NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Bank and World Bank Group Join Forces on a New Full Mutual Reliance Partnership

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    20 February 2025 — Today, Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga signed a groundbreaking new cofinancing partnership.

    The Full Mutual Reliance Framework (FMRF), the first of its kind among multilateral development banks (MDBs), will generate efficiencies, streamline implementation, deliver faster results, and ultimately, achieve better outcomes for borrowing countries.

    This partnership responds to the needs of client countries in Asia and the Pacific who are demanding more rapid, efficient, and effective development financing, and more seamless coordination by MDBs. It also responds to G20 Leaders’ call for MDBs to work more effectively as a system. 

    With this new partnership, one institution will act as the “Lead Lender,” handling all aspects of project design, preparation, appraisal, supervision, and evaluation for both lenders. The other institution (the Trail Lender) may participate in knowledge sharing and limited support but without decision-making or fiduciary responsibilities. The closely aligned policies of the two lenders allow for mutual reliance without compromising standards. 

    This partnership is expected to serve as a model for deeper collaboration among other MDBs and help address pressing development needs while fostering knowledge sharing and innovation.

    As the institutions move towards implementation, they will continue to engage with their respective Boards, borrowers, and other stakeholders.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB and World Bank Partner on Full Mutual Reliance Framework to Enhance Development Effectiveness

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    MANILA, PHILIPPINES (20 February 2025) — Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa and World Bank President Ajay Banga signed a groundbreaking Full Mutual Reliance Framework (FMRF) agreement today to deepen collaboration on cofinanced sovereign projects. This innovative model aims to streamline project preparation, reduce duplication, and deliver faster and more effective support to member countries facing urgent development challenges.

    Approved by the Boards of both organizations on 28 January, the FMRF designates one institution as the Lead Lender—responsible for project preparation, appraisal, and supervision—so borrowers engage with a single operational policy framework. This approach simplifies processes and reduces transaction costs while maintaining rigorous policy standards.

    “The Full Mutual Reliance Framework is a significant step in our collaboration with the World Bank, and will deliver lasting benefits to communities and economies across Asia and the Pacific,” said Mr. Asakawa. “By leveraging our respective strengths, we can enhance efficiency, scale impact, and provide a strong platform for sustainable and inclusive growth.”

    “This partnership between the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank is a testament to the deep trust and abiding confidence between our institutions,” said Mr. Banga. “It reflects a broader shift in development finance—where collaboration, not competition, delivers greater impact. By combining our strengths, we are making it faster, easier, and more cost-effective for countries to access the support they need. More than just an agreement, this is a model for how development banks can work together to drive better outcomes for the people we serve.”

    The FMRF aligns with the G20 Leaders’ call for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to work more cohesively as a system to maximize impact and address escalating development challenges. Borrowers will benefit from reduced project processing times and simplified engagement with the Lead Lender. Both institutions anticipate gains in operational efficiency and policy alignment.

    The framework will initially apply to a select number of sovereign projects during a 4-year pilot phase, starting in 2025, to refine operational approaches and assess outcomes. Building on earlier cofinancing efforts, such as the Procurement Framework Agreement of 2018, the FMRF incorporates lessons learned from extensive consultations with civil society organizations and other stakeholders.

    The FMRF is expected to serve as a model for deeper collaboration among MDBs and help address urgent development needs while fostering knowledge sharing and innovation.    

    ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump took office just one month ago, but has already accomplished more than most presidents do in their entire term as he makes good on his promise to usher in the New Golden Age of America.
    Here is a non-comprehensive list of President Trump’s wins after just one month:
    SECURING OUR HOMELAND:
    President Trump declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the military, including the 10th Mountain Division, to secure our nation.
    Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades as U.S. Border Patrol is re-empowered to once again enforce the law.
    ABC News: “From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped 85% from the same period in 2024, according to data obtained by ABC News. In the 11 days after Jan. 20, migrants apprehended at ports of entry declined by 93%.”

    Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the crackdown.
    The Department of Homeland Security announced that arrests of criminal illegal immigrants have doubled under President Trump.
    President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which requires illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft or violence to be detained — honoring the legacy of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student brutally murdered by an illegal alien released into the country.
    President Trump ended “catch-and-release,” reversing the dangerous Biden-era policy that released dangerous illegal aliens back into our communities.
    President Trump shut down the “CBP One” app, which “paroled” more than one million illegal immigrants into the country.
    A migrant shelter in San Diego announced it will shut down after it has received no new arrivals since President Trump took office.

    President Trump terminated all taxpayer-funded public benefits for illegal aliens.
    President Trump ramped up deportation flights of criminal illegal aliens.
    After President Trump announced “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures” against Colombia over its refusal to accept deportation flights from the U.S., the country’s president quickly backtracked — even offering the use of his personal plane for the deportations.
    El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele offered to accept deportees of any nationality, including violent American criminals currently imprisoned in the U.S.

    President Trump began transferring criminal illegal aliens to Guantanamo Bay ahead of their repatriation back to their own countries.
    President Trump re-established the successful “Remain in Mexico” policy.
    President Trump restarted construction of the border wall.
    The Trump Administration officially declared Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, and the Michoacán Family as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
    New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) agreed to allow federal immigration officials to operate on Rikers Island and deport illegal alien criminals following his meeting with Border Czar Tom Homan.
    Mexico announced a deployment of 10,000 troops to the border to combat illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking, while Canada announced a flurry of measures to combat fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking following President Trump’s imposition of tariffs on the two countries.
    President Trump implemented an additional 10% tariff on imports from China in order to stem the flow of illegal aliens and fentanyl.
    President Trump ordered an end to birthright citizenship.
    President Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
    The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and some of its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law and announced that it will take action against so-called “sanctuary cities” for their obstruction of U.S. law.
    The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.
    President Trump reinstated the death penalty for federal capital crimes.
    PROTECTING AMERICAN WORKERS AND FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH:
    President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition — a move praised by the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Association, and businesses across the country.
    Robert Simon, CEO of JSW Steel USA, praised President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, celebrating them “as a project that will flood the U.S. with jobs as trading partners move their industries to U.S. soil to avoid tariffs.”

    Makoto Uchida, the CEO of global automaker Nissan, said President Trump’s tariffs could push the car manufacturer to move its production from Mexico to the U.S.
    President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.
    President Trump secured hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments.
    President Trump announced the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure project in history, securing $500 billion in planned private sector investment — with major CEOs agreeing it would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership.
    Saudi Arabia declared its intention to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years.
    President Trump secured a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties to build new U.S.-based data centers.
    Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States.
    Electronics giants Samsung and LG “are considering moving their plants in Mexico to the U.S.” now that President Trump is back in office.

    In February, forecasters from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia revised their economic growth projections for the first quarter of 2025 up from 1.9% to 2.5%, and their unemployment rate projections for the quarter down from 4.2% to 4.1%.
    After a meeting with President Trump, Stellantis announced it will reopen its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois — putting 1,500 employees back to work — and build its next-generation Dodge Durango in Detroit, Michigan. The company also announced new investments in their Toledo, Ohio, and Kokomo, Indiana, facilities.
    President Trump laid out a visionary plan to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund to maximize the stewardship of the $5+ trillion in assets held by the United States.
    Following President Trump’s victory, the S&P 500 set a new record as the stock market surged to record highs — while major Wall Street firms like JP Morgan Chase posted their highest ever annual profits.
    LOWERING THE COST OF LIVING:
    President Trump directed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “deliver emergency price relief … to the American people and increase the prosperity of the American worker.”
    President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to maximize use of the U.S.’ extensive energy resources, thereby enabling lower energy prices.
    Crude oil prices have fallen over 5% since President Trump took office.
    The Department of Energy postponed burdensome Biden-era efficiency standard rules for the following appliances, saving American consumers large sums:
    Central air conditioners: Biden rules were slated to make air conditioners $1,100 more expensive, according to Alliance for Consumers.
    Gas water heaters: Biden rules were slated to make water heaters $2,800 more expensive.
    Clothes washers and dryers: Biden rules were slated to make washers $200 more expensive.
    Light bulbs: Biden rules were slated to make light bulbs $140 more expensive.
    Walk-in coolers and freezers, commercial refrigeration equipment, and air compressors.

    The total cost of federal regulations in 2023 was a record-breaking $2.1 trillion, or $15,788 per U.S. household, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. By requiring agencies to identify at least ten existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed for every one rule they promulgate, President Trump has put the U.S. on track to severely reduce regulatory costs for everyday Americans.
    The National Associations of Manufacturers found the cost of federal regulations was even greater — at $3.079 trillion in 2022.

    Secretary Sean Duffy’s very first action at the Department of Transportation was to initiate rulemaking resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards — effectively eliminating the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.
    NBER economist Mark R. Jacobsen “estimates that a one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers of all income levels approximately 0.5% of their income in the first year of the increase. By the 10th year following the increase, however, this cost becomes regressive, as the increase drives up the price of used cars. A one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers earning less than $25,000 per year 1.12% of their income, but only costs consumers earning more than $75,000 per year 0.41% of their income.”

    RE-ESTABLISHING AMERICAN STRENGTH:
    President Trump secured the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, two Americans in Afghanistan, an American-Israeli citizen in Hamas captivity, a Pennsylvania teacher in Russian captivity, and an American citizen in Belarus — bringing the total number of American hostages released under President Trump to 11.
    President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace as negotiations get underway.
    President Trump restored maximum pressure on Iran, “sanctioning an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the People’s Republic of China.”
    President Trump redesignated the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
    President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit where he proposed a bold vision for securing lasting peace in Gaza.
    Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman described the proposal as “brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region.”

    President Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his intention to “elevate Japan’s investment in the United States to an unprecedented amount of $1 trillion,” import “historic” quantities of LNG from Alaska, and open new auto plants in the U.S.
    President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced that the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    President Trump hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit where they announced new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    President Trump banned funding to UNRWA — a United Nations agency that employed hundreds of Hamas and jihad operatives.
    President Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which has illegitimately asserted jurisdiction over internal U.S. matters and baselessly targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ensure no taxpayer dollars support foreign organizations that perform, or actively promote, abortion in other nations.
    The Department of State ordered embassies worldwide to only fly the American flag — not activist flags.
    President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    The Department of State declared that U.S. foreign policy will be America First going forward.
    Following a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino agreed to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a debt-trap diplomacy scheme the Chinese Communist Party uses to gain influence over developing nations.
    The U.S. rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which promotes and strengthens opportunities for women and girls around the world, and protects the family as the fundamental unit of society.
    President Trump cracked down on anti-Semitism by canceling visas for foreign students who are Hamas sympathizers.
    President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
    The U.S. Army barred transgender people from enlisting and stopped using taxpayer funds for sex change surgeries.
    President Trump reinstated, with backpay, U.S. service members who were discharged under the military’s nonsensical COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
    President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
    President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American businesses abroad, which negatively impacted national security.
    President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially established it on its mapping databases.
    President Trump initiated a process to build a next-generation missile defense shield over the United States.
    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY:
    President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to unlock America’s full energy potential and bring down costs for American families.
    President Trump rescinded every one of the Biden Administration’s job-killing, pro-China, anti-American energy regulations.
    President Trump empowered Americans with choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, light bulbs, and dishwashers, and killed Biden-era regulations that restricted water flow and mandated inadequate light bulb standards.
    President Trump terminated the job-killing Green New Scam.
    President Trump withdrew from the disastrous Paris Climate Agreement, which unfairly ripped off our country.
    President Trump paused federal permitting for massive wind farms, which degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American consumers.
    President Trump reversed bureaucratic regulations that impeded Alaska’s ability to develop its vast natural resources.
    President Trump re-opened 625 million acres for offshore drilling, which Biden banned in his waning days, in order to “drill, baby, drill.”
    President Trump scrapped an Obama-era rule on greenhouse gases.
    President Trump ended the Liquefied Natural Gas pause and approved the first LNG project since the Biden Administration banned them last year.
    BRINGING BACK COMMON SENSE:
    Health systems across the nation stopped or downsized their sex change programs for minors following President Trump’s “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” executive order.
    In Illinois, Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex-change surgeries for patients under 19 as it “work[s] to understand the rapidly evolving environment.”
    In Colorado, Denver Health announced it would stop performing sex change surgeries on minor children, while UCHealth said it was ending so-called “gender-affirming care” for all minors.
    In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital “paused” prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors, while Northwest Washington Hospital did the same.
    In Virginia, VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond “suspended” providing transgender-related medication and surgeries for minors, while UVA Health also “suspended” transgender-related services for minors.

    President Trump ended the unfair, demeaning practice of forcing women to compete against men in sports — which resulted in the NCAA changing its rules.
    The Department of Education launched investigations into the California Interscholastic Federation and the Minnesota State High School League over their failures to comply.

    President Trump made it the official policy of the U.S. government that there are only two sexes.
    President Trump banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates at schools that receive federal funding.
    President Trump rolled back the Biden-era push to mandate paper straws.
    President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which cost 3.69 cents each to make.
    President Trump directed full enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer dollars from being used to fund or promote elective abortion.
    The Department of Transportation terminated the approval for New York City’s burdensome “congestion pricing” scheme.
    RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
    President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds — which has already achieved billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.
    President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.
    President Trump ordered federal workers to return to the office five days a week.
    President Trump ordered federal agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.
    President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.
    President Trump ordered the termination of all federal Fake News media contracts.

    President Trump ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
    President Trump ordered an end to anti-Christian bias in the Federal Government.
    President Trump ordered an examination of all regulations to assess any infringements on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
    The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups, announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability, and put 168 “environmental justice” employees on leave.
    President Trump stopped the waste, fraud, and abuse within USAID — ensuring taxpayers are no longer on the hook for funding the pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, such as sex changes in Guatemala.
    President Trump ordered an end to the weaponization of the Federal Government against American citizens.
    The Department of Justice immediately began rooting out politically motivated lawfare that occurred in the Biden Administration.

    President Trump reversed the massive over-expansion of the IRS that took place during the Biden Administration.
    President Trump eliminated discriminatory DEI offices, employees, and practices across the bureaucracy alongside a return to merit-based hiring — including at the Federal Aviation Administration, where the Biden Administration specifically recruited individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric issues.
    As a result, taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office, Disney dropped two of its DEI programs, Goldman Sachs ended its DEI policy, and Institutional Shareholder Services announced it would no longer consider diversity of company boards when making its voting recommendations.
    The Federal Communications Commission opened an investigation into discriminatory DEI policies at Comcast, an entity it regulates.

    President Trump ordered an end to all censorship of Americans by the federal government.
    President Trump ordered a review of funding for all non-governmental organizations, so taxpayers are no longer funding those that undermine America’s interests.
    The Department of State issued a “pause” on existing foreign aid grants to ensure accountability and efficiency.

    President Trump lifted last-minute collective bargaining agreements issued by the Biden Administration, which sought to impede reform.
    President Trump overrode bureaucratic red tape that limited water availability in California following the failure of the state’s water system during the devastating wildfires.
    President Trump terminated the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.
    President Trump suspended the Biden-era EV charging program, which had resulted in just eight charging stations despite $7.5 billion earmarked for the program.

    President Trump shut down the wasteful Biden-era “Climate Corps” program.
    The Federal Communications Commission took action against a Soros-backed radio station that leaked sensitive information about ICE operations.
    President Trump ordered the declassification of documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    President Trump opened the White House Press Briefing Room to non-legacy media outlets as the White House sets a new standard for transparency in the digital age.
    President Trump reinstated press privileges for roughly 440 journalists who the Biden Administration sought to silence.
    President Trump fired members of The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees amid their obsession with perpetuating radical, left-wing ideology at taxpayer expense.
    President Trump revoked the security clearances of the 51 “spies who lied.”
    EMPOWERING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
    President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
    President Trump took executive action to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
    President Trump established the White House Faith Office to protect Americans’ religious liberty.
    President Trump ordered an end to the radical indoctrination of children in K-12 schools that receive federal funding.
    President Trump took executive action to support parents in choosing the best education for their children.
    President Trump established the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital finance.
    President Trump granted full and unconditional pardons to 23 pro-life Americans who were unjustly persecuted by the Biden Administration.
    President Trump pardoned two Washington, D.C., police officers who were imprisoned simply for doing their jobs of apprehending criminals.
    President Trump has had his cabinet confirmed by the Senate at a far faster pace than his predecessors, with a majority of his cabinet earning confirmation in his first month.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Global Geopolitical Situation: Foreign Secretary speech at G20 South Africa

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s intervention on Discussions on the Global Geopolitical Situation at the G20 Foreign Ministerial Meeting, South Africa

    Thank you very much, Ronald (Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa) and let me say, my dear brother, what a joy is to see the G20 in Africa at long last. And we thank Brazil for its stewardship last year.

    The challenges that we face are truly global.

    We will not begin to tackle them unless we harness the potential of this continent, bursting with growth and opportunities and with so many young people, talented young people at its heart.

    The starkest challenge we face is escalating conflict, both between and within nations, driving vicious cycles of grievance, displacement and low growth.

    Your presidency, Ronald calls for solidarity, and solidarity starts by recognizing and naming the victims of war and injustice.

    Innocent Ukrainians enduring bombardment night after night from Odessa to Zaphorizhya, the hostages still cruelly held underground by Hamas, 16 months old on from the trauma of October the 7th, and the Palestinian civilians driven from their homes in Gaza and the West Bank, the Sudanese refugees flee their burning villages to escape across the border to Chad, the overwhelming majority of them, women and children having endured the most unimaginable and indiscriminate violence.

    As I said when I visited Chad, there can be no geopolitical stability, whilst there remains a hierarchy of conflicts, with those on this continent finding themselves at the bottom of the global pile.

    And that’s why, since starting this job, I’ve made a reset with the so called Global South, a central plank of the UK Foreign Policy, and it’s why I doubled British aid for Sudan, and I prepared a conference in London to push for a political process which will end the fighting and protect civilians.

    And that’s why I’ve called out the Rwandan Defence Force operations in the eastern DRC as a blatant breach of the UN Charter which risks spiralling into a regional conflict, and that’s why I will again make clear to President Kagame, that further breaches of DRC’s sovereignty will have consequences.

    Because at the heart of my government’s approach to foreign policy lies the belief that regional and geopolitical stability can only be delivered through respect for international law and the principles of the UN Charter.

    And as my Canadian, Australian, Japanese colleagues have said, respect for international law must underwrite a free and open Indo Pacific, just as it must underwrite the Euro Atlantic, with the security of those two regions ever more closely linked.

    And as we turn to the Middle East, the ceasefire in Gaza is painfully fragile, I’m grateful that so many of us here today are working together to ensure that it holds we must continue to work together tirelessly to secure the release of the remaining hostages, to bolster the Palestinian Authority, and to boost aid into Gaza and to develop a long term plan for governance and security on the strip so that we can advance towards, a two state solution. Which remains the only long term viable pathway to peace.

    And finally, in Ukraine, the only just and lasting peace will be a peace that is consistent with the UN Charter, and we want that as soon as possible.

    You know, mature countries learn from their colonial failures and their wars, and Europeans have had much to learn over the generations and the centuries.

    But I’m afraid to say that Russia has learned nothing.

    I listened carefully to Minister Lavrov intervention just now he’s, of course, left his seat, hoping to hear some readiness to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

    I was hoping to hear some sympathy for the innocent victims of the aggression.

    I was hoping to hear some readiness to seek a durable peace.

    What I heard was the logic of imperialism dressed up as a realpolitik, and I say to you all, we should not be surprised, but neither should we be fooled.

    We are at a crucial juncture in this conflict, and Russia faces a test.

    If Putin is serious about a lasting peace, it means finding a way forward which respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and the UN Charter which provides credible security guarantees, and which rejects Tsarist imperialism, and Britain is ready to listen.

    But we expect to hear more than the Russian gentleman’s tired fabrications.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Leads Multistate Coalition to Defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general to warn against efforts by the Trump administration and Elon Musk to defund and disband the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is an independent agency that oversees big banks, lenders, credit card companies, and mortgage servicers and ensures companies are following federal consumer protection laws. Since its creation, the CFPB has helped millions of New Yorkers and Americans by helping homeowners facing foreclosure stay in their homes, stopping banks from charging junk fees, and returning more than $20 billion to the pockets of consumers nationwide. Attorney General James and the coalition argue in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland that dismantling the CFPB would significantly harm consumers and hamper enforcement of federal consumer protection laws.

    “Eliminating the CFPB will hurt everyday people and benefit billionaires like Elon Musk and his friends,” said Attorney General James. “The CFPB has put billions of dollars back in the pockets of Americans by going after predatory lenders, deceptive companies, and slashing junk fees. The only reason to get rid of this watchdog agency is to protect bad actors. Working families need the CFPB, especially as rising prices are making it hard to make ends meet and put food on the table. My office is leading this coalition to help protect the agency that has protected all of us.”

    On February 9, the Trump administration directed the CFPB to stop all its ongoing work and to not begin any new investigations. The CFPB was formed in 2011 following the Great Recession to enforce federal consumer protection laws. Since its creation, the CFPB has worked with state attorneys general to address consumer issues related to banking, student loan servicers, mortgage servicers, auto lending, and other consumer financial matters. The CFPB has also partnered with attorneys general to stop deceptive, unfair, and abusive conduct by companies. As a result of the Trump administration’s actions, the nation’s largest banks are no longer being closely watched for compliance with key consumer protections by any federal regulator.

    In their brief, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the administration’s efforts to destroy the CFPB could prevent consumers from reporting issues of fraud or deception. The coalition also writes that efforts to shut down the CFPB would significantly reduce oversight of big banks, further harming consumers. The attorneys general warn that this may lead to financial institutions loosening their regulatory compliance, as was seen in the years leading up to the financial crisis.

    Attorney General James has partnered with the CFPB on several actions to protect consumers and hold companies accountable. In January 2024, Attorney General James, the CFPB, and a multistate coalition sued a web of related shell companies for running an illegal debt-relief enterprise and swindling consumers out of more than $100 million. In April 2024, Attorney General James, the CFPB, and a multistate coalition won an $811 million judgment against a bond services company, Libre by Nexus, for unfairly targeting immigrants and their families with deceptive and abusive tactics. In January 2023, Attorney General James and the CFPB sued one of the nation’s largest auto lenders, Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC), for deceiving thousands of low-income New Yorkers into signing high-interest car loans. The CFPB and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) also sued a cash advance company for defrauding 9/11 victims out of money intended to help cover their medical costs, lost income, and other critical needs.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing today’s brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indian National Indicted for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on February 6, 2025, ASHISH KAPOOR, a/k/a “Romy Kapoor,” (“KAPOOR”) age 28, a national of India, was indicted for Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).

    If convicted, KAPOOR faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

    According to the indictment, on or about December 20, 2024, KAPOOR possessed digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Inmate Given Life Sentence for Brutal Murder of Cellmate at Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TERRE HAUTE— Lawrence Taylor, 44, formerly of Akron, Ohio, and current inmate of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has been sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

    According to court documents, Taylor and Jan Stevens (“Stevens”) were inmates at the Federal Correctional Complex, in Terre Haute, Indiana, and housed within the Special Housing Unit (“SHU”). Taylor and Stevens were cellmates in the SHU for just three days prior to January 12, 2019.

    On January 12, 2019, at approximately 1:25 a.m., a SHU staff member walked by Taylor’s and Stevens’s cell and observed Stevens lying on the lower bunk, partially covered with a sheet, with his head at the foot of the bed. Taylor was also inside the cell, standing in front of the door window. Upon a second glance, the staff member saw a laceration to Stevens’s neck, along with blood spattered against the wall and pooling on the floor. The next day, a forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy of Stevens and found his cause of death to be 43 stab wounds to his body, most significantly to the neck area, leading him to bleed out. During an interview with FBI agents, Taylor admitted to killing Stevens with a weapon he had possessed for the previous three months.

    At the time of the murder, Taylor was serving a 284-month sentence for a series of bank robberies in 2009.  Prior to the murder of Stevens, Taylor was projected to be released from the Bureau of Prisons in September 2031.

    “This murder extends beyond the taking of a life – it shatters the lives of those closest to the victim.  Taylor’s act was heinous; well justifying the imposition of a life sentence,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the FBI, Corrections Officers and our federal prosecutors who handled this case with such a determination for justice.”

    “This life sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to justice for all victims including those who are incarcerated in federal correctional facilities. The brutality of this violent murder deserves the maximum penalty allowed under the law,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI will continue to work closely with the Bureau of Prisons and all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and apprehend those who commit violent acts and hold them accountable.”

    “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message – those who threaten or harm others will be held accountable,” said a Federal Bureau of Prisons Spokesperson. “The safety and security of our facilities will always be the FBOP’s top priority in our mission to ensure public safety.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Warden, who prosecuted this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Chief of Naval Operations Visits New England Bases, Stresses Lethality and Readiness

    Source: United States Navy

    NEWPORT, R.I. – Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Lisa Franchetti traveled to New England to meet with area Sailors, civilians, and leadership, tour General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), and meet with students and faculty at Navy school houses and the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., Feb. 18-19.

    This visit underscores the Navy’s commitment to putting more ready players on the field and prioritizing training with a focus on warfighting, wargaming, and readiness.

    At BIW, in Bath, Maine, Franchetti met with two dozen shipbuilders who are working on the new radar and combat suite for Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), BIW’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. She commended them for their hard work and recognized their vital contributions to the Navy’s shipbuilding efforts.

    “I’m focused on warfighting and the warfighters that do that warfighting, and they can’t do that without platforms like this,” said Franchetti to Bath Iron Works shipyard workers aboard DDG-126. “I believe in service both in uniform and out. Your service here, building this amazing warship, is also service to your nation. You’re making sure we have the most ready, capable, and lethal Navy that our Nation needs to be able to protect our national security interests all over the world. That all starts right here.”

    Franchetti also met with Sailors from the PCUs Harvey C. Barnum Jr (DDG 124) and Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), the final DDG Flight IIA being built for the Navy.

    “It’s exciting to be the plank owners of ships that are going to serve our Nation for 30 years,” said Franchetti. “At the commissioning ceremony for the first Arleigh Burke destroyer, Adm. Arleigh Burke told the crew, ‘this ship was built to fight.  You better know how,’ and I know that’s what this crew thinks about when you go to work every day.”

    Franchetti added, “we’ve had 26 warships operating in the Red Sea over the last 15 months, at a level of combat intensity we haven’t seen since World War II. Twelve of those ships were built right here at BIW and have been performing magnificently. That performance is because of our investments in lethal systems, investments in our foundation – shipyards like this one – and investments in Sailors who live and breathe the warrior ethos every day.”

    Continuing the visit, CNO took a Quality of Service tour at PNSY where she visited various facilities, including the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, the Navy Exchange, and the Micromart. During the tour, she engaged in discussions about initiatives focused on improving the quality of life for Sailors. These efforts are part of the ongoing commitment to deliver the high level of service that Sailors deserve and are a key Project 33 target outlined in the CNO’s Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy.

    CNO also received updates on ongoing Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program modernization efforts, ship maintenance, and refit timelines at PNSY. She emphasized the need to build readiness and capability now as the Navy partners to scale industrial capacity and expand budgets for future growth—an effort that aligns with another key target in the CNO’s Navigation Plan, to strengthen and modernize the Navy’s industrial base to get platforms in and out of maintenance on time. While at PNSY, she presented the FY24 Battle “E” award to the crew of the Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS North Dakota (SSN 784).

    “One of the big tenants of America’s Warfighting Navy is getting more players on the field. That’s platforms with the right capabilities, the right modernization, the right lethality, and people with the right skillset, toolset, and mindset, and you embody that every single day,” Franchetti told the crew. “I’m confident that you’re going to get this player back out on the field as fast as possible because of your very clear commitment to getting after every challenge that comes your way. Your partnership with the shipyard team is second to none, and together, you got left of any barrier that came up. Our submarines are the Apex Predators of the Fleet, and I know the ‘Reapers of the Deep’ are excited to get back out there.”

    Following the visit, the CNO went to Newport, R.I., to meet with leadership at the Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC) and to speak at the department head graduation. While there she also relayed her charge of command and spoke about standards to the prospective commanding officers.

    “You’re going back to the Fleet at a critical time for our Navy and our nation. As you have seen this past year, our Navy-Marine Corps team, and really our surface warfare community, has been in high demand in every region around the globe,” Franchetti said. “We are operating in contested waterways and airspaces to underwrite the global security environment, and to keep the sea lanes of communication open for all to use. There’s no other Navy that operates at this scale, no other Navy can train, deploy and sustain such a lethal, globally deployed, combat credible force at the pace, the scale, and the tempo that we do.”

    The CNO then met with leadership from the U.S. Naval War College and received briefs from the college’s Halsey Group advanced research programs, which conduct data collection, research, analysis and wargaming to examine challenges at the operational level of war in the Middle East and East Asia.

    To wrap up the visit, CNO met with leadership and students from both the Naval Supply Corps School and the Naval Justice School to thank them for their work delivering warfighting advantage every day.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: International Maritime Exercise 2025 Concludes

    Source: United States Naval Central Command

    MANAMA, Bahrain —

    The Middle East region’s largest maritime exercise, International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025, concluded during a closing ceremony here, Feb 20.

    IMX 2025 brought together 5,000 personnel from over 30 nations and international organizations committed to preserving the rules-based international order and strengthening regional maritime security cooperation.

    The 12-day exercise took participants through several exercise serials across multiple locations at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, as well as ashore and in the air. Some of the serials included diving, harbor security, mine countermeasures, unmanned systems and artificial intelligence integration, visit, board, search and seizure procedures, and global health management events.

    “It’s inspiring to see so many nations working together. The incredible level of international representation is pivotal to our success of safeguarding regional waterways and enabling the free flow of commerce,” said U.S. Navy Vice Adm. George Wikoff, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, in his remarks at the closing ceremony. “IMX 2025 was truly about partnering to strengthen and expand our capabilities.”

    “[The] exercise brought forward many viewpoints [about how] to handle a single situation in various different ways. I am confident that the takeaways of this exercise will serve all the participants in planning and executing various exercises in their respective countries,” said Pakistan Navy Commodore Rashid Mahmood Sheikh, who led the CPX exercise for IMX 2025, in his remarks.

    IMX 2025 ran in conjunction with a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa exercise, Cutlass Express 25, with each exercise’s respective maritime operations centers exercising their information sharing capabilities to improve theater-to-theater coordination, reduce regional seams, and strengthen interoperability.

    The ninth iteration of the series, IMX began in 2012 as the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise, before changing its name to reflect a more expansive mission set.

    The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.

    For imagery, photos and information on IMX, visit the feature page at: https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/IMX/.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget’s CEO Gracy Chen Joins Consensus Hong Kong 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company will be attending Consensus 2025, set to be held in Hong Kong, scheduled from February 18 to 20 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Consensus’ expansion into Hong Kong highlights Asia’s growth as a global powerhouse for Web3, with millions of crypto users, blockchain developers, and industry leaders. Serving as the most influential crypto event, Hong Kong sees itself strategically positioned as a pivotal digital assets hub, uniting East and West for pivotal conversations and plans that will define what’s next for the future of technology.

    Bitget CEO, Gracy Chen, will be a distinguished speaker at the event, sharing her insights on a panel titled ‘Beyond Trading: How Crypto is Shaping the Market‘ on the Mainstage on Wednesday, 19 February, at 2:30 PM HKT. Since assuming the role of CEO in May 2024, Gracy has been instrumental in driving Bitget’s global strategy, leading to a fourfold increase in the company’s user base and establishing strategic partnerships, including collaborations with big names like Lionel Messi and LALIGA. Her leadership has propelled Bitget into the ranks of the top global exchanges. 

    “One trend that I observed is the integration of centralized exchange and decentralized exchange. All of the strongest exchanges have put a lot of resources into building their DEX service, not just focusing on the CEX service. In 2024, we saw great growth in our DEX, Bitget Wallet, which hit 45 million users,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “For trash time in the market, it is the best time to be more focused on our own product and really create value for our targeted users and community. That’s probably how we survived in the last bear market.”

    On February 18th, Bitget held the BGB Builders Night, an exclusive event celebrating BGB’s all-time high. The event promises networking with fellow BGB holders, industry influencers, and project founders and was opened by Bitget CEO Gracy, who shed light on Bitget’s future developments. Attendees engaged with key members of the BGB and Bitget Wallet teams, participated in the ‘BGB Hunt’ for a chance to win $BGB, and exchanged ideas with Bitget CEO, Gracy. 

    Participation in Consensus Hong Kong 2025 shows Bitget’s dedication to creating a collaborative environment to drive innovation within the crypto community. This event will convene the industry’s brightest minds, serving as a launchpad for meaningful discussions, networking, and the forging of partnerships that will influence the trajectory of the digital asset landscape.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

    Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, users can visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

    For media inquiries, users can contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, users can refer to the Terms of Use.

    Contact

    Simran Alphonso

    media@bitget.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/961f8995-8b0c-4f27-8793-17ca12645372

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c97f743b-d88d-41ef-b337-8668848a682b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty-Nine-Year-Old Arrested, Charged With Threatening to Shoot Up Elementary School

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    A man who threatened to shoot up a Lubbock elementary school has been arrested and charged, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Stephen Patrick Furr, 29, was charged via criminal complaint with interstate threatening communications and arrested Monday afternoon. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch Wednesday morning.

    “The foresight of a single tipster – coupled with the prompt action of law enforcement – may have saved dozens of young lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The adage holds true: If you see something, say something. You may help law enforcement avert a tragedy.”

    “The defendant’s concerning social media posts were reported to the FBI, and the resulting law enforcement response ensured no one was harmed,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting the communities we serve, and we encourage the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious or threatening behavior to law enforcement.”

    According to the complaint, on Feb. 2, the FBI received a tip about threats posted on BlueSky, a microblogging site.

    “Thinking about going out and buying a gun,” the user posted. “When in Texas, shoot [expletive] [expletive] am I right? Good thing I live next to an elementary school.”

    The posts escalated from musings about a possible future shooting to statements that the user had a gun and intended to carry out a school shooting: 

    “Will be fun to legally shoot up a school,” the user posted. “I can already smell the blood.”

    “Anyone wanna sign my gun?” he added.

    The user also posted images from the March 2019 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, which killed 51 people and injured 89 more.

    Agents identified the user of the account as Mr. Furr and visited him at his home in Lubbock on Feb. 3.

    According to the complaint, Mr. Furr was “disheveled and unkempt.” He allegedly screamed incoherent profanities and stated that he would not talk to the agents until the President confirmed their identity.

    Officers contacted two of Mr. Furr’s family members, who stated that Mr. Furr had also threatened them.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Furr is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency conducted the investigation with the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting the case.

    Members of the public can report potential threats to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – BJP woman as Delhi Chief Minister: raising expectations among Catholics

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – Rekha Gupta (50) is the new Prime Minister of the Capital Territory of Delhi. The Indian People’s Party (Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP), which also leads the federal government with Narendra Modi, appointed her as head of government of the “National Capital Territory” (NCT) after the recent electoral victory.Gupta, who was sworn in and took office today, February 20, is the fourth woman to hold this office. She was student spokesperson, general secretary and president of the Delhi University Students’ Union before joining the BJP, devoting herself to active politics and becoming general secretary of the Delhi section of the party. In the last elections for the renewal of the Delhi Parliament, she won a seat in the North-West constituency with 68,200 votes.With her appointment in Delhi, the BJP also wants to show itself as a party that gives space to women. “In the parliamentary elections, the people of Delhi expressed their desire for change and gave the BJP a majority. The people of the city now expect an improvement in life on various levels,” says Father George Manimala, who is responsible for the Holy Spirit Church in the south of the city and coordinator of the diocesan commission for the family, in an interview with Fides. “In a city that is struggling with serious problems such as pollution, traffic congestion, unemployment and extreme poverty, people have put their trust in the BJP and want to see how it intends to govern the city. The election of Gupta seems interesting and should be welcomed without prejudice: one can say that she appears to be a sincere person who has the common good at heart,” says the Catholic priest.The fact that she belongs to the Nationalist Party, he stresses, “does not alter the sympathy of the Catholic faithful, who also look to her with hope, at least in a city like Delhi and at least in the more educated sections of the population, because there are also Catholic and Christian believers in the BJP”. “More extremist nationalist fringe groups”, he notes, “sometimes adopt a hostile or violent attitude when they gain a foothold among uneducated people or in areas of the country that have yet to see full development”. “This is why the key factor for engagement in politics and for citizens’ participation in political life is education: and this is precisely one of the areas in which we, as the Indian Catholic community, are most committed at various levels”, concludes Fr. Manimala. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 20/2/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival returns on Sunday 16 March

    Source: Mayor of London

    • London’s St Patrick’s Day parade and Trafalgar Square celebrations to take place on Sunday 16 March
    • Londoners and visitors can look forward to a free, family-friendly afternoon of entertainment in the heart of the capital
    • Paralympic gold medal winning cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy and Olympic gold medal boxer Kellie Harrington will be Grand Marshals of this year’s parade

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that London’s famous St Patrick’s Day Festival and parade will return on Sunday 16 March. The celebrations bring together Londoners and visitors in the heart of the capital to honour the immense contributions of London’s Irish community.

    Irish Paralympic gold medal winning cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy and Olympic gold medal winning boxer Kellie Harrington are this year’s Grand Marshals. Following their incredible success in Paris last year, Katie-George and Kellie will lead the spectacular parade of more than 50,000 people through central London. There will be great floats, marching bands, and dance troupes as the procession weaves its way from Hyde Park Corner, past Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, and on to Whitehall.

    Trafalgar Square will be the centre of the celebrations with a free afternoon of entertainment hosted by Irish-Indian-Malaysian DJ and broadcaster Tara Kumar. The main stage will feature a wide range of family-friendly performances, including world-class acts Kíla, Irish Women in Harmony, Ragz-CV, and many more.

    Celebrity chef Anna Haugh is returning to demonstrate how to cook Irish culinary delights, and there will be food stalls to suit all tastes.

    This year’s programme includes the Peace Heroines exhibition, an art project which celebrates Ireland’s unsung women heroes. Visitors can also enjoy the Irish Creative Collective Sessions showcasing the best of Ireland’s comedy, music, and film and TV shorts.

    There will be an opportunity to learn traditional Irish dancing steps in the Irish Dance Zone, while in the Children’s Zone Artburst will run free creative workshops using recycled materials to promote sustainability – a key theme for this year’s event.

    On the big screen there will be clips of The Song Cycle, a film that documents Nick Kelly and his band Dogs as they cycled from Dublin to Glastonbury to perform at last year’s festival. They’ll be cycling all the way from Dublin to London to join the parade before performing on the main stage.

    London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival is a wonderful opportunity to experience the warmth, creativity and culture of the capital’s Irish community while celebrating the enduring ties between London and Ireland.

    Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations are a key part of our capital’s cultural calendar and I’m delighted that each year the festival gets bigger and better. I’m proud that we host this major event to honour and celebrate Irish culture and the immense contributions of our capital’s Irish community. From business and public service to the arts and culture, Irish Londoners have played – and continue to play – a vital role in shaping the very fabric of our city, making London a better, brighter and more prosperous place for everyone. Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!”

    Ireland’s Ambassador to the UK, Martin Fraser, said: ““The Embassy of Ireland is delighted to support and be part of this event once again. It is a joyful and diverse celebration of Irish arts and culture, with a fantastic programme devised by our friends at the London Irish Centre.

    “St Patrick’s Day in London is truly special, bringing together not only our Irish community but all friends of Ireland here in Britain, and people from around the world who feel a connection to Ireland. It is also a wonderful way to recognise the contribution of the Irish diaspora to London over so many years.

    “The parade and Trafalgar Square show is consistently a highlight in London’s cultural calendar and one which we are so proud to be part of – made all the more special this year by the presence of our Olympic medallists Grand Marshals: para-cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy and boxer Kellie Harrington. It is an honour to have the opportunity to walk alongside these exceptional Irish athletes. We are also happy to highlight the inclusion this year of the “Peace Heroines” exhibition, a series of portraits by the artist FRIZ celebrating the role of women in the Good Friday Agreement. 

    “I know that this year’s events will be a great success, with thanks to the hard work and creativity of all involved, and with the support of Mayor Sadiq Khan.

    “Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh go léir!”

    Grand Marshal, Irish Olympic gold medal winning boxer Kellie Harrington, said: ” I am honoured to be attending as Grand Marshal alongside my good friend Katie George Dunlevy in the London St Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16th. I have always gone to the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Ireland on Dublin’s O’Connell St, this be my first Parade away from home and I am very excited to celebrate it with everyone in London. I look forward to celebrating with you all. “

    Grand Marshal, Irish Paralympic gold medal winning cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy, said: “”I’m really honoured and excited to be part of the St Patrick’s Parade and Festival on March 16th in London. I take such pride in representing our wonderful country on the world stage, at the Paralympics. After such an incredible year, where I came home with three medals and retained my time trial title, this is truly the cherry on top!”

    Séamus MacCormaic, CEO of the London Irish Centre, said: “The London Irish Centre are honoured to be Programme Partner for the London St Patrick’s Festival 2025 and to curate the iconic concert in Trafalgar Square each year. This special event acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of Irish communities to London, and we are proud to be part of this story for the past 70 years. Our Culture Team will bring a diverse programme of Irish arts and culture to the iconic Trafalgar Square and celebrate the creativity and huge contribution of the Irish community in London. We want to thank the Mayor Sadiq Khan and London Authority for working with us. and to everyone who works so hard to make this festival such a huge success.”

    Ger Hayes, Managing Director of the event’s title sponsor Sisk, said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of the London St Patrick’s Day parade yet again this year. 

    “St Patrick’s Day is an excellent opportunity for our diverse workforce, many of whom who are Irish diaspora to come together with their friends and family to celebrate with us. 

    “As an Irish business, it is crucial for us to remain active in the London Irish community. We do a lot of voluntary work in the communities in which we operate and have built an excellent relationship supporting the Kilburn Irish Pensioners group in Brent.  

    “As an Irish business, we have been operating in London since the 1980’s and we have completed many major projects including the redevelopment of the Royal Academy of Arts and we are currently building the new Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Children’s Cancer Centre.

    “We would like to wish everyone a Happy St Patrick’s Day!”

    Tourism Ireland’s Acting Deputy Head of Great Britain, David Wood, said: “St Patrick’s Day Festival in London’s Trafalgar Square returns for a fantastic day showcasing the vibrancy of Irish culture, arts, food and community. Join Tourism Ireland in celebrating on the 16th March for the festival’s 22nd year. Visit us on the stand for a warm welcome and to find out the latest news and reasons to visit the island of Ireland in 2025.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 19 February 2025 Departmental update Global leaders make new road safety commitments, endorse new declaration to reduce road deaths

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Leaders from around 50 countries made new national commitments to advance road safety at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety that was hosted that by the Kingdom of Morocco and the World Health Organization [WHO] in Marrakech, Morocco today.

    Road crashes kill nearly 1.2 million people each year – more than two deaths per minute – and are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5-29 years.

    Ministers from 100 countries endorsed the Marrakech Declaration for Global Road Safety. that calls on governments to make road safety a political priority, ensure sustained funding and advance actions to achieve the goal of halving road deaths by 2030 as set out in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

    “We are proud to have hosted this 4th Global Ministerial Conference in Marrakech, mobilizing UN member states and our international partners around an issue that concerns us all. As Africans in particular and as active members of the international community, we must celebrate this milestone. Every decision made here must translate into lives saved,” said Mr. Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco.

    Key commitments made at the conference include:

    • Thailand’s pledge to bring road deaths down to 12 per 100,000 people by 2027.
    • Bangladesh will enact the country’s first national road safety law.
    • Saudi Arabia will update the country’s national road safety strategy.
    • Colombia will ensure more cities will have speed limits of 50kmh and 30kmh.
    • Guinea will ratify the African Charter on Road Safety and align regulations with international standards.
    • Cote d’ivoire aims to increase helmet wearing among motorcyclists to 90% by 2027.
    • The United Kingdom will produce its first national road safety strategy in over a decade. 

    “Concrete commitments to move further and faster to save lives and boost road safety are just what we need to meet the goal of halving road deaths by 2030, and we’ve achieved that here. We commend the countries that made these commitments and we thank the Kingdom of Morocco for their leadership in hosting this crucial event. WHO is here to assist all countries in preventing deaths on the roads,” said Dr Etienne Krug, WHO Director for the Department of the Social Determinants of Health.

    The Marrakech Declaration calls for safety to be a primary concern in all road infrastructure planning and related policies, laws and regulations. It calls for greater coordination across government ministries, including health, transport and the environment. 

    The declaration urges governments to adopt policies and infrastructure that advance safe, green and equitable mobility, such as walking, cycling and public transport. It recognizes that safe and accessible mobility drives equitable economic growth across society. 

    The declaration also calls for more cross-border knowledge-sharing, technical support and technology transfer, and to advance research into emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). It highlights the need to work with civil society and academia. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee Hearing

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Foreign Affairs East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee will hold a public hearing to examine the last four years in the EAP region and unseized opportunities.

    What: East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee Hearing

    Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

    Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

    Location: 2172 Rayburn

    Subject: Missed Milestones: Evaluating the Last Four Years in the EAP Region and Unseized Opportunities Under President Trump

     

    Witnesses:

    Zack Cooper

    Senior Fellow

    American Enterprise Institute

    Craig Singleton

    China Program Senior Director and Senior

    Fellow

    Foundation for Defense of Democracies

    Mr. Richard Fontaine

    Chief Executive Officer

    Center for a New American Security

    ***Coverage note: Check here for updates. The hearing will be webcast live here and open to the public and press. Spaces are limited – members of the media who would like to attend in-person should RSVP with Joe Clark at joseph.clark@mail.house.gov by 5 p.m. Monday, February 24, 2025 to guarantee a seat. ***

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: FBS Analysts Explore AI’s Growing Role in Trading

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FBS, a leading global broker, has released an in-depth analysis of how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the trading landscape. The report highlights AI’s growing role in improving efficiency, accuracy, and data-driven decision making. 

    AI Reshaping Trading Strategies

    According to FBS analysts, one of the most significant developments is the rise of AI-powered trading assistants. These tools process large volumes of real-time market data, identifying trends and patterns that may go unnoticed by traders. By leveraging AI-driven insights, traders can optimize their strategies and improve market timing. A 2024 market report shows that traders using AI-powered assistants improved their entry and exit point accuracy by 45% in highly volatile markets.

    AI-driven systems also enable real-time sentiment analysis by scanning financial news and social media to evaluate market dynamics. A global survey conducted by TradingTech Insights in 2024 found that 75% of retail traders utilizing AI-assisted analysis increased transaction accuracy by 50%.

    The Rise of AI in Algorithmic Trading

    FBS analysts note that AI is revolutionizing algorithmic trading by moving beyond traditional rule-based strategies. Unlike conventional automated trading systems, AI models dynamically adjust trading strategies by continuously analyzing historical and live market data. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that AI-powered systems accounted for 68% of trade flow on major exchanges like NASDAQ and the London Stock Exchange in 2024.

    Predictive analytics, another key AI-driven innovation, allows traders to forecast market trends by analyzing price movements, sentiment indicators, and macroeconomic factors. According to a PwC study, hedge funds incorporating AI-driven predictive analytics achieved returns 23% higher than those relying solely on traditional models.

    FBS highlights that AI has significantly increased accessibility to advanced trading tools. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of retail traders using AI-powered platforms rose by 120%, enabling individual traders to access sophisticated analytics once reserved for institutional investors.

    As AI technology evolves, FBS has recently introduced the FBS AI Assistant, a next-generation tool designed to support traders in making informed decisions. The FBS AI Assistant simplifies complex data, transforming complicated chart patterns into clear, easy-to-read reports. By leveraging AI-driven insights, traders can validate their strategies, minimize human error, and make informed decisions faster.

    Users can stay ahead with AI-powered trading and explore the FBS AI Assistant. 

    To get full insights, readers can visit here.

    About FBS

    FBS is a global brand that unites several independent brokerage companies under the licenses of FSC (Belize), CySEC (Cyprus), and ASIC (Australia). With 16 years of experience and over 100 international awards, FBS is steadily developing as one of the market’s most trusted brokers. Today, FBS serves over 27 000 000 traders and more than 700 000 partners around the globe. 

    Disclaimer

    This material does not constitute a call to trade, trading advice, or recommendation and is intended for informational purposes only. 

    AI-generated analysis is not financial advice. Users must always conduct their own research before trading.

    Contact

    The FBS Press Office

    FBS

    press@fbs.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a5282fa0-aefa-44eb-951f-52e3e4904b95

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Introduces Double Deposit Bonus, $50 Welcome Bonus and 100x Leverage for Crypto Traders—No KYC Needed

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin hovers below $100,000, analysts suggest the cryptocurrency market is poised for a long-term period of high volatility. For investors, holding spot positions may no longer suffice to generate significant profits. Recognizing this, BexBack Exchange has launched a groundbreaking offer to empower traders: 100% deposit bonus, $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading—all with a No KYC policy.

    Why 100x Leverage Is a Game-Changer?

    With 100x leverage, you can multiply your trading positions with minimal capital, unlocking unparalleled profit potential. Here’s how it works:

    • Assume Bitcoin is priced at $100,000. By opening a long position with 1 BTC and applying 100x leverage, your trade controls a position worth 100 BTC.
    • If the price rises to $105,000, your profit would be (105,000−100,000)×100÷100,000=5BTC—a 500% return.

    Coupled with BexBack’s 100% deposit bonus, you can further amplify your trading power and increase your opportunities to profit.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?

    The deposit bonus is an exclusive feature designed to enhance your trading experience:

    1. Boost Your Margin: The bonus serves as additional margin, allowing you to take larger positions.
    2. Reduce Liquidation Risk: During volatile markets, the bonus acts as a safety buffer to help maintain your positions.
    3. Profits Are Yours: While the bonus itself cannot be withdrawn, the profits earned using it are fully withdrawable.

    BexBack’s Unique Advantages

    1. No KYC Required: Enjoy fast account setup and anonymous trading without lengthy verification.
    2. 100x Leverage: Amplify your trading power and seize market opportunities with one of the highest leverage offerings.
    3. 100% Deposit Bonus: Double your trading capital and increase your potential returns.
    4. $50 Welcome Bonus: New users can claim $50 in BTC after completing their first trade.
    5. Demo Account: A risk-free 10 BTC demo account allows users to practice strategies and familiarize themselves with the platform.
    6. Zero Spreads and No Slippage: All trades are executed at precise market prices, ensuring cost transparency.
    7. Global Support: Available in the US, Canada, Europe, and beyond, with 24/7 multilingual customer assistance.
    8. Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission with no caps or time limits through the platform’s affiliate program.

    About BexBack

    BexBack is a premier cryptocurrency derivatives platform headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The platform is trusted by over 500,000 traders worldwide and holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

    BexBack proudly accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering a seamless trading experience regardless of location. With innovative trading tools, robust security measures, and user-friendly interfaces, BexBack caters to both beginners and seasoned traders.

    The platform provides:

    • Comprehensive Futures Contracts: Trade BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP with up to 100x leverage.
    • Flexible Accessibility: Available on web and mobile for trading anytime, anywhere.
    • Top-Notch Security: Multi-signature wallets, SSL encryption, and cutting-edge data protection.
    • Transparent Fees: No deposit fees, zero spreads, and simple, straightforward pricing.

    By combining innovation, compliance, and user focus, BexBack ensures a superior trading experience tailored to meet the diverse needs of a global audience.

    Don’t Miss Out—Start Trading Today!

    Whether you’re a seasoned trader or a newcomer, BexBack provides the tools and resources to maximize your crypto trading potential. Take advantage of the 100% deposit bonus, $50 welcome bonus, and 100x leverage to capitalize on Bitcoin’s historic price surge.

    Sign up now and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28ba5a79-d9c0-411c-a07e-7ba7d0e9eceb
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7520a1f7-3729-453f-a9c7-133ddc805787
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e2202fc-481a-4027-83a5-05a55f9fe69e
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92270468-2aa7-4b9a-b0ef-8befe201e8ed
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/de79609d-bbd7-4706-b6ba-a4611a10d066

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Criticizes Trump And Musk For Dismantling Of USAID And Harming American Farmers In Senate Floor Speech

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 19, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin also debunked Kremlin-fostered falsehoods about USAID that have been circulated by Trump, Musk, and foreign adversaries and called on Republicans to speak up

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) criticized President Trump and Elon Musk’s ill-advised mission to dismantle the U.S. Agency forInternational Development (USAID)—the largest distributor of humanitarian aid in the world.  Consequently, programs that provide clean drinking water, treat debilitating disease, and advance human rights have been shut down, recklessly gutting American soft power and providing a huge strategic opening to China. 

    “This month, President Trump and Elon Musk attempted to dismantle USAID, the largest distributor of humanitarian aid on this earth.  Musk was gleeful when he said we are ‘feeding USAID to the wood chipper,’” Durbin began.

    Durbin then listed the critical programs housed under USAID, which have since shuttered.  USAID has provided clean water in Haiti and Jordan, helped fight malaria and tuberculosis in Kenya and Uganda, and supported human rights programs in countries such as Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan.  The agency has also provided economic assistance to Central America to address the root causes of migration and counter the flow of fentanyl in to the U.S., in addition to leading campaigns to counter disinformation from Russia and China to protect U.S. national security interests.

    Despite blatantly inaccurate claims from President Trump and Musk, USAID funding makes up only one percent of the federal budget and billions of those aid dollars flow back into the American economy.  Furthermore, these programs have a long history of broad bipartisan support in Congress.  In Illinois, these cuts have forced the closure of the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois.  As a result, 30 experts will lose jobs that were dedicated to expanding international soybean markets, at a time when Illinois ranks number one in the U.S. for soybean production, and new markets are critical foraddressing low soybean prices.

    “Not only are these cuts to USAID a betrayal of American values to satisfy the narcissism of Elon Musk, but they hurt innocent people, and they hurt American farmers… who, for decades, have helped provide such critical and strategic food aid,” Durbin continued.  “Not only is this sweeping aid cut illegal and counterproductive, but it hurts American farmer in Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, and many other states.   American farms supply more than 40 percent of the food aid that USAID distributes around the world.  And now, hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of such commodities are stranded in ports, rotting away at the direction of the new administration.”

    In addition to hurting the U.S. economy, halting foreign aid has endangered global programs that have helped stem pandemics and supported clean water and sanitation programs.

    “Programs like PEPFAR have been a key example of humanitarian success abroad.  It was started by President George W. Bush, a Republican president, who wanted to curtail the AIDS epidemic ravaging many parts of the world, including Africa.  PEPFAR and the Global Fund have saved more than 25 million lives so far,” Durbin said.  “But because of President Trump’s directive, it’s been halted… People will die as a result of this political decision.”

    “In the last decade, USAID clean water and sanitation programs have provided more than 70 million people with first-time sustainable access to clean water…  These programs that have a six-to-one return in dollars saved in health, economic, and education,” Durbin continued.  “But because of the President’s directive, innocent people across the world will suffer, and America’s reputation will be weakened, not made stronger.”

    Durbin concluded his remarks by debunking lies about foreign aid, including falsehoods amplified by Russia, China, and other adversaries.  Durbin referred to a fabricated video created by a private company with links to the Kremlin, which falsely claimed that celebrities were paid by USAID to visit Ukraine.

    “The Russian influence campaign was reposted on Twitter by Elon Musk, no surprise, and became a viral disinformation rallying cry against USAID.  But it was false—like so many of the allegations of supposed outrages by USAID,” Durbin said.  “And yet, this kind of nonsense is used by Mr. Musk to justify gutting entire congressionally-appropriated American soft power programs, while many of my Republican colleagues, virtually all of them, sit silently.”

    “This Senate, Republicans and Democrats, cannot afford to roll over, play dead, and hand over congressional authority on these bipartisan programs and on larger constitutionally-designated Congressional appropriations powers,” Durbin concluded.

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: CSL Receives Approval in Japan for ANDEMBRY® (garadacimab) Subcutaneous (S.C.) Injection 200mg Pens, a Novel Human Anti-Activated Factor XII Monoclonal Antibody for the Prevention of Acute Attacks of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

    Source: CLS Limited

    CSL Receives Approval in Japan for ANDEMBRY® (garadacimab) Subcutaneous (S.C.) Injection 200mg Pens, a Novel Human Anti-Activated Factor XII Monoclonal Antibody for the Prevention of Acute Attacks of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

    • ANDEMBRY® is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody treatment that inhibits activated Factor XII (FXIIa), the initiating factor in the HAE pathway, and offers the first pre-filled pen presentation enabling once-monthly subcutaneous administration
    • The approval is based on the results of the international pivotal Phase 3 VANGUARD trial, which included HAE patients from Japan
    • CSL is dedicated to improving the lives of those with HAE – a community that we have proudly supported for more than 40 years

    TOKYO, Feb. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CSL Behring K.K. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Izumi Yoshida) today announced that it has received manufacturing and marketing approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for ANDEMBRY® (garadacimab) Subcutaneous (S.C.) Injection 200mg Pens. The product is approved for the prevention of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) and is the first pre-filled pen presentation for once-monthly subcutaneous administration for long-term prophylaxis of HAE. The approval in Japan follows additional recent approvals received in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

    ANDEMBRY is the first fully human monoclonal antibody in Japan designed to inhibit activated Factor XII (Factor XIIa), which initiates the cascade of events leading to angioedema at various sites of the body.

    “ANDEMBRY represents a major advancement in the management of hereditary angioedema, offering people living with this life-threatening condition long-term disease control through a patient-centric and convenient administration method,” said Bill Mezzanotte, MD, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, CSL. “As CSL’s first approved recombinant monoclonal antibody discovered and developed entirely by CSL, ANDEMBRY underscores our more than 40-year commitment to HAE research and treatment optimization. This milestone is the result of decades of dedication, and we extend our gratitude to the colleagues, physicians and patients who made this possible for HAE patients and CSL.”

    HAE is a rare, chronic, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening genetic disorder characterized by recurrent and unpredictable attacks of angioedema. Attacks are often painful and can occur in multiple sites of the body, including the abdomen, larynx, face, and extremities. HAE is designated as one of Japan’s intractable diseases under the category of “Primary Immunodeficiency Syndrome.” Reports indicate that approximately 430 patients in Japan are currently diagnosed and receiving treatment. According to global data, the prevalence of HAE is estimated to be 1 in 50,000 people, suggesting there may be approximately 2,500 patients in Japan.

    The approval of ANDEMBRY is based on the efficacy and safety data from the pivotal international Phase 3 VANGUARD trial and its open-label extension study. The detailed results of the VANGUARD trial were published in The Lancet in April 2023 and the primary results of the ongoing open-label extension study were published in Allergy (October 2024). A plain language summary of the VANGUARD trial findings has also been published to facilitate understanding of patients and caregivers of the clinical trial data. This summary is accessible in multiple languages, including English and Japanese.

    “ANDEMBRY is a breakthrough therapy as the first and only treatment targeting activated Factor XII, the key initiator of HAE attacks,” said Dr. Rose Fida, Executive Director and Regional Lead, CSL R&D Japan & China. “With its novel mechanism, once-monthly subcutaneous dosing and easy-to-use pre-filled pen, ANDEMBRY is set to transform the way HAE is managed in Japan.”

    About ANDEMBRY® (garadacimab)
    ANDEMBRY (garadacimab) is a novel Factor XIIa-inhibitory monoclonal antibody (anti-FXIIa mAb) that has completed Phase 3 clinical development as a new type of once-monthly subcutaneous prophylactic treatment for attacks related to HAE, a form of bradykinin-mediated angioedema. ANDEMBRY is CSL’s first homegrown recombinant monoclonal antibody to gain approval. It was discovered and optimized by scientists at CSL’s Bio21-based research site, with formulation and manufacturing for the clinical programs completed at the CSL Broadmeadows Biotech Manufacturing Facility. ANDEMBRY uniquely inhibits the plasma protein, FXIIa. When FXII is activated, it initiates the cascade of events leading to edema formation. By targeting FXIIa, ANDEMBRY inhibits this cascade at the top as compared to other HAE therapies that target downstream mediators.

    As of February 2025, ANDEMBRY® has been approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on January 14, 2025, the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on January 24, 2025, and by the European Union’s European Commission (EC) on February 10, 2025.

    About “ANDEMBRY® S.C. Injection 200mg Pens”

    Trade name

    ANDEMBRY® S.C. Injection 200mg Pens

    Indications or effects

    Prevention of acute attacks of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)

    Dosage and administration

    In general, administer subcutaneously the initial loading dose 400 mg of Garadacimab (Genetical Recombination), followed by 200 mg once a month for adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older.

    Date of approval

    February 20, 2025

    Manufacturing and marketing

    CSL Behring K.K.

    About CSL Behring K.K.
    CSL Behring is a global leader in developing and delivering high-quality medicines that treat people with rare and serious diseases. In Japan, our core focus areas include immunology and rare diseases, hemophilia, as well as critical care and hemostasis.
    For more information, please visit https://www.cslbehring.co.jp.

    About CSL
    CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses: CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 32,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest.

    Media Contact
    Valerie Bomberger, CSL
    Office: +1 610-291-5388 
    Mobile: +1 267-280-3829 
    Email: valerie.bomberger@cslbehring.com 

    In Australia: 
    Brett Foley, CSL
    Mobile: +61 461 464 708
    Email: brett.foley@csl.com.au

    Investor Relations:
    Chris Cooper, CSL
    Mobile: +61 455 022 740
    Email: chris.cooper@csl.com.au

    SOURCE CSL

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Dismantling CFPB Would Cause Irreparable Harm to California Consumers

    Source: US State of California

    Gutting of CFPB creates a gap in regulation greater than before the 2008 financial crisis

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief in Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In the brief, the attorneys general argue that the shuttering of the CFPB would cause catastrophic harm to consumer protections nationwide, leaving state agencies with the sole responsibility to protect consumers. 

    “The CFPB was created to protect consumers from being taken advantage of by corporations. As the backbone of federal consumer financial protections, the CFPB is a force multiplier for California’s consumer protection efforts, working to protect consumers from fraud, abuse, and unfair business practices and returning over $20 billion to Americans since its creation,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration’s takeover of the CFPB is an effort to destroy the agency responsible for overseeing the mortgage markets, stopping predatory debt collectors, and preventing American families from being exploited by big banks and payday lenders. From sharing complaints and trend data, to providing training, and partnering on joint investigations and litigations, the loss of CFPB’s partnership has devastating and deep implications for California and households across the nation.” 

    After examining the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, Congress concluded the crisis resulted in part from the failure of federal banking and other regulators to address significant consumer protection issues detrimental to both consumers and the safety and soundness of the banking system. In direct response to these events, Congress established the CFPB and tasked it with enforcing numerous federal consumer protection statutes and enacting regulations to further these efforts. For over a decade, the CFPB has served as an invaluable partner to state attorneys general and state banking regulators, both by working to protect consumers against fraudulent and abusive practices and by advancing a fair and level playing field in consumer financial markets by issuing regulations under federal law. 

    In the last month, the Trump Administration has taken a series of actions intended to debilitate the CFPB, including issuing a suspension of work across the agency, terminating probationary employees, and announcing a decision not to draw additional funding from the Federal Reserve. These actions appear to be part of a unilateral effort to permanently shut down the agency, including programs and operations mandated by federal law. 

    In the brief, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the attorneys general argue the haphazard and chaotic shuttering of the CFPB: 

    • Has caused and will continue to cause irreparable harm to the wellbeing of consumers and the states’ own enforcement efforts. 
    • Leaves no oversight over large national banks. 
    • Rapidly and substantially increases the burden on state agencies to protect consumers. 

    For example, one of the most significant losses associated with the CFPB’s shuttering is the loss of their consumer-complaint system, which fields approximately 25,000 consumer complaints about financial products and services each week. This system allows the CFPB to identify and prioritize complaints where a consumer is at risk of imminent home foreclosure and then refer consumers to housing counselors to help them avoid losing their home.

    Additionally, the CFPB is the sole federal regulator of nonbank mortgage lenders, and the sole federal entity that is statutorily authorized to supervise and bring enforcement actions against national banks in connection with “abusive” practices. Since 2022, California has referred nearly 4,000 consumers to the CFPB in circumstances where the Bureau is best positioned to provide the assistance needed. 

    The CFPB’s sudden gutting also means that there will be essentially no oversight of very large banks, such as JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, for their compliance with consumer financial-protection laws. Very large financial institutions that compete with state-chartered banks will have the freedom to loosen their regulatory compliance and profit accordingly — to the detriment of consumers and competing banks and credit unions — as was seen in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. 

    In filing the brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s threats on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine and Panama revive old-school US imperialism of dominating other nations by force, after decades of nuclear deterrence

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

    Imperialist rhetoric is becoming a mark of President Donald Trump’s second term. From asserting that the U.S. will “take over” the Gaza Strip, Greenland and the Panama Canal to apparently siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine, Trump’s comments suggest a return to an old imperialist style of forcing foreign lands under American control.

    Imperialism is when a nation extends its power through territorial acquisition, economic dominance or political influence. Historically, imperialist leaders have used military conquest, economic coercion or diplomatic pressure to expand their dominions, and justified their foreign incursions as civilizing missions, economic opportunities or national security imperatives.

    The term “empire” often evokes the Romans, the Mughals or the British, but the U.S. is an imperial power, too. In the 19th and early 20th century, American presidents expanded U.S. territory westward across the continent and, later, overseas, acquiring Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands, Guam and the Philippines.

    After that, outright territorial conquest mostly ceased, but the U.S. did not give up imperialism. As I trace in my 2023 book, “Dying by the Sword,” the country instead embraced a subtler, more strategic kind of expansionism. In this veiled imperialism, the U.S. exerted its global influence through economic, political and threatened military means, not direct confrontation.

    Embracing traditional U.S. imperialism would upend the rules that have kept the globe relatively stable since World War II. As an expert on U.S. foreign policy, I fear that would unleash fear, chaos – and possibly nuclear war.

    No redrawing borders

    One of the most fundamental principles of this post-war international system is the concept of sovereignty – the idea that a nation’s borders should remain intact.

    The United Nations Charter, signed in San Francisco in 1945, explicitly bars countries from obtaining territory through force. Outright annexation or territorial takeover is considered a direct violation of international law.

    Work by the late political scientist Mark Zacher outlines how, since World War II, the international community – including the U.S. – has largely upheld this standard.

    But imperialism still shapes world politics.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is a blatant instance of imperial ambition justified by alleged historical grievances and national security concerns. Russia’s invasion set a dangerous precedent by undermining the principle that borders can’t be changed by force and that countries shouldn’t resort to aggression.

    Putin’s precedent, in turn, has raised concerns that another great power may attempt to forcibly redraw international borders.

    Take China, for example. President Xi Jinping has become increasingly aggressive toward Taiwan since 2019. If Putin’s invasion culminates with Russia successfully annexing parts of Ukraine – which the Trump administration has agreed with Russia should be part of any settlement – Xi may follow through on his threats to invade Taiwan.

    Respect for national sovereignty has made the world more stable and less violent.

    The decline of traditional imperialism after World War II led to a flourishing of independent nation-states. As former colonial powers gradually relinquished control of their holdings in the second half of the 20th century – voluntarily or after losing wars of independence – the number of sovereign countries increased dramatically. The U.N. had 51 member countries in 1945 and over 150 by 1970.

    The U.N. was founded on the idea that people of all countries should have a say in how they build their own futures. Today, 197 countries try to work together through the U.N. on a wide range of global issues, including defending human rights and reducing global poverty.

    When a major power like the U.S. openly embraces imperialist rhetoric, it further weakens the already fragile rules that keep this delicate collaboration working.

    Nonviolent imperialism

    Imperialism does not require military force. Great powers still exert influence over weaker nations, shaping their behavior through economic might and wealth, diplomacy and strategic alliances.

    The U.S. has long engaged in this form of influence. It has often pursued its imperialist agenda in what I would call a more “gentlemanly manner” than historical empires with their bloody physical conquests.

    During the Cold War, for example, the U.S. established extensive dominance over much of the globe. In Latin America and the Middle East, it used economic aid, military alliances and ideological persuasion rather than outright territorial expansion to exert its control. Russia did the same in Eastern Europe and its other spheres of influence.

    Demonstrators in Panama City insist ‘Panama Canal is Not For Sale’ following Donald Trump’s threats to seize the canal, Jan. 20, 2025.
    Arnulfo Franco/AFP via Getty Images

    Today, China excels at nonviolent imperialism. Its Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure construction project launched in 2013, has created deep economic dependencies among partner nations in Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Trade and diplomatic ties between China and those regions are much closer today as a result.

    Nuclear era

    A critical distinction between imperialism past and present is the presence of nuclear weapons.

    In previous eras, great powers frequently fought wars to expand their influence and settle disputes. Countries could attempt to seize territory with little risk to their survival, even in defeat.

    The sheer destructive potential of nuclear arsenals has changed this calculus. The Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction guarantees that if one country launches a nuclear weapon, it will quickly become the target of nuclear counterattack: annihilation for all sides.

    Any major war between nuclear-armed nations now carries the risk of massive, potentially planetary, destruction. This makes direct conquest an irrational, even suicidal strategy rather than a calculated political maneuver.

    And it makes Trump’s old-school imperial rhetoric particularly dangerous.

    If the U.S. tried to annex foreign territory, it would almost certainly provoke serious international conflict. That’s especially true of the most strategic places Trump has threatened to “take over,” like the Panama Canal, which links 1,920 ports across 170 countries.

    These imperialist threats, even if they’re not intended as serious policy proposals, are already ratcheting up global tensions.

    Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino — a pro-American ally — has flatly ruled out negotiating with the U.S. over control of the Panama Canal. Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, says its territory of Greenland is “not for sale.” And Palestinians in Gaza, for their part, fiercely reject Trump’s plan to move all of them out and turn their homeland into a “Middle East Riviera,” as have neighboring Arab countries, which could be expected to absorb millions of displaced Palestinians.

    Rhetoric shapes perception, and perception influences behavior. When an American president floats acquiring foreign territories as a viable policy option, it signals to both allies and enemies that the U.S. is no longer committed to the international order that has achieved relative global stability for the past 75 years.

    With wars raging in the Middle East and Europe, this is a risky time for reckless rhetoric.

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

    – ref. Trump’s threats on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine and Panama revive old-school US imperialism of dominating other nations by force, after decades of nuclear deterrence – https://theconversation.com/trumps-threats-on-greenland-gaza-ukraine-and-panama-revive-old-school-us-imperialism-of-dominating-other-nations-by-force-after-decades-of-nuclear-deterrence-249327

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida

    Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls depict U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gift shop in Moscow on Feb. 13, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

    The United States’ steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that country’s three-year war against Russia appears to be quickly disintegrating under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19, 2025, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator” and falsely blamed him for the war that Russia initiated as part of a land grab in the countries’ border regions.

    Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on Feb. 19 that Trump is trapped in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “disinformation space.”

    The intensifying bitterness comes as the U.S. and Russia started talks in Saudi Arabia, without including Ukraine, on how to end the conflict.

    The U.S. and Russia have long been adversaries, and the U.S., to date, has given Ukraine more than US$183 billion to help fight against Russia. But that funding came when Joe Biden was president. Trump does not appear to be similarly inclined toward Ukraine.

    Amy Lieberman, a politics editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Tatsiana Kulakevich, a scholar of Eastern European politics and international relations, to understand the implications of this sudden shift in U.S.-Russia policy under Trump.

    Kulakevich sees Trump’s moves that could be perceived as self-interested as instead part of a calculated strategy in preliminary discussions.

    An airplane passenger reads a Financial Times article about U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 19, 2025.
    Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

    Can you explain the current dynamic between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia?

    People should not panic because the U.S. and Russia are only holding exploratory talks. We should not call them peace talks, per se, at least not yet. It was to be expected that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia because there is nothing to talk about yet. We don’t know what the U.S. and Russia are actually discussing besides agreeing to restore the normal functioning of each other’s diplomatic missions.

    People are perceiving the U.S. and Russia as being in love. However, Trump’s Russia policy has been more hawkish than often portrayed in the media. Looking at the record from the previous Trump administration, we can see that if something is not in the interests of the U.S., that is not going to be done. Trump does not do favors.

    He approved anti-tank missile sales to Ukraine in 2019. That same year, Trump withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, an agreement with Russia that limited what weapons each country could purchase, over Russian violations.

    In 2019, Trump also issued economic sanctions against a Russian ship involved in building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. These sanctions tried to block Russia’s direct gas exports to Germany – this connection between Russia and Germany was seen by Ukraine as an economic threat.

    Based on Trump’s talks with Russia and remarks against Ukraine, it could seem like the U.S. and Russia are no longer adversaries. How do you perceive this?

    There are no clear indications that Russia and the U.S. have ceased to be adversaries. Despite Trump’s occasional use of terms like “friends” in diplomacy, his rhetoric often serves as a tactical maneuver rather than a genuine shift in alliances. A key example is his engagement with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, where Trump alternated between flattery and threats to extract concessions.

    Even if the U.S. is meeting with Russia and the public narrative seems to say otherwise, strategically, abandoning Ukraine is not in the United States’ best interests. One reason why is because the U.S. turning away from Ukraine would make Russia happy and China happy. Trump has treated China as a primary threat to the U.S., and China has supported Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also still saying that everyone, including Ukraine, will be at the table for eventual peace talks.

    The allegations that Russia was holding some information over Trump and blackmailing him started long before this presidential term and did not stop Trump from imposing countermeasures on Russia during his first term. The first Trump administration took more than 50 policy actions to counter Moscow, primarily in the form of public statements and sanctions.

    What does the U.S. gain from developing a diplomatic relationship with Russia?

    Trump is a transactional politician. American companies could profit from the U.S. aligning with Russia and Russian companies, as some Russian officials have said during the recent Saudi Arabia talks with the Trump administration. But the U.S. could also benefit economically from the Trump’s administration’s proposed deal with Ukraine to give the U.S. half of Ukraine’s estimated $11.5 trillion in rare earth minerals.

    Zelenskyy rejected that proposal this week, saying it does not come with the promise that the U.S. will continue to give security guarantees to Ukraine.

    Historically, since the Cold War, there has been a diplomatic triangle between the Soviet Union – later Russia – China and the U.S. And there has always been one side fighting against the two other sides. Trump trying to develop a better diplomatic relationship with Russia might mean he is trying to distance Russia from China.

    A similar dynamic is playing out between the U.S. and Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, a co-aggressor in the war in Ukraine. Lukashenko is close with both Russia and China. The U.S. administration is looking to relax sanctions on Belarusian banks and exports of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizer, in exchange for the release of Belarusian political opposition members who are imprisoned. There are over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. This U.S. foreign policy strategy is aimed at providing Lukashenko with room to grow less economically dependent on Russia and China.

    A worker clears snow from a cemetery in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Feb. 17, 2025. More than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in combat since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
    Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    Is this level of collaboration between the U.S. and Russia unprecedented?

    While U.S.-Russia relations are often defined by rivalry, history shows that pragmatic cooperation has occurred when both nations saw mutual benefits – whether this relates to arms control, space, counterterrorism, Arctic affairs or health.

    Moreover, the U.S. has always prioritized its own interests in its relationship with Russia. For example, the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia’s uranium and nickel industries only in May 2024, over two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was due to the United States’ strategic economic dependencies and concerns about market stability if it sanctioned uranium and nickel.

    Even after Russia invaded Crimea – an area of Ukraine that Russia claims as its own – in 2014 and provided support for Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donbass region, the U.S. and other Western countries imposed largely symbolic sanctions. This included freezing assets of Russian individuals, restricting some financial transactions and limiting Russia’s access to Western technology.

    We should also notice that Trump in January 2025 promised to sanction Russia if it does not end the Ukraine war. The U.S. still has not removed any existing sanctions, which signals its commitment to a tough stance on Russia, despite perceptions of a close relationship between Trump and Putin.

    Given Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, his tough rhetoric on Zelenskyy could be a deliberate negotiation strategy aimed at pressuring Ukraine into making greater concessions in potential peace talks, rather than signaling abandonment.

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

    – ref. Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin – https://theconversation.com/trumps-move-to-closer-ties-with-russia-does-not-mean-betrayal-of-ukraine-yet-in-his-first-term-trump-was-pretty-tough-on-putin-250359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How allies have helped the US gain independence, defend freedom and keep the peace – even as the US did the same for our friends

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University

    French Gen. Jean de Rochambeau and American Gen. George Washington giving the last orders in October 1781 for the battle at Yorktown, where the British defeat ended the War of Independence. ‘Siege of Yorktown’ painting, Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images.

    Make Canada angry. Make Mexico angry. Make the members of NATO angry.

    During the first few weeks of the second Trump administration, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a lot of things about longtime allies that caused frustration and outright friction among the leaders of those countries.

    Trump and Vance indeed appear to disdain close alliances, favoring an America First approach to the world. A New York Times headline characterized the relationship between the U.S. and Europe now as “A Strained Alliance.”

    As a former diplomat, I’m aware that how the U.S. treats its allies has been a crucial question in every presidency, since George Washington became the country’s first chief executive. On his way out of that job, Washington said something that Trump, Vance and their fellow America First advocates would probably embrace.

    In what’s known as his “Farewell Address,” Washington warned Americans against “entangling alliances.” Washington wanted America to treat all nations fairly, and warned against both permanent friendships and permanent enemies.

    The irony is that Washington would never have become president without the assistance of the not-yet-United-States’ first ally, France.

    In 1778, after two years of brilliant diplomacy by Benjamin Franklin, the not-yet-United States and the Kingdom of France signed a treaty of alliance as the American Colonies struggled to win their war for independence from Britain.

    France sent soldiers, money and ships to the American revolutionaries. Within three years, after a major intervention by the French fleet, the battle of Yorktown in 1781 effectively ended the war and America was independent.

    Isolationism, then war

    American political leaders largely heeded Washington’s warning against alliances throughout the 1800s. The Atlantic Ocean shielded the young nation from Europe’s problems and many conflicts, and America’s closest neighbors had smaller populations and less military might.

    Aside from the War of 1812, in which the U.S. fought the British, America largely found itself protected from the outside world’s problems.

    That began to change when Europe descended into the brutal trench warfare of World War I.

    Initially, American politicians avoided becoming involved. What would today be called an isolationist movement was strong, and its supporters felt that the war in Europe was being waged for the benefit of big business.

    But it was hard for the U.S.to maintain neutrality. German submarines sank ships crossing the Atlantic carrying American passengers. The economies of some of America’s biggest trading partners were in shreds; the democracies of Britain, France and other European countries were at risk.

    A Boston newspaper headline in 1915 blares the news of a British ocean liner sunk by a German torpedo.
    Serial and Government Publications Division, Library of Congress

    President Woodrow Wilson led the United States into the war in 1917 as an ally of the Western European nations. When he asked Congress for a declaration of war, Wilson touted the value of like-minded allies, saying, “A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations.” The war was over within 16 months.

    Immediately after the war, the Allies – led by the U.S., France and Britain – stayed together to craft the peace agreements, feed the war-ravaged parts of Europe and intervene in Russia after the Communist Revolution there.

    Prosperity came along with the peace, helping the U.S. quickly develop into a global economic power.

    However, within a few years, American politicians returned to traditional isolationism in political and military matters and continued this attitude well into the 1930s. The worldwide Great Depression that began in 1929 was blamed on vulnerabilities in the global economy, and there was a strong sentiment among Americans that the U.S. should fix its internal problems rather than assist Europe with its problems.

    Alliance counters fascism

    As both Hitler and the Japanese Empire began to attack their neighbors in the late 1930s, it became clear to President Franklin Roosevelt and other American military and political leaders that the U.S. would get caught up in World War II. If nothing else, airplanes had erased America’s ability to hide behind the Atlantic Ocean.

    Though public opinion was divided, the U.S. began sending arms and other assistance to Britain and quietly began military planning with London. This was despite the fact that the U.S. was formally neutral, as the Roosevelt administration was pushing the limits of what a neutral nation can do for friendly nations without becoming a warring party.

    In January of 1941, Roosevelt gave his annual State of the Union speech to Congress. He appeared to prepare the country for possible intervention – both on behalf of allies abroad and for the preservation of American democracy:

    “The future and the safety of our country and of our democracy are overwhelmingly involved in events far beyond our borders. Armed defense of democratic existence is now being gallantly waged in four continents. If that defense fails, all the population and all the resources of Europe, and Asia, and Africa and Australasia will be dominated by conquerors. In times like these it is immature – and incidentally, untrue – for anybody to brag that an unprepared America, single-handed, and with one hand tied behind its back, can hold off the whole world.”

    When the Japanese attacked Hawaii in 1941 and Hitler declared war on the United States, America quickly entered World War II in an alliance with Britain, the Free French and others.
    Throughout the war, the Allies worked as a team on matters large and small. They defeated Germany in three and half years and Japan in less than four.

    As World War II ended, the wartime alliance produced two longer-term partnerships built on the understanding that working together had produced a powerful and effective counter to fascism.

    A ‘news bulletin’ from August 1945 issued by a predecessor of the United Nations.
    Foreign Policy In Focus

    Postwar alliances

    The first of these alliances is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. The original members were the U.S., Canada, Britain, France and others of the wartime Allies. There are now 32 members, including Poland, Hungary and Turkey.

    The aims of NATO were to keep the peace in Europe and contain the growing Communist threat from the Soviet Union. NATO’s supporters feel that, given that the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and in the Ukraine today are the only major conflicts in Europe in 80 years, the alliance has met its goals well. And NATO troops went to Afghanistan along with the U.S. military after 9/11.

    The other institution created by the wartime Allies is the United Nations.

    The U.N. is many things – a humanitarian aid organization, a forum for countries to raise their issues and a source of international law.

    However, it is also an alliance. The U.N. Security Council on several occasions authorized the use of force by members, such as in the first Gulf War against Iraq. And it has the power to send peacekeeping troops to conflict areas under the U.N. flag.

    Other U.S. allies with treaties or designations by Congress include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, three South American countries and six in the Middle East.

    In addition to these formal alliances, many of the same countries created institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States and the European Union. The U.S. belongs to all of these except the European Union. During my 35-year diplomatic career, I worked with all of these institutions, particularly in efforts to stabilize Africa. They keep the peace and support development efforts with loans and grants.

    Admirers of this postwar liberal international order point to the limited number of major armed conflicts during the past 80 years, the globalized economy and international cooperation on important matters such as disease control and fighting terrorism.
    Detractors point to this system’s inability to stop some very deadly conflicts, such as Vietnam or Ukraine, and the large populations that haven’t done well under globalization as evidence of its flaws.

    The world would look dramatically different without the Allies’ victories in the two World Wars, the stable worldwide economic system and NATO’s and the U.N.’s keeping the world relatively peaceful.

    But the value of allies to Americans, even when they benefit from alliances, appears to have shifted between George Washington’s attitude – avoid them – and that of Franklin D. Roosevelt – go all in … eventually.

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

    – ref. How allies have helped the US gain independence, defend freedom and keep the peace – even as the US did the same for our friends – https://theconversation.com/how-allies-have-helped-the-us-gain-independence-defend-freedom-and-keep-the-peace-even-as-the-us-did-the-same-for-our-friends-248839

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Orion180 Makes Key Executive Moves to Drive Product Growth and Further Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orion180, a leading provider of innovative insurance solutions, today announced it has hired former The Hartford executive Chris DiMartino as Chief Underwriting Officer. In this role, DiMartino will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of underwriting, product development and management across its surplus and personal lines of business.

    DiMartino brings 27 years of experience in underwriting, actuarial science, and product management in commercial and personal lines P&C insurance. Prior to joining Orion180, he served as senior vice president of insurance services at AAA Northeast and held prominent leadership roles in his 20+ years at The Hartford, most recently serving as Head of Product for its $3 billion personal lines business. DiMartino is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS), a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), and a licensed attorney.

    “Bringing Chris on board marks a pivotal step in our company’s evolution,” said Ken Gregg, CEO and Founder of Orion180. “His deep expertise in underwriting and product management will be critical in enhancing our portfolio as we continue to aggressively grow product lines and expand to other States.”

    Additionally, Orion180 Chief Operations Officer (COO) Ryan Jesenik has been promoted to President, Insurance. In his expanded role, Jesenik will retain his responsibilities as COO while also leading growth strategy, ensuring daily operations align seamlessly with the company’s long-term goals.

    During Jesenik’s tenure as COO, Orion180 has been named to the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies list for two consecutive years, and he helped grow the company to $263M in in-force premium. He also supported the company’s homeowners, FLEX, and private residential flood insurance product launches, and the release of the innovative MY180 app allowing agents to seamlessly create new quotes and manage their book of business.

    “Ryan has been instrumental in helping Orion180 become one of the fastest growing home insurance companies in the U.S.,” said Gregg. “I look forward to our continued work together, advancing our vision of offering consumers and agents greater choice and unmatched flexibility to meet their everchanging needs.”

    About Orion180
    Orion180 is a customer-focused, technology-driven insurance brand that combines proprietary technology, real-time data, and straightforward underwriting practices to provide a seamless and premier insurance experience. Orion180 operates through Orion180 Insurance Co., a surplus lines insurance company serving Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado (Flood only), Tennessee (Flood only), Illinois (Flood only) and Arizona, and Orion180 Select Insurance Co., an admitted insurance company offering coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio. With its proprietary MY180 platform and third-party integrations, Orion180 offers unmatched efficiency and innovation, fulfilling its vision of becoming the global leader in insurance solutions while maintaining its mission to deliver superior customer experiences and a comprehensive suite of products. Connect with Orion180 on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.Orion180.com.

    Media Contact
    Ross Blume
    Fusion Public Relations
    Orion180@fusionpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: DIRECTV Advertising and Magnite Enhance Live Streaming Programmatic Demand During Peak Viewing Events

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, and DIRECTV Advertising, a pioneer in the converged TV addressable space, are leveraging programmatic demand capabilities to unlock the full potential of live streaming advertising. Magnite and DIRECTV Advertising’s collaboration addresses significant advertising challenges in live streaming, from responding to unpredictable traffic volume to delivering diverse ad experiences.

    Earlier this year, DIRECTV Advertising announced the programmatic enablement of their satellite-connected devices. The unbridling of DIRECTV’s satellite inventory represents greater scale and access to new audiences within linear programming, high-viewership events, and live sports. There’s a clear opportunity with sports, as both viewership and traffic increase during live events, with viewership growing as much as 10X for big games. While high-profile events attract approximately 20% more net-new advertisers, about half of existing and active buyers double their bids when compared to off-peak levels. By matching programmatic demand with real-time traffic surges, DIRECTV and Magnite can effectively manage incremental supply and serve uninterrupted ads during key moments.

    With more regional sports than other pay TV providers, DIRECTV has long been a home for live sports. In early 2025, DIRECTV solidified its position as a sports leader by launching MySports, a bespoke skinny bundle aimed at reaching avid sports fans. DIRECTV is committed to giving viewers the flexibility to choose the right level of service, at the right value, based on their personal interests.

    For advertisers, purchasing live inventory has never been easier, and to further improve the experience, DIRECTV Advertising provides buyers access to rich content metadata signals. Leveraging these signals creates buying transparency and ad relevancy by allowing advertisers access to content at the network, rating, and genre-level. With DIRECTV expanding its premium TV supply, marketers now have access to incremental live sports inventory through Magnite’s platform. DIRECTV will be testing Magnite’s Live Stream Acceleration (LSA) technology, designed to help streaming publishers optimize their live inventory programmatically and surface more opportunities for advertisers.

    “We’re excited to create more opportunities for advertisers to access highly sought after live sports inventory during key demand peaks,” said Ken Ripley, VP, Growth & Marketing at DIRECTV Advertising. “One of the ways we’re delivering this is through the expansion of our programmatically enabled inventory. We’re not only doubling our marketplace supply but unlocking new and unique reach for advertisers. Together with Magnite’s tech solutions, we’re setting new precedents, and paving the way for the future of advanced programmatic execution in live CTV.”

    “By combining our technology that optimizes programmatic advertising in live CTV environments and DIRECTV’s expansive live content footprint, we’re driving better outcomes for advertisers and maintaining a high-quality viewing experience for consumers,” said Mike Laband, Group SVP, Revenue, US at Magnite. “The significant spikes in demand during live sporting events show the untapped potential that media owners should be leaning towards. It’s encouraging to see DIRECTV embracing programmatic demand and offering contextual signals to provide advertisers with more transparency.”

    About Magnite
    We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

    About DIRECTV
    DIRECTV Advertising is a pioneer in the converged addressable space, delivering industry leading audience-based, digital, and innovative media solutions. Employing our decades of experience, we empower advertisers to address and engage their audience at scale while continuously measuring campaign impact against brand goals to unlock insights and optimize future campaigns. 

    Media Contact:
    Charlstie Veith
    cveith@magnite.com

    Investor Contact:
    Nick Kormeluk
    nkormeluk@magnite.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Greystone Housing Impact Investors Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 and Annual 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On February 20, 2025, Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP (NYSE: GHI) (the “Partnership”) announced financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024.

    Financial Highlights

    The Partnership reported the following results as of and for the three months ended December 31, 2024:

    • Net income of $0.39 per Beneficial Unit Certificate (“BUC”), basic and diluted
    • Cash Available for Distribution (“CAD”) of $0.18 per BUC
    • Total assets of $1.58 billion
    • Total Mortgage Revenue Bond (“MRB”) and Governmental Issuer Loan (“GIL”) investments of $1.25 billion

    The difference between reported net income per BUC and CAD per BUC is primarily due to the treatment of unrealized gains on the Partnership’s interest rate derivative positions. Unrealized gains of approximately $7.0 million are included in net income for the three months ended December 31, 2024. Unrealized gains are a result of the impact of increased market interest rates on the calculated fair value of the Partnership’s interest rate derivative positions. Unrealized gains and losses do not affect our cash earnings and are added back to net income when calculating the Partnership’s CAD. The Partnership received net cash from its interest rate derivative positions totaling approximately $1.3 million during the fourth quarter.

    The Partnership reported the following results for the year ended December 31, 2024:

    • Net income of $0.76 per BUC, basic and diluted
    • CAD of $0.95 per BUC

    In December 2024, the Partnership announced that the Board of Managers of Greystone AF Manager LLC declared a regular quarterly distribution to the Partnership’s BUC holders of $0.37 per BUC. The distribution was paid on January 31, 2025, to BUC holders of record as of the close of trading on December 31, 2024.

    Management Remarks

    “2024 was a challenging year from a number of different perspectives,” said Kenneth C. Rogozinski, the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer. “The conditions in the multifamily markets, both higher interest rates and operating expenses, presented challenges to our joint venture equity investments. Interest rate volatility also impacted the efficiency of some of our securitization transactions. However, we are encouraged by the opportunities that we are starting to see in 2025. The dedicated pool of capital that we have from the new BlackRock construction lending joint venture is a powerful new tool for us to serve our affordable housing developer relationship base.”

    Recent Investment and Financing Activity

    The Partnership reported the following updates for the fourth quarter of 2024:

    • Advanced funds on MRB and taxable MRB investments totaling $36.8 million.
    • Advanced funds on GIL, taxable GIL and property loan investments totaling $32.0 million.
    • Advanced funds to joint venture equity investments totaling $11.2 million.
    • Received proceeds from the sale of an MRB totaling $11.5 million.
    • Entered into the 2024 PFA Securitization Transaction representing fixed rate, matched term, non-recourse and non-mark to market debt financing totaling $75.4 million.

    In January 2025, the Partnership received proceeds from the sale of Vantage at Tomball located in Tomball, Texas, totaling $14.2 million, inclusive of the Partnership’s initial investment commitment made in August 2020. The Partnership estimates it will not recognize any gain, loss, or CAD upon sale.

    Investment Portfolio Updates

    The Partnership announced the following updates regarding its investment portfolio:

    • All MRB and GIL investments are current on contractual principal and interest payments and the Partnership has received no requests for forbearance of contractual principal and interest payments from borrowers as of December 31, 2024.
    • The Partnership continues to execute its hedging strategy, primarily through interest rate swaps, to reduce the impact of changing market interest rates. The Partnership received net payments under its interest rate swap portfolio of approximately $1.3 million and $6.5 million during the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively. From January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2024, the Partnership received net swap payments totaling $12.3 million or approximately $0.53 per BUC.
    • Six joint venture equity investment properties have completed construction, with three properties having previously achieved 90% occupancy. Four of the Partnership’s joint venture equity investments are currently under construction or in development, with none having experienced material supply chain disruptions for either construction materials or labor to date.

    Earnings Webcast & Conference Call

    The Partnership will host a conference call for investors on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Partnership’s Fourth Quarter and full-year 2024 results.

    For those interested in participating in the question-and-answer session, participants may dial-in toll free at (877) 407-8813. International participants may dial-in at +1 (201) 689-8521. No pin or code number is needed.

    The call is also being webcast live in listen-only mode. The webcast can be accessed via the Partnership’s website under “Events & Presentations” or via the following link:
    https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=T0wdPGmd

    It is recommended that you join 15 minutes before the conference call begins (although you may register, dial-in or access the webcast at any time during the call).

    A recorded replay of the webcast will be made available on the Partnership’s Investor Relations website at http://www.ghiinvestors.com.

    About Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP

    Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP was formed in 1998 under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act for the primary purpose of acquiring, holding, selling and otherwise dealing with a portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds which have been issued to provide construction and/or permanent financing for affordable multifamily, seniors and student housing properties. The Partnership is pursuing a business strategy of acquiring additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments on a leveraged basis. The Partnership expects and believes the interest earned on these mortgage revenue bonds is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The Partnership seeks to achieve its investment growth strategy by investing in additional mortgage revenue bonds and other investments as permitted by its Second Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement, dated December 5, 2022 (the “Partnership Agreement”), taking advantage of attractive financing structures available in the securities market, and entering into interest rate risk management instruments. Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP press releases are available at www.ghiinvestors.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this press release are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of statements that include, but are not limited to, phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “future,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continue,” or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe objectives, plans, or goals also are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Partnership. The Partnership cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, implied, or projected by such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: defaults on the mortgage loans securing our mortgage revenue bonds and governmental issuer loans; the competitive environment in which the Partnership operates; risks associated with investing in multifamily, student, senior citizen residential properties and commercial properties; general economic, geopolitical, and financial conditions, including the current and future impact of changing interest rates, inflation, and international conflicts (including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war) on business operations, employment, and financial conditions; uncertain conditions within the domestic and international macroeconomic environment, including monetary and fiscal policy and conditions in the investment, credit, interest rate, and derivatives markets; adverse reactions in U.S. financial markets related to actions of foreign central banks or the economic performance of foreign economies, including in particular China, Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom; the general condition of the real estate markets in the regions in which the Partnership operates, which may be unfavorably impacted by pressures in the commercial real estate sector, incrementally higher unemployment rates, persistent elevated inflation levels, and other factors; changes in interest rates and credit spreads, as well as the success of any hedging strategies the Partnership may undertake in relation to such changes, and the effect such changes may have on the relative spreads between the yield on investments and cost of financing; the aggregate effect of elevated inflation levels over the past several years, spurred by multiple factors including expansionary monetary and fiscal policy, higher commodity prices, a tight labor market, and low residential vacancy rates, which may result in continued elevated interest rate levels and increased market volatility; the Partnership’s ability to access debt and equity capital to finance its assets; current maturities of the Partnership’s financing arrangements and the Partnership’s ability to renew or refinance such financing arrangements; local, regional, national and international economic and credit market conditions; recapture of previously issued Low Income Housing Tax Credits in accordance with Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code; geographic concentration of properties related to investments held by the Partnership; changes in the U.S. corporate tax code and other government regulations affecting the Partnership’s business; and the other risks detailed in the Partnership’s SEC filings (including but not limited to, the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K). Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.

    If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, the developments and future events concerning the Partnership set forth in this press release may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our expectations and beliefs to change. The Partnership assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless obligated to do so under the federal securities laws.

    GREYSTONE HOUSING IMPACT INVESTORS LP
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (UNAUDITED)
     
        For the Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		     For the Years Ended December 31,
        2024     2023     2024     2023    
    Revenues:                                
      Investment income $ 20,056,000     $ 20,010,343     $ 80,976,706     $ 82,266,198    
      Other interest income   2,199,643       1,034,638       9,509,307       17,756,044    
      Property revenues   –               –       4,567,506    
      Other income   330,381       60,702       785,386       310,916    
    Total revenues   22,586,024       25,184,617       91,271,399       104,900,664    
    Expenses:                                
      Real estate operating (exclusive of items shown below)   –       573,255       –       2,663,868    
      Provision for credit losses (Note 10)   (24,000 )     (466,000 )     (1,036,308 )     (2,347,000 )  
      Depreciation and amortization   5,967       313,626       23,867       1,537,448    
      Interest expense   15,840,620       16,849,384       60,032,007       69,066,763    
      Net result from derivative transactions (Note 15)   (8,239,844 )     7,168,413       (8,495,426 )     (7,371,584 )  
      General and administrative   4,787,849       4,889,014       19,652,622       20,399,489    
    Total expenses   12,370,592       29,327,692       70,176,762       83,948,984    
    Other income:                                
      Gain on sale of real estate assets   –       10,363,363       63,739       10,363,363    
      Gain on sale of mortgage revenue bond   1,207,673       –       2,220,254       –    
      Gain on sale of investments in unconsolidated entities   60,858       –       117,844       22,725,398    
      Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities   (1,315,042 )     (17,879 )     (2,140,694 )     (17,879 )  
    Income before income taxes   10,168,921       6,202,409       21,355,780       54,022,562    
      Income tax expense (benefit)   36,398       (1,515 )     32,447       10,866    
    Net income   10,132,523       6,203,924       21,323,333       54,011,696    
      Redeemable Preferred Unit distributions and accretion   (741,477 )     (622,590 )     (2,991,671 )     (2,868,578 )  
    Net income available to Partners $ 9,391,046     $ 5,581,334     $ 18,331,662     $ 51,143,118    
                                       
    Net income available to Partners allocated to:                                
      General Partner $ 390,766     $ 75,252     $ 479,602     $ 3,589,447    
      Limited Partners – BUCs   8,937,983       5,472,230       17,587,205       47,209,260    
      Limited Partners – Restricted units   62,297       33,852       264,855       344,411    
        $ 9,391,046     $ 5,581,334     $ 18,331,662     $ 51,143,118    
    BUC holders’ interest in net income per BUC, basic and diluted $ 0.39     $ 0.24   ** $ 0.76   * $ 2.06   **
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, basic   23,115,162       22,947,795   **   23,071,141   *   22,929,966   **
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, diluted   23,115,162       22,947,795   **   23,071,141   *   22,929,966   **
       
    * The amounts indicated above have been adjusted to reflect the distribution completed on April 30, 2024 in the form of additional BUCs at a ratio of 0.00417 BUCs for each BUC outstanding as of March 28, 2024 on a retroactive basis.
       
    ** On July 31, 2023, the Partnership completed a distribution in the form of additional BUCs at a ratio of 0.00448 BUCs for each BUC outstanding as of June 30, 2023 (the “Second Quarter 2023 BUCs Distribution”). On October 31, 2023, the Partnership completed a distribution in the form of additional BUCs at a ratio of 0.00418 BUCs for each BUC outstanding as of September 29, 2023 (the “Third Quarter 2023 BUCs Distribution”). On January 31, 2024, the Partnership completed a distribution in the form of additional BUCs at a ratio of 0.00415 BUCs for each BUC outstanding as of December 29, 2023 (the “Fourth Quarter 2023 BUCs Distribution”, collectively with the Second Quarter 2023 BUCs Distribution and the Third Quarter BUCs Distribution the “2023 BUCs Distributions”). The amounts indicated above have been adjusted to reflect the 2023 BUCs Distributions on a retroactive basis.
       

    Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Measures – Cash Available for Distribution

    The Partnership believes that CAD provides relevant information about the Partnership’s operations and is necessary, along with net income, for understanding its operating results. To calculate CAD, the Partnership begins with net income as computed in accordance with GAAP and adjusts for non-cash expenses or income consisting of depreciation expense, amortization expense related to deferred financing costs, amortization of premiums and discounts, fair value adjustments to derivative instruments, provisions for credit and loan losses, impairments on MRBs, GILs, real estate assets and property loans, deferred income tax expense (benefit), and restricted unit compensation expense. The Partnership also adjusts net income for the Partnership’s share of (earnings) losses of investments in unconsolidated entities as such amounts are primarily depreciation expenses and development costs that are expected to be recovered upon an exit event. The Partnership also deducts Tier 2 income (see Note 23 to the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements) distributable to the General Partner as defined in the Partnership Agreement and distributions and accretion for the Preferred Units. Net income is the GAAP measure most comparable to CAD. There is no generally accepted methodology for computing CAD, and the Partnership’s computation of CAD may not be comparable to CAD reported by other companies. Although the Partnership considers CAD to be a useful measure of the Partnership’s operating performance, CAD is a non-GAAP measure that should not be considered as an alternative to net income calculated in accordance with GAAP, or any other measures of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

    The following table shows the calculation of CAD (and a reconciliation of the Partnership’s net income, as determined in accordance with GAAP, to CAD) for the three months and years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (all per BUC amounts are presented giving effect to the BUCs Distributions described in Note 23 of the consolidated financial statements on a retroactive basis for all periods presented):

        For the Three Months Ended
    December 31,    		     For the Years Ended December 31,
        2024     2023     2024     2023    
    Net income $ 10,132,523     $ 6,203,924     $ 21,323,333     $ 54,011,696    
    Unrealized (gains) losses on derivatives, net   (6,978,561 )     9,994,292       (2,097,900 )     3,173,398    
    Depreciation and amortization expense   5,967       313,626       23,867       1,537,448    
    Provision for credit losses (1)   (24,000 )     (466,000 )     (867,000 )     (2,347,000 )  
    Reversal of gain on sale of real estate assets (2)   –       (10,363,363 )     –       (10,363,363 )  
    Amortization of deferred financing costs   466,105       710,271       1,653,805       2,461,713    
    Restricted unit compensation expense   436,052       473,127       1,891,633       2,013,736    
    Deferred income taxes   1,164       2,796       2,435       (362 )  
    Redeemable Preferred Unit distributions and accretion   (741,477 )     (622,590 )     (2,991,671 )     (2,868,578 )  
    Tier 2 income allocable to the General Partner (3)   (309,858 )     (19,439 )     (309,858 )     (3,248,148 )  
    Recovery of prior credit loss (4)   (17,156 )     (17,156 )     (69,000 )     (68,812 )  
    Bond premium, discount and acquisition fee amortization, net
       of cash received    		   (90,310 )     (42,900 )     1,247,066       (182,284 )  
    (Earnings) losses from investments in unconsolidated entities   1,315,042       17,879       2,140,694       17,879    
    Total CAD $ 4,195,491     $ 6,184,467     $ 21,947,404     $ 44,137,323    
                                       
    Weighted average number of BUCs outstanding, basic   23,115,162       22,947,795       23,071,141       22,929,966    
    Net income per BUC, basic $ 0.39     $ 0.24     $ 0.76     $ 2.06    
    Total CAD per BUC, basic $ 0.18     $ 0.27     $ 0.95     $ 1.92    
    Cash Distributions declared, per BUC $ 0.37     $ 0.367     $ 1.478     $ 1.46    
    BUCs Distributions declared, per BUC (5) $ –     $ 0.07     $ 0.07     $ 0.21    
       
    (1) The adjustments reflect the change in allowances for credit losses which requires the Partnership to update estimates of expected credit losses for its investment portfolio at each reporting date. In connection with the final settlement of the bankruptcy estate of the Provision Center 2014-1 MRB in July 2024, the Partnership recovered approximately $169,000 of its previously recognized allowance credit loss which is not included as an adjustment to net income in the calculation of CAD.
       
    (2) The gain on sale of real estate assets from the sale of the Suites on Paseo MF Property represented a recovery of prior depreciation expense that was not reflected in the Partnership’s previously reported CAD, so the gain on sale was deducted from net income in determining CAD for 2023.
       
    (3) As described in Note 23 to the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements, Net Interest Income representing contingent interest and Net Residual Proceeds representing contingent interest (Tier 2 income) will be distributed 75% to the limited partners and BUC holders, as a class, and 25% to the General Partner. This adjustment represents 25% of Tier 2 income due to the General Partner.
       
      For the year ended December 31, 2024, Tier 2 income allocable to the General Partner consisted of approximately $310,000 related to the gain on sale of the Arbors at Hickory Ridge MRB in November 2024.
       
      For the year ended December 31, 2023, Tier 2 income allocable to the General Partner consisted of approximately $3.8 million related to the gains on sale of Vantage at Stone Creek and Vantage at Coventry in January 2023 and approximately $813,000 related to the gain on sale of Vantage at Conroe in June 2023, offset by a $1.4 million Tier 2 loss allocable to the General Partner related to the Provision Center 2014-1 MRB realized in January 2023 upon receipt of the majority of expected bankruptcy liquidation proceeds.
       
    (4) The Partnership determined there was a recovery of previously recognized impairment recorded for the Live 929 Apartments Series 2022A MRB prior to January 1, 2023. The Partnership is accreting the recovery of prior credit loss for this MRB into investment income over the term of the MRB consistent with applicable guidance. The accretion of recovery of value is presented as a reduction to current CAD as the original provision for credit loss was an addback for CAD calculation purposes in the period recognized.
       
    (5) The Partnership declared a distribution payable in the form of additional BUCs equal to $0.07 per BUC for outstanding BUCs as of the record date of March 28, 2024.
       
      The Partnership declared three separate distributions during 2023 each payable in the form of additional BUCs equal to $0.07 per BUC for outstanding BUCs as of the record dates of June 30, September 29, and December 29, 2023.
       

    MEDIA CONTACT:
    Karen Marotta
    Greystone
    212-896-9149
    Karen.Marotta@greyco.com

    INVESTOR CONTACT:
    Andy Grier
    Investors Relations
    402-952-1235

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: The Philippines should stop gambling on the South China Sea issue

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese naval and air forces warned off a Philippine C-208 aircraft that intruded illegally into Chinese territorial airspace over Huangyan Dao Tuesday. Clearly, Manila has not ceased making waves in the South China Sea.

    As Manila resorts to various means to pursue its illegal territorial claims, it is undermining peace and stability in the region. The Philippine government should put an end to its irresponsible and dangerous gamble, which may lead to geopolitical confrontation and turn the South China Sea into a conflict flashpoint.

    The Philippines plans to allow more powers from outside the region to build a military presence on its land. It has also repeatedly involved non-regional countries in its so-called joint patrols of the South China Sea. These countries talk of rules, order and freedom of navigation, yet they take actions that infringe on China’s territorial sovereignty and threaten China’s national security.

    When the roar of foreign warships overwhelms the sound of fishing boats, the Philippines’ security gamble risks hollowing out the foundations of regional peace.

    “The Philippines has no major external security threats, but has turned itself into a country that undermines regional peace and stability through a militarization carnival,” said Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Issues at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

    Going back on its word, the Philippines has absurdly used the deployment of the U.S. Typhon mid-range missile system as a bargaining chip in discussions on the South China Sea issue. In July 2024, a Philippine Army spokesman told AFP that “it will be shipped out of the country in September or even earlier.”

    This is reminiscent of another case of Manila reneging on its promises. In 1999, Philippine military vessel BRP Sierra Madre was illegally “grounded” on Ren’ai Jiao, which is part of China’s Nansha Qundao. The Philippines repeatedly pledged that it would tow the vessel away, yet it is still there today.

    The territory of the Philippines is defined by a series of international treaties. China’s Nansha Qundao and Huangyan Dao fall outside of Philippine territory.

    At the heart of the disputes in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines are the Philippines’ invasion and illegal occupation of certain islands and reefs that belong to China’s Nansha Qundao.

    When it comes to resolving these disputes in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ tactics — playing the victim and launching smear campaigns — will not work. Military provocations, even in collusion with other countries, will not work either. China will resolutely counter any provocations or infringements that threaten its territorial sovereignty or maritime rights and interests.

    Peace and stability in the South China Sea serve the common interests of countries in the region and around the world. China has always been committed to resolving disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful means, and to promoting regional cooperation and development.

    The Philippines should respect the facts of history, abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and consistently and truly honor its commitment to handling its differences with China properly through dialogue and consultation. Becoming a pawn of external forces is not a feasible tactic and could put a country in a more passive position. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Vaccination error being probed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Department of Health today said that it is investigating and following up on an incident in which the pneumococcal vaccine was mistakenly administered to two children who were originally scheduled to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at the Tin Shui Wai Maternal & Child Health Centre (MCHC).

    The department has explained and apologised to the parents of the affected children.

    So far, there has been no adverse reaction in the children, and pediatricians have assessed that the incident would not pose a health risk to them.

    In accordance with the regular monitoring mechanism, the Tin Shui Wai MCHC reviewed the vaccination records at the end of the service session on February 17 and found that the number of vaccines administered during the session between 4pm and 5.30pm that day did not correspond to the number of vaccines that should have been administered.

    Seven children should have received the hepatitis B vaccine during the said period.

    Upon review of the number of vaccines administered, it was found that there were two doses of the hepatitis B vaccine left unused and two extra doses of the 15-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV15) that were used. After double-checking the vaccine stock, it was found that two children had been incorrectly immunised with PCV15 during that period.

    A preliminary investigation revealed that the children vaccinated during that period were between one month and seven months old.

    Under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP), children receive the first hepatitis B vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth, followed by the second and third doses at one month and six months of age respectively; for PCV15, the first two doses should be administered at two months and four months of age, and a booster dose should be given at 12 months of age.

    The department’s healthcare staff contacted the parents of the seven children to apologise and explain the follow-up action.

    Arrangements have also been made for paediatricians to conduct detailed examinations of the children as soon as possible, to provide them with an additional dose of hepatitis B vaccine at an appropriate time, and to complete three doses of PCV15 vaccinations in accordance with the HKCIP.

    The investigation is ongoing. A preliminary probe indicated that the incident was caused by human error.

    The department has instructed all MCHCs to strengthen the training of frontline staff to ensure that they strictly follow the internal guidelines on checking vaccine and patient information before administering vaccines, and verifying the information with the person accompanying the child for vaccination to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

    The department reiterated its sincere apology to those affected. The nursing staff involved in the incident have been suspended from vaccination duties. If any staff misconduct is confirmed, the case will be dealt with in accordance with the established procedures.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.19.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 19, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. Nakahata has been Director and Western Region Head of Public Finance at TD Securities LLC since 2024. He was Managing Director and Regional Head of Public Finance for the West Region at UBS Financial Services Inc. from 2017 to 2024. Nakahata was Managing Director and Head of the West Region at the National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation from 2015 to 2017. He was Director and Co-Head of the Higher Education Group at Citigroup from 2010 to 2015. Nakahata was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan from 2009 to 2010. He was Vice President of Public Sector and Infrastructure Banking at Goldman Sachs & Co. from 1994 to 2010. Nakahata is Treasurer of the Board of Trustees at San Francisco University High School and member of the Board of Directors of Asian Americans in Public Finance. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wesleyan University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $186,876. Nakahata is a Democrat.

    Diane Lydon, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Deputy Director and Northern California Regional Advisor at the Office of the Small Business Advocate. Lydon has been a Business Outreach Manager for the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services at the Department of General Services since 2023, where she was previously a Business Outreach Liaison from 2022 to 2023. She was Education and Training Manager at World Trade Center Northern California from 2019 to 2022. Lydon was a Sales and Business Development Manager at Heart Zones Inc. from 2015 to 2019. She was a Marketing Program Manager at Skopre from 2013 to 2015. Lydon was an Olympic Program Manager at Sportsworks Events LTD from 2004 to 2012. She is a member of the Department of General Services Toastmasters. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $123,600. Lydon is a Democrat.

    Brian Lin Walsh, of Rocklin, has been appointed Principal Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources. Lin Walsh has been Director of the Administrative Services Division at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing since 2024. He was Senior Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources from 2022 to 2024, and Labor Relations Officer from 2020 to 2022. Lin Walsh was Labor Relations Manager II at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2014 to 2020. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $153,492. Lin Walsh is a Democrat.

    Joseph Tuggle, of Placerville, has been appointed Warden of Folsom State Prison, where he has been serving as Acting Warden since 2024 and was Chief Deputy Administrator from 2023 to 2024. Tuggle was Acting Chief Deputy Administrator at California Medical Facility from 2022 to 2023. He held several positions at Folsom State Prison from 2000 to 2022, including Correctional Administrator, Correctional Captain, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Sergeant, and Correctional Officer. Tuggle was a Correctional Officer at Pelican Bay State Prison from 1998 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $193,524. Tuggle is a Republican.

    Kelly DeRoss, of Sacramento, has been appointed Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources. DeRoss has been Labor Relations Manager II at the California Employment Development Department since 2019. She was Labor Relations Manager I at the California Department of Healthcare Services from 2015 to 2019, where she was previously Labor Relations Specialist from 2013 to 2014. DeRoss held several roles at the California Department of Public Health, including Labor Relations Analyst from 2012 to 2013, Associate Personnel Analyst from 2009 to 2012, and Staff Services Analyst from 2008 to 2009. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $141,144. DeRoss is a Democrat.

    Jennifer Haley, of Rancho Palos Verdes, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Haley has been President and Chief Executive Officer at Kern Energy since 2018, where she was previously Vice President and General Counsel from 2012 to 2018. She was an Associate at Best Best & Krieger LLP from 2007 to 2012. Haley is the Chair of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Science Center Foundation and Board of Directors of the California Chamber of Commerce. She earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Haley is registered with no party preference.

    Amelia Tyagi, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Tyagi has been a Managing Director at Sellside Group since 2024, and an Author since 2003. She was Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Business Talent Group from 2005 to 2023. Tyagi was Vice President and Co-Founder of HealthAllies from 1999 to 2001. She was a Consultant at McKinsey & Co. from 1996 to 1999. Tyagi is the Chairperson of her local chapter of Young Presidents Organization, a member of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, Fuse Corps, and WildAid and Chairperson Emeritus at Dēmos. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Brown University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Tyagi is a Democrat. 

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: A court has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the city for its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.  NORWALK — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement in response to a court decision…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Steve Jobs, a visionary of global scale, has been nominated to represent California on the American Innovation Coin. The coin, which will be minted by the U.S. Mint, highlights U.S. innovations and innovators, including California’s legacy…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Over the next three years, California will host the NBA All-Star Weekend, X Games, FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LX & LXI, and the LA28 Olympics & Paralympics in select regions across the state. SACRAMENTO – As the Bay Area wraps up…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China doubles down on boosting appeal to foreign investment

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

    A policy briefing on expanding high-standard opening up and ensuring foreign investment stability in 2025 is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, Feb. 20 — Amid simmering global trade tensions and a surge in protectionism, China is ramping up efforts to expand high-standard opening up and reinforce its appeal to foreign investment, providing the much-needed certainty and opportunity to global businesses.

    From unveiling a comprehensive action plan to attract foreign investment to further easing market access restrictions for investment, China is leveraging its vast domestic market, dynamic innovation and long-term economic resilience to cement its status as a magnet for foreign investment.

    GREATER APPEAL

    “Foreign investment has been a witness and contributor to, as well as beneficiary of China’s reform and opening up,” Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, said Thursday at a press conference.

    According to Ling, foreign-invested enterprises now contribute nearly 7 percent of China’s employment, one-seventh of tax revenue and about one-third of its imports and exports.

    Multinationals are optimistic about the long-term prospects of investing in China and have a strong willingness to expand their presence in the country, Zhu Bing, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, said at the press conference.

    Although the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland remained subdued amid a global downturn, signs of improvement have started to emerge. FDI in the Chinese mainland in actual use totaled 97.59 billion yuan (about 13.61 billion U.S. dollars) in January, up 27.5 percent from the previous month.

    In terms of source countries, FDI from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands and Japan surged 324.4 percent, 104.3 percent, 76.1 percent and 40.7 percent, respectively, last month.

    With vast business opportunities and dynamic innovation, the Chinese market has always been a top priority for multinationals, Zhu said, adding that China, as always, welcomes businesses from all countries to continue increasing investment in China and sharing its development opportunities.

    STRONGER SUPPORT

    Despite rising trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China has stayed committed to expanding high-standard opening up and fostering a business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized.

    Amid the country’s latest efforts to encourage foreign investment, a new action plan was unveiled Wednesday to stabilize foreign investment, with 20 specific measures in four aspects, including further expanding market access in various sectors and increasing efforts to promote investment.

    Among the measures, the plan will encourage foreign equity investment in China to attract more high-quality FDI in the country’s listed companies.

    The country will continue expanding its pilot programs to open up fields such as telecommunication and medical services in a timely manner. It will also lift restrictions on domestic loans for foreign-invested enterprises, allowing these firms to use domestic financing for equity investments, according to the plan.

    Since 2024, the country has introduced measures to expand opening up in sectors such as value-added telecommunications and healthcare, completely removed foreign investment access restrictions in manufacturing, and reduced nationwide foreign investment access restrictions from 31 to 29 items.

    Looking forward, Hua Zhong, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, said the country would align with high-standard international economic and trade rules in areas including property rights protection, industrial subsidies, environmental standards and government procurement.

    The country is working on expanding the catalog of encouraged industries for foreign investment, and will release the 2025 edition as soon as possible, Hua said. He noted that the new catalog will include sectors such as advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech as well as energy saving and environmental protection.

    Zhu said China would further broaden market access by shortening the negative list for investment this year, a move set to benefit all market entities, including foreign companies.

    “With these newly-introduced foreign investment policies taking effect, the ‘magnetic appeal’ of the Chinese market to foreign investment will only grow stronger,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –