NewzIntel.com

Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Violating Federal Gun Control Act

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANARD WALTON (“WALTON”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to court records, on March 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at WALTON’s residence.  During the search, agents found a Springfield, nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, in a kitchen cabinet wrapped in a towel.  In the kitchen, they also found approximately one and a half pounds of marijuana.  The agents located a hidden compartment under a set of stairs leading to the second story. In this hidden compartment, they found a Smith and Wesson, .40 caliber pistol, and approximately $37,941.00 of U.S. currency.  The Smith & Wesson firearm was confirmed to have been stolen.

    A records check showed that WALTON was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms.  Court records confirmed that WALTON had at least five felony convictions, including a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    On March 12, 2025, WALTON pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of the two firearms found during the March 19, 2024 search.

    Judge Milazzo set sentencing for June 18, 2025. WALTON faces  up to fifteen years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Slidell Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operators Of Jacksonville Roofing Business Sentenced To Federal Prison For Payroll Tax Fraud And Workers’ Compensation Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Jacksonville residents Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter to 41 months and 21 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud related to Jacksonville roofing businesses they operated. The Slaughters pled guilty on November 25, 2024.

    As part of their sentence, the court entered an order of forfeiture against Travis Slaughter in the amount of $2,780,947.56 and against Tripp Slaughter in the amount $416,799.66, which were proceeds traceable to the mail and wire fraud offenses. The court also ordered Travis Slaughter to pay restitution in the amount of $6,768,612.32 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for payroll tax losses, $2,780,947.56 to two insurance companies for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $271,217.39 to the same two companies for two paid workers’ compensation claims. The court ordered Tripp Slaughter to pay restitution of $623,269.64 to the IRS for payroll tax losses, $416,799.66 to an insurance company for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $137,778.39 to the same company for a paid workers’ compensation claim.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2007, Travis Slaughter operated a roofing business in Jacksonville, first under the name Great White Construction and then under the name Florida Roofing Experts. In January 2020, the business began operating under the name 5 Star Roofing Services, which Tripp Slaughter incorporated. Although the name changed, each business operated in the same manner, banked at the same financial institutions, and employed the same employees.

    The company contracted with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to prepare payroll checks for employees, after making deductions for payroll taxes, and to file payroll tax returns and forward tax payments to governmental authorities. However, the company did not provide the PEOs with information about all the hours worked by, or all the wages due to, its employees. Instead, the company also paid the employees directly, with separate checks drawn on company bank accounts, and did not deduct payroll taxes from these checks. By paying employees with “split checks”—one from the PEO and one from the company—the company avoided paying the full amount of payroll taxes due to the IRS. For the period of October 2015 through June 2020, the company paid a total of approximately $23,079,680 in wages that were not reported to the IRS. The payroll taxes due to the IRS on this amount total approximately $4,292,429. The PEOs also secured workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the company. The premiums charged by the workers’ compensation insurers were based on the total amount of payroll that the company reported to the PEOs. If the company had reported the actual amount of payroll, the insurers would have charged additional premiums totaling approximately $2,780,947.

    In addition to causing the company to underreport their payroll to the IRS, the Slaughters also underreported their personal income to the IRS. For the tax years 2014 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Travis Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $2,467,183. For the tax years 2015 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Tripp Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $263,614.

    “The actions of these two defendants represent a blatant disregard for U.S. law and our financial systems. Despite operating successful construction businesses that generated millions of dollars in wealth, their greed drove them to lie and cheat for years,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tampa Field Office. “Their scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes not only undermined the integrity of our tax system but also created an unfair advantage in which law-abiding competitors cannot compete for bids.  Our job is to make sure dishonest offenders like these two face the consequences of their criminal activities.”

    “The Slaughters defrauded insurance companies of millions in workers’ compensation insurance premiums and will be responsible for financial restitution for the loss of insurance premiums and death and injury claims,” said ICE HSI Tampa, Jacksonville office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “As part of this criminal enterprise, they also exploited the labor of hundreds of illegal aliens.”

    This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking, Extortion, and Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –  A New Hope man was sentenced today for stalking and extorting a woman and producing child pornography involving two minor victims, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Donald Wayne Carmody, 29, of New Hope, Alabama, to 480 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In December, Carmody pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, extortion, and production of child pornography. These convictions will require Carmody to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

    According to the plea agreement, Carmody used anonymous text messages to threaten to release pictures of the victim on the internet if she did not send him intimate photographs. Carmody also obtained the victim’s login credentials for her social media accounts and accessed their contents. After Carmody was arrested on cyberstalking and extortion charges for this conduct, investigators discovered a USB thumb drive belonging to him that contained images of child pornography involving two victims under the age of twelve. The FBI’s Video Forensic Analysis Unit compared the images from the thumb drive, which showed a person’s hand, to pictures of Carmody’s hands taken during the investigation. The Unit identified similar class and distinguishing characteristics between the images, demonstrating that the hand in the images on the thumb drive belonged to Carmody.    

    The FBI investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former University of Michigan Football Quarterbacks Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator Indicted on Charges of Unauthorized Access to Computers and Aggravated Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DETROIT – Former University of Michigan Co-Offensive Coordinator Matthew Weiss—age 42, of Ann Arbor—was charged today in a 24-count indictment alleging 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Detroit Field Office (Michigan)

    According to the indictment, between approximately 2015 and January 2023, Weiss gained unauthorized access to student athlete databases of more than 100 colleges and universities that were maintained by a third-party vendor. After gaining access to these databases, Weiss downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes.   Using the information that he obtained from the student athlete databases and his own internet research, Weiss was able to obtain access to the social media, email, and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 target athletes.   Weiss also illegally obtained access to the social media, email, and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 additional students and/or alumni from universities across the country.

    Once Weiss obtained access to these accounts, he downloaded personal, intimate digital photographs and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.

    “Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.” 

    “Today’s indictment of Matthew Weiss underscores the commitment and meticulous investigative efforts of our law enforcement professionals,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI Detroit Cyber Task Force, in close collaboration with the University of Michigan Police Department, worked relentlessly on this case to safeguard and protect our community.”

    If convicted, Weiss faces a maximum of five years imprisonment on each count of unauthorized access to computers and two years on each count of aggravated identity theft. Conviction on a count of aggravated identity theft triggers a two-year mandatory minimum sentence, to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed for the underlying offense.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Patrick Corbett. The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Controller Indicted for Embezzling Over $1 Million from Fresno Fruit Wholesaler

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — On Feb. 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

    According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to “cash” and then deposit them into his own personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the founders of the company. Through this scheme, Zacarias Lopez embezzled more than $1 million before he was eventually detected by one of the banks and terminated by the company. To secure his accounting role in the first place, Zacarias Lopez stole a valid social security number and used that along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his lack of legal status. The indictment also states that Zacarias Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and has not been permitted to return to the United States.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted of bank fraud, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft or illegal re-entry of a removed alien, he faces a penalty of two years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Department of Defense Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Taking Classified Documents

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A civilian electrical engineer for the Department of Defense pleaded guilty in federal court today to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.

    According to court documents, Gokhan Gun, 51, of Falls Church, Virginia, was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and is a dual citizen of Turkey and the United States. Through his employment, Gun possessed a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) and received training on the proper handling and storage of classified information.

    Beginning in May 2024, Gun, without permission, removed at least five classified documents from his Department of Defense workspace with the intent to retain them at his primary residence, which was not an approved facility for the storage of classified information.

    On Aug. 9, 2024, Gun was scheduled to depart the United States on a morning flight to Mexico. However, FBI agents observed a ride share service arrive at the defendant’s residence and approached Gun. Agents observed inside Gun’s residence a backpack inside which they located a Top Secret document and a notebook with handwritten notes that mirrored a Top Secret report. In the dining room, agents located additional classified documents, one of which Gun printed on Aug. 7, 2024, just two days before his scheduled departure.

    Gun is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 and faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Director in Charge Phillip E. Bates of the FBI Washington Field Office and Executive Director Lee M. Russ of Air Force Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects (AFOSI) made the announcement.

    The FBI and AFOSI Office of Special Projects are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Gibbs for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Adam L. Small and Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Baltic Horizon Fund plans to redeem early part of the bonds

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Baltic Horizon Fund is proceeding with the execution of its previously announced plan to reduce bond exposure and will redeem the fourth part of its bonds in the total nominal amount of EUR 3,000,001.20 on 10 April 2025. The redemption is planned to be carried out by way of decreasing the nominal value of the bonds and the new nominal value would be EUR 45,238.09 per bond. The amount payable to investors per one Bond is EUR 7,264.43, including redemption payment and accrued but unpaid interestThe total nominal amount of the bonds before the redemption is EUR 21,999,999 and after the redemption would be EUR 18,999,997.8. The list of bondholders will be fixed at the end of the working day of the Nasdaq CSD settlement system on 4 April 2025.

    For additional information, please contact:        

    Tarmo Karotam
    Baltic Horizon Fund manager
    E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com
    www.baltichorizon.com

    Baltic Horizon Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. Both the Fund and the Management Company are supervised by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority.

    Distribution: Nasdaq, GlobeNewswire, www.baltichorizon.com

    To receive Nasdaq announcements and news from Baltic Horizon Fund about its projects, plans and more, register on www.baltichorizon.com. You can also follow Baltic Horizon Fund on www.baltichorizon.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and YouTube.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on Certain Proof-of-Work Mining Activities

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Introduction

    As part of an effort to provide greater clarity on the application of the federal securities laws to crypto assets,[1] the Division of Corporation Finance is providing its views[2] on certain activities on proof-of-work networks known as “mining.” Specifically, this statement addresses the mining of crypto assets that are intrinsically linked to the programmatic functioning of a public, permissionless network, and are used to participate in and/or earned for participating in such network’s consensus mechanism or otherwise used to maintain and/or earned for maintaining the technological operation and security of such network. We refer in this statement to these crypto assets as “Covered Crypto Assets”[3] and their mining on proof-of-work networks as “Protocol Mining.”[4]

    Protocol Mining

    Networks rely upon cryptography and economic mechanism design to eliminate the need for designated trusted intermediaries to verify network transactions and provide settlement assurances to users. The operation of each network is governed by an underlying software protocol, consisting of computer code, that programmatically enforces certain network rules, technical requirements, and rewards distributions. Each protocol incorporates a “consensus mechanism,” or method for enabling the distributed network of unrelated computers (known as “nodes”) that maintain the peer-to-peer network to agree on the “state,” or authoritative record of network address ownership balances, transactions, smart contract code, and other data, of the network. Public, permissionless networks allow anyone to participate in the network’s operation, including the validation of new transactions to the network in accordance with the network’s consensus mechanism.

    Proof-of-work (“PoW”) is a consensus mechanism that incentivizes network transaction validation by rewarding network participants, called “miners,” who operate nodes adding computational resources to the network.[5] PoW involves validating transactions on a network and adding them in blocks to the distributed ledger. The “work” in PoW is the computational resources that miners contribute to validate transactions and add new blocks to the network. Miners do not have to own the network’s Covered Crypto Asset to validate transactions.

    Miners use computers to solve complex mathematical equations in the form of cryptographic puzzles. Miners compete with their peers to solve these puzzles, and the first miner to solve a puzzle is tasked with accepting batches of transactions from other nodes and validating (or proposing) new blocks of transactions to the network. In exchange for providing validation services, miners earn “Rewards” in the form of newly “minted” or created Covered Crypto Assets that are delivered under the terms of the protocol.[6] In this way, PoW creates an incentive for miners to invest the resources necessary to add valid blocks to the network.

    A miner providing validation services receives the Reward only after the other nodes in the network verify, through the protocol, that the solution is correct and valid. To this end, once a miner finds the correct solution, it broadcasts this information to other miners who can verify whether the miner properly solved the puzzle to receive the Reward. Once verified, all miners then add the new block to their own copies of the network. PoW is designed to secure the network by requiring miners to spend considerable time and computational resources to authenticate transactions. When the validation process functions in this way, it not only makes it less likely that someone would seek to undermine a network but also makes it less likely that miners could include altered transactions, such as those enabling the “double spending” of Covered Crypto Assets.[7]

    In addition to self (or solo) mining, miners can join “mining pools,” which allow miners to combine their computational resources to increase their chances of successfully validating transactions and mining new blocks on the network. Mining pools have developed into various types, each with differing methods of operation and Reward distribution.[8] A pool operator typically is responsible for coordinating the miners’ computational resources, maintaining the pool’s mining hardware and software, overseeing the pool’s security measures to protect against theft and cyberattacks, and ensuring that the miners are paid their Rewards. In return, the pool operator charges a fee that is deducted from the miners’ share of the Rewards earned by the mining pool. Reward payouts vary among pools, although Rewards often are distributed across the mining pool in proportion to the amount of computational resources that each miner contributes to the pool. Miners have no obligation to stay in a pool and can choose to leave a pool at any time.

    Division’s View on Protocol Mining Activities

    It is the Division’s view that “Mining Activities” (defined in this statement) in connection with Protocol Mining, under the circumstances described in this statement, do not involve the offer and sale of securities within the meaning of Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).[9] Accordingly, it is the Division’s view that participants in Mining Activities do not need to register transactions with the Commission under the Securities Act or fall within one of the Securities Act’s exemptions from registration in connection with these Mining Activities.

    Protocol Mining Activities Covered by this Statement

    The Division’s view pertains to the following Protocol Mining activities and transactions (“Mining Activities” and each a “Mining Activity”): (1) mining Covered Crypto Assets on a PoW network; and (2) the roles of mining pools and pool operators involved in the Protocol Mining process, including their roles in connection with the earning and distribution of Rewards. Only Mining Activities undertaken in connection with the following types of Protocol Mining are addressed in this statement.

    • Self (or Solo) Mining, which involves a miner mining Covered Crypto Assets using its own computational resources. The miner may work alone or together with others to operate a node and mine Covered Crypto Assets.
    • Mining Pool, which involves miners combining their computational resources with other miners to increase their chances of successfully validating transactions and mining new blocks on the network. Reward payments may flow from the network directly to the miners or indirectly to them through the pool operator.

    Discussion

    Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act and Section 3(a)(10) of the Exchange Act each defines the term “security” by providing a list of various financial instruments, including “stock,” “note,” and “bond.” Because a Covered Crypto Asset does not constitute any of the financial instruments that are specifically enumerated in the definition of “security,” we conduct our analysis of certain transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets in the context of Protocol Mining under the “investment contract” test set forth in SEC v. W.J. Howey Co.[10] The “Howey test” is used to analyze arrangements or instruments not listed in those statutory sections based on their “economic realities.”[11]

    In evaluating the economic realities of a transaction, the test is whether there is an investment of money in an enterprise premised on a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.[12] Federal courts since Howey have explained that Howey’s “efforts of others” requirement is satisfied when “the efforts made by those other than the investor are the undeniably significant ones, those essential managerial efforts which affect the failure or success of the enterprise.”[13]

    Self (or Solo) Mining

    A miner’s Self (or Solo) Mining is not undertaken with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others. Rather, a miner contributes its own computational resources, which secure the network and enable the miner to earn Rewards issued by the network in accordance with its software protocol. To earn Rewards, the miner’s activities must comply with the rules of the protocol. By adding its computational resources to the network, the miner merely is engaging in an administrative or ministerial activity to secure the network, validate transactions and add new blocks, and receive Rewards. A miner’s expectation to receive Rewards is not derived from any third party’s managerial or entrepreneurial efforts upon which the network’s success depends. Instead, the expected financial incentive from the protocol is derived from the administrative or ministerial act of Protocol Mining performed by the miner. As such, Rewards are payments to the miner in exchange for services it provides to the network rather than profits derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.

    Mining Pool

    Likewise, when a miner combines its computational resources with other miners to increase their chances of successfully mining new blocks on the network, the miner has no expectation of profit derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others. By adding its own computational resources to a mining pool, the miner merely is engaging in an administrative or ministerial activity to secure the network, validate transactions and add new blocks, and receive Rewards. In addition, any expectation of profits that the miners have is not derived from the efforts of a third party, such as a pool operator. Even when participating in a mining pool, individual miners still perform the actual mining activity by contributing their computational power to solve the cryptographic puzzles for validation of new blocks. Moreover, whether a miner self (or solo) mines or mines as a member of a mining pool does not alter the nature of Protocol Mining for purposes of the Howey analysis. In either case, Protocol Mining, as described in this statement, remains an administrative or ministerial activity. Further, a pool operator’s activities in operating the mining pool using the combined computational resources of participating miners primarily are administrative or ministerial in nature. While some of the pool operator’s activities may benefit the group of miners, any such efforts are not sufficient to satisfy Howey’s “efforts of others” requirement because miners primarily are relying on the computational resources that they provide in conjunction with other members to the mining pool to earn profits. To this end, a miner does not join a mining pool based on the ability to earn profits passively from the activities of the pool operator.

    For further information, please contact the Division’s Office of Chief Counsel by submitting a web-based request form at https://www.sec.gov/forms/corp_fin_interpretive.

     

    [1] For purposes of this statement, a “crypto asset” is an asset that is generated, issued, and/or transferred using a blockchain or similar distributed ledger technology network (“crypto network”), including, but not limited to, assets known as “tokens,” “digital assets,” “virtual currencies,” and “coins,” and that relies on cryptographic protocols. In addition, for purposes of this statement, a “network” refers to a crypto network.

    [2] This statement represents the views of the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”). It is not a rule, regulation, guidance, or statement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”), and the Commission has neither approved nor disapproved its content. This statement, like all staff statements, has no legal force or effect: it does not alter or amend applicable law, and it creates no new or additional obligations for any person.

    [3] This statement only addresses certain activities involving Covered Crypto Assets that do not have intrinsic economic properties or rights, such as generating a passive yield or conveying rights to future income, profits, or assets of a business enterprise.

    [4] This statement only addresses transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets in connection with Protocol Mining and not other transactions involving Covered Crypto Assets.

    [5] This statement addresses PoW generally rather than all of PoW’s variations or any specific PoW protocol.

    [6] The protocol establishes rules on Rewards. Miners cannot change the Rewards they receive as the Reward structure is predetermined by the protocol.

    [7] Double spending involves the same crypto assets being sent to two recipients and can occur when ledger entries are altered.

    [8] For example, in a “pay-per-share” model, miners receive a payment for each valid share or block they contribute to the mining pool; regardless of whether the pool successfully mines a block; in a “peer-to-peer” model, the pool operator’s role is decentralized among pool members; and in a “proportional” model, miners receive Rewards proportional to the amount of work they contribute to successfully mine a block. There also may be hybrid pools that offer a combination of different operational and payout methods.

    [9] The Division’s view is not dispositive as to whether any specific Mining Activity (defined in this statement) involves the offer and sale of a security. A definitive determination requires analyzing the facts relating to the specific Mining Activity. Where facts vary from those presented in this statement – such as the way in which pool members may be compensated, how miners or other persons may participate in mining pools, or the activities conducted by pool operators – the Division’s view as to whether the specific Mining Activity involves the offer and sale of a security may be different.

    [10] 328 U.S. 293 (1946).

    [11]  See Landreth Timber Co. v. Landreth, 471 U.S. 681, 689 (1985), in which the U.S. Supreme Court suggested that the proper test for determining whether a particular instrument that is not clearly within the definition of “stock” as set forth in Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act, or that otherwise is of an unusual nature, is the economic realities test set forth in Howey. In analyzing whether an instrument is a security, “form should be disregarded for substance,” Tcherepnin v. Knight, 389 U.S. 332, 336 (1967), “and the emphasis should be on economic realities underlying a transaction, and not on the name appended thereto.” United Housing Found., Inc. v. Forman, 421 U.S. 837, 849 (1975).

    [12] Forman, 421 U.S. at 852.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada Invests $2.7 million in London to Enhance Climate Resilience and Community Spaces

    Source: Government of Canada News

    London, Ontario, March 20, 2025 — Today, MP Peter Fragiskatos, Rodger J. Moran, Co-Executive Director Finance & Administration at ReForest London, and Tom Partalas, Optimist Club of London, announced $2.7 million in funding through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings fund.

    Up to $2.1 million will be invested in Reforest London for the Perth Centre for Community Forestry in London will support the transformation of a 1940s Veterans facility into an energy-efficient, solar-powered, climate resilient centre.

    This facility will offer community forestry programs focused on combating climate change, particularly extreme heat, through tree planting and other nature-based solutions. The centre will provide a variety of free programs, events, and services to the public.

    London Optimist Sports Centre will receive an investment of $600,000 towards green improvements. This will retrofit windows and minimize energy loss, and update outdated mechanical systems and HVAC equipment to optimize performance and reduce environmental impact. The project will provide a more eco-friendly facility, benefiting the London community and its over 600,000 annual visitors by improving comfort and lowering operational costs.

    The federal government recognizes the importance of community spaces and remains committed to strengthening and revitalizing Canadian communities, ensuring we remain connected through common interest and shared spaces.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Over Twenty Years Federal Prison

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

    A woman who worked with others to distribute a significant amount of methamphetamine was sentenced March 17, 2025, to more than 24 years in federal prison.

    Candace Sue Thein, age 42, from Dike, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 3, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.  

    Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, from December 2023 through May 22, 2024, Thein worked with others to receive numerous packages of ice methamphetamine and marijuana from a source of supply in California.  In total, the group received over 50 pounds of methamphetamine from the source of supply in California, which the group then redistributed to individuals in Waterloo, Dike, Reinbeck, and Hudson, Iowa.  Law enforcement searched several of the residences of individuals receiving these packages, including Thein’s residence in Dike, on May 22, 2024.  In the early morning hours of June 15, 2024, Thein and two other individuals went to the residence of one of Thein’s drug customers, demanding money.  The two other individuals threatened to kill Thein’s drug customer, while Thein broke into the drug customer’s residence and stole his cellphone.   

    Thein was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Thein was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment, and she must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Thein is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. 

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Postal Service; the Tri‑County Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Mid‑Iowa Drug Trask Force; the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol; and the Santa Ana, California Police Department.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-00052-CJW.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: WithSecure Corporation: SHARE REPURCHASE 20.3.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WithSecure Corporation, STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE, 20 March 2025 at 6.30 PM (EET)  
               
               
    WithSecure Corporation: SHARE REPURCHASE 20.3.2025      
               
    In the Helsinki Stock Exchange          
               
    Trade date           20.3.2025        
    Bourse trade         Buy        
    Share                  WITH        
    Amount             15 000 Shares      
    Average price/ share    0,9229 EUR      
    Total cost            13 843,50 EUR      
               
               
    WithSecure Corporation now holds a total of 211 890 shares      
    including the shares repurchased on 20.3.2025        
               
    The share buybacks are executed in compliance with Regulation       
    No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council (MAR) Article 5    
    and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052.      
               
               
    On behalf of Withsecure Corporation        
               
    Nordea Bank Oyj          
               
    Janne Sarvikivi           Sami Huttunen        
               
               
    Contact information:          
    Laura Viita          
    Vice President Controlling, Investor relations and Sustainability    
    WithSecure Corporation          
    Tel. +358 50 4871044          
    Investor-relations@withsecure.com          
               

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PARADISE Looks To Revolutionize Gaming Through Upcoming Launch

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PARADISE is set to officially launch on April 2nd, 2025. It is the only Web3 game in the world to achieve such massive success in terms of player numbers. It will be available on Epic Games, Steam and its own launch program.

    In anticipation of the official release, a playtest will take place at the end of March, giving players an exclusive opportunity to try out the game before the Initial DEX Offering (IDO/Presale $PAR token) concludes, which runs through March 31.

    Popularity & Market Traction

    PARADISE has already captured the attention of the global gaming community, with over 700,000 players across various platforms. The game ranks as the TOP-1 free-to-play game on Steam and holds a spot in the TOP-40 on the Epic Games Store.

    It also has over 700,000 wishlists on Steam alone and 1 million views on the game’s official trailer. The game has additionally garnered over 100 million views from top influencers on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

    Web3 Integration & The $PAR Token

    PARADISE incorporates the $PAR token, which allows players to buy in-game items, real estate, fancy clothes, and more. This integration offers players the unique opportunity to experience both traditional and blockchain-based gameplay.

    Furthermore, players can switch between the standard version and the blockchain (XRPL) version whenever they wish to do so. Lastly, PARADISE has also formed key partnerships with industry leaders like xMagnetic and Epic Games, further highlighting the game’s credibility.

    IDO Countdown

    Currently, the IDO for the $PAR token is underway, with the IDO scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2025. In an effort to make the token more accessible to early supporters, PARADISE’s team has priced it at 0.0001 XRP. After the IDO, unsold tokens will be burned, and the token will be listed on Tier 2-3 exchanges initially, with plans for a listing on a Top-1 exchange in the future.

    For those interested in purchasing $PAR tokens before the IDO ends, a comprehensive guide is available. The $PAR token follows a deflationary tokenomics model, with a blackholed address ensuring no new tokens will be issued after the IDO.

    Lastly, PARADISE is carrying out an airdrop for IDO buyers, wherein additional $PAR can be earned by holding. Payments will be made in $PAR to XRP Wallets following the IDO’s conclusion. The Top 5 IDO buyers will also receive exclusive rewards.

    Massive Marketing Campaign

    PARADISE is conducting a robust marketing campaign with mentions from top international influencers and bloggers across multiple social media platforms. The idea behind these global partnerships is to ensure that PARADISE maintains its momentum, keeping players engaged while attracting even more attention as the launch date approaches.

    Moreover, in order to separate itself from its competition, PARADISE took the time to build its game first, gather a substantial audience, and prove its traction before turning to fundraising. This approach has resulted in a project that is already highly anticipated and has demonstrated real-world engagement, setting it apart from others that often launch tokens before building a product or community.

    About PARADISE

    PARADISE is an innovative, free-to-play game that blends AAA-quality gameplay with blockchain technology. The game offers players the chance to engage in exciting shootouts, car races, and complete daily missions, all while earning $PAR tokens to buy in-game assets and items.

    With a growing community of over 600,000 players and significant backing from industry leaders like Epic Games and xMagnetic, PARADISE looks to reshape the future of gaming.

    For more information and regular updates, visit PARADISE’s official website as well as its X (Twitter), YouTube, and Telegram channels.

    Contact Information:
    For media inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact:
    Robert Lee
    CMO, PARADISE®
    Email: admin@paradisevs.com

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

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8194f7d1-7d13-4574-8b28-ddbcefb5fc51

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press Release – P&F Welcomes P&R Runway Policy Letter 2025 Thursday 20 March 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release
    Date: 20th March 2025

    Policy & Resources’ Runway Policy Letter Welcomed

    The Policy & Finance Committee (P&F) conveys its thanks to Guernsey’s Chief Minister Lyndon Trott OBE and welcomes the Policy & Resources Committee’s (P&R) Runway Rehabilitation policy Letter.

    The Policy Letter outlines solutions for the runway project and strongly highlights that they should fall within the £24million cost envelope that was previously agreed by the States of Deliberation in 2022. P&F is encouraged that this will be debated before the conclusion of this political term; however, there is an air of disappointment that a new aerodrome expert is to be appointed and will effectively mean that the project will revert to the design stage. P&F’s support for the development of a solution that includes modernising and futureproofing the runway remains unwavering and absolute.

    Alongside the runway proposals, the formal establishment of a Bailiwick Commission has been prioritised within the Policy Letter. P&F believes that to date, this proposal demonstrates the clearest sign of intent to modernise the constitutional relationship between the islands and move forward from the 1948 agreement, which continues to serve its purpose in delivering essential services to our island in fiscal union with Guernsey.

    Chairman of P&F, Bill Abel said “The rehabilitation of the airport is of paramount importance to Alderney and its community, and the Bailiwick Commission is a long-awaited formal proposal which seeks to benefit the Bailiwick as a whole. We look forward to engaging with the States of Guernsey on taking both of these matters forward.”

    P&F remains committed to working constructively with Guernsey to deliver the best outcomes for Alderney and will continue discussions to ensure our island’s interests are fully represented.

    Ends

    States of Alderney media enquiries: publications.alderney@gov.gg

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEC Announces Agenda, Panelists for Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the agenda and panelists for the March 27 roundtable on artificial intelligence in the financial industry.  

    “I look forward to hearing from the panelists on how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can both improve the cost-effectiveness of the Commission’s regulations and provide additional value to market participants,” said SEC Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda. “I encourage members of the public to provide data and other evidence on how artificial intelligence can be used to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation.”

    The roundtable, announced in February, will be held at the SEC’s headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. from 9:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. The event will be open to the public and webcast live on the SEC’s website. Doors will open at 8:00 a.m.

    For online attendance, no registration is necessary. A link to watch the event will be available on March 27 on www.sec.gov. Please register for in-person attendance.

    More information, including how to submit feedback on artificial intelligence in the financial industry, is available on the SEC Artificial Intelligence Roundtable’s event page.

    Agenda

    8:00 am

    Doors Open

    9:00 am – 9:30 am

    Opening Remarks from Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda, Commissioner Hester Peirce, and Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw

    9:30 am – 10:45 am

    Panel: The Benefits, Costs, and Uses of AI in the Financial Industry

    Moderator:  Rob Hegarty, Division of Trading and Markets

    Panelists:

    • Mike Kelly, Head of Strategic AI Governance and Enablement, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
    • Gregg Berman, Director of Market Analytics and Regulatory Structure, Citadel Securities
    • Douglas Hamilton, Head of AI Engineering and Research, Nasdaq
    • Hillary Allen, Professor of Law, American University, Washington College of Law
    • Daniel Pateiro, Managing Director, Office of Chief Operating Officer, Strategic Initiatives/Artificial Intelligence, BlackRock

    10:45 am – 11:00 am

    Break

    11:00 am – 12:15 pm

    Panel: Fraud, Authentication, and Cybersecurity

    Moderator:  Alexis Hall, Division of Examinations

    Panelists:

    • Brad Ahrens, Senior Vice President of Advanced Analytics, FINRA
    • Michael Wellman, Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Michigan
    • Kristen McCooey, Chief Information Security Officer, Edward Jones
    • Alexander Leblang, Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, Department of Treasury

    12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

    Lunch

    1:15 pm – 2:30 pm

    Panel: AI Governance and Risk Management

    Moderator:  Valerie Szczepanik, Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology

    Panelists:

    • Jeff McMillan, Head of Firmwide Artificial Intelligence, Morgan Stanley
    • Johnna Powell, Managing Director and Head of Technology, Research and Innovation, The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation
    • Ryan Swann, Chief Data Analytics Officer, The Vanguard Group, Inc.
    • Scott Mullins, Managing Director, Worldwide Financial Services Industry, Amazon Web Services
    • Conan French, Director of Digital Finance, Institute of International Finance

    2:30 pm – 2:45 pm

    Break

    2:45 pm – 4:00 pm

    Panel: What’s Next/Future Trends

    Moderator: Marco Enriquez, Division of Economic and Risk Analysis

    Panelists:

    • Hardeep Walia, Managing Director, Head of AI & Personalization, Charles Schwab
    • Tyler Derr, Chief Technology and Product Officer, Broadridge
    • Peter Slattery, MIT FutureTech
    • Sarah Hammer, Executive Director, Wharton School; Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School; CEO of Wharton Cypher Accelerator

    4:00 pm – 4:15 pm

    Closing Remarks

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah Man Sentenced to 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Attempting to Receive Images of Child Sexual Abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. GEORGE, Utah –Todd Robert Michels, 54, of Washington City, Utah, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, and a lifetime of supervised release after he admitted that he attempted to receive images of child sexual abuse.

    According to court documents and statements made at Michel’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on November 3, 2023, Michels communicated via the internet with an individual he thought was the father of a seven-year-old boy. Michels was actually communicating with an undercover officer. During these communications, Michels said he wanted to sexually abuse the undercover officer’s seven-year-old son and that he had fantasized about such behavior for a long time. Michels also requested sexually explicit photographs of the child. The undercover officer and Michels ultimately agreed to meet for the purpose of Michels sexually assaulting the seven-year-old boy. Upon Michels’ arrival at the meeting location, he was taken into custody.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case was investigated jointly by The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

    Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Joins Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Senators to Attorney General: “In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on [DOJ] to uphold the law”
    Santa Fe, N.M. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and more than two dozenDemocratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
    The Senators’ letter comes as the Trump Administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the Administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The Administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
    “Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the Senators.
    “Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” continued the Senators.
    In addition to Senators Luján, Padilla, and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Full text of the letter is available here and below: 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
    The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated.  The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
    Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
    Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
    We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: XRP News: XploraDEX Becomes XRP’s First AI-Powered DEX! XRP Whales Are Accumulating—Join $XPL Presale Now!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ZURICH, Switzerland, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The XRP ecosystem is experiencing a massive shift in decentralized trading, and the whales are taking notice! XploraDEX, the first-ever AI-powered decentralized exchange (DEX) on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), is here to change the game. By integrating cutting-edge AI technology into trading, liquidity optimization, and market analysis, XploraDEX is empowering XRP traders to maximize profits like never before!

    The $XPL Presale is now live, and XRP whales are securing their positions early—don’t miss your chance to join them!

    XploraDEX: The Smartest Way to Trade XRP!

    For too long, XRP traders have been limited by manual trading strategies, emotional decision-making, and missed opportunities. Now, with XploraDEX’s AI-powered trading system, users can tap into advanced automation, predictive analytics, and real-time market intelligence to stay ahead of the curve.

    GET YOUR $XPL TOKENS TODAY!

    What Makes XploraDEX Different?

    AI-Powered Trading Strategies – No more guesswork! AI scans XRP markets 24/7 to execute high-probability trades.

    Lightning-Fast Execution on XRPL – Trade XRP assets instantly with minimal fees and zero intermediaries.

    Predictive Market Analytics – AI-driven forecasting models help traders spot profitable opportunities before they happen.

    Arbitrage & High-Frequency Trading (HFT) – AI bots detect price inefficiencies and execute trades in real time for maximum gains.

    Liquidity Optimization – AI automatically manages liquidity pools to minimize slippage and increase trading efficiency.

    [BUY $XPL TOKENS ON PRESALE]

    Why XRP Whales Are Accumulating $XPL

    The $XPL token is the lifeblood of XploraDEX, powering its AI-driven trading engine and unlocking premium features for traders. Early adopters are accumulating $XPL now to gain first-mover advantages in AI trading!

    With XRP whales already securing their positions, the window to accumulate $XPL before prices surge is closing fast!

    Secure Your $XPL Tokens Now: https://sale.xploradex.io

    The AI Trading Revolution is Happening—Will You Be Left Behind?

    Institutional traders and hedge funds have been using AI to dominate traditional markets for years. Now, for the first time, XploraDEX is bringing that same advanced AI technology to XRP traders!

    This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the AI revolution in DeFi. The traders who move first will have the biggest advantage, don’t wait!

    $XPL Token PreSale is your ticket to the future of XRP trading, secure your allocation before it’s too late!

    Stay connected and Join the XploraDEX AI Revolution

    Website | $XPL Token Presale | X | Telegram

    Contact:
    Oliver Muller
    oliver@xploradex.io
    contact@xploradex.io

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the XploraDEX. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.

    Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.

    Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

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

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51260947-1a3e-484e-a82c-48ff7a2dc303

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s Africa strategy is a landmark moment for Canada-Africa relations, but still needs work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By David J Hornsby, Professor of International Affairs and the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic), Carleton University

    For the first time in its history, Canada has unveiled a comprehensive Africa strategy, marking a significant milestone in the Canadian approach to engaging with the African continent.

    Launched on March 6 by Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, the strategy represents a crucial step towards a more coherent and intentional relationship with Africa.

    This development is worthy of praise for several reasons.

    The strategy’s strengths

    First, it demonstrates Canada’s recognition of Africa’s growing importance on the global stage. It acknowledges the need for Canada to work closely with African states and organizations in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Francophonie.

    It also positions Canada not only as a partner in enhancing Africa’s voice in global affairs, but also as an ally in advancing the Canadian government’s strategic interests abroad.

    The strategy’s development process was remarkably inclusive, with more than 600 stakeholder submissions. This consultative approach not only ensured a diverse range of perspectives, but also promotes accountability in the strategy’s implementation.

    Finally, the initiative’s broad scope is commendable. By intentionally crafting the strategy to encompass a wide array of African partners — from the African Union to diaspora groups in Canada — the government has created a framework that allows various African nations and organizations to see themselves reflected in the partnership.

    Remaining questions

    However, as with any significant policy development, there are areas for improvement and questions to be addressed. These include:

    Resource allocation: While the strategy sets ambitious goals, it’s unclear how these will be achieved without new funding.

    Although the argument can be made that the government has the option to reconfigure existing funding to align with broader policy shifts, that would leave major gaps in current development programming. The government must provide more specific details about funding and, just as importantly, metrics for implementation.

    Competitive landscape: The strategy doesn’t fully acknowledge Canada’s current position in Africa. While it identifies increased competition from familiar players like China, the European Union and Russia, as well as a growing array of competitors like Brazil, Turkey and the Gulf states, it doesn’t confront the degree to which, relatively speaking, Canada has lost ground.

    This needs to be acknowledged alongside Canada’s residual reputational strength, rooted in a history of supporting democratic transitions for African nations — particularly during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, but also during numerous peacekeeping engagements.



    Read more:
    Brian Mulroney’s tough stand against apartheid is one of his most important legacies

    Investments in developmental projects related to education and health in Africa have led to Canada garnering a reputation as a constructive and responsive collaborator on African issues. That said, Canada’s reputation in terms of mining and other extractive activities on the continent is an unhelpful counterpoint.

    Canada must strongly position itself as a state that can be trusted to champion African issues while forging partnerships based on mutual interest and respect in the fast-changing global competitive environment.

    Innovation and education: Despite the strategy’s mention of engaging youth and diaspora communities, it’s unclear on how to do this. A crucial way to connect with youth in particular is to enhance education connections and expand the links between universities and science and technological innovation institutions in Canada and African states.

    Dual degrees, funded collaborative research projects, student exchanges and scholarships are all tried-and-tested mechanisms to foster cross-cultural understandings that bind societies together.

    A sustainable Canada-Africa strategy must see educational and scientific partnerships, training and knowledge circulation as cornerstones for success.

    It would be a missed opportunity if the government fails to use this blueprint to leverage Canada’s extensive educational and scientific assets to generate innovative ideas that support the strategy’s implementation. This approach could also create opportunities for Canadian and African youth to build a strong foundation for a lasting and meaningful Canada-Africa relationship in the future.



    Read more:
    Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s economic resilience

    Ethical considerations: The strategy doesn’t adequately address issues related to the mining sector and the need for more ethical practices.

    Given Canada is touted as a mining superpower in Africa, a clear commitment to supporting human rights-centred and community development-oriented mining practices would go a long way to sustaining Canada’s interest in the extractive sector in Africa. This would also enhance its overall reputation on the continent.

    Furthermore, the ethics of Canada’s immigration regime and the often punitive approach to giving out temporary visas to African travellers is starkly missing from the strategy.

    It’s critical in terms of Canada’s future engagements and relations with African nations to recognize the current system is broken and considered overly intrusive by Africans. If Canada is serious about learning from Africa and forming equitable partnerships based on mutual respect, it cannot mete out indignities at the border.

    High-level commitment: The launch of the strategy by a parliamentary secretary, rather than the foreign affairs minister or the prime minister, raises questions about the perceived importance of this strategy at the highest levels of government.

    The launch was diplomatically underwhelming, with no invitations extended to the Canadian media or the African diplomatic community in Canada. This created the impression that the government was either already distancing itself from the strategy, or was anxious to manage expectations.

    Given that the launch of the strategy coincided with the Independence day of Ghana, one of the first African countries that Canada established official diplomatic relations with, the Canadian government should have seized on this historic moment to send a strong diplomatic message to the African continent.

    Substantial starting point

    Despite these concerns, the Africa strategy represents a significant and promising starting point.

    It provides a coherent, multidimensional and multi-purpose framework for Canada’s engagement with Africa. It synthesizes ongoing initiatives, sets intentions for future collaborations and seeks to move beyond paternalistic motivations to build an enhanced Canada-Africa relationship based on trust and respect.

    The strategy is realistic not only about Canada’s own limitations and needs, but also about the complexities of building partnerships with a large and diverse continent. It highlights humanitarian and security priorities while also emphasizing economic and political opportunities in Africa. The combination of humanitarian concerns with strategic interests signals a shift toward a more balanced and consistent approach towards the continent.



    Read more:
    Why Canada must seize the moment and launch its long-awaited Africa strategy

    As we move forward, the Canadian government must address the strategy’s shortcomings and provide more concrete plans for its implementation.

    Nonetheless, this moment deserves recognition. Canada has taken an important first step towards a more strategic, intentional and mutually beneficial relationship with Africa. It’s now up to policymakers, businesses, the academic community and civil society to build upon this foundation and turn this strategy into tangible, positive outcomes for both Canada and its African partners.

    David Black receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    Thomas Kwasi Tieku receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

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

    – ref. Canada’s Africa strategy is a landmark moment for Canada-Africa relations, but still needs work – https://theconversation.com/canadas-africa-strategy-is-a-landmark-moment-for-canada-africa-relations-but-still-needs-work-252367

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Monolithic Power Systems Updates First Quarter 2025 Financial Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KIRKLAND, Wash., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) (Nasdaq: MPWR), a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions, today announced updates to its financial guidance for the three months ending March 31, 2025.

    The following table presents the updated financial guidance for the three months ending March 31, 2025:

      Previously Announced on
    February 6, 2025    		 Updated as of
    March 20, 2025
    Revenue $610.0 million to $630.0 million $630.0 million to $640.0 million
    GAAP operating expenses $180.2 million to $186.2 million $184.9 million to $190.9 million
    Non-GAAP (1) operating expenses $126.9 million to $130.9 million $131.6 million to $135.6 million

    As previously announced, on March 20, 2025, MPS will host an Analyst Day at 9:00 am Pacific Time. During the course of the event, management will discuss MPS’s corporate strategy, business and product updates, and financial metrics. The webcast of the event can be accessed, free of charge, at https://mpsic.zoom.us/j/98462171986 (meeting ID: 984-6217-1986). In addition, MPS will provide more information on the first quarter financial results and second quarter guidance in our earnings release and webinar at the end of April 2025 / beginning of May 2025.

    (1) Projected non-GAAP operating expenses exclude the effect of stock-based compensation and related expenses. These non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A schedule reconciling non-GAAP financial measures is included at the end of this press release. MPS utilizes both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures to assess what it believes to be its core operating performance and to evaluate and manage its internal business and assist in making financial operating decisions. MPS believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP financial measures, together with GAAP measures, provides investors with an alternative presentation useful to investors’ understanding of MPS’s core operating results and trends. Additionally, MPS believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP measures, together with GAAP measures, provides investors with an additional dimension of comparability to similar companies. However, investors should be aware that non-GAAP financial measures utilized by other companies are not likely to be comparable in most cases to the non-GAAP financial measures used by MPS. See the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations in the tables set forth below.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains, and statements that will be made during the live webcast will contain, forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among other things, (i) updated first quarter of 2025 financial guidance, (ii) our 2025 three-year financial goals, (iii) our outlook for the first quarter of 2025 and the near-term, medium-term and long-term prospects of MPS, including our ability to adapt to changing market conditions, performance against our business plan, our ability to grow despite the various challenges facing our business, our industry and the global economic environment, revenue growth in certain of our market segments, potential new business segments, our continued investment in research and development (“R&D”), expected revenue growth, customers’ acceptance of our new product offerings, the prospects of our new product development, our expectations regarding market and industry segment trends and prospects, and our projected expansion of capacity and the impact it may have on our business, (iv) market trends, market growth projections, anticipated market drivers and our ability to penetrate new and existing markets, (v) the seasonality of our business, (vi) our ability to reduce our expenses, and (vii) statements regarding the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in (i)-(vii) above. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance or events, are based on current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, goals, and objectives, and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from the results expressed by these statements. Readers of this press release and listeners to the accompanying conference call are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, continued uncertainties in the global economy, including due to the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, inflation, consumer sentiment and other factors; adverse events arising from orders or regulations of governmental entities, including such orders or regulations that impact our customers or suppliers, and adoption of new or amended accounting standards; adverse changes in laws and government regulations such as tariffs on imports of foreign goods, export regulations and export classifications, and tax laws or the interpretation of same, including in foreign countries where MPS has offices or operations; the effect of export controls, trade and economic sanctions regulations and other regulatory or contractual limitations on our ability to sell or develop our products in certain foreign markets, particularly in China; our ability to obtain governmental licenses and approvals for international trading activities or technology transfers, including export licenses; acceptance of, or demand for, our products, in particular the new products launched recently, being different than expected; our ability to increase market share in our targeted markets; difficulty in predicting or budgeting for future customer demand and channel inventories, expenses and financial contingencies (including as a result of any continuing impact from the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts); our ability to efficiently and effectively develop new products and receive a return on our R&D expense investment; our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers; our ability to meet customer demand for our products due to constraints on our third-party suppliers’ ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of our products or otherwise; our ability to expand manufacturing capacity to support future growth; adverse changes in production and testing efficiency of our products; any political, cultural, military, regulatory, economic, foreign exchange and operational changes in China, where a significant portion of our manufacturing capacity comes from; any market disruptions or interruptions in our schedule of new product development releases; our ability to manage our inventory levels; adequate supply of our products from our third-party manufacturing partners; adverse changes or developments in the semiconductor industry generally, which is cyclical in nature, and our ability to adjust our operations to address such changes or developments; the ongoing consolidation of companies in the semiconductor industry; competition generally and the increasingly competitive nature of our industry; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of companies and products that MPS acquires, and our ability to effectively and efficiently integrate these acquired companies and products into our operations; the risks, uncertainties and costs of litigation in which MPS is involved; the outcome of any upcoming trials, hearings, motions and appeals; the adverse impact on our financial performance if its tax and litigation provisions are inadequate; our ability to effectively manage our growth and attract and retain qualified personnel; the effect of epidemics and pandemics on the global economy and on our business; the risks associated with the financial market, economy and geopolitical uncertainties, including the collapse of certain banks in the U.S. and elsewhere and the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts; and other important risk factors identified under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, including, but not limited to, our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 3, 2025. MPS assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release or in the accompanying webinar.   

    About Monolithic Power Systems
    Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) is a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions. MPS’s mission is to reduce energy and material consumption to improve all aspects of quality of life. Founded in 1997 by our CEO Michael Hsing, MPS has three core strengths: deep system-level knowledge, strong semiconductor expertise, and innovative proprietary technologies in the areas of semiconductor processes, system integration, and packaging. These combined advantages enable MPS to deliver reliable, compact, and monolithic solutions that are highly energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible while providing a consistent return on investment to our stockholders. MPS can be contacted through its website at www.monolithicpower.com or its support offices around the world.

    Monolithic Power Systems, MPS, and the MPS logo are registered trademarks of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and trademarked in certain other countries. 

    Contact:
    Bernie Blegen
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    408-826-0777
    MPSInvestor.Relations@monolithicpower.com

    UPDATED 2025 FIRST QUARTER OUTLOOK
    RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSES TO NON-GAAP OPERATING EXPENSES
    (Unaudited, in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ending March 31, 2025
      Previously announced on February 6, 2025   Updated as of March 20,
    2025
      Low   High   Low   High
    Operating expenses $ 180,200     $ 186,200     $ 184,900     $ 190,900  
    Adjustments to reconcile operating expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses:              
       Stock-based compensation and other expenses   (53,300 )     (55,300 )     (53,300 )     (55,300 )
    Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 126,900     $ 130,900     $ 131,600     $ 135,600  
                   

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia provides recast comparative quarterly financial information reflecting the transfer of Managed Services business from Cloud and Network Services to Mobile Networks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation

    Stock Exchange Release
    20 March 2025 at 18:00 EET

    Nokia provides recast comparative quarterly financial information reflecting the transfer of Managed Services business from Cloud and Network Services to Mobile Networks

    Nokia today provided recast comparative financial information for Mobile Networks and Cloud and Network Services segments for Q1-Q4 2024 reflecting the transfer of the Managed Services business.

    Managed Services business transferred from Cloud and Network Services into Mobile Networks in 2025

    Effective 1 January 2025, Nokia moved its Managed Services business into its Mobile Networks business group. The Managed Services business provides outsourced network management of multi-vendor RAN networks for operators and, since 2021, has been part of Nokia’s Cloud and Network Services business group. As the Cloud and Network Services business group is increasingly transitioning towards cloud-native software sales, ‘as-a-service’ product offerings and helping customers to monetize networks through API’s, Nokia believes that Managed Services is more aligned and fits better with its Mobile Networks business group.

    To provide a basis for comparison, the following tables present summarized income statement information for Cloud and Network Services and Mobile Networks on an unaudited basis for all quarters and the full year of 2024, reflecting the transfer of the Managed Services business.

    Mobile Networks 

    EUR million Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24 Q1-Q4’24
    Net sales 1 682 2 078 1 854 2 545 8 159
    Gross profit 688 868 713 950 3 219
    Gross margin % 40.9%         41.8%                 38.5%                 37.3%         39.5%
    Research and development expenses (544) (538) (520) (558) (2 160)
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (180) (191) (182) (203) (756)
    Other operating income and expenses 4 43 91 12 149
    Operating profit/(loss) (32) 182 101 201 452
    Operating margin % (1.9)%         8.8%                 5.4%                 7.9%         5.5%
    Other segment items          
    Depreciation and amortization (92) (99) (92) (94) (377)

    Cloud and Network Services 

    EUR million Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24 Q1-Q4’24
    Net sales 546 507 595 940 2 589
    Gross profit 215 190 269 483 1 157
    Gross margin % 39.4%         37.5%                 45.2%                 51.4%         44.7%
    Research and development expenses (140) (139) (130) (141) (550)
    Selling, general and administrative expenses (113) (105) (105) (121) (444)
    Other operating income and expenses 1 19 23 1 43
    Operating profit/(loss) (37) (35) 56 222 206
    Operating margin % (6.8)% (6.9)%         9.4%                 23.6%         8.0%
    Other segment items          
    Depreciation and amortization (17) (16) (16) (17) (67)

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia
    Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia

    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 931 580 507
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: Equinor presents 2024 Annual report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Correction: The below stock market announcement (SMA) is a correction of the SMA published on 20 March 2025 message ID 641734. The reason for the correction is that information related to the balance sheet of Equinor ASA was inadequately presented in the attachment “Equinor Annual Report 2024.pdf”. The presentation is now complete in the attached reporting. 

     * * *

    Equinor ASA (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) publishes annual report for 2024, including financial and sustainability reporting.

    “2024 was marked by continued unpredictability in energy markets, with growing energy demand, political uncertainty and uneven progress in the energy transition. Our focus is on producing the energy the world needs today, and at the same time developing the energy systems needed for the future,” says Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.

    Safety

    “A systematic approach to safety over time is paying off with the best safety results to date in 2024. However, the year was marked by the fatal search and rescue (SAR) helicopter accident where we lost a dear colleague. We believe close collaboration with suppliers and shared learning in the industry is important for our continued safety improvement effort”, says Opedal.

    The twelve-month average Serious Incident Frequency (SIF) for 2024 was 0.3, down from 0.4 in 2023.

    Strong operational and financial performance

    Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 29.8 billion, and adjusted net income* of USD 9.18. Net operating income was reported at USD 30.9 billion and net income at USD 8.83 billion.

    “Our operational performance was strong, built on the dedicated efforts from employees across the company. Our role as a major supplier of energy to Europe is important and I am proud of the work we have done to provide energy security”, says Opedal.

    Strong operational performance across the portfolio contributed to an equity production of liquids and gas of 2,067 mboe per day in 2024, on par with the year before. Equity production of renewable power increased by 51% to 2,935 GWh.

    Strong financial result contributed to a return on average capital employed (RoACE)* at 21% for 2024. Capital discipline remained firm with organic capital expenditures* ending at USD 12.1 billion for the year. Equinor maintained a strong balance sheet with net debt to capital employed adjusted* of 11.9% at the end of 2024.

    The strong financial results of 2024 also led to strong contributions to society through taxes. In 2024, Equinor paid USD 20.6 billion in corporate income taxes of which USD 19.7 billion was paid in Norway, where Equinor has the largest share of its operations and earnings.

    Firm strategy and progressing industrial development

    “We have a consistent growth strategy, and our strategic direction remains firm. By adapting to market situation and opportunities, we are positioned for stronger free cash flow and growth, and set to create shareholder value for decades to come”, Opedal continues.

    Through progressing projects and portfolio shaping transactions Equinor spent 2024 high-grading the portfolio and positioning for stronger growth and cash flow.

    On the Norwegian continental shelf, the development of the portfolio continued with 39 new licences and approvals of the PDOs of Eirin, Irpa, Verdande and Andvare projects. The Johan Castberg FPSO arrived at the field and started preparations for startup.

    The international upstream portfolio was focused with the exits from our long-standing positions in Nigeria and Azerbaijan and deepened in core areas with the acquisitions of US Onshore gas assets close to premium markets. In the UK an agreement was signed to establish an incorporated joint venture with Shell UK Ltd., which will become the largest independent oil and gas company on the UK continental shelf.

    Through 2024 Equinor high-graded the renewables portfolio to ensure profitable growth, in a market challenged by cost inflation and regulatory delays. In the UK the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, continued to progress towards commercial start-up. Production was commenced at the Mendubim solar plants in Brazil.

    The long-term view on the importance of offshore wind remains firm. Through an acquisition of a 10% stake in Ørsted, Equinor got exposure to a premium portfolio of offshore wind projects and assets in operation.

    Value chains for carbon transport and storage progressed notably. In Norway, Northern Lights, the first commercial CO2 transport and storage infrastructure was completed and is expected to receive and store CO2 in 2025. In the UK, execution started for two of UK’s first carbon capture and storage infrastructure projects where Equinor is a partner.

    Progress on the Energy transition plan

    In 2024, Equinor achieved a year-on-year reduction of 5% in operated scope 1+2 greenhouse gas emissions, bringing the total down to 11.0 million tonnes CO2 equivalents. This is a 34% reduction from 2015, which is the reference year for Equinor’s ambition to reduce group-wide operated emissions by 50% on a net basis by 2030. Throughout 2024, actions were taken for further emission reductions with the partial electrification of the Sleipner field center, the Gudrun platform, as well as the Troll B and C fields.

    The average upstream CO2 intensity of Equinor’s operated portfolio was 6.2 kg of CO2 per boe in 2024 (100% basis), an improvement from 6.7kg of CO2/boe in 2023 and well below the industry average. The scope 3 GHG emissions from use of our products were 251 million tonnes in 2024, on par with the level in 2023.

    Equinor improved in the net carbon intensity of energy produced (including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) in 2024, which is now 2% below the 2019 baseline. The reduction was mainly driven by increased renewable energy production and lower scope 1+2 emissions.

    Equinor ambition is to to be a leading company in the energy transition. The updated Energy Transition Plan, published on March 20 2025, outlines the approach to deliver on Equinor’s strategy of creating value in the transition, while adjusting to changing external context and market realities.

    ***

    The previously announced decision of the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), includes a requirement for Equinor to publish the following summary language:

    “Les sociétés Danske Commodities A/S et Equinor ASA ont été condamnées, par une décision n° 08-40-23 de la Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) du 20 janvier 2025, au titre de la méconnaissance de l’article 5 du règlement REMIT qui prohibe les manipulations de marché, au paiement de sanctions pécuniaires, dont les montants s’élèvent à huit millions d’euros (8.000.000 €) pour la société Danske Commodities A/S et quatre millions d’euros (4.000.000 €) pour la société Equinor ASA, pour des manipulations commises sur le marché de gros en 2019 et en 2020, en ce qui concerne les capacités de transport de gaz naturel entre la France et l’Espagne.

    Danske Commodities A/S and Equinor ASA were ordered by decision no. 08-40-23 of Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) of 20 January 2025 to pay – for infringement of Article 5 of REMIT Regulation prohibiting market manipulations – financial penalties in the amount of eight million euros (€8,000,000) as regards Danske Commodities A/S and four million euros (€4,000,000) as regards Equinor ASA, for manipulations committed on the wholesale market in 2019 and 2020, with regard to natural gas transmission capacity between France and Spain.”

    The full decision is included in the attached appendix “Full decision text”. Equinor does not agree with the decision from CRE and will appeal the case to the Higher Administrative Court in France.

    * * *

    Our annual report and the subsidiary reports published separately can be downloaded from equinor.com/reports.

    * * *

    In accordance with Section 203.01 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, Equinor ASA announces that on 20 March 2025 it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F that includes audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The Equinor 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F may be downloaded from Equinor’s website at www.equinor.com. References to this document or other documents on Equinor’s website are included as an aid to their location and are not incorporated by reference into this document. All SEC filings made available electronically by Equinor may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Shareholders may also request a hard copy of the annual report free of charge at www.equinor.com.

    * * *

    (*) These are non-GAAP figures. See Use and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the annual report for more details.

    Further information:

    Investor relations
    Bård Glad Pedersen, senior vice president Investor Relations,
    +47 51 99 00 00

    Press
    Rikke Høistad Sjøberg, media spokesperson financial communication,
    +47 901 01 451(mobile)

    * * *

    Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current views with respect to future events, are based on the management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” in the 2024 Annual report and elsewhere in Equinor’s publications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by applicable law, Equinor undertakes no obligation to update any of these statements, whether to make them conform to actual results, changes in expectations or otherwise.

    * * *

    This information is subject to disclosure obligations pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation, ref. section 3-1 in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act, and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Press Release – IMF and the Statistical Community Release New Global Standards for Macroeconomic Statistics

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    March 20, 2025

    Washington, DC: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the seventh edition of the Integrated Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM7, the Manual) (https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Data/Statistics/BPM6/draft-bpm7-wcv.ashx). This new edition provides updated global standards for compiling external sector statistics, including balance of payments and integrated international investment position. It highlights key changes in the global economy, such as the increasing economic interconnectedness, digitalization, and innovations in financial markets since the time of the last update of the manual in 2009.

    The launch of BPM7 marks the culmination of several years of work by the IMF Statistics Department in consultation with the IMF Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics (BOPCOM), with support from the global balance of payments (BOP) community of statisticians and users. BPM7 serves as a key framework for member countries, guiding the preparation of internationally comparable statistics and the production of high-quality data that reflects economic realities.

    The release of BPM7 coincides with the release of the updated System of National Accounts, 2025 (2025 SNA) which was adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission on March 5, 2025 (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/sna2025.asp). The Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 and Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide 2016 will also be revised in the near term to maintain their harmonization with the two updated standards. This uniform set of statistical methodologies ensures policymakers can make well-informed, data-driven decisions.

    Countries are encouraged to implement both standards by 2029–2030. The IMF will support implementation of the updated BPM7 by providing additional guidance and technical assistance.

    The white cover (pre-edited) version of BPM7 is available electronically in English, with publication in other languages—Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish—expected to be completed following the release of the final version.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Rahim Kanani

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/20/pr25072-imf-and-statistical-community-release-new-global-standards-for-macroeconomic-stats

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Exabits joins the AI Agent Alliance to drive the future of decentralized AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    As the demand for AI compute increases, the Alliance represents Exabit’s mission to broaden opportunities for compute ownership, building on its prior work of providing Web2 and Web3 companies with AI-ready GPUs, including 4090s, A100s, H100s, and H200s

    SAN MATEO, Calif., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exabits, a compute base-layer platform that transforms GPU (graphic processing unit) clusters into AI-ready compute and tokenized financial assets, has joined the AI Agent Alliance, an influential group breaking down barriers of decentralized AI. First announced by Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol at ETHDenver 2025, the AI Agent Alliance brings together industry experts focused on creating an open, user-owned AI ecosystem. Through this collaboration, Exabits will continue contributing secure, high-performance compute while democratizing access to the infrastructure needed to build AI projects.

    The artificial intelligence (AI) sector has seen significant growth with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. As AI agents gain popularity across various industries, projects face the stark reality that access to the infrastructure needed to run their AI models is facing a critical barrier. Most projects today rely on services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud (GCP) for cloud computing. However, the escalating cost of renting such infrastructure, combined with a bottleneck in availability and a need for customization, has made this approach a growing challenge.

    By joining the AI Agent Alliance, Exabits will reinforce its goal of ensuring decentralized AI projects have consistent access to enterprise-grade compute resources. At the same time, it will empower developers with the necessary tools to train, deploy, and operate AI models freely, without the constraints of centralized systems. Beyond offering hardware, Exabits also removes participation obstacles by allowing investors to take an active part in the growth of the AI AI ecosystem.

    The Alliance includes projects such as Near AI, Coinbase, ElizaOS, MotherDAO, GAIA, Aethir, Akash, Hyperbolic, Phala, and Nevermined. The shared mission of all participating projects is to create an ecosystem where users and contributors can share in ownership and rewards, and build in an open and collaborative environment, freeing them from institutional control.

    “As an established leader in decentralized AI compute, we see the importance of teaming up with industry professionals who share our commitment to make the future of AI agents and assistants open and user-owned, “ says Dr. Hoansoo Lee, co-founder of Exabits. “The truth is that the world is not prepared for the changes that lie ahead, and professionals must join together now and prioritize AI transparency and trust. Only through collaboration can we ensure the next generation of AI is built without putting limitations on innovators and developers.”

    About Exabits:
    Established in 2021, Exabits is a revolutionary compute base-layer platform transforming high-end GPU clusters into accessible digital investment assets. With proprietary hardware and software, Exabits enables users to invest in GPU infrastructure, generating yield through tokenized compute assets. The company serves both Web2 enterprises and decentralized Web3 protocols, powering innovation through its scalable and secure infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://exabits.ai/

    Contact:
    ReBlonde
    contact@exabits.ai

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

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 20 March 2025 News release WHO calls for urgent action to address worldwide disruptions in tuberculosis services putting millions of lives at risk

    Source: World Health Organisation

    On the occasion on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, marked on 24 March, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an urgent investment of resources to protect and maintain tuberculosis (TB) care and support services for people in need across regions and countries. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, responsible for over 1 million people annually bringing devastating impacts on families and communities.

    Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 79 million lives since 2000. However, the drastic and abrupt cuts in global health funding happening now are threatening to reverse these gains. Rising drug resistance especially across Europe and the ongoing conflicts across the Middle-East, Africa and Eastern Europe, are further exacerbating the situation for the most vulnerable.

     Under the theme Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver, World Tuberculosis Day 2025 campaign highlights a rallying cry for urgency, and accountability and hope. “The huge gains the world has made against TB over the past 20 years are now at risk as cuts to funding start to disrupt access to services for prevention, screening, and treatment for people with TB,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “But we cannot give up on the concrete commitments that world leaders made at the UN General Assembly just 18 months ago to accelerate work to end TB. WHO is committed to working with all donors, partners and affected countries to mitigate the impact of funding cuts and find innovative solutions.”

    Funding: threat to global TB efforts

    Early reports to WHO reveal that severe disruptions in the TB response are seen across several of the highest-burden countries following the funding cuts. Countries in the WHO African Region are experiencing the greatest impact, followed by countries in the WHO South-East Asian and Western Pacific Regions. Twenty seven countries are facing crippling breakdowns in their TB response, with devastating consequences, such as:

    • Human resource shortages undermining service delivery;
    • Diagnostic services severely disrupted, delaying detection and treatment;
    • Data and surveillance systems collapsing, compromising disease tracking and management;
    • Community engagement efforts, including active case finding, screening, and contact tracing, deteriorating, leading to delayed diagnoses and increased transmission risks.

      • Nine countries report failing TB drug procurement and supply chains, jeopardizing treatment continuity and patient outcomes.

      The 2025 funding cuts further exacerbate an already existing underfunding for global TB response. In 2023, only 26% of the US$22 billion annually needed for TB prevention and care was available, leaving a massive shortfall. TB research is in crisis, receiving just one-fifth of the US$5 billion annual target in 2022—severely delaying advancements in diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. WHO is leading efforts to accelerate TB vaccine development through the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, but progress remains at risk without urgent financial commitments.

      Joint statement with civil society

      In response to the urgent challenges threatening TB services worldwide, WHO’s Director-General and Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have issued a decisive statement. The joint statement released this week, demands immediate, coordinated efforts from governments, global health leaders, donors, and policymakers to prevent further disruptions. The statement outlines five critical priorities:

    • Addressing TB service disruptions urgently, ensuring responses match the crisis’s scale;
    • Securing sustainable domestic funding, guaranteeing uninterrupted and equitable access to TB prevention and care;
    • Safeguarding essential TB services, including access to life-saving drugs, diagnostics, treatment and social protections, alongside cross-sector collaboration;
    • Establishing or revitalizing national collaboration platforms, fostering alliances among civil society, NGOs, donors, and professional societies to tackle challenges;
    • Enhancing monitoring and early warning systems to assess real-time impact and detect disruptions early.

      • “This urgent call is timely and underscores the necessity of swift, decisive action to sustain global TB progress and prevent setbacks that could cost lives,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health. “Investing in ending TB is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity—every dollar spent on prevention and treatment yields an estimated US$43 in economic returns.”

      New guidance on TB and lung health

      As one of the solutions to combating growing resource constraints, WHO is driving the integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare as a sustainable solution. New technical guidance released by WHO outlines critical actions across the care continuum, focusing on prevention, early detection of TB and comorbidities, optimized management at first contact and improved patient follow-up. The guidance also promotes better use of existing health systems, addressing shared risk factors such as overcrowding, tobacco, undernutrition and environmental pollutants.

      By tackling TB determinants alongside communicable and non-communicable diseases, lung conditions, and disabilities through a unified strategy, WHO aims to reinforce the global response and drive lasting improvements in health outcomes.

      On World TB Day, WHO calls on everyone: individuals, communities, societies, donors and governments, to do their part to end TB. Without concerted action from all stakeholders, the TB response will be decimated, reversing decades of progress, putting millions of lives at risk and threatening health security.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Media Advisory: Infrastructure Announcement in London

    Source: Government of Canada News

    London, Ontario, March 20, 2025 — Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Member of Parliament for London North Centre; Rodger J. Moran, MBA Co-Executive Director Finance & Administration at ReForest London and Tom Partalas President at London Optimist Sports Centre also known as the BMO Centre London.

    Date:
    Thursday, March 20, 2025

    Time:
    1:30 p.m. EDT

    Location:
    Reforest London (Canada Life Cottonwood Room)
    944 Western Counties Road
    London, Ontario N6C 5J1

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sidetrade sets new ESG benchmarks with elevated EthiFinance and EcoVadis ratings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, has raised the bar in corporate sustainability, securing a prestigious Platinum medal from EthiFinance and a Silver medal from EcoVadis for 2024. These top-tier accolades underscore Sidetrade’s commitment to responsible innovation and sustainable business practices.

    For the year 2024, Sidetrade achieved an overall rating of 84/100 from EthiFinance, the rating agency specializing in European-listed SMEs. This score places Sidetrade at the highest level with a Platinum medal with an 8-point increase from 2023. The improvement reflects tangible progress in reducing environmental impact, strengthening governance and ethical frameworks, and embedding sustainability into corporate strategy.

    Sidetrade also enhanced its standing with EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted business sustainability ratings, with a 70/100 score for 2024 and earning a Silver medal for the second consecutive year. A key highlight was Sidetrade’s significant improvement in environmental performance with a 10-point jump in this category. This advancement reflects the company’s targeted sustainability initiatives and responsible business practices. As a result, Sidetrade ranks among the top 15% of the highest-performing companies across all industries, audited by EcoVadis.

    Philippe Gangneux, CFO and CSR Ambassador at Sidetrade commented: “Since 2021, we have been implementing an ambitious ESG roadmap. Sidetrade’s steady rise in ESG rankings reflects a dynamic approach where economic performance and positive impact go hand in hand. Today, the results are significant, and our impact is recognized by EthiFinance and EcoVadis. These distinctions strengthen our determination to redefine standards, drive relentless innovation, and embed sustainability at the core of our business model”

    A long-term commitment to sustainability

    Sidetrade’s CSR strategy is structured around four pillars:

    • Reducing Carbon Footprint: Implementing initiatives to minimize its environmental impact and align its actions with the Paris Agreement targets.
    • Fostering Innovation and Inclusion: Promoting talent diversity and collaborative excellence to drive creativity and ensure equal opportunities.
    • Digital Security and Ethics: Strengthening data protection standards and advocating for responsible digital practices.
    • Integrity and Transparency: Upholding ethical business practices and exemplary governance.

    By the end of the year, Sidetrade will publish its Bilan Carbone® and 2024 CSR Report. Learn more about Sidetrade’s CSR commitments.

    Media relations @Sidetrade
    Becca Parlby                  +44 7824 5055 84             bparlby@sidetrade.com

    About Sidetrade (www.sidetrade.com)
    Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) provides a SaaS platform designed to revolutionize how cash flow is secured and accelerated. Leveraging its next-generation AI, nicknamed Aimie, Sidetrade analyzes $7.2 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of 39.9 million buyers worldwide. Aimie recommends the best operational strategies, dematerializes and intelligently automates Order-to-Cash processes to enhance productivity, results and working capital across organizations.
    Sidetrade has a global reach, with 400+ talented employees based in Europe, the United States and Canada, serving global businesses in more than 85 countries. Amongst them: Bidcorp, Biffa, Bunzl, Engie, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Page, Randstad, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, Tech Data, UGI, and Veolia.
    Sidetrade is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, adhering to its principles-based approach to responsible business.
     For further information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow @Sidetrade on LinkedIn.
     In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, only the English version is to be taken into account.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Starmer’s plan to ‘build baby build’ risks more American-style car-dominated sprawl

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James White, Professor of Planning and Urban Design, University of Glasgow

    The UK’s Labour government has promised to “take an axe to red tape” through “bold reforms to the planning system”. It hopes to kickstart economic growth by generating the “biggest building boom in a generation”.

    It seems that the aim to “build baby build”, in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s words, trumps all else. However, this raises important questions about the government’s parallel ambition to reach net zero by 2050.

    As researchers of urban planning, we worry that plans to hand more power to developers will simply result in more low-density, car-dependent suburbs. These developments are cheap and efficient to build, which is why they underpin the profits of the larger housebuilders.

    But research has consistently demonstrated they are land hungry, poorly designed, unsustainable and damaging to nature.

    The UK instead needs a fundamental rethink of its approach to housing and development as part of the transition to a low carbon future. Any future urban growth must be achieved while simultaneously reducing the amount of land, energy and materials used.

    Redesigning existing towns and cities

    We recently launched a research project, Urban Retrofit, to explore how the UK’s towns and cities can be redesigned to support the transition to net zero. The good news is that we already know a lot about how to make places more environmentally sustainable.

    It is about renovating buildings to improve energy efficiency, like adding insulation and installing things like heat pumps. It includes building at higher densities, using brownfield land better, and adapting streets to encourage safer walking and cycling.

    We can make it easier to travel on public transport and seamlessly transfer between buses, trains and trams. And we can plant indigenous trees and plants to provide wildlife habitats and cool urban areas, and slow down rainwater to help prevent floods.

    Skyscrapers and renovated warehouses in Manchester.
    Alejandro M. Ferrer / shutterstock

    A retrofitting approach to urban development can also have wider benefits, such as bringing derelict buildings back into use or creating spaces to grow food. It is important that these efforts do not exacerbate existing inequalities, though.

    If higher density neighbourhoods are created in places with high house prices, for example, it will be essential to guarantee people can still afford to live in them. This will mean building more social housing.

    Some of the initiatives outlined in Labour’s planning reforms recognise the need to build more sustainably. These include support for some more affordable housing, and higher density development allowed “near transport hubs” and “central to local communities”. It also includes financial packages for local authorities seeking to “unlock housing on brownfield sites”.

    Low density and car-dependent

    The bad news is that there is little evidence that greener urban growth can be realised without further harming the environment. The necessary transformation certainly won’t happen without curbing the development industry’s appetite for the energy-inefficient, low-density and car-dependent neighbourhoods, retail parks and workplaces that already sprawl around the edges of urban areas.

    And that won’t be possible while politicians fall back on blaming an already under-resourced planning system, rather than tackling this deeper problem in our approach to development.

    Policy support for brownfield development is unlikely to convince housebuilders to take on these financially risky sites. This is especially true if, under Labour’s other proposals, local authorities will be required to grant developers planning permission on previously undeveloped land.

    The government is already redefining parts of the green belt as grey belt to make more land available for development. And much of that land will be in precisely those locations developers prefer, on the edges of settlements where costs are usually lower, profits are higher and sites are relatively similar and easier to develop.

    Building new homes here is easy and cheap – but worse for the environment.
    Nick Beer / shutterstock

    As the planning system is pushed to make ever more land available for development, Labour’s reforms will embolden the industry to continue seeking permission for unsustainable urban expansion.

    An array of landowners, developers, land agents, lawyers, consultants, builders and shareholders will likely make a lot of money. But more people will be locked into unsustainable lifestyles while time, resources and energy are focused away from the challenges of adapting our existing settlements.

    As our project is exploring, there is an urgent need to first retrofit within existing towns and cities, especially in suburban areas that were built for the automobile age.

    This will require much more positive ambitions for the planning system and big changes to the ways the development industry operates. It will also require a willingness to ask much more searching questions about the sustainability of going all out for growth.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    James White receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. He is Principal Investigator of Urban Retrofit (ES/Z50278/1) and Co-Investigator of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (ES/W012278/1).

    Andy Inch receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. He is Co-investigator on both Urban Retrofit (ES/Z502728/1) and another project called Planning for Nature (ES/Z503459/1)

    – ref. Starmer’s plan to ‘build baby build’ risks more American-style car-dominated sprawl – https://theconversation.com/starmers-plan-to-build-baby-build-risks-more-american-style-car-dominated-sprawl-251316

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dublin Man Pleads Guilty to Three Armed Bank Robberies

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

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A central Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to three separate armed bank robberies. 

    Hussein A. Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing bank robbery, three counts of conspiring to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

    Mohamed admitted to committing three armed bank robberies in Columbus within a week in April 2024.

    According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, Mohamed robbed the Telhio Credit Union on North Hamilton Road. He wore a dark Patagonia sweatshirt, light ripped jeans, white covid mask and black winter hat. Mohamed showed the bank teller a note on his cell phone that demanded cash and indicated he had a gun.

    On April 16, 2024, Mohamed committed two separate armed robberies.

    First, at approximately 4pm, he robbed a Fifth Third Bank on Bethel Road. He wore a red sweatshirt, light jeans, blue covid mask and black New Balance shoes. Again, he showed the teller a note on his phone demanding money and indicating he had a gun.

    About 45 minutes later, he committed another bank robbery, this time at Huntington Bank on North High Street. Mohamed had changed clothes between the robberies.

    At this final robbery, Mohamed showed his phone to one bank teller, who provided him with cash. He then told another teller to empty her drawer. When that victim told Mohamed she did not have any money in her drawer, Mohamed pulled a black firearm from the waist area of his pants, racked the slide on the handgun, and forced the tellers into the vault room while making threats.

    For reach of the three robberies, Mohamed conspired with another individual who was present in the vehicle used to travel to and from the robberies.

    Law enforcement officials recovered the clothing that Mohamed wore at each robbery, a loaded handgun, Mohamed’s wallet and identification at an apartment on Merriwick Crossing Drive in Columbus.

    He was arrested in May 2024.

    Bank robbery is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit bank robbery carries a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory seven years and up to life in prison, to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Crofton Pastor Sentenced to Over Two Years in Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Paducah, KY – A Crofton, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 2 years and 3 months in prison for fraud and tax offenses.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Marvin Upton, 58, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for 3 counts of bank fraud and 3 counts of filing false tax returns. Until recently, Upton was the pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church in Crofton, Kentucky. The bank fraud charges arose from Upton’s scheme during the years 2013 to 2016 to defraud one of his elderly parishioners who suffered from dementia. During that same time period Upton also submitted multiple false tax returns which omitted income from the fraud scheme.  

    There is no parole in the federal system.   

    Upton was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500,000 to the victim’s estate and $222,037 in restitution to the IRS.

    The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madison T. Sewell and Corinne E. Keel prosecuted the case.

    This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. In response to the growing need and targeting areas of greatest concern, the Department of Justice stood up 10 task forces made up of 11 federal districts to combat a variety of elder abuse, including elder financial exploitation. Kentucky’s federal districts make up two of the 11 districts under the Initiative. Kentucky’s task force is comprised of investigators, prosecutors, and others at the local, state, and federal level with a common objective of protecting seniors across Kentucky.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on the Fourth and Final Reviews of Kosovo’s Stand-By Arrangement and Resilience and Sustainability Facility Arrangement

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on the Fourth and Final Reviews of Kosovo’s Stand-By Arrangement and Resilience and Sustainability Facility Arrangement

    March 20, 2025

    End-of-mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    • The IMF staff and Kosovo authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the Fourth and final Reviews under the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) Arrangement. Completion of the Reviews will make available SDR 13.35 million (€16.34 million) under the SBA and SDR 7.74 million (€9.48 million) under the RSF. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, with Board consideration expected in May. The authorities intend to continue treating the SBA as precautionary, not drawing on the resources.
    • Program performance has also been strong. The authorities met all quantitative performance criteria, indicative targets (ITs) and structural benchmarks for the Reviews. Reforms and implementation of the green agenda, supported by the SBA and the RSF, have progressed
    • Economic performance has remained strong with robust GDP growth and disinflation. Outlook is favorable but is subject to uncertainty, including from international geopolitical developments.

    Pristina, Kosovo – March 20, 2025:An IMF mission, led by David Amaglobeli, visited Pristina during March 12–21, to hold discussions on the Fourth Reviews of Kosovo’s Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) Arrangement. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Amaglobeli issued the following statement:

    “The authorities have maintained strong performance under the SBA and RSF. All end-December quantitative and indicative targets (ITs) for the Fourth Reviews have been met, and all end-March ITs are on track to be met. The authorities have been advancing on structural reforms by strengthening liquidity forecasting capacity at the Ministry of Finance and embarking on a major reform to modernize financial sector supervision. The authorities have also implemented, with a short delay, the remaining RSF reform measure—launch of the wind power tender.”

    “The two-year IMF-supported programs have yielded significant results. Macroeconomic fundamentals have been strengthened by sustaining robust growth despite a challenging external environment, curbing inflation after the post-pandemic surge, and enhancing formal sector employment. Growth reached 4.4 percent in 2024 driven by private consumption and investment, which helped offset the effects of a widening trade deficit and slowing remittances. Growth is expected to remain at 4 percent in 2025. After two years of elevated pressures, inflation fell in 2024, averaging 1.6 percent, as food and transport inflation eased. The external current account deficit widened to 9 percent of GDP in 2024, up from 7.5 percent in 2023, reflecting increased imports driven by strong domestic demand.”

    “Prudent fiscal policy has helped keep deficits and debt low and fiscal buffers strong. Deficits were modest at 0.2 and 0.3 percent of GDP in 2023 and 2024, respectively; public debt fell below 17 percent of GDP in 2024—the lowest level since 2017. Treasury deposits at the CBK—a key buffer against shocks—increased to €575 million by end-2024. Successful fiscal reforms have bolstered revenue collection, with the tax-to-GDP ratio reaching 26½ percent of GDP in 2024—the highest ever. Transparency has improved, including for public enterprises and key institutions, such as tax administration. Public financial management (PFM) reforms have led to more effective execution of the public investment program. Additionally, reforms implemented under the RSF, the first in Europe, have facilitated efforts to double renewable energy generation capacity, improve energy efficiency and cut pollution.”

    Looking ahead, the authorities should continue implementing prudent fiscal policies anchored in a sound, rules-based framework to ensure sustainable fiscal outcomes, foster growth, advance social priorities, and enhance resilience. Continued revenue administration reforms will create much-needed fiscal space for increased social and capital investments, while PFM reforms will enhance the efficiency and impact of government spending. EU accession efforts will be key to mobilize additional financial resources to address Kosovo’s large developmental needs. Amid rising uncertainty, strong fiscal buffers and enhanced crisis preparedness remain essential to safeguard stability and resilience.”

    “The CBK has made impressive progress in advancing financial sector reforms. These aim at enhancing stability, resilience, and modernization to support activity. The CBK has successfully implemented important internal institutional reforms to boost effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency. The CBK is undergoing an IMF-led Central Bank Transparency Code (CBT) assessment and a governance audit by a peer central bank, underscoring its commitment to best practices. In addition, several major initiatives are underway to modernize the financial sector regulatory framework, aligning it more closely with EU standards. Central to this is the ongoing adoption of the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP)—widely regarded as the most advanced and structured supervisory framework—to enhance risk-based bank supervision. The CBK is also developing and operationalizing a macroprudential policy framework and strengthening crisis preparedness, including through recently-extended ECB backstop (€100 million). Increased premiums from banks to the Deposit Insurance Fund provided additional safety cushion Significant strides were made to integrate with the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and develop the regional TIPS Clone instant payments system. These initiatives will foster a faster, safer, and more cost-effective payments landscape, benefiting businesses and citizens while enhancing regional integration.”

    These reforms have supported rapid, healthy expansion of the financial sector. After growing by 17 percent in real terms in 2024, private sector credit peaked in 2024, exceeding 56 percent of GDP. Financial inclusion also improved, with bank or e-money account ownership and settlement via the Kosovo Interbank Payment System (KIPS) increasing. The newly launched Platform for Comparison of Financial Products and Services should help enhance financial literacy and transparency. Against this backdrop, the banking sector remains profitable and well-capitalized with low levels of NPLs. Maintaining this stability will require continued vigilance and proactive risk management.”

    “The mission met with Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi, Minister of Finance, Labor, and Transfers Murati, Minister of Economy Rizvanolli, Central Bank Governor Ismaili, and other senior officials, civil society, private sector and international partners. The mission thanks them and their technical staff for constructive discussions and cooperation during this mission.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Camila Perez

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/20/pr2571-kosovo-review-sba-rsf

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –