NewzIntel.com

Category: Finance

  • EAM Jaishankar meets heads of US FBI and National Intelligence

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with two top US intelligence officials – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – on Wednesday.

    In a post on X, Jaishankar noted that he had a “good exchange on the global situation and bilateral cooperation” with Gabbard.

    He also shared details of his meeting with Patel, stating, “Great to meet FBI Director Kash Patel. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”

    Counterterrorism remains a key area of collaboration between India and the United States. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, both countries signed the India-US Counterterrorism Initiative in 2010. This cooperation has expanded over the years through frameworks such as the India-US Working Group on Counterterrorism and the US-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which work to identify terrorists and affiliated organisations globally.

    For the US, combating drug smuggling continues to be a major focus – particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

    Coinciding with Jaishankar’s meetings in Washington, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in India announced a major crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling network operating between India and the US.

    According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the arrest of a key figure in the network by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).

    “Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama, was arrested following a coordinated operation, which led to the seizure of more than 17,000 tablets of controlled medication,” the MHA said. It added that an Indian-American—identified as the network’s primary money launderer—is currently awaiting indictment.

    On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.

    In addition to his meetings with Gabbard and Patel, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, focusing on key areas of India-US cooperation.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • EAM Jaishankar meets heads of US FBI and National Intelligence

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with two top US intelligence officials – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – on Wednesday.

    In a post on X, Jaishankar noted that he had a “good exchange on the global situation and bilateral cooperation” with Gabbard.

    He also shared details of his meeting with Patel, stating, “Great to meet FBI Director Kash Patel. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”

    Counterterrorism remains a key area of collaboration between India and the United States. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, both countries signed the India-US Counterterrorism Initiative in 2010. This cooperation has expanded over the years through frameworks such as the India-US Working Group on Counterterrorism and the US-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which work to identify terrorists and affiliated organisations globally.

    For the US, combating drug smuggling continues to be a major focus – particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

    Coinciding with Jaishankar’s meetings in Washington, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in India announced a major crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling network operating between India and the US.

    According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the arrest of a key figure in the network by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).

    “Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama, was arrested following a coordinated operation, which led to the seizure of more than 17,000 tablets of controlled medication,” the MHA said. It added that an Indian-American—identified as the network’s primary money launderer—is currently awaiting indictment.

    On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.

    In addition to his meetings with Gabbard and Patel, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, focusing on key areas of India-US cooperation.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Upcoming maintenance work to improve safety on State Highway 2 – Upper Hutt

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising drivers that critical safety barrier repairs and other maintenance work on State Highway 2 in Upper Hutt will begin on Sunday 13 July, weather permitting.

    • One-week of night closures for various sections of State Highway 2 are planned, for Sunday, 13 July to Thursday, 17 July between 9 pm and 4 am.
    • State Highway 2 will be closed overnight between Silverstream and Whakatiki Street on Sunday 13 July and Monday 14 July. 
    • State Highway 2 will be closed overnight between Whakatiki Street and Gibbons Street on Tuesday 15 July night.
    • State Highway 2 will be closed overnight between Gibbons Street and Totara Park Road on Wednesday 16 July and Thursday 17 July.

    Three sections of wire rope barrier and one section of roadside barrier require repairs. Because the barriers are next to live traffic lanes, road closures are required to keep road crews safe.

    Resurfacing patches and line marking will also take place to make the most of the road closure. These works will make the state highway safer and more resilient.

    Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager, says the work is essential because safety barriers can literally be the difference between life and death.

    “Median barriers virtually eliminate head-on crashes and reduce deaths and serious injuries from run-off-road crashes by around 40 to 50 percent.

    “For the safety of all road users it’s vital that we repair barriers after they are struck and damaged. Investing in repairs helps reduce crash risk and the chance of people being hurt or killed. The sooner we do it, the safer road users will be.” Ms Hilliard says.

    “NZTA understands that the delays for road users while repairs are carried out are inconvenient, but serious crashes cause even greater delays and can see roads closed for hours,” Ms Hilliard says.

    Works schedule and detour routes

    • 13 July and 14 July, 9pm to 4am
      • SH2 closed between Silverstream and Whakatiki Street
      • Local road detour via Silverstream bridge, Fergusson Drive, and Whakatiki Street
      • Residents of Riverstone Terraces will have access at all times when travelling northbound. Residents travelling southbound will need to take the detour south, then travel back north to Riverstone Terraces.
    • 15 July, 9pm to 4am
      • SH2 closed between Whakatiki Street and Gibbons Street
      • Local road detour via Whakatiki Street, Fergusson Drive, and Gibbons Street
    • 16 July and 17 July, 9pm to 4am
      • SH2 closed between Gibbons Street and Totara Park Road
      • Local road detour via Gibbons Street, Main Street, Fergusson Drive, and Totara Park Road

    More information

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • Indian stock market opens higher, Sensex above 83,400

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Thursday amid positive global cues, with buying seen in the IT, pharma and auto sectors in early trade.

    At around 9:25 am, the Sensex was trading 68.28 points or 0.08 per cent higher at 83,477.97, while the Nifty added 19.30 points or 0.08 per cent to reach 25,472.70.

    Analysts said the market is currently consolidating the recent bullish rectangle breakout, and as long as the 25,200–25,270 range holds, bulls are merely taking a breather.

    “Below 25,200, we risk a slide to 25,000. On the upside, the recent swing high at 25,670 is where the next bullish trigger lies,” said Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities.

    With the deadline for the US tariff pause expiring next week, it remains to be seen whether the current global optimism will hold.

    “Today is the weekly derivatives expiry, so higher-than-usual volatility may be seen,” he added.

    The Nifty Bank was down 9.90 points or 0.02 per cent at 56,989.30 in early trade.

    The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,645.25, down 22 points or 0.04 per cent. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index stood at 18,969.35, declining 7.75 points or 0.04 per cent.

    In the Sensex pack, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, BEL, Titan, Axis Bank, NTPC, SBI, HCL Tech and ITC were among the top losers.

    On the other hand, Eternal (earlier Zomato), Asian Paints, M&M, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and ICICI Bank were among the top gainers.

    Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their selling on July 2, offloading equities worth ₹1,561.62 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued their buying spree, purchasing equities worth ₹3,036.68 crore on the same day.

    In Asian markets, Bangkok, China, Japan, Seoul and Jakarta were trading in the green, whereas only Hong Kong was in the red.

    In the last trading session, the Dow Jones in the US closed at 44,484.42, down 10.52 points or 0.02 per cent. The S&P 500 ended with a gain of 29.41 points or 0.47 per cent at 6,227.42, while the Nasdaq closed at 20,393.13, up 190.24 points or 0.94 per cent.

    Analysts said the US-Vietnam trade deal indicates the US administration’s eagerness to secure as many trade agreements as possible, as deals with the EU and Japan appear unlikely in the near term.

    — IANS

  • WHO pushes countries to raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50%

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.

    The United Nations health agency said the move would help cut consumption of the products, which contribute to diseases like diabetes and some cancers, as well as raising money at a time when development aid is shrinking and public debt rising.

    “Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO assistant-director general of health promotion and disease prevention and control. “It’s time to act.”

    The WHO launched the push, which it is called “3 by 35” at the UN Finance for Development conference in Seville.

    WHO said that its tax initiative could raise $1 trillion by 2035 based on evidence from health taxes in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.

    The WHO has backed tobacco taxes and price rises for decades, and has called for taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in recent years, but this is the first time it has suggested a target price rise for all three products.

    WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference that the taxes could help governments “adjust to the new reality” and bolster their own health systems with the money raised.

    Many low and middle-income countries are coping with cuts to aid spending led by the United States, which is not attending the Seville conference. The U.S. is also in the process of withdrawing from the WHO.

    FROM $4 to $10

    As an example, the initiative would mean a government in a middle-income country raising taxes on the product to push the price up from $4 today to $10 by 2035, taking into account inflation, said WHO health economist Guillermo Sandoval.

    Nearly 140 countries had already raised tobacco taxes and therefore prices by over 50% on average between 2012 and 2022, the WHO added.

    Sandoval said the WHO was also considering broader taxation recommendations, including on ultra-processed food, after the agency finalises its definition of that type of food in the coming months. But he added that the agency expected pushback from the industries involved.

    The initiative is also backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and involves support for countries who want to take action.

    (Reuters)

  • RBI issues advisory to banks for integration of DoT’s Financial Fraud Risk Indicator

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) welcomes the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) advisory issued on June 30, directing all Scheduled Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Payments Banks and Co-operative Banks to integrate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) developed by DoT into their systems.

    This major step is expected to strengthen efforts to curb cyber-enabled financial frauds and boost collaboration between key agencies to protect citizens in the expanding digital economy. The integration will automate data exchange between banks and DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) through secure API-based systems, allowing for real-time fraud risk checks and continuous updates.

    What is the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator and How Will It Help?

    Launched in May 2025 by DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU), the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator is a risk-based tool that classifies mobile numbers as Medium, High or Very High risk based on data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, DoT’s Chakshu platform and intelligence inputs from banks and financial institutions.

    Using the FRI, banks can take immediate preventive steps such as declining suspicious transactions, alerting customers, or delaying high-risk transactions. DoT’s DIU also shares a Mobile Number Revocation List with stakeholders, which includes numbers disconnected due to links with cybercrime or misuse.

    The system is already being used by major institutions including PhonePe, Punjab National Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Paytm and India Post Payments Bank. With UPI being widely used across India, the wider adoption of FRI is expected to protect millions of users from online fraud.

    DoT has reiterated its commitment to support banks and financial institutions with technology-driven, coordinated solutions like the FRI. The move aligns with the Government’s Digital India vision and aims to strengthen digital trust, improve fraud detection and enhance resilience across the financial ecosystem.

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Three men charged with Criminal Code Assault

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Three men charged with Criminal Code Assault

    Thursday, 3 July 2025 – 1:23 pm.

    Police have today charged three men with Criminal Code Assault and destroying property following an incident outside Mood Food, Burnie, in the early hours of Wednesday 2 July.
    Police allege the 18 year old, 19 year old and 41 year old men – all of Somerset – assaulted an 18 year old man and damaged his vehicle while in possession of a bat.
    The victim was transported to hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for his injuries and discharged.
    The three men were subsequently arrested later that day by members of the Western Criminal Investigation Branch, and have since been charged.
    They will appear in the Burnie Magistrates Court at a later date.
    Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au quoting Offence Report 778979. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police investigating serious crash at Myalla

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police investigating serious crash at Myalla

    Thursday, 3 July 2025 – 1:28 pm.

    A driver remains in hospital after a serious vehicle rollover at Myalla in North West Tasmania overnight.
    Police and emergency services were called to Scotts Road just before 11pm Wednesday 2 July after reports a car had rolled down an embankment.
    The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was transported to the North West Regional Hospital with serious head injuries.
    Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Here’s how President Trump’s tax cuts for the ultra-rich will hurt YOU

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 2, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – As House Republicans vote on the measure as soon as tonight, President Trump’s “big beautiful” national debt-adding bill is a massive tax break for the wealthiest Americans, at the cost of programs and services used by everyday families. It gives tax breaks to the ultra-rich, balloons our national debt, and guts programs that most Americans depend on – including health care, food assistance, and public safety programs. Allow us to demonstrate:

    A plan for the ultra-rich

    Starting in 2029, those making $30,000 a year or less would see a tax increase, while the top 0.1 percent would get a $309,000 tax cut, on average – an annual tax break that is more than three times what the typical American household earns in an entire year. 

