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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lt. Gov. Luke – VNR – Hawaiʻi Schools Win ‘Super Sleuth’ Award in Internet Speeds Mapping Effort

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Lt. Gov. Luke – VNR – Hawaiʻi Schools Win ‘Super Sleuth’ Award in Internet Speeds Mapping Effort

    Posted on May 20, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    SYLVIA LUKE
    LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
    KE KEʻENA O KA HOPE KIAʻĀINA

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 20, 2025

    Hawaiʻi Schools Win ‘Super Sleuth’ Award in Internet Speeds Mapping Effort

    Connect Kākou’s Digital Detectives Initiative included 6,000 participants statewide

    Lt. Gov. Luke with Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School (left) and Kona Pacific Charter School (right).

     

    (Videos/Photos Courtesy: Connect Kākou)

    HONOLULU – Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke announced today that more than 6,000 Hawaiʻi residents, many of them students, participated in the Digital Detectives campaign to map internet speeds across the state. Part of the Connect Kākou initiative, Digital Detectives aimed to close the digital divide by identifying areas in need of urgent broadband infrastructure improvements.

    By taking a simple 30-second internet speed test last October, residents provided valuable data to help ensure federal funding is directed where it is most needed. Classes from Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School and Kona Pacific Charter School received the top Digital Detectives Super Sleuth Awards for student participation and classroom reporting. The classes received a visit from Lieutenant Governor Luke and a gift card for classroom supplies.

    “Thanks to the thousands of students and their teachers who participated in Digital Detectives, we now have a clearer picture of Hawaiʻi’s internet speeds and where improvements are most needed,” said Lieutenant Governor Luke. “Reliable internet is crucial for education, future careers, and so much more. We were thrilled to see so many students taking part in shaping a more connected future for our state.

    “Digital Detectives encouraged our students to become active participants in expanding internet access for their communities,” said Ken Hiraki, executive director of the Public Schools Foundation. “By turning a simple classroom activity into meaningful data for our state, students had a front row seat to civic engagement and real-world impact.”

    Results from the internet speed tests have been aggregated to provide a more comprehensive view of connectivity across the state. Construction of fiber-optic internet lines in underserved areas is expected to begin as early as this year.

    Connect Kākou is a State of Hawai‘i initiative led by Lieutenant Governor Luke, in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Broadband and Digital Equity Office (HBDEO), the University of Hawai‘i, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and multiple state and county agencies. Connect Kākou is working to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable access to high-speed internet and the tools and knowledge to safely and confidently use the internet. Visit www.connectkakou.org to learn more.

    # # #

    Media Contact:

    Shari Nishijima

    Communications Director

    Office of the Lieutenant Governor

    Cell: (808) 978-0867

    Jordan Ozaki

    iQ 360 Inc.

    Cell: (808) 294-7712

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: HAWAI‘I APRIL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS AT 2.9 PERCENT

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: HAWAI‘I APRIL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS AT 2.9 PERCENT

    Posted on May 20, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

    KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

     

    RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

     

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

    1. EUGENE TIAN

    CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

    HAWAI‘I APRIL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS AT 2.9 PERCENT 

    Jobs Increased by 17,000 Year-Over-Year

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 20, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 2.9 percent, the same as in March. In April, 668,650 persons were employed and 19,650 were unemployed, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 688,300 statewide. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in April, the same as in March.

    The unemployment rate figures for the state of Hawai‘i and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not-seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 2.5 percent in April, compared to 2.4 percent in March.

    Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

    In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased by 1,500 month-over-month, from March 2025 to April 2025. Job gains were experienced in Leisure & Hospitality (+1,900); Private Education & Health Services (+1,100); Trade, Transportation & Utilities (+500); Professional & Business Services (+400); Construction (+300); and Information (+100). Within Leisure & Hospitality, the rise in employment primarily occurred in Food Services & Drinking Places. Within Private Education & Health Services, the bulk of job gains were spread out over the subsectors of Health Care & Social Assistance. Employment in Manufacturing remained unchanged. Job losses occurred in Financial Activities (-200); and Other Services (-200). Government employment went down by 2,400 jobs, primarily due to below average over-the-month change in staffing at both the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i system. Year-over-year, nonfarm jobs have gone up by 17,000, or 2.7 percent.

     

    Technical Notes:

    Labor Force Components

    The concepts and definitions used by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program are the same as those used in the Current Population Survey for the national labor force data:

    • Civilian labor force. Included are all persons in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older classified as either employed or unemployed. (See the definitions below.)
    • Employed persons. These are all persons who, during the reference week (the week including the twelfth day of the month), (a) did any work as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in an enterprise operated by a member of their family, or (b) were not working but who had jobs from which they were temporarily absent because of vacation, illness, bad weather, childcare problems, maternity or paternity leave, labor-management dispute, job training, or other family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or were seeking other jobs. Each employed person is counted only once, even if he or she holds more than one job.
    • Unemployed persons. Included are all persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
    • Unemployment rate. The unemployed percent of the civilian labor force [i.e., 100 times (unemployed/civilian labor force)].

    Seasonal Adjustment

    The seasonal fluctuations in the number of employed and unemployed persons reflect hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season. These variations make it difficult to tell whether month-to-month changes in employment and unemployment are due to normal seasonal patterns or to changing economic conditions. Therefore, the BLS uses a statistical technique called seasonal adjustment to address these issues. This technique uses the history of the labor force data and the job count data to identify the seasonal movements and to calculate the size and direction of these movements. A seasonal adjustment factor is then developed and applied to the estimates to eliminate the effects of regular seasonal fluctuations on the data. Seasonally adjusted statistical series enable more meaningful data comparisons between months or with an annual average.

    Current Population (Household) Survey (CPS)

    A survey conducted for employment status in the week that includes the twelfth day of each month generates the unemployment rate statistics, which is a separate survey from the Establishment Survey that yields the industry job counts. The CPS survey contacts approximately 1,000 households in Hawai‘i to determine an individual’s current employment status. Employed persons consist of 1) all persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week, 2) all persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family owned enterprise operated by someone in their household and 3) all persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs, whether they were paid or not. Persons considered unemployed are those that do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are available for work. Temporarily laid-off workers are counted as unemployed, whether or not they have engaged in a specific job-seeking activity. Persons not in the labor force are those who are not classified as employed or unemployed during the survey reference week.

    Benchmark Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data

    Statewide and sub-state data for 2019 to 2024 have revised inputs and data for 1990 to 2024 have been re-estimated to reflect revised population controls and model re-estimation.

    Change to Monthly Employment Estimates

    This release incorporates revised job count figures for the seasonally adjusted series. The revised data reflects historical corrections applied to unadjusted super sector or sector-level series dating back from 2018 through 2024. For years, analysts with the state of Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Research and Statistics Office have developed monthly employment estimates for Hawai‘i and its metropolitan areas. These estimates were based on a monthly survey of Hawai‘i businesses and analysts’ knowledge about our local economies. Beginning with the production of preliminary estimates for March 2011, responsibility for the production of state and metropolitan area (MSA) estimates were transitioned from individual state agencies to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

    For Hawai‘i, this means the transition of statewide, Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku MSA estimates for both the seasonally adjusted and not-seasonally adjusted areas are produced by BLS. State agencies will continue to provide the BLS with information on local events that may affect the estimates, such as strikes or large layoffs/hiring at businesses not covered by the survey and to disseminate and analyze the Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates for local data users. BLS feels this change is designed to improve the cost efficiency of the CES program and to reduce the potential bias in state and area estimates. A portion of the cost savings generated by this change is slated to be directed toward raising survey response rates in future years, which will decrease the level of statistical error in the CES estimates. Until then, state analysts feel this change could result in increased month-to-month variability for the industry employment numbers, particularly for Hawai‘i’s counties and islands. BLS can be reached at 202-691-6555 for any questions about these estimates.

    The not-seasonally adjusted job estimates for Hawai‘i County, Kaua‘i County, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Labor Force Estimates for Small Areas

    Labor Force estimates for the islands within Maui County (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānai) are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force and Unemployment Estimates for Honolulu and Maui County

    BLS publishes smoothed seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment estimates for all metropolitan areas, which includes the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County.

    BLS releases this data each month in the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release. The schedule is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm.

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization

     

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, Second Quarter of 2024 through First Quarter of 2025 Averages  
    Area Measure  
    U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6
                 
    United States 1.5 2.0 4.1 4.3 5.0 7.7
                 
    Hawai‘i 0.7 1.2 3.0 3.1 3.9 6.2

     

    The six alternative labor underutilization state measures based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) and compiled on a four-quarter moving-average basis defined as:

    U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);

    U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;

    U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers*, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and

    U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.

    *Individuals who want and are available for work, and who have looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months (or since the end of their last job if they had one within the past 12 months) but were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey, for such reasons as childcare or transportation problems, for example. Discouraged workers are a subset of the marginally attached.

    Please note that the state unemployment rates (U-3) that are shown are derived directly from the CPS. As a result, these U-3 measures may differ from the official state unemployment rates for the latest four-quarter period. The latter are estimates developed from statistical models that incorporate CPS estimates, as well as input data from other sources, such as state unemployment claims data.

    # # #

    Media contacts:

     

    Dr. Eugene Tian

    Chief State Economist

    Research and Economic Analysis Division

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, State of Hawai‘i

    Phone: 808-586-2470

    Email: [email protected]

    Laci Goshi

    Communications Officer

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, State of Hawai‘i

    Cell: 808-518-5480

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY CLOSURES AT DIAMOND HEAD STATE MONUMENT IN JUNE, May 20, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY CLOSURES AT DIAMOND HEAD STATE MONUMENT IN JUNE, May 20, 2025

    Posted on May 20, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    DAWN N.S. CHANG

    CHAIRPERSON

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

     

    ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY CLOSURES AT DIAMOND HEAD STATE MONUMENT IN JUNE

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 20, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – More full-day closures are forthcoming to Diamond Head State Monument (DHSM) next month. The DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP) announces park closures for ongoing rockfall mitigation work from June 17-20 and 24-27 at the popular O‘ahu landmark.

    During these full closures, access to the park will be restricted and no visitors will be allowed entry. Employees will access the crater via the Kapahulu Tunnel between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. A guard will be stationed at the entry gate leading to the tunnel for the duration of the closures.

    On Monday June 16 and 23, the park will maintain its current partial closure hours from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. All other days in June will continue with the current schedule: weekdays with closure at 2 p.m. and weekends with closure at 6 p.m.

    DSP appreciates the patience of residents and visitors through this process to create a safer, more enjoyable experience at Diamond Head. The estimated project completion date is July 25, 2025.

     

    # # # 

     

    RESOURCES 

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

    HD Video – Diamond Head rockfall mitigation project (February 7, 2025):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gc90ta4n6a6lj5eic0o3j/Diamond-Head-Rockfall-Mitigation-Project-Feb-07-2025.mov?rlkey=u73490f2pgfgvdpb0xt7wg0mu&st=x0gbw8zh&dl=0

     

    Photographs – Diamond Head rockfall mitigation project (February 7, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/6pdh73bw7fyp6q3q1w33i/ADD0r_r-DVm8ckwfu8y3epY?rlkey=wo20wtocef5w6cr05ozxrv1nz&st=tthorl4v&dl=0

     

    Diamond Head State Monument construction operating hours (full schedule):

    Diamond Head State Monument

     

     

    Media contact:

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai‘i

    Phone: 808-587-0396

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – State of play with regard to the global gateway strategy and investments in the TITR corridor – E-001908/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001908/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Anna Maria Cisint (PfE), Aldo Patriciello (PfE), Silvia Sardone (PfE), Isabella Tovaglieri (PfE), Roberto Vannacci (PfE)

    In 2021, in response to China’s belt and road initiative, the Commission launched the global gateway strategy, with the aim of making up to EUR 300 billion available by 2027 to promote sustainable infrastructure in partner countries. To date, it remains unclear how much has actually been disbursed, what projects have started and whether changes have been made to the initial strategy.

    In January 2024, within the framework of the EU-Central Asia Forum, a joint pledge of EUR 10 billion was made with a view to developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), a strategic corridor connecting Europe with Central Asia and avoiding Russian territory.

    In the light of the above:

    • 1.How much of the EUR 300 billion goal has actually been disbursed to date?
    • 2.Has the plan moved on from what was set out in the original strategy (in geographical, sectoral or partnership terms)?
    • 3.Are further investments along the TITR corridor planned? If so, what funds will be used, what will the time frame be and who will be involved?

    Submitted: 13.5.2025

    Last updated: 21 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala: MC14 must deliver outcomes on WTO reform

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Reporting to the meeting in her capacity as Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), the Director-General said that in recent meetings she had with leaders and ministers in Japan and the Republic of Korea, the issue of WTO reform “was front and centre” of the discussions.

    “Prime Minister Ishiba (of Japan) and his ministers of trade, foreign affairs and finance, along with virtually every APEC minister that I met in Jeju, have bought into the idea that we must not waste a crisis, and that we need deep and thorough reform of the WTO if it is to remain relevant,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said.

    “For a successful MC14, we must act here in Geneva to deliver a package of reform proposals for ministers to consider and bless at MC14,” she added. “Nothing short of this can reposition this organization in the way and form needed.”

    The Director-General met with Prime Minister Ishiba and other senior Japanese government officials in Tokyo on 13 May and then attended a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Jeju, Republic of Korea, on 15-16 May.

    At their 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022, WTO members for the first time agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of the WTO’s functions in order to ensure the organization is capable of responding more effectively to both the challenges facing the multilateral trading system and the opportunities provided by contemporary developments in global trade.

    The Director-General said that while the ministers she met “made clear they value the system, they also admitted it cannot continue the way it is.”

    “Members keep sweeping things under the carpet and not solving problems,” she said. “I think what has brought us here is the inability to solve problems when they occur, and this has led to unilateral actions, instead of a cooperative approach to solve these problems.”

    “It has taken time for members to admit that things are not working as well as they should, and that they want solutions,” she continued.

    The Director-General said she was pleased work is continuing on possible deliverables for MC14, including further work on fisheries subsidies, agriculture, the Investment Facilitation for Development initiative, electronic commerce, and issues pertaining to least developed countries (LDCs).  Members will have a chance to assess progress on these issues at the next TNC meeting in July and decide later which packages are ready to take forward to MC14 for decision. 

    She welcomed the recent progress made on member acceptances of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, noting that 99 members have now accepted the Agreement with only 12 more needed to bring it into force.

    Twenty-six delegations took the floor after the Director-General’s intervention, some of them speaking on behalf of groups of members.  Many members commented on a suggested road map for MC14 prepared by the WTO Secretariat and highlighted issues of interest, including WTO reform, new disciplines on fisheries subsidies, progress on agriculture, the e-commerce moratorium, and industrial policy, among others.

    General Council Chair to initiate MC14 consultations

    Under a separate agenda item, the General Council Chair, Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), noted that discussions he had with delegations over the past weeks revealed various calls to proceed with work in three key areas, namely: WTO reform; dispute settlement reform; and the process towards preparing a possible MC14 outcome document.

    With MC14 taking place in 10 months, “time is not on our side,” he told members.  “Accordingly, immediately after this General Council meeting, I intend to consult interested delegations on how to take forward work in each of these areas.” 

    Investment facilitation for development

    On the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) initiative, members were once again unable to reach consensus on the request supported by 126 members to incorporate the IFD Agreement under Annex 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO. This marked the eighth time the proposal has been submitted to members for adoption.

    Speaking on behalf of the 126 co-sponsors, the Republic of Korea underlined the urgent need for incorporating the Agreement into the WTO framework in order to help members attract investment, in particular developing and least developed country members. IFD Agreement participants are also actively engaging with non-participating members to build understanding and highlight the Agreement’s benefit, the Republic of Korea said.

    Three members reiterated their objections to incorporating the IFD Agreement into the WTO multilateral framework.

    Current trade tensions

    On behalf of 47 members, Singapore and Switzerland introduced a statement in support of the rules-based multilateral trading system. The statement cites the value and achievements of the WTO since it was established in 1995, underlining how the organization has contributed to the economic development of both developed and developing members by promoting trade liberalization and facilitating economic integration, fostering stability, predictability and consumers’ trust while preserving incentives for innovation. The WTO’s support for developing economies, including LDCs, has lifted millions out of poverty, the co-sponsors said.

    China introduced its communication regarding heightened trade turbulence and responses from the WTO.  Faced with the current situation of heightened trade turbulence, China said, members should safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. China proposed a “Stability, Development and Reform” (SDR) approach for the WTO and said it stands ready to work with all parties to safeguard the WTO rules system and inject more certainty and predictability into the global economy.

    The European Union introduced an item on fragmentation of global trade through tariffs and the global costs. The EU said the item was submitted in response to the economic and trade uncertainty created by recent tariff actions. The EU underlined its support for a rules-based multilateral trading system and highlighted the importance of ongoing dialogue on tariffs to assess impacts, monitor trade patterns, and consider systemic effects.

    WTO retreat on sustainable agriculture

    Brazil expressed its appreciation for the recent WTO retreat on sustainable agriculture and the broad engagement across regions and constituencies. It highlighted trends in agriculture production globally, including towards increased productivity and the search for greater resilience and sustainability.  Brazil said it saw value in further discussing this topic in a forward-looking manner as a conversational WTO exercise.

    Thirty-six delegations took the floor to comment.

    Electronic commerce

    Japan, on behalf of the co-sponsors of the Agreement on Electronic Commerce, informed members of the co-sponsors’ recent efforts to gather members’ support for incorporation of the Agreement into the WTO multilateral framework. Japan also reported that the co-sponsors are undertaking work to advance implementation of the Agreement, including a needs assessment survey to better understand priorities for implementation support.

    Several members reiterated their concerns about the Agreement and their objections to its incorporation into the WTO multilateral framework.

    Next meeting

    The next meeting of the General Council is tentatively scheduled for 22-23 July.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Commonsense financial reforms underway

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Last night the Government took a major step toward restoring common sense to financial regulation, with the first readings of three important reform bills, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson.

    “Our Government is delivering on its promise to make it easier for New Zealanders to access the financial services they need, whether it’s buying a home, growing a business, or simply managing everyday life,” says Mr Simpson.

    “For too long, New Zealanders have been trapped by rules that are overly bureaucratic, unnecessarily repetitive, and sometimes just downright silly. Today, we’ve begun to fix that.”

    The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill, the Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill, and the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill are the first legislative steps in a broader package aimed at rewiring New Zealand’s financial services regulation. Together, they form part of a comprehensive overhaul that will rebalance the system to ensure consumer protection without stifling access to credit or innovation.

    “For many Kiwis, the absurdity of past rules became clear when banks were forced to quiz them about what they’d been spending on takeaways or Netflix subscriptions before approving a mortgage. That wasn’t responsible lending, it was regulatory overreach.”

    These three bills focus on addressing some of the most counterproductive aspects of the current law:

    • Regulators empowered to take proactive action: The Financial Markets Authority will be given the tools needed to effectively oversee lending, banking and insurance markets to the benefit of consumers.
    • Removing unnecessary personal liability: Senior managers and directors will no longer face personal liability for compliance failures. Responsibility will sit with the businesses, where it belongs.
    • Streamlining licensing requirements: Financial service providers will no longer need to hold multiple overlapping conduct licences, reducing duplication and compliance costs across the sector.
    • Improving dispute resolution services: The Bill strengthens oversight and independent governance of financial dispute resolution schemes, ensuring Kiwis can have confidence in fair, effective support when things go wrong.
    • A fairer and more proportionate approach to non-disclosures: Another change, which will apply retrospectively for the period between 2015 and 2019, will enable the courts to apply greater discretion when a lender has failed to disclose certain information to consumers.

