience and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are interconnected. They committed to continue to expand efforts to safeguard internationally agreed rules and norms and respect for sovereignty. Ministers agreed on the need to shape a world characterised by adherence to rules and norms, rather than power or coercion.

    6 . Ministers committed to further strengthen cooperation, bilaterally and with regional partners, to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Ministers agreed the UK and Australia’s enduring engagement in the Indo-Pacific was important to shaping a favourable strategic balance in the region.

    7 . Recognising the deteriorating geostrategic environment, Ministers emphasised the need for all countries to manage strategic competition responsibly, and the importance of dialogue and practical measures to reduce the risks of miscalculation, escalation and conflict.

    8 . Ministers reiterated their strong opposition to coercive or destabilising activities by China’s Coast Guard, naval vessels and maritime militia in the South China Sea, including sideswiping, water cannoning and close manoeuvres that have resulted in injuries, endangered lives and created risks of miscalculation and escalation. Ministers agreed to continue cooperating to support freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, including through participation in joint activities. They also reiterated their concern about the situation in the East China Sea.

    9 . Ministers emphasised the obligation of all states to adhere to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the comprehensive legal framework for all activities in the ocean and seas. They agreed that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. Ministers reaffirmed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal decision is final and binding on the parties. They emphasised any South China Sea Code of Conduct must be consistent with UNCLOS and not undermine the rights of States under international law.

    10 . Ministers agreed on the critical importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue and not through the threat or use of force or coercion, and reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. They expressed concern at China’s destabilising military exercises around Taiwan. Ministers recognised that the international community benefits from the expertise of the people of Taiwan and committed to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a pre-requisite or as an observer or guest where it is. They reiterated their will to continue to deepen relations with Taiwan in the economic, trade, scientific, technological, and cultural fields.

    11 . Ministers strongly condemned the DPRK’s ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile programs and called for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the DPRK. Ministers also expressed grave concern over the DPRK’s malicious cyber activity, including cryptocurrency theft and use of workers abroad to fund the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

    12 . Ministers emphasised their commitment to ASEAN centrality and recognised the critical role of ASEAN-led architecture in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. They reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to support the practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

    13 . Ministers underscored their commitment to deepen engagement on trade and investment diversification in Southeast Asia, including through Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, Australia’s AUD 2 billion Southeast Asian Investment Financing Facility and dedicated Southeast Asia Investment Deal Teams, and the UK’s enhanced economic engagement. Ministers agreed to continue to strengthen coordination on clean energy transition in Southeast Asia and cooperation to bolster the region’s economic resilience through the mobilisation of private finance for climate objectives and green infrastructure, exploring collaboration on financing of low-carbon energy projects, and coordination of support to the ASEAN Power Grid.

    14 . Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to combat people smuggling, human trafficking and modern slavery in South and Southeast Asia, recognising that women and girls were most impacted, with a focus on trafficking into scam centres.

    15 . Ministers reiterated their commitment to the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as the premier ministerial-level forum in the Indian Ocean region. They agreed to continue collaboration on shared priorities in the Indian Ocean, including maritime security.

    16 . Ministers reiterated their serious concern at the deepening humanitarian crisis and escalating violence in Myanmar, compounded by the devastating earthquake in March. They strongly condemned the Myanmar regime’s violent oppression of its people, including the continued bombardment of civilian infrastructure. They called for all parties to prioritise the protection of civilians. They called on the regime to immediately cease violence, release those arbitrarily detained, allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and return Myanmar to the path of inclusive democracy. Ministers reiterated their support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis, including through the Five Point Consensus and the work of the ASEAN Special Envoy and UN Special Envoy. They welcomed ASEAN leaders’ recent call for an extended and expanded ceasefire, and inclusive national dialogue.

    17 . Ministers highlighted their commitment to continue to work with Pacific island countries through existing regional architecture, recognising the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum. They agreed on the importance of pursuing Pacific priorities as set out in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Ministers joined Pacific partner calls for increased access to climate finance, including further support to Pacific-owned and led mechanisms such as the Pacific Resilience Facility. Ministers welcomed ongoing reform of multilateral climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to provide better outcomes for Pacific island countries, noting encouraging progress made regarding the accreditation of Direct Access Entities and GCF regional presence. Ministers welcomed the UK’s continued contributions to Pacific security through their assistance in the removal of explosive remnants of war via their participation in the Australian-led Operation Render Safe. Ministers agreed to continue to work together to advance transparent and high-quality development in line with the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles (PQIPs), including through the Pacific Business Club. Ministers committed to work collaboratively on respective approaches to the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to encourage reform consistent with the PQIPs. Ministers underscored our shared commitment to cyber coordination and capacity-building in the Pacific including through support to the inaugural Pacific Cyber Week in August 2025, a concept endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum. Ministers emphasised the importance of sharing expertise and strengthening people-to-people links for a more cyber-resilient Pacific.

    Ambitious partners, facing global challenges together

    18 . Ministers unequivocally condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called on Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s internationally recognised territory, and adhere fully to its obligations under international law, including in relation to the protection of civilians and treatment of prisoners of war. They reiterated their commitment to making sure that Ukraine gets the military and financial support it needs to defend itself in the fight now and agreed to step up action against Russia’s war machine. They emphasised the importance of taking further action against Russia’s shadow fleet, acknowledging the sanctions both countries had imposed in this regard. They also called on Russia to immediately cease their illegal deportation of Ukrainian children and reunify those already displaced with their families and guardians in Ukraine.

    19 . Ministers reiterated their deep concerns about the role of third countries in supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and the associated impact for the security of the Indo-Pacific. They called on China to prevent its companies from supplying dual-use components to Russia’s war effort, and exercise its influence with Russia to stop Moscow’s military aggression and enter negotiations to end the war in good faith. Ministers strongly condemned the DPRK’s support for Russia through the supply of munitions and deployment of DPRK personnel to enable Russia’s war efforts. Ministers called on Iran to cease all support for Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and halt the transfer of ballistic missiles, UAVs and related technology.

    20 . Ministers agreed deepening military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK was a dangerous expansion of Russia’s war that has significant implications for security in the Indo-Pacific region. They expressed deep concerns about any political, military or economic support Russia may be providing to the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Ministers affirmed their commitment to cooperating with international partners to strengthen efforts to hold the DPRK to account for violations and evasions of UN Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) including as founding members of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). Ministers acknowledged the release of the MSMT’s first report, which shines a light on unlawful DPRK-Russia military cooperation including arms transfers and Russia’s training of DPRK troops. Ministers urged all UN Member States to abide by their international obligations under the UNSCRs to implement sanctions, including the prohibition on the transfer or procurement of arms and related material to or from the DPRK.

    21 . Ministers called on Iran and Israel to adhere to the ceasefire and urged Iran to resume negotiations with the US. Ministers stated their determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. It is essential that Iran act promptly to return to full compliance with its safeguards obligations, cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and refrain from actions that would compromise efforts to address the security situation in the Middle East. Ministers condemned Iran’s unjust detention of foreign nationals and raised ongoing concerns over the human rights situation in Iran, particularly the escalation of the use of the death penalty as a political tool during the 12-day conflict, and the ongoing repression of women, girls and human rights defenders.

    22 . Ministers reiterated their support for Israel’s security and condemnation of Hamas’ horrific attacks on 7 October 2023, and underlined that Israeli actions must abide by international law. They called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to Israeli blocks on aid, and the urgent and unconditional release of all hostages.

    23 . Ministers reaffirmed their conviction that an immediate and sustained ceasefire, alongside urgent steps towards a credible and irreversible pathway to a two-state solution are the only ways to deliver lasting peace, security and stability for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region.

    24 . Ministers expressed grave concerns at the horrific and intolerable situation in Gaza. They continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including Israel’s blocking of essential aid. They reiterated their call for Israel to immediately enable full, safe and unhindered access for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, end the suffering and deliver dignity. Ministers also condemned settler violence in the West Bank, which has led to deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities, and expressed opposition to any attempt to expand Israel’s illegal settlements.

    25 . Ministers expressed their deep concern for the safety and security of humanitarian personnel working in conflict settings around the world. They reaffirmed their commitment to finalise a Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel and implement practical actions to ensure greater respect for and protection of humanitarian personnel. Ministers also called on all countries to endorse the Declaration once launched and to reaffirm their responsibility to uphold humanitarian principles and ensure respect for international humanitarian law. Ministers discussed the essential role of the humanitarian system which is critical to saving lives and livelihoods and avoiding mass displacement. Ministers noted that the core work of the UN, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and international, national and local humanitarian organisations, must be preserved. Ministers also reiterated support for the Emergency Relief Coordinator’s humanitarian reset.

    26 . Ministers committed to continue close collaboration on protecting and promoting gender equality internationally and countering rollback of rights, including through Australia-UK Strategic Dialogues on Gender Equality and progressing subsequent agreed commitments, such as the UK-Australia Gender Based Violence MoU.

    27 . Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. They acknowledged the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and agreed to continue working together on implementing the WPS agenda, promoting the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of women in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution, and working together on preventing conflict-related sexual violence and ending impunity.

    28 . Ministers reiterated their serious shared concerns about human rights violations in China, including the persecution and arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and the erosion of their religious, cultural, education and linguistic rights and freedoms. They expressed their deep concern with the transfer of a cohort of 40 Uyghurs to China against their will in February this year. Ministers shared grave concerns about the ongoing systemic erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy, freedom, rights and democratic processes, including through the imposition of national security legislation and the prosecution of individuals such as British national Jimmy Lai and Australian citizen Gordon Ng. They shared their deep concern over the actions of Hong Kong authorities in targeting pro-democracy activists both within Hong Kong and overseas, including in Australia and the UK.

    29 . Ministers expressed growing concern over foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and attempts to undermine security and democratic institutions and processes. They committed to working closely to analyse and respond to FIMI in order to raise the costs for malign actors, and build collective responses to FIMI, including in multilateral fora, and to promote resilient, healthy, open and fact-based environments.

    30 . Ministers acknowledged the unprecedented opportunities presented by critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the need to mitigate harms to build trust and confidence. They committed to collaborate on reciprocal information sharing on advanced AI capabilities and research, including between Australian agencies and the UK AI Security Institute, and working together to capture the opportunities of AI through the bilateral Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership.

    31 . Australia welcomed the UK’s new Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) and looked forward to exploring the opportunities for cooperation between our nations. The lab will pull together our world-class industry, academia and government agencies to ensure we reap the benefits of AI, while detecting, disrupting and deterring adversaries who would use it to undermine our national security and economic prosperity.

    32 . Ministers expressed shared concern over the persistent threat of malicious cyber activities impacting our societies and economies and agreed to continue to work closely on leveraging all tools of deterrence, including the use of attributions and sanctions to impose reputational, financial costs and travel bans on these actors. Our respective statements calling out the egregious activity of Russia’s GRU on Friday 18 July is a good example of such cooperation.

    33 . The UK is pleased to welcome Australia as a partner to the Common Good Cyber Fund, designed to strengthen cybersecurity for individuals most at risk from digital transnational repression. The Fund was first launched by the Prime Ministers of the UK and Canada under the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism. This participation underscores the growing commitment among G7 partners and like-minded nations to counter this threat and to deliver support to those who may be targeted.

    34 . Ministers reiterated their commitment to the Commonwealth as a unique platform for cross-regional dialogue and cooperation. They noted the importance of the Commonwealth in elevating the voices of small developing states on issues of global importance. Ministers took note of the important role of the Commonwealth Small States Offices in New York and Geneva, and committed to looking into options for expansion of this offer.

    Building shared defence capability

    35 . Ministers welcomed the continued growth in the bilateral defence relationship including the deployment of a British Carrier Strike Group to Australia for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 as part of an Indo-Pacific deployment. HMS Prince of Wales is the first UK aircraft carrier to visit Australia since 1997 and the deployment demonstrates the UK’s ongoing commitment to increase interoperability with Australia in the Indo-Pacific following significant contributions to Exercises Pitch Black and Predator’s Run in 2024. Ministers look forward to future opportunities in Australia and the wider region, including leveraging the Royal Navy’s (RN) offshore patrol vessels persistently deployed in the Indo-Pacific.

    36 . Ministers also welcomed the success of the inaugural Australia-UK Staff Level Meeting, with the second meeting set to take place in Australia later this year. This forum will continue to progress joint strategic and operational objectives, supporting the evolution of the bilateral relationship.

    37 . Ministers reaffirmed their enduring commitment to the generational AUKUS partnership, which is supporting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, enhancing our collective deterrence against shared threats. This capability and technology sharing partnership will deliver military advantage to deter adversaries and promote regional security. The partnership also provides new pathways for innovation, boosting interoperability between partners and strengthening our combined defence industrial base.

    38 . Ministers announced their intent to sign a bilateral AUKUS treaty between the UK and Australia on Saturday, 26 July. The Treaty is a landmark agreement, which will underpin the next 50 years of UK-Australian bilateral cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I.

    39 . The Treaty will enable comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of our SSN-AUKUS submarines; support the development of the personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems required for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program; and realise increased port visits and the rotational presence of a UK Astute Class submarine at HMAS Stirling under Submarine Rotational Force – West.

    40 . The Treaty will enable our two countries to deliver a cutting-edge undersea capability through the SSN-AUKUS, in conjunction with our partner the US. Through working together we are supporting stability and security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond for decades to come, creating thousands of jobs, strengthening our economies and supply chains, building our respective submarine industrial bases and providing new opportunities for industry partners.

    41 . Ministers welcomed the significant progress made towards delivering Pillar I, including the entry into force of the AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement between Australia, the UK and US on 17 January 2025 and the progress in design of the SSN-AUKUS submarines that will be operated by the RN and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

    42 . Ministers welcomed the UK’s June commitment, in its Strategic Defence Review, to build up to 12 SSN-A submarines, and continuous submarine production through investments in Barrow and Raynesway that will allow the UK to produce a submarine every 18 months, and recognised the UK’s additional investment to transform the UK’s submarine industrial base.

    43 . Ministers reaffirmed Australia and the UK’s strong and ongoing commitment to the delivery of the AUKUS Optimal Pathway. Reflecting the UK’s enduring dedication to this partnership, and long-standing engagement in the Indo-Pacific, Ministers welcomed the planned deployment of a RN submarine to undertake a port visit to Australia in 2026, delivering a varied programme of operational and engagement activities. The visit will support preparations for the establishment of the Submarine Rotational Force – West from as early as 2027, and represents another step forward on the shared path towards the delivery of SSN-AUKUS – ensuring our navies are ready, integrated, and capable of operating together to promote security and stability in the region.

    44 . Ministers underscored the importance of ensuring Australia’s acquisition of a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability sets the highest non-proliferation standard, and endorsed continued close engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

    45 . Ministers affirmed their commitment under AUKUS Pillar II to continue to deliver tangible advanced capabilities to our defence forces and welcomed progress to date. By leveraging advanced technologies, our forces become more than the sum of their parts. They underlined the importance of Pillar II in streamlining capability acquisition and strengthening our defence innovation and industry sectors.

    46 . As part of Talisman Sabre 25, AUKUS partners participated in Maritime Big Play activities as well as groundbreaking AI and undersea warfare trials. The partners tested the remote operation of the UK’s Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, Excalibur, controlled from Australia while operating in UK waters. The exercise once again accelerated interoperability between our forces and the accelerated integration of remote and autonomous systems.

    47 . Ministers noted the successful UK E-7A Seedcorn training program in Australia. The program, which is set to conclude in December 2025, was established to preserve a core of Airborne Early Warning and Control expertise within the Royal Air Force (RAF) and to lay a strong foundation for the introduction of the UK’s own Wedgetail aircraft. Thanks to the exceptional support of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), since its inception in 2018, 30 RAF personnel – including pilots, mission crew, engineer officers, aircraft technicians, and operations specialists – have benefited from world-class training and exposure to the Wedgetail capability.

    48 . Ministers welcomed the upcoming deployment of a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail to Europe in August under Operation Kudu to help protect vital supply lines for humanitarian aid and military assistance into Ukraine. Delivering upon the vision for true interchangeability detailed in the Wedgetail Trilateral Joint Vision Statement in 2023, this deployment will see the Wedgetail jointly crewed by Australian and British service members in a live operational setting.  Ministers also welcomed Australia’s decision to extend support for training Ukrainian personnel under Operation Interflex, through Operation Kudu, to the end of 2026. Australia and the UK will also continue to work closely together to share insights and observations from the conflict.

    49 . Ministers reiterated their nations’ continued investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) as a unique multilateral arrangement that plays a constructive role in building habits of cooperation and enhancing the warfighting capabilities of its members. They look forward to Exercise Bersama Lima 2025 which will feature high-end warfighting serials and next-generation assets such as Australia’s F-35s and the UK’s Carrier Strike Group.

    50 . Ministers affirmed their shared ambition to conduct a bilateral defence industry dialogue at both the Senior Official and Ministerial levels, providing a forum to deepen defence industry collaboration, enhance joint capability development, and cooperate on procurement reform to ensure improved efficiency in capability acquisition and sustainment.

    51 . Ministers agreed to deepen cooperation on using Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar technology in both nations. This includes exploring the potential of using Australian AESA radar technologies for UK integrated air and missile defence applications. They agreed to undertake a series of targeted risk reduction activities in the near future to inform future decisions.”

    52 . Ministers agreed to progress personnel exchanges that support the future combat effectiveness of the Australian Hunter Class and British Type 26 Frigates. To support the introduction of these platforms into service, the RAN and RN will undertake a series of maritime platform familiarisation activities that enable our people to gain experience in critical capabilities, including underwater and above water weapon systems, primary acoustical intelligence analysis, and overall signature management.

    53 . Ministers agreed to strengthen their sovereign defence industries through closer collaboration between the UK’s Complex Weapons Pipeline and Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise. As a first step the Ministers announced a collaborative effort to develop modular, low cost components for next-generation weapon systems.

    54 . Ministers acknowledged the shared legacy and the contribution of veterans to the bilateral relationship. They reaffirmed their commitment to identify avenues for closer collaboration on improving veterans’ health and transition services.

    Partnering on trade, climate and energy

    55 . Ministers agreed to work closely to safeguard and strengthen the role that free and fair trade and the rules-based multilateral trading system plays in economic prosperity and building resilience against economic shocks.

    56 . Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, to economic security and prosperity. Ministers agreed to deepen cooperation to reform and reposition the Organization, and the broader global trading system, to meet the trade challenges of the new economic and geopolitical environment. Ministers agreed to continue working together to overcome blockages in multilateral rulemaking, including by working in smaller and more agile plurilateral groupings to address contemporary challenges, such as non-market policies and practices, which could complement ongoing multilateral efforts. They welcomed cooperation on plurilateral rulemaking, including efforts to have the E-Commerce Agreement incorporated into WTO architecture and brought into force as soon as possible. They reaffirmed the importance of restoring a fully-functioning dispute settlement system as soon as possible, welcoming the UK’s decision to join the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) while our countries work to fix the system.

    57 . Ministers welcomed the entry into force of the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in December 2024 and welcomed Australia as 2025 Chair. Ministers affirmed the need to work cooperatively together to ensure the CPTPP remains high standard and fit-for-purpose in addressing evolving challenges through continued progress on the CPTPP General Review and expansion of the membership. They looked forward to planned CPTPP trade and investment dialogues with the EU and with ASEAN.

    58 . Ministers welcomed the second meeting of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) Joint Committee on 3 June which celebrated the strong and growing trade and investment relationship between the UK and Australia and the strong uptake of the agreement’s benefits.

    59 . Ministers welcomed close engagement on economic security under the annual United Kingdom-Australia Economic Security Dialogue, noting that its establishment by AUKMIN in 2023 was timely in preparing for future needs. They reflected on the closer integration of our analysis capabilities and committed to a joint-funded track 1.5 to generate practical insights and informal policy dialogue that will inform our joint economic security efforts.

    60 . As both countries continue to develop their bilateral partnership through the UK-Australia FTA, the Economic Security Dialogue, and other fora, Ministers committed to deepening cooperation in key sectors of mutual interest. Ministers view this as an opportunity to explore new areas of collaboration and share best practices in the interests of boosting bilateral trade and investment, facilitating innovation and research, and supporting our mutual economic security and resilience. This year, officials in relevant departments will compare approaches with the aim to identify areas of common interest or complementary strength and discuss further opportunities for related cooperation. This may include initiatives to advance supply chain resilience, frontier research, investment promotion, public finance cooperation, and effective regulation.

    61 . Ministers affirmed the calls in the Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement for countries to come forward in their next NDCs with ambitious emissions reduction targets aligned with keeping 1.5 degrees within reach. In that context, Ministers recognised the immense economic opportunities in ambitious climate action and a rapid transition to renewable energy. Ministers welcomed the UK’s ambitious NDC and looked forward to Australia’s NDC and Net-Zero Plan. Ministers further welcomed the report released by the UN Secretary General titled ‘Seizing the Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the new energy era of renewables, efficiency, and electrification’ that highlighted the compelling economic case for the rapidly declining cost of renewable energy, and the rapidly growing role of the clean energy economy in powering jobs and economic growth. Ministers affirmed their determination to fulfil multilateral climate commitments and reiterated the importance of reforming the finance system and improving access to climate finance for developing countries. Ministers recommitted to building nature-positive economies to support a central theme of Brazil’s COP Presidency. The UK reiterated its support for Australia’s bid to host COP31 in partnership with the Pacific and expressed the hope that a decision would soon be reached. Ministers welcomed UK sharing its hosting experience and agreed to explore secondments to support COP31 planning. The UK and Australia welcome the close collaboration between our countries in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) negotiations for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including through our shared membership of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. At this critical juncture ahead of INC-5.2, the final opportunity to secure an agreement, we call upon all members of the INC to recommit to working constructively to achieve an effective comprehensive agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic. We recognise that Commonwealth countries are particularly affected by plastic pollution and in that regard we renew our commitment to collaborating through the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, to tackle plastic pollution in the commonwealth. Ministers pledged to deepen collaboration through the UK-Australia Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.

    62 . Ministers welcomed close cooperation to support the development of resilient critical mineral supply chains governed by market principles. This includes developing a roadmap to promote a standards-based market to reflect the real costs of responsible production, processing and trade of critical minerals as agreed at the recent G7 meeting on 17 June. Ministers agreed upon the importance of the sustainable and responsible extraction and processing of critical minerals for the energy transition, and committed to working together on solutions. These include the new Critical Minerals Supply Finance developed by UK Export Finance (UKEF) which can provide finance support to overseas critical minerals projects that supply the UK’s high-growth sectors. UKEF has up to £5bn in finance support available for projects in Australia and will work closely with Export Finance Australia. Ministers also undertook to ensure the UK is consulted on the design and implementation of Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve.

    63 . Ministers discussed the leading roles being played by Australia and the UK in the full and effective implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement welcoming in particular Australia’s role as Co-Chair of the Preparatory Commission. Ministers were encouraged by each country’s progress towards ratification of the treaty, which is a landmark agreement for protection of the world’s ocean.

