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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New service set to help Liverpool “Liv Life” to the full

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Liverpool residents looking to achieve and maintain a healthy weight can get support from a brand new service that has now launched.

    Liv Life Liverpool is free to access for anyone in the city and is informed by the findings set out in Public Health Liverpool’s groundbreaking State of Health in the City: Liverpool 2040 report.

    The programme is underpinned by behaviour change approaches following consultation with partners including the NHS, as well as the wider community. The aim is to support up to about 1,000 families and 2,000 adults in the first year.

    Anyone can sign up for Liv Life Liverpool via the website, they do not have to be referred by a professional, but need to meet eligibility criteria before a personalised plan is developed.

    Designed to support individuals, families and pregnant women, Liv Life Liverpool will also be aligned with the council’s Neighbourhood Model to ensure that services throughout Liverpool’s communities will be engaged.

    Liv Life Liverpool plans last for 12 weeks and include:

    • One-to-one coaching, with sessions taking place either in person or virtually
    • Weigh-and-stay or weigh-and-go groups
    • Physical activity groups.

    There will also be on-the-go support from the free Best-You app which can also help with reducing alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.

    All the different elements of the programme have been tailored to support people to develop knowledge and practical skills around food and cooking and physical activity which will ensure a successful and sustainable journey towards achieving a healthy weight.

    Almost two thirds of adults in Liverpool, 63 per cent, are overweight and about a quarter of children start primary school overweight, increasing to one in three children aged 11 being overweight or obese by the time they enter secondary school.

    You can follow Liv Life Liverpool on Facebook and Instagram.

    Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing Cllr Harry Doyle said: “Liv Life Liverpool is a brilliant toolbox for residents to use to support them to eat healthily and to get more active.

    “Trying to achieve a healthy weight can be daunting for many people. The team at ICE Creates understands this so have developed an evidence-based programme that has plenty of support built in to make sure that change is not only sustainable but enjoyable.

    “Whilst losing excess weight is important for reducing the likelihood of serious health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes, Liv Life Liverpool is about more than just the numbers on a scale. It’s about building healthy habits that will last a lifetime.”

    Matt Ashton, Liverpool’s Director of Public Health, said: “I am thrilled we are now offering the right support to create a healthy weight culture, that benefits everyone in Liverpool.

    “We’re excited to be on this journey to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes with our residents, and working in multiple partnership including ICE Creates, Liverpool City Council’s Neighbourhood Managers, Food Active and Feeding Liverpool.”

    ICE Creates’ Liv Life Liverpool’s service and engagement lead Jamie Prescott, said: “As service lead I am looking forward to engaging with the many excellent partners we have in this city, with the ultimate aim of helping people to make small but crucial changes. We want to help families and adults across Liverpool to improve their long-term health and believe this service can really make a difference.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Veterans get more time to transition to new online login system

    Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Grace — Update: Drug impaired driving charges laid against Harbour Grace man

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    After colliding with a police vehicle in Carbonear on September 13, 2024, lab results recently received for 20-year-old Mitchell Cox support an additional charge of drug impaired driving.

    Cox was originally arrested on September 13, 2024, for dangerous operation and flight from police after he fled from Harbour Grace RCMP at an attempted traffic stop on Lower Southside Road in Carbonear. Cox collided with a police vehicle during his attempt to evade police. Officers suspected he was impaired by drugs at the time of the collision.

    Following his arrest, he was transported to Carbonear General Hospital where samples of his blood were obtained and sent for a drug analysis. Late this month, the toxicology report was received, with results supporting an additional charge of drug impaired driving.

    In addition to charges of flight from police and dangerous operation, Cox is now charged with impaired operation by drug and failing to comply with conditions of a release order. His licence is now suspended.

    His next court appearance is scheduled to take place on March 26, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: DRC: In Goma, a chaotic situation and many war wounded

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    This week, the fighting between M23, the Congolese army, and their respective allies reached the city centre of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have reoriented part of their activities to respond to emergency needs, such as caring for war-wounded people. Virginie Napolitano, MSF emergency coordinator in Goma, describes the situation in the city.

    This week, the situation was very chaotic. At the beginning, there were clashes with artillery. We also heard a lot of gunshots crackling in the city, very close to homes and our workplaces. When we finally managed to go out for our activities, we saw military uniforms lying around in the streets, as well as many gun shells. There were also a lot of weapons in the streets, some of which were recovered by people or armed groups.

    We know that there has been a lot of looting in the city. Many stocks of international organisations have been affected, including those of MSF. They contained humanitarian supplies, such as medicines, which allow NGOs to work, particularly in the displaced persons camps. Most humanitarian organisations can no longer work.

    A chaotic situation

    Goma has some two million inhabitants, to which must be added more than 650,000 people displaced by the fighting in recent months or years, who live near the city, in unsanitary camps. MSF only has a very small stock of medicines and has stopped intervening in these camps for the time being, even though we were able to go there on Thursday. Some of the MSF teams have managed to make donations to hospitals, including donating medical care kits, fuel and water to Virunga General Referral hospital in Goma.

    For almost a week, the electricity was completely cut off in the city, which added to the general chaos. Goma was cut off from the world, it was a total blackout. The water was also cut off and until now many people do not have access to drinking water. 

    The inhabitants of Goma, and the displaced people who have joined the city to flee the fighting, are forced to go to Lake Kivu to fill water cans. Fortunately, the National Red Cross is on site. Their work allows people to chlorinate these water cans to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, such as cholera. Despite these interventions, on Thursday, 30 January we learned that several cases of cholera had been reported in Goma. MSF teams are starting to work in support of the treatment of people suffering from this disease and on water and sanitation in the city.

    Before the fighting broke out in the city, MSF teams were working in Kyeshero hospital, located in the western part of the city, in support of the Ministry of Health. They were providing care for malnourished children; most of whom came from the displaced people camps near the city. We quickly put in place a plan for a mass influx of wounded, in particular to support the International Commitee of the Red Cross’s (ICRC) work in Ndosho hospital. The latter is overwhelmed by the number of wounded that need to be treated.

    As early as 23 January, the first wounded began to arrive at the hospital or to be transferred to us by the ICRC. In one day alone, Wednesday, 29 January, we received nearly 140 wounded at the hospital triage, many of whom were hospitalised. This was the first day that the fighting had eased. This allowed the wounded, who had stayed at home and could not access care, to go to a hospital.

    At the beginning of the M23 offensive on Goma, we received patients who were mostly injured by shrapnel. Recently, the patients we treated were mainly wounded by bullets, including civilians hit by stray bullets. These are often people who were close to the fighting and were unable to protect themselves, or people who were injured while they were at home. The bullets went through the wooden walls of their houses. We have also received people who were taking part in the fighting, soldiers or their allies.

    Currently, the morgue at Kyeshero hospital is overflowing with bodies. There are nearly 40 of them, most of which are unidentified. We are in discussions with the Ministry of Health to try to organise dignified burials for these people. The morgues at other hospitals in Goma are also overwhelmed. We also know that the collection of bodies is not finished, the Red Cross and civil protection continue this work. Death toll can only be made when the clashes and urban violence have completely ceased and this work carried out by the Red Cross will be finished.

    War wounded

    Kyeshero hospital is overwhelmed by the number of wounded, even though the MSF teams and those from the Ministry of Health are doing their best. They were used to treating malnourished children and after the implementation of the plan for the mass influx of wounded, found themselves treating war wounded. In this hospital, we lack medicines but also staff, particularly those specialising in surgery.

    Some of the hospital staff were unable to come to work because of the fighting in the city. Those who had already been there since Sunday provided all the treatment by staying there for four days in a row, without being able to sleep properly. Our activities were heavily affected by the fact of not being able to move around and bring medical equipment, medicines and food for the patients.

    The most urgent thing for MSF is to be able to replenish our stocks of medical equipment and medicines as quickly as possible, and to bring in specialised staff, particularly to increase surgical care. A surgeon and an anesthesiologist should arrive in Kyeshero this Friday, 31 January, which would allow us to increase treatment capacities.

    On Thursday, 30 January, we managed to go to some displaced persons camps located to the west of the city. The situations are quite different in these camps, but in the Kashaka camp, people were particularly worried, particularly following the numerous lootings in the city.

    On the other hand, this chaotic situation adds to the trauma of their displacement, since they had already fled the fighting between M23, the Congolese army, and their respective allies. Displaced people no longer feel safe. Some have started to dismantle their shelters and leave the camps, in the hope of finding some safety elsewhere. Those who remain are wondering whether they will be able to, or will be forced to by armed groups, return home.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bogus scientific papers are enriching fraudsters and slowing lifesaving medical research

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Frederik Joelving, Contributing editor, Retraction Watch

    Assistant professor Frank Cackowski, left, and researcher Steven Zielske at Wayne State University in Detroit became suspicious of a paper on cancer research that was eventually retracted. Amy Sacka, CC BY-ND

    Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research. These paper mills are profiting by undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.

    It is exceedingly difficult to get a handle on exactly how big the problem is. About 55,000 scholarly papers have been retracted to date, for a variety of reasons, but scientists and companies who screen the scientific literature for telltale signs of fraud estimate that there are many more fake papers circulating – possibly as many as several hundred thousand. This fake research can confound legitimate researchers who must wade through dense equations, evidence, images and methodologies, only to find that they were made up.

    Even when bogus papers are spotted – usually by amateur sleuths on their own time – academic journals are often slow to retract the papers, allowing the articles to taint what many consider sacrosanct: the vast global library of scholarly work that introduces new ideas, reviews and other research and discusses findings.

    These fake papers are slowing research that has helped millions of people with lifesaving medicine and therapies, from cancer to COVID-19. Analysts’ data shows that fields related to cancer and medicine are particularly hard-hit, while areas such as philosophy and art are less affected.

    To better understand the scope, ramifications and potential solutions of this metastasizing assault on science, we – a contributing editor at Retraction Watch, a website that reports on retractions of scientific papers and related topics, and two computer scientists at France’s Université Toulouse III–Paul Sabatier and Université Grenoble Alpes who specialize in detecting bogus publications – spent six months investigating paper mills.

    Co-author Guillaume Cabanac also developed the Problematic Paper Screener, which filters 130 million new and old scholarly papers every week looking for nine types of clues that a paper might be fake or contain errors.

    An obscure molecule

    Frank Cackowski at Detroit’s Wayne State University was confused.

    The oncologist was studying a sequence of chemical reactions in cells to see whether they could be a target for drugs against prostate cancer. A paper from 2018 in the American Journal of Cancer Research piqued his interest when he read that a little-known molecule called SNHG1 might interact with the chemical reactions he was exploring. He and fellow Wayne State researcher Steven Zielske began experiments but found no link.

    Meanwhile, Zielske had grown suspicious of the paper. Two graphs showing results for different cell lines were identical, he noticed, which “would be like pouring water into two glasses with your eyes closed and the levels coming out exactly the same.” Another graph and a table in the article also inexplicably contained identical data.

    Zielske described his misgivings in an anonymous post in 2020 at PubPeer, an online forum where many scientists report potential research misconduct, and also contacted the journal’s editor. The journal pulled the paper, citing “falsified materials and/or data.”

    “Science is hard enough as it is if people are actually being genuine and trying to do real work,” said Cackowski, who also works at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Michigan.

    Wayne State scientists Cackowsi and Zielske carried out experiments based on a paper they later found to contain false data.
    Amy Sacka, CC BY-ND

    Legitimate academic journals evaluate papers before publication by having other researchers in the field carefully read them over. But this peer review process is far from perfect. Reviewers volunteer their time, typically assume research is real and so don’t look for fraud.

    Some publishers may try to pick reviewers they deem more likely to accept papers, because rejecting a manuscript can mean losing out on thousands of dollars in publication fees.

    Worse, some corrupt scientists form peer review rings. Paper mills may create fake peer reviewers. Others may bribe editors or plant agents on journal editorial boards.

    An ‘absolutely huge’ problem

    It’s unclear when paper mills began to operate at scale. The earliest suspected paper mill article retracted was published in 2004, according to the Retraction Watch database, which details retractions and is operated by The Center for Scientific Integrity, the parent nonprofit of Retraction Watch.

    An analysis of 53,000 papers submitted to six publishers – but not necessarily published – found 2% to 46% suspect submissions across journals. The American publisher Wiley, which has retracted more than 11,300 articles and closed 19 heavily affected journals in its erstwhile Hindawi division, said its new paper mill detection tool flags up to 1 in 7 submissions.

    As many as 2% of the several million scientific works published in 2022 were milled, according to Adam Day, who directs Clear Skies, a company in London that develops tools to spot fake papers. Some fields are worse than others: biology and medicine are closer to 3%, and some subfields, such as cancer, may be much larger, Day said.

    The paper mill problem is “absolutely huge,” said Sabina Alam, director of Publishing Ethics and Integrity at Taylor & Francis, a major academic publisher. In 2019, none of the 175 ethics cases escalated to her team was about paper mills, Alam said. Ethics cases include submissions and already published papers. “We had almost 4,000 cases” in 2023, she said. “And half of those were paper mills.”

    Jennifer Byrne, an Australian scientist who now heads up a research group to improve the reliability of medical research, testified at a July 2022 U.S. House of Representatives hearing that nearly 6% of 12,000 cancer research papers screened had errors that could signal paper mill involvement. Byrne shuttered her cancer research lab in 2017 because genes she had spent two decades researching and writing about became the target of fake papers.

    In 2022, Byrne and colleagues, including two of us, found that suspect genetics research, despite not immediately affecting patient care, informs scientists’ work, including clinical trials. But publishers are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious fraud. We found that 97% of the 712 problematic genetics research articles we identified remained uncorrected.

    Potential solutions

    The Cochrane Collaboration has a policy excluding suspect studies from its analyses of medical evidence and is developing a tool to spot problematic medical trials. And publishers have begun to share data and technologies among themselves to combat fraud, including image fraud.

    Technology startups are also offering help. The website Argos, launched in September 2024 by Scitility, an alert service based in Sparks, Nevada, allows authors to check collaborators for retractions or misconduct. Morressier, a scientific conference and communications company in Berlin, offers research integrity tools. Paper-checking tools include Signals, by London-based Research Signals, and Clear Skies’ Papermill Alarm.

    But Alam acknowledges that the fight against paper mills won’t be won as long as the booming demand for papers remains.

    Today’s commercial publishing is part of the problem, Byrne said. Cleaning up the literature is a vast and expensive undertaking. “Either we have to monetize corrections such that publishers are paid for their work, or forget the publishers and do it ourselves,” she said.

    There’s a fundamental bias in for-profit publishing: “We pay them for accepting papers,” said Bodo Stern, a former editor of the journal Cell and chief of Strategic Initiatives at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a nonprofit research organization and funder in Chevy Chase, Maryland. With more than 50,000 journals on the market, bad papers shopped around long enough eventually find a home, Stern said.

    To prevent this, we could stop paying journals for accepting papers and look at them as public utilities that serve a greater good. “We should pay for transparent and rigorous quality-control mechanisms,” he said.

    Peer review, meanwhile, “should be recognized as a true scholarly product, just like the original article,” Stern said. And journals should make all peer-review reports publicly available, even for manuscripts they turn down.

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. This is a condensed version. To learn more about how fraudsters around the globe use paper mills to enrich themselves and harm scientific research, read the full version.

    Labbé receives funding from the European Research Council.
    He has also received funding from the French National Research Agency (ANR), and the U.S. Office of Research Integrity.
    Labbé has been in touch with most of the major publishers and their integrity officers, offering pro-bono consulting regarding detection tools to various actors in the field including STM-Hub and Morressier.

    Cabanac receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF). He is the administrator of the Problematic Paper Screener, a public platform that uses metadata from Digital Science and PubPeer via no-cost agreements. Cabanac has been in touch with most of the major publishers and their integrity officers, offering pro bono consulting regarding detection tools to various actors in the field including ClearSkies, Morressier, River Valley, Signals, and STM.

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

    – ref. Bogus scientific papers are enriching fraudsters and slowing lifesaving medical research – https://theconversation.com/bogus-scientific-papers-are-enriching-fraudsters-and-slowing-lifesaving-medical-research-248291

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gazans depend on us for ‘sheer survival’ insists UNRWA

    Source: United Nations 4

    Peace and Security

    The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still providing aid to the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.

    The development came as more than 462,000 people are estimated to have crossed from south Gaza to the north since the opening of the Salah ad Din and Al Rashid roads on Monday.

    The UN and humanitarian partners are assisting those on the move by providing water, high-energy biscuits and medical care along these two routes.

    Once back in the north, UN aid workers have reported seeing Gazans using shovels to remove rubble and setting up makeshift shelters or tents where their homes used to be.

    Impending catastrophe

    Any disruption to UNRWA’s work will have “catastrophic consequences on the lives and futures of Palestine refugees”, insisted Juliette Touma, Director of Communications for the UN Relief and Works Agency, pointing to the agency’s massive reach into the communities where it has provided free healthcare and education for decades.

    Last October, the Israeli parliament – the Knesset – passed two laws that called for ending UNRWA’s operations in its territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

    Soundcloud

    That developed followed Israeli accusations that UNRWA workers were involved in the 7 October attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. Nine staff were sacked after an internal UN investigation for possible involvement.

    Under the Knesset ban, UNRWA was ordered to vacate all premises in occupied East Jerusalem and cease operations in them by 30 January.

    “Our teams continue to serve, even though they themselves in Gaza as an example, they themselves are impacted, they themselves have been forced to flee their homes,” Ms. Touma explained.

    “They continue to serve and we are committed as UNRWA to stay and deliver across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. That includes the Gaza Strip, it includes the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

    She noted that no official communication has been received from the Israeli authorities on how the Knesset ban will be implemented across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    No alternative

    “In the absence of any durable solution, Palestine refugees will continue to depend on UNRWA for basic services including health and education; and in Gaza, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the war, for their sheer survival,” Ms. Touma maintained.

    She noted that UNRWA’s health centres continued to receive patients in East Jerusalem in the West Bank on Thursday, while schools were expecting to reopen on Sunday after a scheduled break.

    “Our teams…will continue to provide learning for children. We have around 50,000 boys and girls across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, who go to UNRWA’s schools,” Ms. Touma said.

    Aid boost continues

    As the UN-wide effort to flood Gaza with aid continues, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced plans to set up more aid distribution points this week in the north, where all of its bakeries are now running once again.

    The UN agency reported that together with UNRWA it has resumed “fully-fledged” food parcel distribution and reached 350,000 people since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January.

    Some 20,000 hot meals are also being distributed daily in Beit Lahia, in the far north, said Antoine Renard, WFP’s Country Director in Palestine, who underscored the need for non-food supplies – so-called dual use items – to be allowed into the war-shattered enclave also.

    Medical emergency

    Echoing that message, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that only 18 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partly functional, with just one-third – 57 of the 142 primary healthcare centres and 11 field hospitals – also partly functional.

    “The ceasefire is good news for our scale up of aid,” said  Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in OPT. “As we know, the influx in the north has increased health needs. So 450,000 people have crossed into northern Gaza [and] there’s only there 10 partially functional hospitals in Gaza City and one minimally functional hospital in north Gaza.”

    Amid reports that 2,500 children at risk of imminent death in Gaza need immediate medical evacuation, Dr Peeperkorn said that between 12,000 and 14,000 people need specialized care outside the enclave.

    “So, what we have been asking for all the time…is first and foremost a restoration of the referrals, the traditional referral pathway to West Bank and East Jerusalem. The East Jerusalem hospitals and the West Bank hospitals are ready to receive Gazan and Palestinian critical patients,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World Cancer Day 2025 – United by Unique31 January 2025 ​In recognition of World Cancer Day on Tuesday 4 February 2025, Islanders are invited to join the World Cancer Day, Closer to Home event, taking place from 10am to 3pm at the Jersey Library. This… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    31 January 2025

    ​

    In recognition of World Cancer Day on Tuesday 4 February 2025, Islanders are invited to join the World Cancer Day, Closer to Home event, taking place from 10am to 3pm at the Jersey Library. 

    This event is an opportunity for anyone affected by cancer, as well as for healthcare professionals, to come together to access valuable resources and find out more about Jersey’s Cancer Strategy. 

    The following services will be attending the event: 

    • Cancer.je 
    • Jersey Hospice Care 
    • Travel and Oversees Team (GoJ) 
    • Improving the Cancer Journey Jersey (ICJJ) 
    • ABC Jersey 
    • Health Benefits – Work & Family Hub (GoJ) 
    • Income Support and Impairment – Work & Family Hub (GoJ) 
    • Jersey Cancer Relief 
    • Help2Quit 
    • Friends of Jersey Oncology 
    • Viberts 
    • LibertyBus 
    • CLIC Sargent 
    • Customer Experience Team (GoJ) 
    • Live Life Fitness Coach. 

    Jersey Cancer Strategy Implementation Committee Chair, Dr Elizabet Gomes Dos Santos, said: “This year’s World Cancer Day theme, ‘United and Unique’, reminds us that every cancer journey is different. Still our strength lies in coming together to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. 

    “By collaborating with charities and community organisations, we can unite our efforts to address the unique needs of each patient, ensuring they feel supported at every step of their journey. Together, we can build a future where no one faces cancer alone.”

    Attendees will have the chance to engage with various cancer charities, learn about support services and participate in a Q&A panel from 2pm to 3pm with those leading the strategy. 

    This interactive session will allow you to ask questions and gain insights from experts in the field, including: 

    • Dr Elizabet Gomes Dos Santos, Strategy Lead 
    • Kerry Le Crom, Lead for Improving the Cancer Journey Jersey 
    • Sarah Evans, Primary and Preventative Care 
    • Lorna Pirozzolo, Cancer.je, Voice of Cancer Patients 
    • Susie Hazeldine, Travel Office Manager 
    • Antonia Rubio, Cancer Advocate and Charity Ambassador. 

    To reserve a free ticket to attend the Q&A panel visit World Cancer Day – Q&A panel​.

    Cancer Advocate and Charity Ambassador, Antonia Rubio, said: “It’s so important to recognise that each person’s cancer journey is unique. Having the Cancer Strategy in place ensures that each person’s individual needs are being catered for. 

    “Through my own personal experience with cancer, it has been so wonderful to see the feedback I have provided being taken onboard by the Network to review as areas for potential development.”​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Healthier, fresher, tastier: Chinese consumers’ evolving appetite for festive goods

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

    Healthier, fresher, tastier: Chinese consumers’ evolving appetite for festive goods

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 — As the Spring Festival approached, long lines formed at premium supermarkets renowned for their high-quality products in larger portions across China.

    Photos of the crowded markets quickly went viral on Chinese social media, with some users commenting, “It’s well worth the wait,” while others called on retailers to expand their online services.

    Out shopping at a major supermarket in western Beijing, 26-year-old Wang Ke filled her cart with king crabs, imported cherries, and a variety of festive food and decoration kits for the Chinese New Year, which fell on Jan. 29 this year.

    With a budget of 1,500 yuan (approximately 209 U.S. dollars), this was just one stop on Wang’s shopping trip with her in-laws for the most important holiday in the Chinese lunar calendar. “We love the rich collection of products on offer here,” she said. “And we trust the quality.”

    The ancient tradition of purchasing festive goods for the Chinese New Year has evolved significantly, especially amid China’s remarkable economic growth in recent decades.

    Data from this year’s online shopping festival reveals a growing willingness among Chinese consumers to spend on products that are “tastier,” “healthier” and “fresher,” according to Zhang Peng, general manager of food and fresh produce at major e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall.

    Sun Jianhui, a taxi driver in Suzhou in east China’s Jiangsu Province, noted that many families prefer to buy daily necessities at major-brand supermarkets due to concerns over quality. “I don’t mind spending a little extra on better products, not just for the Spring Festival,” Sun told Xinhua. “And I’m not the only one.”

    At the end of 2024, the Chinese government released a document outlining measures to modernize the country’s retail industry over the next five years. The plan aims to establish a modern retail system by 2029 that features enriched supplies, high-quality services, and smart, convenient and green operations.

    Wang Zhenyu, secretary-general of the China Consumers Association, said that quality-based consumption is becoming a mainstream trend in China with consumers increasingly demanding quality products and services.

    In recent years, China has witnessed the rapid expansion of membership-based supermarkets such as Sam’s Club and Costco, as well as retail ventures from e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com. These large retailers are generally perceived to maintain stricter quality control over their products.

    Sam’s Club announced it had 47 stores in 25 Chinese cities by the end of 2023 and plans to open six to seven additional stores annually in China. In May 2023, Costco Wholesale opened a new outlet in Nanjing, Jiangsu, accompanied by a gas station, marking the first such combination on the Chinese mainland.

    An anonymous member of Sam’s Club management stated that they strive to understand customer perspectives and offer differentiated services to meet festive season demands.

    To welcome the Year of the Snake, these major-brand chain stores have introduced innovative products rich in cultural significance, including lion dance-shaped buns and solid gold bars paired with traditional red envelopes, offering a fresh take on the tradition of monetary gift-giving.

    Changing consumer habits have also led to the rise of new domestic grocery brands like Pangdonglai. Established in 1995, Pangdonglai has evolved into a prominent retail chain comprising supermarkets, shopping malls and cinemas.

    Despite operating solely in central China’s Henan Province, Pangdonglai has garnered a strong reputation nationwide for its exceptional service and quality products. Customers can return any item they are not satisfied with, even if they have consumed most of it.

    Yu Donglai, the brand’s founder, revealed on Sunday that accumulated sales at the 13 Pangdonglai stores surpassed 130 million yuan on Saturday, the last weekend before the Chinese New Year.

    Starting in 2024, Pangdonglai has played a key role in helping refurbish larger supermarket chains like Yonghui Supermarket, which operates over 900 stores nationwide, resulting in a significant boost in sales at these locations.

    Wang Ke, who also regularly visits a Yonghui store in Beijing, described her shopping experiences as delightful. “Our family enjoys shopping there from time to time,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Pacific Financial Corp Earns $2.2 Million, or $0.21 per Diluted Share for Fourth Quarter 2024; Reports Fiscal 2024 Earnings of $9.5 Million, or $0.92 per Diluted Share; Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend of $0.14 per Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ABERDEEN, Wash., Jan. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Financial Corporation (OTCQX: PFLC), (“Pacific Financial”) or the (“Company”), the holding company for Bank of the Pacific (the “Bank”), reported net income of $2.2 million, or $0.21 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $2.6 million, or $0.25 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2024, and $2.9 million, or $0.28 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $9.5 million, or $0.92 per share compared to $14.6 million, or $1.40 for the year ended December 31, 2023. Except for year-end December 31, 2023, all results are unaudited.

    The board of directors of Pacific Financial declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per share on January 22, 2025. The dividend will be payable on February 28, 2025 to shareholders of record on February 14, 2025.

    “During the quarter we finalized the closure of our mortgage banking division recording termination costs of $773,000 impacting our fourth quarter 2024 operating results. Excluding those expenses adjusted net income was $2.8 million for the fourth quarter, an increase from the prior quarter. As we begin 2025, we expect the benefit of this closure to translate to improved efficiency of our operations moving forward,” said Denise Portmann, President and Chief Executive Officer.

    “Though the loan portfolio increased at a slower rate during the quarter, we continue to have healthy customer activity as pipelines began to improve with the decrease in index rates experienced early in the quarter. In addition, earnings for the year benefited from solid year over year growth in average loan balances. Our history of a strong net interest margin continued to be supported by solid relationships with our depositors with a strong core deposit base. Core deposits represented 87% of total deposits at year end,” said Portmann. “In addition, our overall credit quality metrics remained strong with nonperforming assets remaining low at $1.1 million or 0.09% of total assets and with a net recovery to the ACL for the quarter. Our capital base and ratios continue to be robust and exceed regulatory well-capitalized ratios. This robust capital base allowed for the continued repurchase of shares during the year. With our strong capital ratios and strong balance sheet, we believe we remain well-positioned for the future.”

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

    • Return on average assets (“ROAA”) was 0.74%, compared to 0.90% for the third quarter 2024, and 1.02% for the fourth quarter 2023.
    • Return on average equity (“ROAE”) was 7.27%, compared to 8.77% from the preceding quarter, and 10.88% from the fourth quarter a year earlier.
    • Net interest income was $10.9 million, compared to $11.2 million for the third quarter of 2024, and $11.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2023.
    • Net interest margin (“NIM”) decreased to 3.99%, compared to 4.19% from the preceding quarter, and 4.34% for the fourth quarter a year ago.
    • Provision for credit losses was a benefit of $103,000 for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to a benefit of $66,000 for the preceding quarter and a provision of $111,000 in the fourth quarter a year ago.
    • Gross loans balances held in portfolio increased by $5.3 million, or less than 1% to $704.9 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $699.6 million at September 30, 2024, and increased by $19.5 million, or 3%, from $685.3 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Total deposits remained at $1.01 billion at December 31, 2024 relative to the previous quarter and one year earlier. Core deposits represented 87% of total deposits, with non-interest bearing deposits representing 38% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.
    • Asset quality remains solid with nonperforming assets to total assets declining to 0.09%, compared to 0.10% three months earlier, and increasing from 0.06% at December 31, 2023. Substandard loans decreased $911,000 to $2.7 million at December 31, 2024 from $3.6 million the prior quarter.
    • Shareholder equity decreased $7.2 million during the quarter largely due to accumulated other comprehensive income marks on the investment portfolio, stock repurchases and dividend payments offset by net income. Tangible book value per share was $9.93 at December 31, 2024.
    • Pacific Financial and Bank of the Pacific continues to exceed regulatory well-capitalized requirements. At December 31, 2024 Pacific Financial’s estimated leverage ratio was 11.3% and its estimated total risk-based capital ratio was 17.5%.

    Balance Sheet Review

    Total assets decreased slightly to $1.15 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $1.16 billion at September 30, 2024, and was unchanged relative to December 31, 2023.

    Liquidity metrics continued to remain strong with total liquidity, both on and off balance sheet sources, at $550.6 million as of December 31, 2024. The Bank has established collateralized credit lines with borrowing capacity from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB) and from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, as well as $60.0 million in unsecured borrowing lines from various correspondent banks. There was no balance outstanding on any of these facilities at quarter-end. The Company’s available liquidity sources at December 31, 2024 represented a coverage of short-term funds available to uninsured and uncollateralized deposits of 217%. Uninsured or uncollateralized deposits were 25% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.

    The following table summarizes the Bank’s available liquidity:

    LIQUIDITY (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Deposits  
    ($ in 000s)      
                                             
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Short-term Funding                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 67,951 $ 85,430 $ 95,781   $ (17,479 ) -20% $ (27,830 ) -29%   7% 8% 9%  
    Unencumbered AFS Securities   158,472   154,565   140,049     3,907   3%   18,423   13%   16% 15% 14%  
    Secured lines of Credit (FHLB, FRB)   324,187   336,771   327,264     (12,584 ) -4%   (3,077 ) -1%   32% 33% 32%  
    Short-term Funding $ 550,610 $ 576,766 $ 563,094   $ (26,156 ) -5% $ (12,484 ) -2%   55% 57% 56%  
                                             

    Investment securities: The investment securities portfolio increased 3% to $304.5 million, compared to $296.8 million at September 30, 2024 and increased 4% compared to the like period a year ago. The increase from the prior quarter was primarily due to the purchase of $19.8 million of collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage backed securities. These purchases were partially offset by an increase in net unrealized losses on available for sale investments which increased $7.6 million to $22.4 million ($17.5 million after-tax) at December 31, 2024, which represents 7% of the AFS portfolio.

    U.S. Treasury bonds and securities issued by the U.S. Government sponsored agencies accounted for 86%, 85%, and 85%, of the investment portfolio as of December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023. The largest investment category is collateralized mortgage obligations which accounted for 48% of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2024, compared to 43% one year earlier. The average adjusted duration to reset of the investment securities portfolio was 4.19 years at December 31, 2024.

    Gross loans balances increased $5.3 million, or 1%, to $704.9 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $699.6 million at September 30, 2024. During the fourth quarter, new multi-family loans more than offset the decline in construction and development loans and the decline in residential 1-4 family loans.

    Year-over-year loan growth was 3%, or $19.5 million, with the largest increases in residential 1-4 family and multi-family loans increasing $7.2 million and $18.0 million, respectively. Loans classified as commercial real estate for regulatory concentration purposes totaled $267.9 million at December 31, 2024, or 192% of total risk-based capital.

    The Company continues to manage concentration limits that establish maximum exposure levels by certain industry segments, loan product types, geography and single borrower limits. In addition, the loan portfolio continues to be well-diversified and is collateralized with assets predominantly within the Company’s Western Washington and Oregon markets.

    Credit quality: Nonperforming assets were minimal and remained at $1.1 million, or 0.09% of total assets at December 31, 2024, compared to $664,000, or 0.06% at December 31, 2023. The Company has zero other real estate owned as of December 31, 2024 and accruing loans past due more than 30 days represent only 0.14% of total loans. Total loans designated as special mention increased by $6.0 million to $10.8 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $4.8 million at September 30, 2024 and was primarily related to a downgrade of one agriculture credit relationship of $4.2 million.

    Allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans was $8.9 million, or 1.26% of gross loans at December 31, 2024, compared to $8.9 million or 1.27% of loans at September 30, 2024 and $8.5 million or 1.24% at December 31, 2023. A benefit for credit losses on loans of $119,000 was recorded in the current quarter. This compares to a provision for credit losses on loans of $27,000 in the third quarter of 2024 and a provision for credit losses on loans of $162,000 for the fourth quarter of 2023. The benefit for credit losses in the current quarter largely reflects net loan recoveries of $73,000 realized during the quarter, compared to a net recovery of $11,000 for the preceding quarter and $21,000 for the fourth quarter one year ago. Provisions for unfunded loans was $16,000 for the fourth quarter compared to a benefit of $93,000 the previous quarter and a benefit of $51,000 one year earlier.

    Total deposits remained at $1.01 billion at December 31, 2024 compared to the prior quarter and one year earlier. Deposit composition between non-maturity deposits and time deposit CDs also remained relatively unchanged for the quarter. Within non-maturity deposits, non-interest bearing demand deposits decreased which was more than offset by the growth in interest bearing demand deposits and reflects the Bank’s continued focused efforts on retaining core customer relationships. Pacific Financial continues to benefit from a strong core deposit base which positively impacts our net interest margin. Non-interest bearing deposits continues to remain the largest concentration of deposits and represented 38% of deposits at December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024. Interest-bearing demand and money market deposits both represent 19% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.

    Year-over-year the deposit composition changed slightly, primarily as a result of customers transferring balances to higher yielding accounts, and as a result, time deposits increased to $135.5 million, or 13% of total deposits at December 31, 2024 compared to $100.8 million or 10% of total deposits at December 31, 2023.

    Shareholders’ equity was $113.9 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $121.1 million at September 30, 2024, and $114.7 million at December 31, 2023. The decrease in shareholders’ equity during the current quarter was due to repurchases of common stock, dividend payments and an increase in unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities due to increases in interest rates. Net unrealized losses (after-tax) included in shareholders’ equity on available-for-sale securities was $17.5 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $11.5 million at September 30, 2024, and $16.1 million at December 31, 2023.

    Book value per common share was $11.26 at December 31, 2024, compared to $11.78 at September 30, 2024, and $11.04 at December 31, 2023. The Company’s tangible common equity ratio was 8.8% at December 31, 2024 and 9.4% at September 30, 2024, compared to 8.9% at December 31, 2023. Regulatory capital ratios of both the Company and the Bank continue to exceed the well-capitalized regulatory thresholds, with the Company’s leverage ratio at 11.3% and total risk-based capital ratio at 17.5% as of December 31, 2024. These regulatory capital ratios are estimates, pending completion and filing of regulatory reports.

    In anticipation of the expiration of the stock repurchase plan authorized in 2023, in September 2024, the Board of Directors authorized an additional $2.6 million toward future repurchases; approximately 2.0% of total shares outstanding.

    Income Statement Review

    Net interest income decreased $353,000 to $10.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $11.2 million for the third quarter of 2024, and decreased $801,000 compared to $11.7 million for the fourth quarter a year ago. The change in the current quarter compared to the preceding quarter reflects lower overall loan and interest bearing cash yields. Though yields for newly originated loans and other variable rate loans plus purchased investments were recorded at higher yields, the downward repricing of floating rate loans and interest-earning cash tied to short term rate indexes as well as decreased balances of interest earning cash and increasing deposit costs impacted total net interest income.

    The decrease in net interest income compared to the year ago quarter reflects the increase in funding costs, with interest income remaining relatively flat, reflecting lower interest earning deposit balances offset by increased loan interest income as the Bank re-deployed interest earning deposit balances into higher yielding assets including both loans and investments.

    Though decreasing from 4.19% for the preceding quarter and 4.34% for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Bank’s net interest margin continued to remain strong at 3.99% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Yields on total interest earning assets decreased 19 basis points to 5.10% for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 5.29% for the prior quarter and 5.14% in the like quarter a year ago. Average loan yields decreased 15 basis points to 5.84% during the current quarter, compared to 5.99% for the preceding quarter and 5.80% for the fourth quarter 2023. The Bank’s total cost of funds increased only 2 basis points to 1.17% for the current quarter, compared to 1.15% for the preceding quarter, and 0.83% for the fourth quarter 2023. The small increase in the costs of deposits was due to retention efforts and competitive pricing of deposit products. As mentioned earlier, the large balance of non-interest bearing deposits at 38% has helped minimize volatility in deposit costs.

    Noninterest income increased to $1.8 million for the current quarter, compared to $1.7 million for the linked quarter and increased from $1.5 million a year earlier. The increase compared to the linked quarter was primarily due to $60,000 of death benefit income from a bank-owned life insurance policy. Fee and service charge income increased slightly in the fourth quarter of 2024 to $1.3 million compared to $1.2 million in the previous quarter and the fourth quarter of 2023.

    The company closed its mortgage banking division in the fourth quarter. The elimination of the mortgage banking division is expected to improve the efficiency of the company in 2025.

    Noninterest expenses increased to $10.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $9.7 million for the prior quarter and increased from $9.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. The current quarter reflects increased expenses associated with closing the mortgage division. Salaries and employee benefit expenses were elevated in the current quarter due to severance and retention payments while occupancy expenses were also elevated due to lease contract termination costs associated with our mortgage operations center. In addition, data processing and IT costs increased related to the termination of mortgage origination software contracts. Overall, expenses associated with closing the mortgage division were approximately $773,000. Excluding the mortgage division termination costs, total non-interest expenses would have been $9.3 million for the current quarter.

    The company’s efficiency ratio increased to 79.80% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 75.48% in the preceding quarter and increased from 72.22% in the same quarter a year ago. The efficiency ratio is expected to decline in 2025 with the elimination of expenses associated with the closed mortgage division.

    Income tax expense: Federal and Oregon state income tax expenses totaled $492,000 for the current quarter, and $633,000 for the preceding quarter, resulting in effective tax rates of 18.5% and 19.6%, respectively. These income tax expenses reflect the benefits of tax exempt income on tax-exempt loans and investments, affordable housing tax credit financing, and investments in bank-owned life insurance.

    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (unaudited) Quarter Ended   Change From   Twelve Months Ended   Change   
           
    (In 000s, except per share data)                                                  
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31,   Dec 31,            
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024   2023     $ %  
    Earnings Ratios & Data                                                  
    Net Income $ 2,162 $ 2,594 $ 2,942   $ (432 ) -17% $ (780 ) -27% $ 9,532 $ 14,605   $ (5,073 ) -35%  
    Return on average assets   0.74%   0.90%   1.02%     -0.16%       -0.28%       0.84%   1.22%     -0.38%      
    Return on average equity   7.27%   8.77%   10.88%     -1.50%       -3.61%       8.20%   13.48%     -5.28%      
    Efficiency ratio(1)   79.80%   75.48%   72.22%     4.32%       7.58%       76.69%   66.56%     10.13%      
    Net-interest margin %(2)   3.99%   4.19%   4.34%     -0.20%       -0.35%       4.18%   4.39%     -0.21%      
                                                       
    Share Ratios & Data                                                  
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.21 $ 0.25 $ 0.28   $ (0.04 ) -16% $ (0.07 ) -25% $ 0.93 $ 1.40   $ (0.47 )    
    Diluted earning per share $ 0.21 $ 0.25 $ 0.28   $ (0.04 ) -16% $ (0.07 ) -25% $ 0.92 $ 1.40   $ (0.48 )    
    Book value per share(3) $ 11.26 $ 11.78 $ 11.04   $ (0.52 ) -4% $ 0.22   2%                    
    Tangible book value per share(4) $ 9.93 $ 10.47 $ 9.75   $ (0.54 ) -5% $ 0.18   2%                    
    Common shares outstanding   10,110   10,283   10,389     (173 ) -2%   (279 ) -3%                    
    PFLC stock price $ 12.45 $ 11.65 $ 10.70   $ 0.80   7% $ 1.75   16%                    
    Dividends paid per share $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.14   $ –   0% $ –   0% $ 0.56 $ 0.53   $ 0.03   6%  
                                                       
    Balance Sheet Data                                                  
    Assets $ 1,153,563 $ 1,158,410 $ 1,148,899   $ (4,847 ) 0% $ 4,664   0%                    
    Portfolio Loans $ 704,865 $ 699,603 $ 685,349   $ 5,262   1% $ 19,516   3%                    
    Deposits $ 1,014,731 $ 1,011,473 $ 1,009,292   $ 3,258   0% $ 5,439   1%                    
    Investments $ 304,502 $ 296,792 $ 293,579   $ 7,710   3% $ 10,923   4%                    
    Shareholders equity $ 113,856 $ 121,087 $ 114,691   $ (7,231 ) -6% $ (835 ) -1%                    
                                                       
    Liquidity Ratios                                                  
    Short-term funding to uninsured                                                  
    and uncollateralized deposits   217%   229%   243%     -12%       -26%                        
    Uninsured and uncollateralized                                                  
    deposits to total deposits   25%   25%   23%     0%       2%                        
    Portfolio loans to deposits ratio   69%   69%   67%     0%       2%                        
                                                       
    Asset Quality Ratios                                                  
    Non-performing assets to assets   0.09%   0.10%   0.06%     -0.01%       0.03%                        
    Non-accrual loans to portfolio loans   0.16%   0.16%   0.10%     0.00%       0.06%                        
    Loan losses to avg portfolio loans   -0.04%   -0.01%   -0.01%     -0.03%       -0.03%       0.00%   0.03%     -0.03%      
    ACL to portfolio loans   1.26%   1.27%   1.24%     -0.01%       0.02%                        
                                                       
    Capital Ratios (PFC)                                                  
    Total risk-based capital ratio   17.5%   17.9%   17.7%     -0.4%       -0.2%                        
    Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio   16.3%   16.7%   16.5%     -0.4%       -0.2%                        
    Common equity tier 1 ratio   14.7%   15.0%   14.9%     -0.3%       -0.2%                        
    Leverage ratio   11.3%   11.6%   11.3%     -0.3%       0.0%                        
    Tangible common equity ratio   8.8%   9.4%   8.9%     -0.6%       -0.1%                        
                                                       
    (1) Non-interest expense divided by net interest income plus noninterest income.
    (2) Tax-exempt income has been adjusted to a tax equivalent basis at a rate of 21%.
    (3) Book value per share is calculated as the total common shareholders’ equity divided by the period ending number of common stock shares outstanding.
    (4) Tangible book value per share is calculated as the total common shareholders’ equity less total intangible assets and liabilities, divided by the period ending number of common stock shares outstanding.
     
    INCOME STATEMENT (unaudited) Quarter Ended   Change From   Twelve Months Ended   Change  
           
    ($ in 000s)                                                      
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31,   Dec 31,            
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024   2023     $ %  
    Interest Income                                                      
    Loan interest & fee income $ 10,340   $ 10,520   $ 9,872   $ (180 ) -2% $ 468   5% $ 41,192 $ 37,037   $ 4,155   11%  
    Interest bearing cash income   942     1,108     1,440     (166 ) -15%   (498 ) -35%   3,833   9,109     (5,276 ) -58%  
    Investment income   2,590     2,503     2,501     87   3%   89   4%   9,978   9,334     644   7%  
    Interest Income   13,872     14,131     13,813     (259 ) -2%   59   0%   55,003   55,480     (477 ) -1%  
                                                           
    Interest Expense                                                      
    Deposits interest expense   2,796     2,684     1,914     112   4%   882   46%   9,829   5,351     4,478   84%  
    Other borrowings interest expense   225     243     247     (18 ) -7%   (22 ) -9%   951   929     22   2%  
    Interest Expense   3,021     2,927     2,161     94   3%   860   40%   10,780   6,280     4,500   72%  
    Net Interest Income   10,851     11,204     11,652     (353 ) -3%   (801 ) -7%   44,223   49,200     (4,977 ) -10%  
    Provision (benefit) for credit losses   (103 )   (66 )   111     (37   56%   (214 ) -193%   168   520     (352 ) -68%  
    Net Interest Income after provision   10,954     11,270     11,541     (316 ) -3%   (587 ) -5%   44,055   48,680     (4,625 ) -10%  
                                                           
    Non-Interest Income                                                      
    Fees and service charges   1,267     1,225     1,242     42   3%   25   2%   4,791   4,937     (146 ) -3%  
    Gain on sale of investments, net   –     –     –     –   -100%   –   -100%   121   (154 )   275   -179%  
    Gain on sale of loans, net   267     267     95     –   0%   172   181%   1,132   635     497   78%  
    Income on bank-owned insurance   250     188     176     62   33%   74   42%   800   685     115   17%  
    Other non-interest income   (9 )   7     16     (16 ) -229%   (25 ) -156%   25   69     (44 ) -64%  
    Non-Interest Income   1,775     1,687     1,529     88   5%   246   16%   6,869   6,172     697   11%  
                                                           
    Non-Interest Expense                                                      
    Salaries and employee benefits   6,288     6,341     5,787     (53 ) -1%   501   9%   24,944   22,793     2,151   9%  
    Occupancy   768     601     679     167   28%   89   13%   2,574   2,215     359   16%  
    Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment   289     286     301     3   1%   (12 ) -4%   1,127   1,109     18   2%  
    Marketing & donations   149     201     169     (52 ) -26%   (20 ) -12%   680   549     131   24%  
    Professional services   267     233     342     34   15%   (75 ) -22%   1,163   1,283     (120 ) -9%  
    Data Processing & IT   1,380     1,185     1,223     195   16%   157   13%   4,921   4,713     208   4%  
    Other   934     883     1,019     51   6%   (85 ) -8%   3,775   4,194     (419 ) -10%  
    Non-Interest Expense   10,075     9,730     9,520     345   4%   555   6%   39,184   36,856     2,328   6%  
    Income before income taxes   2,654     3,227     3,550     (573 ) -18%   (896 ) -25%   11,740   17,996     (6,256 ) -35%  
    Provision for income taxes   492     633     608     (141 ) -22%   (116 ) -19%   2,208   3,391     (1,183 ) -35%  
    Net Income $ 2,162   $ 2,594   $ 2,942   $ (432 ) -17%   (780 ) -27% $ 9,532 $ 14,605   $ (5,073 ) -35%  
                                                           
    Effective tax rate   18.5%     19.6%     17.1%     -1.1%       1.4%       18.8%   18.8%     0.0%      
     
    BALANCE SHEET (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Total  
    ($ in 000s)      
                                                   
        Dec 31,    Sep 30,    Dec 31,      Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024    2024    2023      $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Assets                                              
    Cash on hand and in banks $ 18,136   $ 20,621   $ 16,716     $ (2,485 ) -12% $ 1,420   8%   2% 2% 1%  
    Interest bearing deposits   62,015     80,522     91,355       (18,507 ) -23%   (29,340 ) -32%   6% 7% 8%  
    Investment securities   304,502     296,792     293,579       7,710   3%   10,923   4%   26% 26% 26%  
    Loans held-for-sale   –     140     1,103       (140 ) -100%   (1,103 ) -100%   0% 0% 0%  
    Portfolio Loans, net of deferred fees   704,248     698,974     684,554       5,274   1%   19,694   3%   61% 60% 60%  
    Allowance for credit losses   (8,851 )   (8,897 )   (8,530 )     46   -1%   (321 ) 4%   -1% -1% -1%  
    Net loans   695,397     690,077     676,024       5,320   1%   19,373   3%   60% 60% 59%  
    Premises & equipment   16,952     17,124     15,579       (172 ) -1%   1,373   9%   1% 1% 1%  
    Goodwill & Other Intangibles   13,435     13,435     13,435       –   0%   –   0%   1% 1% 1%  
    Bank-owned life Insurance   28,333     28,084     27,497       249   1%   836   3%   2% 2% 2%  
    Other assets   14,793     11,615     13,611       3,178   27%   1,182   9%   2% 2% 2%  
    Total Assets $ 1,153,563   $ 1,158,410   $ 1,148,899     $ (4,847 ) 0% $ 4,664   0%   100% 100% 100%  
                                                   
    Liabilities & Shareholders’ Equity                                              
    Deposits $ 1,014,731   $ 1,011,473   $ 1,009,292     $ 3,258   0% $ 5,439   1%   88% 88% 88%  
    Borrowings   13,403   $ 13,403   $ 13,403       –   0%   –   0%   1% 1% 1%  
    Other liabilities   11,573   $ 12,447   $ 11,513       (874 )  -7%   60   1%   1% 1% 1%  
    Shareholders’ equity   113,856   $ 121,087   $ 114,691       (7,231 ) -6%   (835 ) -1%   10% 10% 10%  
    Liabilities & Shareholders’ Equity $ 1,153,563   $ 1,158,410   $ 1,148,899     $ (4,847 ) 0% $ 4,664   0%   100% 100% 100%  
                                                   
    INVESTMENT COMPOSITION & CONCENTRATIONS (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Total  
         
    ($ in 000s)                                              
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Investment Securities                                              
    Collateralized mortgage obligations $ 147,262   $ 141,842   $ 126,949     $ 5,420   4% $ 20,313   16%   48% 48% 43%  
    Mortgage backed securities   46,112     41,264     38,103       4,848   12%   8,009   21%   15% 14% 13%  
    U.S. Government and agency securities   67,716     68,961     83,748       (1,245 ) -2%   (16,032 ) -19%   22% 23% 29%  
    Municipal securities   43,412     44,725     44,779       (1,313 ) -3%   (1,367 ) -3%   15% 15% 15%  
    Investment Securities $ 304,502   $ 296,792   $ 293,579     $ 7,710   3% $ 10,923 ) 4%   100% 100% 100%  
                                                   
    Held to maturity securities $ 41,442   $ 42,301   $ 55,454     $ (859 ) -2% $ (14,012 ) -25%   14% 14% 19%  
    Available for sale securities $ 263,060   $ 254,491   $ 238,125     $ 8,569   3% $ 24,935   10%   86% 86% 81%  
                                                   
    Government & Agency securities $ 261,063   $ 252,039   $ 248,768     $ 9,024   4% $ 12,295   5%   86% 85% 85%  
    AAA, AA, A rated securities $ 42,773   $ 44,084   $ 43,687     $ (1,311 ) -3% $ (914 ) -2%   14% 15% 15%  
    Non-rated securities $ 666   $ 669   $ 1,124     $ (3 ) 0% $ (458 ) -41%   0% 0% 0%  
                                                   
    AFS Unrealized Gain (Loss) $ (22,437 ) $ (14,804 ) $ (20,808 )   $ (7,633 ) 52% $ (1,629 ) 8%   -7% -5% -7%  
     
    PORTFOLIO LOAN COMPOSITION & CONCENTRATIONS (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Total  
         
    ($ in 000s)                                              
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Portfolio Loans                                              
    Commercial & agriculture $ 75,240   $ 73,002   $ 75,444     $ 2,238   3% $ (204 ) 0%   10% 10% 11%  
    Real estate:                                              
    Construction and development   42,725     46,569     48,720       (3,844 ) -8%   (5,995 ) -12%   6% 7% 7%  
    Residential 1-4 family   103,489     105,298     96,301       (1,809 ) -2%   7,188   7%   15% 15% 14%  
    Multi-family   68,978     60,773     51,025       8,205   14%   17,953   35%   10% 9% 7%  
    CRE — owner occupied   165,120     167,086     164,443       (1,966 ) -1%   677   0%   23% 24% 24%  
    CRE — non owner occupied   159,582     157,347     155,280       2,235   1%   4,302   3%   23% 22% 23%  
    Farmland   26,864     26,553     27,273       311   1%   (409 ) -1%   4% 4% 4%  
    Consumer   62,867     62,975     66,863       (108 ) 0%   (3,996 ) -6%   9% 9% 10%  
    Portfolio Loans   704,865     699,603     685,349       5,262   1%   19,516   3%   100% 100% 100%  
    Less: ACL   (8,851 )   (8,897 )   (8,530 )                            
    Less: deferred fees   (617 )   (629 )   (795 )                            
    Net loans $ 695,397   $ 690,077   $ 676,024                              
                                                   
    Regulatory Commercial Real Estate $ 267,857   $ 261,292   $ 252,493     $ 6,565   3% $ 15,364   6%   38% 37% 37%  
    Total Risk Based Capital(1) $ 139,458   $ 140,971   $ 138,449     $ (1,513 ) -1% $ 1,009   1%          
    CRE to Risk Based Capital(1)   192%     185%     182%           7%       10%          
     
    CRE–MULTI-FAMILY & NON OWNER OCCUPIED COMPOSITION (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Total  
         
    ($ in 000s)                                        
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Collateral Composition(2)                                        
    Multifamily $ 73,575 $ 63,099 $ 59,557   $ 10,476   17% $ 14,018   24%   30% 27% 27%  
    Retail   36,813   37,685   29,470     (872 ) -2%   7,343   25%   15% 16% 13%  
    Hospitality   31,369   30,844   31,657     525   2%   (288 ) -1%   13% 13% 14%  
    Mini Storage   25,028   25,758   21,625     (730 ) -3%   3,403   16%   10% 11% 10%  
    Office   23,921   22,921   23,626     1,000   4%   295   1%   10% 10% 11%  
    Mixed Use   22,662   22,708   26,329     (46 ) 0%   (3,667 ) -14%   9% 10% 12%  
    Industrial   14,723   13,912   11,410     811   6%   3,313   29%   6% 6% 5%  
    Warehouse   7,531   7,582   6,169     (51 ) -1%   1,362   22%   3% 3% 3%  
    Special Purpose   6,921   6,968   7,102     (47 ) -1%   (181 ) -3%   3% 3% 3%  
    Other   3,155   3,174   3,326     (19 ) -1%   (171 ) -5%   1% 1% 2%  
    Total $ 245,698 $ 234,651 $ 220,271   $ 11,047   5% $ 25,427   12%   100% 100% 100%  
                                             
    (1) Bank of the Pacific                                        
    (2) Includes loans in process of construction                                        
     
    CREDIT QUALITY (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from  
       
    ($ in 000s)   Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %  
    Risk Rating Distribution                                
    Pass $ 691,350 $ 691,199 $ 674,992   $ 151   0% $ 16,358   2%  
    Special Mention   10,811   4,789   4,669     6,022   126%   6,142   132%  
    Substandard   2,704   3,615   5,688     (911 ) -25%   (2,984 ) -52%  
    Portfolio Loans $ 704,865 $ 699,603 $ 685,349   $ 5,262   1% $ 19,516   3%  
                                     
    Nonperforming Assets                                
    Nonaccruing loans   1,094   1,138   664   $ (44 ) -4%   430   65%  
    Other real estate owned   –   –   –     –   0%   –   0%  
    Nonperforming Assets $ 1,094 $ 1,138 $ 664   $ (44 ) -4%   430   65%  
                                     
    Credit Metrics                                
    Classified loans1 to portfolio loans   0.38%   0.52%   0.83%     -0.14%       -0.45%      
    ACL to classified loans1   327.33%   246.11%   149.96%     81.22%       177.37%      
    Loans past due 30+ days to portfolio loans2   0.14%   0.03%   0.08%     0.11%       0.06%      
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.09%   0.10%   0.06%     -0.01%       0.03%      
    Nonaccruing loans to portfolio loans   0.16%   0.16%   0.10%     0.00%       0.06%      
                                     
    (1) Classified loans include loans rated substandard or worse and are defined as loans having a well-defined weakness or weaknesses related to the borrower’s financial capacity or to pledged collateral that may jeopardize the repayment of the debt. They are characterized by the possibility that the Bank may sustain some loss if the deficiencies giving rise to the substandard classification are not corrected.
    (2) Excludes non-accrual loans
                                     
    DEPOSIT COMPOSITION & CONCENTRATIONS (unaudited) Period Ended   Change from   % of Total  
         
    ($ in 000s)                                        
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, Sep 30, Dec 31,  
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024 2024 2023  
    Deposits                                        
    Interest-bearing demand $ 194,526 $ 183,337 $ 183,436   $ 11,189   6% $ 11,090   6%   19% 18% 18%  
    Money market   193,324   192,185   179,344     1,139   1%   13,980   8%   19% 19% 18%  
    Savings   115,520   117,131   136,408     (1,611 ) -1%   (20,888 ) -15%   11% 12% 13%  
    Time deposits (CDs)   135,485   133,995   100,832     1,490   1%   34,653   34%   13% 13% 10%  
    Total interest-bearing deposits   638,855   626,648   600,020     12,207   2%   38,835   6%   62% 62% 59%  
    Non-interest bearing demand   375,876   384,825   409,272     (8,949 ) -2%   (33,396 ) -8%   38% 38% 41%  
    Total deposits $ 1,014,731 $ 1,011,473 $ 1,009,292   $ 3,258   0% $ 5,439   1%   100% 100% 100%  
                                             
    Insured Deposits $ 629,600 $ 636,725 $ 647,330   $ (7,125 ) -1% $ (393,526 ) -61%   62% 63% 64%  
    Collateralized Deposits   131,327   122,448   129,895     8,879   7%   1,432   1%   13% 12% 13%  
    Uninsured Deposits   253,804   252,300   232,067     1,504   1%   397,533   171%   25% 25% 23%  
    Total Deposits $ 1,014,731 $ 1,011,473 $ 1,009,292   $ 3,258   0% $ 5,439   1%   100% 100% 100%  
                                             
    Consumer Deposits $ 466,826 $ 458,097 $ 470,425   $ 8,729   2% $ (3,599 ) -1%   46% 45% 46%  
    Business Deposits   406,308   420,845   398,977     (14,537 ) -3%   7,331   2%   40% 42% 40%  
    Public Deposits   141,597   132,531   139,890     9,066   7%   1,707   1%   14% 13% 14%  
    Total Deposits $ 1,014,731 $ 1,011,473 $ 1,009,292   $ 3,258   0% $ 5,439   1%   100% 100% 100%  
                                             
    NET INTEREST MARGIN (unaudited) Quarter Ended   Change From   Twelve Months Ended   Change   
           
    ($ in 000s)                                                  
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31,   Dec 31,            
        2024   2024   2023     $   %   $   %   2024   2023     $ %  
                                                       
    Average Interest Bearing Balances                                                  
    Portfolio loans $ 703,811 $ 697,904 $ 675,622   $ 5,907   1% $ 28,189   4% $ 697,527 $ 659,165   $ 38,362   6%  
    Loans held for sale $ 1,033 $ 1,276 $ 709   $ (243 ) -19% $ 324   46% $ 1,125 $ 628   $ 497   79%  
    Investment securities $ 302,501 $ 285,947 $ 289,245   $ 16,554   6% $ 13,256   5% $ 291,133 $ 286,473   $ 4,660   2%  
    Interest-bearing cash $ 78,296 $ 81,755 $ 105,177   $ (3,459 ) -4% $ (26,881 ) -26% $ 72,893 $ 180,781   $ (107,888 ) -60%  
    Total interest-earning assets $ 1,085,641 $ 1,066,882 $ 1,070,753   $ 18,759   2% $ 14,888   1% $ 1,062,678 $ 1,127,047   $ (64,369 ) -6%  
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 388,227 $ 383,332 $ 419,994   $ 4,895   1% $ (31,767 ) -8% $ 388,561 $ 448,234   $ (59,673 ) -13%  
    Interest-bearing deposits $ 628,475 $ 615,388 $ 593,464   $ 13,087   2% $ 35,011   6% $ 607,678 $ 620,026   $ (12,348 ) -2%  
    Total Deposits $ 1,016,702 $ 998,720 $ 1,013,458   $ 17,982   2% $ 3,244   0% $ 996,239 $ 1,068,260   $ (72,021 ) -7%  
    Borrowings $ 13,403 $ 13,403 $ 13,403   $ –   0% $ –   0% $ 13,403 $ 13,401   $ 2   0%  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities $ 641,878 $ 628,791 $ 606,867   $ 13,087   2% $ 35,011   6% $ 621,081 $ 633,427   $ (12,346 ) -2%  
                                                       
    Yield / Cost $(1)                                                  
    Portfolio loans $ 10,336 $ 10,509 $ 9,879   $ (173 ) -2% $ 457   5% $ 41,169 $ 37,088   $ 4,081   11%  
    Loans held for sale $ 16 $ 22 $ 12   $ (6 ) -27% $ 4   33% $ 71 $ 39   $ 32   82%  
    Investment securities $ 2,622 $ 2,535 $ 2,536   $ 87   3% $ 86   3% $ 10,107 $ 9,489   $ 618   7%  
    Interest-bearing cash $ 942 $ 1,108 $ 1,440   $ (166 ) -15% $ (498 ) -35% $ 3,833 $ 9,109   $ (5,276 ) -58%  
    Total interest-earning assets $ 13,916 $ 14,174 $ 13,867   $ (258 ) -2% $ 49   0% $ 55,180 $ 55,725   $ (545 ) -1%  
    Interest-bearing deposits $ 2,796 $ 2,684 $ 1,914   $ 112   4% $ 882   46% $ 9,829 $ 5,351   $ 4,478   84%  
    Borrowings $ 225 $ 243 $ 247   $ (18 ) -7% $ (22 ) -9% $ 951 $ 929   $ 22   2%  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities $ 3,021 $ 2,927 $ 2,161   $ 94   3% $ 860   40% $ 10,780 $ 6,280   $ 4,500   72%  
    Net interest income $ 10,895 $ 11,247 $ 11,706   $ (352 ) -3% $ (811 ) -7% $ 44,400 $ 49,445   $ (5,045 ) -10%  
                                                       
    Yield / Cost %(1)                                                  
    Yield on portfolio loans   5.84%   5.99%   5.80%     -0.15%       0.04%       5.90%   5.63%     0.27%      
    Yield on investment securities   3.45%   3.53%   3.48%     -0.08%       -0.03%       3.47%   3.31%     0.16%      
    Yield on interest-bearing cash   4.79%   5.39%   5.44%     -0.60%       -0.65%       5.26%   5.04%     0.22%      
    Cost of interest-bearing deposits   1.77%   1.74%   1.28%     0.03%       0.49%       1.62%   0.86%     0.76%      
    Cost of borrowings   6.68%   7.21%   7.31%     -0.53%       -0.63%       7.10%   6.93%     0.17%      
    Cost of deposits and borrowings   1.17%   1.15%   0.83%     0.02%       0.34%       1.07%   0.58%     0.49%      
                                                       
    Yield on interest-earning assets   5.10%   5.29%   5.14%     -0.19%       -0.04%       5.19%   4.94%     0.25%      
    Cost of interest-bearing liabilities   1.87%   1.85%   1.41%     0.02%       0.46%       1.74%   0.99%     0.75%      
    Net interest spread   3.23%   3.44%   3.73%     -0.21%       -0.50%       3.45%   3.95%     -0.50%      
    Net interest margin   3.99%   4.19%   4.34%     -0.20%       -0.35%       4.18%   4.39%     -0.21%      
                                                       
    (1) Tax-exempt income has been adjusted to a tax equivalent basis at a rate of 21%.
                                                       
    ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (ACL) (unaudited) Quarter Ended   Change From   Twelve Months Ended   Change   
           
    ($ in 000s)                                                            
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Dec 31,     Sep 30, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31,   Dec 31,            
        2024   2024   2023     $ %   $ %   2024   2023     $ %  
    Allowance for Credit Losses                                                            
    Beginning of period balance $ 8,897   $ 8,859   $ 8,347     $ 38   0% $ 550   7% $ 8,530   $ 8,236     $ 294   4%  
    Impact of CECL Adoption (ASC 326)   –     –     –       –   -100%   –   -100%   –     (157 )     157   -100%  
    Charge-offs   (32 )   (5 )   (20 )     (27 ) 540%   (12 ) 60%   (129 )   (279 )     150   -54%  
    Recoveries   105     16     41       89   556%   64   156%   124     96       28   29%  
    Net (charge-off) recovery   73     11     21       62   564%   52   248%   (5 )   (183 )     178   -97%  
    Provision (benefit)   (119 )   27     162       (146 ) -541%   (281 ) -173%   326     634       (308 ) -49%  
    End of period balance $ 8,851   $ 8,897   $ 8,530     $ (46 ) -1% $ 321   4% $ 8,851   $ 8,530     $ 321   4%  
                                                                 
    Net charge-off (recovery) to                                                            
    average portfolio loans   -0.04%     -0.01%     -0.01%       -0.03%       -0.03%       0.00%     0.03%       -0.03%      
    ACL to portfolio loans   1.26%     1.27%     1.24%       -0.01%       0.02%       1.26%     1.24%       0.02%      
                                                                 
    Allowance for unfunded loans                                                            
    Beginning of period balance $ 524   $ 617   $ 749     $ (93 ) -15% $ (225 ) -30% $ 698   $ 203     $ 495   244%  
    Impact of CECL Adoption (ASC 326)   –     –     –       –   -100%   –   -100%   –     609       (609 ) -100%  
    Provision (benefit)   16     (93 )   (51 )     109   -117%   67   -131%   (158 )   (114 )     (44 ) 39%  
    End of period balance $ 540   $ 524   $ 698     $ 16   3% $ (158 ) -23% $ 540   $ 698     $ (158 ) -23%  
                                                                 

    ABOUT PACIFIC FINANCIAL CORPORATION

    Pacific Financial Corporation of Aberdeen, Washington, is the bank holding company for Bank of the Pacific, a state chartered and federally insured commercial bank. Bank of the Pacific offers banking products and services to small-to-medium sized businesses and professionals in western Washington and Oregon. At December 31, 2024, the Company had total assets of $1.15 billion and operated fifteen branches in the communities of Grays Harbor, Pacific, Thurston, Whatcom, Skagit, Clark and Wahkiakum counties in the State of Washington, and three branches in the communities of Clatsop and Clackamas counties in Oregon. The Company also operated loan production offices in the communities of Burlington, Washington and Salem, Oregon. Visit the Company’s website at www.bankofthepacific.com. Member FDIC.

    Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other laws, including all statements in this release that are not historical facts or that relate to future plans or events or projected results of Pacific Financial Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bank of the Pacific. Such statements are based on information available at the time of communication and are based on current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied, and could negatively impact the Company’s operating and stock price performance. These risks and uncertainties include various risks associated with growing the Bank and expanding the services it provides, development of new business lines and markets, competition in the marketplace, general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, extensive and evolving regulation of the banking industry, and many other risks. Any forward-looking statements in this communication are based on information at the time the statement is made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Readers of this release are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Anthony Rogers appointed new Chief Inspector of HMCPSI

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Attorney General Lord Hermer KC has announced that Anthony Rogers has been appointed to the role of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of HMCPSI.

    Portrait of HMCPSI Chief Inspector Anthony Rogers

    The Attorney General Lord Hermer KC has today announced that Anthony Rogers has been appointed to the role of Chief Inspector of His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI).

    The appointment follows Anthony Rogers’ selection as the government’s preferred candidate in December 2024 and his appearance before the Justice Select Committee for a pre-appointment hearing on 28 January 2025. The committee recommended Anthony Rogers’ appointment.

    Anthony Rogers has served as interim Chief Inspector since February 2024 and he was selected following a fair and open assessment process conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The Attorney General Lord Hermer KC said:

    I would like to congratulate Anthony on his appointment as the next Chief Inspector of HMCPSI. Anthony brings extensive experience to this important role, having delivered some of HMCPSI’s most significant inspections in recent years and served expertly in the role in an interim capacity since last year.

    His support and insight will be invaluable as we work to improve the performance of the organisations HMCPSI inspects and rebuild people’s trust in the rule of law as part of this government’s Plan for Change.

    Chief Inspector Anthony Rogers said:  

    I am extremely proud to be appointed as Chief Inspector of HMCPSI. The work of the inspectorate strengthens the criminal justice system and lets the public know how the CPS and SFO are performing.

    I have a clear vision of how HMCPSI will build on its 25 years of experience to continue to make a real difference. Our work will continue to drive improvement and deliver a fairer and more effective justice system for all.

    Anthony Rogers’ Biography

    Since February 2024, Anthony Rogers has been Interim HM Chief Inspector of HMCPSI. He was Deputy Chief Inspector of HMCPSI between April 2018 and February 2024, during which he was seconded for six months to the Independent Review of the SFO’s handling of the Unaoil Case, giving evidence to the Justice Select Committee.

    While interim Chief Inspector, Anthony has overseen the publication of five inspection reports, including the review into CPS’s actions in the Valdo Calocane case and an inspection by invitation of the Services Prosecuting Authority.

    October 2025 will see HMCPSI mark its 25th anniversary and Anthony has set an ambitious programme of inspections for 2025, including an inspection on handling of rape cases in the CPS and an inspection by invitation of the Health and Safety Executive.

    Anthony has extensive Civil Service experience going back to 1989 and has worked in a number of different government departments. Between 2013 and 2016 he worked for the Crown Prosecution Service including as an Area Business Manager, jointly responsible for the senior leadership of the Crown Prosecution Service London and Head of Profession for operational delivery; and Head of Compliance, Assurance and Support, responsible for the development, design and implementation of a new Crown Prosecution Service national strategy.

    Anthony has extensive experience outside the Civil Service as a management consultant and non-executive director. Anthony was previously a non-executive director of the Yorkshire Sport Foundation and former chair of trustees of SportsAid Yorkshire and Humberside.

    Role of Chief Inspector of HMCPSI

    His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of HMCPSI is appointed by the Attorney General. This is a public appointment for a fixed term of five years and the Chief Inspector acts independently of the Attorney General and of government.

    HMCPSI has a statutory duty to inspect the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office and report to the Law Officers, who superintends both those organisations. HMCPSI’s reports play an important role in effective superintendence of CPS and SFO, as well as improving the performance of the organisations HMCPSI inspects, strengthening the criminal justice system, and increasing public trust. HMCPSI is also able to inspect other organisations if invited to do so.

    The operational relationship between the Attorney General and the Chief Inspector is set out in a protocol agreed between the Law Officers and the Chief Inspector.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Jakob Forssmed appointed Vice-Chair of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Jakob Forssmed appointed Vice-Chair of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance – Government.se

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    Press release from Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

    Published

    Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed has been appointed Vice-Chair of the Global Leaders Group (GLG) on Antimicrobial Resistance, a UN body made up of politicians and experts.

    Jakob Forssmed has been a GLG member since February 2023. Foto: Fotograf Kristian Pohl AB/Government offices of Sweden

    “I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue working with the GLG, now in the role of Vice-Chair. Global leadership on this issue is needed more than ever – it is now time to begin the work to achieve the goals that world leaders agreed on at last autumn’s high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, but also to push ahead with other issues where agreement was not possible,” says Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed. 

    The GLG includes world leaders and experts from across sectors working together to accelerate political action on antimicrobial resistance. The GLG was established in 2020 under the United Nations and meets quarterly. The Group is also supported by four UN organisations: the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

    Jakob Forssmed has been a GLG member since February 2023.

    Antimicrobial resistance

    In brief, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) develop resistance to treatment. In particular, bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics are a growing threat to health and food production worldwide. Just like other bacteria, resistant bacteria can be transmitted between people, animals and food, and can spread in our environment. This means that a number of areas, including human and animal health, the environment, research, education, trade and international development cooperation need to be involved to combat AMR using a cross-sectoral, One Health approach. Resistance to antimicrobials in general, including antibiotics, is a global problem.

    Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed is the government minister with responsibility for AMR issues.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Ivanov Dynasty

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Five generations of the Ivanov family are closely connected with the Polytechnic University. Evgeny Aleksandrovich Ivanov was among the first students, and his son Konstantin also became a Polytechnician. Both grandsons of the first representative of the dynasty, Vadim and Aleksandr, have been working at the university for several decades now. Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of the Physics Department of the Institute of Physics and Mathematics V. K. Ivanov told about the history of his family and about how the family tradition is continued by his children and grandchildren.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities with Certain Patient Monitors from Contec and Epsimed: FDA Safety Communication

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    Date Issued: January 30, 2025 

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is raising awareness among health care providers, health care facilities, patients, and caregivers that cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Contec CMS8000 patient monitors and Epsimed MN-120 patient monitors (which are Contec CMS8000 patient monitors relabeled as MN-120) may put patients at risk after being connected to the internet.

    Three cybersecurity vulnerabilities have been identified:

    • The patient monitor may be remotely controlled by an unauthorized user or not work as intended.
    • The software on the patient monitors includes a backdoor, which may mean that the device or the network to which the device has been connected may have been or could be compromised.
    • Once the patient monitor is connected to the internet, it begins gathering patient data, including personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), and exfiltrating (withdrawing) the data outside of the health care delivery environment.

    These cybersecurity vulnerabilities can allow unauthorized actors to bypass cybersecurity controls, gaining access to and potentially manipulating the device.

    The FDA is not aware of any cybersecurity incidents, injuries, or deaths related to these cybersecurity vulnerabilities at this time. 

    Recommendations for Patients and Caregivers  

    • Talk to your health care provider about whether your device relies on remote monitoring features. Remote monitoring means the device uses an internet connection to allow a health care provider to evaluate patient vital signs from another location (such as a remote monitoring system or central monitoring system).
      • If your health care provider confirms that your device relies on remote monitoring features, unplug the device and stop using it. Talk to your health care provider about finding an alternative patient monitor. 
      • If your device does not rely on remote monitoring features, use only the local monitoring features of the patient monitor. This means unplugging the device’s ethernet cable and disabling wireless (that is, WiFi or cellular) capabilities, so that patient vital signs are only observed by a caregiver or health care provider in the physical presence of a patient. 
        • If you cannot disable the wireless capabilities, unplug the device and stop using it. Talk to your health care provider about finding an alternative patient monitor.   
    • Be aware the FDA is not aware of any cybersecurity incidents, injuries, or deaths related to this vulnerability at this time.
    • Report any problems or complications with your Contec CMS8000 patient monitor or Epsimed MN-120 patient monitor to the FDA. 

    Recommendations for Health Care Providers

    • Work with health care facility staff to determine if a patient’s Contec CMS8000 patient monitor or Epsimed MN-120 patient monitor may be affected and how to reduce any associated risk.  
    • Read and follow the recommendations for patients and caregivers in this safety communication. 
    • Check the Contec CMS8000 patient monitors and Epsimed MN-120 patient monitors for any signs of unusual functioning, such as inconsistencies between the displayed patient vitals and the patient’s actual physical state. 
    • Report any problems with your Contec CMS8000 patient monitor or Epsimed MN-120 patient monitor to the FDA. 

    Recommendations for Health Care Facility Staff (including Information Technology (IT) and Cybersecurity Staff)  

    • Use only the local monitoring features of the device.
      • If your patient monitor relies on remote monitoring features, unplug the device and stop using it. 
      • If your device does not rely on remote monitoring features, unplug the device’s ethernet cable and disable wireless (that is, WiFi or cellular) capabilities. If you cannot disable the wireless capabilities, then continuing to use the device will expose the device to the backdoor and possible continued patient data exfiltration.
    • Review the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) “Mitigations” section in the vulnerabilities related advisory.  
    • Be aware, at this time there is no software patch available to help mitigate this risk.
    • Check the Contec CMS8000 patient monitors and Epsimed MN-120 patient monitors for any signs of unusual functioning, such as inconsistencies between the displayed patient vitals and the patient’s actual physical state. 
    • Report any problems with your Contec CMS8000 patient monitor or Epsimed MN-120 patient monitor to the FDA.

    Device Description

    Patient monitors are used in health care and home settings for displaying information, such as the vital signs of a patient, including temperature, heartbeat, and blood pressure.

    Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities May Affect Contec CMS8000 and Epsimed MN-120 Patient Monitors

    Three cybersecurity vulnerabilities have been identified, whose potential impacts fall into two main categories. A vulnerable device could be exploited to:

    • Deny access to the device, such as cause the device to crash and be unable to work as intended.
    • Take over the device to remotely control it to perform unexpected or undesired actions, such as corrupting the data.

    The vulnerabilities could allow all vulnerable Contec and Epsimed patient monitors on a given network to be exploited at the same time.

    Additionally, the software on the patient monitors includes a backdoor. “Backdoor” is the term used to describe hidden functionality that device users are not told about and can allow unauthorized actors to bypass cybersecurity controls. The unauthorized actors could access and potentially manipulate the device. Given the backdoor, the device and/or the network to which the device has been connected may have been or could be compromised.

    Also, the FDA has authorized these patient monitors only for wired functionality (that is, ethernet connectivity). However, the FDA is aware that some patient monitors may be available with wireless (that is, WiFi or cellular) capabilities without FDA authorization.

    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has identified that once the patient monitor is connected to the internet, it begins gathering and exfiltrating (withdrawing) patient data outside of the health care delivery environment, including when the device is used in a home setting. The FDA and CISA continue to work with Contec to correct these vulnerabilities as soon as possible.

    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)

    The unique device identifier helps identify individual medical devices, including patient monitors, sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.

    You can identify the devices affected by checking the unique device identifier (UDI), which is a unique numeric or alphanumeric code that generally includes a device identifier (DI) that identifies the labeler and the specific version or model of a device.

    Brand Name Version or Model UDI-DI
    Contec CMS8000  06945040100034
    Epsimed MN-120 N/A

    FDA Actions 

    The FDA takes seriously any reports of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices and will continue to work with Contec and CISA to correct these vulnerabilities as soon as possible.

    The FDA will continue to assess new information concerning the vulnerabilities and will keep the public informed if significant new information becomes available.

    Read more about medical device cybersecurity.

    Reporting Problems with Your Device

    If you think you had a problem with a Contec CMS8000 or Epsimed MN-120 patient monitors, the FDA encourages you to report the problem through the MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form.

    Health care personnel employed by facilities that are subject to the FDA’s user facility reporting requirements should follow the reporting procedures established by their facilities.

    Questions?

    If you have questions,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 1.30.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jan 30, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Jacqueline Yannacci, of Folsom, has been appointed Executive Director of California Volunteers in the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement, where she has been Chief Program Officer since 2020. Yannacci was a Consultant at Jacy Consulting from 2018 to 2020. She held several positions at American Red Cross from 2006 to 2018, including Director of Community Mobilization and Partnerships, Program Manager for Community Resilience, Program Manager for Behavioral Health, and Officer of Mental Health. Yannacci was Program Manager for Knowledge Management at NRI, Inc., from 2005 to 2006, where she was previously Research Associate from 2003 to 2005. She was a Research Associate at Drug Strategies from 1993 to 2003. Yannacci earned a Master of Public Policy degree from American University, and Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science and Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $186,792. Yannacci is a Democrat.

    Leticia Palamidessi, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Communications at the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, where she has been a Supervising Communications Officer since and Lead Communications Officer to the Executive Director at the California Strategic Growth Council since 2024. From 2020 to 2024, Palamidessi was an Executive Marketing Specialist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and prior to that she was an Information Officer for the California Department of Water Resources where she led outreach for the Climate Change Program, Division of Environmental Services, and Division of Engineering. Prior to state service, Palamidessi spent more than a decade elevating community voices and highlighting issues impacting Californians as a member of the media at various new organizations throughout Northern California – including being a General Assignment Reporter and Traffic Anchor for KCRA Channel 3 from 2017 to 2020. She is a California native and product of the state’s junior college and CSU systems, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $141,420. Palamidessi is registered without party preference.

    Carol Dahmen-Eckery, of Carmichael, has been appointed Chief of Strategic Communications at the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Dahmen-Eckery has been Chief Executive Officer of CDE Strategies since 2023. She was Senior Political Manager at Effectv from 2005 to 2022. Dahmen-Eckery was Communications Director at the California Secretary of State’s Office from 2004 to 2005. She was Deputy Communications Director in the Office of Governor Davis from 1999 to 2003. Dahmen-Eckery was Deputy Director of Advance for Gray Davis for Governor from 1998 to 2002. She is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants Board of Directors. Dahmen-Eckery earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Government from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $170,004. Dahmen-Eckery is a Democrat.

    Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Protect Access to Health Care Act Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola has been a Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Founder and Director at the Center of Reducing Health Disparities at University of California, Davis School of Medicine since 2005, and Director of the Community Engagement Program at the Clinical and Translational Science Center since 2006. He was Co-Director at the Latino Aging Research and Resource Center from 2012 to 2016. Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola was a Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fresno from 1990 to 2005. He is a member of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being. Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical-Community Psychology from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Science degree in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Autonomous University of Guadalajara. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Dr. Aguilar-Gaxiola is a Democrat.

    Tam Ma, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Protect Access to Health Care Act Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Ma has been Associate Vice President for Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the University of California Office of the President since 2022. She was a Deputy Legislative Secretary at the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2022. Ma was a Lecturer at the University of California, Davis School of Law in 2022. She was an Assistant Secretary at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2018 to 2019. Ma was Legal and Policy Director at Health Access California from 2015 to 2018. She was a Principal Consultant for the Office of Senator Mark Leno at the California State Senate from 2013 to 2015. Ma was a Lecturer at University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2014. She was an Attorney at Legal Services of Northern California from 2011 to 2013. Ma was a California Senate Fellow and Policy Consultant for the Office of Senator Sheila Kuehl at the California State Senate from 2002 to 2008. She is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Berkeley Law Alumni Association. She earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Ma is a Democrat.
     
    Amy Moy, of Portola Valley, has been appointed to the Protect Access to Health Care Act Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Moy has been Co-Chief Executive Officer at Essential Access Health since 2022, where she was previously Chief External Affairs Officer from 2019 to 2022 and Vice President of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2019. She was a Public Affairs and Community Engagement Strategist for the Women’s Funding Network from 2009 to 2011. Moy was Associate Vice President of Public Affairs at the Planned Parenthood Golden Gate from 2003 to 2009 and Director of the Planned Parenthood Golden Gate Action Fund from 2004 to 2009. She held several roles at Planned Parenthood of New York City from 1999 to 2003, including Director of Community Affairs, Grassroots Manager, and Media Relations Associate. Moy is a member of the Executive Committee of the Family Planning Councils of America. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Ithaca College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Moy is a Democrat.

    Kristen Cerf, of Nevada County, has been appointed to the Protect Access to Health Care Act Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Cerf has been President and Chief Executive Officer at Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan since 2020, where she has held several positions there and at Blue Shield of California since 2016, including Vice President of Medi-Cal Growth Strategy, Chief Legal Officer, and Associate General Counsel. She held several roles at Molina Healthcare from 2010 to 2015, including Associate Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Senior Associate General Counsel and Associate General Counsel. Cerf was an Associate Attorney at Locke Lord LLP from 2007 to 2010. She held several roles at the California Department of Managed Care from 2004 to 2006, including Licensing Counsel, Graduate Legal Assistant and Senior Law Clerk. Cerf is a Board Member of Project Angel Food. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Cerf is a Democrat.

    Dr. Irving Ayala-Rodriguez, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the Protect Access to Health Care Act Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Dr. Ayala-Rodriguez has been Chief Medical Officer with Clinica Sierra Vista since 2022, where he previously served as a Walk-In Clinic Director and Associate Medical Director from 2020 to 2022. He was a Family Medicine Resident at the University of California, Los Angeles from 2016 to 2019. Dr. Ayala-Rodriguez has served on the California Medical Board since 2024. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Dr. Ayala-Rodriguez is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Jan 30, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom is deploying resources and thousands of personnel to communities throughout Northern California in anticipation of a potentially major storm system. SACRAMENTO – With an atmospheric river expected to arrive in Northern…

    Jan 30, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring January 30, 2025, as Fred Korematsu Day.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATION Fred Korematsu did not set out to become a civil rights hero, but…

    Jan 29, 2025

    News What you need to know: As part of ongoing actions to help support workers and businesses impacted by the Los Angeles area fires, Governor Newsom is issuing an executive order to defer licensing fees and streamline requirements for certain small businesses. The…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Honorary King’s Counsel welcomed by Lord Chancellor

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    His Majesty The King has approved the award of 9 new Honorary King’s Counsel (KC Honoris Causa) in England and Wales.

    His Majesty The King has approved the award of nine new Honorary King’s Counsel (KC Honoris Causa). Their biographies are listed below. Honorary KC is awarded to those who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales, outside practice in the courts. 

    The Lord Chancellor will preside over the award ceremony at Westminster Hall in March 2025, where she will formally award the Honorary KC to the successful nominees. 

    Honorary King’s Counsel biographies 

    Professor Martin Dixon  

    Professor Dixon is a legal scholar specialising in real property law. He is the Professor of the Law of Real Property at the University of Cambridge, where he is also Director of the Cambridge Centre for Property Law (CCPL) and a Fellow of Queens’ College. 

    He was nominated for his work on property law through his scholarship, co-authorship of leading practitioner texts, and participation in Law Commission projects. Additionally, for his co-founding of the Modern Studies in Property Law Conference and for his Editorship of The Conveyancer. 

    Rebecca Hilsenrath 

    Rebecca Hilsenrath is a lawyer and public servant with a career spanning corporate law, human rights, and strategic leadership. Currently the interim Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), she has served as Chief Executive of the PHSO, Legal Adviser to the Attorney General, and Chief Executive of LawWorks. Previously, she was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), where she championed equality and tackled human rights issues.   

    She was nominated for her efforts in promoting diversity in panel counsel appointments for the government and at the EHRC, increasing pro bono contributions in the legal sector, and leading international legal engagement in equality and human rights. 

    Rachel Horman-Brown 

    Rachel Horman-Brown is a solicitor focused on cases involving domestic abuse, stalking, coercive control, and forced marriage. As Director, she leads the Family Department at Watson Ramsbottom Solicitors. She is also the Chair of Paladin, the National Stalking Advocacy Service.   

    She was nominated for her campaigning for policy and legislative changes around stalking, domestic abuse, and violence against women and girls. In addition, for her work with Paladin, where she shaped legislation, including for the creation of coercive control as a specific criminal offence. She has also provided evidence to parliamentary committees and advisory groups, thereby influencing police practices and approaches to trauma. 

    Dr Laura Janes  

    Dr Laura Janes is a solicitor specialising in complex cases involving people detained in the criminal justice and mental health systems. As Legal Director at the Howard League for Penal Reform from 2016 to 2022, she led a legal service for young people in custody and spearheaded challenges against practices such as solitary confinement. She is a consultant solicitor at GT Stewart Solicitors and Scott-Moncrieff and Associates. Laura Janes is an advocate for access to justice, having founded Young Legal Aid Lawyers and held leadership roles in several legal organisations. She holds a professional doctorate in youth justice and teaches law at London South Bank University.  

    She was nominated for her contributions to the legal profession promoting access to justice, her work to drive policy changes, representing vulnerable individuals in prison, advocating for the rights of children and young people in custody and reforms to the IPP sentence.   

    Susanna McGibbon  

    Susanna McGibbon is an employed barrister and the current Treasury Solicitor, HM Procurator General and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department (GLD). As the most senior Civil Service lawyer she is head of the Government Legal Profession. Her previous roles include serving as Director of GLD Litigation Group, Legal Director at the Department for Communities and Local Government and Legal Director at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. She is a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn and this year holds the office of Keeper of the Walks. 

    Ms McGibbon was nominated for her legal advice on complex and sensitive issues within government especially in public and administrative law and national security. Also, for her leadership in a range of high-profile cases and inquiries and for her advocacy for diversity and inclusion across the legal profession.   

    Professor Renato Nazzini  

    Professor Nazzini is a legal scholar focusing on competition law, commercial arbitration, and construction law. He is the Director of the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s College London and a partner at LMS Legal LLP.   

    He was nominated for his contributions to competition law by developing policies on collective actions and abuse of dominance, influencing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the 2008 European Commission Guidance on Article 102. He has also contributed to construction law, including by leading the Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at King’s College London, producing reports on construction adjudication and promoting diversity within the field.    

    Susan Willman  

    Susan Willman (known as Sue Willman) is a solicitor specialising in public interest litigation, focusing on human rights, environmental justice, and migrants’ rights. She is a senior consultant at legal aid firm, Deighton Pierce Glynn, and has led cases addressing systemic social and environmental injustices. She is also employed by the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College, London as a Senior Lecturer, and Assistant Director of the King’s Legal Clinic. She has held key leadership roles, including Chair of the Law Society Human Rights Committee.    

    She was nominated for founding the Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP), providing free representation to destitute asylum-seekers. As well as for publishing articles, authoring a series of textbooks on asylum support, and advising a parliamentary committee on an inquiry to drive legislative reforms. 

    Douglas Wilson OBE 

    Douglas Wilson is a government lawyer currently serving as Director General and Head of the Attorney General’s Office. He has previously held positions such as Director of Legal Affairs and International Relations at GCHQ, Legal Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and has served in legal and diplomatic roles at UK posts overseas. 

    He was nominated for advising on issues such as Brexit, military operations, and intelligence cooperation, which shaped the law on the use of military force, cyberspace, and investigatory powers. Furthermore, he has promoted effective and inclusive legal practice within government.  

    Professor Adrian Zuckerman 

    Professor Zuckerman is a scholar in civil procedure and evidence law. He is Emeritus Professor of Civil Procedure at the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of University College, Oxford. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Civil Justice Quarterly and a Consultant Editor of Halsbury’s Laws of England. 

    Professor Zuckerman is a prominent commentator on the administration of civil justice. He has influenced legislative policy and judicial practice, notably through contributions to the Woolf Report on Access to Justice, and the Jackson Review of Civil Litigation Costs. He has campaigned for improving access to court and for making justice available to all at proportionate cost. His work on criminal evidence refocused evidence scholarship around fundamental normative principles. 

    He was nominated for his contributions to the Civil Procedure Rules in England and Wales. His academic work, particularly “Zuckerman on Civil Procedure,” is cited in courts across the common law world. 

    Further information 

    Honorary KC is awarded by HM The King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor is advised by a selection panel of senior representatives from across the legal sector, civil service, judiciary, and academia. More information about the purpose of the award can be found on GOV.UK. 

    For further information, please contact the Ministry of Justice press office. Follow us @MoJGovUK. 

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City centre – updates for St Mary’s Boulevard

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Highway works to help improve road, pedestrian and cycling safety, and support ongoing developments at Riverside Sunderland, are getting underway.

    Works are on St Mary’s Boulevard alongside St Mary’s multi-storey car park and the Holiday Inn hotel.

    The first section of works will see one of the three eastbound lanes next to the multi-storey reallocated to increase the width of the shared footway for pedestrians and cyclists. This is to help make it safer and reduce conflict between pedestrians and cyclists at the multi-storey’s pedestrian entrance.

    The box junction and traffic lights next to the multi-storey will remain. Work, beginning after peak journey hours on Monday 3 February, is expected to take around eight weeks to complete.

    A second set of works is then scheduled on the westbound carriageway of the boulevard alongside the Holiday Inn. This is to introduce a taxi lay-by and improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity at the crossing point between Keel Square, City Hall and to the new Wear footbridge which is due to open this summer.

    This second set of works is expected to also take around eight weeks and all works to be completed by June. Traffic management will be in place throughout the works to minimise any possible disruption.

    Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Net Zero, Councillor Lindsey Leonard said: “As we continue to deliver one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects at Riverside Sunderland, we’re seeing more people living, visiting and working in our city centre.

    “Footfall will increase significantly when Maker and Faber, the new footbridge, and Culture House open later this year and as development of the new Sunderland Eye Hospital, Vaux housing and Riverside Park continue at pace.

    “We can also anticipate more pedestrians as we look forward to being a host city for the women’s rugby World Cup.

    “We’re implementing these changes now to help encourage sustainable travel and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other highways users.

    “In addition, these changes support the delivery of our low carbon framework and City Plan that is creating a more dynamic, healthy, vibrant and smart Sunderland for all residents, businesses and visitors.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Universal health coverage – global health challenges – E-002589/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission remains committed to addressing global health inequalities and reinforcing public health resilience. The Commission will continue to implement Global Gateway[1], which identifies health as one of its five key partnership areas.

    The EU Global Health Strategy[2] serves as the external dimension of the European Health Union[3]. The strategy puts forward three overarching and interrelated priorities: to deliver better health and well-being; to strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage; and to prevent and combat health threats by applying a One Health approach.

    The strategy recognises the importance of mobilising domestic resources in partner countries integrating a ‘health in all policies approach’ and bolstered by innovative financing mechanisms, private sector engagement, and the Team Europe approach.

    The Commission is making progress in implementing the strategy in partnership with different stakeholders at various levels, to support improving health across the world with a particular focus on countries with weaker health systems.

    The EU4Health Regulation[4] provides that a maximum of 12.5% of the EU4Health budget shall be reserved for supporting global commitments and health initiatives.

    The Commission is constantly monitoring this commitment and so far, approximately EUR 55 million have been committed for international health initiatives and cooperation through the EU4Health programme[5].

    The Commission also pledged an additional EUR 125 million contribution[6] for the period 2023-2027 for the Universal Health Coverage Partnership work with global partners.

    Preparatory work for the 2025 EU4Health Work Programme is ongoing with a current focus on its strategic orientations and priorities.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world/global-gateway_en
    • [2] https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/eu-global-health-strategy-better-health-all-changing-world_en
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/european-health-union_en
    • [4] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/522/oj
    • [5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en
    • [6] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_22_7287/IP_22_7287_EN.pdf
    Last updated: 31 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A delegation from the Republic of Indonesia visited NSU on a working visit

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Today, NSU was visited by a delegation from the Republic of Indonesia headed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Jose Antonio Morato Tavares. The meeting was attended by the rector of Novosibirsk State University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    In his welcoming speech, Mikhail Fedoruk emphasized that expanding cooperation with the Republic of Indonesia in the educational and cultural spheres is part of the general vector for developing relations between the region and the largest island state in Southeast Asia.

    — As the Governor of Novosibirsk Oblast Andrey Travnikov noted, in terms of trade turnover, Indonesia already ranks 5-6 among all importing and exporting countries with which Novosibirsk Oblast works. And, of course, there are reserves for further development of cooperation. Therefore, of course, we are interested in expanding our ties, including academic internships, student exchanges, and training Indonesian students here.

    — As for strengthening our cooperation in the field of education, we are interested in specialties related to science, technology, mathematics. We know that Russia is very strong in these areas. The purpose of our visit to Novosibirsk State University is to get acquainted with the university in order to further increase the number of students sent to study in Russia, — said Mr. Jose Antonio Morato Tavares.

    Currently, NSU has four students from the Republic of Indonesia studying, two of them in the General Medicine program. Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, one – on Faculty of Natural Sciences and one – on Faculty of Mechanics and MathematicsDuring the visit to NSU, the students met with the ambassador and shared their impressions of studying at the university.

    — I was looking for a university that taught natural sciences well. When I was choosing a place to study, I learned about Akademgorodok and NSU, and decided to enroll here. I am very excited about the meeting with the ambassador, thanks to her, many Indonesians will learn about NSU and Novosibirsk. I hope that in the future our university will have more students from Indonesia, — said Yusfonda Dellastefani-Laventosa, a third-year student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at NSU.

    — I have been studying at NSU for 5 years now, and I really like it! I hope that our countries will build good relations. I am a little worried, because this is my first time at such a meeting, especially with the Ambassador of Indonesia, I think everything will go well, — shared his emotions 5th-year student of the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology of NSU Ibrahim Fat Audi.

    The delegation of the Republic of Indonesia worked in the Novosibirsk Region for two days. During the visit, a meeting was held with the Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Andrey Travnikov, the delegation visited Akadempark and several Novosibirsk companies, and also took part in the opening of the exhibition “Necklace of the Equator”, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Indonesia. The exhibition will be held in the Novosibirsk State Art Museum until March 2.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai’s response to Pope Francis’s 2025 World Day of Peace message  

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-01-17
    President Lai meets former US Vice President Mike Pence
    On the afternoon of January 17, President Lai Ching-te met with former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence. In remarks, President Lai thanked former Vice President Pence for his contributions to the deepening of Taiwan-US relations, noting that he actively helped to strengthen Taiwan-US cooperation and facilitate the normalization of military sales to Taiwan, and did his utmost to deepen the Taiwan-US economic partnership. The president indicated that former Vice President Pence also spoke up for Taiwan on numerous occasions at international venues, backing Taiwan’s international participation. President Lai expressed hope for a stronger Taiwan-US partnership to maintain peace and stability throughout the world, and that the two sides can advance bilateral exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, and industry. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to welcome former Vice President Pence and Mrs. Karen Pence to the Presidential Office. Former Vice President Pence is not only an outstanding political leader in the US, but also a staunch supporter of Taiwan on the international stage. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest gratitude to former Vice President Pence for his contributions to the deepening of Taiwan-US relations. Thanks to former Vice President Pence’s strong backing, ties between Taiwan and the US rose to unprecedented heights during President Donald Trump’s first administration. Former Vice President Pence actively helped to strengthen Taiwan-US security cooperation and facilitate the normalization of military sales to Taiwan, helping Taiwan reinforce its self-defense capabilities. He also did his utmost to deepen the Taiwan-US economic partnership. Former Vice President Pence also paid close attention to the military threats and diplomatic isolation faced by Taiwan. He spoke up for Taiwan on numerous occasions at international venues, taking concrete action to back Taiwan’s international participation. We were truly grateful for this. As we speak, China’s political and military intimidation against Taiwan persist. China and other authoritarian regimes, such as Russia, North Korea, and Iran, are continuing to converge and present serious challenges to democracies around the globe. At this moment, free and democratic nations must come together to bolster cooperation. I believe that a stronger Taiwan-US partnership can be an even more powerful force in maintaining peace and stability throughout the world. Former Vice President Pence has previously supported the signing of a trade agreement between Taiwan and the US. Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work with the new US administration and Congress to advance bilateral exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, and industry. This is the first time that former Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence are visiting Taiwan, and their visit is significantly meaningful for Taiwan-US exchanges. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to extend a warm welcome. Moving forward, I hope we will jointly realize even more fruitful achievements through Taiwan-US cooperation. Former Vice President Pence then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for his hospitality on his and his wife’s first visit to Taiwan, saying that it is an honor to be here to reaffirm the bonds of friendship between the people of America and the people of Taiwan, which are strong and longstanding. The former vice president indicated that the American people admire the people of Taiwan and all that has been accomplished in a few short decades for Taiwan to rise to one of the world’s preeminent economic powers and free societies. He said that he is grateful for President Lai’s courageous and bold leadership of Taiwan, and grateful to be able to express the support of the overwhelming majority of the American people for this alliance. Former Vice President Pence indicated that the values shared by Taiwan and the US, including freedom, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, bind us together in a partnership that transcends geographic boundaries and cultures. He then assured President Lai that China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific, for the values and interests that both sides share, is deeply concerning to the American people. Former Vice President Pence stated that America is a Pacific nation, and is committed to the status quo, adding that they recognize it is China that wants to change the status quo that America, Taiwan, and other allies in the region want to preserve, which has created an environment of extraordinary growth and prosperity. The former vice president concluded by once again thanking President Lai and his team for their gracious hospitality and conveying best wishes to him and the people of Taiwan. Former Vice President Pence then assured President Lai that just as Taiwan will never surrender its freedom, he will continue to be a voice for a strong US-Taiwan relationship in the defense and the benefit of Taiwan, the US, and the free world. Later that day, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao hosted a banquet for former Vice President Pence and his delegation at Taipei Guest House to thank him for his longstanding friendship and staunch support for Taiwan-US ties.  

    Details
    2025-01-17
    President Lai meets delegation to 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of US president and vice president
    On the morning of January 16, President Lai Ching-te met with Taiwan’s delegation to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the United States. In remarks, President Lai stated that democratic Taiwan stands united, working hard to deepen Taiwan-US ties together. He then entrusted the delegation with three missions: to convey best wishes from the people of Taiwan, convey our firm commitment to democracy, and help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: The 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the US will be held on January 20. I want to thank Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), president of the Legislative Yuan, for accepting my invitation to lead our nation’s representative delegation to the event. I also thank Legislative Yuan Members Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞), Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴), and Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) for joining this visit to the US to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. We have gathered together today despite differences in party affiliation because in democratic Taiwan, while parties may compete domestically, when it comes to engagement externally, they stand united and share responsibility, working hard to deepen Taiwan-US ties and strive for the best interests of the nation. We share the value of defending freedom and democracy, and we share the goal of advancing peace and prosperity. Today, we engage with the world together as those from the same country – the Republic of China (Taiwan). In this complex and volatile new international landscape, and as the nation faces difficulties and challenges, I want to stress that in Formosa, there is no hostility that cannot be let go, and no hardship that cannot be overcome. Unity is the most important, and I hope that Taiwan can stand united, because there is true strength in unity. Democratic Taiwan must stand united in engaging with the world and initiate exchanges with confidence. On that ground, I am entrusting this delegation with three key missions. First, convey best wishes from the people of Taiwan. Just last year, Taiwan and the US celebrated the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act. And on May 20, the US sent a senior bipartisan delegation to congratulate me and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao on our inauguration. As the leader of this cross-party delegation, Speaker Han must clearly convey the well-wishes of the people of Taiwan, congratulate President Trump and Vice President Vance on their inauguration, and wish success to the new administration and prosperity to the US. Second, clearly convey the firm commitment of the people of Taiwan to democracy. The theme of these inaugural ceremonies is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise.” Taiwan and the US share the universal value of democracy and are staunch allies. I hope that the delegation can faithfully convey the firm commitment to democracy that the people of Taiwan have, which will not change even in the face of authoritarian threats. Taiwan is willing to stand side by side with the US and other members of the democratic community to defend the sustainable development of global democracy and prevent the expansion of authoritarianism. Third, help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone. In recent years, Taiwan-US relations have continued to grow, with the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st Century Trade having formally taken effect last month. This morning, the House of Representatives also passed the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act. I hope that the delegation can help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone through these exchanges so that our relations continue to grow, our cooperation expands even more, and so that we can achieve even greater success after the new administration takes office. Four years ago, Taiwan’s representative to the US inaugural ceremonies was Vice President Hsiao, who was then our representative to the US. Everyone has a lot to learn from her. I have specially invited everyone here to converse so that you can draw from Vice President Hsiao’s experience and ensure an even smoother visit. Washington, DC was also hit by a rare blizzard recently, and the weather has been very cold, so make sure to stay warm. I am sending everyone off with hand warmers and thermoses so that you can bring some warmth from Taiwan with you on your journey. And I ask that Speaker Han exercise his wisdom to help generate some warmth between the ruling and opposition parties through cooperation, which they can then bring back to Taiwan. Let us unite to give our all for diplomacy so that we can unite to give our all for Taiwan. I wish the delegation a smooth and safe trip, and hope your missions can be carried out successfully. Speaker Han then delivered remarks, stating that it was an honor to be invited by President Lai to organize a delegation to represent our nation at the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the US in Washington, DC, and express the Republic of China’s sincere and cordial best wishes. The Legislative Yuan’s president has assumed this important task numerous times in the past, he said, not only to represent the government of the Republic of China, but also to take on the mission of conveying the voices of 23 million people. He went on to say that he is honored to take up the baton, lead eight legislators to the US to attend this celebration that will attract global attention, and express sincere best wishes to newly elected President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the new administration’s team. As enjoined by President Lai, he hopes the delegation’s trip will help open a new chapter in Taiwan-US exchanges. Speaker Han stated that the US is the most free and democratic country in the world. He noted that in 1776 in the US Declaration of Independence, founding father Thomas Jefferson propounded the concept of “unalienable rights,” and emphasized that the people have a right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness, democratic ideas that have long been rooted in the people’s hearts. Today, he said, democracy is also embedded in the DNA of Taiwan’s 23 million people, and this hard-won democratic achievement is a result of the concerted efforts of our pioneering predecessors, thinkers, and activists over the past 100 years. Speaker Han stated that during this visit, the Legislative Yuan delegation hopes to convey the voice of Taiwan as a democratic country. Taiwan’s security, he said, is like the four legs of a table: The first leg is defending the Republic of China, the second is defending freedom and democracy, the third is maintaining Taiwan-US relations, and the fourth is maintaining cross-strait peace. The delegation will travel to the US amidst severe cold weather to show that we value our relationship with the US, and our citizens have great hopes and expectations. Speaker Han stated that this will be a cross-party delegation of eight legislators, all of whom have a strong sense of mission. He hopes that all democratic nations will acknowledge Taiwan’s importance, and pay attention to Taiwan’s 23 million people. The delegation, he said, will do its utmost to convey the goodwill and warmth that the people of Taiwan give to each and every one of our good friends.

    Details
    2025-01-17
    President Lai confers decoration on former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis
    On the morning of January 14, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon upon former Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis of the Republic of Lithuania in recognition of his remarkable contributions to deepening Taiwan-Lithuania relations. In remarks, President Lai thanked former Minister Landsbergis for standing firmly with Taiwan and remaining a staunch defender of democratic values, yielding fruitful cooperative results. The president expressed hope that the two countries will engage in even more cooperation and exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, technology, and culture, and continue to advocate for the values of freedom and democracy so that together we can contribute even more to our nations’ development and to peace and prosperity throughout the world. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Today, by conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon upon former Minister Landsbergis, we recognize his outstanding contributions during his time as foreign minister of Lithuania. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I thank him for the key role he has played in deepening Taiwan-Lithuania relations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the efforts of former Minister Landsbergis, Lithuania was the first European nation to donate vaccines to Taiwan. On that occasion, he stated that “freedom-loving people should look out for each other.” His statement was very moving and left a deep impression on many Taiwanese people. We will never forget it. Former Minister Landsbergis has continued to express the spirit of those words through his concrete actions. With his staunch support, Taiwan and Lithuania have mutually established representative offices. Moreover, our representative office in Lithuania was the first in Europe to incorporate “Taiwan” in its name. As for bilateral cooperation, Taiwan and Lithuania have seen fruitful results in such fields as semiconductors, laser technology, finance, and medicine. Be it overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic or resisting expanding authoritarianism, former Minister Landsbergis has stood firmly with Taiwan and remained a staunch defender of democratic values. We greatly admire and appreciate his spirit. Today, authoritarian regimes continue to converge, posing threats and challenges to democracies around the world. Taiwan, Lithuania, and other democratic countries must come closer together, drawing on the strength of unity, so as to jointly safeguard freedom and democracy and uphold the rules-based international order. Looking ahead, we hope that Taiwan and Lithuania will engage in even more cooperation and exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, technology, and culture. Let us continue to advocate for the values of freedom and democracy. Together, we can contribute even more to our nations’ development and to peace and prosperity throughout the world. In closing, I once again thank you, former Minister Landsbergis, for your support and for all that you have done for Taiwan. We welcome you and your wife to visit often. I wish you both a smooth and successful visit in Taiwan, and hope you leave with lasting memories.    Former Minister Landsbergis then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor to receive the decoration today. He noted that only partially can he accept the honor, as there have been many people who worked together with him in the ministry and in the whole country who support the people of Taiwan and see the benefit of supporting democracy in Taiwan. He often says that in Lithuania they remember well the fight for their freedom, and just today, he mentioned, he was shown the permanent exhibition in the Presidential Office, where he saw similar pictures of Taiwanese people fighting for democracy. He emphasized that not even one generation has passed since these events took place here in Taipei or similar events took place in Vilnius. Former Minister Landsbergis said that decision-makers in the Lithuanian government are either people who were themselves fighting for freedom, or, as in his case, those who were sitting on the shoulders of parents who were fighting for freedom. So for them, he underlined, freedom, democracy, liberty, and sovereignty are very real concepts that they cherish, not just things read about in a history book. He said that this is the main connector between Lithuania and Taiwan, a feeling of freedom and support for each other. Former Minister Landsbergis stated that in the face of authoritarians who do not wish us prosperity, who do not wish us freedom and future achievements, what he expects from the future is that the friendship, collaboration, and mutual support between Lithuania and Taiwan will inspire others to join in. This, he said, will make other countries not be afraid to support freedom and democracy, and will allow our group of friends to continue to grow. Lithuanian history, the former minister said, is difficult, and a big part of it was fighting for their freedom. He explained that during the 19th century when Lithuania was part of Russia’s empire, they had several revolutions and uprisings with the aim of becoming free, and that they were fighting for that freedom alongside Poland and Belarus. He then applied a phrase that they used in the revolution of 1864 – “for your freedom and ours,” meaning that they will continue to fight for their freedom while helping Taiwan fight for ours. Also in attendance at the ceremony were former Minister Landsbergis’ wife Dr. Austėja Landsbergienė and Lithuanian Representative to Taiwan Paulius Lukauskas.

    Details
    2025-01-17
    Presidential Office thanks White House for its statement on enduring US commitment to Indo-Pacific region
    On January 10 (US EST), the US White House released a statement on the United States’ Enduring Commitment to the Indo-Pacific Region, in which it reaffirms its position of using a range of methods to help Taiwan maintain a sufficient self-defense capability so as to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and across the Taiwan Strait. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on January 11 expressed sincere gratitude to the US government for taking concrete actions to fulfill its security commitments to Taiwan, advancing the close Taiwan-US security partnership, and supporting Taiwan in its efforts to enhance its self-defense capabilities and resilience. Spokesperson Kuo stated that the deepening Taiwan-US security partnership is a critical cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. She noted that Taiwan, as a force for good and regional stability, will continue to work alongside like-minded countries to strengthen defense resilience as we jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy and ensure the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

    Details
    2025-01-17
    President Lai meets Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute delegation
    On the morning of January 9, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI). In remarks, President Lai thanked RRPFI President David Trulio and members of RRPFI for remaining undaunted by China’s threats and sanctions, and lending great support to Taiwan. He emphasized that facing the continued expansion of authoritarianism, Taiwan will actively implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to preserve regional peace and stability, safeguard the values of democracy and freedom, and advance worldwide prosperity and development. President Lai expressed hope that they can continue to collaborate to promote the development of Taiwan-United States relations and put RRPFI’s principles into practice. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, let me warmly welcome President Trulio, who is leading this delegation from RRPFI to Taiwan. And on behalf of all the people of Taiwan, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences in wake of the ongoing fires in California. I hope that they can be put out swiftly so that harm is reduced, and I hope that those who are injured are able to receive timely help. President Reagan was a staunch friend of Taiwan. The Six Assurances he put forward in 1982 and the Taiwan Relations Act passed by Congress in 1979 form the bedrock of Taiwan-US relations. The incorporation of the Six Assurances into the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 further established bipartisan, bicameral, and cross-agency US support for Taiwan. With authoritarianism continuing to expand, President Reagan’s conviction of peace through strength is proving to be especially crucial as democracies unite to protect freedom, democracy, peace, and the rules-based international order. RRPFI honors President Reagan’s legacy by championing such principles as individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. Many of you have served previous US administrations as part of national security teams, and many of you are longstanding friends of Taiwan. I sincerely hope that we can continue to collaborate to promote the development of Taiwan-US relations and put RRPFI’s principles into practice. I also want to extend particular gratitude to President Trulio and RRPFI for lending great support to Taiwan. Undaunted by China’s threats and sanctions, you warmly welcomed former President Tsai Ing-wen to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library during her stopover in California in April 2023 and arranged a delegation to visit Taiwan in October of the same year. As for the continued expansion of authoritarianism, Taiwan will meet it head on, and uphold President Reagan’s spirit of peace through strength. We will actively implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan by strengthening national defense, building economic security, and demonstrating stable and principled cross-strait leadership, as well as promoting values-based diplomacy. Bolstering Taiwan’s cooperation with the US and other democracies will preserve regional peace and stability, safeguard the values of democracy and freedom, and advance worldwide prosperity and development. President Trulio then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his warm welcome and saying that he and the delegation are deeply honored to be with him in Taiwan, along with so many top leaders in his administration. President Trulio added that they are proud to advance President Reagan’s legacy and timeless principles, and our collective shared values. President Trulio indicated that President Reagan visited Taiwan twice before he became president. Acknowledging what President Lai stated, he noted that it was President Reagan’s administration that developed what became known as the Six Assurances, a framework that to this day serves as the foundation of relations between the US and Taiwan. More broadly, President Trulio said, President Reagan knew that America’s strength and the strength of its allies and friends are key to global peace, prosperity, and security. He said President Reagan also knew that societies that provide economic opportunity and democracy offer a better life for their citizens. In fact, he stated, President Reagan said that freedom is not the sole prerogative of a lucky few, but the inalienable and universal right of all human beings. President Trulio went on to say that Taiwan’s open society and thriving democracy make the commitment to freedom here plain for all to see. President Trulio noted that RRPFI had the honor of visiting Taipei in October 2023, when the delegation met then-President Tsai. He said that their return visit to Taipei at the start of 2025 comes at a crucial time, and that part of what makes that timing so significant is that there will be a new administration inaugurated in Washington in about 10 days. Over the course of their visits to Taiwan, President Trulio said, it has been plain to see that Taiwan stands strong as a vibrant democracy, with political parties sharing a commitment to democratic principles. He said it is also plain to see that Taiwan’s advanced economy and global technological leadership present positive opportunities for the US. He added that it is also plain to see that the security situation across the Taiwan Strait demands a continued commitment to peace through strength, including through robust partnership with Taiwan and sustained US deterrence. President Trulio stated that he looks forward to addressing the opportunities and challenges facing Taiwan and the US, and is confident that together, we will further well into the future our shared commitment to freedom and democracy, economic opportunity, and security and stability. The delegation also included RRPFI Washington Director Roger Zakheim, Director of the Alexander Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida William Inboden, Palantir Technologies Senior Counselor Jamie Fly, former Deputy White House Staff Secretary Catherine Bellah, Anduril Industries Policy Director Dustin Walker, Hudson Institute Adjunct Fellow Alexander Benard, RRPFI Policy Director Rachel Hoff, and RRPFI Digital Strategy and Communications Director James Rogers.

    Details
    2025-01-01
    President Lai delivers 2025 New Year’s Address
    On the morning of January 1, President Lai Ching-te delivered his 2025 New Year’s Address, titled “Bolstering National Strength through Democracy to Enter a New Global Landscape,” in the Reception Hall of the Presidential Office. President Lai stated that today’s Taiwan is receiving international recognition for its performance in many areas, among them democracy, technology, and economy. In this new year, he said, Taiwan must be united, and we must continue on the right course. The president expressed hope that everyone in the central and local governments, regardless of party, can work hard together, allowing Taiwan sure footing as it strides forward toward ever greater achievements.  President Lai emphasized that in 2025, we must keep firm on the path of democracy, continue to bolster our national strength, make Taiwan more economically resilient, enhance the resilience of supply chains for global democracies, and continue working toward a Balanced Taiwan and generational justice, ensuring that the fruits of our economic growth can be enjoyed by all our people. The president said that Taiwan will keep going strong, and we will keep walking tall as we enter the new global landscape. A translation of President Lai’s address follows: Today is the first day of 2025. With a new year comes new beginnings. I wish that Taiwan enjoys peace, prosperity, and success, and that our people lead happy lives. Taiwan truly finished 2024 strong. Though there were many challenges, there were also many triumphs. We withstood earthquakes and typhoons, and stood firm in the face of constant challenges posed by authoritarianism. We also shared glory as Taiwan won the Premier12 baseball championship, and now Taiwanese people around the world are all familiar with the gesture for Team Taiwan. At the Paris Olympics, Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and Lee Yang (李洋) clinched another gold in men’s doubles badminton. Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) took home Taiwan’s first Olympic gold in boxing. At the International Junior Science Olympiad, every student in our delegation of six won a gold medal. And Yang Shuang-zi’s (楊双子) novel Taiwan Travelogue, translated into English by King Lin (金翎), became a United States National Book Award winner and a tour de force of Taiwan literature on the international level. Our heroes of Taiwan are defined by neither age nor discipline. They have taken home top prizes at international competitions and set new records. They tell Taiwan’s story through their outstanding performances, letting the world see the spirit and culture of Taiwan, and filling all our citizens with pride. My fellow citizens, we have stood together through thick and thin; we have shared our ups and downs. We have wept together, and we have laughed together. We are all one family, all members of Team Taiwan. I want to thank each of our citizens for their dedication, fueling Taiwan’s progress and bringing our nation glory. You have given Taiwan even greater strength to stand out on the global stage. In this new year, we must continue bringing Taiwan’s stories to the world, and make Taiwan’s successes a force for global progress. In 2025, the world will be entering a new landscape. Last year, over 70 countries held elections, and the will of the people has changed with the times. As many countries turn new pages politically, and in the midst of rapid international developments, Taiwan must continue marching forward with steady strides. First, we must keep firm on the path of democracy. Taiwan made it through a dark age of authoritarianism and has since become a glorious beacon of democracy in Asia. This was achieved through the sacrifices of our democratic forebears and the joint efforts of all our citizens. Democracy’s value to Taiwan lies not just in our free way of life, or in the force driving the diverse and vigorous growth of our society. Democracy is the brand that has earned us international trust in terms of diplomacy. No matter the threat or challenge Taiwan may face, democracy is Taiwan’s only path forward. We will not turn back. Domestic competition among political parties is a part of democracy. But domestic political disputes must be resolved democratically, within the constitutional system. This is the only way democracy can continue to grow. The Executive Yuan has the right to request a reconsideration of the controversial bills passed in the Legislative Yuan, giving it room for reexamination. Constitutional institutions can also lodge a petition for a constitutional interpretation, and through Constitutional Court adjudication, ensure a separation of powers, safeguard constitutional order, and gradually consolidate the constitutional system. The people also have the right of election, recall, initiative, and referendum, and can bring together even greater democratic power to show the true meaning of sovereignty in the hands of the people. In this new year, the changing international landscape will present democratic nations around the world with many grave challenges. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflict between Israel and Hamas rage on, and we are seeing the continued convergence of authoritarian regimes including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, threatening the rules-based international order and severely affecting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the world at large. Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. Taiwan needs to prepare for danger in times of peace. We must continue increasing our national defense budget, bolster our national defense capabilities, and show our determination to protect our country. Everyone has a responsibility to safeguard Taiwan’s democracy and security. We must gather together every bit of strength we have to enhance whole-of-society defense resilience, and build capabilities to respond to major disasters and deter threats or encroachment. We must also strengthen communication with society to combat information and cognitive warfare, so that the populace rejects threats and enticements and jointly guards against malicious infiltration by external forces. Here at home, we must consolidate democracy with democracy. Internationally, we must make friends worldwide through democracy. This is how we will ensure security and peace. The more secure Taiwan, the more secure the world. The more resilient Taiwan, the sounder the defense of global democracy. The global democratic community should work even closer together to support the democratic umbrella as we seek ways to resolve the war in Ukraine and conflict between Israel and Hamas. Together, we must uphold stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific, and achieve our goal of global peace. Second, we must continue to bolster our national strength, make Taiwan more economically resilient, and enhance the resilience of supply chains for global democracies. In the first half of 2024, growth in the Taiwan Stock Index was the highest in the world. Our economic growth rate for the year as a whole is expected to reach 4.2 percent, leading among the Four Asian Tigers. Domestic investment is soaring, having exceeded NT$5 trillion, and inflation is gradually stabilizing. Export orders from January to November totaled US$536.6 billion, up 3.7 percent from the same period in 2023. And compared over the same period, exports saw a 9.9 percent increase, reaching US$431.5 billion. Recent surveys also show that in 2024, the average increase in salaries at companies was higher than that in 2023. Additionally, over 90 percent of companies plan to raise salaries this year, which is an eight-year high. All signs indicate that Taiwan’s economic climate continues to recover, and that our economy is growing steadily. Our overall economic performance is impressive; still, we must continue to pay attention to the impact on Taiwan’s industries from the changing geopolitical landscape, uncertainties in the global economic environment, and dumping by the “red supply chain.”  For a nation, all sectors and professions are equally important; only when all our industries are strong can Taiwan be strong as a nation. Our micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the lifeblood of Taiwan, and the development of our various industrial parks has given Taiwan the impetus for our prosperity. We must carry the spirit of “Made in Taiwan” forward, bringing it to ever greater heights. Thus, beyond just developing our high-tech industry, our Executive Yuan has already proposed a solution that will help traditional industries and MSMEs comprehensively adopt technology applications, engage in the digital and net-zero twin transition, and develop channels, all for better operational structures and higher productivity. Taiwan must continue enhancing its economic resilience. In recent years, Taiwan has significantly increased its investments in the US, Japan, Europe, and the New Southbound countries, and such investment has already surpassed investment in China. This indicates that our efforts in diversifying markets and reducing reliance on any single market are working. Moving forward, we must keep providing assistance so that Taiwan industries can expand their global presence and market internationally from a solid base here in Taiwan. At the same time, Taiwan must use democracy to promote economic growth with the rest of the world. We must leverage our strengths in the semiconductor and AI industries. We must link with democratic countries so that we can together enhance the resilience of supply chains for global democracies. And through international cooperation across many sectors, such as UAVs, low-orbit communications satellites, robots, military, security and surveillance, or biopharmaceuticals, renewable energy technology, new agriculture, and the circular economy, we must keep abreast of the latest cutting-edge technology and promote diverse development. This approach will help Taiwan remain a leader in advancing global democratic supply chains, ensuring their security and stability. Third, we must continue working toward a Balanced Taiwan and generational justice, ensuring that the fruits of our economic growth can be enjoyed by all our people. Democracy means the people have the final say. Our nation belongs to all 23 million of us, without regard for ethnic group, generation, political party, or whether we live in urban or rural areas. In this new year, we must continue to pursue policies that promote the well-being of the nation and the people. But to that end, the central government needs adequate financial resources to ensure that it can enact each of these measures. Therefore, I hope that the ruling and opposition parties can each soberly reconsider the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures and find a path forward that ensures the lasting peace and stability of our country. For nine consecutive years, the minimum wage has continued to rise. Effective today, the minimum monthly salary is being raised from NT$27,470 to NT$28,590, and the hourly salary from NT$183 to NT$190. We hope by raising the pay for military personnel, civil servants, and educators for two consecutive years, coupled with benefits through wage increases and tax reductions, that private businesses will also raise wages, allowing all our people to enjoy the fruits of our economic growth. I know that everyone wants to pay lower taxes and rent. This year, we will continue to promote tax reductions. For example, unmarried individuals with an annual income of NT$446,000 or less can be exempt from paying income tax. Dual-income families with an annual income of NT$892,000 or less and dual-income families with two children aged six or younger with an annual income of NT$1,461,000 or less are also exempt from paying income tax. Additionally, the number of rent-subsidized housing units will also be increased, from 500,000 to 750,000 units, helping lighten the load for everyone. This year, the age eligibility for claiming Culture Points has been lowered from 16 to 13 years, so that now young people aged between 13 and 22 can receive government support for experiencing more in the arts. Also, our Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative is about to take effect, which will help more young people in Taiwan realize their dreams by taking part in education and exchange activities in many places around the world. We are also in the process of establishing a sports ministry to help young athletes achieve their dreams on the field, court, and beyond. The ministry will also be active in developing various sports industries and bringing sports and athletics more into the lives of the people, making our people healthier as a result. This year, as Taiwan becomes a “super-aged society,” we will launch our Long-term Care 3.0 Plan to provide better all-around care for our seniors. And we will expand the scope of cancer screening eligibility and services, all aimed at creating a Healthy Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan will officially begin collecting fees for its carbon fee system today. This brings us closer in line with global practices and helps us along the path to our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. We will also continue on the path to achieving a Balanced Taiwan. Last month, the Executive Yuan launched the Trillion NT Dollar Investment National Development Plan and its six major regional flagship projects. Both of these initiatives will continue to expand the investment in our public infrastructure and the development of local specialty industries, narrowing urban-rural and wealth gaps so that all our people can live and work in peace and happiness. My fellow citizens, today’s Taiwan is receiving international recognition for its performance in many areas, among them democracy, technology, and economy. This tells us that national development is moving in the right direction. In this new year, Taiwan must be united, and we must continue on the right course. We hope that everyone in the central and local governments, regardless of party, can work hard together to ensure that national policies are successfully implemented, with the people’s well-being as our top priority. This will allow Taiwan sure footing as it strides forward toward ever greater achievements. In this new year, we have many more brilliant stories of Taiwan to share with the world, inspiring all Taiwanese, both here and around the world, to cheer time and again for the glory of Taiwan. Taiwan will keep going strong. And we will keep walking tall as we enter the new global landscape. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) delivers critical support to Bugna Woreda and surroundings amid humanitarian needs

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

    Download logo

    Bugna woreda, Amhara region, located in Ethiopia’s North Zone, has faced significant challenges due to prolonged conflict, drought, and food insecurity. Home to over 100,000 residents, endured over a year without access to essential commodities, medical supplies, and support, leaving its population in a dire state.  The conflict’s impact was devastating, with farmers unable to access fertilizer for the 2024 farming season, exacerbating food insecurity in an area already grappling with drought.

    Recognizing the urgent need for intervention, WHO mobilized resources and personnel to support Bugna Woreda and provided PED SAM kits, IEHK kits and Trauma kits support from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the European Union (ECHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The efforts focused on improving access to essential health and nutrition services, providing critical medical supplies, and supporting vaccination campaigns. WHO worked closely with local health authorities to strengthen the capacity of health centers and health posts, ensuring that they can better serve the community despite the challenging conditions.

     WHO donated medical supplies

    Items

    Sum of Total

    (IEHK 2017, BASIC) MODULE, MALARIA

    36

    (IEHK 2017, BASIC) MODULE, MEDICINES

    36

    (IEHK 2017, BASIC) MODULE, RENEWABLE AND EQUIPMENT

    12

    (IEHK 2017, SUPPLEMENTARY) MODULE, MALARIA

    5

    (IEHK 2017, SUPPLEMENTARY) MODULE, RENEWABLE

    7

    (IEHK 2021, SUPPLEMENTARY) MODULE, PEP, treatments for 50 adults + 10 children

    5

    (Kit PED-SAM 2020) MODULE 2, MEDICINES PED ORAL

    12

    (Kit PED-SAM 2020) MODULE 3, MEDICINES PED INJECTABLES

    12

    (Kit PED-SAM 2020) MODULE 6, RENEWABLES

    6

    (TESK 2019 mod 1A) SET 1A5, DRUGS, DANGEROUS GOODS

    4

    (TESK 2019 mod 1A) SET 1A6, DRUGS, INFUSIONS

    2

    (TESK 2019 mod 1A) SET 1A7, DRUGS, DISINFECTANTS

    6

    (TESK 2019 mod 1B) SET 1B3, RENEWABLES, INJECTION MATERIAL

    6

    Despite operational hardships, healthcare workers remained at their posts, showing immense resilience and dedication to their community.

    WHO’s support was crucial in mitigating the impacts of the access challenge. It provided much-needed medical, allowing health facilities to procure essential items and pay their workers. WHO also advocated for sustained humanitarian access to Bugna Woreda, ensuring that the flow of supplies continued uninterrupted.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic athletes successfully start the new year

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Polytechnic University athletes started 2025 actively. They won several victories: in rally, hockey, basketball and mini-football.

    The Polytechnic team won the team classification at the Karelia rally. The race took place in the Sortavala area and included technical three-dimensional special stages. Dmitry and Elena Nikonchuk took second place in the overall classification in a BMW 330. The first two places in the 2000N classification were shared between the pair Andrey Zhukovsky – Konstantin Mukhamendrikov in a Fiesta and the pair Alexander Solovyov – Andrey Strizhich in a VAZ-2108.

    The men’s futsal team also pleased with its success. The Polytechnics beat the team of the Mining Institute with a score of 3:2 and the LETI athletes with a score of 6:0.

    The SPbPU hockey team started the year confidently, winning three victories. In the game with the Northern Sapsan team, the Polytechnicians missed two goals in the first five minutes, but were able to pull themselves together and won with a minimal advantage – 3:2. The match with the Sea Wolves was also exciting. The Polytechnicians outplayed their opponents in the first two periods, but lost the initiative in the third period, almost missing out on victory. The game ended with a score of 4:3. In the end, our athletes confidently beat the hockey players from SPbSU with a score of 9:4.

    The girls from the SPbPU basketball team also started the year with a victory. They defeated the RANEPA team with a score of 79:32.

    The Polytechnic University team took part in the Spartakiad “Health – 2025”. In the mini-football competition among teachers and employees of universities, the Polytechnic University showed the second result.

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lantheus to strengthen position in nuclear imaging agents with recent acquisitions, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Lantheus to strengthen position in nuclear imaging agents with recent acquisitions, says GlobalData

    Posted in Medical Devices

    The demand for nuclear imaging agents is expected to grow significantly, driven by an aging population and advancements in imaging technologies. The industry is shifting toward more targeted, patient-specific solutions, particularly in neuroimaging and oncology, where early detection and personalized treatment are critical. Lantheus’ acquisition of Life Molecular Imaging and Evergreen Theragnostics will strengthen its position in this evolving landscape and expand its capabilities in key diagnostic areas, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Ashley Clarke, Senior Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The nuclear imaging industry is increasingly driven by the demand for advanced neuroimaging agents in Alzheimer’s disease and targeted oncology solutions for more precise cancer detection and treatment.  These innovations are helping drive a more patient-specific approach to disease management. The competitive landscape is evolving quickly, with multiple companies competing to establish leadership in this space.”

    Lantheus’ acquisition of Life Molecular Imaging includes Neuraceq, an FDA-approved PET agent for detecting β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, and ADvance (PI-2620), a tau PET imaging agent in late-stage clinical development. These additions complement its existing pipeline, which includes β-amyloid agent NAV-4694, acquired from Meilleur Technologies in 2024, and tau agent MK-6240, acquired from Cerveau Technologies in 2023.

    Clarke adds: “Lantheus is building a robust neuroimaging portfolio that strategically balances short-term revenue growth with long-term innovation in Alzheimer’s diagnostics. Neuraceq provides immediate competition with established products such as Eli Lilly’s Amyvid and GE Healthcare’s Vizamyl. Meanwhile, the pipeline potential of ADvance positions the company as a strong player in the quickly growing tau-based imaging market.”

    Beyond neuroimaging, Lantheus is expanding its presence in oncology. Lantheus has announced an agreement to acquire Evergreen Theragnostics, a radiopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacturing of imaging agents for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This acquisition includes Octevy, a registrational-stage PET diagnostic agent targeting neuroendocrine tumors. Additionally, in mid-2024, the company licensed RM2 from Life Molecular Imaging, a theranostic agent that uses Lu-177 and Ga-68 to treat malignant tumors, including prostate, breast, and lung cancers.

    The RM2 and Octevy additions build on Lantheus’ established oncology portfolio, which includes Pylarify, a leading PSMA-targeting imaging agent, and a range of pipeline products addressing prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and other solid tumors. The oncology imaging space is highly competitive, with companies such as Eli Lilly, GE Healthcare, Curium Pharma, and Novartis also developing targeted imaging and theranostic solutions.

    Clarke concludes: “Looking ahead, nuclear imaging is set to become increasingly integrated with therapeutic applications. The next wave of innovation will likely introduce multi-targeted theranostics and agents with broader biomarker coverage, enhancing both diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes. As new imaging technologies emerge, companies that successfully align their portfolios with both clinical demand and market dynamics will be best positioned for long-term success.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Academics receive Prince Mahidol Award 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Two scientists from the UK received Thailand’s Prince Mahidol Awards for 2024 for long and significant contribution in the field of Public Health and Medicine.

    Today (30 January 2025) two scientists from the UK received Thailand’s Prince Mahidol Awards (PMA) for 2024 for their long and significant contribution in the field of Public Health and Medicine. Dr Jonathan Shepherd, a British surgeon and professor at Cardiff University in Wales, and Dr Tony Hunter (dual US-UK national), a professor of Biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA have received the award, following on from  Professor David Mabey, who received the award in 2019 for his work to eradicate trachoma, the most common infectious cause of blindness worldwide.

    The Award Presentation Ceremony was held at Thailand’s Royal Palace. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as the representative of His Majesty the King, presided over the Presentation Ceremony, in the company of the Privy Council, Bureau of the Royal Household and Cabinet members.

    Dr Shepherd receives the Prince Mahidol Award (PMA) in Public Health for his creation of the ‘Cardiff Model of Violence Prevention’ which is an evidence-based, multisectoral approach to violence prevention which   has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and integrated into multisectoral approaches to violence prevention from South Africa to Australia. Dr Shepherd’s research and commitment to evidence-based public policy has contributed to the development of ‘What Works Network’. The Network, supported by the UK government, acts as an important interface between research and policymaking, ensuring that policy makers have access to the best evidence.

    Professor Hunter who studied at the University of Cambridge in the UK, receives the Prince Mahidol Award in Medicine for his discovery of tyrosine kinase enzymes and the phosphorylation process, a crucial mechanism that transforms normal cells into cancerous cells. This breakthrough discovery led to the development of targeted cancer treatments and pharmaceutical innovation that can effectively inhibit cancer cells.

    In 2024 the UK and Thailand established a Strategic Partnership, highlighting a shared commitment to advance global health by championing universal access to health care and strengthening partnerships to prevent, detect and respond to global health threats. This includes joint efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease outbreaks including through the development and application of innovative technology, such as genomics.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Can a child legally take puberty blockers? What if their parents disagree?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Mitchell, Lecturer in Criminology, Deakin University

    MirasWonderland/Shutterstock

    Young people’s access to gender-affirming medical care has been making headlines this week.

    Today, federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced a review into health care for trans and gender-diverse children and adolescents. The National Health and Medical Research council will conduct the review.

    Yesterday, The Australian published an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for a federal inquiry, and a nationwide pause on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors.

    This followed Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls earlier this week announcing an immediate pause on access to puberty blockers and hormone therapies for new patients under 18 in the state’s public health system, pending a review.

    In the United States, President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week directing federal agencies to restrict access to gender-affirming care for anyone under 19.

    This recent wave of political attention might imply gender-affirming care for young people is risky, controversial, perhaps even new.

    But Australian courts have already extensively tested questions about its legitimacy, the conditions under which it can be provided, and the scope and limits of parental powers to authorise it.

    What are puberty blockers?

    Puberty blockers suppress the release of oestrogen and testosterone, which are primarily responsible for the physical changes associated with puberty. They are generally safe and used in paediatric medicine for various conditions, including precocious (early) puberty, hormone disorders and some hormone-sensitive cancers.

    International and domestic standards of care state that puberty blockers are reversible, non-harmful, and can prevent young people from experiencing the distress of undergoing a puberty that does not align with their gender identity. They also give young people time to develop the maturity needed to make informed decisions about more permanent medical interventions further down the line.

    Puberty blockers are one type of gender-affirming care. This care includes medical, psychological and social interventions to support transgender, gender-diverse and, in some cases, intersex people.

    Young people in Australia need a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria to receive this care. Gender dysphoria is defined as the psychological distress that can arise when a person’s gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth. This diagnosis is only granted after an exhaustive and often onerous medical assessment.

    After a diagnosis, treatment may involve hormones such as oestrogen or testosterone and/or puberty-blocking medications.

    Hormone therapies involving oestrogen and testosterone are only prescribed in Australia once a young person has been deemed capable of giving informed consent, usually around the age of 16. For puberty blockers, parents can consent at a younger age.

    Gender dysphoria comes with considerable psychological distress.
    slexp880/Shutterstock

    Can a child legally access puberty blockers?

    Gender-affirming care has been the subject of extensive debate in the Family Court of Australia (now the Federal Circuit and Family Court).

    Between 2004 and 2017, every minor who wanted to access gender-affirming care had to apply for a judge to approve it. However, medical professionals, human rights organisations and some judges condemned this process.

    In research for my forthcoming book, I found the Family Court has heard at least 99 cases about a young person’s gender-affirming care since 2004. Across these cases, the court examined the potential risks of gender-affirming treatment and considered whether parents should have the authority to consent on their child’s behalf.

    When determining whether parents can consent to a particular medical procedure for their child, the court must consider whether the treatment is “therapeutic” and whether there is a significant risk of a wrong decision being made.

    However, in a landmark 2017 case, the court ruled that judicial oversight was not required because gender-affirming treatments meet the standards of normal medical care.

    It reasoned that because these therapies address an internationally recognised medical condition, are supported by leading professional medical organisations, and are backed by robust clinical research, there is no justification for treating them differently from any other standard medical intervention. These principals still stand today.

    What if parents disagree?

    Sometimes parents disagree with decisions about gender-affirming care made by their child, or each other.

    As with all forms of health care, under Australian law, parents and legal guardians are responsible for making medical decisions on behalf of their children. That responsibility usually shifts once those children reach a sufficient age and level of maturity to make their own decisions.

    However, in another landmark case in 2020, the court ruled gender-affirming treatments cannot be given to minors without consent from both parents, even if the child is capable of providing their own consent. This means that if there is any disagreement among parents and the young person about either their capacity to consent or the legitimacy of the treatment, only a judge can authorise it.

    In such instances, the court must assess whether the proposed treatment is in the child’s best interests and make a determination accordingly. Again, these principals apply today.

    If a parent disagrees with their child, the matter can go to court.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Have the courts ever denied care?

    Across the at least 99 cases the court has heard about gender-affirming care since 2004, 17 have involved a parent opposing the treatment and one has involved neither parent supporting it.

    Regardless of parental support, in every case, the court has been responsible for determining whether gender-affirming treatment was in the child’s best interests. These decisions were based on medical evidence, expert testimony, and the specific circumstances of the young person involved.

    In all cases bar one, the court has found overwhelming evidence to support gender-affirming care, and approved it.

    Supporting transgender young people

    The history of Australia’s legal debates about gender-affirming care show it has already been the subject of intense legal and medical scrutiny.

    Gender-affirming care is already difficult for young people to access, with many lacking the parental support required or facing other barriers to care.

    Gender-affirming care is potentially life-saving, or at the very least life-affirming. It almost invariably leads to better social and emotional outcomes. Further restricting access is not the “protection” its opponents claim.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For LGBTQIA+ peer support and resources, you can also contact Switchboard, QLife (call 1800 184 527), Queerspace, Transcend Australia (support for trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary young people and their families) or Minus18 (resources and community support for LGBTQIA+ young people).

    Matthew Mitchell has a contract with Bristol University Press for a forthcoming book on the legal regulation of gender-affirming hormones for transgender young people in Australia.

    – ref. Can a child legally take puberty blockers? What if their parents disagree? – https://theconversation.com/can-a-child-legally-take-puberty-blockers-what-if-their-parents-disagree-248651

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott Questions Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, questioned Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Senator Scott and Mr. Kennedy discussed a range of topics, including the Right to Life, Sickle Cell Disease, and preventing and reducing drug shortages. 

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

    Watch the full video here.

    On the Right to Life…

    “One of the beauties of our country is we have foundational documents that point us in the right direction. I think it’s the compass of shows us true north…The Declaration of Independence mentions life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as unalienable rights. You and I had a serious conversation about the importance of life. And I’m a pro-life Christian, as you know… And you assured me that your deputies were going to be pro-life. Is that still the case?”

    On Sickle Cell Disease…

    “During the first Trump administration, HHS began investing in policies to support individuals living with Sickle Cell Anemia. This has continued. A career staff person has dedicated time to coordinate Sickle Cell Disease related activities across HHS and other government agencies. Will you commit to continuing to have an individual serve in this coordinating role for sickle cell?”

    On preventing and reducing drug shortages…

    “This past fall, due to one facility making the majority of our IV drugs in the U.S., it was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Hospitals and health care facilities across the country faced IV shortages. Nephron Pharmaceuticals in Columbia, South Carolina, tried to shore up IV support in South Carolina hospitals by creating the Palmetto Line in this facility to help make IVs for hospitals across the state. We must do more proactively to address the shortages and the shortage risks, as well as to provide and promote the production of medical products here in the U.S. If confirmed, how will you prioritize efforts to prevent and reduce drug shortages, including for essential medicines?”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: His Majesty’s pleasure: King reigns over Tongan government despite democratic reform

    COMMENTARY: By Kalafi Moala

    Long live the king and long may he reign, so goes the traditional proclamation. In Tonga, King Tupou VI has shown he has every intention of doing that.

    After a tumultuous and tense year of the chess board of politics, the monarch appears to have won, with ordinary citizens and democratic rule taking a backward step.

    With the swearing in of Tonga’s new cabinet, including the appointment of his son Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalaka from outside Parliament to the defence and foreign affairs portfolios, the king has triumphed.

    It’s almost 12 months since the king withdrew “confidence and consent” in then prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni, as armed forces minister, along with Fekita ‘Utoikamanu, the country’s first female foreign affairs minister. The move appeared to overstep the reduced royal powers outlined in the country’s 2010 constitution.

    No details for the withdrawal of confidence and consent were disclosed. Noticeably neither Sovaleni or ‘Ulukalaka are aristocrats and the roles of foreign affairs and defense have traditionally been held by a male noble or members of the royal family.

    Last February, Tupou VI acted against Sovaleni while he was overseas, seeking medical treatment. His cabinet responded by rejecting the king’s position, issuing a legal opinion from Tonga’s attorney general stating it was “contrary” to the constitution.

    One thing seemed to be clear, that Tupou VI was reasserting his role in the affairs of state in a way not seen since the constitutional reform in 2010.

    King has his way
    A year later, and the king has had his way. Solaveni stood down as prime minister on Christmas Eve as he faced a no confidence motion in Parliament. It would likely have passed with the support of a bloc of noble MPs, appointed by the king, allied with opposition members.

    Now Tonga faces an uncertain nine months with newly elected Prime Minister ‘Aisake Eke at the reins until elections in November. The 65-year-old was formally appointed by Tupou VI as Tonga’s 19th prime minister at the Nuku’alofa Palace, after he was elected by Parliament in December.

    The much awaited announcement of who would be in cabinet was delayed several times, with the process of getting the king to approve each minister taking much longer than usual or expected.

    The prime minister has the power to recommend up to four people outside parliament to his ministry, and he did, including the crown prince. He also recommended two women — ‘Ana ‘Akau’ola as Minister of Health and Sinaitakala Tu’itahi as Minister of Internal Affairs —  the most ever in cabinet.

    Tonga in 2010 amended its constitution to remove many of the monarch’s powers and allowed elections after more than 150 years of absolute rule. The move to greater democracy occurred with the cooperation of the then monarch George V.

    The nation of about 107,000 people is the only Pacific island nation with an Indigenous monarch.

    Previously, the monarch had almost absolute power with the right to appoint the prime minister, cabinet ministers and members of parliament, except nine MPs elected as the peoples’ representatives.

    King retains some powers
    Under the new constitution, cabinet ministers are appointed or removed by the king on the prime minister’s recommendation, or a vote of no confidence in Parliament. But the king — defined as a sacred person in Tonga’s constitution — retained some powers including veto over government legislation and the right to appoint about a third of Parliament’s members, who are nobles.

    Another major constitutional change was to increase the number of elected people’s representatives from nine to 17, while the number of noble representatives remained at nine. This meant that if the people’s representatives could stand together on any issue, they could form a majority and dominate the 26-seat chamber.

    But that has not often been the case in the past 15 years, with the people’s representatives at odds with each other. As a result the nobles have held the balance of power, as in the recent standoff in Parliament over the proposed vote of no confidence that led to the eventual resignation of Sovaleni.

    The group of MPs that came together to eventually force his exit were not united by a political vision, and were not so much “pro-Eke” as “anti-Sovaleni.”

    Seven of the nine nobles voting against then former prime minister Sovaleni in December was a clear sign of the involvement of the king in this latest political turmoil. The nobles almost always act in Parliament according to what they understand as “the wish of His Majesty.”

    In Sovaleni’s teary resignation speech he said the nobles were afraid of the king and so were swayed from standing with him.

    “I hope there will be a time when we’ll work together,” he said pointedly, acknowledging the noble representatives.

    ‘There’s still enslavement’
    “I thought this land had been granted freedom, but there’s still enslavement,” Sovaleni continued through tears. He added that he was quitting “for the good of the country and moving Tonga forward.”

    Sovaleni suggested that the people’s representatives should see this as an opportunity to collaborate. “If the nobles can pull themselves together, I don’t know why can’t we overcome our differences,” he said.

    Eke after his election travelled to New Zealand for an audience with the king, but the king decided to take his time. What used to be a prompt and routine formality to swear in the government and cabinet was delayed. And a month later the king now has what he sought in February last year.

    The late George V declared that the 2010 reform was to make Tonga “more democratic”. Despite these changes, Tonga’s taste of democracy under his brother has, in the past 15 years, been a bitter-sweet journey that started with good intentions, but has now turned from bad to ugly.

    Tongan-born Kalafi Moala has been a journalist and author for 35 years, establishing the country’s first independent newspaper, Taimi ‘o Tonga, writing on the country’s social, cultural and political history, and campaigning for media freedom at home and in the Pacific region. This article was first published by BenarNews and is republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Slithering into celebration: Chinese people embrace snakes as new zodiac symbol

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    As the Spring Festival ushers in the Year of the Snake, China is flooded with auspicious representations of the hissing, scaly reptile, from pythons coiling around gold ingots to serpents with chubby faces and fluffy bodies.

    Tourists enjoy a handmade lantern show in Longxi County of Dingxi City, northwest China’s Gansu Province, Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)
    This year’s Spring Festival is the first since being added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in December 2024. The recognition has sparked excitement, boosting the festive atmosphere long before the holiday officially begins on Jan. 28, the Chinese New Year’s Eve.
    Amid the festive cheer, the snake — a symbol that carries intricate cultural significance in both Eastern and Western traditions — is shaking off its negative connotations and taking on a more auspicious and celebratory role.
    The snake comes sixth in the 12-animal rotation used by the Chinese to represent the year, following the loong and preceding the horse. Others in the zodiac include rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, sheep/goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
    According to the Chinese lunar calendar, this Year of the Snake is a leap year, making it a super-long year with a total of 384 days. This year’s Spring Festival holiday, traditionally lasting seven days, has been extended by an additional day.
    TRADITIONAL SYMBOLISM
    Snakes, among the oldest creatures on Earth, have held significant cultural roles worldwide, with their symbolism varying widely across regions.
    In the Western culture, snakes are often associated with temptation, sin and evil forces, famously symbolized by the serpent in the Bible who lured Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.
    It is also associated with medicine and the medical profession, appearing on emblems of institutions including the World Health Organization. This imagery traces back to Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of healing, whose worship involved the use of snakes.

    A bronze snake is pictured at Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Jan. 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)
    In early Chinese mythologies, snakes are depicted as divine beings and worshiped as totems. Fuxi and Nuwa, mythological figures said to be the progenitors of the Chinese people, are often depicted as half-human, half-snake.
    Some historians also believe the national emblem of China — loong, or Chinese dragon — is based on images of snakes, which explains why people in many places still call snakes “lesser dragons.”
    In Chinese literary tradition, the snake symbolizes renewal, longevity and health, with the shedding of its skin seen as a powerful symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation.
    However, this does not mean snakes are universally viewed as auspicious in modern China. The Chinese language, for example, features many derogatory idioms related to the cold-blooded creature: “a tiger’s head and snake’s tail” describes something that starts well but ends poorly, while villains are said to “have the heart and soul of a snake and scorpion.”
    Its image in Chinese pop culture is also mixed. On one hand, a household snake appears as a vicious yaoguai in the 1986-1987 animation “Calabash Brothers.” On the other hand, the kindhearted “White Lady,” a snake who transforms into a woman and marries a doctor, presents a more positive portrayal. In Chinese folklore and various adaptations, the snake lady and her human husband save many lives during a deadly plague, only to be separated by a Buddhist monk.
    MODERN SIGNIFICANCE
    Historically, parts of snakes, such as their skin and gall, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat ailments and promote longevity.
    While snake hunting has diminished significantly due to stricter laws protecting wildlife, snake farming for medical purposes continues in some parts of China.
    In 2022, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region established a medicinal snake professional committee to regulate the industry. Today, around 200 snake farms are spread throughout the region.
    In the folk traditions of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups, medicinal snakes are believed to have therapeutic properties, such as strengthening bones, easing rheumatism, promoting circulation, and alleviating skin disorders.
    The Spring Festival is expected to inspire the country’s designers, folk artists and cultural heritage inheritors to incorporate snake motifs into their creations.
    Luo Huaqing, an inheritor of the paper-cutting tradition of the Mulam ethnic group, has been busy working on hundreds of snake-themed orders. Hailing from Luocheng Mulam Autonomous County in Guangxi, the Mulam paper-cutting craft is known for its simplicity, rustic beauty and ethnic uniqueness.
    However, the snake is not a traditional motif in Mulam paper-cutting. “Unlike dragons, phoenixes, pomegranates, or fish, snakes are generally not associated with auspicious meanings,” Luo said.
    To cater to modern tastes and customer demands, Luo has introduced innovative elements into her designs. She incorporates snake scales with patterns resembling gold coins and the Chinese character “Fu,” which symbolizes good fortune and happiness.
    “By integrating symbols of prosperity and good luck, these innovative snake-themed paper-cutting designs have gained significant popularity in the market during the New Year,” Luo added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Secures Commitments from HHS Nominee RFK on Crucial Social Issues

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Thursday, January 30, 2025

    Today in a hearing with Department of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured commitments on four crucial social issues: so-called “gender affirming care,” fetal tissue research, Title X funding for abortions, and the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.  
    Senator Hawley asked Kennedy if he would rescind the Biden Administration’s mandate that every doctor in America who receives federal funding–including pediatricians–must prescribe puberty blockers and perform gender “transition” surgeries on children, regardless of their conscience. 
    “This rule purported to preempt all state law,” Senator Hawley said. “So in states like mine and many others, where the voters have said we don’t want gender transition procedures performed on minors, the Biden Administration attempted to use federal money and force pediatricians to do it anyway. So I’m glad to hear you say you’ll rescind that rule.” 
    The Senator also received assurances from Kennedy that he would reinstate a Trump policy ensuring that “no federal tax dollars” would be used to fund National Institutes of Health (NIH) research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions.
    [embedded content]
    Watch the full exchange here, or click on the video above.
    Finally, Senator Hawley secured Kennedy’s commitment to reestablish a Trump rule that blocked Title X taxpayer dollars from flowing to entities like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions or refer people to abortions. Kennedy also promised to implement President Trump’s policies on protecting unborn life, including mifepristone, a chemical abortion drug the Biden Administration required to be mailed upon request to women in every state, including those with laws protecting life. 
    Senator Hawley has been a staunch supporter of protecting minors from gender mutilation and defending the unborn. This week, he introduced the Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act to allow those harmed by gender-transition procedures as minors to bring lawsuits against the participating individuals and entities.
    Earlier this month, he also introduced the End Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers Act, which would defund Planned Parenthood and abortion providers across the nation, as well as the Defense of Conscience in Healthcare Act which would safeguard the conscience rights of healthcare providers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Pens Op-ed Outlining Her Opposition to RFK, Jr.’s Nomination to be Nation’s Top Health Official

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Newsweek published the following op-ed penned by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) ahead of her questioning of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP):
    Newsweek: RFK Jr. Is Bad for Our Health
    When I was 9 years old, I was diagnosed with a serious illness similar to spinal meningitis. The experience not only landed me in the hospital for three months, it also shaped the rest of my life. I was a child with a pre-existing condition, uninsurable for more than a decade after I got better.
    I got into politics because of my experience with health care, and it informs how I think about keeping Americans safe and well today. I know what it’s like to be a child in a hospital bed and just how important it is to protect children from life-threatening diseases.
    I’m committed to giving President Donald Trump’s nominees a fair shake and continue to carefully evaluate if each nominee will help or hurt my constituents. This, of course, includes the position to lead our nation’s largest public health agency. While I have been proud to support various Republican nominees—I even introduced former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy in front of the Senate Commerce Committee to be secretary of transportation—there are some that clearly will hurt American families.
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of them. RFK Jr. has been nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency that is responsible for keeping our nation healthy. HHS is charged with overseeing vaccines to stop the spread of diseases like polio and measles, spearheading lifesaving research into cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s, and so much more.
    Make no mistake, this agency has helped save the lives of millions from diseases through safe vaccines. It has given hope to millions who now have treatments and cures for cancer and other illnesses. The agency is far from perfect and needs reforms—and I have some good places to start—but the head of the HHS better believe in its core mission to keep people healthy and believe the experts, not conspiracy theories. That’s why I believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is simply unfit for this position.
    Kennedy is one of the top spreaders of misinformation about vaccines, peddling bogus conspiracy theories that these safe and effective protections for Americans are harmful. He said that “no vaccine is safe and effective.”
    Well, I’d bet the tens of millions of people who don’t have polio, measles, mumps, and many other diseases because of vaccines would beg to differ.
    He’s questioned the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine that was first developed under President Donald Trump and even tried to stop it from being used just six months after its rollout. This vaccine saved millions of lives and allowed Americans to return to work and school safely.
    RFK Jr. helped spread anti-vaccination conspiracy theories, fueling a measles outbreak in Samoa that led to the deaths of 83 people, primarily infants and children. He’s threatened to downsize the National Institutes of Health, which work every day to find lifesaving breakthroughs and treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s, infectious diseases, chronic health conditions, diabetes, and so many other illnesses that have an impact millions of American families.
    As a child who spent months in a hospital bed, I know the consequences of not protecting our kids from serious illness. I know the toll it takes on a family, emotionally and financially, to have a loved one hospitalized for a serious disease. I also know what it’s like to have science-backed medicine and good health care. And that all starts at the top of the federal government’s largest health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. All of us have the responsibility to protect our kids and families, and that includes soundly rejecting a nominee who has spent much of his career spreading misinformation that endangers American lives.
    Americans deserve a leading health official who believes in science, not conspiracies. And Americans agree. I urge my colleagues to ask themselves a simple question: will this nominee keep your constituents safe, or harm them? For Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I think the answer is clear.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Warning of Serious Public Health Threats from Trump Administration Freeze on Critical Health Alerts, Including Disease Outbreak and Food Contamination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WISCONSIN – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined a group of her colleagues in introducing a resolution calling for uninterrupted health warning services for the American people following reports that the Trump Administration has paused critical communications from federal health agencies, including warnings on disease outbreaks and food contamination.
    “Wisconsinites need to know if diseases are spreading nearby, if there are food recalls, or about ongoing outbreaks, like the avian bird flu. But, this misguided directive stops that and could put families and businesses in harm’s way,” said Senator Baldwin. “Keeping people informed and healthy all starts with communications and this freeze prevents that and needlessly puts lives at risk.”
    The resolution is co-sponsored by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD.), Peter Welch (D-VT) Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
    The full text of the resolution is available here and below.
    Expressing the sense of the Senate that the people of the United States should have continuous access to timely, up-to-date, and accurate health information.
    Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services provides crucial external communications to protect the health and well-being of the people of the United States;
    Whereas urgent communications provided by the Department of Health and Human Services help health care providers and the public learn about and respond to public health incidents and threats, including outbreaks of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and the opioid overdose epidemic;
    Whereas the United States has published the epidemiological digest, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, every week since 1961;
    Whereas foodborne disease outbreak notices published by the Department of Health and Human Services are essential in coordinating and investigating illness, helping to respond to the estimated 48,000,000 people who get sick from foodborne disease each year in the United States; and
    Whereas in 2024, public health information reported through the Health Alert Network of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included information regarding increased risks in the United States of avian influenza, dengue virus, and measles: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the people of the United States should have continuous access to timely, up-to-date, and accurate health information provided through the Department of Health and Human Services.

    MIL OSI USA News –