NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI: FHLBank San Francisco’s Jennifer Schachterle to Discuss Letters of Credit at 2025 California Municipal Treasurers Association Annual Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) announced Jennifer Schachterle, senior vice president of sales and business development, is scheduled to speak on a panel focused on letters of credit during the 2025 California Municipal Treasurers Association (CMTA) annual conference on April 24 in Monterey, California.

    During the conference attended by local government officials with fiduciary responsibility for public funds, Schachterle will discuss how letters of credit can be a secure and efficient way for municipalities to make sure that deposits are covered over insured limits and serve as a favorable alternative to other forms of credit risk management.

    “Municipal letters of credit issued by Federal Home Loan Banks to state and local governments can often be an effective tool to secure public fund deposits in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and National Credit Union Insurance Fund limits,” said Schachterle. “I’m looking forward to connecting with attendees at the CMTA annual conference and joining my fellow panelists to share insights on this fast and efficient alternative form of collateral.”

    On the panel, Schachterle will be joined by Denise de Bombelles, senior vice president, global investor relations with the Federal Home Loan Bank Office of Finance and Hubie White, CFA CTP, chief investment officer with the City and County of San Francisco, in a discussion for how municipal letters of credit can help safeguard public unit deposits.

    The 2025 CMTA Annual Conference is taking place April 22-25, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California.

    Jennifer Schachterle joined FHLBank San Francisco in June 2023 as SVP of Sales and Business Development. She leads a team dedicated to sales, business development and new member recruitment and oversees relationships with the Bank’s over 330-member financial institutions across its three-state district of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Ms. Schachterle has experience in the areas of sales, credit risk, counterparty approval, policy, and mortgage acquisition. Over the course of her more than 25 years in banking, Schachterle has held positions of increasing seniority in operations, credit, and sales in the banking and mortgage finance industry. Since 2019, she has served on the board of directors for the California Mortgage Bankers Association. She has a degree from the University of Denver and enjoys volunteering to teach children financial literacy.

    Visit FHLBank San Francisco for more information about letters of credit and learn which member banks and credit unions are available to issue letters of credit.

    About Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. To Host Earnings Release Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RIVERSIDE, Calif., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. (“Company”) (Nasdaq GS: PROV), the holding company for Provident Savings Bank, F.S.B., today announced that it will distribute a news release announcing earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 prior to the market open on Monday, April 28, 2025. Additionally, the Company will host a conference call for institutional investors and bank analysts on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific) to discuss financial results. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-715-9871 and referencing Conference ID number 7361828. An audio replay of the conference call will be available through Tuesday, May 6, 2025 by dialing 1-800-770-2030 and referencing Conference ID number 7361828.

    Contacts:

    Donavon P. Ternes
    President and Chief Executive Officer 

    Haryanto L. Sunarto
    Interim Chief Financial Officer

    (951) 686-6060

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Daniel Cash, Reader in Law, Aston University

    Credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Fitch have an outsized influence on the economic fortunes of developing countries. Their assessments shape investor perceptions, influence borrowing costs, and ultimately shape a country’s development path. With many African countries now issuing bonds in global markets amid falling levels of official development assistance (ODA), their role is coming under increasing scrutiny.

    The major credit rating agencies exist to opine on the likelihood that a debtor (say, a country) will repay their creditors on time and in full. They are rated on a sliding scale. Whenever a rating agency believes that a debtor will not meet their obligations, they are obliged to put that debtor into a ‘default’ rating. This means that the debtor can no longer access private financing.



    Read more:
    African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against them

    The negative role of rating agencies has been felt in other ways too. For example, threats of downgrades have also led to developing countries steering away from seeking debt relief under a recently introduced G20-initiated debt treatment programme. The reason is that getting help would mean that sovereign debtors have to restructure their debts. But credit rating agencies have warned that doing this will likely lead countries being given a ‘default’ rating.

    As a result, no rated country has applied for debt relief through the G20. This has been called a ‘credit rating impasse’.

    Change needs to happen on two fronts: the building of credit rating capability in the Global South, combined with shoring up capacity in countries in an effort to rebalance existing relationships with rating agencies.



    Read more:
    Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

    As a researcher who has looked closely at the working of rating agencies, I would argue that South Africa’s 2024–25 G20 Presidency presents a rare opportunity to push for more equitable reforms. It also provides a platform to spotlight African-led initiatives that are already making progress.

    The aim is not to ensure every country receives a top-tier credit rating. Rather, it is to ensure that all countries have the capacity, knowledge, and tools to engage in the rating process on fair terms.

    Alternatives

    Among the boldest reform efforts so far is the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency spearheaded by the African Union. The agency aims to deliver fairer, more contextually grounded credit assessments of African sovereigns.

    Structured as a specialised agency owned by AU member states and funded through a mix of regional support and service revenue, the agency is a tangible step toward rating independence. Naturally, there are challenges. These include legitimacy, credibility with global investors, generating the necessary capital to appropriately invest in research and credit analysis, and blowback if and when it will have to downgrade.

    Its creation is rooted in dissatisfaction with the big three agencies. But it’s also inspired by parallel developments in other regions, such as China’s own domestic rating ecosystem.

    Though still in development, the proposed African agency represents the most advanced reform effort in the credit rating space from a Global South perspective.

    But building this institutional capacity is only one piece of a larger puzzle. For many countries, support is urgently needed to engage more effectively with the existing system.

    Expertise mismatch

    The lag in expertise and experience on the part of countries in the global south is understandable: sovereign debt trading has been around since the 19th Century. The first Eurobond was issued in 1963. In contrast, many African nations only began issuing Eurobonds in the late 1990s, with Tunisia being the first in 1997.

    At present, that expertise is often provided by ‘credit rating advisory’ teams embedded within the Investment Banks arranging a country’s bond sale – typically offered at no cost. There is a valid perception that this advice is not independent.

    One way to close the gap is through independent credit rating-related capacity building. Done well, it can empower developing countries to engage with credit rating agencies on a more equal footing, improve the quality of credit interactions, and make informed decisions in a market that often prioritises investor interests over national development goals.

    A few initiatives are well underway.

    The African Union’s Africa Peer Review Mechanism , in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, has been offering tailored, hands-on support. This includes technical workshops, advocacy against problematic ratings, and the publication of the ‘Africa Sovereign Credit Rating Review’, a regular report that helps member states track trends and identify areas for improvement.

    Building on this, the UNDP Africa and AfriCatalyst recently launched the ‘Credit Ratings Initiative’. This includes an innovative web platform, a panel of former rating analysts known as the ‘Concilium’, and a community of practice to share knowledge.

    Early pilots with East African countries have already made an impact, showing how independent, neutral advice can boost sovereigns’ technical understanding and strategic engagement with rating agencies.

    All parties are actively collaborating to share best practice at key global events. This momentum is a promising sign of broader change.

    These efforts underscore an important lesson: while long-term reform is crucial, short-term, practical tools can have an immediate and meaningful effect.

    Quest for a fairer financing systems

    South Africa currently holds the G20 Presidency. The government has adopted the idea of a ‘Cost of Capital Commission’ to examine how financing conditions affect developing nations. One of its aims is to review credit rating methodologies and promote transparency and data efficiency.



    Read more:
    The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

    This is a promising start. But there is room to go further. South Africa could use its leadership role to champion the establishment of a global credit rating capacity building initiative. Such a move would align with its development priorities, position Africa as a leader in financial reform, and create a blueprint for global action.

    Crucially, this would not be just another technical fix. It would be a shift in the power dynamics of global finance – from crisis response to structural empowerment. As the U.S. prepares to take over the G20 Presidency next, South Africa’s advocacy could lay the groundwork for a broader coalition committed to fairer financing systems.

    Daniel Cash 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. Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat – https://theconversation.com/rating-agencies-dont-treat-the-global-south-fairly-changes-south-africa-should-champion-in-g20-hot-seat-254735

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Daniel Cash, Reader in Law, Aston University

    Credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Fitch have an outsized influence on the economic fortunes of developing countries. Their assessments shape investor perceptions, influence borrowing costs, and ultimately shape a country’s development path. With many African countries now issuing bonds in global markets amid falling levels of official development assistance (ODA), their role is coming under increasing scrutiny.

    The major credit rating agencies exist to opine on the likelihood that a debtor (say, a country) will repay their creditors on time and in full. They are rated on a sliding scale. Whenever a rating agency believes that a debtor will not meet their obligations, they are obliged to put that debtor into a ‘default’ rating. This means that the debtor can no longer access private financing.

    Read more: African countries can’t resolve their debt crisis under a system rigged against them

    The negative role of rating agencies has been felt in other ways too. For example, threats of downgrades have also led to developing countries steering away from seeking debt relief under a recently introduced G20-initiated debt treatment programme. The reason is that getting help would mean that sovereign debtors have to restructure their debts. But credit rating agencies have warned that doing this will likely lead countries being given a ‘default’ rating.

    As a result, no rated country has applied for debt relief through the G20. This has been called a ‘credit rating impasse’.

    Change needs to happen on two fronts: the building of credit rating capability in the Global South, combined with shoring up capacity in countries in an effort to rebalance existing relationships with rating agencies.

    Read more: Rating agencies and Africa: the absence of people on the ground contributes to bias against the continent – analyst

    As a researcher who has looked closely at the working of rating agencies, I would argue that South Africa’s 2024–25 G20 Presidency presents a rare opportunity to push for more equitable reforms. It also provides a platform to spotlight African-led initiatives that are already making progress.

    The aim is not to ensure every country receives a top-tier credit rating. Rather, it is to ensure that all countries have the capacity, knowledge, and tools to engage in the rating process on fair terms.

    Alternatives

    Among the boldest reform efforts so far is the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency spearheaded by the African Union. The agency aims to deliver fairer, more contextually grounded credit assessments of African sovereigns.

    Structured as a specialised agency owned by AU member states and funded through a mix of regional support and service revenue, the agency is a tangible step toward rating independence. Naturally, there are challenges. These include legitimacy, credibility with global investors, generating the necessary capital to appropriately invest in research and credit analysis, and blowback if and when it will have to downgrade.

    Its creation is rooted in dissatisfaction with the big three agencies. But it’s also inspired by parallel developments in other regions, such as China’s own domestic rating ecosystem.

    Though still in development, the proposed African agency represents the most advanced reform effort in the credit rating space from a Global South perspective.

    But building this institutional capacity is only one piece of a larger puzzle. For many countries, support is urgently needed to engage more effectively with the existing system.

    Expertise mismatch

    The lag in expertise and experience on the part of countries in the global south is understandable: sovereign debt trading has been around since the 19th Century. The first Eurobond was issued in 1963. In contrast, many African nations only began issuing Eurobonds in the late 1990s, with Tunisia being the first in 1997.

    At present, that expertise is often provided by ‘credit rating advisory’ teams embedded within the Investment Banks arranging a country’s bond sale – typically offered at no cost. There is a valid perception that this advice is not independent.

    One way to close the gap is through independent credit rating-related capacity building. Done well, it can empower developing countries to engage with credit rating agencies on a more equal footing, improve the quality of credit interactions, and make informed decisions in a market that often prioritises investor interests over national development goals.

    A few initiatives are well underway.

    The African Union’s Africa Peer Review Mechanism , in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, has been offering tailored, hands-on support. This includes technical workshops, advocacy against problematic ratings, and the publication of the ‘Africa Sovereign Credit Rating Review’, a regular report that helps member states track trends and identify areas for improvement.

    Building on this, the UNDP Africa and AfriCatalyst recently launched the ‘Credit Ratings Initiative’. This includes an innovative web platform, a panel of former rating analysts known as the ‘Concilium’, and a community of practice to share knowledge.

    Early pilots with East African countries have already made an impact, showing how independent, neutral advice can boost sovereigns’ technical understanding and strategic engagement with rating agencies.

    All parties are actively collaborating to share best practice at key global events. This momentum is a promising sign of broader change.

    These efforts underscore an important lesson: while long-term reform is crucial, short-term, practical tools can have an immediate and meaningful effect.

    Quest for a fairer financing systems

    South Africa currently holds the G20 Presidency. The government has adopted the idea of a ‘Cost of Capital Commission’ to examine how financing conditions affect developing nations. One of its aims is to review credit rating methodologies and promote transparency and data efficiency.

    Read more: The G20: how it works, why it matters and what would be lost if it failed

    This is a promising start. But there is room to go further. South Africa could use its leadership role to champion the establishment of a global credit rating capacity building initiative. Such a move would align with its development priorities, position Africa as a leader in financial reform, and create a blueprint for global action.

    Crucially, this would not be just another technical fix. It would be a shift in the power dynamics of global finance – from crisis response to structural empowerment. As the U.S. prepares to take over the G20 Presidency next, South Africa’s advocacy could lay the groundwork for a broader coalition committed to fairer financing systems.

    – Rating agencies don’t treat the Global South fairly: changes South Africa should champion in G20 hot seat
    – https://theconversation.com/rating-agencies-dont-treat-the-global-south-fairly-changes-south-africa-should-champion-in-g20-hot-seat-254735

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Where the parties stand on child care in the Canadian federal election

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Gordon Cleveland, Associate Professor Emeritus, Economics, University of Toronto

    What will child care in Canada look like after this federal election?

    Depending on who becomes prime minister, parents now paying $10 a day for child care could continue to do so and many additional parents could access affordable day care in the future due to plans to expand. Or, the cap on child-care fees could be eliminated in a return to market provision of child-care services, in at least some provinces.

    The $10-a-day plan, introduced by the Liberal government through Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreements (CWELCC) with provinces and territories, was developed to improve Canada’s long-standing inadequate child-care situation.

    Québec’s model for child care inspired the Canada-wide plan. Under Québec’s CWELCC “asymmetrical agreement,” the province receives federal transfer funds without conditions.



    Read more:
    Ottawa’s $10-a-day child care promise should heed Québec’s insights about balancing low fees with high quality

    After the April 28 election, it’s expected our new prime minister will either be a Liberal or a Conservative — Mark Carney or Pierre Poilievre.

    Both leaders have said they want to preserve affordable child care but have presented their proposals in significantly different ways.

    As an economist with specialization in the economics of child care and early childhood education, I believe looking beneath surface statements reveals major differences that would affect parents, children and their families.

    Strengthening the $10-a-day policy

    The Liberal Party’s newly released platform highlights the protection and strengthening of the $10-a-day early learning and child care system. The platform promises the building of 100,000 new child-care spaces by 2031, better compensation for child-care educators, the expansion of child care in public institutions and a stronger link between housing development and child care when housing is supported by federal funds.

    In the Liberal leadership debate, Carney said we “absolutely have to keep in place the progress that the government has made on crucial things such as child care….” The Liberal platform affirms this, takes credit for introducing the existing system and notes: “In just a few short years, this program has become a core part of Canada’s social infrastructure.”



    Read more:
    Trudeau’s record may be spotty, but his biggest accomplishment was a national child-care program

    Since January, among the provinces and territories, all but Alberta and Saskatchewan have approved or tentatively approved five-year extensions to early learning and child-care funding agreements with the federal government.

    Those extensions are key, as they represent commitments from 11 provinces and territories to use the federal government’s additional $37 billion to continue building the $10 a day program through 2031.

    The NDP supported $10-a-day child care in the last election and continues that support, although child care is not mentioned in their published election platform.

    Changing the $10-a-day policy

    Poilievre, on the other hand, wants major changes from the $10-a-day child-care policy but he has not been forthcoming about details.

    However, he did discuss ideas and major criticisms in a March 25 campaign stop in Vaughan, Ont.

    He said: “We all believe that there should be more affordable child care in this country.” But then he criticized the current system as “bureaucratic” and “top down,” saying that “provinces can decide how to deliver those services on the front line with more flexibility and freedom for parents, provinces, and providers….”

    Clearly his “affordable child care” will not look anything like the burgeoning $10-a-day system.

    Poilievre’s wording is very similar to that of a new lobby organization of for-profit child care operators.

    The group calls for a shift from “federally controlled funding to no-strings-attached childcare funding for the provinces …” It also calls for a “funding-follows-the-family approach” which they believe will encourage parental and operator choice and minimize bureaucratic administrative costs and red tape.

    The Poilievre position, then, is an update from former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s policy proposals during the 2021 federal election.

    It harkens back to the cash-for-care approach Stephen Harper’s Conservative government had in place from 2006 to 2015. Conservatives prefer and encourage the provision of cash, a tax credit or voucher that parents can spend on child care.

    Such a Conservative approach is known as demand-side funding rather than supply-side funding — giving parents money to pay some of their child-care costs instead of funding child-care providers to ensure the services are available for families.

    Examining Conservative criticisms

    The “flexibility and freedom” that come with demand-side funding would mean removing conditions such as a guaranteed parent fee of $10 a day, targets for expansion of licensed child care, growth primarily by public and non-profit provision, and requirements for public financial accountability, from the federal funding agreements with the provinces and territories.

    There are substantial problems with Poilievre’s suggestion of overhauling the $10-a-day program. First, his March 25 criticisms are flawed:

    • He said “120,000 fewer children have daycare spaces than when the program was created,” but Statistics Canada surveys show a growth in attendance at child-care centres of an additional 177,900 children from late 2020 to the first half of 2023.

    • Poilievre said “child care now is worse than when the Liberals took office.” In fact, the main indicators of availability and affordability of child care are much better. Between 2015, when the Liberals took office, and 2023, the number of child care spaces grew by 426,203 to a total of 1,627,211 total licensed spaces. Child-care affordability is also greatly improved. By 2023, child-care fees had dropped by between 40 per cent and 75 per cent nearly everywhere across Canada, varying by geography and child age. As a proportion of after-tax family income, parents’ average spending on child care in January 2025 was less than one third of what it was before 2021, declining from just under 16 per cent to five per cent.

    • Poilievre said “most of the money has been consumed by bureaucracy.” In fact, child-care fees have dropped to an average of $10 a day (or less) in
      Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador, and all the remaining provinces have lowered parent fees substantially.

    This would not have been possible if “most of the money was consumed by bureaucracy,” something easily seen in readily available public data on how child-care funds are spent.

    Demand-side funding solutions

    Demand-side funding solutions with no cap on fees would be a dream for private corporations looking to enter a Canadian child-care market rich with public funds but a nightmare for cash-strapped parents who are desperate for child care.

    Australia is the poster child for generous demand-side funding of child care.

    In the Australian model, parents spend funds however they like, and there is no restriction on the fees providers can charge and no requirement for financial reporting. Funds are paid directly to child-care providers from the government on behalf of parents and corporate child-care thrives. Under this funding model, Australia has seen a sixfold increase in child-care fees since the early 1990s, twice as much as the increase in consumer prices.

    Bolster gains already made

    Nearly a million Canadian children between the ages of birth to five years are already able to access low-fee licensed child care.

    Building a quality child-care system is underway, but the work is far from complete.

    It’s time to redouble efforts to provide affordable, quality child care for all who need it rather than to abandon these major combined efforts of federal, provincial and territorial governments to build a dependable and affordable child-care system.

    Gordon Cleveland receives funding for expenses from an SSHRC project “Re-imagining care/work policies/Réinventer les politiques soins/travail”. He is a member of the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care. He volunteers for Building Blocks for Child Care. He is a research associate with L’Équipe de recherche Qualité contextes éducatifs de la petite enfance.

    – ref. Where the parties stand on child care in the Canadian federal election – https://theconversation.com/where-the-parties-stand-on-child-care-in-the-canadian-federal-election-254569

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s federal election must grapple with the limits of neoliberal economics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Horen Greenford, Lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Ecological Economics and Climate Policy, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University

    With a federal election on the horizon, economic policy is once again taking centre stage. Yet missing from the national debate is a serious reckoning with the failures of neoliberalism and the urgent need for alternatives.

    A continued adherence to neoliberal policy, and the fiscal austerity it entails, risks deepening social divides and strengthening the electoral prospects of the far right (absent a compelling populist left). To meet today’s challenges, parties must explore more progressive schools of economic thought like modern monetary theory.

    Liberal Leader Mark Carney, with his experience across banking and global finance, is one figure who could potentially steer that shift. Carney’s career, spanning Morgan Stanley, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and Brookfield Asset Management, has exemplified his competence within the bounds of economic orthodoxy.

    As the Bank of Canada’s governor, Carney pre-emptively cut interest rates to cushion the blow of the 2008 financial crisis. Standard measures like interest rate cuts and quantitative easing are meant to keep economies afloat during downturns. While necessary, these steps remained squarely within the bounds of conventional economic thinking.

    Today, however, those old tricks aren’t enough. The twin crises of climate collapse and socioeconomic inequality demand bolder policy and braver leadership from policymakers.

    The case for modern monetary theory

    Modern monetary theory (MMT) offers a more ambitious economic toolkit to policymakers than current approaches do.

    MMT scholars argue that countries that issue their own currency, like Canada, have monetary sovereignty. These governments don’t need to rely on bond markets for funding; instead, they can create money directly through public spending. And, when they do sell debt, there’s never a shortage of demand for it.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is modern monetary theory?

    From this perspective, the real constraint isn’t money, but productive capacity: materials, energy and labour. Public debt is neither inherently dangerous, nor is it “owed” to anyone.

    MMT also argues the “tax and spend” perspective is backwards — taxes are not needed to fund public spending. In its view, governments spend first, then tax to remove money from circulation to keep inflation under control.

    Inflation risk stems not from government spending, but from economic over-demand or supply constraints. During periods of low growth, spending is not just safe — it’s essential, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Inflation during the pandemic was driven predominantly by supply chain disruptions and gas price spikes, not overspending. Strategic taxation can be used to curb demand and reduce inequality when inflation emerges.

    MMT’s job guarantee

    The hallmark policy of MMT is a job guarantee — a public option for employment that would employ anyone wanting to work. This would effectively end structural unemployment while improving conditions for those employed in the private sector through competition.

    Such an initiative would help unlock productivity needed to revitalize and decarbonize housing, transport, energy and other critical infrastructure.

    Yet instead of embracing such ideas, centrist parties like the Canadian Liberal Party and United Kingdom’s Labour Party cling to outdated concerns over “fiscal responsibility,” echoing debates that have been outdated since the end of the gold standard in the 1970s.

    The cost of playing it safe

    Carney appears to have retreated into political caution and has avoided challenging fiscal conservatism in any substantive way. Immediately upon taking office, he capitulated to misleading narratives promoted by politicians like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and cut the consumer carbon price.

    Carney also is cancelling a proposed hike to the amount of capital gains subject to tax to avoid penalizing Canada’s “builders.” But who are the real “builders”? Not hedge fund managers, but the workers who actually produce goods and services.

    According to the government’s own analysis, only the top 0.13 per cent of Canadians stood to lose from a modest increase in the inclusion rate for taxing unearned income.

    Like Poilievre, Carney has expressed support for new oil and gas projects, including pipelines — despite the scientific consensus that any new fossil fuel infrastructure is incompatible with avoiding climate catastrophe. Poilievre and Carney’s positions contradict the urgent need for a rapid energy transition — which begins with no new fossil fuel projects.



    Read more:
    Canada needs to set its businesses up for success in the clean energy transition

    During the Liberal leadership race, Carney advocated for using public investment to attract private capital during a CBC News interview. Sidestepping a direct answer about whether he’d balance the overall budget, he instead committed to balancing “operational spending.” When pressed, he said he would run deficits when necessary to “invest [in] and grow Canada’s economy.”

    Carney’s approach frames public spending as a way to mobilize private capital, rather than as a driver of public-led economic transformation. True to his background, his language casts the government as a shrewd investor, not a driver of structural change.

    Carney also framed public investment as “borrowing,” which MMT clarifies is a misnomer: unlike a household or a business, a currency-issuing government doesn’t need to borrow in the traditional sense and faces no risk of running out of its own currency.

    A bolder path forward is needed

    Canada needs more than cautious tweaks to the status quo. A climate jobs program, like a Youth Climate Corps, could guarantee well-paid, meaningful work in communities across the country for anyone ready to contribute. Public opinion is already there: more than half of Canadians support a climate corps.

    Public-sector competition in industries like housing and renewable energy could keep private firms efficient and accountable. During World War II, engineer and businessman C.D. Howe became Minister of the Department of Munitions and Supply and oversaw the creation of 28 Crown corporations that drove wartime production.

    That same spirit of pragmatic, state-led investment could help address the ongoing climate and economic crises, instead of being used to buy more pipelines.



    Read more:
    Canada’s federal election doesn’t seem like it’s about climate change, but it actually is

    Towards more affordable housing

    Canada already has a Crown corporation mandated to support affordable housing: the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This agency could be expanded to not only finance, but also tender contracts and build housing. It could be a federal landlord, with long-term goals of community management and ownership.

    The more affordable units kept out of an increasingly profit-driven market, the more accessible housing will be. This would stabilize the market and provide a floor (and roof) for affordability.

    Some MMT scholars and social movements have even called for a homes guarantee — a federally-funded program to guarantee a place to live for anyone squeezed out of the housing market.

    Critics might say bold investment is politically infeasible. But is it? Or could one of Canada’s federal parties champion policies that inspire instead of capitulate? Traditionally, the NDP would pick up this mantle, but they ceded their place as the progressive vanguard after former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised to balance the budget in 2015.

    The real risk isn’t ambitious reform, but relying on outdated tricks in a world that demands new solutions.

    Daniel Horen Greenford receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. Canada’s federal election must grapple with the limits of neoliberal economics – https://theconversation.com/canadas-federal-election-must-grapple-with-the-limits-of-neoliberal-economics-254364

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The new abnormal: Debating Canada’s future at a hinge point in history

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stewart Prest, Lecturer, Political Science, University of British Columbia

    Canadians watched the two leaders’ debates unfold last week in Montréal. The debates, and this election, occur at a pivotal moment in history. Canadians go to the polls as the future of global democracy and governance, and in fact the very independence of the country, is in the balance.

    In crucial ways, the debates failed to meet the moment — and therefore will likely be forgotten as Canadians vote cast their ballots in a week. Unlike a past debate that focused on Canadian sovereignty between John Turner and Brian Mulroney in 1988, this one featured few knockout punches or memorable moments.

    Shadows of the past

    In the weeks prior to the debates, observers drew comparisons to that momentous English-language leaders’ showdown 37 years ago. That debate laid out a clear question for voters: Are you in favour of entering a free-trade agreement with the United States?

    Prime Minister Mulroney was supportive of the agreement, while Liberal Leader Turner was sharply opposed, fearing for the country’s independence.

    In the end, both Mulroney and Turner had a point. In the ensuing decades, free trade with the U.S. has brought both prosperity and dependence on the country as the Canadian economy became ever more deeply intertwined with that of the United States.

    A hinge point in history

    In 2025, we face an even more pivotal moment. The global order is shifting.

    Under Donald Trump, the U.S. has moved away from its decades-old position at the heart of a liberal international order centred on western democracies to embrace a transactional and illiberal foreign policy built on the language of power.



    Read more:
    Like dictators before him, Trump threatens international peace and security

    Given the gravity of the moment however, we heard comparatively little during the debates about how Canada must respond at this hinge point in history as Canadians adapt to a predictably unpredictable future.

    The threat of economic tariffs, while real, are just the beginning. Leaders alluded to the fact that Canada’s erstwhile closest ally now constitutes a threat to Canadian sovereignty, but it was not a major point of discussion, even as the the White House Press secretary recently affirmed Trump still wants Canada to become the 51st state. Threats to the territorial integrity of other former American allies continue as well.

    Viewers heard questions during the debate related to the possibility that the U.S. may no longer support Ukraine, but nothing about how Trump shocked the world with a very public dressing-down of Ukraine’s president or how he seems more comfortable co-operating with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

    Virtually no mention was made of the fact that the U.S. is, by some measures, no longer a democracy. Its courts are politicized. Congress is polarized. The federal civil service remains under siege, and key institutions of civil society are under pressure to conform to Trump’s demands. Nor was there any discussion about how the Trump administration is openly defying court orders, effectively flouting the rule of law, and what that could mean for Trump’s annexation threats against Canada.

    There was some talk during the debate of Canada trying to reach the (Trump-demanded) NATO military target for military spending, but nothing about the fact that the future of the alliance is uncertain. European states are openly questioning the credibility of American support in the event of an attack and European leaders discussing defence strategies without American involvement for the first time since the Second World War.



    Read more:
    How could Canada deter an invasion? Nukes and mandatory military service

    A debate like any other

    It’s clear from such silences on the debate stage that Canadian voters, journalists, debate moderators and politicians alike are all still coming to terms with the depth of change in the world around them.

    The debate was filled with talk of pipelines, housing strategies and domestic law and order. In fact, neither debate was much different from those of the past 20 years.

    That’s not to suggest domestic challenges don’t require substantive discussion and policy proposals. As I and others have argued, the populist anti-incumbent wave that we saw sweeping Canadian and global politics in recent years can be traced to the sense that a portion of the population — younger voters in particular — feel left behind and ignored.



    Read more:
    Justin Trudeau’s bleak poll numbers are part of a global trend as young voters reject incumbents

    The challenges are multiple and significant, including but not limited to housing and affordability, public safety and policing, slow economic development and the challenges of responding to climate change in an economy dependent on energy exports.

    Nonetheless, in focusing so heavily on domestic and not global threats, the debate verged at times on the parochial.

    Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet, for instance, tried to keep provincial jurisdiction and Québec’s interests top of mind. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s message, at its most effective, was that as the country turns to face new challenges, it cannot forget about the marginalized in Canadian society and abroad. Worthy points, but secondary to the larger moment.

    Ultimately, the debate was dominated by the other two men on the stage with a real chance to govern the country next week: Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

    The two appeared united in their passion for the country and pipelines, and share some other priorities, notably facilitating interprovincial economic integration.

    Conservative base is divided

    In other respects, the two leaders diverged significantly in their views. Of all the leaders, Carney was the most willing to discuss the Trump threat, including when he suggested in his closing English remarks that Trump is “trying to break us so the U.S. can own us.”

    For the majority of the debates, however, the Liberal leader focused primarily on the economic threat. He argued that the country must look away from the U.S., and instead build inward with investment in housing and energy at home, and build outward by identifying more reliable markets and allies abroad.

    Poilievre’s messaging was more nuanced, moving in different directions to suit different audiences. No doubt this is because the country’s Conservative voting base is itself deeply divided between mainstream conservatives who share their fellow Canadians’ concerns about Trump and a populist faction that tends to identify with the MAGA movement in numerous ways.



    Read more:
    Why some Canadians are in denial about Donald Trump

    In attempting to square that circle, Poilievre has signalled strong opposition to Trump and his tariffs — a point he repeatedly discussed during the debate — and called for measures to enhance Canadian productivity, notably in the energy sector.

    At the same time, however, he endorsed other policies that evoke aspects of Trump’s own political agenda, something he largely avoided mentioning during the debates. Notable among are Poilievre’s promised war on “woke” culture. While not discussed in detail during the debates, disruptive questions from right-wing media outlets following the French debate illustrated just how close to the surface such issues remain.

    The ‘new abnormal’

    In the absence of a significant gaffe, knockout blow or other dramatic twist, the debates are unlikely to change many minds, and seem likely to soon fade from memory.

    Initial post-debate polling suggests as much. Anyone leaning one way or another heard enough to affirm their views as they tuned into the debates, and nothing to make them question their choice.

    Answers to larger questions about how Canada should move forward in this emergent new global order, amid daunting new threats to peace and democracy, remain only hinted at. Whoever wins the election, those questions will continue to be asked with increased urgency in the coming years.

    Stewart Prest 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. The new abnormal: Debating Canada’s future at a hinge point in history – https://theconversation.com/the-new-abnormal-debating-canadas-future-at-a-hinge-point-in-history-254675

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Coons, Cornyn, Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Mapping, Safe Extraction of Critical Minerals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Chris Coons, John Cornyn, and Todd Young introduced the bipartisan Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration (Finding ORE) Act to strengthen U.S. mineral security and reduce strategic vulnerabilities. The bill leverages the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) mapping of critical mineral reserves to help responsibly develop global mineral resources around the world.
    “We can’t solve climate change or strengthen national security without harnessing the power of critical minerals,” said Hickenlooper. “Better and more accurate maps will help us and our allies safely and ethically explore untapped critical mineral deposits.”
    “From the technology that powers the cell phones in our pockets to the systems that keep us safe, Americans depend on critical minerals for our economic strength and national security,” said Coons. “The Finding ORE Act makes sure that our nation will have access to the essential materials we need to keep innovating, growing our economy, and deterring our enemies. I’m grateful for the bipartisan and industry support this bill has received and look forward to pushing for its enactment.”
    “Access to a reliable supply chain of critical minerals is essential to meet our nation’s defense, manufacturing, and energy needs,” said Cornyn. “By shoring up alliances with trusted allies and promoting geological mapping of critical mineral reserves, this legislation would ensure America has the resources needed to keep up with global demand and bolster both our mineral security and national security in the years ahead.”
    “Many countries are unmapped or reliant on outdated geological surveys. Our bill would create opportunities for collaboration between the United States and these countries to update geological mapping with the goal of locating critical mineral deposits. These partnerships would be mutually beneficial and provide the United States access to more critical minerals, reducing our dependence on China,” said Young.
    The Finding ORE Act would authorize the Director of USGS to enter into memoranda of understanding (MOU) with foreign partner countries related to mapping of critical minerals. The bill identifies four objectives for these MOU:
    Committing USGS to assist the partner country with a range of critical mineral mapping activities
    Committing the partner country to offer a right of first refusal to private companies based in the United States or an allied country in the further development of mapped critical minerals
    Facilitating investment in the development of critical minerals in the partner country, including by leveraging financing from the U.S. Development Finance Corporation and Export-Import Bank
    Ensuring that mapping data created through partnership with USGS is not disclosed to governmental or private entities in non-allied countries
    The bill requires USGS to collaborate with both the State Department and the private sector in identifying which countries to prioritize for negotiation of an MOU and would involve the State Department in the negotiation and implementation process.
    “Colorado School of Mines commends Senators Coons, Young, Hickenlooper, and Cornyn and Reps. Wittman and Castor for their bipartisan efforts to leverage U.S. expertise in mineral mapping to support safe, secure, and responsible mineral supply chains,” said Dr. John Bradford, Vice President for Global Initiatives at Colorado School of Mines. “When called upon to contribute, institutions with strong partnerships with USGS, like Colorado School of Mines, seek to support America’s government and industry partners to advance the technology, knowledge, and workforce required to responsibly identify, assess, and produce mineral resources in the U.S. and around the world.”
    “The United States has too often watched from the sidelines as our adversaries explored, invested in, and secured the world’s most promising mineral deposits,” said Abigail Hunter, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy. “This bill changes that. It positions the United States—our geological experts and industry—to help identify and potentially develop the next generation of great deposits. It ensures we show up in resource-rich nations, rather than leaving them to deepen their ties with China.”
    “The American Critical Minerals Association welcomes the bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Finding ORE Act by Senators Coons, Young, Hickenlooper, and Cornyn and Representatives Wittman and Castor,” said Sarah Venuto, Executive Director of ACMA. “Expanding our knowledge base of global minerals resources and growing partnerships with our allies will ensure the United States is a leading force in resourcing critical minerals in a responsible way. ACMA looks forward to working with Senator Coons and his colleagues to advance the Finding ORE Act.”
    “BPC Action applauds the bipartisan introduction of the Finding ORE Act. The bill will strengthen U.S. supply chain security by enhancing coordination with allies on critical mineral development, helping secure new critical minerals sources free from adversary control,” said Michele Stockwell, president of Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action).
    “Terra AI celebrates this forward-thinking, bi-partisan critical minerals exploration legislation introduced by Senators Coons, Young, Hickenlooper, and Cornyn and Reps. Wittman and Castor,” said John Mern, CEO of Terra AI. “The Finding ORE Act would empower America’s agencies and private firms to explore and claim the next major deposits of critical minerals which will supply our industries for decades to come; supporting manufacturing, aerospace, energy, and artificial intelligence. We support this act’s unique approach to winning the critical minerals race by leveraging America and Her Allies’ relative advantages — strong diplomatic relations, world-leading technology, and entrepreneurial spirit. This act is the essential early stage first step to establishing US global mineral dominance and winning this generational opportunity. As a mineral exploration AI company, we see huge value in collaboration between the private sector and our nation’s diplomatic, geologic and financial agencies abroad. It is a winning playbook, and we look forward to seeing more legislation in this area.”
    A companion bill is led by Representatives Rob Wittman and Kathy Castor in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    In the 119th Congress, Hickenlooper has led and co-sponsored multiple other critical minerals related legislation, including:
    The bipartisan STRATEGIC Minerals Act to foster critical minerals trade with our international allies, led by Senator Young.
    His bipartisan Unearth Innovation Act to establish a DOE program for sustainable critical mineral research innovation and recycling.
    His bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical material processing projects.
    The bipartisan Critical Minerals Security Act to help secure U.S. critical mineral supply chains and counter China’s dominance in the industry.
    A one-pager on the bill is available HERE.
    The full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Welcome to this twenty-fourth Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues – and thank you for bringing the voices, insights, aspirations, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples to this global stage.

    The world’s Indigenous Peoples are magnificently diverse in cultures, languages, histories, and traditions…

    But united by common features and common challenges. 

    You are the pre-eminent stewards of the world’s biodiversity and of the environment.

    Your knowledge and traditional practices are leading models of conservation and sustainable use – reflecting your commitment to living life in harmony with Mother Earth, and to the wellbeing and rights of future generations.

    The world has much to learn from your wisdom, insights and approaches, which prioritise the health of ecosystems over short-term economic gains…

    As we tackle the many challenges that we face – building sustainable food systems, moving to sustainable ways of livings, and more, we must recognize that the world does not always value you as it should.

    Dear Friends,

    The difficulties facing Indigenous Peoples around the world are an affront to dignity and justice. And a source of deep sorrow for me personally.

    Indigenous women face particular challenges – including barriers to political participation, economic opportunities, and essential services.

    On a trip to Suriname three years ago, I had the honour of visiting the Kaliña Peoples. 

    I witnessed how climate change is devastating their lands, and destroying their way of life.

    And I heard how mercury from illegal mining is harming Indigenous Peoples in the region, as in many others, namely, including Brazil – poisoning their water and food supplies. 

    Everywhere, Indigenous Peoples are on the frontline of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss – despite having done nothing to create these crises and everything to try to stop them.

    Eviction and illegal exploitation continue to harm your people and grossly violate your rights.

    You face marginalisation, discrimination, unemployment, economic disadvantage and horrendous violence – particularly as you seek to defend our common home.  

    And too often you are excluded from decisions that directly impact your land and territories – threatening your ways of life and food security.

    Meanwhile, a looming threat grows – the race for minerals critical to the global energy transition – a large proportion of which are located on or close to Indigenous Peoples’ territories.

    As demand soars, too often we see dispossession; exclusion and marginalisation in decision-making; the rights of Indigenous Peoples trampled and health jeopardised, all as you are denied the benefits you deserve.

    Dear Friends,

    We know how to right these wrongs.

    Eighteen years ago, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples laid out a blueprint for securing the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples everywhere.

    The Declaration has been used by courts, parliaments and communities, to secure rights and galvanise political action. 

    And multilateralism has delivered progress. In the past year, countries have made important new commitments:

    In the Global Digital Compact – to build digital skills and capacities, including among Indigenous Peoples…

    In the Pact for the Future’s call to “recognize, respect, promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, their territories, lands and ecosystems, while safeguarding their traditions, spiritual beliefs and ancestral knowledge” – and to help do so by ensuring a seat at decision-making tables…

    And at COP16 on biodiversity. Countries committed to create a permanent new subsidiary body – a space for Indigenous Peoples and others to participate in decision-making on biodiversity. 

    And they agreed on sharing the benefits of digital genetic information – with a portion of the new Cali Fund supporting Indigenous Peoples. 

    Indigenous Peoples – particularly members of this Forum – also contributed to the work of the United Nations Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

    The Panel’s principles and recommendations are grounded in human rights, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    Yet, we know there is much further to go.

    And I hear your calls for greater and more meaningful participation in the United Nations.

    The focus of this year’s session is implementing the Declaration within Member States and within the United Nations system. 

    This is an urgent call to action.

    And I would point to four specific areas.

    First, strengthening the Permanent Forum.

    We need Member States to ensure high-level representation.

    And we need to fortify the Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues – broadening the donor-base and increasing contributions.

    This is vital to enabling the Forum to deliver its work, including through participation and representation at international meetings. 

    Second, I urge governments and institutions to ensure that the leadership, rights and needs of Indigenous Peoples are recognized and acted upon across the board.

    In a world in flux, it is particularly important that Governments are alert to the impacts on Indigenous Peoples. 

    Governments must honour their obligations in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – without delay.

    And bring Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, into all forms of decision-making, and support political participation.

    Third, international finance providers should make Indigenous Peoples a key consideration – so that finance flows to their self-determined priorities and projects are including interactions.

    And fourth, I urge countries, companies and more, to work with us to deliver on all the recommendations of the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

    We will soon launch the High-Level Expert Advisory Group to accelerate action on benefit sharing, value addition, and fair trade – and the needs and input of Indigenous communities will be key.

    Let’s be clear:  The clean energy era must power progress on Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

    Distinguished Members of the Forum,

    Upholding the dignity and worth of every person is central to the work and mission of the United Nations.

    It is our essence.

    And because it is at our core, we say loudly and clearly: 

    The individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples are non-negotiable.

    Now and forever, we stand with you all in making those rights a reality for Indigenous Peoples everywhere.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Annual Report to the Nation: Cancer deaths continue to decline

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory
    Monday, April 21, 2025

    Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022.

    What
    Overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022, even during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2024 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. Among men, overall cancer incidence, measured as the rate of new cancer diagnoses, decreased from 2001 through 2013 and then stabilized through 2021. Among women, overall cancer incidence increased slightly every year from 2003 through 2021, with the exception of 2020. The report appeared April 21, 2025, in Cancer.
    Progress in reducing cancer deaths overall is largely the result of declines in both incidence and death rates for lung cancer and several other smoking-related cancers, the researchers noted. New diagnoses and deaths from lung cancer, for example, have declined in both men and women over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the incidence of cancers associated with obesity has been rising. These include female breast, uterus, colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, and liver cancers.
    The report also shows that new diagnoses of breast cancer gradually increased over the study period, but the overall breast cancer death rate decreased. Cancer death rates in children declined steadily over the study period; those for adolescents and young adults also declined until recently, when the decline slowed and stabilized. From 2018 to 2022, cancer deaths decreased for each major racial and ethnic population group. From 2017 to 2021 (excluding 2020), cancer incidence was stable among men in each major racial and ethnic population group but increased among women in each major racial and ethnic population group. During the same time period, among men, incidence was highest in non-Hispanic Black men, whereas among women, incidence was highest in American Indian and Alaska Native women. 
    The report also included an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on observed cancer incidence in individual states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for the first two years of the pandemic. Cancer incidence declined sharply in 2020, likely due to pandemic-related disruptions in health care, but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. The magnitude of the 2020 decline was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers noted that these findings underscore the importance of providing access to health care, even during public health emergencies, to ensure the timely diagnosis of cancer.
    The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort among the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the American Cancer Society (ACS); and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).The report provides annual updates on cancer trends in the United States.
    The report is based on cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries, funded by CDC and NCI and compiled by NAACCR, and on cancer death data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System.
    For more about the report, see: https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/.
    Who

    NAACCR: Recinda L. Sherman, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    ACS: Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D.
    CDC: Jane Henley, M.S.P.H., and Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H.
    NIH: Serban Negoita, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Kathleen A. Cronin, Ph.D., M.P.H.

    The Study
    “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Featuring State-Level Statistics after the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic” appears April 21, 2025, in Cancer.
    About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
    About the American Cancer Society (ACS): The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been the preeminent cancer-fighting organization in the United States through research, education, advocacy, and patient services. We have helped lead the evolution in the way the world prevents, detects, treats, and thinks about cancer. For more information go to www.cancer.org.
    About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC’s world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone’s health. For more information, see www.cdc.gov.
    About the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR): The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc., is a professional organization that develops and promotes uniform data standards for cancer registration; provides education and training; certifies population-based registries; aggregates and publishes data from central cancer registries; and promotes the use of cancer surveillance data and systems for cancer control and epidemiologic research, public health programs, and patient care to reduce the burden of cancer in North America. For more, see naaccr.org.
    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

    Source: US State of California

    Note: View settlement here.

    The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.” 

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.  

    For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

    For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Note: View settlement here.

    The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.” 

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.  

    For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:

    For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Kansas Private Nonprofits Affected by May Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Kansas of the May 20, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storm, straight‑line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring May 19, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the Kansas counties of Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Rush, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature who suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible. 

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is May 20.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Most Complete Free Bitcoin Mining Guide in 2025: From PFM CRYPTO Novice to Profit Freedom

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Farington, England, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In 2025, the cryptocurrency market volatility intensified, and investors’ demand for stability, security and sustainable returns reached a new high. PFM CRYPTO was named “Best Cloud Mining Platform in 2025” for its core advantages:

    • Compliance and security: With FCA license and MSB certification, user funds are managed by HSBC; military-grade encryption technology and cold wallet storage are used, with zero security incidents for 6 consecutive years.
    • Global coverage: Supports 10 languages ??and 11 cryptocurrencies, with a minimum investment of $10, users in 190+ countries, and assets under management of more than $1.9 billion.
    • Intelligent income optimization: Supports multi-currency mining such as BTC, ETH, SOL, and automatically switches to high-yield currencies.

    PFM CRYPTO: Redefine passive income and start cloud mining for free

    In the past, Bitcoin mining required expensive ASIC mining machines, technical barriers and high electricity bills. PFM CRYPTO completely subverts this model – no hardware, no code, novices can easily earn Bitcoin.

    Start mining in three steps:

    • Register to enjoy $10 newcomer rewards, and start mining in real time;
    • The automated system handles optimization, maintenance and payment;
    • Relying on 100% green energy (hydro + wind + solar), it takes into account both profitability and environmental protection.

    PFM CRYPTO: The first choice for Personal Financial Management

    The core charm of PFM CRYPTO lies in passive income. Users can earn BTC every day like dividends without watching the market or trading frequently. Its global community brings together students, retirees, digital nomads and other groups. Some earn thousands of dollars a day, and some compound interest rolls – the common point is: let the crypto economy increase wealth.

    Why is PFM CRYPTO the ultimate choice for safety and convenience?

    • Cutting-edge technology: using the latest ASIC mining machines and high-performance GPUs, with excellent efficiency and benefits;
    • Extreme security: funds are stored offline and cold, equipped with McAfee® and Cloudflare® dual protection;
    • Transparent income: daily automatic income distribution, supporting 10+ currencies such as BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE, etc.;
    • Green Revolution: through monocrystalline solar energy and large-scale wind power drive, create a sustainable mining ecosystem;
    • Affiliate Program: recommend new users to get 3% (first level), 1.5% (second level) commission, instant settlement without upper limit.

    PFM CRYPTO’s 2025 Vision: Convenient, profitable, sustainable

    Through the strategic use of registration bonuses, reinvestment mechanisms and multi-currency support, users can maximize long-term returns. The platform also provides:

    EARN FREE BITCOINS WITH PFM CRYPTO NOW

    Visit https://pfmcrypto.net to claim your $10 bonus and join the era of secure and eco-friendly cloud mining in 2025.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Transnational Repression Operation

    Source: Government of Canada News

    As part of its mandate to monitor the digital information ecosystem during the general election, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force has observed a transnational repression (TNR) operation targeting the 45th general election.

    Sample Images

    These are just some examples among many. It is important for the SITE Task Force to avoid amplifying this type of transnational repression campaign any further. 

    Background

    In December 2024, Hong Kong Police announced they would provide monetary rewards for information that would lead to the arrest of six individuals living overseas, including two Canadians.

    The decision by Hong Kong to issue international bounties and cancel the passports of democracy activists and former Hong Kong lawmakers, is deplorable. This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct TNR“>TNR abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated. 

    One of the six individuals targeted by Hong Kong is Joe Tay, Conservative Party candidate for Don Valley North,

    and known for his opposition to PRC“>PRC laws and practices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

    The People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Mainland China and Hong Kong, uses a variety of tactics to carry out TNR activities. It exploits PRC-based family members to pressure those in Canada to cease certain activities the PRC views as hostile, or to return to the PRC. It also threatens PRC-based family members with a range of potential coercive actions, including detention or financial penalties. The PRC also leverages overseas actors to monitor, surveil and report on others in Canada.

    To support its TNR activities, the PRC uses its diplomatic missions, PRC-linked organizations affiliated with the United Front Work Department, community organizations and influential community leaders, among others.

    About transnational repression

    Transnational Repression (TNR) takes place when foreign governments reach beyond their state borders to advance their interests or silence criticism and dissent using intimidation, threats or violence, often against diaspora and exile communities.

    TNR activities typically target political dissidents, human rights and democracy defenders, and religious and ethnic minority groups. But TNR also increasingly targets the people and organizations that defend the victims. This can include activists, international students and scholars, lawyers and doctors, as well as journalists.

    Hostile state actors will use a variety of tactics to extend their reach into Canada:

    • Physical intimidation and violence: Monitoring and surveillance, vandalism, threats, abduction, assault, or attempted murder. Actors can use coercion or assault as punishment or to influence opinion, and hostile state actors sometimes hire organized crime groups or proxies for this.
    • Threats against overseas relatives and other connections: Threats against relatives and partners in the home country, to relay messages or force an action in Canada. This creates a sense of vulnerability, as close relations abroad may be victim to the laws and regulations of a non-democratic country.
    • Legal manipulation: Foreign states abusing legal mechanisms for coercive purposes, like libel suits, extraditions agreements, bounties for information on individuals, Interpol Red Notices, imposing sanctions, and refusing visa applications for personal or professional travel.
    • Community ostracism: Rejection from community associations, use of labels such as ‘extremist’ or ‘traitor’, or loss of access to social events and employment opportunities.
    • Malicious Digital Activity: Hacking, cyberbullying, targeted deepfakes, online defamation and disinformation, doxxing, or threatening online messages.

    Impact

    TNR causes harm both to the victims and the community.

    • At the individual level, there is a profound psychological impact on victims who experience TNR. They might experience fear, anxiety, and stress due to the continuous surveillance and harassment they face. In fact, just knowing that a foreign government can monitor their activities or harm their families can lead many victims of TNR to self-censor or withdraw from public life.
    • At the community level, TNR creates mistrust and division. Targeted communities may become fragmented as individuals fear infiltration by foreign agents or retaliation for associating with activists.

    Transnational Repression Operation

    During the writ period, SITE has observed two significant trends related to Mr. Tay across multiple social media platforms.

    1.  Inauthentic and coordinated amplification of content related to the bounty and arrest warrant against Mr. Tay, as well as content related to his competence for political office.

      The SITE Task Force has seen that multiple accounts or platforms published or interacted with content at similar times and dates – sometimes within minutes or even seconds of each other. This creates an increased volume of content, making it more likely that users of these platforms are exposed to the amplified narratives.

    2.  Deliberate suppression of search results, or “keyword filtering” censoring Mr. Tay’s name in simplified and traditional Chinese on platforms based in the PRC.

      The SITE Task Force is observing deliberate efforts to suppress any new content about Mr. Tay, and when users search his name, the search engine only returns information about the bounty.

    This is not about a single incident with high levels of engagement. It is a series of deliberate and persistent activity across multiple platforms – those in which Chinese-speaking users in Canada are active, including: Facebook, WeChat, TikTok, RedNote, and Douyin, a sister-app of TikTok for the Chinese market.

    Overall engagement levels since December 2024 have been low, with an increase at various points during the writ period. The combined instances, inauthentic and coordinated amplification across multiple platforms, and the concerning trend of deliberate search suppression on platforms frequented by Canadians, have led us to determine that voters need to be aware.

    It is clear that this was a deliberate attempt to amplify inauthentic content. However, at least until this point, that content has not generated much traction.

    Reporting transnational repression

    If you are in immediate danger, always call 9-1-1.

    1. Take a record of events:
      As soon as it is safe, write down or record the situation as precisely as possible. Include descriptive details about the person, date and time, location, other witnesses, and event. For instance: Did it happen in-person? Was it a phone call? An email? Any security cameras or witnesses nearby?
    2. Report it:
      Contact your local police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Clearly articulate why you believe you are being targeted and mention that you believe this is transnational repression.

    Even if the piece of information provided may not on its own be something that meets a criminal threshold, it may be a building block that helps police to identify threats, support a larger police response, or even contribute to another ongoing investigation.

    When the matter concerns your vote, you can also reach out to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, and the SITE Task Force. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: ZA Miner Introduces Free Cloud Mining Service, Making Bitcoin and Dogecoin Mining Accessible to Everyone

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ZA Miner enables users to generate passive income by mining Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin online.

    MIDDLESEX, United Kingdom, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZA Miner, a UK-based cloud mining company, announces the launch of its zero-cost cloud mining service, giving users the ability to mine popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin without investing in expensive hardware or electricity costs.

    The new platform introduces a streamlined way for crypto enthusiasts and newcomers to earn passive income through mining—entirely online. By offering a $100 free mining contract upon registration, ZA Miner is making mining more accessible than ever.

    No Equipment. No Experience. Just Crypto Rewards.

    ZA Miner’s platform removes the traditional complexities of crypto mining. Users no longer need to purchase mining rigs or maintain servers. With just an email address, individuals can sign up and start earning daily payouts through a simple, user-friendly interface. The platform supports mining for Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Litecoin (LTC).

    “We created ZA Miner with the belief that anyone should be able to participate in cryptocurrency mining without high costs or technical challenges,” said a company representative. “Our model is built for transparency, ease of use, and financial inclusion.”

    Global Operations with Eco-Conscious Infrastructure

    ZA Miner operates its mining farms in strategic, energy-efficient regions such as Kazakhstan and Iceland. These locations are selected for their low electricity rates and sustainable energy sources, allowing the company to pass cost savings and reliability on to its users.

    Mining contracts from ZA Miner are designed to support users with varying levels of expertise.

    Platform Highlights:

    • Free $100 Mining Bonus – Get started immediately without any payment.
    • No Hardware Required – All mining is cloud-based.
    • Daily Earnings – Receive payouts directly to your wallet.
    • Environmentally Friendly – Operates in energy-efficient regions.
    • Safe & Secure – SSL encryption and anti-DDoS protection ensure account safety.
    • Referral Rewards – Earn up to 7% commission for inviting others to the platform.

    How to Begin:

    1. Create an account on www.zaminer.com
    2. Claim your $100 bonus mining contract
    3. Start earning and track your rewards daily

    ZA Miner’s free cloud mining model reflects a growing demand for accessible crypto tools. With reliable performance, global infrastructure, and a clear path for users to get started, the company is offering an opportunity for anyone to join the digital economy—no technical knowledge required.

    About ZA Miner:

    ZA Miner is a leading cloud mining provider based in Middlesex, United Kingdom, specializing in Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin mining services. Focused on making cryptocurrency mining accessible, affordable, and eco-conscious, ZA Miner combines cutting-edge technology, sustainable operations, and user-friendly solutions to empower individuals around the world to participate in the digital asset economy. For more information, visit www.zaminer.com.

    Media Contact:
    SHEIKH, Anisah Fatema
    ZA FUNDINGS LTD
    info@zaminer.com
    https://www.zaminer.com/

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16b2baaf-18de-4e33-95e3-16fc66f6af82

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/953d2c2d-b1d0-492e-9c22-2b7fcac43aae

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Announces Listing of Hyperlane (HYPER) with a 165,000 HYPER and 50,000 USDT Prize Pool

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, announced the Hyperlane (HYPER) listing on April 22, 2025(UTC). To celebrate this significant addition to the exchange, MEXC is launching a special event with a prize pool of 165,000 HYPER and 50,000 USDT for new and existing users.

    Hyperlane is the first permissionless, universal interoperability protocol dedicated to building a truly open and decentralized cross-chain communication infrastructure. As “The Open Interoperability Framework,” it enables anyone to freely expand, utilize, and customize the network, allowing developers to easily and securely build cross-chain applications and token bridges. To date, Hyperlane has connected over 140 blockchains, processed nearly 9 million cross-chain messages, and bridged more than $6 billion in volume through its Warp Routes.

    $HYPER is the native token of the Hyperlane ecosystem, with an initial total supply of 1 billion tokens. It plays a critical role in securing the protocol through staking, rewarding validators for verifying cross-chain messages, incentivizing user-driven activity, and enabling community governance over protocol development.

    To celebrate the listing, MEXC will launch an Airdrop+ event with substantial rewards for users:
    Event Period: April 21, 2025, 10:00 – May 01, 2025, 10:00 (UTC)
    Benefit 1: Deposit and share 120,000 HYPER (New user exclusive)
    Benefit 2: Spot Challenge — Trade to share 15,000 HYPER (For all users)
    Benefit 3: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)
    Benefit 4: Invite new users and share 30,000 HYPER (For all users)

    MEXC has established itself as a leading exchange by consistently offering users early access to high-potential crypto assets. In 2024 alone, the platform listed 2,376 new tokens, including 1,716 initial listings. According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC led the industry with 461 spot listings between November 1, 2024, and February 15, 2025. During this period, the exchange maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six platforms, demonstrating its agility in capturing emerging market trends. MEXC will continue to expand its asset offerings and help users seize timely opportunities in the fast-moving crypto market.

    For full event details and participation rules, please visit here.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 36 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact :
    Lucia Hu
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f7a2b6b-03ea-4dc2-9cf4-d21adb93fe1c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cyber A.I. Group Names Dr. Peter J. Morales as Chief Technology Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI and NEW YORK and LONDON, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI” or the “Company”), an emerging growth Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and IT services company engaged in the development of next-generation Cybersecurity technology, announced today the appointment of industry leading expert and adjunct professor at NYU, Dr. Peter J. Morales as the Company’s Chief Technology Officer.

    Dr. Morales brings over 30 years of pioneering experience across finance, education, enterprise technology and the defense sectors, with a long-standing commitment to ethical innovation, advanced systems architecture, and AI expertise. As CTO at CyberAI, Dr. Morales is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating the CyberAI’s strategy and scaling AI-powered solutions by driving the launch of the Company’s next-generation AI-driven cybersecurity IP through its CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ initiatives.

    CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ represents a paradigm shift in Cybersecurity, committed to monetizing proprietary technology and providing clients with a holistic solution to cybersecurity threats by safeguarding digital assets. CyberAI intends to become a cost-effective solution to comprehensive Cybersecurity services for middle market companies on a global basis. This is in addition to CyberAI’s short-term objective of acquiring, consolidating and transforming IT services companies aggregating $100 million in revenues within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

    “We are honored to announce the appointment of Dr. Morales as our new Chief Technology Officer,” stated Walter Hughes, CEO of CyberAI. “His proven track record of building secure, scalable systems across both public and private sectors—including developing technology infrastructure at the NYSE and leading cloud initiatives at NYU— makes Dr. Morales uniquely qualified to guide our global technology initiatives, including CyberAI Sentinel 2.0, as we acquire and evolve top-performing IT service companies toward our stated objective of achieving $100 million in revenue.”

    Over the years, Dr. Morales has held executive and academic leadership roles that bridge advanced technology with strategic innovation. At the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), he served as VP, CIO, and CISO, leading programs in cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, and enterprise systems. In addition, over 10 years at NYU, Dr. Morales led a global peer-to-peer collaboration platform initiative, launched a PMO, oversaw the university’s first AWS cloud migration, and cultivated a research partnership with NASA Langley, resulting in a Space Act Agreement.

    His early career included developing mission-critical systems for the U.S. Navy’s F-18 aircraft and building high-performance trading infrastructure for the American and New York Stock Exchanges. Dr. Morales also led the creation of a pioneering diagnostic platform for pediatric neurological research at North Shore University Hospital.

    “Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to challenges where complex systems, human ingenuity, and mission-critical outcomes intersect, and that’s exactly what CyberAI represents,” said Dr. Morales. “CyberAI’s model—rooted in acquiring established, high-performing companies and enhancing their value through practical, responsible A.I. adoption—is exactly the kind of approach that intrigues me. With its visionary strategy and strong momentum, CyberAI is positioned to transform the IT services landscape and I look forward to helping integrate and elevate their CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 initiatives through secure, intelligent systems that drive real-world impact.”

    Dr. Morales holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Engineering Management from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, as well as a Doctorate in Computer Science with a specialization in computational econometric modeling. He has been a PMP-certified project manager for more than 20 years and is Scrum Master certified.

    In addition, Dr. Morales continues to teach in NYU’s M.S. programs in Project and Systems Management, and he serves on the boards of the EPIC Education Foundation and NABU, a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO. He has also delivered project management training across numerous New York City agencies and taught advanced tech and leadership courses at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

    “Dr. Morales brings the kind of visionary yet grounded leadership that is essential to CyberAI’s long-term success,” said Alfonso J. Cervantes, Jr., Executive Chairman of CyberAI. “As we execute on our global acquisition strategy, we are not simply aggregating companies—we are transforming them into next-generation technology enterprises. His leadership ensures we can generate our own proprietary technology into industry leading AI innovation, operational efficiency, and cyber resilience.”

    Through AI innovation, CyberAI Sentinel 2.0 is designed to empower enterprises with intelligent, adaptive, and proactive protection, while also leveraging CyberAI’s expanding customer base as the Company continues to grow through its M&A initiatives.

    About Cyber A.I. Group

    Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI”) is an international company engaged in the acquisition and management of worldwide Cybersecurity and IT services firms. CyberAI is pursuing a highly proactive “Buy & Build” strategy to rapidly expand operations internationally by acquiring a broad spectrum of IT services companies and repositioning them to address fast-growing market needs for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence markets. The Company has developed an active pipeline of 300+ perspective acquisitions which are in various stages of analysis. The Company’s initial target is to acquire multiple companies representing aggregate revenues annualizing $100 million within the next 12 to 18 months with an anticipated listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). CyberAI’s business model is focused on the acquisition and consolidation of IT services worldwide with proven ability in broad conventional technology services with strong cash flow and enhance performance through A.I.-driven Cybersecurity initiatives. This emphasis on conventional companies with strong revenues and EBITDA distinguishes CyberAI from the explosion of A.I. startups that may be pinning their future on a single technological breakthrough which may never materialize. This “Buy & Build” strategy provides CyberAI with the maximum flexibility for diversification and risk management for moving into new fields and addressing fast moving market opportunities. For additional information, please visit: cyberaigroup.io.

    Contact

    Cyber A.I. Group, Inc.
    Tel: 786.749.1221
    info@cyberaigroup.io

    London:
    60 Park Lane, #3
    London, W1K 1NA

    New York:
    641 Lexington Avenue, 14th Floor
    New York, NY 10022

    Miami:
    990 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 503
    Miami, FL 33132

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee965b05-1ae6-4730-b9a3-aa42dd86d1ef

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Reminder to comment on Review of White Paper on Local Government

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The public have until 30 June 2025 to comment on the discussion document on the Review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government.  

    The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa officially published the discussion document on Thursday, 10 April 2025. 

    The Minister has invited all South Africans, including civic organisations, academics, municipalities, and other arms of government, to participate in the consultation process, which ends on 30 June 2025.  

    According to the department, the move represents a significant and necessary step towards creating a reimagined and results-oriented local government system in South Africa.

    This document, published under Notice No. 6118 (Gazette: 52498) initiates a national discussion aimed at producing a revised White Paper on Local Government by March 2026.

    According to the department, the review aims to incite fresh thinking, honest reflection, and decisive action toward building a fit-for-purpose local government system that truly serves the people of South Africa.

    “This process is not about tweaking the symptoms. It is about confronting the root causes of dysfunction in local governance. We need to ask the hard questions, and more importantly, we need to answer them with the courage to act,” Hlabisa explained. 

    He noted that the discussion document emphasises the interconnectedness and indivisibility of the four essential components of an effective local government system.

    These include governance, institutional arrangements, service delivery and infrastructure, and financial arrangements.
    In addition, the document aims to assess and revise outdated assumptions of the1998 White Paper on Local Government and strengthen cooperative governance among the three spheres of government. 

    The initiative aims to align reforms with related efforts, including amendments to the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the Municipal Structures Act, and the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA). 

    It also seeks to enhance integration with traditional leadership, improve community participation, and address systemic challenges, such as municipal financial sustainability, over-politicisation, climate risk, and spatial inequality.

    Submissions must be made in writing and can be emailed to WPLG26@cogta.gov.za; RichardP@cogta.gov.za and MaphutiL@cogta.gov.za  

    Alternatively, comments may be submitted by post: 
    Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
    Attention: Mr. Thabiso Richard Plank (WPLG26 Policy Review)
    Private Bag X802, Pretoria, 0001

    Physical Address:
    87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia, Pretoria  
    For access to the full discussion document and more information, visit: https://www.cogta.gov.za/index.php/docs/white-paper-on-local-government-1998-review-of-the-white-paper-on-local-government/. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Guideline to apply for R500 million spaza support fund

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Government has called on eligible South African spaza shop owners in townships and rural areas who want to improve, expand, and sustain their shops to apply for assistance with the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF). 

    This as government officially opened applications for the fund aimed at increasing the participation of South African owned spaza shops in the townships and rural areas retail trade sector.

    READ | Government empowers spaza shops

    What the support fund seeks to achieve:

    •    It provides funding, training, business skills development, and technical support to help businesses compete effectively against larger retailers.
    •    Offers funding of up to R300 000 per shop through a combination of grants and low-interest loans.
    •    Assists shop owners in meeting hygiene and regulatory standards to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality products.
    •    Encourage the adoption of digital payment systems, inventory management tools, and financial literacy programs to improve operational efficiency.
    •    Facilitate wholesale aggregation, allowing spaza shops to access bulk purchasing advantages and competitive pricing.

    What you need to qualify:

    •    The owner of the spaza shop must be a South African citizen or naturalised as a South African citizen prior to 1994.
    •    Spaza shops must operate within South Africa in rural and township areas and serve local communities.
    •    The spaza shop must be registered with the local municipality in accordance with the relevant by-laws and business licensing requirements.
    •    Registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) will be optional based on the enterprise’s funding requirement. For enterprises receiving funding above R80 000 registration with CIPC will be required within a period of 6 months.
    •    The business must have a valid registration with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) or alternatively be allowed a six-month transitional period.
    •    The spaza shop must comply with all other relevant legislative and registration requirements necessary for its operation. (e.g. food preparation and health and safety standards)
    •    The owner must actively manage the spaza shop.
    •    Funding will prioritise entrepreneurs aged 18-35; female-owned spaza shops will receive priority consideration and businesses owned by individuals with disabilities will be given priority.

    What does the support package for funding of up to R100 000 entail:

    •    It includes a stock (grant) of a maximum of R40 000 for the initial purchase of stock via delivery channel partners.
    •    Assets and infrastructure (blended grant and loan): a maximum R50 000 for the upgrading of building infrastructure, systems, refrigeration, shelving and security.
    •    A maximum of R100 000 for training programmes that will include point of sale devices, business skills, digital literacy, credit health, food safety and business compliance.

    What does the support package for funding of above R100 000 up to R300 000 for registered and compliant entities entail:

    •    It includes a stock (grant) of a maximum of R40 000 for the initial purchase of stock via delivery channel partners.
    •    A maximum of R250 000 for a funding split, 50% of the funding will be provided as a grant, and 50% will be provided as a free-interest loan.
    •    A maximum of R100 000 for training programmes that will include point of sale devices, business skills, digital literacy, credit health, food safety and business compliance.
    •    The fund will be jointly administered by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEFDA).
    •    In order to access the funding, applicants need to apply to the NEF and SEDFA through the prescribed application process outlined on the relevant institution’s website.

    The following websites can be used to apply for funding:

    •    Spaza Shop Support Fund – www.spazashopfund.co.za
    •    NEF – www.nefcorp.co.za
    •    SEDFA – https://systems.sefa.org.za/SMMEPortal/
    •    Create an account on https://systemsnew.sefa.org.za/SMMEPortal/
    •    Fill up all the required information on the registration page, read and accept the terms and  cconditions and  submit.

    The contact details for the Spaza Shop Support Fund Call Centre are 011 305 8080 or via email: Spazafund@nefcorp.co.za

    Contact details for the NEF Call Centre are 0861 843633, SEDFA Call Centre 012 748 9600 or an email can be sent to helpline@sefa.org.za.

    Working hours: Mon – Fri: 9 am – 10 pm ; Sat: 9 am  –  3 pm and Sunday: closed.

    –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The focus is on language training for future professionals

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Speech by Irina Chechik

    As part of the III National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation “Current issues of economics and management in construction”, the Department of Intercultural Communication of SPbGASU organized and held a section “Language training of future professionals” on April 17.

    In her welcoming speech, the head of the Department of Intercultural Communication Elena Selezneva emphasized the importance of including the section in the work of the university conference, since knowledge of foreign languages, understanding of cultural characteristics, and the ability to effectively interact with representatives of other cultures are becoming key competencies for specialists in any field. A separate greeting was addressed to young scientists participating in the section: students, postgraduates.

    Professor of the Department of Intercultural Communication Elena Chirkova shared her thoughts on the importance of live communication: “In a world where digital technologies are rapidly changing the usual forms of communication, it is live communication that remains the foundation on which true understanding and deep mutual perception are built.” The professor is confident that live communication is not just an exchange of information. It is an exchange of emotions, cultural characteristics and unique experience that cannot be fully conveyed through screens and virtual platforms. This is especially true for learning foreign languages – a process that requires not only knowledge, but also live interaction, immersion in the cultural context and direct dialogue with teachers or native speakers. With the availability of online courses and programs for additional practice, it is live language learning, including dialogues, discussions, exchange of experience and cultural characteristics, that forms real language competence.

    Participants from St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Tyumen, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and others discussed the improvement of language training strategies, improving the quality of teaching foreign languages, including Russian as a foreign language. Particular attention was paid to the introduction of new technologies, primarily artificial intelligence, to solve current problems of language education.

    Associate Professor of the Department of Intercultural Communication Irina Chechik and Senior Lecturer of the Department Natalia Savelyeva prepared a report “Study of the language of the specialty by foreign students-architects based on local history texts (initial stage of training)”. In her speech Irina Chechik noted the enthusiasm with which students-architects perceive local history texts containing information about the architectural monuments of St. Petersburg. Irina Vladimirovna gave examples of such texts from a new teaching aid developed by teachers of Russian as a foreign language of the Department of Intercultural Communication.

    In this textbook, the authors chose popular science texts. Grammar is given through constructions (models), which are practiced in exercises. Each text contains information about the history of the object, archival photographs. Students are asked to compare different architectural monuments, which gives additional opportunities to include speech activity.

    Senior Lecturer of the Department of Intercultural Communication Valeria Ryabkova presented a report on “The Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Language Training of University Students”. Valeria Valeryevna noted the explosive growth of interest in this topic. Artificial intelligence in education opens up many new opportunities: it allows developing and implementing teaching methods for specific disciplines, simulating speech and thinking activity, implementing automated control and providing feedback. Valeria Ryabkova reviewed specialized and universal generative chatbots and gave an example of a task from her textbook on English for forensic experts using artificial intelligence. According to the speaker, specific pedagogical technologies for the use of generative artificial intelligence are not yet available, and we are at the stage of analyzing the accumulated experience.

    “Artificial intelligence has a certain didactic potential, but requires careful control from teachers. First of all, we ourselves must learn to use it and teach our students to use it,” Valeria Ryabkova summed up.

    We thank all section participants for their fruitful work and exchange of valuable experience!

    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 China: China, UAE to enhance investment cooperation

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

    BEIJING, April 21 — Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan virtually co-chaired the first meeting of a high-level committee for China-UAE investment cooperation on Monday.

    Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, praised the role of the committee in helping yield more results in bilateral cooperation.

    He said China will work with the UAE to deliver on the common understandings between the two heads of state, and boost the efficiency and scale of investment cooperation to advance the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.

    Ding proposed that the two sides should give full play to the steering role of the committee, plan major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, and encourage enterprises to expand the fields of cooperation between the two countries and innovate their methods of cooperation.

    Sheikh Mansour said that the UAE commends the bilateral relations and is confident of China’s economy. He said the UAE will enhance its investment cooperation with China in order to leverage their complementary advantages and promote shared prosperity.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Revolutionizes Crypto Trading with No KYC, 100x Leverage, $50 Welcome Bonus, and Double Deposit Offer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the cryptocurrency market continues to experience volatility, seasoned traders are looking for new ways to capitalize on market opportunities. Enter BexBack, the innovative crypto trading platform that is transforming the way people trade crypto futures. With no KYC, 100x leverage, and an aggressive bonus structure, BexBack is rapidly becoming the go-to destination for traders around the globe.

    The New Standard in Crypto Trading

    BexBack is shaking up the crypto trading industry by offering traders the ability to access 100x leverage with no KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements, making it the ideal choice for those looking for flexibility and security in their trades. Whether you’re an experienced trader or just getting started, BexBack offers a seamless and secure platform for crypto futures trading.

    Double Deposit Bonus – More Money to Trade

    As part of its exciting offer, BexBack is offering a 100% deposit bonus for new users. This bonus allows users to double their funds instantly, enabling them to open larger positions with less capital, increasing their potential returns. But that’s not all – for first-time deposits of more than 0.01 BTC or 1000 USDT, users can receive an additional $100 trading bonus, adding to the exciting incentives for new and existing traders alike.

    Why Choose BexBack?

    • No KYC Required – Start trading instantly without the hassle of complex identity verification. We believe in providing a smooth experience for our users, with minimal barriers to entry.
    • 100x Leverage – Maximize your capital efficiency with up to 100x leverage, giving you the ability to trade larger positions and amplify potential profits. This means with only 1 BTC, you can hold a position equivalent to 100 BTC, providing immense trading power.
    • Double Deposit Bonus – Get a 100% deposit bonus immediately on your first deposit to help increase your trading power. You can use this bonus to open larger positions and better navigate market fluctuations.
    • $50 Welcome Bonus – New users who complete their first trade (open and close a position) are eligible for a $50 bonus, which can be used to offset losses and boost your trading experience.
    • No Deposit Fees – Enjoy zero fees on deposits, allowing you to keep more of your profits where they belong – in your account.
    • Advanced Trading Tools – Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, BexBack offers advanced tools and resources to help you maximize your trading success.

    Get Started with BexBack Today

    Ready to take advantage of no KYC, 100x leverage, and huge bonuses? Join BexBack today and start trading with greater power. With a variety of bonus offers and the ability to trade large positions with relatively small investments, there’s never been a better time to enter the world of crypto futures.

    Sign up today, claim your bonuses, and start trading with the power of leverage!

    About BexBack

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform offering 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, XRP, and more than 50 other major altcoins. Founded in May 2024, the platform has rapidly gained a reputation for providing a seamless trading experience with no KYC, competitive 100% deposit bonuses, and fast execution of trades. Trusted by over 500,000 users worldwide, BexBack is committed to delivering an easy, secure, and user-friendly platform for crypto traders everywhere.

    With a strong focus on customer service and offering 24/7 support, BexBack ensures traders have everything they need to succeed in the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency.

    Ready to claim your bonuses and start trading? Don’t miss out on 100x leverage, double deposit bonuses, and $50 welcome bonus. Sign up now and start trading today on BexBack!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.
    Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.
    Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0ea1fb8-aaf4-4719-96df-11532866da09

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7e808c5-051d-4c91-9aee-39e8c6c92556

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af5b3a6b-5188-40d6-b6f4-7d1d7d2ea569

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1125a260-2359-4e48-a24f-645182f4b976

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: InspireSemi Provides Business Update and Proposed Financing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia and AUSTIN, Texas , April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inspire Semiconductor Holdings Inc.  (“InspireSemi” or the “Company”), a chip design company that provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads, is pleased to announce that today it is providing a general business update by live webinar at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time).

    Key topics the business update covers include:

    • Announcement that the Company’s improved flagship Thunderbird 1 product has been sent for production with first wafers expected to be in hand in July, 2025
    • Operations between now and return of first wafers and plan for production readiness
    • Impact of tariffs on the Company
    • Update on Market, Customer and sales outlook
    • A further financing commitment for US$3M expected to close in May, 2025 as further discussed below

    To join the Business Update please use the following Zoom link:

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86002651511?pwd=WhCXFooqXIizSQhNUZkFIsTdu7ABKs.1

    Webinar ID: 860 0265 1511
    Passcode: 858696

    Telephone dial in numbers are available at https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kcUeWRY0rn

    A recording of the business update will be made available in the Investors section of the Company’s website at https://inspiresemi.com/investors/.

    Details of Additional Funding

    The Company has received a funding commitment for a private placement comprised of proportionate voting share units (“PV Units”) for total proceeds of US$3,000,000.10 (the “Financing”). The Financing will be wholly subscribed for by the investor (the “Investor”) who previously subscribed under the convertible loan agreement dated September 23, 2024 (as described in the Company’s press release dated September 23, 2024) pursuant to the Investor’s right of first refusal thereunder.

    On closing the Investor will be issued PV Units at a price per PV Unit of US$9.50. Each PV Unit consists of one proportionate voting share in the capital of the Company (each a “PV Share”) and one half of one PV Share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole warrant a “PV Warrant”). Each whole PV Warrant will be exercisable for one PV Share at a price per share of US$9.50.

    The Company expects the Financing to close in May 2025, and will provide further updates on the same by further press release.

    About InspireSemi

    InspireSemi provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads. The Thunderbird I ‘supercomputer-cluster-on-a-chip’ is a disruptive, next-generation datacenter accelerator designed to address multiple underserved and diversified industries, including financial services, computer-aided engineering, energy, climate modeling, cybersecurity, and life sciences & drug discovery. Based on the open standard RISC-V instruction set architecture, InspireSemi’s solutions set new standards of performance, energy efficiency, and ease of programming. InspireSemi is headquartered in Austin, TX.

    For more information visit https://inspiresemi.com  
    Follow InspireSemi on LinkedIn

    Company Contact
    Ron Van Dell, CEO
    (737) 471-3230
    rvandell@inspiresemi.com

    Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

    This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). Statements concerning InspireSemi’s objectives, goals, strategies, priorities, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and the business, operations, financial performance and condition of InspireSemi are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass.

    Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: (i) the business plans and expectations of the Company including expectations with respect to production of Thunderbird I and development of future projects and; (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (iii) expectations regarding the Financing. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this presentation, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of InspireSemi, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Company including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects management’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to them and on assumptions they believe to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: (i) statements relating to the expected performance and production timeline of Thunderbird I (ii) business and future activities of, and developments related to, the Company after the date of this press release; (iii) the closing of the Financing (iv) expectations for other economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the technology industry generally; (v) the risk factors referenced in this news release and as described from time to time in documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca; and (vi) other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ASEAN, China strengthen commitment to advancing comprehensive strategic partnership

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    JAKARTA, 21 April 2025 – ASEAN and China reaffirmed their shared commitment to further advancing the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) at the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee (ACJCC), held today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
     
    China reaffirmed its steadfast support for ASEAN Community-building efforts and ASEAN’s central role in regional affairs. China also underscored ASEAN as a key priority on China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
     
    During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on recent developments in ASEAN and China, and reviewed the progress of ASEAN-China CSP over the past year. Notable progress has been made in the final year of the implementation of the ASEAN-China Plan of Action (POA) 2021-2025 and its Annex to advance the CSP.
     
    Under the framework of the existing POA, ASEAN and China continued to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas such as non-traditional security, trade and investment, science and technology, green economy, digital ecosystems, agriculture and food security, clean energy, tourism, education, public health, culture, and disaster management.
     
    Under the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges 2025, both sides looked forward to various projects and activities to be conducted, to implement the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation in People-to-People Exchanges adopted last year.
     
    The two sides also discussed other deliverables of ASEAN-China cooperation this year, including, among others, the expected signing of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 upgrade, the establishment of the ASEAN-China Tourism Ministers meeting, and the adoption of a new POA (2026-2030) to further advance the ASEAN-China CSP and contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
     
    China also put forward proposals for enhancing cooperation with ASEAN in maritime cooperation, artificial intelligence, transport, blue economy, women and children health, and environment.
     
    The Meeting was co-chaired by Permanent Representative of Malaysia to ASEAN, H.E. Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, H.E. Hou Yanqi, and attended by Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.
     
    *******
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Check Point Software Emerges as a Leader and Only Outperformer Among 14 Vendors in Enterprise Firewalls, According to Latest GigaOm Radar Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, today announced that it has ranked as a Leader and the only Outperformer for its Check Point Quantum Security Solutions in GigaOm’s latest Radar for Enterprise Firewall report. According to GigaOm, Check Point is recognized as a top performer thanks to its consistent rollout of new innovations features, high performance, threat analytics, management automation, ambitious development plan, strong focus on AI and relentless focus on security efficacy.

    “We are extremely proud to deliver outstanding cyber security solutions to organizations and governments worldwide with our AI-driven Infinity platform,” said Eyal Manor, Vice President of Product Management at Check Point Software. “Being acknowledged by GigaOm as a Leader and the sole outperforming provider in the Enterprise Firewall category highlights our strategic progress and commitment to advancing digital protection.”

    The GigaOm Radar report analyzed 14 leading enterprise firewall solutions, evaluating their features to pinpoint the top contenders. According to GigaOm analyst Paul Stringfellow, “Check Point is classified as an Outperformer due to its continual delivery of new features and an aggressive roadmap. With a strong focus on AI and on increasingly offloading to its hardware ASICs to improve performance, Check Point is positioned to set a strong example for the market.”

    As cyber threats grow faster and more widespread, Check Point’s 2025 Security Report found a 44% increase in cyber-attacks. With this rise, businesses need a flexible, scalable, easy-to-manage, and cost-effective security solution with a strong network. Check Point meets all these needs as GigaOm acknowledged the company for its wide partner network that supports supply and deployment.

    Furthermore, Check Point was acknowledged for the following strengths highlighted in GigaOm’s evaluation:

    • Performance and throughput: New Quantum Force series enhances performance, adding more ports, and reducing power consumption by 50%. Additionally, the Maestro hyperscale solution can support up to 1,000 Gbps, allowing security to scale with organizational growth
    • Threat analytics: Check Point’s security tools connect to its ThreatCloud AI, which offers automated threat detection and response and 50+ AI features. It powers the Quantum firewall systems and integrates with the XDR platform —to detect, investigate, and respond to threats faster and more effectively
    • Management automation: Check Point’s unique Infinity Playblocks streamlines threat and risk management by automating response workflows. It includes 70 pre-configured playbooks and supports over 20 third-party integrations, all while leveraging data from its ThreatCloud AI platform to identify new risks and initiate automated actions across its security tools

    These features highlight the advantages of Check Point’s hybrid mesh firewall, which was recently recognized as the #1 AI-powered cyber security platform by Miercom.

    Learn more about this accolade on our blog and access a free copy of the GigaOm Radar for Enterprise Firewalls here.

    Follow Check Point via:
    X (Formerly known as Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/checkpointsw
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/checkpointsoftware
    Blog: https://blog.checkpoint.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CPGlobal
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies

    About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. 
    Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading AI-powered, cloud-delivered cyber security platform provider protecting over 100,000 organizations worldwide. Check Point leverages the power of AI everywhere to enhance cyber security efficiency and accuracy through its Infinity Platform, with industry-leading catch rates enabling proactive threat anticipation and smarter, faster response times. The comprehensive platform includes cloud-delivered technologies consisting of Check Point Harmony to secure the workspace, Check Point CloudGuard to secure the cloud, Check Point Quantum to secure the network, and Check Point Infinity Platform Services for collaborative security operations and services.

    Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding future growth, the expansion of Check Point’s industry leadership, the enhancement of shareholder value and the delivery of an industry-leading cyber security platform to customers worldwide. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Amendments to Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) Framework

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank issued a draft circular on July 25, 2024 on ‘Basel III Framework on Liquidity Standards – Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) – Review of Haircuts on High Quality Liquid Assets (HQLA) and Run-off Rates on Certain Categories of Deposits’. The draft circular proposed certain amendments to the LCR framework and invited comments from banks and stakeholders.

    2. The feedback received has been carefully examined and the final guidelines have been issued by the Reserve Bank today. With the issuance of these guidelines, a bank shall:

    • assign additional run-off rates of 2.5 per cent to internet and mobile banking enabled retail and small business customer deposits.

    • adjust the market value of Government Securities (Level 1 HQLA) with haircuts in line with margin requirements under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF).

    3. In addition, the final guidelines also rationalise the composition of wholesale funding from ‘other legal entities’. Consequently, funding from non-financial entities like trusts (educational, charitable and religious), partnerships, LLPs, etc. shall attract a lower run-off rate of 40 per cent as against 100 per cent currently.

    4. The Reserve Bank has undertaken an impact analysis of the above measures based on data submitted by banks, as on December 31, 2024. It is estimated that the net impact of these measures will improve the LCR of banks, at the aggregate level, by around 6 percentage points as on that date. Further, all the banks would continue to meet the minimum regulatory LCR requirements comfortably. Reserve Bank is sanguine that these measures will enhance the liquidity resilience of banks in India, and further align the guidelines with the global standards in a non-disruptive manner.

    5. To give the banks adequate time to transition their systems to the new standards for LCR computation, the revised instructions shall become applicable w.e.f. April 01, 2026.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/145

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to facilitate increased cross-border financial services in Shanghai

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

    BEIJING, April 21 — China will take more steps to further facilitate cross-border financial services in Shanghai by leveraging the municipality’s role as an international financial center, according to a plan jointly issued by the central bank, the Shanghai municipal government and other financial authorities.

    The plan outlines 18 key measures including improving cross-border settlement efficiency, strengthening the hedging of foreign exchange risks, and enhancing the insurance sector’s services for export companies.

    China will further optimize the management and operation of foreign exchange business, and encourage corporate groups to establish fund pools in Shanghai to achieve efficient onshore management and use of global funds.

    The country will also promote financial institutions to enhance their capacity to provide digital services, and support them to improve services for enterprises to expand abroad by leveraging technologies such as blockchain.

    Efforts will be made to enhance the functionality and global coverage of the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System and encourage more banks to participate in the system, according to the plan.

    The plan underscored the need to develop diversified products and services to hedge against foreign exchange risks, and the promoting of cross-border use of the Chinese currency renminbi.

    China will increase insurance support for key export enterprises such as domestic commercial aircraft and new energy vehicle companies, and promote collaboration between insurance companies and reinsurance firms to establish insurance consortiums — thereby enhancing their capacity to cover special risks, according to the plan.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: TMD Energy Limited Announces Pricing of US$10.08 Million Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TMD Energy Limited (the “Company”) (NYSE American: TMDE), together with its subsidiaries is a Malaysia and Singapore based services provider engaged in integrated bunkering services which involves ship-to-ship transfer of marine fuels, ship management services and vessel chartering services, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 3,100,000 ordinary shares (“Shares”) at a price to public of US$3.25 per Share for the total gross proceeds of approximately US$10.08 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional Shares. The Shares will begin trading on April 21, 2025, U.S. Eastern time, on the NYSE American under the symbol “TMDE”. The Offering is expected to close on April 22, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

    The Company has granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of 465,000 additional Shares to cover over-allotments at the initial public offering price, If the underwriter exercises their option to purchase the additional Shares in full, the total gross proceeds before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses from the offering are expected to be approximately US$11.59 million.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for (i) the purchase of cargo oil; (ii) defraying listing expenses; and (iii) working capital and other general corporate purposes.

    Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”) is acting as sole book-running manager of the Offering. Loeb & Loeb LLP, is acting as U.S. legal counsel to the Company, and Pryor Cashman LLP is acting as U.S. legal counsel to Maxim for the Offering.

    A registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-283704) related to the Offering was initially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 10, 2024 and was declared effective by the SEC on March 31, 2025. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus forming a part of the effective registration statement. Copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from Maxim Group, LLC, 300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, United States of America or by email at syndicate@maximgrp.com. In addition, a copy of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About TMD Energy Limited

    TMD Energy Limited and its subsidiaries (“TMDEL Group”) are principally involved in marine fuel bunkering services specializing in the supply and marketing of marine gas oil and marine fuel oil which includes high sulfur fuel oil, low sulfur fuel oil and very low sulfur fuel oil, to ships and vessels at sea. TMDEL Group is also involved in the provision of ship management services for in-house and external vessels, as well as vessel chartering. As of today, TMDEL Group operates in 19 ports across Malaysia with a fleet of 15 bunkering vessels. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: www.tmdel.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company’s Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may”, “could”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    TMD Energy Limited
    Email: corporate@tmdel.com

    WFS Investor Relations
    Email : services@wealthfsllc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: HCI Group Sets 2025 Annual Shareholders Meeting and Record Date

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TAMPA, Fla., April 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE: HCI) will hold its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time in the 1st Floor Auditorium of HCI’s headquarters at 3802 Coconut Palm Drive, Tampa, Florida.

    Shareholders of record at the close of business on Monday, April 14, 2025, will be entitled to vote and attend the meeting. Items of business will include the following proposals:

    • To elect Class B Directors
    • To ratify the appointment of external auditors
    • To approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers
    • To approve, on an advisory basis, of the frequency of votes on executive compensation.

    Shareholders will also consider such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.

    About HCI Group, Inc.
    HCI Group is a holding company with two distinct operating units. The first unit includes four top-performing insurance companies, a captive reinsurance company, and operations in claims management and real estate. The second unit, called Exzeo Group, is a leading innovator of insurance technology that utilizes advanced underwriting algorithms and data analytics. Exzeo empowers property and casualty insurers to transform underwriting outcomes and achieve industry-leading results.

    The company’s common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “HCI” and are included in the Russell 2000 and S&P SmallCap 600 Index. HCI Group, Inc. regularly publishes financial and other information in the Investor Information section of the company’s website. For more information about HCI Group and its subsidiaries, visit www.hcigroup.com.

    Company Contact:
    Bill Broomall, CFA
    Investor Relations
    HCI Group, Inc.
    Tel (813) 776-1012
    wbroomall@typtap.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Matt Glover
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    Tel 949-574-3860
    HCI@gatewayir.com

    The MIL Network –