NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI Security: Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People’s Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers

    Source: US FBI

    Note: View the affidavit here.

    The Justice Department today announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet consisting of more than 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and worldwide. As described in court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet devices were infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers working for Integrity Technology Group, a company based in Beijing, and known to the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.”

    The botnet malware infected numerous types of consumer devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. The malware connected these thousands of infected devices into a botnet, controlled by Integrity Technology Group, which was used to conduct malicious cyber activity disguised as routine internet traffic from the infected consumer devices. The court-authorized operation took control of the hackers’ computer infrastructure and, among other steps, sent disabling commands through that infrastructure to the malware on the infected devices. During the course of the operation, there was an attempt to interfere with the FBI’s remediation efforts through a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting the operational infrastructure that the FBI was utilizing to effectuate the court’s orders. That attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the FBI’s disruption of the botnet.

    “The Justice Department is zeroing in on the Chinese government backed hacking groups that target the devices of innocent Americans and pose a serious threat to our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we did earlier this year, the Justice Department has again destroyed a botnet used by PRC-backed hackers to infiltrate consumer devices here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to aggressively counter the threat that China’s state- sponsored hacking groups pose to the American people.”

    “Our takedown of this state-sponsored botnet reflects the Department’s all-tools approach to disrupting cyber criminals. This network, managed by a PRC government contractor, hijacked hundreds of thousands of private routers, cameras, and other consumer devices to create a malicious system for the PRC to exploit,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today should serve as a warning to cybercriminals preying on Americans – if you continue to come for us, we will come for you.”

    “This dynamic operation demonstrates, once again, the Justice Department’s resolve in countering the threats posed by PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “For the second time this year, we have disrupted a botnet used by PRC proxies to conceal their efforts to hack into networks in the U.S. and around the world to steal information and hold our infrastructure at risk. Our message to these hackers is clear: if you build it, we will bust it.”

    “The disruption of this worldwide botnet is part of the FBI’s commitment to using technical operations to help protect victims, expose publicly the scope of these criminal hacking campaigns, and to use the adversary’s tools against them to remove malicious infrastructure from the virtual battlefield,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI’s unique legal authorities allowed it to lead an international operation with partners that collectively disconnected this botnet from its China-based hackers at Integrity Technology Group.”

    “The targeted hacking of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in the United States and around the world shows the breadth and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This court-authorized operation disrupted a sophisticated botnet designed to steal sensitive information and launch disruptive cyber attacks. We will continue to work with our partners inside and outside government, using every tool at our disposal, to defend and maintain global cybersecurity.”

    “The FBI’s investigation revealed that a publicly-traded, China-based company is openly selling its customers the ability to hack into and control thousands of consumer devices worldwide. This operation sends a clear message to the PRC that the United States will not tolerate this shameless criminal conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office.

    According to the court documents, the botnet was developed and controlled by Integrity Technology Group, a publicly-traded company headquartered in Beijing. The company built an online application allowing its customers to log in and control specified infected victim devices, including with a menu of malicious cyber commands using a tool called “vulnerability-arsenal.” The online application was prominently labelled “KRLab,” one of the main public brands used by Integrity Technology Group.

    The FBI assesses that Integrity Technology Group, in addition to developing and controlling the botnet, is responsible for computer intrusion activities attributed to China-based hackers known by the private sector as “Flax Typhoon.” Microsoft Threat Intelligence described Flax Typhoon as nation-state actors based out of China, active since 2021, who have targeted government agencies and education, critical manufacturing, and information technology organizations in Taiwan, and elsewhere. The FBI’s investigation has corroborated Microsoft’s conclusions, finding that Flax Typhoon has successfully attacked multiple U.S. and foreign corporations, universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, and media organizations.

    A cybersecurity advisory describing Integrity Technology Group tactics, techniques and procedures was also published today by the FBI, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, and partner agencies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. 

    The government’s malware disabling commands, which interacted with the malware’s native functionality, were extensively tested prior to the operation. As expected, the operation did not affect the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, the infected devices. The FBI is providing notice to U.S. owners of devices that were affected by this court-authorized operation. The FBI is contacting those victims through their internet service provider, who will provide notice to their customers.

    The FBI’s San Diego Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the domestic disruption effort. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. These efforts would not have been successful without the collaboration of partners, including French authorities, and Lumen Technologies’ threat intelligence group, Black Lotus Labs, which first identified and described this botnet, which it named Raptor Train, in July 2023.

    If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or report online to CISA. You may also contact your local FBI field office directly.

    The FBI continues to investigate Integrity Technology Group’s and Flax Typhoon’s computer intrusion activities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Post-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber

    Source: New Zealand Government

    It’s a pleasure to be invited here today by the Auckland Chamber for my first post-Budget speech.

    The Chamber is the peak body for the Auckland business sector, where so many of our country’s businesses are based.

    Our Government backs business-friendly policies because, ultimately, business success underpins our success as a nation. 

    I am going to talk to you today about the Budget’s business growth measures. 

    Thriving businesses deliver the growth, jobs and incomes that New Zealanders need to get ahead.

    One of those thriving businesses is hosting us right here. 

    If you’ll pardon the pun, I reckon that Recorp is the can manufacturing company with the can-do attitude.

    I admire the scale of your ambition to eliminate the use of single use plastic bottles in New Zealand by 2030.

    My congratulations to you Bruce Parton and your team, and also to Rob Fyfe whose vision and commitment helped get this company up and running.

    One of Recorp’s critical points of difference is the quality of its manufacturing equipment.

    You invested heavily at the outset in the technology that enables you to accurately tailor orders to match customer requirements, regardless of size.

    You have set an example for other new Kiwi businesses. Many are following it, but it’s a challenge for others.

    We know that capital investment is a key to business success. So often, it’s the piece that gives companies the edge over competitors at home and overseas.

    One of the things I hear from business leaders is the difficulty many Kiwi businesses face raising capital to invest in the equipment and other assets they need to succeed.

    Lack of good quality capital has become a barrier to growth.

    This Government has acted to lower that barrier.

    The Investment Boost tax incentive announced in the Budget gives businesses an adrenalin boost to invest in the new productive assets they need to succeed.

    I’m really proud that we’ve managed to incorporate this exciting new initiative in the Budget.

    I expect almost all of you will have heard something about Investment Boost in recent days. 

    You may even have heard our critics say in the media that it won’t make much difference.

    Well, our MPs have been out since the Budget was delivered and what they’ve heard is that Investment Boost will be a game-changer for many Kiwi businesses.

    Like the manufacturer now planning a $70 million capital expansion over the next two years to install a fully automated plant.

    Like the chicken farmer now planning to raise his investment in upgrades and new assets from $12 million to $18 million over the next 12 months. He said this was the “best news for our sector in a long time”.

    Like the caterer with a new kitchen to fit out, who says they will be “thousands and thousands better off”.

    Like Robbie Smith, owner of Stevenson and Taylor, the large Hawke’s Bay agricultural machinery business. He has already seen a jump in sales since the announcement, with one customer purchasing two tractors. He said: “This initiative is great news for local businesses.”

    Like Pic’s Peanut Butter Chief Executive Aimee McCammon, who thinks Investment Boost will be “super helpful” for the many small to medium-sized businesses like hers that are running on old kit.

    Or like Chartered Accountants New Zealand country head Peter Vial who says  the announcement was more generous than expected and will significantly increase productivity and growth 

    He says: “New Zealand’s poor productivity is not due to poor work ethic or laziness, but rather a lack of capital investment in equipment, machinery and technology. The Investment Boost tax incentive strikes at the heart of this.”

    I couldn’t agree more.

    Then there’s the semi-retired accountant who was inundated with calls on the Friday morning after the Budget from clients looking to take advantage of Investment Boost. 

    He said: “It is a long time since I have seen a reaction like this to the Budget.”

    I’m going to talk more about Investment Boost soon – how it works, with some examples of the savings it offers. 

    But I’d like to start by putting a bit of context around the Budget, and why we’ve taken the approach we have.

    The Budget is a responsible Budget for uncertain times.

    I’ve been calling it the no-BS Budget.

    We’ve levelled with Kiwis about the challenges we face as a nation. 

    No rainbows or unicorns. No lolly scrambles. Just straight talk, and responsible actions.

    We inherited a country with its bank account run down and the credit card maxed out.

    Thanks to the previous Government’s refusal to turn off the spending tap after Covid, public debt ballooned from just 18.6 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 41.7 per cent in 2024, just five years later.

    We’ve slipped back to the bad old days of the eighties and nineties, when debt servicing was among the biggest government spending items.

    Today, about one dollar in every 15 of the Government’s operating spending goes to paying the interest bill on our borrowings.

    Our political opponents say that’s all good. Other countries have higher debt, so we can just borrow and spend more to get ourselves out of trouble.

    That kind of talk ignores the reality that New Zealand’s economy is different to many of those other more highly indebted economies. 

    We are small, isolated and heavily reliant on overseas trade. We have very limited ability to influence the global financial and trading conditions that affect our livelihood.

    This audience needs no reminding of how unstable and unpredictable the world trading environment is right now. 

    Further, we are a country that’s vulnerable to sudden, costly shocks. 

    One day another big earthquake, cyclone, pandemic or biosecurity breach is going to hit us. Recovering from events like those is even harder if there’s nothing left in the kitty to pay for it. 

    The good news is that the economic recovery is under way. 

    Inflation is down and is forecast to stay within the 1 to 3 per cent target band.

    Interest rates are down, and forecast to fall further. 

    The Budget forecasts GDP to rise to healthy rates of around 3 per cent in each of the next two years.

    Wages are forecast to grow faster than the inflation rate, making wage earners better off, on average, in real terms.

    The Budget also forecasts that 240,000 more people will be in work over the forecast period to mid-2029.

    Many New Zealanders may not be feeling better off now, but over time they will – provided we stay the course.

    The recovery remains fragile. Global uncertainty has caused Treasury to peg back its forecasts, especially in the near term.

    The recovery isn’t in danger, but it is likely to be slower than previously forecast.

    As a government, we’re talking straight with New Zealanders about the way ahead. 

    About getting public debt under control and nurturing the economic recovery now under way.

    About carefully managing the public purse. Making sure we’re using taxpayer dollars to pay for the must-haves, rather than the nice to haves.

    About doing nothing to put the economic recovery at risk – because a growing economy is the route to higher living standards for everyone.

    But we’re also clear that the no-BS Budget doesn’t mean penny-pinching across the board.

    We get that New Zealanders are struggling with the cost of living. The Budget responds with some carefully targeted help, including rates relief for more SuperGold Card holders, 12-month prescriptions to save the cost of repeats, better targeting Working for Families to low and middle-income earners, and continuing funding for food banks.

    We’re also investing more in health, education, law and order and other frontline public services.

    We’ve done that while also finding room to invest in business success.

    The Budget demonstrates that we truly can walk and chew gum at the same time.

    It’s about hope grounded in reality.

    That we can continue to invest in the things that matter, while staying on a debt reduction and economic growth track.

    That we can reduce government spending as a share of the economy and return the government’s books to balance.

    We’ve done it despite reducing our operating allowance from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion a year.

    That’s the lowest allowance in a decade. The adjustment was made to keep government spending on a tight track, recognising changing forecasts due to the uncertain economic conditions.

    Despite the smaller discretionary kitty, we’ve still been able to deliver $5 billion in new spending and $1.7 billion for the Investment Boost tax incentive that I talked about earlier.

    That’s because most of the spending increase is funded by savings.

    We’ve been able to find $5.3 billion in savings through reprioritising and cost reductions across government.

    Half the savings come from changes to the pay equity regime. 

    To be clear, I am absolutely committed to pay equity. But we have to be sure that future settlements stick to fixing pay discrepancies between occupations that are based only on sex-based discrimination, and not for other reasons. 

    Otherwise, pay equity negotiations simply become a surrogate for a normal wage bargaining round.

    Even our political opponents are starting to realise that the previous pay equity regime was simply out of control. The scale of settlements coming at us would have limited our ability to invest in health, education and the other public services that the women – and men – of New Zealand rely on.

    We’ve also put another $1.8 billion towards investment in health and education infrastructure like hospitals and schools.

    And we’re putting $1.7 billion into what I believe is the single most important policy in this year’s Budget – the Investment Boost tax incentive that I talked about earlier.

    Investment Boost is available right now to every business represented in this room.

    Businesses large and small – manufacturers like Recorp, farmers, tradies, whoever.

    It’s for all those businesses that are keeping their heads above water but need a bit of help to get beyond that, by getting their hands on the productive assets they need to grow.

    Assets like machinery, tools, equipment, technology, vehicles and industrial buildings.

    Investment Boost applies to new assets purchased by New Zealand businesses. It can also apply to second-hand assets imported from overseas.

    It excludes land, residential buildings, and assets already in use in New Zealand.

    There’s no cap on the value of new investments. All businesses, regardless of size, are eligible.

    It allows you to immediately deduct 20 per cent of the cost of a new asset from your taxable income, on top of depreciation.

    That means a much lower tax bill in the year of purchase. The remaining book value is depreciated at normal rates.

    Since a dollar now is more valuable than a dollar in future, the cashflow from investments is more attractive and the after-tax returns are better.

    It means that more investment opportunities stack up financially, so more investments will be made.

    Let’s look at an example.

    A manufacturer – let’s call it Green Kiwi – wants to invest in a new environmental test chamber, at a cost of $200,000.

    Before Investment Boost, the company could claim an annual depreciation deduction of 10.5 per cent. That would reduce Green Kiwi’s taxable income by $21,000 a year over its useful life.

    With Investment Boost, it can now also claim 20 per cent of the value of the asset – that’s $40,000 – in the year of purchase, as well as the standard depreciation on the remaining 80 per cent of its value

    Together, these deductions reduce the company’s taxable income in that year by $56,800.

    This translates to an additional $10,000 off the company’s tax bill that year.

    That’s $10,000 more that Green Kiwi has to reinvest in the assets it needs to grow.

    Another example. Farmer Brown gets a woolshed built for $150,000. The extra deductions he gets under Investment Boost mean his tax bill will be $8,274 less than it would otherwise have been, meaning more to invest in shearing equipment in his new shed.

    And another one. Pam the plumber buys a ute for $60,000. Investment Boost gives her $2906 more than she would otherwise have had to buy new tools.

    Over the next 20 years, Investment Boost is expected to lift New Zealand’s capital stock by 1.6 per cent, leading to wages rising by 1.5 per cent and GDP by 1 per cent.

    These are estimates, not precise values. But officials estimate that roughly half those benefits will be achieved in the first five years.

    The Government did consider reducing the company tax rate as an alternative to Investment Boost. But dollar for dollar, Investment Boost raises investment more than a company tax rate reduction as it only applies to new investments, not those made in the past.

    The other advantage of Investment Boost is that the benefits are expected to flow to workers.

    Inland Revenue’s Regulatory Impact Statement states that “the majority of the increase in national income from Investment Boost would flow to workers. This increase would come from a combination of higher wages and higher employment. We therefore expect that the benefits of Investment Boost will be spread broadly across a wide range of New Zealanders.”

    There you have it. Ultimately, all workers benefit from Investment Boost.

    There’s a number of other business growth initiatives in this Budget.

    We’re setting up a new agency, Invest New Zealand, to attract global capital, business and talent to this country. An experienced advisory group chaired by Rob Morrison, has been appointed to support its establishment. 

    We’re changing our thin capitalisation tax rules to encourage foreign investment in our infrastructure. We’re consulting now on the details of that.

    We’re allowing employee share schemes to defer their tax liability, to help start-ups and unlisted companies to compete for and retain talent.

    We’re re-prioritising our science and technology funding towards growth-promoting investment in areas like gene technology. We want our researchers to focus on real-world problems and innovations that can be commercialised.

    And we’re supporting our highly successful film and television sector by increasing the screen production rebate to just over a billion dollars across this year and the next four years.

    We don’t subsidise business as a rule, but when it comes to the screen industry, a rebate is the price of entry to the game.

    Over the last decade overseas production companies have invested $7.5 billion in New Zealand. We simply wouldn’t get that kind of investment in future without continuing the rebate.

    We’re also replacing the much-maligned Resource Management Act to unlock investment and growth across the country. You’ll be hearing more about that in the months ahead.

    No doubt you have heard about the changes to KiwiSaver, which the media has focused pretty heavily on.

    Essentially, we are raising the default employee and matching employer contribution rate from 3 to 4 per cent over the next three years. To ensure the scheme’s sustainability, we are also reducing the government contribution by half, to just over $260 a year. 

    We’re also extending the government contribution to 16- and 17-year-olds, to foster the savings habit, but removing it altogether for people earning more than $180,000 a year, because they don’t need it.

    I acknowledge that change impacts on employers. But to allow time to adjust, we are phasing it in over the next three years, and we are not making the new rate compulsory – employees can choose to opt back down to a three per cent contribution if they wish.

    The changes are designed to lift our retirement savings rates which, frankly, are too low, especially when compared with other countries like Australia. 

    Higher retirement savings deliver big benefits for individuals and for the country. Our financial institutions have a larger pool of capital to invest back in the economy, and the pressure on Government to financially support retired New Zealanders is eased.

    To finish, I want to touch on where this Budget takes us.

    Our decisions mean we are on track to bend the debt curve downwards without applying a blowtorch to public services.

    We are taking a deliberate, medium-term approach to fiscal consolidation.

    This is far from austerity, as some commentators have claimed. In fact, it is what you do to avoid austerity.

    There’s no doubt that balancing the books is challenging.

    Some would do it with higher taxes; we are doing it by controlling growth in spending.

    We’re saying to New Zealanders: we’re about no BS, just straight talk about the choices we face as a country.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Security – Sensible Sentencing Trust Slams Police for Dangerous Shift in Shoplifting Investigations

    Source: Sensible Sentencing Trust

    The Sensible Sentencing Trust is appalled by the disturbing reports that New Zealand Police have issued a directive to staff to avoid investigating shoplifting cases under $500, or online fraud under $1,000, among other crime thresholds.

    Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesperson Louise Parsons condemned the directive as “an outrageous and dangerous move,” saying it sends the wrong message at a time when retailers are struggling under rising crime rates and financial pressure.

    “The past five or six years, retailers have been hit with an onslaught of crime, and now they’re being told that crimes under certain thresholds are essentially not worth investigating. This is a green light to criminals,” Parsons said.

    The directive, which could well include ram raids, has sparked widespread outrage. Parsons pointed out that in a climate where petrol drive-offs under $150 have effectively been decriminalised, this move could further embolden offenders. “This is an absurd, reckless approach that puts businesses and communities at risk. It’s madness!” she stated.

    She added, “Do the Police not realise that the Government changed 18 months ago? We have a new Police Commissioner, and the era of ‘policing by consent’ is over. We need strong leadership and a zero-tolerance approach to all crime, particularly when retail crime is spiralling out of control.”

    Parsons also drew attention to the disastrous effects of similar policies in other cities, such as San Francisco, which recently raised the shoplifting threshold to $950, only to witness an explosive rise in retail crime. “The chaos in San Francisco was swift and devastating. Retailers had to shut down because they couldn’t operate safely or profitably. We cannot afford to let that happen here.”

    She also warned that this directive undermines critical efforts being made by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Retail Crime. “This approach flies in the face of their work to combat retail crime and protect local businesses. If we let this stand, it could undo all the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

    While Parsons acknowledged the frustration of frontline Police officers who are overwhelmed by repeat offenders and lenient judicial outcomes, she firmly stated that setting “de-facto legal theft thresholds” is unjustifiable. “It’s unacceptable. Criminals cannot be allowed to operate with impunity just because the Police aren’t investigating their crimes.” 

    The Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling on the Government to step in and reassert a tough stance on crime, ensuring that no theft—no matter the size—is left unpunished.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister Burke and Minister Donohoe welcome latest figures showing further employment growth in first quarter of 2025

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    22nd May 2025

    The Q1 2025 Labour Force Survey and latest Monthly Unemployment Release show:

    • Employment continues to grow, with 90,800 jobs created in the year to Q1 2025
    • Total employment now stands at 2.81 million
    • Employment growth has been widespread throughout the regions – Employment outside of Dublin increased by 65,700 in the year to Q1 2025 (+3.5 percent)
    • Full time employment was up 71,400 (+3.3 percent) year on year in the first quarter, while part time employment was up 20,100 (+3.5 percent) year on year
    • In April 2025, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, down from the revised rate of 4.4 in March 2025 and from a rate of 4.4 percent in April 2024

    Labour Force Survey (LFS) results published today by the Central Statistics Office show continued growth in Ireland’s labour market, with 90,800 jobs created in the year to Q1 2025.

    Employment now stands at 2.81 million, an increase of approximately 3.3 percent over Q1 2024. 

    This is a positive step towards the Programme for Government’s target to create 300,000 extra jobs by 2030, supported by strategic investments, supportive enterprise policies, and a focus on fostering a vibrant economy. This commitment to continued employment growth builds upon the Government’s White Paper on Enterprise, published in December 2022, which sets out the strategic direction for job creation in the years ahead. 

    Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, said:

    “The Irish labour market has shown strong resilience and growth, with low unemployment rates and increasing job opportunities across sectors such as technology, healthcare, and finance. Today’s release from the CSO shows an exceptionally strong start to 2025, as the workforce continues to expand, driving the nation’s economic resilience and ensuring a brighter future for job seekers across the regions.

    Female participation rates in the labour market in particular have been trending upwards and reached a new historic high in the first quarter of 2025, with more women now availing of opportunities for employment. My Department will continue to support workers throughout their careers, with initiatives to improve work-life balance and flexible working arrangements which encourages greater participation, resulting in greater diversity and inclusion within the workforce.”

    The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, said:

    “Today’s results highlight the continued strength of the Irish labour market, with around 90,000 jobs added in the year to Q1 2025. On a seasonally adjusted basis, we now have over 2.8 million people employed in our country, while the unemployment rate stood at 4.0 per cent in the first quarter. It is particularly welcome to see the continued rise in female labour force participation – increasing by over 1 percentage point on an annual basis. 

    While I am encouraged by the resilience of the labour market in the face of increased economic uncertainty, it is important to stress that today’s figures are backward looking. It is crucial that the strength of the economy in recent years does not lead to complacency.

    As we begin preparations for Budget 2026 this summer, starting with the National Economic Dialogue in June, it is imperative that we continue to pursue a balanced and sensible budgetary policy as we navigate this period of uncertainty.”

    CSO release here

    Back to Department News

    Back to Top

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spitfire display part of packed Portsmouth Armed Forces Day on 21 June

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    A Battle of Britain Spitfire will take to the sky as part of a packed Portsmouth Armed Forces Day on Saturday 21 June.

    Image from Battle of Britain Memorial Flight by Gary Eason

    Southsea Common will again burst to life for a free community day of military parades, a Royal Navy ‘Raiders’ parachute jump and arena displays, plus a live music stage and lots of other entertainment.

    The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight team will be performing a full spitfire display to delight the crowds, with thousands again expected to turn out.

    Portsmouth City Council organises the annual event to let Portsmouth residents and families come together and honour our current and former armed forces.

    BAE Systems is continuing its commitment to Armed Forces Day by headline sponsoring the event and enabling the council to put on such a large programme for the whole of Portsmouth to enjoy.

    Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said:

    “In what is the 80th anniversary year of the end of the Second World War, we are very proud to once again host a day for the whole of Portsmouth to come and honour and celebrate our armed forces community.

    “We’re expecting well over 10,000 people to again attend, and they will be treated to a full day of action and excitement, including a Royal Navy parachute jump and a full Spitfire display.

    “Our thanks again to BAE Systems for its support, which enables us to make Portsmouth Armed Forces Day the hugely popular event it is.”

    Scott Jamieson, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ M&L Defence Solutions, said:

    “We’re incredibly proud to continue our support of Portsmouth Armed Forces Day. It’s a popular event in the local calendar, offering an opportunity for the local community to come together to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution of our Armed Forces community – those in service, veterans and their families.”

    The main arena will host the full military parade led by the Rose and Thistle Pipe Band, plus dog shows and the Spitfire display above.

    This year there’s a dedicated bike arena with BMX tricks and jumps in the afternoon.

    There will be a Field Gun Arena to explore, and a music stage with live performances from local acts through the day.

    The 6 Regiment Army Air Corps Reserves are bringing a static Gazelle helicopter, there’s a tactical wing supply from Joint Helicopter Group, plus displays and stalls from veterans, charities and military organisations.

    The popular free climbing wall is back, plus there will be full funfair with rides to purchase, and plenty of food and refreshments on sale.

    The free event runs from 10am to 4pm.

    Snows BMW & MINI Portsmouth is a supporting sponsor of the event, and will be bringing a selection of electric vehicles from across their range for people to view.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: International Academic Hub for Pediatric Oncology to be Established in Uzbekistan

    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

    Tashkent, May 22 (Xinhua) — An International Academic Hub for Pediatric Oncology will be opened in Uzbekistan, local media reported on Thursday, citing a decree by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

    The hub will reportedly operate at the Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Children’s Oncology, Hematology and Immunology of Uzbekistan.

    “In accordance with the Resolution, a digital patient route will be introduced, including the processes of registration, diagnosis, treatment, dispensary observation and routing of children with oncological and oncohematological diseases,” the statement says.

    It is noted that the academic hub is a scientific and educational institution, and it is entrusted with such tasks as the implementation of international educational programs, analysis and forecasting of epidemiological trends in childhood cancer incidence for strategic planning and development of preventive measures. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Seizures of contraband and unauthorized items at Collins Bay Institution 

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 21, 2025 – Kingston, Ontario – Correctional Service Canada

    Between May 10 and 20, 2025, as a result of the vigilance of staff members, multiple packages containing contraband and unauthorized items were seized at Collins Bay Institution, a multi-level security federal institution.

    The items seized included marijuana, tobacco, fentanyl, ecstasy, “shatter” (cannabis concentrate), hashish, edged weapons, as well as cell phones and cell phone accessories. The total estimated institutional value of these seizures is approximately $528,381.

    The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) uses a number of tools to prevent drugs from entering its institutions. These tools include ion scanners and detector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors.

    CSC has heightened measures to prevent contraband and unauthorized items from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband or unauthorized items into correctional institutions.

    CSC has set up a telephone tip line for all federal institutions so that it may receive additional information about activities relating to security at CSC institutions. These activities may be related to drug use or trafficking that may threaten the safety and security of visitors, inmates, and staff members working at CSC institutions.

    The toll-free number, 1‑866‑780‑3784, helps ensure that the information shared is protected and that callers remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko Statement on Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful” Budget Betrayal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Paul D. Tonko today issued a statement following the narrow passage of Republicans’ budget, which makes the deepest cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and environmental protections in American history.

    Tonko spoke against this budget on the House floor in the early hours of the morning ahead of the House vote. His remarks can be viewed HERE.

    “Ripping away healthcare from 13.7 million individuals. Snatching food out of the mouths of children, mothers, and veterans. Opening the door for polluters to pour toxic, cancer-causing chemicals into our air and water. These are what my Republican colleagues voted to pass this morning with their monstrosity of a budget. Even worse, they are making all of these ruthless cuts to essential services for working class Americans and adding trillions in new debt just so they can give more tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans.

    “Over the last week, I have spent multiple sleepless nights in committee rooms, on the House floor, and in the halls of Congress condemning in every possible way the horrors of this bill. I was compelled to speak up and speak out about the harms that these cuts would have on my constituents and on Americans across the nation. Despite this effort, and the incredible public outcry from folks demanding Republicans keep their hands off Medicaid, SNAP, and other basic needs programs, My GOP colleagues denied and ignored these pleas to advance a budget they couldn’t even be bothered to negotiate in the light of day.

    “This bill now heads to the Senate, where in all likelihood it will be revised and sent back to the House. Make no mistake, I won’t stop using every tool at my disposal to fight against this cruel budget and on behalf of the lives who would be destroyed by its enactment.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta Urges Senate to Vote to Strengthen Medicaid, Prioritize American Energy Dominance, and Reduce Fraud and Abuse in Federal Government

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    Latta Urges Senate to Vote to Strengthen Medicaid, Prioritize American Energy Dominance, and Reduce Fraud and Abuse in Federal Government

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    Today, the House of Representatives passed the Reconciliation Bill, with Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH-5) voting in favor as it now heads to the Senate. Congressman Latta released the following statement:  

    “I am proud to have joined my colleagues in voting in favor of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill that will help the United States get back on track. House Republicans will continue to stay unified and deliver on the promises made to the American people. Today’s vote takes us one step closer to strengthening Medicaid, prioritizing American energy dominance, keepings Americans’ tax rates lower, cutting wasteful spending, and reducing fraud and abuse in the Federal government through the reconciliation process. I urge my Senate colleagues to act quickly to get this bill across the finish line.”  

    Congressman Latta voted in favor of the Energy and Commerce budget reconciliation markup. Read his statement HERE.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kelly, Colleagues Reintroduce Critical Prior Authorization Reform Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16) reintroduced H.R. 3514, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act along with Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01),and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA).

    “With nearly 33 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, modernization of the prior authorization process is long overdue. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, hundreds of health care organizations, and Americans from all corners of the country agree – streamlining this process will allow our Nation’s seniors to receive the care they are entitled to more efficiently. I am proud to reintroduce the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025, which would move the health care sector into the 21st century by giving doctors and Medicare Advantage plans the tools to make health coverage decisions in a timely manner. I thank my House and Senate colleagues for their years of hard work and for joining me on the reintroduction of this critical legislation,” said Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16).

    “We’ve made important incremental headway in helping seniors get the medical care they deserve with the administration’s prior authorization regulations. However, we must go further and enshrine these advancements into law. By passing the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can make it much easier for seniors to receive the care they’re entitled to while also alleviating unnecessary burdens on physicians and hospitals,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01).  

    “When decisions on patient care are made by bureaucrats with no experience treating patients, care is often delayed or denied altogether, which results in worse outcomes for patients,” said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13). “By streamlining the prior authorization process through the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can ensure that American patients receive the care they need without unnecessary barriers.”

    “As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how the broken prior authorization process delays needed care and frustrates both seniors and their physicians,” said Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06). “The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act cuts through red tape and makes it easier for seniors on Medicare Advantage to access the treatments and services they need, when they need them. This bipartisan legislation is a common-sense fix that puts patients over paperwork, restores trust in the system and helps physicians focus on delivering quality care. I’m proud to reintroduce this bill alongside my colleagues and am grateful for the broad coalition of support behind it.”

    BACKGROUND

    Prior authorization is a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services. But it’s not without fault. The current system often results in unconfirmed faxes of a patient’s medical information or phone calls by clinicians which takes precious time away from delivering quality and timely care. Prior authorization continues to be the #1 administrative burden identified by health care providers, and three out of four Medicare Advantage enrollees are subject to unnecessary delays due to prior authorization. In recent years, the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) raised concerns after an audit revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied. More recently, HHS OIG released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries’ access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules.

    Health plans, health care providers, and patients agree that the prior authorization process must be improved to better serve patients and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for clinicians. In fact, leading health care organizations released a consensus statement to address some of the most pressing concerns associated with prior authorization.

    Specifically, the bill would:

    – Establish an electronic prior authorization process for MA plans including a standardization for transactions and clinical attachments.
    – Increase transparency around MA prior authorization requirements and its use.
    – Clarify HHS’ authority to establish timeframes for e-prior authorization requests including   expedited determinations, real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services, and other prior authorization requests.
    – Expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes.
    – Require HHS and other agencies to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and other ways to further improve the e-PA process.
    – Previously, Rep. Kelly led similar legislation in the 118th Congress. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act unanimously passed the House in the 117th Congress and was cosponsored by a majority of members in the Senate and House of Representatives. 

    The bill text can be found here and a section-by-section can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES ON HOUSE FLOOR: “IF THEY WON’T FIGHT FOR YOU, WE WILL”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the dangerous GOP Tax Scam passed by House Republicans to strip healthcare and nutritional assistance from the American people in order to enact massive tax breaks for billionaires.

    JEFFRIES: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this reckless, regressive and reprehensible GOP Tax Scam. This is One Big Ugly Bill that House Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people under the cover of darkness. This legislation will not make life better for the American people. The GOP Tax Scam represents an assault on the economy, an assault on healthcare, an assault on nutritional assistance, an assault on tax fairness and an assault on fiscal responsibility. There are more than 100 other reasons to vote against this One Big Ugly Bill that can be found by reading this more than 1000-page document. Those reasons are too numerous to mention, but this legislation also undermines reproductive freedom, undermines the progress that we have made in combating the climate crisis, undermines gun safety, undermines the rule of law and the independence of the federal judiciary. It even undermines the ability of hardworking and law-abiding immigrant families to provide remittances to their loved ones who may just happen to live abroad. There are more than 100 different reasons to vote against the GOP Tax Scam. And in the days and the weeks and the months to come, all of those reasons will be exposed for the American people, in each and every one of your districts.

    But this bill represents a failed promise. Last year, Donald Trump and House Republicans spent all of their time talking about their promise to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. In fact, Donald Trump and Republicans promised that costs would go down on day one. We’re now more than 120 days past the inauguration. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is out of control. Insurance rates remain stubbornly high. Our Moody’s rating, our credit rating has been downgraded. And you’ve got people losing confidence in this economy. Republicans are crashing this economy in real time and driving us toward a recession. But beyond that, costs are actually going up. The trade war that Donald Trump has recklessly launched—his tariff scheme—will raise the cost of goods and groceries and gas for everyday Americans, the Americans that you claimed you were going to help, but the Americans that you are clearly hurting. You’ve destabilized the business environment. Small businesses are at risk of closing. Farmers—small family farmers are in distress. Businesses can’t invest. People are not hiring. You are actively crashing the economy, driving America toward a recession. You promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren’t going down. They are going up.

    Now, as House Democrats, we believe that we have to build an affordable economy for hardworking American taxpayers. We’re committed to lowering housing costs and grocery costs and insurance costs and child care costs and utility costs. America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world—there are far too many people living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet. Here in this country, no American should find themselves in that situation. And you promised that you would do something about it. But things are not getting better. They’re getting worse. We could have partnered together to try to find a bipartisan path toward building an affordable economy for hardworking American taxpayers, but you chose to go it alone, to try to drive your extreme right-wing policies down the throats of the American people. And that’s what this One Big Ugly Bill represents. 

    Not simply a broken promise, as it relates to your failures on the economy. And despite the gentleman from Louisiana trying to articulate all of the so-called successes that have taken place, we know that this presidency has already been a failure, filled with crisis and chaos, cruelty and corruption. And the American people know it, which is why Donald Trump, at the 100-day mark, was the most unpopular President in American history. The American people understand it’s unfolding right before their eyes, no matter what kind of MAGA spin you try to put on the situation. And things are going to get worse. Why? Because of this Big Ugly Bill. Not simply an assault on the economy, a broken promise, it’s an assault on the healthcare of the American people. You see, as Democrats, we believe, in this country, healthcare is not simply a privilege, healthcare is a right. And from Medicare to Medicaid to the passage of the Affordable Care Act and subsequently enhancing it, we’ve begun to move America to a place where every single person in this land can have access to the healthcare that they need to live a life of dignity and respect.

    At this moment in America, we have the lowest rate of uninsured people in our nation’s history. But this GOP Tax Scam will reverse that, with this assault on healthcare, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And here’s what it will mean for the American people. Children will get hurt. Women will get hurt. Older Americans who rely on Medicaid for nursing home care and for home care will get hurt. People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to survive will get hurt. Hospitals in your districts will close. Nursing homes will shut down. And people will die. That’s not hype. That’s not hyperbole. That’s not a hypothetical. The people that you all represent have been writing to us to make that clear. Thousands of people who’ve written to us—everyday Americans—have made that clear. And let me just present a few of those stories into the record.

    I have Type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed when I was seven years old. I’ve had jobs with private insurance in the past, but I lost my job during the pandemic. With child care becoming a major challenge, it made more sense for me to stay home with the kids, but that also meant losing my health benefits. Right now, we’re all on Medicaid. It’s crucial for me to stay alive and healthy. I need insulin and supplies to manage my diabetes every single day. Without it, I could die. That’s Shauna, who lives in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.

    My youngest son has leukemia. He was a self-employed handyman, and therefore, he didn’t have sufficient insurance. When the cancer became more debilitating, he could no longer work. He has undergone radiation, stem cell transplant and then more radiation. He is still fighting the cancer. And without Medicaid and the fine physicians, he would surely die. That’s Greg, who lives in the Eighth Congressional District of Colorado.

    As a cancer survivor with chronic illnesses, I rely heavily on Medicaid and food stamps to get by. Without these essential programs, people like me would suffer. I’m currently taking expensive medication to stay in remission, but my condition and the side effects of my treatment make it impossible for me to work. Unfortunately, my work history also disqualifies me from receiving Social Security benefits. I’m not alone in my dependence on these Medicaid and food stamps benefits. Children, elders and many others who are sick or struggling, also rely on them to survive. I urge you to do the right thing for the people you represent. Without food stamps and Medicaid, the consequences would be painful and even deadly. That’s Julisa, who had a message for her Representative in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District.

    But we’re here to say, as House Democrats, to Shauna, to Greg and to Julisa, that if your representatives won’t fight for you, we will. We will. We will. If they won’t fight for you, we will fight for you, for your healthcare, for your decency, for your well-being, for your grace and for your dignity.

    Full remarks can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Titus Prevents Federal Land Grab in Southern Nevada

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Congresswoman Dina Titus announced today that she has successfully removed language from the Republican budget bill that would have sold off at least 65,000 acres of land in Southern Nevada. Rep. Titus has been leading the effort to remove the provision since Rep. Mark Amodei introduced an amendment in the early morning hours of May 7th to sell off public lands and direct the proceeds to the federal government to pay for tax breaks for the rich.

    “This is the right decision,” Congresswoman Titus said. “The Republican budget bill already forces states to deal with billions of dollars in federal cuts to Medicaid, as well as to education, food, and housing assistance programs. The Amodei amendment would have created an additional burden on taxpayers who would have ultimately had to front the costs of infrastructure improvements needed for developments in distant areas. It would have further strained our limited water resources. On top of that, this provision would have broken precedent by sending money back to Washington D.C. rather than keeping it in Southern Nevada to invest in conservation, preserving critical ecosystems, wildfire prevention efforts, and public schools.”

    Just after midnight on Monday morning, Rep. Titus was ready to defend Southern Nevadans by introducing her amendment to nullify the proposed land sales in Clark County. The language was removed in the manager’s amendment, however, after the Congresswoman worked successfully with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure the provision was struck.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dina Titus Statement on House Passage of Budget Bill Harming Nevadans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Rep. Dina Titus Statement on House Passage of Budget Bill Harming Nevadans

    Congresswoman Dina Titus today released the following statement after the House voted to approve the budget reconciliation bill:

    “Passage of the disastrous Republican budget bill threatens every Nevadan. Sixty-four thousand Nevadans will go without health insurance because tax credits for the Affordable Care Act will be allowed to expire. Households able to keep their coverage will see their premiums double, paying an extra $3,690 per year. In my congressional district alone, 19,000 adults and children will be immediately kicked off their Medicaid coverage, and 33,000 people will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. And while billionaires will get tax breaks of $762 per day, average Nevadans making $50,000 per year or less will get less than $1 per day. While House Republicans march in lockstep with Donald Trump, Nevadans are being left behind – poorer, sicker, and hungrier.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer Floor Remarks On H.R. 1

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following remarks this morning during the Ways and Means Committee’s portion of House floor debate on H.R. 1. Beyer’s remarks as delivered follow below, and video is available here:

    Mr. Speaker, our dearly departed friend and colleague Gerry Connolly used to say that “our job is to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” This bill does the opposite.

    My Republican friends say this act is about “helping the working families in America,” but nothing could be further from the truth.

    This monstrous bill strips health care from 14 million Americans.

    It cuts $300 billion in food and nutrition from working Americans.

    While giving a temporary head fake to those working on overtime and those working for tips, it actually raises taxes on the poorest 20 percent of Americans – exactly the folks my Republican friends pretend it helps.

    The overwhelming benefits of H.R. 1 flow to the wealthiest Americans, the largest transfer of wealth from working Americans to rich in the history of our country.

    Mr. Speaker, Gerry Connolly was a devout Catholic who studied to be a priest. He and I agreed that the essence of this bill sent the opposite message of the New Testament, which is to give our lives to help the poor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Norma Torres Votes Against Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    May 22, 2025

    Voted No to Protect Critical Healthcare, Food Security, and Fair Tax Policies for California Families

    WASHINGTON, D.C. —   Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres voted against the Republican Budget Reconciliation bill, which harms millions of Americans. The bill includes devastating provisions that would cut healthcare coverage for nearly 14 million people, reduce SNAP benefits by $300 billion, and leave 42 million Americans facing cuts to their benefits. Congresswoman Torres has been at the forefront of efforts to protect vital programs and services for working families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

    “I cannot in good conscience support a bill that undermines the basic needs of our nation’s most vulnerable,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “This bill would slash critical healthcare coverage, make it harder for families to put food on the table, and further burden Californians already struggling with the high cost of living. 

    “Almost half of my district relies on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid.  More than 110,000 residents of my district rely on food assistance programs.”

    “The Republican Budget Reconciliation is an outright assault on these families, and on working American families across the nation. I’ll keep fighting for Californians, pushing back against these harmful cuts and standing up for policies that protect healthcare, food security, tax fairness, and a stronger future for all. It’s shameful that my Republican colleagues are prioritizing billionaires over the needs of their own constituents.”

    Congresswoman Torres proposed amendments were not included by Republicans but would have significantly improved the bill and protected healthcare, food security, and fair tax policies.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No watches are valid as of Thu May 22 14:06:01 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated:  Thu May 22 14:36:05 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid

    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Discours du président António Costa à la cérémonie de remise du Prix Félix Houphouët-Boigny – UNESCO pour la Recherche de la Paix

    Source: Council of the European Union

    Lors de sa visite à Abidjan, António Costa, président du Conseil européen, a reçu le Prix Félix Houphouët-Boigny – UNESCO pour la Recherche de la Paix, en reconnaissance de son engagement en faveur du multilatéralisme, du dialogue, et du développement durable.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colchester County / Fall River — RCMP Southeast Traffic Services and Colchester County District RCMP investigations lead to arrest

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Multiple RCMP investigations from two regions of the province have led to charges against a Dartmouth man.

    On May 5, Colchester County District RCMP responded to a report of a theft from a business in Onslow. Investigators learned that a lawn tractor had been stolen from the yard in the early morning of May 4. Review of surveillance video showed a vehicle of interest, believed to be a black Ford Ranger, accessing the yard.

    On May 10, Colchester County District RCMP responded to a report of a theft from a business in Stewiacke where a lawn tractor was stolen from an enclosed yard overnight.

    On May 15, a third similar incident was reported to Colchester County District RCMP from a business in Brookfield. In this third incident there was damage to gates and locks in the business’s enclosed yard, but no items taken. Based on items left behind at the scene and surveillance video, officers identified a person of interest from Dartmouth.

    Later that day at approximately 10:30 a.m., officers with RCMP Southeast Traffic Services in Fall River were approached by a member of the public who reported a suspected impaired driver. Officers located the vehicle, a black Ford Ranger, on Hwy. 2 at Fletchers Lake and attempted a traffic stop. Due to significant safety concerns, officers used their police vehicles to direct the truck into the ditch when the driver attempted to flee the traffic stop.

    The driver, Ryan Fleet, 40, of Dartmouth, was safely arrested at the scene and is facing nine charges related to the Colchester County investigations, including Theft Over $5000 (two counts) and Break and Enter (two counts). He is charged with Flight from Peace Officer, Dangerous Operation, Failure to Comply with Probation Order, and Forcible Confinement associated to his arrest in Fletchers Lake. In addition, he was issued summary offence tickets for offences under the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act and Revenue Act. Fleet had a first court appearance on May 16 at Dartmouth Provincial Court and remains in custody.

    Fleet was assessed for impairment and passed the tests for alcohol and drugs administered by officers.

    A passenger who was in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop was arrested and released without charges.

    Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Colchester County District RCMP at 902-893-6820 or police of jurisdiction in your area. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Dakota Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Mandan, North Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on May 19, 2025.

    Carlin Mellette, age 29, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit the firearm, pay a $1,000 fine, and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Mellette was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.

    This conviction stemmed from events that occurred during the early morning hours of February 26, 2023, when the victim and friends were socializing with a co-defendant and others at a residence in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Mellette arrived at the residence and provided the co-defendant with three pills containing fentanyl. The co-defendant took the pills inside the residence where the pills were then ingested by the co-defendant and the victim, who ingested only half of a pill, resulting in the fentanyl overdose death of the victim. Later that day, Walworth County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to conduct an unrelated traffic stop of Mellette’s vehicle for speeding in an area west of Aberdeen. Mellette led law enforcement on a 26-mile pursuit with speeds in excess of 100 mph. Mellette was apprehended after getting his vehicle stuck in a snowbank. A search of his vehicle revealed 99 grams of methamphetamine, additional fentanyl pills, drug ledgers, scales, other drug paraphernalia, and a Ruger .45 caliber pistol.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gettysburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

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

    Mellette was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Sentenced To 15 Years For Armed Fentanyl Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Alberto Ismael Salinas Valencia (21), an Ecuadorian national residing illegally in Orlando, to 15 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Salinas Valencia pled guilty on January 23, 2025.

    According to the plea agreement, between August 2023 and August 2024, Salinas Valencia ran an online business selling firearms, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Orlando area. An undercover law enforcement officer found Salinas Valencia’s online store and set up several undercover transactions. Over the course of the investigation, Salinas Valencia sold the undercover officer several firearms, including two machineguns, fentanyl pills, and cocaine. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Harvard Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Stolen Human Remains

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cedric Lodge, age 57, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, pled guilty yesterday before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to interstate transport of stolen human remains. 

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Lodge admitted that, from 2018 through at least March 2020, he participated in the sale and interstate transport of human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School morgue, located in Boston, Massachusetts.  Lodge, who was then employed as the manager of the Harvard Medical School Morgue, removed human remains, including organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, dissected heads, and other parts, from donated cadavers after they had been used for research and teaching purposes but before they could be disposed of according to the anatomical gift donation agreement between the donor and the school. Lodge took the remains without the knowledge or permission of his employer, the donor, or the donor’s family, and transport the remains to his home in New Hampshire.  After he and his wife Denise Lodge sold the remains, they would ship the remains to the buyers in other states or the buyer would take possession directly and transport the remains themselves.  Remains stolen and sold by Lodge were transported from the morgue in Boston to locations in Salem, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

    Lodge admitted to having sold remains to Joshua Taylor and Andrew Ensanian, among others.  Many of the remains purchased from Lodge were resold for a profit, including to Jeremy Pauley, who previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen human remains.

    Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Lodge’s wife, Denise Lodge, Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, and Angelo Pereyra.  Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months.  Denise Lodge and Joshua Taylor are still awaiting sentencing.  Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the East Pennsboro Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan Martin is prosecuting the case. 

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Watertown Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Minor within the Lake Traverse Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gokoh Frank Brown, age 29, from Watertown, South Dakota, of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on May 21, 2025.

    The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime term of supervised release.

    Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. 

    From January 2023 to August 2023, Brown sexually assaulted a 12–13-year-old girl while living in Red Iron Housing on the Lake Traverse Reservation. Brown was 26-27 years old at the time.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Law Enforcement, and the DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has been set for August 18, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Center Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in a Black-Market Travel Agent Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Reginae Calhoun of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota has pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identify theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, from at least April 2024 to June 2024, Reginae Calhoun, 23, operated as a black-market travel agent.  She  purchased credit card information—including name, address, card numbers, expiration date, and CV2 code—of approximately 216 different victims on the dark web, which she used to book hotel rooms and rental cars for others.  Calhoun’s customers paid her a fraction of the actual booking costs through peer-to-peer payment applications or in cash.

    According to court documents, on June 2, 2024, Calhoun attempted to purchase airline tickets by using several different credit cards until the purchase was successful.  Due to the several attempts, the airline reported suspected credit card fraud to the airport police.  Airport police confirmed with the credit card owners that Calhoun was not authorized to use their cards.

    “The ingenuity of Minnesota’s fraudsters seems to know no bounds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “Calhoun stole hundreds of victim identities and used them to conduct a black-market travel agent fraud scheme—stealing from others to enrich herself. She will now be held accountable in federal court.”     

    “Criminals who turn to the dark web to buy and sell stolen information are part of a growing threat to our digital security,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “This defendant built a business by exploiting the stolen identities and financial information of over 200 of innocent victims. The anonymity of the internet does not protect offenders from detection. The FBI and our partners will continue to find and expose these schemes and hold offenders accountable.”

    Calhoun pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the MSP Airport Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shakopee Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Yancy Hall of Shakopee, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, in October 2023, a search warrant was executed at Hall’s two apartments and vehicle. The execution of the search warrant resulted in the seizure of three guns, over $75,000 in cash, and a large amount of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

    In August 2024, Hall, while dealing drugs near a mosque, got into an argument with a mosque congregant who had just left prayer services. Hall escalated the argument by shooting the congregant multiple times, as well as at another mosque congregant. Though Hall fled the scene, he was quickly apprehended by law enforcement.

    “Everyone in Minnesota deserves the ability to practice their religion, free from violence and threats of violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “The attack by Hall on two congregants was vicious, violent, and unacceptable.  I appreciate the hard work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department in bringing Hall to justice.”  

    On January 2, 2025, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty. 

    This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minneapolis Woman Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Role in Feeding Our Future $250 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Sahra Nur of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Nur was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,000,240.

    According to court documents, from December 2020 through January 2022, Sahra Mohamed Nur, 63, knowingly and willfully conspired with others in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds. As the owner and operator of S & S Catering Inc., Nur initially enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a food distribution site under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. As the fraud scheme progressed, S & S Catering operated as a vendor for other food distribution sites affiliated with Feeding Our Future.

    Between September 2020 and April 2021, Nur claimed to have served over 1.2 million meals to children from S & S Catering alone. Between December 2020 and December 2021, sites who used S & S Catering as a vendor reported serving more than eight million meals through the food program. Based on their fraudulent claims, S & S Catering received more than $10 million in payment from these companies they purportedly served food to, and over $16 million in reimbursements from Feeding Our Future. Rather feed children during the pandemic, Nur misappropriated the funds for her own personal benefit, such as commercial real estate.

    Nur was one of eight defendants charged in a 23-count indictment in September 2022. On September 7, 2023, Nur pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. She was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel.  In imposing sentence, Judge Brasel called the loss amount “staggering” and explained that “public trust in government programs has significant decreased” as a result of the defendant’s fraud.  Judge Brasel noted that it was “tragic” how the fraud scheme has damaged the reputation of Somali-American community.

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Massage Therapist Indicted for First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Client

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Andrew Ramirez, 42, of Jefferson, MD, was arraigned in Superior Court yesterday on one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a client and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a client, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                The case is currently scheduled for a status hearing on July 11, 2025. 

                According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 12:15 p.m. on July 2, 2023, the victim arrived at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C. to receive spa services. The victim met the defendant, who was a masseuse at the hotel, in the spa room. During the massage and with a towel covering his back, the defendant asked him to turn around. As the victim turned over, the towel fell off, leaving the victim naked on his back, with a towel covering his head. Ramirez continued the body oil massage. The victim reported feeling what he believed to be the defendant performing oral sex on him. He reported what had happened to members of the hotel team and called 911.   The defendant as linked to the alleged sexual assault of the victim through DNA testing and other investigative tools.

                This case is being investigated by the MPD. Anyone with information on this matter, or who believes they were assaulted by the defendant, can call the MPD Sex Assault Unit at 202-727-3700.

                This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

                An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts South Boston Man on Drug and Gun Charges

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

    ROANOKE, Va. – A federal jury sitting in Roanoke convicted a man from South Boston, Virginia, yesterday of federal drug and gun charges.

    Following a two-day trial, the jury found Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, guilty of possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

    According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, police received a report that two men brandished guns from a newer white Jaguar in downtown South Boston.  An officer saw the Jaguar park in a shopping center, and he approached as Jacobs exited the driver’s side of the car.  Meanwhile, the passenger, James Alexander Hiett, evaded the officer and quickly walked away.  Hiett was later identified by store surveillance cameras.

    Other officers arrived on scene and spotted a gun protruding from the backseat of the car, prompting them to search it.  Ultimately, officers found three loaded guns: a Glock 21 pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat; a Radical Firearms RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat; and a Glock 19 pistol under the passenger seat.  The Glock 21 and RF-15 pistols were equipped with machinegun conversion devices that allowed for fully automatic fire.

    Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and selling the drugs.

    Hiett previously pled guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. 

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

    The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Charged in $227M Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    WASHINGTON — An Illinois man and a foreign national were arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to their alleged submission of more than $227 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

    According to court documents, Syed Murtuza Kablazada, 34, of Arlington Heights, and Syed Mehdi Hussain, 32, of Carol Stream, owned and operated purported medical laboratories that submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for the reimbursement of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits allegedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The defendants allegedly installed foreign nationals to act as nominee owners at the laboratories to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for the provision of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits, with the understanding the nominee owners would flee the United States when they learned that their laboratory was under investigation.

    “As alleged, the defendants used straw owners at multiple laboratories to cause the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Health care fraud harms Americans by squandering taxpayer money and diverting limited resources from those who need them most. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to hold fraudsters accountable, protect victims, and recover financial losses.”

    “The overwhelming fraud uncovered in this investigation details a blatant disregard for America’s critical health care program, Medicare, and puts all patients at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate anyone who abuses the health care system for personal gain and will aggressively pursue justice on behalf of both patients and taxpayers.”

    As alleged in the indictment, the defendants rarely provided Covid-19 test kits to Medicare beneficiaries but instead submitted reimbursement claims on behalf of beneficiaries who had not requested COVID-19 test kits, including individuals who were deceased. Further, the defendants allegedly paid a marketing company to provide the names of hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries that the defendants used to submit fraudulent claims. In total, between September 2022 and June 2023, the defendants’ labs billed Medicare approximately $227 million in fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $136 million in reimbursements.

    Kablazada and Hussain are both charged by indictment with four counts of health care fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the four counts.

    The FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic for the Northern District of Illinois.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Security Federal Announces Cash Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AIKEN, S.C., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Security Federal Corporation, parent company of Security Federal Bank, is pleased to announce that a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share will be paid on or about June 15, 2025, to shareholders of record as of May 31, 2025.   

    This is the one hundred thirty-eighth consecutive quarterly dividend to shareholders since the Bank’s conversion in October of 1987 from a mutual to a stock form of ownership. The dividend was declared as a result of the Bank’s continued profitability.

    Security Federal Bank has nineteen full-service branch locations in Aiken, Ballentine, Clearwater, Columbia, Graniteville, Langley, Lexington, North Augusta, Ridge Spring, Wagener and West Columbia, South Carolina and Augusta and Evans, Georgia. A full range of financial services, including trust and investments, are provided by the Bank, and insurance services are provided by the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary, Security Federal Insurance, Inc.

    Security Federal Corporation common stock is traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol SFDL.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: US structural heart occlusion market sees early 2025 growth amid trade uncertainty, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US structural heart occlusion market sees early 2025 growth amid trade uncertainty, says GlobalData

    Posted in Medical Devices

    The US Structural Heart Occlusion (SHO) market posted a notable 39% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 2025, amid heightened trade policy uncertainty following President Donald Trump’s re-election and the swift introduction of new tariff measures in early 2025, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Trump’s new tariff regime includes a 10% global baseline and a “reciprocal” tariff framework that has unsettled global trade norms. With broad tariffs on strategic sectors and a 90-day pause on some reciprocal tariffs, businesses and healthcare providers are facing a shifting economic landscape.

    According to data from GlobalData’s panel of medical facilities, March 2025 revenue growth in the SHO market grew over 50% compared to March 2024, signaling a late-quarter surge in demand.

    Thomas Fleming, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The surge in growth may be less about increased patient demand and more about precautionary stockpiling. Hospitals appear to be accelerating procurement of high-value medical devices—such as those used for structural heart occlusion—in anticipation of rising costs and supply disruptions. This response reflects growing concerns about the sustainability of supply chains and the potential financial impact of extended tariff enforcement.”

    Fleming continues: “Historically, the US has held a leadership role in the global SHO market, driven by high incidence rates of structural heart conditions and robust innovation in cardiac care. However, the current environment marks a sharp contrast with previous expectations of stable, predictable growth. With global supply chains in flux and trade negotiations still unsettled, market stakeholders are left navigating increased risk.”

    Fleming concludes: “While Q1’s growth may appear encouraging at first glance, it underscores the reactive measures health systems are taking in an uncertain policy environment. The long-term effects of these tariffs on device pricing, research investments, and patient outcomes remain to be seen, leaving the sector in a state of cautious watchfulness.”

    MIL OSI Economics –