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  • MIL-OSI China: China announces export controls on items related to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum, indium

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China on Tuesday announced export controls on items related to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium, according to a statement jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the General Administration of Customs.

    The policy comes into effect on Tuesday, according to the statement.

    In response to media inquiries, an MOC spokesperson said the move is a common international practice.

    As a major global producer and exporter of tungsten and other items, China has long been committed to fulfilling non-proliferation and other international obligations, and imposed export controls on specific items according to laws and based on the need to safeguard national security and interests, the spokesperson said.

    The decision to include these items on the export control list reflects China’s holistic approach to balancing development and security, according to the spokesperson.

    This move not only serves to better protect China’s national security and interests, but also enables the country to better fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations, the spokesperson said, adding that it also safeguards the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

    Exports that comply with relevant regulations will be permitted, according to the spokesperson.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Diverse celebrations held in Paris, London to celebrate Chinese New Year

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

    Diverse celebrations held in Paris, London to celebrate Chinese New Year

    Updated: February 5, 2025 07:38 Xinhua

    People in both Paris and London have enjoyed various celebrations of the Chinese New Year held in landmarks of the two countries over the weekend.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Fireworks in celebration of Spring Festival illuminate sky in Macao

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

    Fireworks in celebration of Spring Festival illuminate sky in Macao

    Updated: February 5, 2025 08:18 Xinhua
    Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Teaching Council elections 2025

    Source: Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA)

    Elections for the Teaching Council are now open. Seven of the 13 Governing Council members are elected by the profession during elections held every three years. Election voting opens on Wednesday 5 February 2025.

    PPTA Te Wehengarua encourages members to vote in these elections and we support members stepping up to these positions. Four PPTA Te Wehengarua members are putting themselves forward  to be the secondary teachers’ representative.

    Ava Asby

    Science and Chemistry teacher, Western Heights High School, Rotorua

    Profile statement:

    I am a dedicated educator driven to help secondary students reach their fullest potential in New Zealand’s education system. Since arriving in NZ over 20 years ago, I have become a fully qualified and experienced science teacher in Rotorua, committed to fostering lifelong learning.
    If elected, I will prioritize policies that empower middle management to lead effectively, enhancing team communication and collaboration to improve student outcomes, particularly in applied sciences.
    My goal is to link modern, relevant science education with everyday experiences, preparing students for today’s job market. I am also passionate about advancing teacher training policies, supporting high-quality classroom management, and efficient resource planning across schools to ensure the best educational experience possible. Let’s work together to make meaningful, positive changes for our students and educators.

    Simon Curnow

    Curriculum Leader Languages at Marlborough Girls’ College, Blenheim

    Profile statement:

    Kia ora koutou, no Kernowek oku tipuna. 
    I would like to use this position to advocate for a reduction in fees for Teacher Registration. There must be creative ways for doing this through the Ministry of Education and School Boards. If budgeted for, the real costs for the average school would not be prohibitive on a yearly basis. 
    A simplification of the Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Educational Leadership Capability Framework is needed. Too often these documents are used in a pedantic manner to create a rod for hard-working teachers’ backs. Accountability needs to go both ways – bottom up as well as top down. 
    The Teacher’s Council should work, in conjunction with NZQA, to attract teachers from different parts of the world to the profession. Recognition of overseas qualifications needs to be re-examined and expanded.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Honouring Australia’s first women’s cricket legend Barbara Rae

    Source: State of Victoria Local Government 2

    Exciting news! A permanent bronze statue to honour the legacy of pioneering cricketer Barbara Rae will be installed in Greater Bendigo later this year.

    It follows the City of Greater Bendigo’s successful submission for funding from the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program to commemorate the 19 year old cricketer.

    It is the first statue to honour a female cricketer in Victoria and only the second in Australia.

    Bendigo is the birthplace of women’s cricket in Australia and the first match between the ‘Blues’ and the ‘Reds’ occurred as part of the Easter Fair in 1874 to raise funds for the Bendigo Hospital and Benevolent Asylum.

    Primary school teacher Barbara Rae was pivotal in organising the inaugural match, recruiting players and running coaching sessions at local cricket grounds. At that time, women required permission to play in ‘male-only’ sports in public.

    As captain of the winning Blues team, Barbara was the top scorer and named player of the match.

    The inaugural match was initially deemed a success and attended by thousands. It was during the following days that match players faced hostility in many Victorian newspapers for what was considered ‘deplorable’ and ‘unseemly’ behaviour for women to play public sport.

    Now, almost 151 years since that first match, Barbara Rae’s leadership and legacy lives on as women’s cricket in Australia thrives, with record-breaking crowds and participation levels.

    The City made a submission to the Victorian Women’s Public Art Program last year and was shortlisted with 12 others from across the state. The program honours legacies of those who have forged a path for all Victorian women – reflecting diversity, and highlighting leadership, excellence, and service to the community across a range of fields.

    The program’s aim is to address the under-representation of women and their achievements by funding six public artworks in Victoria.

    Public engagement on the submissions attracted more than 10,000 submissions before a final decision was made by the Minister for Women. The statue of Barbara Rae is the first of the six successful projects to be announced publicly.

    The artist involved in the project will be revealed soon and the statue is expected to be installed in the latter half of 2025 in Bendigo.

    Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said it was fantastic news for the cricketer to be immortalised in this way.

    “Barbara Rae paved the way for women’s cricket in Australia and it happened right here in Greater Bendigo,” Cr Metcalf said.

    “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the community for getting behind the campaign for Barbara.

    “Barbara was a trailblazer who challenged the values of 19th century society.

    “This new statue will be an important landmark for Greater Bendigo and Australia’s cricketing history and a fitting tribute to Barbara’s legacy to women’s sport.”

    Barbara Rae’s great granddaughter Diane Robertson said she was delighted to see Barbara honoured in this way.

    “It has been such a thrill to see our great grandmother’s contribution recognised for what has now become an established and vibrant sport. Barbara set a wonderful example for women and girls in sport,” Ms Robertson said.

    Last year’s Easter Festival marked the 150th anniversary of Australia’s first women match with a commemorative celebration at the Queen Elizabeth Oval and a representative T20 match between Bendigo and Ballarat. The anniversary event was supported by the City, the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, the Bendigo Historical Society, the Bendigo District Cricket Association and Cricket Victoria.

    The Bendigo Historical Society held its inaugural exhibition, Frisky Matrons & Forward Spinsters to honour Barbara and women’s cricket in the region. The City’s Heritage Collections Officer Simone Ewenson curated the stunning exhibition.

    Bendigo Easter Fair Society President Simon Mulqueen said the statue was a wonderful celebration of women’s cricket which began at the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874.

    “The Bendigo Easter Fair Society is extremely proud and excited about the Barbara Rae statue which represents the women who played the first game during the Bendigo Easter Fair in 1874. It was not easy for women to play the game that they loved as there was a lot of adversity. This is a wonderful acknowledgment,” Mr Mulqueen said.

    Bendigo Historical Society President Euan McGillivray said it was important for Greater Bendigo.

    “The Bendigo Historical Society is thrilled with the news. It’s a wonderful way to mark this moment in our history and pay tribute to Barbara Rae with a permanent statue,” Mr McGillivray said.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Are Investment Tax Breaks Effective? Australian Evidence

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    Tags

    asset quality, balance sheet, banking, banknotes, bonds, business, business cycle, capital, cash rate, central clearing, China, climate change, commercial property, commodities, consumption, COVID-19, credit, cryptocurrency, currency, digital currency, debt, education, emerging markets, exchange rate, export, fees, finance, financial markets, financial stability, First Nations, fiscal policy, forecasting, funding, global economy, global financial crisis, history, households, housing, income and wealth, inflation, insolvency, insurance, interest rates, international, investment, labour market, lending standards, liquidity, machine learning, macroprudential policy, mining, modelling, monetary policy, money, open economy, payments, productivity, rba survey, regulation, resources sector, retail, risk and uncertainty, saving, securities, services sector, technology, terms of trade, trade, wages

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: One Sentenced, Two Admit to Roles in Ohio Valley Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Three men appeared in federal court this week for their involvement with a drug trafficking operation in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

    James Kidder, also known as “Jamey,” 47, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He has a criminal history that includes domestic violence, assault, theft, drug trafficking, and burglary.

    James Galloway, 28, of Bellaire, Ohio, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base. Matthew Clemont, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    According to court documents, the three men were distributors in a larger drug trafficking operation that spanned from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Ohio Valley. 

    Kidder will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Galloway and Clemont each face up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

    The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.

    Press release on the associated case: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-twenty-six-drug-trafficking

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: HP Inc. Sets Annual Meeting and Record Dates

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) board of directors has established a record date for its 2025 annual meeting of stockholders. HP Inc.’s stockholders of record at the close of business on February 20, 2025 will be entitled to notice of the annual meeting and to vote upon matters considered at the meeting. The annual meeting is scheduled to be held on April 14, 2025.

    HP Inc. will make available to all stockholders of record important information about the meeting and the matters to be considered. Stockholders are urged to review that information when it becomes available.

    About HP Inc.

    HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Watching the doom loop: Sydney Festival artists witness climate change, and imagine our post-apocalyptic future

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blake Lawrence, PhD Candidate (Design) and Performance Artist, University of Technology Sydney

    Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania. Giacomo Cosua/Sydney Festival

    The first weeks of 2025 have seen catastrophic wildfires locally and internationally, record global ocean temperatures, and unprecedented coral bleaching events.

    Trump has signed executive orders to exit from the Paris Agreement, and locally, the Coalition continues its decades-long campaign of climate denial

    Species fall swiftly and silently to extinction. The language of bird-song collapses. For many peoples, and for many species, apocalypse is past tense.

    For climate risk researchers Laurie Laybourn and James Dyke, politics illustrates a doom loop, a political diving-towards apocalypse.

    Artists in this year’s Sydney Festival imagine exit strategies from this doom loop – and dream of taking root in its post-apocalyptic rubble.

    Anito

    Phasmahammer is the alter-ego and ongoing creative project of artist Justin Talplacido Shoulder. Anito is the latest in a series of their theatre-scale works that blend live performance with mythology, story-telling, costume and ceremony.

    We begin in the cavernous Carriageworks foyer with a living miniature fig tree.

    Damun (as it is known in the Gadigal language), Ficus rubingosa (Latin), the Port Jackson fig, is known for establishing itself insurgently in the pavements and gutters of the city’s colonial (apocalyptic) architecture.

    Here, the bonsai sits like a welcome party, stifled and vibrant in its little pot.

    In an introductory speech, Shoulder’s collaborator Matthew Stegh acknowledges the city of Sydney as “a theatre and a prison” – tripling in reference to both the experience of producing theatre for institutions, and the stunted experience of our little fig.

    Anito blends live performance with mythology, story-telling, costume and ceremony.
    Sarah Walker/Sydney Festival

    He pays homage to the ecological and cosmological traditions of Gadigal Country, and to the ancestral Philippines of Shoulder. In the next breath Stegh shifts his homage to Sydney’s histories of queer and counter-cultural performance, to sex workers, strippers, clowns, club kids and drag queens.

    He offers reflections on apocalypse and ruin, referring to the “cultish suicide pact” of white supremacy, capitalism, imperialism and colonialism – to doom loops.

    We are led into the auditorium, where Shoulder and fellow performer Eugene Choi animate a series of hallucinatory images.

    Using their bodies, costume pieces, puppetry and inflatable set design, they work with immaculate sound (Corin Ileto) and lighting (Fausto Brusamolino).

    A ghostly hologram of the buttress of a great tree fills the stage. Metallic roots writhe at its foundation. Shoulder and Choi emerge, and from there, eruptions: the first man and woman, a pair of thunder-lizards, bickering, a quadruped. A scale-bending colonial ghost smothered in lace searches tragically for something among planetary ruins. A stony reef of polyps and anemones blooms and dances. A single clap by three pairs of hands. The Big Bang.

    It is often hard to discern exactly how the images are performed. They are both magic and bewildering.
    Liz Ham/Sydney Festival

    By design, it is often hard to discern exactly how these images are performed. They are both magic and bewildering.

    For philosopher Ben Ware, thinking about the horizon of the extinction of all biological life on Earth poses a paradoxical opportunity. The only thing that can thwart the end of this world – “a world of converging and multiplying catastrophes” – is the recognition that the politics of this time have one outcome: “the slow unravelling of intimately entangled forms of life”.

    The fantasy theatre of Anito makes those intimate entanglements visual. We must begin from understanding that the way the world is organised produces its own end.

    Like Shoulder, artist communities of the Pacific know this intimately.

    Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania

    Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania is an exhibition led by artists of the South Pacific Ocean.

    Originally conceived for the Venice Biennale, and curated by Taloi Havini, the exhibition comprises two commissions by Elisapeta Hinemoa Heta and Latai Taumoepeau.

    This is a space for conversation, performance, song and activism.
    Giacomo Cosua/Sydney Festival

    The rooms of a freshly-renovated Artspace in Woolloomooloo are transformed by Heta’s architectural interventions. In one, a mass of bricks creates an altar-like structure, on which bowls of coconut milk sit in concentric circles. In another, pavers form a platform for a circle of seats. They function as stages or gathering places for conversation, performance, song and activism.

    Within these happenings, Havini and her artists speak to the narrative and politics that have produced and compounded catastrophe in the South Pacific.

    Taumoepeau’s interactive installation Deep Communion sung in minor (ArchipelaGO, THIS IS NOT A DRILL) requires visitors to row on standing-paddle-board-like treadmills, which activate immersive songs sung by Taumoepeau and her collaborators.

    The physical exacerbation and the ecological trauma on the screens coalesce in our bodies.
    Giacomo Cosua/Sydney Festival

    In conversation with Heta’s installation, these songs rise and fall, the edges of the artworks and activations become blurry. Visitors paddle towards projections visualising the rubble of marine-ecological wastelands produced by regional deep-sea extraction.

    The physical exacerbation and the ecological trauma on the screens coalesce in our bodies. To drop the oar enacts the fading of the song from the speakers. We are left with reflections of the connections between bodies and calamity, and the labour of working towards futures beyond ruin.

    Plant a Promise

    Henrietta Baird’s Plant a Promise, like Anito and Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania, is a performance with blurry edges. Its roots spread out of Bangarra’s Studio Theatre to incorporate installation, in-situ yarns (storytelling and conversation) and tree-planting projects across the city.

    Inside the theatre, three contemporary dancers animate recorded stories of Indigenous experiences of bushfires beside frustrations with the surrounding political footballing. The sentiment is clear: less talk, more action.

    Plant a Promise beckons audiences into attentiveness to the lives of trees, fire and people.
    Stephen Wilson Barker/Sydney Festival

    At its finale, audience members are invited to the stage to collaborate in the transformation of the set. We are led to take handfuls of verdant eucalyptus and acacia leaves and implant them into large woven columns that have functioned theatrically as abstracted tree-forms. The stage is transformed into a forest of our making together.

    Through its many stories, Plant a Promise beckons audiences into attentiveness to the lives of trees, fire and people.

    In the shadows of catastrophe, the roots of Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental science cross-pollinate to share and enact care for Country.

    The stage is transformed into a forest of our making together.
    Stephen Wilson Barker/Sydney Festival

    Generously, we receive a gift as we exit the theatre. The exchange of a native sapling invites us into casual conversation – into reflections on Country, and how we might, all of us, commit to it.

    Again, we begin, from the recognition of an end. More rubble. More roots.

    Putricia

    At the time of writing, Sydneysiders are enamoured with the life of another plant, gathered around livestreams and making excited trips to the city’s Botanic Gardens.

    Putricia, the resident titan arum, or corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanium), has thrown her immense flower spike into the air. She has commenced her slow strip-tease after a week of tantalising her admirers.

    In a few weeks we have become attentive to her story of life and renewal. She will likely have bloomed, wilted and returned to the soil before this text goes live.

    Performances like Putricia’s blooming, Anito, Re-Stor(y)ing Oceania and Plant a Promise offer new vantage points from which to understand ourselves in relation to the natural world, and to glimpse myriad alternatives to what feels like a diving towards our own demise.

    Performances of aliveness beside and within the ecologies we inhabit move us beyond what Ben Ware sees as a naïve sense of “hope”. Instead, these stories make material, make cultural, make real, the impossible task of imagining what comes next.

    Amid the smell of rotting corpses, the pillowy puppetry of a theatrical coral spawning event, the planting of a forest or the singing of invocations for the protection of the planet’s oceans, we might yet find ourselves. This is not a drill.

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

    – ref. Watching the doom loop: Sydney Festival artists witness climate change, and imagine our post-apocalyptic future – https://theconversation.com/watching-the-doom-loop-sydney-festival-artists-witness-climate-change-and-imagine-our-post-apocalyptic-future-249017

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some vegetables are pretty low in fibre. So which veggies are high-fibre heroes?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland

    Valentina_G/Shutterstock

    Many people looking to improve their health try to boost fibre intake by eating more vegetables.

    But while all veggies offer health benefits, not all are particularly high in fibre. You can eat loads of salads and vegetables and still fall short of your recommended daily fibre intake.

    So, which vegetables pack the biggest fibre punch? Here’s what you need to know.

    What is fibre and how much am I supposed to be getting?

    Fibre, or dietary fibre, refers to the parts of plant foods that our bodies cannot digest or absorb.

    It passes mostly unchanged through our stomach and intestines, then gets removed from the body through our stool.

    There are two types of fibre which have different functions and health benefits: soluble and insoluble.

    Soluble fibre dissolves in water and can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Food sources include fruit, vegetables and legumes.

    Insoluble fibre adds bulk to the stool which helps move food through the bowels. Food sources include nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

    Both types are beneficial.

    Australia’s healthy eating guidelines recommend women consume 25 grams of fibre a day and men consume 30 grams a day.

    However, research shows most people do not eat enough fibre. Most adults get about 21 grams a day.

    4 big reasons to increase fibre

    Boosting fibre intake is a manageable and effective way to improve your overall health.

    Making small changes to eat more fibrous vegetables can lead to:

    1. Better digestion

    Fibre helps maintain regular bowel movements and can alleviate constipation.

    2. Better heart health

    Increasing soluble fibre (by eating foods such as fruit and vegetables) can help lower cholesterol levels, which can reduce your risk of heart disease.

    3. Weight management

    High-fibre foods are filling, which can help people feel fuller for longer and prevent overeating.

    4. Reducing diabetes risk and boosting wellbeing

    Fibre-rich diets are linked to a reduced risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

    Recent research published in prestigious medical journal The Lancet provided some eye-opening stats on why fibre matters.

    The researchers, who combined evidence from clinical trials, found people who ate 25–29 grams of fibre per day had a 15–30% lower risk of life-threatening conditions like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes compared to those who consumed fewer than 15 grams of fibre per day.

    Getting plenty of fibre can help us as we age.
    Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock

    So which vegetables are highest in fibre?

    Vegetables are excellent sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre, along with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

    The following veggies are some of the highest in fibre:

    • green peas
    • avocado
    • artichokes
    • parsnips
    • brussels sprouts
    • kale
    • sweet potatoes
    • beetroot
    • carrots
    • broccoli
    • pumpkin

    Which vegetables are low in fibre?

    Comparatively lower fibre veggies include:

    • asparagus
    • spinach (raw)
    • cauliflower
    • mushrooms
    • capsicum
    • tomato
    • lettuce
    • cucumber

    These vegetables have lots of health benefits. But if meeting a fibre goal is your aim then don’t forget to complement these veggies with other higher-fibre ones, too.

    Vegetables are excellent sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre – but some have more fibre than others.
    anna.q/Shutterstock

    Does it matter how I prepare or cook the vegetables?

    Yes.

    The way we prepare vegetables can impact their fibre content, as cooking can cause structural changes in the dietary fibre components.

    Some research has shown pressure cooking reduces fibre levels more greatly than roasting or microwave cooking.

    For optimal health, it’s important to include a mix of both cooked and raw vegetables in your diet.

    It’s worth noting that juicing removes most of the fibre from vegetables, leaving mostly sugars and water.

    For improved fibre intake, it’s better to eat whole vegetables rather than relying on juices.

    What about other, non-vegetable sources of fibre?

    To meet your fibre recommendations each day, you can chose from a variety of fibre-rich foods (not only vegetables) including:

    • legumes and pulses (such as kidney beans and chickpeas)
    • wholegrain flour and bread
    • fruits
    • wholegrains (such oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley)
    • nuts and seeds (such as flaxseeds and chia seeds)

    A fibre-rich day that meets a recommended 30 grams would include:

    • breakfast: 1⁄2 cup of rolled oats with milk and 1⁄2 cup of berries = about 6 grams of fibre
    • snack: one banana = about 2 grams
    • lunch: two cups of salad vegetables, 1⁄2 cup of four-bean mix, and canned tuna = about 9 grams
    • snack: 30 grams of almonds = about 3 grams
    • dinner: 1.5 cups of stir-fried vegetables with tofu or chicken, one cup of cooked brown rice = about 10 grams
    • supper: 1⁄2 a punnet of strawberries with some yoghurt = about 3 grams.

    Bringing it all together

    Vegetables are a key part of a healthy, balanced diet, packed with fibre that supports digestion, blood glucose control, weight management, and reduces risk of chronic disease.

    However, the nutritional value of them can vary depending on the type and the cooking method used.

    By understanding the fibre content in different veggies and how preparation methods affect it, we can make informed dietary choices to improve our overall health.

    Lauren Ball receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

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

    – ref. Some vegetables are pretty low in fibre. So which veggies are high-fibre heroes? – https://theconversation.com/some-vegetables-are-pretty-low-in-fibre-so-which-veggies-are-high-fibre-heroes-246238

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fairer compensation and safeguards for Māori landowners

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is beginning its overhaul of the Public Works Act by addressing inequities faced by Māori landowners, Land Information Minister Chris Penk has announced. 
    “Sweeping reforms are coming to modernise this nearly 50-year-old legislation, and we are starting by acknowledging injustices of the past – and taking concrete steps to prevent them from happening again,” Mr Penk says. 
    “Last year’s independent, targeted review of the Act has highlighted significant issues with how successive governments have acquired land for public projects like roads, rail and water services. 
    “The historic confiscation of Māori land remains a deep source of pain for many New Zealanders. For this reason, and due to the special significance of Māori freehold land, the Government reaffirms its commitment that acquiring Māori land for public works is and will remain a last resort. 
    “The current Act has added injury by undervaluing Māori freehold land compared to other land types. The Government is ending this discrepancy and making it law that Māori freehold land must be valued equally, ensuring landowners finally receive fair compensation. 
    “Furthermore, in recognition of the communal nature of Māori land ownership, compensation will no longer be provided as a single lump sum – but will be extended to all separately owned dwellings on the land. 
    “Where compulsory acquisition is unavoidable, the process will now require the joint approval of both the Minister for Land Information and the Minister responsible for the relevant Māori portfolio – a safeguard that ensures decisions about Māori land are considered from all appropriate ministerial perspectives. 
    “For generations, these laws have not treated Māori landowners fairly. Today, we take a step toward putting that right.  
    “More changes to simplify and accelerate infrastructure delivery will be announced in coming weeks as we prepare to introduce the Public Works Act Amendment Bill to Parliament around mid-year.”
    The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback during the select committee process. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Major road and rail crossings to be made safer for future inland rail

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

    Early work is about to start to pave the way for removal of two railway level crossings and improved safety at key locations along the Inland Rail project corridor near Parkes and Illabo in regional New South Wales.

    The Albanese Labor Government is investing $280 million and the Minns Labor Government is contributing $70 million in the project, which will improve road and rail safety while allowing freight to be delivered faster and more reliably.

    The Australian Government contribution is part of a broader $450 million commitment to grade-separating Inland Rail interfaces with roads across NSW.

    Level crossings on the Newell Highway at Tichborne and on the Olympic Highway at Harris Gates will be removed and replaced using grade separation as either overpasses or underpasses.

    Geotechnical investigations, biodiversity studies and Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys of the Tichborne site and surrounds will begin on Wednesday 12 February.

    Work is due to be carried out on weekdays from 7am to 6pm until the end of March, weather permitting, with intermittent changed traffic conditions in place on the Newell Highway including stop/slow traffic movements. 

    The geotechnical investigations at the Tichborne site will be followed by similar work at the Harris Gates intersection in coming months.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “We are working in partnership with the NSW Government to remove rail level crossings by building bridges to separate road and rail along the Inland Rail route in the state.

    “Australia’s investment in Inland Rail is critical to help us move more freight as our population grows.

    “Inland Rail can reduce our transport emissions and make our roads safer, and we are prioritising delivery of the sections between Beveridge and Parkes in line with our independent review of the project, which was handed down in mid-2023.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:

    “This investment will improve safety at two key intersections on the Inland Rail route while realising the projects potential to expedite the movement of freight on our road and rail networks.

    “Crashes at level crossings have the potential to cause major trauma and even fatalities, which have devastating impacts on families and local communities.

    “By grade separating road and rail we will eliminate the potential of incident at these two locations while paving the way for faster freight movements and business benefits for regional NSW.”

    Quotes attributable to Senator for NSW Deborah O’Neill:

    “The development of Inland Rail will be a boost for regional NSW, creating thousands of jobs and better connecting our cities, helping to move goods between Melbourne and Brisbane via inland NSW efficiently.

    “Once these works are complete, there will be capacity for double-stacked train movements up to 1.8 kilometres long.

    “Inland Rail is an investment in better connecting regional business, manufacturers and producers to national and global markets while enhancing national freight and supply chains networks.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Matildas mural officially unveiled at Accor Stadium

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Minister for Sport, Minister for Women

    The Minns Labor Government has today unveiled the artist and artwork that will be projected onto Accor Stadium to celebrate the Matildas’ history-making campaign at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

    This is the first mural in a new series that will commemorate the greatest moments in sport and entertainment at Australia’s home of major events at Accor Stadium, which is celebrating 25 years since the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    In their first World Cup on home soil, the Matildas progressed through to the semi-final smashing all records in the process across crowds, TV viewership and inspiring a new generation with rapidly increasing participation rates.

    Artist Kirthana Selvaraj has painted a striking artwork that captures the key players who inspired a nation. The artwork will be transformed into a 57-metre-long immersive mural that extends across the exterior of Accor Stadium’s Cathy Freeman Stand.

    Matildas captain Sam Kerr’s wonder strike and celebration against England has been illustrated in the mural, as has Mackenzie Arnold’s brilliance in goals and young star Courtney Vine’s composure to kick the winning penalty goal against France in the quarter-final, among other key moments.

    The public will have an opportunity to view the mural for the first time in April to celebrate the team’s two upcoming Sydney and Newcastle games which have been announced for April 4 (Allianz Stadium) and April 7 (McDonald Jones Stadium).

    Sydney was the main host city of the tournament, with 11 games and more than 600,000 fans hosted across Accor and Allianz stadiums.

    This mural further builds on the Minns Labor Government’s acknowledgement of great female athletes in our sporting venues including through the renaming of Accor Stadium’s eastern grandstand in honour of sporting legend Cathy Freeman OAM.

    Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

    “It’s long overdue that our nation’s inspirational female athletes are provided with recognition of some of the greatest sporting achievements in our nation’s history.

    “The Matildas captivated the nation like never before smashing all kinds of records and inspiring a new generation of sports stars, participants and fans.

    “Their game-changing tournament will be perfectly honoured with this mural which will be fittingly projected onto the exterior of the Cathy Freeman Stand – the first grandstand in a major Australian stadium to be named after a female athlete.”

    Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:

    “The saying goes, you can’t be what you can’t see. It’s fair to say the Matildas World Cup campaign opened the eyes of a generation.

    “The Matildas effect is still being felt today with more girls and women playing the game thanks to the team’s achievement at the Women’s World Cup.

    “This mural will forever celebrate the success of the Matildas who inspired us all.”

    Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:

    “The Matildas are one of our most admired national sporting teams and have inspired a whole generation of women and girls to participate in sports and dream big.

    “This mural is a great way to immortalise an incredible sporting moment, as well as public recognition of women’s sporting achievements.

    “It also symbolises the NSW government’s ongoing commitment to recognising and empowering women and girls to have full access to opportunity and choice, and excel in the world of sport.”

    Artist Kirthana Selvaraj said:

    “It has been an honour to create this painting commemorating the Matildas during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    “Women in sport have always been a vital part of the game’s history, and this work is a celebration of their enduring legacy.

    “Through this piece, I hoped to capture not only the strength and grace of the Matildas but also the unyielding spirit and unity they inspire in all of us.

    “I hope this artwork stands as a permanent reminder of the impact women have made – and continue to make – not just on the field but in shaping the broader public’s connection to sport. It’s a tribute to the trailblazers who came before, the athletes who shine today, and the young people who will carry their legacy forward.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New research funded to find plastic waste solutions

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Environment and Heritage

    Three pioneering projects have been awarded $1.25 million by the NSW Government to tackle plastic pollution through innovative and impactful solutions.

    Previous governments left Greater Sydney on the brink of a waste crisis. Without new waste and recycling solutions, Greater Sydney’s landfill capacity will be exhausted by 2030.

    The Minns Labor Government is committed to solving the waste challenges and supporting future technologies that will continue to drive us to a circular economy where nothing is wasted.

    Universities and government research institutions were invited to apply for funding under the Plastic Research Program.

    Following a competitive process, three exciting projects were successful in securing funding:

    • Research to develop ways to reliably collect and analyse microplastics in soil, compost and treated sewage (NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and CSIRO).
    • A project to create tools to identify and prioritise harmful chemicals from plastics in agricultural soils (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and CSIRO).
    • Study into plastic fabrics like polyester to track harmful chemicals in new and recycled textiles (University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures).

    The Plastic Research Program is focused on making NSW a leader in managing plastic waste and the findings from these projects will guide future policies, regulations, and actions.

    Each project will receive between $308,000 and $493,000, and completion is expected by 31 May 2027.

    For more information, visit the webpage of the Plastics Research Program. 

    Quote attributable to Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe:

    “NSW is facing a landfill crisis. New solutions are needed and needed quickly.

    “Hidden chemicals in plastic waste make recycling harder.

    “This investment into cutting edge research will help uncover hidden chemicals in soils and everyday fabrics, to assist in finding better solutions to get rid of them.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Landmark Bancorp, Inc. Announces 6.3% Increase in Net Earnings for the Year Ended December 31, 2024, and Fourth Quarter Earnings Per Share of $0.57. Declares Cash Dividend of $0.21 per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Manhattan, KS, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Landmark Bancorp, Inc. (“Landmark”; Nasdaq: LARK) reported diluted earnings per share of $0.57 for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $0.68 per share in the third quarter of 2024 and $0.46 per share in the same quarter last year. Net income for the fourth quarter totaled $3.3 million, compared to $2.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $3.9 million in the prior quarter. For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the return on average assets was 0.83%, the return on average equity was 9.54% and the efficiency ratio was 70.0%.

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, diluted earnings per share totaled $2.26 compared to $2.13 during 2023. Net earnings for 2024 totaled $13.0 million, compared to $12.2 million in 2023, or an increase of 6.3%. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the return on average assets was 0.83%, the return on average equity was 10.01% and the efficiency ratio was 69.1%.

    2024 Performance Highlights

      ● Fourth quarter loan growth totaled $50.5 million or an annualized increase of 20.1% over the prior quarter.
      ● For the year, gross loans grew $103.7 million or 10.9%.
      ● Net interest margin improved 21 basis points to 3.51% compared to 3.30% in prior quarter.
      ● Deposits increased $53.3 million, or 16.6% annualized, from the prior quarter.
      ● Total borrowings decreased $34.7 million in the fourth quarter.
      ● A pre-tax loss of $1.0 million was realized in the fourth quarter to reposition a portion of the investment portfolio.
      ● Credit quality remained good with net charge-offs totaling $219,000 in the fourth quarter.
         

    In making this announcement, Abby Wendel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Landmark, commented, “During 2024, we experienced strong loan demand, especially for residential mortgages and commercial real estate loans. In the fourth quarter 2024, we saw strong growth in virtually all loan categories, with total gross loans increasing by $51 million or 20% (annualized). Total deposits also increased in the fourth quarter by more than $53 million, mostly due to seasonal growth in money market and interest checking accounts. The increase in deposits coupled with investment securities sales and maturities this quarter helped fund loan growth and reduce expensive short-term borrowings. For the year, net interest income grew 5.6% over the previous year while in the fourth quarter 2024 our net interest margin improved to 3.51%. Strategic investments in our people and product offerings resulted in higher non-interest expenses, particularly in the fourth quarter. Credit quality remained solid overall.”

    Landmark’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.21 per share, to be paid March 5, 2025, to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 19, 2025. On December 16, 2024, the Company issued a 5% stock dividend to common stockholders, representing the 24th consecutive year that a stock dividend has been paid.

    Management will host a conference call to discuss the Company’s financial results at 10:00 a.m. (Central time) on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. Investors may participate via telephone by dialing (833) 470-1428 and using access code 296482. A replay of the call will be available through February 12, 2025, by dialing (866) 813-9403 and using access code 817329.

    Net Interest Income

    Net interest income in the fourth quarter of 2024 amounted to $12.4 million representing an increase of $795,000, or 6.9%, compared to the previous quarter. The increase in net interest income was due mainly to lower interest expense on deposits and other borrowed funds. The net interest margin increased to 3.51% during the fourth quarter from 3.30% during the prior quarter. Compared to the previous quarter, interest income on loans increased $22,000 to $16.0 million due to higher average balances but partially offset by lower yields on loans. Average loan balances increased $24.5 million while the average tax-equivalent yield on the loan portfolio decreased 15 basis points to 6.28%. Interest on investment securities declined slightly due to lower balances while partially offset by higher earning rates. Compared to the third quarter 2024, interest on deposits decreased $480,000, or 8.2% mainly due to lower rates, while interest on other borrowed funds declined by $363,000, due to lower rates and balances. The average rate on interest-bearing deposits decreased 23 basis points to 2.25% while the average rate on other borrowed funds decreased 51 basis points to 5.10% in the fourth quarter.

    Non-Interest Income

    Non-interest income totaled $3.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of $882,000 from the previous quarter. The decrease in non-interest income during the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a $1.0 million loss on the sales of lower yielding investment securities mentioned above, while the third quarter of 2024 did not include any sales of investment securities. Additionally, lower sales of residential mortgages this quarter resulted in a decline of $182,000 in gains on sales of these mortgages. The decline in other non-interest income of $221,000 this quarter compared to the prior quarter resulted from sales of premises, equipment and foreclosed assets that did not re-occur in the current quarter. Partially offsetting those declines was an increase of $722,000 in bank owned life insurance income.

    Non-Interest Expense

    During the fourth quarter of 2024, non-interest expense totaled $11.9 million, an increase of $1.3 million compared to the prior quarter. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily due to increases of $470,000 in professional fees and $461,000 in compensation and benefits. The increase in professional fees this quarter was primarily due to higher consulting costs on several initiatives. The increase in compensation and benefits was attributable to an increase in employees and higher incentive compensation costs.

    Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

    Landmark recorded an income tax benefit of $886,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to income tax expense of $867,000 in the prior quarter. The effective tax rate was (37.0%) in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 18.1% in the third quarter of 2024. The fourth quarter of 2024 included the recognition of $1.0 million of previously unrecognized tax benefits, which reduced the effective tax rate.

    Balance Sheet Highlights

    As of December 31, 2024, gross loans totaled $1.1 billion, an increase of $50.5 million, or 20.1% annualized since September 30, 2024. During the quarter, loan growth was primarily comprised of commercial real estate (growth of $21.1 million), commercial (growth of $10.7 million), agriculture (growth of $8.6 million) and one-to-four family residential real estate (growth of $7.8 million) loans. Investment securities decreased $38.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 and included sales of $36.0 million in low-rate U.S. treasury securities offset by purchases of $18.0 million in market rate U.S. treasury securities. Pre-tax unrealized net losses on the investment securities portfolio increased from $13.3 million at September 30, 2024 to $20.9 million at December 31, 2024 mainly due to higher market rates for these securities at year end.

    Period end deposit balances increased $53.3 million to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2024. The increase in deposits was mainly driven by an increase in money market and checking (increase of $71.3 million) but partially offset by declines in certificates of deposit (decrease of $9.2 million) and non-interest-bearing demand deposits (decrease of $8.6 million). The increase in money market and checking accounts was mainly driven by seasonal growth in public fund deposit account balances. Total borrowings decreased $34.7 million during the fourth quarter 2024. At December 31, 2024, the loan to deposits ratio was 78.2% compared to 77.6% in the prior quarter.

    Stockholders’ equity decreased to $136.2 million (book value of $23.59 per share) as of December 31, 2024, from $139.7 million (book value of $24.18 per share) as of September 30, 2024. The decrease in stockholders’ equity was due to an increase in accumulated other comprehensive losses as the unrealized net losses on investments securities increased during the fourth quarter. The ratio of equity to total assets decreased to 8.65% on December 31, 2024, from 8.93% on September 30, 2024.

    The allowance for credit losses totaled $12.8 million, or 1.22% of total gross loans on December 31, 2024, compared to $11.5 million, or 1.15% of total gross loans on September 30, 2024. Net loan charge-offs totaled $219,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $9,000 during the third quarter of 2024. A provision for credit losses for loans of $1.5 million was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $650,000 in the third quarter of 2024.

    Non-performing loans totaled $13.1 million, or 1.25% of gross loans at December 31, 2024 compared to $13.4 million, or 1.34% of gross loans at September 30, 2024. Loans 30-89 days delinquent declined to $6.2 million, or 0.59% of gross loans, as of December 31, 2024, compared to $7.3 million, or 0.73% of gross loans, as of September 30, 2024.

    About Landmark

    Landmark Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Landmark National Bank, is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “LARK.” Headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas, Landmark National Bank is a community banking organization dedicated to providing quality financial and banking services. Landmark National Bank has 29 locations in 23 communities across Kansas: Manhattan (2), Auburn, Dodge City (2), Fort Scott (2), Garden City, Great Bend (2), Hoisington, Iola, Junction City, La Crosse, Lawrence (2), Lenexa, Louisburg, Mound City, Osage City, Osawatomie, Overland Park, Paola, Pittsburg, Prairie Village, Topeka (2), Wamego and Wellsville, Kansas. Visit www.banklandmark.com for more information.

    Contact:
    Mark A. Herpich
    Chief Financial Officer
    (785) 565-2000

    Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Landmark. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of our management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this press release, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Landmark undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events. A number of factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local, national and international economies, including the effects of changing inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints on such economies; (ii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning banking, securities, consumer protection, insurance, monetary, trade and tax matters, including changes in interpretation or prioritization; (iii) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of our assets; (iv) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and “fintech” companies; (v) timely development and acceptance of new products and services; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) our risk management framework; (viii) interruptions in information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party services; (ix) changes and uncertainty in benchmark interest rates, including the timing of additional rate changes, if any, by the Federal Reserve; (x) the economic effects of severe weather, natural disasters, widespread disease or pandemics, or other external events; (xi) the loss of key executives or employees; (xii) changes in consumer spending; (xiii) integration of acquired businesses; (xiv) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation; (xv) changes in accounting policies and practices, such as the implementation of the current expected credit losses accounting standard; (xvi) the economic impact of past and any future terrorist attacks, acts of war, including the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conflict in Ukraine, or threats thereof, and the response of the United States to any such threats and attacks; (xvii) the ability to manage credit risk, forecast loan losses and maintain an adequate allowance for loan losses; (xviii) fluctuations in the value of securities held in our securities portfolio; (xix) concentrations within our loan portfolio, large loans to certain borrowers, and large deposits from certain clients; (xx) the concentration of large deposits from certain clients who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits and may withdraw deposits to diversify their exposure; (xxi) the level of non-performing assets on our balance sheets; (xxii) the ability to raise additional capital; (xxiii) cyber-attacks; (xxiv) declines in real estate values; (xxv) the effects of fraud on the part of our employees, customers, vendors or counterparties; and (xxvi) any other risks described in the “Risk Factors” sections of reports filed by Landmark with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Additional information concerning Landmark and its business, including additional risk factors that could materially affect Landmark’s financial results, is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    LANDMARK BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)

        December 31,     September 30,     June 30,     March 31,     December 31,  
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024     2024     2024     2024     2023  
    Assets                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 20,275     $ 21,211     $ 23,889     $ 16,468     $ 27,101  
    Interest-bearing deposits at other banks     4,110       4,363       4,881       4,920       4,918  
    Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value:                                        
    U.S. treasury securities     64,458       83,753       89,325       93,683       95,667  
    Municipal obligations, tax exempt     107,128       112,126       114,047       118,445       120,623  
    Municipal obligations, taxable     71,715       75,129       74,588       75,371       79,083  
    Agency mortgage-backed securities     129,211       140,004       142,499       149,777       157,396  
    Total investment securities available-for-sale     372,512       411,012       420,459       437,276       452,769  
    Investment securities held-to-maturity     3,672       3,643       3,613       3,584       3,555  
    Bank stocks, at cost     6,618       7,894       9,647       7,850       8,123  
    Loans:                                        
    One-to-four family residential real estate     352,209       344,380       332,090       312,833       302,544  
    Construction and land     25,328       23,454       30,480       24,823       21,090  
    Commercial real estate     345,159       324,016       318,850       323,397       320,962  
    Commercial     192,325       181,652       178,876       181,945       180,942  
    Agriculture     100,562       91,986       84,523       86,808       89,680  
    Municipal     7,091       7,098       6,556       5,690       4,507  
    Consumer     29,679       29,263       29,200       28,544       28,931  
    Total gross loans     1,052,353       1,001,849       980,575       964,040       948,656  
    Net deferred loan (fees) costs and loans in process     (307 )     (63 )     (583 )     (578 )     (429 )
    Allowance for credit losses     (12,825 )     (11,544 )     (10,903 )     (10,851 )     (10,608 )
    Loans, net     1,039,221       990,242       969,089       952,611       937,619  
    Loans held for sale, at fair value     3,420       3,250       2,513       2,697       853  
    Bank owned life insurance     39,056       39,176       38,826       38,578       38,333  
    Premises and equipment, net     20,220       20,976       20,986       20,696       19,709  
    Goodwill     32,377       32,377       32,377       32,377       32,377  
    Other intangible assets, net     2,578       2,729       2,900       3,071       3,241  
    Mortgage servicing rights     3,061       3,041       2,997       2,977       3,158  
    Real estate owned, net     167       428       428       428       928  
    Other assets     26,855       23,309       28,149       29,684       28,988  
    Total assets   $ 1,574,142     $ 1,563,651     $ 1,560,754     $ 1,553,217     $ 1,561,672  
                                             
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                                        
    Liabilities:                                        
    Deposits:                                        
    Non-interest-bearing demand     351,595       360,188       360,631       364,386       367,103  
    Money market and checking     636,963       565,629       546,385       583,315       613,613  
    Savings     145,514       145,825       150,996       154,000       152,381  
    Certificates of deposit     194,694       203,860       192,470       191,823       183,154  
    Total deposits     1,328,766       1,275,502       1,250,482       1,293,524       1,316,251  
    FHLB and other borrowings     53,046       92,050       131,330       74,716       64,662  
    Subordinated debentures     21,651       21,651       21,651       21,651       21,651  
    Repurchase agreements     13,808       9,528       8,745       15,895       12,714  
    Accrued interest and other liabilities     20,656       25,229       20,292       20,760       19,480  
    Total liabilities     1,437,927       1,423,960       1,432,500       1,426,546       1,434,758  
    Stockholders’ equity:                                        
    Common stock     58       55       55       55       55  
    Additional paid-in capital     95,051       89,532       89,469       89,364       89,208  
    Retained earnings     56,934       60,549       57,774       55,912       54,282  
    Treasury stock, at cost     –       (396 )     (330 )     (249 )     (75 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (15,828 )     (10,049 )     (18,714 )     (18,411 )     (16,556 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     136,215       139,691       128,254       126,671       126,914  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,574,142     $ 1,563,651     $ 1,560,754     $ 1,553,217     $ 1,561,672  


    LANDMARK BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Consolidated Statements of Earnings (unaudited)

        Three months ended,     Year ended,  
        December 31,     September 30,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024     2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Interest income:                                        
    Loans   $ 15,955     $ 15,933     $ 14,223     $ 61,400     $ 51,753  
    Investment securities:                                        
    Taxable     2,210       2,301       2,453       9,298       9,594  
    Tax-exempt     738       747       761       3,008       3,094  
    Interest-bearing deposits at banks     49       41       49       193       242  
    Total interest income     18,952       19,022       17,486       73,899       64,683  
    Interest expense:                                        
    Deposits     5,350       5,830       4,879       22,310       15,254  
    FHLB and other borrowings     737       1,100       1,203       3,886       4,048  
    Subordinated debentures     389       416       422       1,635       1,590  
    Repurchase agreements     77       72       96       344       499  
    Total interest expense     6,553       7,418       6,600       28,175       21,391  
    Net interest income     12,399       11,604       10,886       45,724       43,292  
    Provision for credit losses     1,500       500       50       2,300       349  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     10,899       11,104       10,836       43,424       42,943  
    Non-interest income:                                        
    Fees and service charges     2,710       2,880       2,763       10,742       10,220  
    Gains on sales of loans, net     522       704       255       2,386       2,269  
    Bank owned life insurance     976       254       242       1,723       913  
    Losses on sales of investment securities, net     (1,031 )     –       (1,246 )     (1,031 )     (1,246 )
    Other     194       415       240       924       1,074  
    Total non-interest income     3,371       4,253       2,254       14,744       13,230  
    Non-interest expense:                                        
    Compensation and benefits     6,264       5,803       5,756       23,103       22,681  
    Occupancy and equipment     1,550       1,429       1,429       5,663       5,565  
    Data processing     452       464       462       1,889       1,940  
    Amortization of mortgage servicing rights and other intangibles     240       256       437       1,164       1,844  
    Professional fees     1,043       573       730       2,912       2,452  
    Valuation allowance on real estate held for sale     –       –       –       1,108       –  
    Other     2,325       2,034       1,748       8,240       7,501  
    Total non-interest expense     11,874       10,559       10,562       44,079       41,983  
    Earnings before income taxes     2,396       4,798       2,528       14,089       14,190  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     (886 )     867       (111 )     1,086       1,954  
    Net earnings   $ 3,282     $ 3,931     $ 2,639     $ 13,003     $ 12,236  
                                             
    Net earnings per share (1)                                        
    Basic   $ 0.57     $ 0.68     $ 0.46     $ 2.26     $ 2.13  
    Diluted     0.57       0.68       0.46       2.26       2.13  
    Dividends per share (1)     0.20       0.20       0.19       0.80       0.76  
    Shares outstanding at end of period (1)     5,775,198       5,776,282       5,751,475       5,775,198       5,751,475  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic (1)     5,775,227       5,765,348       5,755,175       5,758,056       5,751,585  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted (1)     5,789,764       5,770,514       5,755,175       5,764,282       5,754,840  
                                             
    Tax equivalent net interest income   $ 12,574     $ 11,777     $ 11,017     $ 46,428     $ 44,040  
    (1 ) Share and per share values at or for the periods ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2024 have been adjusted to give effect to the 5% stock dividend paid during December 2024.
         

    LANDMARK BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Select Ratios and Other Data (unaudited)

        As of or for the three months ended,     As of or for the year ended,  
        December 31,     September 30,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024     2024     2023     2024     2023  
    Performance ratios:                                        
    Return on average assets (1)     0.83 %     1.01 %     0.67 %     0.83 %     0.80 %
    Return on average equity (1)     9.54 %     11.95 %     9.39 %     10.01 %     10.70 %
    Net interest margin (1)(2)     3.51 %     3.30 %     3.11 %     3.28 %     3.17 %
    Effective tax rate     -37.0 %     18.1 %     -4.4 %     7.7 %     13.8 %
    Efficiency ratio (3)     70.0 %     66.5 %     71.9 %     69.1 %     71.2 %
    Non-interest income to total income (3)     25.9 %     25.5 %     24.3 %     25.3 %     25.1 %
                                             
    Average balances:                                        
    Investment securities   $ 409,648     $ 428,301     $ 463,763     $ 432,928     $ 486,268  
    Loans     1,010,153       985,659       934,333       974,293       891,487  
    Assets     1,568,821       1,562,482       1,555,742       1,558,236       1,535,694  
    Interest-bearing deposits     944,969       936,218       910,610       938,223       892,373  
    FHLB and other borrowings     57,507       77,958       84,408       70,226       74,210  
    Subordinated debentures     21,651       21,651       21,651       21,651       21,651  
    Repurchase agreements     12,212       10,774       13,785       12,216       18,361  
    Stockholders’ equity   $ 136,933     $ 132,271     $ 111,560     $ 129,944     $ 114,339  
                                             
    Average tax equivalent yield/cost (1):                                        
    Investment securities     3.03 %     2.99 %     2.86 %     3.00 %     2.76 %
    Loans     6.28 %     6.43 %     6.04 %     6.30 %     5.81 %
    Total interest-bearing assets     5.34 %     5.38 %     4.97 %     5.28 %     4.71 %
    Interest-bearing deposits     2.25 %     2.48 %     2.13 %     2.38 %     1.71 %
    FHLB and other borrowings     5.10 %     5.61 %     5.65 %     5.53 %     5.45 %
    Subordinated debentures     7.15 %     7.64 %     7.73 %     7.55 %     7.34 %
    Repurchase agreements     2.51 %     2.66 %     2.79 %     2.82 %     2.72 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     2.52 %     2.82 %     2.54 %     2.70 %     2.13 %
                                             
    Capital ratios:                                        
    Equity to total assets     8.65 %     8.93 %     8.13 %                
    Tangible equity to tangible assets (3)     6.58 %     6.84 %     5.98 %                
    Book value per share   $ 23.59     $ 24.18     $ 22.07                  
    Tangible book value per share (3)   $ 17.53     $ 18.11     $ 15.87                  
                                             
    Rollforward of allowance for credit losses (loans):                                        
    Beginning balance   $ 11,544     $ 10,903     $ 10,970     $ 10,608     $ 8,791  
    Adoption of CECL     –       –       –       –       1,523  
    Charge-offs     (246 )     (153 )     (442 )     (659 )     (850 )
    Recoveries     27       144       80       476       894  
    Provision for credit losses for loans     1,500       650       –       2,400       250  
    Ending balance   $ 12,825     $ 11,544     $ 10,608     $ 12,825     $ 10,608  
                                             
    Allowance for unfunded loan commitments   $ 150     $ 300     $ 200                  
                                             
    Non-performing assets:                                        
    Non-accrual loans   $ 13,115     $ 13,415     $ 2,391                  
    Accruing loans over 90 days past due     –       –       –                  
    Real estate owned     167       428       928                  
    Total non-performing assets   $ 13,282     $ 13,843     $ 3,319                  
                                             
    Loans 30-89 days delinquent   $ 6,201     $ 7,301     $ 1,582                  
                                             
    Other ratios:                                        
    Loans to deposits     78.21 %     77.64 %     71.23 %                
    Loans 30-89 days delinquent and still accruing to gross loans outstanding     0.59 %     0.73 %     0.17 %                
    Total non-performing loans to gross loans outstanding     1.25 %     1.34 %     0.25 %                
    Total non-performing assets to total assets     0.84 %     0.89 %     0.21 %                
    Allowance for credit losses to gross loans outstanding     1.22 %     1.15 %     1.12 %                
    Allowance for credit losses to total non-performing loans     97.79 %     86.05 %     443.66 %                
    Net loan charge-offs to average loans (1)     0.09 %     0.00 %     0.15 %     0.03 %     -0.01 %
    (1 ) Information is annualized.
    (2 ) Net interest margin is presented on a fully tax equivalent basis, using a 21% federal tax rate.
    (3 ) Non-GAAP financial measures. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section of this press release for a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP equivalent.
         

    LANDMARK BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Non-GAAP Finacials Measures (unaudited)

        As of or for the three months ended,     As of or for the year ended,  
        December 31,     September 30,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,  
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024     2024     2023     2024     2023  
                                   
    Non-GAAP financial ratio reconciliation:                                        
    Total non-interest expense   $ 11,874     $ 10,559     $ 10,562     $ 44,079     $ 41,983  
    Less: foreclosure and real estate owned expense     (13 )     (23 )     (40 )     (47 )     (61 )
    Less: amortization of other intangibles     (151 )     (171 )     (174 )     (663 )     (765 )
    Less: valuation allowance on real estate held for sale     –       –       –       (1,108 )     –  
    Adjusted non-interest expense (A)     11,710       10,365       10,348       42,261       41,157  
                                             
    Net interest income (B)     12,399       11,604       10,886       45,724       43,292  
                                             
    Non-interest income     3,371       4,253       2,254       14,744       13,230  
    Less: losses on sales of investment securities, net     1,031       –       1,246       1,031       1,246  
    Less: gains on sales of premises and equipment and foreclosed assets     (62 )     (273 )     –       (326 )     (1 )
    Adjusted non-interest income (C)   $ 4,340     $ 3,980     $ 3,500     $ 15,449     $ 14,475  
                                             
    Efficiency ratio (A/(B+C))     70.0 %     66.5 %     71.9 %     69.1 %     71.2 %
    Non-interest income to total income (C/(B+C))     25.9 %     25.5 %     24.3 %     25.3 %     25.1 %
                                             
    Total stockholders’ equity   $ 136,215     $ 139,691     $ 126,914                  
    Less: goodwill and other intangible assets     (34,955 )     (35,106 )     (35,618 )                
    Tangible equity (D)   $ 101,260     $ 104,585     $ 91,296                  
                                             
    Total assets   $ 1,574,142     $ 1,563,651     $ 1,561,672                  
    Less: goodwill and other intangible assets     (34,955 )     (35,106 )     (35,618 )                
    Tangible assets (E)   $ 1,539,187     $ 1,528,545     $ 1,526,054                  
                                             
    Tangible equity to tangible assets (D/E)     6.58 %     6.84 %     5.98 %                
                                             
    Shares outstanding at end of period (F)     5,775,198       5,776,282       5,751,475                  
                                             
    Tangible book value per share (D/F)   $ 17.53     $ 18.11     $ 15.87                  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: K&F Growth Acquisition Corp. II Announces the Pricing of $250,000,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Each Unit Includes One Class A Ordinary Share and
    One Share Right to Receive 1/15th of a Class A Ordinary Share

    New York, NY, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — K&F Growth Acquisition Corp. II (the “Company”) announced today the pricing of its initial public offering of 25,000,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units are expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) and begin trading tomorrow, February 5, 2025, under the ticker symbol “KFIIU.” Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one right (the “Share Right”) to receive one fifteenth (1/15) of one Class A ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial business combination.  There are no warrants issued publicly or privately in connection with this offering. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and Share Rights are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “KFII” and “KFIIR,” respectively. The offering is expected to close on February 6, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

    The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business or industry or at any stage of its corporate evolution but is focused on acquiring a compelling business in the experiential entertainment industry underpinned by strong secular growth, a skilled management team, and that is competitively positioned and capitalized to grow through organic and M&A-driven opportunities.

    The Company’s management team is led by Edward King, its Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman, and Daniel Fetters, its Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Chairman. In addition, the Board includes James J. Murren, Joyce Arpin and Geoff Freeman.

    BTIG, LLC is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the prospectus may be obtained from BTIG, LLC, Attention: 65 East 55th Street, New York, New York 10022, or by email at ProspectusDelivery@btig.com.

    A registration statement relating to the securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on February 4, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the proposed initial public offering and search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds will be used as indicated.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Company Contact:

    K&F Growth Acquisition Corp. II
    1219 Morningside Drive, Suite 110
    Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
    www.kfgrowthcapital.com
    email: contact@kfgrowth.com
    Attention: Daniel Fetters, Co-CEO
    (310) 545-9265

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It’s the most American of sports, so why is the NFL looking to Melbourne for international games?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney

    Melbourne’s status as the sporting capital of Australia is well-established: the Victorian city hosts annual events such as the Australian Open tennis tournament, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup horseracing carnival, Boxing Day cricket Test and more.

    Now the United States’ National Football League (NFL) is set to join the party.

    In May last year, the NFL earmarked Australia as a future host for an international game.

    Now it has been reported the NFL is set to lock-in three regular season games in Melbourne at the MCG, starting in October 2026, just after the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final.

    The teams set to feature in the first game are 2022 Super Bowl winners the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles will play in next week’s Super Bowl and feature an Australian, Jordan Mailata, on their team.

    The Rams and the Eagles both have international marketing rights to Australia – giving the clubs an opportunity to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the US through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.

    What’s in it for Victoria?

    The NFL contests would pour millions of dollars into the Victorian economy; each team would travel with hundreds of staff, while thousands of fans would likely travel from interstate and overseas.

    The Victorian government has not revealed any revenue estimates but last year’s Super Bowl week in Las Vegas generated more than $US1 billion ($A1.61 billion) in economic impact.

    Given the NFL’s love of razzmatazz, it would likely host a week-long procession of activities and fan zones across the city before almost certainly filling the MCG with 100,000 spectators.

    However, the choice of the MCG as a venue was not without controversy.

    The MCG boasts the biggest capacity of any stadium in Australia, but it is an oval shape, not rectangular, which makes the viewing experience more difficult when it hosts sports such as soccer, rugby – or NFL.

    Critics have suggested Accor Stadium in Sydney’s west or Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane (both rectangular venues) would be better for these games.

    What’s in it for the NFL?

    The NFL has broadened its international presence during the past decade or so, and now hosts eight games internationally each season.

    But why did NFL decide on Australia to join the likes of England, Germany, Spain, Brazil and Mexico?

    It chose places with strong sports consumer marketplaces, where streaming is popular and destinations where US fans are likely to travel to.

    Australia, while not as popular as in the days of Paul Hogan, is still a popular destination for many Americans, especially those who like sports.

    American football is far from a dominant sports code in Australia but is still a significant global market for the NFL, with an estimated fan base of more than six million supporters across the country.

    But principally, it’s about the money.

    The NFL’s media broadcast deal is one of, if not the, most lucrative in world sports: the TV and streaming media rights are said to be worth more than $US100 billion ($A161 billion).

    Analysts estimate the NFL’s international games will collectively add $US1 billion ($A1.61 billion) to the league’s TV rights.

    This has helped the NFL build a huge global audience, which Commissioner Roger Goodell has said is a key strategy:

    The media platforms are essential – we want to reach the most people we can through our media partners, because that’s how most people experience football. But when we bring games (to international markets), it is […] the spark that lights the flame. Playing the games is a big part of making our game global.

    The NFL is also looking to Australia for future athletic talent.

    In recent years, NFL and college football teams have regularly recruited Australian athletes as punters (specialist kickers), who grew up kicking balls and can transfer their skills to the American game.

    The NFL also recently set up a talent academy on the Gold Coast to encourage talented youngsters from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific to pursue their NFL dream.

    What fans can expect

    Melbourne is not Las Vegas, but even so, if confirmed, the games will deliver some old-fashioned American showbiz to the state.

    The MCG will likely be packed with fans (both hardcore and casual) for the contest, and of course the sport’s famous half-time shows.

    And then there’s the athletic brilliance of the players: the game is considered by some to be as intellectual as chess but with enormous physical prowess required. The chance to see these massive athletes up close will no doubt be a huge drawcard.

    NFL fans in Australia – and very likely New Zealand, the Pacific and even further abroad – will no doubt be waiting with bated breath for the league to confirm the games, and then try to find a way to secure sought-after tickets.

    Tim Harcourt supports both the Green Bay Packers to keep his Wisconsin in laws happy and the Minnesota Vikings as he once lived in Minneapolis.

    – ref. It’s the most American of sports, so why is the NFL looking to Melbourne for international games? – https://theconversation.com/its-the-most-american-of-sports-so-why-is-the-nfl-looking-to-melbourne-for-international-games-248870

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall, Rep. Van Duyne Reintroduce Legislation to Reduce Overbearing Regulations for America’s Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., and U.S. House Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) introduced the bicameral Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act to protect our small businesses from the financial burden of top-down federal regulations. 
    When Washington, D.C. imposes regulations, it often comes at a significant cost to our locally-owned businesses. In 2022 alone, complying with regulations cost American small businesses an average of $15,133.57 (adjusted for 2024 dollars) per employee on their payroll. The Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act alleviates these costs and requires the Administration to submit an annual report to Congress outlining the impacts of regulations on small businesses. 
    “I will always stand with Main Street over Wall Street, and remain laser-focused on supporting our nation’s small businesses. That means making it easier for them to do their jobs and keeping the federal government out of the way!” said Senator Marshall. “It’s time to slash the red tape and create a regulatory environment that ensures America’s small businesses, the backbone of our economy, thrive.”
    “After Biden-Harris imposed more than $1.7 trillion in regulatory costs and inflicted 20% inflation, America’s small businesses are in desperate need of relief. I’m glad to partner with Senator Marshall to reintroduce the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act to slash burdensome regulations for our job creators as we work to keep the American Dream alive for the next generation,” said Rep. Van Duyne (R-TX-24). 
    “The first rule of economic growth is to stop stifling entrepreneurs. Yet, that’s exactly what Washington does to small businesses. Startups and mom-and-pops can’t afford full-time staff dedicated to regulatory compliance they way bigger companies can. Capping regulatory costs for small businesses at current levels is an important step towards better regulatory policy, as are the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act’s improved transparency requirements.” said Ryan Young, Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Economist.
    “The Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act directs the SBA Administrator to quantify and monitor regulatory costs on small businesses, which is greatly needed as the cumulative costs are overwhelming small firms and undermining their competitiveness. Quantifying these costs on an annual basis and determining whether rules cumulatively exceed a zero-based regulatory budget provide a framework that promotes accountability and sensible regulation. SBE Council strongly supports this legislation, as it will help Congress with critical oversight and help to inform and educate regulators about the need to consider small business impact as they propose and advance their regulatory initiatives.” said Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
    “Small businesses often deeply suffer the effects of federal regulations because they have limited resources for compliance. This bill from Senator Roger Marshall and Representative Beth Van Duyne would ensure these burdens are minimized and tallied,” said Nicholas Johns, Senior Policy and Government Affairs Manager, National Taxpayers Union. “National Taxpayers Union applauds this bill because it would prevent the Small Business Administration from hindering companies under their purview and create a government-wide report detailing the regulatory costs on small businesses.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Hawley Demand Answers from Ford For Terminating Partnership with Kansas City Company

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Roger Marshall M.D. and Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to the Ford Motor Company demanding answers for terminating its partnership with Jack Cooper, a Kansas City-based company. 
    For over 40 years, Jack Cooper and Ford have had a strong business partnership until Ford abruptly ended its deal before the contract deadline and without explanation, leading to 400 Kansas City area jobs being lost. The letter requests Ford to provide an explanation for ending its deal with Jack Cooper and affirm that Ford will fulfill all legal obligations resulting from the agreement ending.
    “For over four decades, Jack Cooper has been a reliable partner to Ford, fulfilling all performance standards and playing an important role in Ford’s success. To end such a relationship without a clear and justified cause strikes us as a profound betrayal of American workers, who have buoyed Ford for nearly half a century,” the members wrote.“This decision disrupts lives and erodes the community’s trust in what is supposed to be a paradigmatic American company. Yet, the workers at Jack Cooper and their families are still waiting for answers,” the members continued.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Unemployment soars as Government fails Kiwis

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Kiwis hard, with unemployment reaching 5.1%—a four-year high.

    “This is what happens when the Government chooses to slash funding for frontline services, cut public sector jobs, and undermine economic stability,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

    “Christopher Luxon’s coalition of chaos continues to plunge New Zealand deeper into recession. Their cuts have devastated the job market, and now 33,000 more Kiwis are unemployed in just the past year.

    “They promised a better economy, but all we’ve seen is an economic downturn, rising unemployment, and the sharpest recession, excluding COVID-19, in 30 years—all of which happened under National’s watch.

    “If the Government was serious about economic growth, it would reverse its cuts and take immediate action to stabilise the job market. That means investing in public services, infrastructure, and climate initiatives that create jobs, not axing funding for schools, hospitals, and public housing.

    “Labour’s focus is on rebuilding an economy that works for all Kiwis. The Government has had more than a year to deliver results, and instead it has chosen to hand out $2.9 billion to landlords and $216 million to tobacco companies, while families are left struggling to pay the bills. It’s time for leadership that invests in jobs, skills, and the future, not cuts and excuses,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Waitangi Treaty Grounds address

    Source: ACT Party

    Government Powhiri Address
    David Seymour, Leader ACT New Zealand
    Wednesday 5th February, 2025

    E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e rau Rangatira

    Two years ago here, I set out my party’s three goals for the Treaty.

    Tuatahi, ki a maimoatia te reo me te ahurea Māori

    (one, to cherish the Māori language and culture).

    Tuarua, ki a whakatika ngā hapa o mua.

    (two, to put right the wrongs of the past)

    Tuatouru, ki a ōrite ai te āhei atu o ngā Tamariki katoa ki a puāwaitia.

    (three, to give every child an equal chance to flourish)

    Since then I’ve held to these goals and promises. Some who heard my words here and understood them have tried to pretend they didn’t.

    Instead they’ve poured poison in the ears of young people. They’ve said that I want to take away their mana, their reo, and their culture.

    Some of the poison goes so far it’s actually funny. Rawiri Waititi even wrote in the newspaper that I want to take away people’s outdoor hobbies.

    What is the point of these claims. It cannot be seeking the truth, because the things they say are not true.

    Perhaps blaming me is a convenient distraction from other failures.

    The numbers don’t lie.

    Māori home ownership. Māori school attendance. Māori crime victimization. Māori unemployment. Māori incomes. Māori life expectancy.

    None of it is good news, and none of it’s getting better because people think the Treaty is a partnership.

    If this is what a Treaty partnership looks like, how is it working out for Māori?

    What is good news is we now have a Government with practical solutions to these problems, and the ACT Party is proud to play its part.

    New resource management laws and building laws will make it easier for the next generation to build a place of their own in this country.

    Charter schools, and curriculums and assessments with rich content will provide young New Zealanders with useful maps for navigating the twenty first century.

    We’ve got the values right on crime. Now the Government stands beside the victims, who are disproportionately Māori.

    We know there’s no mana in dependency, it’s a trap, and traps Māori the most. That’s why the Government is bringing back mutual obligation in welfare.

    Getting off welfare means jobs in a growing economy. I’m proud to lead the charge against the red tape that crushes the wairua of our economy.

    The Government is funding more medicine than ever, by a lot. It’s setting ambitious targets to get health wait times down. The biggest health benefits will go to those with the biggest needs.

    That is the mahi. Kia ōrite ai te āhei atu o ngā tamariki katoa ki a puāwaitia.

    My critics need to explain why these problems can’t be solved under a treaty that granted equal rights.

    They need to explain why divisive identity politics is necessary to solve these problems, especially when it’s going out of fashion around the world.

    That’s my wero to you,

    Ngā mihi.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Right place, right time for Waitangi rescue

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    It was a case of right place, right time for the Police Maritime Unit after rescuing two teenagers struggling to keep afloat in the water off Waitangi Wharf.

    At about 3.30pm on Tuesday, the Police Maritime Unit were returning to the wharf when they noticed two heads bobbing in the water.

    Sergeant Jesse Jenden says the pair were with a group of others jumping into the water when they got out of their depth and found themselves struggling against the strong current.

    “They were being swept out in the strong current and were near the 5-knot marker, about 300 metres from the wharf.

    “They were with about 20 kids on the wharf but none of them had noticed they had been swept away.

    “It was obvious they were struggling.”

    Sergeant Jenden says when they pulled up alongside the two girls and offered help they quickly accepted and were helped onboard.

    “Another few minutes and it could have been a different result.

    “Both were fully clothed and wearing crocs, which would also have restricted their ability to swim.

    “I guess it was a case of being in the right place at the right time, and I’m glad we were there to help.”

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: White Supremacist Leader Found Guilty of Conspiring to Destroy Regional Power Grid

    Source: US State of Vermont

    After a six-day trial, a jury found Brandon Russell, 29, of Orlando, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility.

    According to evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2022 to Feb. 3, 2023, Russell conspired to carry out attacks against critical infrastructure, specifically transformers located within electrical substations, in furtherance of his racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs. Russell posted links to open-source maps of infrastructure, which included the locations of electrical substations, and he described how a small number of attacks on substations could cause a “cascading failure.” Russell also discussed maximizing the impact of the planned attack by hitting multiple substations at one time.

    Russell recruited a Maryland-based woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to carry out the attacks in Baltimore and elsewhere. They planned to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. Clendaniel identified five substations to target, and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for Clendaniel. Clendaniel stated that if they hit a number of substations all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city,” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” She further added, “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.”

    Russell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to damage an energy facility and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17.

    On Sept. 25, 2024, Clendaniel was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring with Russell to damage or destroy an energy facility. Clendaniel was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and 3 years of supervised release.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    The Justice Department’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Votes “No” on Director of National Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard in Senate Intelligence Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    February 04, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voted against advancing Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to serve as director of national intelligence in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today.

    “Tulsi Gabbard’s statements, writings, and record since she left Congress show that she views issues of national security and foreign intelligence primarily through an extreme partisan lens. Disturbingly, Ms. Gabbard refused to commit to opposing an illegal order from Donald Trump, in response to my question at her confirmation hearing. I am not convinced that she would stand up to demands to defund intelligence community oversight bodies, fire intelligence officials for perceived disloyalty to Donald Trump, or grant Elon Musk’s DOGE henchmen access to sensitive systems and materials,” Wyden said.

    “During her confirmation process, however, I was encouraged by her commitments related to FISA, encryption, protections for whistleblowers and journalists, and numerous other topics.  If Ms. Gabbard is confirmed by the full Senate, it is my intention to hold her to these commitments.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New robots lead the way in bomb disposal innovation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Cutting-edge trial featured robotic canines defusing bombs. This new technology is set to reduce risk to personnel working on bomb disposals.

    Image of bomb disposal robot.

    Robot dogs that can defuse explosives are set to revolutionise bomb disposal operations and significantly reduce the risk to military personnel, whether operating in the UK or overseas.

    A new live trial led by Ministry of Defence scientists has seen advanced robotic systems, including robot dogs, successfully detecting, and defusing bomb threats. 

    The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) trials took place over four days and included:   

    • Remote classification and identification of threats using sensors on robots;  
    • Defusing of bombs from a robot dog;  
    • Drones with AI autonomous threat and people detection;   
    • And robots conducting tasks such as opening doors and climbing stairs.  

    The trial supports key components of the UK Government’s Plan for Change, safeguarding national security whilst rapidly advancing new technologies – showing defence as an engine for growth.  

    Dstl worked alongside British and international industry, L3Harris, Marlborough Communications Ltd and AeroVironment (Tomahawk Robotics) on the trials which showed that they could enhance Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability by:  

    • Reducing the need to put a bomb disposal operator in harm’s way by increasing the number of tasks that robots can perform remotely;  
    • Improving the effectiveness of robots, reducing the burden to the operator, allowing delicate and precision movements to be completed reliably; 
    • Using drones equipped with AI to identify threats and monitor safety cordons, increasing the pace of operations and reducing disruption to the public.  

    The trials involved a series of scenarios, where the robot was asked to perform various tasks including opening and closing doors autonomously, navigating stairs, inspecting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and consequently firing disruptors at the IEDs to render them safe. 

    These innovations will transform EOD operations by minimising the human exposure to danger, improving operational efficiency and maintaining public safety.  

    Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, said:

    This advanced technology demonstrates our commitment to protecting the military personnel who keep our nation safe, at home and abroad.   

    By working with industry and combining cutting-edge robotics with existing expertise, we’re ensuring our bomb disposal teams have the best possible tools to carry out their vital work safely and effectively.

    These advancements help the government deliver our Plan for Change and ensure defence is an engine for growth – protecting our national security while supporting rapidly evolving technologies.

    Bomb disposal operators praised the technology demonstrated in the trial and provided beneficial feedback to shape the next phase of Dstl investment in robotics for the bomb disposal community. Dstl will use this feedback to continue to develop and enhance technology that provides increased security for the nation.  

    Chief Science and Technology Officer, Dstl, Prof Andy Bell, said:  

    This is a great example of how Defence can achieve an advantage through the exploitation of technology, fusing together military and commercial systems to keep our people and country safe from deadly threats. 

    Working in partnership with industry and academia, Dstl is delivering mission success through science and technology advantage.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham scores transformative investment into new Sports Quarter

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    US company Knighthead have invested £100m to build new Sports Quarter in East Birmingham.

    • Following on from the Chancellors plans to go ‘further, faster on growth’ US company Knighthead has invested £100m in regeneration project in East Birmingham.
    • The Sports Quarter project will include a 60,000-seat stadium, sporting facilities and commercial and residential spaces, creating 8,400 new jobs and driving further investment.
    • Announcement is the latest in a series of job-boosting investments across the country showing the Plan for Change is working.

    US company Knighthead has invested £100 million into East Birmingham, showing how the Government’s Plan for Change is boosting jobs and opportunities in the West Midlands.

    The new site is estimated to create 8,400 new jobs annually in Birmingham while also supporting the wider city and West Midlands. The investment will pave the way for a new 60,000-seater stadium alongside a sports campus of training facilities, a new academy, and community pitches. Beyond sport, the campus plans also include leisure, commercial, and residential development.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit the site and learn about how the new Sports Quarter and surrounding area is projected to provide £370 million in growth each year.  

    Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off as part of our Plan for Change.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The West Midlands is a powerhouse for investment, and this project will not only play a vital role in bringing thousands of new jobs into the area but will put more money into the pockets of the local community here in East Birmingham.

    Seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the Plan for Change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain. This is another vote of confidence in our plans to deliver growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the country.

    This is the latest in a series of investment projects into the West Midlands, as the region continues to be a powerhouse for investment. The West Midlands attracted over 130 Foreign Direct Investment Projects in 2024, creating 7,581 jobs.

    Unleashing the full potential of the UK’s cities and regions is a core objective of the government’s Industrial Strategy. Facilitating investments like this is central to achieving this goal.

    Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:

    The Birmingham Sports Quarter is an exciting venture that highlights how sport can be an important driver for regeneration and growth.

    Across the divisions, our professional football clubs are vital community assets at the heart of towns and cities around the country, so it is fantastic to see investment directly benefiting residents of Birmingham and the wider region.

    Investment continues to flow into the UK sports sector on an unprecedented level. The UK is an appealing destination for investors aiming to capitalise on diverse revenue streams and long-term growth prospects.

    The commercial attractiveness of the UK sports sector is underpinned by both legacy and heritage and its position at the cutting edge of innovative subsectors such as sports-tech and women’s sports.

    The Business Secretary’s visit comes after Birmingham City Football Club’s Chairman Tom Wagner’s meeting with Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson OBE at One Goal, the government’s annual sports investment conference. The Department for Business and Trade continues to support transformational institutional investment into UK sport and local communities.

    Co-founder of Knighthead & Chairman of Birmingham City Football Club Tom Wagner said:

    Birmingham and the West Midlands have huge untapped potential for growth, and we intend to seize that opportunity. With the support of government, the Sports Quarter can be a catalyst for regeneration, transforming the prospects for people in of one of the poorest parts of the UK and crowding in interest and investment from around the globe.

    Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

    This investment is a huge vote of confidence in Birmingham and the West Midlands. It was made possible by strong partnerships with Knighthead and others committed to our region’s growth.

    We’ve worked to create the perfect conditions to attract investment, and this will bring thousands of jobs, new opportunities, and a major economic boost.

    Working with Tom Wagner and Knighthead, we’ll unlock our region’s full potential – delivering the Sports Quarter and lasting change for the region.

    The announcement comes after the Chancellor vowed to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth last week, as the government wants to help put more money in people’s pockets.

    The Budget in the Autumn fixed the foundations of the UK’s economy by putting in place measures to support economic and fiscal stability and long-term investment in national infrastructure.

    Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off as part of our Plan for Change.

    The government’s new modern Industrial Strategy will deliver long-term, sustainable, inclusive growth right across the UK by driving investment into the economy and hardwire stability for investors, giving them the confidence to plan not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond.

    Notes to editors

    • Today’s announcement comes off the back of Knighthead announcing its £3 billion regeneration project last March and also follows the company’s acquisition of Birmingham City Football Club in 2023.

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New reforms to support victims of child sexual abuse

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Victims of child sexual abuse will be better supported with new reforms that prioritise their rights.

    • Three-year limit for compensation claims to be axed – enabling victims to come forward when ready
    • Burden of proof to shift from survivors to defendants – protecting victims from reliving trauma
    • Measures deliver recommendations of Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

    The Government is delivering on recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to make it easier for victims to gain an apology and to pursue claims in the civil court.

    The three-year time limit for victims to bring personal injury claims will be removed. So will the burden of proof that currently rests on victims’ shoulders, who must prove it is possible to hold a fair trial for one to go ahead. Now, that burden is lifted off victims and placed on defendants, who must show a fair trial cannot proceed if they intend to block one. This will enable cases to be heard more easily, and protect victims from reliving their trauma.

    The Law of the Apologies will also be amended to encourage employers to apologise to people wronged by their employees, where currently they fear doing so because of institutional liability, meaning that victims are likelier to receive apologies from schools, care facilities or hospitals for abuse carried out by an individual at these institutions.

    The Government has listened to victims, survivors and experts through two consultations – and they have said they want action.

    Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said:

    Child sexual abuse causes lifelong trauma and these important changes, recommended by Professor Jay, are long overdue.

    These measures help survivors pursue their path to justice. They build on the Government’s mission of halving violence against women and girls and support our Plan for Change.

    Currently civil child sexual abuse claims must be brought within three years of turning 18, unless the victim can prove a fair trial can proceed despite the time lapse. But as the IICSA heard, a “significant number” of claims are being rejected because it can take “decades for survivors to feel able to discuss their sexual abuse”.

    As a direct result of today’s reforms, all cases brought will proceed unless the defendant proves that a fair hearing cannot take place, for example due to lack of evidence.

    IICSA also heard that in many child sexual abuse cases, an apology by an institution was desired but never delivered, blocking victims’ path to closure.

    Often organisations are reluctant to apologise because of concerns it may be interpreted by individuals such as insurers, as an admission of fault. The Government will clarify, as per the IICSA recommendation, that apologies could and should be offered by employers for the actions of current or former employees.

    Justice Minister Sarah Sackman KC said:

    The courts must work for the public they serve – and we recognise that victims and survivors need time to process their trauma.

    By changing the law, it will now be possible for victims to come forward, and seek justice, when they feel ready to do so.

    The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse heard the powerful testimonies of more than 7,000 victims and made 20 final recommendations.

    The measures announced today build on action already taken across government to respond to horrific child sexual abuse crimes, including providing £10 million to drive change at a local level to protect children across the country from grooming gangs, and a suite of legislative measures to tackle online child sexual abuse, including two world leading measures on AI-generated child sexual abuse material. These measures form part of our commitment – underscored by our Plan for Change – to halve violence against women and girls this decade.

    Legislation will also be brought forward to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences, and introduce a new Mandatory Reporting duty, in the Crime and Policing Bill to be put before Parliament this Spring. A new offence will also be created so anyone covering up child sexual abuse will face criminal sanctions.

    Changes to the Law of Apologies and Limitation Law, follow two Government consultations in 2024.

    Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), said:

    This is a watershed moment for survivors of child sexual abuse. These reforms recognise the long-term impact of trauma and ensure survivors are not excluded from seeking redress simply because of the time taken to come forward.

    NAPAC also welcomes greater clarity on apologies. A sincere apology, when freely given and supported by meaningful action, is invaluable – especially as part of wider efforts to ensure accountability and prevent future harm.

    These important changes reflect the growing understanding of what survivors need to access justice and healing, and we welcome the government’s commitment to making them a reality.

    Civil claims are made where someone feels that they have suffered a harm or a wrong which another person or organisation is accountable for. It is made by issuing a claim form at the relevant court (such as the County Court), and serving it on the defendant. 

    Further information:

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wisconsin Man Indicted for Selling and Smuggling Firearms to Buyers in Saudi Arabia

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging Mark John Buschman, 60, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.

    According to the indictment, Buschman allegedly conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.

    Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, and elsewhere without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.

    Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as nonmailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement. If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Cleveland Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J.  Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio, Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan for the Western District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Work progressing to address seafarer wage theft

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Government’s work to address seafarer wage theft has taken an important step forward, with the signing of an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Fair Work Ombudsman and Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

    The MoU paves the way for these agencies to improve seafarer wage compliance monitoring, share regional contacts, and conduct joint inspections of foreign-flagged vessels suspected of wage non-compliance.  

    This will help level the playing field for Australian crewed vessels by preventing foreign vessels from undercutting Australian legal requirements to pay correct wages. 

    It forms part of our Government’s commitment to ensuring seafarers on foreign vessels operating under a temporary licence in Australian waters are paid the wages they are owed. 

    It also helps deliver on our priority of ensuring all employers comply with the Fair Work Act, and our commitment to protecting workers from wage theft.

    This MoU is an important milestone in our $2.7 million compliance program pilot, which is allowing the Fair Work Ombudsman, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development  to ramp up monitoring activities of seafarer wages on foreign-flagged vessels – as well as investigations into potential non-compliance by employers.

    We look forward to seeing this work continue and to support all seafarers and our maritime industry. 

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King:

    “The Albanese Government is committed to rebuilding Australia’s shipping capabilities and supporting its current and future seafarers. 

    “That is why we have committed to the establishment of a strategic fleet and appointed a taskforce to provide recommendation to government on its establishment. Additional funding for increased compliance activity related to the payment of wages was one of the recommendations.

    “We are delivering on our commitments to build Australia’s future.”

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt: 

    “The Albanese Government is committed to standing up for Australian workers so to ensure they earn more and keep more of what they earn.

     “This work builds on the workplace relations changes we’ve already delivered, including criminalising wage theft.

     “The MoU is an important step towards better protecting seafarers from wage theft and ensuring no worker is underpaid.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of District Real Estate Company Sentenced for Defrauding Paycheck Protection Program

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Patrick Strauss, 54, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months of probation – including six months of home confinement to be followed by a period of intermittent incarceration, that is, 26 weekends in jail – and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $304,900 and fined $8,784, all for participating in a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained more than $304,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office. 

               Strauss pleaded guilty on September 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, Strauss was owner of Powergrid Real Estate LLC. In 2020, he was approached by someone who asked him if he wanted to file an application for a PPP loan. Strauss was aware that Powergrid did not qualify for a PPP loan because it had no employees and no payroll.

               A co-conspirator prepared the PPP loan application for Powergrid, that falsely claimed that the company had 16 employees and an average monthly payroll of $132,547.17. The co-conspirator also prepared phony federal tax forms and payroll records to support the fraudulent PPP loan applications.

              In July 2020, Strauss submitted the PPP loan application to Capital Bank. On July 29, 2020, Capital Bank wired $304,900 into Powergrid’s bank account. In July 2021, a co-conspirator prepared false and fraudulent federal tax returns. Strauss submitted the faked papers to Capital Bank in support of loan forgiveness for Powergrid. 

               The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP.  In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. 

               The PPP allowed qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds were required be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. 

               The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin commended the work of those who investigated the case.

               This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb, Jr. 

               Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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    MIL Security OSI –