NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 990 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Fourth week in April as part of Operation Take Back America.

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 990 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

    The Southern District of Texas filed 237 cases in immigration and security-related matters. As part of those cases, 124 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 106 people face charges of illegally entering the country, five cases involve various instances of human smuggling with the remainder relating to assault of an officer or other immigration-related crimes. As part of the cases filed this week, Carlos Verduco-Muniz faces charges of assault on a federal officer. He allegedly punched a Texas Military Department Specialist in the face during a pursuit to apprehend him near Rio Grande City. The charges allege he is a citizen and national of Mexico who was illegally present in the United States at the time of the assault.

    The Western District of Texas filed 344 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, Henry Cruz-Lemas, an illegal alien and a Honduran national previously convicted of aggravated kidnapping in September 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. Cruz-Lemas was arrested on April 18 during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ERO) investigation in San Antonio. He is charged with one count of illegal reentry of an alien. Jose Angel Escarcega-Briones, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately four miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. Border Patrol Agents determined that he did not have immigration documents allowing him to be in the United States legally and that he has previously been removed from the United States five times. He has three prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as a federal drug trafficking conviction.

    The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 110 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 110 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed nine cases against 11 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.

    The Southern District of California filed 134 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.

    The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 32 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 years. The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base penalty of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year penalty and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

    The District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending April 25, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325).

    We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: RCI BANQUE : PLACEMENT OF A 624 MILLION EURO SECURITIZATION BACKED BY GERMAN AUTO LOANS 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PRESS RELEASE 
      
    30 APRIL 2025 

      

    PLACEMENT OF A 624 MILLION EURO SECURITIZATION BACKED BY GERMAN AUTO LOANS 

    Mobilize Financial Services Group announces the placement of a securitization backed by auto loans originated by its German branch.

    The FCT Cars Alliance Auto Loans Germany v 2025-1 has placed 611m€ of Senior notes and 13m€ of subordinated notes. These notes are rated AAA(sf) / Aaa(sf) and AAA(sf) / Aa1(sf) respectively by DBRS and Moody’s.

    The Senior tranche, with a weighted average life of 2.95 years, has a coupon(1)of Euribor 1 month + 62bps. The subordinated notes, with a weighted average life of 4.66 years, have a coupon(1) of Euribor 1 month + 90bps.

    This transaction confirms the diversified financing sources to which the company has access.

    (1) Priced at par

    Contact

    About Mobilize Financial Services   
    Attentive to the needs of all its customers, Mobilize Financial Services, a subsidiary of Renault Group, creates innovative financial services to build sustainable mobility for all. Mobilize Financial Services, which began operations nearly 100 years ago, is the commercial brand of RCI Banque SA, a French bank specializing in automotive financing and services for customers and networks of Renault Group, and also for the brands Nissan and Mitsubishi in several countries.  
    With operations in 35 countries and nearly 4,000 employees, Mobilize Financial Services financed more than 1,3 million contracts (new and used vehicles) in 2024 and sold 3,7 million services. At the end of December 2024, average earning assets stood at 55,9 billion euros of financing and pre-tax earnings at 1,194 million euros.   
    Since 2012, the Group has deployed a deposit-taking business in several countries. At the end of December 2024, net deposits amounted to 30,5 billion euros, or 50 % of the company’s net assets.   
    To find out more about Mobilize Financial Services: www.mobilize-fs.com/  
    Follow us on Twitter: @Mobilize_FS 

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CEO LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, CA., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CETY) (the “Company” or “CETY”).

    Dear Shareholders,

    As we navigate an ever-changing clean energy landscape shaped by global economic and political dynamics, I want to reaffirm our commitment to you of being both transparent and informative. My goal is to ensure you have a clear understanding of our company’s short-term objectives and long-term strategies.

    At Clean Energy Technologies, we understand the critical need for adaptability in this fast-evolving market. We are focused on positioning ourselves to capitalize on opportunities, overcome challenges, and drive sustainable growth and profitability while creating value for our shareholders.

    Being a NASDAQ-listed clean energy company is both an opportunity and a challenge, especially with limited resources in a capital-intensive industry. But we remain focused on execution, innovation, and building long-term value.

    Since our uplisting in 2023, we’ve gained better access to capital markets but truly haven’t been able to take advantage of it for various reasons. We’ve made strategic moves to tighten operations and focus on areas that align with our strengths and form synergistic strategic partnerships to expand our capabilities across multiple applications in order to scale up.

    One major milestone is our Vermont Renewable Gas (VRG) biomass waste to energy project:

    • $12M secured for construction
    • $20M long-term O&M agreement
    • CETY serving as technology provider and O&M partner

    The Vermont Renewable Gas (VRG) project serves as a model for how CETY plans to engage in future clean energy infrastructure—providing engineering, procurement, proprietary technology, and long-term operations and maintenance services. Several similar opportunities are currently in development, each with the potential to add significant value to our backlog through EPC and service agreements.

    We have successfully navigated a year-long permitting process for VRG, with all permits we believe are necessary secured except for the final sign-off from the Public Utility Commission. With the other permits secured, we are in the final stages of regulatory review and are preparing to proceed with project execution upon approval.

    We’re also growing our pipeline in heat to power and geothermal, deploying our proprietary technology into sectors like industrial manufacturing, data centers, and utilities. The $500K Qymera project secured in Q1 2025 is as a result of that. We are currently preparing our shipment to Qymera.

    In parallel, we’ve positioned CETY as a full-scope, eco-friendly energy and microgrid solutions provider by forming strategic partnerships with Metis Power and Exergy. Together, we offer integrated systems that encompass power generation, large-scale heat recovery, energy storage, and advanced energy management. As a result, we currently have multiple data center and large-scale heat-to-power project bids under consideration. These projects are capital-intensive and require financing through private equity or infrastructure funds, which can lead to longer lead times before contracts are finalized.

    Due to macroeconomic factors such as declining natural gas prices and reduced industrial demand, we expect lower near-term revenues from our natural gas activities. As a result, CETY HK will defer the commencement of the Shenzhen Gas joint venture until market conditions are more favorable.

    Tariffs are expected to affect the cost structure of our heat-to-power products at a time when we are actively focused on reducing production costs. To help mitigate these pressures, we are pursuing international manufacturing partnerships aimed at optimizing efficiency and maintaining our competitiveness in the market.

    To support these efforts, we’ve built a talented, multidisciplinary team across engineering, systems integration, procurement, and technical services—with a focus on seamless project delivery from design to commissioning.

    We continue to collaborate with project developers and private equity partners to expand our market reach. In these partnerships, CETY provides the core technology, execution capabilities, and long-term operations and maintenance services, while our partners lead on financing and asset ownership through power purchase agreement (PPA) structures.

    Here’s our strategy going forward:

    • Deliver turnkey clean energy solutions including technology, EPC, and O&M services.
    • Expand across multiple applications including power generation, waste to energy, and heat to power solutions.
    • Strengthen strategic partnerships to offer integrated microgrid and energy systems.
    • Establish captive partnerships to support developers and project financiers with the technical foundation to scale clean energy infrastructure.
    • Prioritize markets where we can lead such as industrial manufacturing, data centers, and waste-to-energy, where our proprietary technologies can deliver reliable, scalable, and cost-effective clean energy solutions.

    We remain committed to executing our strategy and building long-term value. While challenges remain, our recent developments and partnerships reflect meaningful progress toward establishing CETY as a reliable provider of clean energy technologies and solutions.

    About Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY)

    Headquartered in Irvine, California, Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. (CETY) is a rising leader in the zero-emission revolution by offering eco-friendly green energy solutions, clean energy fuels and alternative electric power for small and mid-sized projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. We deliver power from heat and biomass with zero emissions and low cost. The Company’s principal products are Waste Heat Recovery Solutions using our patented Clean CycleTM generator to create electricity. Waste to Energy Solutions convert waste products created in manufacturing, agriculture, wastewater treatment plants and other industries to electricity and BioChar. Engineering, Consulting and Project Management Solutions provide expertise and experience in developing clean energy projects for municipal and industrial customers and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies.

    CETY’s common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CETY.” For more information, visit www.cetyinc.com.

    For more information, visit www.cetyinc.com.

    Follow CETY on our social media channels: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

    This summary should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2024 and other periodic filings made pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which contain, among other matters, risk factors and financial footnotes as well as a discussions of our business, operations and financial matters located on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to achieving corporate objectives, developing additional project interests, the Company’s analysis of opportunities in the acquisition and development of various project interests and certain other matters. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of CETY’s business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company’s control. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Clean Energy Technologies, Inc.
    Investor and Investment Media inquiries:
    949-273-4990
    ir@cetyinc.com
    Source: Clean Energy Technologies, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CIC – Issuer Call Notice (Titres Participatifs)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (SEE “DISCLAIMER” BELOW).

    Paris, April 30th, 2025

    Notice of Early Redemption

    To : (i)      The Noteholders of the below mentioned Notes;
    (ii)      Euronext Paris
    (iii)      Fiscal Agent.

    Dear Sirs,

    Crédit Industriel et Commecial S.A.,
    €137,205,000 “Titres Participatifs” Variable Rate Notes issued on 28 May 1985 (the ‘’Notes”)

    (ISIN Code: FR0000047805)

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial S.A., (formerly “Compagnie Financière de Crédit Industriel et Commercial’’) is the issuer (the “Issuer’’) of the Notes.

    In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes (the ‘’Conditions’’), the Issuer hereby gives notice that it is exercising in whole its right to redeem the Notes pursuant to the provision Redemption (‘’Remboursement’’) of the Listing Particulars (“Issuer Call Option”) of the Notes.

    We, the Issuer, instruct you as Fiscal Agent, to authorise the French Central Securities Depository to cancel the Notes redeemed on 28 May, 2025 (“Early Redemption Date”).

    For the purposes of the Issuer Call:

    (i) the Issuer Call Date will be 28 May, 2025; and
    (ii) the Optional Redemption Amount(s) or Early Redemption Amount excluding accrued interest is: EUR 300.68 per Denomination.

    Unless otherwise defined in this notice, capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the meaning given to them in the Listing Particulars (‘’Note d’Information’’) dated Mai, 1985, as applicable, relating to the Notes.

    Yours faithfully,

    For and on behalf of

    Crédit Industriel et Commercial

    By: Alexandre SAADA

    Duly authorised

    DISCLAIMER
    This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, the Instruments in the United States, Canada, Australia, or Japan or in any other jurisdiction, including France. The distribution of this press release in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this press release comes are required to inform themselves and observe any such restrictions. No communication may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction where such action would be required; CIC disclaims any liability for any violation by any person of such restrictions.

    Contacts
    Corporate Communications and Press Relations Department: +33 (0)1 53 48 26 00 – compresse@cic.fr
    Investor Relations: bfcm-web@creditmutuel.fr

    About CIC
    CIC is a leading bank in France and internationally, and the bank of one in three businesses in France. It provides nearly 5.5 million customers with a French network of nearly 1,800 branches and 20,000 employees, as well as international branches in 37 countries. In order to meet the needs of all economic players and to build up a constantly efficient offer on a daily basis, it combines financial, insurance, telephony and cutting-edge technological services with a high level of financial solidity backed by that of its parent company, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. For more information, visit cic.fr

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 21Shares AG – Announcement: 2024 Financial Statements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    21Shares AG, the issuer of ETPs listed on various trading venues, has published its financial statements for the financial year ending 31 December 2024. The financial statements are available at: https://21shares.com/ir/financials

    Contact:
    Email: press@21shares.com
    Phone: +41 44 260 86 60

    About 21Shares AG:
    21Shares AG, Pelikanstrasse 37, 8001 Zurich, is a Swiss corporation registered in the commercial register of Zurich under the number CHE-347.562.100. It was incorporated on 27 July 2018 and its purpose is the issuance of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) in Switzerland and worldwide.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Evfarmer, an innovative agricultural finance company, announced its entry into the Sierra Leone market to expand its online business and support the country’s economic transformation and growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Evfarmer, a global leader in innovative agricultural finance, today announced its official entry into the Sierra Leonean market, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support agricultural development and economic transformation in emerging markets. Building on this momentum, Evfarmer plans to further expand its online and offline operations within Sierra Leone, with the ultimate goal of gradually covering the entire African market. The company’s presence is expected to inject new vitality into Sierra Leone’s agricultural economy and support the transformation of local agricultural enterprises.

    As part of its strategic expansion, Evfarmer will leverage its advanced fintech platform to connect local agricultural producers with a global community of agricultural supporters and investors. This initiative will provide Sierra Leonean farmers with much-needed financial support, cutting-edge technology, and sustainable farming solutions, helping to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector and drive broader economic growth.

    Agriculture remains the cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s economy, providing employment for nearly two-thirds of the population and making a significant contribution to the country’s GDP. In recent years, the government has prioritized agricultural revitalization, investing heavily in rural development, modernization, and food security initiatives. Evfarmer’s market entry is a direct response to the government’s call for greater private sector participation in accelerating these efforts.

    “We are honored to bring our innovative financial solutions to Sierra Leone at such a critical time,” said Jessica, Manager at Evfarmer. “Our goal is to empower local farmers by providing early-stage financing that overcomes traditional banking barriers, enhancing productivity, and unlocking new economic opportunities.”

    Through its digital platform, Evfarmer enables individuals worldwide—whether corporate employees, entrepreneurs, or full-time parents—to participate in large-scale agricultural projects, earning stable returns while supporting global food production. This unique model allows agricultural supporters to invest in farm projects across multiple countries via the Internet. With Sierra Leone now part of its network, Evfarmer is fostering a mutually beneficial, resilient, and fast-growing ecosystem.

    Evfarmer’s entry into Sierra Leone underscores its commitment to promoting financial inclusion, agricultural innovation, and sustainable economic development across emerging economies globally.

    About Evfarmer
    Headquartered in London, Evfarmer Capital Limited is a multinational agricultural finance company dedicated to bridging the gap between global investors and the agricultural sector. Through sustainable, technology-driven financing solutions, Evfarmer helps farmers worldwide boost productivity, access global markets, and build stronger rural economies.

    For more information about Evfarmer’s expansion into Sierra Leone and its innovative agricultural finance solutions, visit www.evfarmer.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a50e309c-b9d8-4903-98ce-b910b68ccc0b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Slam Illegal DOGE Cuts to AmeriCorps

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    April 30, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their Congressional colleagues in an effort led by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) to defend AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members. The lawmakers are calling on President Trump to immediately reverse cuts to the critical national service agency made by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
    Central Oregon-based nonprofit Heart of Oregon Corps (HOC), which supports 225 youth annually in workforce development, is experiencing the effects of DOGE’s AmeriCorps cuts. Operating in four Oregon counties and working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, HOC relies heavily on AmeriCorps national and state grants to drive crucial projects in conservation, wildfire fuels reduction, affordable housing, and childcare. Without federal investment through AmeriCorps in the short term, HOC would need to eliminate up to 60 current or planned AmeriCorps service terms for local youth in our corps in their High Desert Conservation Corps and YouthBuild programs. Further, if pending new grant applications for this upcoming fall are not processed, up to 100 more service terms for local Central Oregon youth and young adults would be affected, from Warm Springs and Madras to Bend, from Sisters to Prineville.
    The lawmakers’ urgent demand comes as the Trump Administration recently placed a majority of AmeriCorps employees on leave, and dismantled AmeriCorps NCCC. The move jeopardizes work being done to address urgent community challenges, including workforce shortages and natural disaster recovery and response, while robbing young people of life-changing opportunities.
    “We are deeply concerned these actions will prevent the agency from continuing to deliver critical services, which include supporting veterans, fighting wildfires, tutoring in schools, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, and much more,”the lawmakers wrote.
    AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors deploy more than 200,000 Americans annually to carry out results-driven projects at over 35,000 locations across the country. In Oregon, more than 1,800 folks of all ages and backgrounds served at over 300 sites statewide through AmeriCorps programs in 2024 alone. This service was backed by $11.4 million in federal investments and another $4.4 million in support from businesses, foundations, public agencies, and other sources.
    The?lawmakers are hearing these concerns across the nation. Their letter to President Trump highlighted the program’s benefits to society, to AmeriCorps members, and to the economy, as it’s estimated $17 in benefits are returned for every taxpayer dollar spent.
    Additionally, Congress recently passed and the President signed into law a funding bill that maintains AmeriCorps funding through the end of Fiscal Year 2025. The Senators emphasized that the Trump Administration is expected to implement the law in a manner consistent with the funding levels enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. Failing to do so would be a violation of the law.
    “If not reversed, these recent actions will both stop current programs and prevent timely and efficient execution of the agency’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations, delaying or even halting the recruitment and deployment of new AmeriCorps members around the country,” the lawmakers added.
    The lawmakers are making the push for the Trump Administration to reverse course and restore AmeriCorps programs for all the communities in Oregon and across the country that have long depended on AmeriCorps to meet critical needs, deliver essential services, and drive lasting change. If the Trump Administration’s actions aren’t reversed, youth development would suffer and the foundation of Oregon’s rural and urban communities alike that is needed when disasters like wildfires strike would be eroded.
    “We are deeply concerned that this is the goal: to eliminate AmeriCorps, in direct conflict with recently enacted appropriations. However, even delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety. We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities,” the lawmakers concluded.
    In addition to Merkley, Wyden, and Coons, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).?Additionally, 105 U.S. House Representatives signed on. 
    You can read the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murkowski Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Push to Support Coastal Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
    04.30.25
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) in introducing legislation to strengthen coastal communities and the blue economy across the U.S. The bipartisan, bicameral Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation (Ocean ROI) Act, would direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish “Ocean Innovation Clusters,” while providing grants for their establishment, operation, and administration.
    Specifically, the Ocean ROI Act would require the Secretary of Commerce—acting through the administrator of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and in consultation with the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—to designate at least one ocean innovation cluster in each of the five NOAA Fisheries regions, Gulf of America region, and the Great Lakes region. The bill would also authorize $10 million for competitive grants for cluster operation and administration to support ocean innovation clusters on the federal level.
    “A strong blue economy will require strong coordination and creativity, and that’s why I’m leading this effort to invest in our ocean clusters and take advantage of the opportunities for innovation and collaboration,” said Sen. Murkowski. “This effort doesn’t just focus on the untapped economic potential of our blue economy, but also ensures that collaboration is at the center of any conversation or effort to address the impacts of climate change on our coastal communities. By providing incentives and workspaces for Alaskans in maritime and maritime-adjacent industries, we can achieve real progress in strengthening the blue economy.”
    “From protecting orcas from vessel noise, to transitioning to a carbon-free future for our ports and maritime industry, Washington’s ocean cluster, called Maritime Blue, is working hard to solve complex challenges facing our economy. This bill would build on their success by creating a new grant program to fund ocean innovation clusters and grow Washington’s $60 billion maritime economy,” said Sen. Cantwell.
    “Ocean innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it relies on strong federal partnerships and trusted scientific institutions and federal agencies. As the Trump Administration doubles down on its attacks against climate research and ocean science, it’s more important than ever that Congress step up,” said Rep. Pingree, a senior appropriator and member of the House Oceans Caucus. “The Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act is a bipartisan, bicameral effort to invest in our Blue Economy, boost ocean-based industries, and strengthen the resilience of coastal communities from the Gulf of Maine to the Bering Sea. Congresswoman Salazar, Senator Murkowski, Senator Cantwell, and I represent some of the most iconic and vulnerable coastlines in the nation. We know just how vital the ocean is to our economies, our environment, and our future. The United States should be leading the world in ocean innovation, not dismantling the partnerships that make it possible.”
    “Miami’s beautiful coasts and pristine waters provide Florida with billions in tourism and commerce every year, and I am committed to preserving them for generations to come,” said Rep. Salazar. “I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to promote Miami’s development and improve our environment through the sustainable use of our oceans. The blue economy and the opportunities it provides are growing, and there is no better place to invest the best we have in research and technology than right here in South Florida.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two sentenced to federal prison in $100,000 bank fraud and mail theft scheme in Metro East

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Two Metro East women were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to steal mail from collection boxes and commit more than $100,000 in bank fraud.

    Tylann J. Starks, 30, of Swansea, was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.

    Tiara D. Johnson, 33, of Pontoon Beach, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.

    “I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, for solving a difficult case by working with the public to get information, follow leads and piece together the investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

    The U.S. Postal Service uses specialized keys, commonly referred to as arrow keys, to service and open mail collection boxes. Arrow keys are labeled with serial numbers for tracking purposes.

    “The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”

    According to court documents, Starks purchased an arrow key from former postal employee Jackson to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout the Metro East. Agents conducted an undercover purchase of an additional arrow key from Jackson in exchange for $1,000.

    Co-defendant Jamil Jackson, 52, is facing one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail, one count of theft of a specialized key to access US Postal receptacles, and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 13.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

    Starks and Johnson searched collection boxes for checks to use bank account and personal identifying information from victims to cash and enrich themselves from February 2020 through February 2023. Jackson is also accused of stealing checks out of mail from his route and give to Starks to defraud. The conspirators used the stolen account information to generate counterfeit checks.

    “This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

    Starks and Johnson cashed, deposited or otherwise negotiated the stolen and counterfeit checks at area businesses, banks and ATM machines in Belleville, East St. Louis and O’Fallon.

    There were at least 100 victims affected by the scheme with an estimated loss of more than $100,000.

    Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, contributed to the investigation. U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Landsbankinn hf.: Financial results of Landsbankinn for the first three months of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Landsbankinn’s after-tax profit during the first three months of 2025 was ISK 7.9 billion, compared with ISK 7.2 billion for the same period of 2024.
    • Return on equity (ROE) in the period was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% for the same period the previous year.
    • Net interest margin as a ratio of average total asset position was 2.7%, compared with 2.9% for the same period of 2024. The net interest margin of domestic households was 2.1%, unchanged from 2024.
    • Net interest income amounted to ISK 14.8 billion and net fee and commission income was ISK 3.0 billion. Both items are up between years.
    • The cost-income ratio was 38.7%, compared with 33.6% for the same period of 2024.
    • The total capital ratio was 23.6% at the end of the period. The Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) of the Central  Bank of Iceland sets the total capital requirement at 20.4%.
    • In February, the Bank finalised the sale of Additional Tier 1 securities (AT1) in the amount of USD 100 million. This was the Bank’s inaugural AT1 issuance. The Bank also issued senior non-preferred bonds in the amount of NOK 500 million and SEK 1,300 million. There was considerable over-demand for the bonds.
    • The Bank’s AGM on 19 March 2025 approved payment of a dividend of ISK 18.9 billion to shareholders. Total dividend paid by the Bank since 2013 will amount to ISK 210.6 billion at the end of the year.
    • Settlement of the purchase by Landsbankinn of TM tryggingar hf. and delivery took place 28 February 2025 and the Bank has assumed operation of the company.

    Lilja Björk Einarsdóttir, CEO of Landsbankinn:
    “The Bank’s performance in the first three months of the year was solid. Profit amounted to ISK 7.9 billion and return on equity was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% in the same period last year.

    This is the first financial statement since the Bank took over operation of TM and the collaboration is off to a good start. In the first few weeks since the acquisition, significant progress has been made, including the merger of three of the Bank’s and TM’s branches, and the completion of a complex IT systems transfer. We are experiencing goodwill and interest from customers regarding these changes and will be introducing various innovations in insurance services in the near future. The joint operation of an insurance company and a bank is a good fit and offers opportunities for better and more diverse financial services. TM is included in the Bank’s financial reporting from the beginning of March, so this financial statement reflects one month of its operations. The insurance segment performed well in March, but a decline in investment assets due to volatility in capital markets led to an overall negative result.

    In Akureyri, Landsbankinn and TM have come together in new and impressive facilities at Hofsbót, in the town centre. Landsbankinn offers interconnected services across the country. In addition to an excellent app and online banking platform, customers can receive service from branch staff at 34 locations nationwide, through the Bank’s strong service centre and a chatbot capable of resolving various queries on landsbankinn.is. We see strong customer satisfaction with the Bank’s services, which we attribute directly to powerful and integrated service, fair terms and outstanding employees.

    On Monday, it was announced that international rating agency S&P had upgraded the Bank’s credit rating to the A category, from BBB+ to A-. We are thrilled with this change, as we have taken strategic steps to improve the Bank’s credit rating by improving its capital structure. In recent years, requirements for systemically important banks regarding capital structure have increased and S&P’s rating is a significant recognition of our efforts. The higher credit rating reflects the Bank’s solid access to markets, sound operation and strong capital position.

    Market volatility and global uncertainty impacted the quarter in various ways. Lending growth has slowed, both among individuals and corporates, some of which are holding off on investments and other decisions. Under such circumstances, it is reassuring to note that the overall financial position of both corporates and individuals remains strong. Uncertainty often brings opportunities as well and, during the quarter, Landsbréf completed the financing of a new ISK 15 billion private equity fund, Horn V, following the strong performance of the previous four Horn funds.

    Landsbankinn continues to offer highly competitive interest rates on both deposits and loans. The Bank’s solid operation allows us to maintain a 2.1% interest margin for households while still delivering satisfactory profitability and consistent dividends to shareholders. The Bank has the most satisfied customers among the domestic commercial banks. The Bank’s performance is sound and our team is dedicated to providing customers with excellent service. Despite a challenging external environment, the Bank is in a strong position to support Icelandic society.”

    Landsbankinn’s financial calendar

    • Q2 2025 17 July 2025
    • Q3 2025 23 October 2025
    • Annual results 2025 29 January 2026

     

    For further information contact:

    Public Relations, pr@landsbankinn.is

    Investor Relations, ir@landsbankinn.is

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Viridien: Combined General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting of April 30, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Combined General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting

    of April 30, 2025

    Paris, France – April 30, 2025

    The Combined General Meeting of Viridien, chaired by Mr. Philippe SALLE was held on April 30, 2025 in Paris. The voting results and video replay of the event will be available on the Company’s website at the following address: https://www.viridiengroup.com/investors/shareholders/general-meetings.

    The General Meeting approved all resolutions that were submitted to it and notably:

    • The statutory financial statements and consolidated financial statements for the financial year 2024;
    • Appointment of DELOITTE & ASSOCIES, in replacement of ERNST & YOUNG et Autres, as statutory auditor in charge of certifying financial statements;
    • Appointment of BDO PARIS, in replacement of MAZARS, as statutory auditor in charge of certifying financial statements;
    • The Appointment of BDO PARIS as statutory auditors in charge of certifying the sustainability information;
    • The Say on Pay resolutions on the remuneration of corporate officers;
    • The renewals of Mr. Philippe SALLE, Mrs. Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN and Mr. Michael DALY’s term as Director for a period of four years and the co-optation of Mrs. Amélie OYARZABAL as Director.

    The Board of Directors, at its meeting following the General Meeting, appointed:

    • Mrs. Sophie ZURQUIYAH as Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer until the end of her term of office as director at the latest, i.e. until the Annual General Meeting of 2026,
    • Mr. Philippe SALLE as Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director.

    The Board also noted the end of Patrick CHOUPIN’s term of office as Director representing the employees. As the Company no longer exceeds the headcount thresholds requiring the appointment of a director representing the employees, no new director representing the employees will be appointed. The Board thanks Patrick CHOUPIN for his valuable insights, bringing the employees’ view to the Board room.

    The Board of Directors therefore comprises 8 directors, of whom 87.5% are independent and 50% are women. The Board is composed of:

    • Sophie ZURQUIYAH, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
    • Philippe SALLE*, Vice-Chairman and Lead Independent Director
    • Michael DALY*
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*
    • Colette LEWINER*
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    The Board also modified the composition of its committees as follows:

    Audit and Risk Management Committee

    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*, Chairwoman 
    • Colette LEWINER *
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*

    Appointment, Remuneration and Governance Committee

    • Colette LEWINER*, Chairwoman
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    New Businesses and M&A Committee

    • Michael DALY*, Chairman
    • Olivier JOUVE*
    • Amélie OYARZABAL*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    Sustainability Committee

    • Philippe SALLE*, Chairman
    • Michael DALY*
    • Anne-France LACLIDE-DROUIN*
    • Mario RUSCEV*

    Sophie Zurquiyah, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Viridien:

    “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Philippe SALLE for his exceptional leadership and vision. His guidance has empowered the Group to undertake a bold and pivotal transformation, laying the foundation for a sustainable future. We are fortunate to have his continued presence on the Board as Vice-Chair and Lead Independent Director, which will be a precious assurance of continuity and stability.
    I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors for the trust they have placed in me by appointing me as Chairperson of the Board, in addition to my current role as Chief Executive Officer. This responsibility is a true honor, and I am committed to fulfilling it with determination, while awaiting the Board’s definition of a new governance structure for Viridien starting in 2026.”

    * Independent director

    About Viridien :

    Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With our ingenuity, drive and deep curiosity we discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges. Viridien employs around 3,400 people worldwide and is listed as VIRI on the Euronext Paris SA (ISIN: FR001400PVN6).

    Contact:
    Group General Secretary
    general.secretary@viridiengroup.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Slams Trump’s First 100 Days: This Is A Story Of Incompetence, Theft, And Mind-Blowing Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to deliver a scathing indictment of President Trump’s first 100 days in office. Murphy detailed the litany of corrupt acts that have defined this Administration, including the sale of White House access for the Trump family’s personal profit, manipulation of federal agencies for financial gain, and the systematic dismantling of anti-corruption safeguards.
    “This is not normal. None of this is normal. This is outlandish, this is illegal, this is unconstitutional, brazen corruption, and this is only the first 100 days. I just detailed 40 instances of mind-blowing corruption in just 40 days, capped off by an attempt to just sell access to the White House to people who put money in the pocket of Donald Trump’s personal businesses. Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works. That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open. But this is not how government works. This has been the story of his first 100 days, but it’s our choice as a nation to allow it to be the story of the rest of his term. We need to expose what he is doing. We need to rally everybody, from the left to the right. Nobody in this country, whether you’re a hardened conservative or a hardened progressive, should root for the president of the United States to be enriching himself off of this position. We need to rally this nation against this corruption and bring it to an end, because if Donald Trump gets what he wants, and we just start allowing our government’s leaders to openly steal from us during the first 100 days or for the rest of his term, then I am telling you, American democracy is not going to survive.”
    Last month, he highlighted Trump’s first six weeks of corruption.
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. My colleagues, you’re going to hear a lot of stories about the first 100 days of President Trump’s second presidency, and indeed there are a lot of stories. There is a story of incompetence. We’re dealing with multiple measles outbreaks all across the country. There is the story about abdicating our responsibility to lead around the world – Vladimir Putin is laughing at us as Trump goes about the business of handing Ukraine to a brutal Kremlin dictator. There is the story of a transferring wealth from the poor and the middle class through massive cuts to Medicaid, to the very, very wealthy, who are asking for another massive tax cut. 
    “But I would argue, Mr. President, that the most important story to tell is a story of corruption. A story of mind-blowing, massive, scalable corruption. That story is important because we are watching the theft of taxpayer money by the decision of the Republican Party to look the other way as Donald Trump essentially monetizes at scale the White House and the powers given to him by the Constitution and the American people in order to enrich himself and his friends. And if we don’t tell this story, and if we don’t mount a national bipartisan, apolitical resistance to this thievery, to this corruption, and it becomes normalized as just a part of doing business in America, a normal facet of residents in the White House, then shame on us, because our democracy will not survive this level of corruption, grift, and graft. 
    “So I am going to try to tell the story really quickly. I’ve got two charts and it’s hard to read – these words are really small – because over the course of 100 days, there are 40, 50, 60 individual acts of precedent-breaking corruption. And that’s intentional because what President Trump is trying to do is engage in so much public corruption that you just become normalized to it, that you stop paying attention to the corruption because can it be corruption if it is just playing out in public? He’s trying to make you think that this kind of stuff happens all the time behind the scenes and now all that’s different is you are seeing it publicly. 
    “But that is not true. This is not actually how government works. And I refuse to accept that just because the corruption is happening in public, in front of the cameras for everybody to see, that we should accept it. 
    “Okay. I’m going to try to do this. I’m going to try to do this as quickly as possible. I’m just going to highlight for you maybe the 40 most egregious examples of corruption in the first 100 days, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. 
    “So, on January 6th – this is before Trump is even sworn in – Amazon, which has a ton of business before the incoming Trump White House, pays $40 million to the Trump family to license a documentary in a series about Melania Trump. Just a cash payment from a company that has huge interests before the incoming White House to the Trump family. 
    “On January 17th, a few days before Trump is sworn in – maybe the most corrupt act in the history of the White House – this is the creation of the Trump meme coin. This is just a backdoor way for anybody with business before the Trump administration to send him millions of dollars in total secret. Trump doesn’t disclose who buys the coin. He launders his income from the coin through an unregulated Chinese exchange. He promotes the coin on his social media feeds. In the first minute of trading, one buyer – and what we know is that this was likely a Chinese individual – purchases six million coins, sending the price through the roof and immediately making a ton of money for Trump, who makes money off of every transaction. Trump knows who this person is, no doubt, but American citizens do not. 
    “January 20th, he is now sworn in and he fulfills a campaign promise to the oil and gas industry. There’s a report from the campaign that says they came down to Mar-a-Lago, I think, and said ‘We’ll give you a billion dollars in campaign contributions.’ This is not me alleging this, this is an open report. The oil and gas industry says we’ll give you a billion dollars in campaign contributions if you do what we want when you are sworn in. And the day he’s sworn in, Trump issues an executive order gutting environmental rules so that the oil and gas industry can start making bigger amounts of money. 
    “On January 25th, Trump eliminates the Inspectors General, the ethics officials in government and whistleblower offices. It’s a late-night purge, so you know it’s fishy. On January 25th, 17 Inspectors General get fired, clearing the way for the president to engage in even more corruption because that’s what the Inspectors General do. They sit in these agencies and they look for corruption. Now the Inspectors General are gone. They’re just gone. 
    “But that’s not good enough because on that same day, Trump fires the head of the Office of Special Counsel. Why would you do that? Well, that office is an investigative and prosecutorial office that works to end government and political corruption and protects government employees who become whistleblowers. That office is gone now, along with all of the whistleblowers. 
    “Two days later, Trump illegally fires NLRB member Gwen Wilcox. This effectively shuts down, illegally, the NLRB for a period of time. Why is that important? Because the guys who were standing behind Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they are being investigated at the moment by the NLRB for massive workplace violations. Now the NLRB is shut down, a big gift to the people who financed Donald Trump’s inauguration and stood behind him to give him political endorsement and cover on his inauguration day. 
    “On January 31st, a trend begins: enforcement actions are paused against Trump loyalists. This is Representative Andy Ogles from Tennessee. He was being investigated for illegal, or potentially illegal, loans made to his 2022 campaign. But right after Rep. Ogles introduces a bill to amend the constitution to allow Trump to serve for a third term, what happens? Trump makes the investigation go away. Because as you will see, Trump’s justice system will often look the other way if you cheat or steal but you are a friend of Donald Trump.
    “At the same time, another of Trump’s friends, his IRS nominee Billy Long, gets his donors – almost all of them have direct interest before the IRS – to pay off his six-figure campaign debt. It’s a fabulously corrupt thing to do, but it’s just all normal now. So when Trump is showing you the way, then the folks who work for him follow suit. 
    “Alright, we’ll jump to February now. February 4th. We’re into Week 2 of the Trump White House. Trump hauls the PGA and the Saudi government into the White House to broker an agreement between the two rival golf leagues so that Trump can make more money hosting golf tournaments. He’s in business with one of the entities, the Saudi-owned LIV league. In a normal world, the president of the United States wouldn’t be in business with any foreign government. But the president is, and not only is that okay, but it is also apparently okay for him to bring the golf league that he’s in business with into the White House and pressure the other golf league, the rival golf league, to cut a deal. And guess what happens? The PGA, which had long said they were not going to host events at Trump’s courses, after being hauled into the White House, looking the president of the United States in the eye – somebody they clearly have to do business with – they announce that they’re going to start allowing their tournaments to be held at Trump courses. Big benefit to Donald Trump’s personal bottom line. 
    “February 6th, two days later: Trump ends the criminal enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Do you know what this is? You should. It requires people who are being paid by foreign governments to register. It’s no longer going to be enforced, so now members of the Trump administration can get backdoor payments from foreign governments and nobody is going to enforce the law. This isn’t theoretical. There were people who got arrested for doing this exact same thing, getting paid by foreign governments while working for the Trump administration, in term one. He wants to make sure it’s not a problem in term two, so he pauses enforcement of the actual act. 
    “Four days later, Trump eliminates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This is just a magnificent present to all of his billionaire enablers because this is the agency that stops big businesses, banks, and other financial firms from ripping off consumers and now it is just shut down. 
    “The same day, DOJ drops charges against Eric Adams in a mind-blowingly public and brazen quid pro quo. Adams says he will pledge loyalty to Trump and support Trump’s political priorities in New York City, Trump drops the corruption charges against Adams. Just like the Ogles case, the door is now wide open to engage in corruption or criminality as long as you support Donald Trump. The thing that makes this one so egregious is that Adams and the White House go on TV to announce the corrupt deal. They don’t hide it. They just say that Adams is now supporting Donald Trump and we’re now going to drop the charges against him, and everybody gets the message. There’s a lot of stuff I can get away with as a corrupt official as long as I am in bed politically with Donald Trump. 
    “Same day, February 10th, DOJ pauses enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is the law that stops American companies from bribing foreign governments in order to get business. On February 10th, Trump suspends enforcement of an antibribery statute, paving the way for his friends in corporate America to start bribing foreign governments again. 
    “Two days later, the State Department forecasts that they are going to dramatically upscale the amount of money that they’re going to send to Tesla. This is the first time that Elon Musk shows up in this story. By February 12th, Elon Musk is pretty well embedded in the White House, and guess what? The State Department is now going to spend $400 million for armored Teslas – its largest expected contract in the upcoming year. 
    “February 12th, the same day, Musk infiltrates the Department of Labor and OSHA, giving him exclusive secret access to labor law violation data against him and his competitors. Unethical, corrupt, but this stuff is just happening every single day. A few days later, on February 15th and 16th, Musk now starts really testing the limits of what his boss will let him get away with. He fires a specific set of regulators at the FDA that are reviewing one of his medical products, Neuralink. The message is clear: you’ve got to do right by my applications or you risk getting the ax too. 
    “Three days later, on February 19th, Trump’s new U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, starts to use his government power to harass Trump critics. He launches something called Operation Whirlwind and is pretty unapologetic about the fact that this is going to be an enforcement operation against anybody who just seeks to get in the way of DOGE. He doesn’t say he’s going after people who are acting illegally. He says anybody who tries to stop or protest or harass DOGE’s work is now going to be the subject of Operation Whirlwind, and he starts trolling critics of DOGE online. The U.S. Attorney for D.C. is now trolling DOGE critics online, obviously threatening criminal enforcement. 
    “You see what’s happening here? We’re 30 days into the administration, and everybody in Trump’s world, including the supposedly independent U.S. Attorneys, are getting the message: that it is now part of your job, if you work for Trump, to use your government powers to either enrich yourself or Trump or to help Trump politically. 
    “February 21st, two days later, the SEC drops a major investigation into a company called Robinhood. Why does this matter? You guessed it: this firm donated $2 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. 30 days later, the SEC drops an investigation into that firm. 
    “Put a pin in that, because you’re going to hear stories like it over and over again. 
    “Throughout February, we watched the rich guys that are surrounding Trump come up with new ways to monetize their positions. Kash Patel is a perfect example. He’s the nominee to head the FBI – maybe the most important independent bureau in the federal government – and while he’s going through that process, he is selling merchandise online ranging from T-shirts to playing cards, with the proceeds supposedly going to whistleblowers’ education and defamation cases. 
    “February 26th, news breaks that the FAA is considering giving a $2.4 billion contract to Elon Musk’s Starlink. But it’s not like a regular contract that’s up for bid. It’s a contract that was already awarded to one of Musk’s competitors, Verizon, and word leaks that the White House is thinking of just ripping the contract away from Verizon – because Verizon is not a political supporter of Donald Trump in the way Elon Musk is – and just giving it to Elon Musk. Now, that doesn’t happen. As reported, the contract has not been canceled yet. But there are regular reports of the administration still relentlessly attacking Verizon in a clear attempt to try to undermine their contract. 
    “February 27th, the next day, Trump drops a lawsuit against Capital One. Why does this matter? Capital One donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. It’s now just kind of automatic. You donate a big amount of money to Trump’s inauguration, and you can ask him for something. 
    “We’re not done. That same day, the SEC drops a lawsuit against Coinbase. You got the story now. Coinbase donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund. They are now told it’s okay to keep cheating consumers. 
    “We’re not done. On February 28th, a day later, the DOJ announced that it would drop a complaint against SpaceX, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, for labor discrimination. Elon is like wait a second, all these other big donors to your inauguration are getting out of jail free, I want my get out of jail free card as well. He gets it from DOJ. 
    “We’re now into March. March 1st, a report breaks – this is maybe second to [the meme coin], the most stunning act of corruption. On March 1st, word breaks that Trump is selling meetings at Mar-a-Lago. On at least one occasion, Trump charged guests $1 million to dine with him at Mar-a-Lago. According to the same report, business leaders can secure a one-on-one meeting with the president of the United States for a $5 million payment to Donald Trump. 
    “If you were mayor of a medium-sized town and it was reported that you were selling meetings for like $200, you would be arrested. You would be run out of town. But not Donald Trump. He’s selling meetings for $5 million, according to this report. And because the corruption in this White House is daily and normal, he gets away with it. 
    “March 2nd, Trump launches a crypto reserve fund. This is going to involve government taxpayer dollars purchasing and holding a variety of digital assets in a strategic reserve fund –a move that definitely inflates and protects Trump’s investment portfolio, [which], by now, you understand, [is] very heavily dependent on crypto assets. This normally wouldn’t be a problem because normally when somebody takes a high position like president or governor or mayor, they divest from their own personal assets, or they put it all in a blind fund. Trump does none of that. He’s controlling his own assets, his family is controlling their own assets, while he makes policy that benefits himself and his family financially. 
    “On March 3rd, a really curious thing: DOJ intervenes in an obscure but open-and-shut 2020 Colorado elections case. This is the case of Tina Peters, who tampered with voting machines on Trump’s behalf in Mesa County, Colorado. She was convicted by a jury of her peers, open and shut. But because Peters is a MAGA loyalist, now DOJ, on March 3rd, said it’s going to step in and review the case because there are concerns about how it was prosecuted. This is just President Trump again clearly shielding those that violated the law to help him from consequences. 
    “Same thing, different day. No, not even a different day. This is actually still March 3rd. Yuga Labs, a blockchain company, donated $100,000 to the Trump inauguration fund. They now get in line. They get what everybody else is getting. The SEC closes an ongoing investigation into the company. 
    “On March 4th, DOGE lays off thousands of IRS employees. This is bad for a lot of reasons, but it certainly helps Trump’s Mar-a-Lago friends because the IRS now cannot enforce the law against the big, giant tax cheats in the way that it could have when it had those personnel on the books. Mar-a-Lago is celebrating. 
    “March 4th – same day – word breaks that the Commerce Department is considering changes to this very specific rural broadband program and who’s eligible. Why? Because Elon Musk wants to dominate that program. Under the program’s original rules, Starlink was capped at $4.1 billion. This curious change now will allow Elon Musk’s company, Starlink, to receive between $10 billion and $20 billion from the rural broadband program. 
    “This is like a broken record, but six days later, the CFPB – which is basically shut down but exists in name only – drops a lawsuit against the Bank of America and J.P. Morgan. Bank of America donated $500,000 to the inauguration. J.P. Morgan donated $1 million to the inauguration.
    “On March 11th, a day later, Trump and Musk hold this now very well-known advertisement for Tesla on the White House lawn. This is just taxpayer dollars used to support the personnel at the White House and the White House being used to sell cars for Elon Musk, and the message again is pretty simple here: if you are loyal to me, and you pay any kind of price for your loyalty to me, I will use government resources to help you, to get you out of trouble, even including free advertising. 
    “On March 19th – we’re eight days later – the GEO Group donated $500,000 for Trump’s inauguration fund. This is a private prison company, and the NLRB drops its investigation into this company. It’s really getting disgusting at this point. I don’t know that there’s anybody left that made a major donation to the inauguration fund that has not gotten their favor from Donald Trump. 
    “On March 24th, the Treasury Department guts something called the Corporate Transparency Act. This is the regulation that requires businesses to reveal their true owners to the government. These new rules now make it easier for billionaires to hide money, to avoid taxes, to engage in corruption – less accountability for corporations. 
    “March 25th, a day later, the SEC reduces, from $125 million to $50 million, an existing fine. So, this has already been litigated: this company, Ripple, it’s a blockchain-based digital payment company. It’s been fined, and Trump comes in and reduces the fine from $125 million to $50 million. You know the story by now. These guys made a big investment in the inauguration. Most of these companies that got a get-out-of-jail-free or had their investigations terminated were giving $500,000, $1 million. Ripple wanted to make sure they got it right. They made a $5 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund, and they got their fine reduced by $75 million. 
    “March 28th, Trump pardons the founder of Nikola Autos, one of his campaign mega donors. Again, this is a pardon for one of his major campaign contributors. When asked about the pardon, Trump said ‘They say the thing they did was wrong, but he was one of the first people who supported me for president.’ He just tells you what he did. He said, ‘yeah, they said what he did was wrong, he did something that was probably pretty wrong, but he supported me for president, so I’m giving him a pardon.’ I’m not saying that there hasn’t been a lot of really bad stuff that’s happened in the pardon program under Democratic and Republican presidents, but let’s just name it when Donald Trump names it. 
    “April 8th, we’re into April. Trump issues an executive order to expand coal mining. This is part of his down payment on the promise he made to those oil executives. The shares of the company owned by Joseph Kraft, the billionaire coal magnate who helped lead those Trump fundraising efforts during the presidential campaign, immediately shoots up.
    “On April 9th, this really curious timeline of events plays out, in which Trump posts on his social media, ‘This is a great time to buy.’ A lot of his followers complied; they make investments in the market. There’s reports and speculation that many of his inner circle might have done the same thing, and then a couple hours later, he announces that he’s pausing most of his tariffs, and the market shoots up. People who followed his directions online make a lot of money, and potentially other people who had access to that insider information might have made a lot of money as well. 
    “On April 17th, Musk steers billions of taxpayer dollars to something called the Golden Dome. Reuters, on April 17th, reports that Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company, SpaceX, has emerged as the frontrunner to develop Trump’s proposed Golden Dome. This is a really ill-defined, technologically unproven defense system. It supposedly has a price tag of hundreds of billions of dollars, money that now looks as if it will be funneled directly to Elon Musk. At this point it is just head-shaking.
    “On April 23rd, now it’s like he can do anything he wants. He has just blown the lid off of any expectations about what a president can and cannot do to enrich himself. On April 23rd, a message appears on the homepage of the website for Trump’s meme coin declaring that the top 220 meme coin holders would be invited for an exclusive dinner with Trump and the top 25 coin holders – these are private investors in Donald Trump’s financial empire–would get a special VIP tour of the White House. After the message went up, the price of Trump’s coin jumped by more than 50%. In the two days following the announcement of the special VIP tour in the people’s house, the White House, Trump and his allies made nearly a million dollars in trading fees alone. They are just selling access to the White House out in the open.
    “April 26th, Trump’s family, this is just last weekend, announces the launch of a private club called the Executive Branch, a new private club in Washington. The initiation fee is around half a million dollars. It is advertised as a place where you can hold secret audiences with the Trump administration, as long as you pay Donald Trump’s family and their financial backers over $500,000 in membership fees. It is apparently already sold out.
    “This is not normal. None of this is normal. This is outlandish, this is illegal, this is unconstitutional, brazen corruption, and this is only the first 100 days. I just detailed 40 instances of mind-blowing corruption in just 40 days, capped off by an attempt to just sell access to the White House to people who put money in the pocket of Donald Trump’s personal businesses. 
    “Donald Trump wants to numb this country into believing that this is just how government works. That he’s owed this. That every president is owed this. That government has always been corrupt, and he’s just doing it out in the open. But this is not how government works. This has been the story of his first 100 days, but it’s our choice as a nation to allow it to be the story of the rest of his term. We need to expose what he is doing. We need to rally everybody, from the left to the right. Nobody in this country, whether you’re a hardened conservative or a hardened progressive, should root for the president of the United States to be enriching himself off of this position. We need to rally this nation against this corruption and bring it to an end, because if Donald Trump gets what he wants, and we just start allowing our government’s leaders to openly steal from us during the first 100 days or for the rest of his term, then I am telling you, American democracy is not going to survive.
    “I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis, Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Codify Trump Proposal to Suspend Production of the Penny, Save Taxpayers Money

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI), and Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA) introduced the Common Cents Act, bipartisan legislation, backed by President Trump, to suspend production of the penny and save American taxpayers money.

    “I agree with President Trump that the time has come to fully end production of the penny and save American taxpayers money,” said Lummis. “The fiscal reality is undeniable: the U.S. Mint spends three cents to produce each one-cent coin. With a $36 trillion national debt, we have to implement meaningful opportunities to reduce costs, update our currency system, and codify the elimination of government inefficiencies. It just makes cents!”

    “The penny is outdated and inefficient and no longer serves the needs of our economy,” said Gillibrand. “By suspending its production, we can reduce government spending, streamline transactions, and move toward a more practical financial system. It’s time to invest in a future that works for the 21st century economy, and that starts with suspending production of the penny.”

    Background:

    • On February 9, 2025, President Trump stated on TRUTH Social that he wants to stop minting the penny.
    • On February 18, 2025 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the U.S. Mint will stop production of the penny soon.
    • The late Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi in 2017 introduced the COINS Act, which would have suspended minting of the penny.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: KBC Group: DIVIDEND ANNOUNCEMENT

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KBC GROUP
    Naamloze Vennootschap (company with limited liability)
    Havenlaan 2 – 1080 Brussels
    VAT BE 0403.227.515 (RPL Brussels)
    www.kbc.com

    DIVIDEND ANNOUNCEMENT

    Communication of 30 April 2025 at 18:00

    The Annual General Meeting of 30 April 2025 has decided to pay a gross dividend of 4.85 euros per share for the financial year ending on 31 December 2024. Further to the payment of two interim dividends in the sum of respectively 0.70 euro per share on 15 May 2024 and 1 euro per share on 14 November 2024, the gross final dividend will be 3.15 euros per dividend entitled share (2.205 euros after the deduction of 30% withholding tax).

    Relevant dates are:

    • Ex-coupon date: 6 May 2025
    • Record date: 7 May 2025
    • Pay date: 8 May 2025

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Pando to Showcase its AI Agents at Gartner® Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Pando was recognized as a Visionary in the 2025 Gartner®Magic Quadrant™ for Transportation Management Systems
    • The company will provide product demonstrations of their advanced AI agents at booth #826

    ORLANDO, Fla., April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pando, the leading supply chain AI company, today announced their attendance at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™, the world’s most important gathering of Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) and supply chain executives, on May 5-7, 2025 in Orlando, Fla. Pando, who was recently recognized as a Visionary in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Transportation Management Systems, will provide product demonstrations in booth #826.

    Pando’s technology, specifically the company’s suite of advanced AI agents, Pi, helps customers navigate the growing complexities of today’s supply chain, including the newly imposed and ever-changing tariffs. Powered by the company’s proprietary Logistics Language Model® (LLM), Pando’s AI agents are deployed globally at Fortune 50 companies to replace staff and software in logistics management.

    “Customers are looking for ways to keep their costs down as they navigate today’s geopolitical uncertainty and resulting supply chain disruptions,” said Nitin Jayakrishnan, co-founder and CEO of Pando. “Pando enables customers to reduce tools & headcount with AI agents that can make complex decisions faster and identify the most cost-effective alternatives, ultimately saving costs in more ways than one. We believe that Pando’s AI agents, customer-centric solutions, and quick time to value are why we are positioned as a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for TMS.”

    The Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ provides unparalleled learning and networking opportunities with some of the largest names in the supply chain industry, and equips leaders with the tools needed to prepare for supply chain volatility, risk, and disruption.

    For more information on Pando and its offerings, please visit https://pando.ai

    Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Transportation Management Systems, Brock Johns, Oscar Sanchez Duran, et al., 24 March 2025

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT, Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo are a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    ​​Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    About Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo
    Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo is the premier gathering of trailblazers, thought leaders and industry experts pushing the boundaries of supply chain. Future-Focused. Value-Driven. Uncover the latest supply chain insights and solutions with experts, CSCOs, peers and service providers. Take three days to step away and discover inspiration, innovation and actionable insights necessary to drive future strategic and financial success. Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About Pando
    Pando is a global leader in AI-powered logistics technology and offers AI agents for logistics, enabling manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to automate their logistics operations to build agility, control freight spend, and reduce carbon footprint. Trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises with global customers across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions, Pando is pioneering the future of autonomous logistics with cutting-edge AI capabilities.

    Pando is recognized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Technology Pioneer, by G2 as a Market Leader in Freight Management, and named one of the fastest-growing technology companies by Deloitte

    Media Contact
    Courtney Meints
    Skyya PR for Pando
    +1 651-329-9098
    pando@skyya.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Informal workers in Ghana’s chop bars get no benefit from foreign aid: donors are getting it wrong

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Matteo Rizzo, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, SOAS, University of London

    Informal street food caterers, popularly known as chop bars, are a key feature of Ghanaian city life. They offer the urban poor the cheapest food.

    A 2016 survey by the Food and Agriculture Organization estimated there were about 3,300 chop bars in the capital, Accra, employing almost 4,300 workers. This figure is likely to be much higher now due to rapid urban growth in the last decade. Ghana’s urban population increased from 50.9% in 2010 to 56.7% in 2021. By the same year the Greater Accra region was home to 91.7% of the urban population in the country.

    Street food caterers in Accra face a number of problems, including insecurity of land tenure, inadequate knowledge of food hygiene, harassment from local authorities, cut-throat competition, and low returns from work.

    Foreign donors have over the years stepped in to attempt to address these problems. A flagship of this assistance has been a programme funded by Danish trade unions and the Danish Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Under its aegis, Ghana’s Trades Union Congress was able to support workers in chop bars.

    Drawing on our expertise on trade unions in Ghana and on the informal economy, we assessed the effectiveness and strategic relevance of this aid.

    The aid focused on entrepreneurial skills and micro-credit. This overlooks some of the real problems in the sector. It leaves wage workers in a precarious position and does nothing to boost demand for what the sector supplies. We argue that to be more effective, foreign aid should address these gaps.

    Entrepreneurial pipe dreams

    Increased donor attention to workers in the informal economy and trade unions could be seen as a positive trend. After all, this is where the majority of workers in African cities are to be found. Ghana’s official statistical service places the size of the country’s informal sector between 70% and 80% of the working populace in its reports from 2024.

    However, close examination of the type of support given, and its results, yields a more sobering picture.

    Aid focused firstly on capacity building and entrepreneurship. This aimed at boosting skills such as financial literacy and capacity to care for customers. The programme’s own evaluation highlights the increased confidence that chop bar operators gained through this training. Important as this might be, increased confidence can do very little to overcome structural challenges, like intense competition in an oversupplied sector and the insecurity of land tenure.

    A second area of support was the provision of micro-credit via the Trades Union Congress (Ghana). One could argue that it boosted the creditworthiness of informal economy operators. But there is evidence, including our study, that credit can often result in a spiral of debt and “poverty finance”.

    Donors chose to focus on small-scale entrepreneurs as the only economic actors in the informal economy. This reflects an ideological, and market fundamentalist, understanding of the informal economy as inhabited only by small enterprises and self-employed workers, and the challenge as one of making the market work better for the poor.

    The blind spots of donors’ support to the informal economy

    This approach by donors neglects informal and highly precarious wage workers within the chop bar sector. Our research shows that the chop bar industry is stratified in terms of class. Within it, alongside genuine self-employed workers, there are people who own relatively small-scale capital (cooking assets and in some cases the land and buildings in which the bars are based) and who employ informal wage workers.

    The informal workforce is by and large made up of migrant female workers with relatively low education and skill. They work without contracts, for very long hours and very low wages, and face the risk of sudden dismissal and harassment from employers. Such poor working conditions stem from the lack of contracts, and of the rights that come with them. This is the weakest category of workers in the industry – yet they have no place in donors’ and trade unions’ activities to support workers.

    The main limitation of donors’ aid to the chop bar sector is that it focuses exclusively on supply-side interventions. It is based on the idea that improving skills and access to finance will result in increased demand for the services of small-scale entrepreneurs. Many aid programmes on employment make this mistake and suffer from so called “employment dementia” .

    This type of aid doesn’t ask where the stimulus to increase demand for street food will come from, or what the structural roots of urban employment challenges are. It doesn’t consider why African cities have large informal economies and poor-quality jobs.

    Aid priorities

    Donors should re-think their aid priorities, and put informal wage workers at their centre. This would entail moving away from the current focus on micro-solutions for job creation, and instead supporting policies to promote structural change, to tighten labour markets and increase the demand for good-quality jobs within them.

    This article was co-authored with Dr Prince Asafu-Adjaye, an associate of Labour Research Service.

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

    – ref. Informal workers in Ghana’s chop bars get no benefit from foreign aid: donors are getting it wrong – https://theconversation.com/informal-workers-in-ghanas-chop-bars-get-no-benefit-from-foreign-aid-donors-are-getting-it-wrong-253633

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mann Applauds President Trump’s First 100 Days in Office

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) applauded President Trump’s first 100 days of his second term. During his remarks, Rep. Mann highlighted the Trump Administration’s milestone accomplishments including a 95% drop in border apprehensions, the signing of commonsense legislation including the Laken Riley Act and the Protection of Women and Girl’s in Sports Act, $5 trillion in new investments in the United States, and President Trump’s work with Congress to extend the 2017 tax cuts.

    “The only way to describe the first 100 days of President Trump’s historic second term is promises made, promises kept,” said Rep. Mann. He concluded in part, “100 days of winning and I look forward to many, many more.”

    You can listen to Rep. Mann’s remarks here.

    Below are Rep. Mann’s remarks as prepared:

    On November 5, 2024, 77 million Americans gave Washington, D.C. a mandate to restore common sense, secure our border, make America safe again, get our fiscal house in order, grow our economy, and get our country back on track. President Trump and our Republican majorities in the House and Senate have been laser focused on delivering on that mandate since the start of President Trump’s second term.

    For four years, President Biden and many Congressional Democrats blamed the crisis at our border on President Trump. They argued that the record-level inflation across the country was President Trump’s fault and not their Build Back Broke plan and so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”

    Yet in just 100 days, the same leader my colleagues on the other side obsessed over and blamed for these Biden setbacks has fixed those same problems and gotten our country back on track. The only way to describe the first 100 days of President Trump’s historic second term is promises made, promises kept.

    President Trump promised to secure the border. While left-leaning news outlets tried to fearmonger and portray the enforcement of our nation’s border laws as an attempt to stop any immigrant from entering the United States, America knew this narrative couldn’t have been further from the truth. 100 days in, our nation’s border is more secure it has been in our nation’s history. 

    In March of this year, apprehensions along the southern border had dropped 95% from the average daily encounters under President Biden. After a year and a half of chaos when President Biden rescinded Title 42, the Los Angeles Times reported that crossings at the California-Mexico border had nearly come to a halt under President Trump. Along our northern border, Customs and Border patrol agents apprehended 54 migrants this past March, down 95% from March 2024.

    House Republicans and President Trump did what many Democrats were afraid to do—actually enforce the law and pass laws like the Laken Riley Act that make it clear there is no place for violent criminals illegally in the United States of America. While President Trump and his administration have worked tirelessly to remove these criminals from our country, it’s been a completely different story on the left. Some of my Democrat colleagues spent the Easter recess begging for an alleged MS-13 member to return to the United States. Meanwhile those same Democrats were silent when the Biden Administration abandoned Americans in Afghanistan after their botched withdrawal. The contrasts in priorities for Democrats and Republicans could not be more clear.

    It turns out the only thing we needed for the past four years was a President who doesn’t run from common sense and isn’t afraid to enforce the law. Promises made, promises kept.

    President Trump promised to revive the American dream and usher in the golden age of America. Over the last 100 days he and his administration announced more than $5 trillion dollars in new foreign and domestic investments, including in my home state of Kansas. Just last week, Fiserv announced they would make a $175 million investment in Kansas that will create good-paying job opportunities for individuals in the eastern part of our state. 

    The consumer price index continues to show that inflation is cooling, and prices are falling. Because of the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and President Trump, wholesale egg prices have fallen, and we anticipate that retail prices will soon follow suit. Americans are feeling far less pain at the pump because we have leadership in our nation’s capital that prioritizes an all of the above energy strategy instead of Green New Deal policies that pick winners and losers. President Trump has repealed Biden-era rules that tried to implement an electric vehicle mandate because he knows it won’t work in places like the Big First District, and it only drives up costs for consumers. Promises made, promises kept.

    President Trump made a promise to restore common sense and get our country back on track. I’m grateful we finally have a president who is not afraid to state the obvious. There are two genders, and biological men should not play in women’s sports. One of the first bills President Trump signed during his second term was the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. President Trump has uprooted wasteful, fraudulent and abusive spending and gone line by line through our federal budget to make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely. While the Democrat Leader spent all day Sunday advocating for American families to have the largest tax hike in history, President Trump has spent the last 100 days working tirelessly with Congressional Republicans to extend his 2017 tax cuts. Promises made, promises kept.

    I am so grateful to have real leadership back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that fights for America’s families and a brighter future for our country. Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership and for all you’ve done to ensure our best days are ahead of us. 100 days of winning and I look forward to many, many more.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens: Availability of 2024 Universal Registration Document

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PRESS RELEASE
    MÉRIGNAC, FRANCE – 30 APRIL 2025

    EXOSENS ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF ITS 2024 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

     

    Exosens announces today that it has filed its 2024 Universal Registration Document with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) on 29 April 2025 under number R.25-001.

    Exosens‘ 2024 Universal Registration Document contains the Group’s 2024 annual financial report, the Group’s management report, the Board of Directors’ report on corporate governance and the Group’s sustainability report.

    The 2024 Universal Registration Document can be viewed on Exosens‘ website (www.exosens.com) in the section Investors/Regulated Information, as well as on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

    A printed version of the Universal Registration Document may be obtained from the Company at its registered office: Domaine de Pelus 18 Avenue de Pythagore Axis Business Park Bat 5e 33 700 Mérignac, France, upon request.

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 11 sites, in Europe and North America, and with over 1,800 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including the SBF 120, CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid 60, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.

    Investor relations

    Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SUTNTIB AB Tewox publishes its factsheet for the first quarter of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Vilnius, Lithuania, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    SUTNTIB AB Tewox (the Company) publishes its factsheet, providing information about Company’s financial indicators and key events as at 31 March 2025.

    2025 Q1 KEY EVENTS

    • The 10 mEUR Tewox bond emission was fully redeemed, with the final repayment of 7.5 mEUR made in January.
    • The third tranche of 11 mEUR was issued, marking the completion of the 35 mEUR bond program offered under public prospectus.
    • A construction permit was received for a grocery store in Vilnius.
    • The 35 mEUR Tewox bond issuance was listed on the Nasdaq Baltic Bond List on March 3.
    • The acquisition of two Lidl grocery stores, each approximately 2,000 sqm in size and located in Jurbarkas and Panevėžys, was successfully closed. Luminor bank provided a 6.7 mEUR loan for the acquisition.
    • A land plot in Klaipėda district with a construction permit and long-term lease agreement with a grocery store operator was acquired.

    Contact person for further information:

    Paulius Nevinskas

    Manager of the Investment Company

    paulius.nevinskas@lordslb.lt

    https://lordslb.lt/tewox_bonds/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten, 22 House Democrats Highlight Economic Turmoil Caused by Trump’s Immigration Policies

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    April 30, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) led 22 House Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump highlighting how his immigration policies have increased the cost of living for Americans. The letter demands that the president reverse course or risk further economic turmoil.

    “As President, you are tasked with improving the economy and growing the middle class,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, you have exacerbated Americans’ economic distress during your first 100 days in office.” 

    Unpredictable enforcement of immigration laws has threatened immigrants with legal status, including TPS recipients, who rely on the United States for safe harbor and work, and pursue higher education at high rates. The Trump Administration has refused to focus on reducing food and housing costs, instead choosing to displace workers in essential sectors such as construction, maintenance, material moving, and transportation, causing economic hardship and instability throughout the country. 

    Although the United States has long been a beacon for the world’s best and brightest, President Trump’s immigration policies have destabilized legal immigration and pushed those seeking to innovate, conduct research, and grow our economy away from the United States.

    “We support protecting our borders and vetting individuals who wish to come to our country,” the lawmakers continued. “However, your immigration proposals are impractical and will increase costs for millions of Americans.”

    In addition to Rep. Casten, the letter was signed by Reps. Beatty, Carbajal, Cisneros, Clarke, Connolly, Correa, Costa, Escobar, Espaillat, Fields, Sylvia Garcia, Goldman, Jonathan Jackson, McCollum, McGovern, Meeks, Norton, Quigley, Titus, Tonko, and Vargas.

    A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to you with concern about the negative humanitarian and economic impacts your immigration-related executive orders and policies will have nationwide.

    Your immigration policies will increase costs for Americans, disrupt the job market, and slow economic growth. As President, you are tasked with improving the economy and growing the middle class. However, you have exacerbated Americans’ economic distress during your first 100 days in office.

    Since your inauguration, the U.S. stock market is off to its worst start in a century. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down by more than seven percent, the S&P 500 index is off by more than eight percent, the Nasdaq composite is down more than eleven percent and small-cap Russell 2000 have slumped by more than fourteen percent.

    During your campaign, you repeatedly promised to lower food prices “immediately” if elected president. Yet, the latest monthly consumer price index showed that the average cost of a dozen eggs reached a record high of $6.23 in March. These prices will only increase due to your recent immigration policies. 

    Thus far, you have issued Executive Orders prioritizing strict enforcement of immigration laws, both at the borders and within the United States. For example, on your first day in office, you signed the Executive Order “Securing Our Borders,” which deploys the military within our own country and ends the CBP One process, which allows migrants to enter the country and be appropriately screened for internationally protected refugee status.

    Additionally, you are recklessly attempting to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for as many as seven hundred thousand vulnerable individuals legally in the United States. This not only raises significant civil rights concerns but also risks serious economic consequences. Judge Edward Chen, who is presiding over a case brought on behalf of Venezuelan TPS recipients facing deportation, has noted that a reversal of TPS status would likely have an “adverse impact” on the economy, given that Venezuelan TPS holders pay taxes, hold jobs and pursue higher education at higher rates than the general public.

    You also issued the Executive Order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs a strict enforcement-first version of immigration policy, enlisting all departments to prioritize it above their own work, aiding the Department of Homeland Security in enforcing deportation and criminalization of immigrants. Your focus on deportation, rather than appropriate adjudication with regard to each immigrant’s unique circumstances, counters established international norms and damages our economy.

    Data consistently shows that immigrants are primarily of working age, between 18 and 64 years of age, accounting for nearly 19% of the U.S. labor force in 2023, despite representing only 14% of the total U.S. population that year. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Monetary Policy Report, job growth has consistently outpaced the growth of the labor force over the last few years. Last year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed that immigration is a “big part of the story of the labor market coming back into better balance.” It is reasonable to conclude that removing working-age individuals from the economy will harm every business that seeks to build and grow in America.

    We support protecting our borders and vetting individuals who wish to come to our country. However, your immigration proposals are impractical and will increase costs for millions of Americans. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that foreign-born workers are often employed in critical sectors such as construction, maintenance, material moving, and transportation. These sectors significantly influence housing costs. As housing inflation is expected to keep core inflation high, this effect will undoubtedly extend beyond the already overheated housing market, impacting the prices of other essential goods and services on which Americans rely.

    According to a December 2024 Report from the Joint Economic Committee, it is projected that an aggressive deportation plan, similar to that outlined through the Executive Order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” would reduce the real Gross Domestic Product of the United States by 7.4% and increase prices for American consumers by 9.1% by 2028. These are significant costs to the American people. 

    Your immigration policies will also severely undermine the American workforce and significantly affect vital sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction. Your proposals could displace 1.5 million construction workers, 250,000 laborers from the agricultural industry, 1 million workers in hospitality, over 800,000 in manufacturing, and more than 400,000 in transportation and warehousing. This would harm essential American industries that drive our economy.

    America’s success has always depended on being the destination of choice for the best and brightest from around the world. As you are aware, there is bipartisan support for strong border security to keep the “bad guys” out. However, it is important to recognize that the overwhelming majority of people coming to America today are not different from our own ancestors; they are coming here to build a better life for themselves, to work, worship and love without fear, and to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas in a country where the rule of law allows them to benefit from their efforts. There are many humanitarian reasons to protect our immigrant communities, but there are also self-interested reasons. A country that attracts talent is a country that out-competes the rest of the world and retains wealth that would otherwise develop elsewhere.

    In that spirit, we urge you to reverse your current immigration policies that are financially harming small business owners and the middle class while providing no actual solutions to fix our broken immigration system. We are ready to work with you to enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that includes support for border patrol and enforcement, increases work visas to facilitate the flow of skilled labor, includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders and farm workers, grows our economy and maintains the promise of America as a place that has always been great – but who’s greatest days are still yet to come.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ODHS announces new online training on recognizing and reporting child abuse

    Source: US State of Oregon

    he Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has launched its first-ever interactive online training for the public about reporting suspected child abuse. The training rollout coincides with Child Abuse Awareness Month and the announcement of a new safety initiative underway in Child Welfare.

    Safety priorities in the initiative include improving safety for children in foster care and children who come to the attention of Child Welfare in addition to providing training to the public and professionals known as mandatory reporters. Mandatory reporters are required by law to report suspected child abuse, and include professionals in healthcare, law enforcement, social work and education fields, among others.

    The new online training helps reporters identify types of child abuse, learn how to report, and recognize when a family needs material or economic assistance. Across the country and in Oregon, efforts to better distinguish between child abuse and neglect and family needs related to poverty are driving family support programs, sometimes called family preservation or prevention.

    “We all contribute to child safety not only by being mandatory reporters, but by being mandatory supporters,” said Aprille Flint-Gerner, ODHS Child Welfare Division director. “This training provides the public with the tools needed to recognize signs of abuse that must be reported, as well as understanding when a family needs a community resource or support, rather than a report to the hotline.”

    The interactive training takes about an hour to complete and is considered the official Oregon Health Authority and ODHS state course with the most up-to-date guidance on child abuse and effective reporting. Prior to the new training, ODHS used a shorter explanatory video about reporting child abuse.

    The course, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse in Oregon, teaches:

    • How to recognize signs of child abuse and understand the definitions.
    • The role and impact of personal biases when determining whether a report is required.
    • How to make a report and what information to provide to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline.
    • What happens after a report is made.
    • How to connect a family with resources.

    The training also aims to prevent unnecessary abuse reports. The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline (ORCAH) receives a high number of calls that are neither reports of child abuse nor require Child Welfare intervention. In 2024, ORCAH received 176,393 contacts, resulting in 96,246 documented screening reports. Of the documented reports, 46,483, or 27% resulted in Child Protective Services completing an assessment. ORCAH data shows that 80% of reports are from mandatory reporters, largely from representatives of law enforcement, education and the medical field.

    Data in Oregon and nationally show that Black and/or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native families are disproportionately reported to child welfare. The training addresses how reporters can recognize their personal biases and how they view a child or family in need.

    “We hope the training will help reduce disproportionality in reporting and get families connected to the services they need to thrive,” Flint-Gerner said. “Child safety is about early intervention in communities whenever possible, so that children who are unsafe get help quickly, and families who need resources get connected to supports. Prevention and early intervention are where the public and mandatory reporters can really make a difference.”

    The new training is available on the Reporting Child Abuse web page in partnership with Oregon State University’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE).

    Resources

    Additional learning materials and guides about child abuse reporting.

    Find local resources financial assistance, food pantry information and other free or reduced-cost help at 211info.org, via phone at 211, or via text 898211.

    Information about how youth in foster care can file a complaint: email fco.info@odhsoha.oregon.gov or call 855-840-6036.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Business Leader of the Future: What Skills and Approaches Determine Success Today

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    How can top managers adapt to rapidly changing market conditions? What is behind the effective implementation of innovative projects? Why should adult experienced specialists undergo training again? Maria Petrova, Vice President of Sales at Health, talks about all this, as well as new approaches to management, the value of partnerships, and the advantages of the HSE HSE Corporate Program “Business Leader of the Future” Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    — What can you say about the skills and competencies of the participants of the “Business Leader of the Future” program? How did the listeners improve themselves?

    — The first thing I have already mentioned is the general business outlook and perspective, the ability to look ahead and, based on this, plan the present and the near future. The second is the skills of design thinking and working with uncertainty. This was one of the most significant and, in my opinion, one of the most successful blocks of the program. The third is, of course, the skills of cross-functional interaction, working with stakeholders, communication skills, the ability to present and defend your idea or project in a very short time. This is also a key competency. There were other important blocks, for example, on financial management, as well as blocks related to leadership and taking responsibility.

    And I will separately mention risk management, if I am not mistaken – the topic of the third module of the program. Taking risks is a really important point. Over the last 2-2.5 years in the company, we have included this in our routine: we try to assess risks, anticipate them and find scenarios for an effective response.

    — Did the knowledge and skills acquired in the program find application in the professional activities of the students within the company?

    — I would divide the application into two aspects: the implementation of specific projects, which we may discuss further, and changes in the behavioral habits and patterns of the participants, which I observe as a manager. Now they have begun to prepare for presentations much better, convey their ideas more clearly, and understand the business as a whole better. This is the very same business-acumen — an expanded business outlook. In addition, employees have begun to strive for more productive cross-functional interaction, not to focus on themselves when making decisions, and to take into account the KPIs of different departments.

    — Can you say a few words about the defense of the final projects? Which of them were put into production and what did they consist of?

    — The project defense was a separate amazing story. The entire management committee really enjoyed it. Usually, you go to such events thinking, “Now I’m going to sit and listen to something for six hours.” But this time, all the participants were unanimous in the opinion that everything went by in one breath. After the defense, we, as organizers, were taken to a separate room and asked to evaluate the projects. We were given the task of choosing three winners. We sat down and began to discuss. In the third minute, the question was asked: “Are there any projects here that we are ready to say “no” to?” And everyone answered that there are no such projects. We are ready to give the green light to all initiatives for further implementation in real business. We collectively decided that there is no point in looking for one winner; it would be much more appropriate to provide the teams with high-quality feedback to improve their solutions. As a result, when we went out into the audience, we announced that we were saying “yes” to all the projects.

    — Is it possible to tell a little more about a couple of projects if they do not contain business secrets?

    — We had several initiatives related to the development of new products and the corresponding modification of production capacities. I think I will not reveal any big secrets by saying that we have a trend in the dairy category for high-protein products. There is also a trend for ready-made food and for consuming products outside the home. Of course, we focus on those areas that are interesting to consumers.

    There are also projects related to operational efficiency, optimizing various processes and reducing costs, including through partner solutions in the field of logistics and supply chains. For example, how best to develop remote territories. These solutions are mainly operational and logistical. In addition, there are initiatives to develop individual trade channels and cooperate with new partners.

    — Could you briefly describe the features and advantages of the educational program at our business school?

    — The first is the desire or even a conscious wish to understand the client. This understanding is not for show, but in order to identify the client’s real need and offer a solution that will be selected individually, or, as they say now, customized for this need. The second advantage is a high-level teaching staff with excellent knowledge and material that the teachers are ready to adapt to the students.

    It is also worth noting the overall engagement in the outcome of the program. We felt throughout the entire process – from the design to the final stage – a desire to achieve, or rather, to help participants achieve specific results. And this is how we measure the success of the program, and not just by the participants listening to lectures.

    — Which courses or topics within the program did you personally like the most?

    — Personally, I especially liked two topics — the block on strategizing and foresights and the part related to design thinking. As the leader of the organization, I am responsible for the future of the company, for its independence and ability to pilot its development as a separate large business. Now we ourselves come up with new products and business areas, we implement them ourselves and learn from our own mistakes. Design thinking is one of the key methods that helps to see the business perspective and turn ideas into real solutions.

    — Did your expectations from the program at the start match the final result?

    — As you have understood, I have the most positive impressions. And here is why: I am a result-oriented person, and when I see it, I feel good. And when I see a double result, and it is really specific, right “lying on the table”, it is generally wonderful. You know, when you go to training and understand that there will be project activity, there is always a perception that this is just an educational project for the sake of it, the main thing is to learn. Yes, of course, the main thing is to learn. If the project did not work out, then you can always say that at least different methods were tried. But this is the case when you not only learned, but also got a real business result.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southfield Doctor Convicted of Illegally Prescribing More Than 200,000 Opioid Pills

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    DETROIT – On April 25, 2025, a federal jury convicted Dr. Charise Valentine, 69, of Southfield, of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, and 10 counts of illegal distribution of Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvorea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.

    Dr. Valentine was convicted for her role as one of two primary doctors at Orthopedic Medical Building who issued illegal opioid prescriptions. From November 2016 to July 2018, Dr. Valentine issued more than 3,000 prescriptions for more than 200,000 pills to supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. The “patients” were typically brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Orthopedic Medical Building, a sham clinic that operated out of a warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan, accepted only cash, and charged patients $200-500 per prescription, but did not charge anything if the patient didn’t receive an opioid prescription. The prices were not based on the service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids that the “patient” received, usually Oxycodone 30mg or Oxymorphone 40mg, two of the most addictive prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are also among the most highly diverted prescription opioids due to their high street value. The clinic also charged cash for the creation of fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.”

    Dr. Valentine was paid about 50% of the clinic’s proceeds – more than $500,000 in cash over about 19 months – and was paid only if she wrote an opioid prescription to a patient, not based on any supposed “medical care.” She received an envelope of thousands in cash each day she worked.

    The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operator Iris Winchester, Dr. Michele Ritter, clinic employee Kristina Brown, and Joyce Robinson, previously pleaded guilty.

    “Addressing the sources of the opioid epidemic – which include addictive opioid prescription pills as well as street drugs – remains a top priority of this office,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Beck. “We continue to focus on doctors who, rather than helping to address the terrible impact the opioid epidemic, use the cover of a “medical office” to write illegal prescriptions for the opioids that fuel the crisis.”

    “The conviction of Dr. Valentine, who abused her position of trust by prescribing opioids in exchange for cash, underscores the FBI’s strong commitment to holding medical professionals accountable under federal law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Physicians and other healthcare providers are entrusted with the well-being of our communities and are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards. Those who violate that trust for personal financial gain can expect to be investigated and brought to justice by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. I also want to thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General for their collaboration and support throughout this case.”

    “Physicians who prescribe powerful opioids and other controlled substances, without regard for medical necessity, endanger the health and safety of the very patients they have sworn an oath to protect,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  “Working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, our agency is committed to identifying and investigating those medical providers who place profits over patient safety.”

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Wayne F. Pratt. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.

    The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Launches Swap API Program, Partners with Morph’s DEX BulbaSwap as Pilot Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, a leading non-custodial Web3 wallet, has launched its Swap API Program, officially opening access to its Swap functionality for third-party decentralized exchanges (DEXs). The first integration comes via BulbaSwap, a DEX within the Morph ecosystem, enabling users to conduct seamless trading on more than 130 blockchains and cross-chain trading across 27 networks directly within the Bitget Wallet interface.

    The Swap API Program marks a strategic move to extend Bitget Wallet’s trading infrastructure to ecosystem partners. By integrating with Bitget Wallet’s powerful aggregation engine, partner DEXs gain access to features such as smart routing, slippage control, and pre-execution simulation — tools that optimize trade outcomes and enhance the end-user experience. The program reflects Bitget Wallet’s broader effort to build a more unified and efficient trading layer for the Web3 space.

    “We’re excited to open our infrastructure to more partners through the Swap API Program,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “Collaborating with BulbaSwap is the first step in building a more connected, multi-chain trading experience. As DeFi continues to evolve, we believe open and interoperable infrastructure will play a key role in shaping the next phase of Web3 adoption.”

    BulbaSwap, built on Morph, plays a key role in enabling trading within the ecosystem, known for its scalability and rapid settlement. “Integrating with Bitget Wallet allows us to deliver a broader, smoother cross-chain trading experience for our users,” said the BulbaSwap team. The integration expands BulbaSwap’s reach and asset access while reinforcing Morph’s broader mission to support modular and high-performance decentralized applications, simplifying trading experience by offering more asset liquidity through a single wallet interface, without switching platforms.

    Bitget Wallet’s Swap feature has become a core part of its offering, allowing users to access long-tail assets, execute gas-free cross-chain swaps, and discover trending tokens through its Hot Picks and AI-assisted analysis tools. By supporting multiple trading modes—including limit orders and fast swaps—Bitget Wallet caters to both new and experienced DeFi users. The new API program will now scale these capabilities further by onboarding additional DEXs and aggregating broader liquidity across chains.

    For more information, please visit Bitget Wallet website. 

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple, secure, and accessible for everyone. With over 60 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, a DApp browser, and crypto payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains, 20,000+ DApps, and a million tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
    For media inquiries, please contact media.web3@bitget.com 

    About BulbaSwap
    BulbaSwap is a Morph-based decentralized swap aggregator with a search engine powered by multi-source liquidity that helps users find the best swap rates. At the intersection of DeFi innovation and memetic culture, BulbaSwap emerges as the cornerstone liquidity hub on Morph, powered by advanced AI market-making technology and backed by industry titans.
    Website｜Twitter｜Medium｜Telegram

    About Morph
    Morph—incubated by Bitget and led by Dragonfly, with strategic backing from Pantera, Spartan Ventures, and Foresight Ventures—is revolutionizing On-chain Consumer Finance for the Global Digital Class. We deliver seamless infrastructure, intuitive tools, and essential services that simplify payments and redefine financial experiences, empowering digital-first and crypto-native users to earn, spend, save, invest, and build wealth directly on-chain.
    Website｜Twitter｜Blog｜Telegram

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82831c3c-15cb-44b8-87b9-23e1ff718c00

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From COVID to cancer: Why Canada’s RNA vaccine leadership matters more than ever

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anna Blakney, Assistant Professor, Michael Smith Laboratories and School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia

    As the world marks World Immunization Week, attention turns once again to the lifesaving power of vaccines.

    Amid headlines about rising cases of measles, falling vaccination rates and growing vaccine hesitancy, a quieter revolution is underway — one that could fundamentally reshape how we respond to global health threats, including pandemics and cancer.

    This revolution is being powered by RNA technology — and Canada is uniquely positioned to lead it.

    A made-in-Canada breakthrough

    While the swift development of COVID-19 vaccines appeared to be a sudden scientific triumph, it was built on six decades of foundational work. Much of that work happened in Canada. Messenger RNA (mRNA) are large, negatively charged molecules that are easily degraded and repelled by our cells.

    To coax our cells to internalize them, scientists developed a way to encapsulate them in “fat bubbles” or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which were invented by Pieter Cullis and collaborators. Cullis, a co-author of this article, is a professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of British Columbia.

    Once inside a patients’ cells, the mRNA gives the cell instructions to translate a viral protein that triggers an immune response. Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines — which relied on these fat bubbles — were found to be highly efficacious (more than 94 per cent) and safe, both in initial trials and continuous monitoring over time. They were estimated to have saved nearly 10 million lives in 2021 alone.

    That’s just the beginning. Research teams across the country are now building on this homegrown innovation to expand the potential of RNA vaccines beyond infectious diseases.

    The next generation: Less means more

    At the University of British Columbia, the Blakney Lab is focused on developing vaccines and therapies using self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), a technology that offers several advantages over conventional mRNA. Because saRNA replicates itself once inside a patient’s cells, much smaller doses are needed to produce a robust immune response.

    Now, this replication process may sound like something out of a science fiction film, but similar to mRNA vaccines, this technology has been developed over decades and has been thoroughly clinically validated. The saRNA technology reduces manufacturing costs and makes vaccine production more scalable during global emergencies. Notably, the lower dose can also minimize side effects, potentially reducing the risk of getting a sore arm or having to miss a day of work after vaccination.

    Recent pre-clinical studies have shown that saRNA vaccines can offer longer-lasting immunity with smaller doses, and multiple clinical trials are now underway to evaluate their use for influenza, Zika virus and even cancer.

    Vaccine equity, health security, economic growth

    Expanding Canada’s domestic RNA vaccine capacity is more than just a scientific priority; it’s a public health imperative and economic opportunity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain breakdowns exposed the risks of relying on international sources for essential vaccine ingredients and production. Investing in local infrastructure allows for faster and more flexible responses to future outbreaks.



    Read more:
    From PPE shortages to COVID-19 vaccine distribution, the supply chain has emerged as a determinant of health

    But it’s not just about pandemic readiness. One of the most exciting frontiers for RNA technology is the development of personalized cancer vaccines. These vaccines train the immune system to recognize and attack mutations specific to an individual’s tumour.

    In early clinical trials, mRNA-based cancer vaccines — such as those developed by Moderna and BioNTech — have shown promising results, dramatically reducing recurrence rates in melanoma and pancreatic cancer patients.

    Canada’s scientific ecosystem is primed to contribute meaningfully to this next generation of therapies. Strengthening our biotech infrastructure could create high-quality jobs, stimulate economic growth and reinforce Canada’s place as a leader in the global bioeconomy.

    From crisis to capacity

    The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how rapidly science can enable positive public health outcomes — and how easily inequities can widen if infrastructure and access aren’t prioritized.

    Despite being home to world-class researchers, Canada lacked the manufacturing capacity to produce its own mRNA vaccines. That gap is now being addressed through substantial recent investments from the government of Canada, but sustaining momentum will require long-term commitment from policymakers and funders.

    Equity must also remain at the forefront. Communities in rural, remote and Indigenous regions often face barriers to accessing vaccines — not because of hesitancy, but due to logistical challenges and under-resourced health systems. The Public Health Agency of Canada has emphasized the importance of building trust and tailoring solutions in partnership with these communities.

    Vaccine confidence remains another challenge. Post-pandemic surveys reveal that misinformation continues to shape public perceptions, even about long-established vaccines like MMR. Addressing this requires proactive science communication, sustained public education and rebuilding trusted relationships between communities and health systems.

    Looking ahead

    World Immunization Week offered a chance to celebrate how far we’ve come — but also to ask what comes next. With decades of research leadership, a strong innovation ecosystem and new investments in RNA infrastructure, Canada has the tools to lead the next chapter of mRNA technology development.

    Whether it’s fighting the next virus or personalizing cancer therapies for individual patients, RNA technologies hold transformative promise. Seizing this opportunity will require sustained support, policy alignment and a focus on equitable access.

    By investing in RNA innovation today, Canada can deliver not just vaccines, but a healthier, more resilient future for all.

    Immunity and Society is a new series from The Conversation Canada that presents new vaccine discoveries and immune-based innovations that are changing how we understand and protect human health. Through a partnership with the Bridge Research Consortium, these articles — written by academics in Canada at the forefront of immunology and biomanufacturing — explore the latest developments and their social impacts.

    Anna Blakney sits on the scientific advisory board and/or consults for Genvax Technologies, Replicate Biosciences and Pasture Biosciences. She receives funding from CIHR, CBRF, NSERC and CFI.

    Pieter Cullis a co-founder and have shares in Acuitas Therapeutics, the company that provided the LNP enabling the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. He receives funding from CIHR.

    – ref. From COVID to cancer: Why Canada’s RNA vaccine leadership matters more than ever – https://theconversation.com/from-covid-to-cancer-why-canadas-rna-vaccine-leadership-matters-more-than-ever-254692

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Laurel Lee Introduces Bipartisan Second Chance Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C.– Today, Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) introduced the Fresh Start Act, a bipartisan bill to provide support for rehabilitated individuals to have access to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.

    “People who have worked to turn their lives around after a criminal conviction deserve the opportunity to move forward, not be held back by administrative barriers. Today, nearly one-third of Americans have a criminal record that can prevent them from getting a job, finding housing, or pursuing education—even when they qualify for record-sealing or expungement. The Fresh Start Act of 2025 modernizes and streamlines these processes for states, helping more individuals access the opportunities they’ve earned. I look forward to seeing my colleagues come together to pass this important legislation and ensure that everyone who deserves a second chance has the opportunity to build a better future,” said Congresswoman Laurel Lee.

    Approximately one-third of Americans have criminal records that can hinder their ability to secure employment, housing, or educational opportunities. While many of them qualify for record-sealing or expungement under state laws, the process is frequently complicated, time-consuming, and costly.

    The Fresh Start Act would allow states that have enacted automated record-sealing or expungement laws to apply for federal infrastructure grants to help streamline the process. This federal legislation builds on the momentum of Clean Slate policies enacted in 2018 by a diverse group of 12 states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia.

    “No one should be denied a job, housing, or education because of bureaucratic red tape,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “Millions of Americans have arrest or conviction records that are eligible to be sealed or expunged, yet many are blocked by confusing, burdensome, and costly processes. I’m proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Fresh Start Act, which helps individuals who have been exonerated or who have paid their debts to society get a chance to contribute to their communities. This legislation will give states the resources they need to implement automatic record clearance systems that offer people a fresh start.”

    Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative, said, “The Fresh Start Act recognizes what we’ve seen on the ground: Clean Slate has the power to change lives. This legislation is an essential component of modernizing state infrastructure, making sure federal support is spent on common-sense solutions that are serious about safety and benefit communities across the country. A fresh start should be more than a promise; it should be a reality. With the Fresh Start Act, it can be.”

    Jason Pye, Executive Director of the Due Process Institute, said, “The Fresh Start Act is a commonsense policy solution to help improve states’ record-sealing laws. The bill crucially allocates already existing funding to help with the implementation of proven recidivism reduction strategies that result in better economic outcomes and safer communities for us all. We urge members of Congress to join in cosponsoring and supporting this bipartisan legislation.”

    Akua Amaning, Director of Criminal Justice Reform, Center for American Progress said, “Everyone deserves the opportunity to unlock their full potential. Yet, for far too many people who have been impacted by America’s criminal legal system, a second chance can be hard to achieve with an arrest or conviction record. The Fresh Start Act will provide important resources to states that are working to remove unnecessary barriers to employment, housing, education, and other critical life resources due to having a record. In helping to create pathways to automatic record expungement at the state level, The Fresh Start Act will not only help individuals transform their lives, but will also improve economic security and public safety outcomes for all. We applaud the bipartisan support for this measure and urge Congress to swiftly pass the Fresh Start Act.”

    Patrick Plein, Director of CPAC’s Nolan Center for Justice, said, “Communities are safer when individuals returning from prison are given a fair chance to reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives. The Fresh Start Act recognizes that people are more than their past mistakes—they are hard working parents, employees, and neighbors with the potential to prosper. By removing barriers to opportunity, these bills strengthen families, boost our economy, and promote public safety.”

    “The Fresh Start Act is a common sense measure that will help give people who have fulfilled their justice system obligations a second chance,” said Nan Gibson, Executive Director of the JPMorganChase Policy Center. “The bill would make federal grants available to states to upgrade their justice system infrastructure so that states can implement Clean Slate legislation and strengthen their workforce.  Over the last six years, our firm has hired more than 21,000 people with a record whose history had no bearing on the requirements of their job, because we know implementing fair chance hiring practices is good for our business and the economy.  This measure will enable companies like ours to continue to connect individuals to meaningful career pathways, opening doors to opportunities that transform lives, lift up communities and strengthen the workforce.”

    Summary:

    • Amends 34 U.S.C. §40302 (National Criminal History Improvement Program, or NCHIP) to include funding for covered automatic expungement and record sealing laws.
    • Covered Expungement Law—The term “automatic” is defined as expungement or sealing that does not require any action on the part of the eligible individual. The term “covered expungement law” is defined as a law of a State that provides for the automatic expungement or sealing of a criminal record, subject to requirements imposed by the State.
    • Reporting Requirements—A State that receives a grant under the Fresh Start Act of 2025 is required to produce and send a report to the Attorney General, under the guidelines established by the Attorney General, that provides information on:
      • the number of individuals eligible for automatic expungement or sealing disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender;
      • the number of individuals whose records have been expunged or sealing disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender;
      • and the number of individuals who application for expungement or sealing are still pending disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender;
    • Inaccessibility of Data for Reporting—If data required for reporting are not available, the State is required to develop and report a plan to obtain as much of the data as possible no later than one (1) year after the first year the grant is awarded.
    • Publication—The Attorney General is required to publish and make publicly available a report containing data collected under the reporting requirements.

    Read the bill text here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Vice President and Controller of Publicly Traded Consumer Goods Company Sentenced to 13 Months for $1.6 Million Insider Trading Scheme

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

    MIAMI – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday in the Southern District of Florida to 13 months’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted over $1.6 million in profits. He was also ordered to pay over $200,000 in restitution and over $1.6 million in forfeiture.

    According to court documents, from November 2018 to April 2023, Stephen George, 54, of Parkland, was a member of the Finance Department and held roles including controller and vice president at a consumer-packaged goods company headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida (Company A). The company was the maker of a fitness drink whose securities were publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. At Company A, George received material non-public information (MNPI) regarding the company’s financial performance.

    On his final day at Company A on April 7, 2023, George created a consolidated income statement showing its financial performance for the first quarter of 2023, which George knew contained MNPI. The income statement showed that the company’s first quarter results had greatly exceeded expectations. George then emailed the document to himself using two personal email accounts.

    On April 10, 2023, the first trading day after his last day of employment, and continuing through May 8, 2023, George purchased Company A securities based on MNPI – specifically, 20,000 shares of common stock and 300 call option contracts. On May 9, 2023, after the market close, Company A publicly reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for the first quarter of 2023, including an all-time quarterly record in revenue. After the public announcement, its stock price increased significantly. During the next trading day, George sold all 20,000 shares of common stock and 300 call option contracts, resulting in over $1.6 million in personal profits.

    In February 2025, George pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli S. Rubin and Elizabeth Young for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Sullivan and Matt Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-60011.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI San Francisco Warns of Escalating Ransomware Threats

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    Highlights Private Sector Partnerships and Importance of Reporting

    As ransomware threats continue to evolve and disrupt critical services across the country, the FBI San Francisco Field Office is reinforcing its message to businesses and infrastructure partners: strong collaboration and timely reporting are essential to protecting U.S. networks.

    While participating in the RSA Cybersecurity Conference at the Moscone Center through May 1, 2025, FBI San Francisco is engaging cybersecurity professionals and industry leaders to strengthen partnerships and share information on the state of the cyber threat landscape.

    “Our cyber strategy is focused on disrupting adversaries, building trusted partnerships, and removing threats from U.S. networks before they cause harm,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “We are proactively engaging not only major corporations but also small and mid-sized companies that form the bedrock of our economy.”

    Ransomware Threat Landscape

    The ransomware threat today is immense—measured by the amount of financial losses, the number of active variants, and the increasing sophistication of attacks. Ransomware is malicious software designed to infect a computer or server, encrypt its contents, and demand a ransom payment in exchange for a decryption key.

    These attacks are often carried out by complex networks of criminal developers, affiliates, and service providers. Ransomware operations continue to adapt, emphasizing operational security and using layered tactics to extort victims. A growing trend is data theft and victim extortion without encryption, where criminals demand payment to avoid leaking sensitive or proprietary information—even when the victim has reliable backups.

    Criminal groups are also resorting to harassment tactics, including contacting employees or customers directly to pressure organizations into paying.

    According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3):

    • In 2024, cyber incidents and internet-enabled frauds cost victims more than $16.6 billion.
    • IC3 received over 3,100 ransomware complaints in 2024—an increase of nearly 12% over the prior year.
    • IC3 received over 86,000 extortion complaints in 2024—an increase of nearly 79% over the prior year.
    • Ransomware remains the most persistent cyber threat to critical infrastructure, with complaints rising 9% from 2023.
    • In 2024, 14 of the 16 U.S. critical infrastructure sectors experienced ransomware att

    From 2022 to 2024, IC3 received ransomware complaints totaling more than $106 million in reported losses—though the actual impact is likely higher, as many incidents are never reported.

    FBI Strategy: Disrupt, Partner, Protect

    The FBI’s cyber strategy focuses on disrupting cybercriminal infrastructure, building enduring partnerships, and making it harder and costlier for adversaries to succeed. The FBI targets the key services ransomware groups rely on: digital infrastructure, tools, communications, and money.

    By combining the capabilities of domestic and international partners and imposing costs on cybercriminals, including seizing illicit funds, the FBI is taking proactive steps to degrade their operations and reduce future attacks. This work requires help from the public and private sectors alike.

    “Together, we can dismantle these operations and protect the systems Americans rely on,” Virmani added. “But we can only do it if incidents are reported. If we don’t know it happened, we can’t act—and we can’t stop the next one.”

    Reporting To The FBI

    Despite the growing number of attacks, the FBI continues to face challenges with underreporting. After the FBI gained visibility into a major ransomware group’s infrastructure, investigators found that only about 20% of that group’s U.S. victims had reported the attack to law enforcement—a pattern consistent across multiple operations.

    Organizations may avoid reporting due to reputational concerns, quick internal recovery, or payment decisions. However, reporting cyberattacks helps the FBI track evolving threats, identify patterns, and support victims.

    The FBI urges victims of cyber incidents to report as soon as possible through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Prompt reporting allows FBI cyber squads to assess threats, provide appropriate assistance, and minimize disruption.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta Washington Times Op-Ed: A Plan for American Energy Dominance

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

    Latta Washington Times Op-Ed: A Plan for American Energy Dominance

    Washington, April 30, 2025 | Ashley Juhn (202-225-6405)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a new op-ed in the Washington Times, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH-5), the Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee details his all-of-his-above strategy for a new era of American energy dominance working with the Republican majority in Congress and the Trump administration.

    Below, please find an excerpt from the op-ed.

    A plan for American energy dominance

    Washington Times

    By: Congressman Bob Latta

    April 28, 2025

    With global tensions on the rise and energy prices increasing across the country, the new administration has made one thing quite clear: American energy dominance is no longer agoal-it’s a necessity. As chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on theEnergy and Commerce Committee, I’m committed to advancing an all-of -the-above energy approach that strengthens our economy, protects our national security, and puts American workers first. We must come together not only to reverse the damage caused by the Biden administration’s misguided policies, but also to build a resilient, proactive energy future that prioritizes innovation, affordability, and reliability.

    I firmly believe that we need to produce more energy in this country, not less. At a recent Energy Subcommittee hearing, I asked the Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) and Independent System Operators(ISO) if America needs more or less energy to meet demand. Every witness said America needs to produce more energy to meet the growing demand. At the same time, they all agreed that we can’t be taking current generation offline. More energy is needed for consumers, small and large manufacturers, agriculture, and medical facilities.

    What is the largest contributing factor for our growing energy needs? AI data centers…

    The Department of Energy reported that data centers’ load growth tripled over the past decade, and will likely double to triple in the next three years…

     Energy security is national security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and Asakabank Ink US$ 20 Million Trade Finance Deal to Strengthen Uzbekistan’s Private Sector

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

    TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 30, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org), the trade finance arm of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, has signed a US$ 20 million Line of Trade Finance Agreement with Asakabank to bolster trade finance solutions for SMEs and private sector clients in Uzbekistan.  

    Structured under Murabaha, this facility is designed to support trade finance needs of SMEs, enabling business expansion, strengthening economic resilience, and contributing to sustainable development. By advancing UN SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), the agreement empowers businesses to thrive, create jobs, and drive long-term economic progress. 

    Through this financing, private sector companies in Uzbekistan will gain access to vital import and pre-export funding, further stimulating trade and enhancing key industries that drive the nation’s economic growth. This strategic partnership marks a key milestone, making Asakabank ITFC’s newest partner institution and increasing the number of active ITFC partner banks in Uzbekistan to 12.  

    Commenting on the signing, Mr. Abdihamid Aweis Abu stated: “The private sector serves as a key driver of economic growth in Uzbekistan, making access to funding essential for its contribution to the country’s development. At ITFC, we are delighted to launch this strategic collaboration with Asakabank and are committed to strengthening our partnership to enhance trade finance accessibility for Uzbekistan’s private sector and SMEs, empowering them to drive economic progress, as well as supporting the growth of Islamic finance in the country”. 

     “This agreement opens up new horizons for mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthens our bank’s position on the international stage. The agreement with ITFC marks a strategic step for Asakabank, as ITFC is an organization that provides financial support at the international level and supports projects aligned with the principles of Islamic finance. This partnership will unlock new opportunities for Asakabank to attract investment, expand the range of services offered to our clients, and introduce innovative financial products. The agreement with ITFC paves the way for the development of the banking sector, promotes capital markets, and helps attract needed funding to support the private sector and SMEs.” Said Mr Tulyaganov Kudratilla, Chairman of the Board of AsakaBank.  

    This financing aligns with the US$ 600 million Framework Agreement signed between ITFC and the Republic of Uzbekistan in March 2024, reinforcing ITFC’s ongoing efforts to enhance trade finance access for SMEs and private sector businesses. 

    Since 2019, ITFC has approved over US$ 168 million in financing for Uzbekistan’s private sector, facilitating trade and contributing to economic development.  

    MIL OSI Africa –