    “These changes are pro-consumer, pro-competition, and pro-growth. They ensure that financial institutions are held to account without being tied up in needless red tape that drives up costs for everyone.”

    The reform package delivers on a core part of the National-ACT coalition agreement to rewrite the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003.

    “These changes are about enabling our economy to flourish. Financial regulation should protect people, not block their ambitions. This progress means we’re one step closer to a more dynamic, fair, and accessible financial system for all.”

    Notes to editors

    Fact sheet for the Bills is attached.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Worker-led programs are tackling gender-based violence in supply chains, but they’re at risk

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Genevieve LeBaron, Distinguished SFU Professor of Global Supply Chain Governance, Simon Fraser University

    Gender-based violence and harassment is a widespread issue in supply chains. Women workers in garment manufacturing, food production and hospitality are routinely subjected to unwanted touching and sexual advances and inappropriate comments, while promotion and advancement are often conditional on sex. In the most severe cases, this abuse escalates to sexual assault and rape.

    Despite decades of awareness and an International Labour Organization convention passed in 2019 and ratified by 49 countries, research indicates little progress has been made.

    A 2024 report from Statistics Canada, for instance, has found that 47 per cent of women have experienced some form of harassment or sexual assault in the workplace.

    Rates of gender-based violence and harassment are thought to be even higher in some countries and industries. In Bangladesh, a 2018 study found at least 60 per cent of garment workers had experienced it in the previous year. Another found 85 per cent of garment workers in Indonesia were concerned about sexual harassment at work.

    In the face of such a persistent global issue, women working in garment supply chains have pioneered a highly effective solution for tackling gender-based violence and harassment.

    Worker-led binding agreements

    Supported by labour unions and organizations like the Asia Floor Wage Alliance, Worker Rights Consortium and Global Labor justice, women workers have led the development of legally binding agreements with brands and suppliers to eliminate gender-based violence and harassment.

    The latest of these is called the Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice. Signed in July 2024, it covers 6,250 workers producing clothing for brands like Nike and Fanatics, Inc. under licenses with universities affiliated with the Worker Rights Consortium.

    Worker Rights Consortium persuaded Fanatics, which is also licensed to produce apparel bearing the Nike logo, to enter into the agreement in response to complaints of gender-based violence and harassment at two garment factories in central Java, Indonesia, owned by the Korean-based firm Ontide.

    This agreement creates a union-led program to address the problem at two Indonesian factories; if factory management does not comply, it risks losing business with Nike and Fanatics.

    Building on success from India to Indonesia

    The 2024 Central Java Agreement builds on and incorporates key features of previous worker-led agreements to address the issue.

    In particular, it builds on the 2022 Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in India and the 2019 Agreements to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Lesotho.

    The Dindigul agreement was led by an independent, majority-Dalit trade union run by women. It established a set of legally binding agreements with major garment companies including H&M Group, Gap Inc., PVH and Eastman Exports Global Clothing Ltd.

    The Lesotho agreements involved brands such as Levi Strauss & Co., Nien Hsing Textile Co., unions, women’s rights advocates and labour organizations.

    While each agreement is unique, they all adhere to the principles of worker-driven social responsibility.

    Under this governance model, “worker organizations and unions, suppliers, and brand companies enter into enforceable and legally binding agreements” and “transnational corporations use their leverage and supply chain relationships to effect change amongst supplier worksites.”

    A new model of accountability

    These agreements include worker-led detection and remediation systems to address gender-based violence and harassment. For example, under the Lesotho agreement, workers can access a 24-hour hotline operated by a local women’s organization to lodge complaints or bring them directly to the unions involved in the agreement.

    The Dindigul agreement also provides multiple channels for workers to raise complaints of gender-based violence and harassment, including shop floor monitors selected by the local union (one for every 25 workers). It also offers multiple avenues for raising complaints, including to the union or to sexual harassment committees required under Indian law.

    Under the Central Java Agreement, workers can bring complaints to committees aimed at eliminating the problem, to shop floor monitors or their unions. Not only do each of the agreements permit workers to request independent investigations, they all provide a wide array of remedies in the case of any incidents and violations of freedom of association.

    What sets these agreements apart from most other initiatives to combat gender-based violence and harassment in supply chains is that they actually work. One study of the two-year impact of the Dindigul Agreement by Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute found that 76 per cent of grievances were resolved in two weeks.

    The report said the program “constituted a powerful monitoring mechanism, ensuring effective remediation and deterring violations” of both gender-based violence and harassment and freedom of association — briefly put, the right to voluntarily join or leave groups (like unions), and for those groups to pursue collective action.

    Now, a key question is whether and to what extent these successful programs will continue to thrive and grow under the current “America First” agenda of the U.S. government.

    Progress under threat

    Despite their success, these worker-led initiatives face mounting challenges.

    Labour organizations that support these agreements are under strain, with some potentially at high risk of collapsing. The U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs is cutting US$500 million in funding that supports labour enforcement efforts across 40 countries.

    At the same time, company rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion programs are constraining, if not eliminating, the political space in which labour groups negotiate such agreements.

    Tariffs and upheaval in global trade — especially efforts to redraw supply chains to evade costly tariffs — gives brands cover to withdraw commitments to worker-led initiatives and change sourcing patterns to circumvent them.

    Within the United States, cuts and funding freezes — including to sexual assault prevention groups — are a worrying sign that support for preventing gender-based violence and harassment and helping its survivors are being undercut and failing.

    If labour stakeholders lose the resources to support such initiatives, the impacts on women and workplaces within supply chains across the world will be devastating. These programs show that when workers lead, real change is possible, but they need continued investment and political support to survive.

    Genevieve LeBaron receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Humanity United Foundation, and Ford Foundation.

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

    – ref. Worker-led programs are tackling gender-based violence in supply chains, but they’re at risk – https://theconversation.com/worker-led-programs-are-tackling-gender-based-violence-in-supply-chains-but-theyre-at-risk-255756

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Gaza, Haiti & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    -Occupied Palestinian Territory
    -Haiti
    -Secretary-General/ECOSOC
    -Syria
    -Sudan
    -Myanmar
    -Libya
    -International Days
    -4th International Conference on Financing for Development

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that yesterday and today, the Israeli authorities granted us access to Kerem Shalom so that our teams could reach additional humanitarian supplies that crossed into the Strip on Monday and Tuesday, crossed from Israel into Kerem Shalom loading areas. Other critical items such as hygiene products or fuel have not been allowed by the Israeli authorities into Kerem Shalom.
    So far, and this is as a few minutes ago, but the situation is obviously fluid, none of the supplies have been able to leave the Kerem Shalom loading area. This is because, by yesterday evening, Israeli authorities had only allowed our teams to go through one area that was highly congested, that we felt was insecure and where we felt looting was highly likely to take place, given the prolonged deprivation in Gaza since the blockade by the Israeli authorities for over 11 weeks. The UN hopes that will change very soon.  The discussions are ongoing as we speak between our colleagues and the Israeli security authorities.
    The UN is continuing to are engage with them to identify the best possible routes out of Kerem Shalom towards Gaza to ensure that the flow of aid is not disrupted or suspended. Partners are in touch with community leaders in Gaza to mitigate the risk of looting and ensure that the supplies entering Gaza reach the people who need them.
    However, it is important to underscore that the limited supplies finally being allowed to enter Kerem Shalom are nowhere near enough to meet the needs in Gaza, which are vast, which are tremendous. Much, much more aid needs to get in.
    Meanwhile, bombardment and shelling are continuing across the Gaza Strip. Today, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported dozens of people killed in the last 24 hours, and yesterday, it made an urgent call for blood donations for the sick and for those injured.
    OCHA is telling us that 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is now either subject to displacement orders or located in Israeli-militarized zones. These zones require humanitarians to coordinate their movements with the Israeli security authorities. 
    UN partners says that over the past few days, almost half of the newly displaced people have fled with none of their belongings. The ongoing displacement of Gaza’s population is putting immense pressure on humanitarian teams, especially when there is no food or any basic items being allowed in.
    In Gaza City, our partners report an extreme lack of shelter space: Displacement sites and residential buildings are all very much overcrowded. People are settling in abandoned, unfinished, or destroyed or damaged structures. Some are sleeping out in the open. 
    And as we have been saying over, and over and over again, civilians need be protected, including those fleeing or forced to leave through displacement orders or those who remain despite the displacement orders.
    Meanwhile, continued attacks on healthcare facilities are ongoing.  Earlier today, Al Awda Hospital, which is the only partially functional hospital in North Gaza governorate, and still treating a dozen patients, was hit. Yesterday, Kamal Adwan Hospital ceased operations.
    As of yesterday, UN partners report that about 304,000 daily meals were prepared and delivered through about 70 kitchens. Five kitchens resumed operations, including two in Khan Younis and three that relocated to Gaza City following recent displacement orders from North Gaza. However, five others in Gaza City and Khan Younis were forced to shut down after their supplies were depleted. 
    UN partners providing water, sanitation and hygiene services say that the water situation is worsening by the day. For example, the largest desalination plant in the north of Gaza is in an area slated for displacement. This has disrupted access to drinking water for about 150,000 people. 
    In southern Gaza, in Al Mawasi, the water situation is also dire, as the area is not connected to the water network and relies heavily on water trucking. This requires both vehicles and fuel to serve the needy population.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=21%20May%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o494ZKBFyws

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Gaza, Haiti & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    -Occupied Palestinian Territory
    -Haiti
    -Secretary-General/ECOSOC
    -Syria
    -Sudan
    -Myanmar
    -Libya
    -International Days
    -4th International Conference on Financing for Development

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that yesterday and today, the Israeli authorities granted us access to Kerem Shalom so that our teams could reach additional humanitarian supplies that crossed into the Strip on Monday and Tuesday, crossed from Israel into Kerem Shalom loading areas. Other critical items such as hygiene products or fuel have not been allowed by the Israeli authorities into Kerem Shalom.
    So far, and this is as a few minutes ago, but the situation is obviously fluid, none of the supplies have been able to leave the Kerem Shalom loading area. This is because, by yesterday evening, Israeli authorities had only allowed our teams to go through one area that was highly congested, that we felt was insecure and where we felt looting was highly likely to take place, given the prolonged deprivation in Gaza since the blockade by the Israeli authorities for over 11 weeks. The UN hopes that will change very soon.  The discussions are ongoing as we speak between our colleagues and the Israeli security authorities.
    The UN is continuing to are engage with them to identify the best possible routes out of Kerem Shalom towards Gaza to ensure that the flow of aid is not disrupted or suspended. Partners are in touch with community leaders in Gaza to mitigate the risk of looting and ensure that the supplies entering Gaza reach the people who need them.
    However, it is important to underscore that the limited supplies finally being allowed to enter Kerem Shalom are nowhere near enough to meet the needs in Gaza, which are vast, which are tremendous. Much, much more aid needs to get in.
    Meanwhile, bombardment and shelling are continuing across the Gaza Strip. Today, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported dozens of people killed in the last 24 hours, and yesterday, it made an urgent call for blood donations for the sick and for those injured.
    OCHA is telling us that 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is now either subject to displacement orders or located in Israeli-militarized zones. These zones require humanitarians to coordinate their movements with the Israeli security authorities. 
    UN partners says that over the past few days, almost half of the newly displaced people have fled with none of their belongings. The ongoing displacement of Gaza’s population is putting immense pressure on humanitarian teams, especially when there is no food or any basic items being allowed in.
    In Gaza City, our partners report an extreme lack of shelter space: Displacement sites and residential buildings are all very much overcrowded. People are settling in abandoned, unfinished, or destroyed or damaged structures. Some are sleeping out in the open. 
    And as we have been saying over, and over and over again, civilians need be protected, including those fleeing or forced to leave through displacement orders or those who remain despite the displacement orders.
    Meanwhile, continued attacks on healthcare facilities are ongoing.  Earlier today, Al Awda Hospital, which is the only partially functional hospital in North Gaza governorate, and still treating a dozen patients, was hit. Yesterday, Kamal Adwan Hospital ceased operations.
    As of yesterday, UN partners report that about 304,000 daily meals were prepared and delivered through about 70 kitchens. Five kitchens resumed operations, including two in Khan Younis and three that relocated to Gaza City following recent displacement orders from North Gaza. However, five others in Gaza City and Khan Younis were forced to shut down after their supplies were depleted. 
    UN partners providing water, sanitation and hygiene services say that the water situation is worsening by the day. For example, the largest desalination plant in the north of Gaza is in an area slated for displacement. This has disrupted access to drinking water for about 150,000 people. 
    In southern Gaza, in Al Mawasi, the water situation is also dire, as the area is not connected to the water network and relies heavily on water trucking. This requires both vehicles and fuel to serve the needy population.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=21%20May%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o494ZKBFyws

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Trafficking in children – 21-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime and a violation of human rights. When it happens to children, it disrupts their childhood and exposes them to horrific exploitation and abuse, and a precarious future. Even though the true number of victims of human trafficking is not known, recent data reveal that the number of child victims has been on the increase. Awareness of children as victims of human trafficking has increased as well. Just like adult victims, child victims can be trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminality or organ removal. Recently, the EU has officially recognised new forms of exploitation, including surrogacy, forced marriage and illegal adoption. There are geographical differences in the recruitment of victims, with the vast majority of child victims originating from northern, southern and western Europe being girls (82.9 %) and 55.1 % of child victims from Africa and 77.6 % of child victims from southern Asia being boys. Female child victims are more likely to report sexual exploitation, while male child victims are more likely to be exploited through child labour. Forced criminality in the EU, although comparatively lower as a share of the total number of victims, is steadily increasing, with boys of migration background being the main targets. The EU’s anti-trafficking legislation was amended last year, resulting in legislation that identifies children as especially vulnerable to trafficking. The amendments also expanded the list of forms of exploitation to include those that particularly affect children and emphasised the importance of a victim-centred approach and prevention. Member States are therefore asked, inter alia, to promote and provide regular and specialised training for professionals who are likely to come into contact with such children. Another relevant directive, on victims’ rights, is currently being revised to provide even more rights to victims, including child victims. The existing directive already prioritises the best interests of children when applying its provisions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: KGN Cloud Launches Intelligent Cloud Mining Platform AI Reshapes Crypto Landscape

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Following never-before-seen crypto rises, KGN Cloud, the innovative digital mining venture of KGN Investing Limited, has rolled out an AI-integrated, ready framework for legislation and an environment-friendly cloud mining platform. Major nations are speeding up their regulatory frameworks for digital assets ,when Bitcoin is already above $80,000, and KGN Cloud, now made available to individuals and businesses, facilitates the mining of top cryptocurrencies without owning physical rigs or dealing with complicated setups.

    New users get an automatic bonus of $100 after registration, which they can use to start mining in minutes.

    “The alignment of AI, energy sustainability, and global regulatory convergence has created a perfect milieu for intelligent mining,” said Rachel M. Jones, Chief Product Officer, KGN Cloud. “This is a platform we created to bring everyone—from the freshers in crypto to hedge funds—a trusted entry point into blockchain mining.”

    Crypto’s Historic 2025 Rally: The Numbers Behind the Boom

    Bitcoin hit $80,000 on May 10th, 2025, according to CoinMetrics and Messari, as a result of a combination of spot ETF approvals in the US, Hong Kong, and the UAE, as well as increasing interest for Ethereum Layer 2 solutions and institutional DeFi.

    Key market trends fueling demand for mining:

    • Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeded $14B in April 2025 alone
    • Ethereum (ETH) surged 30% in Q2 as staking rewards hit record highs
    • Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) are seeing adoption across real-world asset (RWA) tokenization
    • Global mining hash rate hit a new high of 660 EH/s post-halving, pushing smaller miners toward cloud-based options

    As a result, cloud mining is seeing an unprecedented surge in demand.

    Enter KGN Cloud: Mining Powered by AI, Sustainability, and Simplicity

    Traditionally, mining is beset with the barriers of hardware costs, inefficient use of energy, and absence of technical expertise; KGN Cloud deals with all these issues. There will be no capital costs because the platform will allow on-demand, Web-based access to the mining of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other proof-of-work coins, using AI-enabled optimization—all this from anywhere with an Internet connection.

    Platform Highlights:

    • AI Predictive Allocation: Algorithmic intelligence predicts block difficulty shifts and reallocates hash power accordingly
    • Green Mining Infrastructure: Partnerships with hydro and solar-powered data centers in Canada, Norway, and Iceland
    • Zero Maintenance: KGN handles all technical configurations, upgrades, and storage
    • 24/7 Dashboard Access: Monitor earnings, switch coins, and reinvest profits instantly
    • Daily Payouts in BTC/ETH/USDT: Users can withdraw earnings anytime

    Real-Time Plan Examples (as of May 2025):

    • Starter AI Plan – $300, 3-day contract, return: ~$330
    • Optimized Yield Plan – $1,200, 5-day contract, return: ~$1,350
    • AI Green Plan – $5,000, 10-day contract, return: ~$6,050
    • Institutional Pro Plan – $10,000, 14-day contract, return: ~$12,800

    All plans include automated reinvestment options and 100% uptime guarantees.

    Crypto Goes Green: Cloud Mining’s Carbon Pivot

    The recently released G20 Digital Finance Taskforce aims to ensure that by 2026, 80% of all crypto mining operations will be tasked to meet net-zero emissions goals in key jurisdictions such as the EU, UAE, and Canada.

    In anticipation of said regulatory shift, KGN Cloud was built with low-emission data centers using renewable energy integrations. It is one of the few platforms already poised for full ESG compliance.

    “Regulatory alignment isn’t a threat—it’s the future…Our eco-first mining platform helps investors stay ahead of compliance curves without compromising on profitability,” stated Jones.

    AI + Crypto: From Trend to Necessity

    AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s defining the mining landscape in 2025. KGN Cloud’s proprietary AI engine analyzes:

    • Real-time token volatility
    • Network congestion
    • Global mining pool saturation
    • Gas fees and reward difficulty across BTC, ETH, LTC, etc.

    With the above input arriving every couple of hours, KGN Cloud reestablishes its mining focus, thereby maximizing yields for its users even when the market conditions are hostile.

    Referral Ecosystem: Earn More by Sharing

    In an effort to encourage community growth, KGN Cloud is running a Referral Earnings Program whereby users earn a commission of 5%-7% on each mining contract purchased through their link.

    Top affiliates are given access to exclusive “Pro Contracts,” which include advanced features like auto-compounding strategies and enhanced daily rewards.

    New Markets, New Users: Global Access & Regulation-Ready

    Currently functional in over 160 nations, KGN Cloud also runs its exclusive infrastructure through regulation-friendly hubs including Switzerland, Singapore, and Estonia.

    The said platform conforms to the FATF travel rule standard; UK financial oversight requirements; and the data protections of GDPR.

    “This is what KGN Cloud is for-the globe,” Jones said. “If you’re in Tokyo, you’re in Dubai, you’re in São Paulo-you’re mining securely, legally, and profitably.”

    What’s Ahead for KGN Cloud in 2025?

    KGN Cloud has announced several upcoming product expansions:

    • L2 Mining Pools: Coming Q3, users will be able to mine tokens on Ethereum Layer 2 solutions like Base and Arbitrum
    • Mobile App Launch: A native iOS and Android app is slated for June 2025
    • KGN Tokenized Contracts: Smart contract-based mining with yield-trading will launch via Polygon later this year
    • Enterprise Mining APIs: For hedge funds, DeFi projects, and NFT games needing scalable backend compute power

    Join the Future of AI-Powered Crypto Mining

    Defunct incorporates the aspect of being an old treasure; however, KGN Cloud is mocking the defunct aspect with accessible means of engagement that are compliant and sharp in terms of crypto. With a bulk of retail and institutional investors seeking reasonably easy reach to yield, KGN Cloud indeed opens the gates to the trust formerly established to secure the future of digital finance.

    Register now to receive your $100 bonus and start mining instantly. Start Mining Smarter

    Join thousands earning from digital assets without the complexity.
     Sign up at: https://www.kgncloud.com 

     Support: info@kgncloud.com

    MEDIA Contact:
    Name: Joy  Bennett
    Position: Manager
    City: London
    Country: United Kingdom

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders to Call on Republicans to Support Trump, Lower Prescription Drug Prices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, May 21 – After President Trump issued a vague executive order claiming to slash drug costs by linking them to international prices, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today announced he would ask for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass legislation that would actually do just that by ensuring Americans pay no more than people in other countries for the exact same prescription drug, forcing anyone who opposes actually lowering drug prices to rise in opposition.
    On May 5, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients.” In that order, he proposes a “a rulemaking plan to impose most-favored-nation pricing” but does not cite specific legislative authority. As a result, the executive order will be blocked by the courts. Congressional action is needed.
    The Prescription Drug Price Relief Act will put an end to the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and help save lives by lowering drug prices. This legislation would ensure Americans do not pay more for prescription drugs than the median price paid in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.
    Details:
    What: Sen. Sanders floor speech calling for unanimous consent to pass legislation to make sure Americans pay no more than people in other countries for prescription drugs
    When: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. ET
    Where: Senate floor. His remarks will also be livestreamed on Sanders’ social media.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Scott Perry Introduces the Taiwan PLUS Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10), with Senator Rick Scott (FL), and co-sponsored by Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07), introduced the Taiwan PLUS Act to strengthen U.S.–Taiwan defense cooperation and ensure peak efficiency in delivering vital weapons systems to deter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

    “Taiwan is on the front lines of CCP’s growing aggression, and it’s time our policies reflect the urgency of the threat,” said Congressman Perry. “This legislation streamlines our arms sales process to Taiwan, strengthens deterrence, and solidifies our commitment to defending American interests in the Indo-Pacific.”

    Under current law, Taiwan must wait for congressional notification and a 30-day review period when requesting critical weapons systems exceeding low financial thresholds – $14 million for major defense equipment, $50 million for defense services, and $200 million for construction support. The Taiwan PLUS Act boosts these thresholds ($25 million, $100 million, and $300 million, respectively) to the same levels afforded to “NATO Plus” partners and shortens the review window to 15 days. By elevating Taiwan to the same status as trusted U.S. defense partners like Australia, Israel, and Japan, the bill removes red tape and improves speed and efficiency in military aid.

    “Communist China has tried to intimidate and overpower our ally, Taiwan for years. Communist China has made clear they are more than willing to invade Taiwan as it continues its attacks on democracy around the world, and the United States must make clear we will continue to stand by Taiwan,” said Senator Rick Scott. The Taiwan PLUS Act will cut red tape and make it faster and easier for Taiwan to purchase the weapons it needs from the U.S. to defend itself should Communist China invade. Taiwan is a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S. must act with urgency to strengthen our defense ties to help our nation and our ally counter these threats from Communist China.“ 

    Taiwan already is one of the United States’ closest defense collaborators – the top Foreign Military Sales customer in FY20, and historically tied with Japan as the third largest buyer since 1950. This bill ensures that future sales meet the moment by providing Taiwan with the tools needed to defend itself when needed.

    “Streamlining the arms sale process will help ensure that Taiwan can defend itself in the face of Communist China’s reckless and relentless campaign of intimidation, said Congressman Tom Tiffany. “Promoting greater US-Taiwan security cooperation benefits both of our countries, and that’s exactly what this bill will do.“

    As the CCP continues to escalate its hostile posture, the Taiwan PLUS Act sends a clear and unambiguous message: America stands with Taiwan, and will ensure our partners have the means to protect peace, freedom, and security in the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority’s statement regarding worker passed away at the Prince of Wales Hospital redevelopment project construction site

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hospital Authority’s statement regarding worker passed away at the Prince of Wales Hospital redevelopment project construction siteIssued at HKT 20:20

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

    The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) has the following statement today (May 21) regarding a worker passed away at the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) redevelopment project construction site:

    The HA received notification this afternoon from the main contractor of the PWH redevelopment project that a worker employed by the concrete works subcontractor suddenly collapsed during work. Site management called for an ambulance and the worker was sent to the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of PWH, where the worker was subsequently certified dead upon arrival at the AED.

    The HA expresses deep sorrow over this incident and extends sincere condolences to the deceased worker’s family. The HA has directed the main contractor to provide appropriate assistance to the family and support them in handling the family member’s after-death arrangements. The HA treats this incident with utmost seriousness. The PWH has referred the case to the Coroner for follow-up investigation. The HA has also requested the main contractor to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a detailed report. The HA notes that the contractor will report this incident to the Labour Department, and the HA will ensure the contractor’s full co-operation with investigations by the Labour Department and other relevant law enforcement agencies.

    The HA has always placed paramount importance on industrial safety at hospital construction sites. Project consultants would supervise contractors to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines, providing suitable and safe working conditions for workers, including appropriate rest periods and heat stroke prevention measures during hot weather. The HA will review the contractor’s safety arrangements to ensure site safety and regulatory compliance, while requiring contractors to prioritize workers’ welfare and occupational health.

    Ends/Wednesday, May 21, 2025
    Issued at HKT 20:20

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Syncfusion® Debuts New Open-Source .NET MAUI Controls at Microsoft Build 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Syncfusion®, Inc., the enterprise technology provider of choice, today announced the release of its fourth set of open-source .NET MAUI controls at Microsoft Build 2025. These additions expand the Syncfusion Toolkit for .NET MAUI as part of the company’s continued investment in the .NET MAUI developer community.

    “Microsoft Build is an incredible event and an opportunity to engage directly with our fellow cross-platform developers,” said Daniel Jebaraj, CEO of Syncfusion. “As a trusted Microsoft collaborator, we are especially excited to debut our latest open-source .NET MAUI controls. We hope they’ll empower developers to build beautiful apps faster and with greater flexibility.”

    A Growing Ecosystem of Open-Source Tools for .NET MAUI
    With the latest release, the Syncfusion Toolkit for .NET MAUI now includes more than two dozen open-source controls that simplify the development of modern, responsive apps. New components in this release include:

    • Picker: Offers a customizable user interface for selecting one or more items from a list with support for multicolumn layouts and tailored pop-up views.
    • Date Picker: A flexible component that enables users to select a date using a structured, scrollable interface with customization options.
    • Time Picker: Provides an intuitive interface to select time values with a fully customizable format, layout, and time intervals.
    • Date Time Picker: Combines date and time selection in a single, customizable UI, allowing for precise scheduling.
    • Circular ProgressBar: Visualizes task progress in a circular format with smooth animations, segments, and customizable content at the center.
    • Linear ProgressBar:​​ Displays progress in a horizontal bar with support for buffer states, color ranges, and visual customizations.

    These controls are fully open source, designed to integrate seamlessly into AI-enhanced development workflows, and are available now.

    Syncfusion at Microsoft Build 2025
    In addition to showcasing its open-source .NET MAUI tools, Syncfusion is offering hands-on opportunities for developers to explore its full ecosystem of developer solutions—including the flagship Essential Studio® library of over 1,900 components and the Bold product line, which includes tools for data visualization, help desk support, and eSignature workflows.

    Syncfusion experts will be on-site to connect with developers, share product insights, and lead sessions, including:

    Attendees can visit Syncfusion at Booth 205 (Level 4 in the Hub) to experience live demos, learn more about the latest releases, and access exclusive giveaways—including the Microsoft MVP Spotlight Package.

    For full event details, visit the Syncfusion MS Build Showcase Page.

    About Syncfusion®, Inc.
    Headquartered in the technology hub of Research Triangle Park, N.C., Syncfusion®, Inc. delivers an award-winning ecosystem of developer control suites, embeddable BI platforms, and business software. Syncfusion was founded in 2001 with a single software component and a mission to support businesses of all sizes—from individual developers and start-ups to Fortune 500 enterprises. Though its pilot product, the Essential Studio® suite, has grown to over 1,900 developer controls, its mission remains the same. With offices in the U.S., India, and Kenya, Syncfusion prioritizes the customer experience by providing feature-rich solutions to help developers and enterprises solve complex problems, save money, and build high-performance, robust applications.

    Contact: Brittany Kearns
    Phone: 571-271-7211
    Email: brittany@crossroadsb2b.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Announces San Angelo Senior as Winner of Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Rep. Pfluger Announces San Angelo Senior as Winner of Congressional Art Competition

    San Angelo, May 19, 2025

    SAN ANGELO, TX — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) announced Korbin Jastrow as the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition in Texas’s 11th Congressional District. Jastrow is a Senior at San Angelo Central High School. This year’s theme was ‘Texas to Me’, and the winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol building for the next year.

    “For yet another year, I was completely blown away by the talent and creativity of so many art submissions from students across TX-11. While it was hard to select a winner from all the incredible entries, in a blind selection process, the committee picked Ms. Jastrow’s piece ‘The Exception’ because of its unique take on Texas agriculture, as well as its incorporation of our beloved Texas wildflowers. It’s a great combination of multiple parts of the district – embodying the rugged, agriculture-centric spirit of West Texas and the lush, colorful brightness of the Texas Hill Country, both of which I am honored to represent,” said Rep. Pfluger.

    In her submission, Ms. Jastrow explained how she created the piece, stating, “The cow was drawn with pencil, then stamped with handmade stamps representing the Indian paintbrush and bluebonnets. The background was done with acrylic paint, and the shadows behind the cow were done with tissue paper.”

    Pictured: Korbin Jastrow with her winning piece with Central High School art teacher Heather Shoop-York

    Pictured: Korbin Jastrow (middle) being presented her winning certificate alongside Central High School art teacher Heather Shoop-York (right) and Congressman Pfluger’s San Angelo Regional Director Kathy Keane (left)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Presses Secretary Rubio On Foreign Assistance Cuts, Impacts On People, Partners Around The World

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – At two separate Senate hearings today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pressing him on his role in foreign assistance decisions and securing a commitment that Rubio and other foreign assistance officials come back before Congress and work together to write and pass a bipartisan funding bill that protects foreign aid and maintains U.S influence and leadership around the world.

    At the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hearing, Schatz, the lead Democrat on the panel, said, “Fighting HIV/AIDS, helping partners defend themselves, responding to disasters, that is not ‘woke’ or ‘leftist’ or ‘radical.’ It is a foundation of American foreign policy. And they are all under threat. Any time we’ve asked for clarity about what the Trump administration is doing, we’ve gotten very little.” Schatz continued, “In order to put USAID under the State Department and better align it, we need a statute. In order to reform all of these programs, we need an SFOPS bill… If we can get to writing a bill, the country will be better for it.”

    At the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Schatz underscored the human consequences of the administration’s cuts to foreign aid, saying, “Mothers who have fled Boko Haram in Nigeria are watching their babies starve. Children in South Sudan are dying of cholera. Families are dying because they have been cut off from their HIV medication – there are 103 deaths an hour. And so we can talk about the reorganization of the State Department, but this becomes quickly not an abstraction, not a normal public policy tug and pull, because the way that this has been done, set aside our disagreement over whether it’s been done lawfully, has been done in a rather catastrophic fashion.”

    Video of the Foreign Relations Committee exchange is available here. Video of Schatz’s opening statement and questioning at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Renowned Chinese Russianist Becomes Honorary Doctor of IKS RAS

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, May 21 /Xinhua/ — Leading Chinese researcher of Russia, professor at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Li Yongquan has become an honorary doctor of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICSA RAS). The corresponding sign was presented to him by the director of ICSA RAS Kirill Babaev.

    Director of the Institute of European and Asian Social Development of the Development Research Center of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Vice Chairman of the China-Russia Friendship Society, Professor Li Yongquan has been researching modern Russia, Chinese-Russian relations, Eurasian integration, development of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for over 50 years. He is the author of over 200 scientific and journalistic works, and a translator of Russian book publications. He also worked as a journalist in Moscow and led numerous important applied studies at the level of ministries and departments.

    In an interview with Xinhua, Professor Li Yongquan said he was flattered to be awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “The importance of the healthy development of Chinese-Russian relations for the multipolarity of the world, the stability of the Eurasian region and the development of both sides cannot be overestimated. Chinese and Russian scientists should make their contribution to this,” he emphasized.

    Director of the Institute of Crystallographic Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences K. Babaev noted the contribution of Professor Li Yongquan to the development of mutual understanding and friendship between Russia and China. “We hope that this event will become an incentive for further expansion of our cooperation in research, exchange of experience and training of new generations of specialists capable of building strong and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and China. We are confident that Professor Li’s contribution and dedication will serve as an inspiration for future joint projects and initiatives that will contribute to the deepening of our strategic partnership,” said K. Babaev. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 45 Senators Join Welch’s Senate Resolution Calling for End to Siege on Gaza – Republicans Block Passage  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Israel is still blocking aid as the UN warns 14,000 babies will die without urgent humanitarian assistance 
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 45 colleagues were blocked by Republicans when Senator Welch requested unanimous consent to pass his resolution calling for the delivery of lifesaving food and humanitarian aid for starving children in Gaza.  
    After an 11-week blockade by the Israeli government, 93 trucks entered Gaza yesterday but according to the UN, no aid has been distributed. An estimated 600 trucks of food, baby food, and medical supplies are needed, and the UN warned yesterday that 14,000 babies will die in the next 48 hours without aid.  
    “It’s not right for aid to be withheld as an instrument of war. And, regrettably, that appears to have been a decision that has been made by the Israeli government. It’s not right, it’s not necessary, it’s not helpful, it’s extraordinarily harmful to innocent children, to innocent mothers. My hope is that this Senate would pass a resolution making it very clear about our concern about the well-being of innocent Palestinians in Gaza. That food that innocent hat those Palestinians in Gaza need is right on the other side of the border. It’s there. All it needs is to be transported from where it is into Gaza and then distributed,” said Senator Welch. “We’ve got to feed those people. The food is there. We all want those innocent people to survive and avoid famine. Let us do every single thing we can to persuade the Israeli Netanyahu government to get that food in to people who desperately need it.” 
    Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) objected, saying: “Look, this is this is despicable. This is horrible. This is criminal. It’s beyond human understanding how human beings could treat other human beings the same way, especially when you relate it to them as they are in Palestine. I agree that this needs to stop, but the first thing that needs to be said is that this is the fault of Hamas and it is not our fault.”  
    Watch the exchange here:  
    The resolution called on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. In the resolution, Senators expressed grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the imminent starvation of tens of thousands of children. 
    Read S.Res.224 here. 
    The resolution was led by Senator Welch and sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.); Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.); Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.); Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.); Chris Coons (D-Del.); Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.); Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.); Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.); Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.); Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.); Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii); Tim Kaine (D-Va.); Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Andy Kim (D-N.J.); Angus King (I-Maine); Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.); Ed Markey (D-Mass.); Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); Chris Murphy (D-Conn.); Patty Murray (D-Wash.); Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.); Alex Padilla (D-Calif.); Gary Peters (D-Mich.); Jack Reed (D-R.I.); Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.); Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); Adam Schiff (D-Calif.); Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.); Tina Smith (D-Minn.); Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Mark Warner (D-Va.); Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.); Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.); and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOJ Press releases at OCI (Prior Years)

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    05/21/2019
    December 10, 2018: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, Former Senior Executive Plead Guilty to Distributing Endoscopes After Failing to File FDA-Required Adverse Event Reports of Serious Infections

    03/26/2019
    March 30, 2018: KC Paramedic Indicted for Stealing Fentanyl, Morphine from Ambulances

    03/26/2019
    March 30, 2018: Counterfeit Cigarette Smuggler Sentenced to Prison

    03/20/2019
    April 4, 2018: Canadian Pharmacist Sentenced for Distributing Counterfeit and Adulterated Botox to Local Doctors

    03/20/2019
    March 27, 2018: Compounding Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $10.5 Million Health Care Fraud

    03/20/2019
    March 27, 2018: Federal Jury Finds Three Guilty in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

    03/20/2019
    April 4, 2018: Fences Indicted in Multi-Million Dollar, Multi-State Criminal Theft Operations

    03/19/2019
    March 30, 2018: Lynn Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Role in Counterfeit Steroid Conspiracy

    03/05/2019
    October 1, 2018: AmerisourceBergen Corp. to Pay $625 Million to Settle Civil Fraud Allegations Resulting from Its Repackaging and Sale of Adulterated Drugs and Unapproved New Drugs, Double Billing and Providing Kickbacks

    03/05/2019
    October 18, 2018: Pharmacist Indicted for Taking Drugs, Carrying Firearm in Violation of Court Order

    03/05/2019
    October 15, 2018: Leader of Fraudulent Prescription Conspiracy Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

    03/05/2019
    November 29, 2018: Two Practitioners Sentenced for Drug Crimes in Connection with HOPE Clinic

    03/05/2019
    December 4, 2018: Medical Device Maker ev3 Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $17.9 Million for Distributing Adulterated Device

    03/05/2019
    November 20, 2018: Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Counterfeit Cialis and Viagra into the United States

    03/05/2019
    November 19, 2018: Georgia Man Charged with Social Security and Wire Fraud

    03/05/2019
    October 22, 2018: Medical Equipment Company Agrees to Pay $5.25 Million to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Claims for Compounded Medical Creams

    03/05/2019
    October 15, 2018: Four Men and Seven Companies Indicted for Billion-Dollar Telemedicine Fraud Conspiracy, Telemedicine Company and CEO Plead Guilty in Two Fraud Schemes

    03/05/2019
    November 5, 2018: Nurse Sentenced for Taking Fentanyl for Personal Use

    03/05/2019
    November 28, 2018: Former Vice President of Insys Pharmaceuticals Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Scheme

    03/05/2019
    October 18, 2018: Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment In Shamo Case; Adds Distribution Of Fentanyl Count Resulting In Death

    03/05/2019
    November 29, 2018: Dietary Supplement Ingredient Importers Arrested in Connection with Large-Scale Smuggling and Money Laundering Scheme

    03/05/2019
    December 4, 2018: Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Consumer Products

    03/05/2019
    October 22, 2018: Oklahoma Orthopedic Company to Pay $455,000 to Settle Claims of False Medical Billing

    02/25/2019
    December 13, 2018: Floridian Pleads Guilty in Complex Fraud Scheme Related to the Processing of Credit Card Payments

    02/25/2019
    December 13, 2018: Owner and Four Former Employees of New England Compounding Center Convicted Following Trial

    02/25/2019
    December 7, 2018: VA Nurse Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining and Tampering with Opioid Prescriptions

    02/25/2019
    December 4, 2018: Des Moines Residents Sentenced for Felony Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Offense

    02/13/2019
    October 11, 2018: Two Companies Ordered to Pay More Than $7 Million for Adulterated and Misbranded Pet Food Ingredients

    02/13/2019
    October 4, 2018: Troutdale Doctor Sentenced for Purchasing and Administering Foreign-Sourced Botox and Juvaderm

    09/25/2018
    September 24, 2018: Board Certified Ophthalmologist Agrees to Civil Fraud Settlement in Medicare Fraud Investigation

    09/19/2018
    September 19, 2018: Springfield Doctor Sentenced for Illegally Sharing Patient Medical Files

    09/17/2018
    September 11, 2018: Columbus Pharmacist Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Scheme

    09/17/2018
    September 8, 2017: Galena Biopharma Inc. to Pay More than $7.55 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Related to Opioid Drug

    09/10/2018
    September 6, 2018: Cattle Company and Veterinarian Indicted for False Health Certificates on Livestock

    09/06/2018
    August 31, 2018: Former Home Health Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Patients’ Drugs

    09/04/2018
    August 30, 2018: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Misbranded Prescription Horse Drugs

    08/30/2018
    August 28, 2018: Providence Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    08/23/2018
    August 22, 2018: Louisiana Pharmacist Convicted of Trafficking and Selling Stolen Medication

    08/20/2018
    August 17, 2018: Unlicensed Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to Working at New England Compounding Center

    08/16/2018
    August 16, 2018: Genesee County Physician and Two Others Charged with Health Care Fraud

    08/16/2018
    August 15, 2018: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Market Dietary Supplements

    08/06/2018
    August 3, 2018: Northwest ENT Associates, P.C. to Pay Approximately $1.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

    08/01/2018
    July 31, 2018: Three Canadians and their Company Sentenced for Wholesale Distribution of Misbranded Prescription Drugs and Money Laundering

    07/31/2018
    July 30, 2018: Two People Guilty of Distributing Tramadol Pills

    07/30/2018
    July 26, 2018: Miami-Dade Resident Charged in Connection with Performance of Illicit Silicone Injections

    07/24/2018
    July 23, 2018: Springfield EMT/Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl, Morphine

    07/19/2018
    July 18, 2018: Medical Device Maker AngioDynamics Agrees to Pay $12.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

    07/17/2018
    July 17, 2018: Former President of Cumberland Distribution, Inc. Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for $50 Million Drug Diversion Scheme

    07/12/2018
    July 10, 2018: Pawtucket Woman Sentenced for Participation in Opioid Prescription Conspiracy

    07/11/2018
    July 10, 2018: VA Medical Center Nurse Indicted, Arraigned for Allegedly Tampering with and Stealing Prescription Opioids

    07/11/2018
    July 10, 2018: Former Des Moines Pharmacy Technician Sentenced for Illegally Tampering with Fentanyl

    07/11/2018
    July 10: 2018: Former Pharmacy Technician Indicted for Stealing Fentanyl, Morphine

    07/09/2018
    July 6, 2018: Vero Beach Orthopedic Surgeon Sentenced to Life in Prison Following Conviction for Fentanyl Analog Drug Conspiracy Resulting in Death

    07/09/2018
    July 6, 2018: Internet Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling $2.3 Million Worth of Non-FDA Approved and Misbranded Botox and Juvederm-Related Products

    07/05/2018
    July 3, 2018: Canton Man Indicted on Fentanyl and Firearms Charges

    06/28/2018
    June 28, 2018: Southern District of Florida Charges 124 Individuals Responsible for $337 Million in False Billing as Part of National Healthcare Fraud Takedown

    06/22/2018
    June 20, 2018: Fitchburg Woman and Saugus Man Sentenced for Roles in Counterfeit Steroid Conspiracy

    06/18/2018
    June 15, 2018: Theranos Founder and Former Chief Operating Officer Charged in Alleged Wire Fraud Schemes

    06/05/2018
    June 5, 2018: Opioid Prescription Conspiracy Leader Pleads Guilty

    05/31/2018
    May 31, 2018: Notification of Stolen Fertility Drugs: Gonal-f® RFF Redi-ject® and Gonal-f® Multi-Dose

    05/21/2018
    May 21, 2018: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving the Reselling of Food Products That Were to Be Destroyed

    05/08/2018
    May 8, 2018: Notification of Stolen Octagam

    04/19/2018
    April 13, 2018: Canadian Drug Firm Admits Selling Counterfeit and Misbranded Prescription Drugs Throughout the United States

    04/19/2018
    April 12, 2018: Chinese Citizen Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud Related to Dietary Supplement Scheme

    04/19/2018
    April 6, 2018: New Hampshire Residents Sentenced for Participating in Scheme to Distribute Misbranded Drugs

    03/15/2018
    March 14, 2018: Meridian Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Controlled Substances by Fraud

    03/14/2018
    March 12, 2018: Champaign, Illinois, Resident Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Producing and Selling Over 80,000 Homemade Tramadol Capsules to Customers without Verifying Prescriptions

    03/13/2018
    March 12, 2018: Pharmacist and Pharmacy Employee Sentenced for Involvement in Over $30 Million Health Care Fraud

    03/08/2018
    March 6, 2018: Monterey Park Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Injecting Foreign Substance into Woman for Buttocks Enhancement

    03/08/2018
    March 8, 2018: Four Individuals Indicted for Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods

    03/05/2018
    March 2, 2018: Woman Sentenced for Injecting Adulterated Liquid Silicone

    03/05/2018
    February 23, 2018: Lake Charles Veterinarian, Pharmacy Sentenced for In-Race Horse Doping Conspiracy

    03/01/2018
    February 28, 2018: Two Doctors Arrested Pursuant to Federal Indictment That Alleges Bogus Sleep Studies Helped 1-800-Get-Thin Fraudulently Bill Insurance Programs Over $250 Million Related to Lap-Band Surgeries

    02/27/2018
    February 27, 2018: Former President of Houston-Based Drug Company Convicted in $50 Million Drug Diversion Scheme

    02/22/2018
    February 21, 2018: Pharmacy Tech Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Tampering with Opioids for IV Fluid

    02/21/2018
    February 20, 2018: U.S. Attorney Announces 69-count Indictment Charging Owners, Managers and Physicians Associated with Hope Clinic

    02/21/2018
    February 14, 2018: Palmer Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Import Prescription Drugs from Pakistan

    02/20/2018
    August 19, 2016: Pharmacy Owner and Medical Doctor Charged in an Internet Scheme to Dispense Medications to Customers without Valid Prescriptions

    02/14/2018
    February 14, 2018: Two Indian Citizens and India-based Corporation Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Counterfeit Cigarettes

    02/12/2018
    February 8, 2018: Queensbury Oncologist and Spouse to Pay $500,000 for Submitting False Claims to Medicare for the Administration of Unapproved Cancer Drugs

    02/12/2018
    February 9, 2018: Tampa Resident Convicted for Involvement with Tricare Health Care Fraud Scheme

    02/05/2018
    February 5, 2018: Pennsylvania Firearms Dealer Sentenced To 100 Months Imprisonment

    02/05/2018
    November 25, 2018: Nevada Man Indicted for Distribution of Anabolic Steroids and Drug Misbranding

    02/05/2018
    February 5, 2018: Three Florida Residents Sentenced for Operating an Illegal Steroid and Counterfeit Prescription Drug Lab

    01/31/2018
    January 31, 2018: New England Compounding Center Pharmacist Sentenced for Role in Nationwide Fungal Meningitis Outbreak

    01/24/2018
    September 25, 2017: U.S. Attorney Charges Pharmacy Tech for Tampering with Opioids

    01/24/2018
    January 13, 2017: Two Louisiana Men Sentenced for Roles in On-line Pharmacy Scheme

    01/24/2018
    May 17, 2017: Gardner Man Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Steroids

    01/24/2018
    December 6, 2016: Two Sentenced for Trafficking in Counterfeit Viagra and Cialis

    01/24/2018
    September 11, 2017: Knoxville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the FDA

    01/24/2018
    December 9, 2016: Carroll County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charge

    01/24/2018
    July 18, 2016: Cincinnati Man Sentenced for Illegally Importing Drugs into U.S.

    01/24/2018
    July 7, 2016: Johnston Resident Charged with Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

    01/24/2018
    January 7, 2016: Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Narcotics from Hospital

    01/24/2018
    February 15, 2017: Hampton-Based Spice Dealer Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison

    01/24/2018
    July 13, 2017: Four Charged in Counterfeit Body Building Steroid Conspiracy

    01/24/2018
    December 8, 2016: Pharmaceutical Executives Charged in Racketeering Scheme

    01/24/2018
    December 2, 2016: Woman Arrested For Injecting Adulterated Liquid Silicone

    01/24/2018
    September 20, 2017: Registered Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl

    01/24/2018
    June 28, 2017: Registered Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Fentanyl

    01/24/2018
    June 27, 2016: Hampton-Based Spice Retailer and Wholesaler Pleads Guilty

    01/24/2018
    May 31, 2016: Worcester Nurse Indicted on Federal Drug Tampering Charges

    01/24/2018
    August 7, 2017: Notification of Stolen Sterile Prescription Injectable Products

    01/23/2018
    January 23, 2018: Two Indian Citizens and India-based Corporation Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Counterfeit Cigarettes

    01/17/2018
    January 12, 2018: Owner of Seafood Company Charged in Atlantic Blue Crab Scam

    01/17/2018
    September 22, 2017: Drug Maker Aegerion Agrees to Plead Guilty; Will Pay More Than $35 Million to Resolve Criminal Charges and Civil False Claims Allegations

    01/16/2018
    June 30, 2017: Bath County Man Sentenced For Misbranding Drugs and Obstructing Justice

    01/16/2018
    June 21, 2017: Gardner Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Steroids

    01/16/2018
    August 28, 2017: Costa Rican Defendant Appears in Federal Court to Face Fraud Charges

    01/16/2018
    July 17, 2017: Leader of $17 Million Health Insurance Fraud Scheme Ordered to Prison

    01/16/2018
    October 11, 2016: Foreign National Pleads Guilty To International Wire Fraud Scheme

    01/16/2018
    August 30, 2017: Two Charged in Federal Court with Smuggling Counterfeit Cigarettes

    01/16/2018
    May 31, 2017: Men Sentenced to Combined 60 Years for Selling Spice in Hampton Roads

    01/12/2018
    December 20, 2016: New England Compounding Center’s National Sales Director Pleads Guilty

    01/12/2018
    July 19, 2017: Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Import Prescription Drugs

    01/12/2018
    March 13, 2017: Vice-President of SK Labs Found Guilty of Conspiracy, Mail Fraud Charges

    01/12/2018
    December 27, 2016: Providence Nurse Charged in Connection with Tampering with Oxycodone

    01/12/2018
    January 20, 2016: Businessman Sentenced for Marketing and Selling Unapproved Remedies for Cancer

    01/12/2018
    March 2, 2017: Bath County Man Convicted of Obstructing Justice and Selling Misbranded Products

    01/12/2018
    February 6, 2017: Arizona Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Pet Products with Counterfeit Labels

    01/12/2018
    January 17, 2017: Tampa-Area Medical Device Salesman Guilty of Selling Expired Lap-Band Devices

    01/12/2018
    August 1, 2017: Two Kansans Sentenced for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Designer Drug Business

    01/12/2018
    June 2, 2016: Additional Criminal Charges Brought Against Indicted Penn National Horse Trainer

    01/12/2018
    June 15, 2017: Gloucester Woman Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Steroids and Launder Money

    01/12/2018
    June 15, 2017: Two Kansans Sentenced for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Designer Drug Business

    01/12/2018
    May 15, 2017: Vitamin Shop Owner Guilty of Selling Misbranded Drugs and Controlled Substance

    01/12/2018
    August 15, 2016: Second Trafficker Convicted of Distributing Dangerous Counterfeit Viagra and Cialis

    01/12/2018
    July 17, 2017: Gloucester Woman Pleads Guilty to Her Role in Counterfeit Steroid Trafficking Scheme

    01/12/2018
    October 12, 2016: Colombian National Charged for Unlawfully Injecting Silicone into Victims Bodies

    01/12/2018
    July 28, 2017: Westerly Resident to Plead Guilty to Trafficking Steroids, Money Laundering Charges

    01/12/2018
    September 22, 2016: Hoover Man Charged for Marketing Misbranded Male Enhancement Drugs from China

    01/12/2018
    September, 22, 2016 Hoover Man Charged for Marketing Misbranded Male Enhancement Drugs from China

    01/12/2018
    August 2, 2016: Colombian National Charged for Unlawfully Injecting Silicone into Victims’ Bodies

    01/12/2018
    December 13, 2016: Tampa Resident Indicted for Involvement with Tricare Health Care Fraud Scheme

    01/12/2018
    September 5, 2017: New Hampshire Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Involving Misbranded Drugs

    01/12/2018
    April 3, 2017: Printing and Packaging CEO Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Labels and Packaging

    01/12/2018
    March 14, 2017: Woman Admits to Causing the Death of Another Person by Injecting Her with Liquid Silicone

    01/12/2018
    April 12, 2017: Former Medical Product Distributor Charged with False Statements about Hormone Shipments

    01/12/2018
    September 29, 2016: New York Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Illegally Manufacture Designer Steroids

    01/12/2018
    July 1, 2016: New Hampshire Couple Indicted On Two Counts Of Illegal Distribution Of Prescription Drugs

    01/12/2018
    September 22, 2017:Woman Admits to Illegally Selling Prescription Drugs Not Approved for Use in the US

    01/12/2018
    June 22, 2016: Former Nurse Sentenced to 82 Months for Stealing and Tampering with Patient Medications

    01/12/2018
    June 13, 2017: Cherry Hill Doctor and Son Admit Defrauding Medicare, Agree To $1.78 Million Settlement

    01/12/2018
    December 19, 2016: New York Man Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term for Selling Unsafe Dietary Supplements Online

    01/12/2018
    September 25, 2017: Pharmacy Manager Pleads Guilty to Illegal Prescription Drug Diversion and Money Laundering

    01/12/2018
    July 28, 2017: Tampa Woman Sentenced to Prison For Misbranded Drugs Used in Connection with Buttocks Injection

    01/12/2018
    March 28, 2017: Former Atlantic County, New Jersey, Man Charged with Smuggling and Dispensing Misbranded Drugs

    01/12/2018
    September 12, 2017: Former Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Stealing Pain-killing Drugs, Replacing Vials with Water

    01/12/2018
    July 29, 2016: Majority Owner of NECC and Husband Plead Guilty to Illegal Cash Withdrawals Following Outbreak

    01/12/2018
    May 15, 2017: Printing and Packaging Business Owner Convicted of Trafficking in Counterfeit Veterinary Labels

    01/12/2018
    July 14, 2017: Senior Executives of Medical Drug Re-Packager Plead Guilty to Defrauding Healthcare Providers

    01/12/2018
    July 20, 2016: Former Acclarent, Inc. Executives Convicted of Crimes Related to the Sale of Medical Devices

    01/12/2018
    June 6, 2016: Pharmaceutical Companies To Pay $67 Million To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating To Tarceva

    01/12/2018
    February 16, 2017: Atlanta Man Convicted of Illegally Importing and Distributing Male Enhancement Products from China

    01/11/2018
    January 11, 2018: Former New Hampshire Pharmacist Pleads Guilty for Tampering with Narcotics at Bedford Pharmacy

    01/11/2018
    July 22, 2016: Medical Device Manufacturer Acclarent Inc. to Pay $18 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

    01/11/2018
    November 15, 2016: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to Fifteen Months in Prison for Distributing Contaminated Cheese

    01/11/2018
    September 25, 2017: Millions of Medicines Seized in Largest INTERPOL Operation Against Illicit Online Pharmacies

    01/11/2018
    January 3, 2017: Notification of Stolen Reckitt Benckiser Retail, Non-Prescription, Consumer Healthcare Products

    01/09/2018
    August 1, 2017: Radford Nurse Who Tampered with Liquid Morphine Intended for Nursing Home Patients Sentenced in Federal Court

    01/09/2018
    November 4, 2016: Two Pakistani Nationals Sentenced for Conspiring to Illegally Ship Pharmaceuticals into the United States

    01/09/2018
    November 29, 2016: Eight Defendants Convicted For Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Counterfeit 5-Hour Energy Drink

    01/09/2018
    September 11, 2017: Three Florida Residents Arrested After Law Enforcement Discover Steroid and Fake Prescription Drug Lab

    01/09/2018
    June 21, 2017: Counterfeiters Sentenced for Convictions in Nationwide Conspiracy to Distribute Fake 5-Hour Energy Drink

    01/09/2018
    May 31, 2017: Drug Trafficking Organization Faces Indictment For Involvment In Manufacturing Fake Prescriptions Drugs With Fentanyl

    01/09/2018
    July 6, 2016: New Jersey Medical Device Manufacturer Admits Selling Contaminated Ultrasound Gel; Court Orders Permanent Injunction

    01/09/2018
    June 26, 2017: Owner of New England Compounding Center Sentenced for Racketeering Leading to Nationwide Fungal Meningitis Outbreak

    01/09/2018
    June 21, 2016: Two Pharmacists Sentenced to Prison for Adulteration of Drugs in Connection with Alabama-Based Compounding Pharmacy

    01/09/2018
    February 14, 2017: Two Miami-Dade Women Charged in Connection with Their Operation of a Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    June 22, 2017: Pharmacy Owner and Director of Compliance Charged with Defrauding United States and Distributing Adulterated Drugs

    01/09/2018
    April 12, 2017: Owners of Two Los Angeles-Area Drug Wholesale Companies Arrested in $20 Million Federal ‘Structuring’ Conspiracy

    01/09/2018
    December 2, 2016: Former Police Officer Sentenced in White Plains Federal Court to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Date Rape Drug

    01/09/2018
    February 7, 2017: Randallstown Woman Pleads Guilty to Injecting Non-Medical Grade Silicone into the Bodies of Victim Customers

    01/09/2018
    August 30, 2017: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Operating a Miami Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    March 28, 2017: 3 Canadians and their Vancouver Company Charged with Conspiring to Sell Foreign-Made Drugs to Western Pennsylvania Pharmacists

    01/09/2018
    March 9, 2017: Internet Business Owner Indicted for Selling Non-FDA Approved and Misbranded Versions of Botox and Juvederm Related Products

    01/09/2018
    June 8, 2017: Houston, Texas Man convicted of Smuggling Korean Human Growth Hormone Drugs to Local Patients and Professional Wrestlers

    01/09/2018
    February 16, 2017: Oncology Practice, Doctor and Practice Manager Pay $1.7 Million to Resolve Allegations They Billed Medicare for Illegally Imported Drugs

    01/09/2018
    June 27, 2017: Physician and Wife to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations That They Billed Medicare and Medicaid for Unapproved Drugs

    01/09/2018
    December 13, 2016: O.C. Man Charged with Selling Pet Meds Without a Prescription, Some of Which Were Not Approved for Distribution in the United States

    01/09/2018
    September 6, 2017: Bronx Pharmacist Pleads Guilty To Illegally Selling Millions Of Prescription Pills On The Internet And Agrees To Forfeit $9 Million

    01/09/2018
    November 10, 2016: Nurse Who Operated Spa in Laguna Niguel Agrees to Plead Guilty to Illegally Dispensing Botox Not Approved for Use in United States

    01/09/2018
    March 30, 2017: Lincoln Mother and Son Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Misbranded Substances, Drug Paraphernalia, and Related Financial Crimes

    01/09/2018
    January 12, 2017: Baxter Healthcare Corporation to Pay More than $18 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Sterile Products

    01/09/2018
    September 20, 2017: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Managing a Miami Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    May 23, 2017: Citizen of Pakistan and United Kingdom Sentenced For International Wire Fraud Scheme That Sold False Cures For Multiple Illnesses

    01/09/2018
    April 18, 2017: SCM True Air Technologies, of Ohio and Kentucky, and Its Former Company President – Guilty of Delivering Misbranded Medical Devices from Unregistered Facilities to a Georgia V.A. Medical Center and Obstructing an FDA Investigation into their Conduct

    01/09/2018
    November 28, 2016: Iowa Cancer Clinic and Oncologist to Pay More Than $176,000 To Settle False Claims Act Allegations They Recklessly Billed for Cancer Drugs That Were Unapproved, Misbranded, or Counterfeit and Improperly Upcoded Office Visit Claims

    01/09/2018
    September 9, 2016: Owner of Major Online Colored Contact Lens Business Pleads Guilty in Largest-Ever Investigation of Counterfeit and Misbranded Contact Lenses in the United States

    01/09/2018
    November 7, 2016: Medical Device Maker Biocompatibles Pleads Guilty to Misbranding and Agrees to Pay $36 Million to Resolve Criminal Liability and False Claims Act Allegations

    01/09/2018
    September 26, 2017: Houston, Texas Man Sentenced to 40 Months and a $95,000 Fine for Smuggling Korean Human Growth Hormone Drugs to Local Patients and Professional Wrestlers

    01/09/2018
    December 7, 2016: GNC Enters Into Agreement with Department of Justice to Improve Its Practices and Keep Potentially Illegal Dietary Supplements Out of the Marketplace

    01/09/2018
    September 27, 2017: Amerisourcebergen Specialty Group Pleads Guilty to Distributing Misbranded Drugs and is Sentenced to Pay $260 Million to Resolve Criminal Liability

    01/09/2018
    December 5, 2016: Medical Device Saleswoman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Charges Relating to the Transport of Stolen Medical Devices and Money Laundering

    01/09/2018
    May 26, 2017: Florida Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Causing the Death of One Victim and Hospitalization of Others by Injecting them With Liquid Silicone

    01/09/2018
    September 11, 2017: Owner of O.C. Pet Products Company Pleads Guilty to Selling Pet Meds without Prescriptions, Some of Which Were Not Approved for U.S. Sale

    09/17/2018
    September 8, 2017: Galena Biopharma Inc. to Pay More than $7.55 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Related to Opioid Drug

    01/24/2018
    September 25, 2017: U.S. Attorney Charges Pharmacy Tech for Tampering with Opioids

    01/24/2018
    January 13, 2017: Two Louisiana Men Sentenced for Roles in On-line Pharmacy Scheme

    01/24/2018
    May 17, 2017: Gardner Man Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Steroids

    01/24/2018
    September 11, 2017: Knoxville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the FDA

    01/24/2018
    February 15, 2017: Hampton-Based Spice Dealer Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison

    01/24/2018
    July 13, 2017: Four Charged in Counterfeit Body Building Steroid Conspiracy

    01/24/2018
    September 20, 2017: Registered Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl

    01/24/2018
    June 28, 2017: Registered Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Fentanyl

    01/24/2018
    August 7, 2017: Notification of Stolen Sterile Prescription Injectable Products

    01/17/2018
    September 22, 2017: Drug Maker Aegerion Agrees to Plead Guilty; Will Pay More Than $35 Million to Resolve Criminal Charges and Civil False Claims Allegations

    01/16/2018
    June 30, 2017: Bath County Man Sentenced For Misbranding Drugs and Obstructing Justice

    01/16/2018
    June 21, 2017: Gardner Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Steroids

    01/16/2018
    August 28, 2017: Costa Rican Defendant Appears in Federal Court to Face Fraud Charges

    01/16/2018
    July 17, 2017: Leader of $17 Million Health Insurance Fraud Scheme Ordered to Prison

    01/16/2018
    August 30, 2017: Two Charged in Federal Court with Smuggling Counterfeit Cigarettes

    01/16/2018
    May 31, 2017: Men Sentenced to Combined 60 Years for Selling Spice in Hampton Roads

    01/12/2018
    July 19, 2017: Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Import Prescription Drugs

    01/12/2018
    March 13, 2017: Vice-President of SK Labs Found Guilty of Conspiracy, Mail Fraud Charges

    01/12/2018
    March 2, 2017: Bath County Man Convicted of Obstructing Justice and Selling Misbranded Products

    01/12/2018
    February 6, 2017: Arizona Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Pet Products with Counterfeit Labels

    01/12/2018
    January 17, 2017: Tampa-Area Medical Device Salesman Guilty of Selling Expired Lap-Band Devices

    01/12/2018
    August 1, 2017: Two Kansans Sentenced for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Designer Drug Business

    01/12/2018
    June 15, 2017: Gloucester Woman Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Steroids and Launder Money

    01/12/2018
    June 15, 2017: Two Kansans Sentenced for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Designer Drug Business

    01/12/2018
    May 15, 2017: Vitamin Shop Owner Guilty of Selling Misbranded Drugs and Controlled Substance

    01/12/2018
    July 17, 2017: Gloucester Woman Pleads Guilty to Her Role in Counterfeit Steroid Trafficking Scheme

    01/12/2018
    July 28, 2017: Westerly Resident to Plead Guilty to Trafficking Steroids, Money Laundering Charges

    01/12/2018
    September 5, 2017: New Hampshire Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Involving Misbranded Drugs

    01/12/2018
    April 3, 2017: Printing and Packaging CEO Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Labels and Packaging

    01/12/2018
    March 14, 2017: Woman Admits to Causing the Death of Another Person by Injecting Her with Liquid Silicone

    01/12/2018
    April 12, 2017: Former Medical Product Distributor Charged with False Statements about Hormone Shipments

    01/12/2018
    September 22, 2017:Woman Admits to Illegally Selling Prescription Drugs Not Approved for Use in the US

    01/12/2018
    June 13, 2017: Cherry Hill Doctor and Son Admit Defrauding Medicare, Agree To $1.78 Million Settlement

    01/12/2018
    September 25, 2017: Pharmacy Manager Pleads Guilty to Illegal Prescription Drug Diversion and Money Laundering

    01/12/2018
    July 28, 2017: Tampa Woman Sentenced to Prison For Misbranded Drugs Used in Connection with Buttocks Injection

    01/12/2018
    March 28, 2017: Former Atlantic County, New Jersey, Man Charged with Smuggling and Dispensing Misbranded Drugs

    01/12/2018
    September 12, 2017: Former Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Stealing Pain-killing Drugs, Replacing Vials with Water

    01/12/2018
    May 15, 2017: Printing and Packaging Business Owner Convicted of Trafficking in Counterfeit Veterinary Labels

    01/12/2018
    July 14, 2017: Senior Executives of Medical Drug Re-Packager Plead Guilty to Defrauding Healthcare Providers

    01/12/2018
    February 16, 2017: Atlanta Man Convicted of Illegally Importing and Distributing Male Enhancement Products from China

    01/11/2018
    September 25, 2017: Millions of Medicines Seized in Largest INTERPOL Operation Against Illicit Online Pharmacies

    01/11/2018
    January 3, 2017: Notification of Stolen Reckitt Benckiser Retail, Non-Prescription, Consumer Healthcare Products

    01/09/2018
    August 1, 2017: Radford Nurse Who Tampered with Liquid Morphine Intended for Nursing Home Patients Sentenced in Federal Court

    01/09/2018
    September 11, 2017: Three Florida Residents Arrested After Law Enforcement Discover Steroid and Fake Prescription Drug Lab

    01/09/2018
    June 21, 2017: Counterfeiters Sentenced for Convictions in Nationwide Conspiracy to Distribute Fake 5-Hour Energy Drink

    01/09/2018
    May 31, 2017: Drug Trafficking Organization Faces Indictment For Involvment In Manufacturing Fake Prescriptions Drugs With Fentanyl

    01/09/2018
    June 26, 2017: Owner of New England Compounding Center Sentenced for Racketeering Leading to Nationwide Fungal Meningitis Outbreak

    01/09/2018
    February 14, 2017: Two Miami-Dade Women Charged in Connection with Their Operation of a Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    June 22, 2017: Pharmacy Owner and Director of Compliance Charged with Defrauding United States and Distributing Adulterated Drugs

    01/09/2018
    April 12, 2017: Owners of Two Los Angeles-Area Drug Wholesale Companies Arrested in $20 Million Federal ‘Structuring’ Conspiracy

    01/09/2018
    February 7, 2017: Randallstown Woman Pleads Guilty to Injecting Non-Medical Grade Silicone into the Bodies of Victim Customers

    01/09/2018
    August 30, 2017: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Operating a Miami Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    March 28, 2017: 3 Canadians and their Vancouver Company Charged with Conspiring to Sell Foreign-Made Drugs to Western Pennsylvania Pharmacists

    01/09/2018
    March 9, 2017: Internet Business Owner Indicted for Selling Non-FDA Approved and Misbranded Versions of Botox and Juvederm Related Products

    01/09/2018
    June 8, 2017: Houston, Texas Man convicted of Smuggling Korean Human Growth Hormone Drugs to Local Patients and Professional Wrestlers

    01/09/2018
    February 16, 2017: Oncology Practice, Doctor and Practice Manager Pay $1.7 Million to Resolve Allegations They Billed Medicare for Illegally Imported Drugs

    01/09/2018
    June 27, 2017: Physician and Wife to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations That They Billed Medicare and Medicaid for Unapproved Drugs

    01/09/2018
    September 6, 2017: Bronx Pharmacist Pleads Guilty To Illegally Selling Millions Of Prescription Pills On The Internet And Agrees To Forfeit $9 Million

    01/09/2018
    March 30, 2017: Lincoln Mother and Son Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Misbranded Substances, Drug Paraphernalia, and Related Financial Crimes

    01/09/2018
    January 12, 2017: Baxter Healthcare Corporation to Pay More than $18 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Sterile Products

    01/09/2018
    September 20, 2017: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Managing a Miami Spa Performing Illicit Silicone Injections

    01/09/2018
    May 23, 2017: Citizen of Pakistan and United Kingdom Sentenced For International Wire Fraud Scheme That Sold False Cures For Multiple Illnesses

    01/09/2018
    April 18, 2017: SCM True Air Technologies, of Ohio and Kentucky, and Its Former Company President – Guilty of Delivering Misbranded Medical Devices from Unregistered Facilities to a Georgia V.A. Medical Center and Obstructing an FDA Investigation into their Conduct

    01/09/2018
    September 26, 2017: Houston, Texas Man Sentenced to 40 Months and a $95,000 Fine for Smuggling Korean Human Growth Hormone Drugs to Local Patients and Professional Wrestlers

    01/09/2018
    September 27, 2017: Amerisourcebergen Specialty Group Pleads Guilty to Distributing Misbranded Drugs and is Sentenced to Pay $260 Million to Resolve Criminal Liability

    01/09/2018
    May 26, 2017: Florida Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Causing the Death of One Victim and Hospitalization of Others by Injecting them With Liquid Silicone

    01/09/2018
    September 11, 2017: Owner of O.C. Pet Products Company Pleads Guilty to Selling Pet Meds without Prescriptions, Some of Which Were Not Approved for U.S. Sale

    12/21/2017
    December 19, 2017: Senior Executives of Medical Drug Repackager Sentenced for Defrauding Healthcare Providers

    12/21/2017
    December 20, 2017: Fitchburg Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Counterfeit Steroid Conspiracy

    12/18/2017
    December 18, 2017: Cherry Hill Doctor and Son Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Medicare

    12/14/2017
    December 12, 2017: Iserve Technologies, Inc. Pled Guilty in Connection with Guilty Pleas of Former Exec and Manager of Med-Fast Pharmacy Inc.

    12/04/2017
    November 30, 2017: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Steroid Conspiracy

    12/04/2017
    November 30, 2017: Paramedic Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl from Ambulance Company

    12/04/2017
    November 28, 2017: Champaign, Illinois, Resident Guilty of Producing and Selling Over 80,000 Homemade Tramadol Capsules to Customers Without Verifying Prescriptions

    12/04/2017
    November 29, 2017: Knoxville Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the FDA

    11/27/2017
    November 21, 2017: Williamsville Couple Pleads Guilty

    11/27/2017
    November 22, 2017: Former Pharmacy Compliance Director Pleads Guilty to Introducing Adulterated Drugs into Interstate Commerce and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

    11/27/2017
    November 20, 2017: Vitamin Shop Owner Sentenced for Misbranded Drugs and Controlled Substance Conviction

    11/21/2017
    November 20, 2017:Queensbury Oncologist and Office Manager Plead Guilty in Connection with Administering Unapproved Drugs

    11/21/2017
    November 16, 2017: Palmer Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Import Prescription Drugs from Pakistan

    11/20/2017
    November 7, 2017: Federal Jury Convicts Lake Charles Veterinarian, Pharmacy in Race Horse Doping Conspiracy

    11/06/2017
    November 3, 2017: Vero Beach Orthopedic Surgeon Charged in Drug Conspiracy Resulting in Death

    11/06/2017
    November 3, 2017: Five Charged in Alleged Opioid Prescription, Healthcare Fraud Scheme

    11/06/2017
    November 1, 2017: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Misbranded Animal Drugs Containing Steroids

    11/01/2017
    November 1, 2017: FDA Supervisor and Local Businessman Charged in Bribery Scheme

    11/01/2017
    November 1, 2017: Pair Sentenced on Federal Conspiracy

    10/31/2017
    October 31, 2017: South Korean Maker of Contact Lenses, Company CEO Charged with Smuggling Products into U.S. by Failing to Declare Full Value

    10/31/2017
    March 28, 2017: Oakland Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Conspiracy to Manufacture Counterfeit Drugs

    10/30/2017
    October 27, 2017: Central Kentucky Pharmacist Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and Money Laundering

    10/26/2017
    October 26, 2017: Founder and Owner of Pharmaceutical Company Insys Arrested and Charged with Racketeering

    10/26/2017
    October 25, 2017: Five Chinese Citizens and Four Chinese Companies Indicted in Scheme to Sell Mislabeled Dietary Supplements

    10/26/2017
    October 25, 2017: Supervisory Pharmacist of New England Compounding Center Convicted of Racketeering Leading to Nationwide Fungal Meningitis Outbreak

    10/17/2017
    October 16, 2017: Omak, Washington Nurse Sentenced to Federal Prison for Adulterating and Misbranding Pain Medications

    10/10/2017
    October 4, 2017: Med-Fast Pharmacy Inc. and Former Exec Agree to Resolve Criminal and Civil Charges

    10/03/2017
    October 2, 2017: Compounding Pharmacy Owner Charged with $10 Million Health Care Fraud

    10/02/2017
    September 29, 2017: Randallstown Woman Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison For Injecting Non-Medical Grade Silicone Into The Bodies Of Victim Customers

    09/28/2017
    September 20, 2017: Pair Plead Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charge

    08/29/2017
    August 28, 2017: Shrewsbury Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Counterfeit Steroid Scheme

    08/18/2017
    August 18, 2017: Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Steroids, Money Laundering

    07/18/2017
    July 6, 2017: North Olmsted Man Charged with Selling Misbranded Drugs

    07/03/2017
    June 28, 2017: Former VA Nurse Re-Sentenced for Stealing and Tampering with Patient Medications

    07/03/2017
    June 28, 2017: Distributor of Counterfeit Medications Arrested

    06/28/2017
    June 23, 2017: Monterey Park Woman Arrested on Federal Charges after Allegedly Injecting Foreign Substances into Woman for Buttocks Enhancement

    06/26/2017
    June 22, 2017: Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Removing Liquid Fentanyl from Ambulance

    06/19/2017
    June 16, 2017: Leawood Woman Charged With Importing Misbranded Drugs

    06/09/2017
    June 9, 2017: Providence Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Oxycodone

    04/24/2017
    April 19, 2017: Radford Nurse, Who Tampered with Liquid Morphine Intended for Nursing Home Patients, Pleads Guilty

    04/13/2017
    April 12, 2017: Six Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Steroids

    04/06/2017
    April 5, 2017: Worcester Nurse Sentenced for Drug Tampering

    03/30/2017
    March 22, 2017: Diamond Bar Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling ED Drugs that Were Sold as ‘Herbal Enhancement’ Products without Prescriptions

    03/27/2017
    March 22, 2017: Owner of New England Compounding Center Convicted of Racketeering Leading to Nationwide Fungal Meningitis Outbreak

    01/19/2017
    January 18, 2017: Owner of Major Online Colored Contact Lens Business Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison in Largest-Ever Scheme to Import and Sell Counterfeit and Misbranded Contact Lenses Prosecuted in the United States

    01/19/2017
    January 13, 2017: Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Drugs

    01/17/2017
    January 11, 2017: Worcester Nurse Pleads Guilty to Drug Tampering

    02/20/2018
    August 19, 2016: Pharmacy Owner and Medical Doctor Charged in an Internet Scheme to Dispense Medications to Customers without Valid Prescriptions

    01/24/2018
    December 6, 2016: Two Sentenced for Trafficking in Counterfeit Viagra and Cialis

    01/24/2018
    December 9, 2016: Carroll County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charge

    01/24/2018
    July 18, 2016: Cincinnati Man Sentenced for Illegally Importing Drugs into U.S.

    01/24/2018
    July 7, 2016: Johnston Resident Charged with Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

    01/24/2018
    January 7, 2016: Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Narcotics from Hospital

    01/24/2018
    December 8, 2016: Pharmaceutical Executives Charged in Racketeering Scheme

    01/24/2018
    December 2, 2016: Woman Arrested For Injecting Adulterated Liquid Silicone

    01/24/2018
    June 27, 2016: Hampton-Based Spice Retailer and Wholesaler Pleads Guilty

    01/24/2018
    May 31, 2016: Worcester Nurse Indicted on Federal Drug Tampering Charges

    01/16/2018
    October 11, 2016: Foreign National Pleads Guilty To International Wire Fraud Scheme

    01/12/2018
    December 20, 2016: New England Compounding Center’s National Sales Director Pleads Guilty

    01/12/2018
    December 27, 2016: Providence Nurse Charged in Connection with Tampering with Oxycodone

    01/12/2018
    January 20, 2016: Businessman Sentenced for Marketing and Selling Unapproved Remedies for Cancer

    01/12/2018
    June 2, 2016: Additional Criminal Charges Brought Against Indicted Penn National Horse Trainer

    01/12/2018
    August 15, 2016: Second Trafficker Convicted of Distributing Dangerous Counterfeit Viagra and Cialis

    01/12/2018
    October 12, 2016: Colombian National Charged for Unlawfully Injecting Silicone into Victims Bodies

    01/12/2018
    September 22, 2016: Hoover Man Charged for Marketing Misbranded Male Enhancement Drugs from China

    01/12/2018
    September, 22, 2016 Hoover Man Charged for Marketing Misbranded Male Enhancement Drugs from China

    01/12/2018
    August 2, 2016: Colombian National Charged for Unlawfully Injecting Silicone into Victims’ Bodies

    01/12/2018
    December 13, 2016: Tampa Resident Indicted for Involvement with Tricare Health Care Fraud Scheme

    01/12/2018
    September 29, 2016: New York Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Illegally Manufacture Designer Steroids

    01/12/2018
    July 1, 2016: New Hampshire Couple Indicted On Two Counts Of Illegal Distribution Of Prescription Drugs

    01/12/2018
    June 22, 2016: Former Nurse Sentenced to 82 Months for Stealing and Tampering with Patient Medications

    01/12/2018
    December 19, 2016: New York Man Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term for Selling Unsafe Dietary Supplements Online

    01/12/2018
    July 29, 2016: Majority Owner of NECC and Husband Plead Guilty to Illegal Cash Withdrawals Following Outbreak

    01/12/2018
    July 20, 2016: Former Acclarent, Inc. Executives Convicted of Crimes Related to the Sale of Medical Devices

    01/12/2018
    June 6, 2016: Pharmaceutical Companies To Pay $67 Million To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating To Tarceva

    01/11/2018
    July 22, 2016: Medical Device Manufacturer Acclarent Inc. to Pay $18 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

    01/11/2018
    November 15, 2016: Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced to Fifteen Months in Prison for Distributing Contaminated Cheese

    01/09/2018
    November 4, 2016: Two Pakistani Nationals Sentenced for Conspiring to Illegally Ship Pharmaceuticals into the United States

    01/09/2018
    November 29, 2016: Eight Defendants Convicted For Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Counterfeit 5-Hour Energy Drink

    01/09/2018
    July 6, 2016: New Jersey Medical Device Manufacturer Admits Selling Contaminated Ultrasound Gel; Court Orders Permanent Injunction

    01/09/2018
    June 21, 2016: Two Pharmacists Sentenced to Prison for Adulteration of Drugs in Connection with Alabama-Based Compounding Pharmacy

    01/09/2018
    December 2, 2016: Former Police Officer Sentenced in White Plains Federal Court to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Date Rape Drug

    01/09/2018
    December 13, 2016: O.C. Man Charged with Selling Pet Meds Without a Prescription, Some of Which Were Not Approved for Distribution in the United States

    01/09/2018
    November 10, 2016: Nurse Who Operated Spa in Laguna Niguel Agrees to Plead Guilty to Illegally Dispensing Botox Not Approved for Use in United States

    01/09/2018
    November 28, 2016: Iowa Cancer Clinic and Oncologist to Pay More Than $176,000 To Settle False Claims Act Allegations They Recklessly Billed for Cancer Drugs That Were Unapproved, Misbranded, or Counterfeit and Improperly Upcoded Office Visit Claims

    01/09/2018
    September 9, 2016: Owner of Major Online Colored Contact Lens Business Pleads Guilty in Largest-Ever Investigation of Counterfeit and Misbranded Contact Lenses in the United States

    01/09/2018
    November 7, 2016: Medical Device Maker Biocompatibles Pleads Guilty to Misbranding and Agrees to Pay $36 Million to Resolve Criminal Liability and False Claims Act Allegations

    01/09/2018
    December 7, 2016: GNC Enters Into Agreement with Department of Justice to Improve Its Practices and Keep Potentially Illegal Dietary Supplements Out of the Marketplace

    01/09/2018
    December 5, 2016: Medical Device Saleswoman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Charges Relating to the Transport of Stolen Medical Devices and Money Laundering

    12/15/2016
    December 13, 2016: Conagra Subsidiary Sentenced in Connection with Outbreak of Salmonella Poisoning Related to Peanut Butter

    12/13/2016
    December 9, 2016: Two South Florida Residents Charged with Conspiring to Misbrand and Sell Expired Gastric Banding Systems

    11/21/2016
    November 18, 2016: Palm Harbor Oncologist Convicted Of Buying Unapproved Cancer Medications From Foreign Sources And Defrauding Medicare

    11/08/2016
    November 4, 2016: University Hospital Nurse Arrested Following Grand Jury Indictment for Illegally Obtaining and Tampering with Fentanyl and Hydomorphone

    10/17/2016
    October 11, 2016: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing, Distributing Performance Enhancing Drugs

    09/26/2016
    September 9, 2016: Medical Device Saleswoman Convicted on Charges of Conspiring to Transport Stolen Medical Devices in Interstate Commerce, Money Laundering and Other Charges

    08/19/2016
    August 19,2016: North Carolina Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Providing Silicone Buttocks Injections Resulting in the Death of a Client

    07/26/2016
    July 25, 2016: Three Charged with Manufacturing, Distributing Performance Enhancing Drugs

    06/20/2016
    June 20, 2016: R.I. Businessman Pleads Guilty to Running International Scheme to Label and Sell Misbranded Drugs

    06/08/2016
    June 2, 2016: President of Pharmaceutical Companies Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Long-Running Scheme to Sell Misbranded and Unapproved Chemotherapy and Other Prescription Drugs

    05/27/2016
    May 26, 2016: Owner of “The Wholesale Source” Convicted for Selling Unsafe Dietary Supplements Online

    05/27/2016
    May 27, 2016: North Carolina Man Admits Receiving and Selling Misbranded Silicone for Buttocks Injections Resulting in the Death of a Client

    05/23/2016
    May 9, 2016: California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Unapproved Drug in Rhode Island

    05/19/2016
    May 18, 2016: Woman Charged with Illegally Administering Silicone Injections

    05/16/2016
    May 13, 2016: Two Key Players in Illegal Online Pharmacy Scheme Sentenced to Prison

    05/16/2016
    May 12, 2016: Windsor Mill Woman Indicted for Allegedly Injecting Non-Medical Grade Silicone into the Bodies of Victim Customers

    05/09/2016
    May 9, 2016: Owner of Bodybuilding Drug Companies Sentenced for Selling Misbranded Drugs

    05/09/2016
    May 9, 2016: Lodi Oncologist and Office Administrator Pay $300,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

    05/06/2016
    May 5, 2016: Florida Man Sentenced To Prison For Illegal Diet Pill Scheme

    05/05/2016
    May 4, 2016: Former Buffalo Nurse Sentenced For Stealing Pain Medications Intended For Patients From Local Hospital

    05/04/2016
    April 28, 2016: Jury Convicts Former Police Officer For Selling Date Rape Drug

    05/04/2016
    May 3, 2016: Gainesville Physician Convicted of 162 Counts of Health Care Fraud

    05/02/2016
    April 29, 2016: Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest Of Black Market Distributor Of Diverted HIV Medications Worth Approximately $4 Million

    04/20/2016
    April 20, 2016: Norfolk Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Insulin

    04/14/2016
    April 7, 2016: Former Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Narcotics from Hospital

    04/06/2016
    April 4, 2016: Former Carlsbad Resident Jailed for Sale of Unapproved “Energy Wave” Medical Devices

    03/24/2016
    March 23, 2016: Federal Jury Convicts Destrehan Woman in Scheme to Sell Illegal and Mislabelled Diet Pills

    03/24/2016
    March 23, 2016: Detroit-Area Physician Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Role in $5.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

    03/21/2016
    March 18, 2016: Bookkeeper for Online Pharmacy Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Money Laundering

    03/11/2016
    March 8, 2016: Cincinnati Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Importing Drugs into U.S.

    03/08/2016
    March 7, 2016: Tehachapi Doctor Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Defrauding Patients and Insurers by Implanting Unapproved IUDs

    03/08/2016
    March 4, 2016: First of Seven Defendants Who Operated Illegal Online Pharmacy Sentenced to Prison

    03/04/2016
    March 4, 2016: Mumbai, India, Man Sentenced on Misbranding Charge

    03/03/2016
    March 1, 2016: Principal of Dietary Ingredient Companies Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Meth Precursor Scheme

    02/29/2016
    February 26, 2016: Florence Man Sentenced for Smuggling and Distributing Prescription Drugs

    02/25/2016
    February 17, 2016: Danville Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Distributing Illegal Dietary Supplements

    02/24/2016
    February 24, 2016: Former VA Nurse Pleads Guilty To Stealing Controlled Substance From Hospital Syringes

    02/24/2016
    February 17, 2016: Two Men Sentenced For Involvement in Scheme to Distribute Misbranded Drugs

    02/23/2016
    February 10, 2016: Las Vegas Resident Indicted For Running Counterfeit and Misbranded Contact Lens Operation

    02/19/2016
    February 17, 2016: United States And Vermont Doctor Resolve Matter Involving Non-FDA Approved Drugs And False Claims

    02/19/2016
    February 16, 2016: Swedish Medical Center Surgical Tech/Technologist Indicted by Federal Grand Jury in Denver on Charges of Tampering with a Consumer Product and Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Deceit

    02/19/2016
    February 10, 2016: Owner of Cancer Treatment Clinic Convicted of Providing Fraudulent Medical Treatments to Patients

    02/04/2016
    January 28, 2016: Federal Criminal Charges Filed Against Two Pharmacists for Adulteration of Drugs in Connection with Alabama-Based Compounding Pharmacy

    02/02/2016
    February 1, 2016: Pakistani Man Makes Appearance in U.S. District Court in Denver Following Indictment and Arrest for Sale and Distribution of New, Misbranded and Counterfeit Prescription Drugs

    02/02/2016
    February 1, 2016: Worcester Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Oxycodone from Patients

    02/02/2016
    January 22, 2016: Counterfeit Cigarette Smuggler Receives Jail Sentence

    02/02/2016
    January 5, 2016: Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison in Conspiracy to Distribute Over $6.6 Million in Contraband Cigarettes

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft leads global action that’s disrupting a favored cybercrime tool

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft leads global action that’s disrupting a favored cybercrime tool

    Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and international partners are disrupting the leading tool used to indiscriminately steal sensitive personal and organizational information to facilitate cybercrime. On Tuesday, May 13, Microsoft’s DCU filed a legal action against Lumma Stealer (“Lumma”), which is the favored info-stealing malware used by hundreds of cyber threat actors. Lumma steals passwords, credit cards, bank accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets and has enabled criminals to hold schools for ransom, empty bank accounts, and disrupt critical services.

    Via a court order granted in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, Microsoft’s DCU seized and facilitated the takedown, suspension, and blocking of approximately 2,300 malicious domains that formed the backbone of Lumma’s infrastructure. The Department of Justice (DOJ) simultaneously seized the central command structure for Lumma and disrupted the marketplaces where the tool was sold to other cybercriminals. Europol’s European Cybercrime Center (EC3) and Japan’s Cybercrime Control Center (JC3) facilitated the suspension of locally based Lumma infrastructure.

    Between March 16, 2025, and May 16, 2025, Microsoft identified over 394,000 Windows computers globally infected by the Luma malware. Working with law enforcement and industry partners, we have severed communications between the malicious tool and victims. Moreover, more than 1,300 domains seized by or transferred to Microsoft, including 300 domains actioned by law enforcement with the support of Europol, will be redirected to Microsoft sinkholes. This will allow Microsoft’s DCU to provide actionable intelligence to continue to harden the security of the company’s services and help protect online users. These insights will also assist public- and private-sector partners as they continue to track, investigate, and remediate this threat. This joint action is designed to slow the speed at which these actors can launch their attacks, minimize the effectiveness of their campaigns, and hinder their illicit profits by cutting a major revenue stream.

    Heat map detailing global spread of Lumma Stealer malware infections and encounters across Windows devices.
    Splash page displayed on 900+ domains seized by Microsoft. 

    What is Lumma?

    Lumma is a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS), marketed and sold through underground forums since at least 2022. Over the years, the developers released multiple versions to continually improve its capabilities. Microsoft Threat Intelligence shares more details around the delivery techniques and capabilities of Lumma in a recent blog.

    Typically, the goal of Lumma operators is to monetize stolen information or conduct further exploitation for various purposes. Lumma is easy to distribute, difficult to detect, and can be programmed to bypass certain security defenses, making it a go-to tool for cybercriminals and online threat actors, including prolific ransomware actors such as Octo Tempest (Scattered Spider). The malware impersonates trusted brands, including Microsoft, and is deployed via spear-phishing emails and malvertising, among other vectors.

    For example, in March 2025, Microsoft Threat Intelligence identified a phishing campaign impersonating online travel agency Booking.com. The campaign used multiple credential-stealing malware, including Lumma, to conduct financial fraud and theft. Lumma has also been used to target gaming communities and education systems and poses an ongoing risk to global security, with reports from multiple cybersecurity companies outlining its use in attacks against critical infrastructure, such as the manufacturing, telecommunications, logistics, finance, and healthcare sectors.

    Example of phishing email impersonating Booking.com and fake CAPTCHA verification prompt. (Source:Microsoft – Phishing campaign impersonates Booking .com, delivers a suite of credential-stealing malware)

    The primary developer of Lumma is based in Russia and goes by the internet alias “Shamel.” Shamel markets different tiers of service for Lumma via Telegram and other Russian-language chat forums. Depending on what service a cybercriminal purchases, they can create their own versions of the malware, add tools to conceal and distribute it, and track stolen information through an online portal.

    Different tiers of service for Lumma, as well as Lumma’s logo used on marketing material. (Source: Darktrace – The Rise of MaaS & Lumma Info Stealer)

    In an interview with cybersecurity researcher “g0njxa” in November 2023, Shamel shared that he had “about 400 active clients.” Demonstrating the evolution of cybercrime to incorporate established business practices, he effectively created a Lumma brand, using a distinctive logo of a bird to market his product, calling it a symbol of “peace, lightness, and tranquility,” and adding the slogan “making money with us is just as easy.”

    Shamel’s ability to operate openly underscores the importance for countries worldwide to address the issue of safe havens and to advocate for the rigorous enforcement of due diligence obligations under international law.

    Continuing to work together to disrupt prolific cybercrime tools

    Disrupting the tools cybercriminals frequently use can create a significant and lasting impact on cybercrime, as rebuilding malicious infrastructure and sourcing new exploit tools takes time and costs money. By severing access to mechanisms cybercriminals use, such as Lumma, we can significantly disrupt the operations of countless malicious actors through a single action.

    Continued collaboration across industry and government remains imperative. We are grateful for the partnership with others across government and industry, including cybersecurity companies ESET, Bitsight, Lumen, Cloudflare, CleanDNS, and GMO Registry. Each company provided valuable assistance by quickly taking down online infrastructure.

    Finally, we know cybercriminals are persistent and creative. We, too, must evolve to identify new ways to disrupt malicious activities. Microsoft’s DCU will continue to adapt and innovate to counteract cybercrime and help ensure the safety of critical infrastructure, customers, and online users.

    Organizations and individuals can protect themselves from malware like Lumma by using multi-factor authentication, running the latest anti-malware software, and being cautious with attachments and email links. More information for security professionals can be found here.

    Tags: cyberattacks, cybersecurity

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson on Her Departure from the CFTC

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    It has been an honor and privilege to serve as a Commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Having completed my full term, I have notified the President of my intent to step down as a CFTC Commissioner later this year. Although this is a difficult decision, I am proud of the work that I have accomplished and am deeply grateful for the chance to develop meaningful relationships with staff and current and former Commissioners during my tenure at the CFTC.
    I am exceptionally fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve our great nation and am honored that President Joseph R. Biden nominated me to serve in two critical roles as a financial market regulator. In addition to nominating me to serve a three-year term as a CFTC Commissioner in the fall of 2021, last summer, President Biden nominated me to serve as Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the United States Department of the Treasury. 
    As a graduate of Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, the invitation to return to Washington, D.C. as a CFTC Commissioner resonated with my life-long commitment to be “in service of others.” When I accepted the nomination to serve as a CFTC Commissioner, I requested a three-year leave of absence from Emory University School of Law where I serve as Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law. On March 28, 2022, I was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. On March 30, 2022, not long after teaching my last class for the semester at Emory Law School, I was sworn in to serve as a CFTC Commissioner.
    This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the CFTC, a small-but-mighty agency that works daily to advance effective supervision and oversight in derivatives markets. In 1974, Congress passed and Former President Gerald Ford[1] signed into law the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act creating the CFTC. A few months later, on April 15, 1975, four of the first five Commissioners, including the first Chairman of the Commission, were sworn in to service.
    As the Commission celebrates this important milestone, I celebrated my third anniversary at the Commission. A few days after my third anniversary, my term expired.
    Our derivatives markets operate as a critical resource for price discovery, risk management, and hedging functions for many sectors in our economy but, most notably, the agriculture, energy, and financial services sectors. One of the greatest strengths of our federal government and, more specifically, the federal agencies that supervise many of the largest global financial market participants in the world, is the intellectual leadership of our regulators.[2] Over the last several decades significant events have tested the resilience of our markets. In each instance, the Commission and its regulations developed through robust engagement among the Commissioners—with the support of the Commission staff—have served to address liquidity and default risk management concerns and to enhance the integrity and stability of our derivatives markets.
    I have endeavored to support the Commission’s work through constructive, substantive engagement with my fellow Commissioners, Commission staff, and the diverse businesses that we supervise. I am deeply committed to encouraging the Commission to develop well-informed, research-based, data-driven regulatory solutions that are well-tailored and fit-for-purpose. Thoughtful, effective regulation ensures that our markets are resilient even during periods of significant or persistent challenges.
    It has been a privilege to serve alongside my fellow Commissioners and to have had the opportunity to work with the exceptional and indefatigable staff at the Commission. The Commission staff works tirelessly to support the Commission in tackling complex and consequential issues through careful and thoughtful deliberative processes. I am confident that the Commission will continue to do important work protecting investors and customers, combatting fraud and market manipulation, and ensuring market integrity and stability.
    A Survey of Service
    Serving in leadership at the Commission, I have enjoyed driving intellectual and policy developments on several critical issues facing our markets. I led the Commission by advancing proposed and final rules that enhance risk management for derivatives clearing organizations (DCOs), cyber-resilience, and effective recovery, resilience, and wind-down regulations.
    I have strongly advocated for careful reflection regarding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in financial markets and advocated for a number of policies and strategies to enhance the Commission’s ability to better understand industry integration of AI, including information gathering; the creation of an inter-agency task force encouraging domestic and international harmonization and collaboration on guidance or policies addressing the adoption of AI; the creation of a CFTC AI Fraud and Market Manipulation Task Force; and efforts to ensure sufficient human capital and financial resources to enable the Commission staff to keep pace with rapidly-evolving AI technologies.
    In the wake of a crypto-crisis in the fall of 2022, I delivered a keynote address at the inaugural Digital Assets @Duke conference, where I called for the Commission to organize roundtables and convene discussions to better understand the type of regulatory interventions that may lead to effective supervision of rapidly developing and evolving decentralized finance markets.[3] I encouraged the Commission to begin a multi-stakeholder dialogue on digital asset markets that would help to prepare the Commission staff to create regulation to carry out a Congressional mandate and, at the same time, offer educational workshops on foundational issues such as corporate governance, resolution planning, and customer protection features of CFTC regulation.[4] These regulatory pillars are hardwired in our supervision and should be part of the regulatory architecture for any novel assets or markets that come under Commission supervision. Same risks, same rules. Moreover, these governance and operational guardrails have historically served to ensure that firms are able to withstand anticipated shocks (for example, by promoting enterprise risk management) and that markets remain resilient—even in times of significant distress. 
    I am proud to have served as Sponsor of the Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC). I am grateful for the hard work of Alicia Crighton (Chair of the MRAC), the members of the MRAC, and the members of the MRAC Subcommittees—the Market Structure, Central Counterparty Risk & Governance, Interest Rate Benchmark Reform, Climate-Related Market Risk, and Future of Finance Subcommittees.
    As Sponsor of the MRAC, I led the Commission in taking on, in real-time, emerging cyber defense and cyber resilience concerns. In March of 2023, the MRAC hosted a first-of-its-kind hearing to examine cyber threats and potential solutions in derivatives markets. Over the last three years, the MRAC has submitted three sets of recommendations and a cutting-edge report to the Commission. The recommendations and report address system safeguards, critical third-party service providers and cyber resilience for institutions at the center of our market infrastructure; the efficacy of recovery, resilience, and wind-down policies for intermediaries in our markets; risk management related to the cash-futures basis trade; and a report on the state of the futures commission merchant market.
    The central tenants of the Commodity Exchange Act inform the CFTC’s mandate—to prevent fraud and market manipulation, protect investors and customers, and ensure the stability and integrity of our markets. In order to deter escalating or future misconduct, I have strongly supported efforts to ensure that the Commission upholds this mandate, enhances customer protection, and holds bad actors accountable.
    Artificial Intelligence in Financial Markets 
    While derivatives transactions in financial markets date back to ancient Greece, none of the Greek philosophers who lived two thousand years ago had the ability to generate a philosophical tome or literary masterpiece by simply typing a few questions into ChatGPT.[5]  Simply stated, today’s financial markets are evolving at an unprecedented and accelerated pace. I arrived at the Commission deeply committed to advancing the Commission’s understanding of AI and AI use cases relevant to our markets. During my tenure at the Commission, I partnered with leadership across the industry, government regulators, public interest advocates, academics, and Commission staff to initiate a dialogue on the increasing adoption of AI by our market participants as well as the incorporation of AI in regulatory oversight and supervision.
    Information-Gathering
    In January 2024, I rolled up my sleeves during a winter storm and worked in collaboration with talented CFTC senior staff to develop the Commission’s first request for comment on AI in CFTC-regulated markets.[6] Later in the year, I represented the Commission in the development of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s request for information on AI.[7] I also represented the Commission by serving in an association of federal regulators across government agencies engaged in understanding the implications of integrating AI in government supervision and regulation.
    In June of 2023, I joined a group of market regulators reflecting on the integration of AI in supervisory technology (SupTech) at the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Annual Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Days after IOSCO’s Annual Meeting in June 2023, I launched an annual international roundtable to explore AI and other novel technologies and the impact of these technologies on market structures with the former U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón.[8] I have served as a keynote speaker at dozens of industry and trade association conferences as well as academic institutions including Yale, Stanford, Duke, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, the University of Chicago, and Cornell Law Schools, as well as Rice University’s Baker Institute, among other institutions where I have been fortunate to engage in thoughtful conversations with leading experts representing diverse viewpoints.
    My engagement with market participants, U.S. market and prudential regulators, and global market regulators around the world has left me with the impression that we are still in a learning phase and are continuing to develop more precise understandings of the power, potential, and limits of developed and developing applications of AI, including generative and agentic AI.    I have, however, advocated for a few accessible policy initiatives that the Commission should begin to take steps to introduce.
    An Inter-Agency Task Force – Collaboration and Coordination
    Over the last three years, I have advocated for AI policy priorities that must be at the center of the CFTC and other regulators’ policy agenda.[9] I have called for coordination among regulators to ensure that regulators are informed and have the depth of expertise to respond effectively to emerging technologies. I have asked the Commission and other financial market regulators to create an Inter-Agency AI Task Force to establish a pathway for open dialogue through deep dive, public and closed-door roundtables among the Commission, market participants, other market and prudential regulators, and public interest advocates.[10] Shortly after the announcement of my proposal, the Commission named its first Chief AI Officer.
    CFTC AI Fraud and Market Manipulation Task Force
    Our markets are faced with increasingly sophisticated forms of AI driven fraud. Evidence suggests that hackers are repurposing AI-based tools previously used in cyber defense tactics to identify weaknesses in networks and cybersecurity applications. These weaknesses open back doors for cyber-attacks. Generative AI may enable sophisticated actors to execute more convincing phishing campaigns. Deep fakes and similar campaigns may be more difficult to detect, especially for less sophisticated consumers and retail participants.
    I have encouraged the Commission to create an internal AI task force within the Division of Enforcement and introduce heightened civil monetary penalties in instances where bad actors use AI to engage in fraud or market manipulation. In conversations with regulators in jurisdictions around the world, I have advocated for regulators to better understand AI as a SupTech resource that may enhance our ability to more precisely target AI fueled cyber and fraud attacks that threaten to upend the integrity and stability of domestic and global financial markets causing severe market disruption.
    Human Capital and Financial Resources
    The CFTC continues to punch above its weight. The agency, however, must have both financial and human resources to keep pace as industry participants integrate increasingly complex iterations of AI. As our markets become more complex and reflect the incorporation of and reliance on novel technologies, the Commission must have the resources to effectively supervise more sophisticated markets. I believe that the Commission would benefit from increased resources dedicated to enabling several of the Divisions within the Commission to prepare for and meet the challenges of regulating innovative trading, clearing, and settlement technologies.[11]
    The Market Risk Advisory Committee
    In my role as Sponsor of the MRAC, I have convened stakeholders with diverse perspectives to address critical, complex issues facing our markets. Under my leadership and working in collaboration with industry executives representing exchanges, clearinghouses, futures commission merchants, as well as public interest advocates, academics, and many others, the MRAC examined many of the most pressing risks across our financial markets, including systemic issues that could threaten the stability of derivatives markets.
    During my time as Sponsor, the MRAC has focused on increasing concerns presented by cyber threats; the significance of critical third-party service providers such as cloud-based service providers; the introduction of artificial intelligence in market infrastructure and commercial and retail transactions; and novel and nascent issues that arise with the introduction of decentralized financial products such as digital assets or cryptocurrency and other emerging markets.
    In March of 2023, the MRAC hosted a first-of-its-kind post-mortem on the implications for markets following the cyberattack on back-office service provider ION. The hearing included presentations by Matthew Cronin of the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director; Tom Sexton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Futures Association; Walt Lukken, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Futures Industry Association; Julie Holzrichter of CME Group; Amanda Olear, Former Director of the Market Participants Division of the CFTC; Greg Ruppert, Executive Vice President of FINRA; Ashwini Panse of Intercontinental Exchange; Suyash Paliwal, Former Director of the CFTC Office of International Affairs (OIA); and Senior Special Counsel Kirsten Robbins of the CFTC OIA, among others.[12]
    At the MRAC’s most recent meeting, the Committee voted to submit recommendations on many issues—a report and recommendation on the need to evaluate our regulations governing critical third party service providers (particularly in areas marked by concentration risks due to a limited number of competitive service providers); cyber resilience for derivatives clearing organizations; and best practices for managing market, liquidity, counterparty credit, and other risks related to the cash futures basis trade.[13] In addition to these significant contributions, the MRAC advanced important recovery and resolution proposals and published a cutting-edge report on concentration risk engendered by a decline in the market for futures commission merchant services over the last two decades.[14]
    The MRAC’s work on each of these critical questions will help the Commission to address emerging issues and enhance the Commission’s ability to promote the stability and integrity of derivatives markets.
    The Importance of Public Service
    I began my legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr. I am thankful that the Judge was willing to take a chance on me; the Judge hired me as a second-year law student to serve as his law clerk upon my graduation from law school. Having spent the better part of his career as a federal prosecutor and later a federal judge, Judge Greenaway taught me to value public service and the importance of building relationships in the communities in which we serve. 
    I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve the CFTC community. Every well-developed proposed or final rule review, open or closed meeting briefing and engagement, advisory committee meeting agenda, and policy initiative advanced by my office benefited tremendously from the tireless work and commitment of my current and former staff. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who served my office in any counsel, policy advisor or law student intern role. I am also grateful to the incomparable executive assistants who supported the administrative functions of the office.
    About Commissioner Johnson
    Immediately prior to joining the Commission, Commissioner Johnson served as a tenured professor with an endowed professorship (Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law) and Associate Dean for Faculty Research at Emory University School of Law. Commissioner Johnson also held a named professorship and served as Associate Dean for Faculty Research at Tulane University School of Law. Prior to law teaching, Commissioner Johnson served as a lawyer in private practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLC’s New York and London offices supporting the mergers and acquisitions, private credit and public and private capital markets practices. Upon leaving private practice, Commissioner Johnson joined J.P. Morgan Chase as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel in the Treasury Services Division supporting private funds. Before attending law school, Commissioner Johnson served as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Asset Management Division.
    Commissioner Johnson is the co-author of two forthcoming books—The Cambridge University Press Handbook on Artificial Intelligence & The Law and Artificial Intelligence & The Law: Cases and Materials.  Her recent work examines the implications of emerging innovative technologies including distributed digital ledger technologies that enable the creation of digital assets or cryptocurrency as well as networked, centralized and decentralized transaction-enabling infrastructure. Her early scholarship focuses on financial market disruptions that may create systemic risk concerns, with particular emphasis on the origination of derivatives and other complex financial products as well as secondary market trading, clearing, and settlement. She has testified before Congress on the benefits and risks of integrating emerging technologies such as blockchain or distributed digital ledger technologies and AI in financial markets.[15]

    [3] Keynote Address of Commissioner Kristin Johnson at Digital Assets @ Duke Conference, Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering and Duke Financial Economics Center, Mitigating Crypto-Crises: Applying Lessons Learned in Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (January 26, 2023), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opajohnson2.

    [4] See Kristin N. Johnson, Commissioner, CFTC, Federal Reserve of Chicago Financial Markets Group Fall Conference, Investing in Investor Protection (Nov. 16, 2022), available on file with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; see also Nahiomy Alvarez, Nomaan Chandiwalla, Alessandro Cocco, 2022 Financial Markets Group Fall Conference–Recap, https://www.chicagofed.org/publications/blogs/ chicago-fed-insights/2023/2022-fmg-fall-conference-recap (Feb. 6, 2023).

    [5] Kristin N. Johnson, Regulating Cryptocurrency Secondary Market Trading Platforms, 1/8/2020 U. Chi. L. Rev. Online 1 (2020).

    [7] See U.S. Department of the Treasury, Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services (Dec. 2024), https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Artificial-Intelligence-in-Financial-Services.pdf (Treasury December Report).

    [15] In April of 2021, Commissioner Johnson testified before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions. In July of 2019, she testified before the House Financial Services Committee Artificial Intelligence Task Force on the implications of integrating artificial intelligence in financial technology (fintech) platforms. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Wang Yi to chair 3rd China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting /more details/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will chair the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, from May 28 to 29, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

    As noted by the official representative, the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and representatives of 11 Pacific island states that have diplomatic relations with China have been invited to take part in the event, namely: the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kiribati Taneti Maamau, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niue Dalton Tagelagi, the Crown Prince and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tonga Tupoutoa Ulukalala, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Nauru Lionel Aingimea, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federated States of Micronesia Lorin Robert, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Solomon Islands Peter Chanel Agovaka, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Vanuatu Mark Ati, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Papua New Guinea Justin Tkachenko, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Cook Islands Tingika Elikana, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji Lenora Kerekeretabua, the representative of the Government of Samoa, the Ambassador of Samoa to China Luamanuvae Mariner, as well as the Deputy Secretary General of the Forum Pacific islands of Esala Nayashi.

    At a regular press briefing, Mao Ning said China and the Pacific island countries are comprehensive strategic partners committed to mutual respect and common development, adding that the two sides have continuously deepened and developed friendly ties and cooperation in recent years.

    Mao Ning noted that the upcoming meeting will be held in China for the first time in an offline format. According to her, the parties will discuss in detail the comprehensive exchanges and cooperation between China and the Pacific island countries, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.

    China attaches great importance to relations with the Pacific island countries and hopes that this event will contribute to the active implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, strengthening cohesion and cooperation, joining efforts for development and prosperity, and jointly building an even closer community with a shared future for China and the Pacific island countries, the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry added. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong Dies at 88

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    HANOI, May 21 (Xinhua) — Former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong died on Tuesday at the age of 88 after a long illness, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday.

    Tran Duc Luong was born in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai in 1937. He served as President of Vietnam from September 1997 to June 2006. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lilo & Stitch: can Disney’s latest live-action animation remake reignite interest in the genre after Snow White box-office disaster?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura O’Flanagan, PhD Candidate, School of English, Dublin City University

    Lilo & Stitch (2025) is another release in a long line of “reimaginings” of Disney animated features. Described as “live-action” they rework animations with humans and real-life settings (and the occasional animated character). These, for the most part, have been lucrative and successful for the studio. However, Disney’s mining of their own back catalogue has also yielded controversy and backlash.

    Following the troubled release of Snow White earlier this year – a film that failed to recoup its $270m (£201m) budget – it was announced that the production of a live action version of Tangled had been put on hold. Could Lilo and Stitch reignite confidence in the commercial viability of Disney’s recent live-action trend?

    The animated Lilo & Stitch (2002) was a hit when it was released, earning US$273m (£204m) at the box office on its $80m budget. Stitch has become a symbol of the Disney corporation in the decades since the film was released, rivalling Mickey Mouse himself as the Disney mascot most merchandised around the world.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The film seems like an obvious candidate for a live-action rendition. The trailers show Stitch unchanged. He is roguish, naughty, lovable, hilarious and full of personality. This begs the question: what is the point, then? The cynical response to this is lucrative merchandise. But cynicism has no place in Disney films, so let’s dive in.

    The live-action Lilo & Stitch recreates a lot of the charm of the original animated film from 2002. Stitch (the original creator and voice, Chris Sanders) is a chaotic monster, who, when exiled from his home planet, escapes to Earth where he joins Lilo’s family in Hawaii.

    Recently orphaned, six-year old Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her older sister and guardian, Nani (Sydney Adugong) struggle to maintain family life, and face the prospect of being separated by a social worker (Tia Carrere). Stitch’s arrival creates new upheaval as Nani attempts to keep the family together.

    The film’s strengths lie in the ways in which it echoes the original film. Hawaii’s beaches and surf are stunning onscreen, and an animated Stitch blends flawlessly with his real-life surroundings as he creates a whirlwind of mayhem everywhere he goes.

    Newcomer Maia Kealoha shines as Lilo, and there is magic onscreen when she shares scenes with Stitch. Their adventures together possess an undeniable charm, representing the film’s most compelling and memorable moments. Children will be delighted by Stitch’s hilarious naughtiness, and his journey to understanding and acceptance is heartwarming and well-paced.

    The threat of familial separation is portrayed as nuanced, complicated and less apocalyptic than in the original animated film. The social worker played by Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in the animation) is a warm and empathetic presence, and her interactions with Nani have gravity and credibility.

    Although this is a welcome change, these scenes lack the energy of the Lilo and Stitch hijinks. They do add a degree of depth, but ultimately slow the story down, making the emotional moments feel unearned and somewhat lacking.

    The other central adults in the film, two alien hunters posing as humans played by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnusson, feel out of place. The filmmakers’ decision to transform them from animated form into human form just doesn’t work in the world of the film. Their oafish and exaggerated physical performances are too jarring in a real-world setting, and would have been better remaining as vocal performances accompanying animation onscreen.

    Their home planet, Planet Turo is spectacularly animated. Hannah Waddingham gives a wonderful vocal performance as the grand councilwoman and new a comedic character resembling a pink axolotl (an amphibious salamander), makes this film feel very of the moment, given the recent media interest in this strange little creature.

    The film ultimately falls down in the final act as the strands of story come together in an overly complicated way. Changes to the ending create a sluggish finale which lacks the emotional payoff of the original.

    Overall, though, the new Lilo and Stitch is a joyful summer adventure that offers plenty of fun for children. Every scene where Stitch is onscreen is delightful. A modern cinematic icon, he is largely unchanged from the original 2002 film. The film updates the original through masterful depiction of Stitch’s interactions with humans onscreen.

    Stitch’s successes as a character in the original film are replicated here – his narrative arc, his design, his voice and his behaviour. The essence of what made Stitch an icon remains.

    Where the film is lacking is in over-complication of plot. There’s nothing wrong with refreshing the plot, as long as the heart, pacing and charm of the original remain intact. Perhaps Disney should turn their focus to what audiences loved about the original films, and what made the stories and characters so memorable.

    So, could the live-action Lilo and Stitch reignite confidence in this burgeoning genre? If Disney recognises that returning to source material with a modern touch means upholding the central elements key to these films’ enduring legacy, then maybe it can. Just don’t mention Snow White. And the merchandising opportunities can’t hurt them either.

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

    – ref. Lilo & Stitch: can Disney’s latest live-action animation remake reignite interest in the genre after Snow White box-office disaster? – https://theconversation.com/lilo-and-stitch-can-disneys-latest-live-action-animation-remake-reignite-interest-in-the-genre-after-snow-white-box-office-disaster-257281

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lilo & Stitch: can Disney’s latest live-action animation remake reignite interest in the genre after Snow White box-office disaster?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura O’Flanagan, PhD Candidate, School of English, Dublin City University

    Lilo & Stitch (2025) is another release in a long line of “reimaginings” of Disney animated features. Described as “live-action” they rework animations with humans and real-life settings (and the occasional animated character). These, for the most part, have been lucrative and successful for the studio. However, Disney’s mining of their own back catalogue has also yielded controversy and backlash.

    Following the troubled release of Snow White earlier this year – a film that failed to recoup its $270m (£201m) budget – it was announced that the production of a live action version of Tangled had been put on hold. Could Lilo and Stitch reignite confidence in the commercial viability of Disney’s recent live-action trend?

    The animated Lilo & Stitch (2002) was a hit when it was released, earning US$273m (£204m) at the box office on its $80m budget. Stitch has become a symbol of the Disney corporation in the decades since the film was released, rivalling Mickey Mouse himself as the Disney mascot most merchandised around the world.

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    The film seems like an obvious candidate for a live-action rendition. The trailers show Stitch unchanged. He is roguish, naughty, lovable, hilarious and full of personality. This begs the question: what is the point, then? The cynical response to this is lucrative merchandise. But cynicism has no place in Disney films, so let’s dive in.

    The live-action Lilo & Stitch recreates a lot of the charm of the original animated film from 2002. Stitch (the original creator and voice, Chris Sanders) is a chaotic monster, who, when exiled from his home planet, escapes to Earth where he joins Lilo’s family in Hawaii.

    Recently orphaned, six-year old Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her older sister and guardian, Nani (Sydney Adugong) struggle to maintain family life, and face the prospect of being separated by a social worker (Tia Carrere). Stitch’s arrival creates new upheaval as Nani attempts to keep the family together.

    The film’s strengths lie in the ways in which it echoes the original film. Hawaii’s beaches and surf are stunning onscreen, and an animated Stitch blends flawlessly with his real-life surroundings as he creates a whirlwind of mayhem everywhere he goes.

    Newcomer Maia Kealoha shines as Lilo, and there is magic onscreen when she shares scenes with Stitch. Their adventures together possess an undeniable charm, representing the film’s most compelling and memorable moments. Children will be delighted by Stitch’s hilarious naughtiness, and his journey to understanding and acceptance is heartwarming and well-paced.

    The threat of familial separation is portrayed as nuanced, complicated and less apocalyptic than in the original animated film. The social worker played by Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in the animation) is a warm and empathetic presence, and her interactions with Nani have gravity and credibility.

    Although this is a welcome change, these scenes lack the energy of the Lilo and Stitch hijinks. They do add a degree of depth, but ultimately slow the story down, making the emotional moments feel unearned and somewhat lacking.

    The other central adults in the film, two alien hunters posing as humans played by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnusson, feel out of place. The filmmakers’ decision to transform them from animated form into human form just doesn’t work in the world of the film. Their oafish and exaggerated physical performances are too jarring in a real-world setting, and would have been better remaining as vocal performances accompanying animation onscreen.

    Their home planet, Planet Turo is spectacularly animated. Hannah Waddingham gives a wonderful vocal performance as the grand councilwoman and new a comedic character resembling a pink axolotl (an amphibious salamander), makes this film feel very of the moment, given the recent media interest in this strange little creature.

    The film ultimately falls down in the final act as the strands of story come together in an overly complicated way. Changes to the ending create a sluggish finale which lacks the emotional payoff of the original.

    Overall, though, the new Lilo and Stitch is a joyful summer adventure that offers plenty of fun for children. Every scene where Stitch is onscreen is delightful. A modern cinematic icon, he is largely unchanged from the original 2002 film. The film updates the original through masterful depiction of Stitch’s interactions with humans onscreen.

    Stitch’s successes as a character in the original film are replicated here – his narrative arc, his design, his voice and his behaviour. The essence of what made Stitch an icon remains.

    Where the film is lacking is in over-complication of plot. There’s nothing wrong with refreshing the plot, as long as the heart, pacing and charm of the original remain intact. Perhaps Disney should turn their focus to what audiences loved about the original films, and what made the stories and characters so memorable.

    So, could the live-action Lilo and Stitch reignite confidence in this burgeoning genre? If Disney recognises that returning to source material with a modern touch means upholding the central elements key to these films’ enduring legacy, then maybe it can. Just don’t mention Snow White. And the merchandising opportunities can’t hurt them either.

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

    – ref. Lilo & Stitch: can Disney’s latest live-action animation remake reignite interest in the genre after Snow White box-office disaster? – https://theconversation.com/lilo-and-stitch-can-disneys-latest-live-action-animation-remake-reignite-interest-in-the-genre-after-snow-white-box-office-disaster-257281

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Did humans evolve to prefer religion? Research shows many atheists intuitively favour faith

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Will Gervais, Reader in Psychology, Brunel University of London

    Wikipedia, CC BY-SA

    Many atheists consider themselves to be highly rational people who rate evidence and analytical thinking above religion, superstition and intuition. They might even argue that atheism is the most rational worldview.

    But that doesn’t make them immune to having intuitive beliefs themselves. Science suggests the link between rationality and atheism is far weaker than is often assumed.

    A study my colleagues and I conducted, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that even avowed atheists in some of the most secular countries on Earth might intuitively prefer religion to atheism. We argue this new evidence challenges simplistic notions of global religious decline and the beginning of an “atheist age”.

    In his 2007 book, Breaking the Spell, the philosopher Daniel Dennett speculated that, although atheists lack belief in god(s), many of them may retain what he dubbed “belief in belief”. This is the impression that religious belief is a good thing, and the world would be better off with more of it.

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    But is this true? Our research investigated belief in belief among around 3,800 people in eight of the world’s least religious countries: Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. To test for belief in belief, we turned to the “Knobe effect”, a task honed by experimental philosophers for evaluating judgements of morality and intent.

    The classic Knobe effect demonstration goes something like this. Imagine a CEO mulling a new policy for their company that will increase revenue, but will also harm the environment. The CEO declares that they don’t care one way or another about the environment, they care only for the bottom line. They adopt the policy, money is made, environmental harm occurs. Here’s the crucial question: did the CEO intentionally harm the environment?

    Most people (upwards of 80% in Knobe’s first demonstration) report that the CEO did, in fact, intentionally harm the environment. However, if people receive an identical vignette in which the environment is incidentally helped rather than harmed, people’s intuitions entirely reverse, with only around 20% of people thinking the CEO intended to help.

    This reveals a stark asymmetry, whereby people intuitively feel that harmful side effects are intentionally caused, whereas helpful ones are not.

    We presented participants with a modified Knobe effect vignette in which a journalist publishes a story that sells a lot of papers. The story either leads to more atheism in the world, or to more religious faith. Crucially, we asked our participants to rate whether the ensuing religious shifts were intentionally caused by the journalist.

    Vignettes used in experiment.
    Author, CC BY-SA

    So, would our participants view increasing societal atheism as more intentionally caused (like harming the environment) or incidental (like helping the environment)?

    Overall, our participants’ odds of rating the religious outcome as intentionally caused were about 40% higher when the news story created more atheists, as opposed to more believers. This effect persisted across most countries in our sample, and was even evident among participants who were themselves atheists.

    People are more likely to judge that a news story intentionally created atheists (purple) than believers (turquoise)
    Author, CC BY-SA

    Participants in the original Knobe effect studies viewed environmental pollution as an intentionally caused insult. Our participants intuitively viewed creating more atheists as similarly intentionally caused – a spiritual rather than environmental pollution, perhaps.

    This sounds a lot like belief in belief. Dennett illustrated this as suggesting “belief in God is a good state of affairs, something to be strongly encouraged and fostered wherever possible: If only belief in God were more widespread!”

    Why might intuitions favouring religion persist among atheists in some of the world’s least religious societies?

    10,000+ years of religion

    Over the past few decades, markers of religious commitment – self-reported religious attendance, belief in god(s), private prayer – have steadily declined in some parts of the world. This rapid secularisation stands against a backdrop of more than 10,000 years of potent religious influence.

    My recent book Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species asks how a species as historically religious as Homo sapiens could nonetheless have rising numbers of atheists. It ultimately provides important context for our new study’s results.

    A consideration of religion’s deep history gives us hints as to why belief in belief might exist among atheists in secular countries today. One prominent theory holds that religions may have helped unlock our species’ cooperative potential, allowing us to expand from our humble origins to become our planet’s dominant species.

    As religions reshaped our lives to boost cooperation, people increasingly came to view religion and morality as largely synonymous. Over cultural evolutionary time, the association between religious belief and moral goodness has become deeply culturally ingrained. This has left its trace on individual intuitions – as illustrated in the recent study by me and my co-authors and those by other researchers.

    Because religions have exerted tremendous influence on our societies for millennia, it would be genuinely surprising if some latent religious trace didn’t culturally linger as overt expressions of faith decline. Our newest results are consistent with this possibility.

    Belief may be wavering in many countries, but belief in belief persists, complicating any conclusion that we’ve truly entered an “atheist age”.

    Will Gervais has received funding from various organizations over the years, including The Leverhulme Trust and the John Templeton Foundation

    – ref. Did humans evolve to prefer religion? Research shows many atheists intuitively favour faith – https://theconversation.com/did-humans-evolve-to-prefer-religion-research-shows-many-atheists-intuitively-favour-faith-256391

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the UK government is opposing universities on immigration

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chris Millward, Professor of Practice in Education Policy, University of Birmingham

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    The UK government has announced its plans for controlling immigration, and these include new rules for international students.

    The recent white paper on immigration proposes that most graduates will be allowed to stay in the UK for 18 months after their course finishes. This is six months less than currently permitted.

    There will be a higher bar for universities to sponsor visas, excluding those universities at which higher numbers of students fail to complete their courses. The white paper also proposes a 6% levy on universities’ income from international students.

    Universities think these changes will worsen their financial problems. However, this appears less important to the government than controlling immigration.

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    Universities are one of the UK’s strongest global assets, generating influence alongside export income. After the general election last year, science minister Peter Kyle vowed Labour would end what he termed the “war on universities” conducted by the previous Conservative government. That included a more welcoming approach to international students.

    One reason for the change in tone and policy signalled by the white paper is common to other popular destinations for international students: the rise of nationalist parties opposed to immigration. But there is another reason specific to the UK, which is the government’s aim to reform higher education.

    Politics and immigration

    Two weeks before the release of the immigration white paper, the Reform party secured control of ten local authorities across England, winning 677 seats. The party’s rising popularity will be of increasing concern to the Labour government.

    Reform is concerned about the effects of immigration on communities and wages. This affects international students because they figure within immigration statistics and increasingly stay for work.

    Like nationalist and anti-immigration parties in other countries, Reform also gains more support from voters without a university degree.

    In the US and Netherlands, similar movements have taken steps to reduce university funding and international students once in power. But these policies are not confined to nationalist parties.

    Canada and Australia’s Liberal and Labour governments also signalled caps on international student recruitment before their re-election earlier this year.

    This appears to be the strategy adopted by the UK’s Labour party – that it wants to assure voters who are more concerned about immigration than university finances.

    Higher education policy

    Alongside this, the government thinks employers are too reliant on migrant labour, and universities on international students. It wants them to focus more on developing the UK workforce. That requires employers to invest in skills development, and universities to provide courses that build crucial capabilities for the future.

    The white paper states that “at a time when skills matter more than ever to the economy and people’s employment prospects, there has been a long-term lack of coordination or investment to deliver the skills and capabilities our economy needs”.

    In England, coordinated higher education investment is difficult because most government funding is routed through loans to students. This encourages universities to meet demand from young people, which does not necessarily align with economic and public service priorities.

    After years of anaemic economic and productivity growth but repeated increases to the minimum wage, one-tenth of graduates now earn little more than that threshold.

    Higher education policy is increasingly focused on key skills.
    goodluz/Shutterstock

    In response, the last government encouraged young people to take apprenticeships rather than university degrees. It also allowed student maintenance loans and fees to decline in value in real terms.

    Universities filled the gap in their income with international students – particularly one-year taught postgraduates from Nigeria and India who often bring family members then stay for work. This made universities reliant on short-term income, while increasing immigration statistics.

    Changes to family visa rules, combined with a global economic downturn and geopolitical tensions, have led universities to forecast a 21% reduction in new international student entrants this year. And 44% of universities are expecting to be in financial deficit.

    Unlike its predecessor, the government accepts that UK student fees should increase with inflation, so has allowed this for the first time since 2017. But it wants a change from universities in return. Rather than relying on international students, they should make efficiencies and focus on courses that align with government priorities.

    In a system mostly financed by student fees, there are few levers for influencing this. The Office for Students, which regulates higher education, has been asked to focus on managing quality and financial risks rather than policy.

    Its funding for strategic priorities has been reduced. There are, though, three measures highlighted within the white paper that could become influential.

    First, the government is reforming the apprenticeships levy, so it can be used more flexibly for workforce development priorities. Second, the tightening of sponsorship rules aims to drive international recruitment towards courses supplying the highest levels of skills and knowledge. Third, the proposed levy on international student income equips the government to invest in priority courses, rather than relying on student choice.

    The first measure is already being implemented. A new organisation, Skills England, has been established to determine priorities for investment.

    This may include funds from the proposed levy on international student income, though the precedent of Australia suggests that may be difficult. Regardless, there is a mood in government for higher education reform.

    Chris Millward is a member of staff at the University of Birmingham. He is also a board member of MEDR, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales, and a Trustee of the Academy of Social Sciences. All of these organisations are affected by the issues addressed in this article.

    – ref. Why the UK government is opposing universities on immigration – https://theconversation.com/why-the-uk-government-is-opposing-universities-on-immigration-256526

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Continuing to seek Chinese investment in the UK comes at a heavy political price

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jeffrey Henderson, Professor Emeritus of International Development, University of Bristol

    Steel blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, UK. Baxter Media/Shutterstock

    One major consequence of the UK government’s resistance to rejoining the European single market is that it is forced to go around the world seeking trade deals and investment.

    Recently, the government has boasted of successful arrangements with India, the US, and some new agreements with the EU. But it has also found itself courting one highly dubious suitor.

    Since the chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, went to Beijing in January 2025, the government has been focusing much of its attention on China. And while investment from the world’s second-largest economy is fairly unproblematic in a few sectors (some services and domestic real estate, for example), other areas are a cause for concern.

    Relying on Chinese money to support key sectors such as steel, telecommunications, advanced electronics, power and transport – all vital for Britain’s economic and geopolitical security – is potentially dangerous.

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    Yet it has been going on for years. Efforts to secure funding by a previous Conservative government even allowed state-owned Chinese companies to invest in the UK’s nuclear future, despite considerable criticism from the likes of MI5 and the British military.

    Then there was the 2017 acquisition by a Chinese state-backed private equity firm of cutting-edge semi-conductor company, Imagination Technologies. Subsequent concerns over the leaking of its intellectual property prompted a parliamentary enquiry into foreign corporate asset-stripping.

    British Steel was also a target. Sold in 2019, it is now owned by a private company, Jingye, which in April 2025 moved to shut down operations at its Scunthorpe site by not supplying the raw materials required for its blast furnaces.

    In response, the UK government took emergency control of production in a scramble to stop the furnaces from going cold.

    That incident should have served as an urgent reminder to the government that it needs to be wary of the effect Chinese companies can have on the UK.

    Early signs, however, are not reassuring. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds commented that Jingye was not acting in the “rational way” he would expect of a company in a market economy.

    But the government should know that when it comes to strategic decision-making, Chinese companies do not operate in ways that others consider rational. Put simply, they are not comparable to their equivalents in Britain or other liberal-market economies – because they are effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

    According to the CCP’s data, by 2017 it had established a formal presence inside 92% of larger private companies and 73% of all private companies in China. Those figures will certainly be higher now. And, as with the digital-technology firm Huawei, senior CCP members are often on a company’s boards of directors.

    So, while Jingye almost eliminated British Steel as a viable company, it can be reasonably assumed that a decision of such strategic and geopolitical importance would not have been taken by Jingye’s executives alone. They would have been “guided” by the CCP.

    Influence and infrastructure

    And of course, it’s not just steel production the UK should be concerned about. Chinese ownership now extends across many vital sectors.

    There’s the Chinese state-owned company, Beijing Construction Engineering helping to build a new science and innovation park next to Manchester airport. And the private Hong Kong company, CK Infrastructure which owns water companies serving north-east England, Essex and Suffolk.

    China Investment Corporation (state-owned) owns part of Heathrow, while China Huaneng (state-owned) operates Europe’s largest battery storage facility in Wiltshire. Meanwhile, wind turbine producer Mingyang (privately owned and reputedly linked to the Chinese military) is the preferred bidder for a new Scottish wind farm, despite being barred from a similar Norwegian development.

    All of these companies, irrespective of formal ownership, are likely to be subject to varying degrees of CCP influence and control (comment on the issue from Chinese companies is rare). And successive UK governments have either failed to appreciate the implications of this, or have accepted it as the price of gaining greater access to the Chinese market – especially for London’s financial sector.

    This was almost certainly a factor behind China’s involvement in the building of Hinkley Point’s new nuclear power station, and was at the forefront in Rachel Reeves’s discussions with the Chinese government earlier this year.

    Separately, Chinese investment in non-strategic sectors is much less controversial. One private conglomerate (Fosun) owns the Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers and formerly owned Thomas Cook.

    But the lesson from the British Steel fiasco is clear. We are now in a world where the political interests of major states trump the economic interests of their business corporations. Geopolitics takes precedence over geoeconomics.

    Consequently, Chinese firms – regardless of ownership status – should be barred from industries vital to the UK’s economic and political security. Anything less risks subordinating British interests to those of the Chinese Communist Party.

    Funding from European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), for the China in Europe Research Network, contributed to the research on which this article is based.

    – ref. Continuing to seek Chinese investment in the UK comes at a heavy political price – https://theconversation.com/continuing-to-seek-chinese-investment-in-the-uk-comes-at-a-heavy-political-price-255340

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: ESET takes part in global operation to disrupt Lumma Stealer, one of the most prevalent infostealers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • ESET took part in a globally coordinated operation to disrupt Lumma Stealer.
    • The operation, led by Microsoft, targeted Lumma Stealer infrastructure, including all known C&C servers from the past year, making the botnet, in large part, inoperative.
    • Lumma Stealer has been one of the most prevalent infostealers over the past two years.
    • ESET provided both technical analysis and statistical information, and extracted essential data from tens of thousands of samples, as Lumma Stealer developers had been actively developing and maintaining the malware.

    PRAGUE and BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET has collaborated with Microsoft, BitSight, Lumen, Cloudflare, CleanDNS, and GMO Registry in a global disruption operation against Lumma Stealer, an infamous Malware-as-a-Service infostealer. The operation targeted Lumma Stealer infrastructure, specifically all known C&C servers of the past year, making the botnet, in large part, inoperative.

    “ESET automated systems processed tens of thousands of Lumma Stealer samples, dissecting them to extract key elements, such as C&C servers and affiliate identifiers. This allowed us to continuously monitor Lumma Stealer’s activity, cluster affiliates, keep track of development updates, and more,” says ESET researcher Jakub Tomanek, who monitors and investigates Lumma Stealer. “Infostealer malware families, like Lumma Stealer, are typically just a foreshadowing of future, much more devastating attacks. Harvested credentials are a valued commodity in the cybercrime underworld, sold by initial access brokers to various other cybercriminals, including ransomware affiliates,” adds Tomanek. Lumma Stealer has been one of the most prevalent infostealers over the past two years, leaving no part of the world untouched.

    Lumma Stealer developers had been actively developing and maintaining the malware. ESET has regularly spotted code updates ranging from minor bugfixes to complete replacement of string encryption and updates to the network protocol. The operators of the botnet also actively maintained the shared network infrastructure. Between 17 June 2024 and 1 May 2025, ESET observed a total of 3,353 unique C&C domains, with an approximate average of 74 new domains emerging each week, including occasional updates to Telegram-based dead drop resolvers. This ongoing evolution underscores the significant threat posed by Lumma Stealer and highlights the importance of the disruption efforts.

    Lumma Stealer adopts the concept of malware as a service, where affiliates pay a monthly fee based on their tier to receive the latest malware builds and the network infrastructure necessary for data exfiltration. The tiered subscription model features price ranges from $250 to $1000 per month, each with increasingly sophisticated features. The operators of Lumma Stealer have also created a Telegram marketplace for affiliates, with a rating system to sell stolen data without intermediaries. Common distribution methods include phishing, cracked software, and other malware downloaders. Lumma Stealer employs a few, but effective, anti-emulation techniques that make analysis as complicated as possible. These techniques are designed to evade detection and hinder the efforts of security analysts.

    Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit has facilitated the takedown, suspension, seizure, and blocking of the malicious domains that formed the backbone of Lumma Stealer’s infrastructure via a court order granted by the United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia. In coordination, the U.S. Department of Justice simultaneously also seized the Lumma Stealer control panel, targeting the Lumma Stealer marketplace – and in turn the purchasers of Lumma Stealer malware. This was coordinated with Europol’s European Cybercrime Center (EC3) as well as Japan’s Cybercrime Control Center (JC3), which facilitated the suspension of locally based Lumma Stealer infrastructure.

    “This global disruption operation was made possible by our long-term tracking of Lumma Stealer. The disruption operation led by Microsoft aimed to seize all known Lumma Stealer C&C domains, making the exfiltration infrastructure of Lumma Stealer non-functional. However, ESET will continue to track other infostealers while closely monitoring for Lumma Stealer activity following this disruption operation,” concludes Tomanek.

    For an overview of the Lumma Stealer ecosystem and both a technical analysis and look at the evolution of Lumma Stealer’s key static and dynamic properties critical to the disruption effort, check out the latest ESET Research blogpost, “ESET takes part in global operation to disrupt Lumma Stealer” on WeLiveSecurity.com. Make sure to follow ESET Research on Twitter (today known as X), Bluesky, and Mastodon for the latest news from ESET Research.

    Lumma Stealer detection rate based on ESET telemetry (data since July 2024)

    About ESET
    ESET® provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of emerging global cyberthreats, both known and unknown — securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud, or mobile protection, our AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multifactor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. The ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow our social media, podcasts, and blogs.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e248b2b-dcbf-42cb-93ac-a4b4668bbc31

    The MIL Network –