NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: Rumble Names Ben Torres Ezrick, Former Marketing Leader with Zoom and Google, as First-Ever CMO

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM), the video-sharing platform and cloud services provider, today named its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer, Ben Torres Ezrick, a marketing leader with a career spanning the tech, content, and agency sectors. As the company’s first CMO, he will be vital to Rumble’s aggressive efforts to grow new audiences and customer bases as a content-rich video platform, cloud provider, and future home of a non-custodial crypto wallet.   

    Ezrick most recently served as Head of Brand for Zoom Communications after stints as Head of Brand and Growth for Google Maps and Head of Consumer Marketing for Waze.

    “Ben Torres Ezrick is a top-tier marketing professional, and we are bringing him into Rumble at a key time,” said Rumble Chief Executive Officer Chris Pavlovski. “The growth Rumble has seen over the last few years has been completely organic and is the result of the amazing content creators and audiences drawn to our adherence to the principles of free speech. It’s time to take advantage of Rumble’s rising profile and be more aggressive with our first-ever Chief Marketing Officer to help grow all of our businesses. We can’t wait to get started with Ben.”

    “Rumble deeply understands the power of its audience, and I look forward to helping to connect businesses and advertisers with these users,” Ezrick said. “You can’t have free enterprise without free speech, and I am proud to be joining the team at Rumble where the innate human right to free expression is the driving principle.”

    As Head of Brand at Zoom, Ben Torres Ezrick introduced the company’s AI Companion and led efforts to reposition Zoom beyond video meetings into a full collaboration platform. At Google, he held multiple leadership roles, including leading user-generated content marketing across Search and Maps, where he evolved Maps into a daily local discovery experience.

    Prior to that, Ben launched the Ad Sales Marketing function at AT&T. He also supported C-suite clients through growth strategy and market disruption at MediaLink, led sales development for branded content at Katalyst Media, and worked at Ogilvy on digital innovation and media strategy. He currently serves on the ANA Global CMO Growth Council.

    ABOUT RUMBLE

    Rumble is a high-growth video platform and cloud services provider that is creating an independent infrastructure. Rumble’s mission is to restore the internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. For more information, visit: corp.rumble.com.

    Contact: press@rumble.com.

    ###

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales ranked No.1 most attractive employer among engineering students in France in 2025

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales ranked No.1 most attractive employer among engineering students in France in 2025

    Thales has secured the top spot in the 2025 ranking of the most attractive employers for engineering students in France, in a survey conducted by the Universum research institute. The survey covered 23,376 students, including 11,556 from engineering schools. Thales also ranked 4th among IT students.

    Students notably praised the Group’s capacity for innovation and the wide range of career development opportunities it offers.
    ​As a global leader in high technology across Defence, Aerospace, Cybersecurity and Digital Identity, Thales provides the opportunity to work in critical environments involving artificial intelligence, quantum technologies or cloud computing. The company offers a very broad array of career paths, backed by a strong industrial and academic presence across 68 countries. For the past three years, Thales has also invested heavily in a global upskilling initiative called the “Learning Company” programme, delivered by 2,000 in-house trainers. It brings together 13 Domain Academies (Radar, Radio, Naval, Tubes, Pyrotechnics…) and 19 Functional Academies (Engineering, Industry, HR, Finance, Communications…).

    The preference expressed by young engineering students for Thales also reflects the Group’s efforts to reach out to younger generations. Last year, Thales engaged with over 150,000 young people through 600 events. In 2025, in France alone, the Group expects to welcome more than 3,000 interns and apprentices in higher education, with around 25% going on to secure permanent or fixed-term roles. Nearly 1,500 students in Year 10 and Year 11 will also be welcomed for short-term work experience across around 40 Thales sites in mainland France, helping to spark interest in science and technology careers.

    “Attracting engineers – and diverse talent more broadly – to Thales is essential to staying at the forefront of innovation. We firmly believe that mathematics and science are key to understanding the world around us and tackling society’s greatest challenges. Joining Thales means continuing to learn throughout your career and helping to address the major societal challenges we are working on through our activities.”
    ​    Patrice Caine, Chairman & CEO of Thales

    Interested candidates can learn more and apply online at
    ​    https://careers.thalesgroup.com/global/en

    MIL OSI Economics –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: 20th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations kicks off in Nanjing 2025-06-12 19:03:26 The 20th meeting of the Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations under the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) kicked off in Nanjing City in east China’s Jiangsu Province on June 11.

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

      By Huang Xiangliang and Chen Cheng

      NANJING, June 12 — The 20th meeting of the Experts’ Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations under the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) kicked off in Nanjing City in east China’s Jiangsu Province on June 11. More than 80 representatives from 21 countries and international organizations including the member states, dialogue partners, observer states and Secretariat of the ASEAN attended the meeting.

