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Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Opposes RFK Jr.’s Nomination in the Senate Finance Committee: “I want a disrupter in the health care system, and the one leading it. I don’t want a destroyer.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Senate Finance Committee today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted against advancing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Kennedy would be tasked with leading HHS’ ten public health service agencies and three human services agencies. In remarks following his vote, Senator Welch cited concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s character, competence, and priorities, including his views on the efficacy of vaccines.  
    Welch: “After this hearing, I did not have confidence that Mr. Kennedy would be the one to lead us to a better future.” 
    Watch a video of his remarks below: 

    Read his remarks in the Senate Finance Committee below: 
    “I want a disrupter in the health care system, and the one leading it. I don’t want a destroyer. 
    “There’s three issues before any nominee that we have to consider: one is character, another is competence, and the third is priorities.  
    “We did not have Caroline Kennedy here, but she gave a statement. And she said that Bobby was able to attract people through the strength of his personality, his willingness to take risks, and break the rules. Those might be desirable qualities if it was accompanied by sober judgment and behavior, because the person who leads a major organization has to have the confidence of the people that work for him. And, frankly, some of the things that he did that [he] never explained—a chainsaw taking off the head of a whale, dumping a bear in Central Park for his own amusement—these are just weird things. We never really got into the character issue of what is required for a person who runs such a major department.  
    “The competence question, this is all on a wing and a prayer and a hope. There’s no record of Mr. Kennedy having experience in managing a large organization, in medicine. No experience with science. And none of the prior experiences required not only to run a major organization—Health and Human Services, but also the CDC, the NIH—and all the other organizations that are under the umbrella of health care.  
    “By the way, on the competence issue, let’s be candid. This was a deal where Mr. Kennedy was running for president as a Democrat. He lost. And he approached President Trump to make a deal, and for political reasons, the deal was made. And the appointment was going to be that he’s at Health and Human Services. The president has a right to make that deal and Mr. Kennedy can seek it, but it doesn’t translate into competence.  
    “The third is priorities. The priority for Mr. Kennedy is about the vaccines and his theory of that. We need reliable vaccines and not a conspiracy theorist on that. But, you know, the health care system is not working for the American people. It is too costly. Our employers who care deeply about providing employer-sponsored health care can’t afford these premiums. The folks who are getting their insurance on their own can’t afford it. Even Obamacare is getting so expensive because prices are escalating constantly with pharma expenses, with private equity getting into health care.  
    “Mr. Kennedy’s priority was about his view of vaccines. It was not about making health care more affordable and accessible. And in response to, really, a very direct and easy, open-ended question from Senator Cassidy, Mr. Kennedy showed a woeful ignorance even between the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.  
    “We have a health care system that is not serving—as it should—the interests of American citizens, of American businesses, and American taxpayers. And I, after this hearing, did not have confidence that Mr. Kennedy would be the one to lead us to a better future.”  
    Watch Senator Welch’s questioning of Mr. Kennedy during his confirmation hearing.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Releases Statement After Finance Committee Advances Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Nomination to be HHS Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. issued the following statement on President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. after the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to advance his nomination.
    “It is an indisputable fact that there is a chronic disease epidemic across our country. At both of his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy laid out the facts on why he is the right person at the right time to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services Department,” said Senator Marshall. “He is laser-focused on addressing the chronic diseases crisis and improving nutrition and food policy to secure healthier outcomes for all Americans. As a physician, I stand firmly behind RFK Jr.’s nomination and am pleased to see the Finance Committee advance his nomination. I look forward to voting for him on the Senate floor and working with him on our shared goal to Make America Healthy Again.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Support for Māori economic development projects

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A major infrastructure upgrade at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, supported by $10.2 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, is progressing well with some new facilities opening in time for the 185th Waitangi Day commemorations this week, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say.

    The Ministers also today announced $7.1m funding for Māori economic development projects in Northland and Taranaki.

    “The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are a nationally significant site for all New Zealanders and it is important they are maintained at the highest level,” Mr Potaka says.

    “The grounds are also the No.1 tourism destination in Northland and each year the number of visitors increases, boosting the local economy. More than 160,000 people visited last year, including about 50,000 on Waitangi Day 2024. The infrastructure improvements will ensure the grounds are fit for purpose year-round.”

    Mr Jones says it was clear the facilities and buildings at the Waitangi grounds were reaching the end of their shelf life and needed upgrading.

    “I am pleased that work has cracked on in time for this year’s events, and that all-important bathroom facilities and carparking is in place.”

    The remaining upgrades at Waitangi are expected to be finished by November 2026. The total cost of the upgrades is $10.65m.

    The Ministers announced the funding in November last year, along with $10.1m for infrastructure improvements at Rātana Pā near Whanganui.

    Today the Ministers also announced $7.1m in grants from the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) for enabling infrastructure in three Māori economic development projects in Northland and Taranaki.

    “We understand access to capital is a particular barrier for Māori entities and businesses, and the RIF aims to be a potential source of investment in Māori-led regional infrastructure projects that have merit, and it is proven funding cannot be found elsewhere,” Mr Jones says.

    “It is often difficult for Māori to borrow against collectively owned whenua (land) and some Māori entities have lower levels of assets that can be used by lenders as security collateral. Investing in the Māori economy is important for lifting the New Zealand economy as a whole.”

    Research from Business and Economic Research Limited and the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment shows the Māori economic contribution to the New Zealand economy grew from $17 billion (6.5 per cent of GDP) in 2018 to $30b (8.4 per cent) in 2023.

    “These three grants from the RIF will provide these communities with the funds needed to unlock potential Māori economic development opportunities while supporting growth and resilience in these regions,” Mr Potaka says.

    The three projects are:

    • Te Kao Community Microgrid (Te Tai Tokerau) project will receive a $3m grant to construct a solar- and wind-powered microgrid connected to a community battery in Te Kao village to provide a consistent low-cost energy supply to the community and local businesses.
    • Ngā Wāhi Tapu o Pukerangiora (Taranaki) will receive $2.8m to build tourism infrastructure at Pukerangiora Pā, a site of significance to increase cultural tourism opportunities. 
    • Waimamaku Community Solar Resilience Programme (Te Tai Tokerau) will receive $1.3m to install solar power and batteries to multiple businesses and community facilities to provide consistent and reliable power.

    In September the Government provided a $5.8m grant to improve water infrastructure at Parihaka in Taranaki, a place of passive resistance, peace, and shelter during the New Zealand Land Wars.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Coalition of 20 Attorneys General Urge Senate to Demand Answers from FBI Director Nominee Kash Patel Amid Alarming Retaliation Efforts

    Source: US State of California

    SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general today in sending a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dick Durbin, urging the Senate to require Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, to return for further questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee in advance of a confirmation vote. The request follows alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI and efforts to compile a list of agents involved in investigating the January 6th Capitol insurrection.

    “The Federal Bureau of Investigation plays a critical role in protecting public safety, and they are a crucial partner to state Departments of Justice as we work to tackle fentanyl, organized crime, white collar crime, and security threats to our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The disturbing reports of the Trump administration’s politically motivated firings and retaliation against FBI agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol riots emphasize the need for answers, and for an objective, nonpartisan FBI Director. President Trump may say that he cares about law and order, but his recent pardon of 1,500 individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol tells a very different story. Not only did those individuals try to stop the peaceful transfer of power, many of them violently assaulted law enforcement officers. Retaliating against FBI agents and staff who did their duty is nothing short of an attack on our law enforcement and public safety. We urge the Senate to demand answers about the pending FBI purge before voting on Mr. Patel’s nomination.”

    In the letter, the attorneys general note how critical it is for Patel to address recent reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI. “Shortly after his confirmation hearing, we learned that more than a dozen high-ranking FBI officials were fired and that the FBI is developing a list of all agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol insurrection. It is critical for Mr. Patel to answer questions about this unprecedented attack on the FBI before Senators vote on his confirmation.”

    The letter raises additional concerns over reports that “the Administration plans to fire at least six high-ranking career FBI officials if they do not retire” and that “acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove directed FBI staff to compile a list of all staff who were ‘assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions’ relating to the January 6th insurrection.” The attorneys general state, “If true, this is a purge of FBI employees.”

    The attorneys general stress that before any confirmation vote, “the United States Senate should know what Mr. Patel plans to do with the list of FBI agents and staff that is currently being compiled.”

    “Purging over 6,000 FBI agents and staff will have disastrous effects on public safety across the country and will make our communities more dangerous. FBI employees and staff protect America from the public safety harms that President Trump listed in his executive orders—fentanyl, the Mexican Cartels, foreign terrorist organizations, and harms to Americans’ pocket books.”

    Beyond the FBI purge, the letter condemns additional attacks on law enforcement by the Trump administration, stating, “The President’s efforts to undermine the FBI follow unprecedented attacks on our country’s public safety. In just two weeks, the President has fired United States Attorneys, pardoned insurrectionists who killed and injured Capitol Police Officers, and attempted to defund law enforcement across the country.”

    The Administration’s pardoning of over 1,500 Capitol insurrectionists, including those with serious criminal records, as well as its attempts to dismiss pending cases against January 6th insurrectionists, emphasize the need for an objective, nonpartisan FBI Director. At least one judge has already found that the pardons and dismissals will harm public safety and are unjustified.

    Now is the time for Congress to act. Over the past two weeks, President Trump has taken actions that make our country less safe. The attorney general believes that Congress must act to protect Americans and hold the Administration accountable. The first step is requiring Mr. Patel to answer questions about the pending FBI purge before a confirmation vote.

    Joining Arizona in sending the letter are the attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Māori communities lead innovative ways of financing housing on ancestral lands

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Barrett, Lecturer in Business, Auckland University of Technology

    New Zealand’s housing crisis disproportionately affects Māori in rural areas where healthy homes are in short supply and collective land ownership presents a challenge to banks.

    Governments have been grappling with this issue. The previous Labour-led government committed more than NZ$730 million to Māori-led housing solutions, and an announcement this week by the current coalition government saw a $200 million investment into affordable rentals.

    But Whare Ora, a community-run housing initiative in Te Tairāwhiti (East Coast), shows that innovative approaches to home ownership can be found within communities.

    Since 2020, Whare Ora has developed a social enterprise model, focused on producing healthy, affordable and transportable whare (houses) for local communities. Run by the charitable company Hikurangi Enterprises, Whare Ora has now supplied more than 80 homes for local whānau.

    This project is directly addressing regional housing deprivation and the finance barriers for building on Māori land under multiple ownership.

    This holds particular potential for Indigenous housing.

    Financial barriers

    Despite Whare Ora producing high-quality houses at affordable prices, access to finance remains a significant barrier for whānau placing homes on ancestral lands.

    This is mainly due to the perceived risk of lending against Māori freehold land, which is inalienable and often collectively owned. This creates issues for mainstream retail lenders that require land to be alienable to a single owner to secure a mortgage.

    In exceptional circumstances, such as Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei’s recent agreement with BNZ, this can be mitigated if a trust can provide a guarantee over lending. This usually requires a large asset base or financial holdings.

    However, the majority of Māori who want to build homes on ancestral lands are individual or collective whānau who don’t have access to such resources. The perceived risk excludes many who could service a loan but are unable to because the financial services don’t exist or aren’t designed for collectively-owned land.

    For a region such as Te Tairāwhiti where about 25% of land is under Māori governance, this creates a lost opportunity for whānau to utilise ancestral lands for housing.

    This is a systemic issue, documented by the National Housing Commission in 1983 and the Auditor General’s reports in 2011 and 2014.

    Affordable portable houses provide an opportunity to build on ancestral lands.
    Hikurangi Enterprises, CC BY-SA

    Community partnerships

    Seeking a solution to this finance barrier, Hikurangi Enterprises collaborated with Community Finance, a community-to-community lender, to investigate possible ways to administer lending for housing on collectively-owned land.

    Supported by philanthropic organisations, this collaboration has given way to Kaenga Hou, a new trust set up to provide a range of progressive home-ownership options in Te Tairāwhiti.

    Significantly, one option facilitates lending on ancestral land through a license-to-occupy agreement, based on an ethical finance model funded by impact investors.

    Impact investors provide finance capital at below-market interest rates, while producing a social or environmental benefit (in this case addressing regional housing issues and strengthening Māori wellbeing through connections to ancestral lands).

    This allows for more compassionate and innovative forms of investment, where complex issues can be worked through rather than written off as too risky or not profitable enough.

    An ethical finance model

    In designing a model to attract impact investment, Kaenga Hou and Community Finance sought innovative ways to mitigate investor risk while placing whānau at the centre of decisions, protecting them from exploitative lending and ensuring fair outcomes.

    This was achieved through a creative rent-to-buy programme using whānau rental payments to reduce risk and build resilience into the model.

    In short, whānau make rental payments to the trust. A portion of these payments repays the trust’s interest payments to investors funding the model. Another part builds a savings account, allowing the whānau to buy the home outright over time.

    A final portion will be directed toward a support mechanism for all whānau in the programme. Known as the aroha fund, this aspires to support others if they face unexpected financial difficulty.

    Innovation lies in the subtle details that reduce risk for both whānau and the investors. For example, the aroha fund increases the chance of programme completion, setting whānau up to succeed, while ensuring financial and social returns for the ethical investor.

    Similarly, in the unlikely event whānau have to exit the programme, a proportion of the money accrued through the savings account can be returned and they would have paid an affordable rent while in the programme.

    In this worst-case scenario, the programme aims to leave whānau in a better-off position than when they entered, uplifting whānau and safeguarding the reputation of investors. Collectively, these aspects ensure that positive whānau outcomes are just as important as creating a financial return.

    Lessons for Te Tiriti-led futures

    At its heart, housing on ancestral lands is a Te Tiriti issue. The Waitangi Tribunal recently concluded the Crown has a duty to provide housing because of the guarantee of tino rangatiratanga over kāinga (homes and settlements).

    The government currently provides a loan scheme for housing on whenua Māori, but since its inception in 2010 it has been constantly scrutinised for low uptake and accessibility, with similar pitfalls to retail lending.

    This highlights the importance of taking lessons from community-led innovations and their approaches. In this case, more compassionate investment and a whānau-centred finance model created new possibilities for managing risk associated with lending to ancestral Māori lands.

    Genuine partnerships, seeking to protect whānau while participating in finance systems, were key. This provides a road map for how Aotearoa might face such pressing issues, now and into the future.

    Jack Barrett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Māori communities lead innovative ways of financing housing on ancestral lands – https://theconversation.com/maori-communities-lead-innovative-ways-of-financing-housing-on-ancestral-lands-247179

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Chris Bryant speech at TMT World Congress 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant, gave a speech at TMT World Congress 2025 on 30 January 2025.

    Without vision, the people perish. Without a plan, the vision perishes. And without investment, financial, social and personal, the plan perishes.

    So let me start with a vision of a nation:

    A government that has economic growth as a constant obsession permeating everything it does.

    An economy that enjoys some of the strongest inward investment in Europe.

    A country with fierce ambitions: connectivity for all; inclusion wherever you live; science and innovation unshackled; AI unleashing greater productivity across the economy and public services.

    There’s no route to growth without digital infrastructure.

    The fibres, the subsea cables, the telegraph poles, the ducts, the data centres, the satellite connections, they are the central nervous system of a modern economy.

    • Without reliable ultrafast or gigabit capable broadband, businesses will be stuck on calls repeating ‘can you hear me now?’ into the void.
    • Without 5G standalone, public services will lag behind.
    • Without enough data centres, AI will run out of juice.

    We’ve come a long way in investing in our digital infrastructure in the UK, thanks to the efforts of many of you in this room.

    I’m here to tell you about how the government will help you seize the investment opportunities around the corner.

    Looking back, we’ve already come a long way.

    • More than 85% of homes and businesses in the UK can now access gigabit-capable broadband. It was just 10% in 2019.
    • Telcos are investing £40 billion to hit 100% by 2030.
    • And earlier this month, we signed four new Project Gigabit contracts with Openreach to get gigabit-capable broadband to over 130,000 new homes.

    Likewise on mobile connectivity:

    • According to Ofcom, 5G is now available outside of 95% of homes and businesses across the country.
    • Customers across the UK are feeling the benefits of standalone 5G, thanks to Vodafone, VMO2 and BT/EE – we want that everywhere by 2030.

    On data centres:

    • We have just over 500, putting us third globally.
    • And in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we committed to upping public computing power twentyfold by 2030.

    But I don’t only measure growth in terawatt-hours of computing power, or billions of pounds.

    I measure it in individual lives changed by connection.

    Connectivity can deliver the world-class public services British people deserve:

    • Standalone 5G in hospitals could transmit high-res scans to diagnose disease faster
    • Or stream bodycam videos from police on the street to back-up waiting at HQ.

    If the digital revolution is to deliver a fairer, more prosperous future for Britain, we’ve also got to make sure everyone in the UK sees the benefit. 5% of homes still aren’t connected to the internet and the figure for poorer homes is even worse – 19%.

    I’m grateful for the work the sector has done on digital inclusion, including social tariffs.

    But we have to do better than that:

    a) because every household lost to the digital economy loses out on phenomenal opportunities and
    b) because they are also lost as workers, as citizens and as customers.

    So: huge amounts of progress on connecting us all to growth.

    But we’ve got much further to go.

    To make our vision a reality, we need investment.

    Today, the UK is Europe’s number one destination for new investment in projects and new jobs.

    The International Investment Summit in October broke records, creating 38,000 new jobs and bringing £63 billion into the UK – with much of that pouring into tech and data centres.

    And another £14 billion was secured when we launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan. But that’s just the start.

    Our ambition is to make Britain the best place to invest in the world.

    Here’s how:

    1. Partnering with you for growth.

    Within days of taking office, we set up the National Wealth Fund to the tune of £27.8 billion.

    It shows how serious we are about partnering with private capital to invest in the jobs, industries and infrastructure of the future.

    Six months in, that’s unlocked £1.6 billion – including supporting faster broadband connections for thousands of businesses and homes in Cornwall, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cumbria.

    2. Making sure regulation and planning don’t tie us all in knots.

    The PM and Chancellor have both been clear about the need for pro-growth regulation across the economy, as an essential part of our growth mission.

    We’ll give you the stable regulatory framework that gives investors confidence.

    And more planning reform to help you build equipment quickly and cost-effectively – including the last telecoms provisions from the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act.

    3. Backing competition:

    Competition is the only way to drive innovation and growth, and a better experience for customers.

    The Vodafone and Three merger is a great example, with a £11 billion investment commitment for standalone 5G, bringing better connections to 99% of the population.

    Underpinning all of this is a determination to tear down the barriers to growth.

    If you want to create wealth and jobs for British people, we will not stand in your way.

    This is a vision of a country that’s as ambitious about investment as it is about connecting people.

    You can’t do one without the other.

    I can almost hear the whisper of deals in the air today.

    So here’s one more for you to think about over coffee:

    Help us make the things digital infrastructure connects us to – family, friends, a job offer, a business deal, growth – available to all.

    In return, we’ll make this the best place in the world for you to invest to make that happen.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Pieridae to Hold Conference Call and Webcast to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pieridae Energy Limited (“Pieridae” or the “Company”) (TSX: PEA) will release its financial and operating results for the 2024 fourth quarter and year-end, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, after markets close.

    President & Chief Executive Officer Darcy Reding and Chief Financial Officer Adam Gray will discuss the financial results and company developments on an investor conference call and webcast on Thursday March 20, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. MDT / 10:30 a.m. EDT.

    To register to participate via webcast please follow this link:    

    https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/4gnbdki4

    Alternatively, to register to participate by telephone please follow this link:

    https://register.vevent.com/register/BI2b233016526f4daea915722f8796db53

    A replay of the webcast will be available two hours after the conclusion of the event and may be accessed using the webcast link above.

    ABOUT PIERIDAE

    Pieridae is a Canadian energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The Company is a significant upstream producer and midstream custom processor of natural gas, NGLs, condensate, and sulphur from the Canadian Foothills and adjacent areas in Alberta and in northeast British Columbia. Pieridae’s vision is to provide responsible, affordable natural gas and derived products to meet society’s energy security needs. Pieridae’s common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol “PEA”.

    For further information, visit www.pieridaeenergy.com, or please contact:

    Darcy Reding, President & Chief Executive Officer
    Telephone: (403) 261-5900

    Adam Gray, Chief Financial Officer
    Telephone: (403) 261-5900

    Investor Relations
    investors@pieridaeenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos” publishes its factsheet for the fourth quarter of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    UAB “Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos” (the Company) publishes its factsheet, providing information about the Company’s investment portfolio, key events, business strategy, operating segments, and financial indicators as of 31 December 2024.

    2024 Q4 KEY EVENTS

    • Total aggregated FY 2024 Revenue and YTD EBITDA amounted to 6,420 kEUR and 4,155 kEUR, respectively. Wind parks managed under UAB “Žaliosios investicijos” produced 14% less than envisioned with a captured price 32% less than projected. This is driven by low winds during 2024 and lower than estimated electricity prices.
    • In December 2024, Investment Company divested 65.5 MW operating Solar PV portfolio in Poland (Energy Solar Projekty sp.z o.o).
    • The decline in Fund’s NAV was driven by a drop in the valuation of two remaining solar PV portfolios in Poland. This reduction is attributed to a 30% decrease in electricity price forecasts and a higher WACC, driven by incomplete construction. Conversely, value gains were recorded from UAB “Žaliosios investicijos “ and Zala Elektriba SIA, due to secured construction permits. Remaining projects are valued using the asset method, with real value gains expected upon obtaining building permits.

    Solar development in Poland:

    • The construction of 67.8 MW total capacity PV Energy Projects sp.z o.o portfolio nears completion.  As of reporting period, 44.8 MW are operational. 5 projects (1 MW each) are planned to be energized in Q1 2025. The anticipated COD for the entire park is set for September 2025.
    • The PL SUN sp.z o.o. portfolio, with a total capacity of 114.7 MW, is divided into two phases. The construction works of the first phase (66.6 MW) were largely finalized in 2024 Q2. 26.4 MW were energized in Q4. The remaining 40.2 MW are scheduled to be energized by 2025 Q2. The second phase (48.1 MW) commenced construction in October 2024. Module and inverter supply agreements as well as Balance of System and technical advisory contracts are signed. Modules were delivered to 5 sites (total capacity of 31 MW). Mounting structure construction and modules mounting works have been started in 4 sites (total capacity of 25.42 MW).

    Wind Projects:

    • Energy Production license for the Anykščiai wind farm was obtained in August 2024, for Jonava and Rokiškis wind farms the license obtainal is schduled for Q2 2025.
    • The 112 MW wind farm developed under Zala Elektriba SIA is scheduled to reach RtB in Q1 2025.

    Hybrid Projects:

    • Design works of a hybrid project managed by UAB “KNT Holding” and hybrid project managed by UAB “Ekoelektra” is underway to develop detailed equipment and technology specifications. Finalizing necessary agreements for project infrastructure.

    Contact person for further information:

    Grėtė Bukauskaitė

    Manager of the Investment Company

    grete.bukauskaite@lordslb.lt

    www.lordslb.lt/AEI_green_bonds

    Attachment

    • AEI Investor report 2024Q4 – EN

    The MIL Network –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Voting “NO” on RFK Jr.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after voting no during a Senate Finance Committee mark-up on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services:

    There are a few issues that Mr. Kennedy and I agree on.

    We agree on the need to stop the ultra-processed food industry from getting our kids addicted to unhealthy and dangerous products that cause obesity, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.  

    We agree on the need to lower the outrageous prices we pay for prescription drugs in this country.

    We agree that we should stop Big Pharma from being allowed to flood the airwaves with advertising.

    But, despite those agreements, I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who denies and will dilute our public health protections, sow distrust in science and oversee massive cuts to health care programs for low-income people, nursing home care for seniors and long-term care for people with disabilities.

    Despite what Mr. Kennedy believes, the overwhelming consensus within the scientific community is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved the lives of over 150 million people throughout the world and reduced the infant mortality rate by 40%. Vaccines have not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, “poisoned an entire generation of American children.”

    Vaccines do not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, cause autism. More than a dozen rigorous scientific studies from around the world involving hundreds of thousands of children have proven that.

    The polio vaccine has not killed, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, more people than polio ever did.  The scientific community has found that the polio vaccine has saved 1.5 million lives and has prevented more than 20 million people from becoming paralyzed since 1988.

    The COVID vaccine was not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” The scientific community has found that the COVID vaccine saved over three million lives and prevented over 18 million hospitalizations in the United States alone.

    In my view, we should listen to nearly 20,000 doctors who have told us that Mr. Kennedy has “a well-documented history of spreading dangerous disinformation on vaccines and public health interventions, leaving vulnerable communities unprotected and placing millions of lives at risk. His appointment is a direct threat to the safety of our patients and the public at large.”

    We should listen to over 900 public health officials in 41 states who have urged us to prioritize science and reject Mr. Kennedy’s “dangerous” nomination.

    We should listen to 77 Nobel Laureates who have told us that putting Mr. Kennedy in charge of HHS would “put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors.”

    We must reject Mr. Kennedy’s nomination.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Sexually Violent Predator in Western Washington

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Poulsbo, WA – Deputy U.S. Marshals and members of the agency’s Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force apprehended at the Poulsbo Marina a man wanted for nearly a year on an outstanding federal warrant for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.

    Rick Monroe was arrested on an outstanding federal warrant issued in the Eastern District of Washington for failure to register as a sex offender and failure to comply with international travel reporting requirements under the International Megan’s Law.

    Monroe, who has multiple prior convictions, including rape of a child in the first degree, was previously civilly committed at McNeil Island Corrections Center after being classified as a “Sexually Violent Predator” by the courts. In 2024, he traveled to multiple states and is alleged to have attempted to leave the country numerous times without following mandatory sex offender registration and international travel notification requirements. Investigators discovered he had lived unregistered on a sailboat in Poulsbo Bay for the past year, allegedly to evade law enforcement.

    Through extensive investigative efforts, Deputy U.S. Marshals in Eastern Washington secured a federal arrest warrant, leading to Monroe’s ultimate apprehension. This arrest was the result of a coordinated effort between multiple agencies, including the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service Western District of Washington, Washington State Department of Corrections, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the USMS National Sex Offender Targeting Center, USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch, and the Eastern District of Washington U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Monroe is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Feb. 4 at the Western District of Washington- Seattle Courthouse.

    The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

    Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: LaPorte Brothers Sentenced to Prison

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

    SOUTH BEND – Raymond Calvin Smith, 27 years old, and Bruce Milik Smith, 25 years old, brothers from LaPorte, Indiana, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to federal felony charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. 

    Raymond Smith was sentenced to 70 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. Bruce Smith was sentenced to 39 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. The two brothers were ordered to pay $723,832.64 in restitution to the victims of their offense. Raymond Smith was also ordered to pay $162,928.62 in restitution to the IRS.

    According to documents in the case, from about January 2021 to December 2021, the Smith brothers operated an elaborate fraud scheme using Indiana mobile sports wagering applications. Using personal information of victims, such as bank account numbers and passwords, they set up dozens of accounts in victims’ names on at least 8 different sports wagering applications. Using sports wagering applications, they funneled money from victims’ bank accounts to themselves. With the personal information of approximately 60 victims, the Smith brothers stole a total of $723,832.64, and unsuccessfully attempted to steal an additional $930,782.00. Both Smith brothers pled guilty to the mail fraud scheme while Raymond Smith also pled guilty to evading taxes on the proceeds he received in 2021.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Indiana Gaming Commission.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: On holding auctions on February 5, 2025 to place OFZ issues No. 26228RMFS and No. 26246RMFS

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    For bidders

    We inform you that, based on the letter of the Bank of Russia and in accordance with Part I. General Part and Part II. Stock Market Section of the Rules for Conducting Trading on the Stock Market, Deposit Market and Credit Market of Moscow Exchange PJSC, the order establishes the form, time, term and procedure for holding auctions for the placement and trading of the following federal loan bonds:

    1.

    Name of the Issuer Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation
    Name of security federal loan bonds with constant coupon income
    State registration number of the issue 26228RMFS from 22.04.2019
    Date of the auction 05 February 2025
    Information about the placement (trading mode, placement form) The placement of Bonds will be carried out in the Trading Mode “Placement: Auction” by holding an Auction to determine the placement price. BoardId: PACT (Settlements: Ruble)
    Trade code SU2228RMFS5
    ISIN code RO000A100A82
    Calculation code B01
    Additional conditions of placement The share of non-competitive bids in relation to the total volume of bids submitted by the Bidder may not exceed 90%.
    Trading time Trading hours: bid collection period: 12:00 – 12:30; bid execution period: 13:00 – 18:00.

    2.

    Name of the Issuer Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation
    Name of security federal loan bonds with constant coupon income
    State registration number of the issue 26246RMFS from 08.05.2024
    Date of the auction 05 February 2025
    Information about the placement (trading mode, placement form) The placement of Bonds will be carried out in the Trading Mode “Placement: Auction” by holding an Auction to determine the placement price. BoardId: PACT (Settlements: Ruble)
    Trade code CO26246RMFS7
    ISIN code RO000A108E1
    Calculation code B01
    Additional conditions of placement The share of non-competitive bids in relation to the total volume of bids submitted by the Bidder may not exceed 90%.
    Trading time Trading hours: bid collection period: 14:30 – 15:00; bid execution period: 15:30 – 18:00.

    Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232Pr@moex.kom

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.Mom/NN77377

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores Added to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

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

    The FBI on February 4 added Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He is the 533rd addition to the list.

    Meza-Flores, also known as “Chapo Isidro,” is the alleged leader of the Meza-Flores transnational criminal organization, which is based in Sinaloa, Mexico. The organization is allegedly responsible for the possession, distribution, and importation of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the U.S.

    “For decades, the public has shared information with the FBI that has helped us capture dangerous criminals,” Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan said. “Today, we ask you to help us find Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores so we can bring him to justice and curb the flow of illegal drugs into our country.”

    Meza-Flores was originally indicted on May 2, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. On November 26, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Meza-Flores with drug trafficking violations and possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Meza-Flores allegedly conspired to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the U.S. from 2005 to 2019.

    As the alleged leader of the Meza-Flores transnational criminal organization, Meza-Flores leads a group of heavily armed gunmen who use violence to maintain control of areas in Mexico used for the production and transportation of narcotics destined for the U.S.

    Meza-Flores is 42 years old. He has brown eyes and dark brown hair. He is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He likely resides in Mexico.

    The U.S. State Department’s Narcotics Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to Meza-Flores’ arrest and/or conviction.

    If you have information about Meza-Flores, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or submit a tip via tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact the FBI via WhatsApp at 571-379-3951. WhatsApp is neither a government-operated nor a government-controlled platform.

    FAUSTO ISIDRO MEZA-FLORES

    Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, Distribute One Kilogram or More of Heroin, and Distribute One Thousand Kilograms or More of Marijuana for Importation into the United States; Use and Possession of a Firearm

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Owner of ‘Timepiece Gentleman’ Luxury Watch Consignment Store in Beverly Hills Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison

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

    LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man who ran a Beverly Hills luxury watch consignment business and was known as “The Timepiece Gentleman” was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for swindling dozens of his customers of out a total of at least $5.6 million. 

    Anthony Farrer, 36, formerly of downtown Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton.

    Farrer pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. He has been in federal custody since November 2023.

    “This defendant stole millions of dollars from customers who trusted him and then used his ill-gotten gains to fund his exorbitant lifestyle,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The sentence imposed today sends a message that those who defraud the public will be held accountable.”

    “The so-called ‘Timepiece Gentleman” was actually a con-man whose time living lavishly ran out when the high-end watch owners he victimized brought his crimes to the attention of law enforcement,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field. “This successful prosecution is the result of a joint collaboration among local and federal partners working together in order to bring Mr. Farrer to justice.” 

    “Mr. Farrer exploited his clients’ trust for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Instead of making good on his business promises, Mr. Farrer swindled his clients out of money and property to fund his own extravagant expenditures, and now he’ll suffer the consequences. IRS-CI is committed to protecting clients and consumers from this sort of dubious behavior, and we are proud to have been a partner in this investigation.”

    From November 2022 to November 2023, Farrer used his business – also called “The Timepiece Gentlemen” – to connect purchasers and sellers of high-end watches. In a typical consignment sale, a client would ship a watch to The Timepiece Gentleman and Farrer would take possession of the watch, agreeing to display it at his Beverly Hills store and through online and social media marketing. The items involved in this case included luxury watches by Rolex, Richard Mille, and Patek Phillipe, among others.

    Once the watch was sold, Farrer was supposed to remit the sales proceeds back to the client, minus a consignment fee, which typically was approximately 5% of the sales price. If the watch did not sell within a specific time or for a specified price, Farrer was to return the watch to the client.

    But instead of remitting watch sales proceeds – or the unsold watches themselves – back to the clients, Farrer sold the client watches and kept the proceeds for himself. He also used client watches – without the client’s knowledge or permission – as collateral for loans that he took out from lenders.

    When a client asked about the status of a watch on consignment sale, Farrer lied and said that the watch had not yet been sold. In fact, Farrer already had sold the watch or otherwise disposed of it, keeping the funds for his own personal benefit.

    In addition to his consignment sale business, Farrer also purported to purchase watches on behalf of his clients. Typically, a client sent funds to Farrer, often by wire transfers to his bank accounts or through payment processors such as Zelle, for the purpose of Farrer locating and buying a specified watch on the client’s behalf.

    But Farrer took the clients’ money and used it for other purposes, including to fund his lavish lifestyle such as buying or leasing luxury automobiles, apartments, and other luxury goods.

    When a client who had sent him money asked Farrer about the status of a watch purchase, Farrer often sent another watch to the client to tide the client over or lull them into a false sense of security regarding the status of the purchase. Like a Ponzi scheme, the other watch Farrer sent to the client often belonged to other clients who had themselves sent him that watch for a consignment sale. These clients were unaware Farrer was using their watches for that purpose, rather than attempting to sell the watches on behalf of the clients.

    In total, Farrer fraudulently obtained money and property belonging to more than 40 victims and caused total losses of at least $5,691,005. Farrer also will be subject to a restitution order for payment owed to victims in amounts to be determined later.

    The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: Media B-Roll: Acting Director Brian Driscoll

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

    Media B-Roll: Acting Director Brian Driscoll on Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives arrests and new entry

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TVm-1awFhg

    MIL OSI Video –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Signs $1.5 Billion Annual Program with Egypt, Expanding Support for Energy, Food Security, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and Exporters

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    CAIRO, Egypt, February 4, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, today announced the signing of its 2025 annual work program with the Arab Republic of Egypt, valued at $1.5 billion.

    This agreement is part of a five-year framework, totaling $6 billion, aimed at enhancing Egypt’s growth across critical sectors including energy, food security, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The initiative is designed to boost Egypt’s economic development, support exporters, and create job opportunities for youth and women. This agreement, worth $1.5 billion, is part of the broader framework agreement between the two parties, valued at $6 billion over five years. The program is designed to support key sectors of the Egyptian economy, including energy, food security, and the empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in line with Egypt’s goals for sustainable economic development and growth.

    The signing ceremony, held in Cairo, was attended by key officials including His Excellency Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Affairs and Minister of Industry and Transport; Her Excellency Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Governor of Egypt at the Islamic Development Bank; and His Excellency Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade. The agreement was signed by Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC and Acting CEO of ICD; Mr. Hossam El-Garrahi, Vice Chairman of the General Authority for Supply Commodities; and Mrs. Amal Tantawy, Executive Vice President for Financial and Economic Affairs at the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation. ITFC’s 2025 program for Egypt includes trade finance operations to support the energy and food security sectors, as well as SMEs, with a focus on projects benefiting the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and the General Authority for Supply Commodities. The program also encompasses a wide range of initiatives to promote trade and business development, including the Arab African Trade Bridges (AATB) Program, the second phase of the Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab Countries (AfTIAS 2.0), and a comprehensive suite of programs designed to support Egyptian exporters and SMEs. Additionally, ITFC will continue its efforts to support women and youth through specific empowerment initiatives and technical training programs.

    Since 2008, ITFC has committed over $18.7 billion to Egypt, financing key sectors such as energy, food security, and supporting SMEs and women entrepreneurs. This agreement underscores ITFC’s ongoing role as a key partner in Egypt’s economic development, leveraging its expertise in trade finance to empower vital sectors and foster inclusive growth.

    Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, said: “Today, through this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to developing these vital sectors, ensuring the improvement of transportation infrastructure, updating the industrial sector, and enhancing its competitiveness. ITFC has proven, over the years, its vital role in supporting member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) by offering innovative financial solutions and supporting developmental projects that contribute to stimulating economic growth and creating job opportunities.” He added: “The signing of today’s annual work program represents a strategic step that strengthens our partnership and opens new horizons for cooperation in infrastructure projects, manufacturing, and logistics services.”

    Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, said: “The allocation of $700 million from the ITFC to the General Authority for Supply Commodities, within the framework of the institution’s annual program for 2025, reflects the institution’s commitment to supporting government efforts aimed at achieving food security and fulfilling the state’s obligations towards its citizens.” He added: “The cooperation with the ITFC has not only been a financial commitment, but also a main pillar in the state’s efforts to secure its strategic needs of basic goods, enhance the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade’s capacity to face emergency challenges, and ensure market stability. This confirms that this partnership represents a true foundation for supporting food security and ensuring sustainability in the supply of basic goods, which positively impacts the life of the Egyptian citizen.”

    H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Egypt’s Governor at the Islamic Development Bank, stated that the signing of the annual work program with ITFC represents a new step in the successful development partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group in general, and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) in particular, which has contributed over 17 years to supporting the provision of strategic goods in the Egyptian market. She explained that the institution’s work program for 2025 aims to support food security and provide petroleum to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in a way that enhances the availability of petroleum products and energy in the Egyptian market. This partnership also strengthens ongoing programs to encourage exporters and enable them to access foreign markets, as well as enhance efforts in training and developing small and medium-sized enterprises.

    The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, dedicated to facilitating trade in its member countries through the provision of financing solutions and technical support. ITFC’s mission is to support sustainable economic development by empowering businesses, particularly SMEs, women, and youth, through trade finance and capacity-building initiatives.

    Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC, expressed his pride in the longstanding partnership with Egypt, stating: “ITFC is committed to working with Egypt to drive sustainable economic growth. We are excited to expand our support for SMEs, women, and youth, while continuing to foster Egypt’s export capabilities. In 2025, we will introduce new initiatives that aim to empower these vital groups, creating lasting impact for Egypt’s economy.”

    MIL OSI Africa –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Dozen Defendants Indicted in Major South Georgia Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

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

    WAYCROSS, GA: A newly unsealed federal indictment alleges dozens of defendants, many of them in prison, participated in an extensive drug trafficking operation spanning several south Georgia communities.

    The indictment in USA v. Brinson, et al., names 37 individuals in the Coffee, Atkinson, and Bacon County area as conspirators, charging them with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for most defendants, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. 

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    “This operation makes it clear that rural communities aren’t immune from the scourge of drug trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “We applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in this investigation.”

    As described in the indictment, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas, Georgia, community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones. The 60-count indictment includes the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.

    Those named in the indictment include:

    • Litarus Brinson, a/k/a “Ben Brokebefore,” 26, an inmate at the Jenkins Correctional Center;
    • Christopher Brockington, a/k/a “Chris Brock,” 44, of Douglas;
    • Keevon Bussey, a/k/a “Guado Gettinguap Gomez,” 26, of Douglas;
    • Stacey Daniels, 32, of Douglas;
    • Kenneth Davis, 62, being held in the Coffee County Jail;
    • T’Kiya Eady, 24, of Lagrange, Georgia;
    • Patrick Ellis, 42, of Atlanta;
    • Anthony Gaskin Jr., 35, of Pearson, Georgia;
    • Dacia Gaskins, a/k/a “Sheree Gaskins,” 31, of Douglas, a former Georgia state corrections officer;
    • Ernest Goodman, 42, an inmate of the Ware County Jail;
    • Christopher Hawkins, a/k/a “Rayshon Hawkins,” 30, of Douglas;
    • Qudarious Hawkins, a/k/a “Don Esclobar,” 25, of Douglas;
    • Breanna Henderson, 34, of Douglas;
    • Corey Hill, 34, of Ambrose, Georgia;
    • Demarcus Holland, 32, of Douglas;
    • Wanda Hollinger, 57, of Douglas;
    • Zarionna Holloway, a/k/a “Channel Parker,” 23, of Douglas;
    • Roger Jenkins, 27, a/k/a “Glee Jenkins,” a/k/a “WMG Glee,” of Alma, Georgia;
    • Marquan Jenkins, a/k/a “Anna Brooke,” a/k/a “Mary Thompson,” 30, an inmate at Macon State Prison;
    • Richard Jewell, 51, of Douglas;
    • Aaron Kahn, 49, of Douglas;
    • James Lander, 35, Douglas;
    • Jeffrey Maxwell, a/k/a “EBK Kokaine,” 28, an inmate of Wilcox State Prison;
    • Darien McDaniel, 35, of Waycross, Georgia;
    • Antarious McTear, 30, of Douglas;
    • Adrian Munford, a/k/a “Jugg King,” 41, of Waycross
    • Ferlonzo Newton, a/k/a “Lonzie Newton,” a/k/a “Kell Newton,” 28, of Douglas;
    • Reginald Powell, a/k/a “Yetti Glock,” 36, of Douglas;
    • Patricia Raven, a/k/a “Ms. Pat,” 65, of Valdosta, Georgia;
    • Marcus Reynolds, a/k/a “Marc Marc,” 44, an inmate at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison;
    • James Robinson, 33, an inmate at Telfair State Prison;
    • Sedarrien Smith, a/k/a “Slug Da Menace,” 24, of Douglas;
    • Billy Toombs Jr., 32, of Douglas;
    • Dequatte Tucker, a/k/a “Deshawn Tucker,” a/k/a “Esco,” a/k/a “Freeband Esco,” 33, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility;
    • Travis Tucker, 33, of Douglas;
    • Assyria Watts, a/k/a “Jefe Cain,” 29, of Douglas; and,
    • Brian Wright, 48, of Alma, Georgia.

    Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    “The FBI and our law enforcement partners were able to achieve today’s arrests and seizures because all of us never stopped working together, combining our resources, and advocating for a safer place to live for everyone in this community,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “And we will not rest until we bring back to our community a sense of security and law and order that is so greatly needed.”

    “This operation was only successful because of the collaborative effort of the various agencies,” said Coffee County Sheriff Fred T. Cole. “As the sheriff, it is my mission to eliminate the spread of illegal drugs in our community. This operation highlights the importance of community safety and the lasting effects it has on our community.”

    This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

    The case also was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    Agencies conducting the investigation include the FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Douglas Police Department, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Marion County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Joshua K. Davis. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Date confirmed for Island’s MONEYVAL evaluation

    Source: Isle of Man

    The next independent assessment of the Isle of Man’s effectiveness in countering financial crime is scheduled to take place next year.

    MONEYVAL, the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism, has confirmed that it will conduct its onsite evaluation of the Island in October 2026.

    Preparations are already well advanced across multiple Government agencies, while industry involvement will be stepped up from Q2 of 2025.

    The objective is to demonstrate that the Isle of Man complies with international standards and remains well placed to attract quality new business and investment. The outcome of the MONEYVAL mutual evaluation report (MER) will be crucial to the Island’s continued economic success and its reputation as a well-regulated international finance centre.

    An updated National Risk Assessment will be published later this year alongside a documented Risk Appetite Statement for the Island. Data gathering and analysis is being enhanced as part of these initiatives to support the Island’s commitment to combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

    MONEYVAL, which is the regional body of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), assessed the Island’s legislation, policies and procedures during its last onsite visit in 2016. The 2016 MER provided a comprehensive assessment of how well the Island had implemented the international requirements and highlighted areas where further enhancements were required.

    A significant amount of progress has been achieved since the 2016 evaluation, with the Island positively marked in 39 out of the 40 FATF recommendations, which places us among a select group of nations in the world for technical compliance in AML/CFT.

    The standards for compliance in the sixth-round evaluation taking place in 2026 will be higher than before and require the Island to provide substantial evidence of the long-term effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and how supervision and enforcement measures are applied in practice.

    Private sector support is fundamental to the Island’s MONEYVAL preparations, and a programme of outreach and engagement with Island firms will continue to be rolled out in the time ahead.

    Jane Poole-Wilson MHK, Deputy Chief Minister and AML/CFT lead for the Isle of Man Government, said: ‘Countering financial crime is a constant, year-round commitment for this Government. We take our responsibilities in protecting our communities and businesses from criminality seriously. The MONEYVAL evaluation in 2026 is an opportunity to showcase our continued efforts to remain a trusted and responsible member of the global community.’

    She added: ‘Government cannot secure a positive outcome alone. That’s why I am keen to ensure effective collaboration between industry, the government and the financial services regulator. We are driving a robust and co-ordinated national response which will demonstrate the integrity of the Island’s financial systems and maintain our long-standing track record of compliance with international standards.’

    Further information is available via these links:

    MONEYVAL Frequency Asked Questions

    International Assessments

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda Announces Executive Staff and Other Appointments

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda’s executive staff, which will advise the Acting Chairman on matters before the Commission and work closely with SEC staff.

    • Gabriel Eckstein, Chief of Staff
    • Steven Levine, Deputy Chief of Staff
    • Holly Hunter-Ceci, Senior Advisor to the Acting Chairman
    • Charles Lee, Senior Advisor to the Acting Chairman
    • Jaime Marinaro, Senior Advisor to the Acting Chairman 
    • Kelsey Pristach, Senior Advisor to the Acting Chairman 
    • Peter Gimbrere, Managing Executive 
    • Andrew Vollmer, Counselor to the Acting Chairman 
    • Graham Conlan, Counsel to the Acting Chairman
    • David Marcinkus, Counsel to the Acting Chairman
    • Richard Gabbert, Senior Advisor to the Acting Chairman and Chief of Staff for the Crypto Task Force
    • Taylor Asher, Senior Policy Advisor to the Acting Chairman and Chief Policy Advisor for the Crypto Task Force
    • Landon Zinda, Counsel to the Acting Chairman and Senior Advisor to the Crypto Task Force
    • Letia Butler, Confidential Assistant
    • Sharon Freeman, Program Support Specialist
    • Malika Sullivan, Receptionist 

    In addition, Acting Chairman Uyeda announced these additional senior officer appointments:

    • Antonia Apps, Acting Deputy Director for the Division of Enforcement
    • Sebastian Gomez Abero, Acting Deputy Director (Legal and Regulatory Policy) for the Division of Corporation Finance

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. (OPHC-NASDAQ) Announces Resignation of Board Member

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fort Lauderdale, FL, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Board member Martin Schmidt has informed the boards of OptimumBank (the “Bank”), and OptimumBank Holding, Inc. (the “Company”), that he will resign from both boards, effective January 28, 2025. Mr. Schmidt will remain fully supportive of the continued success of the Bank and Company.

    Mr. Schmidt resides in South Florida and has served as a Director since August 2015. Mr. Schmidt’s significant experience in the financial services industry helped the board to recover through regulatory issues as quickly as possible leaving the Bank with a strong capital structure, explosive growth and a bright future. Chairman Moishe Gubin commented: “It was a pleasure having Martin Schmidt on the Boards for nearly a decade. His insight and wisdom assisted the Bank and Company in innumerable ways and on a more personal note, I looked forward to his cheerful disposition during our monthly meetings. On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors I would like to thank Martin for his loyalty and contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

    ‍About OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.

    OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for OptimumBank that provides a range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses.

    The company accepts demand interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing savings, money market, NOW and time deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; and offers residential and commercial real estate, commercial, and consumer loans, as well as lending lines for working capital needs. It also provides debit and ATM cards; investment, cash management, and notary and night depository services; and direct deposits, money orders, cashier’s checks, domestic collections, drive-in tellers, and banking by mail, as well as Internet banking services. In addition, the company engages in holding, managing, and disposal of foreclosed real estate. It operates through banking offices located in Broward County, Florida. OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

    Safe Harbor Statement:

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “plans,” “suggests,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “intends,” or similar expressions. Many forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results or implied by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our limited operating history, managing our expected growth, risks associated with integration of acquired websites, possible inadvertent infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, our ability to effectively compete, our acquisition strategy, and a limited public market for our common stock, among other risks. OptimumBank Holdings, Inc.’s future results may also be impacted by other risk factors listed from time-to-time in its SEC filings. Many factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond the company’s control. Forward looking statements speak only as to the date they are made and OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

    Investor Relations & Corporate Relations

    Contact: Seth Denison
    Telephone: (305) 401-4140
    Email: SDenison@OptimumBank.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Large Cap Leaders Split Corp. Completes Preferred Share Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    [Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.]

    TORONTO, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: NPS, NPS.PR.A) – Canadian Large Cap Leaders Split Corp. (the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced private placement of its preferred shares for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $2.5 million (the “Private Placement”). Pursuant to the Private Placement, 235,000 preferred shares were offered to investors at a price of $10.65 per preferred share.

    The Company’s previously announced split of its Class A shares (the “Share Split”) will be effected at the close of business today. Following the Share Split, there will be approximately 1,795,547 Class A shares and 1,796,353 preferred shares outstanding. DBRS has confirmed that the rating of the preferred shares will continue to be Pfd-3 (high) following the completion of the Share Split.

    The Company invests, on an approximately equally-weighted basis, in a portfolio comprised primarily of equity securities of Canadian Dividend Growth Companies (as defined below), selected by the portfolio manager, that at the time of investment and immediately following each periodic reconstitution and rebalancing: (i) are listed on a Canadian exchange; (ii) pay a dividend; (iii) generally have a market capitalization of at least $10 billion; (iv) have options in respect of its equity securities that, in the opinion of the portfolio manager, are sufficiently liquid to permit the portfolio manager to write options in respect of such securities; and (v) have a history of dividend growth or, in the portfolio manager’s view have high potential for future dividend growth (“Canadian Dividend Growth Companies”).

    About Ninepoint Partners LP

    Ninepoint Partners LP is the Manager, Portfolio Manager and Promoter of the Company and provides all administrative services required by the Company. Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading alternative investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.

    For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or please contact us at 416.362.7172 or 1.888.362.7172 or invest@ninepoint.com.

    You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell shares of investment funds on the TSX or another alternative Canadian trading system (an “exchange”). If shares are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying shares of the investment fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.

    There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning shares of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the Company in the public filings available at www.sedarplus.ca. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

    Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this document and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the Company, to the future outlook of the Company and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the Company. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

    The securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor will there be any sale of such securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    The MIL Network –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Hayes, DeLauro, Larson, Himes Urge Immediate Reversal Of EPA’s Illegal Efforts To Withold Toxic Clean Up Funding From Naugatuck Valley

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 03, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn-05), on Monday wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging the immediate reversal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suspension of $8.6 million in federal funding for the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG).
    “We are deeply concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) illegal efforts to withhold congressionally appropriated funding from our constituents, in response to the swath of Executive Orders you have issued since being sworn in,” the lawmakers wrote.
    “In Connecticut, we have heard from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments that their access to an open Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended by EPA. As of the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, they were unable to access already promised funds through the federal portal – an $8.66 million balance. This grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up. Cleaning up brownfields is one of the best investments the federal government can make in a community,” they continued. “We demand that you immediately rescind this order.”
    Last week, NVCOG’s access to their Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended with no notice. The grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up that lead to vital private real estate development deals, housing initiatives, and regional economic revitalization efforts. With its suspension, municipalities and developers alike are left facing stalled projects, financial uncertainty, and scrambling to find alternative funding sources. This suspension will impact 13 projects across Naugatuck Valley.
    Last week, the Trump Administration announced a decision to freeze all federal grants, including those already approved by Congress and signed into law, through a memo from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB memo was later rescinded, but the Trump Administration’s efforts to freeze funding persist while organizations across Connecticut report difficulty accessing federal funding. The President’s Executive Order on “Unleashing American Energy” directs all agencies to immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear President Trump,
    We are deeply concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) illegal efforts to withhold congressionally appropriated funding from our constituents, in response to the swath of Executive Orders you have issued since being sworn in. These executive orders to freeze funding, including “Unleashing American Energy,” are clearly unconstitutional and should be rescinded immediately.
    On January 27, 2025, your administration made the unconstitutional and unilateral decision to freeze all federal funding through a memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As a result, chaos and confusion halted payments to everything from veterans’ programs to Head Start to Medicaid. While the sweeping OMB memo has since been rescinded – after a federal court stepped in – many critical programs remain unable to access federal funding.
    In Connecticut, we have heard from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments that their access to an open Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended by EPA. As of the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, they were unable to access already promised funds through the federal portal – an $8.66 million balance. This grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up.
    Cleaning up brownfields is one of the best investments the federal government can make in a community. It is an investment that creates jobs and helps transform polluted land into economically viable and environmentally safe parcels that communities will use for years to come. Federal brownfield funding protects people’s health, incentivizes economic growth and development, and improves quality of life for all.
    We understand this funding is being withheld in accordance with Section 7 of the Executive Order on “Unleashing American Energy.” This section, titled “Terminating the Green New Deal,” directs all agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).”
    We demand that you immediately rescind this order.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores Agregado a La Lista de Los Diez Fugitivos Más Buscados del FBI

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

    El FBI agregó hoy a Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores a la lista de los Diez Fugitivos Más Buscados. Es la adición número 533 a la lista.

    Meza-Flores, también conocido como “Chapo Isidro”, es el presunto líder de la organización criminal transnacional Meza-Flores, con sede en Sinaloa, México. La organización es presuntamente responsable de la posesión, distribución e importación de grandes cantidades de cocaína, fentanilo, heroína, metanfetamina y marihuana a los Estados Unidos.

    “Durante décadas, el público ha compartido información con el FBI que nos ha ayudado a capturar criminales peligrosos”, dijo el Agente Especial a Cargo Sean Ryan. “Hoy, les pedimos que nos ayuden a encontrar a Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores, para que podamos llevarlo ante la justicia y frenar el flujo de drogas ilegales a nuestro país”.

    Meza-Flores fue acusado originalmente el 2 de mayo de 2012 en el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito de Columbia. El 26 de noviembre de 2019, un gran jurado federal emitió una acusación formal sustitutiva acusando a Meza-Flores de violaciones de tráfico de drogas y posesión de un arma de fuego. Según la acusación, Meza-Flores supuestamente conspiró para fabricar y distribuir cocaína, heroína, metanfetamina y marihuana en los Estados Unidos entre 2005 y 2019.

    FAUSTO ISIDRO MEZA-FLORES

    Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, Distribute One Kilogram or More of Heroin, and Distribute One Thousand Kilograms or More of Marijuana for Importation into the United States; Use and Possession of a Firearm

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Roanoke Bank Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – The third man involved in robbing the Carter Bank and Trust on Hershberger Road in Roanoke in June 2023, pled guilty recently in U.S. District Court in Roanoke for his role in the robbery.

    Tishawn Simpson, 25, of Roanoke, pled guilty last week to one count of bank robbery.

    According to court documents, on June 22, 2023, two masked men, Simpson and Demonte Belcher, entered the Carter Bank and Trust, one carrying a blue bank bag and the other carrying a green plastic bag and presented the teller with a note that stated “[l]ets make everything right you have least (sic) than 30 seconds to give me $50K or die got nothing to lose.” As a result of this threat, the men left the bank with $8,659 in cash, but left the demand note behind. Simpson was identified as a suspect when a DNA analysis revealed that he had contributed to a DNA profile that the FBI Laboratory had developed from one of the robber’s masks that law enforcement recovered.

    A third man, Ramel Abrams, did not physically enter the bank, however his fingerprints were found on the demand note and the clothing worn by both robbers was found inside of his apartment. Furthermore, location information obtained from Abrams’ phone records indicates that he was near Carter Bank & Trust just prior to the robbery.

    All three men have pled guilty for their roles in the robbery. In August, Belcher was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and in December Abrams was sentenced to 30 months for his role in the robbery Simpson will be sentenced in May.

    Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’ s Richmond Division Stanley M. Meador, and Chief of the Roanoke City Police Department Scott Booth made the announcement.

    The Roanoke City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case and received assistance from the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Salem Police Department, and the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and M. Coleman Adams are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Temple Hills Man Found Guilty Of Arson Conspiracy Targeting Convenience Stores

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Conspired with Other to Set the Stores on Fire, Robbed a Store, and Went Back Later to Steal Money from an ATM

    Greenbelt, Maryland – After a 5-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen Kennedy, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of conspiracy to commit arson, arson affecting interstate commerce, commercial robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, carrying and explosive device during the commission of a felony, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The Defendant was found not guilty as to one count of arson affecting interstate commerce.

    The verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Maryland State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Steven A. Hall; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Tiffany D. Green of the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.

    According to the 8-count superseding indictment, from at least January 2021 to January 2022, Kennedy and other conspirators, including co-defendant Donnell Kelly, conspired to commit arsons at 7-Eleven convenience stores so that they could later steal cash contained in ATMs in the stores. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Kennedy and Kelly traveled to 7-Eleven locations while they were open for business and deployed explosive devices to set fire to the buildings, and on at least one occasion, demanded the contents of the cash register.  The defendants burned the stores to force their closure and shut off power to the security cameras, which enabled them to return to the unguarded locations to burglarize the ATMs.  This resulted in losses to the ATM company of at least $90,000. To conceal the evidence of their crimes, one of Kennedy’s co-conspirators made false police reports regarding stolen license plates.

    Kennedy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the arson conspiracy and for arson affecting interstate commerce; a maximum of 20 years in prison for commercial robbery; a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life in federal prison for using a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence; a ten year sentence for carrying an explosive during the commission of another federal felony; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendant Donnell Kelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 10 years with supervised release for a term of 3 years, on October 2, 2024 before Judge Peter J. Messitte. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Kennedy on May 30, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.

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

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF’s Baltimore Field Division’s Arson & Explosive Investigations Group, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF Washington Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Alexandria, Virginia Fire and Police Departments for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Christopher Sarma, who are prosecuting the case.  

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation against international drug trafficking network

    Source: Eurojust

    French and Spanish authorities, with the support of Eurojust and Europol, have stopped an illegal drug delivery into France arriving from Spain. The drug seizure is part of an operation against an international trafficking network active in the two countries. Authorities arrested 24 members of the network, including the two leaders, and seized over 150 kg of drugs with a market value of EUR 2.5 million.

    The French criminal group set up import routes to transport drugs into France from their headquarters in Spain. Using vehicles with hidden compartments, the group was able to avoid detection and transport multiple types of synthetic drugs and cannabis into France. By frequently changing the routes used, the group further ensured that they remained undetected. 

    French authorities started investigating the network together with their partners in Spain in June 2024. They soon located the head of the network in Southern Spain and investigated the criminal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering. A takedown of the network was planned, with the preparation of European Investigation Orders and European Arrest Warrants taking place at Eurojust. 

    Europol supported the investigation by providing analytical expertise to map out the syndicate’s structure, identify key players and track smuggling routes. Europol also coordinated intelligence sharing and funded the deployment of French officers to Spain to facilitate cross-border cooperation. On the action day, Europol deployed experts to France and Spain to ensure real-time information exchange between the involved law enforcement authorities.

    On 28 January, actions to take down the group took place simultaneously in Spain and France. Authorities caught a drug convoy arriving in France in the early morning. Over 120 kg of drugs were intercepted from the delivery. The three drivers and the head of the network in France were arrested on the spot. During searches in France, money, drugs and weapons were seized, and 13 suspects were put in police custody and 9 in preventive custody. In Spain, the two leaders of the criminal group were arrested, and cash and drugs were seized during house searches. The leaders are now awaiting extradition to France. The members of the criminal group who were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering could face up to 30 years in prison. 

    The following authorities carried out the operations:

    • France: JIRS Rennes (interregional specialised jurisdiction); Gendarmerie Nationale (SR Rennes)
    • Spain: Public Prosecution Office Antidrug; Central Investigative Court num 2 at Audiencia Nacional; National Police (Policía Nacional – UDYCO Málaga)

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting Director Brian Driscoll’s Statement on Recent FBI Achievements

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

    I’m Brian Driscoll, and it’s my honor to be representing the men and women of the FBI as acting director.

    I want to take a few minutes to share with you some of the important work those men and women have been doing across the country and around the world—every day—to keep the American people safe.

    I’ll start with our Top Ten list.

    The Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has been helping the FBI apprehend dangerous criminals for 75 years. In that time, we’ve located or arrested nearly 500 fugitives on the list, including two in just the past week:

    Donald Eugene Fields II, who was arrested in Florida on charges of child sex trafficking and child rape; and Arnoldo Jiminez, who was taken into custody in Mexico on murder charges.

    I’m grateful to both of these case teams for their work and to our partners for their support in bringing these violent criminals to justice.

    You’ve heard the FBI always gets its man, but our work is never done.

    Today, we’re announcing the addition of Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

    Known as El Chapo Isidro, he’s accused of spending the last 20 years flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other deadly drugs, first as an independent drug trafficker and later as the head of the Meza-Flores cartel.

    In addition to the scourge of illicit drugs Meza-Flores and his organization have unleashed into the United States from across our southern border, they’re also accused of heinous crimes ranging from kidnapping and extortion to torture and murder.

    The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction, and we encourage anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the FBI and help us add Meza-Flores to the list of dangerous fugitives we’ve brought to justice together.

    But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the exceptional work the FBI’s been doing lately.

    Every day, our men and women are working hard to be there for our partners and keep our communities safe.

    That includes all the work we’ve been doing to support the Department of Homeland Security in its immigration enforcement efforts. We’ve got special agents, intelligence analysts, and more supporting DHS teams across the country, from New York and Chicago to El Paso, Newark, and Denver. So far, this work has led to the arrest of dangerous criminals and terrorists all across the country, and we’ve taken illegal firearms off the streets and out of our communities.

    At the same time, our people are hard at work with our local, state, and federal partners in the run-up to this Sunday’s Super Bowl. In addition to our team in New Orleans, we’ve deployed scores of FBI employees to surge in support of this effort—from bomb techs to SWAT operators to intelligence analysts—and each one of them is focused on keeping the event safe for everyone.

    Our teams have also been working around the clock to respond to the tragic plane crashes in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in support of recovery efforts.

    All of that work is critically important to our partners and to the American people, but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the work the men and women of the FBI are doing every single day, across the country and around the world, to keep people safe. 

    We will never take our eyes off of our mission: protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.

    Because at the Bureau, we’re focused on the work, the people we do the work with—our partners—and the people we do the work for—the American people.

    Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Click announced the CEO Statement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Click Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: CLIK) (“Click” or the “Company” or “we” or “our”), a fast-growing human resources solutions provider based in Hong Kong, would like to share the joy and happiness of the Lunar Chinese New Year with all our shareholders, customers and business partners. As we drew a close to the Year of Dragon, our CEO, Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Jeffrey would like to report to you our numerous key achievements in 2024 and share his visions for the year ahead.

    “2024 was a remarkable year for Click.” said Jeffrey, founder and CEO of Click. “Not only did we accomplish the historical public listing by raising US$5.6 million on Nasdaq, we also achieved countless breakthroughs in our business.”

    “We experienced significant growth across all segments. As for the seniors nursing solution services, we achieved a record of over 170,000 service hours in calendar year 2024, expecting a growth of 60% as compared to that of 2023. In particular, we project our logistic solution services would record a spectacular growth of 90%. To further extend our coverage, in December 2024, we entered a cooperation agreement with Care U Professional Nursing Service Limited, one of the leading nursing service providers in Hong Kong, in order to tap into the prominent government-sponsored CCSV scheme aiming to provide community care services to senior citizens in Hong Kong.”

    Key 2024 Achievements

    – Strong growth in revenue – projected 40% surge in overall revenue in calendar year 2024 compared to that of 2023. We project both our nursing and logistics solutions segment recorded strong growth of 30% and 90% respectively.

    – Successfully raised US$5.6M of capital from listing

    – Tapping into home seniors nursing service through government-sponsored CCSV scheme

    Outlook for 2025 and Beyond

    “While unemployment rate in Hong Kong stays low at around 3%, a change in working habit such as freelancers and slashers, is believed to be permanent. Therefore, we continue to expect high demand of human resources outsourcing services in the market. Meanwhile, as aging population becomes a global phenomenon, we will continue to invest big in the seniors nursing solution sector. We will expand our collaboration with business partners and may consider M&A options when opportunities arise.”

    “Furthermore, embracing technology has always been a key to our success. Our CTO, Nixon Chau, former GM of SenseTime Group, a leading AI software company, will lead our team to expand into the smart home solutions market for seniors in Hong Kong. Needless to say, we will continue to invest in expanding our talent pool which has been the bedrock to our business, and will extend services to cover property management, food and beverages, and retailing, sectors all currently facing labour shortages in Hong Kong. We are currently the only Nasdaq-listed company focusing on seniors nursing HR solution in Hong Kong and will continue to sustain strong growth by providing a convenient platform to connect our talents with our clients’ HR shortfall.”

    “Looking ahead, I remain fully confident in all our business developments and I hope you feel the same. Last but not least, on behalf of Click, I would like to extend our warmest greetings to all our shareholders, customers and business partners, Kung Hei Fat Choy, wish you Good Health and Good Fortune in the Year of Snake ahead.” said Jeffrey.

    About Click Holdings Limited

    We are a fast-growing human resources solutions provider based in Hong Kong, aiming to match our client’s human resources shortfall through our proprietary AI-empowered talent pool by one “click”. Our key businesses primarily include nursing solution (mainly seniors) services, logistics solution services and professional solution services.

    For more information, please visit https://clicksc.com.hk.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.

    For enquiry, please contact:

    Click Holdings Limited
    Unit 709, 7/F., Ocean Centre
    5 Canton Road
    Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    Hong Kong
    Email: jack.wong@jfy.hk
    Phone: +852 2691 8200

    The MIL Network –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council takes steps towards a firm financial footing

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby City Council will take the next step towards putting its finances on a firm footing when two reports go to Cabinet next week.

    Budget proposals for 2025/26 have been refreshed since they went to public consultation, with money being put back into services and more going back into reserves. This is due to an additional £8.6 million of resources, over and above that which was assumed at the time of the budget report being issued for consultation following the Government’s finance settlement.

    The Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), which will go to Cabinet on Wednesday 12 February, also sets out a plan to replenish the Council’s reserves over the next three years to bring them back to a healthy and sustainable level.

    Nationally, the local government financial settlement put more money into social care, introduced a new recovery grant which favoured areas like Derby with high deprivation and a low Council Tax base, and gave a boost to areas in need of investment such as support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The new Government has also said it’s committed to multi-year funding settlements but has not yet confirmed when this will happen.

    For Derby City Council, this has meant an increase in core spending power by £22.6 million, which is an above average increase for the local government sector, along with continued investment into social care, a new prevention grant of £2 million to support children’s social care reform, and the recovery grant which resulted in £6.7 million for the city. 
     
    Some of the new things that have been added to the budget proposals as a result include:

    • Additional provision for areas where demand continues to grow, such as homelessness
    • Investment into SEND services, including two SEND officers
    • £250,000 for Cultural Recovery, to support partners in the cultural industries facing significant financial challenges
    • And additional £200,000 for the Council Tax hardship fund, to support households experiencing financial hardship
    • An extra £100,000 to support the Market Hall in its first year of re-opening
    • A neighbourhood manager, covering the city centre, to co-ordinate safety, vibrancy & partnership work.
    • Investment into waste minimisation  
    • Additional capital investment for a new depot at Stores Road.

    Councillor Kathy Kozlowski, Cabinet Member for Governance and Finance, said:

    “After years of lobbying, the new Government is listening to councils and promising much-needed reform. We welcome the additional funding, which help us get on a stable footing for the future so we can continue to provide the services that our citizens need and want.

    “While it is assumed in our funding settlement that Council Tax will increase in line with previous years, which is 4.99%, we’re committed to investing into services that matter the most to our residents, protecting the most vulnerable and putting the Council on the way to financial sustainability.

    “We’re listening to the public about what they want in their city, and our proposed budget for 2025/2026 will prioritise tidier streets and green spaces, help our city centre feel safer and become more vibrant, and support children and adults who need our care.”  

    An update on the Council’s position at the end of Quarter 3 also goes to Cabinet on 12 February.

    The pressure on the revenue budget is now at £6.37 million, a fall of £2.59 million since halfway through the financial year. Mitigation continues to reduce this figure even more by the end of March, to limit the use of reserves as much as possible.

    All the savings identified for 2024/25 financial year are expected to be achieved by the end of financial year, leaving £117,000 of unachieved savings from the previous year to be carried over to next year. 

    Pressures remain in some services, such as homelessness, due to continued demand. People’s services, the Council department which looks after social care for adults and children, has a forecast overspend of £5.31m by the end of the year. However this is partly offset by an underspend by an underspend of £3.41 million in children’s services, which is due to the success of strategies developed in recent years to manage demand starting to see results.  
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead Of Pam Bondi’s Nomination Vote This Week, Durbin Outlines His Concerns About Bondi’s Ability To Serve As An Independent AG

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 03, 2025

    Durbin’s floor speech comes after the Trump Administration forced out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to January 6 and President Trump

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlined his concerns about Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee. In his remarks, he cited concerns over her ability to act as an independent Attorney General, refusal to acknowledge President Biden won the 2020 election, and echoing President Trump’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents.

    Durbin’s remarks also highlighted the Trump Administration’s purge of dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—including longtime nonpartisan leaders of the government’s counterterrorism and counterespionage efforts—further exemplifying the need for an independent DOJ.

    “This week, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General. Given the Trump Administration’s ongoing purge of Justice Department officials, I urge my colleagues to look very carefully and closely at Ms. Bondi’s nomination,” Durbin said.

    “President Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he values loyalty above all else in an Attorney General. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at what happened in his first term. He fired his first Attorney General and forced out his second for insufficient loyalty. And President Trump has said time and again that he expects the Justice Department to seek ‘retribution’ on his behalf. With Ms. Bondi, I’m afraid, the President has finally found someone who passes his loyalty test,” Durbin continued.

    Durbin then highlighted his concerns with Ms. Bondi’s nomination.

    “It seems that she [Ms. Bondi] is ready to break with bipartisan tradition when it comes to a nonpartisan Department of Justice —one that upholds the rule of law and is free of undue political influence from the White House. I am unconvinced that she [Ms. Bondi] is dedicated to these ideals. She was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election and to this day, she still clings to the basic loyalty oath. She refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the presidential election in 2020. And she has echoed the President-elect’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents—including a pledge that ‘the prosecutors will be prosecuted, the investigators will be investigated.’”

    Durbin spoke about the Trump Administration forcing out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend. The Administration is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and President Trump. These career civil servants are responsible for coordinating the Justice Department’s fight against international terrorists and foreign spies that would do us harm. The removals substantially diminish the United States’ ability to respond to national security threats.

    “The Trump Administration’s purge of these officials is a naked political move. In firing a dozen career prosecutors, the Acting Attorney General issued a memo stating, ‘Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe the leadership of the Department can trust you.’ Line attorneys and agents are similarly being bullied out simply because they were assigned tasks linked to criminal investigations of the President or the January 6 riots,” Durbin said.

    “Do we expect the Justice Department to do nothing about the hundreds of people who stormed into the Capitol? We saw it on videotape. Nobody is making this up. They were prosecuted for crimes they committed and many of them were sentenced, many of them pled guilty when they saw the videotapes of what they did on that day. Many of them ended up in jail—some of them with serious sentences for their serious misconduct. Now comes the new President, Donald Trump, and absolves them from criminal guilt. Tells them they’re free to go,” Durbin continued.

    Durbin concluded, “The American people deserve an Attorney General who will protect their fundamental rights of this country, demonstrate independence and integrity, and remain faithful to the Constitution, the country, and the rule of law. Ms. Bondi, during the course of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was also asked about Kash Patel—the President’s nominee to [lead] the FBI. She made it clear she supports him. I do not… I fear that Ms. Bondi will only protect and remain faithful to one person throughout this whole experience—and that’s the President who has given her this opportunity. I urge my colleagues to look carefully at her record and the record of Kash Patel. They are a team in this effort, and they should be held accountable for what they’ve said and written and positions they’ve taken in support of the President, even when his positions are not consistent, in my mind, with the equal and free administration of justice.” 

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 5, 2025
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