NewzIntel.com

Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 10.02.2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Stock Exchange Release
    10 February 2025 at 22:30 EET

    Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 10.02.2025

    Espoo, Finland – On 10 February 2025 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows:

    Trading venue (MIC Code) Number of shares Weighted average price / share, EUR*
    XHEL 1,400,000 4.72
    CEUX – –
    BATE – –
    AQEU – –
    TQEX – –
    Total 1,400,000 4.72

    * Rounded to two decimals

    On 22 November 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to offset the dilutive effect of new Nokia shares issued to the shareholders of Infinera Corporation and certain Infinera Corporation share-based incentives. The repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 25 November 2024 and end by 31 December 2025 and target to repurchase 150 million shares for a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 900 million.

    Total cost of transactions executed on 10 February 2025 was EUR 6,611,080. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 243,703,874 treasury shares.

    Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement.

    On behalf of Nokia Corporation

    BofA Securities Europe SA

    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: BioAstra Unveils “Twin Astra”: Pioneering Deep-Space Medical Research Program Set to Transform Space Exploration and Earth-Based Medicine

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioAstra, a pioneering force in space medicine and biotechnology, is set to revolutionize human health with the launch of Twin Astra—a first-of-its-kind deep-space research initiative poised to transform space exploration and medical advancements on Earth.

    The program will be officially unveiled on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at The Explorers Club in New York City, bringing together top minds in space, science, and biotechnology.

    About Twin Astra

    Twin Astra is designed to unlock critical insights into human health through space-based research, driving breakthroughs that will impact both astronauts and Earth-based medicine. The program focuses on:

    • Twin Studies in Space: By studying genetically identical twins—one on Earth, the other in space—scientists will map the molecular, genetic, and physiological shifts caused by space travel.
    • Medical Breakthroughs: This research will accelerate advancements in precision medicine, aging, cancer treatment, and regenerative therapies.
    • Space Exploration & Human Resilience: The findings will pave the way for safer, long-duration space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

    “By harnessing space as a biomedical testing ground, Twin Astra will redefine our understanding of human resilience in extreme environments,” said Professor Chris Mason, BioAstra Board Chair. “This research is crucial for protecting astronauts and unlocking medical discoveries that will benefit life on Earth and beyond.”

    Launch Event: February 20, 2025

    This exclusive gathering will unite astronauts, biotech leaders, philanthropists, investors, and innovators to explore the program’s groundbreaking potential.

    “Twin Astra represents the next frontier of biomedical discovery,” said Savi Glowe, BioAstra CEO. “By pushing the limits of human biology in space, we are opening doors to new treatments, technologies, and insights that will redefine healthcare for generations to come.”

    Event Highlights:

    • Speakers:
      • Dr. Sian Proctor, Inspiration4 Astronaut
      • John Shoffner, Axiom-2 Astronaut
      • Savi Glowe, BioAstra CEO
      • Professor Chris Mason, BioAstra Board Chair & Renowned Genomics Expert

    Event Details:

    Be part of this landmark event, where astronauts, investors, biotech leaders, and medical innovators will unveil Twin Astra’s bold vision.

    Limited seats available – RSVP today.

    Date: Thursday, February 20
    Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Location: The Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street, New York

    RSVP Required: michal@bioastra.org
    Investor Inquiries: michal@bioastra.org
    Website: www.bioastra.org

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as “Newski,” 23, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allen-Griggs admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2023, Allen-Griggs distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot in exchange for $2,000.

    On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition. Allen-Griggs admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Allen-Griggs is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Allen-Griggs is also among 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

    United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Camden Man Admits To Conspiring To Commit Tax Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to defraud the IRS by concealing cash wages paid to his business’s employees, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Tri Anh Tieu, 53, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an indictment charging him and co-defendant Andy Tran with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.

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

    Tieu owned Tri States Staffing LLC, a business based in Pennsauken, New Jersey.  Tri States Staffing provided temporary workers to New Jersey businesses located in Gloucester and Burlington Counties. As part of its agreement with its customer businesses, Tri States Staffing was responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers provided by Tri States Staffing.

    Between the third quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2022, Tri States received more than $2.5 million in payments from its customer businesses. Tieu paid Tri States’s employees in cash and failed to pay over the payroll taxes due and owing on those wages.  Tieu spent at least some of the unpaid taxes on personal expenditures, including gambling.  Tieu admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $305,332.

    The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty in Philadelphia and Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRIME MINISTER’S 15 POINT PROGRAMME FOR MINORITIES

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 8:19PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for welfare of Minorities is a programme which covers various schemes/initiatives of the participating Ministries/Departments with an aim to ensure that the underprivileged and weaker sections of six centrally notified minority communities have equal opportunities for availing the various Government welfare Schemes and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the Country.

    The programme has the following broad objectives: (i) Enhancing opportunities for education; (ii) Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs; (iii) Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes; and (iv) Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence.

    The schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs covered under the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme are exclusively meant for notified minorities. However, 15% of the outlays and targets, to the extent possible, of schemes/initiatives implemented by other participating Ministries/Departments are earmarked for notified minorities.

    The welfare schemes, including initiatives for education and skill development of minorities, being implemented by Ministry of Minority Affairs and other participating ministries under the programme, are as under:

    1. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme
    2. Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme
    3. Merit-cum- Means based Scholarship Scheme
    4. National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemes
    5. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (M/o Education)
    6. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM)- (M/o Rural Development)
    7. Deen Dayal Upadhyay – Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (M/o Rural Development)
    • viii. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (M/o Rural Development)
    1. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (M/o Housing & Urban Affairs)
    2. Priority Sector Lending by Banks (Department of Financial Services)
    3. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (Department of Financial Services)
    4. POSHAN Abhiyaan (Ministry of Women & Child Development)
    • xiii. National Health Mission (Department of Health & Family Welfare)
    1. Ayushman Bharat (Department of Health & Family Welfare)
    2. National Rural Drinking Water Programme (Jal Jeevan Mission), (Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation)

     

    The Schemes are being implemented by the respective Ministries/Departments under the saturation approach of Government. Under the saturation approach of the Government many of the components have achieved mainstreaming.

    This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority & Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today

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    SS/ISA

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM-VIKAS SCHEME

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 8:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a flagship Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs which converges five erstwhile schemes viz. ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘Hamari Dharohar’ and ‘USTTAD’; and focuses on upliftment of six notified minority communities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership of minority women; and education support for school dropouts.

    Additionally, the scheme provision to facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Beneficiaries would also be supported for market linkages through EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) to enhance their livelihood. The PM VIKAS scheme is yet to be implemented.

    This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority & Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today

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    SS/ISA

    (Release ID: 2101513) Visitor Counter : 61

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Minority Affairs specifically implements various schemes across the country for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the six centrally notified minority communities

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 8:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government implements various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, specially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society. Ministry of Minority Affairs specifically implements various schemes across the country for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities. The Udasi/Udasin Sect falls under one of these notified communities i.e. Sikh Community. These schemes are meant for the weaker segments of minority. The schemes/programmes implemented by Minority Affairs for the welfare of minority communities are as under:

    1.  Educational Empowerment Schemes

    (i) Pre-Matric, (ii) Post-Matric and (iii) Merit-cum-Means based scholarships

    2.  Employment and Economic Empowerment Schemes

         (i) Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)

         (ii) Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for

               providing concessional loans to minorities.

    3. Infrastructural Development Scheme

      (i) Pradham Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram (PMJVK)

    All the schemes together have contributed in the acquisition of high-level skills, greater opportunities in livelihood, high employability potential, improved access to better infrastructure, improved health and in the overall welfare of the Minority Communities.

    This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority & Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today

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    SS/ISA

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NITI Aayog Releases Policy Report on ‘Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities’

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 8:15PM by PIB Delhi

    NITI Aayog today launched a policy report titled ‘Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities’. The report was released by Sh. Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul, Member (Education); NITI Aayog, Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog; Sh. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; and Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

    The report is a first-of-its kind policy document in the higher education sector focused specifically on States and State Public Universities (SPUs). It provides detailed quantitative analysis on vital indicators of Quality, Funding and Financing, Governance and Employability over the last decade across the themes. It provides the distilled essence of the insights gained from extensive stakeholder consultations held with State Government Officers of Higher and Technical Education Departments from over 20 States and Union Territories, Vice Chancellors, and senior academicians of 50 SPUs, and Chairpersons of several State Higher Education Councils.

    Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said that in many global education systems, public universities set the benchmark for excellence, as seen in the U.S. and Brazil. While India has institutions like IITs, SPUs must also strive for high standards. He observed that as directed by the Hon. PM, NITI Aayog’s role is to create evidence through research, while implementation remains the Ministry’s responsibility. He hoped that the recommendations contained in the report would be enthusiastically taken forward by the Ministries in the Central and State Governments.

    NITI Aayog Member Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul positioned the report in the context of NEP implementation and India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasized that with 80% of India’s higher education taking place in SPUs, reforming them is crucial for creating human capital and establishing India as a knowledge hub.

    NITI Aayog CEO Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, highlighted that by 2035, the NEP 2020 target is to double enrolment in the higher education system to nearly 9 crore students. Nearly 7 crore of these will continue to study in SPUs. Hence, it is of utmost importance that these universities transition from focusing only on access to higher education to delivering world class higher education to create the high-quality human resource required to power the vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He pitched the report as a milestone contribution of NITI Aayog that would complement the NEP 2020 in transforming India’s higher education landscape.

    Secretary DHE Sh. Vineet Joshi highlighted key initiatives that were announced in the recent budget including the selection of 10,000 PMRF research fellows, addition of 6,500 seats in second-generation IITs, and the Bharatiya Bhasha textbook scheme for regional language education. He highlighted PM-USHA’s allocation of INR13,000 crores for 2023-24 to 2025-26, with INR 100 crores per SPU for transitioning to become MERUs. He said that these would play a role in transforming SPUs.

    Dr. (Mrs.) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, AIU detailed how the report involved extensive deliberations and stakeholder consultations. She highlighted that the report addresses three major constraints raised by vice-chancellors: funding limitations, governance issues, and the need for capacity building of VCs, teachers, and staff, and is a pioneering policy work on SPUs.

    The policy report provides a detailed policy roadmap including nearly 80 policy recommendations, short, medium, and long-term implementation strategies, actors responsible for implementing the recommendations and over 125 Performance Success Indicators. The recommendations assimilated from the consultation process are aimed at improving the quality of research, pedagogy and curriculum, augmenting institutional and systemic funding and financing capacity, upgrading and empowering institutional governance structures, and strengthening industry-academia interface to boost student employability.

    The full policy report can be accessed at:  https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-02/Expanding-Quality-Higher-Education-through-SPUs.pdf

    The full policy brief can be accessed at: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-02/Policy_Brief_Education.pdf

     

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    MJPS/SR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan approves extension of Groundnut procurement in Gujarat by 6 days & in Karnataka by 25 days

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan approves extension of Groundnut procurement in Gujarat by 6 days & in Karnataka by 25 days

    Soyabean procurement extended in Maharashtra by 24 days & in Telangana by 15 days as per instructions of Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    Government of India approves continuation of PM-AASHA

    PM-AASHA to be continued during 15th Finance Commission Cycle up to 2025-26

    Government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under PSS equivalent to 100% of the production of the State for the procurement year 2024-25.

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 6:37PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India approved the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle up to 2025-26. Integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme comprises Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and Price Stabilisation Funds (PSF). Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) administers PSS, PDPS and MIS whereas Department of Consumer Affairs administers PSF. The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme is administered to bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation of procurement operations that would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers.

    Under the Price Support Scheme, the procurement of the notified Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra conforming to the prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) is undertaken by the Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) at the MSP directly from the pre-registered farmers through the State level agencies.

    The Government approved the procurement of Soyabean under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) in the States of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Rajasthan and Telangana for Kharif 2024-25. A quantity of 19.99 LMT of Soyabean has been procured till 9th February, 2025 benefitting 8,46,251 farmers. Further Minister of Agriculture and farmers’ welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the proposal to extend the period of procurement in Maharashtra by 24 days and in Telangana by 15 days beyond the normal procurement period of 90 days keeping the interest of farmers of the state.

    Similarly, the Government approved the procurement of Groundnut under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for Kharif 2024-25. A quantity of 15.73 LMT of Groundnut has been procured till 9th February, 2025 benefitting 4,75,183 farmers. Further, Minister of Agriculture and farmers’ welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the proposal to extend the period of procurement of Groundnut in Gujarat by 6 days and in Karnataka by 25 days beyond the normal procurement period of 90 days in the interest of farmers of the state.

    Further, to incentivize the farmers contributing to enhancement of domestic production of pulses and to reduce the dependence on imports, the Government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under PSS equivalent to 100% of the production of the State for the procurement year 2024-25.  The Government has also made an announcement in Budget 2025 that procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur up to 100% of the production of the State will be continued for another four years through Central Nodal Agencies to achieve self- sufficiency in pulses in the country.

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    MG/ KSR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India and EFTA Strengthen Economic Ties with the Inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk

    Source: Government of India

    India and EFTA Strengthen Economic Ties with the Inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk

    India-EFTA Desk will function as a single-window mechanism to provide support to EFTA businesses looking to invest, expand, or establish operations in India

    Business Roundtable Witnessed Participation from Over 100 Companies from India and EFTA Nations

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 6:27PM by PIB Delhi

    India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein – have taken a significant step towards deeper economic collaboration with the inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk. This initiative follows the recently concluded India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which positions EFTA as the first European bloc to formalize a trade pact with India. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal hailed TEPA as a landmark agreement, emphasizing India’s growing role in global trade. “This desk will serve as the bridge between businesses on both sides, ensuring transparency, trust, and ease of doing business,” he stated. He underscored India’s ambition to surpass $100 billion in EFTA investments, highlighting the country’s commitment to fostering equitable and mutually beneficial trade relationships.

    The India-EFTA Desk will provide structured support to EFTA businesses looking to invest, expand, or establish operations in India. High-ranking dignitaries from all four EFTA nations attended the launch, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic ties.

    Switzerland’s State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda, described TEPA as a “new chapter for investment promotion and cooperation,” citing over CHF 10 billion in Swiss FDI that has created 146,000+ jobs in India, particularly in manufacturing. She projected a surge in investments across precision industries, chemicals, food processing, and pharmaceuticals, suggesting that an Invest India office in Switzerland could further drive investment flows.

    Norway’s State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Mr. Tomas Norvoll, likened TEPA to an airport, with the EFTA Desk serving as the landing strip for businesses. He noted that Norwegian companies in India have doubled in the last decade, with sovereign wealth fund assets reaching $31.4 billion.

    Iceland’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Martin Eyjolfsson, called TEPA “the most significant trade agreement EFTA has signed in decades,” reinforcing India’s role as a key economic partner for Europe. He highlighted growing cooperation in renewable energy, seafood, and pharmaceuticals, positioning TEPA as a stabilizing force amid global economic uncertainty.

    Liechtenstein’s Minister of External Affairs, Education, and Sport, Ms. Dominique Hasler, emphasized the Desk’s role in facilitating high-value manufacturing and innovation-driven industries. She pointed to Hilti’s success in India and expressed optimism that TEPA would encourage more Liechtenstein-based firms to expand.

    The India-EFTA Desk will drive investment in renewable energy, life sciences, engineering, and digital transformation. Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, noted that TEPA will spur joint ventures, SME collaborations, and technology partnerships, with the Desk streamlining regulatory navigation for EFTA businesses.

    Union Minister of State, Shri Jitin Prasada, highlighted EFTA’s strategic importance to India’s development goals, citing Norway’s expertise in green shipping, Switzerland’s advancements in rail networks, Iceland’s leadership in geothermal energy, and Liechtenstein’s high-value manufacturing. He also pointed to research collaborations between IITs and the Arctic University of Norway, demonstrating TEPA’s broader scope beyond trade.

    Following the Desk’s inauguration, a high-level Business Roundtable chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal convened to explore opportunities and address trade challenges. Discussions identified key sectors, including seafood & maritime, energy, financial services, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and food processing.

    Looking ahead, the India-EFTA Desk will serve as the primary channel for fostering continuous business-government dialogue. The Indian government has pledged to work closely with EFTA partners to unlock TEPA’s full potential. Concluding the discussions, Shri Piyush Goyal called TEPA a “model agreement” and reaffirmed India’s readiness to build a robust future with EFTA, stating: “India is ready when you are. Let’s build this future together.”

    With the official inauguration of the EFTA Desk, India and EFTA have entered a new era of economic cooperation, ensuring that businesses from both regions thrive in an era of sustainable and innovation-driven growth.

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    Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special campaigns have been launched for enrolling individuals under various financial inclusion Schemes

    Source: Government of India

    Special campaigns have been launched for  enrolling individuals under various  financial inclusion Schemes

    54.58 Crore Jan Dhan Accounts Opened, 55.7% held by women

    13 Lakh Banking Correspondents and 107 Digital Banking  Units are facilitating  credit access along with Jan Samarth Porta and ‘PSB Loans in 59 Minutes’ among others

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 6:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The Government initiated the National Mission for Financial Inclusion (NMFI), namely the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in August, 2014 to provide universal banking services for every unbanked household based on the guiding principles of banking the unbanked, securing the unsecured, funding the unfunded and serving unserved and underserved areas, with a strong focus on women. To give further impetus to financial inclusion initiatives of the Government, PMJDY Scheme was extended beyond 14.08.2018 and the focus was shifted to “every unbanked adult” instead of “every household”. A total of 54.58 crore JanDhan accounts have been opened till 15.01.2025, of which 30.37 crore (55.7%) belong to women. NMFI has also facilitated the coverage of women with various social security and credit linked Schemes.

    To ensure accessibility of these schemes to women, rural population, marginalised groups and underprivileged communities in the country, various steps are being taken such as:

    • Allocation of targets to all banks under each scheme;
    • Organisation of various camps and specialised campaigns to promote awareness;
    • Periodic review of performance of banks etc;

    All Banks, including private banks, participate in these activities to ensure effectiveness of these schemes and make them accessible to all stakeholders.

    Several initiatives are being undertaken in an ongoing manner by the Government along with State Authorities to address challenges such as low enrolment, lack of awareness, etc. being faced in financial inclusion schemes in the country. Some of these areas under:

    1. Several special campaigns have been launched, from time to time, at Gram Panchayat level to reach the last mile beneficiaries. These campaigns aim at enrolling individuals under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and other financial inclusion Schemes. 
    2. The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) plays a crucial role by coordinating efforts among Banks, Government agencies, Lead District Managers, Financial Institutions, Insurance companies, and other stakeholders to increase coverage under these Schemes at the state level.
    3. Centre for Financial Literacy (CFL) pilot project on financial literacy was initiated by the Reserve Bank of India in 2017 with an objective to adopt community led innovative and participatory approaches to financial literacy.
    4. A strong network of about 13 lakh Banking Correspondents (BCs), representing the last mile connect in the Banking Services delivery system, is also enrolling eligible people under financial inclusion Schemes.
    5. To make digital financial services more accessible and user-friendly, 107 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) have been set-up by Banks (as on December 2024) with an objective to ensure the benefits of digital banking to every nook and corner of the country. These units offer facilities like opening of saving bank accounts, passbook printing, transfer of funds, loan applications, etc. 
    6. Further, various online platforms like Jan Samarth portal, PSB Loans in 59 Minutes, Stand-up Mitra, etc., have been established to provide quick and hassle-free credit to everyone in a user-friendly manner. 

     

     Financial Inclusion  Schemes and Coverage

    Category

    Grand Total

    Number of PMJDY Accounts (as on 15.01.2025)

    545,780,806

    Women PMJDY Accounts

    303,710,652

    PMJJBY Cumulative Enrolments (as on 15.01.2025)

    225,220,758

    Women PMJJBY Enrolments

    100,095,919

    PMSBY Cumulative Enrolments (as on 15.01.2025)

    491,225,285

    Women PMSBY Enrolments

    228,437,446

    APY Enrolments (as on 31.12.2024)

    72,577,540

    Women APY Enrolments

    34,415,361

    Source: Banks, Insurance Companies & PFRDA

     

    This information was given by Union Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first indigenous Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Plant at AIIMS New Delhi.

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first indigenous Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Plant at AIIMS New Delhi.

    The Automated Biomedical Waste Treatment Rig, named “Sṛjanam,” was officially dedicated to the nation:

    1st of its kind indigenously developed Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Rig has been developed by CSIR NIIST Thiruvananthapuram:

    “India’s New Eco-Friendly Technology Biomedical Waste Solution Set to Transform Healthcare Waste Disposal” says Science and Technology Minister Dr. Singh

    Dr. Jitendra Singh Showcases Govt’s First 100 Days Vision with Record-Breaking Investments in Science and Technology

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 6:12PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first indigenous Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Plant at AIIMS New Delhi.

    The Automated Biomedical Waste Treatment Rig, named “Sṛjanam,” was officially dedicated to the nation by the Minister at a ceremony held in the AIIMS auditorium. Following the ceremony, he, accompanied by Director General of CSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi and Director of AIIMS Dr. M. Srinivas, walked to the site within the AIIMS premises where the machinery had been installed and formally switched it on.

    This innovative, environmentally friendly technology, developed by CSIR-NIIST (National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology), offers a significant advancement in the sustainable management of biomedical waste.

    Speaking on the Commissioning, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh called for a paradigm shift from ‘Waste to Wealth’ and emphasized the importance of sustainability and environmental concerns. He noted that India’s economy has transitioned from being part of the fragile five to a member of the First Five and is poised for continued growth. He highlighted the significance of the new biomedical waste treatment rig, which is set to revolutionize waste management in healthcare facilities.

    The “Sṛjanam” rig can disinfect pathogenic biomedical waste such as blood, urine, sputum, and laboratory disposables, without the use of costly and energy-intensive incinerators. Additionally, the rig imparts a pleasant fragrance to the otherwise foul-smelling toxic waste. With a daily capacity of 400 kg, the equipment is capable of handling 10 kg of degradable medical waste per day in the initial phase. Once validated, this technology will be ready for full-scale implementation after receiving approval from relevant authorities.

    With the growing demand for better waste disposal solutions, the “Sṛjanam” rig offers a safer and more efficient approach, eliminating the risks associated with human exposure to harmful waste and minimizing the chances of spills and accidents. The technology has been third-party validated for its antimicrobial action, and studies have shown that the treated material is safer than organic fertilizers like vermicompost.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded CSIR-NIIST for its innovative and cost-effective solution to dispose of pathogenic biomedical waste in an eco-friendly manner. He referenced the 2023 annual report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which indicated that India generates 743 tonnes of biomedical waste daily, presenting a significant challenge in its safe and proper disposal. The new technology addresses this issue and presents an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional incineration methods.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh further explained that improper segregation, open dumping, open burning, and inadequate incineration of biomedical waste lead to severe health hazards, including the release of carcinogens and particulate matter. He emphasized the need for effective waste management to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also acknowledged the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose leadership continues to drive India’s progress in science, technology, and green initiatives. He praised Shri. Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), for his prompt actions in securing the necessary clearances for this project.

    In his address, Dr. Singh mentioned other technological milestones achieved by India, including the first indigenous DNA vaccine, the development of India’s first HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancer, and rapid advancements in space technology. He also highlighted India’s breakthrough in pharmaceuticals with the creation of the indigenous antibiotic ‘Nafithromycin’ and India’s first gene therapy trial for hemophilia, supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

    Vice-President of CSIR, Dr. Jitendra Singh, recalled the ‘One Week One Lab’ initiative, which aims to raise awareness about CSIR’s groundbreaking projects, such as the first hydrogen buses developed by NCL Pune, off-season tulips developed by CSIR Palampur, the 108-petal lotus, and more.

    The Science and Technology Minister also emphasized the priorities of the government during its first 100 days, which include the approval of India’s first Bio E3 policy, the sanctioning of 1000 crores for Viability Gap funding for space startups, 2000 crores for Mission Mausam, and 50,000 crores for the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF). Furthermore, he highlighted the recent Union Budget, which proposes 20,000 crores for Bharat Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

    Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded by urging for increased academic collaboration between institutions and proposed making postgraduate students co-guides in exchange programs, fostering synergy and shared learning. He emphasized the government’s unwavering support for science, technology, and innovation under the leadership of PM Modi. He said “This initiative aligns with the government’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, and with continued progress in innovation and sustainable technologies, India is set to become a global leader in environmental and healthcare solutions”.

    The ceremony was attended by distinguished dignitaries including Dr. V. K. Paul, Member, Niti Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR and DG, ICMR, Tanmay Kumar IAS, Secretary MoEFCC, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary DSIR and DG, CSIR, and Dr. M. Srinivas, Director, AIIMS.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SUSTAINABLE URBAN GROWTH MEASURES

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 5:20PM by PIB Delhi

    As per 12th Schedule of the Constitution of India, urban planning including urban planning & urban development is the function of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ Urban Development Authorities. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through schematic interventions/ advisories. It provides financial and technical support to the States.

    The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India has issued Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 (https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/URDPFI%20Guidelines% 20Vol%20I(2).pdf). The Chapter – 6 “Sustainability Guidelines” of URDPFI guidelines 2014 deals with various aspects of sustainable urban development.

    Under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a sub-Scheme ‘Formulation of GIS based Master plans for 500 AMRUT cities’ is being implemented by MoHUA. The Sub-Scheme aims at geo data base creation and formulation of GIS based Master Plans. At present, 461 AMRUT Cities in 35 States including Maharashtra are on boarded under the scheme and Master Plans for 229 towns have been finalized so far, which include 44 towns of Maharashtra. Under AMRUT 2.0, the sub-scheme Formulation of GIS based Master Plans has been extended to cover Class-II Towns with population of 50,000 – 99,999. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with National Remote Sensing Centre and Survey of India for creation of geo database.

    MoHUA is supporting States/ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in capacity building activities through various Schemes of the Ministry such as AMRUT, for improving the capacities of ULB functionaries, elected representatives, etc., Under AMRUT, against the target of 45,000 functionaries, 57134 functionaries have already been trained so far. Under AMRUT 2.0, capacity building programs are conducted for all stakeholders including contractors, plumbers, plant operators, students, women and citizens.

    MoHUA has designated 4 Institutes in different regions as Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Urban Planning and Design, which inter alia impart certified trainings/ certified courses to Civil Servants, State Town Planners, Municipal Officials, practitioners/professionals, young students etc. These centres have been provided endowment funds of ₹ 250 crore each.

    Besides, MoHUA has also designated 6 institutes as AMRUT Funded Centre of Urban Planning for Capacity Building. The role envisaged for these institutes inter alia includes subject specific trainings to Municipal officials/ Town and Country Planning officials, augmenting capacity building of State / Local authorities and hand hold them in urban planning.

    All States/ UTs including Maharashtra can avail the training facilities of these centres.

    The Government has announced the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SSASCI) in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, under which States are incentivized for taking the urban planning reforms. The details of urban planning reforms under SSACI are as under:

    Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2022-23 – Part – VI (Urban Planning Reforms). The reform components included Modernization of Building Bylaws by removing contradictions and optimizing land use, Adoption of modern urban planning tools like Transferrable Development Rights (TDR), Implementation of Local Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning Schemes (TPS), Implementation of Transit-oriented Development (ToD). Further States were incentivized for Creation of Sponge Cities, Removing Taxation for running the Buses for Public Transport.

    Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24 – Part – III (Urban Planning Reforms). The reform components included Augmentation of human resources by hiring qualified urban planners, Implementation of Town Planning Scheme (TPS)/ Land Pooling Scheme, Modernization of Building Bylaws, Promoting in-situ slum rehabilitation, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Transferable Development Rights as planning tool, Strengthening natural ecosystems of urban areas through urban planning, development of waterfronts etc.

    Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25 – Part – XIII (Urban Planning Reforms). The reform components include implementation of Town planning Schemes / Land Pooling Scheme, rationalization of Building Bye-laws/ Zoning initiatives, comprehensive parking paradigm, creative re-development of cities, Planning of Peri Urban areas, Transit Oriented Development, Technology based reforms, climate sustainability through urban planning, comprehensive mobility plan for ease of transit in NE/ Hilly states etc.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri. Tokhan Sahu, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Tells GOP: Hands Off Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    02.10.25
    Cantwell Tells GOP: Hands Off Medicaid
    House Republicans recently revealed proposal to cut $2.3 trillion from Medicaid to pay for Trump policy priorities
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Committee on Finance and ranking member of the Commerce Committee, joined a letter with 46 Senators calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson to reject any legislation or budget proposals that would make cuts to Medicaid.
    “Republicans are proposing cuts to the Medicaid program from hundreds of billions to multiple trillions of dollars,” the Senators wrote. “States simply cannot absorb these massive funding cuts without hurting children, seniors, people with disabilities, tribal populations, patients with chronic illnesses, and many other Americans who rely on Medicaid.”
    “Given that levels of abuse and waste within Medicaid are not commensurate to cutting billions from the program, President Trump and Congressional Leadership should uphold this commitment to enhance, rather than gut, Medicaid. The American people should be assured that Medicaid will be protected. We urge you to reject proposals that use Medicaid as a piggy bank for partisan priorities and continue to defend the importance of this vital program,” the Senators concluded. 
    More than 1.8 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Medicaid (Apple Health). One in six adults, two in five children, three in five nursing home residents, and three in eight people with disabilities in Washington are covered by Medicaid. Any cuts in federal Medicaid funding would not only reduce the number of enrollees, it would potentially exacerbate Washington state’s budget deficit as states would have to make up for the shortfall by lowering coverage levels or cutting services.
    Sen. Cantwell is a longtime advocate for expanding and protecting Medicaid and Medicare. Rather than cutting Medicaid payments, Sen. Cantwell has introduced legislation to generate cost savings for American taxpayers. Sen. Cantwell has championed the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Transparency Act to crack down on PBMs and ban “spread pricing,” the PBM practice of charging a health insurance plan more to process a prescription than it reimburses the pharmacy and pocketing the difference – the spread. According to a recent CBO report, eliminating spread pricing in just the Medicaid program would result in approximately $900 million in savings over 10 years.
    Sen. Cantwell has also introduced legislation to expand Medicaid payments for low-barrier fentanyl treatment programs and rural hospitals’ labor and delivery units.
    The full text of the letter is HERE and below.
    Dear Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson,
    As we begin a new Congress, we seek to pursue policies that improve the lives of Americans across this country. However, we are deeply concerned about recent reporting on Republican plans to use the budget reconciliation process to advance President Trump’s reckless agenda.  While we disagree on these costly and misguided policies, we are hopeful that there is bipartisan understanding of Medicaid’s importance for millions across the country, that the Medicaid program should be enhanced rather than cut, and that Republican policies should not be paid for at the expense of working-class Americans losing their health care.  
    Medicaid is a lifeline for communities across the country. Nearly 80 million Americans get their health insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provide services Americans rely on to remain healthy, go to school, and thrive at work. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the U.S., provides health insurance coverage to nearly half of all of America’s children, provides care to 3 in 5 nursing home residents, and provides peace of mind to 17 million women of reproductive age. Medicaid is also a lifeline for rural communities, with children and non-elderly adults in rural areas more likely to be covered by Medicaid compared to those in urban areas.
    Republicans are proposing cuts to the Medicaid program from hundreds of billions to multiple trillions of dollars. [1] Cuts to Medicaid through drastically changing the program’s financing structure or imposing additional barriers to coverage are dangerous to the millions of people who rely on the program. These proposals will also force states to make difficult decisions that will result in millions getting kicked off their coverage and providers struggling to keep their practices open. States simply cannot absorb these massive funding cuts without hurting children, seniors, people with disabilities, tribal populations, patients with chronic illnesses, and many other Americans who rely on Medicaid.
    Speaking about Medicaid last week, President Trump said, “We’re not going to do anything with that, unless we can find some abuse or waste.  The people won’t be affected. It will only be more effective and better.”[2]
    Given that levels of abuse and waste within Medicaid are not commensurate to cutting billions from the program, President Trump and Congressional Leadership should uphold this commitment to enhance, rather than gut, Medicaid. The American people should be assured that Medicaid will be protected. We urge you to reject proposals that use Medicaid as a piggy bank for partisan priorities and continue to defend the importance of this vital program. 
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Group President Calviño in Kyiv on first official visit outside EU to announce new major projects for critical energy infrastructure, basic services for citizens and investment in SMEs across Ukraine

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The EIB President is leading the EIB delegation to Ukraine on her first visit outside the EU since taking up office last year.
    • Calviño stressed the EIB Group’s long-term commitment to Ukraine in talks with the government and business leaders in Kyiv.
    • The projects announced under EU’s €50 billion Ukraine Facility include €420 million in investment for the public sector to restore and protect energy supplies, and for water, heating, housing and other critical infrastructure.
    • The support also includes new loan and guarantees for SMEs, unlocking almost €500 million of new finance.
    • The EU 112 emergency call system will be rolled out in Ukraine with EIB backing.
    • A €16.5 million grant provided by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to an EIB International Climate Initiative Trust Fund has been signed for renewable energy in Ukraine.
    • There are plans for close cooperation to advance social housing in the country.

    On her first official visit outside the European Union since taking up office a year ago, European Investment Bank (EIB) Group President Nadia Calviño is visiting Kyiv today to meet top Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The objective of the visit is to agree on new financing operations for Ukraine and stress Europe’s long-term commitment to the country. President Calviño is leading the delegation that also features EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska and EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová.

    The package – part of the European Union’s €50 billion Ukraine Facility – includes €420 million for new public-sector projects to restore and protect energy supplies, heating systems and other critical infrastructure that has been damaged since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The EIB and the European Commission are set to finalise the approval of a €2 billion EIB contribution under the Facility.

    The latest round of European funding announced today will also benefit Ukraine’s private sector, with the aim of bolstering thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the country’s economy. It combines a €100 million loan and guarantees aimed at unlocking around €400 million in lending to SMEs through key Ukrainian banks – including Ukreximbank, ProCredit Bank and Ukrgasbank – with which the EIB has signed agreements today.

    Another element of the package is the planned rollout of the European Union’s common 112 emergency number and call system across Ukraine to enhance public safety. President Calviño visited an operating centre in Kyiv that will run the new system to mark the signing of a €40 million EIB loan for the initiative, which is complemented by a €12 million EU grant and funding from Member States under the EU for Ukraine Fund.

    “This is my first official visit outside the European Union since  taking up office as President of the EIB Group last year. Support for Ukraine is a top priority and that is why I am so pleased to be here to announce new major projects for SMEs, energy, water and other essential services that will help people to continue with their daily lives and support the country’s economic resilience, while also laying the foundation for a stronger Ukraine on its path to EU membership,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño.”

    “The financing package that we have announced reflects our ongoing and unwavering commitment, since the very first day of this war, to help Ukraine recover, rebuild, and thrive despite the immense challenges it faces. This is a joint effort of Team Europe made possible through close collaboration with the European Commission and EU Member States,” added EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who oversees the Bank’s operations in Ukraine.

    “This support package, developed with the EIB, further demonstrates the European Union’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. With the Ukraine Facility, we are restoring vital infrastructure and helping businesses grow – crucial projects as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression. Together, we will continue to support Ukraine, working on key areas, such as energy, housing, and public safety to build a stronger and more sustainable future,” said EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová.

    Today, four projects worth €420 million were announced under the EU’s Ukraine Facility. They will help to restore critical infrastructure and services and ensure a stable energy supply. The projects include the €100 million “Ukraine Recovery III”, €100 million “Ukraine Water Recovery”, and the €100 million “Ukraine District Heating”, which will be channelled through Ukreximbank. These initiatives aim to ensure that millions of Ukrainians in more than 100 communities across the country have access to heating, water, hospitals, schools and housing for internally displaced people. The €120 million “Support of Ukrhydroenergo Stability and Recovery” loan to the largest hydropower generating company in Ukraine will help to restore hydropower plants and thus reinforce the Ukrainian energy system.

    Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba said: “We deeply value the strong cooperation with the European Investment Bank, in particular under the recovery programmes, which are playing, since 2014 a key role in supporting more than 100 communities across the country. We are grateful for the support to the communities that are de-occupied or close to the front line. The provision of social, medical, logistical, educational and other infrastructure is essential to ensuring our communities remains strong and resilient. Today we sign €100 million of the multi-sector Ukraine Recovery III loan for the restoration and modernization of critical infrastructure, such as heating, hospitals and housing for IDPs and we sign €100 million of Ukraine Water Recovery dedicated to water and wastewater. Our collaboration on social housing is another key component, reflecting our shared commitment to providing essential infrastructure and stability for those in need. The grant for renewable energy, which we also signed today, will play a vital role in ensuring that critical buildings, like hospitals, can continue serving the population amidst power cuts. Together, these initiatives not only accelerate our recovery but also help us build a more resilient and sustainable future for our country.”

    The financing provided for the 112 call system in Ukraine will expand data centres across the country and upgrade their technological capacity, ensuring that critical services are reliable and efficient.

    “Implementing and developing the 112 emergency call system has become a crucial component in enhancing public safety in Ukraine and in aligning our infrastructure to European standards. Thanks to the EIB loan and support from European partners, we will be able to improve cooperation between emergency services, particularly through the automatic detection of the caller’s geolocation. We will strengthen our ability to assist individuals with hearing and speech impairments, as well as foreign citizens. This project is about enhancing the safety of our citizens and providing timely assistance to those in need,” said Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko.

    The EIB is also signing a €16.5 million grant from the German government with the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine to promote renewable energy. The grant comes through the EIB’s International Climate Initiative Fund and is part of the Ukraine Energy Rescue Plan announced by the EIB in October 2024.

    The grant will help integrate renewable energy systems into public buildings undergoing renovation works under EIB municipal loans. This will upgrade social infrastructure and make energy more reliable, cleaner and less costly. The grant will also help to decentralise energy generation, ensuring that critical public buildings in towns and villages are less reliant on electricity supplies from large power stations, making them less vulnerable to blackouts in the event of an airstrike.

    Berthold Goeke, Director-General for Climate Action, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) said: “Through the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) is helping smaller Ukrainian communities — those most affected by the war and in urgent need — to implement climate-friendly technologies. This support enables Ukraine to reduce energy costs and modernize outdated infrastructure in public buildings, laying the foundation for a stable and renewable energy future. In this way, the German government is addressing two critical challenges in Ukraine’s energy system. First, we are supporting the development of a decentralized and resilient energy supply, particularly for essential public infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. Given the ongoing Russian aggression and the destruction of central energy infrastructure, this is vital for ensuring stability and security. Second, our initiative contributes to Ukraine’s long-term energy transition by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, paving the way for a climate-neutral energy system.”

    Social housing is one of the most pressing issues in Ukraine, with 10% of the country’s housing stock damaged as a result of the war. The EIB is supporting the government in drafting a new housing code and exploring the possibility of financing the construction of homes that are publicly owned.

    Background information

    EIB in Ukraine 

    The EIB Group has been supporting Ukraine’s resilience, economy and efforts to rebuild since the very first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In 2024, we supported projects aimed at securing Ukraine’s energy supply, repairing critical infrastructure that has been damaged, and ensuring that essential services continue to be delivered across the country. This brings the total amount of aid we have disbursed since the start of the war to over €2.2 billion. This funding has played a crucial role in ensuring that vital services continue to be delivered to people in Ukraine. For example, this year we inaugurated the water supply facility in Bucha that was rebuilt, and which provides clean water to 9 000 residents. We also opened five new schools in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Ternopil Oblasts, helped build a department for children’s infectious diseases at a hospital in Zhytomyr Oblast, and significantly improved sanitation through the upgraded sewerage collector in Vinnytsia Oblast. Furthermore, our investments have helped modernise street lighting in Dnipro, benefitted the reclamation of the Hrybovychi landfill in Lviv, and helped to upgrade water infrastructure in Mykolaiv. We have also strengthened Ukraine’s transport networks to ensure resilient and sustainable mobility for businesses and residents. With our support, cities such as Lviv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa, and Sumy have purchased new buses, trolleybuses, and trams. In addition, we have funded the reconstruction of the M01 Kyiv-Chernihiv-Novi Yarylovychi section of road that had been damaged in the war. To enhance Ukraine’s energy resilience, we have launched the Energy Rescue Plan, securing €600 million in EU-backed financing, including €86 million to build anti-drone shelters to protect critical electricity transmission infrastructure. These measures are crucial to maintaining stable power supply across the country amid ongoing challenges. In 2024, we signed over €250 million in new investment for projects to further enhance social infrastructure and support businesses that are the backbone of Ukraine’s economy.

    The EU for Ukraine Fund (EU4U) was established in 2023 as part of a larger EU for Ukraine initiative. The fund aims to accelerate EIB Global’s support for Ukraine’s most urgent infrastructure needs and help sustain its economy. The Fund supports both public and private sector projects to rebuild critical municipal infrastructure and improve access to finance for entrepreneurs.

    The International Climate Initiative (IKI) Fund was established in 2019 in partnership with the government of Germany, with the aim of catalysing investment for ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in developing and emerging countries. The IKI Fund seeks to do this by providing investment grants, financial instruments and technical assistance to public and private sector beneficiaries, as well as advisory services to central banks and financial institutions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Karin Keller-Sutter and DDPS head Viola Amherd to take part in the Munich Security Conference

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    President Karin Keller-Sutter, Head of the Federal Department of Finance (FDF), and Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), will be attending the 61st Munich Security Conference, which is taking place at the end of the week. The conference, which will be opened on Friday, 14 February by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will focus on global security challenges such as democratic resilience.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Willis Lease Finance Corporation Announces Timing of Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC”) plans to announce its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 on Monday, March 10, 2025.

    WLFC plans to hold a conference call led by members of WLFC’s executive management team on Monday, March 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results. Individuals wishing to participate in the conference call should dial: US and Canada (877) 612-6725, International +1 (646) 828-8082, wait for the conference operator and provide the operator with the Conference ID 808553. A digital replay will be available two hours after the completion of the conference call. To access the replay, please visit our website at www.wlfc.global under the Investor Relations section for details.

    A copy of this press release and an earnings supplement will be posted to the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, www.wlfc.global, prior to the call.

    Willis Lease Finance Corporation

    Willis Lease Finance Corporation leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Additionally, through Willis Engine Repair Center®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services.

     CONTACT: Scott B. Flaherty
      Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
      sflaherty@willislease.com 
      561.413.0112

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dingwall and Seaforth Committee Invests £162,541 in Sir Hector MacDonald Memorial Upgrade

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is pleased to announce a significant investment of £162,541 from the Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) towards the structural upgrade of the Sir Hector MacDonald Memorial in Dingwall. This funding, part of the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) provided by The Scottish Government, aims to support economic regeneration and sustainable development in the Highland region.

    The decision to allocate this funding was made following a thorough review of potential projects in the Dingwall and Seaforth area. The Sir Hector MacDonald Memorial emerged as a priority due to its strategic importance and strong community support.

    The restoration project will be managed by The Highland Council in collaboration with the Dingwall Community Development Company, who wish to take possession and oversee the asset upon completion of the works.

    Councillor Margaret Paterson, Vice-Chair of the Dingwall and Seaforth Committee, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “This investment is a testament to our commitment in preserving our local heritage and fostering community pride. The upgrade works for the Sir Hector MacDonald Memorial will not only honour a significant historical figure but also enhance the cultural and economic vitality of Dingwall and the local area.”

    The funding must be invested in a project by 31 March 2025 to comply with the grant conditions set by The Scottish Government.

    Sir Hector MacDonald Memorial, Dingwall

    10 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: Court Orders Trump Administration to Immediately Restore All Frozen Federal Funding

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, February 10, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    State attorneys general continue to secure favorable decisions reining in Presidential overreach 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to enforce the court’s prior order preventing the Trump Administration from implementing its freeze of up to $3 trillion in federal funding. The decision follows a motion to enforce filed by state attorneys general on Friday in light of evidence that the Trump Administration was continuing to block the disbursement of important state funding, including funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, and for the National Institutes of Health. 

    “The Trump Administration continued to improperly freeze vital federal funding more than a week after a court ordered it not to, jeopardizing California’s efforts to strengthen domestic energy security and the construction of critical infrastructure projects,” said Attorney General Bonta. “No Administration is above the law. In every case we’ve filed to date, state attorneys general have successfully restrained the President’s abuse of executive power – and we will continue to hold him accountable; our democratic institutions depend on it. The court’s decision today is unequivocal: The Trump Administration must fully comply with the court’s order and immediately restore all federal funding while our litigation continues.”

    Attorney General Bonta is leading a coalition of 23 attorney general, along with the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Illinois, in bringing this litigation.

    A copy of the court’s decision in available here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury convicts 2 defendants who were charged with 23 other Ohioans in narcotics distribution ring

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    One defendant also convicted of sex-trafficking victims through use of drug withdrawals, violence

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two local men for their roles in a narcotics distribution ring involving bulk amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine & other narcotics. As part of this case, the government has seized more than $1.7 million, 50 firearms, and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle. One of the defendants convicted at trial also sex-trafficked at least three adult victims.

    The jury found David Price, 56, of Columbus, guilty on all counts, and Tavaryyuan Johnson, 25, of Columbus, guilty on drug trafficking counts.

    The verdict was announced on Feb. 5 following a trial that began on January 13, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

    A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury initially indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school.

    A superseding indictment returned in October 2022 charged additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone.

    Price, who is also known as “DP,” was charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024 with 11 drug, firearm and sex trafficking crimes. He faces a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison.

    Johnson is also known as “Gucci” and “TJ,” and was also charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024. He was convicted of four drug offenses, including using a family residence in Columbus as his stash house for bulk amounts of narcotics. Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    According to court documents and trial testimony, the two men were part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of “crack” cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as marijuana, oxycodone and alprazolam. The drug trafficking organization operated from January 2008 until it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2022.

    Drug offenses took place at residences on Burgess and Harris avenues, which are within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School.

    In July 2021, Price distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine that resulted in the overdose death of an adult female.  The testimony at trial indicated he purposefully killed her to get rid of her as she was talking to the police about his drug business.

    The government also proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Price conspired to commit sex trafficking. From 2016 until 2022, Price and other members of the conspiracy would force and/or coerce adult female drug addicts into performing commercial sex acts by providing, withholding, or threatening to withhold controlled substances and lodging. Law enforcement’s investigation showed that various women engaged in a “rinse and repeat” cycle where they would be allowed to stay at a drug residence associated with Price, receive a front of drugs so they were not in active drug withdrawal, go to Sullivant Avenue, have sex for money, pay the debt from the front drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house.

    Price was also found guilty of three counts of sex trafficking related to his violence and coercion towards three adult females.  The testimony at trial indicated that he would lock the females inside his residence for days or weeks at a time and refuse to let them leave, forcing them to engage in sex acts.  One victim was locked in a dog cage, shot and stabbed by Price. Another was restrained.  A third was beaten and choked and left with a black eye. Price would refuse to provide them drugs unless or until they engaged in the sex acts, forcing them into withdrawal if they did not comply.

    U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Jersey CPA Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

    Source: US State of California

    A New Jersey accountant was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Ralph Anderson was a CPA and return preparer working for accounting firms in New Jersey and New York. From approximately 2013 to 2019, Anderson promoted and sold tax deductions to his high-income clients in the form of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created by convicted co-conspirators Jack Fisher and James Sinnott.

    Anderson knew that, contrary to law, the transactions related to these illegal tax shelters lacked economic substance and that his high-income clients purchased units at his recommendation only to obtain a tax deduction on their tax returns. The charitable deductions purchased by clients were derived from the donation of land with a conservation easement or the land itself to a charity, and the deductions were based on fraudulently inflated appraisals for the donated land. Anderson and the promoters promised the clients a so-called ratio of “4.5 to 1” in charitable deductions for every dollar paid into the tax shelter.

    In some instances, to make it appear that his clients had joined the partnerships before the date of the conservation easement donation — which was necessary to claim the tax benefits — Anderson and his co-conspirators also instructed and caused clients to falsely backdate documents, including subscription agreements and checks related to the partnerships. Each year from 2013 to 2019, Anderson and his co-conspirators assisted clients with claiming these false deductions on their tax returns.

    In total, Anderson assisted in preparing tax returns for clients that claimed over $9.3 million in false charitable deductions based on backdated documents, which caused a tax loss to the United States of nearly $3 million.

    Between approximately 2016 and 2019, Anderson earned over $300,000 in commissions for promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to his clients. Anderson also claimed false tax deductions for charitable contributions generated from the syndicated conservation easement tax shelters he received as “free units” on his own returns and fraudulently reduced his own taxes on the income he earned from the scheme.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp for the District of New Jersey ordered Anderson to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,543,005.53 in total restitution to the IRS and Small Business Administration.

    After being convicted on all counts after a trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Anderson’s co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively. Nine additional defendants pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to the syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme. These other defendants include appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts and Certified Public Accountants Stein Agee, Corey Agee, James Benkoil, Victor Smith, Herbert Lewis and William Tomasello. In addition, attorneys Randall Lenz and Vi Bui pleaded guilty to their roles in this scheme. The fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme created and promoted by Fisher and Sinnott resulted in over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions and caused over $400 million in total tax loss to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

    IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin and Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division prosecuted the case with assistance from former Tax Division Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Winona Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison After Targeting More Than 60 Young Girls in Online Sextortion Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Winona man has been sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 31, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, often posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable.

    According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. But most frequently, he convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him. He continued this type of sextortion even as his victims wept and begged him to stop.

    Quintana was sentenced on February 5, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey CPA Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A New Jersey accountant was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Ralph Anderson was a CPA and return preparer working for accounting firms in New Jersey and New York. From approximately 2013 to 2019, Anderson promoted and sold tax deductions to his high-income clients in the form of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created by convicted co-conspirators Jack Fisher and James Sinnott.

    Anderson knew that, contrary to law, the transactions related to these illegal tax shelters lacked economic substance and that his high-income clients purchased units at his recommendation only to obtain a tax deduction on their tax returns. The charitable deductions purchased by clients were derived from the donation of land with a conservation easement or the land itself to a charity, and the deductions were based on fraudulently inflated appraisals for the donated land. Anderson and the promoters promised the clients a so-called ratio of “4.5 to 1” in charitable deductions for every dollar paid into the tax shelter.

    In some instances, to make it appear that his clients had joined the partnerships before the date of the conservation easement donation — which was necessary to claim the tax benefits — Anderson and his co-conspirators also instructed and caused clients to falsely backdate documents, including subscription agreements and checks related to the partnerships. Each year from 2013 to 2019, Anderson and his co-conspirators assisted clients with claiming these false deductions on their tax returns.

    In total, Anderson assisted in preparing tax returns for clients that claimed over $9.3 million in false charitable deductions based on backdated documents, which caused a tax loss to the United States of nearly $3 million.

    Between approximately 2016 and 2019, Anderson earned over $300,000 in commissions for promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to his clients. Anderson also claimed false tax deductions for charitable contributions generated from the syndicated conservation easement tax shelters he received as “free units” on his own returns and fraudulently reduced his own taxes on the income he earned from the scheme.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp for the District of New Jersey ordered Anderson to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,543,005.53 in total restitution to the IRS and Small Business Administration.

    After being convicted on all counts after a trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Anderson’s co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively. Nine additional defendants pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to the syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme. These other defendants include appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts and Certified Public Accountants Stein Agee, Corey Agee, James Benkoil, Victor Smith, Herbert Lewis and William Tomasello. In addition, attorneys Randall Lenz and Vi Bui pleaded guilty to their roles in this scheme. The fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme created and promoted by Fisher and Sinnott resulted in over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions and caused over $400 million in total tax loss to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

    IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin and Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division prosecuted the case with assistance from former Tax Division Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Polis Demand Trump Admin Follow Court Orders, Unfreeze Federal Funding Currently Locked for Colorado

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Federal courts ordered OMB to temporarily lift its plan to freeze all federal funding

    More than $570 million for Colorado grantees is still inaccessible

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Colorado Governor Jared Polis called on Office of Budget and Management (OMB) Director Russell Vought to address the more than $570 million in federal funding that remains inaccessible for Colorado grantees, following the OMB’s illegal attempt to pause all federal funding.

    Two weeks ago, in a chaotic late-night, two-page OMB memo, President Donald Trump froze all federal grants and loans. The sudden freeze from this memo and multiple executive orders threatened hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, which would have affected thousands of organizations in Colorado and hurt millions of Americans. Federal courts ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift the freeze on federal funds. However, over $570 million in federal funding obligated for Colorado organizations remains withheld.

    “We write to express deep concern regarding the ongoing challenges Colorado grantees face in accessing obligated grant funding… The consequences of this continued uncertainty are severe and could have a devastating effect on the programs and people this funding supports,” wrote the lawmakers. “Companies are considering staff furloughs. Employers in rural communities are rescinding job offers. Long-standing Colorado businesses, some with over 40 years of operation, now struggle to pay contractors working on facility expansions.’

    They continued: “This disruption threatens local economies and the workforce across the state, particularly in rural communities, where the funding freeze creates widespread ripple effects.”

    In their letter, the Colorado lawmakers called on Vought to explain what steps OMB is taking to comply with the court orders and clarify which streams of funding did not immediately resume following the multiple court orders to halt the funding freeze.

    More information about how a freeze would impact Coloradans is available HERE. 

    Last week, Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor against the nomination of Russell Vought, President Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and voted “No” on Vought. The OMB oversees the performance of federal agencies and administers the federal budget. Vought previously served as acting OMB director during President Donald Trump’s first term and was a primary architect of Project 2025, which details MAGA Republicans’ far-right agenda to dismantle the federal government under a Trump administration.

    Full text of the letter available HERE and below.

    To Director Vought,

    We write to express deep concern regarding the ongoing challenges Colorado grantees face in accessing obligated grant funding. Grantees who have signed contracts with federal agencies and have initiated projects now struggle to cover outstanding expenses. This disruption threatens local economies and the workforce across the state, particularly in rural communities, where the funding freeze creates widespread ripple effects.

    On January 27, 2025, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum directing all federal agencies to pause activities related to federal financial assistance obligations and disbursements. Although this memo was quickly rescinded – and its implementation blocked by a federal court – the consequences of this funding freeze effort and the ongoing funding blockages through various executive orders continue to harm state and local governments, Tribal Governments, private companies, and the people we serve across the state, raising serious concerns about the future of these funds in Colorado.

    We have engaged extensively with agencies responsible for disbursing these funds, and heard directly from the agencies that the Administration’s intention is to comply with the court order and dispense federal financial assistance. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA), for instance, has notified us that:

    “[p]ursuant to the recent Court directive in the case of New York et al. v. Trump addressing financial assistance, the Court directed that federal financial assistance shall not be paused based on the Office of Management and Budget’s direction in the rescinded OMB memorandum or the President’s Executive Orders while ongoing litigation proceeds or until otherwise directed by the Court. Consistent with the Order, the EPA’s financial system will now enable the obligation of financial assistance. This includes programs within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, including federal financial assistance in the State and Tribal Assistance Grants, Brownfields, and Superfund. Additionally, the disbursement of funds from EPA’s financial assistance programs is continuing.”

    Nonetheless, companies, local governments, state agencies and nonprofit organizations entitled to funds from a range of programs continue to report that they cannot access their federal grant portals or receive reimbursements due to them under their federal grant contracts despite both the court order and the promises from the agencies. In some cases, grants appear as “suspended” or are missing entirely from their grant system. These funds have already been allocated, contracts have been signed, and work has begun – yet invoices remain unpaid. It remains to be seen how and when the Administration will comply with the court orders to remove the barriers to this funding across all agencies and programs.

    In Colorado alone, we are aware that more than $570 million in obligated funding remains inaccessible. The consequences of this continued uncertainty are severe and could have a devastating effect on the programs and people this funding supports. Companies are considering staff furloughs. Employers in rural communities are rescinding job offers. Long-standing Colorado businesses, some with over 40 years of operation, now struggle to pay contractors working on facility expansions.

    We want to relay the urgency needed to resolve these funding access issues and ensure grantees receive the resources that were appropriated by Congress and promised by the Administration. Communities, businesses, and families depend on this. To ensure transparency in this ongoing process, we ask that you answer the following questions by Friday, February 14, 2025:

    1. Please identify any forms of federal financial assistance for which federal funding disbursements did not promptly resume following the recission of OMB Memorandum M-25-13.
    1. For all forms of federal financial assistance that did not promptly resume, please describe the steps you have taken or will take to resume the disbursement of funds in compliance with court orders. Also indicate when the disbursement of funds can be expected to resume.
    1. For any disbursement of funds that have not been promptly resumed, what is your legal basis for continuing to withhold funds?
    1. What steps have you taken to identify and communicate with grant recipients who have been negatively affected by this oversight?
    1. What steps will you take to ensure that this issue does not occur again?

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott Questions USTR Nominee Jamieson Greer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned President Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, at his confirmation hearing. Senator Scott and Mr. Greer discussed a range of topics, including market access for U.S. exports, specifically South Carolina products, the strategies behind tariffs, China’s unfair trade practices, and economic tools to strengthen American national security.

    Excerpts from Senator Scott’s questioning can be found below:

    On market access for U.S. exports… 
    “Expanding market access for American made goods is critical to our economic strength, frankly, and our competitiveness. Ninety-five percent of our customers are outside of our nation as we represent about five percent of the world’s population. [In] South Carolina, we have about $36.4 billion of manufactured goods and products that leave our state, supporting 112,000 jobs that find a home someplace around the world. [For] our agricultural goods – $1.2 billion – access to the world’s market is incredibly important. We believe that they create good paying jobs in South Carolina. We also believe they create great paying jobs across this country as we took the aggregate value of those goods and services in other states. How do you plan to secure this market access with other countries in the first 100 days?” 

    On President Trump’s approach to tariffs… 
    “So, it seems to me that the president’s tariffs approach… has to do with punishment. The other has to do with the right sizing our approach to a global economy. And both seem to have the American consumer in mind and our national security in mind, as well. And the more efforts we see from the president in this direction, it seems like his ability to recalibrate the global system and, frankly, to make it more responsive to Americans [is a] net positive long-term.”

    On China and unfair trade practices… 
    “It also seems to me that there are countries like China – I’m not sure the politically right way to say this – but they lie, they cheat, they steal. And yet with the World Trade Organization, they still have a most favored nation status. What should we do about that?” 

    On our national security… 
    “From my perspective, our first weapon for national security ought to be an economic weapon, a non-kinetic option. And to the extent that we deploy that weapon in the most effective way possible, we keep more Americans safe, keep our soldiers at home, and frankly, it recalibrates or repositions America as a city on the hill. And I hope that we engage in the most effective approach and use of that economic weapon that we possibly can.”

    Watch Senator Scott’s full questioning here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Lake Tahoe Man Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison for Impersonating Federal Officers

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

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anton Andreyevich Iagounov, 38, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to two years and three months in prison for four counts of impersonating a federal officer, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, and evidence presented at a three-day trial in July 2024, Iagounov pretended to be a federal law enforcement agent by creating and sending counterfeit investigative documents, which he signed in the name of a fictional federal agent, seeking highly protected information from the Department of Defense.

    “The defendant impersonated federal officers and tried multiple times to obtain protected information using fake court documents,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Many federal agencies including NASA have devoted law enforcement officers, and we will not tolerate federal officers being illegally impersonated.”

    “Mr. Iagounov’s attempt to undermine public trust in order to obtain sensitive government information posed a significant risk, potentially endangering national security and the integrity of NASA and government operations,” said Michael Graham, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. “This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of NASA OIG, the USAO, and our law enforcement partners to safeguarding Federal assets and holding accountable those who undermine justice.”

    “The defendant impersonated a federal law enforcement officer and took advantage of the trust that exists between federal agencies,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy N. Schwartz of the FBI Las Vegas Division. “All officers carry badges and credentials that are used to verify their identity. If you believe someone is impersonating an officer, you may ask their agency to confirm their official business. This sentencing demonstrates the excellent work achievable through partnerships.”

    On July 5, 2022, Iagounov sent a search warrant he had created to the U.S. Capitol Police, falsely claiming it was signed by a Special Agent of NASA Office of Inspector General (NASA‑OIG) and appearing to be authorized by a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia. The Capitol Police investigated the document, determined it was fake, and referred it to NASA-OIG for further investigation.

    On July 11, 2022, Iagounov again pretended to be the same fictional NASA-OIG agent and sent the warrant to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This time, he sent it without a judge’s signature, indicating it was for an “emergency filing” and required a judge’s signature. He sent it from an email address designed to look like it was from a United States government agency, but which Iagounov owned and had named to look like a government agency’s internet domain.

    On July 18, 2022, Iagounov again sent the fake search warrant, purporting to be signed by the same fictitious NASA-OIG agent. He sent it to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia, again indicating that it was for an emergency filing and needed a judge’s signature immediately.

    Finally, on July 24, 2022, Iagounov faxed a letter, under the name of a real NASA-OIG supervising agent, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. In that letter, he claimed to be following up on the warrant, stating that an “exigent circumstance” required a judge’s signature immediately. The faxed letter included an anonymous email address for the agent that actually belonged to Iagounov. Several days earlier, on July 15, Iagounov had sent his warrant to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida but had received no response.

    In each case, given the apparently sensitive nature of the materials Iagounov’s warrant sought, the receiving personnel for the Courts referred the matter to NASA-OIG for review and investigation.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NASA Office of Inspector General, with assistance by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department and the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Conolly and Audrey Hemesath prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council hears of persistent and evolving Da’esh threat

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    The terrorist group Da’esh, also known as ISIL, remains a serious global security threat despite years of sustained efforts to dismantle its operations, UN counter-terrorism officials warned during a Security Council meeting on Monday. 

    The discussion focused on the 20th biannual report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security.

    “Terrorism remains a significant and evolving threat to global peace and security, one that no State can confront in isolation,” said Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. 

    “Da’esh remains agile, taking advantage of ongoing conflicts and regions experiencing growing instability,” emphasised Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). 

    This comes amid shifting global counter-terrorism efforts, including the conclusion of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh (UNITAD) mandate, which leaves behind a significant judicial support legacy for future accountability processes. 

    Ongoing threats in Syria 

    The volatile situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is concerning, “especially as there is a risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists,” explained Mr. Voronkov.

    The risk is particularly high in the Syrian Badia region, the central hub for Da’esh’s external operational planning. 

    Meanwhile, over 40,000 people – including women and children – are stuck in overcrowded camps in northeastern Syria due to the ongoing instability. Many face extreme shortages of clean water, medical care and sanitation. 

    The Under-Secretary-General stressed the need for urgent action, noting that repatriation efforts have slowed dramatically: “Only five Member States reportedly repatriated more than 760 individuals from Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic,” he noted.  

    Sub-Saharan Africa: A new frontline 

    “In sub-Saharan Africa, Da’esh and its affiliates continue to increase their operations and expand territorial control,” said Mr. Voronkov.

    Terrorist groups like Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahel (ISGS) have been carrying out deadly attacks on civilians and security forces. 

    “In the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, Da’esh’s decentralised operations continue to proliferate as regional cooperation declines,” Ms. Gherman warned. 

    UN assessments in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritania and Tanzania found that while some progress has been made, gaps in border security, counter-financing of terrorism and regional cooperation remain critical challenges. 

    Officials in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have specifically called for enhanced UN support to prevent the further expansion of terrorist threats southward.

    Growing online radicalisation

    Da’esh continues to recruit and inspire attacks through online propaganda. One of its most dangerous branches, ISIL-K, has been plotting attacks beyond Afghanistan. 

    “ISIL-K supporters plotted attacks in Europe and were actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States,” noted Ms. Gherman.

    French authorities recently arrested an 18-year-old plotting an attack in July 2024.

    Meanwhile, the 1 January terrorist attack in New Orleans in the United States, where an individual claimed to have been inspired by ISIL, has raised additional concerns about the group’s expanding influence through digital propaganda and online radicalisation.

    Fighting terrorist financing

    In response to the evolving financing methods of terrorist groups, the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) recently adopted the Algeria Guiding Principles, which aim to prevent, detect and disrupt the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes.

    CTED has also strengthened cooperation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), contributing to a landmark case in Mozambique, where the first successful prosecution of a terrorism-financing case was recently achieved.

    “Multilateral cooperation remains essential” 

    Mr. Voronkov emphasised the need for a coordinated, multilateral approach to counter Da’esh’s evolving strategies. 

    “Despite steady counter-terrorism efforts by Member States, international and regional partners, Da’esh continues to demonstrate resilience and adapt its modus operandi,” he told the Council. “The group’s ability to exploit instability highlights the need for sustained international collaboration.”

    Ms. Gherman echoed this sentiment, urging countries to adopt long-term strategies that respect human rights and the rule of law.

    “CTED, working alongside Member States and other United Nations entities, remains committed to ensuring that our actions are responsive to emerging challenges,” she concluded. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘Dating or Defrauding?’ a Joint Effort to Alert Online Daters, Social Media Users of Relationship Investment Scams

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In coordination with multiple federal, state, and nonprofit organizations, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach has launched a national awareness effort to alert the public to relationship investment scams targeting Americans through wrong-numbered texts, dating apps, and social media.
    Over the coming weeks, the interagency Dating or Defrauding? social media awareness campaign will warn Americans to be skeptical of any request from online friends for cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfers, or other forms of payment. Other red flags include:

    A prolonged inability to meet in-person.
    Moving conversations off social or dating platforms to encrypted messaging apps.
    Repeated suggestions for investments or requests for money.

    The joint initiative will provide information about how to recognize relationship investment scams, what to do if you are affected, and why to share the information to warn others.
    “Today, criminals are better able to hide their identities, create more fake profiles, phishing emails, and more convincing scam websites than ever before,” said OCEO Director Melanie Devoe. “Valentine’s Day and the following weeks provide an excellent opportunity to remind people that criminals are using social media, dating, and messaging apps to scam Americans. We ask you to be alert, and to help stop scams by warning your friends and family.” 
    During the campaign, participating organizations will use the #DatingOrDefrauding hashtag and direct users to helpful resources. In addition to the CFTC, participating agencies include: 

    Federal agencies: FBI, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Federal Trade Commission, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
    State agencies: Arizona Corporation Commission, U.S. Virgin Islands Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, and Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.
    Non-governmental organizations: FINRA and NFA. 

    About Relationship Investment Scams
    Relationship investment scams are a recent type of romance fraud, causing reported losses to the FBI of nearly $4 billion in 2023. Called pig butchering by the perpetrators, criminals use dating apps, social media platforms, messaging apps, and even random “wrong number” text messages to target possible victims. The scammers are known to use fake profiles, images, videos and voices to make themselves appear attractive and professional, and once introduced, they send frequent messages to build relationships. These new online “friends” claim to have made a lot of money trading cryptocurrency, precious metals, or foreign currency, thanks to special knowledge or insider help. The scammers talk about how easy it is and offer to help victims earn extra money. Victims are then directed to fraudulent trading platforms operated by the same organized criminal gangs.
    These scams do not discriminate and have victimized people of all ages. People who live alone or spend a lot of time on social media or in discussion groups tend to be more vulnerable to fraud. Scams work because they appeal to unmet needs or emotions, like financial stress, excitement, or fear. The good news is that awareness can reduce victimization. Sharing information could help protect those closest to you.
    In addition to participating in the Dating or Defrauding? effort, the CFTC’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach is releasing a customer advisory, Help Warn Others About Relationship Investment Scams, that explains the fraud in detail and steps the public can take to help others.
    The CFTC has previously alerted customers to romance frauds including the inaugural Dating or Defrauding? campaign in 2022. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8491-22]. The CFTC also issued customer advisories Avoid Forex, Precious Metals, and Digital Asset Romance Scams. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8492-22] and Six Warning Signs of Online Financial Romance Frauds.
    About the Office of Customer Education and Outreach
    OCEO is dedicated to helping customers protect themselves from fraud or violations of the Commodity Exchange Act through the research and development of effective financial education materials and initiatives. OCEO engages in outreach and education to retail investors. The office also frequently partners with federal and state regulators as well as consumer protection groups. The CFTC’s full repository of customer education materials can be found at: cftc.gov/LearnAndProtect.
    Customer Advisory: Help Warn Others About Relationship Investment Scams is available in full below.
    ###
    Customer Advisory: Help Warn Others About Relationship Investment Scams
    Scammers are using smart phones, social media or dating sites, and cryptocurrency to steal billions of dollars from Americans. Over the coming month, the CFTC is joining with other federal, state, and nonprofit organizations to raise awareness about these horrible crimes. You can help too: Warn your friends and family by sharing #DatingOrDefauding information and links. 
    Relationship investment scams, called pig butchering by the perpetrators, use dating apps, social media platforms, messaging apps, and even random “wrong number” text messages to target possible victims. The fraudsters use fake profiles, images, videos and voices to make them appear attractive and professional. Once introduced, they send frequent messages to build relationships. The new online “friends” claim to have made a lot of money trading cryptocurrency, precious metals, or foreign currency, thanks to special knowledge or insider help. The scammers talk about how easy it is and offer to help targets earn extra money. Targets are then directed to fraudulent trading platforms operated by the same organized criminal gangs.
    Victims are told to convert their dollars to cryptocurrency and then send the crypto to the scam website. They see their balances on the websites grow substantially and are encouraged to withdraw small amounts of money to spend on themselves. This is another ploy to build trust. Research reveals victims transfer an average of 10 payments, each larger than the last until they are financially drained. When victims try to make subsequent withdraws, they are refused or told they must pay additional fees or taxes.
    Anyone Could be a Potential Victim
    Relationship investment scams do not discriminate and have victimized people of all ages. People who live alone or spend a lot of time on social media or in discussion groups tend to be more vulnerable to fraud. Scams work because they appeal to unmet needs or emotions, like financial stress, excitement, or fear. 
    The good news is that awareness about specific scams can reduce victimization by up to 85 percent.[1] Sharing information during the Dating or Defrauding Campaign could help protect those closest to you.
    What You Can Do

    Talk about relationship investment scams and other scams you hear about. Visit the CFTC Romance Fraud Center for more information and resources. Talking regularly about fraud raises awareness, reduces the stigma of victimization, and can encourage reporting. 
    Look for and share, like, or repost messages with the #DatingOrDefrauding hashtag.
    Host a fraud prevention event in your community. You can engage local law enforcement, the CFTC, or other agencies involved in the Dating or Defrauding Campaign.
    Listen for warning signs, like a friend or relative talking about a new online relationship or investing in crypto for the first time.
    Report fraud. You can do so at CFTC.gov/complaint or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3.gov. If you are victimized by this fraud here are resources that can help.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Former Deputy For Using Excessive Force

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Tyler Williams (30), a former deputy with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, guilty of violating an individual’s civil rights and obstructing justice. Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for his use of unreasonable force. The obstruction charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. 

     According to evidence presented at trial, on July 4, 2023, Williams, while acting under color of law as a deputy with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, willfully deprived the civil rights of an individual by throwing him to the ground and injuring him. Williams then wrote a false justification for the use of force in an incident report, obstructing justice.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick L. Darcey and Jesus M. Casas.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference Agenda Announced for February 12th and 13th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtual Investor Conferences, the leading proprietary investor conference series announced the agenda for the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference to be held February 12th & 13th.

    Individual investors, institutional investors, advisors, and analysts are invited to attend.

    REGISTER NOW AT: https://bit.ly/3CGh5eQ

    It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. There is no cost to log-in, attend live presentations, or schedule 1×1 meetings with management.

    “We are looking forward to hosting the Metals & Mining Virtual Investor Conference this week, with a group of OTCQX and OTCQB companies presenting over the course of two days,” said Jason Paltrowitz, Executive Vice President of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. “Our markets are tailored to meet the needs of today’s resource companies as they look to expand their investor base, and we are proud to support their outreach through the VIC platform.”

    February 12th

    February 13th

    To facilitate investor relations scheduling and to view a complete calendar of Virtual Investor Conferences, please visit www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®

    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    Media Contact: 
    OTC Markets Group Inc. +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences Contact:
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –