Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI: Subsea 7 – contract award offshore Norway

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Luxembourg – 17 June 2025 – Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a substantial1 contract offshore Norway. 

    Subsea7’s scope includes engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of pipeline bundles, spools, protection covers and tie-ins using key vessels from Subsea7’s fleet. 

    Project management and engineering will commence immediately at Subsea7’s offices in Stavanger, Norway and Aberdeen, Scotland. Fabrication of pipeline bundles will take place at Wester, Scotland. Offshore operations are expected to take place in 2025-2027.

    Erik Femsteinevik, Vice President for Subsea7 Norway said: “We are excited to have been awarded this project. Our collaboration with our clients leverages our collective experience from past and current projects. By engaging early in the field development process, we can optimise design solutions and contribute to a positive final investment decision. Subsea7 looks forward to a safe, efficient, and reliable field development.”

    No further details are disclosed at this time.

    1. Subsea7 defines a substantial contract as being between $150 million and $300 million.

    *******************************************************************************
    Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industry’s partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

    Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Børs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

    *******************************************************************************

    Contact for investment community enquiries:
    Katherine Tonks
    Investor Relations Director
    Tel +44 20 8210 5568
    ir@subsea7.com

    Contact for media enquiries:
    Jan Roger Moksnes
    Communications Manager
    Tel +47 41515777
    janroger.moksnes@subsea7.com
    www.subsea7.com

    Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘future’, ‘goal’, ‘intend’, ‘likely’ ‘may’, ‘plan’, ‘project’, ‘seek’, ‘should’, ‘strategy’ ‘will’, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the ‘Risk Management’ section of the Group’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
    This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. 
    This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 17 June 2025 at 16:40 CET.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Dialbox Launches as Canada’s First AI-Powered Voice Answering Service

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dialbox, Canada’s first fully bilingual AI voice receptionist, launches today to help Canadian businesses instantly turn incoming calls into booked appointments and captured leads. Dialbox ensures no call goes unanswered, answering on the first ring, capturing leads, booking appointments, and increasing sales, all while maintaining PIPEDA compliance and local data residency.

    Key Highlights:

    • 24/7 Voice Answering: No hold queues, no missed leads, even after hours or on holidays.
    • Bilingual & Multilingual: Speaks English and French fluently.
    • Lead Capture & Bookings: Schedules and reschedules appointments, collects caller info, and integrates with calendars and CRMs.
    • Call Intelligence: Automatically generates call recordings, transcripts, and summaries.
    • Simple Pricing: Starts at $69/month with 25 free minutes, scalable plans available for growing teams, and no hidden fees.

    Designed for Different Industries from Trades to Tech

    Dialbox works for a range of sectors, from trades like plumbing and HVAC to IT, wellness, and professional services. It intelligently captures industry-specific caller details and escalates high-priority calls when needed. Each deployment is tailored to meet the communication needs of that specific industry.

    Why Now? Why Dialbox?

    Up to 80% of callers hang up on voicemail, costing businesses leads and revenue. Human receptionists are costly and inconsistent. Dialbox offers a cost-effective, always-on solution, with some users seeing ROI within their first month.

    Available Now Launch Offers

    Businesses across Canada can start today—no credit card required. Get:

    • 25 free minutes
    • Easy 5-minute setup: train AI, forward your number, and go live in minutes

    With affordable pricing tiers and enterprise-grade options, including advanced integrations, dedicated support, Dialbox caters to businesses of all sizes.

    Founder & CEO Mike Dawson says:

    “Dialbox is transforming how Canadian small businesses manage phone calls. Instead of losing valuable leads to voicemail, businesses can now leverage AI to engage every caller instantly and professionally. It’s efficient, affordable, and delivers immediate value for both businesses and their customers.”

    About Dialbox
    Founded in 2025, Dialbox is headquartered in Toronto and is the first AI voice receptionist specifically engineered for the Canadian market. Offering bilingual support, 24/7 availability, PIPEDA-compliant privacy, and seamless integrations, Dialbox transforms missed calls into business opportunities. 

    Website: https://dialbox.ca 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Commission proposes gradual phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports

    Source: European Union 2

    To end the EU’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels, the Commission has today provided a concrete timeline for phasing out corresponding gas and oil imports into the EU by end of 2027. The import ban will be gradually implemented to avoid adverse economic impacts or risks to security of supply.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Project Supports Sustainable Management of Mayan Forests in Guatemala

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK Project Supports Sustainable Management of Mayan Forests in Guatemala

    Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy, Paul Huggins, visited Sololá on June 16 as part of a project supporting indigenous communities.

    Residents in Quetzaltenango, Sololá, and Chimaltenango are implementing a project that improves their capacities for inclusive governance and the sustainable use of biodiversity in the so-called Zunil-Atitlán-Balam Juyu´ biocultural and sustainable development corridor. 

    The UK Government, through the Darwin Initiative, and with the support of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Guatemala, is supporting this initiative, which seeks to improve integrated landscape management to reduce poverty and social inequality in rural indigenous communities. The investment amounts to more than Q4.5 million and is being implemented between June 2023 and March 2026. 

    Representatives of the Vivamos Mejor Association, the project’s implementing partner in Sololá, explained to Deputy Chief Huggins that during the second year of activities, their efforts have focused on planning measures to benefit conservation areas, establishing new protected zones, and coordinating integrated fire management efforts. 

    They highlighted that, thanks to the project, the Integrated Fire Management Strategy (EIMF) was developed in conjunction with the National Forest Institute (INAB), the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), and the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED). 

    Another important component in this phase of the project is the updating of four management plans for the Municipal Regional Parks located in the Lake Atitlán Basin Multiple Use Reserve (RUMCLA) in Sololá. Some had not been revised in more than ten years. The update was conducted with the participation of municipalities and local stakeholders and includes geographic, social, economic, and environmental information. 

    The project continues to provide tools to strengthen indigenous cooperatives by providing improved livelihoods for rural poverty reduction through best practices in shade-grown coffee cultivation, beekeeping, and sustainable forest management for local industries. 

    These activities have also been carried out in coordination with government and municipal authorities and conservation area managers in Sololá, Quiché, and Chimaltenango. 

    Paul Huggins, Deputy Chief of Mission, said: 

    We recognize the challenges that remain, such as the effects of climate change, forest fires, and the need to open sustainable markets for local products. But we also see opportunities to continue building capacity, sharing good practices, and scaling up these efforts. The UK will remain a steadfast partner in biodiversity protection, climate action, and sustainable development in Guatemala. 

    Juan Carlos Godoy, Director of TNC Guatemala, said: 

    All these efforts to strengthen inclusive participation and governance of natural resources by its inhabitants will enable sustainable management over time to protect remaining forests, restore the area’s biological connectivity, and improve the local economy through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. 

    Eduardo Secaira, General Director of Asociación Vivamos Mejor Guatemala, said: 

    At Vivamos Mejor, we firmly believe that conservation must go hand in hand with the well-being of communities. This project demonstrates that it is possible to strengthen governance and conserve biodiversity when working together and with respect for ancestral knowledge.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen prepares for Armed Forces Day Parade 2025

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    More than 1,000 serving military personnel, veterans, reservists and cadet and youth organisations are set to parade through Aberdeen city centre to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday 28 June.

    Residents and visitors alike are invited to watch the 2025 parade, which will include local pipe bands and vintage military vehicles. 

    The parade will start at Albyn Place at 11am and go along Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill, Upperkirkgate and Broad Street, finishing at the Castlegate. 

    The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, in his role as Lord-Lieutenant will take the salute outside Marischal College in front of the City’s official flagpole on Broad Street.  

    In the interest of public safety, the following temporary road restrictions will be in place:

    From 6pm on Friday 27 June until 12noon on Saturday 28 June 2025

    There will be a suspension of parking on:

    • The north side of Albyn Place between its junctions with Albyn Grove and Rubislaw Place. Vehicles associated with the parade will be exempt.
    • Schoolhill, including the inset road
    • Union Terrace
    • Upperkirkgate
    • Wellington Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Crown Street and South College Street. This is to accommodate the bus diversion route.

    From 10am on Saturday 28 June until 1pm on Saturday 28 June 2025

    There will be a suspension of all waiting for any purpose, with the exception of any waiting taxis on:

    • The west side of Chapel Street, north of the junction with Thistle Street for 53 metres or thereby. This area is to provide a temporary Taxi Rank for this period.

    From 9am on Saturday 28 June until 12.30pm on Saturday 28 June

    No driving will be permitted on the following roads:

    • Albyn Place from Albyn Grove to Alford Place
    • Alford Place from Albyn Place to Union Street
    • Rubislaw Place from Albyn Place to Rubislaw Terrace
    • Victoria Street from Alford Place to Thistle Place
    • Union Street from Alford Place to Union Terrace
    • Holburn Street from Alford Place to Union Grove
    • Chapel Street from Union Street to Thistle Street
    • Bon Accord St from Langstane Place to Union Street
    • Union Row from Union Wynd to Union Street
    • Crown Street from Windmill Brae to Union Street
    • Union Terrace from Union Street to Rosemount Viaduct
    • Rosemount Viaduct from Skene Street to Blackfriars Street
    • Blackfriars Street from St Andrew Street to Schoolhill
    • St Andrew Street from Blackfriars Street to Charlotte Street
    • Belmont Street from Gaelic Lane to Schoolhill
    • Back Wynd from Little Belmont Street to Schoolhill
    • Upperkirkgate from Broad Street to Schoolhill
    • Schoolhill from Upperkirkgate to Blackfriars Street
    • Gallowgate from Little John Street to Upperkirkgate
    • Broad Street from Upperkirkgate to Union Street
    • Union Street from Broad Street to Castle Street
    • King Street from Castle Street to West North Street
    • Castle Street in its entirety

    From 10.45am on Saturday 28 June until 12.30pm on Saturday 28 June

    No driving will be permitted on the following roads:

    Taxi Ranks

    Dee Street, Back Wynd, Queen Street & Exchequer Row taxi ranks will be impacted by these road closures between 10.45am until 12.30pm on Saturday 28 June 2025.

    Chapel Street – This rank will be relocated on Chapel Street to outside Holiday Inn Express facing away from Union Street. Access for this rank will be from Thistle Street only. Waiting will be for Taxis only.

    Later opening time for Marischal College car park

    Due to the road closures nearby, Marischal College car park, which is accessed from Queen Street, will open later than usual at 1pm. All other city centre car parks will be open as normal.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester launches Public Health Report 2025

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester City Council has published its latest annual Public Health Report for 2025.

    The theme of the report, Making Manchester Fairer, provides an overview of the two years since the strategy was launched in the city and the importance of the ongoing work to address inequalities and improve long-term outcomes for people living in the city. 

    Making Manchester Fairer is the council’s roadmap for the coming years, tackling preventable ill health and other inequalities to help eradicate the impact that a variety of factors such as where residents live, work or are educated, may have on their opportunities as well as affecting how long they live. These influences are also known as the social determinants of health. 

    The report looks at the progress that has been made to meet the increasing needs of residents to prevent them from sliding into poverty and improve long-term health outcomes city-wide. It also shows how communities have had direct involvement in both the development and delivery of the Making Manchester Fairer action plan. 

    The eight themes for action within Making Manchester Fairer focus on the social determinants of health in the city covering: 

    • Early years, children and young people 
    • Poverty, income and debt 
    • Work and employment 
    • Prevention of ill health and preventable deaths 
    • Homes and housing 
    • Places, transport and climate change 
    • Tackling systemic and structural racism and discrimination 
    • Communities and power 

    The Making Manchester Fairer strategy underpins the importance of targeting investment into key areas of concern, and the report outlines many achievements to date. 

    For example, the Work and Health Kickstarter focused on removing the barriers that people with physical and mental health conditions can experience when looking for work, keeping their job, staying at work, and progressing in their careers.  

    This specifically included supporting patients in North Manchester with conditions such as back pain, arthritis and osteoporosis who needed help to access employment. An enhanced programme of support with advisers embedded as part of the musculoskeletal programme delivered by Manchester Foundation Trust has also helped to deliver hyper- local programmes to specific minoritised communities. 

    Important work to support the Black Caribbean community through the Healthy and Hearty project is also reaping rewards. Two Black-led Voluntary Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations are leading the work with Black Caribbean people who, despite having a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, are not being supported in the most appropriate way.  

    Drop-in sessions with a worker from their community to measure blood pressure and to talk about general health and wellbeing has meant that patients feel more comfortable speaking to someone with a similar lived experience who understands the cultural factors for their community. 

    Helping children with intensive support in some schools where speech and language therapists and psychologists work with children who may have not met developmental goals is also making headway.  This is also the subject of the latest Making Manchester Fairer podcast at Heald Place Primary: https://rss.com/podcasts/mmf/ .  

    The podcast looks at health, wealth and key social issues that affect life chances – as Manchester squares up to inequality. 

    Details of the full Public Health Report here – Public Health report 

    Cordelle Ofori, Director of Public Health for Manchester said: 

    “This is my first annual report as Director of Public Health for Manchester. The report shows how Making Manchester Fairer – our approach to tackling health inequalities in the city – is working in practice, building the foundations of good health in communities. 

    “The report describes the progress made over the past couple of years using examples of the ‘Making Manchester Fairer approach’ in action. The Making Manchester Fairer plan included actions within eight key themes to build the foundations of health in communities. It also included early initiatives known as the Kickstarters – projects to ‘kickstart’ delivery and exemplify the approach.”

    Councillor Thomas Robinson, Executive Member for Healthy Manchester said:

    “Poverty, health inequalities and the ongoing cost of living crisis are all issues that cut to the heart of our communities, and unchecked create profound and lasting damage that can take years to reverse. 

    “It is important that we show what the Making Manchester Fairer Programme has achieved so far – and perhaps even more importantly, how it has listened to first-hand experiences from people in our communities and then worked together on bespoke approaches. That partnership is essential and means the next part of the Making Manchester Fairer journey will build on these strong foundations, so that we have a long-lasting delivery model in our neighbourhoods, built and informed by that resident involvement. 

    “Through Manchester Making Fairer we’re determined to do everything we possibly can right now to make sure everyone in Manchester gets the same life chances as people elsewhere – and that includes our children and young people.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: St Pius X RC Primary School and Nursery Proposed Closure

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    St Pius X RC Primary School and Nursery could close at the end of the school year 2025/26. 

    The Children, Families and Communities Committee will be asked to approve the closure of the school and nursery, and rezone the catchment area of St Francis RC Primary School to include the existing St Pius X RC Primary School catchment area. 

    The St Pius X RC Primary pupil roll is in decline. The school has a capacity of 242 pupils. In September 2019, the school roll was 195. The school roll at the September 2024 census was 162, this equates to an occupancy level of 67%. The current estimated roll for August 2025 is 153.  

    Except for the Council’s Edwardian and Victorian primary schools, the St Pius X RC Primary building is now one of the oldest schools, built post-1970. Maintaining appropriate levels of condition and suitability may require significant financial investment. 

    Therefore, the committee will be asked to approve the closure of the school and nursery, and rezone the St Francis RC Primary catchment area.  

    The council ran a consultation from January 6- February 19 where feedback was gathered from to key stakeholders, including staff, pupils and parents/carers.  

    In response to the feedback, it is proposed that a closed contract bus service will be provided to all children currently attending St Pius X RC Primary who chose to continue their primary education at St Francis Primary School. 

    In addition, the council would commit to working in partnership with representatives of the Diocese of Dunkeld to ensure that religious education provision (delivered by a church approved teacher) will be available at Claypotts Castle Primary. 

    This would be supported by a strategic group including Church representatives, senior officers of the Children and Families Service and Head Teachers which has been set up and has already had an initial meeting to agree how to take this work forward. 

    The committee will hear that the closure of St Pius X RC School and nursery would result in a reduction in revenue expenditure of £677,422, in a full financial year, with a part-year saving of £423,389 in the financial year 2026/7. 

    The Committee will meet on Monday 23rd June. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking News: China to Create New Centers for Cooperation with Central Asia – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Astana, June 17 (Xinhua) — China has decided to establish three cooperation centers and a platform to simplify trade procedures within the framework of the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday while speaking at the second China-Central Asia summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

    The Chinese leader noted that these institutions include the China-Central Asia Poverty Alleviation Cooperation Center, the China-Central Asia Education Exchange and Cooperation Center, the China-Central Asia Desertification Cooperation Center, and the China-Central Asia Flowing Trade Cooperation Platform. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Urgent: All relevant parties should work to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as soon as possible – Xi Jinping

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    ASTANA, June 17 (Xinhua) — All relevant parties should work to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as soon as possible and prevent further escalation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

    He said China was deeply concerned that Israel’s military strikes on Iran had led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, adding that China opposed any action that violated the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries.

    Military conflicts are not a solution to problems, and the escalation of the regional situation does not meet the common interests of the international community, the Chinese leader noted.

    China is ready to work with all parties to play a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the Middle East, he said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Power of Siberia 2 project remains relevant – Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation A. Novak

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    Moscow, June 17 /Xinhua/ – China’s rapid economic development also implies an increase in gas consumption as a more environmentally friendly alternative to coal. Russia is one of the main suppliers of this fuel to China. Therefore, the Power of Siberia 2 project remains relevant. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak in an interview with the Vedomosti newspaper.

    “China is one of the largest energy consumers in the world, and its rapid economic development, industrial growth and urbanization contribute to the constant increase in energy demand. Particularly noticeable is the growing role of natural gas, which is used as a more environmentally friendly alternative to coal,” A. Novak said.

    “The role of renewable energy sources has also increased significantly in China’s energy sector in recent years – the country is the undisputed leader in terms of installed solar and wind power generation capacity,” he noted, adding that the growth in the use of renewable energy sources does not mean abandoning natural gas. Gas is expected to be used as a “balancing” fuel in cases of insufficient electricity generation from renewable sources and will remain a guarantor of China’s energy security.

    Russia, which is the leader in natural gas reserves, remains one of the main suppliers of this fuel to China. “In this regard, the Power of Siberia 2 project undoubtedly remains relevant,” A. Novak emphasized. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Baird’s Statement on Israel’s Strikes on Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

    Congressman Baird’s Statement on Israel’s Strikes on Iran

    Washington, June 17, 2025

    Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership:

    “The U.S. has been clear: Iran cannot and will not obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump has given Iran every opportunity to dismantle their nuclear program and make a deal in good faith. Iran has failed to come to the table. Iran has also been the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Iran backed Hamas’ horrific October 7th attack that murdered nearly 1,200 Israelis and 46 Americans and took hundreds of innocent people hostage. Iran has long sought the destruction of Israel and used proxies to attack our greatest ally in the Middle East. Israel has the right to take action to defend itself. I will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds, and I stand with our ally Israel in its fight for its very existence.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • Indian Army hosts Chiefs’ Chintan to strengthen coordination with former chiefs

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Army commenced a two-day structured interaction, Chiefs’ Chintan, on Tuesday, bringing together Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi and former Chiefs of the Army Staff (CsOAS) in New Delhi. The conclave, held in the wake of Operation SINDOOR, aims to harness the institutional knowledge and experience of former chiefs to guide the Army’s ongoing transformation and future strategies.

    General Dwivedi welcomed the former chiefs, emphasizing the critical role of their insights in shaping the Indian Army’s direction. A key focus of the first day was a detailed operational briefing on Operation SINDOOR, highlighting its synchronized execution with the Indian Air Force and Navy. The briefing covered the operation’s strategic impact and jointmanship model, offering context for the former chiefs to provide valuable feedback. Discussions also touched on the integration of niche technologies and modernization efforts to bolster operational capabilities.

    The conclave’s agenda includes deliberations on technological initiatives, with a focus on technology absorption, and the Indian Army’s contributions to the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. Additionally, reforms in human resource policies and welfare schemes for veterans are set to be brainstormed. The former chiefs actively shared their recommendations, contributing to the Army’s efforts in capability enhancement and organizational reform.

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic in Dartmouth offers a range of health services including primary care, gynecology, obstetrics, urology and midwifery. Dr. Maria Angwin became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia in 1884, and she dedicated her career to women’s health and preventive medicine. (Province of Nova Scotia)


    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Health Clinic Opens in Dartmouth North

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Quotes:

    “We’re proud to open the doors to a clinic that is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered care in Dartmouth North. Our health home model for primary care, integrated in a space with Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood, will allow us to better support the community of Dartmouth North by making care more connected, consistent and responsive to their needs.”
    Ashley Harnish, Director, Primary Health Care, Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health

    “We are excited to enhance IWK Health’s dedication to providing accessible, inclusive care of specialty women’s health services at the new Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic. This new facility enables us to effectively support the health and well-being of women and families in the community, where they live and work.”
    LeeAnn Larocque, acting Vice-President, Clinical Care, IWK Health

    “As a family doctor who has had a rewarding career in Dartmouth North for more than 40 years, I am proud of the strong sense of community and committed leaders that have developed here. I am thrilled to see this community receive the resources they need to thrive. The government’s investments in collaborative primary healthcare in our province are greatly benefiting how we deliver care to Nova Scotians. We are proud to collaborate with our colleagues in this new clinic, and we are confident the Dartmouth North community will feel the positive impact.”
    Dr. Janet Howard, family physician, Albro Lake Medical Clinic


    Quick Facts:

    • in 1884, Dr. Maria Angwin became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia; she dedicated her career to women’s health and preventive medicine
    • the Nova Scotia Sisterhood and Brotherhood initiatives are free programs for Black women and men to access healthcare in the community and to improve health and well-being
    • a health home is a place where patients receive comprehensive care from a team of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, social workers and others

    Additional Resources:

    Nova Scotia Sisterhood: https://www.nshealth.ca/nova-scotia-sisterhood

    Nova Scotia Brotherhood: https://www.nshealth.ca/nova-scotia-brotherhood

    Health homes in Nova Scotia: https://www.nshealth.ca/primary-care-and-family-medicine/health-homes-nova-scotia


    Other than cropping, Province of Nova Scotia photos are not to be altered in any way.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: RCFLs Fight Violent Crime and Protect National Security One Byte at a Time

    Source: US FBI

    With phones now holding half a terabyte—the equivalent to multiple movies or tens of thousands of photos—the forensic team is constantly faced with sifting through an overwhelming amount of information.

    “You’re trying to find a needle in a haystack,” said Steinke. “There are times we’re looking for something specific, and it could be hidden within the system files on the computer. It makes it difficult.”

    The team’s work extends beyond the physical laboratory. A mobile forensics lab—a van outfitted with all the tools and equipment needed—allows the team to deploy on-site to investigations. The mobile lab gives investigators the ability to access networks and devices and get to work immediately.

    “In cases of violent crime or kidnapping, you don’t have time to wait,” said Clevenger. “When lives are at stake, minutes and seconds count, and it’s important to be able to get the data when we need to get it.”

    The mobile lab can be on-site, pulling data right away and passing it along to the investigators. The team’s expertise and technology also mean that they’re able to act discreetly, which is crucial for sensitive investigations.

    “Through the work of the RCFL, we’ve been able to solve hundreds of local, state, and federal crimes including homicides, terrorism cases, violent crimes, and hold accountable child predators,” said Stephen A. Cyrus, FBI special agent in charge of the Kansas City Field Office in Missouri. “Thanks to the work of FBI personnel and task force officers from all our partner agencies, the RCFL has truly ensured safer communities throughout Kansas and Missouri.”

    As a team, the Heart of America RCFL has assisted in solving some of the region’s most high-profile and sensitive cases. But what truly makes this group of experts stand out is their unity and unwavering dedication.

    “We’re a family here,” says Steinke. “If someone has a problem, we all come together to help.”

    As law enforcement continues to face new threats in the digital age, the FBI’s RCFLs, with cutting-edge technology, expertise, and partnerships, remain a vital force in defending our communities and upholding justice.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Notice on Convocation of Uab “Orkela” Bondholders’ Meeting on 10 July 2025 (ISIN Code Lt0000405961)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Please be informed that, at the initiative of UAB “Orkela” (company code 304099538, registered address at Jogailos St. 4, Vilnius, Lithuania) (the Company) and by the decision of the bondholder’s representative UAB “AUDIFINA” (company code 125921757, registered address at A. Juozapavičiaus st. 6, Vilnius, Lithuania) (the Trustee), a meeting of the bondholders of the Company’s bond issue, ISIN code LT0000405961 (the Bonds), will be held on 10 July 2025 at 10:00 AM (the Meeting) at the St Jacobs Complex, Vasario 16-osios str. 1, Vilnius.

    The Company initiated the convening of the Meeting due to the high likelihood that, by the Redemption Date, the full completion of the St. Jacob’s building complex, located at Vasario 16-osios g. 1, Vilnius, will not be registered in accordance with all applicable procedures. Given the potential impact this may have on the Company’s financing capabilities, the Company is requesting an extension of the redemption deadline. Accordingly, the Company seeks approval from the Bondholders to extend the redemption date of the Bonds by three months, from the originally scheduled date of 19 July 2025 to 19 October 2025. For the final interest period (19 July 2025 to 19 October 2025), the Company will pay a higher annual interest rate of 9%. The Company emphasizes that the first-ranking mortgage on the real estate, established for the benefit of the Bondholders, will remain in full effect.

    A notice regarding the convening of the Meeting, which includes the agenda, the Company’s proposed decision for the Meeting, and other matters, is attached to this notice (along with the general voting ballot). These documents are also published on the Trustee’s website at https://www.audifina.lt/en/services/consulting-services/trustee-services/#viesi-pranesimai  and on the Company’s website at https://lordslb.lt/orkela_bonds/.

    We kindly ask all Bondholders to attend the Meeting and express their will regarding the Company’s proposed decision for the Meeting. If attendance is not possible, we kindly request that you consider voting in advance by completing the general voting ballot and submitting the document confirming your right to vote (and if applicable, the basis of representation) to the Trustee no later than 14:00 (Vilnius time) on 9 July 2025. The documents may be (i) delivered or sent by registered mail to A. Juozapavičiaus st. 6, Vilnius, Lithuania, or (ii) if the general voting ballot is signed with a qualified e-signature, sent along with the document confirming your right to vote (and if applicable, the basis of representation) by email to obligacijos@audifina.lt.

    If you have any questions regarding the notice (and its annex), the Meeting, or the items to be discussed at the Meeting before the scheduled date, please feel free to contact the Company (via email at info@lordslb.lt) or the Trustee (via email at obligacijos@audifina.lt).

    Anastasija Pocienė
    Director

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Hola Prime Enhances Trader Edge with Powerful FX Replay Backtesting Tool

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, NY, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hola Prime, a leading proprietary trading firm recognized for its transparent, trader-first approach, has announced its partnership with FX Replay, offering traders access to one of the most advanced backtesting and market simulation tools available today.

    This new feature allows traders worldwide to replay historical market data in real-time conditions, providing a unique opportunity to refine strategies, improve execution, and build confidence – all without risking real capital.

    In trading, experience and practice are critical to success, but these often come at a high cost and require significant time. Somesh Kapuria, CEO of Hola Prime, emphasized the transformative potential of FX Replay, stating, “FX Replay is a powerful step forward for our traders. In trading, experience is the greatest teacher, but it’s often expensive and slow to gain. FX Replay compresses years of experience into weeks of hands-on practice, allowing traders to sharpen their edge before risking real capital. We are committed to providing every trader with the tools to succeed, and this partnership is a natural extension of that vision.”

    Sumedha Sharma, CFO of Hola Prime, highlighted the key features and practical benefits of FX Replay. She explained that the tool allows traders to slow down or speed up market action, rewind to crucial moments, and repeatedly test trade setups under varying conditions. For example, a trader who wants to master a breakout strategy can replay multiple historical breakout scenarios at different speeds to observe price behavior closely and refine entry and exit timing. Similarly, a scalper can simulate fast-paced market conditions repeatedly to improve reaction times and decision-making accuracy without the pressure of live trading. This hands-on, flexible approach helps traders understand the nuances of risk management, position sizing, and strategy robustness in a risk-free environment.

    Hola Prime’s FX Replay supports a wide range of assets, matching the firm’s diverse market offerings. This broad applicability allows traders to experiment with different instruments and timeframes, enhancing their overall market adaptability.

    To mark this launch, Hola Prime is providing special offers on FX Replay access bundled with challenges, encouraging traders to leverage this powerful learning tool as part of their journey to consistent profitability. Traders buying challenges between $10,000 and $50,000 will receive 50% off on FX Replay access for a month, while those purchasing accounts of $100,000 or more will get FX Replay access completely free for a month.

    Hola Prime continues to lead the proprietary trading industry by prioritizing speed, transparency, and innovation. The firm’s offering of FX Replay further cements its reputation for creating a comprehensive ecosystem designed to enhance trader success through education, technology, and support.

    For more information about FX Replay and Hola Prime’s challenges, visit www.holaprime.com.

    Social Links

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holaprime_global/  

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtVEJa1Ml132Be7tnk-DjeQ  

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hola-prime/?viewAsMember=true  

    X: https://x.com/HolaPrimeGlobal  

    Discord: https://discord.gg/TJ7TcHPXBf  

    Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/HolaPrime/  

    Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/HolaPrime/  

    Medium: https://medium.com/@social_46267  

    Media Contact

    Company: Hola Prime

    Contact: Media Team

    Email: marketing@holaprime.com

    Website: https://holaprime.com/

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the New Zealand Reception celebrating Matariki and 50th Anniversary of ASEAN–New Zealand Dialogue Relations

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this evening attended a reception hosted by the New Zealand Embassy to Indonesia and the New Zealand Mission to ASEAN, featuring a special Māori cultural performance in celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year, and the 50th anniversary of ASEAN–New Zealand Dialogue Relations. In his remarks, Dr. Kao highlighted that the spirit of Matariki reflects values of heritage, interconnectedness, and cooperation—principles that resonate deeply with ASEAN and ASEAN-New Zealand relations.
     
    Download the full remarks here.
     

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN attends the New Zealand Reception celebrating Matariki and 50th Anniversary of ASEAN–New Zealand Dialogue Relations appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The use of federal troops to quell Los Angeles protests recalls militarized law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Justin Randolph, Assistant Professor of U.S. History, Texas A&M University

    The National Guard and protesters stand off outside of a downtown jail in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump activated 4,000 National Guard troops on June 10, 2025, to quell protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids – without the normal request from the state. He has also sent to Los Angeles hundreds of U.S. Marines, with the goal of protecting the unprecedented deportation operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    If this all feels exceptional, it should. Governors typically activate their own state troops, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would do on June 11 ahead of expected immigration protests.

    California quickly sued the president. A federal court has sided with the state, but an appeals court will weigh the Trump administration’s use of the U.S. code on armed services to activate the National Guard, which relies on protesters constituting either an “invasion” or “rebellion.”

    “What we’re witnessing is not law enforcement – it’s authoritarianism,”
    California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on June 10.

    Protesters report violent responses from Los Angeles police, too. Nonetheless, Newsom’s invocation of authoritarianism is apt.

    The last example of a president federalizing troops over the objection of a state government dates to Jim Crow segregation, a period marked by legal practices that routinely denied due process and citizenship rights to Black Americans in the South. In the 1960s, numerous Black freedom struggles took stands against this authoritarianism backed by militarized law enforcement.

    As a scholar of U.S. history, I’ve just completed a book on Jim Crow policing and the ways Black Americans fought back against racist law and order. I think the militarization of policing in Los Angeles opens important questions about democracy and state violence.

    Jim Crow dreams

    During the Civil Rights Movement, the federal government activated National Guard troops over Southern state objections when those states would neither enforce court orders nor protect protesters.

    In those cases, presidents protected people with the help of troops. In Trump’s case, he’s using troops to protect the government from protesters.

    The Trump administration’s vision of law enforcement aims for the type of militarized authority that state governments institutionalized under Jim Crow policing. If your political enemy is perceived more like an enemy combatant, the rules of legal procedure, especially due process, might not apply. Policing becomes war.

    When you see the words “Jim Crow,” your mind may jump to photos of racially segregated water fountains. But Jim Crow was far more than that. It was homegrown racial authoritarianism, or the repression of freedom of thought and action.

    Before troops enforced civil rights, Black Southerners saw the National Guard as an enemy rather than a friend.

    In the words of Ida B. Wells-Barnett after a white riot against Black residents in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1917, “The police were either indifferent or encouraged the barbarities. … The major part of the National Guard was indifferent or inactive. No organized effort was made to protect the Negroes or disperse the murdering groups.”

    Eisenhower sends in the troops

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education changed things. It overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that legalized racial segregation and ruled that segregated public school education was unconstitutional. This significantly altered the federal government’s responsibility in the South’s legal system of white supremacy.

    The first test came in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Though numerous school districts across the South quietly desegregated, Southern governors such as Arkansas’ Orville Faubus resisted the planned desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.

    Seven of nine Black students walk onto the campus of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., with a National Guard officer as an escort on Oct. 15, 1957.
    AP Photo/File

    Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to stop Black children at the door. For nearly three weeks, Guardsmen blocked the small group of Black students – known as the “Little Rock Nine” – who were supposed to attend the school before President Dwight Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and ordered them to stand down.

    Eisenhower deployed U.S. Army riot troops to Little Rock under the Insurrection Act. In the end, the Little Rock Nine began their studies at Central High despite the much-photographed spitting from the white mob that surrounded the school.

    State troops, state rights

    Next came the desegregation of interstate transportation.

    In spring 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality, a civil rights advocacy group, sent buses of integrated passengers through the Deep South. White terrorists attacked Freedom Riders, as these activists became known, three times in Alabama.

    But state authorities had learned from the Little Rock experience. Southern governors in Alabama and Mississippi deployed the National Guard themselves. This time they intended to only minimally protect Freedom Riders to block federal law enforcement. In Mississippi, police arrested and prison guards tortured Freedom Riders in the state penitentiary. Mob violence killed no one.

    James Meredith, center, is escorted by federal marshals as he appears for his first day of class at the previously all-white University of Mississippi on Oct. 1, 1962.
    AP Photo, File

    The same was not true during the desegregation of public universities.

    When U.S. marshals arrived to enforce the court order enrolling James Meredith at the University of Mississippi in September 1962, a white riot erupted. State law enforcement withdrew from the scene. Two men died, and many more were injured.

    President John F. Kennedy federalized the Mississippi National Guard and sent them in to restore order. The next summer, he did the same in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to preemptively halt a riot at the University of Alabama.

    The occasion became a publicity stunt for Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. He temporarily blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium, intent on stopping the court-ordered registration of three Black students.

    “I stand before you here today in place of thousands of other Alabamians whose presence would have confronted you,” Wallace said to federal authorities. A National Guard general said, “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.”

    A National Guard general informs Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace that the guard was under federal control, as the two meet at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on June 11, 1963.
    AP Photo, File

    Wallace also triggered the last federal use – until now – of the National Guard. Alabama’s Selma-to-Montgomery march began as a memorial to Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young Black civil rights activist who was killed by police on Feb. 26, 1965. The march became primarily a symbol for the year’s Voting Rights Act.

    In an important change, President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized the National Guard to protect marchers. State troopers and sheriff’s deputies had terrorized marchers, including John Lewis, who was almost beaten to death on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965.

    Democracy is in the streets

    The history of the National Guard in the South is an important part of what’s unfolding in Los Angeles and across the nation.

    For most of the National Guard’s history in the South, political leaders used domestic military power to preserve the interests of racial authoritarians, not racial egalitarians. Little Rock, Tuscaloosa, Selma: Those moments when troops protected racial justice protesters at home stand out as some of America’s most hopeful moments.

    Recent statements by Trump administration officials help illustrate how it envisions using military power in domestic law enforcement. On June 8, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to arrest rioters” – a request beyond the original order to protect ICE agents.

    And on June 12, Noem said that “the military people that are working on this operation … are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country.”

    The National Guard and Marines are reportedly protecting immigration enforcement. But what might happen if they directly interact with protests?

    With diverse tactics, protesters are halting business as usual because they see a mass-deportation regime terrorizing and disappearing people in their communities. U.S. courts tend to agree with their analysis but seem powerless to enforce even basic due process rights for those detained by ICE.

    These activists show the messy work of American social change. Their work may look like “anarchy” to even some Democrats. It may be maligned as “invasion” and “rebellion” by the Trump administration.

    But the calls to constrain ICE follow an American tradition of fighting authoritarianism.

    Justin Randolph 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. The use of federal troops to quell Los Angeles protests recalls militarized law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement – https://theconversation.com/the-use-of-federal-troops-to-quell-los-angeles-protests-recalls-militarized-law-enforcement-during-the-civil-rights-movement-258866

    MIL OSI Analysis

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

    Joint statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the OPTs. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Mr President, this statement is on behalf of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.

    We regret that the Commission of Inquiry was established on an open-ended basis, against usual practice. Nevertheless, we remain committed to upholding human rights, and we support the Commission in undertaking proportionate scrutiny of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    We oppose the Israeli Government’s escalating military action in Gaza, and reject its intention to take control of the Gaza strip. 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, including many women and children. The Israeli hostages held by Hamas continue to suffer an unimaginable ordeal.

    The human suffering in Gaza is intolerable; all of Gaza is at risk of famine. We strongly urge Israel to enable food and other critical supplies to reach people safely, and at scale, to address increasing urgent needs. Attacks on UN and other aid workers are outrageous and must be investigated.

    In the West Bank, violent settlers assault and abuse Palestinians. We have announced further sanctions on individuals and entities promoting violence against these communities and will continue to take appropriate action.

    We continue to call on all parties to urgently agree to a ceasefire/hostage deal; the best hope of ending the agony of the hostages and their families, alleviating civilian suffering in Gaza, ending Hamas control and supporting a two-state solution.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Medical & Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act alongside Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Senators  Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). This bicameral and bipartisan legislation would authorize the United States to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, aimed at reducing barriers that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and partner countries. These agreements would also promote regulatory cooperation and other key trade provisions.

     

    To qualify as a Trusted Trade Partner, countries must demonstrate a commitment to global health security, uphold trade agreement compliance, protect U.S. intellectual property, and take steps to reduce trade barriers while promoting sound regulatory practices. Some potential candidates include Singapore, Indonesia, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland.

     

    The legislation aims to strengthen global medical supply chains, enhancing U.S. national security and public health while ensuring preparedness for future pandemics. It empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, reducing barriers like tariffs and quotas that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and allied nations. Additionally, it promotes regulatory cooperation and expands access to government procurement opportunities.

     

    “If COVID taught us anything it is that it’s crucial that we reduce our reliance on foreign nations, especially adversaries like Communist China, for essential lifesaving supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Strengthening domestic production will enhance national security, ensure a stable supply of critical medications and medical equipment, and protect Americans from future disruptions,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need, by strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health,” said Senator Thom Tillis.

    “During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China, this legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises,” said Senator John Cornyn.

    “Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die, working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care,” said Senator Chris Coons.

     

    “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy.

     

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies. By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage,” said National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC).

     

    Earlier this year, Malliotakis reintroduced the Supply Chain Security and Growth Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would leverage Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to facilitate a rapid movement of critical U.S. supply chains to Puerto Rico from less desirable and unreliable locations such as China with Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez (PR-AL).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Medical & Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act alongside Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Senators  Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). This bicameral and bipartisan legislation would authorize the United States to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, aimed at reducing barriers that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and partner countries. These agreements would also promote regulatory cooperation and other key trade provisions.

     

    To qualify as a Trusted Trade Partner, countries must demonstrate a commitment to global health security, uphold trade agreement compliance, protect U.S. intellectual property, and take steps to reduce trade barriers while promoting sound regulatory practices. Some potential candidates include Singapore, Indonesia, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland.

     

    The legislation aims to strengthen global medical supply chains, enhancing U.S. national security and public health while ensuring preparedness for future pandemics. It empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, reducing barriers like tariffs and quotas that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and allied nations. Additionally, it promotes regulatory cooperation and expands access to government procurement opportunities.

     

    “If COVID taught us anything it is that it’s crucial that we reduce our reliance on foreign nations, especially adversaries like Communist China, for essential lifesaving supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Strengthening domestic production will enhance national security, ensure a stable supply of critical medications and medical equipment, and protect Americans from future disruptions,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need, by strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health,” said Senator Thom Tillis.

    “During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China, this legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises,” said Senator John Cornyn.

    “Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die, working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care,” said Senator Chris Coons.

     

    “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy.

     

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies. By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage,” said National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC).

     

    Earlier this year, Malliotakis reintroduced the Supply Chain Security and Growth Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would leverage Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to facilitate a rapid movement of critical U.S. supply chains to Puerto Rico from less desirable and unreliable locations such as China with Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez (PR-AL).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Medical & Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act alongside Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Senators  Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). This bicameral and bipartisan legislation would authorize the United States to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, aimed at reducing barriers that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and partner countries. These agreements would also promote regulatory cooperation and other key trade provisions.

     

    To qualify as a Trusted Trade Partner, countries must demonstrate a commitment to global health security, uphold trade agreement compliance, protect U.S. intellectual property, and take steps to reduce trade barriers while promoting sound regulatory practices. Some potential candidates include Singapore, Indonesia, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland.

     

    The legislation aims to strengthen global medical supply chains, enhancing U.S. national security and public health while ensuring preparedness for future pandemics. It empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, reducing barriers like tariffs and quotas that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and allied nations. Additionally, it promotes regulatory cooperation and expands access to government procurement opportunities.

     

    “If COVID taught us anything it is that it’s crucial that we reduce our reliance on foreign nations, especially adversaries like Communist China, for essential lifesaving supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Strengthening domestic production will enhance national security, ensure a stable supply of critical medications and medical equipment, and protect Americans from future disruptions,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need, by strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health,” said Senator Thom Tillis.

    “During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China, this legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises,” said Senator John Cornyn.

    “Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die, working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care,” said Senator Chris Coons.

     

    “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy.

     

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies. By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage,” said National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC).

     

    Earlier this year, Malliotakis reintroduced the Supply Chain Security and Growth Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would leverage Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to facilitate a rapid movement of critical U.S. supply chains to Puerto Rico from less desirable and unreliable locations such as China with Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez (PR-AL).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Medical & Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act alongside Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Senators  Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). This bicameral and bipartisan legislation would authorize the United States to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, aimed at reducing barriers that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and partner countries. These agreements would also promote regulatory cooperation and other key trade provisions.

     

    To qualify as a Trusted Trade Partner, countries must demonstrate a commitment to global health security, uphold trade agreement compliance, protect U.S. intellectual property, and take steps to reduce trade barriers while promoting sound regulatory practices. Some potential candidates include Singapore, Indonesia, Ireland, Poland, and Switzerland.

     

    The legislation aims to strengthen global medical supply chains, enhancing U.S. national security and public health while ensuring preparedness for future pandemics. It empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate Trusted Trade Partner Agreements, reducing barriers like tariffs and quotas that discourage manufacturing in the U.S. and allied nations. Additionally, it promotes regulatory cooperation and expands access to government procurement opportunities.

     

    “If COVID taught us anything it is that it’s crucial that we reduce our reliance on foreign nations, especially adversaries like Communist China, for essential lifesaving supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Strengthening domestic production will enhance national security, ensure a stable supply of critical medications and medical equipment, and protect Americans from future disruptions,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need, by strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health,” said Senator Thom Tillis.

    “During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China, this legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises,” said Senator John Cornyn.

    “Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die, working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care,” said Senator Chris Coons.

     

    “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy.

     

    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies. By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage,” said National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC).

     

    Earlier this year, Malliotakis reintroduced the Supply Chain Security and Growth Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that would leverage Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to facilitate a rapid movement of critical U.S. supply chains to Puerto Rico from less desirable and unreliable locations such as China with Reps. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernandez (PR-AL).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Sanders as Cosponsor of No War Against Iran Act 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Israel’s military strikes against Iran, which threaten to further destabilize the Middle East and draw the United States into yet another military conflict, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in introducing the No War Against Iran Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any use of military force in or against Iran absent specific Congressional authorization. The bill contains an exception for self-defense as enshrined in the War Powers Act and applicable U.S. law. 
    Joining Senators Welch and Sanders on this legislation are Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). 
    “Our taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund another reckless, open-ended conflict instigated by Prime Minister Netanyahu,” said Senator Welch. “War has badly damaged this region. Millions of civilians face acute hunger and need lifesaving aid in Gaza right now. Netanyahu just upended U.S.-led negotiations to limit Iran’s nuclear program in favor of recklessly escalating tensions. Congress needs to listen to the American people, as our founders intended, before getting involved.” 
    “Netanyahu’s reckless and illegal attacks violate international law and risk igniting a regional war. Congress must make it clear that the United States will not be dragged into Netanyahu’s war of choice,” said Senator Sanders. “Our Founding Fathers entrusted the power of war and peace exclusively to the people’s elected representatives in Congress, and it is imperative that we make clear that the President has no authority to embark on another costly war without explicit authorization by Congress. Another war in the Middle East could cost countless lives, waste trillions more dollars and lead to even more deaths, more conflict, and more displacement. I will do everything that I can as a Senator to defend the Constitution and prevent the U.S. from being drawn into another war.” 
    “The Constitution is clear: Congress decides when our country goes to war, not the President or the Netanyahu government,” said Senator Warren. “The Trump administration must prioritize de-escalation to prevent this spiraling into a war that jeopardizes U.S. troops and destabilizes the Middle East.” 
    “As strikes between Israel and Iran continue, we need de-escalation and restraint from all sides. Trump’s reckless decision to abandon the JCPOA nuclear agreement, cheered on by Netanyahu, helped bring us to this dangerous moment. This bill makes clear: the President cannot launch another war in the Middle East without Congressional authorization. It’s long past time for Congress to reassert its constitutional role and prevent another disastrous conflict,” said Senator Merkley. 
    “Instead of bringing wars to an end, Trump is facilitating them — leading to civilian deaths and threatening American lives in the region. Only the Congress has the constitutional power to declare war, and President Trump must not drag us further into this conflict without Congressional approval,” said Senator Van Hollen. 
    “Our Constitution and laws give Congress, not the President, the exclusive powers to authorize military force and declare war. Congress must reassert that authority so that we are not drawn into a catastrophic regional war that would further imperil the safety of American citizens and forces, the stability of Middle East, and the lives of innocent civilians,” said Senator Markey. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE workshop fosters regional dialogue on climate change, human mobility, and security in South-Eastern Europe

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE workshop fosters regional dialogue on climate change, human mobility, and security in South-Eastern Europe

    On 3 June, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) hosted a regional workshop in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together over 50 experts, officials, civil society representatives, and practitioners from across South-Eastern Europe.
    Titled “Addressing the Interlinkages between Climate Change, Human Mobility and Security to Strengthen Resilience in South-Eastern Europe”, the workshop aimed to deepen evidence-based understanding of the complex links between climate change, migration, and security in the region. The event was organized in partnership with the OSCE Field Operations in South-Eastern Europe and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), with support from the United Kingdom.
    Discussions focused on the multi-faceted risks posed by climate change and environmental degradation, ranging from impacts on health and infrastructure to displacement and institutional strain, and explored opportunities for enhanced regional cooperation.
    “Climate change is already impacting health, infrastructure, livelihoods as well as driving displacement and straining institutions across South Eastern Europe. One-third of Europe’s disasters over the past century hit this region, with extensive socio-economic impact, also affecting public trust in institutions” said Umut Ergezer, Deputy Secretary General, RCC. “Strengthening collaboration of economies in the region is therefore important to decelerate depopulation and increase resilience of the region.”
    Opening remarks from the OCEEA emphasized the OSCE’s role in advancing economic and environmental security. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina shared local perspectives, while the RCC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) presented flagship initiatives, including the RCC’s ‘Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and IOM’s Institutional Strategy on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change’.
    Experts and project partners from the Berlin-based think-thank adelphi and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) shared early findings from a forthcoming OSCE study. The research assesses to which extent climate change and environmental degradation compound socio-economic drivers of mobility, with growing implications for regional stability.
    Through breakout and plenary sessions, participants engaged with the study’s preliminary findings, discussed governance challenges, and offered recommendations for future programming at the intersection of climate change, environment, human mobility and security. They also identified synergies with existing regional initiatives.
    “The OSCE study, to be published in November 2025, will provide a state-of-the-art analysis of the climate-mobility-security nexus in South Eastern Europe and outline ways to enhance regional and transboundary co-operation, mitigate climate risks, and strengthen resilience,” said Thomas Ritzer, Senior Advisor on Climate Change and Security at the OSCE, in closing the workshop.
    This workshop was held as part of the activity Strengthening the evidence-based understanding of the climate change, human mobility and security nexus in South Eastern Europe, co-managed by OCEEA Climate Change and Economic Governance Unit within the framework of the extra-budgetary project “Strengthening responses to security risks from climate change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia” implemented by OCEEA in partnership with adelphi and in close collaboration with the OSCE field operations. The project is funded by Andorra, Austria, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Speech by FCAC Commissioner Shereen Benzvy Miller for the Open Banking Expo Canada 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy.

    Delivered June 17, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario

    Thank you for the invitation to speak at Open Banking Expo. It is a pleasure to be here.

    I’ll be speaking in English today, but if any of our francophone colleagues have questions or would like me to clarify anything, please don’t hesitate to come chat with me afterwards. / Je vais m’exprimer en anglais aujourd’hui, mais si les participants francophones ont des questions ou souhaitent des précisions, n’hésitez surtout pas à venir me voir par la suite.

    As you have heard, I am Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, the organization responsible for implementing Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking Framework.

    This is a new role for us. In taking it on, we build on a foundation of: 

    • deep knowledge of how the banking industry in Canada functios
    • long-lasting and ongoing partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders in the financial ecosystem
    • and our research and data-driven insights on consumers’ needs, behaviours, and expectations.

    I want to update you on progress we and our partners have made in developing a secure framework for consumer-driven banking, which will protect Canadians, foster innovation, and build consumer trust.

    I will also highlight how our approach is grounded in research and data. I want to emphasize that evidence is shaping every step we take.

    Consumer-driven banking — or “open banking” — is already part of the lives of Canadians.

    A growing number of us share our financial data online with various service providers, including the many fintechs here today.

    Canadians appreciate the growing array of products and services offered by fintechs. Thanks to these, the financial industry is more inclusive and efficient than ever.

    But …. in this generally positive picture, there is an important blemish.

    It won’t surprise you to hear that I am referring to screen-scraping. I know that for many of you, screen-scraping only touches a subset of your business.

    But we can all agree that there is a better way to share data, given the host of security, liability, and privacy risks posed by screen-scraping—both for consumers and for the financial system.

    FCAC’s research on public awareness and understanding of open banking indicates a significant preference against the use of screen-scraping.

    When Canadians were introduced to the concept of screen-scraping and given an explanation of how it works—because most were unfamiliar with it—86% stated they would rather not use it.

    This finding highlights the public’s preference for trustworthy, transparent, well-regulated methods for participating in financial transactions online, that ensure privacy, security, and control over their financial data.

    Consumer trust

    Our international research tells us that trust not only strongly influences consumers’ willingness to engage with open banking products and services, but that it’s also key to increasing financial inclusion—because consumers are more willing to share financial data when they trust the system.

    We also know from the open banking experience in the UK and Australia that good design—which emphasizes transparency, control, and ease of use—significantly increases consumers’ comfort with data sharing.

    And consumer trust is not just essential for individuals—it’s a driving force for business growth and innovation.

    A Bank of England study found that even a modest increase in consumer trust made fintechs nearly 4 times more likely to invest and participate in open banking.

    This shows that when consumers feel secure about financial innovations, businesses are more willing to invest, expand, and develop solutions that drive the future of finance.

    As for consumer protection, our research confirms that most Canadians would not trust sharing their financial data without the safeguards they are used to when dealing with regulated entities like banks, such as:

    • protection from identify theft and financial losses due to data breaches or fraud
    • and clear complaints-handling and redress mechanisms to make things right if something goes wrong.
    • It follows that success will be measured by our ability to develop a financial experience that is both seamlessly integrated and highly trusted, so it becomes part of daily life.

    The same way we no longer think twice about tapping a screen to connect with loved ones, navigate a city, or take a photo.

    We envision a future—not too far off—where consumers can securely share their financial data with trusted providers at the tap of a button, receive personalized insights in real time, and switch between services with the same ease as switching between apps.

    So, how do we build consumer trust?

    We do it by getting the foundation right.

    Foundational elements

    The foundational elements are set out in the Consumer-Driven Banking Act that came into force last year. It was an important step in reshaping the financial landscape.

    Among other things:

    • The Act authorizes FCAC to implement and oversee the Consumer-Driven Banking Framework with a focus on safeguarding consumer interests.
    • The Act also grants the Minister of Finance the authority to designate a technical standards body that will be responsible for developing secure application programming interface standards to be used by participants when sharing consumers’ financial data.
    • And the Act clarifies some of the requirements—including what is the in-scope data that can be shared between Framework participants—as creates a public registry of participants by FCAC (which are requirements that are not yet in force).

    Since the Act was adopted, my team has been working closely with the Department of Finance, with industry, and with other stakeholders.

    Along the way, we have drawn important lessons from the experience of other jurisdictions, which we aim to capitalize on.

    Technical standards and common rules

    Under the new Act, FCAC will be responsible for supervising the technical standards body, the external complaints body, and the financial service providers participating in open banking, to ensure they meet their respective obligations.

    We are also developing common rules with the Department of Finance. These will address consumer protection interests, as well as privacy, liability, security, national security, and integrity obligations.

    The common rules will ensure a consistent application of safeguards and uniformity of practice by financial service providers.

    Accreditation

    We are also working on developing an accreditation process to ensure only trusted entities can access financial data when requested by a consumer.

    Accredited entities will display a common visual identifier. Upon seeing this logo, consumers will be able to trust that they are dealing with a provider that has been authorized to participate in the open-banking ecosystem.

    We want to design a process that allows for as many participants as possible, to foster innovation, encourage competition, and promote a more inclusive financial system.

    Key desired elements of the eventual accreditation scheme have already been outlined in public policy statements.

    They include the need for participants to:

    • meet national security safeguards that align with existing financial sector frameworks such as the Retail Payment Activities Act
    • provide mandatory reporting of key information to FCAC on a regular basis
    • and demonstrate robust cybersecurity and data-protection practices, and an ability to meet common rules on consumer protection.

    Together, these elements form the foundation of a robust accreditation framework that prioritizes national security, regulatory transparency, and consumer trust.

    Consumer awareness

    FCAC is also developing a consumer awareness strategy.

    To inform the strategy, we are conducting public opinion research and collaborating with international jurisdictions that have implemented open banking, to learn from their experiences.

    One lesson we have already learned is that timely communications—about how open banking works and how it will add value—are vital.

    By timely, I mean that wide-spread promotion should ideally take place as soon as there are concrete and compelling applications by participants in the Framework.

    The awareness strategy will also be driven by the reality that most consumers have never heard of open banking.

    Our research shows that only 9% of Canadians know what it is, and awareness is especially low among seniors, lower income respondents, and women.

    Moreover, of the Canadians who have heard of open banking, few understand how it works or how it can benefit them.

    We’ll have to demystify open banking and demonstrate through real-life examples how open banking can give them more control, more choice, and more confidence in their financial lives.

    Next steps

    Today, I have discussed how the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada is moving with partners to establish the necessary foundational elements of Canada’s Consumer-Driven Banking Framework—all based on best practices and evidence-based research.

    As for the next steps, we look forward to the next round of legislative amendments being tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Finance. These will be followed by regulations.

    And to make sure that industry players understand what’s expected of them, our Agency will issue supervisory guidance.

    This guidance will reflect the Agency’s commitment to promoting understanding and compliance within the consumer-driven banking ecosystem.

    And to facilitate collaboration, we will establish an advisory committee including members from Federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

    Our goal is to deliver a modern financial ecosystem that fosters innovation, enhances Canada’s global competitiveness, protects consumers, and maintains their trust.

    Specifically, consumers must trust that they can control, edit, manage, and delete their financial information, and that they can decide when, how, and to what extent their data are shared with others.

    Together, we can develop a framework that doesn’t just open doors to innovation but opens possibilities for every Canadian to take control of their financial journey.

    My team at the Agency and I are committed and excited about what the future will bring.

    We look forward to continuing our collaboration with all of you on developing a framework that will benefit both Canadians and Canada’s financial system

    Thank you

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Increasing productivity among Quebec SMEs: Nearly $8.5M for Cotech to Expand and Automate its L’Isle-Verte Plant

    Source: Government of Canada News

    L’Isle-Verte, Quebec, June 17, 2025 –  The Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques, Amélie Dionne, on behalf of the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development, Christine Fréchette, the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), the Honourable Mélanie Joly, as well as Investissement Québec announce that a total of $8,440,000 in investments have been made in Cotech, a manufacturer specializing in agricultural, snow removal and excavation equipment. This funding has enabled the business to expand its plant in L’Isle-Verte and acquire automated equipment to increase its productivity.

    In addition to creating jobs, this project, valued at approximately $18 million, will help Cotech increase its efficiency and continue to thrive. In the current geopolitical context, it is more necessary than ever to invest in the growth and productivity of businesses to make them more attractive and competitive in strategic sectors such as manufacturing.

    Quotes

    “Thanks to its innovative products, Cotech has been recognized as a leader in its field for over 25 years. I am proud it set up shop in L’Isle-Verte, right here in our riding of Rivière‑du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques, thereby creating wealth and jobs to the benefit of our community. Congratulations to the team on this visionary project to expand, which will help to further dynamize our region!”

    Amélie Dionne, Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques

    “A priority of the Government of Canada is to ensure our communities prosper and, with this in mind, SMEs are essential to the country’s economic growth. That is why CED is proud to invest in this project, which will help increase Cotech’s productivity and production capacity and have positive spin-offs for the entire Bas-Saint-Laurent region.”

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for CED

    “Fostering productivity is an effective way to protect our SMEs and our economy. These investments will enable Cotech to accelerate its shift to automation to enhance its performance even further in its line of business. With these kinds of forward-looking projects, we can consolidate the presence of our SMEs and Quebec as a whole on the North American market.”

    Christine Fréchette, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development

    “By placing automation at the heart of its strategic priorities, Cotech is able to pursue growth and deepen its roots in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Investissement Québec, as a frontline player in supporting this kind of initiative, salutes this new milestone, which will enable the business to increase its production capacity while remaining at the cutting edge of technology.”

    Bicha Ngo, President and CEO, Investissement Québec

    “This project is a direct response to the sustained increase in the demand for our products and reflects our willingness to better serve our clients, while also maintaining the highest quality standards. This investment ensures our competitiveness on the North American market. It is also a strong gesture that demonstrates our long-term commitment to our region, our employees and the future of our sector.”

    Etienne Côté, President, Cotech

    Quick facts

    • For over 25 years, Cotech has been manufacturing agricultural, snow removal and excavation equipment. The business designs and manufactures innovative accessories of superior quality adapted to small and medium capacity equipment such as snowplows, excavator and wheel loader buckets, and pallet and agricultural forks.
    • The funding includes a loan of $4,500,000 through the ESSOR program, administered by Investissement Québec as the government’s representative; a loan of $2,440,000 provided from Investissement Québec capital funds; and a repayable contribution of $1,500,000 from CED granted under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program.
    • The ESSOR program aims to support investment projects in Quebec with a view to increasing competitiveness and productivity, creating jobs and boosting sustainable development.
    • CED’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program targets entrepreneurs leveraging innovation to grow their businesses and enhance their competitiveness, as well as regional economic stakeholders helping to create an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation and growth for all, across all regions.

    Stay connected

    Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie on social media:

    Investissement Québec on social media:

    Follow CED on social media
    Consult CED’s news

    Sources

    Amélie Martineau
    Press Secretary
    Riding Office of the Member for Rivière-du-Loup–Témiscouata–Les Basques
    Tel.: 418-551-0975

    Catherine Pelletier
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region
    Cell: 450-204-5158

    Véronique Simard
    Director of Operations and Acting Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Email: veronique.simard2@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Information

    Jean-Pierre D’Auteuil
    Head of Media Relations
    Communications Branch
    Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie
    Cell: 418-559-0710
    Email: relationsmedias@economie.gouv.qc.ca

    Samuel Bergeron
    Advisor – Media and Government Affairs
    Investissement Québec
    Tel.: 263-999-8144
    Email: samuel.bergeron@invest-quebec.com

    Media Relations
    Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Email: media@dec-ced.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Simpson Cosponsors Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Rep. Simpson Cosponsors Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country

    Washington, June 17, 2025

    WASHINGTON—Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson cosponsored the bipartisan Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act.  This bill would expand Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) to allow tribal nations to prosecute non-Native offenders for drug trafficking. It would also allow tribal courts to execute warrants for electronic material to better combat drug traffickers and other criminals. This legislation is sponsored by Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Rick Larsen (D-WA).
    “The growing drug threat and deadly fentanyl crisis have devastated Indian Country,” said Rep. Simpson. “Giving Tribal communities and law enforcement the tools and resources they need to protect their people is a common sense approach to tackling this crisis. One of my top priorities as Chairman of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee has been addressing Tribal needs, including bolstering public safety. I firmly believe that between President Trump’s efforts to secure the southern border and this legislation, we can help combat the spread of dangerous, illegal drugs in Indian Country.”
    U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Tina Smith (D-MN) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Syncfusion® Introduces Code Studio, the AI-Powered Code Editor Built for Enterprise Teams

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Syncfusion®, Inc., the enterprise technology provider of choice, today announced the release of Code Studio, an AI-powered code editor that lets development teams move from concept to production faster and with greater cost efficiency  while meeting enterprise standards for quality, security, and intellectual property (IP) exposure.

    “Code Studio began as an in-house tool and today writes up to a third of our code,” said Daniel Jebaraj, CEO of Syncfusion. “We created a secure, model-agnostic assistant so enterprises can plug it into their stack, tap our proven UI components, and ship cleaner features in less time.”

    Built to tackle the complexity of modern, component-rich apps, Code Studio combines large language model (LLM) assistance with the Syncfusion ecosystem of over 1,900 UI components. By assembling applications with pretested components instead of generating code line by line, Code Studio sharply reduces need for AI code generation—cutting debugging effort, development cost, and IP risks. Features and benefits include:

    • Best-in-class UI builder: Instantly transforms UI specs into production-ready code, dramatically reducing the amount of code to test, debug, and maintain.
    • Four assist modes: Autocomplete, chat, edit, and hands-free agent accelerate routine tasks, refactorings, and multi-file updates.
    • Enterprise controls: Converts plain-English prompts or screenshots into production-ready interfaces using 1,900+ Syncfusion components.
    • LLM choice, no lock-in: Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral, Cohere, or a self-hosted model via bring-your-own key for maximum privacy and cost control.
    • Data governance: Role-based access, audit logging, and an administrator console provide real-time usage insights and governance (estimated release: Q3 2025).

    Syncfusion is offering Code Studio at no cost to individuals or enterprises with fewer than five developers and an annual revenue of less than $1 million USD. For more information, visit syncfusion.com/code-studio.

    About Syncfusion, Inc.
    Headquartered in the technology hub of Research Triangle Park, N.C., Syncfusion®, Inc. delivers an award-winning ecosystem of developer control suites, embeddable BI platforms, and business software. Syncfusion was founded in 2001 with a single software component and a mission to support businesses of all sizes—from individual developers and start-ups to Fortune 500 enterprises. Though its pilot product, the Essential Studio® suite, has grown to over 1,900 developer controls, its mission remains the same. With offices in the U.S., India, and Kenya, Syncfusion prioritizes the customer experience by providing feature-rich solutions to help developers and enterprises solve complex problems, save money, and build high-performance, robust applications.

    Contact: Brittany Kearns
    Phone: 571-271-7211
    Email: brittany@crossroadsb2b.com

    The MIL Network