    Oh, and the “no taxes on tips” program that Trump keeps raving about? Many workers will see little to no benefit. The program for tipped workers is temporary, expiring in 2028, meanwhile the tax cut for the ultra-wealthy is permanent. By 2029, those earning less than $30,000 a year will see their taxes increase, on average. These same families will also be harmed by cuts to health care and food assistance. 

    Here’s how Trump’s plan will hurt you

    This bill is a complete betrayal of Americans by the Trump administration. Not only does it cut programs for families trying to make ends meet, but decimates middle-class opportunities – including health care and children’s access to college. 
     

    ❌ Eliminates American taxpayer jobs

    • Puts 686,000 California jobs at risk, through the elimination of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. NABTU says that if enacted, “this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country.”

    ❌ Significantly cuts critical family support programs

    • More than $28.4 billion slashed in federal Medicaid funding to California – increasing medical debt and jeopardizing health care providers’ ability to keep their doors open.
    • More than 11 million newly uninsured for health care nationally.
    • Roughly 17 million people would lose coverage and become uninsured by 2034 due to various Medicaid reductions and the exclusion of enhanced premium subsidies.
    • Cuts necessary food assistance for people for 3 million people nationwide in need of quality nutrition and food.
    • Establishes a tax hike for parents who pay for child care.
    • Rural hospitals across the state are likely to see care offered cut or doors closed entirely.

    ❌ Defunds public safety

    • $646 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for violence and terrorism prevention.
    • $545 million from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), cutting its workforce by more than 2,000 personnel and reducing its capacity to keep criminals off the street. 
    • $491 million from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), making our cyber and physical infrastructure more vulnerable to attack.
    • $468 million from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), greatly reducing its ability to crack down on firearm trafficking and reduce gun violence.
    • $212 million from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), greatly reducing its capacity to help state and local law enforcement and weakening efforts to fight international drug smuggling impacting the United States.
    • $107 million from Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Public Safety and Justice, exacerbating current understaffing and making tribal communities less safe.

    ❌ Endangers wildfire-prone communities

    • Cuts wildfire prevention programs like – raking the forests, forest management services – and eliminates personnel hired to fight wildfires.

    ❌ Defunds Planned Parenthood

    • Defunds Planned Parenthood – essentially creating a backdoor abortion ban – that could put health care for 1.1 million patients at risk and force nearly 200 health centers to close, mostly in states where abortion is legal.

    ❌ Unfairly targets green vehicles 

    • Creates penalties for families who own a hybrid or electric vehicle – increasing the cost of taking personal responsibility even more.

    ❌ Unjustly targets American students

    • Takes away college access from millions of children by limiting families’ ability to access financial aid for college, including Pell Grants. 
    • Betrays student loan borrowers by ending student loan deferment for borrowers who experience job loss or other financial hardships, and forbids any future student loan forgiveness programs. 

    ❌ Raises costs and separates American families

    • Pours billions of dollars into supercharging the cruel and reckless raids like we have seen in Southern California and across agricultural areas, expanding the targeting of families, workers and businesses and harassment of U.S. citizens nationwide. Americans overwhelmingly agree we should have a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who have been here for years, pay their taxes, and are good members of their communities, such as farmworkers, Dreamers, and mixed-status families. 

    Recent news

    Jul 2, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: Tamie McGowen, of Folsom, has been appointed Senior Advisor for Strategy and Operations for the California State Transportation Agency. McGowen has been Deputy Secretary of…

    Jul 2, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement regarding the death of California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Cano:“Officer Miguel Cano dedicated his life to serving our communities, and his passing is a heartbreaking loss for the state and…

    Jul 2, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom is more than doubling the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, and adding 16 new television projects that will generate $1.1 billion in new economic activity. BURBANK – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom joined labor…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: DMG Blockchain Solutions Announces Preliminary June Operational Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: DMGI) (OTCQB: DMGGF) (FRANKFURT: 6AX) (“DMG” or the “Company”), a vertically integrated blockchain and data center technology company, today announces its preliminary operational results for June 2025:

    • Bitcoin mined: 23 BTC (vs 31 BTC in May 2025)
    • Hashrate: 1.56 EH/s (vs 1.89 EH/s in May 2025)
    • Bitcoin balance: 341 BTC (vs 350 BTC in May 2025)

    During June 2025, DMG’s realized hashrate was 1.56 EH/s, down 18% from the 1.89 EH/s reported in May, as the Company experienced an unscheduled electrical outage of nearly two days at its Christina Lake facility and faced continued challenges operating its hydro infrastructure.

    In particular, a regional lightning storm resulted in the tripping of a main substation breaker that required extensive servicing. In addition, DMG’s hydro infrastructure has been experiencing downtime related to contamination due to manufacturer quality control issues. This problem has been actively addressed over the past several weeks. The Company believes that with additional servicing and close monitoring, it can bring the hashrate of its current hydro mining capacity closer to its 0.4 EH/s potential, even as the summer heat sets in. The hydro miners are designed to operate in ambient temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, albeit at lower efficiencies.

    Based on experience gained from its initial 6-megawatt hydro mining container build-out, DMG now plans to source new hydro infrastructure from alternative manufacturers; for its planned Christina Lake building hydro deployment, the Company will utilize its existing electrical distribution and shelving, while sourcing key hydro infrastructure components from best-of-breed vendors. This should simplify the transition from air-cooled to direct liquid-cooled mining, while giving DMG improved quality control over its supply chain and infrastructure component integration. DMG intends to build a pilot system in its Christina Lake building this summer ahead of its planned expansion to grow to 3 EH/s by the end of calendar 2025.

    DMG’s bitcoin balance was 341 BTC at the end of June. The Company sold bitcoin during the month to fund operating expenses and further reduce its loan balance with Sygnum Bank, in line with prior guidance.

    Agreement for a New Bitcoin Mining Site in Canada outside of British Columbia

    DMG announces it has executed a binding agreement following its May 2023 announcement to develop a new data processing center with access to low-cost renewable energy located in a Canadian province outside of British Columbia. The agreement supports DMG’s longer-term strategy to identify pockets of low-cost energy, based on which it intends to eventually operate the majority of its Bitcoin mining fleet. Once fully operational, DMG expects to initially add approximately 1 EH/s of Bitcoin mining capacity, depending on the selected equipment and the commissioning timeframe, currently projected for the second half of calendar 2026.

    DMG’s CEO, Sheldon Bennett, commented, “In June, we encountered several unforeseen issues with our Bitcoin mining infrastructure, but we also advanced our longer-term objective to migrate our Bitcoin mining to where energy is less expensive. We continue to make progress in our discussions with Canadian governmental agencies, with a focus on the Department of National Defence, as Canada has pledged to increase its military spending, with AI as a key pillar of that growth. Regarding Systemic Trust, we remain encouraged regarding custody clients onboarding to the platform as well as expanding the platform capability beyond custody.”

    Grant of Stock Options and RSUs

    DMG announces the granting of stock options and RSUs to employees and directors of the Company. A total of 201,607 stock options (“Options”) and 1,275,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) have been granted. The Options are exercisable over five years at a price of $0.285 per share, with vesting in 25% increments on the six-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month anniversaries of the grant date. The RSUs vest in one year; these grants are designed to create an incentive structure that aligns longer-term performance with the Company’s growth.

    About DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc.

    DMG is a publicly traded and vertically integrated blockchain and data center technology company that manages, operates and develops end-to-end digital solutions to monetize the digital asset and artificial intelligence compute ecosystems. Systemic Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of DMG, is an integral component of DMG’s carbon-neutral Bitcoin ecosystem, which enables financial institutions to move Bitcoin in a sustainable and regulatory-compliant manner.

    For additional information about DMG Blockchain Solutions and its initiatives, please visit www.dmgblockchain.com. Follow @dmgblockchain on X, LinkedIn and Facebook, and subscribe to the DMG YouTube channel to stay updated with the latest developments and insights.

    For further information, please contact:

    On behalf of the Board of Directors,

    Sheldon Bennett, CEO & Director
    Tel: +1 (778) 300-5406
    Email: investors@dmgblockchain.com
    Web: www.dmgblockchain.com

    For Investor Relations:
    investors@dmgblockchain.com

    For Media Inquiries:
    Chantelle Borrelli
    Head of Communications
    chantelle@dmgblockchain.com

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains forward-looking information or statements based on current expectations. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements regarding DMG’s strategies and plans, executing on DMG’s broader strategy to shift its data center capacity towards AI, increasing hashrate, the planned expansion to grow to 3 EH/s by the end of calendar 2025, sourcing hydro infrastructure from alternative manufacturers, securing new clients for the Systemic Trust digital asset custody subsidiary, the opportunity and plans to monetize bitcoin transactions and provide additional products and services to customers and users, the continued investment in Bitcoin network software infrastructure and applications, the expected allocation of capital, developing and executing on the Company’s products and services, increasing self-mining, increasing hashrate, efforts to improve the operation of its mining fleet, the launch of products and services, events, courses of action, and the potential of the Company’s technology and operations, among others, are all forward-looking information.

    Future changes in the Bitcoin network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hashrate may materially affect the future performance of DMG’s production of bitcoin, and future operating results could also be materially affected by the price of bitcoin and an increase in hashrate mining difficulty.

    Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as “may”, “expect”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “believe” and “continue” or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, market and other conditions, volatility in the trading price of the common shares of the Company, business, economic and capital market conditions; the ability to manage operating expenses, which may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition; the ability to remain competitive as other better financed competitors develop and release competitive products; regulatory uncertainties; access to equipment; market conditions and the demand and pricing for products; the demand and pricing of bitcoin; the demand and pricing of AI data centers and usage; security threats, including a loss/theft of DMG’s bitcoin; DMG’s relationships with its customers, distributors and business partners; the inability to add more power to DMG’s facilities; DMG’s ability to successfully define, design and release new products in a timely manner that meet customers’ needs; the ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; competition in the industry; the impact of technology changes on the products and industry; failure to develop new and innovative products; the ability to successfully maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; the impact of intellectual property litigation that could materially and adversely affect the business; the ability to manage working capital; and the dependence on key personnel. DMG may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, the ability to successfully develop software, that there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business, anticipated costs, the ability to secure sufficient capital to complete its business plans, the ability to achieve goals and the price of bitcoin. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The securities of DMG are considered highly speculative due to the nature of DMG’s business. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Company’s filings on www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, DMG’s past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approval, the continued availability of capital and financing, equipment and/or infrastructure failures, lack of supply of equipment, power and infrastructure, failure to obtain any permits required to operate the business, the impact of technology changes on the industry, the impact of viruses and diseases on the Company’s ability to operate, secure equipment, and hire personnel, competition, security threats including stolen bitcoin from DMG or its customers, consumer sentiment towards DMG’s products, services and blockchain and AI technology generally, failure to develop new and innovative products, litigation, adverse weather or climate events, increase in operating costs, increase in equipment and labor costs, equipment failures, decrease in the price of Bitcoin, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of or statements made by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Aviation – New Zealand welcomes aviation system safety audit – CAA

    Source: Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA)

    The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) welcomes auditors from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) who will undertake a full safety audit of New Zealand’s aviation system from 9 – 22 July 2025.

    ICAO auditors will conduct an on-site audit of New Zealand’s aviation system and overall capability for safety oversight. This will be carried out via validation of information provided during the earlier preparation phase, and through a series of detailed interviews with CAA, the Ministry of Transport, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, and other organisations operating in New Zealand’s aviation system.

    New Zealand is an active participant in the international aviation community and a member of the ICAO.

    CAA Deputy Chief Executive, System, Strategy and Policy, John Kay said New Zealand is committed to global aviation safety standards.

    “As active stewards of the civil aviation regulatory system, we welcome the audit as an opportunity to continuously evolve the safety and security standards and internationally recommended practices that keep New Zealand skies safe and secure.

    “The transparency and accountability built into this process further help us maintain public confidence and international trust in New Zealand’s aviation system.”

    The results of the audit will be available by early 2026, and any findings that require action will be addressed through a corrective action plan led by CAA.

    While the full audit report will remain confidential, ICAO will publicly release the Effective Implementation score, which reflects the degree to which the state complies with ICAO’s international aviation safety oversight requirements.

    CAA maintains formal engagement relationships with ICAO, as well as with other state aviation regulatory authorities worldwide. A range of diplomatic and technical relationships help ensure that international standards and agreements reflect the regulatory outcomes desired by New Zealand.

    Read more about the ICAO on the CAA website: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): https://govt.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f87e4df3e4e99e9d7eb7b4c7e&id=55c32552c5&e=f0dc75bbf6

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: MoneyHero Group Launches First Annual SingSaver Best-Of Awards to Recognise Excellence in Personal Financial Products

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) (“MoneyHero” or the “Company”), a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia, today announced the launch of “SingSaver Best-Of Awards”, an annual awards programme recognising Singapore’s most outstanding personal finance products.

    The new awards programme will spotlight 45 exceptional personal finance products across categories including credit cards, digital banks, investing, and insurance. Each product will be rigorously evaluated by the MoneyHero Group team, alongside an esteemed panel of prominent local personal finance influencers. Judging criteria include annual fees, interest rates, sign-up incentives, bonus offers, rewards earn rates, user experience, coverage scope, and policy flexibility.

    The awards aim to simplify financial decision-making by identifying and celebrating products that deliver outstanding value, helping Singaporeans navigate an increasingly complex financial marketplace with confidence. Winners will be celebrated at an exclusive gala dinner and awards ceremony on 17 July 2025 in Singapore, bringing together the country’s leading financial institutions, industry influencers, and media for an evening of recognition and networking.

    Rohith Murthy, CEO of MoneyHero, said: “The inaugural SingSaver Best-Of Awards reflect our decade-long legacy of helping Singaporeans make informed financial choices. We aim to highlight products that enhance consumers’ financial well-being through exceptional value and user experience. Our rigorous assessment process, supported by trusted voices from the personal finance community, ensures that these awards truly represent excellence and reliability in the marketplace.”

    A full list of categories, shortlisted products, and award ceremony details are available at:
    https://www.singsaver.com.sg/campaign/best-of-awards-announcement-2025

    Following the Singapore launch, MoneyHero Group plans to roll out similar awards programmes annually in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan. As the personal finance landscape continues to evolve, MoneyHero remains committed to spotlighting the industry’s best products and services, providing invaluable guidance to consumers throughout the region.

    Disclaimer

    The information provided on this press release is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. While MoneyHero reviews and compares financial products to help consumers make informed decisions, it does not offer or provide personalised recommendations or investment advisory services. Consumers should always conduct their own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions.

    MoneyHero has made reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in this press release is accurate and up to date as at the date of publication. However, MoneyHero makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information and accepts no liability (including liability to third parties) for any loss or damage arising from any error or omission in compiling or presenting such information, or reliance on the information provided.

    ​​​​​About SingSaver  

    SingSaver, part of MoneyHero Group (Nasdaq: MNY) – a market leading personal finance aggregation and comparison company in Greater Southeast Asia. Founded in May 2015, SingSaver has always been committed to matching consumers with the right financial products they need — from credit cards to personal loans, investing accounts to insurance policies, and much more. SingSaver helps thousands of consumers improve their money health with easy-to-use comparison platform along with impartial product reviews and extensive finance articles. For a full discovery, visit https://www.singsaver.com.sg/ 

    About MoneyHero Group

    MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) is a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia. The Company operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines.  Its brand portfolio includes B2C platforms MoneyHero, SingSaver, Money101, Moneymax and Seedly, as well as the B2B platform Creatory.  The Company also retains an equity stake in Malaysian fintech company, Jirnexu Pte. Ltd., parent company of Jirnexu Sdn. Bhd., the operator of RinggitPlus, Malaysia’s largest operating B2C platform. MoneyHero had over 260 commercial partner relationships as at 31 March 2025, and had approximately 5.7 million Monthly Unique Users across its platform for the three months ended 31 March 2025. The Company’s backers include Peter Thiel—co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and the Founders Fund—and Hong Kong businessman, Richard Li, the founder and chairman of Pacific Century Group. To learn more about MoneyHero and how the innovative fintech company is driving APAC’s digital economy, please visit www.MoneyHeroGroup.com.

    For inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations:
    MoneyHero IR Team
    IR@MoneyHeroGroup.com 

    Media Relations:
    MoneyHero PR Team
    Press@MoneyHeroGroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MoneyHero Group Launches First Annual SingSaver Best-Of Awards to Recognise Excellence in Personal Financial Products

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) (“MoneyHero” or the “Company”), a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia, today announced the launch of “SingSaver Best-Of Awards”, an annual awards programme recognising Singapore’s most outstanding personal finance products.

    The new awards programme will spotlight 45 exceptional personal finance products across categories including credit cards, digital banks, investing, and insurance. Each product will be rigorously evaluated by the MoneyHero Group team, alongside an esteemed panel of prominent local personal finance influencers. Judging criteria include annual fees, interest rates, sign-up incentives, bonus offers, rewards earn rates, user experience, coverage scope, and policy flexibility.

    The awards aim to simplify financial decision-making by identifying and celebrating products that deliver outstanding value, helping Singaporeans navigate an increasingly complex financial marketplace with confidence. Winners will be celebrated at an exclusive gala dinner and awards ceremony on 17 July 2025 in Singapore, bringing together the country’s leading financial institutions, industry influencers, and media for an evening of recognition and networking.

    Rohith Murthy, CEO of MoneyHero, said: “The inaugural SingSaver Best-Of Awards reflect our decade-long legacy of helping Singaporeans make informed financial choices. We aim to highlight products that enhance consumers’ financial well-being through exceptional value and user experience. Our rigorous assessment process, supported by trusted voices from the personal finance community, ensures that these awards truly represent excellence and reliability in the marketplace.”

    A full list of categories, shortlisted products, and award ceremony details are available at:
    https://www.singsaver.com.sg/campaign/best-of-awards-announcement-2025

    Following the Singapore launch, MoneyHero Group plans to roll out similar awards programmes annually in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan. As the personal finance landscape continues to evolve, MoneyHero remains committed to spotlighting the industry’s best products and services, providing invaluable guidance to consumers throughout the region.

    Disclaimer

    The information provided on this press release is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. While MoneyHero reviews and compares financial products to help consumers make informed decisions, it does not offer or provide personalised recommendations or investment advisory services. Consumers should always conduct their own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions.

    MoneyHero has made reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in this press release is accurate and up to date as at the date of publication. However, MoneyHero makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information and accepts no liability (including liability to third parties) for any loss or damage arising from any error or omission in compiling or presenting such information, or reliance on the information provided.

    ​​​​​About SingSaver  

    SingSaver, part of MoneyHero Group (Nasdaq: MNY) – a market leading personal finance aggregation and comparison company in Greater Southeast Asia. Founded in May 2015, SingSaver has always been committed to matching consumers with the right financial products they need — from credit cards to personal loans, investing accounts to insurance policies, and much more. SingSaver helps thousands of consumers improve their money health with easy-to-use comparison platform along with impartial product reviews and extensive finance articles. For a full discovery, visit https://www.singsaver.com.sg/ 

    About MoneyHero Group

    MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) is a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia. The Company operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines.  Its brand portfolio includes B2C platforms MoneyHero, SingSaver, Money101, Moneymax and Seedly, as well as the B2B platform Creatory.  The Company also retains an equity stake in Malaysian fintech company, Jirnexu Pte. Ltd., parent company of Jirnexu Sdn. Bhd., the operator of RinggitPlus, Malaysia’s largest operating B2C platform. MoneyHero had over 260 commercial partner relationships as at 31 March 2025, and had approximately 5.7 million Monthly Unique Users across its platform for the three months ended 31 March 2025. The Company’s backers include Peter Thiel—co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and the Founders Fund—and Hong Kong businessman, Richard Li, the founder and chairman of Pacific Century Group. To learn more about MoneyHero and how the innovative fintech company is driving APAC’s digital economy, please visit www.MoneyHeroGroup.com.

    For inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations:
    MoneyHero IR Team
    IR@MoneyHeroGroup.com 

    Media Relations:
    MoneyHero PR Team
    Press@MoneyHeroGroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Aggravated assault – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    NT Police are calling for information following an aggravated robbery that occurred in Katherine early this morning.

    Around 3:30am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that three unknown males had broken into a residence on Ronan Court wearing face coverings.

    It is alleged that the group gained entry to the residence by throwing a brick through the rear sliding door. They were armed with an axe, a shovel and a metal pole. One of the offenders subsequently broke through a bedroom door using an axe. The female victim inside the room at the time yelled and her husband awoke.

    At this time, one of the males entered the bedroom and stole several personal items. The male occupant then confronted the offenders, who began swinging their weapons toward the male. He was able to deflect their advances with a pole.

    A short time later, the offenders fled the scene, and the male and female victims secured themselves within their residence.

    Police attended and a crime scene was established. Both the male and female occupants were not injured during the incident.

    The alleged offenders remain outstanding. Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch and Strikeforce Ceberus are investigating the matter.

    Constable Matthew Ragless said, “The actions of these individuals are despicable, and incident was traumatising to the occupants of the residence.

    “Police urge residents with information or CCTV footage to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number NTP2500067393. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: COMPASS DIVERSIFIED SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits Against Compass Diversified Holdings – CODI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW ORLEANS, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until July 8, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Compass Diversified Holdings (NYSE: CODI), if they purchased the Company’s securities between March 1, 2023 and May 7, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

    Get Help

    Compass Diversified investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-codi/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

    About the Lawsuit

    Compass and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

    On May 7, 2025, the Company issued a press release entitled “Compass Diversified Discloses Non-Reliance on Financial Statements for Fiscal 2024 Amid an Ongoing Internal Investigation into its Subsidiary, Lugano Holding, Inc.,” disclosing that “the Audit Committee of CODI’s Board has concluded that the previously issued financial statements for 2024 require restatement and should no longer be relied upon” and that “[e]ffective May 7, 2025, Lugano’s founder and CEO, Moti Ferder, resigned from all of his positions at Lugano and will not receive any severance compensation.” The Company further disclosed that “[t]he Audit Committee of CODI’s Board of Directors promptly launched an investigation after CODI’s senior leadership was made aware of concerns about how Lugano was potentially financing inventory” and that “[t]he investigation . . . is ongoing but has preliminarily identified irregularities in Lugano’s non-CODI financing, accounting, and inventory practices.”

    On this news, the price of Compass’ shares plummeted approximately 62%, from $17.25 per share on May 7, 2025, to $6.55 per share on May 8, 2025.

    The case is Matthews v. Compass Group Diversified Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-981. A subsequent case, Tan v. Compass Group Diversified Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-5777, extended the class period.

    About ClaimsFiler

    ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

    To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wraps Up Anti-Scam Month with Over 65% of Participants Successfully Identifying Crypto Fraud Tactics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has successfully concluded its 2025 Anti-Scam Month, a global initiative aimed at elevating user awareness and resilience against Web3 fraud. Throughout June, Bitget rolled out a series of gamified education tools, expert collaborations, and industry research to confront the rising threat of AI-enabled scams and security breaches across the crypto ecosystem.

    At the heart of the campaign was the Smarter Eyes Challenge, an interactive comic-based mini-game simulating real-life scam scenarios—from phishing and social engineering to fake token approvals. While only 8.60% of participants spotted all traps on their first attempt, a striking 65.41% eventually passed all three levels after receiving guided security clues, underscoring both the scale of the awareness gap and the campaign’s tangible impact.

    Bitget published six in-depth blog posts tackling common attack vectors like SMS spoofing, fake apps, and high-risk tokens. Over 80% of users scored full marks in follow-up security quizzes, signaling a sharp improvement in scam detection capabilities following the campaign’s educational content.

    Another flagship milestone was the release of Bitget’s 2025 Anti-Scam Research Report, co-authored with blockchain security leaders SlowMist and Elliptic. The report revealed that global crypto scam losses surpassed $4.6 billion in 2024, with deepfakes and social engineering responsible for the majority of high-value attacks. The findings spotlighted the growing sophistication of AI-driven fraud, including synthetic public figure videos, Trojan-laced job offers, and fake Zoom calls used to deceive victims.

    Throughout the month, Bitget convened key voices in Web3 security—including Hacken, GoPlus, BlockSec, and Security Alliance—for an Anti-Scam X Space discussion. Experts weighed in on future threats, the evolving role of collaboration, and how users, platforms, and audit firms can work together to build a safer digital asset environment.

    “Anti-Scam Month reflects our belief that education is the first line of defense in crypto security,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “By turning passive users into active defenders, we’re laying the groundwork for a more resilient ecosystem. And this is only the beginning—the Anti-Scam Hub will remain open year-round as a permanent resource for our global community.”

    Echoing this sentiment, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-Founder & CBDO at Hacken, said, “Anti-Scam Month by Bitget is a fantastic initiative and a powerful example for the industry, demonstrating how companies can raise awareness, educate users, and reduce the risk of future hacks. Education truly is a vital part of this journey.”

    Yajin (Andy) Zhou, Co-Founder & CEO at BlockSec, added, “Hackers study user habits, such as copying addresses from transaction histories. Security efforts must focus on proactive defenses rather than blaming users. Security is not a solo battlefield. Blockchain platforms, compliance tools, and security firms must share threat intelligence to build a united defense system.”

    Michael Lewellen, Technical Council at Security Alliance, emphasized, “Security isn’t about being impossible to hack or scam users. It’s just being hard enough to discourage threat actors from investing effort in the attempt. We need to harden Web3 infrastructure enough so that this ecosystem is no longer an easy, profitable target.”

    The Bitget Anti-Scam Hub, now permanently live, offers users ongoing access to practical safety guides, real-time scam indicators, the official verification channel, and a crypto safety kit with 24/7 global support.

    For more details, please visit the Bitget Anti-Scam Hub here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8d159ce-8a24-4435-a26b-bbe8c16cee3d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wraps Up Anti-Scam Month with Over 65% of Participants Successfully Identifying Crypto Fraud Tactics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has successfully concluded its 2025 Anti-Scam Month, a global initiative aimed at elevating user awareness and resilience against Web3 fraud. Throughout June, Bitget rolled out a series of gamified education tools, expert collaborations, and industry research to confront the rising threat of AI-enabled scams and security breaches across the crypto ecosystem.

    At the heart of the campaign was the Smarter Eyes Challenge, an interactive comic-based mini-game simulating real-life scam scenarios—from phishing and social engineering to fake token approvals. While only 8.60% of participants spotted all traps on their first attempt, a striking 65.41% eventually passed all three levels after receiving guided security clues, underscoring both the scale of the awareness gap and the campaign’s tangible impact.

    Bitget published six in-depth blog posts tackling common attack vectors like SMS spoofing, fake apps, and high-risk tokens. Over 80% of users scored full marks in follow-up security quizzes, signaling a sharp improvement in scam detection capabilities following the campaign’s educational content.

    Another flagship milestone was the release of Bitget’s 2025 Anti-Scam Research Report, co-authored with blockchain security leaders SlowMist and Elliptic. The report revealed that global crypto scam losses surpassed $4.6 billion in 2024, with deepfakes and social engineering responsible for the majority of high-value attacks. The findings spotlighted the growing sophistication of AI-driven fraud, including synthetic public figure videos, Trojan-laced job offers, and fake Zoom calls used to deceive victims.

    Throughout the month, Bitget convened key voices in Web3 security—including Hacken, GoPlus, BlockSec, and Security Alliance—for an Anti-Scam X Space discussion. Experts weighed in on future threats, the evolving role of collaboration, and how users, platforms, and audit firms can work together to build a safer digital asset environment.

    “Anti-Scam Month reflects our belief that education is the first line of defense in crypto security,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “By turning passive users into active defenders, we’re laying the groundwork for a more resilient ecosystem. And this is only the beginning—the Anti-Scam Hub will remain open year-round as a permanent resource for our global community.”

    Echoing this sentiment, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-Founder & CBDO at Hacken, said, “Anti-Scam Month by Bitget is a fantastic initiative and a powerful example for the industry, demonstrating how companies can raise awareness, educate users, and reduce the risk of future hacks. Education truly is a vital part of this journey.”

    Yajin (Andy) Zhou, Co-Founder & CEO at BlockSec, added, “Hackers study user habits, such as copying addresses from transaction histories. Security efforts must focus on proactive defenses rather than blaming users. Security is not a solo battlefield. Blockchain platforms, compliance tools, and security firms must share threat intelligence to build a united defense system.”

    Michael Lewellen, Technical Council at Security Alliance, emphasized, “Security isn’t about being impossible to hack or scam users. It’s just being hard enough to discourage threat actors from investing effort in the attempt. We need to harden Web3 infrastructure enough so that this ecosystem is no longer an easy, profitable target.”

    The Bitget Anti-Scam Hub, now permanently live, offers users ongoing access to practical safety guides, real-time scam indicators, the official verification channel, and a crypto safety kit with 24/7 global support.

    For more details, please visit the Bitget Anti-Scam Hub here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8d159ce-8a24-4435-a26b-bbe8c16cee3d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges global unity on development financing at UN conference

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

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an delivers a speech at the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, on July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Minister of Finance Lan Foan on Tuesday called for greater international cooperation and responsibility in addressing the global development financing gap, as he delivered a speech at the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain.

    Speaking at the general debate of the plenary session, Lan said that humanity is a community with a shared future. Citing President Xi, he said that in the face of turbulent global crises, countries are not navigating in more than 190 small boats, but are sailing together on one large ship with a shared destiny.

    Lan noted that the world is facing a significant shortfall in development financing. He called on the international community to join hands and work together to address development challenges.

    China urges developed countries to fully honor their commitments to official development assistance and climate finance, regard South-South cooperation as an important supplement to North-South cooperation, support broader mobilization of various development resources, and expand coordinated and orderly development financing channels.

    China also calls for enhancing the voice and representation of developing countries in the international financial architecture, promoting the use of local currency financing instruments, strengthening the global financial safety net, and improving an efficient and sound development financing system.

    In addition, Lan advocated for promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, reducing the negative spillover effects of macroeconomic policies of major economies, and fostering an open and stable environment for development financing.

    Lan emphasized that China has, within its capacity, actively provided financial support and opened its market to developing countries, helping them improve their capacity for independent development. He said that China remains committed to being a contributor to global development and to promoting common prosperity and progress for all nations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Consumption set to continue robust growth

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

    chinadaily.com.cn | July 3, 2025

    Bolstered by sustained policy support for trade-in programs, China’s consumption is likely to continue its robust growth momentum in the second half of the year, better underpinning the country’s stable economic growth amid mounting external uncertainties, analysts said.

    China still has ample fiscal headroom to reinforce its trade-in initiative later this year should consumer demand exhaust its initial 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) allocation, they said, emphasizing that similar policy incentives could be extended to the service sector to foster more sustainable consumption growth.

    On Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance announced the issuance of 11 ultra-long-term treasury bonds in the third quarter, with four of them seeing their timelines accelerated compared with the previous plan released in April. This will help maintain a continuous flow of funding to support policies meant to boost consumption, analysts said.

    According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic regulator, the third group of fiscal funding through ultra-long-term treasury bonds for the consumer goods trade-in program is scheduled to be allocated in July.

    The central government has earmarked 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term treasury bonds to support the trade-in program for the whole year. The first two groups of fiscal funding, totaling 162 billion yuan, were allocated in January and April.

    “If the remaining 138 billion yuan runs out ahead of schedule, the possibility of unveiling additional funding this year cannot be ruled out,” said Zhao Wei, chief economist at Shenwan Hongyuan Securities.

    “As the trade war initiated by the United States still weighs on China’s economy, efforts to shore up domestic demand will be of paramount importance to mitigate external shocks and maintain steady growth,” he said.

    By avoiding a one-time, large-scale fund injection that could disrupt market dynamics, the phased allocation of the fiscal funds helps create a stable and supportive environment for the consumption recovery to take hold throughout the year, Zhao added.

    In late June, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, also pledged to leverage various tools in support of the trade-in programs, such as increasing credit support for recycling companies and home renovation suppliers and fast-track financing for manufacturers of energy-efficient smart home products.

    “Boosted by the trade-in programs, sales of household appliances, furniture and communication devices have registered rapid growth. Sales related to trade-ins have surpassed 1.4 trillion yuan so far this year,” said Li Chao, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission, when addressing a news conference on June 26.

    According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s consumer spending in May posted its strongest monthly growth since 2024, with retail sales of consumer goods expanding 6.4 percent year-on-year in May, a 1.3 percentage point increase from April.

    Experts cautioned that although the trade-in policies have been effective in driving sales of consumers goods, they also carry the risk of front-loading consumer demand, which could create challenges down the line.

    “Providing similar consumption incentives to promote service sector spending could become a key policy lever going forward,” said Jiang Zhao, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

    Jiang noted that development patterns in advanced economies indicate that upon entering high-income status, nations typically experience a gradual rise in the proportion of service consumption. As China approaches this threshold, its consumption structure is transitioning from being focused on goods to being focused on both goods and services, he said.

    Nevertheless, service consumption spans diverse sectors such as elderly care, tourism, fitness and healthcare, implying that subsidy programs would demand substantial fiscal funding and pose significant oversight challenges, Jiang said, adding that any decision to implement such incentives would require prudent assessment based on practical conditions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the Closing of the Civil Society Forum 68th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Spaces [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies,
    Dear colleagues,
    Champions of our shared cosmic future,
    Let me begin with a simple truth: every phone call you made to get here, every GPS route that guided your journey, every weather forecast that helped you pack – all of it depended on space.
    Space is not the final frontier. It is the foundation of our present.
    Without satellites orbiting overhead right now, global food systems would collapse within weeks. Emergency responders would lose their lifelines. Climate scientists would be flying blind. And our hopes of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would be out of reach.
    This is why your work matters. This is why the work of this Committee – COPUOS – is not just important, but urgent.
    For over six decades, through shifting geopolitics and changing priorities, this Committee has consistently delivered.
    Five space treaties.
    Space sustainability guidelines.
    The Space 2030 Agenda.
    You don’t just talk about space governance – you create it.
    But today, we need to shift our focus to scale.
    The United Nations has identified six critical areas for SDG acceleration: food systems, energy transitions, digital connectivity, education and skills, environmental action, and jobs and social protection.
    Every single one depends on space technologies.
    This is a paradox when you consider that less than half of UN Member States have a satellite in orbit, yet all eight billion people on Earth benefit from space services daily.
    Through your work, and through UNOOSA, we can close this divide – not by putting a satellite in every nation’s hands, but by ensuring that the benefits of space technologies reach every community on our planet.
    Excellencies,
    I’m just coming from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, where the message was crystal clear: in an era of constrained investment, we must align capital with high-impact solutions.
    Space is one of them.
    But impact happens at every level – and I would like to share what I’ve seen.
    At the local level, UNOOSA’s programs are building the next generation of inclusive space leaders. They’re ensuring equal access for youth and women in developing countries, where small investments create enormous change. Through these programs, we’re enabling the next Carmen Chaidez, the next Kitaw Ejigu.
    At the national level, UNOOSA helps countries build their space capabilities from the ground up. Through space law workshops and direct support for emerging programs, nations develop the expertise they need to harness space for their own development priorities.
    UN-Spider shows what this looks like in practice. In Tonga, Tobago, and Ghana, satellite data is being used to create detailed digital models of entire cities. When disaster strikes, these virtual twins allow governments to see exactly where help is needed most, deploy resources much faster, and ultimately save more lives.
    Through innovative partnerships, UNOOSA has helped Kenya, Guatemala, Moldova, and Mauritius launch their first satellites. Each event was a catalyst – for new space agencies, developing robust legislation, and promoting gender equality in the space sector.
    Finally, at the international level, as reinforced by the Pact for the Future, we must work together to ensure COPUOS delivers the governance our rapidly evolving space environment demands of us.
    Excellencies,
    Here’s what’s happening right now: low-Earth orbit satellites are multiplying exponentially.
    Humanity is preparing to return to the Moon.
    We’re exploring beyond like never before.
    And your work has never been more vital and urgent.
    We stand at the threshold of potentially historic decision: UNISPACE IV in 2027.
    This isn’t just another conference. This could be the milestone that shapes the next sixty years of global space governance.
    And so I encourage us all to aim high. And aim even higher.
    The pressing space issues before us – traffic, debris, resources – each present both risk and opportunity for achieving the SDGs. Each requires the kind of multilateral cooperation that this Committee has proven it can deliver.
    We need a strong UNOOSA and a strong COPUOS to lead us into UNISPACE IV and beyond.
    But strength isn’t about institutions – it’s about the people within them and the systems that we run. As a practical next step, I encourage you to champion the implementation of the UNOOSA Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for the Space Sector launched last year. Because when we leave talent on the sidelines, we will all lose.
    Let me leave you with one final message.
    The view from space shows no countries, no borders – only one shared planet, our common home.
    Let that aspect guide you as you build the governance frameworks for space exploration and use.
    Let us ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for everyone.
    Let us make space a catalyst for achieving our 2030 Goals with 5 years to go.
    And let us build governance frameworks that serve not just us, but generations to come.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Legislation: Law Experts Issue Open letter to Govt calls for halt to the undemocratic Regulatory Standards Bill

    Source: Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey


    As some of the country’s senior lawyers and researchers in a range of disciplines (law, economics, Tiriti o Waitangi, public policy, environment), including a former Prime Minister and two New Zealanders of the Year, we cannot stand by as the Regulatory Standards Bill is rushed through a parliamentary select committee next week.


    Each of us has written extensively and spoken out against this Bill from our respective areas of expertise. Many of us have done so for the three previous iterations of this Bill when it was promoted unsuccessfully by the Act Party and the Business Round Roundtable (later, the New Zealand Institute).


    On each of those occasions Parliament has rejected the Bill as philosophically and legally unsound, profoundly undemocratic,  and contrary to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.


    This time the Act Party has sought to bypass rigorous parliamentary scrutiny by securing commitments from the National and New Zealand First parties to legislate the Bill into law. There was an opportunity for public submissions on the proposal late last year, where it secured the support of only 0.33% of the over 23,000 New Zealanders who expressed their views on the consultation document.  It is evident that the advice in virtually all the submissions was ignored by the government.


    The Bill could have profound constitutional consequences. It establishes a set of principles as a benchmark for good legislation/regulation, many of which are highly questionable and designed to establish a presumption in favour of a libertarian view of the role of the state – one that ceased to have any currency globally more than a century ago. Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been excluded altogether.  The power vested in the Minister for Regulation and a ministerial-appointed board is not subject to the normal accountabilities of Crown entities,  conferring significant yet largely unaccountable authority on the executive.


    Dr Jim Salinger, 2024 New Zealander of the Year, further notes the chilling effect the Bill will have on any future policy on climate change and adaptation following the almost $4 billion cost of the 2023 Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, the highest in our history.


    While there is a select committee review of the Bill, it is truncated and circumscribed.


     The Coalition government has decided to submit the Bill to the Finance and Expenditure Committee rather than the Justice Committee, limiting the time to hear many tens of thousands of oral submissions to just 30 hours – at most 360 submissions –  with 5 minutes per submitter, and truncating the period for those hearings and the committee’s report, further exposes the hypocrisy that this Bill is about good governance, better laws, improved regulation, greater transparency and enhanced governmental accountability. We are gravely concerned that the National Party and New Zealand First appear to be complicit in this undemocratic process.


    We have each thought long and hard about whether to say we want to challenge this Bill before the select committee, lest it give some credibility to a process that is devoid of legitimacy. Some of us, such as Professor Dame Anne Salmond, 2013 New Zealander of the Year, and Professor Andrew Geddis, made written submissions, but feel there is no point in participating such a harmful process.


    Professor Emeritus Jonathan Boston, Dr Geoffrey Bertram, Dr Bill Rosenberg and Dr Max Harris have indicated they want to address the committee to reinforce their submissions.  In Professor Boston’s view:  “The current Bill is destined to have a very short and ignominious life as an Act of Parliament: it enjoys virtually no public support; it lacks cross-party backing; it is opposed by the very Ministry that will be responsible for its implementation; and it endorses principles that have been found wanting by multiple generations of people throughout the world”.


    In similar vein, long-standing academic critic of the Bill Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey feels a responsibility “to speak truth to power” – in this case the abuse of proper process and the Act Party’s ongoing contempt for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.


    For a time it appeared the Sir Geoffrey Palmer, former Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Professor of Law at Te Herenga Waka/ Victoria University of Wellington, author of numerous books on parliamentary constitutinalism, and staunch critic of the Bill, was originally not invited to address the select committee, despite saying but he wanted to be heard. He was subsequently offered an opportunity.


    All of us appeal to the National and New Zealand First parties to find their democratic voice and prevent this Bill from proceeding past the select committee.


    Equally importantly, they are calling on Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee, as the Chair of the forthcoming review of Standing Orders, to conduct a first principles review of the select committee processes to find an appropriate balance for democratic participation in the digital era, and an effective  way to reinstate some degree of integrity and rigorous review to law-making in Aotearoa New Zealand.


    Signatures include:


    Dame Anne Salmond

    Sir Geoffrey Palmer

    Professor Emeritus Jonathan Boston

    Professor Andrew Geddis

    Dr Jim Salinger

    Dr Geoff Bertram

    Dr Bill Rosenberg

    Dr Max Harris

    Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Environment – “A Dirty Deal for Dirty Water” – Government’s $56m irrigation subsidy blasted by Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace strongly condemns the announcement today of a $56 million government subsidy for additional irrigation infrastructure in rural Canterbury, saying that this will result in increased water pollution and the destruction of fragile freshwater ecosystems.
    The Government has announced a $56 million dollar subsidy through the Regional Investment Fund for three water storage projects in the Canterbury region – the Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme, the Balmoral Water Storage Facility (Amuri), and the Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme.
    Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, “It is deeply irresponsible to use public money to fund the expansion of these irrigation schemes, which will lead to more intensive dairy, more cows, and more pollution. This is a dirty deal for dirty water.”
    “Shane Jones needs to go down and front up to rural communities in Canterbury whose drinking water is already so contaminated with nitrates they can’t safely drink it and explain why he is funding irrigation for dirty dairying that will contaminate their water more.
    “Everyone should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap, but right now, some rural communities are facing the reality that they cannot do so, because their drinking water is contaminated with unsafe levels of nitrate.”
    “The source of nitrate contamination in drinking water is effluent runoff and nitrate leaching from the intensive dairy industry,” says Appelbe.
    “Subsidising new irrigation infrastructure, which will lead to more intensive dairying and therefore more contamination of groundwater and drinking water, shows that this Government has a total disregard for the health of rural communities who cannot drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap.”
    Appelbe says this comes off the back of the announcement of a wave of regulation changes that Greenpeace has labelled the Government’s ‘Freshwater Pollution Plan’.
    “This Government is seeking to strip back freshwater protections across the board – despite the fact that New Zealanders across the entire political spectrum want to see more protection for freshwater, not less.”
    “The Government must end all subsidies for irrigation infrastructure immediately, and ensure freshwater pollution from the intensive dairy industry is stopped at the source.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Signs Biennial State Budget for 2026 and 2027

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law the biennial state budget bill for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, which makes historic investments to expand access to early childhood education, which is among the costliest item for families, all while holding the line on taxes.

    Notable investments include:

    • Early childhood education: The budget makes historic levels of investment to support Connecticut’s early childhood education system, including $417.5 million in fiscal year 2026 and $443 million in fiscal year 2027. General Fund appropriations for early childhood education are up $252.7 million between fiscal years 2018 and 2027 – a 133% increase. In addition to these investments, the budget establishes the Early Childhood Education Endowment by transferring up to $300 million of the unappropriated General Fund surplus at the close of fiscal year 2025. This endowment will be used to make more early childhood education slots available and enroll more children into the system.
    • Special education: The budget makes historic levels of investments to support special education, growing by $44.9 million in fiscal year 2026 and an additional $49.9 million in fiscal year 2027, as well as capital investments of $10 million in each year. By 2027, state investments in special education will have grown by 95%.
    • K-12 education: The budget fully funds Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants for towns and cities, including a hold harmless provision that provides $8.7 million in fiscal year 2026 and $17.4 million in fiscal year 2027 to ensure that no municipality loses ECS funding over the biennium. Since Governor Lamont took office in 2019, ECS grants have grown by roughly $443 million – an 18% increases in support for K-12 public schools.
    • Higher education: The budget increases funding for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Fund – Connecticut’s state-funded scholarship program for residents who attend in-state public and private higher education institutions – by $1.4 million in fiscal year 2026 and $16.4 million in fiscal year 2027. When combined with $15 million previously reserved for fiscal year 2026, both years of the biennium will be funded at $41 million – the highest level of state-appropriated scholarship funding in more than a decade. General Fund support for UConn is increased by an additional $49 million in fiscal year 2026 and $34 million in fiscal year 2027; UConn Health receives an additional $29 million in fiscal year 2026 and an additional $25 million in fiscal year 2027; and Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) receives a budget increase of an additional $32 million in fiscal year 2026 and $45 million in 2027.
    • Health and human service providers: The budget supports $50 million in fiscal year 2026 to annualize fiscal year 2025 increases and $126 million in fiscal year 2027 to support a 3% increase for private providers, plus an additional $30 million specific to non-DDS providers. Plus, the budget provides an additional $100.1 million to support the group home settlement over the biennium, representing a 15% increase.
    • Housing: The budget provides $3.5 million in fiscal year 2026 and $5 million in fiscal year 2027 to support eviction prevention, as well as support HUBs, which are the physical locations where individuals and families get appointments to gain access to homelessness resources. Plus $6.7 million is provided, beginning in fiscal year 2027, to increase elderly and disabled RAP vouchers, as well as HeadStart on Housing Vouchers, which is a system approach to combating homelessness with the support and collaboration of private providers, state agencies, and local communities across housing, childcare, and social services.

    Governor Lamont said, “This is a balanced, sensible budget that is under the spending cap, provides predictability and stability for residents, businesses, and municipalities, and holds the line on taxes while keeping us on a sound fiscal path. Importantly, it includes significant investments in our education system, beginning with historic levels of support for early childhood education, up through our K-12 public schools and our higher education institutions. It also protects our social services safety net, prioritizing our health and human services providers and increasing support for our most vulnerable residents, including seniors and those who have disabilities, who receive Medicaid. And while we are doing all of this, we are continuing to make historic and long-overdue payments into the pension system, preserving the strength of our fiscal guardrails, and making fiscally responsible investments into the rainy-day fund that will protect our state against any potential economic headwinds we may face in the future. I thank the legislature for their hard work and collaboration on this budget. While other states are increasing taxes and cutting services, economic analysts are pointing to Connecticut as an example of a state that has worked hard to maintain fiscal stability and is making the smart decisions that are critical for economic growth.”

    Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney said, “This budget includes several major initiatives, including a new trust fund for early childhood education that will be transformative in getting children ready for kindergarten, and a larger investment in special education to help towns deal with ever-increasing special education costs.”

    Speaker of the House Matt Ritter said, “Our budget showcases our priorities. We make critical investments in education and childcare while providing relief to thousands of working families with a $250 credit through the EITC framework. This budget was a team effort and I want to thank the chairs, Senate leaders, Governor and the staffs who worked so hard to ensure we crossed the finish line.”

    Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said, “Voting for a significant special education funding increase and prioritizing millions of dollars more in the classroom underscores our commitment to students, parents, teachers and school personnel across this state. I want to thank Senator Looney for fighting for a strong state budget, as well as Senators Osten and Fonfara, Speaker Ritter, Majority Leader Rojas, their fiscal chairs, and all our hardworking staff for negotiating a two-year budget that delivers on so many of our promises.”

    House Majority Leader Jason Rojas said, “This budget represents a bold investment in Connecticut’s most vital asset: our people. It reflects our commitment to invest in our future – our youngest learners – through historic levels of funding for early childhood education and childcare as well as investments in special education and fully funding the state’s obligation to our traditional public schools. We know that when we invest in our children, we invest in the foundation of our communities. We continue to support our towns and cities by sustaining and increasing municipal aid to help relieve the pressure of property taxes and ensure that local governments can serve residents effectively. We’re also addressing some of the most urgent needs in our state, including affordable housing and transportation so people and our economy can keep moving forward.”

    Senator Cathy Osten, co-chair of the Appropriations Committee, said, “This is a good budget that addresses the real issues for real people that we heard about in countless hours of public hearings – food, health care, nonprofits and education.”

    State Representative Maria Horn, co-chair of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, said, “This budget reflects the legislature’s commitment to responsible, people-first policymaking. We delivered a $250 refundable credit for working families, a $500 credit for home daycare providers, and new incentives to help families save for college – all targeted toward easing everyday costs. We also ensured small businesses can compete on a fairer playing field by modernizing our tax code and expanding support for local farms and rural economies. Even with a tough revenue forecast, we passed a balanced, forward-looking budget that supports families, strengthens our workforce, and creates a better environment for small businesses to thrive.”

    The budget bill is Public Act 25-168. The 2026 fiscal year begins July 1, 2025.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatar Affirms Importance of Innovative Financing, Effective Partnerships to Achieve SDGs

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Seville, July 01, 2025

    HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad affirmed the importance of innovative financing and effective partnerships in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Her Excellency emphasised HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s directives to make development as an investment in security, stability, and human dignity.

    This came in the State of Qatar’s statement delivered by HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation during a high-level event organized by Qatar Fund for Development, titled “Innovative Financing for Sustainable Development: Addressing Gaps and Scaling Solutions” held on the sidelines of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain.

    Her Excellency noted that the State of Qatar hosted the Second International Conference on Financing for Development in 2008, and has since remained an active participant in all international and regional conferences on development financing. This reflects Qatar’s commitment to enhancing international cooperation and contributing to global efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, HE added.

    The State of Qatar continues to implement its sustainable development agenda, “Qatar National Vision 2030,” which has focused since 2008 on human development, social development, economic development, and environmental development, HE said, noting that, in early 2024, Qatar launched the third phase of its National Development Strategy, aimed at advancing the creation of a healthy society, building a diversified and sustainable knowledge-based economy, enhancing environmental sustainability, and strengthening the role of the family as the foundation of society.

    Her Excellency underlined that, given today’s global challenges, there is a pressing need to reinforce multilateral action and international cooperation, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, while working to maintain international peace and security. HE also underscored the importance of reforming international financial structures, harnessing science, technology, and innovation, and prioritizing innovative solutions capable of making rapid and impactful change to help bring efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals back on track, particularly in developing and least developed countries.

    An effective role is expected from the United Nations and its specialized agencies in supporting member states’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and protect human rights, Her Excellency said, stressing the State of Qatar’s support for the UN Secretary-General’s reform initiative (UN80 Initiative).

    HE Minister of State for International Cooperation expressed the State of Qatar’s pride in its productive international and regional partnerships, including its long-standing and multifaceted cooperation with the United Nations, aimed at advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in developing and least developed countries.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 7.2.25

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 2, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
     
    Tamie McGowen, of Folsom, has been appointed Senior Advisor for Strategy and Operations for the California State Transportation Agency. McGowen has been Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California State Transportation Agency since 2023. McGowan held multiple positions at the California Department of Transportation from 1992 to 2023, including Acting Deputy Secretary for California State Transportation Agency Communications, Assistant Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Division Chief of Public Affairs, Deputy Advisor and Administrative Services Manager, Deputy Advisor/Resource Manager, and Resource Manager of Civil Rights. McGowen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $195,708. McGowen is registered without party preference.

    Christina Mun, of Alameda, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Housing Finance at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Mun was Chief Strategy Officer for LeSar Holdings from 2023 to 2025. She held multiple positions at the City of Oakland Housing and Community Development Department from 2020 to 2023 including Interim Director, Deputy Director, and Chief of Staff. Mun was Multifamily Lending Senior Project Manager for City and County of San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development from 2019 to 2020. She was Associate Director of Policy and Portfolio Analytics for New York City Housing Development Corporation from 2017 to 2019. Mun was Senior Project Manager for the Division of Strategic Planning for New York City Housing Preservation and Development from 2015 to 2017. She was an Acquisitions Project Manager for Resources for Community Development from 2013 to 2015. Mun was a Development Project Manager for John Stewart Company from 2009 to 2013. She was an Associate Consultant for Bay Area Economics from 2000 to 2004. Mun is a board member of East Bay Housing Organizations and serves on the ULI San Francisco Housing the Bay Steering Committee. She earned a Master of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $191,112. Mun is a Democrat.

    Joelle Ball-Straight, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Workforce Development Board. Ball-Straight has been Deputy Director of Program Implementation and Regional Support at the California Workforce Development Board since 2018, where she was Acting Deputy Director of Program Implementation and Regional Support from 2016 to 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $159,660. Ball-Straight is registered with no party preference. 

    Alison Saltonstall, of Citrus Heights, has been appointed to the California Court Reporters Board. Alison has been a Court Reporter at Sacramento Superior Court since 2017. She currently is the President of the Sacramento Official Court Reporters Association and the on board of United Public Employees, representing the Court Reporters’ unit. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Alison is registered without a party preference.       
     
    Heatherlynn Gonzalez, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Court Reporters Board. Gonzalez has been a Certified Shorthand Reporter since 2011. She is a member of the California Deposition Reporters Association. Gonzalez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and Communication/Music Composition and Theory from Whittier College. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gonzalez is a Democrat.        

    Roy Mathur, of Hercules, has been appointed to Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. Mathur has been Captain and Wharf Master for PBF Energy – Martinez Refining Company since 2015. He was Oil Spill Specialist for the Office of Spill Prevention and Response for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2004 to 2015. Mathur was Marine Terminal Specialist for the State Lands Commission from 1995 to 2004. He was Superintendent and Terminal Operations Manager for SSA Terminals from 1994 to 1995. Mathur was Master Mariner for Great Eastern Shipping Company from 1979 to 1994. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Maritime Studies from the LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Mathur is a Democrat.

    Steven Panelli, of San Mateo, has been reappointed to the Contractors State Licensing Board, where he has served since 2021. Panelli has had multiple positions at the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection since 2005, including Chief Plumbing Inspector and Senior Plumbing Inspector. He is President of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and member of UA Local 38. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Panelli is registered without party preference.        

    Henry Nutt III, of American Canyon, has been reappointed to the Contractors State Licensing Board where he has served since 2024. Nutt has been a Preconstruction Executive for Southland Industries since 2019 and a Sheet Metal General Superintendent for Southland Industries since 2007. He is a member of Lean Construction Institute, Associated General Contractors of American, and Associated General Contractors of California. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Nutt is a Democrat.       

    Alan Guy, of Lafayette, has been reappointed to the Contractors State Licensing Board, where he has served since 2022. Guy has been Chief Executive Officer and President of Anvil Builders Inc. since 2010. He was Project Manager at Webcor Builders Inc from 2005 to 2009. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Guy is a Republican.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 2, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement regarding the death of California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Cano:“Officer Miguel Cano dedicated his life to serving our communities, and his passing is a heartbreaking loss for the state and…

    Jul 2, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom is more than doubling the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, and adding 16 new television projects that will generate $1.1 billion in new economic activity. BURBANK – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom joined labor…

    Jul 2, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO — Republicans spent the last 6 months fearmongering that gasoline prices would “increase by 65 cents on July 1.” Did that happen?The answer: NoIn fact, in California, gasoline prices at the pump (on average) are cheaper than yesterday, cheaper than it…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    July 2, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board has completed the first review under the Extended Credit Facility arrangement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The decision allows for an immediate disbursement of US$ 261.9 million towards international reserves, to continue building buffers.
    • The DRC’s economy has been resilient in a challenging environment amid the escalation of the armed conflict in the eastern part of the country, which placed significant strains on the budget. The authorities have made good progress on the structural reform’s agenda, but a few quantitative targets were missed.
    • The recent peace agreement signed between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, mediated by the United States, is encouraging for the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the conflict and renewed focus on development goals.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) approved on January 15, 2025 (see PR 25/003). The completion of the first review allowed an immediate disbursement equivalent to 190.4 million SDR (about US$ 261.9 million) to support balance-of-payment needs, bringing the aggregate disbursement to date to 380.5 million SDR (about 523.4 US$ million).  

    The DRC has been facing significant challenges amid the intensification of the armed conflict in its eastern part since end-2024. The escalation of hostilities has claimed thousands of lives and caused severe social and humanitarian damages, including disruptions in access to essential services such as food, water, and electricity. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to secure a cessation of hostilities and ensure sustainable peace in the region. The signing on June 27, 2025, of a peace agreement between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, under the mediation of the United States, is encouraging for the prospect of a peaceful resolution on the ongoing conflict and renewed focus on addressing development goals.

    Despite the challenging environment, economic activity remained resilient, with robust GDP growth of 6.5 percent in 2024, driven by continued dynamism in the extractive sector.  External stability has strengthened, as the current account deficit narrowed and the accumulation of international reserves continued. Inflationary pressures continue to ease, and year-on-year inflation declined from 23.8 percent at end-2023 to 11.7 percent at end-2024 and [8.5] percent at end-June 2025.

    Performance under the program was mixed, as the intensification of the conflict has placed significant strains on the budget. Despite strong revenue collection, the domestic fiscal deficit reached 0.8 percent of GDP in 2024, exceeding the program target of 0.3 percent, owing to spending overruns linked to the escalation of the conflict, including on exceptional security spending and public investments. The program target on the Central Bank of the Congo (BCC)’s foreign exchange assets held with domestic correspondents was missed as well, due to higher-than-expected tax payments in foreign currency on government accounts. Other quantitative performance criteria of the ECF were met. Most indicative targets were also met, except those related to the floor on social spending and the ceiling on spending executed through emergency procedures—owing to elevated exceptional security spending linked to the conflict intensification. Appropriate corrective measures are being implemented by the authorities.

    In completing the first review, the Executive Board also approved the authorities’ request for waivers of nonobservance of the performance criteria on the floor on the domestic fiscal balance at end-December 2024 on the basis of corrective actions, and the continuous ceiling on the levels of foreign currency assets of the BCC held with domestic correspondents on the basis of the temporary nature of the deviation which has since been remedied. Further, the Executive Board completed the financing assurances review under the ECF arrangement. No reform measures under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement, approved in January 2025, were due for review at this time.

    At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Chair stated:

    “The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been confronted with heightened security challenges since late 2024. The escalation of the conflict in the eastern part of the country has caused serious human, social and economic damage and induced the government to increase spending. Despite these difficulties, the macroeconomic environment of the DRC remained broadly stable. Growth has remained robust, due to the resilience of mining production. Inflation continues to decrease, and the external position has strengthened. The economic outlook remains positive, but is fraught with downside risks related to the persistence of the conflict, declining external humanitarian assistance, global economic headwinds, and potential escalation of geopolitical conflicts. The authorities are committed to closely monitor these risks and to respond proactively to evolving challenges.

    “Budget implementation remains challenging in a difficult security context. As a result, the domestic fiscal deficit is projected to be larger than initially projected for 2025, but is expected to return to the path envisaged at program approval starting in 2026, reflecting the authorities’ commitment to carry out measures to enhance domestic revenue mobilization and strengthen the budget implementation process. Additionally, to guard against unforeseen adverse shocks, the authorities have adopted a contingency plan.

    “The Central Bank of the Congo (BCC) has maintained a tight monetary policy stance, thereby helping bring inflation down to single digits for the first time in three years. The accumulation of international reserves has continued, on the back of the narrowing of the current account deficit. Efforts must continue, to strengthen the monetary policy implementation framework, refine the foreign exchange intervention strategy, enhance the governance and safeguards of the BCC and ensure its adequate recapitalization.

    “The authorities have committed to accompany these efforts to preserve macroeconomic stability with an acceleration of structural reforms in key areas, including strengthening the AML/CFT framework, improving the business climate, enhancing transparency and governance, combating corruption and upgrading national statistics. Efforts to lay the groundwork for a timely implementation of the reform measures underpinning the RSF arrangement approved in January should be stepped up.”

    Table 1. Democratic Republic of the Congo: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2023-26

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    Est.

    CR No. 25/023

    Prel.

    CR No. 25/023

    Proj.

    CR No. 25/023

    Proj.

    (Annual percentage change, unless otherwise indicated)

    GDP and prices

      Real GDP

    8.5

    6.0

    6.5

    5.4

    5.3

    5.1

    5.3

         Extractive GDP

    19.7

    11.6

    12.2

    7.7

    8.2

    5.2

    5.8

         Non-extractive GDP

    3.5

    3.2

    3.5

    4.2

    3.6

    5.0

    5.0

      GDP deflator

    14.4

    17.4

    19.9

    8.8

    8.2

    7.4

    6.7

      Consumer prices, period average

    19.9

    17.7

    17.7

    8.9

    8.8

    7.3

    7.1

      Consumer prices, end of period

    23.8

    12.0

    11.7

    7.8

    7.8

    7.0

    7.0

    (Annual change in percent of beginning-of-period broad money)

    Money and credit

      Net foreign assets

    19.9

    17.4

    23.0

    18.2

    14.5

    23.7

    22.7

      Net domestic assets

    20.3

    4.9

    5.6

    -3.5

    -1.0

    -10.9

    -10.5

         Domestic credit

    34.3

    15.4

    15.2

    9.9

    10.5

    3.7

    4.2

      Broad money

    40.3

    22.4

    28.1

    14.7

    13.8

    12.8

    12.3

    (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    Central government finance

      Revenue and grants

    14.8

    15.6

    15.2

    15.0

    14.8

    14.9

    14.9

      Expenditures

    16.5

    16.8

    16.5

    16.8

    17.0

    16.6

    16.6

      Domestic fiscal balance

    -1.2

    -0.3

    -0.8

    -0.8

    -1.2

    -0.8

    -0.8

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Investment and saving

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      Gross national saving

    9.5

    9.1

    9.6

    12.2

    11.2

    13.0

    12.5

      Investment

    15.7

    14.2

    13.5

    15.0

    14.4

    15.3

    14.8

         Non-government

    12.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

    10.0

     

    Balance of payments

      Exports of goods and services

    44.0

             45.1

    47.4

    45.4

    46.1

    45.5

    46.6

      Imports of goods and services

    49.9

    48.9

    50.3

    47.3

    47.5

    46.9

    47.0

      Current account balance, incl. transfer

    -6.2

    -5.1

    -3.9

    -2.8

    -3.2

    -2.4

    -2.4

      Current account balance, excl. transfers

    -7.5

    -5.1

    -5.0

    -2.7

    -3.4

    -2.3

    -2.6

      Gross official reserves (weeks of imports)

    8.2

    10.0

    10.1

    11.5

    11.8

    12.7

    12.8

     

    External debt

      Debt service in percent of government revenue

    7.6

    5.7

    6.1

    6.7

    7.1

    7.0

    7.4

    Sources: Congolese authorities and IMF staff estimates and projections.
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Tatiana Mossot

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/07/02/pr-25238-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-imf-completes-the-1st-rev-under-ecf-arrang

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Business First Bancshares, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release Date and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BATON ROUGE, La., July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Business First Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFST), the parent company of b1BANK, announced today that it is scheduled to release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, before market open on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. CST. Executive management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss results on the same day (Monday, July 28, 2025) at 9:00 a.m. CST.

    Interested parties may attend the call by dialing toll-free 1-800-715-9871 (North America only), conference ID 2799880 or asking for the Business First Bancshares conference call.

    The live webcast can be found at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ jqbmtwns. On the day of the presentation, the corresponding slide presentation will be available to view on the b1BANK website at https://www.b1bank.com/shareholder-info.

    About Business First Bancshares, Inc.

    As of March 31, 2024, Business First Bancshares, Inc., (Nasdaq: BFST) through its banking subsidiary b1BANK, has $7.8 billion in assets, $7.1 billion in assets under management through b1BANK’s affiliate Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW) (excludes $0.9 billion of b1BANK assets managed by SSW) and operates Banking Centers and Loan Production Offices in markets across Louisiana and Texas providing commercial and personal banking products and services. b1BANK is a 2024 Mastercard “Innovation Award” winner and multiyear winner of American Banker Magazine’s “Best Banks to Work For.” Visit b1BANK.com for more information.

    Media Contact: Misty Albrecht                               
    b1BANK
    225.286.7879
    Misty.Albrecht@b1BANK.com    		  
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Gregory Robertson                                       
    337.721.2701                                               
    Gregory.Robertson@b1BANK.com    		 Matt Sealy
    225.388.6116
    Matt.Sealy@b1BANK.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE HSI Newark operation makes 18 arrests, takes down Newark open-air drug market

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. –U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Newark and multiple federal, state and local partners made 18 arrests of alleged co-conspirators for roles in a drug trafficking organization on July 1 in Newark, New Jersey.

    The arrests are a result of a 14-month HSI Newark investigation with the Newark Police Department and the U.S. District Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

    “In addition to the 18 arrests, HSI’s investigation led to federal charges filed against 24 individuals and we executed seven federal search warrants in and around Essex County, New Jersey,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel during a press conference following the operation. “Law enforcement partnership and teamwork were essential in our success. I am proud to say these alleged conspirators operating the sale of narcotics primarily from the Bradley Court Public Housing Complex have been stopped thanks to thousands of hours of police work. The livelihood of the tenants throughout 10 three-story apartment buildings who have been plagued by this dangerous enterprise for far too long can now feel a sense of safety and security.”

    On July 2, two additional defendants were arrested. Four remain at large.

    HSI Newark’s investigation uncovered a complex criminal enterprise with ties to transnational organized crime, that distributed more than 400 grams of fentanyl and a kilo of heroin. During the takedown operation, approximately $113,000 dollars in bulk cash/drug proceeds, illicit firearms, ammunition, narcotics, including 28 bricks of fentanyl and heroin, and vehicles were seized.

    According to the investigation, the defendants are members or associates of Sex, Money, Murder—a Blood affiliated criminal street gang (“Enterprise” or “the Enterprise”) that controls the drug trade in Bradley Court Housing Complex located near North Munn Avenue and Tremont Avenue in Newark. The Enterprise are also known as Munn Block, M-Blok, and Tombstone Gang (TSG). Munn Block are closely aligned with another Blood affiliated gang known as Voorhees, who operate around Voorhees Street—members and associates of the Enterprise refer to the collective union as “MunnHees”.

    “It is critical for the public to understand that these individuals engaged in the most dangerous of action, were armed and were involved in shootings,” said SAC Patel. “They peddled narcotics to include fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine, all while risking the lives of those around them for power and money. Surveillance, undercover activity and electronic monitoring were just some of the necessary steps needed to bring these individuals to justice.”

    For over a year, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area, conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, seized narcotics through enforcement action, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions between and among the charged defendants. Members and associates of the Enterprise are known to use social media on a variety of platforms and mobile applications, including Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp to conduct the business of the Enterprise, communicate with one another, promote the Enterprise through sharing photographs and videos, and further the Enterprise’s goals. Specifically, the Enterprise uses the release and promotion of drill rap songs and music videos on social media to intimidate rival gang members, witnesses, and other members of the community, and to promote the Enterprise.

    “For far too long, the Bloods have overtaken the Bradley Court Housing Complex — turning its courtyards and residential buildings into a hub for pumping deadly fentanyl into the city of Newark, while endangering the lives of the citizens who call this community home.” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. “This poison has ripped families apart and stolen countless lives. That stops today. These arrests affirm my office’s commitment to taking guns and drugs off the streets and serves as a clear warning to anyone who considers engaging in violent activity. The defendants in this case, as in all criminal cases, are presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty. However, everyone should understand that if you spread this poison or engage in this violent activity, we will use every resource necessary to find you, dismantle your operation, and prosecute you.”

    Other agencies who supported HSI Newark’s investigation and operations were the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, Newark Police Department, East Orange Police Department and the Newark Housing Authority Security Department.

    Shamon Freshley, a/k/a “Hitta,” 26, Orlando Pizarro, a/k/a “Lando,” 26, Zakir Jefferson, a/k/a “Gu,” a/k/a “Tank,” 26, Quayyon Johnson, a/k/a “Weeze,” 22, Melvin Faines, a/k/a “Spaz,” 34, Afrika Islam, a/k/a “Sexx,” 29, Shaheem Webb, a/k/a “YC,” 23, Eustace Weeks, a/k/a “Juxx,” 26, Ali Baker, a/k/a “Surf,” 34, Jose Ward, a/k/a “Hec,” 22, Brandon Sneed, a/k/a “Pops,” 31, Eric Banks, a/k/a “Lil Maneskii,” 19, Tauheed Carney, a/k/a “Bmunn,” 21, Tykee Stokes, a/k/a “Big,” 32, Shafeek Barker, a/k/a “Sha,” 28, Ibn Perry, a/k/a “Loop,” 38, Alvin Jones, a/k/a “Lucky,” 41, Kirk Mansook, a/k/a “Crow,” 39, Tyjanique Green, a/k/a “Ski,” 24, Jubar Hughes, a/k/a “Dudu,” 27, Daisean Williams, a/k/a “Khaos,” 22, Jason Wardlaw, a/k/a “Jayr,” 30, and Rana James a/k/a “Pooh,” 28, all of Essex County, New Jersey, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

    Sebastian Pierrecent, a/k/a “Sosa,” 21, Quayyan Johnson, and Tauheed Carney are also each charged with possession of a machine gun. In addition, Pierrecent is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney, are also charged with possession of a machine gun that was used in the June 17 shooting in rival gang territory near Mapes Avenue in Newark.

    The defendants charged in the drug conspiracy face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney each face up to 10 years in prison for possession of the machinegun. Pierrecent faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamestown man pleads guilty to enticing travel to engage in sexual activity

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Anthony Burris, 34, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to two counts of enticing travel to engage in sexual activity, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that between January and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced Victim 1, a woman suffering from drug addiction, to perform commercial sex acts. He did so by threatening the use of physical violence, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Burris, who knew Victim 1 was physically addicted to controlled substances, also provided transportation, housing, a cellular phone, and food to Victim 1, who was homeless during this time. In exchange, Victim 1 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to Burris, who posted online advertisements on Skipthegames.com, which contained sexually suggestive photographs of Victim 1. Burris then transported Victim 1 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including to Pennsylvania, to engage in these commercial sex acts.

    Between June 2020, and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced a second victim (Victim 2) to perform commercial sex acts, once again threatening physical violence, and providing money for the purchase of controlled substances, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Like Victim 1, Burris knew Victim 2 was physically addicted to controlled substances and homeless. Victim 2 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to the defendant. Burris also posted ads for Victim 2 on Skipthegames.com and transported Victim 2 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including Pennsylvania, to perform commercial sex acts.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, and the Millcreek, PA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Carter Mook. 

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2025, before Judge Skretny.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Polis, DeGette, Neguse, Crow, Pettersen Denounce Republicans’ Reckless Budget Bill, Pressure House Members to Vote Against It

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    Yesterday, Senate Republicans passed their budget that’ll increase prices for Coloradans, strip health care from 17 million Americans, increase the deficit, and give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy
    House Republicans are currently voting on the bill
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen held a virtual statewide press conference to detail the impact the Republican budget bill will have on Colorado. They urged the House of Representatives to reject the extreme legislation after it passed the Senate yesterday. The elected officials were joined by leaders from across Colorado who would be impacted by the harmful cuts in the legislation.
    “This was a vote that would strip 17 million Americans, including many, many children, of their health care, push more than 300 rural hospitals to close, gut investments in affordable and clean energy, and would expand our national debt at a level that we have never imagined before. All this just to accommodate these lavish tax cuts for wealthy Americans,” said Hickenlooper. “This fight isn’t over, and people calling and organizing, putting pressure, has had a huge effect.”
    “Budgets reflect values, and Republicans in Congress – including members of our delegation – are making it clear that they don’t value health care access for Coloradans, access to food for children and families, job creators in clean energy, or balancing the budget,” said Polis.
    “The bottom line is, this bill is the worst bill I’ve ever seen in my many years in Congress,” said DeGette. “Colorado hospitals would lose $10 billion in federal funding in this legislation. Many of the rural hospitals, particularly in Western and Northern Colorado, will have to go out of business. This will not only hurt people who get Medicaid. It will hurt the entire community.”
    “It would be devastating for Western Colorado, Northern Colorado, Southern Colorado, for rural Colorado in particular…” said Neguse. “This will clearly exacerbate and turbo charge a poverty crisis in our country by virtue of the cruel cuts that have been included in the bill…. So we’re going to use every procedural tool that we can to try to stop and block this bill from proceeding.”
    “We can’t understate the disastrous impact in the life and death consequence of this bill,” said Crow. “This is the single largest – if this bill passes – this will be the single largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the top one percent and large corporations in the history of America. And on top of that, it’s going to blow up the budget and add over $3 trillion to the debt.”
    “It is heartbreaking to think about the impacts that this disastrous bill is going to bring to communities in Colorado and across the country,” said Pettersen. “Today, I’m thinking about the 40% of kids in the United States who rely on Medicaid for care, the 40% of pregnant women who rely on Medicaid, and people like my mom who work a low wage job and would be unable to access care. We’re leaving people like her behind and decimating all the progress we’ve made to build up our capacity and our system across Colorado. And it’s going to hit all of us.”
    The Senate-passed reconciliation bill includes a $3 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. It pays for those tax cuts by taking healthcare away from 17 million Americans, forcing rural hospitals in Colorado to close their doors, gutting clean energy investments, and ballooning our national debt by trillions of dollars.
    After more than 24 hours of voting with a record-setting number of amendments, Hickenlooper voted NO on the budget resolution after Republicans voted down critical Democratic-led amendments to prevent cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Inflation Reduction Act clean energy funding.
    The reconciliation bill now heads to the House for final passage. Only four House Republicans need to vote against the bill for it to fail.
    For video clips of the press conference, click HERE.
    Taking Health Care Away from 17 Million Americans
    The Republican budget proposal calls for extreme Medicaid cuts of more than $1 trillion, which would take away people’s health benefits; make it harder for them to see their health care providers; and prevent seniors from getting nursing home care. It also fails to extend the Affordable Care Act expanded premium tax credits, which expire at the end of 2025. As a result the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 17 million Americans will lose health insurance by 2034, and our national debt will increase by $3.3 trillion.
    “For every dollar invested in Medicaid in Colorado, we see more than double in economic activity and benefit returned. That means these cuts will have a huge ripple effect and severely harm our economy, and it will hit rural areas where Medicaid is most important the hardest,” said Adam Fox, Deputy Director at the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “At the end of the day, though, what this means, and what we hear from folks who rely on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, is this bill is going to force more Coloradans into impossible decisions between paying for the care that they need and keeping a roof over their head or food on their table.”
    “I can’t underscore how important Medicaid and the [ACA] health exchanges are for our patients for Sunrise and for our community…” said Mitzi Moran, CEO of Sunrise Community Health in Evans. “Medicaid expansion in 2008 and in 2013 changed things dramatically for our patients and for Sunrise… [our patients] still struggle with the tough choices, but at least medication is not in the mix, and they have coverage when they seek care at the hospital.”
    “Southwest Health Systems is a 20 bed, critical access hospital… Our physicians and advanced practice providers deliver primary care services for almost 9,000 members of our Southwest Colorado communities. Our emergency department provided services to more than 13,500 urgent and emergency conditions last year in 2024,” Joe Theine, CEO of Southwest Health System in Cortez. “Permanent cuts to the provider taxes and state directed payments, along with other changes to the Medicaid program, put at risk the services that we offer to people who live, work and travel throughout Southwest Colorado.”
    “I have two adult children with developmental disabilities, a 24 year old son and a 20 year old daughter. Our family members are recipients of Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers, and these are not known by the general public very well, but they are state specific programs under Medicaid that provide much more than basic health care and dental care,” said Deana Cairo, Disability Rights Activist. “[Eligibility redeterminations every six months] is likely to result in more problems… There’s going to be service interruptions, loss of care. People are going to fall off the rolls. People who don’t have people to advocate and appeal for them are going to become unhoused. It’s going to be a disaster.”
    Slashing Investments in Clean Energy and Driving up Energy Bills
    The Republicans voted to gut hundreds of billions in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) clean energy investments, including tax credits for wind and solar. The results: over a million jobs lost, hundreds of billions in lost GDP and lost wages, electricity price inflation, and killing new renewable energy needed to prevent blackouts.
    “Republicans are always talking about independence and being dominant in our industries. This is how we become energy dominant. It’s not just wind. It’s not just solar. It’s not just natural gas plants. It’s not just nuclear power plants. It takes every single one of these technologies for us to create that.” said Josh Shipley, Owner of Alternative Power Enterprises in Ridgway. “And this is this bill is going to kill that – there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Small businesses like mine will go out of business because of it. There will not be the workforce that is going to be required to create that energy dominance later, when they’ve realized what they’ve done.”
    “By cutting these energy tax credits, they are going to end so much of the thriving industry, the jobs and the new electrons that are being put on the grid, and ultimately, they’re going to hurt local communities and our low cost energy right now,” said KC Becker, CEO of Colorado Solar and Storage Association and former EPA regional administrator.
    Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor in the middle of the night in support of his amendment to protect the IRA’s residential clean energy credit. He also worked with his colleagues to alter a few of the worst clean energy proposals, including eliminating a devastating renewable energy excise tax.
    Crushing Safety Net Programs Coloradans Depend on
    The Republican bill also rips away financial safety nets and crucial programs from millions of Americans, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that supports 55,000 Coloradans.
    “The majority of the households that would be affected by this bill, as mentioned, are working families with children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. With these high levels of food insecurity, food banks like ours cannot meet the increased need without vital federal assistance programs,” said Sue Ellen Rodwick, Western Slope Director of Food Bank of the Rockies. “One story I have is from a woman that one of my staff members was able to help out in Meeker. An older adult and she didn’t know that she would qualify for SNAP. We got her signed up for SNAP and our food program for older adults. She said it’s amazing, because even just the drive to the grocery store from Meeker to Rifle, that’s a 40 minute drive to get to a larger grocery store with affordable prices. This program makes a difference for so many people, and we need the funding for that outreach to help people give them assistance to enroll in SNAP.”

    MIL OSI USA News –