      Themed on “Technology and Innovation: Enhancing Military Cooperation in Peacekeeping Operations”, the meeting organized discussions and exchanges on topics such as the application of unmanned and counter-unmanned technologies in peacekeeping operations, the application of artificial intelligence in peacekeeping operations, and the application of new technologies and equipment in security defense of peacekeeping operations. It aims to explore the military application of emerging technologies in peacekeeping operations, deepen military mutual trust and security cooperation among regional countries, and enhance their capacities in carrying out peacekeeping operations. The meeting, organized by the Chinese PLA Nanjing Army Command College, will last until June 14.

    loading…

    MIL OSI China News –

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    (IANS)

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Tenders invited for tenancy of fee-paying public car parks at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Tenders invited for tenancy of fee-paying public car parks at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control PointIssued at HKT 12:35

    The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy of fee-paying public car parks on a portion of the Mezzanine Floor of the Passenger Terminal Building and underneath the viaduct connected to the Passenger Terminal Building of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, New Territories, Hong Kong.

    The premises should only be used for the operation of fee-paying public car parks for the parking of private cars, motorcycles and van-type light goods vehicles.

    The tender notice was uploaded today (June 12) to the GPA Property Portal: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. Tender documents are available for collection at the GPA, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The documents can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.

    Interested tenderers who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6915/3842 6917 by June 19.

    Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box placed at the Ground Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, before noon on July 4. Late tenders will not be accepted.

    Ends/Thursday, June 12, 2025
    Issued at HKT 12:35

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to London-bound passenger plane crashing shortly after take-off in India

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on a London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashing shortly after take-off in India. 

    Prof Graham Braithwaite, Director of Aerospace and Aviation, Cranfield University, said:

    What do we know about the situation so far?

    “The aircraft involved is an 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first major accident involving the 787.

    “At this point we don’t know whether there are any survivors or whether there have been any casualties on the ground.

    What don’t we know and are waiting to find out?

    “At this stage the focus will be on search and rescue at the site. For the airline, they will be focused on caring for family members and friends at both the departure airport and destination. Until the manifest is confirmed, they will be dealing with a very high number of enquiries from concerned friends and families. Early information about the accident is unlikely to be accurate so even though people will look at tools like FlightRadar 24, it won’t tell us anything about the “why it happened”. We should be very careful not to speculate on cause when there is so little reliable information available.

    Is it unusual for a plane crash to occur so soon after take-off?

    “Yes. Although take off is a critical stage of flight, aircraft accidents are incredibly rare, especially involving modern aircraft types such as the Boeing 787. Take off is a critical stage because the aircraft is still accelerating and any problem-solving requires a rapid response.

    Any other information you think is relevant for journalists to know.

    “The accident will be investigated by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau – an organisation which is independent from the aviation regulator, and which is focused on ‘not for blame’ safety investigations. This is governed by an international standard known as ICAO Annex 13. Under that, participants will include the US National Transportation Safety Board as the State of Manufacturer. Stated with a significant number of people on board will also have a right to participate so I would expect the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch to be involved.”

    Declared interests

    No reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • MIL-OSI: Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. : Form 8.3 – RICARDO PLC – Ordinary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1. KEY INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Full name of discloser: Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. in its capacity as investment advisor and on behalf its affiliates who are also investment advisors (”Dimensional”). Dimensional expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares described in this form 8.3.  
    (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
    The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		    
    (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
    Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 Ricardo PLC  
    (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:    
    (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:
    For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 11 June 2025  
    (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
    If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/a  
       
    2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.  
    (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)  
       
    Class of relevant security: 25p ordinary (GB0007370074)  
      Interests Short Positions  
      Number % Number %  
    (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 889,716 1.43 %      
    (2) Cash-settled derivatives:          
    (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:          
      Total 889,716 * 1.43 %      
    * Dimensional Fund Advisors LP and/or its affiliates do not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 7,529 shares that are included in the total above.  
       
    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    		  
       
       
    (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)  
       
    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:    
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:    
       
    3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    		  
    (a) Purchases and sales  
       
    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit  
             
       
    (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit  
               
       
    (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
     
    (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
     
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
                   
       
    (ii) Exercise  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit  
               
       
    (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)  
                 
    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)  
             
       
    4. OTHER INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements  
       
    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives  
       
    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (c) Attachments  
       
    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO  
       
    Date of disclosure 25 June 2025  
    Contact name Thomas Hone  
    Telephone number +44 20 3033 3419  
       

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

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

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    (IANS)

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

    Source: Scottish Government

    Carers urged to check for financial support during Carers Week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Carla Bennett, Carer Services Manager at VOCAL Midlothian added: 

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

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

    Background 

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

    Help to apply  

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: City of Plymouth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Green Tourism success for Aberdeen’s Art Gallery and Museums

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen City Council’s Archives, Gallery & Museums service (AAGM) is celebrating Green Tourism awards success for four of its venues. 
     
    The Art Gallery has achieved the highest award, Gold recognition, with the Maritime Museum, Provost Skene’s House and the Treasure Hub celebrating Silver status.  
     
    Green Tourism is the world’s largest sustainable certification programme of its kind, promoting greener ways for businesses and organisations to operate, by offering advice on sustainability best practice, from ethical buying to reducing energy use. 
     
    The AAGM staff team was congratulated by the judges for displaying an excellent understanding of sustainability and awareness of opportunities and challenges associated with running a responsible business. The AAGM submissions were themed around People, Places and Planet, with initiatives including: 

    Key projects: 
    Establishing a wildflower meadow at the Treasure Hub in Northfield 
    Over 97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s. Staff volunteers worked with Habitat People to rewild a patch of land at the Treasure Hub to bring back at-risk plant species including crane’s-bill, yellow toadflax or pignut. As the meadow matures it will increase the biodiversity of the area, including pollinators and grasshoppers.  
     
    Re-homing bee hives 
    Bees prop-up the ecosystem and are an integral part of it. The team is working with a local beekeeper to provide a safe and secure home for hives.  
     
    Repurposing art crates – from crate to plate 
    The AAGM collection is in demand, but bespoke packing materials are an unfortunate by-product of lending artworks to other art galleries and museums. Re-fitting a crate requires specialist equipment and knowledge, making them difficult and expensive to re-use. AAGM worked with Fresh Community Wellness SCIO (Freshcom) to re-purpose crates as flower and vegetable planters for a community garden in Seaton. ACC gardeners re-purposed a number crates for Cfine, who worked with asylum seekers  to plant a range of vegetables including kale, beetroot, carrots, radishes and parsnips. The crates were painted in the Ukranian colours of blue and yellow.  
    David McDonald of the Green Tourism Awards, said, “It gives the judges the utmost pleasure to confirm these awards. We were extremely impressed with the level of detail and work put into all four submissions. The whole staff team should be justifiably proud of their achievement and we look forward to continuing to work together.” 
     
    David Jackson, VisitScotland Regional Director, said, “We must all play a role in preserving Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage. I’m thrilled to hear about AAGM’s Green Tourism Award successes. Sustainable tourism development is at the heart of what we do, working with partners to drive change and embed responsible practices across the industry. Our VisitScotland business support hub contains a plethora of essential advice, including a guide to Net Zero and information on how businesses can create a sustainability and climate action plan. We have a vision for Scotland to be the most economically, environmentally and socially sustainable destination in the world, so it’s great to see AAGM playing their part and demonstrating real leadership for the region.” 
     
    Councillor Miranda Radley, Aberdeen City Council’s tourism spokesperson and VisitAberdeenshire Council Director, said, “The Gold and Silver Green Tourism awards are fantastic news for visitors to the Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, Provost Skene’s House and Treasure Hub. We know from research with our visitors that climate change is an important issue for them. The globally-recognised Green Tourism awards will give visitors the confidence that we are working towards a climate positive future where, alongside the art and history collection, we also value our planet as an irreplaceable treasure.” 

    Councillor Ian Yuill, Co-Leader of the Council, said, “This success in the Green Tourism awards highlights the Council’s commitment to sustainability, from improving biodiversity and eliminating single-use items, to supporting our local communities. I congratulate the Archives, Gallery & Museums team on their commitment to sustainability in relation to people, place and planet and the excellent work they have done to date to achieve the Green Tourism awards.” 
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

    Source: City of Leicester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: From Talent to Success: Axi Select Announces Fourth Pro M Trader, Now Managing $1 Million USD of Axi Funds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SYDNEY, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following the recent announcements that three Axi Select traders reached the top milestone of the program, leading online FX and CFD broker Axi has proudly announced the promotion of its fourth overall – Pro M trader: Looi Sook Yen from Asia.

    This breakthrough reflects the broker’s ongoing commitment to empower ambitious and talented traders through a program that is designed to unlock and maximise their full trading and profit potential.

    Louis Cooper, Chief Commercial Officer at Axi, shares his excitement for the program’s latest success, noting “We’re proud to see our program continue to elevate traders, helping them trade and improve their trading skills all the way to the top. Since launching Axi Select in 2023, we’ve been confident in its ability to harness the talent of all traders to new heights – regardless of gender or experience level. Today, we celebrate a landmark moment: our fourth Pro M trader and the first woman to reach the program’s top stage and secure a $1M allocation. Ms. Looi demonstrated outstanding skill, talent, and discipline – and with the right tools and support, she now manages $1M of Axi funds.”

    A few months ago, Axi Select announced its first three $1M funded traders: Francisco Quesada Godines, Daniel Gutiérrez Viñas, and 21-year-old trader, Kayan Freitas. The program offers traders the opportunity to access capital funding up to $1,000,000 USD and earn up to 90% of their profits, as well as the advantage to join the program with zero registration or monthly fees*. Moreover, Axi Select uses a Standard or a Pro live account, unrestrictive trading conditions, an exclusive trading room, and more. Recently, the broker was recognised with the ‘Best Funded Trader Programme’ award by the ADVFN International Financial Awards, and, among others, was honoured by Finance Feeds with the ‘Most Innovative Proprietary Trading Firm’ award.

    The Axi Select program is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. *Standard trading fees apply.

    Watch announcement video here.

    About Axi

    Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.

    For more information or additional comments from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da30a690-7ae0-4ccb-b753-b387e16c7313

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Black Gold Confirms Multiple Pay Zones at Fritz 2-30

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, B.C., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Black Gold Exploration Corp. (the “Company” or “BGX”) (CSE: BGX) (OTCQB: BGXCF) (FRA: BLGX) is pleased to announce another significant development in its Illinois Basin operation. Through its joint venture partner LGX Energy Corp. (“LGX”), the Company has confirmed the presence of four discrete, hydrocarbon- bearing formations within a single vertical column at the now-producing Fritz 2-30 oil and gas well (the “Well”) in Clay County, Indiana, highlighting the potential for multi-zone development at the Well.

    Stacked Pay Zones: Four Formations, One Platform

    In addition to the Geneva Dolomite zone, which is currently in production, three additional pay zone formations have now been identified within the same platform, including the Jeffersonville Limestone Formation, the North Vernon Formation, and the Carper Sand Formation.

    “This is the kind of stacked pay profile we hoped for as a Company, where it is not just one pay zone but the opportunity for up to four pay zones from just one well,” said Francisco Gulisano, CEO of BGX.

    “We are now setting ourselves up to systematically unlock the multiple pay zones of value sitting beneath the Fritz platform, formation by formation.” continued Mr. Gulisano.

    A Platform for Scalable, Repeatable Growth

    The multi-zone architecture of the Well allows for selective perforation and staged stimulation, minimizing risk and maximizing reservoir management. Also, the platform’s data-rich profile will guide the Company’s next wave of wells, giving the Company a clear runway for development of additional offset wells across these new formations.

    “I believe we are just starting to unlock the potential in this region and we at LGX are delighted to have BGX as a partner in the Basin,” stated Howard Crosby, CEO of LGX.

    On behalf of the Company, Francisco Gulisano
    236-266-5174
    Chief Executive Officer

    About BGX

    BGX is an oil and gas exploration and production company dedicated to creating shareholder value in the Illinois Basin. With an experienced technical team and a growing asset base, BGX is unlocking value using modern drilling and completion technologies. For more information visit https://www.bgxcorp.com.

    Joint Venture with LGX

    The Company has a joint-venture agreement with LGX which gives it a 30% interest in strategically positioned parcels of 911 acres located in the Illinois Basin. The Company has a 10% interest in the Fritz 2-30 well and has the ability to take a 10% interest across a 210 acre Area of Mutual Interest surrounding the Fritz well.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management’s view of future events, expectations, plans, and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. It should be noted that there are inherent risks and uncertainties in oil and gas exploration. Forward- looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to statements respecting: (i) the confirmation of additional pay zones highlighting the potential for multi- zone development at the Well; (ii) the Company setting itself up to systematically unlock the value sitting behind the Fritz platform; (iii) the platform’s data-rich profile guiding the Company’s next wave of wells, giving the Company a clear runway for development of additional offset wells across the new formations; (iv) Mr. Crosby’s statement that the parties are just scratching the surface of unlocking the potential in the region. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements, or otherwise. For a comprehensive overview of all risks that may impact the Company, please see the Company’s continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+.

    Neither the CSE nor the CSE’s Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accept responsibility for the accuracy of this release.

    SUITE 2400 | 1055 WEST GEORGIA STREET | VANCOUVER, BC | V6E 3P3 | TEL. +1 (236) 266-5174 | info@bgxcorp.com | bgxcorp.com
    1412-7791-5927, v. 1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: The Eclipse Foundation Launches the S-CORE Project: The Automotive Industry’s First Open Source Core Stack for Software-Defined Vehicles

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BRUSSELS, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source software foundations, today announced the upcoming 0.5 release of the Safety Open Vehicle Core (S-CORE) project, the first open source core software stack specifically designed for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs). Targeting embedded high-performance Electronic Control Units (ECUs), S-CORE represents a significant milestone in the automotive industry’s transition toward open, community-driven software platforms.

    With support from a growing group of major industry leaders, including BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, ETAS, QNX, Qorix, and Accenture, the S-CORE project is building an open source foundation that allows automakers and suppliers to accelerate the development of next-generation automotive software, while allowing them to concentrate on building their own differentiated features and applications.

    “Open collaboration is key to managing complexity in modern vehicle software architectures,” said Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. “With S-CORE, we’re providing developers with a reliable, safety-grade runtime environment that allows the industry to focus on innovation while reducing duplication of effort. This project offers the entire sector a jumpstart in building the custom solutions that will define the future of mobility.”

    Often described as “middleware,” S-CORE sits between the operating system and application layer, delivering core, non-differentiating services that all software-defined vehicles require. By providing a common set of baseline functions, such as application orchestration, inter-process communication (IPC), logging, and data persistence, S-CORE aims to streamline development, lower costs, and accelerate time-to-market for companies building software-defined vehicles.

    The 0.5 release, targeted for availability in October 2025, will mark the project’s first public milestone, providing an initial set of functional building blocks for industry adoption and feedback. The reference platform for this release will run on QNX SDP 8.0, which is available for non-commercial prototyping and experimentation via the company’s recently launched QNX Everywhere program. Additional operating system support, including Linux, is planned for future releases.

    In parallel, the S-CORE development process, currently under audit by a certification agency, aims to define a methodology for producing open source software suitable for safety-critical automotive standards such as ISO 26262.

    As software increasingly defines vehicle functionality, S-CORE’s open approach helps address one of the automotive industry’s most pressing challenges: developing complex, high-performance vehicle software that is safe, cost-effective, and scalable, while still allowing room for innovation. By enabling automakers, suppliers, and technology companies to collaborate on shared core components, S-CORE allows development teams to focus their efforts on areas that create the most value, such as differentiated features, enhanced customer experiences, and brand-defining innovations.

    Join the Eclipse SDV Community
    The Eclipse Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group is a global hub for open source collaboration in automotive software. Our diverse membership of automakers, suppliers, and technology leaders is driving real-world innovation that is shaping the future of mobility. We provide an inclusive platform where companies of all sizes can contribute on equal footing. Learn more about participation opportunities at sdv.eclipse.org/membership.

    For additional details on the S-CORE project and its upcoming release, visit Eclipse Safe Open Vehicle Core

    About Eclipse Software Defined Vehicle
    Eclipse Software Defined Vehicle (SDV), a working group within the Eclipse Foundation, supports the open source development of cutting-edge automotive technologies that power the programmable vehicles of the future where software defines features, functionality, and operations. With over 50 members, including leading automotive manufacturers, global cloud providers, technology innovators, and key supply chain partners, the initiative has strong industry backing. The working group’s mission is to provide a collaborative forum for developing and promoting open source solutions tailored to the global automotive industry. Adopting a “code first” approach, Eclipse SDV focuses on building the industry’s first open source software stacks and associated tools that will support the core functionalities of next-generation vehicles.

    About the Eclipse Foundation
    The Eclipse Foundation provides our global community of individuals and organisations with a business-friendly environment for open source software collaboration and innovation. We host the Eclipse IDE, Adoptium, Software Defined Vehicle, Jakarta EE, and over 420 open source projects, including runtimes, tools, specifications, and frameworks for cloud and edge applications, IoT, AI, automotive, systems engineering, open processor designs, and many others. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the Eclipse Foundation is an international non-profit association supported by over 300 members. To learn more, follow us on social media @EclipseFdn, LinkedIn, or visit eclipse.org.
    Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

    Media contacts:
    Schwartz Public Relations (Germany)
    Julia Rauch/Marita Bäumer
    Sendlinger Straße 42A
    80331 Munich
    EclipseFoundation@schwartzpr.de
    +49 (89) 211 871 -70/ -62

    514 Media Ltd (France, Italy, Spain)
    Benoit Simoneau
    benoit@514-media.com
    M: +44 (0) 7891 920 370

    Nichols Communications (Global Press Contact)
    Jay Nichols
    jay@nicholscomm.com
    +1 408-772-1551

    The MIL Network –

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

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

    KEY FINDINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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

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

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

    The MIL Network –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ‘I thought we’d arrived at a town rather than a hospital’

    Source: European Investment Bank

    From as early as 4 years old we knew that our daughter, Josephine, would most likely need an operation to correct her scoliosis. The thought of the procedure, which involves screwing metal rods into the vertebrae down most of the spine to straighten it out, filled us with terror. We did everything to avoid it — physical therapy twice a week, horse-riding, swimming, and even an innovative dynamic spine brace that was much more comfortable than the traditional hard braces.

    But after the pandemic disrupted travel to London for her regular brace adjustments, the scoliosis got worse and even the classic hard brace that went down to her hips did nothing. When it became clear that surgery was the only option to stop the S-shaped curve of her spine getting worse and compressing her organs, we set out to find the best orthopaedic surgeon. We met several excellent surgeons in Brussels before trying UZ Leuven, a university hospital about 30 kilometres east of Brussels in Flanders.

    With roots that trace back to 1160, UZ Leuven is one of the largest and oldest teaching hospitals in Europe. KU Leuven, the 600-year-old university to which it is attached, is the oldest in the low countries and considered the most prestigious in Belgium. Turning off the motorway and seeing the massive campus for the first time, I thought we’d arrived at a town rather than a hospital. Impressed by the doctor and the facilities, and relieved that the staff were happy to communicate in English and French, we chose to go ahead with the procedure.

    Some months later in 2024, when my daughter was recovering from her successful operation in the new paediatric wing, I remember looking around at the great facilities, which included a rooftop playground, and a well-appointed playroom with events for patients led by staff, and thinking, “I wonder if this place has had EIB funding? It looks like the sort of thing we’d do…”

    I didn’t know at the time that the Bank would soon sign a €230 million loan to help fund the hospital’s Health Sciences Campus 2.0 Masterplan. This gave me the chance to write about the plan and have many of my own questions answered about the whole hospital.

    Yes, the building that my daughter spent five days in had received EIB funding. The paediatric wing was financed in part with a €325 million loan from the Bank in 2008 under the first phase of the university hospital’s redevelopment. The new loan signed in 2025 is for the second phase of that vision.

    In his office. Dr Wim Tambeur, operations director at UZ Leuven, explained the hospital’s Health Sciences Master Plan. “About 20 years ago, we started to think about and redefine our vision of what a university hospital should be and how we envisioned our role,” he says.

    “We clearly said that a university hospital is quite unique in its setting because it creates innovation by R&D. We should invent better healthcare and better healthcare models, implement them in daily care, and teach the innovation to our students.”

    UZ Leuven is not just a hospital campus but a “city of innovation” integrating clinical care, research, and teaching, he said.

    This approach is reflected in many ways that we noticed during our stay. Our daughter’s doctor, for example, was also a professor at KU Leuven. “A lot of our medical staff are also appointed as professors at the university, so that already creates close interaction,” explained Dr Tambeur. “The real innovation is that our research is really focused on how we can improve clinical practice.”

    As a practical example, Dr Tambeur pointed to the nuclear medicine building on the campus, which will be expanded with funding from the new loan as one part of the plan. The centre develops specialised radioactive molecules for scans that help doctors in the hospital and scientists from the pharmaceutical industry with which they work to get a precise view of the targets where drugs are working in the body. Such molecules have very short lifespans so need to be produced on site to reduce transport times.

    Back at the paediatric wing where my daughter stayed was another great example of how the university hospital combines clinical research with innovation in patient care. The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has a unique design in which each baby gets its own quiet little room where parents and family can visit.  

    Typically, neonatal units, such as the one where my daughter spent five weeks after being born in Brussels, are like busy intensive care wards for adults with bright lights and machines constantly beeping. Access even for families is tightly controlled to limit crowding.

    “Neonatal care has improved dramatically in recent decades but has become a lot more intensive,” says Dr Tambeur. “The babies are so surrounded by technical equipment you can barely see them and all the noise and activity is very disturbing for them.”

    Dr Tambeur’s ward is designed in concentric circles, with a bay of individual rooms around a central staffing zone and an outer ring of rooms where brothers, sisters, grandparents and so can visit. “It allows for a lot of family involvement without disturbing the care processes,” he says. “And the monitors beep at the nurse’s station rather than the baby’s bed.”

    Health outcomes for the newborns seem to have improved and the neonatal care department is studying the long term effects of the new care process design, says Dr Tambeur.

    About one year on from the operation, Josephine, who is 15, is rid of her brace, her back is straight, her scar is discreet, and she’s four centimetres taller. We’ve been back to UZ Leuven several times and each time I feel proud to know that the European Investment Bank supports this kind of project.     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Energy policy: general principles – 10-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    EU energy policy is based on the principles of decarbonisation, competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability. Its objectives include ensuring the functioning of the energy market and a secure energy supply within the EU, as well as promoting energy efficiency and savings, the development of renewable energies and the interconnection of energy networks. A variety of measures aiming to achieve a complete Energy Union is at the core of the EU’s energy policy.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Combating climate change – 10-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Union (EU) is among the leading major economies in terms of tackling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2020, EU GHG emissions were down by 31% from 1990 levels, exceeding the EU’s target of reducing emissions by 20% by 2020. Led by international treaties, such as the Kyoto Protocol, the EU adopted many climate policies, such as the EU Emissions Trading System. In 2019, the Commission presented the European Green Deal. Since then, many measures have been agreed on with the aim of increasing the EU’s GHG emission reduction target to 55% by 2030 and decarbonising its economy by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special announcement on fire in Fanling

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention TV and radio duty announcers:
          
         Please broadcast the following special announcement as soon as possible, and repeat it at suitable intervals:

         A fire broke out at a recycling site in Ping Che, Fanling, at 4.17pm today (June 12). The Fire Services Department is conducting a firefighting operation. 

         Members of the public who are being affected by the smoke and an unusual odour carried by the wind are advised to close their doors and windows and stay calm.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Shaping the EU Anti-Fraud landscape: OLAF’s Helsinki Conference gathers specialists from all Member States

    Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

    Press release no. 15/2025
    PDF version  

    More than 100 anti-fraud experts from across the European Union met this week in Finland for the 2025 Helsinki OLAF Conference aimed at defining the next chapter in EU anti-fraud action. Organised by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) on 11-12 June, the event brought together representatives from EU Member States’ Anti-Fraud Coordination Services as well as key EU bodies involved in protecting the Union’s financial interests.

    This year’s conference offered a unique platform to discuss policy and operational challenges in fighting fraud and irregularities affecting EU expenditure. Opening speeches were delivered by Ville Itälä, OLAF Director-General, and Riikka Purra, Finland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, highlighting the strategic importance of effective fraud prevention and detection.

    A particular highlight of the conference was a discussion on the future of the EU Anti-Fraud Architecture, led by OLAF Deputy Director-General Salla Saastamoinen. The panel brought together senior representatives from OLAF and other Commission services, Europol, and Eurojust to examine how the anti-fraud framework must evolve to tackle increasingly complex and cross-border threats. 

    Ville Itälä, OLAF Director-General, said: “We gather just before the Commission presents its proposals for the next multi-annual financial framework.  This conference is about building a shared vision for how we protect the EU’s financial interests in an increasingly complex environment. Fraud is evolving, and so must we. Cooperation should be the cornerstone of our response. OLAF plays a unique role at the intersection of policy, investigation and coordination, bringing together institutions and Member States to ensure that EU funds are protected and, if necessary, recovered to the Union budget.”

    The conference also featured panel discussions and interactive workshops covering a wide range of topics, from the protection of Cohesion Policy and Recovery and Resilience Facility funds, to the use of Artificial Intelligence in administrative investigations, and exploring the advent of increasingly performance-based EU funding instruments. It addressed emerging risks, such as money laundering linked to EU funding and conflicts of interest in fund management.

    By gathering operational and policy-level anti-fraud professionals in person, the 2025 OLAF Conference set out to prepare all EU actors for dealing with an evolving financial framework and new financial instruments being rolled out in a context of ever more complex digital and international fraud challenges.

    OLAF mission, mandate and competences:
    OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.    

    OLAF fulfils its mission by:
    •    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;
    •    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
    •    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

    In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
    •    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
    •    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
    •    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

    Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.

    For further details:

    Pierluigi CATERINO
    Spokesperson
    European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
    Email: olaf-media ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
    https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu

    LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    X: x.com/EUAntiFraud
    Bluesky: euantifraud.bsky.social

    If you’re a journalist and you wish to receive our press releases in your inbox, please leave us your contact data.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Largest amphibious exercise on Braunton Burrows since WW2

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Largest amphibious exercise on Braunton Burrows since WW2

    Exercise Catamaran brought together more than 3,000 personnel from several NATO allies to carry out training on the North Devon coast.

    Personnel from several NATO allies took part in the exercise. Copyright: MOD Crown Copyright.

    The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has enabled a major multi-national training exercise alongside NATO allies on Braunton Burrows Training Area, demonstrating its crucial role in supporting military capability.  

    Exercise Catamaran ran between 30 May and 7 June, bringing together military personnel from France, the UK, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the US. Royal Marines from 40 and 47 Commando led British involvement in the exercise.  

    It is the largest amphibious exercise of this scale to have been conducted on the training area since it was used by US troops in 1943 to rehearse for the D-Day landings on Utah and Omaha beaches.  

    Ex Catamaran formed part of the wider French-led POLARIS 25 exercise, a month-long training exercise which sees more than 3,000 military personnel from allied nations working on warfighting skills together. The amphibious exercise involved more than 20 surface ships and 40 aircraft in the Atlantic and the Channel and included landing exercises taking place on the beach at Braunton Burrows. 

    Braunton Burrows Training Area is home to one of the largest sand dune systems in the UK and offers a unique place to train.  

    DIO’s Overseas and Training team played an important part in planning and facilitating the exercise. The Foreign Forces team acted as the liaison between the French exercise planners and the Ministry of Defence. They provided expert advice on how the training area could be best utilised to meet training objectives, ensuring that all partners were informed and engaged. 

    Alongside that, Braunton Burrows’ Deputy Training Safety Officer led safety briefings for military personnel, flexibly supported training requirements and ensured a safe place to train was maintained, carefully managing the balance between military training and public access on the area. This technical guidance proved crucial in developing realistic training scenarios that couldn’t be replicated elsewhere in the UK.  

    Braunton Burrows: Enabling Exercise Catamaran

    Brigadier Gavin Hatcher CBE, DIO’s Head of Overseas and Training Region, said:  

    As custodians of the Defence Training Estate, DIO proudly provides a safe and high-quality environment for our Armed Forces and allies to train. While we enable and support important military training year-round, the scale and complexity of Exercise Catamaran has really showcased the versatility and diversity of what we can facilitate.  

    My team has been working closely with the French military for some time to meticulously plan this phase of the exercise on Braunton Burrows Training Area. It has been great to see this collaboration brought to fruition this week with UK military personnel training alongside our allies as they prepare for potential deployments.

    Major Martyn Heenan, Royal Marines, said:  

    Braunton Burrows and the amphibious training it allows is so important as it is one of the most complex operations you can carry out and there’s very few places you can do it. It allows the allied nations involved in this exercise to get onto the same space in a challenging area and work together, which is very difficult to do anywhere else in the world.  

    It’s been a long planning process but DIO have been there all the way through, be it the Foreign Forces team, the Training Safety Officers or the regional commanders, they have really helped with the planning and delivering everything to make this a success.

    Braunton Burrows has to remain accessible to the public at all times, and the site’s Deputy Training Safety Officer conducts careful planning and continuous monitoring alongside colleagues from our industry partner, Landmarc, to ensure military activities can go ahead safely without endangering personnel or members of the public.  

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Polar safety code updated to protect people and the environment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Polar safety code updated to protect people and the environment

    A consultation has been launched on measures by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure safety and protect maritime environments in polar waters.

    A consultation launches today (Thursday 12 June) on further measures by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to uphold the safety of vessels, crew and passengers within polar waters and to protect some of the world’s most pristine environments, based on changes made by the International Maritime Organization to its Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention.

    Changes are proposed within the Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 to apply the existing special requirements for such extreme conditions to a wider range of vessels.

    They will ensure more vessels working in or transiting polar regions are designed, built and operated to a higher safety standard.

    Additions to the code are: 

    • fishing vessels of 24 metres in length overall and above
    • pleasure yachts of 300 gross tonnage (GT) and upwards not engaged in trade
    • and cargo ships of at least 300GT but less than 500GT

    The aim is to widen the protection of crew and passengers within the particularly harsh conditions that confront vessels within the north and south polar regions.

    The regulations will also defend the sensitive habitats, flora and fauna by strengthening safeguards against incidents that could result in pollution and damage.

    Ship Construction and Equipment Lead Pete Rollason said: 

    Extreme environments like the north and south polar regions require special safety considerations. Our proposed requirements are practical, common-sense measures that many vessels already operate under. 

    Expanding some elements of the code’s scope to more vessels sailing within the polar regions will add another layer of protection for seafarers and some of planet Earth’s last great wilderness.

    Further information

    The consultation will run for six weeks from Thursday 12 June to Thursday 24 July 2025.

    To take part in the consultation, please visit Consultation on the Merchant Shipping (Polar Code)(Safety) Regulations.

    Press office

    Email public.relations@mcga.gov.uk

    Press enquiries (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) 0203 817 2222

    Outside these hours or on bank holidays and weekends, for media enquiries ONLY, please send an email outlining your query and putting #Urgent in the subject title.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services gathered for its 63rd Plenary

    Source: NATO

    Washington D.C., 4–6 June 2025 – The NATO Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS) convened its 63rd Plenary Meeting – hosted by the United States and held at the Henry Jackson Foundation – the biannual meeting brought together Surgeon Generals and senior medical leaders from Allied and Partner nations. The meeting took place during a time of increased security challenges, where the role of military medicine has become increasingly central to deterrence and defence.

    For the first time as Chair of COMEDS, Brigadier General Petter Iversen (Norway) welcomed participants, underscoring the importance of this meeting as a turning point for the medical community: “Over the past months, we have elevated the profile of the medical support domain across the Alliance. Now we must demonstrate that COMEDS is not only visible, but also influential and impactful.”

    In his keynote address, Major General Luc Vanbockryck, Director of the NATO International Military Staff’s Logistics & Resources Division, echoed this call for transformation, highlighting that: “Civilian plans for energy, transport, communications, and medical support must connect seamlessly to our regional defence plans, so that a shock to one sector does not paralyse the rest. Logistics and medicine share one purpose: safeguarding people so that strategy can succeed.”

    A core focus of the 63rd Plenary was the implementation of the NATO Medical Action Plan (MAP), with a special session dedicated to COMEDS restructure, in order to best align the Committee with the scope of the MAP and COMEDS’ core mission.

    Additionally, like previous plenary’s, a session was dedicated to Ukraine, where views, lessons identified and best practices on military medical capabilities were exchanged.

    COMEDS remains NATO’s highest military medical authority, providing strategic advice to the Military Committee and helping ensure the Alliance is medically prepared for today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges. The 63rd Plenary reaffirmed COMEDS’ role as a driver of readiness and a critical enabler of NATO’s collective defence posture.

    MIL Security OSI –