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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County men sentenced to federal prison for robbing neighborhood grocery store

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BEAUMONT, Texas – Two Beaumont men have been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Johnaton Rechard Hite, 22, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 13, 2025.  Cody Lane Wilson, 28, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by Judge Crone on May 13th.

    According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, local law enforcement officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Kidd Grocery Store, located at 8608 Kidd Road, in Beaumont. Upon arrival, the store clerk reported that a man entered the store armed with an AR-15 style rifle and threatened to shoot him if he did not open the safe. The subject took approximately $1,340 in cash and fled the store.  Deputies reviewed surveillance footage of the robbery and observed the robber was a black male wearing a woman’s brown or black wig, a white hoodie jacket, dark pants, sunglasses, one white shoe and one black shoe.

    While responding to the robbery call, deputies observed a 2004 Honda Accord leaving the grocery store and conducted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Wilson. Wilson was detained and gave consent to search his vehicle where deputies located wigs, one black shoe, and one white shoe.  Wilson told deputies that he and Hite planned to rob the grocery store with Wilson as the getaway driver while Hite robbed the store. However, Wilson got scared and fled the scene leaving Hite behind.

    While deputies were conducting their investigation with Wilson, dispatch received another call from a concerned citizen near the grocery store reporting someone was knocking on their door.  Deputies responded to the location and located Hite hiding on the porch of the caller’s residence.  Next to where Hite was hiding, deputies found $1,340 in cash.

    This case was sentenced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Change needed at sheltered plus schemes say councillors

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Change needed at sheltered plus schemes say councillors

    Change is desperately needed at Canterbury City Council’s Sheltered Plus housing schemes to save it and its tenants money and boost the quality of people’s homes. 

    That the is the conclusion of councillors from all political parties who took part in the Older Persons’ Accommodation Working Group after carefully examining the evidence. 

    Its report will be discussed by the Overview Committee at its meeting on 22 May. 

    The working group’s report says: “Sheltered Plus was put in place in 2018 with a large financial subsidy from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and a guarantee that it would remain unaltered for two years. 

    “The council has honoured that commitment and more. Six years have passed and the environment in which the council’s housing operates has changed dramatically and the status quo is not financially sustainable.” 

    The HRA is the dedicated account the council uses to pay for council housing and which tenants pay their rent into. 

    The report goes on: “The buildings are ageing and require significant capital investment for repairs, maintenance and modernisation. 

    “Many are dated with limited space [for tenants], no Wi-Fi or electric vehicle charging points.  

    “Society has changed dramatically since the schemes were designed and they no longer meet the needs or aspirations of many of today’s over-60s, which is reflected in limited demand.   

    “However, housing need in general is increasing and the council must make the best use of its scarce supply of affordable homes for the benefit of local households of all ages that desperately need a home. 

    “This review has conducted extensive research and the findings are clear.   

    “The full cost of the Sheltered Plus service is unaffordable to many because key elements of the service, such as night reassurance cover and the laundry service do not qualify for Housing Benefit, as they are personal care and not related to the provision of accommodation.   

    “The unfunded costs have been met by the HRA, which is not what it is intended for and, with the other financial pressures on the HRA, the situation is unsustainable. 

    “If the council is to survive as a social landlord, this hole in the finances must be addressed and services must adapt to changes in society to ensure they remain relevant for current and future generations.” 

    The working group recommendations include: 

    • standardising the service in sheltered housing and Sheltered Plus to provide a consistent service across the whole sheltered housing portfolio including removing the laundry service and stopping the provision of night reassurance cover 
    • reducing the number of Independent Living Managers 
    • improving the support provided by the Lifeline service 
    • expanding provision, including telecare and telehealth 
    • installing modern CCTV equipment, monitored by the council’s Central Control room 

    In its report, the working group recognises the current Sheltered Plus arrangements give tenants and their families peace of mind and make them feel secure. 

    It wants to listen closely to their views and concerns so we can take these fully into account before a decision is taken. 

    The same applies to those council staff members that would be affected. 

    The working group is recommending a comprehensive 12-week consultation.  

    This will include personal one-to-one meetings with tenants and their families as well as gathering the views of the Resident Engagement Panel and Independent Living Forum which represent tenants and meetings with key stakeholders. 

    The working group says each tenant would need a personalised support plan if the transition were to go ahead so residents are able to be carefully helped into the new arrangements. 

    The current Sheltered Plus service is unique and not found anywhere else in Kent.  

    It is provided at 127 properties across four schemes: 

    • Lang Court in Whitstable  
    • Cranmer House in Canterbury  
    • Collard House in Canterbury  
    • Whitgift Court in Canterbury  

    The service was designed through consultation with tenants and their families after Kent County Council withdrew its Supporting People Grant in March 2018. 

    They voted to keep and pay for services beyond standard sheltered housing including: 

    • an on-site, non-residential Independent Living Manager during weekday office hours 
    • a supported laundry service during weekdays because the kitchens of individual flats are too small to install a domestic washing machine, and tenants sometimes find the controls of the commercial-style machines in the communal laundry too heavy to operate 
    • on-call night reassurance service, seven nights a week, in case of emergency 
    • signposting to taking up activities, training, work or engaging with the community   
    • advice about accessing health care and social care.   

    At Whitgift Court and Lang Court there is a dedicated member of staff, whereas Collard House and Cranmer House share a member of staff and pay commensurately less.  

    The night reassurance service does not provide a hands-on response in an emergency but contacts the relevant service or family member.  

    The full cost of the Sheltered Plus service is too expensive for most tenants and a commitment was given by the council to subsidise the service for two years before it was reviewed, with the deficit underwritten by the HRA. 

    Both sheltered housing and Sheltered Plus are supported by the council’s Lifeline service which enables tenants to raise an alarm in an emergency. 

    The Overview Committee will meet at the Guildhall, St Peter’s Place, at 7pm on Thursday 22 May. 

    You can view the agenda and the working group’s full report here. 

    Published: 14 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Micropolis Begins Testing Phase in AI and Robotics Infrastructure for SEE Holding’s Sustainable City 2.0

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micropolis Holding Co. (“Micropolis” or the “Company”) (NYSE: MCRP), a pioneer in unmanned ground vehicles and AI-driven security solutions, today announced it has commenced the testing phase of its collaboration with SEE Holding Ltd at The Sustainable City 2.0 (TSC 2.0) to deploy Micropolis’s advanced robotics platforms, AI-powered surveillance systems, smart mobility applications, and edge computing nodes across the next generation of Sustainable City projects.

    The Sustainable City is SEE Holding’s globally recognized model of a next-generation city designed to harness intelligent systems to enhance performance, efficiency, and everyday lifestyle and to provide a framework for achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

    This is the latest step in the strategic collaboration between Micropolis and SEE Holding following the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April. The deployment will encompass integrated command systems for security operation, autonomous fleets and smart mobility applications, edge computing, and computer vision technologies.

    “Deploying our technologies throughout The Sustainable City 2.0 marks a significant milestone for our company,” said Fareed Aljawhari, CEO of Micropolis Holding Co. “This initial phase will demonstrate how our AI-driven solutions can seamlessly integrate with net-zero principles, enhancing safety, efficiency, and quality of life for residents.”

    A joint R&D program is also underway to advance Micropolis’s sustainable urban technologies, aimed at driving operational efficiency, resident experience, and environmental performance across SEE Holding’s global sustainable city projects.

    About Micropolis Holding Co.
    Micropolis is a UAE-based company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), AI systems, and smart infrastructure for urban, security, and industrial applications. The Company’s vertically integrated capabilities cover everything from mechatronics and embedded systems to AI software and high-level autonomy.

    For more information please visit www.micropolis.ai.

    About SEE Holding
    SEE Holding, is a UAE-based sustainably focused global holding group that designs, invests in, and builds sustainable infrastructures and cities through its three operational verticals: SEE Solutions, SEE Developers, and SEE Engineering.

    Driven by its purpose of spearheading a net zero emissions future and achieving the 2050 UN targets, SEE Holding develops inclusive and sustainable communities that prioritize education, sports, healthcare, and overall well-being as part of its commitment to social, environmental and economic impact. SEE Holding currently has projects in the UAE across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as in Oman.

    For more information, please visit us on: https://seeholding.com

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements represent Micropolis’ current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    Investor Contact:
    KCSA Strategic Communications
    Valter Pinto, Managing Director
    PH: (212) 896-1254
    Valter@KCSA.com

    Media Contact:
    Jessica Starman
    media@elev8newmedia.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ebe2e39-9f87-4709-bd4f-cae5804c2b03

    The MIL Network –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Silynxcom Announces Record Annual Revenue of Approximately $9.1 million in 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Netanya, Israel, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silynxcom Ltd. (NYSE American: SYNX) (“Silynxcom” or the “Company”), a manufacturer and developer of ruggedized tactical communication headset devices, has released its consolidated financial results for the full year period ended December 31, 2024. 

    Key Financial Highlights for 2024:

    • Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to a record of $9.1 million, up approximately 18% from the previous year. This growth reflects the Company’s ongoing expansion and product adoption.
       
    • Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024 totaled $3.2 million.
       
    • Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 amounted to approximately $3.8 million, up 17% compared to $3.2 million from the same period in the previous year.

    Recent Corporate Highlights:

    • On April 2, 2025, the Company announced the closing of underwritten public offering of, for gross proceeds of approximately $2.9 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.
       
    • Entry into drone detection technology- the Company introduced an armored personnel carrier headset that enhances battlefield awareness by detecting drone noise while maintaining hearing protection.
       
    • Received $10 Million in orders from the Israel Defense Forces Since October 7, 2023.
       
    • Asia Pacific Growth- expanded sales operations in the Asia Pacific region.
       
    • Enhanced its position as a market innovator with new orders from militaries, special units and police departments worldwide.
       
    • Advanced its revolutionary in-ear communication solution with real-time vital signs monitoring.
       
    • Successfully completed field trials for its innovative product, aimed at boosting situational awareness and safety for armored personnel carrier crews and other heavy military vehicles, with a military force in Asia.

    The Company has filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “Annual Report”) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which can be accessed on its website at https://www.silynxcom.com/. Shareholders may request, free of charge, a hard copy of the Annual Report, which includes Silynxcom’s complete audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, by contacting ir@silynxcom.com.

    About Silynxcom Ltd.

    Silynxcom Ltd. develops, manufactures, markets, and sells ruggedized tactical communication headset devices as well as other communication accessories, all of which have been field-tested and combat-proven. The Company’s in-ear headset devices, or In-Ear Headsets, are used in combat, the battlefield, riot control, demonstrations, weapons training courses, and on the factory floor. The In-Ear Headsets seamlessly integrate with third party manufacturers of professional-grade ruggedized radios that are used by soldiers in combat or by police officers in leading military and law enforcements units. The Company’s In-Ear Headsets also fit tightly into the protective gear to enable users to speak and hear clearly and precisely while they are protected from the hazardous sounds of combat, riots or dangerous situations. The sleek, lightweight, In-Ear Headsets include active sound protection to eliminate unsafe sounds, while maintaining ambient environmental awareness, giving their customers 360° situational awareness. The Company works closely with its customers and seek to improve the functionality and quality of the Company’s products based on actual feedback from soldiers and police officers “in the field.” The Company sells its In-Ear Headsets and communication accessories directly to military forces, police and other law enforcement units. The Company also deals with specialized networks of local distributors in each locale in which it operates and has developed key strategic partnerships with radio equipment manufacturers.

    For additional information about the company please visit: https://silynxcom.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 13, 2025, and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Capital Markets & IR Contact

    Michal Efraty
    ir@silynxcom.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [GLOBALDATA PLC – 13 05 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
    13 MAY 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: 11,073,280 1.3729    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 11,073,280 1.3729    

    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 7,000 192.15p

    (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: 14 MAY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    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 –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: The US and China have reached a temporary truce in the trade wars, but more turbulence lies ahead

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Jean Monnet Chair of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide

    Defying expectations, the United States and China have announced an important agreement to de-escalate bilateral trade tensions after talks in Geneva, Switzerland.

    The good, the bad and the ugly

    The good news is their recent tariff increases will be slashed. The US has cut tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while China has reduced levies on US imports from 125% to 10%. This greatly eases major bilateral trade tensions, and explains why financial markets rallied.

    The bad news is twofold. First, the remaining tariffs are still high by modern standards. The US average trade-weighted tariff rate was 2.2% on January 1 2025, while it is now estimated to be up to 17.8%. This makes it the highest tariff wall since the 1930s.

    Overall, it is very likely a new baseline has been set. Bilateral tariff-free trade belongs to a bygone era.

    Second, these tariff reductions will be in place for 90 days, while negotiations continue. Talks will likely include a long list of difficult-to-resolve issues. China’s currency management policy and industrial subsidies system dominated by state-owned enterprises will be on the table. So will the many non-tariff barriers Beijing can turn on and off like a tap.

    China is offering to purchase unspecified quantities of US goods – in a repeat of a US-China “Phase 1 deal” from Trump’s first presidency that was not implemented. On his first day in office in January, amid a blizzard of executive orders, Trump ordered a review of that deal’s implementation. The review found China didn’t follow through on the agriculture, finance and intellectual property protection commitments it had made.

    Unless the US has now decided to capitulate to Beijing’s retaliatory actions, it is difficult to see the US being duped again.

    Failure to agree on these points would reveal the ugly truth that both countries continue to impose bilateral export controls on goods deemed sensitive, such as semiconductors (from the US to China) and processed critical minerals (from China to the US).

    Moreover, in its so-called “reciprocal” negotiations with other countries, the US is pressing trading partners to cut certain sensitive China-sourced goods from their exports destined for US markets. China is deeply unhappy about these US demands and has threatened to retaliate against trading partners that adopt them.

    A temporary truce

    Overall, the announcement is best viewed as a truce that does not shift the underlying structural reality that the US and China are locked into a long-term cycle of escalating strategic competition.




    Read more:
    Why Trump fails to understand China’s trade war tactics, and what his negotiators should be reading


    That cycle will have its ups (the latest announcement) and downs (the tariff wars that preceded it). For now, both sides have agreed to announce victory and focus on other matters.

    For the US, this means ensuring there will be consumer goods on the shelves in time for Halloween and Christmas, albeit at inflated prices. For China, it means restoring some export market access to take pressure off its increasingly ailing economy.

    As neither side can vanquish the other, the likely long-term result is a frozen conflict. This will be punctuated by attempts to achieve “escalation dominance”, as that will determine who emerges with better terms. Observers’ opinions on where the balance currently lies are divided.

    Along the way, and to use a quote widely attributed to Winston Churchill, to “jaw-jaw is better than to war-war”. Fasten your seat belts, there is more turbulence to come.

    Where does this leave the rest of us?

    Significantly, the US has not (so far) changed its basic goals for all its bilateral trade deals.

    Its overarching aim is to cut the goods trade deficit by reducing goods imports and eliminating non-tariff barriers it says are “unfairly” prohibiting US exports. The US also wants to remove barriers to digital trade and investments by tech giants and “derisk” certain imports that it deems sensitive for national security reasons.

    The agreement between the US and UK last week clearly reflects these goals in operation. While the UK received some concessions, the remaining tariffs are higher, at 10% overall, than on April 2 and subject to US-imposed import quotas. Furthermore, the UK must open its market for certain goods while removing China-originating content from steel and pharmaceutical products destined for the US.

    For Washington’s Pacific defence treaty allies, including Australia, nothing has changed. Potentially difficult negotiations with the Trump administration lie ahead, particularly if the US decides to use our security dependencies as leverage to wring concessions in trade. Japan has already disavowed linking security and trade, and their progress should be closely watched.

    The US has previously paused high tariffs on manufacturing nations in South-East Asia, particularly those used by other nations as export platforms to avoid China tariffs. Vietnam, Cambodia and others will face sustained uncertainty and increasingly difficult balancing acts. The economic stakes are higher for them.

    They, like the Japanese, are long-practised in the subtle arts of balancing the two giants. Still, juggling ties with both Washington and Beijing will become the act of an increasingly high-wire trapeze artist.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The US and China have reached a temporary truce in the trade wars, but more turbulence lies ahead – https://theconversation.com/the-us-and-china-have-reached-a-temporary-truce-in-the-trade-wars-but-more-turbulence-lies-ahead-256448

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Banking: Tariff-related disruptions to outweigh other oil and gas themes, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Tariff-related disruptions to outweigh other oil and gas themes, says GlobalData

    Posted in Oil & Gas

    US tariffs and energy security are expected to remain the focal points for oil and gas trade in 2025. Tariff-induced trade tensions might exert downward pressure on the US and global economy in the near term, potentially affecting the energy demand. It is therefore important for the industry to assess the impact of macroeconomic themes of tariffs, along with geopolitics, and supply chain while charting out its growth plans, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s thematic report, “Top 20 Oil & Gas Themes – 2025,” identifies the top 20 themes that will impact the oil and gas industry in 2025. Besides macro themes, the ones enabling the transition towards clean energy, such as renewables, low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and electric vehicles (EV) are expected to have a potential impact on oil and gas operations in 2025 and beyond.

    Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The US government initially imposed hefty import tariffs on most countries in line with their respective trade deficits, which were later normalized at 10% for a period of 90 days. As a result, the global economic forecast is clouded by the frequent changes in the US tariffs and the prospect of retaliatory rate increases from affected trading partners, especially China.”

    The industry has largely recovered from the geopolitical developments since 2022 that had vastly impacted global supply chains. While the global oil demand is anticipated to grow in 2025, fueled by consistent economic expansion in Asia, the stability of supply hinges on geopolitical risks and the production strategies of OPEC+ nations.

    Puranik adds: “A resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, along with incremental increases in OPEC+ output post-April 2025, could ensure adequate market supply, even in the face of stringent US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.”

    Traditional oil and gas themes, namely LNG, shale, and integrated refineries will continue to enable companies to remain competitive in the energy market. The report also features disruptive tech themes, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics.

    Puranik concludes: “GlobalData research shows that companies who invest in the right themes become success stories; those who miss the big themes ultimately fail. Given that so many themes are disruptive, it is very easy to be blindsided by industry outsiders invading the sector. In this scenario it is important to understand the biggest themes in the industry and the how they could help companies thrive in the rapidly changing energy dynamics.”

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: LISI (SPbGASU) graduate Evgeny Zhuk: “I started my career in my second year at a construction site”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Evgeny Zhuk

    A graduate of LISI (now SPbGASU) Evgeny Zhuk recalls what the institute was like 60 years ago, how he passed exams and studied. At the same time, he emphasizes that he is one of many ordinary graduates of our university. In fact, Evgeny Pavlovich is quite modest. He was awarded the medal “Veteran of Labor”, the badge “Honorary Builder of Russia”, the badge “Builder of St. Petersburg” 2nd degree, the silver and gold medals of the Holy Supreme Apostle Peter, the badge “Construction Glory”, the Order “For Merit in Construction”, the badge “Labor Valor”, the honorary title “Honored Builder of the Russian Federation”, the title “Honored Builder of St. Petersburg”, the badge of the Holy Martyr Veniamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov, for services to the St. Petersburg Metropolitanate. During his many years of work, he built objects “for three Leningrads”.

    At 81, Evgeny Pavlovich works as the chief specialist of the construction control department of general education facilities of the Educational Facilities Construction Department of the St. Petersburg State Institution “Capital Construction and Reconstruction Fund”, subordinate to the St. Petersburg Construction Committee. We talk to him about how to succeed in the profession and remain in demand, despite the situation in the country and age.

    – Evgeny Pavlovich, how can one choose a profession for life in one’s youth?

    – I continued the family dynasty: my father and grandfather were builders, my mother also received an education in the construction industry, my uncle was an architect. Their example and advice became the determining factor in choosing a profession. I studied well at school, I had excellent math and physics teachers, so there were no problems with entering civil and industrial construction. At that time, applicants also had to successfully pass the swimming test, which is quite fair: a builder must be ready to navigate any situation, for example, during the construction of bridges over water obstacles.

    The state system helped me stay in the profession. My first two years of study went like this: students who entered the daytime department right after school studied according to the evening education program, that is, on Mondays we studied during the day, worked on the construction site the rest of the weekdays, and on Wednesdays and Fridays we also went to classes in the evenings. Therefore, already in the second year, we were awarded the qualification of a first-category transport worker, then a concrete worker and a carpenter of the second and third categories. I completed my industrial practice as a backup foreman. Graduates were immediately employed, as they say now, with a good social package – with the provision of a room first in a dormitory, then in an apartment, and then – separate housing, the area of which depended on the family status and the number of children. In addition, there was a mentoring system and career advancement. Therefore, the profession was popular with young people.

    – How did you start your career and what successes have you achieved?

    – I worked at the Design Institute for the first two years after graduating, and then moved to Glavleningradstroy, a powerful organization with 70,000 employees, and its boss was at the ministerial level. It was interesting to work there because the workers were highly qualified, they were trained in vocational schools and construction colleges. Many of the foremen then became heads of departments, that is, the personnel were trained on the spot. But higher education was required for career growth. I always say that I was lucky to work with good mentors and managers. I always share my professional successes with them. They taught me a lot, and these skills came in handy at all stages of professional growth, starting from a foreman, a site manager, a senior foreman, a site manager to a chief engineer and a department manager.

    What buildings have I participated in the construction of? 22-story buildings on Moskovsky Prospekt from the airport side, buildings at the entrance to Sestroretsk, buildings in Kupchino and Kolpino. Modern buildings include the Buff Theater, the Church of the Holy Apostle Peter in Stroiteley Park, the Triumph of the Russian Fleet monument near the cathedral in Kronstadt, the Boris Eifman Children’s Dance Theater, the first block of the oncology hospital in Pesochny, the swimming pool on Khlopina Street, and the building of the Botkin Clinical Hospital on Piskarevsky. Over the past few years, I have participated in the construction of a dozen schools in different areas of the city, for example, the 777th school for almost 2,000 students in the Primorsky District, the 147th in the Krasnogvardeisky District, the 219th school for 1,375 students in the Krasnoselsky District, and the Church of All Saints Who Shone in the Land of St. Petersburg at the Levashovskoye Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg.

    – Before your eyes, the construction industry and the country have experienced dramatic changes: the Soviet system was replaced by difficult years after the collapse of the USSR, and the new history brings its own events. How did you manage to stay in the industry?

    – In Soviet times, the personnel training system worked effectively. All trusts had dormitories for employees. All social issues were resolved in an elementary way: places in kindergartens, vouchers for health resorts, benefits. And suddenly the system that had been established over decades collapsed. Hard times came. In the nineties of the last century, I worked as the chief engineer of the construction department. There were orders, but there was also a time when, in order to feed the workers, we negotiated with collective farms about the supply of sugar and food. But the thought of leaving the profession never occurred to me. This is the work of my whole life, an activity that I know well and love. Times are changing, but construction will always be a popular, developing industry. Previously, concrete was transported in dump trucks, now – in mixers, modern technology, high-tech machines and materials have appeared. We rarely used the technology of monolithic housing construction, but now a lot is built in monolith. Knowledge of your profession, development in it helps to adapt to any situation.

    – How can today’s graduates become successful specialists in the industry?

    – I am sure that after receiving a diploma, you need to work on a construction site to gain experience, master specialties and learn to personally understand all construction processes. Dreaming of immediately becoming a boss is a mistake. It is much more correct to rise to a management position from the lowest rung of the career ladder. Then you will become a highly qualified manager, thoroughly understanding all work processes and able to effectively communicate with employees at all levels.

    In addition, I was always wary when a job applicant assured that he could do everything. But if a person honestly admitted that he was a carpenter but did not know carpentry, it inspired respect. I understood that this person understood the meaning of his profession, because a carpenter is one profession, a joiner is a completely different one. Today, new in-demand professions are emerging, but the essence of success for specialists does not change: it is important to find a specific area of activity and develop in it, and not try to learn everything, but little by little. It is good that there are smart young guys who move from construction to office work: there is more trust in such managers, because they know the real state of affairs in the industry. And, of course, the main guarantee of success is to love your business, like your girlfriend or wife.

    – You have maintained contact with our university for a long time and even provided sponsorship.

    – In 2022, I donated about a hundred copies of educational literature on construction production, collected over the years of work in the industry, to the library of our university. At that time, the position of rector was occupied by Yuri Pavlovich Panibratov. He sent a letter of thanks to the construction corporation where I worked as chief engineer, emphasizing my participation in the events held at LISI. In response, I was thanked and awarded a certificate of the corporation. It is nice, but I donated the educational kits from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to help my native institute.

    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 –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – Testimony of the forgotten conflict in eastern DRC: The “100 days of liberated Goma”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 14 May 2025 wars  

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “Goma, capital of the North Kivu region, two million inhabitants. An occupied city, on its knees. Stretched along the shores of Lake Kivu, caressed by the heat of the Nyiragongo volcano, its beauty and the peace of some thirty years are turning into tears of fear and death.” These are the words that highlight the dramatic testimony sent to Fides from Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that fell into the hands of the M23 rebels at the end of January. For security reasons, we are publishing it in full, omitting the author’s name: On January 28, after two days of intense fighting between the regular Congolese army, supported by the “Wazalendo” (patriotic militias), against the AFC (Congo River Alliance) and M23 (March 23, an invading rebel group supported by the Rwandan army), the city was once again declared “liberated.” A liberation that left a tragic toll of thousands of innocent civilians dead, many of them in their own homes, built with precarious materials, incapable of offering any shelter. Looting, rape, and abuse perpetrated by armed men from various factions have left deep scars. More than 100 days after the fighting, the wounds remain open, both on the body and in the collective memory of the population. Freedom of expression, human dignity, and the right to life and peace have been brutally violated. Today, the law of terror is imposed at gunpoint and with the blows of batons. The judicial system has collapsed. Instead of courts, detention centers have been set up that, in practice, function as places of torture. Prisons have been emptied—some 3,000 prisoners disappeared during the city’s capture—and trials, when they are held, are summary and improvised, even in the open air. The night has become a nightmare for the most vulnerable neighborhoods. Armed men break into homes to rob and sexually assault. These individuals include former prisoners, former military deserters, militia members, and others, operating anonymously under the cover of darkness. Sometimes, the attackers are captured by neighbors trying to defend the victims; their bodies often appear the next morning, abandoned or even burned. Fear, anger, and the absence of justice fuel a form of mob justice that is faceless and merciless. The search for alleged members of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), accused of participating in the 1994 genocide and now hiding in the neighborhoods of Goma, often serves as a pretext for personal vendettas or ethnic clashes, exacerbating already existing tensions. Arbitrary arrests and disappearances are part of a policy of repression aimed at silencing any dissenting voice. The economic situation is equally critical. The financial system is paralyzed: banks remain closed, preventing the payment of salaries, including those of teachers in affiliated schools. Commerce is at a standstill, and the international airport, vital to the city’s economic life, was bombed during the fighting and is out of service. The promises to keep alive hope for a better future—occupation propaganda comparing the supposedly more effective new “liberation” regime with the corrupt and ineffective old regime in Kinshasa—are numerous; but they fade with each passing day. Many young people, disillusioned with life or desperate with rage, volunteer to enlist in the army of the new masters and fight the regular army of the central government. Solution or illusion? Dying for the sake of dying: it’s worth a try. But the struggle for life has not been broken. The population helps each other in a thousand ways. The tens of thousands of displaced people, whose camps have been dismantled by the new authorities, have found refuge in the homes of friends, relatives, or people of good will. They share the same fears, the same suffering, but also the same hopes. The number of crosses increases, sometimes even invisible, because there is no trace left of the missing. But among the black lava rocks of the Nyiragongo volcano, scattered along the neighborhood roads, flowers are sprouting. With difficulty, because the earth is still soaked with blood. They are flowers with thin stems, but fragrant and colorful: red flowers, the color of the painful tears shed every day; green flowers, of hope and resistance, so that life does not die; flowers that symbolize a new society: the new society of Congo that is being born from the ashes of war. Yes, because life is like the sun: no matter how long and stormy the night, at dawn the sun reappears. (Agenzia Fides, 14/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Leo XIV’s link to Haiti is part of a broader American story of race, citizenship and migration

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chelsea Stieber, Associate Professor of French Studies, Tulane University

    Pope Leo XIV appears before thousands of journalists on May 12, 2025, in Vatican City. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

    Early coverage of Pope Leo XIV has explored the first American pontiff’s Chicago upbringing, as well as the many years he spent in Peru, first as a missionary and then as a bishop.

    Genealogist Jari Honora broke the story of the pope’s ancestors’ connection to the Creole of color community in New Orleans. A family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams Research Center, Honora has given research presentations to my graduate students and consulted with me on my own work. In his research on Leo’s lineage, he was also able to find several official documents that list Haiti as the birthplace of his maternal grandfather, Joseph Norval Martinez.

    The pope’s Creole lineage in Louisiana is interesting enough. But many commentators have strained to make sense of the link to Haiti, if they mention it at all.

    As an expert in 19th-century Haiti, I study the period during which Leo’s ancestors likely traveled between Haiti and New Orleans before migrating to Chicago. Their story is part of a broader American story of race, citizenship and migration.

    A grandfather born in Haiti

    It’s worth noting that Leo’s genealogy is not entirely straightforward.

    At least one record indicates Joseph Norval as having been born in Louisiana. And a 1910 census seems to reinvent the family lineage: Martinez is now “Martina,” Joseph’s birthplace is “S. Domingo,” and he is supposedly Maltese.

    Nevertheless, far more documents – numerous census records as well as his marriage certificate – identify Martinez’s place of birth as Haiti. An 1866 passenger list for a ship bound for New Orleans from Haiti, despite some inconsistencies, does indeed appear to list members of the Martinez family, including his father and three siblings.

    Just because Leo’s grandfather was born in Haiti, it didn’t mean he was Haitian. Instead, he belonged to a class of people in New Orleans known as Creoles of color.

    A three-pronged racial order

    It’s important to understand the historical complexity of the Creole identity in New Orleans and in Louisiana, and its continued significance today.

    The descriptor “Creole of color” is somewhat anachronistic; it emerges at the end of the 19th century in Louisiana to categorize the descendants of a historically subordinate class known as free people of color, or “gens de couleur libres” in French.

    Portrait of a Free Woman of Color by François Jacques Fleischbein.
    Courtesy of the Historic New Orleans Collection

    It has its origins in the tripartite racial order of the French and Spanish colonial periods in the Americas, when authorities created a hierarchy of legal classes: enslaved people, free people of African descent, and white people.

    In theory, free people of color encompassed a range of people. It could describe formerly enslaved people; people who had never been enslaved; people born in Africa; or people with extended, mixed-race American families.

    In 19th-century Louisiana, the term generally referred to people of mixed racial ancestry who were born with free status, though at varying degrees of removal from slavery. They generally spoke French and were Catholic.

    Though they were subject to repressive laws and could never become citizens and gain the right to vote, free people of color could own, inherit and sell property, including enslaved people. Most worked as artisans and shopkeepers, and a handful became quite wealthy through trade and real estate.

    The Martinez family fits squarely within this community.

    Census records from 1850 list Jacques Martinez – Joseph Norval Martinez’s father and Leo’s maternal great-grandfather – as a tailor and modest property owner in New Orleans. They were never enslaved but do not appear to have been enslavers, either.

    Life gets worse for people of color

    So why was Joseph Norval Martinez born in Haiti?

    At some point, his parents probably felt they had to leave New Orleans.

    Despite their relative prosperity, free people of color in Louisiana and throughout the United States were being subjected to increasing legal restrictions, repression and violence in the years leading up to the Civil War.

    This situation worsened in the 1840s and ‘50s, as white Southerners worked to further restrict citizenship and rights along hard racial lines. The 1857 Dred Scott Supreme Court decision affirmed that any people descended from Africa, including free people of color, had no right to citizenship.

    For those who remained in the South, the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 would have made life even more difficult.

    In the first half of the 19th century, many free people of color in Louisiana emigrated to France. But the two main options in the 1860s were Haiti and Mexico.

    However, at the time of the Martinez family’s departure, Mexico was embroiled in conflict with France. Haiti, meanwhile, was crafting an ambitious plan to attract immigrants.

    After the 1804 Haitian Revolution – the uprising against French colonizers that led to the creation of Haiti – the nation became the first in the world to permanently ban slavery. For this reason, many people of color viewed Haiti as a beacon of freedom and equality.

    Indeed, Haiti long promoted itself as a free soil republic: Any person with African descent would enjoy freedom and, eventually, Haitian citizenship. Several Haitian presidents staged immigration campaigns to attract enslaved and formerly enslaved laborers from the United States.

    Fabre Geffrard served as president of Haiti from 1859 to 1867.
    Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

    In response to worsening conditions for people of color in the U.S., Haitian President Fabre Geffrard launched a particularly ambitious campaign, setting up Haitian Emigration bureaus and staffing them with agents in New York, Boston, New Orleans and other major cities. Louisiana newspapers advertised Geffrard’s immigration plan, which included land concessions for families and individuals. Geffrard’s focus was on attracting agricultural laborers – not the kind of work the Martinez family would likely be enticed to take on. Still, skilled artisans were welcomed as immigrants.

    It was within this context that the Martinez family probably departed New Orleans for Haiti. At present there is scant information about their voyage, but the journey would have echoed many family histories of migration from Louisiana to Haiti in the 1860s.

    Based on my study of census and notarial archives, it appears the Martinez family left sometime after the birth of daughter Adele in New Orleans in December 1861 and before the birth of Joseph Norval in Haiti in 1864.

    The promise of Reconstruction crumbles

    The Martinez family didn’t stay in Haiti long.

    According to the passenger list, they returned to New Orleans in February 1866.

    As was the experience for many émigrés to Haiti, they may have found the conditions difficult. It’s also possible that the successes of wartime Reconstruction in Louisiana encouraged them to reestablish their lives in New Orleans.

    They returned to a state transformed by the abolition of slavery. Free people of color were at the forefront of the fight for civil rights and key architects behind a progressive, egalitarian state constitution that called for equal access to education for all citizens.

    The Martinez children likely benefited – albeit briefly – from that provision. The 1870 census records show them all enrolled in school: Michel (14), Girard (12), Adele (9) and young Joseph Norval (6).

    They would also witness the violent backlash to Reconstruction, which was especially intense in Louisiana. In 1866, a white mob laid siege to those attempting to amend the state’s constitution to enfranchise Black voters, in what became known as the Mechanics Institute Massacre. In the ensuing years, the state was gripped by ever more violence.

    A sketch of the Mechanics Institute Massacre in an issue of Harper’s Weekly.
    The Historic New Orleans Collection

    Joseph Norval Martinez married Louise Baquié in 1887, and they went on to have six children, all girls, in New Orleans. He worked as a cigar maker – a common enterprise for free men of color during the period – and later as a clerk.

    The family was subjected to increasing segregation with the Separate Car Act, an 1890 Louisiana statute that separated train cars by race. The Supreme Court went on to uphold the Louisiana statute in 1896, enshrining the “separate but equal” doctrine throughout the South.

    An American tale

    Martinez and Baquié remained in New Orleans until 1910, at which point they joined the millions of other Black Americans who migrated from the South to the North and the West in the early decades of the 20th century, in what became known as the Great Migration. A significant portion, including Martinez and Baquié, ended up in Chicago.

    Their youngest daughter, Mildred Anges Martinez – Leo’s mother – was born there.

    Joseph Norval Martinez’s census records tell a complex story about the history of race in the U.S. Prior to 1900, he is listed as “m” for “mulatto.” In the 1900 census, he is listed as Black. And then in the 1910 census, he is listed as white.

    The Martinez family could not dictate the racial descriptors assigned to them in the census, but they had some claim over birthplace and lineage. Against the backdrop of segregation, disenfranchisement and violence, Martinez appears to have claimed a lineage – Maltese – that the 1910 census categorized as white.

    It is this – and so much more – that makes theirs a truly American story.

    One thing we do know: Martinez reverted back to his original lineage after he and his family settled in Chicago. The 1920 census lists Martinez’s birthplace of record as Haiti.

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

    – ref. Pope Leo XIV’s link to Haiti is part of a broader American story of race, citizenship and migration – https://theconversation.com/pope-leo-xivs-link-to-haiti-is-part-of-a-broader-american-story-of-race-citizenship-and-migration-256425

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Challenges to high-performance computing threaten US innovation

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jack Dongarra, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science, University of Tennessee

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Frontier supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest. Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, CC BY

    High-performance computing, or HPC for short, might sound like something only scientists use in secret labs, but it’s actually one of the most important technologies in the world today. From predicting the weather to finding new medicines and even training artificial intelligence, high-performance computing systems help solve problems that are too hard or too big for regular computers.

    This technology has helped make huge discoveries in science and engineering over the past 40 years. But now, high-performance computing is at a turning point, and the choices the government, researchers and the technology industry make today could affect the future of innovation, national security and global leadership.

    High-performance computing systems are basically superpowerful computers made up of thousands or even millions of processors working together at the same time. They also use advanced memory and storage systems to move and save huge amounts of data quickly.

    With all this power, high-performance computing systems can run extremely detailed simulations and calculations. For example, they can simulate how a new drug interacts with the human body, or how a hurricane might move across the ocean. They’re also used in fields such as automotive design, energy production and space exploration.

    Lately, high-performance computing has become even more important because of artificial intelligence. AI models, especially the ones used for things such as voice recognition and self-driving cars, require enormous amounts of computing power to train. High-performance computing systems are well suited for this job. As a result, AI and high-performance computing are now working closely together, pushing each other forward.

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s supercomputer El Capitan is currently the world’s fastest.

    I’m a computer scientist with a long career working in high-performance computing. I’ve observed that high-performance computing systems are under more pressure than ever, with higher demands on the systems for speed, data and energy. At the same time, I see that high-performance computing faces some serious technical problems.

    Technical challenges

    One big challenge for high-performance computing is the gap between how fast processors are and how well memory systems can keep up with the processors’ output. Imagine having a superfast car but being stuck in traffic – it doesn’t help to have speed if the road can’t handle it. In the same way, high-performance computing processors often have to wait around because memory systems can’t send data quickly enough. This makes the whole system less efficient.

    Another problem is energy use. Today’s supercomputers use a huge amount of electricity, sometimes as much as a small town. That’s expensive and not very good for the environment. In the past, as computer parts got smaller, they also used less power. But that trend, called Dennard scaling, stopped in the mid-2000s. Now, making computers more powerful usually means they use more energy too. To fix this, researchers are looking for new ways to design both the hardware and the software of high-performance computing systems.

    There’s also a problem with the kinds of chips being made. The chip industry is mainly focused on AI, which works fine with lower-precision math like 16-bit or 8-bit numbers. But many scientific applications still need 64-bit precision to be accurate. The greater the bit count, the more digits to the right of the decimal point a chip can process, hence the greater precision. If chip companies stop making the parts that scientists need, then it could become harder to do important research.

    This report discusses how trends in semiconductor manufacturing and commercial priorities may diverge from the needs of the scientific computing community, and how a lack of tailored hardware could hinder progress in research.

    One solution might be to build custom chips for high-performance computing, but that’s expensive and complicated. Still, researchers are exploring new designs, including chiplets – small chips that can be combined like Lego bricks – to make high-precision processors more affordable.

    A global race

    Globally, many countries are investing heavily in high-performance computing. Europe has the EuroHPC program, which is building supercomputers in places such as Finland and Italy. Their goal is to reduce dependence on foreign technology and take the lead in areas such as climate modeling and personalized medicine. Japan built the Fugaku supercomputer, which supports both academic research and industrial work. China has also made major advances, using homegrown technology to build some of the world’s fastest computers. All of these countries’ governments understand that high-performance computing is key to their national security, economic strength and scientific leadership.

    The U.S.-China supercomputer rivalry explained.

    The United States, which has been a leader in high-performance computing for decades, recently completed the Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project. This project created computers that can perform a billion billion operations per second. That’s an incredible achievement. But even with that success, the U.S. still doesn’t have a clear, long-term plan for what comes next. Other countries are moving quickly, and without a national strategy, the U.S. risks falling behind.

    I believe that a U.S. national strategy should include funding new machines and training for people to use them. It would also include partnerships with universities, national labs and private companies. Most importantly, the plan would focus not just on hardware but also on the software and algorithms that make high-performance computing useful.

    Hopeful signs

    One exciting area for the future is quantum computing. This is a completely new way of doing computation based on the laws of physics at the atomic level. Quantum computers could someday solve problems that are impossible for regular computers. But they are still in the early stages and are likely to complement rather than replace traditional high-performance computing systems. That’s why it’s important to keep investing in both kinds of computing.

    The good news is that some steps have already been taken. The CHIPS and Science Act, passed in 2022, provides funding to expand chip manufacturing in the U.S. It also created an office to help turn scientific research into real-world products. The task force Vision for American Science and Technology, launched on Feb. 25, 2025, and led by American Association for the Advancement of Science CEO Sudip Parikh, aims to marshal nonprofits, academia and industry to help guide the government’s decisions. Private companies are also spending billions of dollars on data centers and AI infrastructure.

    All of these are positive signs, but they don’t fully solve the problem of how to support high-performance computing in the long run. In addition to short-term funding and infrastructure investments, this means:

    • Long-term federal investment in high-performance computing R&D, including advanced hardware, software and energy-efficient architectures.
    • Procurement and deployment of leadership-class computing systems at national labs and universities.
    • Workforce development, including training in parallel programming, numerical methods and AI-HPC integration.
    • Hardware road map alignment, ensuring commercial chip development remains compatible with the needs of scientific and engineering applications.
    • Sustainable funding models that prevent boom-and-bust cycles tied to one-off milestones or geopolitical urgency.
    • Public-private collaboration to bridge gaps between academic research, industry innovation and national security needs.

    High-performance computing is more than just fast computers. It’s the foundation of scientific discovery, economic growth and national security. With other countries pushing forward, the U.S. is under pressure to come up with a clear, coordinated plan. That means investing in new hardware, developing smarter software, training a skilled workforce and building partnerships between government, industry and academia. If the U.S. does that, the country can make sure high-performance computing continues to power innovation for decades to come.

    Jack Dongarra receives funding from the NSF and the DOE.

    – ref. Challenges to high-performance computing threaten US innovation – https://theconversation.com/challenges-to-high-performance-computing-threaten-us-innovation-255188

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Powerdyne International Inc. Announces A letter to the Shareholders update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    North Reading, MA, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Powerdyne International, Inc. (Ticker: PWDY) (“Powerdyne” and / or the “Company”) announces A Letter to the Shareholders Update.

    Dear Shareholders,

    We would like to thank all our shareholders for their patience and perseverance as Powerdyne International, Inc. (the “Company”, “Powerdyne”, “us”, “we”) continues to grow and evolve.

    In the coming year, Powerdyne will continue our focus on two key objectives: up-listing PDI to OTCQB and expanding the company through internal growth, acquisitions, or mergers.

    With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the initiative to repatriate manufacturing to the United States, CM Tech anticipates a heightened demand for its custom-designed motors. Although CM Tech does not currently supply the AI market directly, it provides motors for semiconductor equipment manufacturers who produce automated machinery for fabricating silicon wafers used in microprocessor chips. These chips are integral to AI, smart televisions, mobile phones, computers, and almost all smart devices. The AI chip market is projected to exceed $90 billion by the end of 2025 and to grow beyond $100 billion in 2026 and subsequent years.

    Regarding CM Technology, we have been engaged by a prominent international corporation headquartered in the United States to collaborate on the custom design of a motor for their new product line. We have reviewed the design specifications, submitted preliminary designs along with price quotes, and are currently awaiting their feedback. We will keep you informed as further developments occur.

    In January, we also engaged a highly experienced outside sales representative to enhance our business by expanding our current customer base and exploring new opportunities in other motor industries, such as medical devices, unmanned vehicles (UAVs), and other potential applications.

    As mentioned in the October shareholder update, our goal of acquiring motor companies was to expand CM Tech’s market exposure to new sectors. We are also focused on growing our business through increased sales, which can be more cost-effective and less risk adverse. We will add critical staff to support exponential growth and eliminate redundant staffing to enhance profitability and increase shareholder value.

    At the end of December, discussions resumed with a company regarding a potential acquisition. In late January, an NDA and a Letter of Intent to Purchase were signed. After reviewing their financials, it was determined that the company’s profits did not justify the asking price. As a result, the Letter of Intent to Purchase was rescinded. Another non-disclosure agreement has since been signed with a new motor company, which is currently preparing their financials to meet the auditor’s requirements. Powerdyne will conduct a thorough due diligence to ensure any acquisition makes financial sense. With pre-approved funding still available, other potential acquisitions will continue to be explored. 

    We plan to present continued updates to the overall strategic plans for Powerdyne as we advance through 2025 and beyond. Our success hinges on sustaining conservative growth, managing costs effectively, and identifying additional companies that align with Powerdyne’s business model.  Our objective remains the same to deliver maximum value and return on investment for our loyal shareholders through ongoing growth and profitability.

    Yours sincerely,

    Jim O’Rourke

    Chief Executive Officer

    Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

    The use of the word “Company” or “Powerdyne” refers to Powerdyne International, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Certain statements in this press release contain or may suggest “forward-looking” information (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involves risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different from expectations. Statements contained herein that look forward in time that include everything other than historical information, involve risk and uncertainties that may affect the Company’s actual results, including statements relating to future investments, deployment of capital, growth, and creation of long-term stockholder value. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,’ “expects”, “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar statements. Powerdyne may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. Current Reports on Form 8-K, in its annual report to stockholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the Company, including but not limited to, plans and objectives of management for future operations or products, the market acceptance or future success of our products and our financial performance. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including but not limited to, those set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (available at http://www.sec.gov). Powerdyne undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Powerdyne International, Inc.

    Powerdyne International, Inc. (www.Powerdyneinternational.com)  now consists of two wholly owned subsidiaries CM Technology LLC and Frame One LLC. CM Technology is a New England-based motor manufacturer which has been in business for over 19 years. CM Technology specializes in the design and custom building of industrial servomotors both brush and brushless motor designs. CM Tech’s current market focus is on the niche motor demands for low volume, high-quality cost-effective motors which are primarily used in industrial robotics for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. robots.

    Frame One LLC is a custom picture framing shop located in North Reading, MA. Frame One has been in business since 2006 and brings with it a strong client base consisting of local schools, colleges, artist guilds, artists, interior decorators/designers, museums, photographers, art galleries and theaters.

    For more information on Powerdyne go to:  www.Powerdyneinternational.com

    Contact:
    Powerdyne International, Inc.
    info@powerdyneinternational.com 

    The MIL Network –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien admits to role in nationwide scheme to sell fake Texas paper vehicle tags

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – The final man charged in a large-scale conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to the sale of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent Texas paper license plates has pleaded guilty, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, 35, was a fugitive until authorities apprehended him in September 2024. 

    Reyes and co-conspirators used the internet, email and iMessage to sell fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and deliver them to buyers nationwide. As part of his plea, Reyes admitted to using at least two aliases, including another person’s name and Social Security number, to get used car dealer licenses. He used them in a scheme to fraudulently issue and sell at least 550,000 Texas temporary buyer tags without selling any vehicles. 

    The illegal tags pose a danger to the public and law enforcement as buyers use them to avoid registration, safety inspections and liability insurance. They can also be used to conceal identities from law enforcement. The investigation revealed fake vehicle tags gave criminals the means to create ghost cars that were invisible to law enforcement and used to commit crimes ranging from driving with no insurance to committing robberies and drive-by shootings. 

    In Texas, used car dealers must obtain an independent General Distinguishing Number (GDN) license via the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ online eLicensing portal to legally buy, sell or exchange vehicles. Licensed dealers can access the secure eTag portal to create temporary buyer tags and may add other users to their account. At the time of the original indictment in the case, there were no restrictions on the data entered into the portal. 

    Reyes provided false information, such as fake identities, drivers licenses, lease agreements and business signs, in an online application portal to obtain GDN licenses for two fictitious dealerships “King’s Ranch Autoland” and “Texas Motor Company.” Reyes and his co-conspirators then advertised Texas buyer tags for sale on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

    U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing July 23. At that time, Reyes faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

    Co-defendants Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, 44, Octavian Ocasio, 53, and Daniel Christine-Tani, 36, were also charged and convicted in the scheme and were sentenced to prison. Lopez, also in the United States illegally, failed to report to prison. A federal grand jury returned an indictment Feb. 20 charging her with failure to surrender. Lopez is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for her arrest. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.

    The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Travis County Constable Office – Precinct 3, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Toppenish Man Pleads Guilty to Assault and Firearm Charges for Shooting at Law Enforcement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Leland James Vijarro, age 26, of Toppenish, Washington, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to assault and firearm charges for shooting at federal officers.

    Based on court documents and information presented at the change-of-plea hearing, at around 9 p.m. on February 10, 2024, law enforcement in Toppenish, Washington, responded to reports that two vehicles were chasing one another.  According to these reports, the vehicles’ occupants were firing gunshots at one another

    When officers responded to the scene and stopped one of the vehicles involved, Vijarro, who was a passenger in the vehicle, got out and ran from the scene, armed with a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition. Vijarro then fled into a nearby home in attempt to hide from law enforcement. At this point, law enforcement set up a permitter around the home where Vijarro was apparently hiding.

    Just before 11p.m., Vijarro walked into the backyard of the home and fired three shots at law enforcement. Vijarro then stood on top a pallet in the backyard, took up a shooting stance while aiming at law enforcement, and fired two more shots. Two Yakima County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were hit by bullets fired by Vijarro.

    Vijarro eventually surrendered to law enforcement after breaking into a home next door and barricading himself inside. These events, including the shots fired at law enforcement, occurred on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. Mr. Vijarro is not an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation.

    At the change-of-plea hearing, Vijarro admitted that he intentionally fired at law enforcement officers, who had set up a perimeter around the home he had barricaded himself in.

    “Firing at law enforcement officers is an intolerable act of violence that puts lives at risk and undermines public safety,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker. Mr. Vijarro’s reckless and dangerous actions could have resulted in tragedy. I commend the officers involved for their professionalism and restraint.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with our federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to hold violent offenders accountable and protect our communities.”

    “During Police Week, we are especially reminded of how law enforcement place themselves daily in harm’s way to protect us. FBI Seattle and our partners are committed to combatting violent crime to keep our communities safe, including on tribal lands,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “From the vehicle chase to the hiding in houses, so many parts of this scenario were dangerous and could have resulted in far worse results than the damaged sheriff’s office vehicles. We are thankful no one was injured by Mr. Vijarro’s actions.”

    United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke accepted Vijarro’s plea and set sentencing for August 11, 2025. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.

    1:24-cr-02055-MKD

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Fatal crash on Blackfeet Indian Reservation sends Browning man to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who admitted to driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he crashed into another vehicle killing the driver was sentenced today to 16 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Chasen James Kipp, 25, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to involuntary manslaughter.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on October 21, 2023, Kipp was driving his 2022 Dodge Charger near the Cut Bank airport when he crossed the center lane of traffic, collided with a sedan, and killed the driver, Jane Doe.

    When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, they saw Kipp trying to flee. An officer described Kipp staggering and could smell alcohol on him. The officers detained Kipp, who said he had consumed two mixed drinks at the Pioneer Bar in Cut Bank and was returning to his home in Birch Creek. Kipp was arrested and consented to a blood draw, where he told the medical provider he was too drunk to remember the crash and he “came to” when the airbags deployed. He estimated he was driving 60 mph at the time of the crash.

    Paramedics pronounced Jane Doe dead at the scene. She died from blunt force trauma sustained from the crash. The Montana Highway Patrol conducted the crash investigation and determined Kipp was going 82 mph in a 65-mph zone when he crossed the center line and struck Doe’s vehicle. The toxicology report showed his blood alcohol content was .114 and he had cocaine in his system.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, the Cut Bank Police Department, the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montana Highway Patrol.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Wolf Point man pleads guilty to multiple assault charges on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Wolf Point man accused of assaulting two individuals on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    The defendant, Philip Ray Azure, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon related to two separate incidents. Azure faces a term of imprisonment of ten years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 24, 2025. Azure was detained pending further proceedings.

    The first incident occurred on March 16, 2023, when Azure went to John Doe’s residence in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Azure and John Doe were friends and were drinking alcohol together. Azure became intoxicated and was asked to leave for being too loud. A family member of Doe’s, who also lives in the home, started to walk Azure out. As he was leaving, he struck the family member. John Doe confronted Azure about hitting his family member. Azure pulled out a knife and stabbed Doe in the chest and then turned and walked away without saying anything.

    Doe was rushed to the hospital for treatment of his serious injuries. The stab wound pierced his lung, causing a partial collapse that caused blood, gas, and air to build in the space between his lungs and rib cage. Doe was airlifted to Billings for surgery. After surgery to repair his lung, Doe spent a week in the hospital before being discharged.

    The second incident happened on January 27, 2024. Azure and several friends, including two co-defendants, and the victim, John Doe 2, were in a yard in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, playing a game of “slap-boxing.” The fighting escalated and eventually the group separated. Azure and his co-defendants returned home, and John Doe 2 arrived a short time later asking for his phone. Azure and his co-defendants exited the home and confronted Doe 2 in the driveway.

    Several people witnessed the assault. One witness described seeing Azure and his co-defendants hitting John Doe 2 and saw someone using a bat and someone else using a hammer. A second witness saw Azure and his two co-defendants approach Doe 2 while he backed away and said all three “jumped” Doe 2. That witness saw Azure use a bat during the assault.

    Doe 2 died at the scene before law enforcement arrived. According to an autopsy, he died from blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and chest, including a stab wound to the chest that perforated Doe 2’s sternum, heart, and esophagus.

    Azure was arrested the day after the second assault. He initially claimed he wasn’t there when Doe 2 was assaulted. He later admitted he was involved but didn’t remember the details because he was intoxicated. He claimed Doe 2 had a big knife and he ultimately hit Doe 2 with a bat to stop him from using the knife. None of the other witnesses reported seeing Doe 2 with a knife.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 15, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an AI-powered software company recognized for its innovation in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD), today provided a corporate update and announced financial results for the second quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “We are executing our strategic plan to commercialize LeddarVision™ while we work to address our previously disclosed liquidity challenges. We are also excited to introduce an additional revenue stream, LeddarSim™—a next-generation simulation platform designed to close the gap between virtual testing and real-world deployment of ADAS and AD solutions. LeddarSim will play a critical role in training AI models to accelerate the deployment of ADAS and autonomous driving technologies,” said Frantz Saintellemy, President and CEO of LeddarTech. “In parallel, we are advancing production planning for our first OEM design win, and we are poised to leverage this success to secure additional contracts as the value of our platform becomes increasingly evident to automotive manufacturers.”

    Recent Business and Technology Highlights

    • Launched LeddarSim, a next-generation simulation platform designed to close the gap between virtual testing and real-world deployment.
    • Progressed OEM Design Win Toward Production: LeddarTech is actively providing engineering services to integrate its software platform into the 2028 model year vehicles of one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle OEMs. This design win is expected to generate non-recurring services revenue in fiscal year 2025.

    Customer Traction and Development

    LeddarTech has a robust pipeline of more than 30 active opportunities with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers, aimed at meeting growing consumer demand for enhanced safety features and addressing upcoming regulatory deadlines.

    Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights1

    Revenue: Revenue for the fiscal second quarter of 2025, ending March 31, 2025, was $238,914, compared to $122,101 in the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2024.

    Net loss: Net loss for the fiscal second quarter of 2025, ending March 31, 2025, was ($16.0) million, or ($0.42) per share, compared to a net loss of ($17.2) million, or ($0.60) per share, in the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2024. The decreased net loss was primarily due to lower stock-based compensation and financing expenses, offset by higher R&D expense as we are no longer capitalizing R&D expense.

    EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA2: EBITDA loss for the second quarter of 2025, ending March 31, 2025, was ($8.4) million, compared to a ($14.0) million loss in the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2024. The lower loss was primarily due to lower stock-based compensation and financing-related expenses, partially offset by higher R&D expense as we are no longer capitalizing a substantial portion of our R&D expenses as we were in the prior period. Adjusted EBITDA loss for the second quarter of 2025, ending March 31, 2025, was ($12.0) million, compared to adjusted EBITDA loss of ($8.7) million in the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2024. The higher loss was primarily attributable to higher R&D expense as we are no longer capitalizing a substantial portion of our R&D expense.

    Balance Sheet and Liquidity3

    As of March 31, 2025, LeddarTech had a cash balance of approximately $9.2 million, which cash balance had declined to approximately $4.1 million as of May 8, 2025. Pursuant to the amended and restated financing offer dated as of April 5, 2023 with Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec (“Desjardins” and the financing offer, as amended, the “Desjardins Credit Facility”), the Company is required to maintain a minimum cash balance of $1.8 million at all times after April 1, 2025. If we are not able to raise additional capital in the next several days, we will be in default under this minimum cash covenant. Moreover, we are obligated to complete an equity financing pursuant to which we must raise an additional US$9.7 million in equity investments prior to May 23, 2025 in order to satisfy the requirement that we raise at least US$35.0 million in equity investments prior to that date. We are also required to produce a plan at the satisfaction of our lenders regarding a refinancing, recapitalization or any suitable transaction no later than May 16, 2025. Toward that end, we have engaged a financial advisor to do a comprehensive review of the options that are available to the Company. We are currently exploring all alternatives to secure the financing necessary to comply with the covenants in our debt arrangements and to continue to pursue our strategic goals. Failure to complete the equity financing by May 23, 2025 or to produce a plan for our lenders by May 16, 2025 constitute liquidity events that could trigger a requirement for us to repay all amounts under our Desjardins Credit Facility, under our bridge financing offer dated as of August 16, 2024 with the initial bridge lenders and certain members of management and the board of directors (collectively, the “Bridge Lenders”, and the financing offer, the “Bridge Facility”), and other indebtedness. At this time, we are not expecting to be able to complete the equity financing or to produce a plan that would be acceptable to all our lenders. Desjardins has expressed an unwillingness to provide additional financing to the Company, but has expressed a willingness to work toward a solution, and LeddarTech is currently engaged with Desjardins and the Bridge Lenders with respect to a potential solution that could result in additional financing for the Company as well as relief from the above-described minimum cash, equity financing and process plan covenants. While LeddarTech is seeking additional financing, we continue to consider all possible cost reduction measures. There is no assurance that such measures could be done successfully, or at all. In such circumstances, LeddarTech’s ability to continue as a going concern would be materially and adversely affected and investors in LeddarTech’s Common Shares could lose all or a substantial part of their investment. For more details, see our Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 190 patent applications (112 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    LeddarTech might, in the scope of collaborations, partnerships and projects, from time to time, collect with test vehicles personal information, i.e., information that directly or indirectly identifies members of the public. Collected personal information may be processed, used, stored and communicated by LeddarTech within the scope of developing and training our software and products. For further information about the processing activities, which include the collection, use, storage and communication of personal information, as well as the associated personal information protection rights and how to exercise them, please consult LeddarTech’s Privacy Policy.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s selection by the OEM referred to above, anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics, as well as expectations regarding the anticipated performance, adoption and commercialization of its products. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market, as well as: (i) the risk that LeddarTech and the OEM referred to above are unable to agree to final terms in definitive agreements; (ii) the volume of future orders (if any) from this OEM, actual revenue derived from expected orders, and timing of revenue, if any; (iii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iv) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (v) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (vi) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vii) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (viii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (ix) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (x) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (xi) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xii) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xiii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiv) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.
    Tel.: + 1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    Continuing operations Q2-2025   Q2-2024  
    Revenues $238,914   $122,101  
    Loss from operations (13,348,106 ) (12,570,811 )
    Finance costs, net 2,710,512   4,741,236  
    Loss before income taxes (15,948,479 ) (17,221,982 )
    Net loss and comprehensive loss (15,961,864 ) (17,238,993 )
    Net loss and comprehensive loss attributable to Shareholders of the Company (15,961,864 ) (17,238,993 )
    Loss per share    
    Net loss per share (basic and diluted) (in dollars) (0.42 ) (0.60 )
    Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic and diluted) 37,573,262   28,770,930  
    EBITDA (loss) (8,394,400 ) (14,011,179 )
    Adjusted EBITDA (loss) (11,979,035 ) (8,729,399 )

      
    The following table sets forth a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA to net loss reported in accordance with IFRS for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.

      Q2-2025   Q2-2024  
    Net loss from continued operations ($15,961,864 ) ($17,238,993 )
    Income taxes 13,385   17,011  
    Depreciation of property and equipment 146,882   91,626  
    Depreciation of right-of-use assets 186,356   35,316  
    Amortization of intangible assets (92,832 ) 180,248  
    Interest expenses 7,313,673   2,903,613  
    EBITDA loss from continuing operations (8,394,400 ) (14,011,179 )
         
    Foreign exchange gain (5,663 ) (13,188 )
    Loss (gain) on revaluation of financial instruments
    carried at fair value
    (4,612,632 ) 1,884,686  
    Gain on lease modification –   (39,305 )
    Stock-based compensation 1,033,660   2,803,357  
    Transaction costs –   646,230  
    Adjusted EBITDA loss from continuing operations (11,979,035 ) (8,729,399 )

     
    Non-IFRS Financial Measures

    A non-IFRS financial measure is a financial measure used to depict our historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow and, with respect to its composition, either excludes an amount that is included in, or includes an amount that is excluded from, the composition of the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in Company’s consolidated primary financial statements.

    In Q2-2024, the Company started to use two new non-IFRS financial measures because we believe these non-IFRS financial measures are reflective of our ongoing operating results and provide readers with an understanding of management’s perspective on and analysis of our performance.

    Below are descriptions of the non-IFRS financial measures that we use to explain our results and reconciliations to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measures.

    EBITDA (loss) is calculated as net earnings (loss) before interest expenses (income), deferred income taxes, depreciation of property and equipment, depreciation of right-of-use assets and amortization of intangible assets.

    EBITDA (loss) should not be considered an alternative to net loss in measuring performance or used as a measure of cash flow.

    Adjusted EBITDA (loss) is calculated as EBITDA (loss), adjusted for foreign exchange gain (loss), loss (gain) on revaluation of financial instruments carried at fair value, gain or loss on lease modification, share‐based compensation, listing expense, transaction costs, restructuring costs and impairment loss on intangible assets.

    ____________________________
    1  All amounts in Canadian dollars except where otherwise noted.
    2  EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures and are presented by the Company as they are used to assess operating performance. These non-IFRS measures do not have standardized meanings under IFRS and are not likely comparable to similarly designated measures reported by other corporations. The reader is cautioned that these measures are being reported in order to complement, and not replace, the analysis of financial results in accordance with IFRS. See “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” below.
    3  All amounts in Canadian dollars except where otherwise noted.

    The MIL Network –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Construction begins on New York’s largest solar energy project

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ELBA, N.Y., May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (“Greenbacker”), an energy transition-focused investment manager and independent power producer, today announced the start of major construction activities on its Cider Solar Farm (“Cider”) in Genesee County, New York. Cider, which broke ground on early construction activities in late 2024, was the first renewable energy project of its kind to receive a siting permit from the state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission (“ORES”) under Section 94-c rules and, upon completion in late 2026, will be New York’s largest solar farm to date.

    “We are pleased to begin major construction on New York’s largest solar energy project yet,” said Dan de Boer, Greenbacker Interim CEO and Head of Infrastructure. “Cider offers tangible economic benefits to Genesee County communities and the broader region, and it represents an important milestone in New York’s clean energy transition that will power the state forward for years to come.”

    Cider will deliver significant energy and economic benefits to its surrounding communities. Once it enters commercial operation, Cider is expected to supply about one million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year – enough to power approximately 120,000 New York households.1 The project is also projected to generate roughly $100 million in revenue to the Genesee County community over its operational lifespan through property taxes, host community agreements, and tax benefits.

    Cider’s initial construction phase will focus on substantive civil and mechanical activities, including placement of steel piling and racking for solar modules. All phases of construction are expected to be fully underway by mid-summer, including electrical wiring and installation of the high-voltage utility interconnection infrastructure.

    The utility-scale photovoltaic solar project, which spans approximately 2,500 acres, will also support hundreds of construction jobs. Since day one, Greenbacker has committed to working with local Genesee County organized labor whenever possible and seeks to meet – and exceed – all wage and hiring requirements outlined by the state. Additionally, Greenbacker has secured a Project Labor Agreement with a New York-based bona fide building and construction trade organization to ensure Cider is staffed with experienced, skilled, and trained union workers.

    “Our union is pleased to provide local, highly skilled labor supporting Cider’s construction,” said Carpenter’s Local 276 Business Manager Chris Austin. “While this is an important moment for New York’s green energy ambitions, it is an even bigger indicator of the growing strength of our state’s specialized workforce—which is drawn chiefly from labor unions like ours—to support projects like Cider in the Empire State.”

    Greenbacker became Cider’s long-term owner and operator following its acquisition of the project from Hecate Energy LLC (“Hecate”), a leading developer of renewable power projects and energy storage solutions in the U.S. Cider is Greenbacker’s largest clean energy project to date, for which it secured $950 million in aggregate financing to support its acquisition, construction, and operation.

    The project also plans to employ agrivoltaics—the practice of utilizing a site for both solar photovoltaic power generation and agricultural activities. Initially, Cider plans to host rotational sheep grazing on over 300 acres, with the potential to host additional acreage over Cider’s operational lifetime, as part of a more cost-effective, nature-based approach to vegetation management at the site.

    The start of Cider’s construction marks an important milestone in New York’s efforts to build a robust green energy workforce and achieve its clean energy goals. Solar projects like Cider have created 14,000 good-paying jobs statewide.2 During its first year of operation, the energy generated by Cider is expected to offset approximately 680,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide,3 which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is equivalent to the annual emissions from over 150,000 passenger vehicles.

    As of December 31, 2024, Greenbacker’s clean energy assets had cumulatively produced more than 11 million MWh of clean power since January 2016, abating over 7 million metric tons of carbon4 and saving nearly 8 billion gallons of water.5 Greenbacker’s fleet of operating and pre-operating projects currently support, or are expected to support, thousands of green jobs.6

    Additional information regarding Greenbacker can also be found in the company’s impact report. For more information on Hecate Energy and the Cider Solar Farm, visit www.CiderSolarFarm.com.

    About Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company
    Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC is a publicly reporting, non-traded limited liability sustainable infrastructure company that both acquires and manages income-producing renewable energy and other energy-related businesses, including solar and wind farms, and provides asset management services to other renewable energy investment vehicles. We seek to acquire and operate high-quality projects that sell clean power under long-term contracts to high-creditworthy counterparties such as utilities, municipalities, and corporations. We are long-term owner-operators, who strive to be good stewards of the land and responsible members of the communities in which we operate. Greenbacker conducts its asset management business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Capital Management, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. We believe our focus on power production and asset management creates value that we can then pass on to our shareholders—while facilitating the transition toward a clean energy future. For more information, please visit https://greenbackercapital.com.

    1Governor Hochul Announces Siting Approval of New York’s Largest Solar Facility to Date, governor.ny.gov.

    2New York State Has Achieved Major Solar Milestone A Year Early, NYSERDA, October 2024.

    3Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, US EPA.

    4 Data is as of December 31, 2024. When compared with a similar amount of power generation from fossil fuels. Carbon abatement is calculated using the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator which uses the Avoided Emissions and generation Tool (AVERT) US national weighted average CO2 marginal emission rate to convert reductions of kilowatt-hours into avoided units of carbon dioxide emissions.

    5 Data is as of December 31, 2024. Water saved by Greenbacker’s clean energy projects is compared to the amount of water needed to produce the same amount of power by burning coal. Gallons of water saved are calculated based on Operational water consumption and withdrawal factors for electricity generating technologies: a review of existing literature – IOPscience, J Macknick et al 2012 Environ. Res. Lett. 7 045802.

    6 Data is as of December 31, 2024. Green jobs calculated using The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) State Clean Energy Employment Projection Support, nrel.gov.

    The MIL Network –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Announces the Launch of LeddarSim: Next Leap in Realistic Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Driving (AD) Simulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an AI-powered software company recognized for its innovation in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD), is pleased to announce the launch of LeddarSim™, a next-generation simulation platform purposely built to reduce the gap between virtual testing and real-world deployment.

    LeddarSim redefines the standards of ADAS and AD development by closing the long-standing simulation gap through delivering a breakthrough multi-modality neural reconstruction of driving scenarios, including camera, radar and LiDAR inputs. The platform generates sensor-accurate, real-time renderings of real-world driving, resulting in a high-fidelity environment that empowers developers to train, test and validate perception models under conditions that mirror real-life complexity and dynamics.

    Anticipated Benefits to Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 Suppliers:

    • Accelerate Time-to-Market: LeddarSim allows ADAS/AD engineers to reconstruct and test millions of configurable scenarios virtually, significantly reducing development cycles and speeding up validation.
    • Cut Costs, Not Corners: LeddarSim offers a cost-effective solution without compromising accuracy, leading to a 10x reduction in data and annotation costs and significant savings in non-recurring engineering (NRE) expenses.
    • Design Once, Deploy Anywhere: LeddarSim’s flexibility allows for easy adaptation of sensor setups, vehicle types and regional driving conditions, enabling scalable development across various platforms.
    • Data-Driven Simulation: Unlike synthetic environments, LeddarSim builds realistic scenarios directly from real-world data, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of simulations.
    • Multi-Modal Sensor Support: LeddarSim can simulate data from cameras, radar and LiDAR simultaneously, optimizing and validating multi-sensor perception systems.
    • Near-Zero Simulation Gap: LeddarSim uses advanced AI algorithms ensuring fidelity to real-world conditions; this comprehensive approach minimizes the gap between virtual testing and real-world performance.

    “Traditional simulation platforms struggle to match the unpredictability and nuance of real-world driving,” said Pierre Olivier, CTO of LeddarTech. “With LeddarSim, we’ve managed to design a solution that achieves a near-zero simulation gap. By accelerating testing and validation cycles, LeddarSim empowers automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to bring next-generation ADAS and autonomous driving solutions to market faster, with greater confidence in performance and safety.”

    Antonio Polo, Sr. Vice-President of Product and Business Development at LeddarTech, added: “Automotive companies face exponential challenges in the cost, complexity and scale of the data required to deploy safety-compliant and regulation-ready ADAS and AD systems at scale. LeddarSim brings the latest advances in AI-powered, multi-modal sensor dataset generation to recreate real-world driving scenarios with high fidelity. We believe LeddarSim fills a critical gap in the market. As the demand for simulation tools grows—with the industry expected to surpass $4.6 billion by 2035—this solution is poised to help address the massive data and validation challenge. LeddarSim is available for trial evaluation and offers the flexibility to be used as a stand-alone tool or integrated within existing simulation toolchains.”

    For more information on LeddarSim™, please contact us or visit the LeddarSim page.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 190 patent applications (112 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    LeddarTech might, in the scope of collaborations, partnerships and projects, from time to time, collect with test vehicles personal information, i.e., information that directly or indirectly identifies members of the public. Collected personal information may be processed, used, stored and communicated by LeddarTech within the scope of developing and training our software and products. For further information about the processing activities, which include the collection, use, storage and communication of personal information, as well as the associated personal information protection rights and how to exercise them, please consult LeddarTech’s Privacy Policy.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics, as well as expectations regarding the anticipated performance, adoption and commercialization of its products. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: (i) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (ii) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (iii) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (iv) our ability to successfully scale and commercialize our product offerings, including through strategic collaborations or otherwise; (v) delays or cost overruns in product development, testing, validation or release; (vi) the potential for limitations in simulation fidelity, coverage or performance when compared to real-world datasets or field testing; (vii) our ability to obtain, meet and maintain the evolving technical, regulatory or safety requirements applicable to simulation tools used in regulated or performance-critical domains, such as automotive applications; (viii) customer hesitancy or delays in adoption due to integration challenges, concerns about validation equivalency or compatibility with customer workflows, data formats or toolchains; (ix) the potential for claims of intellectual property infringement or legal exposure related to simulation models, datasets or output reproducibility; (x) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (xi) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (xii) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (xiii) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (xiv) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xv) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xvi) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xvii) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Maram Fityani, Media and Public Relations, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.
    Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 623, maram.fityani@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    The MIL Network –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Work complete on upgrade for pedestrian zone bollards

    Source: City of Leicester

    WORK to upgrade and extend the network of automatic bollards that surround Leicester’s central pedestrian zone is now complete.

    Over the past few months, the city council has been replacing old automatic bollards and installing additional units in new areas as part of a range of measures to improve pedestrian safety and manage vehicle access in the city centre.

    The new bollards will be lowered to allow vehicles into the pedestrian zone during allowable hours for loading and unloading but will prevent unauthorised vehicles from entering the zone at all other times.

    The automatic bollards are designed to rise immediately after a permitted vehicle has entered the pedestrian zone. This is to prevent tailgating and unauthorised entry. Warning signs and red lights are in place to alert drivers of the risk.

    Eligible residents and businesses based within the zone will need to use a new authentication system with PIN code to gain entry through the new bollards outside of allowable hours.

    Letters detailing the changes have been sent to every residential and business address within the pedestrian zone, advising people of the new access requirements and how to register for authorisation.

    One-time use PIN codes can also be issued to those with legitimate reasons for accessing the zone outside of permitted hours.

    Martin Fletcher, Leicester City Council director of highways, said: “Leicester’s pedestrian zone was established back in 2006, and the infrastructure installed at that time needed renewing or replacing to ensure it continued to be fit for purpose.

    “Over the years, we have also extended the zone to include Church Gate, Haymarket, St Martins, Greyfriars and Hotel Street, so this was also a good opportunity to upgrade and extend the systems we have in place to keep the area secure.

    “By upgrading infrastructure and tightening up access for vehicles to the pedestrian zone, we can more effectively clamp down on those who abuse the system and continue to provide an environment for shopping and leisure activities where people can feel safe.”

    As part of the package of measures, the number of locations where automatic bollards are in place has been increased to ten.

    Existing loading and unloading hours will be strictly enforced, with all delivery vehicles expected to be out of the pedestrian zone by 11am from Sunday to Friday, and by 9am on Saturdays.

    Leicester’s pedestrian zone covers an area that’s about the size of seven-and-a-half football pitches and includes the Highcross and Haymarket shopping centres, the streets around the Clock Tower, and the independent shops and cafes in St Martin’s Square and The Lanes.

    More information about the new measures can be found at www.leicester.gov.uk/bollards

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Health and Social Care Secretary’s speech on men’s health

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Speech

    Health and Social Care Secretary’s speech on men’s health

    Wes Streeting spoke at the launch of the Centre for Policy Research for Men and Boys (CPRMB) on Tuesday 13 May

    It is a genuine pleasure to be here alongside so many friends, people I don’t yet know, but people we want to work with.

    It’s great to have such a wide range of people and organisations represented around the room, who are creating spaces for men to fight loneliness.

    Encouraging open conversations about masculinity and providing positive role models for boys across our country.

    I want to thank you, Richard, for picking up this agenda and helping to force it into the mainstream.

    Society has been slow to wake up to the fact that a lot of men and boys are really struggling today, and you’re playing a big role in correcting that.

    And as you alluded to in your remarks, making sure that this is a mainstream agenda and not one that is surrendered to the margins and the extremes.

    So, I’m looking forward to working with you and your institute as we begin to develop solutions to the inequalities and injustices that men and boys face in our country today.

    The truth is it can be quite tough to be a young man in today’s society.

    Lots of boys, particularly those from working class backgrounds like mine, are falling behind at school and are worried about their futures.

    The proliferation of toxic influences and content on social media is leading a lot of boys astray.

    A lot of content on social media that provided a real challenge for girls in terms of positive body image and what it meant to be a perfect girl or a woman in our society. Those challenges are now applying to men and boys in similar if sometimes different ways.

    And all of this is contributing to a crisis in masculinity.

    Since taking on the health and social care brief in opposition three and a half years ago, I’ve been very outspoken about the fact that it takes seven and a half years for women to receive a diagnosis for a common condition like endometriosis, or that a universal experience like menopause is still treated as if it’s a rare condition affecting alien species.

    And I feel just as enraged about the inequalities in men’s health, frankly.

    Men are living four years less than women.

    The gap widens if you just look at working class communities.

    Men are disproportionately affected by cancer, cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes.

    The tragedy is that many of these conditions are treatable and even preventable.

    Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men.

    And suicide is the number one killer of men under the age of 50, which was a fact so shocking that I nearly fell off my chair when I first heard it and actually asked for the statistic to be checked. And the fact that it’s now more commonly cited should not make the fact itself less shocking or outrageous.

    Nothing frustrates me more than when men’s health and women’s health are pitted in opposition to each other, as if by focusing on men’s health strategy, we are in any way detracting from the work we’re doing on women’s health.

    This is not an either or.

    It very much has to be on hand, and we will address both.

    And it also does a disservice to lots of women in our society, as if somehow women don’t care about their fathers and grandfathers, their brothers, their sons, their nephews, any less than we care about our mothers or grandmothers, our sisters.

    It’s really serious.

    So I actually think that we are all in this together, and we will succeed as a society if we’re working together to tackle the injustices and inequalities that affect men and women.

    There’s a common problem across the NHS that women’s voices are not heard, and women are not listened to.

    When it comes to men, I think the problem is often we’re more reluctant to speak up in the first place.

    One in three men have never had a conversation with a brother, father or grandfather about their health.

    The same number would prefer to suffer in silence than go to the doctor about their mental health.

    So, I think we’ve got to teach men from a young age that it’s okay to feel, to hurt, and to ask for help.

    Doing so doesn’t make you any less of a man.

    And I think that making sure this generation of young men and boys are aware of that fact is how we make them less likely to channel their emotions into anger, aggression, or depression.

    This is all why we’re doing the first ever Men’s Health Strategy.

    I announced this last year at the Emirates Stadium to coincide with Movember, alongside a large number of men’s groups and organisations, charities and men’s health ambassadors.

    It was a great event, but one of the things that came out of it on the day and since has never ceased to amaze me. And that is just how many people said thank you.

    That’s not just because as a politician, it’s rare for someone to say thank you.

    I mean, to be fair, we’ve got to give people something to be grateful about.

    But, actually, I was saying to people, look, you can thank us when we’ve done something.

    All I’ve done is say we’re going to have a strategy.

    We hadn’t even launched the call for evidence at that point.

    So I said, thank you.

    When we’ve done something, when we’ve had an impact and we’ve started to change those statistics and change things about their lives and futures.

    But actually the pushback I got was, no, actually, we’re genuinely grateful because we’ve been fighting for this for so many years and haven’t had a hearing, let alone someone being prepared to launch a call for evidence that will lead to a strategy.

    And that tells us something about the extent to which men’s health has been overlooked, and particularly men’s mental health.

    So we launched our call for evidence for the Men’s Health Strategy in April, and I was about to say, I want to ask everyone who hasn’t responded yet to do so and spread the word further.

    But actually, we have been really overwhelmed and really struck by just how positive and engaged such a large number of organisations have been.

    So, but nonetheless, we want to make sure we engage as many men, as many organisations and as many different types of men and different parts of the country from different communities as we have.

    Which is right.

    We have to look at the data and we will take an evidence-based approach.

    But as we know, statistics paint a picture to an extent but what we also need to do is understand the story that we want to tell.

    We’re talking about the experience of men and boys today and how we’re going to make it so much better, so we could do with more insight as well as data, especially from those grassroots organisations in this room and beyond, in a range of communities across the country, whether on physical health or mental health, whether we’re talking about white men or Black men, whether we’re talking about class inequality as well, which is at the heart of a lot of mental health. Any serious attempt to address mental health must confront these inequalities head on.

    So, we’ve got our work cut out for us. Doing is a lot more important than talking.

    We’ve done the easy bit, in my view.

    We’ve committed to having a strategy to making a difference and making sure that we’re proud of the impact.

    But in order to be successful, this isn’t just a challenge that government can address.

    This is about government playing its part, but working in partnership with civil society, with businesses, with all of us as citizens to try and tackle what are a wide range of challenges and problems facing men and boys.

    And that’s why this gathering is really important to me, the department and the government, because we need to do this with you rather than to you. A with this level of enthusiasm, this level of energy, we genuinely think we can do something impactful that we’ll be able to look back on for the rest of our lives with pride, knowing that we were prepared to confront the problems and the challenges head on, and make sure that boys growing up in this country today, whoever they are, whatever their background, can achieve their fullest potential and look forward to a life well lived, rather than experience the deep anxiety and despair far too many boys in our country are experiencing today.

    So thank you very much in advance.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Driverless cars expected in 2 years

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today said she would expect the application of autonomous vehicles (AV) in selected communities within the next one to two years based on the current progress of testing.

    Ms Chan told lawmakers that since a new regulatory regime allowing wider and more flexible trials of AVs on the road was rolled out last year, the testing and application of AVs in Hong Kong are enhancing speed and efficiency.

    She said the Transport Department has issued two pilot licences to allow 12 AVs to be tested in North Lantau and the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) respectively.

    The transport chief noted that significant progress has been made in the trial in North Lantau since its commencement from the end of last year and various breakthroughs have been achieved.

    These include the scale of the trial being expanded from a single vehicle to 10 vehicles operating simultaneously in order to collect the data of multiple vehicles running in parallel; carrying passengers on specified routes after a safety assessment; conducting a trial on more complex roads; expanding current trial routes at Airport Island with plans to conduct a trial in Tung Chung in the future simultaneously; and allowing the speed limit to be increased to 50km per hour in accordance with the trial route’s maximum speed limit. 

    The project applicant also plans to expand the trial to Cyberport, Ms Chan added.

    Another project, located at the WKCD, will trial autonomous light buses equipped with an autonomous driving system that follows Hong Kong’s left-handed traffic rule.

    Ms Chan noted that upon completion of the entire system development and when the system has been proven safe to operate, trials with passengers will be carried out on public roads in the WKCD.

    Looking forward, the Government will consolidate the experience gained from various projects, refine technical standards and share research outcomes with the industry to promote the development of AVs with safety as its guiding principle. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Two teenagers convicted of stabbing man to death in Lewisham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two teenagers have been convicted of savagely stabbing a young man to death as he ran for his life following a dispute between feuding families.

    Ryan Wedderburn, 18 (29.05.06) of Windlass Place, Lewisham, and Kirk Harris, 19 (29.03.06) of Upper Brockley Road, Lewisham, were convicted on Tuesday, 13 May of the murder of 21-year-old Robert Robinson following a trial at the Old Bailey.

    They will all be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 15 May.

    Detective Inspector Neil Tovey from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “I am pleased that we have today secured justice for the family and friends of Robert. He was stabbed to death in a brutal attack in a residential road when numerous families would have been home. Robert was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him, it was instead taken away by Wedderburn and Harris in a senseless attack. Robert tried to run for his life, but was chased down and viciously attacked.

    “This was a cowardly attack on Robert, who was outnumbered and unarmed. His family listened to the details of the attack and watched the CCTV of Robert’s last moments. They also heard the evidence from Wedderburn and Harris where they attempted to justify their actions. I am pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence we presented to the court to prove their guilt. I would like to pay tribute to the dignity that Robert’s family and friends have shown throughout the trial.”

    Police were called at about 22:35hrs on Thursday, 6 June 2024 to reports of a stabbing in Carteret Way, SE8. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended but despite their best efforts the victim, later identified as Robert, sadly died at the scene.

    He had suffered 12 serious stab wounds, including injuries indicating he tried to defend himself from the attackers.

    The court heard that on 6 June 2024, Robert had been with some friends who lived near Wedderburn. Those friends and the Wedderburn family had been close friends until October 2022 when they had a falling out. Tensions had been brewing since that time, with it coming to a head on 6 June 2024.

    Earlier that day, one of Robert’s friends allegedly had his bike stolen by a man who was known to be friends with Wedderburn.

    The victim wanted to get his bike back, so the friends, Robert and a group went to Wedderburn’s house hoping they would find the bike and the person who stole it. There was no answer, so the group eventually left the address. Some of the group then allegedly damaged two cars belonging to the Wedderburn family.

    Shortly afterwards, Wedderburn and Harris left the property in Windlass Place armed with knives and walked to nearby Carteret Way, SE8.

    When the defendants arrived at the property in Carteret Way, one of the friends, their mother and Robert spotted them approaching with the knives and ran away. The friend’s mother was on the phone to 999 at the time, reporting the earlier theft of the bike and her son being threatened. Robert was chased and overpowered by Wedderburn and Harris who carried out a savage attack on him.

    Wedderburn and Harris then fled on foot and got into a waiting pre-arranged taxi, which was booked by a friend who was acquitted by the jury of perverting the course of justice.

    Officers quickly arrived and Wedderburn was named by witnesses as being one of those involved. A 44-year-old man was arrested near the scene shortly afterwards on suspicion of murder. He was acquitted by the jury.

    Knowing they were wanted, Harris and Wedderburn handed themselves into the police on 17 June and 19 June 2024 respectively.

    Detectives tirelessly scoured CCTV from the area, which clearly showed not only the attack but the defendants being at the scene. The defendants were tracked from the scene and CCTV footage showed they had discarded clothing and weapons. This led to searches of the Thames which recovered clothing worn during the attack and some of the murder weapons.

    The defendants admitted their presence and all gave evidence in their defence attempting to justify their actions on the day. Both Wedderburn and Harris admitted to stabbing Robert with Wedderburn claiming self-defence and Harris claiming he did not intend to cause serious harm.

    However, CCTV captured Wedderburn and Harris arming themselves with knives and running along the corridor of the building before turning back and arranging for a cab to be booked, in which they later fled the scene.

    This evidence led to the defendants being charged and convicted as above.

    + An 18-year-old man is due to stand trial in January 2026 charged with Robert’s murder. A 23-year-old man is due to stand trial in October 2026, charged with perverting the course of justice.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City council’s cabinet to consider changes to waste and recycling collections Proposals to introduce weekly food waste collections along with a revamp of the way that Lancaster City Council collects waste and recycling are set to be considered by councillors.

    Source: City of Lancaster

    Proposals to introduce weekly food waste collections along with a revamp of the way that Lancaster City Council collects waste and recycling are set to be considered by councillors.

    New wheelie bins

    To comply with the Government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ scheme – which aims to create consistency in the way recycling is collected – councils across England must begin collecting food waste by March 31 2026.

    On Tuesday May 20 the city council’s cabinet will meet to decide the best way for the collections to be introduced in the Lancaster district. One of the main proposals is to switch from the current recycling boxes to new 240-litre wheelie bins.

    These larger bins would make it easier for households to store recyclables like glass, plastic, tins, cardboard and paper while reducing mess on the streets. If the proposals get the green light, recycling collections would move to every three weeks instead of every two, as there will be more space in each bin.

    The same three-week cycle is also being proposed for grey bins, as people throw away less once they start recycling food waste weekly.

    Councillor Paul Hart, cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “Bringing in food waste collections is part of a national plan to simplify how waste and recycling is collected, but it also gives us a chance to take a fresh look at how we do things.

    “If people are putting their food waste out for collection each week, their grey bins won’t fill up so quickly. And bigger recycling bins — something lots of residents have asked for – should make things easier and tidier.

    “I know these are big changes, but other councils that have already made the switch are seeing less waste going into grey bins and more being recycled. That’s what we’re aiming for too.”

    The council has received around £1.46million in funding from the government to support the roll-out of food waste collections and this will be used to purchase new vehicles and food waste caddies for households.

    Each household will receive a free caddy to keep in their kitchen for food waste, which can be emptied it into a new outside food waste bin, also provided by the council, once full.

    • More information on the proposed changes and FAQs are available on the council’s website at www.Lancaster.gov.uk/food-waste.

    The agenda for the cabinet meeting can be found here: https://committeeadmin.lancaster.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=297&MId=8606

    Last updated: 14 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 14, 2025
  • Targeting the ‘Sindoor’ of Indian daughters has consequences: Uttarakhand CM Dhami

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday lauded the Indian Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, stating that the operation sent a strong message to terrorists and their handlers about the consequences of targeting innocent Indian families.

    “Through Operation Sindoor, our Armed Forces, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have shown the world the consequences of eyeing the ‘sindoor’—the symbol of dignity and pride—of Indian daughters,” said CM Dhami while addressing a gathering during the Tiranga Samman Shaurya Yatra.

    He saluted the courage and determination of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, BSF, and all security personnel involved in the operation. “I pay my respects to the unmatched bravery of our forces. I also express my gratitude to PM Modi, whose decisive leadership made this successful counter-terror operation possible.”

    Speaking about the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, CM Dhami said the motive behind the attack was to provoke communal unrest. “The terrorists wanted to spark riots in the country, but their plan failed. Instead, the entire nation stood united in demanding firm action against terrorism.”

    Dhami emphasized that Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism. “Our Armed Forces dismantled every terrorist hideout deep within Pakistani territory and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Even the Pakistani army, which had been shielding these terrorists, was forced to retreat. Pakistan now knows that any hostile intent toward India will meet with a crushing response.”

    Operation Sindoor was carried out in the early hours of May 7, in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. Indian forces struck nine terror hideouts in deep areas of Pakistan and PoJK, marking a significant escalation in India’s counter-terror response.

    The BJP’s Tiranga Yatra, launched nationwide on Tuesday, aims to honour the valour of India’s soldiers and raise awareness among citizens about the success of Operation Sindoor.

    (With ANI inputs)

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI-Deputy Secretary Edgar: “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community. Under The Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice”

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: ICYMI-Deputy Secretary Edgar: “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community

    Under The Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice”

    Oscar Ortega-Anguiano is set to be released from prison after serving just three-and-a-half years of his 10-year sentence for the killing of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin 

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Washington Examiner published Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar’s Op-Ed in the Washington Examiner titled, “An Illegal Immigrant Killed Two Teenagers In My Community

    Under the Trump Administration, He Will Face Justice

    ”  

    The Op-Ed highlights the story of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin, two 19-year-olds that were killed in 2021 by an illegal alien who was driving under the influence in the Deputy Secretary’s home state of California

    Recently, it was revealed that Oscar Ortega-Anguiano—the teens’ killer—is set to be released from a California state prison after serving just three-and-a-half years of a 10-year sentence

    However, the Trump administration is intervening to ensure Ortega-Anguiano does not walk free

    The worst call you could ever receive as a parent is one telling you that your teenage son or daughter has been in a car accident

    It’s a lifechanging call that would go down as one of the worst days of your life

    It could be even worse though: What if you also found out that the driver that caused the accident was in our country illegally? This tragic circumstance is a reality for the parents of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin

    At just 19 years old, these two young people from Orange County, California had their whole lives ahead of them

    Varfolomeev was a bright young woman, who was a dedicated ballerina and scout

    Osokin was a gifted student at Pepperdine University who excelled in both music and academics

    But in November 2021, their lives were senselessly stolen in a fiery crash caused by a criminal illegal alien who should have never been in this country in the first place

    Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was driving drunk, high on drugs, and speeding at nearly 100 mph on the 405 freeway when he crashed into a vehicle carrying Varfolomeev and Osokin

    Even worse, Ortega-Anguiano was a repeat criminal, with a track record that includes multiple felonies and convictions for driving without a license

    Despite being deported, he re-entered our country illegally twice

    Now, four years later, Ortega-Anguiano is set to be released from California state prison after serving just 3

    5 years of his 10-year sentence

    I’ve spoken to Anya’s father, and he is outraged

    So am I

    This story hits especially close to home because I served as mayor and city council member of Los Alamitos for over a decade, and this tragic incident happened in our community

    It also represents so much that is wrong with our broken immigration system

    As Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, I work relentlessly under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem to carry out their priorities to protect our communities from brutal criminals who should not be loose on American streets

    Under the Trump administration, DHS is enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and seeking to punish criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and this has my direct attention

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer for Ortega-Anguiano with the California Department of Corrections

    If state authorities do not honor the ICE detainer, federal agents will take custody of Ortega-Anguiano and deport him immediately upon release

    The U

    S

    Attorney for the Central District of California has also filed a felony immigration charge against Ortega-Anguiano, which could put him behind bars for an additional 20 years

    Under the secretary’s leadership, the department is also giving support to victims by reopening the ICE’s Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office

    VOICE was first launched in 2017 by the Trump administration as a dedicated resource for those who have been victimized by crime that has a nexus to immigration

    The Biden administration shuttered the office, leaving victims and their families without access to key resources and support services–but we will not allow their stories to be silenced any longer

    Every day, the Trump Administration is working to prevent these tragedies from happening in another town, to another family

    We owe it to Anya and Nikolay, and every family like theirs, to never stop fighting for justice and safety

    That starts with removing the worst of the worst– and making sure they never return

    Not in my town

    Not in any American town

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Taxi Fleet Regime

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    ​Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):

    Question:

    The Road Traffic Legislation (Enhancing Personalised Point-to-point Transport Services) (Amendment) Bill 2023, which, among others, seeks to introduce a Taxi Fleet Regime, was passed by this Council in December 2023. Subsequently, in July last year, the Government announced that conditional grants of the Taxi Fleet Licence were issued to five applicants, requiring them to complete the gearing-up work and commence services within one year. However, it has been reported that to date no fleets have officially commenced operations and that only two fleets are operating on a trial basis. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the current number of taxis that each of the five fleets can provide for services; the respective difference between such numbers and the minimum number of taxis required under the Taxi Fleet Licence;

    (2) whether it has reviewed the reasons why three of the taxi fleets have not yet commenced trial operations and the two fleets currently undergoing trial operations have not officially commenced operations since the issuance of the conditional grants of the Taxi Fleet Licence; of the respective expected dates for the five fleets to officially commence operations; and

    (3) whether the authorities have formulated a plan to deal with situations where the aforementioned taxi fleets are unable to officially commence operations by the dates specified in the conditional grants; if so, of the details of the plan; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    The Government has earlier reviewed the overall operation and management of taxis, and introduced a series of measures to enhance the quality of taxi service, including the introduction of a new regulatory regime – the taxi fleet regime. With regard to the question raised by the Hon Andrew Lam, I hereby reply as follows:

    (1) Upon open application and assessment by the Transport Department (TD), five operators were issued with conditional grants of the Taxi Fleet Licence in end-July 2024. The selected applicants include three urban fleets and two mixed fleets, with a fleet size of 300 to 1 000 taxis each, providing a total of over 3 500 taxis, which account for over one-sixth of the 18 163 taxis in Hong Kong and include around 300 wheelchair-accessible taxis and 1 000 premium taxis.

    According to the conditional grants of the Taxi Fleet Licence, the five selected operators are required to complete the gearing-up work and commence service by end-July this year. At the time of service commencement, the size of each fleet shall reach at least 60 per cent of the total number of taxis committed to be deployed by such fleet.

    Among the five taxi fleets, two fleets (SynCab and Joie Taxi) have been operating on a trial basis, with a view to gaining operation experiences, collecting passenger feedback, and allowing passengers to experience their services first-hand. It is understood that SynCab and Joie have deployed around 300 taxis altogether for trial operation. The remaining three taxi fleets are fully engaged in the gearing-up work, and drivers and taxi owners are joining the fleets one after another.

    (2) and (3) Since July last year, the five selected operators have been conducting gearing-up work with great endeavour, including purchasing new vehicles and carrying out modifications, installing in-vehicle technological devices for enhancement of driving safety, setting up electronic payment systems, developing and testing online hailing applications, recruiting drivers, providing training to drivers, etc.

    The TD has been holding regular meetings with the fleets to actively promote and assist their gearing-up work, while coordinating and providing support based on their needs during the preparatory stage. For example, in response to the need of various operators to acquire new models of vehicles for use as fleet taxis, the TD has, on the premise of ensuring road safety, streamlined the procedures by introducing batch applications and vehicle examinations and providing facilitating measures in respect of the vehicle examination arrangements.

    We understand that taxi fleet is a new type of service, and some taxi owners and drivers may not understand the operation of the fleets and therefore are hesitant to join the fleets. This has led to various challenges for the fleet operators in conducting the gearing-up work, for example regarding driver recruitment and engagement of taxi owners. At present, two of the fleet operators have started trial operations. Such operations not only allow these fleets to collect passenger feedback but also provide a valuable opportunity for trade members to understand the operation of fleets, which is beneficial to attracting more taxi owners and drivers to join the fleet. Additionally, it is understood that the fleet operators have implemented different measures to recruit taxi owners and drivers, such as hosting fleet introduction sessions and recruitment events, organising activities to showcase the new taxi models and new fleet management approach to taxi owners, offering referral bonuses and driving safety bonuses to drivers, and implementing flexible work schedules. We hope that the fleet operators will continue to adopt various strategies to recruit taxi owners and drivers. The TD will also maintain close communication with the fleets, and actively facilitate their completion of the gearing-up work for the commissioning of taxi fleet services by end-July this year. Furthermore, apart from the launching of the respective online booking channels by the fleets, we understand that a third-party technology provider is discussing with the fleets the launching of a centralised online hailing platform to make it more convenient for the public to book fleet taxis. The Government will continue to encourage the fleets to take forward the relevant work.

    We aim to introduce systematic management and technology-driven fleets through the taxi fleet regime, and thereby motivating the taxi trade to innovate and transform. At the same time, the Government will continue to implement other measures through a multi-pronged approach, and be determined to enhance the quality of taxi services and to promote the industry’s long-term healthy development, thereby providing passengers with taxi services of better quality. These measures include the already effective Taxi-Driver-Offence Points system and the two-tier penalty system which aim to enhance the deterrent effects against the black sheep of the industry, and the legislative proposals to mandate taxis to install in-vehicle cameras, dash cameras and global navigation satellite systems in their compartments and to provide e-payment means.

    Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2025
    Issued at HKT 11:50

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 to Spotlight the Impact of Gabon’s Mining Code

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

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 14, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Gabon strives to expand the mining industry’s GDP contribution to over 30% by the mid-2030s, using policies such as the Mining Code to attract investment and fuel development. By offering competitive incentives such as tax holidays ranging from three to eight years and a modest 3-5% royalty on base metals, the Mining Code offers improved terms for investors, thereby providing positive implications for the country’s mineral sector.

    African Mining Week – Africa’s premier gathering for African mining stakeholders, scheduled for October 1–3, 2025 in Cape Town – will provide an overview of Gabon’s Mining Code. A dedicated panel discussion, titled Navigating Gabon’s Mining Code: A Guide for Investors, will explore how the country is using the Mining Code to catalyze mining development and attract capital.

    Already the world’s third-largest producer of manganese (apo-opa.co/44ES9QA), Gabon is leveraging the code to strengthen the sector though international partnerships and new investments. French mining major Eramet, operator of the high-grade Moanda Minesin Gabon, signed a manganese supply agreement with Australia’s Firebird Metals (apo-opa.co/44yGrXD) to support electric vehicle (EV) battery production in China. Similarly, India’s state-run MOIL (apo-opa.co/4koDe1z) is in talks to develop manganese assets in Gabon, highlighting the country’s growing role in the global manganese, EV and battery storage market.

    Beyond manganese, Gabon is diversifying its mineral production base. Canadian company Millennial Potash Corp (apo-opa.co/43gSiHB) is advancing the Banio Potash Project, where high-grade potash intersections were confirmed in May 2025. Once operational, the project will be Gabon’s first commercial potash facility, supplying a global market driven by demand for fertilizers and pharmaceutical applications.

    Iron ore is another growth frontier where the country is using the Mining Code to secure investment. In partnership with Australia’s Genmin and China’s Sinohydro (apo-opa.co/43e25xN), the country is progressing the Baniaka Iron Ore Project, which targets five million tons of annual output initially, ramping up to 10 million tons in the future. Australia’s Fortescue is also expanding its Belinga iron ore project while South Africa’s Menar (apo-opa.co/3F7k0OO) signed agreements to invest in the sector, illustrating growing investor confidence fostered by Gabon’s Mining Code.

    Amid this growth, African Mining Week will connect investors, government officials and private sector leaders to advance projects. With a focus on legal clarity, resource potential and project-ready opportunities, the event will foster high-level dialogue and promote Gabon as a rising hub for responsible, high-return mining investment in Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    May 14, 2025
  • Operation Sindoor: From strategic restraint to sovereign retaliation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s military response to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack marked not merely a tactical action, but a fundamental shift in its strategic doctrine. Operation Sindoor, the codename for a bold retaliatory air campaign, shattered the long-standing tenets of India’s restraint-driven security posture. This was not just about responding to a cross-border provocation it was a calculated assertion of sovereign will, combining military strikes with economic countermeasures and an unapologetic geopolitical stance. The Indian Air Force struck deep into Pakistani territory, hitting eleven military installations, including the highly sensitive Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad a key node in Pakistan’s air defence and nuclear command infrastructure. These strikes were not reactionary outbursts; they were precisely timed, meticulously planned, and unilaterally executed. The choice of targets reflected not only the resolve to punish terror networks, but to decapitate the infrastructure that shields and enables them under the garb of nuclear deterrence. India, for the first time, did not blink in the face of Pakistan’s nuclear threats. It called the bluff and did so with devastating precision.

    What followed was unprecedented. The international community, which once scrambled to de-escalate tensions in South Asia, remained eerily silent. Washington, London, Brussels, and even Beijing offered no real condemnation. The world had no playbook for this new India an India that acted without seeking permission, validation, or multilateral endorsement. The traditional scripts were obsolete. This quietude wasn’t diplomatic oversight it was stunned recalibration. India had crossed the Rubicon and declared that its security calculus would no longer be bound by Cold War legacies or post-colonial deference. Strategic restraint, once considered a virtue of mature statecraft, had evolved into a liability. Operation Sindoor rewrote the doctrine as ‘sovereign retaliation’ became the new normal. This retaliatory strike wasn’t just a military action; it was a geopolitical signal, a declaration of strategic independence.

    What made this moment historic wasn’t just the airstrikes. Within days, India struck in the economic domain, announcing retaliatory tariffs worth $1.9 billion on U.S. exports, sanctioned by the WTO. While officially framed as a response to American tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium, this move carried deeper implications. It was a direct indictment of Washington’s double standards. Despite its rhetoric of partnership through platforms like the Quad, the U.S. continued to bankroll Pakistan through IMF bailouts, the latest of which came on May 9, 2025 at a time when India & Pakistan were engaged in a military standoff. Washington remained ambivalent, offering neither support nor criticism. Worse, it failed to pressure its NATO ally Turkey to halt drone transfers to Pakistan and made no effort to leverage its defence ties with Pakistan to prevent further escalation. India responded not with pleading, but with policy. The WTO move was not only about trade but also about establishing a doctrine of economic deterrence where tariffs serve as diplomatic instruments just as missiles serve as military ones.

    India’s shift did not occur in a vacuum. It was built on a decade of foundational reforms strategic autonomy in defence procurement, diversified energy and trade partners, and a strengthening of indigenous technological platforms. In 1971, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after a big military victory in the Bangladesh war made a strategic retreat from West Pakistan giving up the gains, handing back 93,000 Pakistani POWs and affording Pakistan army an Off-Ramp to save its honour at Shimla Accord. Prime Minister Modi’s India on other hand in 2025 stood sovereign in policy and posture. There were no Nixon-era backchannels to arm-twist India, no Chinese diversionary threats in Ladakh, no economic leverages to constrain action. This was a state that had absorbed the lessons of the past and finally acted with the strategic decisiveness it long possessed but rarely deployed. Operation Sindoor was not about conquest; it was about calibrated decapitation. It struck hard enough to cripple, but restrained enough to avoid collapse. It was punitive, not escalatory a textbook demonstration of escalation dominance.

    The military phase of Operation Sindoor saw coordinated precision strikes across a range of Pakistani targets including Bahawalpur, Muridke, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Skardu etc targeting the terror camps and infrastructure on 7th May 2025. On May 10th, 2025 in response to Pakistani escalation by way of Turkish drones, targeting religious places, civilians and Indian military installations; the Indian Airforce struck Pakistani airbases like Rafuqui, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Jacobabad, Nur Khan, Sargodha and Bholari airbases. These were not token air raids but deep-penetration missions utilizing BrahMos cruise missiles, targeting air defence systems, radar systems, electronic jammers, and bunkers. The Nur Khan Airbase strike sent shockwaves not just through Rawalpindi, but across global defence communities. The base’s proximity to Islamabad and its criticality to Pakistan’s nuclear logistics underscored India’s new resolve. The IAF’s rapid execution within 90 minutes disabled Pakistan’s air defence grid and neutralized its early-warning capabilities. It was a surgical dismantling of Pakistan’s conventional deterrence. The world watched, waited, but did not intervene. The silence was deafening.

    India’s leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not seek applause or permission. Unlike previous governments that lobbied for global sympathy post-Kargil or after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Modi’s government acted decisively and let its actions speak. There were no diplomatic pilgrimages to world capitals, no speeches at the UN, no dossier handovers. The message was simple, India will defend itself without intermediaries and if that means targeting strategic installations of a nuclear state, then so be it. Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine had long shielded it from Indian retaliation. That shield was dismantled not just through bombs, but through boldness. It was a psychological strike as much as a physical one.

    While Pakistan bore the immediate brunt, the real targets of India’s message were China and the United States. Beijing, deeply invested in Pakistan through CPEC and military-industrial collaboration, refrained from open escalation. Even as Chinese-built drones and radars were destroyed, Beijing chose silence, perhaps wary of jeopardizing its broader trading relationship with India amidst tensions in Taiwan and trade war with USA. The United States, meanwhile, struggled with its strategic schizophrenia. India’s actions conflicted with the expectations Washington had long harboured that India would remain a “responsible stakeholder” and junior partner in the Indo-Pacific architecture. But Operation Sindoor, and the WTO retaliation that followed, made it abundantly clear that India no longer played by G2 rules. It would not be managed, moderated, or manipulated.

    India’s challenge to the informal U.S.-China duopoly has now become structural. For over a decade, the G2 logic where Washington and Beijing informally co-managed global affairs has sidelined emerging powers. But India’s unilateralism broke that frame. It did not consult either power before acting militarily. It did not apologize for retaliating economically. It neither sought validation nor acknowledged criticism. That defiance is what defines India’s rise not as a “balancing power” but as a disruptor, a sovereign pole in a genuinely multipolar world. Its model of statecraft is rooted in pre-modern civilizational confidence, not post-modern liberal anxieties. It invokes Dharma, not doctrine; sovereignty, not subservience.

    For Washington, this presents a strategic conundrum. Should it try to rein India in through pressure and conditionality? Or should it accept India’s autonomy and recalibrate the partnership? The Trump administration has oscillated, unable to decide whether India is a rebellious ally or an indispensable partner. But India has made its position clear it will not compromise on national interests, and certainly not under duress. There will be no compromise disguised as cooperation. India’s economic sovereignty, military autonomy, and civilizational narrative are now core to its foreign policy, and no partnership that demands dilution of these values will be entertained.

    This transformation is not without risks. India’s assertiveness threatens entrenched interests. Both the U.S. and China, despite their rivalry, will seek to manage or constrain India’s ascent. Turkey’s deepening drone alliance with Pakistan is one such pressure point. The hybrid warfare against India via drones, trade barriers, and information warfare is likely to intensify. America’s willingness to offer off-ramps to Pakistan and equate Indian retaliation with Pakistani provocation betrays a strategic myopia. India must now navigate this terrain with agility escalating when necessary, de-escalating on its terms, and retaliating across all domains.

    The day India launched its strikes on Pakistani airbases, Washington and Beijing came to an agreement on a tentative trade deal an act that reinforced the enduring G2 instinct. But in doing so, they also acknowledged the emerging reality that the future will not be defined by their binary logic alone. India’s assertion has introduced a third pole, one that neither seeks to dominate nor to align, but to act independently. That is the defining hallmark of multipolarity within bipolarity. India has entered this arena not as a substitute power, but as an original force a civilizational state that finally acts in accordance with its historical identity and strategic destiny. Operation Sindoor, in that sense, is not a finite event. It is the inaugural move of a long game, a game where India leads not just in South Asia, but influences the very grammar of global order. The world must now learn to engage with a new India one that retaliates, redefines, and refuses to retreat.

    (Navroop Singh is an Intellectual Property Attorney in New Delhi and a geopolitical analyst with the ‘Niti Shastra’ platform. He has co-authored three books and writes on foreign policy, law, history, and public affairs.) 

    May 14, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council awards new contract for road repairs

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    After a successful three-week trial of thermal technology in 2024, Highland Council has appointed Thermal Road Repairs for a two-year patching repair contract worth a seven-figure sum. This will provide an additional resource for repairing surface defects such as potholes, cracking and deteriorating surfacing joints.

    Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “After a successful trial last year, I’m delighted that we will be making use of thermal technology moving forward. It offers an efficient way to repair our roads using less material and will allow us to carry out permanent pothole fixes in all seasons.”

    The thermal repair process involves using an infrared heating system to heat existing road material which then becomes malleable and can be reworked with additional material to create a defect-free surface. The use of heat means that the repair is free of cold joints and therefore has no weak points at the edges resulting in a more effective repair that can also be carried out in colder conditions.

    Cllr Gowans continued: “Thermal Road Repairs have a wealth of experience and their technology provides a fast, permanent fix to potholes but with the added benefits of low emissions and minimal waste due to less plant and materials being required. Infrared patching is a low noise and low impact technique with only one vehicle which creates minimal disruption for road users, and it is also a very quick process with approximately one square metre repaired every 5-9 minutes.

    “Investing in our roads is a high priority not only for the Council but also for our communities and I am pleased that this contract will support our local roads teams to improve the condition of our roads faster and more effectively. The contract is part of a £2.1 billion capital investment agreed in our Highland Investment Plan which will help to maintain over 4000 miles of roads and ensure a sustainable approach to investment and contractor procurement. The Highland Investment Plan will provide 20 years of funding for roads and transport, schools, offices and community facilities throughout the Highlands.”

    Works are due to begin in summer 2025.

    14 May 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 14, 2025
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