    64 . Ministers discussed the increasing geostrategic, climatic, and resource pressures on the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region and reaffirmed their shared and long-standing commitment to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). Ministers committed to upholding together the ATS rules and norms of peaceful use, scientific research, international cooperation and environmental protection, and to deepen understanding of the impact of climate change on the oceans and the world through Antarctic research including in the context of the International Polar Year of 2032/33. Ministers welcomed the United Kingdom’s chairing of CCAMLR for 2024-5 and 2025-6.

    65 . Ministers agreed on the importance of ensuring all children have the right to grow up in a safe and nurturing family environment. Ministers recognised the transformative impact on children’s health, capacity to learn and economic prospects that growing up in a family-based environment can have. Ministers acknowledged the UK’s Global Campaign on Children’s Care Reform and agreed to work together to drive international awareness and demonstrate their commitment to children’s care reform.

    66 . Ministers reiterated their commitment to upholding shared values and continuing to invest in sustainable development, gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion, which underpin global prosperity. To support sustainable development, Ministers agreed to deepen cooperation with emerging donors of development assistance, to diversify funding, enhance development effectiveness, share lessons and build trust and transparency with partners. Ministers committed to work together to deliver sustainable solutions for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), recognising their unique vulnerabilities and to ensure meaningful engagement in international processes, including ODA graduation.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 25 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointments to the Board of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Appointments to the Board of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

    Three new appointments and two reappointments made

    A series of appointments and reappointments have been made to the Board of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

    Dame Dervilla Mitchell, Dr Fiona Pathiraja and Sarah Greasley have been appointed as Trustees. Dervilla and Fiona’s four-year terms commenced on 1 July 2025. Sarah’s four-year term will commence on 1 October 2025.

    Steve Almond and Kate Priestman have been reappointed as Trustees for a second term of four years from 2 October 2025 to 1 October 2029.

    These appointments have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.

    Biographies

    Dame Dervilla Mitchell

    Dervilla is an experience engineering leader who has been involved in significant infrastructure programmes at Heathrow, Dublin and Abu Dhabi airports. She has also led the design of a range of new build and renovation projects in different sectors. She spent the majority of her career at Arup, a trust-owned organisation, latterly serving as Global Deputy Chair and Ethics Director.

    She became involved in the decarbonisation agenda whilst a member of the Council for Science and Technology and subsequently took on the role of Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre’s decarbonisation working group. Her non-executive experience has been gained through Trustee roles as Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and serving as a school governor at three different girls’ schools in London.

    She was awarded a DBE for Services to Engineering in 2024, having previously received a CBE in 2014. She has received Honorary Doctorates from University College Dublin, as well as Imperial College London, where she now sits on the Industry Advisory Board for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

    Dr Fiona Pathiraja

    Fiona is an investor and philanthropist. She is Managing Partner of Crista Galli Ventures, a pan-European healthtech venture capital firm. She serves on several boards and is currently a trustee of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Arts. Fiona leads philanthropic endeavours at IPQ Capital, her Family Office, and is vice-chair of London Business School’s fundraising board.

    A former NHS consultant radiologist at University College London Hospital, Fiona has held a range of strategic and leadership roles across healthcare, including Clinical Advisor to the Department of Health and Social Care. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists, a Member of the Faculty of Public Health, and holds Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Health degrees. Fiona is an advocate for greater diversity in technology and investment.

    Sarah Greasley

    Sarah is an accomplished technology leader with more than 40 years’ expertise working in both the technology and financial services industries. She was Solutions Architecture Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Amazon Web Services, and prior to that, she was Group Chief Technology Officer at Direct Line Group and a Distinguished Engineer at IBM. She has a broad range of leadership experience across new technologies, strategy, risk and resilience. She also has a strong focus on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion.

    She has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and is a Chartered Fellow of the British Computing Society, as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Sarah is a Trustee of the British Exploring Society and a Governor at Charterhouse School.

    Steve Almond

    After obtaining a BA in History at Royal Holloway College, University of London, Steve trained as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte and spent much of his career there as an Audit Partner specialising in the financial services industry. He worked in a variety of roles for 16 years on the Deloitte UK Executive and, concurrently, eight years on the Global Executive. He has a wealth of experience advising large company boards and audit committees and served for 10 years on the board of Deloitte UK. In 2011, he was elected Chairman of Deloitte’s Global Board. In that capacity, he represented Deloitte on various external bodies, including the Accounting for Sustainability Advisory Board; International Integrated Reporting Council; Social Progress Index Advisory Board; and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

    Kate Priestman

    Kate has worked in the biopharma industry for over 25 years and is currently Chief Corporate and External Affairs Officer at CSL. Before joining CSL, Kate served as Senior Vice-President of R&D Strategy and Portfolio at GlaxoSmithKline, focused on the development of transformational medicines and vaccines. Kate also serves as a Non-Executive Director at Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC. Kate’s career has spanned roles in commercial, corporate governance, communications and government affairs, following an early career at the BBC as a presenter and documentary maker. In her spare time, Kate is an artist and creator of a popular design blog; her work inspired an installation in the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2016 and is used in schools as part of the creative arts curriculum.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for life for Newham murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man who attacked a stranger on a night out in east London has been given a life sentence.

    Hamza Kamali, 29, will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail after he was found guilty of murdering 38-year-old Saley Beya outside a nightclub in Romford Road E7 in the early hours of Saturday, 10 August 2024.

    Saley’s family said in a statement: “Today marks a significant moment for our family as justice has finally been served in the case of our beloved brother, son, and friend — Saley Beya — who was brutally taken from us in August of last year.

    “We welcome the court’s verdict with a mixture of relief and sorrow. Saley was a kind, generous, and deeply loved young man whose life was full of promise. His absence is felt every single day, and the pain of losing him in such a horrific way is something we will carry with us forever.”

    Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, Specialist Crime North, said: “Saley’s family and loved ones have endured incredible pain and suffering over this past year as they have tried to come to terms with their terrible loss. I hope they can take some comfort in the fact his killer will be behind bars for a considerable period of time.

    “Kamali’s actions that night were violent and deliberate. He went out armed with a knife – clearly intent on causing harm. We will never know what prompted his interaction with Saley, but it is clear he is a very dangerous individual with little regard for human life and I’m pleased the jury were able to recognise the threat he poses to the public.”

    On the evening of Friday, 9 August Saley and his friends had attended a party in Stratford before deciding to continue their evening at a nightclub, arriving at the Romford Road venue at about 02.30hrs.

    Around an hour later they were all outside when an altercation took place between one of Saley’s friends and a group of men who were known to Kamali. Shortly after, Kamali arrived at the scene and following a brief interaction with the victim the situation escalated into violence and Kamali stabbed Saley in the leg.

    Saley was able to run from the scene, but he was pursued by Kamali who kicked out at him several times as he tried to get away from him. Eventually giving up his pursuit, Kamali returned to Romford Road, before leaving the scene with others.

    Meanwhile Saley had succumbed to his wound and collapsed in the street. Emergency services attended and paramedics attempted to stem the bleeding, but Saley went into cardiac arrest on his way to hospital. He remained in a critical condition for nearly three weeks before sadly dying on 29 August.

    Following the incident, Kamali returned to his home address. After 30 minutes he reappeared from the property wearing different clothes and carrying a full plastic bag which he was then seen to discard. That bag was never recovered.

    After Kamali’s arrest on 16 August a search of his home led to the discovery of a pair of bloodstained trainers – later identified to be his own. He had a noticeable injury to his hand – a wound CCTV had shown him tending to with a tissue in the immediate aftermath of the stabbing. Blood from this injury was also found at the crime scene. It is believed he injured himself with his knife in the course of attacking Saley.

    Kamali (03.04.96), who is of Henniker Road, Stratford was convicted on Tuesday, 22 July of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

    + Abdi Ulusow, 28 (03.09.96), of Hathaway Crescent E12 and Edson Bernardo, 26 (10.07.99), of Carlton Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea appeared at the Old Bailey on 3 July where they pleaded guilty to affray and possession of an offensive weapon (machete and pole) in connection with the incident. On Thursday, 24 July both were jailed for two years.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Western Cape works to enhance road safety

    Source: Government of South Africa

    The Western Cape is working to enhance efforts aimed at preventing road incidents, particularly those involving pedestrians.

    This as the Western Cape Mobility Department is working closely with law enforcement, municipalities, and Joint Traffic Control Centres (JTCCs) in this undertaking.

    According to the provincial department, pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, accounting for the majority of lives lost on the province’s roads this month.

    Of the 72 road fatalities recorded across the province from 1 to 22 July 2025, pedestrians account for the most deaths, highlighting the need for focused interventions.

    READ | Western Cape concerned at 23 deaths on province’s roads in one week 

    The department said many of these incidents occurred in high-density municipal areas, with Khayelitsha, Milnerton, Paarl, and Kuilsriver repeatedly emerging as hotspots for multiple pedestrian deaths.

    In addition, the R300 corridor, a provincial route, also recorded several fatalities. 

    Meanwhile, outside the primary hotspots, there were over 20 individual pedestrian deaths spread across the province, from metro suburbs to smaller rural towns. 

    “This wide distribution highlights that no community is immune and underscores the need for a province-wide safety response. Recent statistics reveal that pedestrian fatalities occur mostly at night, along highways, and on poorly lit roads,” the statement read. 

    Contributing factors include jaywalking, alcohol use by both pedestrians and drivers, speeding, and non-utilisation of pedestrian infrastructure.

    The department stated that it was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to prevent road incidents involving road users. 
    In the meantime, the province has conducted 442 vehicle checkpoint operations in the first three weeks of July, including 219 drunk driving operations, 84 public transport checks, and targeted operations focusing on seatbelt use, vehicle fitness, learner and farm worker transport.

    The team is deploying road safety ambassadors in high-risk areas to educate communities on safe road use and is launching awareness campaigns supported by schools, neighbourhood watches, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other community groups.

    They are also enhancing law enforcement visibility on highways and provincial routes, with improved monitoring.

    Western Cape Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku, said the loss of pedestrian lives is not just a statistic; it represents families torn apart and communities left in mourning. 

    “We urge both motorists and pedestrians to take responsibility. Motorists must slow down and remain vigilant, while pedestrians should always use designated crossings, wear visible clothing at night, and avoid walking under the influence of alcohol,” Sileku said.

    Meanwhile, the department is also preparing to roll out new pedestrian safety infrastructure and interventions in identified high-risk zones in the coming months, as part of its ongoing strategy to reduce road deaths.

    “Road safety is a collective effort. By working together, as government, drivers, and pedestrians, we can turn the tide on these preventable deaths,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA signs US$474.6 million loan for Just Energy Transition

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Friday, July 25, 2025

    South Africa and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have signed a US$474.6 million loan agreement aimed at supporting the implementation of the Just Energy Transition (JET).

    The loan agreement with the AfDB follows the first policy loan concluded in 2023 to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. 

    “This new agreement highlights the importance of South Africa’s partnership with the AfDB in advancing South Africa’s development agenda. It strengthens efforts to improve energy security measures, accelerate the decarbonisation of the economy, and enhance the socio-economic benefits of the energy transition enabling inclusive economic growth and fostering job creation,” National Treasury said on Thursday.

    This loan is part of the third Development Policy Operation which includes participation from the World Bank, KFW Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) to support structural reforms to enhance the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of the country’s infrastructure services.

    It offers favourable concessional financial terms at a nominal value of US$474.6 million with a maturity of 15 years and a 3-year grace period at an interest rate of a daily Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 1.22%.

    “The National Treasury wishes to express its appreciation to the AfDB for its continued partnership and support of South Africa’s development objectives. 

    “This includes efforts to implement critical reforms in the energy and transport sectors, while also advancing the country’s Just Energy Transition goals and meeting foreign currency commitments at lower interest rates.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • At least 5 students killed as school roof collapses in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar; PM Modi, President Murmu express grief

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    At least five students were killed and several injured after the roof of a primary school collapsed in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Friday.

    The incident occurred in Piplodi village, located in the Manoharthana area, shortly after the morning prayers.

    According to Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar, around 25 to 30 students were in the classroom when the roof suddenly caved in.

    The victims were students of Class 7, all of whom were trapped under the debris. Locals and school staff rushed to the scene to rescue the injured, who were immediately taken to the nearby Manoharthana Hospital.

    Dr. Kaushal Lodha from the hospital told IANS that 11 students, critically injured in the collapse, were referred to the district hospital in Jhalawar for advanced medical care.

    Rescue operations were ongoing at the site, with emergency personnel working to ensure that no one remained trapped.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day visit to the Maldives, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.

    In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office wrote: “The mishap at a school in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, is tragic and deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the affected students and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected.”

    President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her condolences, calling the incident “extremely tragic.” In a message posted on X, she said: “I pray that God grants strength to the grieving families to bear this pain. I wish for the speedy recovery of the students injured in this accident.”

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma described the tragedy as “painful and heart-wrenching,” and said officials had been directed to ensure the injured children receive the best possible medical care.

    “May God grant a place at His divine feet to the departed noble souls and give strength to the grief-stricken families to bear this immense sorrow,” he said in his post.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Her Excellency (H.E.) Bridget Motsepe-Radebe to Headline WomenIN Festival 2025 as Keynote Speaker

    Source: APO

    The WomenIN (WiN) (www.WeAreWomenIN.com) Festival is proud to announce Her Excellency Bridget Motsepe-Radebe, Chairman & Founder of Mmakau Mining and Ambassador for Economic Development at the Pan-African Parliament, as the official keynote speaker for the highly anticipated WomenIN Festival 2025, taking place from 13–14 November 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa.

    Renowned for her bold leadership, advocacy for gender and economic equality, and trailblazing legacy in the mining sector, H.E. Motsepe-Radebe has consistently broken barriers and redefined power and influence on the continent. Her presence at this year’s festival is set to ignite conversations, inspire generations, and elevate the mission of WomenIN — to connect, empower, and celebrate women across industries and borders.

    “Having H.E. Bridget Motsepe-Radebe headline this year’s WomenIN Festival is a full-circle moment for so many of us,” says Naz Fredericks Maharaj, Director of the WomenIN Portfolio. “She is a living symbol of what it means to lead with both courage and conviction. Her voice reflects the essence of this year’s theme — Limitless. No Labels. No Limits. No Apologies. We are honoured to welcome her to the stage, and even more excited for what her message will unlock in every woman attending this year’s festival.”

    The WomenIN Festival brings together women leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, and changemakers from diverse sectors including mining, energy, mobility, finance, fashion, media, and the green economy. With a curated program of thought-provoking dialogues, fireside chats, capacity-building sessions, live activations, and power networking, the festival is a movement — not just a moment.

    This keynote announcement marks the first of many exciting speaker and program reveals as the WomenIN team rolls out its boldest edition yet.

    Tickets are officially on sale — reserve your seat and be part of a movement that’s shaking the world:

    Visit www.WeAreWomenIN.com to get your ticket, sponsor someone else’s, or explore partnership opportunities.

    Come as you are. Leave ignited.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

    Additional Links:
    Website: www.WeAreWomenIN.com
    Link to tickets : https://apo-opa.co/450gy1h

    WomenIN (WiN): Empowering Women, Breaking Barriers, Creating Impact
    WomenIN is a powerful cross-sector movement that connects, inspires, and uplifts women across Africa through collaboration, leadership, and sustainable development. From energy and mobility to retail, gaming, and the green economy, WiN is driving real change by building inclusive ecosystems where women can thrive.

    Through a range of in-person gatherings, digital content, workshops, and sector-specific initiatives, WomenIN provides a trusted platform for female professionals, entrepreneurs, changemakers, and allies to grow together, break silos, and co-create solutions for Africa’s future. With a strong focus on capacity building, leadership development, and market access for female-owned businesses, WomenIN is building a legacy of impact for generations to come.

    Whether you’re a corporate, NPO, SMME, or individual changemaker, there is space for you at the table—because we win when we WiN together.

    For more information, please visit: www.WeAreWomenIN.com or contact our team at info@wearewomenin.com.

    ABOUT VUKA Group:
    VUKA Group brings people and organisations together to connect with information and each other in meaningful conversations that drive growth and transformation across Africa’s industries. With 20+ years of experience on the continent, the group delivers sector-leading platforms across Energy, Mining, Smart Mobility, Transport, Retail, and Women Empowerment.

    The WomenIN (WiN) portfolio is a flagship initiative of VUKA Group, championing gender inclusivity and creating opportunities for women to lead, influence, and innovate across sectors. With a proudly African team and a commitment to sustainable development, VUKA is creating a future where everyone has the opportunity to rise.

    Learn more at: www.WeAreWomenIN.com

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Gambia: African Development Fund Approves $19.93 Million Grant to Tackle Fragility and Expand Opportunities for Rural Youth and Women

    Source: APO

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved $19.93 million grant funding for the Resilience Building – Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project, designed to improve access to basic social services for underserved communities in The Gambia.

    The initiative seeks to address the root causes of poverty and irregular migration by creating sustainable livelihoods and tackling early signs of fragility and preventing structural drivers of conflict and instability in the targeted region. It forms part of the Bank’s scaled-up prevention agenda under the Prevention Envelope of the Transition Support Facility (TSF), which emphasizes early response to fragility risks and systematic drivers of conflict.

    The Gambia faces severe economic challenges, with 53.4% of the population living below the poverty line. Poverty is particularly severe in rural areas, affecting 76 percent of residents, compared to 34 percent in urban areas. Youth unemployment stands at 38.6%, with women disproportionately impacted — 1.3 unemployed women for every unemployed man. These socio-economic disparities, coupled with limited access to services, are major push factors fuelling irregular migration and social instability.

    Although the country has achieved robust electricity access nationwide, glaring regional inequalities persist. In areas such as Kuntaur and Janjanbureh, fewer than one in four people have access to electricity, compared to 95 percent in the capital. Additionally, one in four children suffers from malnutrition. By targeting these gaps, the project aims to renew the social contract and foster community resilience.

    “This project represents our commitment to tackling the foundational causes of fragility, poverty, exclusion, and lack of opportunity, by investing in people and systems that build community resilience and hope,” said Dr. Joseph Ribeiro, African Development Bank Deputy Director General for West Africa, and Country Manager for The Gambia. “Through the TSF Prevention Envelope, we are acting early to prevent conflict and youth migration by fostering inclusive growth, gender equality, and institutional stability, while building foundations for sustainable livelihoods that will keep families and communities together.”

    The project will directly create 1,500 jobs, enhance productivity for 5,000 existing positions, and provide annual skills training to 500 youth in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, engineering, ICT, and renewable energy. In addition, support will be extended to 500 women-led micro and small enterprises and 50 women’s cooperatives.

    Key investments in health infrastructure will include rehabilitating four primary health facilities vulnerable regions, including Basse, Kuntaur, and Janjanbureh, where maternal mortality and child malnutrition rates exceed national averages. Enhanced nutrition surveillance systems will enable early detection for 22,000 children and facilitate treatment for 1,000 children requiring specialized care.

    Food insecurity has surged, rising from 13.4 percent in 2021 to 29 percent in 2023, with peaks of 61 percent in areas such as Kuntaur. The project will address this crisis by promoting climate-smart agriculture and strengthening local values chains to improve food security and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks.

    Financial inclusion is a core pillar of the intervention. With 77 percent of Gambian youth currently excluded from formal financial services, the project will establish dedicated credit lines and provide business development support to unlock entrepreneurship, particularly for women who face systemic barriers to accessing capital and markets.

    The initiative also includes scaling up efforts to tackle gender-based violence and inequality, and capacity-building for government institutions to enhance data-driven policymaking and long-term monitoring of fragility trends.

     Civil society organisations, including the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO), will be central to ensuring the project is inclusive, participatory, and aligned with national priorities.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact:
    Natalie Nkembuh,
    Communication and Media Relations Department
    media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pillars of support for Derby’s biodiversity

    Source: City of Derby

    Biodiversity is set to flourish in Derby as 15 new Living Pillars are installed across the city centre, bringing natural beauty into urban spaces.

    Living pillars are self-contained vertical habitats attach to existing lamp posts and signage columns, supporting pollinators and improving the look and feel of the city.

    Powered by solar energy, each pillar is self-sufficient, collecting and recycling rainwater to keep its plants healthy year-round. In addition to their environmental benefits, the pillars will support wayfinding throughout the city, guiding residents and visitors to key destinations and attractions.

    Funded by Bauer Media Outdoor UK’s Community Innovation Fund and designed and installed by Scotscape, the Living Pillars are a step toward reintroducing nature to the heart of the city.

    Planted with resilient, long-lasting species such as Agastache ‘Summer Sunset’, Coreopsis ‘Rum Punch’, Heuchera ‘Coral Petite’ and Juniperus ‘Mint Julep’, the pillars are carefully designed to provide year-round colour and structure, while offering vital food and shelter for urban pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.

    Building on the success of the recently installed planters and pocket parks around the city centre, the pillars are another step towards enhancing biodiversity and creating a greener, more vibrant city.

    Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability, said:

    Living pillars will be a brilliant addition to the work we’ve been doing over the past few months to bring more life into our city centre.  

    We’re serious about our commitment to creating a greener, healthier city that supports our residents, and the installation of these pillars is another step towards achieving this.

    Angus Cunningham, Scotscape Founder, said:

    Derby has shown bold leadership in embracing living infrastructure, which not only support biodiversity but also champion innovative, sustainable design in its urban spaces.

    Nigel Godfrey, Portfolio Partnership Manager, Central Region at Bauer Media Outdoor, added:

    It’s great to see ideas like this come to life in the heart of Derby. These Living Pillars are a small but mighty way to bring nature back into the city, and we’re proud to support them through our Community Innovation Fund. Alongside our Bee Bus Stops, they demonstrate how even everyday infrastructure can help boost biodiversity when creativity and sustainability work together to make public spaces greener and more enjoyable for everyone.

    Living Pillars are part of an ongoing partnership between the council and Bauer Media Outdoor, who operate the digital advertising screens housed under the innovative Bee Bus Stops located across Derby.

    The installation of living pillars reflects Derby’s wider environmental strategy and its commitment to creating greener, healthier places for people and nature to thrive.

    Work to install the pillars is currently underway and will be completed later this summer.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN mission marks PLA anniversary in New York 2025-07-25 15:20:17 The Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations hosted a reception on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which falls on Aug 1.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    The Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations hosted a reception on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which falls on Aug 1.

    UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare and other senior executives, as well as military and police advisers to the UN, attended the event, with about 200 guests in total. China’s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, also attended the reception.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of both the victory of the Chinese people in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the triumph of the global community in the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, said Yin Zhongliang, military adviser of China to the UN.

    “This year is also the 35th anniversary of China’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations,” Yin said. “The PLA has provided a solid foundation for safeguarding national sovereignty, regional security and common development.”

    Despite current global instability and intensifying geopolitical challenges, the Chinese armed forces “remains committed to a defensive national defense policy, and sets the goal of contributing to build a community with a shared future for humanity”, he said.

    China will continue to promote the Global Security Initiative, strengthen support for and participation in UN peacekeeping missions, and work hard to bring more confidence and hope to the cause of world peace and stability, he added.

    In his remarks at the event, Khare commended Chinese peacekeepers for their professionalism and dedication. “China has provided long-standing and robust support to the UN’s peacekeeping efforts,” he said, highlighting the important role of Chinese troops in some of the UN’s most challenging missions.

    Khare underscored China’s contributions to peacekeeping medical services, aviation support, and technological innovations, citing recent examples of Chinese efforts in South Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    He also emphasized China’s leadership in organizing peacekeeping-related training and its support for gender-sensitive and community-based medical care in mission areas.

    Continued cooperation

    Cheryl Pearce, acting UN military adviser in the Department of Peace Operations, who ensures that peace operations receive the military support they need, said Chinese personnel demonstrate professionalism and commitment, and are a credit to UN peacekeeping. She expressed anticipation for continued cooperation as the PLA approaches its centenary.

    Throughout the reception, guests also viewed videos highlighting the history and modernization of the PLA. Chinese military anthems were sung and a white paper on China’s peacekeeping contributions was on display.

    China is the largest troop contributor among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and has deployed more than 50,000 peacekeepers to over 25 missions since the 1990s, according to the UN and China’s Ministry of National Defense.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: BSTDB Backs Renewable Energy Expansion in Bulgaria and Romania with €40 Million Loan to Renalfa IPP

    Source: Black Sea Trade and Development Bank

    Press Release | 24-Jul-2025

    Joint €315 million international financing to accelerate clean energy investments

    The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is providing up to €40 million loan to support the development, hybridization, and expansion of Renalfa IPP’s renewable energy assets in Bulgaria and Romania. The financing forms part of a broader €315 million financing package secured from leading development finance institutions and commercial banks, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Kommunalkredit Austria AG, OTP Hungary, NLB Slovenia, and UniCredit BulBank.

    The funds will enable Renalfa IPP to upgrade its portfolio of renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS), contributing to the decarbonization of Bulgaria’s and Romania’s power systems. The project will help diversify the countries’ energy mix, enhance energy security, and accelerate their transition to low-carbon economies. The BSTDB financing will also help catalyze further private and public sector investments, generate employment during both the construction and operation phases, and create long-term value for local communities. The operation represents a major step forward in the region’s transition toward cleaner, more secure, and sustainable energy systems.

    “This investment marks an important milestone in BSTDB’s efforts to support the clean energy transition in the Black Sea region,” said Dr. Serhat Köksal, BSTDB President.  “By backing the development of solar, wind, and battery storage infrastructure in Bulgaria and Romania, we are strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of their electricity sectors. The operation will play a key role in addressing the countries’ growing energy demands, while also reducing carbon emissions and supporting their commitments to climate goals. Moreover, it aligns closely with BSTDB’s Climate Strategy and reinforces our commitment to financing sustainable infrastructure and regional growth.”

    Ivo Prokopiev, CEO of Renalfa IPP, commented: “The successful raising of growth funding is an important milestone for Renalfa IPP and for our whole group. It proves the competitiveness of our integrated model for developing, investing and operating large hybrid assets. The early implementation of long duration co-located BESS allows Renalfa IPP to start offering green baseload products to market in CEE for the first time. We are proud, together with our partners from RGreen, to be on the frontier of energy transition not only in CEE, but in the whole EU.”

    Renalfa IPP is a leading independent power producer based in Vienna, specializing in the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects across Central and Eastern Europe. As an established platform with strong business model capabilities, Renalfa IPP works across the full value chains from project origination to asset operation. The company focuses on solar, wind, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), supporting the region’s transition to a sustainable and low-carbon energy future. Renalfa IPP is a joint venture between Renalfa Solarpro Group and RGREEN INVEST. 

    Renalfa Solarpro Group is a Vienna based clean energy and e-mobility investment group with a focus on renewable energy generation assets. Renalfa Solarpro is an established platform with strong business model capabilities, working across the full solar PV, wind, and BESS value chains from project origination to asset operation.

    RGREEN INVEST is an independent French mission-driven investment management company committed to helping investors channel their capital towards financing projects dedicated to accelerating the energy transition, mitigation, and adaptation to climate change.

    https://www.renalfa.com

    https://www.rgreeninvest.com

     

    The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) is an international financial institution established by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. The BSTDB headquarters are in Thessaloniki, Greece. BSTDB supports economic development and regional cooperation by providing loans, credit lines, equity and guarantees for projects and trade financing in the public and private sectors in its member countries. The authorized capital of the Bank is EUR 3.45 billion. For information on BSTDB, visit www.bstdb.org.

     

    Contact: Haroula Christodoulou

    : @BSTDB

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • PM Modi to unveil development projects worth over ₹4800 crore in Tamil Nadu

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu on July 26 and 27, during which he will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate, and dedicate to the nation a wide array of development projects valued at over ₹4800 crore. His visit underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure, regional connectivity, and cultural heritage in southern India.

    Upon his return from state visits to the United Kingdom and the Maldives, the Prime Minister will head directly to Tuticorin on the evening of July 26. There, he will inaugurate several key infrastructure projects designed to improve connectivity, logistics, energy efficiency, and overall quality of life in Tamil Nadu.

    One of the major highlights of his visit will be the inauguration of the New Terminal Building at Tuticorin Airport, constructed at a cost of around ₹450 crore. Spanning 17,340 square meters, the terminal is designed to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and up to 20 lakh annually, with provisions for future expansion. Equipped with energy-efficient systems and sustainable facilities, it aims to achieve a GRIHA-4 sustainability rating, promoting eco-friendly aviation infrastructure and boosting tourism and commerce in the region. GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is a system for evaluating green buildings. It facilitates the assessment of a building’s performance based on nationally accepted standards or benchmarks.

    To significantly improve travel and trade, the Prime Minister will dedicate two strategically significant projects to the nation.
    The rail sector will also see significant upgrades aimed at reducing travel time and boosting freight movement.

    PM Modi will dedicate two major highway projects. The first is the 4-laning of the 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram section of NH-36, developed at a cost exceeding ₹2,350 crore. This project includes bypasses, bridges, and flyovers and is expected to reduce travel time by 45 minutes between key delta districts. The second project involves the 6-laning of a 5.16 km stretch on NH-138, linking Tuticorin Port and surrounding industrial areas. Built at around ₹200 crore, it is expected to reduce logistics costs and enhance port-led industrial development.

    Further strengthening port infrastructure, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the North Cargo Berth–III at V.O. Chidambaranar Port. With a capacity of 6.96 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), the ₹285 crore facility will meet rising demand for dry bulk cargo and improve cargo handling efficiency.

    PM Modi will dedicate to the nation three major rail infrastructure projects. These include the electrification of the 90 km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur section, the doubling of the 21 km Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari section, and doubling of shorter but critical links such as Aralvaymozhi–Nagercoil Junction and Tirunelveli–Melappalayam. Together, these upgrades will reduce travel time, enhance freight and passenger movement, and strengthen links between Tamil Nadu and neighboring Kerala.

    The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. The ₹550 crore project includes a high-capacity 400 kV double-circuit transmission line, enhancing the national grid and ensuring reliable clean energy supply to Tamil Nadu and other states.

    On July 27, PM Modi will travel to Tiruchirappalli to take part in the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at the historic Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple. As part of the celebration, he will release a commemorative coin honoring Emperor Rajendra Chola I, one of India’s most iconic rulers, and mark the 1,000th anniversary of his maritime expedition to Southeast Asia.

    The event will also commemorate the beginning of the construction of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a marvel of Chola architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rajendra Chola I, who ruled from 1014 to 1044 CE, is remembered for his expansive naval expeditions and for establishing a capital that embodied spiritual devotion and administrative excellence.

    This year’s Aadi Thiruvathirai holds special significance, as it aligns with Rajendra Chola’s birth star, Thiruvathirai, which began on July 23. The celebration also honors Tamil Shaiva Bhakti traditions and the legacy of the 63 Nayanmars, further highlighting the region’s cultural and religious heritage.

     

  • India successfully tests UAV-Launched Precision Guided Missile in Andhra Pradesh

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a boost to India’s indigenous defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully conducted flight trials of the UAV-Launched Precision-Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 at the National Open Area Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.

    In a post on X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the achievement, “In a major boost to India’s defence capabilities, DRDO has successfully carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Congratulations to DRDO and the industry partners, DcPPs, MSMEs and Start-ups for the development and successful trials of the ULPGM-V3 system. This success proves that the Indian industry is now ready to absorb and produce critical Defence Technologies.”

    While detailed specifications of the ULPGM-V3 remain classified, its development reflects a strategic progression in India’s guided missile programme. The earlier ULPGM-V2, developed by DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), featured multiple warhead configurations. The V3 variant, believed to incorporate advanced features such as imaging infrared (IIR) seekers and dual-thrust propulsion systems, builds on this legacy and was previewed during Aero India 2025.

    The successful trial underscores India’s growing emphasis on unmanned precision-strike capabilities – an essential element of modern warfare. ULPGM systems are designed to be lightweight, highly accurate, and compatible with a range of aerial platforms, offering critical operational flexibility in dynamic combat environments.

    The choice of NOAR in Kurnool for the trial aligns with DRDO’s strategy of leveraging this facility to test advanced technologies. In recent months, the range has hosted successful trials of high-energy laser-based Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs), including systems that neutralized fixed-wing UAVs and swarm drones – highlighting India’s expanding high-tech defence testing infrastructure.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese company launches pilot autonomous taxi service in Saudi Arabia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    RIYADH, July 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese technology company WeRide on Wednesday launched a pilot autonomous taxi service under the Robotaxi brand in Saudi Arabia.

    Several dozen vehicles serve King Khalid International Airport and several key areas of Riyadh, including major highways and select destinations in the city centre.

    WeRide said it expects to launch full commercial operations by the end of 2025.

    “The pilot launch of the autonomous taxi service reflects the Kingdom’s vision and strategic investment in the future of mobility,” said Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser. “This step reinforces our commitment to fostering innovation, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and creating a globally competitive, efficient and sustainable transport sector that supports economic growth and improves quality of life for all,” he added.

    “The kingdom’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to innovation make it a natural market for our regional expansion,” said Li Xuan, WeRide’s chief financial officer and head of international. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 166 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza overnight – Egyptian source

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    CAIRO, July 25 (Xinhua) — About 166 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Egyptian Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya TV reported, citing an anonymous source in the security forces.

    According to him, trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the besieged enclave through the Zikim and Kerem Shalom /Kerem Abu Salem/ border crossings.

    The aid shipment included flour, food and medicine, the source said. “Egypt has stepped up its efforts with all international parties to deliver more aid to the Gaza Strip during this period,” he added.

    The humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave continues to deteriorate, with Israel cutting off supplies and food to Gaza after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas expired in January.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday that hunger in the sector is at its worst ever, with aid workers and those they help exhausted, aid agencies say.

    A new round of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel resumed earlier this month in the Qatari capital Doha amid international efforts to end the conflict and resume humanitarian aid deliveries.

    Since October 2023, the Israeli military campaign has killed more than 59,210 Palestinians in the enclave and injured more than 143,040, according to Gaza’s medical authorities. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s domestically produced civil search and rescue aircraft Xinzhou-60 completes maiden test flight

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) — China’s independently developed civil search and rescue aircraft MA60 successfully completed its maiden flight, officially starting the flight test and validation stage, according to Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a leading Chinese aircraft maker.

    AVIC announced on Thursday that the aircraft successfully completed its daytime testing tasks during the one-hour and 20-minute test flight and landed safely at the airport in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

    The new aircraft belongs to the domestically produced Xinzhou family of multi-role aircraft.

    According to AVIC experts, problems such as slow response times and limited coverage of the search system have long hampered the country’s ability to conduct maritime search and rescue operations over vast distances and in challenging conditions.

    Designed for search and rescue, terrain reconnaissance and personnel transportation, the Xinzhou-60 is designed to cover a wide range of application scenarios. It can perform search and rescue missions at sea, in high-altitude areas and in areas affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

    The specialized aircraft is expected to greatly enhance China’s maritime search and rescue capabilities, significantly improving response speed and coverage area, AVIC said.

    The Xinzhou-60 aircraft development project was officially launched in December 2021. The production and delivery of major components was completed in December 2024, followed by final assembly and delivery work in May 2025. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Global investors’ confidence in China market is growing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Global sovereign wealth funds are increasing their China holdings, optimistic about China’s advances in digital technology, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, according to Invesco’s latest Global Sovereign Wealth Management 2025 research report.

    About 60% of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds plan to increase their Chinese holdings over the next five years, while sovereign wealth funds from Asia-Pacific, Africa and North America have also said they will increase their investment in the Chinese market.

    Factors contributing to the increase in investment include high returns in the Chinese market, diversification of investment portfolios and improved Chinese policies on market access for foreign investors.

    Respondents acknowledged China’s favorable policies and noted that China’s innovation leadership in science and technology has increased, with digital technology, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and medicine and health care being the most attractive areas.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues EUR 20 million zero coupon notes under its MTN programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Municipality Finance Plc
    Stock exchange release
    25 July 2025 at 10:00 am (EEST)

    Municipality Finance issues EUR 20 million zero coupon notes under its MTN programme

    Municipality Finance Plc issues EUR 20 million zero coupon notes on 28 July 2025. The maturity date of the notes is 28 July 2065. MuniFin has a right, but no obligation, to redeem the notes early on 28 July 2033.

    The notes are issued under MuniFin’s EUR 50 billion programme for the issuance of debt instruments. The offering circular and the final terms of the notes are available in English on the company’s website at https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/for-investors.

    MuniFin has applied for the notes to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 28 July 2025.

    Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE acts as the dealer for the issue of the notes.

    MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

    Further information:

    Joakim Holmström
    Executive Vice President, Capital Markets and Sustainability
    tel. +358 50 444 3638

    MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the State of Finland.
    The Group’s balance sheet is over EUR 53 billion.

    MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

    MuniFin’s customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

    Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/

    Important Information

    The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ToolShell: a story of five vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: ToolShell: a story of five vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

    On July 19–20, 2025, various security companies and national CERTs published alerts about active exploitation of on-premise SharePoint servers. According to the reports, observed attacks did not require authentication, allowed attackers to gain full control over the infected servers, and were performed using an exploit chain of two vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, publicly named “ToolShell”. Additionally, on the same dates, Microsoft released out-of-band security patches for the vulnerabilities CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771, aimed at addressing the security bypasses of previously issued fixes for CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706. The release of the new, “proper” updates has caused confusion about exactly which vulnerabilities attackers are exploiting and whether they are using zero-day exploits.

    Kaspersky products proactively detected and blocked malicious activity linked to these attacks, which allowed us to gather statistics about the timeframe and spread of this campaign. Our statistics show that widespread exploitation started on July 18, 2025, and attackers targeted servers across the world in Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Vietnam, and Zambia. Entities across multiple sectors were affected: government, finance, manufacturing, forestry, and agriculture.

    While analyzing all artifacts related to these attacks, which were detected by our products and public information provided by external researchers, we found a dump of a POST request that was claimed to contain the malicious payload used in these attacks. After performing our own analysis, we were able to confirm that this dump indeed contained the malicious payload detected by our technologies, and that sending this single request to an affected SharePoint installation was enough to execute the malicious payload there.

    Our analysis of the exploit showed that it did rely on vulnerabilities fixed under CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, but by changing just one byte in the request, we were able to bypass those fixes.

    In this post, we provide detailed information about CVE-2025-49704, CVE-2025-49706, CVE-2025-53770, CVE-2025-53771, and one related vulnerability. Since the exploit code is already published online, is very easy to use, and poses a significant risk, we encourage all organizations to install the necessary updates.

    The exploit

    Our research started with an analysis of a POST request dump associated with this wave of attacks on SharePoint servers.

    Snippet of the exploit POST request

    We can see that this POST request targets the “/_layouts/15/ToolPane.aspx” endpoint and embeds two parameters: “MSOtlPn_Uri” and “MSOtlPn_DWP”. Looking at the code of ToolPane.aspx, we can see that this file itself does not contain much functionality and most of its code is located in the ToolPane class of the Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages namespace in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. Looking at this class reveals the code that works with the two parameters present in the exploit. However, accessing this endpoint under normal conditions is not possible without bypassing authentication on the attacked SharePoint server. This is where the first Microsoft SharePoint Server Spoofing Vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 comes into play.

    CVE-2025-49706

    This vulnerability is present in the method PostAuthenticateRequestHandler, in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. SharePoint requires Internet Information Services (IIS) to be configured in integrated mode. In this mode, the IIS and ASP.NET authentication stages are unified. As a result, the outcome of IIS authentication is not determined until the PostAuthenticateRequest stage, at which point both the ASP.NET and IIS authentication methods have been completed. Therefore, the PostAuthenticateRequestHandler method utilizes a series of flags to track potential authentication violations. A logic bug in this method enables an authentication bypass if the “Referrer” header of the HTTP request is equal to “/_layouts/SignOut.aspx”, “/_layouts/14/SignOut.aspx”, or “/_layouts/15/SignOut.aspx” using case insensitive comparison.

    Vulnerable code in PostAuthenticateRequestHandler method (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20018)

    The code displayed in the image above handles the sign-out request and is also triggered when the sign-out page is specified as the referrer. When flag6 is set to false and flag7 is set to true, both conditional branches that could potentially throw an “Unauthorized Access” exception are bypassed.

    Unauthorized access checks bypassed by the exploit

    On July 8, 2025, Microsoft released an update that addressed this vulnerability by introducing additional checks to detect the usage of the “ToolPane.aspx” endpoint with the sign-out page specified as the referrer.

    CVE-2025-49706 fix (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20027)

    The added check uses case insensitive comparison to verify if the requested path ends with “ToolPane.aspx”. Is it possible to bypass this check, say, by using a different endpoint? Our testing has shown that this check can be easily bypassed.

    CVE-2025-53771

    We were able to successfully bypass the patch for vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 by adding just one byte to the exploit POST request. All that was required to bypass this patch was to add a “/” (slash) to the end of the requested “ToolPane.aspx” path.

    Bypass for CVE-2025-49706 fix

    On July 20, 2025, Microsoft released an update that fixed this bypass as CVE-2025-53771. This fix replaces the “ToolPane.aspx” check to instead check whether the requested path is in the list of paths allowed for use with the sign-out page specified as the referrer.

    CVE-2025-53771 fix (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20037)

    This allowlist includes the following paths: “/_layouts/15/SignOut.aspx”, “/_layouts/15/1033/initstrings.js”, “/_layouts/15/init.js”, “/_layouts/15/theming.js”, “/ScriptResource.axd”, “/_layouts/15/blank.js”, “/ScriptResource.axd”, “/WebResource.axd”, “/_layouts/15/1033/styles/corev15.css”, “/_layouts/15/1033/styles/error.css”, “/_layouts/15/images/favicon.ico”, “/_layouts/15/1033/strings.js”, “/_layouts/15/core.js”, and it can contain additional paths added by the administrator.

    While testing the CVE-2025-49706 bypass with the July 8, 2025 updates installed on our SharePoint debugging stand, we noticed some strange behavior. Not only did the bypass of CVE-2025-49706 work, but the entire exploit chain did! But wait! Didn’t the attackers use an additional Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2025-49704, which was supposed to be fixed in the same update? To understand why the entire exploit chain worked in our case, let’s take a look at the vulnerability CVE-2025-49704 and how it was fixed.

    CVE-2025-49704

    CVE-2025-49704 is an untrusted data deserialization vulnerability that exists due to improper validation of XML content. Looking at the exploit POST request, we can see that it contains two URL encoded parameters: “MSOtlPn_Uri” and “MSOtlPn_DWP”. We can see how they are handled by examining the code of the method GetPartPreviewAndPropertiesFromMarkup in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. A quick analysis reveals that “MSOtlPn_Uri”  is a page URL that might be pointing to an any file in the CONTROLTEMPLATES folder and the parameter “MSOtlPn_DWP” contains something known as WebPart markup. This markup contains special directives that can be used to execute safe controls on a server and has a format very similar to XML.

    WebPart markup used by the attackers

    While this “XML” included in the “MSOtlPn_DWP” parameter does not itself contain a vulnerability, it allows attackers to instantiate the ExcelDataSet control from Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.Client.dll with CompressedDataTable property set to malicious payload and trigger its processing using DataTable property getter.

    Code of the method that handles the contents of ExcelDataSet’s CompressedDataTable property in the DataTable property getter

    Looking at the code of the ExcelDataSet’s DataTable property getter in Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.Client.dll, we find the method GetObjectFromCompressedBase64String, responsible for deserialization of CompressedDataTable property contents. The data provided as Base64 string is decoded, unzipped, and passed to the BinarySerialization.Deserialize method from Microsoft.SharePoint.dll.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2025-49704 (deserialized)

    Attackers use this method to provide a malicious DataSet whose deserialized content is shown in the image above. It contains an XML with an element of dangerous type “System.Collections.Generic.List1[[System.Data.Services.Internal.ExpandedWrapper2[…], System.Data.Services, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]”, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary methods with the help of the well-known ExpandedWrapper technique aimed at exploitation of unsafe XML deserialization in applications based on the .NET framework. In fact, this shouldn’t be possible, since BinarySerialization.Deserialize in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll uses a special XmlValidator designed to protect against this technique by checking the types of all elements present in the provided XML and ensuring that they are on the list of allowed types. However, the exploit bypasses this check by placing the ExpandedWrapper object into the list.

    Now, to find out why the exploit worked on our SharePoint debugging stand with the July 8, 2025 updates installed, let’s take a look at how this vulnerability was fixed. In this patch, Microsoft did not really fix the vulnerability but only mitigated it by adding the new AddExcelDataSetToSafeControls class to the Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade namespace. This class contains new code that modifies the web.config file and marks the Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.ExcelDataSet control as unsafe. Because SharePoint does not execute this code on its own after installing updates, the only way to achieve the security effect was to manually run a configuration upgrade using the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard tool. Notably, the security guidance for CVE-2025-49704 does not mention the need for this step, which means at least some SharePoint administrators may skip it. Meanwhile, anyone who installed this update but did not manually perform a configuration upgrade remained vulnerable.

    CVE-2025-53770

    On July 20, 2025, Microsoft released an update with a proper fix for the CVE-2025-49704 vulnerability. This patch introduces an updated XmlValidator that now properly validates element types in XML, preventing exploitation of this vulnerability without requiring a configuration upgrade and, more importantly, addressing the root cause and preventing exploitation of the same vulnerability through controls other than Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.ExcelDataSet.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2025-49704 (deserialized)

    CVE-2020-1147

    Readers familiar with previous SharePoint exploits might feel that the vulnerability CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770 and the exploit used by the attackers looks very familiar and very similar to the older .NET Framework, SharePoint Server, and Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2020-1147. In fact, if we compare the exploit for CVE-2020-1147 and an exploit for CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770, we can see that they are almost identical. The only difference is that in the exploit for CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770, the dangerous ExpandedWrapper object is placed in the list. This makes CVE-2025-53770 an updated fix for CVE-2020-1147.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2020-1147

    Conclusions

    Despite the fact that patches for the ToolShell vulnerabilities are now available for deployment, we assess that this chain of exploits will continue being used by attackers for a long time. We have been observing the same situation with other notorious vulnerabilities, such as ProxyLogon, PrintNightmare, or EternalBlue. While they have been known for years, many threat actors still continue leveraging them in their attacks to compromise unpatched systems. We expect the ToolShell vulnerabilities to follow the same fate, as they can be exploited with extremely low effort and allow full control over the vulnerable server.

    To stay better protected against threats like ToolShell, we as a community should learn lessons from previous events in the industry related to critical vulnerabilities. Specifically, the speed of applying security patches nowadays is the most important factor when it comes to fighting such vulnerabilities. Since public exploits for these dangerous vulnerabilities appear very soon after vulnerability announcements, it is paramount to install patches as soon as possible, as a gap of even a few hours can make a critical difference.

    At the same time, it is important to protect enterprise networks against zero-day exploits, which can be leveraged when there is no available public patch for vulnerabilities. In this regard, it is critical to equip machines with reliable cybersecurity solutions that have proven effective in combatting ToolShell attacks before they were publicly disclosed.

    Kaspersky Next with its Behaviour detection component proactively protects against  exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Additionally, it is able to detect exploitation and the subsequent malicious activity.

    Kaspersky products detect the exploits and malware used in these attacks with the following verdicts:

    • UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic
    • PDM:Exploit.Win32.Generic
    • PDM:Trojan.Win32.Generic
    • HEUR:Trojan.MSIL.Agent.gen
    • ASP.Agent.*
    • PowerShell.Agent.*

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ToolShell: a story of five vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: ToolShell: a story of five vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

    On July 19–20, 2025, various security companies and national CERTs published alerts about active exploitation of on-premise SharePoint servers. According to the reports, observed attacks did not require authentication, allowed attackers to gain full control over the infected servers, and were performed using an exploit chain of two vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, publicly named “ToolShell”. Additionally, on the same dates, Microsoft released out-of-band security patches for the vulnerabilities CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771, aimed at addressing the security bypasses of previously issued fixes for CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706. The release of the new, “proper” updates has caused confusion about exactly which vulnerabilities attackers are exploiting and whether they are using zero-day exploits.

    Kaspersky products proactively detected and blocked malicious activity linked to these attacks, which allowed us to gather statistics about the timeframe and spread of this campaign. Our statistics show that widespread exploitation started on July 18, 2025, and attackers targeted servers across the world in Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Vietnam, and Zambia. Entities across multiple sectors were affected: government, finance, manufacturing, forestry, and agriculture.

    While analyzing all artifacts related to these attacks, which were detected by our products and public information provided by external researchers, we found a dump of a POST request that was claimed to contain the malicious payload used in these attacks. After performing our own analysis, we were able to confirm that this dump indeed contained the malicious payload detected by our technologies, and that sending this single request to an affected SharePoint installation was enough to execute the malicious payload there.

    Our analysis of the exploit showed that it did rely on vulnerabilities fixed under CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, but by changing just one byte in the request, we were able to bypass those fixes.

    In this post, we provide detailed information about CVE-2025-49704, CVE-2025-49706, CVE-2025-53770, CVE-2025-53771, and one related vulnerability. Since the exploit code is already published online, is very easy to use, and poses a significant risk, we encourage all organizations to install the necessary updates.

    The exploit

    Our research started with an analysis of a POST request dump associated with this wave of attacks on SharePoint servers.

    Snippet of the exploit POST request

    We can see that this POST request targets the “/_layouts/15/ToolPane.aspx” endpoint and embeds two parameters: “MSOtlPn_Uri” and “MSOtlPn_DWP”. Looking at the code of ToolPane.aspx, we can see that this file itself does not contain much functionality and most of its code is located in the ToolPane class of the Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages namespace in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. Looking at this class reveals the code that works with the two parameters present in the exploit. However, accessing this endpoint under normal conditions is not possible without bypassing authentication on the attacked SharePoint server. This is where the first Microsoft SharePoint Server Spoofing Vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 comes into play.

    CVE-2025-49706

    This vulnerability is present in the method PostAuthenticateRequestHandler, in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. SharePoint requires Internet Information Services (IIS) to be configured in integrated mode. In this mode, the IIS and ASP.NET authentication stages are unified. As a result, the outcome of IIS authentication is not determined until the PostAuthenticateRequest stage, at which point both the ASP.NET and IIS authentication methods have been completed. Therefore, the PostAuthenticateRequestHandler method utilizes a series of flags to track potential authentication violations. A logic bug in this method enables an authentication bypass if the “Referrer” header of the HTTP request is equal to “/_layouts/SignOut.aspx”, “/_layouts/14/SignOut.aspx”, or “/_layouts/15/SignOut.aspx” using case insensitive comparison.

    Vulnerable code in PostAuthenticateRequestHandler method (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20018)

    The code displayed in the image above handles the sign-out request and is also triggered when the sign-out page is specified as the referrer. When flag6 is set to false and flag7 is set to true, both conditional branches that could potentially throw an “Unauthorized Access” exception are bypassed.

    Unauthorized access checks bypassed by the exploit

    On July 8, 2025, Microsoft released an update that addressed this vulnerability by introducing additional checks to detect the usage of the “ToolPane.aspx” endpoint with the sign-out page specified as the referrer.

    CVE-2025-49706 fix (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20027)

    The added check uses case insensitive comparison to verify if the requested path ends with “ToolPane.aspx”. Is it possible to bypass this check, say, by using a different endpoint? Our testing has shown that this check can be easily bypassed.

    CVE-2025-53771

    We were able to successfully bypass the patch for vulnerability CVE-2025-49706 by adding just one byte to the exploit POST request. All that was required to bypass this patch was to add a “/” (slash) to the end of the requested “ToolPane.aspx” path.

    Bypass for CVE-2025-49706 fix

    On July 20, 2025, Microsoft released an update that fixed this bypass as CVE-2025-53771. This fix replaces the “ToolPane.aspx” check to instead check whether the requested path is in the list of paths allowed for use with the sign-out page specified as the referrer.

    CVE-2025-53771 fix (Microsoft.SharePoint.dll version 16.0.10417.20037)

    This allowlist includes the following paths: “/_layouts/15/SignOut.aspx”, “/_layouts/15/1033/initstrings.js”, “/_layouts/15/init.js”, “/_layouts/15/theming.js”, “/ScriptResource.axd”, “/_layouts/15/blank.js”, “/ScriptResource.axd”, “/WebResource.axd”, “/_layouts/15/1033/styles/corev15.css”, “/_layouts/15/1033/styles/error.css”, “/_layouts/15/images/favicon.ico”, “/_layouts/15/1033/strings.js”, “/_layouts/15/core.js”, and it can contain additional paths added by the administrator.

    While testing the CVE-2025-49706 bypass with the July 8, 2025 updates installed on our SharePoint debugging stand, we noticed some strange behavior. Not only did the bypass of CVE-2025-49706 work, but the entire exploit chain did! But wait! Didn’t the attackers use an additional Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2025-49704, which was supposed to be fixed in the same update? To understand why the entire exploit chain worked in our case, let’s take a look at the vulnerability CVE-2025-49704 and how it was fixed.

    CVE-2025-49704

    CVE-2025-49704 is an untrusted data deserialization vulnerability that exists due to improper validation of XML content. Looking at the exploit POST request, we can see that it contains two URL encoded parameters: “MSOtlPn_Uri” and “MSOtlPn_DWP”. We can see how they are handled by examining the code of the method GetPartPreviewAndPropertiesFromMarkup in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll. A quick analysis reveals that “MSOtlPn_Uri”  is a page URL that might be pointing to an any file in the CONTROLTEMPLATES folder and the parameter “MSOtlPn_DWP” contains something known as WebPart markup. This markup contains special directives that can be used to execute safe controls on a server and has a format very similar to XML.

    WebPart markup used by the attackers

    While this “XML” included in the “MSOtlPn_DWP” parameter does not itself contain a vulnerability, it allows attackers to instantiate the ExcelDataSet control from Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.Client.dll with CompressedDataTable property set to malicious payload and trigger its processing using DataTable property getter.

    Code of the method that handles the contents of ExcelDataSet’s CompressedDataTable property in the DataTable property getter

    Looking at the code of the ExcelDataSet’s DataTable property getter in Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.Client.dll, we find the method GetObjectFromCompressedBase64String, responsible for deserialization of CompressedDataTable property contents. The data provided as Base64 string is decoded, unzipped, and passed to the BinarySerialization.Deserialize method from Microsoft.SharePoint.dll.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2025-49704 (deserialized)

    Attackers use this method to provide a malicious DataSet whose deserialized content is shown in the image above. It contains an XML with an element of dangerous type “System.Collections.Generic.List1[[System.Data.Services.Internal.ExpandedWrapper2[…], System.Data.Services, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]”, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary methods with the help of the well-known ExpandedWrapper technique aimed at exploitation of unsafe XML deserialization in applications based on the .NET framework. In fact, this shouldn’t be possible, since BinarySerialization.Deserialize in Microsoft.SharePoint.dll uses a special XmlValidator designed to protect against this technique by checking the types of all elements present in the provided XML and ensuring that they are on the list of allowed types. However, the exploit bypasses this check by placing the ExpandedWrapper object into the list.

    Now, to find out why the exploit worked on our SharePoint debugging stand with the July 8, 2025 updates installed, let’s take a look at how this vulnerability was fixed. In this patch, Microsoft did not really fix the vulnerability but only mitigated it by adding the new AddExcelDataSetToSafeControls class to the Microsoft.SharePoint.Upgrade namespace. This class contains new code that modifies the web.config file and marks the Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.ExcelDataSet control as unsafe. Because SharePoint does not execute this code on its own after installing updates, the only way to achieve the security effect was to manually run a configuration upgrade using the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard tool. Notably, the security guidance for CVE-2025-49704 does not mention the need for this step, which means at least some SharePoint administrators may skip it. Meanwhile, anyone who installed this update but did not manually perform a configuration upgrade remained vulnerable.

    CVE-2025-53770

    On July 20, 2025, Microsoft released an update with a proper fix for the CVE-2025-49704 vulnerability. This patch introduces an updated XmlValidator that now properly validates element types in XML, preventing exploitation of this vulnerability without requiring a configuration upgrade and, more importantly, addressing the root cause and preventing exploitation of the same vulnerability through controls other than Microsoft.PerformancePoint.Scorecards.ExcelDataSet.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2025-49704 (deserialized)

    CVE-2020-1147

    Readers familiar with previous SharePoint exploits might feel that the vulnerability CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770 and the exploit used by the attackers looks very familiar and very similar to the older .NET Framework, SharePoint Server, and Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability CVE-2020-1147. In fact, if we compare the exploit for CVE-2020-1147 and an exploit for CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770, we can see that they are almost identical. The only difference is that in the exploit for CVE-2025-49704/CVE-2025-53770, the dangerous ExpandedWrapper object is placed in the list. This makes CVE-2025-53770 an updated fix for CVE-2020-1147.

    DataSet with XML content exploiting CVE-2020-1147

    Conclusions

    Despite the fact that patches for the ToolShell vulnerabilities are now available for deployment, we assess that this chain of exploits will continue being used by attackers for a long time. We have been observing the same situation with other notorious vulnerabilities, such as ProxyLogon, PrintNightmare, or EternalBlue. While they have been known for years, many threat actors still continue leveraging them in their attacks to compromise unpatched systems. We expect the ToolShell vulnerabilities to follow the same fate, as they can be exploited with extremely low effort and allow full control over the vulnerable server.

    To stay better protected against threats like ToolShell, we as a community should learn lessons from previous events in the industry related to critical vulnerabilities. Specifically, the speed of applying security patches nowadays is the most important factor when it comes to fighting such vulnerabilities. Since public exploits for these dangerous vulnerabilities appear very soon after vulnerability announcements, it is paramount to install patches as soon as possible, as a gap of even a few hours can make a critical difference.

    At the same time, it is important to protect enterprise networks against zero-day exploits, which can be leveraged when there is no available public patch for vulnerabilities. In this regard, it is critical to equip machines with reliable cybersecurity solutions that have proven effective in combatting ToolShell attacks before they were publicly disclosed.

    Kaspersky Next with its Behaviour detection component proactively protects against  exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Additionally, it is able to detect exploitation and the subsequent malicious activity.

    Kaspersky products detect the exploits and malware used in these attacks with the following verdicts:

    • UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic
    • PDM:Exploit.Win32.Generic
    • PDM:Trojan.Win32.Generic
    • HEUR:Trojan.MSIL.Agent.gen
    • ASP.Agent.*
    • PowerShell.Agent.*

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Large-scale summer school “Cryptography and information security” ended in St. Petersburg

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    For more than two weeks, “Boiling Point – St. Petersburg. GUAP” was truly “boiling”, despite the midsummer. In each of the halls, the participants of the summer school “Cryptography and Information Security” were working. The traditional event, organized by the Cryptographic Center (Novosibirsk), International Mathematical Center in Akademgorodok, this year the GUAP venue hosted the event. The summer school was held for the seventh time, it brought together more than 35 teachers and over 165 students, postgraduates and schoolchildren from 35 cities of Russia. The geography of the participants is extensive: Tver, Novosibirsk, Voronezh, Khanty-Mansiysk, Sevastopol, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Ufa, Rostov-on-Don, Tyumen, Kaliningrad and other cities of our country.

    The head of the school is Natalia Tokareva, associate professor of the Department of Theoretical Cybernetics. Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU, head of the Cryptographic Center (Novosibirsk). The organizers and partners of the summer school in 2025 were the St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation, Southern Federal University, Special Technology Center LLC, Practical Security Systems LLC, Infotex JSC, Enseucrypto-lab LLC and NeoQUEST. Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Youth Policy Larisa Nikolaeva and the GUAP team were responsible for the organizational issues of the large-scale event.

    Participants received knowledge from leading experts in the scientific and business fields, visited key enterprises in St. Petersburg and interesting excursions, and also united through training and sports games.

    The event’s partners — universities and companies working in the field of cryptography and information security — provided the summer school participants with not only new and useful knowledge, expert lectures, but also career opportunities and development prospects in the profession. The students were able to learn everything about internships and future careers in companies such as OOO Special Technology Center, OOO Systems of Practical Security, AO Infotex, OOO Enseucrypto-lab and NeoQUEST. Representatives of these organizations personally talked to the students, answered all their questions and told them what steps they should take to take their first career steps in the field of information security.

    The basis of the summer school was work on projects. Divided into teams, in which scientific research was carried out under the supervision of curators, the guys were preparing to present each of the projects at the final conference. The topics of the projects touched upon various issues of modern cryptography and information security: algorithms of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, issues of constructing cryptographic protocols for solving authentication, identification, key transfer, and messaging problems. The topics of the projects were suitable for both beginners in the field of cryptography and information security, and for advanced students who had already acquired knowledge as part of their studies.

    On July 21, the summer school’s final conference took place, where the teams presented the results of their work. 23 research projects developed by the participants were combined by the organizers into a collection of papers. It can be found on the event website.

    Participants shared what projects they worked on and what new things they learned during these two busy weeks.

    Daria Severukhina, Novosibirsk:

    — Our project was dedicated to the topic of post-quantum cryptography. We were engaged in the analysis of the vulnerability of a cryptosystem based on the “lattice theory”, namely, the study of side-channel attacks. Post-quantum cryptography is very relevant now, and the topic we were working on is one of the most promising in this area. I study at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and I study cryptography only in special courses that are held at our university. Therefore, this summer school is a great start to skills and knowledge in this area. In these two weeks, I learned so much information, met leading scientists in this area, I managed to work with them, which is very valuable. I am very glad that I got the opportunity to acquire this knowledge in practice.

    Alina Skibina, Saint Petersburg:

    — In our project on the topic of “Development of a prototype of a cryptographic hash function,” we developed a prototype of a hash function called “Gorynych.” We tried to create a hash function based on the Russian standard “Stribog,” inspired by the SURF function of Bernstein. This function has a simple design, high stability, and speed. These are the properties that modern hash functions should have. The team turned out to be friendly, well-coordinated, I enjoyed our interaction, I did not feel discomfort. There were many jokes, funny moments that diluted the intense work. I am very pleased with my participation in the summer school. This is not my first participation in such an event, so I was ready for intensive work. The most important skill is experience working in a team. And the lectures are very informative and interesting in that they touch on many areas of cryptography, and perhaps I will work in some of them in the future.

    Anna Kozubova, Novorossiysk

    — I finished the 9th grade and got to the summer school. Thanks to my participation, I decided on the direction that I would choose to study at GUAP — “Information Security”. Many useful lectures were held for us, and although they were more focused on people who were already studying in this specialty, I was able to study this topic additionally and become interested in it. I want to thank my team, where friendly and working relationships were formed over these two weeks. It was precisely because we united that we were able to prepare such a wonderful project. But none of this would have happened if it were not for our mentor — a true master of his craft — Bezzateev Sergey Valentinovich. In a word, the summer school became an important event for me.

    Kirill Gromov, Tver:

    — Our project was dedicated to electronic signatures of documents. We considered post-quantum algorithms, which have a higher complexity and are designed so that with the next stage of computer technology development they will not be hackable. We also considered vulnerabilities that are better known at the moment. This is a very good experience to find out what will change in this area now. The scientific community, the experts who supported our projects are, first of all, our like-minded people and people who are interested in the development of this area. To communicate and work with such people almost on equal terms is a very good experience. A wonderful team, new knowledge, a beautiful city, and, despite the fatigue, there was strength for communication.

    Artem Kolbeev, Sevastopol:

    — This is my second time participating in the summer school “Cryptography and Information Security” and working with the same scientific supervisor — Oleg Sergeevich Zaikin. He guides the team in the right direction. We managed to choose a promising topic for study. I really liked the organization of the summer school — everything was organized competently, and we were given time not only for work, but also for excursions, recreation, and sports. The venue is suitable for comfortable work. We were given a number of very interesting lectures. And several ideas for further scientific developments arose.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Indian auto component makers will benefit from duty reduction on imports under India-UK CETA: Sunil Mittal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The reduction in import duties on automobiles under the newly signed India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will ultimately benefit Indian auto component manufacturers according to Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, who added that the UK component makers will shift manufacturing to India, attracted by lower production costs and a growing domestic market.

    In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Bharti Enterprises Chairman also noted that UK automobile companies will increasingly import components from India as the manufacturing of expensive auto components will shift to the country.

    He further emphasised that the UK’s auto manufacturers would likely increase their imports of components from India, potentially setting up local factories to take advantage of India’s low manufacturing costs and abundant talent.

    “The Indian auto parts manufacturing industry is one of the most sophisticated and advanced in the world. In fact, if you look at the auto industry, we have a huge leg up in the world of exporting auto components. So I don’t think so. Indian industry really needs to feel that expensive components made in the UK or other Western markets will flow into India,” Mittal told ANI.

    He dismissed concerns that the deal might undermine India’s “Make in India” initiative, highlighting the advanced and sophisticated nature of India’s auto parts manufacturing industry.

    “Quite the contrary with this again, companies that are manufacturing cars and trucks and automobiles in the UK will be importing more components from India, probably setting up industries and factories in India to ensure that they can get low-cost manufacturing of high-quality availability for their own markets and global markets,” he remarked.

    Under the trade agreement, the import duty on cars built in the UK–both electric and gasoline/diesel–will be reduced from over 100 percent to about 10 percent, subject to a predetermined yearly quota.

    With safeguards in place to protect India’s local auto sector as its own manufacturing capacity grows, this concession will be brought in gradually over the course of the next ten to fifteen years.

    He also pointed out that many UK-based companies are already exporting Indian-made auto components to over 100 countries, underscoring India’s global competitiveness in this sector.

    “Do keep in mind companies that have gone from the UK to India are exporting from India to 100 other countries. What’s the reason? Talent is in short supply in the UK. Talent is very expensive. Manufacturing is very expensive in the UK. The local market is rather modest,” Mittal added.

    The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) has also welcomed the signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Trade Agreement.

    The body said that CETA is expected to benefit the Indian auto component sector through enhanced opportunities for exports and streamlined regulatory processes, particularly in key areas such as electric mobility, precision engineering, and lightweight materials.

    Indian MSMEs, which form the backbone of our industry, stand to gain from the liberalised terms of trade and improved access to UK markets.

    (ANI)

  • How India is quietly powering Maldives’ growth through infra and human capital

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s continued development partnership with the Maldives stands as a testament to the enduring ties between the two nations, with several landmark projects reflecting New Delhi’s commitment to supporting the island nation’s growth across sectors ranging from healthcare and education to infrastructure and fisheries.

    Healthcare cooperation

    The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male remains a key symbol of India’s assistance to the Maldives. Conceived during the visit of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in February 1986, the 200-bed facility was inaugurated in April 1995 by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, IGMH is the largest public healthcare institution in the country.

    India had initially deployed 72 medical professionals to help operationalise the hospital. A major renovation, supported by India at a cost of ₹52 crore, was inaugurated in March 2019 by then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

    Strengthening technical education

    India has also contributed to capacity-building in technical education through the establishment of the Maldives Institute of Technical Education (MITE), now known as the Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET). The foundation stone was laid in 1993 following an agreement during Prime Minister V.P. Singh’s visit in 1990. The completed institute was handed over in 1996 and has since been pivotal in training Maldivian youth in vocational and technical disciplines.

    Tourism education

    In a bid to bolster the Maldives’ hospitality sector, India supported the construction of the India-Maldives Friendship Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies. The foundation stone was jointly laid by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2002. The eight-storey modern facility was officially handed over in February 2014 by then External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. With a capacity for over 200 full-time students, the institute serves as a centre of excellence for tourism and hospitality studies.

    Largest Indian grant project supports law enforcement training

    The National College for Police and Law Enforcement (NCPLE), located in Addu City, is India’s largest grant-funded project in the Maldives. Built with ₹222.98 crore in grant assistance, the college was inaugurated in March 2022 during the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. The institution is designed to enhance the training capabilities of Maldives’ police and law enforcement agencies.

    Land reclamation in Addu to spur urban growth

    India has also supported the Addu Reclamation Project under an $80 million Line of Credit. A total of 184 hectares of land has been reclaimed to facilitate urban and economic development in Addu City. The project was inaugurated on August 11, 2024, during EAM Dr. Jaishankar’s visit to the country.

    Water and sanitation

    Improving basic infrastructure has also remained a focus area. Under a Line of Credit worth $107.31 million, water and sanitation projects have been completed across 34 islands. Of these, 28 projects have already been handed over to the Maldivian government. The initiative is aimed at enhancing public health and environmental sustainability.

    Fisheries infra

    In support of the Maldives’ crucial fisheries sector, a new ice plant with a daily production capacity of 50 tons has been established in Gemanafushi. The facility, developed under the Indian Line of Credit, was inaugurated on February 27, 2025. It is expected to bolster fish preservation, improve export capacity, and strengthen the livelihoods of fishing communities.

    India’s development footprint in the Maldives reflects a broader strategy of regional cooperation grounded in mutual respect and people-first initiatives. As both nations navigate the next phase of bilateral engagement, these enduring projects lay a strong foundation for deeper collaboration rooted in shared prosperity.