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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Security: Friend and Business Partner of GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 19, 2024

    SAN DIEGO – Matthew Isaac Wolfe was sentenced in federal court today to 14 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy with Michael Pratt, owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, and others, to deceive and coerce young women into appearing in pornographic videos. A restitution hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2024 at 10 a.m.

    The conspiracy included recruiting the victims from throughout the United States and Canada using internet advertisements for clothed modeling jobs. Even after the victims learned the gig involved an adult video-shoot, Wolfe admitted to persuading women to appear in the videos by telling them that the videos would never be posted online, that the videos would never be released in the United States, and that no one who knew the women would ever find out about the videos, representations he knew to be false. In truth, the videos were exclusively marketed and distributed on the internet. Not only did Wolfe lie to the women, he also instructed others to do so. Wolfe told co-defendant Theodore Gyi, the cameraman on hundreds of GirlsDoPorn video shoots, that if asked, he should lie to the women and tell them the videos would not be posted on the internet.

    Most of the video shoots took place in San Diego – at local hotels and short-term rental units.  Although the women were promised that the video shoots would be brief, they often took hours. Once the video productions began, some women were not permitted to leave the shooting locations until the videos were completed; some were threatened with lawsuits or cancelled flights home if they did not complete the videos; and others were allegedly forced to perform certain sex acts, which they had earlier declined to do.

    After the victims returned home, still believing that they would remain anonymous, clips of the videos were posted on heavily trafficked adult film sites, like Pornhub, meant to funnel viewers to the full-length versions of the videos on Pratt’s website, GirlsDoPorn. Pratt charged visitors to GirlsDoPorn a subscription fee and generated more than $17 million in revenue. 

    Wolfe pleaded guilty to the conspiracy on July 26, 2022, admitting he moved to the United States from New Zealand in 2011 to work for Pratt and had a wide range of responsibilities. He filmed approximately 100 videos; uploaded finished videos onto the internet; oversaw the company’s financial books; and operated various business entities that were used to promote the business. Wolfe worked at GirlsDoPorn from 2011 until his arrest in October 2019.

    During hearings today and on January 22, 2024, approximately 30 survivors asked a federal judge to impose a significant sentence, describing how the actions of Wolfe and his co-defendants destroyed their lives. Survivors, many of them college students at the time, described answering what they thought were legitimate modeling ads and flying to San Diego for paid modeling gigs, only to be forced to perform sexual acts on camera.

    The women spoke of struggling with substance and alcohol abuse, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and post-traumatic stress syndrome in the aftermath of their videos going viral. Some spoke of lost relationships with friends and family; others dropped out of school; and others went into hiding.

    One of the women said: “I was robbed of my privacy, my dignity, and my peace of mind… But worst of all, I was robbed of my identity. I was once viewed as a beautiful, fun-loving and strong woman who was known for her athleticism and ability to make just about anyone laugh. I was a caring friend and a daughter my parents were proud of. Mr. Wolfe shattered who I was…Today I’m taking my identity back. I am not a victim. I’m a survivor.”

    One woman recalled the day she learned that her pornographic video received more than 300 million views on Pornhub, one of the most-visited websites in the world.

    “That ad seemed harmless, but it wrecked my entire life. In an instant, the life I had was gone: My hopes gone, my relationships gone, everything was gone…The fall-out from the videos spread to every part of my life like cancer, and that cancer remains to this day, making it virtually impossible for me to start a new life. I lost my modeling career, my college years, my whole twenties, my name, my career path, my friends, and my family. Everything I had built was gone, and so too was my future. Doors that were once opened were slammed in my face…Matthew Wolfe stole my life, and it wasn’t just my life. He stole hundreds of lives. What kind of price do you put on a life? Mr. Wolfe deserves a jail sentence that accounts for each and every life he has stolen.”

    Another woman told the court: “It’s been nearly 3,650 days of living in a tortuous purgatory, but today marks a major milestone in my recovery. Today there’s a shift in the winds. Today is the day all the survivors get their voices back. Today is the day we get to be heard.”

    Wolfe also admitted he was aware that personal identifying information and social media accounts for some women were being posted on pornwikileaks.com, a site controlled by Pratt and dedicated to “exposing” the true identities of individuals appearing in pornographic videos, causing the victims to be subjected to severe harassment. Even after Wolfe became aware of this, he and others continued to assure prospective models that no one would ever find out about their video shoot or learn their identity.

    “We applaud all survivors who courageously speak out in pursuit of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Their voices rang out in the courtroom today, and we stand beside them in holding Mr. Wolfe accountable for the incredible pain and suffering he caused.”

    “Matthew Wolfe’s willingness to use deception, coercion and intimidation to exploit young women paints a sordid picture of the lengths some people will go just to make money,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Wolfe’s sentencing today, and any past or future sentencings related to this case, are small slivers of justice for the victims, but ultimately don’t fully heal the deep pain spawned by Mr. Wolfe and the other defendants.”

    Co-defendant Michael Pratt made his first appearance today after being extradited from Spain following more than three years as an international fugitive. In 2022, Pratt was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.

    Ruben Andre Garcia, the recruiter and male model, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021. Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in prison on November 9, 2022. Valorie Moser, the office manager, is set for sentencing on August 9, 2024.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 19cr4488                       

    Michael James Pratt                                        Age:       36                 Unknown

    Matthew Isaac Wolfe                                      Age        37                     San Diego, CA

    Ruben Andre Garcia                                       Age:       31                      San Diego, CA

    Theodore Gyi                                                  Age,       46                        Solana Beach, CA  

    Valorie Moser                                                 Age:       37                       San Diego, CA

    CHARGES

    Count 1

    Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1594

    Maximum Penalty:  Life in prison, $250,000 fine.

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    FBI – Southern District of California

    U.S. Marshals Service

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Extradited to Face Sex Trafficking Charges

    Source: US FBI

    SAN DIEGO – Michael Pratt, the alleged mastermind behind the GirlsDoPorn commercial sex trafficking ring, made his first appearance in federal court today following his extradition from Spain Monday night.

    Pratt, who was the owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, was charged in October 2019 in the Southern District of California with sex trafficking crimes in connection with a scheme to deceive and coerce young women to appear in pornographic videos. Pratt was an international fugitive for more than three years before he was arrested in Spain in December 2022. Earlier in 2022, he was named to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.

    At today’s hearing, Pratt was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 21 at 3 p.m. before Judge Butcher, followed by a motion hearing/trial setting on April 19 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.

    “We cast a wide net in search of Mr. Pratt and now that he is in San Diego, we are prepared to bring him to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “We extend our deep appreciation to the government of Spain for its assistance in securing his arrest and extradition.”

    “Michael Pratt’s initial appearance in San Diego is tangible proof that the pursuit of justice never stops, regardless of length of time or location,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “Pratt’s arrest and extradition back to the United States reflects a great collaboration among multiple agencies, both in the United States and Spain who were dedicated to seeking justice for the young women he allegedly victimized. This large, internationally coordinated effort could not have been successful without support from our law enforcement partners in Spain, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Justice, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

    According to public court filings, Pratt and his co-defendants used force, fraud, and coercion to recruit hundreds of young adult women – most in their late teens – and at least one minor victim, to appear in GirlsDoPorn videos.

    Pratt is accused of recruiting the victims from throughout the United States and Canada using internet advertisements for clothed modeling jobs. Even after the victims were told the gig involved an adult video-shoot, Pratt and his co-defendants convinced the women that their videos would be provided solely to private collectors on DVD in foreign countries, that they would remain anonymous, and that the videos would not be posted on the internet – assurances that Pratt and his co-defendants knew to be false.

    Most of the video shoots took place in San Diego – at local hotels and short-term rental units.  Although the women were promised that the video shoots would be brief, they often took hours. Once the video productions began, some women were not permitted to leave the shooting locations until the videos were completed; some were threatened with lawsuits or cancelled flights home if they did not complete the videos; and others were allegedly forced to perform certain sex acts, which they had earlier declined to do.

    After the victims returned home, still believing that they would remain anonymous, Pratt and his co-defendants posted clips of the videos on heavily trafficked adult film sites, like Pornhub, to funnel traffic to the full-length versions of the videos on his website, GirlsDoPorn. Pratt charged visitors to GirlsDoPorn a subscription fee. The site generated more than $17 million in revenue for Pratt.

    Pratt faces 19 felony counts stemming from the operation of GirlsDoPorn. The charges include:

    •           Fifteen counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion;

    •           Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion;

    •           Production of child pornography;

    •           Sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, and coercion; and

    •           Conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California recognizes the outstanding efforts of the FBI in San Diego; the FBI Legal Attaché in Spain; the U.S. Marshals Service; Spain’s Ministry of Justice; and law enforcement officials in Spain and Portugal; as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Pratt.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 19cr4488                                   

    Michael James Pratt                                        Age:       36                 Unknown

    Matthew Isaac Wolfe                                      Age        37                     San Diego, CA

    Ruben Andre Garcia                                       Age:       31                      San Diego, CA

    Theodore Gyi                                                  Age,       46                        Solana Beach, CA  

    Valorie Moser                                                 Age:       37                       San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES IN SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT

    Count 1

    Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1594

    Maximum Penalty:  Life in prison, $250,000 fine.

    Counts 2-16

    Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion 18 U.S.C. §1591(a) and (b)(1)

    Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: life in custody, $250,000 fine.

    Count 17

    Production of Child Pornography, 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e)

     Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: thirty years in prison, $250,000 fine.

    Count 18

    Sex Trafficking of a Minor and By Force, Fraud and Coercion, 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a)(1), (a)(2), and (c)

    Minimum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; Maximum penalty: life in custody, $250,000 fine.

    Count 19

    Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i) and 1956(h).

    Civil penalty of the greater of (A) the value of the property, fund or monetary instruments involved in the transaction or (B) $10,000

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    FBI – Southern District of California and Legal Attaché in Spain

    U.S. Marshals Service

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Spanish National Police

    Spain’s Ministry of Justice

    Spain’s Ministry of Interior

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mexico to continue tariff talks with US – president

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    MEXICO CITY, May 22 (Xinhua) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum decided to continue negotiations on tariffs on the steel, aluminum and auto sectors after a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday.

    At her daily press conference, K. Sheinbaum said that during the conversation the parties discussed issues of key industries, such as the automotive industry, as well as the export of steel and aluminum.

    “Basically, we continue to talk about trade and tariffs. Remember that in the case of the auto [sector], Mexico is in a good position, although we would still like to see more… and we continue to work on the steel and aluminum sectors,” the president said.

    She said it had been decided that a high-level trade meeting would take place on Friday with members of both governments, including Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General attends the 2025 Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton

    Source: NATO

    On 25 and 26 May 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Mark Rutte, will take part in the 2025 Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NPA) in Dayton, United States.

    Mr Rutte will address the Plenary Session and participate in a Q&A moderated by the NPA President, Mr Marcos Perestrello.

    He will also have meetings with Dr Denis Bećirović, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Elmedin Konaković, and with a US Congressional Delegation led by Representative Michael Turner.

    Media advisory

    26 May, 15:55 (CEST) Address by the Secretary General to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, followed by moderated conversation

    Media coverage

    • The Secretary General’s remarks at the NPA will be streamed live on the NATO website.
    • Transcripts of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.

    For more information:

    For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office

    Follow us on X: @NATO, @SecGenNATO and @NATOPress

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Attempting to Murder Two Jewish Men Leaving Los Angeles Synagogues Last Year

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – A man who last year shot and wounded two Jewish men as they left religious services in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 420 months in federal prison.

    Jaime Tran, 30, formerly of Riverside, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who set a restitution hearing for December 2, 2024.

    Tran pleaded guilty on June 3 to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

    “Targeting people for death based solely on their religious and ethnic background brings back memories of the darkest chapters in human history,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Such hate-fueled violence has no place in America. We hope the sentence imposed today sends a strong message to all in our community that we will not tolerate antisemitism and hate of any sort. For those who engage in hate crimes, the punishment will be severe.”

    “After years of spewing antisemitic vitriol, the defendant planned and carried out a two-day attack attempting to murder Jews leaving synagogue in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Vile acts of antisemitic hatred endanger the safety of individuals and entire communities, and allowing such crimes to go unchecked endangers the foundation of our democracy itself. As millions of Jewish Americans prepare to observe the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to aggressively confronting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal acts motivated by antisemitism, or by hatred of any kind. No Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime.”

    “This country was founded by many who fought for religious freedom, and practicing our religion continues to be a sacred and fundamental right,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will always defend that constitutional right. Those who violate the First Amendment by violent acts, those who would target the innocent based on hatred, will be held accountable.”

    “While this sentencing cannot fully restore the sense of safety stolen from the two victims and the Jewish community, it is a decisive step towards justice and a clear message that such acts of hate and violence will not be tolerated,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi.

    According to the government’s sentencing position, Tran obsessed over his antisemitic hatred for years leading up to the attack. In 2018, Tran left graduate school after making antisemitic comments about other students. From August 2022 to December 2022, Tran’s antisemitic statements escalated and included increasingly violent language, including messages to former classmates such as “I want you dead, Jew,” and “Someone is going to kill you, Jew.” Tran described himself as a “ticking time bomb” and maintained social media accounts with the handle “k1llalljews.”

    In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including the statement, “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH.” The following month, Tran emailed his former classmates excerpts from an anti-Semitic website further denigrating Jewish persons. 

    As a result of previous mental health holds, as of 2023, Tran was prohibited from purchasing firearms. In January 2023 in Phoenix, Tran asked a third party to buy two firearms for him. Tran selected the firearms he wanted and paid approximately $1,500 in cash to the third party, who then purchased them. Law enforcement identified the third party, who has now pleaded guilty in Arizona to illegally selling Tran the firearm used in the shootings. Messages later retrieved from his phone reflected that Tran had asked multiple people to purchase firearms for him and had offered to pay more if no background check was performed. 

    In early February 2023, Tran sent an online message stating: “it’s time to kill all Jews.” On the morning of February 15, 2023, Tran used the internet to research locations with a “kosher market,” planning to shoot someone near a kosher market because he believed there would be Jewish people in the area. Tran drove to Pico-Robertson and shot a Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke as he was leaving religious services at a synagogue. Tran, believing the victim was Jewish, shot him at close range centimeters from his spine, intending to kill him. Tran then fled the scene in his car.

    The next morning, February 16, 2023, Tran returned to the Pico-Robertson area, intending to shoot another Jewish person. Tran shot a second Jewish victim, also wearing a yarmulke and leaving a synagogue after attending religious services. Tran shot the victim at close range, intending to kill him, as the victim crossed the street. Tran again fled the scene.

    Both victims survived the attacks. Law enforcement arrested Tran on February 17, 2023, after a witness reported seeing someone shooting a firearm behind a motel.  When he was arrested, Tran told law enforcement that he was “practicing” with his assault weapon. In its sentencing position, the government argued that “[h]ad [Tran] not been caught the night of his second shooting, his campaign of terror would likely have continued.”

    The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cathedral City Police Department, the Fountain Valley Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the UCLA Police Department provided substantial assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – EU economic developments and projections – 23-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament 2

    This briefing provides a summary of the recent economic developments in EU Member States and gives an overview of relevant economic projections forecasted by major EU and international institutions. Annex 1 includes the latest GDP data and forecasts for all EU Member States. Annex 2 provides the latest inflation data and developments.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mum paid daughter almost £200,000 in company money from failing Scottish machinery parts firm

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Mum paid daughter almost £200,000 in company money from failing Scottish machinery parts firm

    The company owed hundreds of thousands of pounds to creditors at the time

    • Mother and daughter Hazel Lamont and Nicola Murray decided to wind-up their Scotparts UK Ltd. company in 2023 as it was insolvent 

    • However, Lamont paid her daughter almost £200,000 in company money in the days following their decision to cease trading 

    • More than £300,000 had been paid into Scotparts’ bank account in the days before their decision to shut the company down

    A Scottish mother paid nearly £200,000 to her daughter using funds due to a supplier just days after they decided their company was insolvent and would cease trading. 

    Hazel Lamont, 74, and her daughter Nicola Murray, 54, were directors of Scotparts UK Ltd., which was described on Companies House as being involved in the sale of machinery, industrial equipment, ships and aircraft. 

    The company, which had been trading since March 2006, was in financial trouble by October 2023 and both Lamont and Murray jointly decided Scotparts should stop trading due to debts it was unable to pay. 

    However, just two days earlier, the company received more than £300,000 from a customer. 

    Within one week of this payment, Lamont gave Murray £194,400 knowing that the company was insolvent and owed money to creditors. 

    Further amounts totalling £148,144 were paid by the pair to two connected companies during the same period. 

    Lamont, of Elliston Road, Howwood, Renfrewshire, and Murray, of Manse Road, Motherwell, have been banned as a directors for the next nine years. 

    Scotparts owed more than £900,000 when it went into liquidation in January 2024. 

    Mike Smith, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Hazel Lamont and Nicola Murray knew, or at the very least, ought to have known that their company had significant liabilities to creditors. 

    Despite knowing the perilous financial state of their company, Lamont paid £194,400 to her daughter. This was not her money – it was company money which should have been paid to customers and suppliers. 

    The pair also transferred money to two connected companies, again depriving creditors of these funds. 

    Lamont and Murray have now been banned as company directors until May 2034 following our investigations into their misconduct.

    Scotparts received £301,543 from a customer during the period of 18 and 19 October 2023. 

    The company also owed another creditor – a manufacturer of goods – £362,585 in outstanding invoices. 

    Lamont and Murray decided that Scotparts would cease trading on 20 October. 

    However, between that date and 25 October, Scotparts paid £194,400 to Murray. 

    In the week following the pair’s decision to place the company into liquidation, £96,899 was also transferred to I&H Distribution and Scotparts UK Ltd where Murray was a director. 

    An additional £51,245 was transferred to Scotparts Holdings Ltd, which listed Lamont as one of its directors. 

    No refunds or payments were made to either the buyer of goods or the manufacturer. 

    Six creditors submitted claims with a total of £916,899 when Scotparts went into liquidation. 

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from Lamont and Murray, and their bans started on Tuesday 20 May and Friday 23 May respectively. 

    The undertakings prevent them from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New data and support for law firms to help with land registration

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New data and support for law firms to help with land registration

    HM Land Registry has started sharing data with its customers that, combined with the free training it offers, can help law firms get applications right first time.

    Chay_Tee/shutterstock.com

    Key messages 

    • HM Land Registry is doing all it can to improve quality and increase the speed of service for customers, investing in people, skills and technology.  
    • Every year, HM Land Registry sends around 800,000 requests for more information or clarification to applicants, a significant proportion of which could readily be avoided before sending the application.  
    • HM Land Registry is sending new data to customers on the percentage of applications that contain these readily avoidable ‘requisitions’, such as name discrepancies, missing documents and witness details.  
    • The investment in HM Land Registry’s staff, technology, and training for customers has seen avoidable requisitions decline, but they are still making things harder for law firms than they need be. 
    • When looked at by firm, the percentage of applications with avoidable requisitions varies from 0% to 24%.  
    • HM Land Registry offers free live and self-service training on how to get applications right first time and has trained 5,000 people in law firms over the past 6 months alone. 
    • HM Land Registry is developing its own processes and systems to help customers, focussing on only raising a requisition when necessary and automatically validating some information as the application is being drafted.

    HM Land Registry is doing all it can to improve the service for customers. Its first priority is to increase the speed of service.  

    The organisation has focussed on having the right numbers of people with the right skills to process cases – and turnaround times are coming down, as Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar Simon Hayes reported in his recent email to customers and a blog. 

    Additionally, HM Land Registry is continually seeking ways to make its processes easier for customers. The aim is for registrations to be processed first time, without the need for clarification or further information to support the application (called a ‘requisition’).  

    In response to customer feedback, HM Land Registry is now sending data to customers on the percentage of their applications where these requisitions could be avoided before the application is submitted. 

    In autumn this year, HM Land Registry will publish this data on avoidable requisitions. This will bring greater clarity to the data on overall requisition rates which is already published. 

    Not only have customers been asking for this data, the move is also supported by trade bodies and industry and aligns with the Government’s priorities for HM Land Registry, set out in Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook’s letter of 4 February. 

    According to HM Land Registry researchers, requisitions cost the sector an estimated £19m a year. They also delay application processing which in turn reduce the speed of registration. 

    Last year, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) highlighted concerns about the quality of applications in its risk agenda report, while the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) also drew attention to the benefits of right first time applications and urged the sector to “give this important aspect of our work the attention and resource that it deserves” in a statement published last November. 

    Welcoming the added support for customers, the CLC’s Chief Executive, Sheila Kumar, said:

    Good quality title applications are the culmination of the conveyancing process and are the final, vital step to ensure that the interests of buyers and lenders are protected, so this is an area of focus for the CLC.

    Many conveyancing practices are doing a great job and we have seen others make recent progress too, so we know there is scope for practices that are not performing as well to improve. We are already using data from HM Land Registry as part of our risk profiling of individual practices and we expect conveyancers to make use of this data and the training available from HM Land Registry to improve their services.

    Paul Philip, Chief Executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said:

    The public need easy-to-access relevant information to help them shop around for legal services. The more useful and accurate information that is available, across a range of potential indicators on quality or cost, the better for consumers to be able to choose the right service for them.

    Many firms are already making positive changes through training, new systems and using HM Land Registry services. Case studies from Enact, Simply Conveyancing, Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Blake Morgan showcase effective approaches. 

    Ahead of publication in six months’ time, HM Land Registry has revamped its customer training hub to ensure everyone has access to all the tools and guidance they might need, starting with a new page on GOV.UK. Tackling avoidable requisitions provides links to training, tools, tips and guidance on all 32 ‘avoidable requisitions’ in one place.  

    Customers are also urged to take advantage of HMR’s free workshops, which take a close look at the top five avoidable requisitions and how to reduce them, as well as offering a live Q&A with expert caseworkers. Details are available on HM Land Registry’s training hub on GOV.UK. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Insurance Mogul Pleads Guilty to $2 Billion Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud insurance regulators and policyholders through a web of companies based in North Carolina, Bermuda, Malta, and elsewhere, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    According to court documents, from no later than 2016 through at least 2019, Greg Lindberg, 54, of Tampa, conspired with others to defraud various insurance companies, other third parties, and ultimately thousands of insurance policyholders. Lindberg and others conspired to deceive the North Carolina Department of Insurance and other regulators, evaded regulatory requirements meant to protect policyholders, concealed the true financial condition of his companies, and improperly used insurance company funds for his personal benefit. Lindberg and his co-conspirators caused companies he controlled to invest more than $2 billion in loans and other securities with his own affiliated companies and laundered the proceeds of the scheme. As set forth in the indictment, Lindberg directed the scheme and personally benefitted from the fraud in part by “forgiving” more than $125 million in loans to himself from the insurance companies that he controlled.

    To carry out the conspiracies, Lindberg and others engaged in circular transactions among Lindberg’s web of entities using insurance company funds and made and caused to be made various materially false and misleading statements and representations to and omitted material information from regulators, various ratings agencies, insurance companies, insurance policyholders, and others regarding these transactions.

    As a result of Lindberg’s conduct, his insurance companies, third-party entities, and policyholders suffered substantial financial hardship, and some of his insurance companies have been placed in rehabilitation and liquidation.

    “Greg Lindberg and his co-conspirators misused $2 billion of company funds in their international scheme to defraud corporate victims, regulators, and policyholders,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thousands of policyholders suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of Lindberg’s fraud scheme, which left multiple companies in or on the brink of liquidation. The Justice Department will not hesitate to hold corporate executives accountable when they threaten critical sectors of the economy, like the insurance industry, to enrich themselves.”

    “Lindberg created a complex web of insurance companies, investment businesses, and other business entities and exploited them to engage in millions of dollars of circular transactions. Lindberg’s actions harmed thousands of policyholders, deceived regulators, and caused tremendous risk for the insurance industry,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s guilty plea affirms our commitment to protecting the public from predatory financial schemes and bringing to justice those who betray public trust for personal gain.”

    “Lindberg’s elaborate network of investments, insurance companies, and financial deals was designed to exploit the insurance system and drain millions from policyholders to enrich himself at the public’s expense,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.”

    Lindberg pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, including wire fraud, investment adviser fraud, and crimes in connection with insurance business, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States count and 10 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy count. In addition to pleading guilty to these charges, on May 15, following a retrial, Lindberg was convicted by a federal jury in Charlotte of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds for orchestrating a bribery scheme involving independent expenditure accounts and improper campaign contributions, aimed at bribing the elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance to influence the regulation of Lindberg’s insurance companies. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine Lindberg’s sentence in both cases after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors in each case. Lindberg was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals.

    In December 2022, one of Lindberg’s top executives, Christopher Herwig, pleaded guilty in a related case to conspiring with Lindberg and others to commit offenses against the United States, including wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, and money laundering, as well as to the making of false statements in the business of insurance. Herwig is also awaiting sentencing.

    The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Chicago Regional Office provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Ryan and Taylor Stout for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds man arrested in recycling fraud investigation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Leeds man arrested in recycling fraud investigation

    Environment Agency and Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit apprehend a 34-year-old man in Leeds

    A Leeds local has been arrested for conspiracy to commit money laundering, as part of an active Environment Agency investigation into illegal recycling export paperwork.

    In a joint raid earlier this week (Wednesday 21 May), Environment Agency officers worked with the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit to apprehend a 34-year-old man at a property in Leeds.

    After being interviewed, the suspect has been released pending ongoing investigations and evidence gathered during the arrest will support action going forward.

    The arrest forms a crucial part of an ongoing investigation by the Environment Agency and Joint Unit for Waste Crime into fraud, money laundering and offences under the producer responsibility regulations. This now brings the total number of arrests to seven, after four individuals across Leeds, Doncaster and Calderdale were arrested in April last year, and two others being arrested in 2023.

    Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

    We are calling time on fraud in the recycling sector, which undermines hard-working businesses and trashes our natural environment.

    Our teams are thoroughly examining all the evidence gathered in the raid to further progress the investigation and help put an end to this unacceptable, organised criminal activity.

    The Packaging Producer Responsibility Regulations were introduced to oblige the producers of waste packaging made from materials such as plastic, glass and cardboard to contribute towards the financial cost of recycling and disposing the waste.

    Businesses that meet the criteria are required to prove they have made a financial contribution by purchasing credits, known as Packaging Export Recovery Notes, from waste reprocessors or exporters. However, the credits have a monetary value which means organised criminal gangs can look to infiltrate the sector and engage in high value fraud and money laundering.

    In 2024, the Environment Agency launched a new Economic Crime Unit to boost its efforts to tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations in the waste sector. This arrest marks another vital step in the unit’s work to ensure those working in waste management do the right thing and waste criminals are rooted out of the sector.

    If a member of the public has any information that may assist with this investigation, they should call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060. They can also report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or the Crimestoppers website.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Buy angling licences and permits online

    Source: Northern Ireland Direct

    Date published:

    If you want to go angling, you can buy a rod licence and a permit online to allow you to fish the public angling estate.

    Licence and permit

    You need a rod licence and permit to fish in freshwater lakes, loughs and rivers in Northern Ireland.

    The licence is for the fishing rod and the game or coarse fish you’re allowed to catch.

    A permit grants you the right to fish in a particular fishery.

    You can buy a licence or permit online through this page:

    Catch returns online

    Licence holders legally must make a catch return, as these help to manage fish stock.

    Maps of fishing waters

    You can search by county to find out what angling waters are available in your local area.

    You can also find out which waters have recently been stocked and what sort of fishing is allowed there.

    The following pages should be useful:

    Maps of fishing waters in the public angling estate are also available to view at this link:

    Protecting fisheries

    You can help protect fisheries by reporting illegal activity and pollution incidents.

    By reporting these incidents, you can help to improve and protect angling for the future.

    Foyle and Carlingford

    If you want to fish in the Foyle and Carlingford catchment areas, you will need to contact the Loughs Agency.

    They set their own licence duties for fishing in those areas. 

    More useful links

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Doctor Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    A California man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role in a $2.8 million fraud scheme in which Medicare was billed for hospice services that the patients did not need.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, John Thropay, M.D., 75, of Arcadia, was the medical director of multiple hospice companies, including Blue Sky Hospice Inc., located in Van Nuys, California. From October 2014 to March 2016, Thropay fraudulently certified Medicare patients of Blue Sky Hospice as having terminal illnesses that the patients did not have so that the company could bill Medicare for hospice services. In 2015, Thropay was listed as attending provider for more hospice claims paid by Medicare than any other provider in the nation.

    Thropay was convicted at trial in the Central District of California of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud on Feb. 15.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Acting Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Timothy DeFrancesca of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)’s Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Assistant Deputy Chief Niall M. O’Donnell and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to $5 Million Unemployment Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 15, 2024

    SAN DIEGO –Eduard Buse and Florentina Sima pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraud and money laundering charges, admitting they participated in a scheme to steal more than $5 million in California unemployment benefits intended to help workers affected by the pandemic.

    Buse and Sima were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023 along with 12 others. The indictment alleged that the fraud scheme involved helping hundreds of undeserving applicants apply for benefits using fraudulent documents. In their respective plea agreements, Buse and Sima admitted the fraud resulted in almost $5.2 million in bogus claims paid by the state of California.

    “These covid relief funds were meant to provide critical financial relief during the pandemic. Instead, the money was used to buy luxury cars and jewelry,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We will not only continue to prosecute those who diverted money intended to serve as a lifeline, but we will pursue every avenue to recover and return that money to public use.”

    “The Covid-19 pandemic placed an enormous financial strain on millions of Americans; however, some individuals decided to use other people’s pain as an opportunity for financial gain,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Our pursuit of justice for those affected by fraud during the pandemic will not stop until each and every person who took advantage of individuals during this critical time is prosecuted for defrauding the U.S. government and innocent people.”

    “The defendants’ abuse of programs designed to help people in need during and in the wake of the Covid pandemic is particularly despicable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Even worse, they took money intended to help people keep their heads above water and showered themselves with luxury items. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to rooting out this sort of evil by following the money to bring people like these defendants to justice.”

    According to Buse’s plea agreement, he not only collected $28,350 in undue EDD benefits for himself but also facilitated payouts of $244,050 to 14 co-conspirators, including Sima. Buse then sent $128,902.99 and Sima sent $58,881.53 of fraud proceeds to their associates in Romania through money service businesses.

    Buse admitted that he purchased a 2020 BMW X6 for $105,044 in Glendale, California, with proceeds from the fraud and shipped it from San Diego to Romania on April 28, 2023.

    On November 13, 2023, Romanian authorities served search warrants on addresses affiliated with Buse at the request of the United States. They seized the BMW with California license plates along with approximately $9,476.50 in U.S. currency; a Rolex Yacht Master II and a rose gold luxury men’s watch purchased for $15,550 U.S. dollars; a Rolex Sky Dweller watch; a Breitling 1884 men’s watch; and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date women’s watch.

    As part of their plea agreements, Buse and Sima agreed to forfeit the BMW, cash and luxury watches, along with all other property seized in connection with the case.

    Buse also agreed to forfeit $128,902.99 and agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $244,050 to the State of California Employment Development Department. Sima agreed to forfeit $58,881.53 and pay the same amount in restitution to the State of California Employment Development Department.

    Buse and Sima are scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Adeline Schulberg and Valerie Chu.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 23CR2090-LAB                                

    Eduard Buse                                                    Age: 30                                   Transient, Romanian

    Florentina Sima                                              Age: 29                                   Transient, Romanian

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Title 18, U.S.C. § 1349 — Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

    Title 18, U.S.C. § 1343 — Wire Fraud

    Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison, $1 million fine

    Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) — Laundering of Monetary Instruments

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved in the transportation, transmission, or transfer, whichever is greater

    AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego Police Department Economic Crimes Unit

    IRS Criminal Investigation

    California Employment Development Department Investigative Division

    U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Francisco Resident Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Stealing More Than $340,000 in Funds Intended for Low-Income Families

    Source: US FBI

    SAN FRANCISCO – Gregory Finkelson was sentenced to one year in prison for theft of government property in connection with his fraudulent receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-income housing benefits, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky; and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office. Finkelson’s sentence was imposed by the Honorable James Donato, United States District Judge, on September 9, 2023.

    The Section 8 Certificate Program is a rent subsidy program funded by HUD and administered in San Francisco by the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). The program is intended to help low- and moderate-income families afford housing, and it has income limits and other eligibility requirements that applicants must meet to qualify for assistance.

    In his plea agreement, Finkelson, 64, admitted that, between approximately August 2006 and February 2020, he wrongfully claimed $341,455 in Section 8 Program subsidies by falsely reporting that he did not own his San Francisco residence, which he bought using a straw purchaser, and that he was merely an employee of a company that he in fact owned and operated out of his residence. Specifically, Finkelson admitted that he used the name of a Russian national living in Russia to purchase his San Francisco home, claiming, wrongfully, that she was his landlord and that he made rent payments to her. Finkelson also admitted he opened several bank accounts, including in the Russian national’s name, and that he used these bank accounts to conceal his use of the ill-gotten Section 8 Program subsidies. He then used the funds he fraudulently obtained to benefit himself, including by funding his business, paying his credit card bills, and making payments on a timeshare in Hawaii. His residence is now worth $2.4 million.

    In a memorandum filed for the sentencing, the government noted that Finkelson continued his fraudulent conduct even after SFHA acted to terminate his Section 8 subsidies. Because of his conduct, the government argued, Finkelson deprived low-income families actually in need of housing over the entire period of his scheme. According to the government, Finkelson’s actions damaged public trust in the government’s role as a fiduciary for taxpayer dollars.

    Finkelson was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 25, 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 7, 2024, to theft of government property and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 and 2.

    In addition to the one-year term of imprisonment, Judge Donato further sentenced Finkelson to a three-year period of supervision following his release from prison and ordered Finkelson to pay $341,455 in restitution, which represents the total amount he admitted he stole from the government. Finkelson was ordered to surrender into custody on September 16, 2024.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Christiaan Highsmith and Kevin Yeh are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Claudia Hyslop. The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI, HUD OIG, and IRS-CI, with assistance from SFHA.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Minister Burke announces establishment of Small Business Unit

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

    23rd May 2025

    Unit will ensure the needs and issues of small businesses have a dedicated focus within the Department and across Government

    The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, TD, has announced the establishment of a dedicated Small Business Unit, based in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

    Welcoming the establishment of the Unit, Minister Burke said:

    “Since my appointment as Minister I have put small businesses front and centre of my priorities.

    “The Programme for Government sets out clearly how the needs of small businesses must have a dedicated focus and are recognised and acknowledged across Government. 

    “The Small Business Unit will focus on rigorously implementing the SME Test, to ensure the perspectives of small businesses are considered across Government before new legislation or regulation is introduced. The Unit will oversee the simplification of information and access to grants and supports for businesses though the National Enterprise Hub.  It will also ensure the Local Enterprise Offices are properly resourced to help small businesses. 

    “Small businesses employ two thirds of our population and keep our local communities and economies vibrant and strong.  Government must recognise this, and ensure we are providing the support that SMEs need to run their businesses successfully and continue to provide vital employment and economic benefit across the country”.  

    The move was noted by Government on Tuesday 20th May and fulfils a key commitment in the Programme for Government

    The establishment of the Small Business Unit comes in addition to the Government agreeing, in April, to expedite the development of the Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivi as well as adopting a series of short-term measures to address the competitiveness challenges facing Ireland.

    Notes

    Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) (

    Source: Small and Medium Enterprises Business in Ireland 2021 – Detailed Results – Central Statistics Office

    ENDS

    Back to Department News

    Back to Top

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • Taliban in talks with Russia, China for trade transactions in local currencies

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Taliban administration is in advanced talks with Russia for banks from both sanctions-hit economies to settle trade transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in their local currencies, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said.

    The Afghan government has made similar proposals to China, the minister, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, told Reuters on Thursday. Some discussions have been held with the Chinese embassy in Kabul, he said.

    The proposal with Russia, Azizi said, was being worked on by technical teams from the two countries. The move comes as Moscow focuses on using national currencies to shift reliance away from the dollar and as Afghanistan faces a stark drop in the U.S. currency entering the country due to aid cuts.

    “We are currently engaged in specialised discussions on this matter, considering the regional and global economic perspectives, sanctions, and the challenges Afghanistan is currently facing, as well as those Russia is dealing with. Technical discussions are underway,” Azizi said in an interview at his office in Kabul.

    The Chinese foreign ministry and the Russian central bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Azizi added that annual bilateral trade between Russia and Afghanistan was currently around $300 million and that was likely to grow substantially as the two sides boost investment. His administration expected Afghanistan to buy more petroleum products and plastics from Russia, he said.

    “I am confident that this is a very good option…we can use this option for benefit and interests of our people and our country,’ Azizi said.

    “We want to take steps in this area with China as well,” he said, adding Afghanistan had around $1 billion in trade with China each year. “A working team composed of members from the (Afghan) Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese embassy which is an authorized body representing China in economic programmes has been formed, and talks are ongoing.”

    Afghanistan’s financial sector has been largely cut off from the global banking system due to sanctions placed on some leaders of the ruling Taliban, which took over the country in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew.

    Rivalry with China and fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine have put the dollar’s status as the world’s dominant currency under fresh scrutiny in recent years.

    In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the need to hold state reserves in foreign currencies since they could easily be confiscated for political reasons, saying that domestic investment of such reserves was more attractive.

    The dollar has had a lock on commodity trading, allowing Washington to hinder market access for producer nations from Russia to Venezuela and Iran.

    Afghanistan since 2022 has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia, the first major economic deal after the Taliban returned to power facing international isolation following 20 years of war against U.S.-led forces.

    Billions of dollars in cuts to aid to Afghanistan, accelerated this year by the United States, have meant far fewer dollars, which are flown in cash for humanitarian operations, are entering the country.

    Development agencies and economists say the Afghani currency has so far remained relatively stable but may face challenges in future.

    Azizi said that the stability of the currency and his administration’s efforts to boost international investment including with the Afghan diaspora, would prevent a shortage of U.S. dollars in the country.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA issues Opinion on a measure to address macroprudential risk following a notification by the Norwegian Ministry of Finance

    Source: European Banking Authority

    The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published an Opinion following a notification by the Norwegian Ministry of Finance of its intention to change the calibration of a measure originally introduced on 31 December 2020 and already extended until 30 June 2025. The measure aims to ensure that capital requirements of Norwegian institutions using internal ratings-based (IRB) approaches are appropriate for the systemic risks stemming from their residential real estate exposures. Based on the information provided, the EBA does not object to the measure.

    The measure is an exposure-weighted average risk weight floor applying to retail exposures secured by immovable property located in Norway. The institutions in scope of the measure are all institutions established in Norway that use the Internal Ratings Based (IRB) approach for the calculation of capital requirements for the relevant exposures. The notified period of application is between 1 July 2025 until 31 December 2026.

    In this Opinion, addressed to the Standing Committee of the EFTA States, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, the EBA takes note of the financial stability risks stemming from high household debt and the build-up of financial imbalances in Norway. Against this background, the EBA invites the Ministry of Finance to closely monitor any overlaps of the proposed measure with microprudential requirements and other macroprudential measures already in force. In particular, the EBA points to unintended overlaps as the output floor requirements are phased-in and invites the Ministry to monitor closely and review the need for the proposed measure.

    Legal basis and background

    On 11 April 2025, the EBA received a notification from the Norwegian Ministry of Finance of its intention to apply Articles 458(2) and 458(9) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (Capital Requirements Regulation, CRR) as incorporated into Annex IX of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) by the EEA Joint Committee Decision No 79/2019. In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 458(4) of the CRR as incorporated into Annex IX of the Agreement on the EEA, within one month of receiving the notification, the EBA shall provide its opinion to the Standing Committee of the EFTA States, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA State concerned. 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels, including winner Heart Lamp

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter

    Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq has won the 2025 International Booker prize. Here, our literature experts review the book and the other five novels that were shortlisted for the prize.

    Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

    Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp shines a light on the lives of Muslim women in rural India. In a bold and memorable translation from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, this quietly powerful collection of short stories opens up the intimate space of domestic rituals and family tensions.

    Mushtaq’s fervent advocacy of women’s rights is evident in the compassion with which she brings to life the women in the stories: from the lack of autonomy suffered by young girls forced into wedlock to the indignity of an older woman obliged to accept her husband taking a second wife or a widow whose son arranges a new marriage for her, the women’s lives are dictated by men.

    Heart Lamp is perhaps best summed up in the final story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!” Throughout these stories, Mushtaq invites us – and whichever male deity might be listening – to walk in the shoes of women overlooked by an unquestioned patriarchal hierarchy.

    Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation



    Read more:
    Heart Lamp by the Indian writer Banu Mushtaq wins 2025 International Booker prize – a powerful collection of stories inspired by the real suffering of women

    Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda

    Hiromi Kawakami’s Under the Eye of the Big Bird offers us glimpses of one imagined future for earth and humanity.

    Its vision could be described as post-apocalyptic. After unspecified cataclysmic events, humans exist only in tiny, scattered communities and extinction seems imminent. But this is also a beautiful, if dreamlike, world and one in which humanity still has the potential for astonishing growth and change.

    Each chapter introduces something new and startling to the reader. Many of the tropes are familiar – cloning, superpowers, mutation, AI. Yet they are configured in unfamiliar ways and prompt reflections on the nature of humanity and our relationship with the rest of creation – as well as on time, religion and the possibility of an afterlife.

    Despite grappling with so many huge questions, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is an accessible and absorbing novel. And, although tragedy is never far away, there remains humour – and hope.

    Sarah Annes Brown, Professor of English Literature

    A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson

    Published in France in 2008 as Un chapeau léopard, A Leopard-Skin Hat is a novel about a friendship spanning 20 years between a woman called Fanny and a man known throughout only as “the Narrator”. He is not, though, the narrator of the novel. Rather, an unknown storyteller tells us how the Narrator sees Fanny gradually lose the fight against madness (the novel’s word) and, in the end, death.

    This is a novel about the mystery of other people, about how unknowable others are to us. It explores how we narrate to try to understand people who are not us, but whom we love. What is most extraordinary about Serre’s novel is the way it shows us two friends doing very ordinary things – going out for dinner, going on holiday, walking in the countryside and swimming in lakes – but shows us through this the strangeness and complexity of friendship, love and life.

    Leigh Wilson, Professor of English Literature



    Read more:
    A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre explores what its like being human in relation to other human beings

    Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes

    Perfection is a slim account of the way that time “disappears” for Anna and Tom, an expat couple living in Berlin as creative freelancers in the 2010s.

    Written in homage to Georges Perec’s Things: The Story of the Sixties (1965), the novel opens with an overbearing description of the items in their apartment, moving in and out of the characters’ dissatisfaction with the aesthetic, social, creative, economic and political routes open to them in 120 pages spanning a little over 10 years.

    As international elections, the European refugee crises and climate catastrophe dance in and out of their peripheral vision, Anna and Tom find neither satisfaction with their current moment nor successfully imagine a better one. As such, Latronico gently, but with an increasing sense of fatalism, considers the stagnation of a millennial creative class whose views on influence, status, power and happiness remain deeply linked to the “new emotions” of digital mediation.

    By Rachel Sykes, Associate Professor in Contemporary Literature and Culture

    On The Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara Haveland

    In On The Calculation of Volume, a woman, Tara Selter, finds herself trapped in an endlessly repeating day, November 18. Volume I, the first of seven books, recounts the first 365 days of this time loop, with Tara attempting to make sense of her predicament, to explain it to her husband – who is still bound by the normal rules of time – and to try to fix whatever has initiated this situation.

    As the novel continues, it becomes less focused on the novelty of the situation and more on the philosophical questions it raises: the alternate claustrophobia and liberation of replaying the same day; how our friends and partners sometimes feel like they inhabit a different reality; the way in which time pulls things and people apart; of the importance we place in the idea of “tomorrow”.

    What’s remarkable about Balle’s novel is how compulsive it is – even though we know time is standing still, we still want to know what will happen next.

    David Hering, Senior Lecturer in English Literature

    Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson

    Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat is a slim, bruising novel that centres on a real horror: the drowning of 27 migrants in the English Channel in November 2021. In a small, inflatable craft, they reached out over crackling radio lines, asking for help that never came.

    Small Boat focuses not on the migrants themselves, but on a French coastguard operator who spent that night on the radio, fielding their calls for rescue. Delecroix’s brilliance lies in showing how violence at the border is carried out not by villains, but by workers. It was not evil that allowed those people to die in the water, it was a string of decisions made by people in warm rooms who believed they were doing their jobs.

    In a world ever more brutal towards those who flee war, hunger and despair, Delecroix’s novel is a necessary – and merciless – indictment. It reminds us that the shipwreck is not theirs alone. It is ours too.

    Fiona Murphy, Assistant Professor in Refugee and Intercultural Studies



    Read more:
    Small Boat: this slim, devastating novel about a real migrant shipwreck reminds us of the cruelty of indifference

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels, including winner Heart Lamp – https://theconversation.com/international-booker-prize-2025-six-experts-review-the-shortlisted-novels-including-winner-heart-lamp-255464

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Former Employees of New Jersey Mortgage Lending Business Indicted for Roles in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – Two men were arraigned today on charges related to their roles in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Christopher J. Gallo, 44, of Old Tappan, New Jersey, and Mehmet Ali Elmas, 32, a U.S. citizen who resided in Turkey until the time of his arrest, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 24, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, eight counts of false statements to a financial institution; and one count of aggravated identity theft. They appeared today before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court and each pleaded not guilty.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Gallo and Elmas were previously employed by a New Jersey-based, privately owned licensed residential mortgage lending business. Gallo was a senior loan officer and Elmas was a mortgage loan officer and Gallo’s assistant. From 2018 through October 2023, Gallo and Elmas used their positions to conspire and engage in a fraudulent scheme to falsify loan origination documents sent to mortgage lenders in New Jersey and elsewhere, including their former employer, to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans. Gallo and Elmas routinely mislead mortgage lenders about the intended use of properties to fraudulently secure lower mortgage interest rates.  Gallo and Elmas often submitted loan applications falsely stating that the listed borrowers were the primary residents of certain proprieties when, in fact, those properties were intended to be used as rental or investment properties. By fraudulently misleading lenders about the true intended use of the properties, Gallo and Elmas secured and profited from mortgage loans that were approved at lower interest rates.

    The conspiracy also included falsifying property records, including building safety and financial information of prospective borrowers to facilitate mortgage loan approval. Between 2018 through October 2023, Gallo originated more than approximately $3 billion in loans.

    The charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and false statements to a financial institution each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft charge carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the indictment.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greece Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

    Source: US FBI

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Isolino S. Presutti, Jr., 36, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas M. Testani and Meghan K. McGuire, who are handling the case, stated that in March, 2023, Presutti possessed three desktop and two laptop computers, which contained approximately 5690 images and 28 videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and violence against children.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

    Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Sentenced to 102 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role in $2 Billion Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Manuel Chang, the former Finance Minister of Mozambique, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis to a term of imprisonment of 102 months and ordered to pay $7 million in forfeiture.  The restitution amount will be determined at a later date.   Chang was convicted after a four-week trial in July and August 2024 of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his role in a $2 billion international fraud, bribery and money laundering scheme that victimized investors in the United States and elsewhere.  He was arrested in December 2018 in South Africa, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States and extradited to the Eastern District of New York in July 2023.

    Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brent S. Wible, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

    “Today’s sentence shows that foreign officials who abuse their power to commit crimes targeting the U.S. financial system will meet U.S. justice,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “My Office will continue to pursue those who violate our laws and harm U.S. investors regardless of their power, position or title.”  

    “Manuel Chang abused his position as Finance Minister of Mozambique by obtaining $7 million in bribe payments in exchange for helping secure more than $2 billion in loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chang’s brazen misconduct betrayed his duty to the people of Mozambique and defrauded investors, including those in the United States, of substantial amounts. With today’s sentence, Chang has been held accountable for his violations of U.S. law.”

    “Manuel Chang abused his authority as the former Mozambique Finance Minister by helping to obtain billions of dollars in loans, a large portion of which was diverted from its intended purposes to satisfy bribe payments, ultimately causing significant financial loss to U.S. and global investors,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.  “With the support of his co-conspirators, Chang violated the trust of his office and wielded his position to enrich himself and other Mozambican officials. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to dismantling all corruptive malpractices orchestrated by foreign governments, especially those targeting our country as their personal piggy bank.”

    As proven at trial, Chang received $7 million in bribes in exchange for signing guarantees on behalf of the Republic of Mozambique to secure funding for three loans for maritime projects.  As part of the scheme, Chang and his co-conspirators falsely stated to banks and investors that the loan proceeds would be used for the projects and that the borrower would not pay bribes to Mozambican government officials. In fact, however, Chang and his co-conspirators facilitated the criminal diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds that were used to pay bribes and kickbacks to Chang and others.

    Between approximately 2013 and 2016, in his capacity as Mozambique’s Minister of Finance, Chang, together with his co-conspirators – including executives of Privinvest Group, a United Arab Emirates-based shipbuilding company – ensured that Credit Suisse AG, through its subsidiary in the United Kingdom, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited (CSSEL), and another foreign investment bank would arrange for more than $2 billion to be extended to companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government:  Proindicus S.A. (Proindicus), Empresa Moçambicana de Atum, S.A. (EMATUM), and Mozambique Asset Management (MAM).  The proceeds of the loans were intended to fund three maritime projects for which Privinvest was to provide the equipment and services. Specifically, Proindicus was to perform coastal surveillance, EMATUM was to engage in tuna fishing, and MAM was to build and maintain shipyards.

    Instead, Chang and his co-conspirators illegally facilitated Privinvest’s diversion of more than $200 million of the loan proceeds to bribes and kickbacks.  These funds included more than $150 million that Privinvest used to bribe Chang and other Mozambican government officials to ensure that companies owned and controlled by the Mozambican government would enter into the loan arrangements, and that the government of Mozambique would guarantee those loans.  The loans were subsequently sold in whole or in part to investors worldwide, including in the United States.  In doing so, the participants in the scheme conspired to defraud these investors by misrepresenting how the loan proceeds would be used.  Ultimately, Proindicus, EMATUM, and MAM each defaulted on their loans and proceeded to miss more than $700 million in loan payments, causing substantial losses to investors.

    In October 2021, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL admitted to defrauding U.S. and international investors in the financing of an $850 million loan for the EMATUM project. CSSEL pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Credit Suisse AG entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (Fraud Section) and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).  As a part of the resolution, Credit Suisse AG and CSSEL paid approximately $475 million in penalties, fines, and disgorgement as part of coordinated resolutions with criminal and civil authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

    The Office’s Business & Securities Fraud Section is handling the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Hiral D. Mehta, Genny Ngai and Jonathan Siegel, and Trial Attorneys Peter Cooch of the Fraud Section and Morgan Cohen of MLARS, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Timothy Migliaro.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department appreciates the assistance of South African authorities, particularly those in the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Police Service, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.

    The Defendant:

    MANUEL CHANG
    Age: 69
    Mozambique

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-681 (NGG)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Self-Described Civil Rights Activist from Toledo of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

    Source: US FBI

    TOLEDO – Sir Maejor Page, 35, of Toledo, was found guilty of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering by a jury after a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick.

    According to court documents and testimony, in 2016, Page created a Facebook page for “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” (“BLMGA”) and registered this organization as a domestic non-profit with the Georgia Secretary of State Corporation’s Division. In 2017, the IRS approved Page’s request granting BLMGA tax-exempt status under Section 503(c)(3) of the tax code, but dissolved this status in 2019. Page nonetheless accepted donations after falsely portraying BLMGA to the public as a legitimate charity engaged in social justice work, when in fact, it was not. Instead, Page used the money that individual donors gave to BLMGA not for social justice causes, but rather to buy items for his own personal use, such as a house and furniture. Page also committed money-laundering crimes when he bought these items with the donations that he fraudulently obtained.

    “The United States Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of white-collar criminal conduct, particularly conduct involving deceptive schemes that selfishly exploit a charitable donor’s goodwill for personal gain,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, for the Northern District of Ohio. “The donors to BLMGA thought they were giving their hard-earned money to a cause they believed in. But instead of using it to support that cause, Page used it for himself. The jury’s verdict is a warning to every fraudster that when you misrepresent how donations or other money given to you in trust will be used, you will be prosecuted and punished.”

    “Preying on the generosity of the public for personal gain is cold and calculated,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and it’s white-collar crime division along with our federal, state, and local partners will continue to aggressively find and investigate criminals who believe they can deceive others through shady business practices.”

    No sentencing date has been set.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Rob Melching.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: EA prosecutes father and son for assaulting fisheries officers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    EA prosecutes father and son for assaulting fisheries officers

    A father and son who assaulted 2 Environment Agency water bailiffs at a Shropshire fishery have been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £12,000.

    An Environment Agency bailiff being assaulted.

    • Defendants ordered to pay fines and costs totalling over £12,000
    • Water bailiffs struck in the face and poked in the eye at Shropshire fishery near Bridgnorth
    • Police called to incident after defendants refused to co-operate

    Fines and costs totalling £6,937.00 were imposed on Andrew Bowman, 44 , of Cross Place Dudley. 

    This was made up of a £488 fine for assault, £146 for fishing without a licence, a victim surcharge of £253 and costs of £6,000. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to one of the water bailiffs he assaulted. 

    He had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to assaulting the officers at Poole Hall Fishery on 6 September 2023. This case was heard by Telford Magistrates court on April 25 2025.

    His father, Sidney Bowman, 75, also of Cross Place Dudley, had admitted similar charges in a hearing on 3 October 2024. 

    He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £5,128. This was made up of a £660 fine for assault, £146 for fishing without a licence, a victim’s surcharge of £322 and costs of £4,000.

    Environment Agency water bailiffs are deemed to be constables for the purposes of enforcing fisheries legislation and are also protected under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. 

    The court was told that the pair were fishing when approached by the 2 bailiffs who were checking fishing licences. 

    Andrew Bowman refused to give the officers his details and advised his father not to do so as well. Failing to provide name and address details, when requested by a water bailiff, is an offence. 

    After the officers cautioned Andrew Bowman for not providing his details, he became verbally and physically threatening and began to move his equipment.  

    The officers fearing for their safety moved a fishing knife away from the defendants. Andrew Bowman then assaulted one officer by striking him in the face after the bailiffs said they were removing their fishing gear for evidence. 

    This was followed by Sidney Bowman also assaulting the officer by attempting to grab his chest, where the officer’s radio was, and in doing so poked him in the eye with flailing arms.  

    The court was told as the incident continued Andrew Bowman had to be taken to the ground after he refused to allow the officers to put handcuffs on him. 

    Andrew Bowman gave the officers incorrect details, stating he was called David Wilkes and a wrong address. 

    The incident ended with police attendance resulting in Andrew and Sidney Bowman providing their correct details.

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: 

    These sentences handed out show that the courts will not allow assault of public servants to go unpunished.  

    It sends out a strong message to other people trying to stop our officers from performing their duties. 

    Our officers do endure abuse and threats of violence in carrying out important work to protect people and the environment.  

    The Environment Agency will not hesitate to prosecute those that obstruct or assault its staff. 

    If people suspect illegal fishing incidents they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060.

    Background

    The charges:

    Andrew Bowman 

    On the 6 September 2023, assaulted an emergency worker, namely a person (other than a constable) who has the powers of a constable, acting in the exercise of his functions as such a worker, by beating him. Contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018. 

    On 6 September 2023, assaulted an emergency worker, namely a person (other than a constable) who has the powers of a constable, acting in the exercise of his functions as such a worker. Contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.  

    On 6 September 2023, obstructed a Water Bailiff, a constable in the execution of his duty. Contrary to Section 89(2) of the Police Act 1996.  

    On 6 September 2023, obstructed a Water Bailiff, a constable in the execution of his duty. Contrary to Section 89(2) of the Police Act 1996.  

    On 6 September 2023, at Poole Hall Fisheries, Alverley, in a place where fishing is regulated, was fishing and he was not entitled to do so by virtue of a fishing licence. Contrary to section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. 

    Sidney Bowman 

    On 6 September 2023, assaulted an emergency worker, namely a person (other than a constable) who has the powers of a constable, acting in the exercise of his functions as such a worker, by beating him. Contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.  

    On 6 September 2023, assaulted an emergency worker, namely a person (other than a constable) who has the powers of a constable, acting in the exercise of his functions as such a worker. Contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.  

    On 6th September 2023, in a place where fishing is regulated, was fishing and he was not entitled to do so by virtue of a fishing licence. Contrary to section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New action plan will help to increase house-building in Stoke-on-Trent

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Friday, 23rd May 2025

    An action plan has been drawn up to increase the number of new homes built in Stoke-on-Trent.

    The city council has compiled the plan to outline how it will increase the delivery of new homes in the city in future years.

    It includes a number of measures, such as reviewing the planning application process, engaging with developers and progressing with the local plan.

    The authority will also seek to close the “viability gap” for potential developers by unlocking development on council-owned land and collaborating with Homes England to deliver a number of sites.

    The plan will be supported by £60 million of grant funding which has been secured to speed up housing delivery. The money comes from a number of government-funded national pots including the Housing Infrastructure Fund, the Brownfield Land Remediation Fund and the Affordable Homes Programme.

    Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We are committed to giving residents more choice by providing them with a wide range of high-quality and affordable housing options.

    “We have faced a number of challenges when it comes to home-building in the city, including the lack of available sites, developers failing to deliver after being granted planning permission and a viability gap for some developments caused by historically low house prices.

    “Our action plan sets out the steps we are taking to improve housing delivery in the city, enabling us to provide new homes for people of all backgrounds.”

    The action plan has been developed on the back of the government’s Housing Delivery Test (HDT) which measures housing delivery in a local authority area.

    The latest HDT found that the city council is currently performing at 91 per cent, delivering a total of 1,397 new homes between April 2020 and March 2023, compared to the required 1,536 homes.

    Cabinet is being asked to approve the Stoke-on-Trent Housing Delivery Action Plan at a meeting on Tuesday 27 May.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Swift action by environment officer and fire service averts major wild 23 May 2025 Swift action by environment officer and fire service averts major wildfire in Sandown

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    A potentially devastating wildfire in Sandown was swiftly brought under control last week, thanks to the quick thinking of a local environment officer and the rapid response of Island firefighters.

    While on a routine inspection last Friday, Davide Fossa spotted smoke rising from the undergrowth near to Browns Golf and Dinosaur Isle.

    Recognising the danger, he immediately called 999 and began directing people away from the area to ensure their safety.

    “I knew every second counted,” said Davide. “I made the call, then focused on keeping people at a safe distance until the fire crews arrived. It could have spread so quickly.”

    Within minutes, firefighters arrived and launched what Davide described as a “military-style operation.”

    “They knew exactly what to do,” he said. “It was like watching a well-drilled unit in action. They moved with precision, coordinated their efforts seamlessly, and brought the fire under control before it had a chance to spread. It was incredibly impressive.”

    Thanks to their swift and strategic response, the blaze was contained and extinguished before it could threaten nearby homes, businesses, or the wider nature reserve.

    Davide is one of four dedicated environment officers working for the Isle of Wight Council. This small but highly skilled team play a vital role in safeguarding the Island’s natural environment and making the Island a cleaner, greener place to live and visit.

    The environment officers undertake a number of duties, including inspection of playgrounds, parks and open spaces, and enforcing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

    The team also enforces a range of environmental regulations, including those related to waste management, fly-tipping and littering, helping to maintain standards and prevent harm to the environment.

    In addition to their enforcement duties, they work closely with the community to promote sustainable practices, offering guidance and education to encourage greater environmental awareness and responsibility among residents and visitors alike.

    Their work often takes them into remote or ecologically sensitive areas, where early detection of issues like wildfires can make a critical difference.

    Some town, parish, and community councils — including Sandown — invest in an enhanced environment officer service, supplementing the core provision offered by the Isle of Wight Council.

    This enhanced service can include additional patrols, one of which led to the early discovery of the fire.

    Natasha Dix, service director for waste, environment and planning, said: “Davide’s vigilance and calm response under pressure made all the difference. And we are deeply grateful to the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service for their swift and professional response.

    “Their teamwork ensured this incident didn’t escalate into something far more serious.”

    Sandown Mayor, Councillor Alex Lightfoot, said: “We are grateful for the actions taken by Sandown’s environment officer, and the swift response from our fire service.

    “This just demonstrates the value of our partnership working between Sandown Town Council and the Isle of Wight Council.”

    A spokesperson from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) added: “Our crews worked extremely hard in the hot weather to contain and extinguish the fire and protect neighbouring heathland.

    “This fire destroyed a large area of grassland, and is just one example of the devastation these outdoor fires can have, damaging our green spaces.

    “Although we don’t know what caused this blaze, we ask that when you’re out enjoying the countryside that you do so responsibly and help prevent wildfires by following our safety guidance.”

    Authorities are reminding residents and visitors to remain vigilant during dry weather and to report any signs of smoke or fire immediately.

    Staying Safe During Dry Weather: Fire Prevention Tips

    With warmer, drier summers becoming more common, the risk of wildfires increases. Here are some simple but important steps everyone can take to help prevent fires:

    • Never leave barbecues and campfires unattended, and ensure they are fully extinguished after use.
    • Avoid using disposable barbecues in parks, nature reserves, or near dry grass.
    • Download the What3Words app on your phone to help the fire service pinpoint incidents.
    • Do not discard cigarettes or matches on the ground — use proper bins or take them with you.
    • Keep glass bottles out of direct sunlight, as they can magnify heat and ignite dry grass.
    • Report any signs of smoke or fire immediately by calling 999.
    • By staying alert and acting responsibly, we can all help protect our beautiful landscapes and communities.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tianjin decides to standardize English translation of signs and markers in public places for SCO summit

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    TIANJIN, May 23 (Xinhua) — The northern Chinese city of Tianjin, which will host the next summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) this fall, has published a guide to standardize the English translation of identification signs in public places.

    The document was recently released by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government. The move is aimed at improving the translation quality of signs in public places and improving the city’s language environment for foreigners.

    As part of the work to compile the guide, a team led by Zhou Wei, vice dean of the School of Advanced Translation at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, conducted research in public places such as the airport, subway, hotels, and train stations, finding many errors in translations from Chinese to English.

    According to experts, as the number of foreigners visiting Tianjin increases, everything from foreign-language signs and markers in public places to language services related to cultural and tourism consumption directly affects foreigners’ perception of Tianjin.

    “We also used artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies to develop a translation verification system and a multilingual service platform, which have greatly improved the translation efficiency and quality,” Zhou Wei said.

    According to her, this AI system can provide several translation options, compare their pros and cons, and give professional recommendations.

    As Luan Jianzhang, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, noted, promoting the creation of a language environment oriented toward foreigners can better showcase Tianjin’s image as an open, inclusive, internationalized and modern city to the outside world. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: There are over 7,000 biological species in Beijing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — Beijing has a rich ecological landscape with 7,121 species in 151 natural and semi-natural ecosystems, according to the city’s first-ever white paper on biodiversity.

    These figures, based on field studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, show that Beijing is one of the most biodiverse megacities in the world and highlight the city’s authorities’ significant achievements in preserving biodiversity in the capital.

    The white paper, released on Thursday, was jointly published by the Beijing Ecology and Environment Administration, the Beijing Planning and Resources Commission, the Beijing Agriculture and Rural Affairs Administration and the Beijing Gardening and Greening Administration.

    According to Liu Xianshu, deputy head of the city’s ecology and environment bureau, the field survey recorded 151 types of natural and semi-natural ecosystems, including forests, shrublands, grasslands, marshes and aquatic vegetation.

    The 7,121 species recorded are represented by groups such as algae, higher plants, vertebrates, insects, large fungi and large benthic invertebrates, she added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN Security Council Condemns Terror Attack in Pakistan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the attack on a school bus in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Wednesday.

    In a press statement, the SC members “condemned in the strongest possible terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” in Khuzdar town.

    “This reprehensible terrorist attack resulted in the tragic death of at least six Pakistani citizens, including four schoolchildren, and injured 53 others, 39 of whom were children,” the statement said.

    The Security Council members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan. They stressed the need to bring to justice the perpetrators and organizers of the terrorist attacks, as well as those who finance and support them.

    Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations represents one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, Security Council members said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Urumqi Tianshan Airport Records Significant Increase in Foreign Passenger Arrivals to China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    URUMQI, May 23 (Xinhua) — The number of foreign passengers arriving in China via Tianshan Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has increased significantly since early May, according to the Urumqi Border Checkpoint.

    According to statistics, from May 1 to 21, the total number of Chinese border crossings in both directions through the checkpoint at Tianshan Airport was 61,530 people-times, 749 international flights were processed, which is 82.7 percent and 134.7 percent more compared to the same period last year, respectively. The incoming foreign passenger flow of the airport during the reporting period increased by 75.7 percent year-on-year and exceeded 8,900 people-times, accounting for about 14.47 percent of the country’s total. Broken down by country, the largest share was among citizens of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan and other countries.

    Urumqi Tianshan Airport is the closest airport to the countries of Central and East Asia and Europe that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, with 24-hour service. It is a key transportation hub in northwest China, ensuring smooth international traffic. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burham to discuss the benefits of the recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • The deals benefit the automotive sector that supports 15,000 jobs.

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester. 
      
    Reductions in tariffs on automobile exports have provided security for 15,000 workers.   

    Opens up the region to greater investment to grow the economy, raise living standards and put more money into working people’s pockets – priorities of our Plan for Change. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for the automotive sector in the region that employs 15,000 workers.

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.  

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Manchester.

    32,962 people employed in agriculture across the North West will also benefit from our trade deal with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning produce grown and farmed in the region has easy access to the UK’s biggest trading partner. 

    British steel exports are also protected from new rules and restrictive tariffs from the EU, supporting 4,300 people working in the steel industry across the North West. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.   

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.   

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Manchester, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    India is a significant marker for the Northwest where over 900 business exported goods worth £412 million last year. 

    Home to iconic car companies such as Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley, this sector will benefit from measures that reduce automative tariffs from over 100% to 10% under a quota.

    This is in addition to the region welcoming investment from businesses in India with IndiGo, India’s biggest airline carrier choosing Manchester as its first ever European destination. 

    Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: 

    At Manchester Airport, our mission is to connect the North with the world, helping people visit new places, connecting businesses with key global markets, and welcoming tourists and investors to our region.  

    That is why I am proud that IndiGo – India’s biggest carrier – has chosen Manchester, alongside Amsterdam, as its first ever European destinations.   

    We know connectivity is a key enabler of trade and productivity. By providing direct access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, this route will deliver a significant boost to the government’s economic growth mission and coincides perfectly with new of a new UK-India trade deal.

    In the same week as the agreement with India, we negotiated the first of its kind deal with the US to reduce tariffs on car exports. Both of these arrangements secure greater certainty for the sector, the 15,000 workers and their families, while also enhancing opportunities for manufacturing in the region to grow. 

    Manchester will also benefit from access to India’s growing telecommunications market and the commitment in our US deal to increase digital trade and access for the world leading industries in the city. 

    Just this week, the Prime Minister confirmed a new agreement with the European Union that will deliver on his core mission to grow the economy, create more jobs in South Yorkshire, raising living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.   

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –