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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protecting children from irreversible damage derived from puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones – E-002093/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002093/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Tomislav Sokol (PPE)

    Given the Health Commissioner’s responsibility for EU pharmaceutical legislation, the policy shift on gender healthcare for minors in several EU Member States (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy) since the Cass Report, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Comprehensive Review of Medical Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health file-leak scandal that discredited these practices:

    • 1.Can the Commission provide an overview of the adverse reactions to off-label and puberty blockers that have been disapproved for use (such as Triptorelin, Leuprolide, Histrelin, Goserelin) and cross-sex hormones prescribed to children experiencing gender dysphoria in the EU?
    • 2.Under the EU pharmacovigilance system, is there any project specifically designed to document, raise awareness of and tackle those adverse reactions?
    • 3.One of the announced responsibilities of the Health Commissioner is an ‘EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media on well-being’. Will this inquiry tackle the phenomenon associated with the skyrocketing number of minors referred to gender units in healthcare facilities?

    Submitted: 26.5.2025

    Last updated: 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 6, 2025
  • Tax relief, pension security mark a decade of middle-class focus

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past eleven years, India’s middle class has found itself at the centre of the government’s reform agenda. From tax relief measures to simplified compliance norms and pension schemes aimed at long-term security, successive budgets have reflected a steady policy commitment towards easing the financial burden on the salaried segment.

    Framed as more than a collection of administrative reforms, the government’s approach has been marked by continuity and responsiveness. Whether in streamlining tax returns, enabling affordable housing, or expanding access to essential services such as healthcare and urban transport, the focus has been on removing procedural barriers and making systems work better for ordinary citizens.

    Revised Income Tax Thresholds

    A major highlight in the Union Budget 2025–26 was the announcement of a higher income tax exemption limit. Individuals earning up to ₹12 lakh annually will now be exempt from paying income tax, barring certain categories such as capital gains. With the standard deduction raised to ₹75,000, taxpayers with incomes up to ₹12.75 lakh effectively fall outside the tax net.

    The move is expected to benefit crores of salaried taxpayers and comes despite a projected revenue loss of close to ₹1 lakh crore. Officials indicated that the measure was guided by a recognition of middle-class pressures and a long-standing demand for greater tax relief.

    Simplified Compliance and Rising Voluntary Filings

    Over the years, income tax compliance has been progressively simplified. From the introduction of standard deductions to the rollout of a new tax regime in 2020, efforts have focused on reducing documentation and making systems more user-friendly.

    Pre-filled income tax return forms—now populated with data such as salary income, interest, and dividends—have played a key role in reducing procedural complexity. As a result, the number of individual return filers has more than doubled in the past decade, rising from 3.91 crore in FY 2013–14 to 9.19 crore in FY 2024–25.

    Faceless Assessment and Digital Governance

    Introduced in 2019, the faceless e-assessment framework has fundamentally altered the way scrutiny proceedings are conducted. By eliminating physical interface between taxpayers and assessment officers, the system is intended to enhance transparency and reduce discretion.

    Under the framework, cases selected for scrutiny are allocated randomly through a centralised system operated by the National e-Assessment Centre in New Delhi. Taxpayers receive notices under Section 143(2) and are required to respond digitally within 15 days. The move from territorial to dynamic jurisdiction has been widely viewed as a structural reform in tax administration.

    Policy Continuity and Recognition

    Observers note that the measures implemented over the last decade reflect a consistent policy stance rather than isolated interventions. The middle class—often referred to as the backbone of consumption-driven growth—has been acknowledged not just as a tax base, but as a constituency requiring long-term support and recognition.

    June 6, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Dangerous supplements promoted to young people via social media – E-002136/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002136/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Liesbet Sommen (PPE)

    Keeping or becoming fit is becoming very popular among young men, one factor in this being social media. Though that, in itself, is a healthy pastime, the increased consumption of all sorts of food supplements, many of which are not certified to European standards, poses health risks.

    Young people are confronted with unrealistic ideals of beauty on social media, which are promoted in many instances by ‘fitfluencers’ who themselves use supplements that may or may not be deliberately contaminated with anabolic steroids. On 9 April the Flemish public broadcaster VRT transmitted a report on this[1] . During the programme, several scientists maintained that a significant number of supplements marketed to young people through channels such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are contaminated with anabolic steroids and/or carcinogenic substances without young people being aware of that fact.

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of this worrying development? Does it intend to act as coordinator in dealings with Member States in order to address this cross-border health threat?
    • 2.We realise that there are notification and information systems which issue warnings about dangerous products within the EU. Is the Commission nonetheless prepared to take further steps, in cooperation with Member States, to move towards a more effective and coordinated policy?

    Submitted: 28.5.2025

    • [1] https://www.vrt.be/vrtmax/a-z/pano/2025-vj-/pano-s2025-vj-a4/
    Last updated: 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 6, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – German security service classifying AfD as ‘right-wing extremist’ in violation of EU fundamental rights – E-002110/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002110/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mary Khan (ESN), Petra Steger (PfE)

    On 2 May 2025, the German security service classified the party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as ‘right-wing extremist’. This measure against what is – according to polls – Germany’s leading party was carried out without trial or valid justification and constitutes targeted state stigmatisation by the Federal Security Service. It violates fundamental principles of EU law: Article 10(1) TEU guarantees that all parties can participate in democratic decision-making and Article 12 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union guarantees freedom of association. By effectively discriminating against an authorised party, such an administrative measure seriously violates these rights and reveals the ruling class’s willingness to resort to escalation as soon as it sees its power under threat. While other Member States are swiftly faced with infringement procedures for alleged breaches of the rule of law, the Commission remains noticeably inactive vis-à-vis Germany. These double standards undermine the Commission’s credibility as guardian of the Treaties and cast doubt on its political independence. With more and more censorship measures being taken on the basis of ‘disinformation’ claims, it seems that Brussels itself is prepared to systematically eliminate unwelcome opinions that deviate from the political mainstream.

    • 1.Does the Commission consider this state surveillance of a legal party to be a violation of Article 10 TEU and Article 12 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union?
    • 2.Why has there yet to be an infringement procedure launched against Germany under Article 258 TFEU to ensure equal treatment of all parties under the rule of law and the integrity of democratic competition?

    Submitted: 27.5.2025

    Last updated: 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 6, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Bologna: A pioneer in inclusive urban planning

    Source: European Investment Bank

    “We were eager to start using the manual and the atlas,” Bonzagni says.

    Working with Cleto Carlini, the director of mobility and public works, the city identified two pilot projects: a school in the Borgo Panigale-Reno neighbourhood and the “Via della Conoscenza,” a major cycle pedestrian path that connects research facilities, public spaces and historical sites.

    There is also an economic advantage to gender-inclusive urban planning. When cities serve a diverse population, this helps economic growth because more women participate in the workforce through improved access to public services, including transportation. “This growth will benefit everyone, and women in particular, because they will be able to lead independent lives,” says Clancy, the deputy mayor.

    Bologna’s work to redefine urban planning with a gender approach can be a blueprint for other cities.

    “By weaving this inclusive touch into the urban fabric, we create better cities and societies,” Clancy says.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 6, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on financing for development – ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville – A10-0101/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

    on financing for development – ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville

    (2025/2004(INI))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015 entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York and establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

    – having regard to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development held in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July 2015,

    – having regard to the Paris Agreement of 12 December 2015, adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

    – having regard to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) of 13 September 2007,

    – having regard to the document of the United National Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) of January 2012 entitled ‘Principles on Promoting Responsible Sovereign Lending and Borrowing’,

    – having regard to the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC),

    – having regard to the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/304 of 9 September 2014 entitled ‘Towards the Establishment of a Multilateral Legal Framework for Sovereign Debt Restructuring Processes’,

    – having regard to the UN General Assembly Resolution of 10 September 2015 on the ‘Basic Principles on Sovereign Debt Restructuring Processes’,

    – having regard to the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) of 10 November 2022 entitled ‘Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2023: No Sustainability Without Equity’,

    – having regard to the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 5 September 2024 entitled ‘Multilateral Development Finance 2024’,

    – having regard to the UN Secretary-General’s SDG stimulus to deliver Agenda 2030 of February 2023,

    – having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/1 of 22 September 2024 entitled ‘The Pact for the Future’, adopted at the Summit of the Future in New York,

    – having regard to the partnership agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part[1] (the Samoa Agreement),

    – having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission of 30 June 2017 entitled ‘The new European consensus on development: Our world, our dignity, our future’[2],

    – having regard to the Council conclusions of 10 June 2021 on enhancing the European financial architecture for development,

    – having regard to its resolution of 17 April 2018 on enhancing developing countries’* debt sustainability[3],

    – having regard to its resolution of 24 November 2022 on the future European Financial Architecture for Development[4],

    – having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2023 on Policy Coherence for Development[5],

    – having regard to its resolution of 15 June 2023 on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals[6],

    – having regard to the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP III),

    – having regard to the Youth Action Plan (YAP) in European Union external action for 2022-2027,

    – having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009[7],

    – having regard to the Climate Bank Roadmap of the European Investment Bank (EIB) of 14 December 2020,

    – having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 1 December 2021 entitled ‘The Global Gateway’ (JOIN(2021)0030),

    – having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the report of the Committee on Development (A10-0101/2025),

    A. whereas Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), dictates the reduction, and in the long-term eradication, of poverty as the primary objective of the EU’s development cooperation; whereas Article 21(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) reaffirms its commitment to supporting human rights, preserving peace and preventing conflict, assisting populations, countries and regions confronting natural or man-made disasters, and to the sustainable management of global natural resources;

    B. whereas Article 18(4) TEU calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to ensure the consistency of the Union’s external action;

    C. whereas, at this critical juncture, with just five years remaining before we reach the 2030 target date for the SDGs, the increasing number of crises worldwide, the rise in extreme poverty and hunger, and the increasingly frequent and severe consequences of climate change have meant that, according to the 2024 UN SDG Report, only 17 % of the Sustainable Development Goals are currently on track to be achieved by 2030, despite progress in certain areas; whereas developing countries’[*] domestic revenue mobilisation remained low, due, among other factors, to illicit financial flows and also often corruption, causing crucial resources to be diverted from healthcare, education, and infrastructure development;

    D. whereas more than 700 million people worldwide are living in extreme poverty, a figure that keeps increasing; whereas poverty disproportionately affects women and girls globally, and the gender-poverty gap persists to this day; whereas the wealth gap and inequality within and between countries is widening, hindering sustainable development;

    E. whereas mobilising even a small fraction of global wealth for sustainable development remains difficult, with UN Trade and Development estimating that the annual SDG financing gap in developing countries* has increased to USD 4–4.3 trillion, representing a more than 50 % increase over pre-pandemic estimates and requiring an unprecedented mobilisation of financial resources, both public and private, at the global level, especially to tackle the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and rising inequalities;

    F. whereas food insecurity has significantly risen as a result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as due to the impact of other armed conflicts and is therefore a barrier of achieving the SDGs; whereas EU cooperation needs to tackle the challenge of food security effectively with partner countries in a sustainable manner;

    G. whereas leading global donors in development cooperation are abandoning their commitments to finance sustainable development;

    H. whereas it is estimated that, if Member States had met the commitment to devote 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA) since 1970, more than EUR 1.2 trillion could have been allocated for development cooperation, a figure that is likely even to be much higher when taking into account the remainder of donor countries worldwide;

    I. whereas developing countries* face significantly higher borrowing costs, paying on average twice as much interest on their total sovereign debt stock compared to developed (higher income) countries, due to imbalanced global financial structures, but also due to the rating of country-specific risk factors, governance challenges or macroeconomic instability, which further exacerbates the finance divide;

    J. whereas, according to the latest data, almost two-thirds of low-income countries in the world are currently either in debt distress or at high risk thereof, with over 100 countries struggling due to the combination of debt and interest; whereas low-income countries (LICs) spent nearly 20 % of government revenues on servicing external debt in 2023, up fourfold since 2013; whereas debt spending in over three-quarters of low income countries is several times the spending on public goods such as education, health, social protection, or climate change, thus creating one of the most important obstacles for global south countries to advance the SDGs;

    K. whereas if indebted countries are also hit by a catastrophic external shock, such as a natural disaster, they often resort to further borrowing to pay for the reconstruction and recovery costs;

    L. whereas developing countries* in debt distress are projected to face annual debt servicing costs of USD 40 billion between 2023 and 2025, severely constraining their fiscal space for essential public investments;

    M. whereas achieving sustainable development requires more than just curbing debt solutions and securing external finance, it also involves strengthening the economic self-sufficiency of developing countries*, including through enhanced domestic resource mobilisation, qualitative investment-friendly policies, favouring the promotion of local entrepreneurship and local private sector growth;

    N. whereas a fifth of the world’s population lives in countries with high levels of inequality and, according to data from 2023, the richest 1 % of the world owns 47.5 % of all global wealth, and the effective tax rates on the richest 1 % are often lower than the tax rates for the rest of the population;

    O. whereas Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDC) are clauses that can be added to loan or bond contracts and that are triggered by certain specified external catastrophic events, notably climate-related events, which allow the borrower to temporarily suspend debt payments;

    P. whereas the structure of creditors is changing and becoming more complex, with private creditors and new bilateral creditors outside the Paris Club playing a much larger role; whereas China, in particular, issues loans under opaque conditions, which is why stronger international regulation and disclosure of this debt is necessary;

    Q. whereas the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025 presents a critical moment for the necessary reform of the global financial architecture and for addressing the growing financing challenges;

    R. whereas the current international financial architecture is based on the Bretton Woods Agreements of 1944, which represent an architecture that today is incapable of meeting the needs of the 21st century multipolar world, specifically the needs of so-called Global South countries – characterised by deeply integrated economies and financial markets, but also marked by geopolitical tensions, growing systemic risks and the effects of climate change, and persists in upholding the existing power imbalance that favours countries in the so-called Global North;

    S. whereas in order to address unsustainable and illegitimate debts, all governments must participate on an equal footing in the decision-making on debt crisis prevention and resolution, as well as different aspects of debt management, beyond creditor-dominated forums;

    T. whereas an improved global financial safety net is necessary to deal with systemic risks and global financial, economic and health crises and shocks;

    U. whereas indebted countries tend to avoid debt restructuring at all costs, i.e. to secure access to the financial market in the future; whereas in order to make external debt payments possible, governments tend to implement harsh austerity programmes, on many occasions following the IMF assessment;

    V. whereas conditionalities imposed by the IMF and some multilateral development banks (MDBs) are focused on fiscal consolidation and market solutions, thus limiting public investment to advance the SDGs; whereas the ultimate consequence of austerity programmes is a deep breach of people’s human rights in the Global South; whereas the G20 Common Framework has done little to solve those limitations, since priority is given to debt rescheduling and reprofiling;

    W. whereas tax resources as a share of GDP remain low in most developing countries*, which are confronted with social, political and administrative difficulties in establishing a sound public finance system, thereby making them particularly vulnerable to tax evasion and avoidance activities of individual taxpayers and corporations;

    X. whereas globalisation creates both opportunities and challenges, as in the case of the increased prevalence and size of multinational enterprises and changes in business models that may enable base erosion and tax avoidance and profit shifting on a significant scale, severely undermining domestic revenue collection, particularly in developing countries*; whereas as a result, taxes on corporate profits have been declining around the world; whereas international tax cooperation needs more solidarity to address national and global challenges;

    Y. whereas climate change has a negative impact on global sustainable development, exacerbating biodiversity loss, breakdown of ecosystems, natural disasters and extreme weather events, and disproportionately affecting historically marginalised groups, in particular women;

    Z. whereas development aid is increasingly being militarised, with funds originally intended for poverty eradication and social progress being diverted towards migration control, security cooperation, and geopolitical competition;

    Aa. whereas illicit financial flows out of developing countries*, challenges such as trade mispricing, loopholes in international tax rules and corruption continue to pose a serious obstacle, often undermining fair and inclusive development efforts, and impacting developing countries’* national budgets and social policy, thus severely reducing funds available for sustainable development; whereas responsible tax behaviour by multinational enterprises is an essential element of the principles of corporate social responsibility;

    Ab. whereas the potential of taxing extractive industries to boost fiscal revenues is largely untapped in developing countries*, primarily due to inadequate global tax rules and the challenges of enforcing them, as transnational companies frequently employ tax avoidance strategies; whereas this challenge is all the more acute for low-income countries that are heavily dependent on natural resources for their economic development;

    Ac. whereas current investment choices continue to diverge from the sustainable development goals, with vast capital flows supporting carbon-intensive industries, while funding for decarbonisation and the energy transition remains insufficient;

    Ad. whereas Russia is expanding its foothold in developing countries* in Africa, most notably in the Sahel region, spreading anti-European propaganda and offering alternatives to European ODA through bilateral deals;

    Ae. whereas the digitalisation of the economy has exacerbated existing problems relating to corporate tax avoidance and evasion, and the importance of ensuring fair and effective taxation of digital services;

    Af. whereas the EIB, through its development arm EIB Global, has committed to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance outside the European Union, presenting an opportunity for an enhanced EU contribution to global sustainable development;

    Ag. whereas the EIB has expanded its regional presence, including by opening new regional representation offices, such as the one in Jakarta, Indonesia, to strengthen engagement in south-east Asia and the Pacific;

    Ah. whereas the EIB, through EIB Global, is committed to sustainable development, climate action and innovative investments in low- and middle-income countries;

    Ai. whereas on 20 January 2025, the United States issued an Executive Order, enacting a 90-day suspension and reassessment of all foreign assistance programmes, including those administered by  United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and reaffirmed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Paris Agreement, actions that have serious implications for humanitarian, health and climate initiatives in the Global South; whereas other countries, including some EU countries, also cut their global aid budgets, placing immense pressure on the international development and humanitarian sector;

    Aj. whereas the US withdrawal from foreign assistance programmes puts the EU in a decisive position in global development cooperation and the EU should assess how to strategically address critical shortfalls, particularly in sectors where stability, economic development, and humanitarian support are at risk, while ensuring a coordinated approach with international partners;

    Ak. whereas using regional multilateral development banks (MDBs) as a source of funding could lead to more balanced and equitable collaborations in support of efforts to reform the international financial architecture;

    Al. whereas official development assistance (ODA) has been cut back in many countries, including in the EU; whereas in 2023 only five countries worldwide met or exceeded the UN target of spending 0.7 % of their GNI on official development assistance (ODA); whereas the EU collectively undertook to provide 0.7 % of GNI as ODA, and 0.2 % as ODA to least developed countries (LDCs) by 2030, reaffirmed in the Council conclusions of June 2024, in the European Consensus on Development and in the Council conclusions of 26 May 2015; whereas the successful mobilisation of further capital, both private and public, in addition to ODA and other existing forms of development finance, is critical;

    Am. whereas the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) agreed upon during the COP29 in Baku on 24 November 2024 includes commitments to mobilise at least USD 300 billion per year for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries*; whereas the launch of the Baku-Belém Roadmap requires reaching at least an additional USD 1.3 trillion per year for development cooperation by 2035;

    An. whereas the fragmentation of government approaches to sustainable development financing remains a challenge, with the OECD noting that better policy coherence is needed to align tax, budgetary and development policies;

    Principles and objectives

    1. Stresses the importance for the international community to utilise the opportunities presented by the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) in Seville to promote structural reform of the international financial architecture to democratise international development cooperation and create equal power sharing, and to call for equitable and inclusive development cooperation policies that support gender equality;

    2. Calls on the EU as a key multilateral actor and its Member States to increase their efforts in development cooperation, increasing their presence, to improve the EU’s global credibility as a reliable partner and strengthen partnerships based on shared values;

    3. Reiterates that EU development policy must be driven by the principles and objectives set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and must ensure the application of a human rights based and human-centred approach, in line with Article 208 TFEU, the European Consensus on Development, the GAP III, the YAP, and International Human Rights Law;

    4. Acknowledges that the existing financial architecture presents ongoing challenges to preventing and addressing debt crises, highlighting the need to strengthen the tools available to promote responsible financing and long-term debt sustainability; considers that, in view of the insufficient progress towards the SDGs, the SDG financing gap, and the multitude of recent crises, the FfD4 is an urgently needed opportunity to set up a fair and efficient multilateral debt work-out mechanism, to help strengthen multilateralism, support systemic changes that address long-standing inequalities, define concrete commitments, reinforce the EU’s credibility as a development partner, as well as make substantial progress on ensuring stable financing for sustainable development worldwide; stresses that the mobilisation and effective use of domestic resources, underpinned by the principle of national ownership, are also essential for sustainable development;

    5. Calls on the EU to take effective measures against the shrinking of civic space, and ensure civil society participation in the reform of the current structures for development finance;

    6. Reiterates that at least 93 % of EU development policy expenditure must fulfil the criteria for ODA, and that at least 85 % of new actions should have gender equality as a principal or significant objective, and that at least 5 % should have gender equality as the principal objective;

    7. Emphasises the need for a comprehensive, integrated and people-centred approach to development finance in line with the Bridgetown Initiative, which calls for liquidity and debt sustainability issues to be addressed, for democratisation of financial institutions and debt relief to be implemented, for development and climate finance to be scaled up and for private capital to be increased to achieve the SDGs; stresses the importance of strengthening cooperation with like-minded partners;

    8. Calls for the EU to lead by example in reforming the international financial architecture to better meet the needs of the 21st century, characterised by deeply integrated economies, financial markets, and growing systemic risks;

    9. Recalls the commitment taken at COP 29 in form of the Baku-Belem roadmap to mobilise USD 1.3 trillion per year for development cooperation by 2035; urges the EU and its Member States to work together with their partners towards achieving this goal on the global level, encouraging cumulative polluters to take their part in climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries*, as well as for loss and damages, through public concessional and non-debt creating instruments, in line with the ‘Baku to Belem Roadmap’ agreed at COP 29; emphasises in this context the need for private investment to provide the necessary funds;

    10. Recalls that progressive taxation is pivotal to making progress on the ecological transition as well as on social and economic justice; stresses the need to look to new sources of financing, notably from sectors contributing the least to taxation while benefiting the most from globalisation, including those with the largest carbon and greenhouse gas emissions; in particular, calls for the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms, including market-based instruments and for contributions from sectors benefiting from globalisation, and establishment of specific taxes, to help finance global public goods, reduce inequalities within and between countries, contribute to climate objectives and support regional sustainable development; notes that growth, competitiveness and stability of developed economies is also a necessary precondition for increasing ODA financing;

    11. Stresses the importance of policy coherence for development (PCD), including gender and climate goals, as a fundamental part of the EU’s contribution to achieving the SDGs; calls for mainstreaming development goals into all EU policies that affect developing countries*, taking into account their legitimate concerns as regards the impact from European legislation; welcomes the Global Gateway strategy and highlights the importance of any EU development initiative to comply with a rights-based approach and to be linked to human development at all times; insist that EU development initiatives should never contribute in any way to enhancing the debt crisis or increasing inequalities; stresses furthermore that PCD implementation is essential to address the structural causes of the Global South’s unsustainable indebtedness;

    12. Stresses the importance of supporting enabling environments for civil society engagement through development programmes and ensuring their participation in decision-making processes on development aid, including ensuring an inclusive process in the FfD4, supporting civil society participation and access to negotiations and information, and support their role in monitoring and following up on decisions made;

    13. Underlines that underinvestment in critical social sectors threatens progress towards meeting the SDGs and exacerbates inequalities, including gender inequality; stresses the need to close financing gaps in the provision of essential public services, including health, education, energy, water and sanitation, and building social protection systems;

    14. Recognises the primary objective of EU development policy to be the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty, while also contributing to fostering sustainable economic, social and environmental development in developing countries*;

    15. Emphasises that inadequate investment in agrifood systems continues to aggravate food insecurity; stresses that a strategic approach that ensures better alignment and synergy among the different sources of financing, particularly in developing countries*, is needed to address food insecurity and malnutrition;

    16. Underlines the importance of fostering stronger, more inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships that fully consider the views and standpoints of our development partner countries – at national, regional and local levels – as well as those of other stakeholders such as international institutions, development banks, non-governmental and civil society organisations, academia and think tanks; believes these development partnerships should be based on equality and tailored to reflect the capacities and needs of partner countries, as outlined in the European Consensus on Development; considers that, while financial support for partner countries is often essential, it cannot fully replace domestic efforts, but should complement them with the aim of catalysing economic growth, strengthening social protection systems and supporting investments in comprehensive human development, particularly education and job creation, which are key tools in eradicating poverty; underlines, in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, that partnerships should be grounded in mutual interests and shared values, prioritising sustainable development and the needs of people; stresses the importance of respecting human rights and ensuring a people-centred approach;

    17. Stresses the importance of transparency, accountability and proper oversight, emphasising that all EU funding for development cooperation must be carefully managed and monitored to prevent misuse, diversion, or inefficiency, while ensuring that resources are directed towards projects and initiatives that achieve the greatest positive impact in terms of the SDGS;

    Debt

    18. In view of the increasing number of low-income countries in debt distress or at high risk thereof; calls for the opening of an intergovernmental process to set up a UN Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt to address responsible financing with the purpose of preventing and resolving unsustainable debts; urges the EU and its Member States to support this process, to ensure fair burden-sharing among all creditors, including multilateral development banks, where necessary, without jeopardising MDBs’ financial health, to deal in particular with problems such as enormous delays in implementing restructurings and the lack of a common understanding and enforceable rules as regards the comparability of treatment of official and private creditors;

    19. Considers that the reform of the current debt structure should provide countries in the Global South with fair and lasting solutions to a crisis that is already having devastating effects on populations, particularly on women and the most vulnerable communities;

    20. Believes that, in many cases, only general debt relief and cancellation of debt, free of economic policy conditions and accepted by all creditors, can put a country back on a sustainable path of financing, instead of deferring debt repayments; stresses the need to develop domestic legislation to enforce private creditor’s participation in debt restructuring deals;

    21. Finds, however, that any such debt relief must be accompanied by internationally agreed principles on responsible borrowing and lending, including implementation and monitoring mechanisms, alongside enhanced transparency and accountability standards, capacity building and efforts to combat corruption; highlights that, in order to be effective, responsible lending and borrowing principles need to go beyond voluntary approaches; highlights in this context the importance of committing to international human rights, civic and civil society engagement;

    22. Recognises that women are often overrepresented in the public sector, and thereby disproportionally vulnerable to and impacted by budget cuts; emphasises therefore the importance of including a gender perspective in debt collection;

    23. Emphasises the need for enhanced international cooperation to address the changing creditor structure, where private creditors now hold more than a quarter of the external debt stock of developing countries*, and new bilateral creditors outside the Paris Club are involved in debt restructuring efforts, particularly in jurisdictions governing significant portions of sovereign debt, such as New York and the United Kingdom;

    24. Stresses the importance of increasing public and grants-based finance for climate mitigation and adaptation, and that climate finance in the form of loans risks further aggravating the debt distress of low- and middle-income countries; notes that only 50 % of the EU’s total climate finance continues to be provided in the form of grants; urges the EU and all Member States to increase grant-based finance, particularly for adaptation, and especially for least developed countries and small island developing states*;

    25. Calls for closer and stronger cooperation and coordination between the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European External Action Service and EU delegations, particularly in developing countries* in fragile contexts, in order to facilitate discussions and cooperation with relevant actors on the ground in order to identify the most effective projects;

    26. Urges the UN member states to develop a harmonised framework to strengthen domestic sovereign debt restructuring laws across its member countries, with the aim of facilitating more efficient and equitable debt treatment;

    27. Emphasises the need for greater policy coherence in addressing sovereign debt issues, aligning tax, budgetary, and development policies to effectively respond to cross-cutting challenges such as climate change and inequality;

    Reform of the international financial architecture

    28. Calls for an increase in the financing power of MDBs, and the expansion of their mandates to tackle global challenges;

    29. Calls for grants and highly concessional financing of the ecological transition, in particular for mobilising more resources for adaptation and the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund; in addition, believes that all public lenders – governments, MDBs and other official lenders, including the IMF – should include, in their contracts, state-contingent clauses that are tied to climate and other economic exogenous shocks;

    30. Considers it necessary to guarantee new, additional, predictable funding that is readily accessible to women, indigenous peoples and the most vulnerable communities;

    31. Calls for the implementation of a rules-based, automatic quota reallocation system in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to better reflect the changing global economic landscape and ensure fairer representation of emerging economies, as well as low income and least developed countries; in the meantime, calls for IMF special drawing rights to be rechannelled to developing countries* and multilateral development banks (MDBs), in line with the Bridgetown initiative, the UN Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus and the initiatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and for such rights to continue to be regularly allocated; in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities;

    32. Underlines that EU financing must uphold the EU’s role as the world’s leading provider of development aid and climate finance in line with the Union’s global obligations and commitments; calls for sustainable financing models that prioritise resilience, reduce fiscal dependence and support structural transformation to prevent recurrent financial distress in developing economies*;

    33. Welcomes the commitment to gender balance on executive boards of all international organisations in the Zero Draft on the FfD4 Outcome; supports the establishment of a joint committee for governance reforms in the Bretton Woods Institutions to enhance transparency, inclusivity, such as through a fairer representation in decision-making bodies and fair access to finance and diversity in leadership and staff;

    34. Underlines that civil society organisations and smaller non-governmental organisations as well as churches and faith-based organisations are key development partners, since they work closely together with populations on the ground and are therefore better acquainted with their needs, and retain a presence after many other aid providers have withdrawn; calls for the adoption of guidelines on partnerships with churches and faith-based organisations in the area of development cooperation;

    35. Recalls that the regulation of the financial system is essential to advancing towards the prevention and fair resolution of debt crises;

    36. Calls for stronger regulation of global commodity futures markets, which is especially important for food and fuel products, and digital financial markets; stresses equally the need to encourage appropriate finance for social and environmental objectives, while discouraging the financing of high-carbon activities;

    Private business and finance

    37. Emphasises again the crucial role of the mobilisation of private finance to close the financing gap in achieving the SDGs and calls for more action to facilitate private sector involvement in development cooperation and to encourage companies to invest in less developed countries; recalls, however, that private sector investment and blended finance instruments have not always proven to be effective or sufficient in least developed and fragile states, especially in critical public services such as health, education and social protection, and they cannot fully replace public investment, thus requiring special attention from international donors, governments and MDBs; recognises, however, the potential role of enhanced public-private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in the field of technical and vocational training, upskilling and reskilling;

    38. Recalls the need to promote investments in education and vocational training in order to prioritise sustainable job creation and contribute to achieving the SDGs; further notes that trade, investment and job creation are a vital part of EU engagement for development and are contributing to sustainable development;

    39. Underlines the lack of transparency regarding the functioning of the Global Gateway in EU partner countries and absence of clear mechanisms for assessing its impact, particularly in fragile contexts where the Global Gateway may not apply; emphasises that there must be a continuous evaluation of the Global Gateway to assess its effectiveness and strategic direction;

    40. Insists that a conducive business enabling environment is essential for private investment, including through the rule of law, transparency, good governance, anti-corruption measures, investor and consumer protection, and fair competition; calls on the Commission to monitor and further improve mechanisms that will provide a security guarantee for European investors, on the other hand, stresses the need to rebalance investors’ rights with obligations towards the host state i.e. by supporting the local economy through technology transfer and by utilising local labour and inputs, so as to ensure that FDI translates into wider socio-economic benefits for society; calls for further improved access to affordable financing for the informal sector, dominated by micro- and small businesses, often led by women; calls for scaled-up EIB guarantee programmes to financially support small and medium-sized enterprises;

    41. Recalls that the security landscape is a decisive factor for investments and for sustainable development; highlights in this context the role and activities of religious institutions, women and all civil-society actors in conflict resolution and management, contributing to peace and security; more generally, emphasises the interconnectedness of development and security and stresses the necessity of further advancing a clearly defined nexus between development, peace and security;

    42. Emphasises that blended public and private finance must be aligned with the SDGs, focusing on development and requiring frameworks and legislation that focus on sustainable business and finance, sustainability disclosure and transparency and the set-up of a global SDG finance taxonomy;

    43. Calls on the EU to constructively engage towards the adoption of the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises and to allow victims to seek redress;

    44. Calls for the establishment of a dedicated SDG investment facilitation mechanism supported by the international community to identify and develop investment-ready opportunities aligned with the SDGs in least developed countries, leveraging the UNDP SDG Investor Platform’s success in identifying over 600 investment opportunity areas in emerging markets; recalls that SMEs play an important role in achieving the SDGs and therefore need to be encouraged and incentivised by EU policies to actively participate in initiatives contributing to sustainable development in developing countries*; also urges the EU and its Member States to prioritise allocation of grants and concessional financing based on vulnerabilities, namely in LDCs, fragile or conflict-affected countries, and to engage in coordination with relevant stakeholders including civil society actors;

    45. Urges the expansion of innovative financing mechanisms to mobilise private capital for SDG-aligned projects in LDCs and fragile states, emphasising the need to double current finance flows to nature-based solutions from USD 154 billion to at least USD 384 billion per year by 2025 to effectively address biodiversity loss, land degradation ecosystem destruction and climate change;

    46. Stresses the importance of capacity building and technical assistance for LDCs to develop long-term viable and SDG-aligned projects, advance human development and improve their investment climates, thereby attracting more private sector investment in critical sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, and sustainable agriculture;

    47. Advocates the creation of a global risk mitigation facility consolidated within current UN-frameworks to address the higher perceived risks and borrowing costs faced by low- and middle-income countries; calls for the regulation of the credit rating system, which currently benefits countries in the Global North disproportionately over those in the Global South, which pay on average twice as much interest on their sovereign debt compared to developed countries, to address these higher perceived risks and borrowing costs;

    48. Emphasises the need for clearly defined access to development finance for local and regional governments in partner countries to ensure more balanced and transparent allocation of resources; stresses that overly centralised funding structures risk reinforcing inefficiencies and the politically motivated distribution of funds; underlines that empowering local governments – many of which play a crucial role in delivering public services and fostering inclusive economic development – would enhance community-based investments, accountability and governance reforms;

    49. Emphasises the need to promote PPPs and private investments, which drive economic growth and sustainable regional development;

    50. Highlights that PPPs are needed to cover the financial gap for development objectives in partner countries, further notes that private sector investments also need to serve the development of local communities and encourage, in this context, investments in education and vocational training;

    51. Highlights the special challenges faced by persons with disabilities and their families in terms of accessing development aid; calls for the special needs of persons with disabilities to be taken into account in development financing;

    Tax cooperation

    52. Welcomes the two-pillar solution for addressing the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation and globalisation of the economy, as agreed by the members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, as a step forward; takes note, however, that a group of developing countries* has expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, highlighting concerns around equity and inclusivity within the OECD Inclusive Framework; regrets that Pillar 1 on reallocation of taxing rights has still not entered into force and calls for the acceleration of its implementation, ensuring a fair reallocation of taxing rights to market jurisdictions, particularly benefiting developing countries*; calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure that the agreed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 % for multinational enterprises is effectively applied, and urges the EU to support capacity building initiatives in developing* countries to effectively implement that minimum tax rate, ensuring they can benefit from the new rules and increase their domestic resource mobilisation;

    53. Urges the international community to take concrete steps in the creation and implementation of a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation; takes the view that this UN Convention on Tax should be designed with a view to ensuring a fair division of taxing rights between nation states, and, while duly considering national tax sovereignty, support efforts to tackle harmful tax practices and illicit financial flows; stresses, in this context, that the EU should play a proactive role in enabling developing countries* to mobilise domestic resources, in particular through enhanced tax governance, and that the EU should take the lead in combating illicit financial flows;

    54. Advocates further assistance for developing countries* and international cooperation for the purpose of strengthening tax systems, transparency and accountability in public financial management systems and of increasing domestic resource mobilisation, including through the digitalisation of tax systems and administrations;

    55. Supports the decision of G20 finance ministers to ensure that ultra-high net worth individuals are taxed effectively; considers that Brazil’s initiative at the latest G20 summit for a coordinated minimum tax on ultrahigh net worth individuals equal to 2 % of their wealth, which it is estimated would raise up to USD 250 billion annually, is worth further consideration;

    56. Emphasises the need to continue working on efforts to combat illicit financial flows, in particular out of low- and middle-income countries, and corruption, inter alia by investing in human capacities and skills, digitalisation, building up accessible and interoperable data, strengthening governance structures, enhancing regulatory frameworks and promoting regional cooperation;

    57. Recalls that the extractive sector in Africa is particularly prone to illicit outflows; takes the view that the review of tax treaties should aim to strengthen the bargaining position of host governments so they can obtain better returns from their natural resources and stimulate diversification of their economies; in addition, believes that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) should be made mandatory and extended to focus not only on governments but also on producer firms and commodity trading companies;

    58. Advocates the creation of a global beneficial ownership registry to enhance transparency and combat tax evasion and illicit financial flows, building on existing EU initiatives in this area;

    Official development assistance (ODA) and financing development cooperation

    59. Emphasises that, despite the EU and its Member States remaining the largest global ODA provider, accounting for 42 % of global ODA in 2022 and 2023, the collective ODA/gross national income ratio has declined from 0.56 % in 2022 to 0.51 % in 2023, falling well short of the 0.7 % target; calls for urgent action to address the cumulative shortfall in meeting the 0.7 % target; is alarmed by the worrying trends that further cut ODA in many Member States and in the EU budget as well as by other leading global donors, leading to a further increase in the global financing gap for development; encourages Member States to increase their ODA budgets in the light of the current geopolitical situation; stresses the need to use development cooperation efficiently, to invest more specifically in those partner countries that promote, among other things, democratic reform efforts, access to social security systems and economic self-reliance;

    60. Rejects the idea that the traditional donor-recipient model has become obsolete and that ODA is no longer relevant; underlines that, despite evolving financing mechanisms and partnerships, ODA remains a vital tool for poverty reduction, addressing inequalities, and supporting the most vulnerable communities, particularly in fragile countries and LDCs;

    61. Urges the EU and the Member States to prioritise reaching the immediate target of devoting 0.15 % of GNI to ODA for LDCs, and to take concrete actions to fulfil this commitment, with a view to rapidly scaling up efforts to achieve a level of 0.20 % of GNI as ODA for LDCs; notes that the impact of development finance also depends on the efficiency of implementation of funding;

    62. Urges the Commission to increase efforts to implement the development finance objectives under the GAP III, namely that 85 % of all new actions integrate a gender perspective and support gender equality;

    63. Regrets that women’s rights organisations receive less than 1 % of global ODA and SDG5 remains among the least-funded SDGs, although improvement on SDG5 has been shown to be a cross-cutting driver for sustainable development; reiterates that women-led organisations are often best adapted to respond to humanitarian crises; calls on the international community to set ambitious targets for funding to women’s rights organisations;

    64. Expresses concern over the increasing trend of tied aid, which reached EUR 4.4 billion (6.5 % of total bilateral ODA) in 2022, and calls for measures to reverse this trend and ensure that ODA primarily benefits partner countries rather than donor economies;

    65. Calls on the EU and the Member States to devote 15 % of their ODA to education by 2030;

    66. Calls on the EU and the Member States to ensure that ODA includes long-term, sustainable funding for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), guaranteeing access to essential services for Palestinian refugees and preventing further humanitarian crises;

    67. Emphasises that education must remain a central pillar of EU development assistance, including continued support for UNRWA schools, which provide education to over 500 000 Palestinian children, ensuring their right to quality education despite ongoing displacement and conflict;

    68. Stresses the need for a comprehensive approach to development financing, aligning the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe with the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, while ensuring that the allocation of EUR 79.5 billion for 2021-2027 is used effectively to address global challenges; urges the creation of a system for Parliamentary oversight of NDICI-capital flows to ensure their alignment with the dedicated targets for development;

    69. Reiterates the urgent need to rethink and reform global governance of international development cooperation given the suspension of USAID and reductions in global aid by countries such as the UK, Netherlands, Belgium etc.; stresses that reform to the international financial architecture must be underpinned by a commitment to multilateralism and fit for a more crisis-prone world;

    °

    ° °

    70. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the European Investment Bank and the United Nations.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 6, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council agrees further work to tackle climate change

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Ambitious next steps towards a carbon neutral Portsmouth have been agreed by the city council.

    A programme of work to tackle climate change will build on achievements over the last 12 months, which include:

    • Delivering Warm Homes funding to help make Portsmouth homes more energy efficient, reducing fossil fuel usage
    • Launching a landmark solar power project at Lakeside North Harbour, one of the UK’s biggest solar car park and battery storage installations
    • Starting work on ‘Seachange’, the biggest project in Portsmouth International Port’s history to provide green electricity to power ships while at berth
    • Securing funding to plant 2,500 new trees as part of a wider Greening Strategy to double the city’s tree canopy coverage over 25 years, and developing an Urban Forest Masterplan
    • Partnering with Southern Water to invest in reducing surface water runoff which contributes to outfall releases, including a £220,000 grant for sustainable drainage at New Horizon’s School
    • Working in partnership with Hampshire County Council and First Bus to launch a fleet of 62 brand new, zero emission buses, replacing a diesel fleet as part of the strategy for greener travel and improved air quality

    A report for the Climate Change and Greening the City meeting outlined the council’s focus on continuing to reduce carbon usage across all departments. The council will work with partners to protect and enhance Portsmouth’s natural environment, while building resilience to the impacts of climate change – such as heatwaves and rainfall – with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable.

    A programme of climate and natural environment actions was presented and agreed. It includes:

    • Improving how the council monitors carbon emissions, including emissions from its suppliers.
    • Developing Local Area Energy Plans
    • Continuing to work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on funded schemes to upgrade domestic properties across all tenures to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
    • Developing a resilient treescape by working with stakeholders and communities so old and new trees are resilient to climate change impacts and provide cooling across the city
    • Continued working to reduce surface water flooding
    • Exploring how we deliver a green and healthy streets programme
    • Developing a biodiversity strategy and action plan as part of the council’s Strengthened Biodiversity Duty
    • Development of an air quality strategy

    Cllr Kimberley Barrett, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Greening the City, said:

    “Climate change is here and its impact is affecting us all. That’s why we declared a climate emergency in 2019, and made a pledge for the city and the council to become carbon neutral.

    “We all want Portsmouth to be a green and healthy city, where people and businesses thrive alongside nature. But we can only achieve this if businesses and our communities work together.

    “The good news is that so much has been achieved already, but we need to keep being ambitious as this programme of work is, to protect and enhance our special city.”

    Cllr Barrett approved the transformation programme, which will form the basis of the council’s activity to tackle climate change and improve the natural environment for 2025/26.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev congratulated ecologists on their professional holiday

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Dmitry Patrushev congratulated ecologists on their professional holiday.

    Happy Ecologist Day to all those whose life’s work is connected with caring for nature and protecting the environment.

    Without exaggeration, Russia makes a huge contribution to protecting the ecology of the Earth. That is why preserving and increasing the unique resource potential of our country is important for the entire planet. Wide biodiversity, colossal reserves of fresh water and forest resources – it is our duty to preserve all this for future generations.

    We are proud of our ecologists – they are responsible, purposeful and passionate about their work, true professionals. Together with you, we are working to achieve the goal set by the President of the country to ensure the environmental well-being of Russia. I am confident that we will cope with all the tasks.

    I want to thank each of you for your contribution to the protection of Russia’s natural resources. I wish you success, new discoveries, good health and all the best!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Diginex Limited Signs MOU to Acquire Resulticks for US$2bn, transforming AI and Data Management Capabilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diginex Limited (“Diginex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DGNX), a leading provider of Sustainability RegTech solutions, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for a cash and share acquisition of Resulticks, a globally recognized leader in real-time, AI-driven customer engagement and data management solutions. This strategic move will significantly enhance Diginex’s capabilities in advanced data management and artificial intelligence, further solidifying its position as a pioneer in data-driven client solutions.

    The MOU values Resulticks at $2 billion which will be paid for in three tranches:

    (1) $1.4 billion in Diginex ordinary shares valued at $72 per share and subject to a 12-18 month lock-up, which shares will be issued at closing of the transaction;

    (2) $100 million in cash that is payable within 90 business days of the closing of the transaction; and

    (3) an earnout of up to $500 million payable in Diginex ordinary shares valued at $72 per share and paid in 3 independent tranches subject to Resulticks attaining at least 75% of the below audited EBITDA threshold figures:

          Earnout Amount   Accounting Period     EBITDA Threshold
      a.   $166,666,666   FY2026     $100,000,000
      b.   $166,666,667   FY2027     $200,000,000
      c.   $166,666,667   FY2028     $325,000,000
                     
      * Resulticks shall receive a pro rated portion of the Earnout Amount provided Resulticks achieves between 75% and 100% of the EBITDA Threshold.
     

    Resulticks, headquartered in Singapore with operations across the United States, India, Singapore, and the Middle East, is renowned for its omnichannel client engagement automation platform. The platform leverages AI and big data analytics to deliver personalized customer experiences, enabling businesses to orchestrate seamless engagement across digital and physical touchpoints. We believe that by integrating Resulticks’ cutting-edge technology, Diginex will enhance its ability to provide comprehensive data-driven sustainability solutions, thereby empowering organizations to meet evolving regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations with greater precision and efficiency.

    We expect the Resulticks platform will enable Diginex to deliver hyper-personalized insights to stakeholders in real time, while also expanding into new verticals where advanced data orchestration and enrichment can unlock value across compliance, supply chain intelligence, and risk analytics solutions. As the application layer of tech becomes increasingly commoditized, data and AI are emerging as the true engines of differentiation, those who own, enrich, and activate data at speed will define the next generation of market leaders. This is where Diginex wishes to position itself with Resulticks and future acquisitions.

    “We are thrilled to announce this business combination with Resulticks, a company that shares our values and commitment to harnessing advanced technology for transformative impact,” said Miles Pelham, Chairman & Founder of Diginex. “This acquisition will strengthen our balance sheet and profitability, as well as significantly deepening our expertise in AI and data management, enabling us to deliver unparalleled insights and solutions to our clients. By combining Resulticks’ real-time data capabilities with our blockchain and machine learning-driven sustainability platforms, we are poised to redefine how organizations navigate sustainability and compliance challenges.”

    “This partnership represents a fusion of two purpose-driven platforms,” said Redickaa Subrammanian, Co-Founder and CEO of Resulticks. “Through Genie, our agentic framework, we’re helping Diginex unlock real-time ESG intelligence and optimize engagement at every stage of the customer lifecycle. At the same time, we’re bringing their sustainability solutions to our global customer base. Together, we’re unlocking activation, attribution, and ROI visibility — helping brands operate smarter and sustain long-term growth in a data-driven world.”

    “AI doesn’t just optimize ESG. It transforms it into a customer engagement engine,” said Daxsan RB, Co-Founder and CIO of Resulticks. “ESG is no longer just about compliance; it’s a competitive lever to deepen customer relationships. By turning ESG data into actionable insights, brands can deliver hyper-personalized engagement — like carbon footprint transparency for eco-conscious buyers — while real-time analytics build trust through verifiable sustainability claims. Leaders who integrate these tools first will define the next era of brand loyalty. This isn’t just reporting, it’s revenue.”

    This acquisition builds on Diginex’s recent momentum into AI and data management, including its memorandum of understanding to acquire Matter DK ApS, previously announced on May 27, 2025, which we expect will expanded Diginex’s sustainability data and analytics offerings for the investment industry. We believe that together, these strategic moves position Diginex as a global leader in delivering innovative, data-driven solutions for client and sustainability engagement.

    About Diginex
    Diginex Limited (Nasdaq: DGNX; ISIN KYG286871044), headquartered in London, is a sustainable RegTech business that empowers businesses and governments to streamline ESG, climate, and supply chain data collection and reporting. The Company utilizes blockchain, AI, machine learning and data analysis technology to lead change and increase transparency in corporate regulatory reporting and sustainable finance. Diginex’s products and services solutions enable companies to collect, evaluate and share sustainability data through easy-to-use software.

    The award-winning diginexESG platform supports 17 global frameworks, including GRI (the “Global Reporting Initiative”), SASB (the “Sustainability Accounting Standards Board”), and TCFD (the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures”). Clients benefit from end-to-end support, ranging from materiality assessments and data management to stakeholder engagement, report generation and an ESG Ratings Support Service.

    For more information, please visit the Company’s website: 

    https://www.diginex.com/.

    About Resulticks
    Resulticks is a leading provider of AI-powered, omnichannel customer engagement and data management solutions. Its platform enables businesses to deliver personalized experiences through real-time data analytics and automation, serving clients across industries in North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Resulticks is headquartered in Singapore, with additional offices in Seattle, New York City India, and Dubai.

    For more information, please visit the Resulticks website:

    https://www.resulticks.com/resulticks-story.html

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

    Disclaimer
    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor does it constitute a binding commitment to complete the contemplated transaction. The completion of the transaction is subject to the execution of definitive agreements, satisfactory due diligence, and other customary closing conditions.

    Diginex
    Investor Relations
    Email: ir@diginex.com

    IR Contact – Europe
    Anna Höffken
    Phone: +49.40.609186.0
    Email: diginex@kirchhoff.de

    IR Contact – US
    Jackson Lin
    Lambert by LLYC
    Phone: +1 (646) 717-4593
    Email: jian.lin@llyc.global

    IR Contact – Asia
    Shelly Cheng
    Strategic Financial Relations Ltd.
    Phone: +852 2864 4857
    Email: sprg_diginex@sprg.com.hk 

    The MIL Network –

    June 5, 2025
  • Millions of pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj’s most sacred ritual as India reports safe arrival of all citizens

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Millions of Muslims from around the world assembled on the Plain of Arafat near Mecca today for the performance of Wuquf-e-Arafat, the central and most critical ritual of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that marks the spiritual pinnacle of the sacred journey.

    Observed on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, Arafat Day represents the culmination of the pilgrimage experience, with participants gathering from noon to sunset at the site where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. The ritual holds such paramount importance in Islamic tradition that missing it invalidates the entire pilgrimage.

    Indian pilgrims joined the massive international gathering today, with Consul General of India in Jeddah Shri Fahed Suri confirming from Arafat that all Indian citizens have safely arrived at the sacred site and are currently engaged in prayers and supplications. The Indian Hajj Mission coordinated closely with Saudi authorities to ensure smooth pilgrim movement from their initial transfer to Arafat through their planned onward journey to Muzdalifah and Mina.

    Speaking from the Plain of Arafat, Consul General Suri emphasized the spiritual significance of the gathering, describing the five sacred days spent across Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah as representing deep spiritual reflection and devotion that forms the core of the Hajj experience. He expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and associated service providers, for facilitating what he described as a safe and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage.

    The observance extends beyond those physically present at Arafat, with Muslims worldwide marking the day through special prayers and devotional practices. Many non-pilgrims choose to fast on Arafat Day, following the Prophet Mohammed’s encouragement for this practice. According to Islamic belief, fasting on this sacred day carries exceptional spiritual merit, with the potential to expiate sins from both the previous and coming year.

    The day serves as a profound moment of spiritual renewal for pilgrims who engage in intensive prayer, supplication, and reflection while standing on the historic plain. The comprehensive logistical coordination between Indian authorities and their Saudi counterparts reflects the international cooperation required to manage the complex movement of millions of pilgrims across the sacred sites during the intensive five-day period.

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. Announces Results of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. (the “Company” or “Next Hydrogen“) (TSXV:NXH, OTC:NXHSF), is pleased to announce the results of the annual general of shareholders held on June 4, 2025 (the “Meeting”). All matters presented for approval at the Meeting have been fully authorized and approved. A total of 5,778,769 common shares, representing 25.214% of the common shares issued and outstanding, were represented in person or by proxy at the meeting. A brief description of the matters voted upon and the outcome of the votes is set forth below.

    Fixing Number of Directors

    The ordinary resolution to approve fixing the number of directors to be elected at the meeting at seven (7) was approved at the meeting by the shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting by way of electronic ballot, as follows:

    Votes For % Votes Against %
    5,776,269 99.957 2,500 0.043

    Election of Directors

    All of the nominees proposed as directors of the Corporation were duly elected as directors of the Corporation with votes cast by the shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting by way of electronic ballot, as follows:

      Outcome
    of the

    Vote
    Votes For % Withheld   %    
    Raveel Afzaal Elected 5,660,813 99.898   5,780 0.102  
    Allan Mackenzie Elected 5,663,593 99.947   3,000 0.053  
    Walter Howard Elected 5,664,068 99.955   2,525 0.045  
    Jens Peter Clausen Elected 5,664,093 99.956   2,500 0.044  
    Susan Uthayakumar Elected 5,664,093 99.956   2,500 0.044  
    Anthony Guglielmin Elected 5,663,593 99.947   3,000 0.053  
    Adarsh Mehta Elected 5,664,093 99.956   2,500 0.044  

    Appointment of Auditor

    An ordinary resolution to approve the appointment of KPMG LLP, as the auditors of the Corporation, was approved at the meeting by way of electronic ballot, as follows:

    Votes For % Withheld %
    5,773,820 99.914 4,948 0.086

    About Next Hydrogen

    Founded in 2007, Next Hydrogen is a designer and manufacturer of electrolyzers that use water and electricity as inputs to generate clean hydrogen for use as an energy source. Next Hydrogen’s unique cell design architecture supported by 40 patents enables high current density operations and superior dynamic response to efficiently convert intermittent renewable electricity into green hydrogen on an infrastructure scale. Following successful pilots, Next Hydrogen is scaling up its technology to deliver commercial solutions to decarbonize transportation and industrial sectors.

    Contact Information

    Raveel Afzaal, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc.
    Email: rafzaal@nexthydrogen.com
    Phone: 647-961-6620

    www.nexthydrogen.com

     

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Cautionary Statements

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the hydrogen industry in general; delays or changes in plans with respect to infrastructure development or capital expenditures; uncertainty with respect to the timing of any contemplated transactions or partnerships, or whether such contemplated transactions or partnerships will be completed at all; the timing for any submissions or correspondences with applicable securities laws regulators; uncertainty in respect to the timing of when the Corporation’s securities will resume trading; whether the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to costs and expenses; failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; health, safety and environmental risks; uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to infrastructure developments or capital expenditures; currency exchange rate fluctuations; as well as general economic conditions, stock market volatility; and the ability to access sufficient capital. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, there will be no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

    The MIL Network –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Mattr Finalizes Thermotite Sale

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mattr Corp. (“Mattr” or the “Company”) (TSX: MATR) announced today that it has completed the sale of its subsidiary, Thermotite do Brazil (“Thermotite”), the Company’s final remaining pipe coating business, to Vallourec Tubular Solutions Ltda., a subsidiary of Vallourec S.A. (“Vallourec”) (EPA:VK). The Company has received proceeds of $17.5 million USD, or approximately $24 million CAD at current exchange rates, on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to normal working capital adjustments.

    “With our strategic review process complete and our new facilities now online, we have laid the groundwork to deliver focused, high-return growth in our remaining core businesses,” said Mike Reeves, Mattr’s President and CEO. “I would like to thank every member of the Thermotite team for their many contributions to the history and success of our organization, and wish them continued success under Vallourec.”

    About Mattr

    Mattr is a growth-oriented, global materials technology company broadly serving critical infrastructure markets, including transportation, communication, water management, energy and electrification. Its two business segments, Composite Technologies and Connection Technologies, enable responsible renewal and enhancement of critical infrastructure.

    For further information, please contact

    Meghan MacEachern
    VP, Investor Relations & External Communications
    Telephone: 437.341.1848
    Email: meghan.maceachern@mattr.com
    Website: www.mattr.com

    Source: Mattr Corp.

    The MIL Network –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Audience with Superiors and Officials of the Secretariat of State

    Source: The Holy See

    This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the Superiors and Officials of the Secretariat of State.
    The following is the address delivered by the Holy Father to those present at the meeting:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Eminence, Cardinal Parolin
    Your Excellencies, dear bishops and priests,Sisters and brothers!
    First of all, I thank the Secretary of State for his words of introduction and for the ongoing assistance that he is providing me as I take the first steps of my Pontificate.
    I am pleased to be here with you, who offer a precious service to the life of the Church by helping to carry out the mission entrusted to me. Indeed, as Praedicate Evangelium affirms, the Secretariat of State, as the Papal Secretariat directed by the Secretary of State, provides close assistance to the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his supreme mission” (cf. nn. 44-45).
    I am comforted by the knowledge that I am not alone and that I can share the responsibility of my universal ministry with you.
    This is not in the prepared text, but I can say with great sincerity that in these few weeks – a month has not even passed yet since beginning my Petrine ministry – it is evident to me that the Pope cannot work alone. There is great necessity to rely on the assistance of many people in the Holy See, and in a special way on all of you in the Secretariat of State. I offer my heartfelt thanks!
    The history of this institution dates back, as we know, to the end of the fifteenth century. Over time, it has taken on an increasingly universal character and has grown considerably, acquiring additional tasks in response to emerging needs both within the Church and in relations with States and international organizations. Currently, almost half of you are lay faithful. And there are more than fifty women, both lay and religious.
    This development means that, today, the Secretariat of State itself reflects the face of the Church. It is a large community working alongside the Pope: together we share the questions, difficulties, challenges and hopes of the People of God throughout the world. In doing so, we always express two essential dimensions: incarnation and catholicity.
    We are incarnate in time and history since God chose the human condition and the languages of humanity. The Church, therefore, is called to follow the same path, in order that the joy of the Gospel may reach everyone, mediated through today’s cultures and languages. At the same time, we always seek to maintain a Catholic, universal outlook that allows us to appreciate different cultures and sensibilities. In this way, we can be a driving force committed to building communion between the Church of Rome and the local Churches, as well as friendly relationships in the international community.
    In recent decades, these two dimensions — being incarnate in time and having a universal outlook — have become increasingly constitutive of the Curia’s work. We have been guided along this path by the reform of the Roman Curia carried out by Saint Paul VIwho, inspired by the vision of the Second Vatican Council, strongly felt the urgency for the Church to be attentive to the challenges of history, taking into account “the rapid pace of modern life” and “the changed conditions of our times” (Regimini Ecclesiae Universae, 15 August 1967). At the same time, he reaffirmed the need for a service that expresses the catholicity of the Church, and to this end he decreed that “those present in the Apostolic See to govern it, should be called from all parts of the world” (ibid.).
    Incarnation reminds us, then, of the concreteness of reality and the specific, particular issues dealt with by the various curial institutions. At the same time, universality evokes the mystery of the multifaceted unity of the Church and requires a subsequent effort of synthesis to assist the Pope’s mission. It is precisely the Secretariat of State that offers this service of unification and synthesis. Indeed, Paul VI — well versed in the Roman Curia — chose to restructure this office, effectively designating it as a point of connection, and thus establishing its fundamental role of coordinating the other Dicasteries and Institutions of the Apostolic See.
    The recent Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium speaks of the coordinating role of the Secretariat of State as one of the many responsibilities entrusted to the Section for General Affairs, under the direction of the Substitute with the assistance of the Assessor (cf. 45-46). Along with the Section for General Affairs, the Constitution also includes the Section for Relations with States and International Organizations, which is directed by the Secretary with the help of two Undersecretaries. This Section is responsible, particularly in this delicate moment of history, for the diplomatic and political relations of the Holy See with States and other subjects of international law. The Section for Diplomatic Personnel, with its Secretary and Undersecretary, is tasked for its part with assisting Pontifical Representations and the members of the Diplomatic Corps in Rome and throughout the world.
    I know that these tasks are very demanding and, at times, may not be well understood. This is why I wish to express my closeness to you and, above all, my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for the skills you place at the service of the Church, for your work — which almost always goes unnoticed — and for the evangelical spirit that inspires it. And allow me, as a result of my gratitude, to make an appeal, referring once again to Saint Paul VI: let this place not be clouded by ambition or rivalry; instead, let it be a true community of faith and charity, of “brothers and sisters, and children of the Pope,” who give themselves generously for the good of the Church (cf. Address to the Roman Curia, 21 September 1963).
    I entrust you all to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. I thank you because I know that you pray for me – I hope! – every day, and I warmly bless each of you, your loved ones, and your work. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 5, 2025
  • Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announces addition of 280 electric buses, targets fully electric fleet by 2027

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, marking World Environment Day on Thursday, announced the addition of 280 electric buses to the city’s public transport fleet.

    “We have decided to add 280 electric buses to Delhi’s fleet. By 2027, the entire fleet of buses operated by the Delhi government will be electric,” Gupta said.

    “We are also introducing a new EV policy,” she added.

    Highlighting the safety and comfort features of the new buses, Gupta said,
    “These buses are a tremendous asset for Delhi. They are highly comfortable, equipped with cameras and a panic button. The buses also have a low floor and are air-conditioned.”

    She also criticized past governments for overlooking environmental concerns.

    “Delhi was deprived of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign under the last government. Our target is to plant 70 lakh trees this year,” she said.

    Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav praised the Centre’s efforts to combat vehicular pollution, pointing to the adoption of smart EVs and hydrogen-powered buses.

    “The central government is continuously working to reduce vehicular pollution. This new campaign for smart EVs and hydrogen buses is a huge step in this direction”, he said.

    Yadav also reflected on the national tree-planting campaign.

    “Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, around 109 crore people planted nearly 140 crore trees yesterday. This year, PM Modi planted a Banyan sapling. Last year, he planted a Peepal sapling. His gift of electric buses to Delhi will surely help purify the air.”

    Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister flagged off 200 electric buses as part of the Delhi government’s sustainable transport initiative.

    Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, CM Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, and Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa were present at the event.

    (With inputs from ANI)

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ambitious 10-year vision for parks and green spaces unveiled

    Source: City of Norwich

    A bold new strategy to shape the future of the city’s parks and green spaces for the next decade has been officially adopted by Norwich City Council.

    Officially approved by Cabinet last night, the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2025–2035 sets out an ambitious plan to protect, enhance, and connect more than 100 parks, gardens, cemeteries, allotments, and natural areas across the city.

    Focusing on biodiversity, climate resilience, health and wellbeing, and inclusive access, the strategy aims to ensure that Norwich’s open spaces continue to thrive for the benefit of all who live, work and visit here.

    Councillor Emma Hampton, cabinet member for climate and environment, said:
    “This strategy reflects what our communities told us they value most – vibrant, safe, and welcoming green spaces for everyone. It’s a big step forward in making Norwich a sustainable, healthier, and more inclusive city.”

    Strategy highlights include:

    • £216,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to support the future restoration of some of our most historic parks.
    • New Strategic Green Space Hierarchy to guide investment and long-term planning.
    • Increasing the number of parks and green spaces with the Green Flag Award.
    • Commitment to biodiversity net gain, rewilding, and climate adaptation.
    • Plans for new fitness trails, inclusive play areas, and clearer signage.
    • Creation of a Parks and Green Spaces Delivery Group to lead on implementation.

    The strategy was shaped by extensive public consultation, with nearly 400 residents sharing their views via the council’s Get Talking Norwich platform. Priorities identified by respondents included improving safety, maintenance, biodiversity, and opportunities for community involvement.

    What’s next?

    The council will now move into the delivery phase, developing detailed plans to implement the strategy’s 48 action points. This will be done in partnership with local groups, funders, and residents.

    Read the full report and strategy. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 4 June 2025 Departmental update Global health leaders urge action on immunization priorities at Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly

    Source: World Health Organisation

    During the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, held from 19 to 27 May 2025, Member States and global health partners urged continued action on vaccine-preventable diseases—such as cervical cancer, measles, meningitis, polio, and rubella—through Assembly agenda items and side events aimed at accelerating global immunization efforts and preventing future outbreaks. 

    Innovation, integration and investment to outsmart outbreaks 

    Immunization discussions kicked off at the high-level side event, “Outsmarting Outbreaks: Innovation, Integration & Investment”, hosted by Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, and Zambia, and supported by the Gates Foundation, the United Nations Foundation and other partners. The event underscored the alarming resurgence of measles, cholera, and polio amid escalating conflict and climate threats, urging countries to safeguard immunization progress, complete polio eradication efforts, and strengthen preparedness for emerging health risks.  

    Attendees shared successes and challenges, particularly from countries facing simultaneous outbreaks, while emphasizing the criticality of routine immunization, cross-sector partnerships, and innovative techniques – including wastewater monitoring and digital disease modeling for surveillance and the use of electronic registries for immunization in low-resource settings – to controlling preventable diseases and avoid outbreaks.  

    Discussions also emphasized the necessity of a ‘SMART’ approach—strategic, measurable, aligned, resilient, and timely collaboration—as well as innovative solutions like the AI-powered All Hazard Information Management Toolkit, to enhance rapid response capabilities. A call to action capped the event, urging concerted efforts to sustain investment in immunization programmes, build trust in vaccines through community engagement, and ensure robust pandemic preparedness, including through surveillance. 

    Countries reaffirm commitment to defeat meningitis 

    Member States praised WHO’s launch of new guidelines on meningitis diagnosis, treatment and care, and the continued rollout of new vaccines, including Men5CV, in high-burden countries. They also emphasized the strong commitment of national leaders, partners, civil society organizations and the dedicated teams supporting the road map at all levels of WHO. 

    Despite progress, delegates raised key challenges including vaccine affordability and equitable access, shortages in trained healthcare personnel, insufficient laboratory infrastructure, and gaps in surveillance systems.  

    Member States called for technical and financial support, maintaining emergency vaccine stockpiles, research and innovations, particularly of early detection, strengthened community engagement and awareness campaigns among both communities and health care workers as well as supported rehabilitation services.  

    Meningitis was further discussed during an official side event hosted by Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan, along with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on integrating solutions to defeat malaria, meningitis and polio. The event aimed to highlight how an integrated approach to elimination or eradication goals of the three diseases could maximize available resources and improve health service delivery for people and communities. 

    “We are at an inflection point in global health,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in her remarks. “We all know the challenges that we face as partners in global health. Between now and 2030, we will have to work smarter, more collaboratively, and with the needs of countries at the center of everything we do.”  

    Attendees discussed how integration can be achieved within disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and long-term care, and prevention through equitable access to vaccines. Several countries presented examples of delivering polio, malaria and meningitis vaccines through integrated campaigns alongside bed net distribution.  The event closed on a call for increased technical and financial support to accelerate integration across the three programmes in order to end polio, malaria, and meningitis. 

    (Left to Right) Derrick Sim, Managing Director of Vaccine Markets & Health Security at Gavi; Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; Dr Jo Mulligan, Senior Health Advisor,Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom; H.E. Dr Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, Minister of Health and Social Development, Mali; H.E. Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria, and Ambassador Bilal Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations. 

    Life-saving power of measles and rubella vaccines emphasized 

    Amidst a global surge in measles outbreaks and with millions of children still lacking protection, global health leaders convened at a high-level side event titled “The Power of Prevention – Immunizing for a Safer, Healthier World” to deliver a unified message: these outbreaks are preventable—if we act decisively and without delay. 

    Co-hosted by Oman, Somalia, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UNICEF, and the United Nations Foundation, on behalf of the Measles & Rubella Partnership, the side event focused on accelerating global immunization efforts and promoting equity in vaccine access.  

    “The Measles & Rubella Partnership has been a backbone of measles and rubella programs, surveillance and outbreak response across the world,” said Dr Razia Pendse, WHO Chef de Cabinet in her opening remarks. “Yet, these gains are fragile. Measles is making a dangerous comeback threatening communities, economies and global health security. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to investing in measles vaccination and other vaccines, investments that will lead healthier children, communities, and a more resilient future for people of all ages.” 

    Dr Razia Pendse, WHO Chef de Cabinet and Dr. Hilal bin Ali bin Halil Alsabti, Minister of Health of Oman. 

    The meeting was moderated by Mr. Jarrett Barrios, senior vice-president of the American Red Cross. Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance reminded countries of what is at stake if targets for the organization’s ongoing replenishment are not met—millions of children remaining unprotected and increasing outbreaks. 

    A key focus of the discussion was WHO’s updated rubella vaccine recommendation, which removes the requirement for 80% measles coverage before introducing the combined measles-rubella vaccine. This policy shift allows all countries to include rubella vaccination in routine immunization—opening the door for the 13 remaining countries to introduce the vaccine, save lives, and prevent future outbreaks. 

    Grace Melia, an Indonesian mother who recently lost her daughter after a 12-year battle against the devastating effects of congenital rubella, concluded the event by sharing her testimonial and calling for action. “They say knowledge is power,” she said. “With all due respect, knowledge applied into action would be much more powerful. And I hope we are all here today to be part of that action.” 

    Reaffirmed commitments to achieving a polio-free world 

    During the Assembly, Member States reaffirmed their full support for achieving and sustaining a polio-free world, acknowledging WHO and its partners’ efforts to see the job done. Voicing concern about ongoing variant outbreaks and the need for interruption of wild poliovirus transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Member States called for continued resourcing to the effort, and smart integration of polio functions within broader public health services. Other key themes were strengthened routine immunization – including with inactivated polio vaccine – through coordination with GAVI, and the need for strong oral polio vaccine cessation planning, the safe and secure containment of polioviruses in research and vaccine manufacturing facilities.  

    Read more about polio here. 

    World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day announced as official WHO campaign  

    As part of ongoing efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, the Assembly established World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day as an official WHO awareness campaign to be marked on 17 November, annually. World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day will promote actions to end the disease and protect the health of women and girls, including increasing access and update of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.  

    Historic Pandemic Agreement  

    Member States formally adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement. The landmark decision by the World Health Assembly culminates more than three years of intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and driven by the goal of making the world safer from – and more equitable in response to – future pandemics. The agreement boosts global collaboration to ensure stronger, more equitable response to future pandemics. Next steps include negotiations on Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing system. 

    —- 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Measles outbreaks continue with risk of holidays causing surge

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Measles outbreaks continue with risk of holidays causing surge

    Latest UKHSA data shows outbreaks continuing, with 109 cases confirmed in April and 86 so far in May.

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today publishes its monthly update on measles cases in England, which shows outbreaks continuing, with 109 cases confirmed in April and 86 so far in May. Cases have predominantly been in unvaccinated children aged 10 years and under, with on-going outbreaks in a number of regions and London reporting almost half of all cases in the past 4 weeks.

    There has also been a global increase in measles cases including Europe over the last year and the Agency is concerned, that with travelling for holidays or to visit family this summer, there is a risk this could lead to another surge of measles cases in England.

    The latest measles epidemiology report on the UKHSA Data Dashboard today reports:

    • since 1 January there have been 420 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England
    • 109 measles cases were confirmed in April and to date 86 in May (number of laboratory confirmed measles cases by month of symptom onset, data reporting lags impact on most recent 4 weeks and therefore the figures are likely to be an underestimate)
    • the majority (276/420, 66%) of these cases were in children aged 10 years and under, but there are also cases being reported in young people and adults
    • London has seen the highest number of cases overall this year (162/420, 39%) and in the last 4 weeks (35/75, 47%)
    • a number of other regions are also reporting outbreaks – with 25% (19/75) of cases in the North West, and 11% (8/75) in the West Midlands in the last 4 weeks

    Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1968, at least 20 million measles cases and 4,500 deaths have been prevented in the UK.

    However, measles remains endemic in many countries around the world, and with declines in MMR vaccine uptake observed over the last decade, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also seen large measles outbreaks in Europe and other countries. 

    An analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reported 127, 350 measles cases in the European Region for 2024, double the number of cases reported for 2023 and the highest number since 1997.

    This year outbreaks have been seen in several other European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Germany, and WHO recently reported that Romania, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Nigeria currently have among the largest number of measles cases worldwide.

    In England, the decline of the uptake of childhood vaccinations including MMR in the past decade (well below the WHO 95% target) means that many thousands of children are left unprotected with the risk of outbreaks linked to nurseries and schools.

    London has the lowest MMR uptake rates compared with other English regions (MMR2 uptake at 5 years is just 73.3% in London compared to English average of 83.9%).

    From Autumn 2023 to summer 2024, England experienced the biggest outbreak of measles since 2012, particularly affecting young children. Since the peak last year cases have declined but local outbreaks continue.

    Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated. The UKHSA is concerned that more outbreaks may occur again on a larger scale this summer as families with unvaccinated children and adults travel to countries where there are outbreaks.

    It is important that anyone travelling for summer holidays or to visit family, especially parents of young children, check that all members of their family have received both their MMR vaccines.

    Getting vaccinated means you are also helping protect others who can’t have the vaccine, including infants under 1 year and people with weakened immune systems, who are at greater risk of serious illness and complications from measles.

    Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency:

    It’s essential that everyone, particularly parents of young children, check all family members are up to date with 2 MMR doses, especially if you are travelling this summer for holidays or visiting family. Measles cases are picking up again in England and outbreaks are happening in Europe and many countries with close links to the UK.

    Measles spreads very easily and can be a nasty disease, leading to complications like ear and chest infections and inflammation of the brain with some children tragically ending up in hospital and suffering life-long consequences. Nobody wants this for their child and it’s not something you want to experience when away on holiday.

    The MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family from measles. Babies under the age of 1 and some people who have weakened immune systems can’t have the vaccine and are at risk of more serious complications if they get measles. They rely on the rest of us getting the vaccine to protect them.

    It is never too late to catch up, if you’re not sure if any of your family are up to date, check their Red Book or contact your GP practice. Don’t put it off and regret it later.

    Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said:

    Tens of thousands of additional MMR vaccinations were delivered following NHS action last year to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella, and the recent increase in cases seen in England and Europe should act as an important reminder to ensure your child is protected.

    Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems. MMR jabs are provided free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme – and I would encourage all parents to act on invites or check vaccination records if they think they may have missed their child’s vaccination.

    The first MMR vaccine is offered to infants when they turn one year old and the second dose to pre-school children when they are around 3 years and 4 months old. 

    Around 99% of those who have 2 doses will be protected against measles and rubella. Although mumps protection is slightly lower, cases in vaccinated people are much less severe. 

    Anyone, whatever age, who has not had 2 doses can contact their GP surgery to book an appointment. It is never too late to catch-up. 

    It’s particularly important to check you’ve had both doses if you are: 

    • about to start college or university 
    • travelling overseas
    • planning a pregnancy 
    • a frontline health or social care worker 
    • if you work with young children or care for people as part of your work

    For more information on measles, mumps and rubella see the UKHSA resource: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mmr-for-all-general-leaflet

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    Published 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: Applications open for 2025-26 ACT Environmental grants

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 05/06/2025

    Community groups, volunteers and citizen scientists are invited to apply for funding to support projects that protect and restore the ACT’s natural environment, with applications now open for the 2025–26 ACT Environmental Grants Program.

    A total of $360,000 is available across two grant streams:

    • Environment Grants – Up to $35,000 per project is available for community-led initiatives that improve biodiversity, restore landscapes, connect people to nature and support Caring for Country.
    • Environmental Volunteer Group Assistance Grants – Up to $5,000 per project is available to help volunteer groups build their capacity and continue their valuable environmental work.

    Now in its 29th year, the Environmental Grants Program has supported hundreds of local initiatives, from ecological restoration and habitat creation to youth engagement and citizen science projects.

    Launching the grants on World Environment Day, Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy and Water Suzanne Orr said there is no better time to highlight the vital role local groups play in protecting the environment.

    “There’s no better time than World Environment Day to highlight the incredible contribution Canberrans make in protecting our natural spaces,” Minister Orr said.

    “The ACT Government deeply values the tireless work of community groups, environmental volunteers and citizen scientists who are restoring bushland, enhancing biodiversity and helping to make Canberra a more liveable, sustainable city.”

    Minister Orr said the grants not only support conservation outcomes, but also deliver social and educational benefits.

    “These grants are about empowering local communities to lead the way, whether through habitat restoration, education, or on-ground conservation. They also support wellbeing by connecting people to nature in meaningful ways,” she said.

    “If you’re part of a local group with a great idea to care for our environment, I encourage you to apply.”

    Friends of Magpie Hill co-convenors Morgyn Phillips and Astrida Upitis said the support their group received through the program had already delivered long-term benefits.

    “Thanks to an Environmental Volunteer Group Assistance Grant, our volunteer group, Friends of Magpie Hill has been able to access expert training in plant and bird identification,” they said.

    “This training has helped us gain a better understanding about native grasses and plants in our park and where to focus our regeneration efforts.”

    The grants have also had a lasting impact on education-focused projects across the ACT, including at Merici College, where students recently restored a degraded grassy woodland corridor on school grounds.

    Felicity Maher, Sustainability Coordinator at Merici College, said the program was a valuable opportunity for students to engage with environmental issues.

    “Thanks to funding from the ACT Environmental Grants Program, our students planted 600 native plants in a degraded grassy woodland corridor on our school grounds,” Ms Maher said.

    “The project not only enhanced local biodiversity but also created an outdoor learning space for students and a green corridor the wider community can enjoy.”

    “It’s a fantastic opportunity for schools and community groups to make a lasting environmental impact.”

    Applications for the 2025-26 ACT Environmental Grants close Wednesday 17 July 2025.

    For more information and to apply, visit: www.act.gov.au/money-and-tax/grants-funding-and-incentives.

    – Statement ends –

    Suzanne Orr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: No ifs or ‘butts’ with free ashtray pouches from ABC Council

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    One of the ashtray pouches available free from ABC Council.

    Free pocket ashtray pouches for cigarette butts are being offered by ABC Council in an effort to curb the most common form of littering.

    Cigarette butts continue to be discarded on our streets and public spaces and it takes considerable Council resources and ratepayers’ money to continually clean them up.

    The butts also pose a significant risk to the environment. As cigarette filters break down, they can release microplastics, toxic chemicals including arsenic, lead, formaldehyde and nicotine into the earth and watercourses, endangering fish and wildlife. The entire lifecycle of a cigarette, from production to disposal, contributes to climate change.

    Pocket ashtray pouches, available free from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, are reusable and designed for people to use when they are on the go – meaning they have somewhere to easily dispose of their cigarette butts, rather than littering our borough. And as a consequence, the pouches ensure smokers will not be caught littering and fined by the team of Environmental Wardens who carry out regular patrols across the ABC Borough.

    People who are found responsible for dropping litter which includes cigarettes butts will be fined £120.

    These pouches are free and can be requested by contacting the council directly on 0300 030 0900 or by emailing

    *protected email*

    The pouches also provide details on smoking cessation supported by the Public Health Agency, including a helpful website – www.stopsmokingni.info

    If you would like to help tackle litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling in your community, you can report incidents via the ABC Council App which is available to download on the App store and Google Play store, or by calling the Council’s Environmental Health team directly on 0300 0300 900.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bids open for second round of biodiversity grants

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Bids open for second round of biodiversity grants

    The city council has opened up a second round of biodiversity grants for bids from local groups and organisations, following a highly successful first round that saw seven community projects completed.

    Applications in round one were submitted in November last year, with £15,000 in the pot for initiatives that provide a boost to biodiversity and the environment.

    There was plenty of interest and all the money was spent across the seven projects around the district. These were:

    • All Saints Nursery – forest school (pictured below)
    • Wickhambreaux Village Hall – wildlife garden improvements
    • Chislet Parish Council – bird and bat boxes, insect hotel
    • Love Hambrook Marshes – livestock fencing (top picture)
    • Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership – tree planting (bottom picture, Field Avenue)
    • Stream Walk Community Garden – pollinator bedding and rustic signage
    • Westbere Parish Council – bird and bat boxes

    Now, bids can be put in for round two, with £15,000 again in the kitty.

    Applications are welcome for amounts up to £7,500. The grants can be used to fund the entirety of a project, or as match funding for a larger initiative.

    Applicants are required to demonstrate that all the funding they are bidding for can be fully spent on their project by 28 February 2026.

    Bids must be able to show that they will result in an improvement in local biodiversity and environment, and be fully costed.

    They must also confirm how maintenance will be carried out for at least five years after completion, which may be achieved through volunteering.

    Cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity, Cllr Mel Dawkins, said: “We were very pleased with the applications that came forward last year and all those that were successful have delivered some fantastic projects that have made a real difference to local biodiversity.

    “We would like to thank all the organisations and groups involved for their hard work and dedication to the environment. These are exactly the kind of schemes we envisaged when we launched this initiative.

    “And so, in recognition of how much interest there is in this locally, we’ve decided to do it all again, with round two bids now open.

    “The last round of bids offered plenty of inspiration, so we are really excited to receive even more amazing biodiversity projects this time around.”

    Applications for a biodiversity grant can be made on the council’s website with a closing date of Monday 28 July.

    Published: 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Man Dies After Being Hit by Light Rail in Australia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    SYDNEY, June 5 (Xinhua) — A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a light rail vehicle on Thursday in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

    NSW Police said on Thursday afternoon that emergency services were dispatched to Surry Hills, a suburb of Sydney, at around 1.15pm local time on Thursday following a report.

    When police arrived, they found a man, believed to be in his 40s, trapped under the carriage. Paramedics provided him with medical assistance, but he died at the scene. Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

    The state transportation agency said light rail service had been suspended. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jim Costa Denounces Trump’s Rescission of Funds for California’s High-Speed Rail

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it would rescind $4 billion from California’s High Speed Rail Project.   “President Trump just ripped roughly $4 billion from California’s High-Speed Rail (CAHSR). This undermines over 15,000 jobs created, growing local economies, and connecting both rural and urban communities alike.  He doesn’t understand the San Joaquin Valley or the legal challenges that have delayed this project. Instead, he is stalling progress and killing good-paying jobs to score political points. While President Trump remains stuck in the past, the people of California and the Valley are focused on building a cleaner, more connected future through modern rail infrastructure.  The President of the United States asked the question years ago, why America doesn’t have high-speed rail systems like those in Europe and Asia. The answer to that question is simple. He could provide the leadership to build high-speed rail corridors in America, as other countries have over the last 40 years in other parts of the world.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: Albanese will need some nuance in facing a female opposition leader

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

    Anthony Albanese loves a trophy, especially a human one. He prides himself on his various “captain’s pick” candidates – good campaigners he has steered into seats.

    Way back in the Gillard days, he was key in persuading discontented Liberal Peter Slipper to defect. Slipper became an independent and Labor’s speaker.

    The exercise helped the government’s numbers, but the bold play didn’t end well for Labor or for Slipper. The government was tarnished, and Slipper, relentlessly pursued by the Coalition and mired in controversy, eventually had to quit the speakership. The affair did produce Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech, however.

    Now Albanese has another gee-whiz prize – Western Australian Senator Dorinda Cox, who has defected from the Greens. Cox, after being defeated in a bid for Greens deputy leader, approached Labor and the PM drove her course to being accepted into the party.

    The manoeuvre makes a marginal but insignificant difference to Senate numbers – Labor will still need the Greens to pass legislation opposed by the Coalition.

    Taking in Cox is a risk, and some in Labor are looking at it askance.

    The prime minister’s embrace of Cox contradicts Labor’s argument when its Western Australian senator Fatima Payman defected to become an independent. It said then hers was a Labor seat and she should therefore resign. But this wouldn’t be the first time expediency trumped consistency in politics.

    Cox, who is Indigenous and was spokeswoman for First Nations and resources in the last parliament, has been a fierce critic of the extending the North West Shelf gas project, which the government has just announced. Albanese says he is confident she “understands that being a member of the Labor Party means that she will support positions that are made by the Labor Party”.

    She has also faced allegations of treating staff badly. Labor discounts the claims against her, saying they are overblown and a product of Greens factionalism and toxicity. Certainly, she was given a tough time by the hard-left faction represented by deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi. Labor would be wise to ensure Cox feels supported in her new party home.

    Albanese perhaps calculates that the worst that can happen is there’s a blow up and she defects to the crossbench. Labor could shrug and say, she was never really one of us.

    Snatching a senator from the Greens is particularly satisfying to Albanese because he hates the party so much. Last term, lower house Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather (defeated at the election) really got under his skin. More generally, the Greens held up important legislation, most notably on housing.

    In the new Senate, Labor will need only the Greens to pass legislation opposed by the Coalition. How new Greens leader Larissa Waters – who replaced Adam Bandt after he lost his seat – handles the party’s relationship with the government will be crucial for the more contentious parts of Labor’s legislative program.

    The usually low-key Waters will be under a lot of pressure. The Greens had a bad election, losing three lower house seats. Now they have lost a senator at the start of Waters’ watch.

    Waters conceded on the Serious Danger podcast in late May that Labor had successfully run the narrative of the Greens as blockers. “So I do think we’re going to need to be quite deft in how we handle balance of power in this term, […] People want us to be constructive. They don’t just want us to roll over and tick off on any old shit. They want meaningful reforms.”

    Waters will want to pick her fights carefully, and also find ways of pursuing the Greens’ agenda where the party co-operates. The first deal is likely to be on the government’s legislation to increase the tax on those with large superannuation balances, which contains the controversial provision to tax unrealised capital gains.

    Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and her team will confront some of the same problems as the Greens – when to oppose and when to seek to negotiate with the government.

    For his part, Albanese will have a novel challenge with Ley – what stance to adopt against the first female opposition leader, especially but not only in parliamentary clashes.

    After facing two alpha male opposition leaders, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton, a new approach will obviously be necessary. As one Labor man succinctly puts it, “Labor can’t monster a woman”. There can be no repeat of Albanese, a frontbencher a decade ago in the Shorten opposition, interjecting to urge a female colleague engaged in a stoush with Ley to “smash her”.

    For Ley, trying to deal with the Liberals’ multiple difficulties in attracting women voters and candidates must be high on her agenda. Former Liberal federal president Alan Stockdale, one of the three-person group currently running the NSW division of the party, showed himself part of the problem when this week he told the NSW Liberal Women’s Council, “The women in this party are so assertive now that we may need some special rules for men to get them pre-selected”.

    Stockdale said later he was being “light-hearted”. Tone deaf might be a better term. Ley jumped on him. “There is nothing wrong with being an assertive woman. In fact I encourage assertive women to join the Liberal Party.”

    The jury is out on whether Ley will be able to make any sort of fist of her near-impossible job. But in the short time she’s been leader, she has shown she is willing to be assertive.

    She emerged from the brief split in the Coalition looking much steadier than Nationals leader David Littleproud, even though she had to persuade her party room to accept the minor party’s policy demands.

    In her frontbench reshuffle, she was willing to wear the inevitable criticism that came with dropping a couple of senior women who had under-performed.

    As deputy leader, Ley adjusted her style a while before the election, toning down the aggression and sometimes wild attacks, that had characterised her performance earlier in the term. A Liberal source said she found her “line and length”. As leader, she will have others, notably deputy Ted O’Brien, to do the head-kicking, giving her room to attempt to develop a positive political persona.

    Labor leaned into attacking Dutton – never afraid to name him. With Ley, Albanese might adopt the Bob Carr approach of avoiding using his opponent’s name. At least until he finds his line and length in dealing with her.

    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: Albanese will need some nuance in facing a female opposition leader – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-albanese-will-need-some-nuance-in-facing-a-female-opposition-leader-257338

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [GLOBALDATA PLC – 04 06 2025] – (CGWL)

    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: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (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.
    N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    GLOBALDATA PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
    04 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: 0.01p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 10,930,213 1.3552    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 10,930,213 1.3552    

    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
    0.01p ORDINARY SALE 4,400 174.77p
    0.01p ORDINARY SALE 2,559 174.59p
    0.01p ORDINARY SALE 142 174.09p

    (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
    NONE        

    (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
    NONE              

    (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)
    NONE      

    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: 05 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: PHIL HULME
    Telephone number: 01253 376551

    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 –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [MARLOWE PLC – 04 06 2025] – (CGWL)

    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: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (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.
    N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
    MARLOWE PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
    04 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: 50p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 3,131,796 3.9884    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 3,131,796 3.9884    

    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
    50p ORDINARY SALE 1,960 408.0002p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 4,750 412.5p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 21,436 403.2925p
    50p ORDINARY SALE 20,000 403.12p

    (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
    NONE        

    (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
    NONE              

    (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)
    NONE      

    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: 05 JUNE 2025
    Contact name: PHIL HULME
    Telephone number: 01253 376551

    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 –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: MEXC IgniteX Partners with Superteam to Launch Revolutionary “IgniteX Solana Talent Lab” at Solana Summit APAC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC IgniteX, the $30 million global CSR initiative and innovation arm of MEXC Ventures, successfully announced its groundbreaking strategic partnership with Superteam, the premier talent collective driving growth across the Solana ecosystem. The collaboration was officially unveiled at the Solana Summit APAC (June 5-7, 2025) in Vietnam, where IgniteX introduced the “IgniteX Solana Talent Lab” – a comprehensive initiative designed to accelerate blockchain education and foster the next generation of Solana developers across APAC markets.

    Transforming Blockchain Education Through Strategic Partnership

    The IgniteX Solana Talent Lab represents a first-of-its-kind collaboration that combines MEXC IgniteX’s industry expertise and resources with Superteam’s extensive network of talented developers, creators, and operators across the Solana ecosystem. This multi-faceted program addresses the critical need for structured blockchain education while creating tangible pathways for students to enter and thrive in the Web3 industry.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with Superteam to create meaningful opportunities for the next generation of blockchain innovators,” said Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC. “This collaboration goes beyond traditional educational support – we’re building a comprehensive ecosystem that nurtures talent from learning to professional deployment in the Solana space.”

    Program Framework

    The IgniteX Solana Talent Lab is designed as an initiative that accelerates blockchain education while supporting builders, developers, and students across APAC markets to make meaningful contributions to the Solana ecosystem. The program provides real pathways into the ecosystem for builders around the world through a combination of educational resources, mentorship opportunities, project support, and career development initiatives. By connecting talented individuals with industry experts, funding opportunities, and practical experience, the IgniteX Solana Talent Lab creates a structured pathway from learning to professional deployment within the rapidly growing Solana ecosystem, fostering the next generation of blockchain innovators and contributors.

    Summit Launch Features

    The launch at Solana Summit APAC will focus on the following features:
    IgniteX Solana Scholars Launch Announcement:
    An announcement through speech on stage featuring executives from MEXC IgniteX, Superteam leadership, and Solana ecosystem representatives, highlighting the program’s vision and commitment to blockchain education advancement.

    Strategic Networking Summit:
    Networking opportunities connecting MEXC representatives, Solana team members, Student Ambassadors, and broader ecosystem participants to facilitate relationship building and explore future collaboration opportunities.

    Future Expansion and Impact

    The IgniteX Solana Talent Lab is designed for scalable growth, with plans to expand across multiple regions and educational institutions throughout 2025 and beyond. The collaboration aims to graduate hundreds of skilled blockchain developers annually while contributing to the overall growth and decentralization of the Solana ecosystem.


    About MEXC Ventures
    MEXC Ventures is a comprehensive fund dedicated to driving innovation in the cryptocurrency sector through investments in L1/L2 ecosystems, strategic investments, M&A, and incubation. Upholding the principle of “Empowering Growth Through Synergy,” MEXC Ventures is committed to supporting innovative ideas and active builders.

    MEXC Ventures is an investor and supporter of TON and Aptos, and looks forward to staying at the forefront of TON and Aptos innovations while actively engaging with builders to drive ecosystem growth.

    About Superteam
    Superteam is a cooperative of creatives, operators, and investors helping the most promising projects in the Solana ecosystem launch and grow. Focused on the “Ascending World” — India, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa — Superteam serves as a core engine of grassroots growth in Web3, connecting talented individuals with opportunities to contribute to innovative Solana projects while building sustainable careers in the decentralized economy.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b17fc00c-f54f-4b12-ba01-1c0e076c920b

    The MIL Network –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Yuanbao Inc. Announces First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEIJING, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yuanbao Inc. (“Yuanbao” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: YB), a leading technology-driven online insurance distributor in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operational Highlights

    • Total revenues in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB970.1 million (US$133.7 million), representing a 43.8% increase from RMB674.5 million in the same period of 2024.
    • Net income in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB295.1 million (US$40.7 million), representing a 122.1% increase from RMB132.9 million in the same period of 2024.
    • Net income margin in the first quarter of 2025 was 30.4%, compared with 19.7% in the same period of 2024.
    • Net operating cash inflow in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB425.1 million (US$58.6 million).
    • Number of new policies1 in the first quarter of 2025 was 6.8 million, representing a 21.3% increase from 5.6 million in the same period of 2024.

    Recent Developments

    • Leveraging the latest large language model (“LLM”) capabilities:
      • YB Agents. The Company has implemented an intelligent quality inspection Agent, capable of autonomously planning and coordinating multiple inspection tasks. This enables rapid deployment and reuse across complex scenarios, significantly enhancing inspection efficiency. The Company is also developing agents across other operational areas to improve process efficiency.
      • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Enhancements. The Company has addressed the limitations of LLMs in processing specialized professional knowledge by integrating a specialized insurance knowledge database with RAG, resulting in more accurate responses to consumer insurance inquiries.
      • Multi-Modal Applications. The Company is implementing multi-modal capabilities to broaden its interaction methods, seamlessly combining text, images, and other data types to promote more convenient and efficient insurance services.
    • In terms of the Company’s full consumer service cycle engine (recommendation models), as of the end of March, the Company had developed more than 4,700 models capable of analysis across more than 5,100 labels, an increase of 600 models and 1,000 labels from a year ago.

    “Achieving our Nasdaq listing marks the most significant strategic milestone in Yuanbao’s growth since our founding in 2019,” said Mr. Rui Fang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yuanbao. “In the first quarter of 2025, we reported a substantial increase in revenue and net income, with all core operational metrics demonstrating double-digit year-over-year growth. Notably, the number of new policies increased by 21.3% compared with the prior year period. In technology, we continued to upgrade our full consumer service cycle engine and expand large language model applications across the entire business process. These advancements have remarkably enhanced both the efficiency and user experience of post-sale services, particularly in claim processing. As of the end of March, we had developed over 4,700 models capable of analysis across more than 5,100 labels, an increase of 600 models and 1,000 labels from a year ago. These developments have led to more accurate predictions and significantly improved operational efficiency. Looking ahead, we are committed to increasing investment in R&D to better serve evolving consumer needs. We will also focus on optimizing the full consumer service cycle, deepening strategic collaborations with insurance partners, and creating long-term value for shareholders.”

    Mr. Ray Wan, Chief Financial Officer of Yuanbao, commented, “We are pleased to report a strong start to 2025, fueled by stellar financial and operational performance in the first quarter. Our total revenues reached a record RMB970.1 million, marking a 43.8% year-over-year increase, underpinned by the strength and efficiency of our engine. Additionally, we continued to improve our profitability, with net income growing 122.1% and net income margin expanding by 10.7 percentage points to 30.4%, compared with the prior year period. These solid results underscore Yuanbao’s leadership in China’s fast-growing online health insurance industry, where we leverage our core technological strengths to pursue growth while maintaining profitability. We remain confident that our healthy financial position and robust cash reserves will support our strategic initiatives, enhance our competitive advantage, and enable us to explore new opportunities for sustainable future growth.”

    1 The number of new policies for a given period represents the total number of both short-term and long-term insurance policies purchased by the Company’s insurance consumers during that period.

    First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Total Revenues. Total revenues in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB970.1 million (US$133.7 million), representing a 43.8% increase from RMB674.5 million in the same period of 2024. This growth was primarily driven by significant increases in revenues from both insurance distribution services and system services.

    Insurance Distribution Services. Revenues from insurance distribution services in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB321.8 million (US$44.3 million), representing a 45.0% increase from RMB221.9 million in the same period of 2024. This growth was mainly due to an increase in the number of policies purchased by insurance consumers on Yuanbao’s platform, partly driven by the Company’s enhanced targeted marketing efforts.

    System Services. Revenues from system services in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB647.0 million (US$89.2 million), representing a 43.2% increase from RMB451.7 million in the same period of 2024. This growth was primarily driven by the Company’s enhanced ability to provide partnered insurance carriers more effective marketing services and accurate analytics services, enabled by the Company’s continuously improving full consumer service cycle engine. Additionally, the increase was attributable to an expanded provision of system services to both existing and newly acquired partnered insurance carriers.

    Others. Revenues from other services in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB1.3 million (US$0.2 million), representing a 27.8% increase from RMB1.0 million in the same period of 2024.

    Total Operating Costs and Expenses. Total operating costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB680.6 million (US$93.8 million), representing a 24.1% increase from RMB548.6 million in the same period of 2024.

    Operations and Support Expenses. Operations and support expenses in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB44.8 million (US$6.2 million), representing a 16.8% increase from RMB38.3 million in the same period of 2024. This increase was primarily driven by business growth.

    Selling and Marketing Expenses. Selling and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB493.2 million (US$68.0 million), representing a 15.0% increase from RMB428.9 million in the same period of 2024. This increase was primarily due to enhanced efforts to attract new consumers and retain existing consumers.

    General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB66.6 million (US$9.2 million), representing a 50.7% increase from RMB44.2 million in the same period of 2024. This increase was primarily due to higher salary and benefits expenses.

    Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2025 were RMB76.1 million (US$10.5 million), representing a 104.5% increase from RMB37.2 million in the same period of 2024. This increase was primarily due to intensified research and development efforts and an expansion in R&D personnel, aimed at reinforcing the Company’s leadership position as a technology-driven online insurance distributor.

    Investment Income. Investment income in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB6.9 million (US$0.9 million), compared with RMB0.1 million in the same period of 2024. This growth was primarily due to higher gains from short-term investments.

    Net Income and Net Income Margin. Net income in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB295.1 million (US$40.7 million), representing a 122.1% increase from RMB132.9 million in the same period of 2024. Net income margin in the first quarter of 2025 was 30.4%, compared with 19.7% in the same period of 2024.

    Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income2and Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income Margin. Non-GAAP adjusted net income in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB312.2 million (US$43.0 million), representing a 103.2% increase from RMB153.6 million in the same period of 2024. Non-GAAP adjusted net income margin in the first quarter of 2025 was 32.2%, compared with 22.8% in the same period of 2024.

    Basic and Diluted Net Income per ADS.3 Basic net income per ADS in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB17.87 (US$2.46), compared with RMB4.97 in the same period of 2024. Diluted net income per ADS in the first quarter of 2025 was RMB6.46 (US$0.89), compared with RMB2.95 in the same period of 2024.

    Cash Position and Cash Flow

    As of March 31, 2025, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, time deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB2.77 billion (US$381.3 million), compared with RMB2.34 billion as of December 31, 2024.

    In the first quarter of 2025, net cash provided by operating activities was RMB425.1 million (US$58.6 million).

    2 Non-GAAP adjusted net income is defined as net income excluding share-based compensation expenses. See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure” and “Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” at the end of this press release.
    3 Each ADS represents six of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share.

    Exchange Rate

    This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (“RMB”) amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at a rate of RMB7.2567 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2025, as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Company makes no representation that any RMB or US$ amounts could have been, or could be, converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all.

    Conference Call

    The Company’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time on June 5, 2025 or 8:00 P.M. Beijing Time to discuss its financial results and operating performance for the first quarter of 2025.

    Participant Online Registration:
    https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIa888df307303472fb71951c383b5a7ba

    Participants should complete online registration using the link provided above at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Upon registration, participants will receive the conference call access information, including dial-in numbers, a personal PIN and an e-mail with detailed instructions to join the conference call.

    Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at ir.yb-inc.com.

    About Yuanbao Inc.

    Yuanbao Inc. is a leading technology-driven online insurance distributor in China, committed to protecting health and well-being through innovative technology. Leveraging its proprietary consumer service cycle engine and advanced technologies, Yuanbao delivers customized insurance solutions from its partnered insurance carriers to over ten million insurance consumers throughout the entire insurance lifecycle, ranging from personalized recommendations to post-sales services. Through deep collaboration with insurance carriers and the use of data-driven insights, Yuanbao empowers carriers to tailor flagship products, enhances consumer engagement, and drives scalable and efficient distribution.

    For more information, please visit: ir.yb-inc.com.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    The unaudited condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

    The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted net income and adjusted net income margin, in evaluating the Company’s operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. Adjusted net income represents net income excluding share-based compensation expense, and adjusted net income margin represents adjusted net income as a percentage of revenue. Such adjustments have no impact on income tax.

    The non-GAAP financial measures are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP methods of accounting and reporting used by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool and when assessing the Company’s operating performance, investors should not consider it in isolation. The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Adjusted net income presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure to the Company’s data.

    For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this press release.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. Yuanbao may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Yuanbao’s beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Yuanbao’s mission, goals and strategies; Yuanbao’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the insurance industry in China; Yuanbao’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services; Yuanbao’s expectations regarding its relationships with consumers, insurance carriers and other partners; competition in the industry and relevant government policies and regulations relating to insurance industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Yuanbao’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Yuanbao does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    In China:

    Yuanbao Inc.
    E-mail: ir@yb-inc.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Hui Fan
    Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
    E-mail: yb@thepiacentegroup.com

    In the United States:

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Brandi Piacente
    Tel: +1-212-481-2050
    E-mail: yb@thepiacentegroup.com

    YUANBAO INC.
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)
     
        As of December 31,
    2024
      As of March 31, 2025
        RMB   RMB USD
    ASSETS          
    Current assets:          
    Cash and cash equivalents   1,904,674   2,236,013 308,131
    Time deposits   80,000   80,000 11,024
    Restricted cash   15,000   15,000 2,067
    Short-term investments   336,217   435,708 60,042
    Accounts receivable, net   260,958   332,586 45,832
    Prepayments and other current assets, net   75,964   44,991 6,200
    Total current assets   2,672,813   3,144,298 433,296
    Non-current assets:          
    Property and equipment, net   4,896   5,087 701
    Intangible assets, net   58,049   58,026 7,996
    Right-of-use assets   19,335   16,171 2,228
    Deferred tax assets, net   6,936   7,045 971
    Other non-current assets, net   17,611   17,611 2,427
    Total non-current assets   106,827   103,940 14,323
    TOTAL ASSETS   2,779,640   3,248,238 447,619
    LIABILITIES          
    Current liabilities:          
    Accounts payable   10,676   20,730 2,857
    Contract liabilities   117,649   95,405 13,147
    Salary and welfare payable   160,690   159,426 21,969
    Taxes payable   51,359   51,173 7,052
    Current lease liabilities   13,447   13,548 1,867
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   586,990   758,236 104,487
    Total current liabilities   940,811   1,098,518 151,379
    Non-current liabilities:          
    Non-current lease liabilities   5,714   2,297 317
    Deferred tax liabilities, net   46,030   48,473 6,680
    Total non-current liabilities   51,744   50,770 6,997
    TOTAL LIABILITIES   992,555   1,149,288 158,376
    YUANBAO INC.
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
    (All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)
     
        As of December 31,
    2024
      As of March 31, 2025
        RMB   RMB USD
    MEZZANINE EQUITY:          
    Series Seed convertible redeemable preferred
       shares (US$0.0001 par value; 30,769,231 and
       30,769,231 shares authorized, issued
       and outstanding as of December 31, 2024
       and March 31, 2025, respectively)
      692,051     695,316   95,817  
    Series Angel convertible redeemable
       preferred shares (US$0.0001 par value;
       21,978,022 and 21,978,022 shares
       authorized, issued and outstanding as of
       December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025,
       respectively)
      495,921     497,729   68,589  
    Series B convertible redeemable preferred
       shares (US$0.0001 par value; 45,315,510
       and 45,315,510 shares authorized, issued
       and outstanding as of December 31, 2024
       and March 31, 2025, respectively)
      1,028,888     1,027,703   141,621  
    Series C-1 convertible redeemable preferred
       shares (US$0.0001 par value; 37,373,616
       and 37,373,616 shares authorized, issued
       and outstanding as of December 31, 2024
       and March 31, 2025, respectively)
      851,362     833,372   114,842  
    Series C-2 convertible redeemable preferred
       shares (US$0.0001 par value; 15,650,202
       and 15,650,202 shares authorized, issued
       and outstanding as of December 31, 2024
       and March 31, 2025, respectively)
      352,660     345,176   47,567  
    TOTAL MEZZANINE EQUITY   3,420,882     3,399,296   468,436  
               
    SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT:          
    Ordinary shares (US$0.0001 par value,
       348,913,419 and 348,913,419 shares
       authorized, 106,994,625 and 106,994,625
       shares issued, 106,994,625 and
       106,994,625 shares outstanding as of
       December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2025,
       respectively)
      71     71   10  
    Additional paid-in capital   198,664     215,743   29,730  
    Statutory reserves   80,975     80,975   11,159  
    Accumulated deficit   (1,932,128 )   (1,615,440 ) (222,614 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income   18,621     18,305   2,522  
    TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT   (1,633,797 )   (1,300,346 ) (179,193 )
    TOTAL LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT   2,779,640     3,248,238   447,619  
    YUANBAO INC.
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
    (All amounts in thousands, except for share, per share data, ADS and per ADS data)
     
      For the three months ended,
      March 31, 2024     March 31, 2025
     
      RMB     RMB   USD  
    Revenues 674,536     970,056   133,677  
    Operating costs and expenses*:              
    Operations and support (38,332 )   (44,756 ) (6,168 )
    Selling and marketing expenses (428,867 )   (493,150 ) (67,958 )
    General and administrative expenses (44,211 )   (66,640 ) (9,183 )
    Research and development expenses (37,212 )   (76,098 ) (10,487 )
    Total operating costs and expenses (548,622 )   (680,644 ) (93,796 )
    Other income:              
    Interest income 6,017     5,228   720  
    Exchange gains/(loss) 34     (138 ) (19 )
    Investment income 142     6,879   948  
    Others, net 791     439   60  
    Income before income taxes 132,898     301,820   41,590  
    Income tax expenses (47 )   (6,718 ) (926 )
    Net income 132,851     295,102   40,664  
    Accretion to preferred shares redemption value (64,607 )   21,586   2,975  
    Net income attributable to Yuanbao Inc.’s ordinary shareholders 68,244     316,688   43,639  
                   
    Net income 132,851     295,102   40,664  
    Other comprehensive income/(loss):              
    Foreign currency translation adjustments 396     (316 ) (44 )
    Total comprehensive income 133,247     294,786   40,620  
    Accretion to preferred shares redemption value (64,607 )   21,586   2,975  
    Comprehensive income attributable to Yuanbao Inc.’s ordinary shareholders 68,640     316,372   43,595  
                   
    Net income per share attributable to Yuanbao Inc.’s ordinary shareholders              
    Basic 0.83     2.98   0.41  
    Diluted 0.49     1.08   0.15  
                   
    Net income per ADS attributable to Yuanbao Inc.’s ordinary shareholders              
    Basic 4.97     17.87   2.46  
    Diluted 2.95     6.46   0.89  
                   
    Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing net income per share              
    Basic 82,325,900     106,358,492   106,358,492  
    Diluted 270,332,095     273,915,113   273,915,113  
                   

    *Share-based compensation expenses are included in the operating costs and expenses as follows:

      For the Three Months Ended
      March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025
      RMB RMB USD
    Operations and support –   (11 ) (2 )
    Selling and marketing expenses (4,626 ) (3,730 ) (514 )
    General and administrative expenses (12,105 ) (8,437 ) (1,163 )
    Research and development expenses (4,067 ) (4,901 ) (675 )
    Total (20,798 ) (17,079 ) (2,354 )

    **Each ADS represents six ordinary shares.

    YUANBAO INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS (UNAUDITED)
    (All amounts in thousands, unless otherwise noted)
     
      For the Three Months Ended
      March 31, 2024 March 31, 2025
      RMB RMB USD
    Net income 132,851 295,102 40,664
    Add:      
    Share-based compensation expenses 20,798 17,079 2,354
    Non-GAAP adjusted net income 153,649 312,181 43,018

    The MIL Network –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Punishment for Te Pāti Māori over Treaty haka stands – but MPs ‘will not be silenced’

    RNZ News

    Aotearoa New Zealand’s Parliament has confirmed the unprecedented punishments proposed for opposition indigenous Te Pāti Māori MPs who performed a haka in protest against the Treaty Principles Bill.

    Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi will be suspended for 21 days, and MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke suspended for seven days, taking effect immediately.

    Opposition parties tried to reject the recommendation, but did not have the numbers to vote it down.

    Te Pati Maori MPs speak after being suspended.  Video: RNZ/Mark Papalii

    The heated debate to consider the proposed punishment came to an end just before Parliament was due to rise.

    Waititi moved to close the debate and no party disagreed, ending the possibility of it carrying on in the next sitting week.

    Leader of the House Chris Bishop — the only National MP who spoke — kicked off the debate earlier in the afternoon saying it was “regrettable” some MPs did not vote on the Budget two weeks ago.

    Bishop had called a vote ahead of Budget Day to suspend the privileges report debate to ensure the Te Pāti Māori MPs could take part in the Budget, but not all of them turned up.

    Robust, rowdy debate
    The debate was robust and rowdy with both the deputy speaker Barbara Kuriger and temporary speaker Tangi Utikare repeatedly having to ask MPs to quieten down.

    Flashback: Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipa-Clarke led a haka in Parliament and tore up a copy of the Treaty Principles Bill at the first reading on 14 November 2024 . . . . a haka is traditionally used as an indigenous show of challenge, support or sorrow. Image: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone/APR screenshot

    Tākuta Ferris spoke first for Te Pāti Māori, saying the haka was a “signal of humanity” and a “raw human connection”.

    He said Māori had faced acts of violence for too long and would not be silenced by “ignorance or bigotry”.

    “Is this really us in 2025, Aotearoa New Zealand?” he asked the House.

    “Everyone can see the racism.”

    He said the Privileges Committee’s recommendations were not without precedent, noting the fact Labour MP Peeni Henare, who also participated in the haka, did not face suspension.

    MP Tākuta Ferris spoke for Te Pāti Māori. Image: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

    Henare attended the committee and apologised, which contributed to his lesser sanction.

    ‘Finger gun’ gesture
    MP Parmjeet Parmar — a member of the Committee — was first to speak on behalf of ACT, and referenced the hand gesture — or “finger gun” — that Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer made in the direction of ACT MPs during the haka.

    Parmar told the House debate could be used to disagree on ideas and issues, and there was not a place for intimidating physical gestures.

    Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said New Zealand’s Parliament could lead the world in terms of involving the indigenous people.

    She said the Green Party strongly rejected the committee’s recommendations and proposed their amendment of removing suspensions, and asked the Te Pāti Māori MPs be censured instead.

    Davidson said the House had evolved in the past — such as the inclusion of sign language and breast-feeding in the House.

    She said the Greens were challenging the rules, and did not need an apology from Te Pāti Māori.

    Foreign Minister and NZ First party leader Winston Peters called Te Pāti Māori “a bunch of extremists”. Image: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

    NZ First leader Winston Peters said Te Pāti Māori and the Green Party speeches so far showed “no sincerity, saying countless haka had taken place in Parliament but only after first consulting the Speaker.

    “They told the media they were going to do it, but they didn’t tell the Speaker did they?

    ‘Bunch of extremists’
    “The Māori party are a bunch of extremists,” Peters said, “New Zealand has had enough of them”.

    Peters was made to apologise after taking aim at Waititi, calling him “the one in the cowboy hat” with “scribbles on his face” [in reference to his traditional indigenous moko — tatoo]. He continued afterward, describing Waititi as possessing “anti-Western values”.

    Labour’s Willie Jackson congratulated Te Pāti Māori for the “greatest exhibition of our culture in the House in my lifetime”.

    Jackson said the Treaty bill was a great threat, and was met by a great haka performance. He was glad the ACT Party was intimidated, saying that was the whole point of doing the haka.

    He also called for a bit of compromise from Te Pāti Māori — encouraging them to say sorry — but reiterated Labour’s view the sanctions were out of proportion with past indiscretions in the House.

    Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the prime minister was personally responsible if the proposed sanctions went ahead. Image: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

    Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the debate “would be a joke if it wasn’t so serious”.

    “Get an absolute grip,” she said to the House, arguing the prime minister “is personally responsible” if the House proceeds with the committee’s proposed sanctions.

    Eye of the beholder
    She accused National’s James Meager of “pointing a finger gun” at her — the same gesture coalition MPs had criticised Ngarewa-Packer for during her haka. The Speaker accepted he had not intended to; Swarbrick said it was an example where the interpretation could be in the eye of the beholder.

    She said if the government could “pick a punishment out of thin air” that was “not a democracy”, putting New Zealand in very dangerous territory.

    An emotional Maipi-Clarke said she had been silent on the issue for a long time, the party’s voices in haka having sent shockwaves around the world. She questioned whether that was why the MPs were being punished.

    “Since when did being proud of your culture make you racist?”

    “We will never be silenced, and we will never be lost,” she said, calling the Treaty Principles bill a “dishonourable vote”.

    She had apologised to the Speaker and accepted the consequence laid down on the day, but refused to apologise. She listed other incidents in Parliament that resulted in no punishment.

    NZ Parliament TV: Te Pāti Māori Privileges committee debate.  Video: RNZ

    Maipi-Clarke called for the Treaty of Waitangi to be recognised in the Constitution Act, and for MPs to be required to honour it by law.

    ‘Clear pathway forward’
    “The pathway forward has never been so clear,” she said.

    ACT’s Nicole McKee said there were excuses being made for “bad behaviour”, that the House was for making laws and having discussions, and “this is not about the haka, this is about process”.

    She told the House she had heard no good ideas from the Te Pāti Māori, who she said resorted to intimidation when they did not get their way, but the MPs needed to “grow up” and learn to debate issues. She hoped 21 days would give them plenty of time to think about their behaviour.

    Labour MP and former Speaker Adrian Rurawhe started by saying there were “no winners in this debate”, and it was clear to him it was the government, not the Parliament, handing out the punishments.

    He said the proposed sanctions set a precedent for future penalties, and governments might use it as a way to punish opposition, imploring National to think twice.

    He also said an apology from Te Pāti Māori would “go a long way”, saying they had a “huge opportunity” to have a legacy in the House, but it was their choice — and while many would agree with the party there were rules and “you can’t have it both ways”.

    Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi speaking to the media after the Privileges Committee debate. Image: RNZ/Mark Papalii

    Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said there had been many instances of misinterpretations of the haka in the House and said it was unclear why they were being punished, “is it about the haka . . . is about the gun gestures?”

    “Not one committee member has explained to us where 21 days came from,” he said.

    Hat and ‘scribbles’ response
    Waititi took aim at Peters over his comments targeting his hat and “scribbles” on his face.

    He said the haka was an elevation of indigenous voice and the proposed punishment was a “warning shot from the colonial state that cannot stomach” defiance.

    Waititi said that throughout history when Māori did not play ball, the “coloniser government” reached for extreme sanctions, ending with a plea to voters: “Make this a one-term government, enrol, vote”.

    He brought out a noose to represent Māori wrongfully put to death in the past, saying “interpretation is a feeling, it is not a fact . . .  you’ve traded a noose for legislation”.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) backs $8.7m initiative to unite African nations against extreme weather events in the Ubangi River Basin

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 5, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Home to one of the largest tributaries of the Congo River, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will benefit from a pioneering cross-border initiative to prepare for extreme climatic events and develop joint water resource management strategies with $8.7 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

    Approved this Monday by the GEF Council, the “Regional program for integrated water resources management in the transboundary basin of the Ubangi River between the CAR and the DRC” aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two African nations while improving technical and institutional capacities for managing increasingly extreme floods, droughts and erratic rainfall patterns affecting the Ubangi River basin.  

    The GEF implementing agencies of the project are the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the African Development Bank. A regional body and two national ministries are ensuring the execution of the initiative: the International Commission of the Congo-Ubangi-Sangha (CICOS), the Ministry of Rural Development of the DRC, and the Ministry of Development of Energy and Water Resources of the CAR. 

     Thierry Kamach, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of CAR said: “The degradation of natural resources is undeniable. The United Nations 2030 Agenda is an inspiring and unifying message to build strong resilience around a transformative project that will further strengthen ecosystem interdependence for a greener and more sustainable future.” 

    Flowing between the CAR, the DRC and the Republic of Congo, the Ubangi stretches over 2,272 kilometres and is the main right-bank tributary of the Congo River. As such, it is part of the Congo River basin, the second-largest river basin in the world and a global biodiversity hotspot with over 1,000 fish species.  

    The river basin’s rainforest harbours more than 10,000 plant species and 2,500 animal species, including two-thirds of all primates, which are under pressure from deforestation and land cover clearing. In parallel, changes in hydrological regimes, riverbank erosion, sedimentation and mining pollution threaten the river’s fish and shore fauna, which are becoming increasingly rare, and the Ubangi’s role as a regulator of regional and global climates. These challenges will be addressed by the new GEF initiative in an integrated fashion, considering the nexus between biodiversity, climate and ecosystem degradation, and between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 

    “This initiative is vital as it brings together the communities and institutions of two countries to conserve one of Africa’s most ecologically and economically important river basins. By working across borders, these countries will strengthen their resilience to climate change while protecting biodiversity and the natural systems that sustain life” said IUCN Director General, Grethel Aguilar. “Through its strong on-the-ground presence in the Congo basin, IUCN will mobilise actors in the forest and environmental sectors to promote collaborative basin management and community-led nature-based solutions at the regional, national and local levels. Our focus will be as much on biodiversity and water resources, as it will on safeguarding the livelihoods of the region’s 25 million inhabitants, many of whom depend on the Ubangi River for navigation, trade and agriculture”.

     “This initiative is aligned with GEF’s long-standing commitment and investments in the sustainable management of the Congo basin,” said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. “By funding this crucial effort in support of sustainable management of water and land resources while averting pollution and land degradation, the GEF also contributes to maintaining the ecosystem functions of this gigantic forest system in supporting the stability of the regional and global hydrological cycle.” 

    Over the past 30 years, changes in rainfall patterns have progressively decreased water levels and reduced runoff in the Ubangi River by up to 18%. Coupled with the erosion, this further accentuated the siltation of the river, which is not only detrimental to biodiversity but also cripples navigation, limits trade and restricts access to residential areas. Alternating with drought periods, destructive floods are another harsh reality affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the region over the last decade, leading to population displacement to neighbouring countries.  

    The new GEF initiative will enable more effective binational cooperation in decision-making and the political monitoring of water crises by establishing a joint observatory and shared tools and data protocols between the DRC and CAR to enhance forecasting, prevention, and common crisis management measures. To combat biodiversity loss caused by human activities in the river basin, practical demonstrations of nature-based solutions —such as agroforestry, conservation farming and ecosystem rehabilitation— will be carried out on site. 

    Ensuring social inclusivity and promoting a “whole of society” approach, the project will roll out a framework for dialogue and exchange among stakeholders, including regional and local authorities, the private sector (particularly local small to medium-sized enterprises), young professionals, and female community leaders. This aims to strengthen local actors’ capability to contribute to shared watercourse management through training and capacity-building, and to assist them in formulating strategies to resolve common challenges. 

    Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank, stated: “The Bank welcomes this GEF-supported initiative to strengthen cooperation in the Ubangi basin, enhance local resilience, and promote women’s leadership. Its nature-based, people-centred approach aligns with our High 5s and offers a model for basin-wide collaboration in Africa.” 

    With $67 million mobilised in co-financing, the GEF initiative complements a pre-existing project entitled “Regional Support Programme for the Development of Cross-border Water Infrastructure and Resources between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – PREDIRE”, being implemented by the African Development Bank, by mainstreaming environmental, ecosystem and participative approaches into the sectors of water, agriculture and transport. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 5, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE strengthens regional law enforcement collaboration in Central Asia

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE strengthens regional law enforcement collaboration in Central Asia

    Participants at the 2025 Regional Meeting of Heads of Law Enforcement and Security Co-operation Departments (HoLEDs), 5 June, Dushanbe. (OSCE) Photo details

    The OSCE Secretariat, together with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, convened the 2025 Regional Meeting of Heads of Law Enforcement and Security Co-operation Departments (HoLEDs) on 4 and 5 June in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
    The event brought together senior law enforcement officials from all five Central Asian OSCE field operations, alongside key international partners and stakeholders. The two-day event provided a vital platform for dialogue and co-ordination on shared security challenges including illicit drug trafficking, the misuse of small arms and light weapons, and the advancement of community policing initiatives aimed at enhancing security and resilience across the region.
    In her opening remarks, Tatiana Turcan, deputy Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, emphasized the value of regional dialogue in strengthening security co-operation and sharing best practices. She added “it’s also an opportunity to exchange professional experiences and to discuss challenges in the region.”
    “This forum plays a crucial role in enhancing the co-ordination between the TNTD/Strategic Police Matters Unit, the OSCE Central Asia field operations, and our wider network of international partners, ” added Umberto Severini, Head of the Strategic Police Matters Unit at the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.
    A field visit to a Mobile Police Reception (MPR) unit – part of Tajikistan’s police reform efforts supported by the OSCE – offered a practical look at how community-oriented approaches are being implemented on the ground. Training sessions featured exchanges on project successes and challenges, as well as contributions from key international partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Central Asia Drug Action Programme, 7th Phase (CADAP 7).
    By fostering dialogue and operational collaboration, the Regional Meeting reinforced the OSCE’s collective contribution to strengthening law enforcement capacity, stability and community security across Central Asia.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 5, 2025
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