NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Economic and Social Council Holds Organizational Meeting to Launch 2026 Session

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    2026 Session,

    1st Meeting (AM)

    ECOSOC/7219

    The Economic and Social Council opens its 2026 session today, electing its Bureau and hearing from Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. 

    Lok Bahadur Thapa of Nepal has been endorsed to serve as the President for the session.  Amar Bendjamaa of Algeria; Paruyr Hovhannisyan of Armenia; Darío Bencosme Castaños of the Dominican Republic; and Héctor Gómez Hernández of Spain have been nominated to serve as the session’s Vice-Presidents.

    The 54-member Council will also adopt its provisional agenda (document E/2026/1) as well as take action on the draft resolution “Working arrangements for the 2026 session of the Economic and Social Council”, (document E/2026/L.1) and decide its seating arrangement for the session.

    …

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces 114 Appointments to Boards, Authorities, and Commissions

    Source: US State of Georgia

    Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced 114 appointments and reappointments to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

    Georgia Composite Medical Board

    Srenni Gangasani and David Retterbush were reappointed.

    Kamesha Harbison is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist serving the South Columbus community. She has provided women’s health care in the Chattahoochee Valley for over a decade, delivering comprehensive OB/GYN services and assisting with more than 1,000 births. She has also led community health initiatives, including organizing prenatal education and resource events for expectant mothers. Harbison began her career as a high school biology and chemistry teacher after earning a B.S. and M.Ed. from Xavier University of Louisiana. She later earned her medical degree from the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and completed her OB/GYN residency at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. As an educator, she developed a mentoring program to address adolescent health, hygiene, and goal setting—laying the foundation for her transition into women’s healthcare. She is recognized for her commitment to patient education, community outreach, and improving health outcomes for women across the region.

    State Workforce Development Board

    Bárbara Rivera Holmes was sworn in as the 11th Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor and the state’s first Latina constitutional officer on April 4, 2025, by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Holmes’ extensive experience includes appointments by former Gov. Nathan Deal to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, which oversees Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities, and by former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan as co-chair of the Georgia Innovates Task Force, which helped design the state’s technology blueprint. A former journalist, Holmes has earned awards for excellence in journalism from the Georgia Associated Press. She holds degrees in journalism and Spanish from Florida Southern College and studied at Estudio Sampere Internacional in Spain. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Holmes resides in Albany with her husband, David, and their daughter.

    Steve Bradshaw served eight years on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. First elected in 2016, he was re-elected in 2020 without opposition. During his tenure, he was twice unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve as Presiding Officer of the Board. He also chaired several key committees, including Finance, Audit and Budget; Public Works and Infrastructure; and County Operations. Prior to public service, Bradshaw spent more than 15 years in the private sector in operations management and business development roles, most recently as business development manager for Delta Global Staffing, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. Bradshaw began his professional career as a U.S. Army officer as a tank commander. He served in both domestic and international assignments, including deployment to the Middle East during the First Persian Gulf War. His final military post was as a leadership instructor at the Army Officer Candidate School. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia State University and later served as an adjunct professor in the university’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students.

    Hearing Panel of the Judicial Qualifications Commission

    Richard Hyde was reappointed.

    Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians

    Cicely Thomas was reappointed.

    Alison Sturgill is a licensed and registered dietitian with over a decade of clinical experience specializing in oncology nutrition. She currently serves as a clinical dietitian IV at the Emory Proton Therapy Center, where she provides medical nutrition therapy to patients undergoing radiation treatment for various cancers. Previously, she held a similar role at Emory University Hospital, where she led inpatient oncology nutrition care and served as a preceptor and educator for dietetic interns. Sturgill holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Murray State University and is a Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO). Her work has been published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality, and she remains active in multiple professional organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

    Franklin D. Roosevelt Warm Springs Memorial Advisory Committee

    Eric Bentley is retired from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with over three decades of service to Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, including a deep and enduring connection to the Little White House State Historic Site. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in forest resources, Bentley began his career at Unicoi State Park before serving in various leadership roles, including park manager at Kolomoki Mounds and Fort Yargo. He was named Manager of the Year in 2009 and later served as Region 3 Manager, where he oversaw operations at the Little White House and F.D. Roosevelt State Park, secured funding, and strengthened partnerships with the Advisory Committee. From 2019 until his retirement in 2022, Bentley served as Assistant Director of State Parks, continuing to advocate for the Little White House and playing a key role in advancing major preservation projects.

    Board of Juvenile Justice

    Lisa Colbert was reappointed.

    State Board of Veterinary Medicine

    Jessica Sewell was reappointed.

    Employee Benefit Plan Council

    Courtney Ware and Christopher Wells were reappointed.

    Angelique McClendon was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) on May 1, 2025. She joined DDS as General Counsel in 2015 and was later promoted to Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Her legal career began in 2005 as an assistant solicitor in DeKalb County, followed by her service as an assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia from 2008 to 2015, where she represented public safety agencies, including DDS.  McClendon has provided legal guidance on major state initiatives, including Georgia’s Digital Driver’s License, and is a recognized expert on identity management, digital credentials, and data privacy. She has held leadership roles with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), helping shape national policy and best practices in driver’s license administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law.

    Board of Community Affairs

    Kwanza Hall, Donna Armstrong Lackey, and Charlie Maddox were reappointed.

    State Board of Technical College System of Georgia

    Mike Long, Fran Millar, and Lisa Winton were reappointed.

    North Georgia Mountains Authority

    Jeff Andrews, Randy Dellinger, Patrick Denney, Dan Garcia, and Paul Shailendra were reappointed.

    State Board of Podiatry Examiners

    Rupal Gupta is a board-certified podiatrist with over 20 years of clinical, academic, and administrative experience. She currently practices at Ankle and Foot Centers of America and has held leadership roles in both hospital and professional association settings, including serving as president of the Georgia Podiatric Medical Association and department chief at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Gupta completed her residency at Jackson North Medical Center, where she received advanced training in surgical and non-surgical foot and ankle care, trauma, and wound management. She holds a Doctorate in podiatric medicine from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University. Dedicated to advancing podiatric medicine and public health, she has been an active advocate for clinical standards and evidence-based policy and continues to serve on various hospital committees and community initiatives.

    Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority

    Daniel Dooley and Lauren Talley were reappointed.

    Georgia Rural Development Council

    Robert “Bob” Ray, Jr. is managing member of Ray Family Farms, LLC, where he and his siblings continue six generations and over 200 years of family farming, now focused on pecan production and pine timber. Before returning full-time to agriculture, Ray served for 15 years as President and CEO of Flint Energies. Ray’s public service includes his tenure as Assistant Secretary of State and Chief Operating Officer under Secretary of State Cathy Cox, where he directed agency operations and intergovernmental affairs. Earlier in his career, he was legislative director for the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation and also worked as a corporate lending officer with NCNB National Bank. He holds a bachelor’s in finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. Ray has served in leadership roles with Georgia EMC, Green Power EMC, GRESCO, and Leadership Georgia, and remains active in agricultural and community organizations statewide.

    Georgia Commission on the Holocaust

    Jon Barry is President and Founder of Spectrum Maintenance Services and leads the company’s marketing and growth strategies. His career in commercial real estate spans four decades, including extensive experience in all aspects of brokerage and property management. Initially formed to support Barry’s shopping center management platform, SMS has grown to become Atlanta’s leading full-service property maintenance company. Barry previously served on the Board of Advisors of the Kennesaw State University Entrepreneurship Center, is a member of CEO NetWeavers, and has served as mentor to numerous rising professionals.

    Georgia Ports Authority

    James Allgood, Jr., Leda Chong, and Doug Hertz were reappointed.

    Georgia Student Finance Commission Board of Commissioners

    John Loud, Sarah Hawthorne, Ed Pease, and David Perez were reappointed.

    State Board of Accountancy

    Emily Farrell and Todd Tolbert were reappointed.

    Carlton Hodges is a certified public accountant with more than four decades of experience in public accounting, specializing in tax compliance and audit services. He began his career in 1980 with SRLS, where he advanced to Tax Manager following a merger with Price Waterhouse. His practice focuses on business, individual, fiduciary, and nonprofit tax returns, as well as audit and accounting engagements in sectors such as construction, services, and government-assisted entities. Carlton holds Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in finance and accounting from Armstrong State College. He is a member of both the Georgia Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs, and serves on the board and leadership council of the Georgia Society, where he also chairs the GSCPA Insurance Trust. His civic involvement includes prior service as a Pooler City Councilman, treasurer of the Savannah-Chatham MPC, and leadership roles with the Armstrong Foundation and Rotary Club of Savannah West.

    State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

    Trent Turk was reappointed.

    Board of Commissioners of the Sheriffs’ Retirement Fund of Georgia

    Billy Hancock and Dan Kilgore were reappointed.

    Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Authority

    Bill Shanks and Earl Wright were reappointed.

    Phil Schaefer is an award-winning sportscaster whose career spans more than five decades across basketball, football, baseball, and golf. He was the voice of UGA basketball for 17 years, called Atlanta Hawks games for five seasons, and served as a CBS Radio broadcaster for the NCAA Tournament for 20 years. In football, he spent 16 years as UGA’s color commentator, 10 years as the voice of the Peach Bowl, and 20 years as public address announcer for the Atlanta Falcons. Schaefer also covered the Braves for 39 years and the Masters Tournament for 55 consecutive years, earning the Masters Major Achievement Award in 2010. A three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year, Schaefer held leadership roles at WSB Radio and later served as Athletic Coordinator for the DeKalb County School System. He is a member of the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and has received over 40 national and regional journalism awards, including a Peabody. He holds degrees from Ohio State University and Georgia State University and is the author of Sins of a Southern Sportscaster.

    Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

    Deb Bailey, Amanda Owens, Bill Slaughter, Jean Sumner, and Jimmy Thomas were reappointed.

    Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board

    Margaret Molony and Robin Osborne were reappointed.

    Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission

    Greg Garrett and Mary Ellen Imlay were reappointed.

    Stephen Lawson is a principal in Dentons’ Regulatory, Public Policy, and Government Affairs practice in Atlanta, with nearly 15 years of experience in public affairs, communications, and political strategy. He has advised Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, trade associations, and elected officials on complex issues including policy strategy, crisis management, media relations, and advocacy. Prior to joining Dentons, Lawson was president of Full Focus Communications, a public affairs firm based in Atlanta. He has served in senior advisory roles for high-profile public officials, including Florida Governors Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, and in Georgia for Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Congressman Mike Collins, and Speaker of the House Jon Burns.

    George Levert is a retired venture capitalist with more than two decades of experience in technology investment. He was a Founding Partner of Kinetic Ventures, where he led investments in telecommunications, network automation, and internet technologies. He served on the boards of more than a dozen venture-backed companies, including Metricom, Pathfire, and Proficient Networks. Prior to his career in venture capital, he held roles with Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Accenture, Boeing, and the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps during the Vietnam War. Levert holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Louisiana Tech University and an M.S. in management from Georgia Tech. He has served on numerous civic and nonprofit boards, including the Georgia Tech Foundation, Catholic Charities of Atlanta, the Atlanta Opera, and the American Red Cross. He is also a former board member of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and the Museum of the American Indian. Levert has endowed multiple scholarships and leadership awards and remains active in philanthropic, educational, and faith-based organizations. He and his wife, Dale, live in Atlanta and have two sons and two granddaughters.

    Savannah-Georgia Convention Center Authority

    Bert Brantley, Martin Miller, and Pritpal Singh were reappointed.

    Board of Human Services

    Lisa Hamilton, Scott Johnson, and Jack Williams were reappointed.

    Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

    Nancy Bills, Denise Downer-McKinney, Ron Freeman, Scotty Hancock, and Joe Hood were reappointed.

    Board of Public Health

    James Curran, Lucky Jain, Mitch Rodriguez, Ryan Shin, and T.E. Valliere-White were reappointed.

    Professional Standards Commission

    Angela Byrne has over 11 years of teaching experience in public and private schools. She currently teaches ESOL to K–6 students at Anna K. Davie Elementary in Rome City Schools, where she has served for the past six years. Her previous roles include teaching kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grade. She holds certifications in Elementary Education and Middle Grades Math and Science, with endorsements in ESOL and Online Teaching. She has received the Rome City Schools Central Office Support Employee of the Year and the Anna K. Davie Star Teacher Award. Byrne lives in Rome, Georgia, with her husband, Lewis, and their three children.

    Christy Edwards is an elementary educator with 14 years of experience in the Hall County School System. She currently serves as the Language Lab Teacher at Tadmore Elementary, focusing on data-driven instruction and student performance. She previously taught second, fourth, and fifth grades, as well as Early Intervention Program (EIP) support. She holds a B.S. in early childhood education from the University of North Georgia and an ESOL endorsement from Pioneer RESA. Edwards has served as a Leadership Team member, RTI representative, and professional learning facilitator.

    Zach Miller is a certified elementary educator currently teaching reading, science, and social studies at Roan School in Dalton. He holds a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education from Dalton State College and is certified in Early Childhood Education (P-5), with endorsements in ESOL and K–5 Mathematics. Named Teacher of the Year at Roan School in 2025, Miller focuses on a student-centered approach that integrates project-based learning and relationship-building to drive academic success. He founded the District Elementary Soccer Tournament and mentors students through Soccer for Success. He also leads Roan’s Soccer and Disc Golf Clubs, coordinates the Social Studies Bee, and partners with local nonprofits to support families in need. Miller is active in his church, serving as vice chairman of the deacons at Fellowship Bible Church and leading the soccer portion of Grace Presbyterian Church’s summer sports camp.

    State Rehabilitation Council

    Jo Ellen Hancock is a long-serving advocate and leader in the fields of special education, behavioral health, and community engagement. Since 2005, she has served as the parent mentor for special education with the Cherokee County School District, supporting families and fostering collaboration between schools and parents of students with disabilities. She holds multiple leadership roles across state and local behavioral health organizations, including chair of the Statewide Leadership Council and immediate past chair of the Region 1 Advisory Council for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). She also serves on the Georgia Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council and the Behavioral Health Services Coalition. Hancock is a certified peer specialist – parent and currently chairs the Cherokee County Local Interagency Planning Team (LIPT), where she has led efforts to coordinate services for children with complex needs since 2018. She serves on the advisory board for NAMI Georgia and is communications chair for the Holly Springs Optimist Club.

    Charity Roberts assumed the position of State Director (IDEA) for the Office of Federal Programs Division for Exceptional Children on January 1, 2025. She is a quadruple Eagle from Georgia Southern University, obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education. She completed a specialist and doctorate degree in educational leadership. She is certified in multiple fields within general and special education, such as elementary education, reading (P-8), special education preschool, physical and health disabilities, and P-12 special education adaptive and general curriculum. Roberts has over 30 years of experience in special education instruction and leadership in a variety of roles. After serving as a special education teacher, she became a district director of special education. From there, Roberts provided leadership support as a GLRS Director for twelve years before joining the Georgia Department of Education Office of Rural Education and Innovation.

    Board of Community Supervision

    Jimmy Kitchens and Steve Queen were reappointed.

    Judicial Legal Defense Fund Commission

    Christine Hayes serves as Deputy Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. Prior to joining the Governor’s staff, she was director of governmental affairs for the State Bar of Georgia, where she worked on a variety of legislative issues that affect the judiciary and the legal profession. She also held roles at the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts, Georgia General Assembly, and as an associate at Fields Howell where she focused on insurance coverage issues and related litigation. Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Florida and a law degree from Emory University. She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Atlanta with their two daughters.

    State Board of Long-term Care Facility Administrators

    Timothy Bush and Laura Cayce were reappointed.

    Suzanne Gerhardt serves as Senior Vice President of Health Services at PruittHealth, Inc., where she oversees skilled nursing center operations across four states. With a career in long-term care that began in 1983, she brings decades of hands-on experience in healthcare management, including roles in business operations, social services, admissions, and auditing. Gerhardt became a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in 1997 and has since managed multiple facilities and regional operations. She is known for her focus on regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and improving patient outcomes. In addition to her leadership at PruittHealth, she has served in various roles with the Georgia Health Care Association, including Chair of the Board and, currently, as immediate past chair.

    Donna Sant is a public policy professional with extensive experience in political organizing, campaign operations, and grassroots leadership. She served as Chairman of the Houston County Republican Party from 2018 to 2024 and has held multiple roles within the Georgia Republican Party, including State Committee Member and County Vice Chair. She has led volunteer efforts, managed election headquarters, coordinated large-scale events, and served as a liaison between voters and candidates. Sant holds a master’s in public policy from Liberty University and a B.F.A. in TV/Film production from Valdosta State College. A graduate of Republican Leadership for Georgia, she is also a recipient of the Ted & Barbara Waddle Award of Excellence. She lives in Elko, Georgia, with her husband. They have three adult children. Sant will serve as the consumer member on the State Board of Long-term Care Facility Administrators.

    Board of Trustees of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia

    Mary Elizabeth Davis is the Superintendent of Cherokee County Schools, serving 42,000 students. She has spent nearly 20 years in Georgia public education, holding leadership roles in four school districts. Prior to her current role, she served as Superintendent of Henry County Schools for nearly seven years, where she led improvements in operational systems, financial management, and student outcomes. Her previous roles include Chief Academic Officer in Cobb County and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Gwinnett County. She began her career as a chemistry teacher and coach in Fairfax County, Virginia. Davis was named one of District Administration’s 100 most influential education leaders in 2024 and is a former finalist for Georgia Superintendent of the Year. She holds a chemistry degree from Messiah College and a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Georgia State University. She lives in Canton, Georgia with her husband and two children.

    Board of Juvenile Justice

    Lisa Colbert was reappointed.

    State Board of Veterinary Medicine

    Jessica Sewell was reappointed.

    Georgia Opioid Settlement Advisory Commission

    Trey Bennett is the general counsel and grants division director for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. A seasoned attorney and public policy advisor, Bennett has over a decade of legal and governmental experience, including past service as deputy executive counsel to Governor Brian Kemp. He oversees the ethical execution of billions of dollars in federal grant funding, advises on statewide emergency responses, and helps shape key legislation across multiple sectors. Bennett also has substantial courtroom experience, having served as both a criminal prosecutor and a defense attorney in Northeast Georgia. He holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and lives in Hoschton, Georgia, with his wife, Katherine, and their four children.

    Council for the Arts- Chair

    Colt Chambers was reappointed.

    Board of Commissioners of the Superior Court Clerks’ Retirement Fund of Georgia

    Timothy Harper, Linda Hays, Daniel Jordan, Michael King, and Rhett Walker were reappointed.

    Georgia Public Service Commission Advisory Committee

    Jeff Jacques is a civil engineering professional with over 35 years of experience in transportation and utility coordination. He began his career with the Georgia Department of Transportation in 1983 as a civil engineer co-op and held various roles over a 20 year tenure, including district utilities engineer and area maintenance engineer. Since 2007, he has served as worksite utility coordination supervisor and utility coordination manager with CWM. Jacques is actively involved in the Georgia Utility Coordination Council, Georgia 811 Excavator Advisory Council, GHCA Utilities Task Force, and the GUCC Legislative Committee. He also served Franklin County as a Republican member of the Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2018 and as Chairman from 2023 to 2024. A graduate of Emmanuel College and Southern Tech, Jacques resides in Franklin County with his wife, Christy. They have three adult children, and he is a member of Liberty Baptist Church in Carnesville.

    Disability Services Ombudsman Medical Review Group

    George Leach is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and an attending physician at Grady Memorial Hospital. He has over 15 years of clinical and academic experience, with a focus on quality improvement, systems-based practice, and medical education. Leach completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina and earned his medical degree from Emory University, where he also completed his emergency medicine residency and served as chief resident. His academic contributions include developing a national curriculum for advanced emergency medicine learners and leading peer review process improvements at Grady. He is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Dr. Leach has received numerous teaching awards and is actively involved in resident education, mentorship, and committee leadership at Emory and Grady.

    Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

    Jimmy Andrews and Travis Turner were reappointed.

    Georgia Child Support Commission

    Ben Land was reappointed.

    Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission

    Kevin Tanner was reappointed as Chairman.

    Karen Bailey, Melanie Dallas, Jason Downey, Nora Haynes, Miriam Shook, Sarah Vinson, DeJuan White, and Michael Yochelson were reappointed.

    DeAnna Julian serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Frazer Center, a nonprofit providing inclusive early childhood, adult, and behavioral health services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She also serves as President of the Service Providers Association for Developmental Disabilities (SPADD), where she works to strengthen Georgia’s IDD service network through policy engagement and provider collaboration. A former special education teacher, Julian holds certifications in special education, early childhood, and physical education, along with a master’s degree in education and transition services from the University of Kansas. She previously served as Executive Director of The Arc of Southwest Georgia, leading efforts to expand access and advance systemic reform. With more than 20 years of leadership in education and disability services, Julian has been recognized with honors including the Annette Bowling Advocacy Award and Albany’s Top 40 Under 40. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Steve, and their two adult children.

    Carey Parrott, Sr. is the founder and CEO of Parrott Counseling Services, LLC, with over two decades of experience in addiction and mental health counseling. A licensed clinical social worker, master addictions counselor, certified clinical supervisor, and certified peer specialist for addictive diseases, he provides direct care and specialized services to individuals, families, and justice-involved populations, including re-entry and mandated clients. Parrott is a two-time graduate of the University of Georgia, earning a B.S. in psychology and an M.S.W. He later earned a doctorate in clinical social work leadership from Tulane University. His professional background includes service as caregiver support coordinator at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he supported veterans and families navigating the challenges of mental illness and substance use. He has also served as a consultant to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, providing clinical supervision and workforce development for addiction counselors statewide. Parrott began his career working in residential treatment settings and community behavioral health programs. He is recognized for his collaborative, personalized approach and his ongoing commitment to supporting recovery and resilience in the Athens community and beyond.

    Child Advocate Advisory Committee

    Andre Blanchard and Jay Watkins were reappointed.

    Georgia Hotel Motel Tax Performance Review Board

    David Dukes was reappointed. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Members of N.M. Delegation Call on Trump Administration Demanding Answers on Reported Suspension of Medical Services at Gallup Indian Medical Center

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Recent Reporting Indicates Trump Administration Bureaucratic Hurdles Are Causing Delays and Reductions in Patient Care at Gallup Indian Medical Center

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Indian Health Service (IHS) Acting Director Benjamin Smith demanding answers regarding recent reports that medical services at the Gallup Indian Medical Center (GIMC) have been suspended or reduced. In the letter, the lawmakers highlight how IHS bureaucratic red tape has made it harder and more expensive for GIMC to deliver timely, effective care and call on HHS and IHS to act swiftly to reverse these harmful decisions and restore critical services.

    “We write today concerned about recent reports that medical services at the Gallup Indian Medical Center (GIMC) have been suspended or reduced, including critical ultrasound services, due to a new Presidential Appointee Approver and Departmental Efficiency Review (PAA-DER) policy in place as of June 30, 2025,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “Unfortunately, these challenges at GIMC are not in isolation, but rather exemplify a disturbing pattern of care disruptions due to administrative delays across the IHS. In short, policies such as PAA-DER are resulting in the exact opposite of efficiency: wasted resources, staffing shortages, and preventable delays in care,” continued the lawmakers.

    “The current situation is unacceptable. Tribal communities deserve the same standard of care and operational efficiency afforded to all Americans. HHS and IHS must act swiftly to reverse these harmful decisions, restore critical services, and fulfill the obligations that the United States has pledged to uphold,” concluded the lawmakers.

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy and Acting Director Smith:

    We write today concerned about recent reports that medical services at the Gallup Indian Medical Center (GIMC) have been suspended or reduced, including critical ultrasound services, due to a new Presidential Appointee Approver and Departmental Efficiency Review (PAA-DER) policy in place as of June 30, 2025.

    PAA-DER is reportedly effective throughout the Indian Health Service (IHS), requiring that all IHS contracts and requisitions undergo additional layers of approval. The resulting bottleneck is delaying contract renewals for essential personnel, equipment, and services while also delaying the ability of health care workers to immediately diagnose urgent conditions and putting patients at risk. At GIMC, for example, a patient presenting after hours had to be unnecessarily admitted overnight due to the facility’s inability to access diagnostic imaging. Similar delays have affected general surgery, labor and delivery care, and infectious disease testing. GIMC has faced staffing challenges for years, and these new bureaucratic hurdles imposed by PAA-DER are making it harder and more expensive for GIMC to deliver timely, effective care. Unfortunately, these challenges at GIMC are not in isolation, but rather exemplify a disturbing pattern of care disruptions due to administrative delays across the IHS. In short, policies such as PAA-DER are resulting in the exact opposite of efficiency: wasted resources, staffing shortages, and preventable delays in care.

    You have made clear commitments to Tribal Nations and Tribal citizens that you would protect their health care interests and uphold the trust and treaty obligations in your tenure as HHS Secretary. But policies such as PAA-DER do not align with those commitments; Tribal leaders and health experts have said that PAA-DER in particular has created a system that undermines the federal government’s responsibility and forces Tribes to bear the burden of failed processes they did not create. The ongoing service disruptions are not just bureaucratic missteps, but they are threats to lives and to Tribal sovereignty.

    In light of these impediments to service delivery at GIMC, we request that you answer the following questions:

    1. When did GIMC begin scaling back ultrasound services, general surgery, labor and delivery care, and other medical services? Please be specific.
    2. Prior to GIMC’s recent reductions in service, how many open positions did GIMC have in affected departments? Please include a breakdown by department, if possible.
    3. After GIMC’s recent reductions in service, how many open positions did GIMC have in affected departments? Please include a breakdown by department, if possible.
    4. Please identify any efforts IHS is taking to address longstanding staffing shortages in affected departments.
    5. Following the recent reductions in services, has IHS taken any steps to address the scaling back of ultrasound services at GIMC? If not, why not?
    6. Is IHS taking any steps to address the scaling back of general surgery, labor and delivery care, and reduction in medical-surgical beds at GIMC? If not, why not?
    7. How does IHS plan to address longstanding and new recruitment and retention challenges at GIMC? Please include any specific actions taken to address staffing challenges impacting ultrasound, surgical, and labor and delivery services.
    8. Are you aware of any other challenges faced by GIMC resulting in impacts to services? If so, please describe.

    In addition, we urge HHS to immediately reverse the decisions that have limited or cut services at GIMC and other HIS facilities. Specifically, we request that you:

    1. Ensure all pending contracts and requisitions currently held up by PAA-DER, particularly those impacting direct patient care, at GIMC are expedited.
    2. Exempt IHS from the PAA-DER process, recognizing the unique statutory and trust responsibilities the federal government holds to Tribes.

    The current situation is unacceptable. Tribal communities deserve the same standard of care and operational efficiency afforded to all Americans. HHS and IHS must act swiftly to reverse these harmful decisions, restore critical services, and fulfill the obligations that the United States has pledged to uphold.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Meets With Providers & Administrators at Planned Parenthood Arvada Health Center Following Trump’s Effort to Ban Medicaid-Covered Planned Parenthood Treatments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    SEE PICTURES FROM TUESDAYS EVENT

    LAKEWOOD – U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) visited the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountain’s (PPRM) Arvada clinic to hear from providers and administrators about the impacts of Trump’s ban on Medicaid coverage for care at Planned Parenthood. The ban was part of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which specifically prohibited Medicaid recipients from using Planned Parenthood for their health care. PPRM therefore had to immediately notify around 15,000 patients, around 25% of their patient base, that they could no longer be treated at Planned Parenthood facilities, and were unable to offer an alternative for care. But on Monday, a federal judge ruled the federal government must allow Medicaid to reimburse Planned Parenthood for patient care.

    During the visit, Pettersen met with providers and administrators to discuss the real consequences of these changes, specifically, how individuals depend on these clinics for more than just reproductive services, and how these increased barriers, especially for rural and low-income individuals, could cause harm when they have access to few alternatives. In the first week alone, this local clinic had to notify 100 patients that they were unable to see them for their appointments that week. For many patients, Planned Parenthood is the only place they’ve ever known for getting the care they need. Pettersen also heard firsthand about the struggles PPRM has experienced with the chaotic implementation and judicial process around this ban. The Arvada clinic has 13 employees and the need for an additional provider, but the situation has created a difficult climate for hiring.

    “Trump not only handpicked the radical Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe vs Wade, he has also stripped coverage for reproductive healthcare away for patients who rely on Medicaid through his “big ugly bill.”  Like so many women, I relied on Planned Parenthood for access to health care when I was uninsured. In many places, Planned Parenthood is the only option people have to access care and Donald Trump and the Republicans are leaving millions of Americans with nowhere to turn” said Rep. Pettersen.  “As a mom, I know there isn’t anything more personal than deciding if you want to start a family and nobody should make that decision for you, especially Donald Trump. I’m outraged by his cruelty and the impacts this will have on women for years to come. Women and Americans deserve so much better than this.”

    “This law was designed to punish people on Medicaid who rely on Planned Parenthood for life-saving reproductive and sexual health care. It’s a cruel and calculated attack on health equity, and it’s having real, devastating consequences for our patients across Colorado.  In just the first nine days after the law took effect, nearly 1,000 patients across our region were denied essential care. These are people who couldn’t pick up their birth control, missed time-sensitive abortion care services, or were turned away from cancer screenings and STI treatment. These aren’t just numbers—they’re our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. Republicans in Congress who voted for this heinous bill should be ashamed of themselves” said Adrienne Mansanares, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. 

    Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion care provider, but they also provide basic care, including annual screenings, birth control, and other gynecological care. Each year, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains serves nearly 100,000 people at their 23 health centers in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Planned Parenthood estimates that 1 in 5 women have relied on Planned Parenthood for care at some point in their lives.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Shaheen Leads Colleagues in Attempts to Lessen Harmful Impacts of Trump Tariff Taxes on American Families and Businesses; Republicans Block Shaheen Bill to Shield Granite Staters from Higher Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    **Shaheen’s bill would have clarified that the President does not have the authority to level sweeping tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), but it was blocked from passage by Senate Republicans**

    (Washington, DC) – Ahead of many of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs taking effect on Friday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, took to the Senate floor this evening to call for unanimous consent to pass her Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act and lead her colleagues in highlighting the devastating impacts the President’s trade war has on families, small businesses, American manufacturing and key trade partnerships across the world. If Senate Republicans had not blocked the move, Shaheen’s legislation would have clarified that the President does not have the authority to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to level sweeping tariffs. Click HERE to watch Shaheen’s remarks in full.

    U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Shaheen to underscore the damaging effects of the Trump tariff taxes.

    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen:

    • “Those tariffs are expected to add about $2,400 in costs for the average household per year. That’s why I introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hike on Imported Goods Act. This bill states clearly that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cannot be used to place taxes on imports. If the President needs to block a dangerous product, he still can under my legislation. But if there is a real threat, I think we’d want to stop it, not just tax it. That’s what my bill does. It makes clear what a Federal Court has already found: that IEEPA, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, does not authorize tariffs. Passing my bill would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future, and to keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets.”
    • “Now we just saw a deal announced with the EU by the President and Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, forcing 15% taxes on imports. Now compare that to what we were paying in 2024 for at the same time. That was about 1.5%. So under this “great deal” that the President negotiated with the EU, Americans are going to be paying ten times what we paid last year. And with Japan, President Trump agreed to a 15% tax. That’s also ten times what we were paying last year. So, let’s not pretend that these are some big wins. The President can announce that, but they’re only a slight improvement on a crisis that the President created himself.”
    • “At a time when people are rightly worried about the rising cost of living, Trump’s tariffs amount to a tax to make everything from clothes to housing to food even more expensive. For example, last month, home prices hit a record high. And these tariffs could add more than $10,000 to the cost of a home. Coffee prices hit a record high earlier this year, and now President Trump wants to put a 50% tariff on Brazil, our largest source of coffee. As families do their back to school shopping, they’re going to see higher prices for clothing and shoes. Those prices could go up by 35% by the end of the year. And for new parents, just for example, the price of one stroller at Walmart went up 50% in two months.”

    Full Remarks as Delivered

    On Friday, we may be facing the next escalation in the President’s trade war. The tariffs that the President announced in April on virtually every country in the world are set to go into full effect tomorrow night at 12:01 AM.

    Those tariffs are expected to add about $2,400 in costs for the average household per year.

    That’s why I introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hike on Imported Goods Act. This bill states clearly that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act cannot be used to place taxes on imports. If the President needs to block a dangerous product, he still can under my legislation.

    But if there is a real threat, I think we’d want to stop it, not just tax it. That’s what my bill does. It makes clear what a Federal Court has already found: That IEEPA, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, does not authorize tariffs.

    Passing my bill would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future, and to keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets.

    Virtually every business in New Hampshire that I’ve visited since the President announced his proposed tariffs has said that, in addition to the tariffs, the uncertainty is as difficult for them as the tariffs.

    So, I’m disappointed that Senator Crapo decided to block this commonsense legislation. Sadly, I’m not surprised.

    But this bill would do so much to help families and businesses in all of our states. It would shield them from higher costs.

    And we’ve been hearing about some of these deals that Senator Crapo referred to that have been reached with the EU and Japan. But let’s be clear about what those deals mean, because even after those deals, those “agreements”, trade agreements, Americans are going to be left paying dramatically higher tariffs.

    A new analysis this week found that we will be paying the highest tariffs since the Great Depression. And we saw what those tariffs before the Great Depression contributed to.

    Now we just saw a deal announced with the EU by the President and Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, forcing 15% taxes on imports.

    Now compare that to what we were paying in 2024 for at the same time. That was about 1.5%. So under this “great deal” that the President negotiated with the EU, Americans are going to be paying ten times what we paid last year.

    And with Japan, President Trump agreed to a 15% tax. That’s also ten times what we were paying last year.

    So, let’s not pretend that these are some big wins. The President can announce that, but they’re only a slight improvement on a crisis that the President created himself.

    At a time when people are rightly worried about the rising cost of living, Trump’s tariffs amount to a tax to make everything from clothes to housing to food even more expensive.

    For example, last month, home prices hit a record high. And these tariffs could add more than $10,000 to the cost of a home.

    Coffee prices hit a record high earlier this year, and now President Trump wants to put a 50% tariff on Brazil, our largest source of coffee.

    As families do their back to school shopping, they’re going to see higher prices for clothing and shoes.

    Those prices could go up by 35% by the end of the year.

    And for new parents, just for example, the price of one stroller at Walmart went up 50% in two months.

    And there are countless more products that are facing higher prices.

    So let’s be clear: These tariffs do nothing to bring down costs. And in fact, I could add, as I said earlier in this statement, about $2,400 to the average household’s yearly expenses.

    That’s money that most families don’t have just lying around. We have all of those costs from these tariffs. And yet at this moment, 30 hours from when the tariffs are going to go into effect, we still have seen no official notice implementing any of these deals.

    And that includes, by the way, no clarity on whether prescription drugs coming from Europe will face a 15% tariff starting in two days.

    I had a chance to meet with a pharmaceutical company this week, and they were lamenting what the impact was going to be on prescription drug prices because of the tariffs from the EU.

    Last Friday, I visited the Brueckner Group in New Hampshire. They supply equipment to domestic manufacturers and import some of their specialized machines, which they make in Europe.

    The machines they bring in are sold to manufacturers here in the U.S. to make everything from IV bags to toothpaste containers. They have 80 employees in the U.S., and far more work on their machines at other companies across the country.

    They saw orders put on hold in April, and further investments in the U.S. are delayed because they can’t be certain what the tariffs are going to be that they might face.

    So they told me that even worse than the tariffs in some way, is the uncertainty that’s been created, the chaos that’s been created by President Trump’s announcements because people don’t know how to plan. Businesses don’t know what to invest in.

    I believe in supporting domestic manufacturing. It’s New Hampshire’s third largest industry, but half of all imports are raw materials and intermediate goods. The very things that domestic manufacturers rely on.

    Instead of supporting domestic manufacturing, these trade policies are making future American manufacturing more expensive. And furthermore, they’re threatening jobs.

    You know, my husband and I started out our married life owning and operating a small business. I know the hardest part of small businesses is growing and sustaining those businesses when you’re uncertain about what’s going to happen. And that’s what these tariffs create. As I heard, Brueckner Group USA, as I’ve heard of every business I’ve visited.

    When I visited Brueckner four days ago, we had a 10% tax on everything imported from the EU, and at the time, that was set to jump to 30% this Friday. Then Sunday we saw an agreement to set the tax at 15%, but with unclear exceptions to that tax. Like as I heard from the pharmaceutical company, with prescription drugs.

    I also heard from Flight Coffee Roasters in Bedford, New Hampshire. They’re worried about the President’s threat to place new tariffs on Brazil because they’ve already been paying a 10% markup on coffee because of these tariffs. Now they’re facing a 50% tax on Brazilian coffee starting on Friday, and they have no choice but to charge consumers more.

    Their most popular product comes from Brazil. So this is a big hit to their business. And they can’t be sure how this is going to impact their sales.

    And we should be clear, the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil.

    This threat is just because the President wants Brazil’s independent judiciary to stop the prosecution of Brazil’s former President.

    How is any business supposed to plan for that kind of rationale and for those kinds of swings?

    They need to secure financing. They need to place orders. They need to invest in order to grow in the months and years ahead.

    But building a new plant and moving production takes time. In some cases, it takes years.

    So how can companies plan when they don’t even know whether the Trump tax, his tariff, is going to be 10% or 30% or something in between or something higher?

    New Hampshire’s in a housing crisis. How can builders plan their costs when no one can tell them if there’s going to be a new 30 or even 50% tax on their materials come Friday?

    And how can a family already struggling with high costs continue to pay the rent and put food on the table if their household expenses are going up $2,400 this year?

    And now, on Friday, the administration is planning to make the good businesses and families need 10 or 30 or 40 or 50% more expensive overnight.

    This President promised to lower the price of everything: Groceries, rent, energy. What these tariffs do is just the opposite.

    And we’re hearing a lot of positive spin from the administration about the deals that they’re striking. But let me end by making two points.

    First, we heard a lot of talk about 90 deals in 90 days. Well, we’re way past that deadline. And we’ve seen six, count them, six announcements. And it’s not even clear that Vietnam has actually agreed to what the President announced.

    Second, I want to remind all of us that these deals all force Americans and American businesses to pay a tax rate that is far higher than what we saw before the President engaged in this trade war.

    I talked earlier about how for both Europe and Japan, Americans will face a tax that’s ten times higher than we paid last year. That same trend holds across every deal he’s announced.

    With Indonesia, he agreed to a 19% tax, four times what we paid last year. With the Philippines, a 20% tax, up from 1.3%. So 15 times what we paid last year. And for the UK, where we have a trade surplus, again, a trade surplus, he agreed to a 10% tariff, again ten times what we paid in 2024.

    So we should be very clear: All of these rates are an increase from what Americans have been paying since April.

    This President has raised average tariffs from 2.5% to more than 17%, the highest level since the Great Depression.

    Again and again, he is adding cost to American families and businesses. And what are these costs for? They’re to finance tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, for the biggest corporations.

    The end result of the President’s art of the deal on trade is higher costs for families, uncertainty for businesses and alienated allies who no longer view America as a reliable partner to do business with.

    Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

    Senator Shaheen is helping lead efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. Last week, Shaheen helped introduce bipartisan legislation, Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, that would exempt United States-owned small businesses from the sweeping tariffs imposed on Canadian products. Last month, Shaheen led 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs. In January, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act.

    In recent months, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Hampshire’s tourism industry and to visit businesses impacted by President Trump’s trade war including Brueckner Group USA, Colby Footwear, Chatila’s Bakery, C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple, American Calan Inc. and NH Ball Bearings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: PHOTO RELEASE: Secretary Noem Meets with Chilean Leaders to Discuss Mutually Beneficial Information Sharing in Fight Against Illegal Immigration, Crime

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    America and Chile deepen mutual commitment to security

    SANTIAGO, CHILE – Today, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with Chilean Minister of Public Security Luis Cordero Vega, Attorney General Ángel Valencia, and Minister of Justice Jaime Gajardo Falcón for the first time to discuss how the two countries can work together to deter illegal immigration, how Chile can maintain compliance with the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and how the two countries can increase law enforcement cooperation to facilitate lawful travel and crackdown on criminals entering America.

    “Today, America and Chile deepened our mutual commitment to security by discussing how we can work together on several key information sharing initiatives in the near future,” Secretary Noem said in a statement. “I am proud to announce that we signed a letter of intent for continued partnership on Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert (BITMAP) that will expand this vital data sharing program into new area. Chile also deserves applause for its efforts to stay compliant with our Visa Waiver Program and for its law enforcement’s efforts to stop criminals heading towards America from traveling through its country.”

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Chilean Minister of Public Security Luis Cordero Vega, and Minister of Justice Jaime Gajardo Falcón

    Secretary Noem and Chilean officials moved one step closer to a BITMAP memo of understanding by signing a letter of intent that represents Chile and the U.S.’s desire to continue these efforts.

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signs BITMAP letter of intent 

    Chile also committed to accepting all ICE charter flights and enrolling in Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV) and our Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) programs. Chile will continue to be key a member of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and has been a valued partner for law enforcement efforts in the region.

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Chilean Minister of Public Security Luis Cordero Vega hold a bilateral meeting

    The U.S. looks forward to continuing information sharing, engaging in joint law enforcement training exercises, and looking for new ways to build upon its relationship with Chile.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa steps forward: SA G20 proposed Africa Energy Efficiency Facility hailed

    Source: Government of South Africa

    South Africa’s proposed Africa Energy Efficiency Facility could emerge as a defining achievement of the country’s G20 Presidency – a bold, continent-led initiative that embodies African leadership on the global stage and turns commitments into action.

    United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Chief of Mitigation Branch: Climate Division, Hongpeng Lei – who delivered remarks at a side event at the Energy Transitions Working Group meeting this week, applauded South Africa’s “vision of placing energy efficiency at the core of the… G20 energy agenda”.

    “This gathering is more than a technical forum. It is a political and strategic turning point. It is a moment where Africa steps forward with confidence and clarity to shift to a legacy of practical climate action rooted in equity, innovation and resilience.

    “We are here to lay the foundations for what could become a defining outcome of South Africa’s G20 Presidency – the African Energy Efficiency Facility. This initiative reflects the shared priorities of the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group. Affordability, energy access, climate resilience and inclusive growth… all begin with efficiency.”

    Hongpeng noted that South African leadership on the facility “references the G20 evolution from high level priorities to… regional action”. 

    “By the time we reach COP30 in Brazil, it could stand as a model on how the G20 delivers community, credibility and concrete solutions.

    “This facility, proudly championed by South Africa and the African Union and supported by UNEP is… a long-term platform to mobilise finance… technical assistance and skill up the efficiency solutions across the continent. 

    “It will serve as a strategic G20 legacy initiative. One that reflects the ethos of this Presidency, Africa led, globally supported and designed to deliver results where it matters the most,” Hongpeng said.

    The UNEP representative noted that energy efficiency is the most equitable pass way to reduce emissions, expand energy access and ensuring energy security.

    “But it is not just a numbers game. It is about development, dignity and delivery.

    “We have an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that this facility becomes more than a concept. Let it be the enduring symbol of what this G20 Presidency stands for – African solutions for global challenges built on equity, innovation and partnerships.

    “We call on G20 members, development banks and the African partners to secure predictable and ethical financing for this facility. Let the message be clear: Africa is not waiting, Africa is leading. Let us rise to the moment, deliver a legacy worthy of this G20,” Hongpeng concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: US to negotiate trade deal with Mexico within next 90 days – D. Trump

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NEW YORK, July 31 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States will hold talks with Mexico within the next 90 days to sign a trade deal.

    The American leader reported this on the social network Truth Social after a telephone conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNFPA urges governments to act on climate and gender at Global Symposium ahead of COP30

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Brasília, Brazil, 31 July 2025 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Brazil today issued a powerful Call to Action urging governments to place gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at the heart of global climate response. The Call to Action was issued as the 2025 Global Symposium on Climate Justice and Impacted Populations draws to a close in Brasilia. 

    Held just months ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the high-level symposium was convened by UNFPA and the Government of Brazil to mobilize bold, rights-based, and gender-responsive climate action at a pivotal moment as countries revise their national climate plans and realign funding priorities.

    The Call to Action outlines a shared roadmap to put gender equality, SRHR, and protection from gender-based violence (GBV) at the center of global climate response. It identifies concrete steps for governments and institutions to take as they prepare for key COP30 milestones –  including the Belem Health Action Plan, a flagship COP30 initiative focused on strengthening health systems as part of global climate action.

    The Call to Action demands: 

    • More climate finance directed to women and girls, especially in crisis-affected settings
    • Stronger support for national and local partners to include SRHR and protection from GBV in climate policies
    • Greater investment in data and evidence to inform gender-responsive climate action
    • Stronger emergency preparedness and health systems that can withstand climate shocks
    • That SRHR and protection for GBV are finally included in the COP30 Gender Action Plan on climate change

    Women and girls are already paying a steep price for a climate crisis they did not cause. They face rising rates of gender-based violence, worsening maternal health outcomes, and growing barriers to essential services like contraception and safe childbirth. Yet most national climate policies overlook their needs. Key systems, including health, education, and protection services, remain underfunded and overstretched. Just a fraction of global climate finance is allocated to gender equality, and reliable data on how women and girls are affected remains scarce or nonexistent.

    “We are at a pivotal moment in our march against climate change — one that must unite us all. Let us leverage this moment to forge a path forward that ensures climate justice and strengthens the resilience of women and young people in the face of climate change,” said Diene Keita, UNFPA Acting Executive Director, in her opening remarks.

    The three-day hybrid event, which brought together more than 150 policymakers, researchers, youth leaders, and advocates from around the world, built on UNFPA’s first global convening on climate and SRHR, the International Symposium on SRHR, Gender and Climate Change Resilience, held in Pretoria ahead of ICPD25 in 2019. There, participants issued the Future Africa Call to Action – a shared advocacy agenda, urging governments to integrate SRHR and gender equality into climate resilience efforts. This year’s event took that work further, delivering the Brasília Call to Action as the next step to embed gender, health, and equity into climate decision-making — especially as countries prepare new climate commitments ahead of COP30. 

    “Many aspects of climate change and its impacts on populations were examined and further explored during the discussions of this symposium, reinforcing the understanding that it is impossible to advance resilience and sustainable development without integrating gender equality into environmental and climate policies,” said Janja Lula da Silva, First Lady of Brazil and Special Envoy for Women at COP30, who participated in the closing ceremony. “There can be no climate justice without gender equality. And no climate justice without the full participation of women.”

    As the UN’s lead agency on sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA brings a critical rights-based perspective to climate action, grounded in gender equality and the lived realities of diverse women and girls. With decades of experience in humanitarian response, data systems, and frontline health services, UNFPA is working with countries to ensure sexual and reproductive health care and interventions to address GBV and harmful practices remain available during climate shocks. From supporting displaced women during emergencies to strengthening climate-resilient health systems, UNFPA is helping countries respond to today’s risks while preparing for a more uncertain future.

    Press Enquiries:

    Zina Alam; zialam@unfpa.org; media@unfpa.org 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard surface units assist 4 mariners aboard disabled vessel Sueño I off Carolina, Puerto Rico

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/31/2025 12:55 PM EDT

    Coast Guard cutter Joseph Doyle and a Station San Juan boat crew assisted four mariners aboard the disabled vessel Sueño I off Carolina, Puerto Rico, Wednesday. Assisted are four men, Dominican Republic nationals, who reportedly were on a voyage from Tortola, British Virgin Islands to Samana, Dominican Republic, when the vessel experienced electrical problems and became disabled.

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA-Supported Laboratory Opens to Fight Microplastics in Galapagos Islands

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The Galapagos Islands where the Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory, supported by the IAEA, was established to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution.

    A new laboratory supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was officially inaugurated this month in the Galapagos Islands to address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution.

    The Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory was established by the government in Ecuador, with support from the IAEA, to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their extraordinary biodiversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, shaped by their remote location some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.

    While a robust monitoring and cleanup programme is in place to tackle the estimated six tonnes of plastic waste that wash ashore on the islands each year, microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimetres — pose a more complex challenge for the Galapagos National Park, a protected area encompassing 97% of the islands.

    Nuclear-derived techniques can help detect and analyse microplastic particles too small for traditional monitoring. The laboratory is now analysing water samples and will be able to analyse sediment, and biota samples from the islands at a microscopic scale to identify the types of polymers and improve the understanding of how they disperse in the marine environment where they can endanger marine life.

    In a video address at the opening ceremony for the laboratory on 17 July, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the laboratory — situated on the Santa Cruz Island — will be an active partner in environmental monitoring and reporting of microplastic pollution for Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.

    “The laboratory offers new opportunities to conduct studies on the environmental impact on the vulnerable and relevant biodiversity of the Islands, helping authorities to take and implement more precise control measures aimed at the protection and conservation of the Galapagos National Park,” he added.

    The new laboratory marks a significant milestone in the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which has supported countries since its launch in 2020 in researching microplastics and applying nuclear techniques to enhance recycling processes. The support to the Galapagos Islands follows the IAEA’s work in Antarctica — another valuable ecosystem — with the launch of microplastics research there in 2024.

    The data generated in the new laboratory will enable local and national authorities to more accurately assess plastic pollution levels and design targeted strategies to mitigate their impact. The information will also feed into the IAEA’s coordinated efforts under the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to build a global network of laboratories with analytical capacities to monitor and mitigate marine microplastic pollution.

    The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also strengthened monitoring and analytical capacities in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil, to address the growing threat of marine pollution from microplastics in the Galapagos Islands. The IAEA has allocated nearly €1 million to provide the new laboratory with equipment and training for monitoring marine stressors such as ocean acidification, eutrophication, and microplastic pollution — all of which threaten the region’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illicit firearms: Operation Trigger IX nets 14,260 arrests across Latin America

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    18 April 2023

    Drugs worth USD 5.7 billion also seized in INTERPOL-led operation targeting key trafficking routes and organized crime groups

    LYON, France – In the biggest firearms operation ever coordinated by INTERPOL, authorities in Central and South America have made 14,260 arrests and seized some 8,263 illicit firearms, as well as 305,000 rounds of ammunition.

    With illicit firearms used by criminals to commit armed robberies and murder, they are also closely associated with the proliferation of a wide range of other crimes using the same trafficking routes.

    The links between illicit firearms and drug manufacturing and trafficking were thrown into sharp relief, with the seizure of 203 tonnes of cocaine and other drugs together worth some USD 5.7 billion, and 372 tonnes of drug precursors during Operation Trigger IX (12 March – 2 April).

    Law enforcement across INTERPOL’s 195 member countries have reported record drug seizures in the past year and, in many cases, a spike in drug-related violence, fueled by the traffic of illegal firearms.

    The operation, which saw an unprecedented level of cooperation across 15 countries, also identified a range of other crimes such as corruption, fraud, human trafficking, environmental crime and terrorist activities.

    Colombian authorities arrested the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice

    Arrests in Honduras – Operation Trigger IX

    Firearms are closely associated with the proliferation of a wide range of other crimes.

    Border checks – Operation Trigger IX

    Operational hub – Operation Trigger IX

    Marine patrols – Operation Trigger IX

    Operation Trigger IX led to the disruption of 20 organized criminal groups

    Drug seizure – El Salvador

    A woman attempting to smuggle pistols and chargers between Paraguay and Brazil.

    Seizure by Chile – Operation Trigger IX

    Vehicle checks – Operation Trigger IX

    Uruguay saw its largest-ever seizure of ammunition.

    Operational highlights

    INTERPOL gathered firearms experts from participating countries at an operational hub in Foz do Iguaçu in the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, to support frontline actions and ensure the swift exchange and cross-checking of intelligence.

    On the ground, coordinated actions led to the disruption of 20 organized criminal groups, including the arrest of members of Primeiro Comando da Capital, Mara Salvatrucha and the Balkans Cartel, all involved in firearms trafficking.

    In Uruguay, 100,000 pieces of ammunition trafficked internationally by two European nationals were seized by authorities, marking the country’s largest-ever such seizure.

    Authorities in Brazil and Paraguay shut down several firearms dealerships following the identification of irregular transfers and unlicensed sales.

    Other operational results include:

    • 11 victims were rescued in Paraguay, when authorities dismantled a human trafficking ring.
    • In cooperation with Venezuela, police in Colombia arrested a Venezuelan national subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice for terrorism and arms trafficking.
    • A 32 year old woman was arrested at the land border between Paraguay and Brazil with eight pistols and 16 chargers taped to her body.

    Looking ahead, some 30 investigations were opened as a result of actions on the ground, and authorities identified 15 new modus operandi for the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and concealment of firearms, with INTERPOL’s Purple Notice leveraged to help alert member countries.

    Officers perform real-time checks against INTERPOL’s databases during Operation Trigger IX.

    Operational hub – Brazil

    Border checks between Argentina and Brazil

    Seizure by Honduras – Operation Trigger IX

    Police checks by Argentina – Operation Trigger IX

    Authorities shut down several firearms dealerships in Brazil and Paraguay

    Authorities had immediate access to the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network

    Arrest in Paraguay – Operation Trigger IX

    El Salvador firearms dealership checks – El Salvador

    INTERPOL’s global reach

    “The fact that an operation targeting illicit firearms resulted in such massive drugs seizures is further proof, if needed, that these crimes are intertwined,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

    “The results, coming just weeks after our Americas Regional Conference was highlighting the need for greater information sharing on these linked organized crime activities, also demonstrate the unique value of INTERPOL in supporting efforts in the field.  

    “The organized crime networks behind all of these illicit activities have only one priority, which is profit. We, as law enforcement, must be equally determined to dismantle them across every region and globally,” concluded Secretary General Stock.

    Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL’s Vice-President for the Americas, highlighted the value of joint initiatives such as Trigger IX in prioritizing national and regional efforts against illicit flows. “Intelligence-led investigations and operations enable police to cooperate internationally and remove illicit firearms from circulation to protect the public,” said Mr Urquiza.

    INTERPOL global tools used by investigators during the operation include the Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System (iARMS), the only global database of illicit firearms, including stolen, lost and trafficked/smuggled firearms.

    Authorities also had immediate access to the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN), enabling law enforcement officials to compare images of ballistic fingerprints from fired casings and projectiles to establish links between crimes worldwide.

    Tracing the history and ownership of recovered firearms provides crucial investigative leads. Every firearm is unique and can be identified by its serial number, make, model and calibre as well as by its ballistic ‘fingerprint’. Comparing ballistics evidence of recovered cartridge casings and ammunition is therefore crucial to investigations.

    During the operation, INTERPOL’s Firearms Programme was supported by INTERPOL’s Regional Bureaus in Argentina and El Salvador, its Drugs and Fugitives units, and its Command and Coordination Centre.

    More than 100 national law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation, including the collaboration of US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which supported participating countries.

    Participating countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay.

    Operation Trigger IX was funded by the European Union and carried out under the framework of Project Disrupt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Schumer, Shaheen, & Wyden Announce Intent to Challenge Trump’s Tariffs on Brazil

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced their intent to file privileged legislation to challenge President Donald Trump’s tariffs on goods from Brazil in response to steps Brazil is taking to hold friend of Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accountable for attempting a coup. The additional tariffs announced by Trump will put the total Trump tariffs on Brazilian exports at 50 percent, raising costs for Americans on basic household goods.

    In an executive order issued yesterday, Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose the tariffs. Any one senator can challenge the use of IEEPA with a privileged resolution, such as the one the lawmakers will file. That means the Senate will be required to vote on the legislation.

    “President Trump has no interest in lowering costs for the American people. If he did, he would not be imposing tariffs and starting senseless trade wars,” said the senators. “We’re particularly concerned about these tariffs on Brazil—which are being put into place to get the Brazilian Supreme Court to stop its prosecution of Trump’s longtime friend Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president who is facing criminal charges for inciting a violent coup. This is certainly not what tariffs are intended to be used for, and they will raise prices for Americans. That’s why we’ll be introducing legislation to challenge these reckless tariffs against Brazil.”

    Americans import more than $40 billion annually from Brazil, including nearly $2 billion’s worth of coffee. Trade between the U.S. and Brazil supports nearly 130,000 jobs in the U.S., and the U.S. actually has a trade surplus with Brazil. A trade war with Brazil would make life more expensive for Americans, harm both the American and Brazilian economies, and drive Brazil closer to China.

    Last week, Kaine and Shaheen led their colleagues in sending a letter to Trump urging him to end his threats of tariffs on Brazil.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Curtis, And Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Crimes in Brazilian Amazon and Strengthen Regional Stability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Curtis (R-UT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, introduced the Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon Act. The bipartisan legislation addresses crimes committed by transnational criminal organizations and drug trafficking groups, which are devastating communities in and around the Brazilian Amazon, upending the rule of law, and accelerating environmental degradation and deforestation. Violent deaths in the Brazilian Amazon are significantly higher than in other parts of the country. The bill would provide the U.S. government with more tools to support U.S.-Brazil efforts to address these crimes and prioritize identifying investment opportunities for U.S. companies in the Brazilian Amazon.

    “Addressing cartel violence and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is important to protecting our national security, promoting stability in the Western Hemisphere, and preserving the environment,” said Kaine, Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “I’m proud to join with Senators Curtis and Merkley to introduce this bipartisan legislation to expand the United States’ role in cracking down on violence, forced displacement, and environmental degradation in the Amazon.”

    “Criminal networks thrive where the rule of law is weak—and when they do, both people and the planet suffer,” said Curtis, Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “This bill helps us partner with Brazil to crack down on lawlessness in the Amazon and support a model of conservation that is also rooted in economic opportunity.“

    “The Amazon provides sanctuary for countless wildlife, and the trees of this tropical forest support not only Brazil’s environment, but also the lungs of the planet,” said Merkley, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.?“As the impacts of climate chaos become deadlier and more frequent—threatening our health, planet, and future—the U.S. must support Brazil’s efforts to stand against the criminal and often violent efforts driving deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.”

    Specifically, the bipartisan Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon would:

    • Direct the U.S. Secretary of State, in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies, to prioritize supporting Brazil’s efforts to identify and disrupt transnational criminal networks committing environmental crimes.
    • Direct support to local communities and vulnerable areas in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Recommend the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) place an individual in Brazil responsible for identifying sustainable economic opportunities for U.S. businesses in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Require the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress regarding drivers of deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.
    • Advise the United States to encourage international financial institutions to prioritize promoting sustainable development in the Amazon and oppose loans or programs that would exacerbate environmental crimes in the region.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Judges question whether Trump tariffs are authorized by emergency powers

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. appeals court judges sharply questioned on Thursday whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs were justified by the president’s emergency powers, after a lower court said he exceeded his authority with sweeping levies on imported goods.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., is considering the legality of “reciprocal” tariffs that Trump imposed on a broad range of U.S. trading partners in April, as well as tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico.

    In hearing arguments in two cases brought by five small U.S. businesses and 12 Democratic-led U.S. states, judges pressed government lawyer Brett Shumate to explain how the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law historically used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets, gave Trump the power to impose tariffs.

    Trump is the first president to use IEEPA to impose tariffs.

    The judges frequently interrupted Shumate, peppering him with a flurry of challenges to his arguments.

    “IEEPA doesn’t even say tariffs, doesn’t even mention them,” one of the judges said.

    Shumate said that the law allows for “extraordinary” authority in an emergency, including the ability to stop imports completely. He said IEEPA authorizes tariffs because it allows a president to “regulate” imports in a crisis.

    The states and businesses challenging the tariffs argued that they are not permissible under IEEPA and that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress, and not the president, authority over tariffs and other taxes.

    Neal Katyal, a lawyer for the businesses, said the government’s argument that the word “regulate” includes the power to tax would be a vast expansion of presidential power, Katyal said.

    The arguments – one day before Trump plans to increase tariff rates on imported goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners – mark the first test before a U.S. appeals court of the scope of his tariff authority. The president has made tariffs a central instrument of his foreign policy, wielding them aggressively in his second term as leverage in trade negotiations and to push back against what he has called unfair practices.

    Trump has said the April tariffs were a response to persistent U.S. trade imbalances and declining U.S. manufacturing power.

    He said the tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico were appropriate because those countries were not doing enough to stop illegal fentanyl from crossing U.S. borders. The countries have denied that claim.

    Shumate cited a 1975 appeals court decision that authorized President Richard Nixon’s across-the board surcharge of 10% on imported merchandise to slow inflation. But that decision added that the president did not have authority to impose “whatever tariff rates he deems desirable.”

    Shumate also said that courts cannot review a president’s actions under IEEPA or impose additional limits that are not included in the law. Several judges said that the argument would essentially allow one law, IEEPA, to overwrite all other U.S. laws related to tariffs and imports.

    Katyal said the Trump administration’s argument ignored the more limited nature of Nixon’s tariffs and changes to the law since the 1970s.

    “No trade law in 200 years has been interpreted to give the president this power,” Katyal said.

    The case is being heard by a panel of all of the court’s active judges, eight appointed by Democratic presidents and three appointed by former Republican presidents. The timing of the court’s decision is uncertain, and the losing side will likely appeal quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

    Tariffs are starting to build into a significant revenue source for the federal government, with customs duties in June quadrupling to about $27 billion, a record, and through June have topped $100 billion for the current fiscal year. That income could be crucial to offset lost revenue from Trump’s tax bill passed into law earlier this month.

    But economists say the duties threaten to raise prices for U.S. consumers and reduce corporate profits. Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets and disrupted U.S. companies’ ability to manage supply chains, production, staffing and prices.

    On May 28, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade sided with the Democratic states and small businesses that challenged Trump. It said that the IEEPA did not authorize tariffs related to longstanding trade deficits.

    The Federal Circuit has allowed the tariffs to remain in place while it considers the administration’s appeal.

    The case will have no impact on tariffs levied under more traditional legal authority, such as duties on steel and aluminum imports.

    The president recently announced trade deals that set tariff rates on goods from the European Union and Japan, following smaller trade agreements with Britain, Indonesia and Vietnam. Trump’s Department of Justice has argued that limiting the president’s tariff authority could undermine ongoing trade negotiations, while other Trump officials have said that negotiations have continued with little change after the initial setback in court.

    Trump has set an August 1 date for higher tariffs on countries that don’t negotiate new trade deals.

    There are at least seven other lawsuits challenging Trump’s invocation of IEEPA, including cases brought by other small businesses and California.

    A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled against Trump in one of those cases, and no judge has yet backed Trump’s claim of unlimited emergency tariff authority.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IAEA-Supported Laboratory Opens to Fight Microplastics in Galapagos Islands

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    A new laboratory supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was officially inaugurated this month in the Galapagos Islands to address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution.

    The Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory was established by the government in Ecuador, with support from the IAEA, to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their extraordinary biodiversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, shaped by their remote location some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.

    While a robust monitoring and cleanup programme is in place to tackle the estimated six tonnes of plastic waste that wash ashore on the islands each year, microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimetres — pose a more complex challenge for the Galapagos National Park, a protected area encompassing 97% of the islands.

    Nuclear-derived techniques can help detect and analyse microplastic particles too small for traditional monitoring. The laboratory is now analysing water samples and will be able to analyse sediment, and biota samples from the islands at a microscopic scale to identify the types of polymers and improve the understanding of how they disperse in the marine environment where they can endanger marine life.

    In a video address at the opening ceremony for the laboratory on 17 July, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the laboratory — situated on the Santa Cruz Island — will be an active partner in environmental monitoring and reporting of microplastic pollution for Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.

    “The laboratory offers new opportunities to conduct studies on the environmental impact on the vulnerable and relevant biodiversity of the Islands, helping authorities to take and implement more precise control measures aimed at the protection and conservation of the Galapagos National Park,” he added.

    The new laboratory marks a significant milestone in the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which has supported countries since its launch in 2020 in researching microplastics and applying nuclear techniques to enhance recycling processes. The support to the Galapagos Islands follows the IAEA’s work in Antarctica — another valuable ecosystem — with the launch of microplastics research there in 2024.

    The data generated in the new laboratory will enable local and national authorities to more accurately assess plastic pollution levels and design targeted strategies to mitigate their impact. The information will also feed into the IAEA’s coordinated efforts under the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to build a global network of laboratories with analytical capacities to monitor and mitigate marine microplastic pollution.

    The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also strengthened monitoring and analytical capacities in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil, to address the growing threat of marine pollution from microplastics in the Galapagos Islands. The IAEA has allocated nearly €1 million to provide the new laboratory with equipment and training for monitoring marine stressors such as ocean acidification, eutrophication, and microplastic pollution — all of which threaten the region’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: IAEA-Supported Laboratory Opens to Fight Microplastics in Galapagos Islands

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

    The Galapagos Islands where the Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory, supported by the IAEA, was established to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution.

    A new laboratory supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was officially inaugurated this month in the Galapagos Islands to address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution.

    The Oceanography and Microplastics Laboratory was established by the government in Ecuador, with support from the IAEA, to monitor and analyse microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their extraordinary biodiversity and unique evolutionary adaptations, shaped by their remote location some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.

    While a robust monitoring and cleanup programme is in place to tackle the estimated six tonnes of plastic waste that wash ashore on the islands each year, microplastics — plastic particles smaller than five millimetres — pose a more complex challenge for the Galapagos National Park, a protected area encompassing 97% of the islands.

    Nuclear-derived techniques can help detect and analyse microplastic particles too small for traditional monitoring. The laboratory is now analysing water samples and will be able to analyse sediment, and biota samples from the islands at a microscopic scale to identify the types of polymers and improve the understanding of how they disperse in the marine environment where they can endanger marine life.

    In a video address at the opening ceremony for the laboratory on 17 July, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the laboratory — situated on the Santa Cruz Island — will be an active partner in environmental monitoring and reporting of microplastic pollution for Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands.

    “The laboratory offers new opportunities to conduct studies on the environmental impact on the vulnerable and relevant biodiversity of the Islands, helping authorities to take and implement more precise control measures aimed at the protection and conservation of the Galapagos National Park,” he added.

    The new laboratory marks a significant milestone in the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which has supported countries since its launch in 2020 in researching microplastics and applying nuclear techniques to enhance recycling processes. The support to the Galapagos Islands follows the IAEA’s work in Antarctica — another valuable ecosystem — with the launch of microplastics research there in 2024.

    The data generated in the new laboratory will enable local and national authorities to more accurately assess plastic pollution levels and design targeted strategies to mitigate their impact. The information will also feed into the IAEA’s coordinated efforts under the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco to build a global network of laboratories with analytical capacities to monitor and mitigate marine microplastic pollution.

    The IAEA, through its technical cooperation programme, has also strengthened monitoring and analytical capacities in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Guayaquil, to address the growing threat of marine pollution from microplastics in the Galapagos Islands. The IAEA has allocated nearly €1 million to provide the new laboratory with equipment and training for monitoring marine stressors such as ocean acidification, eutrophication, and microplastic pollution — all of which threaten the region’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: European gloom over the Trump deal is misplaced. It’s probably the best the EU could have achieved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maha Rafi Atal, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in Political Economy, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

    The trade deal between the US and the European Union, squeezed in days before the re-introduction of Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, is reflective of the new politics of global trade. Faced with the threat of 30% baseline tariffs from Washington, as well as additional levies on specific sectors, the EU has secured a partial reprieve of a flat 15% tariff on all goods.

    Was this the best the bloc could have achieved? In the time available, it may well have been. The 15% rate is higher than the UK secured earlier this year, but it’s significantly below the level applied to China and Mexico, and on par with Japan.

    The EU has also managed a “zero-for-zero” tariffs deal on some hi-tech goods, notably semiconductors vital for products like phones and laptops. This is something the UK did not push for or secure in its own framework agreed with the US president.



    Read more:
    Donald Trump has reduced tariffs on British metals and cars, but how important is this trade deal? Experts react

    What’s more, EU leaders have argued that agreeing to the deal has security benefits in protecting dwindling US support for European defence. The urgency of Europe’s security concerns in Ukraine made these talks different from trade negotiations in the first Trump administration, when Europe could afford to be more aggressive.

    The biggest winners in this deal are Europe’s carmakers. The US has collapsed various sector-specific duties on goods like aircraft, cars and automotive parts into the 15% ceiling. This effectively reduces tariffs on EU-made cars (from 27.5%).

    American automakers, meanwhile, rely heavily on parts from Mexico and China – still subject to higher tariffs at the time of writing. This makes EU vehicles more competitive for US consumers than “American” cars that rely on overseas parts.

    Most importantly however, like the UK deal before it, the new EU agreement is a statement of understanding between the White House and the European Commission, rather than a formal treaty. A treaty would be subject to parliamentary ratification on both sides.

    But the semi-formal nature of this agreement allows both Trump and European leaders to portray the deal as a “win” by playing fast and loose with what’s actually in it.

    For example, the Trump administration will celebrate an EU commitment to buy US$250 billion (£189 billion) in US energy imports annually. Yet the concession holds no legal weight in the EU. The European Commission, which negotiated with Trump, does not buy any energy nor does it manage the power grid inside its 27 member states.

    The commission can encourage, but cannot compel, those states to buy American. (Indeed, it might want to do so anyway, since it helps it to pivot away from Russian gas). But ultimately, member states and businesses decide where their energy supply comes from, and they are not direct parties to the deal. Only a formal treaty ratified by the European parliament would compel them.

    No guarantees from Trump

    The informal nature of this agreement also allows EU member states to protest against what they see as capitulation to Trump’s demands without real consequence. After all, there is not yet a treaty text they would be required to vote on or implement.

    The Trump administration similarly imposed its sweeping tariff threats in early spring without a vote from Congress, and has been making ad hoc changes to the rates in the same way.

    On the one hand, this means European countries may not ultimately be required to implement some of the deal’s less savoury elements such as the energy purchases or lowering the bloc’s own tariffs on US goods.

    On the other hand, this means the Trump administration – notorious for abrupt changes of turn – can also renege at any time. In reality, there is little the EU can do about this. The question of leverage looms large. Trump’s longstanding antipathy towards the EU – seeing it less as an ally and more as a rival – meant that Brussels was never negotiating from a position of strength.

    The fact that the EU avoided the worst-case scenario, protected key sectors and secured other sector-specific advantages suggests a deal shaped not by triumph, but by containment of Trump. Since the deal was announced, the picture emerging from many European leaders has been one of gloom. True, the EU didn’t win – but it survived. And that, for now, is probably enough.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

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

    – ref. European gloom over the Trump deal is misplaced. It’s probably the best the EU could have achieved – https://theconversation.com/european-gloom-over-the-trump-deal-is-misplaced-its-probably-the-best-the-eu-could-have-achieved-262369

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Speakers Stress Economic and Social Council’s Key Role in Responding to Today’s Global Challenges, as 54-Member Organ Begins 2026 Session, Elects Bureau

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The Economic and Social Council commenced its 2026 session today, and as Canada handed its presidency to Nepal, speakers pointed to the important role that the organ must play in responding to the myriad challenges of the moment.

    Opening the meeting, Robert Rae (Canada), the Council’s President for its 2025 session, noted that “we hear a lot in the UN discourse about how things are broken, how things have fallen apart, how things are unhinged”.  While not disagreeing with those assessments, he emphasized:  “Our job is not to give speeches saying how terrible things are — our job is to roll up our sleeves and fix things.”  He added that no UN agency or body “has more of a responsibility to do that than the Economic and Social Council”.

    Urging that body to take its responsibilities seriously, he recalled some of the problems that the Council addressed over the past year — the role of artificial intelligence, the situation in Haiti and development in the UN context.  “I think this Council helped,” he stated.  He also pointed out that current questions regarding the UN’s relevance are not new — some even raised them when the Organization was founded — and spotlighted, as a counterpoint, the important discourse concerning the State of Palestine during the recent high-level conference on the two-State solution.

    President Appointed, Vice-Presidents Elected for 2026 Session 

    He concluded that the new Bureau will face new challenges ahead — “that’s how the world works” — and the Council then elected, by acclamation, Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) as President of the Council at its 2026 session.

    Taking his seat at the podium, Mr. Thapa directed the Council to proceed to the election of the other Bureau members for that session.  The body then elected — also by acclamation — Amar Bendjamaa (Algeria), Paruyr Hovhannisyan (Armenia), Wellington Darío Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) and Héctor Gómez Hernández (Spain) to serve as Vice-Presidents.

    Mr. Thapa then delivered his inaugural statement, emphasizing:  “For Nepal, this is a historic moment.”  Recalling that his country was admitted to the UN 70 years ago, he said that assuming Presidency of the Council for the first time is a “testament to our enduring commitment to multilateralism and our aspiration to contribute meaningfully to build trust, strengthen multilateral cooperation and achieve a more just, inclusive, equitable and resilient world”.

    Yet, “the world today is navigating a ‘polycrisis’” of conflict, climate disruption, economic uncertainty and deepening inequality, he said, also pointing to renewed great Power competition, escalating cyberthreats, an off-track 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, surging humanitarian needs and a $4 trillion annual financing gap for developing countries.  “In this context, the role of ECOSOC has never been more relevant and important,” he stated.

    Under ‘Delivering Better’ Motto, President Outlines Priorities for Session

    Noting that his Presidency will be guided by the motto of “Delivering Better”, he underscored that doing so “is not an option — it is an imperative”.  Detailing what that motto means for Nepal, he underlined the need to strengthen multilateralism and rebuild trust, accelerate the 2030 Agenda, ensure effective coordination and coherence within the UN system, strengthen partnerships and ensure implementation and follow-up.  “ECOSOC must evolve from convening dialogue to driving measurable impact,” he urged.

    He also outlined several priorities for his presidency, including transforming agriculture and food systems to strengthen food security and rural resilience; championing digital inclusion and youth entrepreneurship; and advancing climate action and resilience.  On the latter, he said that special focus will be placed on mitigating glacial lake outburst floods and protecting vulnerable communities.  Among other initiatives, he said that his presidency will also give “due priority to promoting the interests of countries in special situations”, as “their unique vulnerabilities demand tailored solutions”.

    “ECOSOC is our place,” he stressed, encouraging all present to “bring forward your vision, your ideas and your transformative solutions”.  He added: “We must send a clear and united message — multilateralism delivers, and it delivers for everyone.”

    Following that statement, the newly elected Vice-Presidents — the representatives of Algeria, Armenia, Dominican Republic and Spain — as well as delegates from China, Australia, Djibouti, Republic of Korea, South Africa and the European Union, took the floor to thank the outgoing Bureau and express support for the incoming one.  Many specifically thanked Mr. Rae for his work over the past year.

    Speakers also acknowledged the challenges ahead and underlined the Council’s important role in addressing them at this critical juncture for development.  An observer for the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders Coordination Mechanism, for her part, underlined the need for civil society to be heard during that endeavour.

    Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Says Urgent Action, Stronger Cooperation Key to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

    “Through its convening power — across segments, forums and special meetings — the Council has shown its continued relevance,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.  Today’s interconnected world demands stronger cooperation to achieve sustainable solutions, he pointed out, calling for “urgent” action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as only 35 per cent of targets are currently on track.

    “ECOSOC’s role is central,” he stressed, “to forge consensus, provide policy guidance and mobilize coordination action and follow-up.”  Its eightieth anniversary invites reflection, and upcoming reviews are key opportunities to ensure the realization of its full potential.  He concluded:  “I urge all Member States to continue actively engaging with the Council to advance the implementation of its mandates and the realization of the SDGs.”

    Council Adopts Provisional Agenda, Working Arrangements for Session

    Following that, the Council adopted, without a vote, its provisional agenda (document E/2026/1) and working arrangements (to be issued as document E/2026/L.1) for 2026.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • US appeals court scrutinizes Trump’s use of tariffs as trade deadline looms

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. appeals court judges sharply questioned on Thursday whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs were justified by the president’s emergency powers, as lawyers for states and businesses challenging the measures argued he exceeded his authority.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., is considering the legality of “reciprocal” tariffs that Trump imposed on a broad range of U.S. trading partners in April, as well as tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico.

    In hearing arguments in two cases brought by five small U.S. businesses and 12 Democratic-led U.S. states, judges pressed government lawyer Brett Shumate to explain how the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law historically used for sanctioning enemies or freezing their assets, gave Trump the power to impose tariffs.

    Shumate said that the law allows the president to have “extraordinary” authority in an emergency, including the ability to stop imports completely. He said IEEPA authorizes tariffs because it allows a president to “regulate” imports in a crisis.

    The judges seemed dubious of this sweeping argument.

    “IEEPA doesn’t even say tariffs, doesn’t even mention them,” Judge Jimmie Reyna said.

    The arguments – one day before Trump plans to increase tariff rates on imported goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners – mark the first test before a U.S. appeals court of the scope of his tariff authority. The president has made tariffs a central instrument of his foreign policy, wielding them aggressively in his second term as leverage in trade negotiations and to push back against what he has called unfair practices.

    The court adjourned after about an hour-and-a-half of oral arguments. The judges did not say when they would rule, and the losing side will almost certainly appeal quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Trump, the first president to use IEEPA to impose tariffs, has said the April tariffs were a response to persistent U.S. trade imbalances and declining U.S. manufacturing power.

    He said the tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico were appropriate because those countries were not doing enough to stop illegal fentanyl from crossing U.S. borders, a claim the countries have denied.

    The states and businesses challenging the tariffs argued that they are not permissible under IEEPA and that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress, and not the president, authority over tariffs and other taxes.

    “No trade law in 200 years has been interpreted to give the president this power,” Neal Katyal, a lawyer for the businesses, said.

    Judge Kimberly Moore challenged Benjamin Gutman, representing the state of Oregon, on his argument that the U.S. trade deficit is not an “unusual and extraordinary” threat that would trigger IEEPA’s emergency powers, noting that Trump said the trade deficit contributed to compromised military readiness.

    “That bothers me – I’m a little concerned about compromised military readiness,” Moore said. “How about you?”

    The case is being heard by a panel of all of the court’s active judges, eight appointed by Democratic presidents and three appointed by former Republican presidents.

    TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

    Tariffs are starting to build into a significant revenue source for the federal government, with customs duties in June quadrupling to about $27 billion, a record, and through June have topped $100 billion for the current fiscal year. That income could be crucial to offset lost revenue from Trump’s tax bill passed into law earlier this month.

    But economists say the duties threaten to raise prices for U.S. consumers and reduce corporate profits. Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets and disrupted U.S. companies’ ability to manage supply chains, production, staffing and prices.

    On May 28, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade said IEEPA did not authorize tariffs related to longstanding trade deficits.

    The Federal Circuit has allowed the tariffs to remain in place while the litigation continues.

    The case will have no impact on tariffs levied under more traditional legal authority, such as duties on steel and aluminum imports.

    Trump’s Department of Justice has argued that limiting the president’s tariff authority could undermine ongoing trade negotiations, while other Trump officials have said that negotiations have continued with little change after the initial setback in court.

    The president recently announced trade deals that set tariff rates on goods from the European Union and Japan, following smaller trade agreements with Britain, Indonesia and Vietnam.

    Trump has set an August 1 date for higher tariffs on countries that don’t negotiate new trade deals.

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that Trump would pause new tariffs set to go into effect on the U.S.’s southern neighbor and a 90-day period to work on a trade deal.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Renewed opportunity for partnership with Panama – E-002949/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002949/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sebastian Kruis (PfE)

    In October 2023, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed Panama from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, acknowledging comprehensive reforms of its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regimes. Panama has since overhauled its financial supervision, enhanced institutional capacity and demonstrated tangible enforcement progress. On 9 July 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting Panama’s removal from the EU’s high-risk third countries list.

    Given these developments and the opportunity to improve relations with a cooperative partner country, the Commission is urged to expedite its reassessment of Panama’s listing.

    • 1.What is the Commission’s current timeline for reassessing Panama’s status on the EU grey list?
    • 2.How does the Commission incorporate FATF decisions and parliamentary resolutions into its assessment process?
    • 3.Will the Commission commit to aligning Panama’s status with its current AML/CTF performance and international recognition?

    Submitted: 17.7.2025

    Last updated: 31 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: 2025 FIRST HALF RESULTS : MOBILIZE FINANCIAL SERVICES DELIVERS SOLID GROWTH

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

       
    PRESS RELEASE
      
    Paris, 31st July 2025 

      
     

    2025 FIRST HALF RESULTS :
    MOBILIZE FINANCIAL SERVICES DELIVERS SOLID GROWTH

    Mobilize Financial Services records a progression in new financing by 3.8% in the first semester of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This performance reflects a rise in the average amount financed and the commercial dynamics of Renault Group’s brands, Nissan and Mitsubishi, supported by a robust growth in registrations.

    With a progression of pre-tax profit by 9.7%, Mobilize Financial Services confirms the relevance of its strategy and its commitment to more sustainable mobility, in line with new uses.

    This performance confirms Mobilize Financial Services’ ability to efficiently support the strategy of its automotive partners, while meeting the expectations of customers in quest of flexible and competitive financing solutions.

    KEY INDICATORS

    Commercial performance1

    • The amount of new financing progresses by 3.8% compared to the first semester of 2024, driven by a sustained commercial dynamic.
    • 632,994 contracts were financed in the first semester of 2025, a slight increase in volume compared to the same period of the previous year (+0.8%).
    • The penetration rate on electric vehicles reached 43.9% at the end of June 2025, a positive difference of 6.5 points compared to other motorization.

    Financial performance

    • The Average Performing Assets (APAs) register a growth of 7.3% compared to the end of June 2024, confirming the robustness of the portfolio.
    • The Net Banking Income progressed by 5.3% over one year, to reach 1,132 million euros in the first semester of 2025.
    • The pre-tax income of the group increased to 607 million euros, increasing by 9.7% compared to the first semester of 2024.

    “In the beginning of the year 2025, we reaffirmed our ambition to support our customers as they transition to more sustainable mobility, by offering products and services in line with new uses. The half-year results support the robustness of our economic model and concretely illustrate our commitment to driving more responsible mobility, fully aligned with the ambitions of Renault Group”, declares Martin Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Mobilize Financial Services.

    A SUSTAINED COMMERCIAL DYNAMIC, IN A RECOVERING MARKET

    In an automotive market with slight progression by 0.7%, the volumes of Renault Group, Nissan and Mitsubishi reached 1.19 million vehicles, increasing by 2.3% compared to the first semester of 2024. In this context, Mobilize Financial Services records a growth of its new financing by 3.8% (excluding cards and personal loans), for a total of 11.1 billion euros, driven by an increase in registrations and increases of the average financed amount.

    Excluding companies consolidated by equity method, the overall penetration rate stands at 39.6%, slightly down by 0.4 point compared to the same period of last year. The penetration rate on electrified vehicles, as for it, reaches 43.9% at the end of June 2025, +6.5 points compared to other types of motorization.

    In total, 632,994 new contracts were financed in the first semester of 2025, an almost stable volume (+0.8 %) compared to 2024. The financing activity of used vehicles recorded a slight decrease by 0.4% with 153,759 contracts financed.

    Benefitting from a growing operational leasing market, Mobilize Lease&Co financed in the first semester of 2025, 120,039 operational leasing contracts for private and professional customers and reached a fleet under management of 655,000 vehicles, representing a growth by 4% compared to the first semester of 2024.

    The Average Performing Assets (APAs) reached 58.9 billion euros, increasing by 7.3% compared to the first semester of 2024. APAs related to customer activity (private and professional) rose to 47.4 billion euros (+7%), whereas those related to dealership activity progressed by 8.6% to each 11.5 billion euros.

    Finally, 1.8 million insurance and service contracts were sold during the semester, confirming the relevance of the additional offers proposed by Mobilize Financial Services.

    A ROBUST FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND A DIVERSIFIED RE-FINANCING STRATEGY

    In the first semester of 2025, the Net Banking Income (NBI) of Mobilize Financial Services amounted to 1,132 million euros, increasing by 5.3 % compared to the end of 2024. This performance is mainly the result of an improvement in the financial margin as well as the growth of outstanding loans.

    The operating costs reached 389 million euros, increasing by 24 million euros compared to last year. This change is explained by the present of non-recurring items having reduced the expenses in the first semester of 2024. Reported to the Average Productive Assets, operating expenses remain stable at 1.33%.

    The pre-tax income stands at 607 million euros, against 553 million, one year earlier, a progression by 9.7 %, driven by the rise of NBI. The share of income from associate companies progressed slightly by +0.9 million euros.

    In a context marked by investor caution in the face of economic and geopolitical uncertainties, the group raised 1.3 billion euros on the bond market in the first semester of 2025. Three public issued were carried out:

    • 2 senior bonds in Euros of 850 million euros (3 years) and 500 million euros (5 years, Green Bond)
    • 1 Tier subordinated debt issue of 500 million euros

    This latest transaction enables expending the maturity profile of the subordinated debt and falls within an active capital management strategy, aiming to maintain a solid financial structure and robust safety margins. Besides, the subsidiaries of the group in Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Morocco and Poland raised a total of 500 million euros on local bond markets.
    In the securitization market, the group placed 624 million euros in automobile loan-backed securities via its German branch. Private securitization transactions in the United States (automobile loans) and in Germany (leasing) saw their revolving period extended by two years.

    Finally, the savings collection activity, launched in 2012 and present in seven European countries (France, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherland and Poland) continues to play a key role in the diversification of financing sources. The deposits collected reached 30.5 billion euros representing 49.1% of net assets at the end of June 2025.

    1 The factoring contracts for short-term rental companies were excluded from 2025 onwards. These contracts represented 32,000 contracts in the first half of 2024, representing a positive impact of 2.8 points on the penetration rate. A hypothetical calculated based on the 2024 figures.

    Press contacts

    William Servigne

    william.servigne@mobilize-fs.com

    Hopscotch PR for Mobilize Financial Services

    +33 (0)1 41 34 23 06

    mobilize@hopscotch.fr

    About Mobilize Financial Services

    Attentive to the needs of all its customers, Mobilize Financial Services, a subsidiary of Renault Group, creates innovative financial services to build sustainable mobility for all. Mobilize Financial Services, which began operations over 100 years ago, is the commercial brand of RCI Banque SA, a French bank specializing in automotive financing and services for customers and networks of Renault Group, and also for the brands Nissan and Mitsubishi in several countries. 

    With operations in 35 countries and over 4,000 employees, Mobilize Financial Services financed more than 1,2 million contracts (new and used vehicles) in 2023 and sold 3,7 million service contracts. 

    At the end of June 2025, average earning assets stood at58.9 billion euros of financing and the pre-tax income at 607 million Euros.

    Since 2012, the group has deployed deposits collecting activity in several countries. At the end of June 2025, the net amount of deposits collected represented 30.5 billion euros, representing 49.1% of the company’s net assets.

    To find out more about Mobilize Financial Services: www.mobilize-fs.com/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Delivering better’: New ECOSOC president emphasises climate action, food security

    Source: United Nations 2

    Mr. Thapa said that the motto of his presidency will be “Delivering Better,” which requires strengthening partnerships and multilateralism to achieve more effective implementation of initiatives, including the 2030 Agenda adopted 15 years ago.  

    “Delivering better is not an option — it is an imperative. It is our pathway to restoring trust in multilateralism, bridging divides, empowering the most vulnerable and translating commitments into action,” he said.  

    Four vice-presidents were also elected for the coming year: Amar Bendjama (Algeria), Héctor Gómez Hernández (Spain), Wellington Darío Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) and Paruyr Hovhannisyan (Armenia).

    80 years of ECOSOC 

    The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for promoting international economic and social cooperation and development.

    It has 54 member States, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms on a rotating basis, with seats distributed by region.

    ECOSOC coordinates the work of UN specialized agencies, commissions and bodies on issues ranging from sustainable development and human rights. It also serves as a central platform for fostering debate, forging consensus, and promoting action on global economic and social issues.

    For Mr. Thapa, this body is central to shaping the world’s development agenda and ensuring that no one is left behind.  

    “ECOSOC is our place. It needs dedication, participation and active engagement of all UN membership and stakeholders,” he said.  

    Five ways to deliver better

    While “delivering better” will be the motto of Mr. Thapa’s presidency, he outlined five specific areas upon which he and the Council will focus in the coming year.

    With over 735 million people worldwide experiencing hunger, his first priority area is transforming agriculture to strengthen rural resilience and end hunger.  

    Digital entrepreneurship and youth engagement are tied to this — and are his second priority area. He noted the “youth bulge” in many developing countries which he said will be a powerful demographic asset if it can be taken advantage of.  

    Like ECOSOC presidents before him, his third priority area deals with climate action and resilience. This time, however, he would like ECOSOC to focus specifically on glacier lakes and floods.  

    His final two priority areas are reforming the international financial architecture so that it is more inclusive and commemorating the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC.  

    Mr. Thapa noted that he and ECOSOC’s membership will be working to achieve these challenges in the midst of multiple, interlinking crises including accelerating climate change, rising geopolitical tensions and decreasing trust in the multilateral system.  

    “These challenges are systemic and interconnected. They demand integrated, inclusive and forward-looking responses,” Mr. Thapa said.  

    Fix, repair, mend

    Before Mr. Thapa’s remarks, Bob Rae, the outgoing president of ECOSOC and Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, reflected on his tenure. He acknowledged that the world is currently in a time of great hardship and genuine anguish.  

    But he said that it must be the job of ECOSOC — and UN Member States more broadly — to not only give voice to this anguish and hardship but to actually find solutions for it as well.  

    “We hear a lot in the UN discourse about how things are broken, how things have fallen apart, how things are unhinged … But our job is to fix, it’s to repair, it’s to mend, it’s to allow things to heal, it’s to make change happen,” Mr. Rae said.  

    Both Mr. Thapa and Mr. Rae affirmed that multilateralism can work and that ECOSOC should play a unique role in rewriting the narrative surrounding international cooperation.  

    “We must reaffirm our collective belief in the power of multilateralism — not as an abstract ideal, but as a pragmatic tool for delivering better outcomes for all,” Mr. Thapa said.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Services trade growth slows in first quarter of 2025

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Services exports in Europe and North America increased by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, down from 8% and 11% respectively in the first quarter of 2024. In contrast, strong growth was sustained in Asia at 9%.

    The overall slowdown in services trade was mainly due to “Other commercial services,” a category that encompasses a wide variety of mostly digitally deliverable services ranging from financial to professional services (Chart 1). In 2024, “Other commercial services” accounted for some 60% of global services trade, with Europe contributing 40% of those exports (Chart 2).

    Chart 1: Commercial services trade growth by main sector, 2024Q1-2025Q1
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Services trade measured as exports.
    Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.

    Chart 2: Structure of world exports of commercial services, 2024
    % shares

    Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.

    Chart 3 shows a deceleration across selected subsectors of “Other commercial services” in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of 2024. Growth in “Other business services,” covering various professional, technical and trade-related services, as well as research and development services, moderated. The United States posted a subdued 4% year-on-year increase in “Other business services” following an 8% expansion in the same period of 2024. Exports by the European Union remained flat in US dollar terms, although they rose by 4% when measured in euros.

    Financial services exports grew by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting reduced investment activity amid increased global economic uncertainty. The sector was also affected by exchange rate movements, which dampened US dollar-denominated growth. Exports from both the European Union and the United States rose just 2% year-on-year while Switzerland’s exports fell by 3%. The United Kingdom, on the contrary, posted a robust 10% year-on-year increase sustained by double digit growth in exports to the United States (+13%).

    Intellectual property related services expanded by 4% year-on-year in the first three months of 2025 in comparison with a 7% growth in the same quarter of 2024. Global trade in IP-related services remains highly concentrated, with the European Union and the United States accounting for nearly 70% of exports in 2024. EU exports, measured in US dollars, rose by just 3% year-on-year, held back by exchange rate volatility, despite stronger underlying growth of 6% in euro terms.

    Global construction exports fell by 15% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reversing part of the strong 25% growth recorded during the same period in 2024. The decline reflects weaker performance across several key economies, including China (-25%), which alone accounted for over 28% of global construction exports in 2024, the Republic of Korea (-15%), and the European Union (-6%). The downturn in the first quarter likely reflects delayed investment due to uncertainty and rising costs.

    Computer services exports were only marginally affected by the broader slowdown, as strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and cybersecurity solutions continued to drive growth. This momentum is expected to persist, supported by ongoing business adaptation to new technologies and rising consumer preferences for digital services. During the period, India’s computer services exports grew by 13%, while Ireland recorded a 9% increase.

    Chart 3: Other commercial services exports by selected subsector, 2024 and Q1 2025
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Sectors are ranked according to their relative share in services trade in 2024.
    Source: WTO estimates for Q1 2025 and Q1 2024; WTO-UNCTAD estimates for 2024.

     As for the other main sectors of commercial services, global transport exports were up 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, following rapid growth especially in the third and fourth quarter of 2024 due to frontloading. Asia recorded the fastest growth, up 10%, driven by a 31% rise in China, while Singapore and the Republic of Korea posted modest gains of 2%. Payments for shipping services increased by 19% in South and Central America and the Caribbean, as demand for goods surged.

    Despite a difficult economic and geopolitical context, international travel expanded by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. For the first time since the pandemic, international tourist arrivals were 3% above 2019 levels according to UN Tourism data. In Asia, travel receipts grew by 13%, driven by China (+96%), Viet Nam (+33%), Japan (+25%) and Thailand (+18%) as tourism continues to recover in the region. By contrast, North America’s travel receipts fell by 1%.

    Services trade performance varied across major traders in the first five months of 2025 according to available monthly statistics. Double digit exports growth was recorded in Asian economies such as China (+13%, through June), India (+12%) and Japan (+11%). In North America, the United States and Canada saw diverging trends. US service exports rose by 5%, while Canada recorded a 6% decline. The EU’s service exports to non-member countries rose by 3%, while imports from outside the Union grew more sharply, increasing by 6%. The United Kingdom recorded marked growth, with exports up 9% and imports rising by 13%.

    Chart 4: Services export and import growth of selected economies, January-May 2025
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Statistics for Brazil, China and Pakistan refer to January-June.
    Source : National sources and Eurostat.

    Quarterly statistics are estimates as of time of publication and subject to frequent revisions. They are available for download at WTO Stats, as well as monthly statistics. Annual services trade data and related visualizations can be accessed at WTO | Statistics — Global Services Trade Data Hub and WTO | World Trade Statistics 2024.

    Share

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Introduces Legislation to Crack Down on Money Laundering, Terror Financing in Art Market

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Art Market Integrity Act to require art dealers and auction houses to comply with anti-money-laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing regulations under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Currently, the art market, a $25 billion industry in the United States and the largest of its kind globally, is one of the last major markets not required to meet these standards, making it vulnerable to exploitation by criminals, terrorist financiers, and other sanctioned individuals.
    “Criminals and terrorists use art sales to fund their crimes,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We have similar rules for jewelry, precious metals, real estate, and more. Let’s do it for art too.”
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), David McCormick (R-PA), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) in introducing the legislation. 
    Background
    In recent years, the U.S. Department of the Treasury identified the art market as particularly susceptible to money laundering and sanctions evasion. High-profile cases have spotlighted the urgent need for reform, including the indictment of Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad using art as part of his scheme to launder over $160 million. Multiple Kremlin cronies have used art to evade sanctions: Arkady and Boris Rotenberg used $18 million worth of art to get around sanctions, Roman Abramovich transferred almost $1 billion in art to his wife ahead of new sanctions, and last year the DOJ indicted Anastasia Simes for laundering money on behalf of sanctioned Kremlin crony Aleksander Udadov.
    The bill is endorsed by the Antiquities Coalition, Transparency International U.S., the FACT Coalition, FDD Action, the American Jewish Committee, Razom for Ukraine, American Coalition for Ukraine, the Initiative for the Recovery of Venezuelan Assets(INRAV), the National Border Patrol Council, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor cuts ribbon on new $25M bridge in Church Rock – Infrastructure upgrade creates safter pedestrian access

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) today marked the opening of a new $24 million bridge on NM 566 near Church Rock that creates safer access for pedestrians with a dedicated walking trail.

    The steel girder bridge spans the BNSF Railway and delivers pedestrian infrastructure that keeps community members off the highway and out of harm’s way. The project includes full bridge replacement, roadway reconstruction, improved lighting, upgraded drainage systems, and a new pedestrian trail that directly serves the Church Rock community.

    The project was completed over 29 months and was funded through a combination of federal and state National Highway Performance Program funds. The project was a collaborative effort between NMDOT District Six, the City of Gallup, and the Navajo Nation.

    “This project demonstrates our commitment to protecting New Mexico families and improving access to every corner of our state,” said Lujan Grisham. “Every bridge we build, every trail we construct, and every safety improvement we make helps ensure no family has to experience the tragedy of losing a loved one in a preventable pedestrian accident.”

    New Mexico’s pedestrian fatality rate consistently ranks among the highest in the nation. By creating safe, dedicated pathways for pedestrians, NMDOT is taking concrete action to protect lives and strengthen communities.

    “By working closely with the Navajo Nation and the City of Gallup, we’ve created safer, more direct access for the Church Rock community,” said NMDOT Secretary Ricky Serna. “New Mexico has long faced an urgent need to improve pedestrian safety, and this bridge delivers real solutions.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Migrant Crossings at the Darien Gap Continue to Plummet, Crossings Are Down 99.98%

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    In May, only 13 crossings were recorded—June dropped further to just 10

    WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced migrant crossings at the Darien Gap have dropped 99.98% for the months of May and June 2025 compared to a peak under the Biden Administration in August 2023.  

    Under the Biden Administration, crossings in a single month exceeded 82,000. In May 2025, there were only 13 crossings and the number fell again in June 2025 to just 10. This is a massive decline in illegal migration through one of the key channels normally utilized by would-be illegal aliens to invade our country.  

    “The dangerous Darien Gap trek is notorious for exposing migrants, including children and the most vulnerable, to sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “In Panama’s Darien Gap, migrants are now turning BACK before they even reach our border— only 10 migrants crossed in June. This is more than a 99.98% drop from the Biden high when 82,000 illegal aliens crossed in a single month. The world is hearing our message that America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, we have the most secure border in American history.” 

    With the most secure border in American history, DHS is focused on deporting those who break our nation’s laws. If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. Illegal aliens who use the CBP Home App to self-deport also receive cost-free travel and a $1,000 exit bonus, paid after their return is confirmed through the app. 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: NCS Multistage to Acquire ResMetrics, Further Expanding Tracer Diagnostics Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:NCSM) (“NCS” or the “Company”) today announced that it has acquired ResMetrics LLC (“ResMetrics”), a leading provider of chemical tracer diagnostics services used by oil and gas operators to validate reservoir development strategies, improve hydraulic fracture stimulation designs, evaluate inter-well connectivity, and optimize enhanced oil recovery injection programs, complementing and further strengthening NCS’s tracer diagnostics capabilities.

    “I am excited to welcome the ResMetrics team to NCS,” said Ryan Hummer, NCS’s Chief Executive Officer. “ResMetrics brings trusted chemical tracer technologies that complement our existing capabilities, enhancing our ability to deliver actionable insights that help customers maximize well performance and financial returns.”

    “ResMetrics has built a strong reputation for delivering high quality and reliable tracer diagnostics services to our customers,” said Sharad Behal, Chief Executive Officer of ResMetrics. “We expect that joining together with NCS will accelerate our growth and increase the breadth of diagnostics and other solutions available to our customers.”

    ResMetrics was built in conjunction with CSL Capital Management. Charlie Leykum, Founding Partner and CEO of CSL, expressed his admiration for the achievements of the ResMetrics team, stating, “I am incredibly proud of the dedication and innovation demonstrated by ResMetrics since its founding. Their commitment to advancing tracer diagnostics and delivering value to customers has solidified their leadership position in the industry. We are excited to see ResMetrics enter this next chapter with NCS and look forward to all that the future holds for the company and its talented team.”

    Shook, Hardy and Bacon L.L.P. served as legal advisor to NCS. Piper Sandler acted as exclusive financial advisor and Winston Strawn LLP served as legal advisor to ResMetrics.

    NCS will provide additional details on the ResMetrics acquisition during its second quarter earnings conference call scheduled for August 1, 2025.

    NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of highly engineered products and support services that facilitate the optimization of oil and natural gas well construction, well completions and field development strategies. NCS provides products and services primarily to exploration and production companies for use in onshore and offshore wells, predominantly wells that have been drilled with horizontal laterals in both unconventional and conventional oil and natural gas formations. NCS’s products and services are utilized in oil and natural gas basins throughout North America and in selected international markets, including the North Sea, the Middle East, Argentina and China. NCS’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NCSM.” Additional information is available on the website, www.ncsmultistage.com.

    ResMetrics, LLC is a leading provider of oilfield tracer services, leveraging robust quality control systems and its state-of-the-art analytical laboratory to ensure accurate results. ResMetrics provides its customers with valuable data to assess and improve completion designs and to efficiently optimize reservoir development and production, including in enhanced oil recovery and high-temperature applications. ResMetrics provides its services primarily in the United States, the UAE and Kuwait.

    Contact:
    Mike Morrison
    Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
    +1 281-453-2222
    IR@ncsmultistage.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Presses President Trump’s New NTIA Administrator on Day One: Stop Delaying Broadband Funds for New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, called on Arielle Roth, the recently confirmed Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to fulfill her responsibility to fully implement programs authorized and funded by Congress – specifically, the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Senator Luján urged Roth to make her first act as Administrator the immediate restoration of suspended digital equity grants and the release of approved federal funding to connect all New Mexicans to broadband.

    “Now that you have been confirmed as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), I urge you to fulfill your commitments to Congress that you will ‘follow the law,’ ‘act impartially,’ and ‘deliver the best broadband service possible for all Americans,’” said Senator Luján. “Your first act as Administrator should be to immediately restore the suspended digital equity grants and swiftly approve and release BEAD funding to states like New Mexico.”

    “Congressionally appropriated funds for the Digital Equity Act and the BEAD program are not optional – they are essential.  They represent not only a historic investment in our infrastructure, but a statutory obligation to the people of New Mexico and every unserved and underserved community across this country,” concluded Senator Luján.

    As Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, Senator Luján is a strong champion for 100% broadband connectivity. Senator Luján has  pressed Commerce Secretary Lutnick multiple times and called on President Trump directly to release funding for the BEAD program.

    In the 118th Congress, Senator Luján introduced the bipartisan Tribal Connect Act to make it easier for Tribes to secure high-speed internet access at Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries Program, or E-Rate program. 

    In the 117th Congress, Senator Luján introduced legislation to help close the homework gap by equipping school buses with Wi-Fi technology and improving financing options for broadband deployment.

    The full letter can be found here or below:

    Dear Ms. Roth: 

    Now that you have been confirmed as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), I urge you to fulfill your commitments to Congress that you will “follow the law,” “act impartially,” and “deliver the best broadband service possible for all Americans.”

    This responsibility includes fully implementing programs authorized and funded by Congress under the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), specifically the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Your first act as Administrator should be to immediately restore the suspended digital equity grants and swiftly approve and release BEAD funding to states like New Mexico. 

    The Digital Equity Act represents a Congressionally mandated $2.75 billion investment to advance digital inclusion for historically underserved populations across this county. New Mexico, a state with deep rural divides, Tribal lands, and persistent poverty, was awarded more than $8 million to launch programs such as digital navigators, workforce development, and cybersecurity training. These funds were designed to reach nearly two million residents who still face significant barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the digital world. 

    As you noted, “[m]aking sure Americans have the resources and skills they need to participate in the digital economy was part of the IIJA and I will follow the law.” 2 You also stated that once confirmed you would “commit to implementing NTIA’s statutory requirements, including with respect to the Digital Equity Act.” 3 Distribution of these digital equity funds is not a discretionary choice, it is a statutory obligation. You must uphold your commitment to follow the law by immediately reinstating and resuming the disbursement of funds awarded under the Digital Equity Act.

    Congress also created the $42.45 billion BEAD Program to finish the job of connecting nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for affordable, high-speed, reliable internet service. The BEAD program is our once-in-a-century opportunity to finish closing the digital divide and states have already invested years in developing implementation plans tailored to local needs, technical realities, and the bipartisan intent of Congress. 

    As NTIA Administrator you must uphold the statutory flexibility given to the states. This includes:

    1. No new delays. The BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice should not be used to further delay approvals or revisit established allocations—such as the over $675 million allocated to New Mexico.
    2. A meaningful low-cost service option. Internet service providers that win BEAD funding must offer a low-cost service option that is affordable and high-speed, not just a box checking exercise. 
    3. Deference for local expertise. States are best suited to determine what technology is appropriate for their terrain and therefore must be afforded deference on priority project determinations, so long as they meet the speed, latency and scalability requirements of IIJA.

    Failing to adhere to these statutory requirements and current approval timeline risks setting broadband deployment back by years.

    Moreover, Congress also explicitly authorized states to use BEAD funding for a variety of uses beyond deployment. These uses include data collection, broadband mapping, planning, installation of Internet connections within multifamily residential buildings where low-income residents live, broadband adoption efforts, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices, and other uses as determined by the Assistant Secretary. It is important to follow the law and release non-deployment guidance as soon as possible.

    I request that you respond to these questions by August 15, 2025.

    1. The IIJA included $2.75 billion to support three grant programs under the Digital Equity Act to equip individuals and communities with the skills and tools needed for full participation in all aspects of society. Earlier this year, the states’ Capacity Grants were wrongfully terminated as were the Competitive Grant grantees and the others recommended for an award. In accordance with the law, when will you reinstate the grant programs under the Digital Equity Act? Please provide a specific date.
    2. States would already have shovels in the ground if not for the delays this administration introduced with the initial 90 day extension and subsequent June 6th Public Notice. Will you commit to no further delays and approve States’ BEAD Plans within 90 days of submission?
    3. Congress authorized BEAD funds for non-deployment uses, including affordability and adoption. Further guidance from NTIA should not hinder states’ ability to exercise discretion granted by statute to use funds for non-deployment. When will you release the updated guidance for these uses? Please provide a specific date.

    We share the goals of connecting every American to broadband and ensuring that broadband is affordable to low-income Americans. Congressionally appropriated funds for the Digital Equity Act and the BEAD program are not optional – they are essential. They represent not only a historic investment in our infrastructure, but a statutory obligation to the people of New Mexico and every unserved and underserved community across this country. 

    I look forward to your response.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Second Quarter Results

    • Total revenues of $36.5 million, a 23% year-over-year improvement
    • Net income of $0.9 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.34, which includes a positive impact of $1.4 million related to the release of our deferred tax valuation allowance in Canada
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $2.2 million, a $1.3 million year-over-year improvement   
    • $25.4 million in cash and $7.7 million of total debt as of June 30, 2025

    HOUSTON, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: NCSM) (the “Company,” “NCS,” “we” or “us”), a leading provider of highly engineered products and support services that facilitate the optimization of oil and natural gas well construction, well completions and field development strategies, today announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    Review and Outlook

    NCS’s Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Hummer commented, “Our team at NCS has continued to enable strong operational and financial performance in an industry and market environment marked by uncertainty. Our revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter exceeded the high end of the expectations we provided in our last earnings call and our year-over-year revenue improvement for the quarter of 23% outperformed industry activity levels, demonstrating the value we bring to our customers.

    Furthermore, our revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2025 have improved by $12.9 million, or 18%, and $3.4 million, or 49%, respectively, as compared to 2024, as we continue to benefit from our core strategies of building upon our leading market positions, capitalizing on international and offshore opportunities and commercializing innovative solutions to complex customer challenges.

    We have maintained our strong balance sheet, ending the second quarter with over $25 million in cash and over $17 million in availability under our undrawn credit facility and only $8 million in debt, comprised entirely of capital leases.

    We’re also excited to announce today’s acquisition of Reservoir Metrics, LLC, and its related entities (“ResMetrics”). ResMetrics, a leader in reservoir analysis utilizing chemical tracer technology, is a profitable and rapidly growing business serving a high-quality customer base in the U.S. and internationally. For the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2025, ResMetrics’ unaudited revenue was over $10 million with an EBITDA margin of over 30%. We believe that ResMetrics’ business is highly complementary with NCS’s tracer diagnostics service line, and we look forward to working with the ResMetrics team to deliver valuable and actionable reservoir insights to our customers. This all-cash transaction represents a strategic fit for NCS operationally, a strategic use of our balance sheet, and adds to our talented team.

    This has been a strong start to 2025 for NCS and we remain cautiously optimistic about the second half of the year. That optimism is tempered by market conditions that have continued to deteriorate, with continued U.S. rig count declines, a slower than normal rig count recovery in Canada following spring break-up, the potential for an oversupplied oil market in late 2025 as announced OPEC+ oil supply increases materialize, and ongoing uncertainties related to tariffs and trade.

    I want to extend my continued appreciation to the outstanding teams at NCS and Repeat Precision and welcome the ResMetrics team to NCS. Our results, and the opportunities ahead, reflect the vision, ability and commitment of our people and our aligned pursuit of NCS’s strategic priorities. We have the right people, the right technology, and the right strategies in place to deliver tangible benefits to our customers, develop industry solutions, and create shareholder value.”

    Financial Review

    Total revenues were $36.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to $29.7 million for the second quarter of 2024. Revenue growth was driven primarily by increased fracturing systems activity and frac plug sales in Canada and the United States. The increase for Canada occurred despite a decline in Canadian rig counts during 2025, reflecting more activity with customers that remained active during spring break-up. Our international revenues decreased primarily due to reduced tracer diagnostics activity in the Middle East, partially offset by higher sales of well construction products in the Middle East and fracturing systems equipment in the North Sea.

    Compared to the first quarter of 2025, total revenues decreased by 27%, primarily due to a decrease in Canada of 52%, attributable to the normal seasonal decline associated with spring break-up, partially offset by an increase of 67% in international revenues and a 45% increase in U.S. revenues.

    Gross profit was $12.3 million, or a gross margin of 34%, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $11.3 million, or a gross margin of 38%, for the second quarter of 2024. Gross margin for 2025 declined, reflecting the mix of products sold and services provided during the respective periods. Adjusted gross profit, which we define as total revenues less total cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization (“DD&A”), was $13.0 million, or an adjusted gross margin of 36%, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $12.0 million, or 40%, for the second quarter of 2024.

    Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses totaled $13.6 million for the second quarter of 2025, a decrease of $1.2 million compared to the same period in 2024, with a decrease in professional fees, lower payroll and employee benefit expenses, and a decrease in research and development expense, partially offset by higher share-based compensation expense attributable to cash settled awards remeasured at the balance sheet date based on the price of our common stock.

    Other income was $1.6 million for the second quarter of 2025 compared to $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2024. The decline in other income reflects a reduction in the amount attributable to the technical services and assistance agreement with our local partner in Oman, as the program ended in November 2024, with no contribution associated with this agreement in the second quarter of 2025. In addition, there was a year-over-year decrease in royalty income earned from licensees for these periods, as the second quarter of 2024 included an initial payment from a new licensee reflecting both current and certain historical volumes.

    Income tax benefit was $1.0 million for the second quarter of 2025 compared to an expense of $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2024. As of June 30, 2025, we reversed a portion of the valuation allowance previously recorded against the deferred tax assets of our Canadian operating subsidiary due to sustained improvements in operating results, including a return to profitability and forecasts of future taxable income that are sufficient to realize the remaining deferred tax assets. The reversal of the valuation allowance resulted in a deferred income tax benefit of $1.4 million during the period ended June 30, 2025. 

    Net income was $0.9 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to a net loss of $(3.1) million, or $(1.21) per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. 

    Adjusted EBITDA was $2.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $1.3 million compared to the same period a year ago. This improvement is primarily the result of an increase in revenues and lower SG&A expenses. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 3% for the same period a year ago. 

    Cash flow from operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was a source of cash of $1.9 million, a $2.2 million decrease compared to the same period in 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, free cash flow less distributions to non-controlling interest was a source of cash of $0.5 million compared to $3.2 million for the same period in 2024. The overall change in free cash flow was largely attributed to our change in net working capital including payment of incentive bonuses and cash-settled awards in the first quarter of 2025 and an increase in the amount distributed to our non-controlling interest in 2025, partially offset by an increase in net income in 2025.

    Liquidity and Capital Expenditures

    As of June 30, 2025, NCS had $25.4 million in cash, $7.7 million in total indebtedness related to finance lease obligations, and a borrowing base under the undrawn asset-based revolving credit facility (“ABL Facility”) of $17.2 million. Our working capital, defined as current assets minus current liabilities, was $87.2 million and $80.2 million as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

    Net working capital, calculated as working capital, less cash and excluding the current maturities of long-term debt, was $64.0 million and $56.4 million as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The increase in net working capital was primarily attributable to an increase in accounts receivable and inventory and a decrease in accrued expenses and other current liabilities due in part to payment of our 2024 incentive bonus and cash-settled awards in the first quarter of 2025, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable. 

    NCS incurred capital expenditures, net of proceeds from the sale of property and equipment, of $0.5 million and $0.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

    EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Less Distributions to Non-Controlling Interest and Net Working Capital are non-GAAP financial measures. For an explanation of these measures and a reconciliation, refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.

    Strategic Acquisition of Reservoir Metrics, LLC

    On July 31, 2025, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of ResMetrics, a provider of tracer diagnostics services, for $5.9 million, on a cash-free, debt-free basis, in cash and assumed debt, subject to a working capital adjustment, with an additional earn-out of up to $1.3 million to be paid in early 2026, depending solely on changes in international trade tariff rates for certain chemical imports during 2025. We believe the purchase of ResMetrics will further expand and complement our existing tracer diagnostics offerings.

    Conference Call

    The Company will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2025 results and latest earnings guidance on Friday, August 1, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. Central Time (8:30 a.m. Eastern Time). The conference call will be available via a live audio webcast. Participants who wish to ask questions may register for the call here to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN. If you wish to join the conference call but do not plan to ask questions, you may join the listen-only webcast here. The live webcast can also be accessed by visiting the Investors section of the Company’s website at ir.ncsmultistage.com. It is recommended that participants join at least 10 minutes prior to the event start.

    The replay will be available in the Investors section of the Company’s website shortly after the conclusion of the call and will remain available for approximately seven days.

    About NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc.

    NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of highly engineered products and support services that facilitate the optimization of oil and natural gas well construction, well completions and field development strategies. NCS provides products and services primarily to exploration and production companies for use in onshore and offshore wells, predominantly wells that have been drilled with horizontal laterals in both unconventional and conventional oil and natural gas formations. NCS’s products and services are utilized in oil and natural gas basins throughout North America and in selected international markets, including the North Sea, the Middle East, Argentina and China. NCS’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “NCSM.” Additional information is available on the website, www.ncsmultistage.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects” and similar references to future periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding the outlook for our future business and financial performance. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include regional, national or global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory conditions and the following: declines in the level of oil and natural gas exploration and production activity in Canada, the United States and internationally; oil and natural gas price fluctuations; significant competition for our products and services that results in pricing pressures, reduced sales, or reduced market share; inability to successfully implement our strategy of increasing sales of products and services into the U.S. and international markets; loss of significant customers; losses and liabilities from uninsured or underinsured business activities and litigation; change in trade policy, including the impact of tariffs; our failure to identify and consummate potential acquisitions; the financial health of our customers including their ability to pay for products or services provided; our inability to integrate or realize the expected benefits from acquisitions; our inability to achieve suitable price increases to offset the impacts of cost inflation; loss of any of our key suppliers or significant disruptions negatively impacting our supply chain; risks in attracting and retaining qualified employees and key personnel; risks resulting from the operations of our joint venture arrangement; currency exchange rate fluctuations; impact of severe weather conditions; our inability to accurately predict customer demand, which may result in us holding excess or obsolete inventory; failure to comply with or changes to federal, state and local and non-U.S. laws and other regulations, including tax policies, anti-corruption and environmental regulations, guidelines and regulations for the use of explosives; impairment in the carrying value of long-lived assets including goodwill; system interruptions or failures, including complications with our enterprise resource planning system, cybersecurity breaches, identity theft or other disruptions that could compromise our information; our inability to successfully develop and implement new technologies, products and services that align with the needs of our customers, including addressing the shift to more non-traditional energy markets as part of the energy transition and the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning; our inability to protect and maintain critical intellectual property assets, the inability to protect our current royalty income, or the losses and liabilities from adverse decisions in intellectual property disputes; loss of, or interruption to, our information and computer systems; our failure to establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting; restrictions on the availability of our customers to obtain water essential to the drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes; changes in legislation or regulation governing the oil and natural gas industry, including restrictions on emissions of greenhouse gases; our inability to meet regulatory requirements for use of certain chemicals by our tracer diagnostics business; the reduction in our ABL Facility borrowing base or our inability to comply with the covenants in our debt agreements; and our inability to obtain sufficient liquidity on reasonable terms, or at all and other factors discussed or referenced in our filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact

    Mike Morrison
    Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
    (281) 453-2222
    IR@ncsmultistage.com 

    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (In thousands, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
        June 30,     June 30,  
        2025     2024     2025     2024  
    Revenues                                
    Product sales   $ 27,776     $ 19,022     $ 62,842     $ 50,780  
    Services     8,678       10,668       23,617       22,768  
    Total revenues     36,454       29,690       86,459       73,548  
    Cost of sales                                
    Cost of product sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense shown below     18,214       12,209       38,566       31,901  
    Cost of services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense shown below     5,242       5,510       13,040       12,105  
    Total cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense shown below     23,456       17,719       51,606       44,006  
    Selling, general and administrative expenses     13,626       14,820       29,821       28,650  
    Depreciation     1,235       1,134       2,439       2,207  
    Amortization     167       167       334       334  
    (Loss) income from operations     (2,030 )     (4,150 )     2,259       (1,649 )
    Other income (expense)                                
    Interest expense, net     (68 )     (115 )     (110 )     (215 )
    Other income, net     1,563       2,203       2,446       3,340  
    Foreign currency exchange gain (loss), net     1,201       (507 )     1,198       (1,005 )
    Total other income     2,696       1,581       3,534       2,120  
    Income (loss) before income tax     666       (2,569 )     5,793       471  
    Income tax (benefit) expense     (1,032 )     270       (359 )     757  
    Net income (loss)     1,698       (2,839 )     6,152       (286 )
    Net income attributable to non-controlling interest     774       256       1,172       739  
    Net income (loss) attributable to NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc.   $ 924     $ (3,095 )   $ 4,980     $ (1,025 )
    Earnings (loss) per common share                                
    Basic earnings (loss) per common share attributable to NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc.   $ 0.36     $ (1.21 )   $ 1.93     $ (0.41 )
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share attributable to NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc.   $ 0.34     $ (1.21 )   $ 1.84     $ (0.41 )
    Weighted average common shares outstanding                                
    Basic     2,594       2,548       2,581       2,528  
    Diluted     2,734       2,548       2,704       2,528  
     
    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In thousands, except share data)
    (Unaudited)
     
        June 30,     December 31,  
        2025     2024  
    Assets                
    Current assets                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 25,372     $ 25,880  
    Accounts receivable—trade, net     34,216       31,513  
    Inventories, net     43,510       40,971  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     2,707       2,063  
    Other current receivables     5,165       5,143  
    Total current assets     110,970       105,570  
    Noncurrent assets                
    Property and equipment, net     20,470       21,283  
    Goodwill     15,222       15,222  
    Identifiable intangibles, net     3,356       3,690  
    Operating lease assets     5,468       5,911  
    Deposits and other assets     622       712  
    Deferred income taxes, net     1,869       424  
    Total noncurrent assets     47,007       47,242  
    Total assets   $ 157,977     $ 152,812  
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                
    Current liabilities                
    Accounts payable—trade   $ 9,997     $ 8,970  
    Accrued expenses     6,803       8,351  
    Income taxes payable     790       683  
    Operating lease liabilities     1,685       1,602  
    Current maturities of long-term debt     2,200       2,141  
    Other current liabilities     2,331       3,672  
    Total current liabilities     23,806       25,419  
    Noncurrent liabilities                
    Long-term debt, less current maturities     5,462       6,001  
    Operating lease liabilities, long-term     4,338       4,891  
    Other long-term liabilities     206       206  
    Deferred income taxes, net     186       186  
    Total noncurrent liabilities     10,192       11,284  
    Total liabilities     33,998       36,703  
    Commitments and contingencies                
    Stockholders’ equity                
    Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024     —       —  
    Common stock, $0.01 par value, 11,250,000 shares authorized, 2,607,362 shares issued and 2,540,849 shares outstanding at June 30, 2025 and 2,563,979 shares issued and 2,507,430 shares outstanding at December 31, 2024     26       26  
    Additional paid-in capital     448,582       447,384  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (85,916 )     (87,604 )
    Retained deficit     (254,044 )     (259,024 )
    Treasury stock, at cost, 66,513 shares at June 30, 2025 and 56,549 shares at December 31, 2024     (2,211 )     (1,943 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     106,437       98,839  
    Non-controlling interest     17,542       17,270  
    Total equity     123,979       116,109  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 157,977     $ 152,812  
     
    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
      Six Months Ended  
      June 30,  
      2025   2024  
    Cash flows from operating activities            
    Net income (loss) $ 6,152   $ (286 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:            
    Depreciation and amortization   2,773     2,541  
    Amortization of deferred loan costs   104     103  
    Share-based compensation   2,837     2,062  
    Provision for inventory obsolescence   191     679  
    Deferred income tax (benefit) expense   (1,398 )   21  
    Gain on sale of property and equipment   (475 )   (340 )
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses   19     (5 )
    Net foreign currency unrealized (gain) loss   (1,854 )   956  
    Proceeds from note receivable   —     61  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:            
    Accounts receivable—trade   (1,827 )   (1,024 )
    Inventories, net   (1,476 )   (1,501 )
    Prepaid expenses and other assets   972     (619 )
    Accounts payable—trade   1,719     1,353  
    Accrued expenses   (1,680 )   1,761  
    Other liabilities   (4,101 )   (2,092 )
    Income taxes receivable/payable   (80 )   429  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   1,876     4,099  
    Cash flows from investing activities            
    Purchases of property and equipment   (745 )   (633 )
    Purchase and development of software and technology   —     (53 )
    Proceeds from sales of property and equipment   271     293  
    Net cash used in investing activities   (474 )   (393 )
    Cash flows from financing activities            
    Payments on finance leases   (1,072 )   (932 )
    Line of credit borrowings   2,338     2,974  
    Payments of line of credit borrowings   (2,338 )   (2,974 )
    Treasury shares withheld   (268 )   (237 )
    Distribution to noncontrolling interest   (900 )   (500 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (2,240 )   (1,669 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   330     (143 )
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents   (508 )   1,894  
    Cash and cash equivalents beginning of period   25,880     16,720  
    Cash and cash equivalents end of period $ 25,372   $ 18,614  
    Noncash investing and financing activities            
    Assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities $ 723   $ 1,821  
    Assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities $ 247   $ —  
                 
    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    REVENUES BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
        June 30,     June 30,  
        2025     2024     2025     2024  
    United States                                
    Product sales   $ 11,930     $ 8,550     $ 18,797     $ 16,317  
    Services     1,682       3,241       4,187       5,485  
    Total United States     13,612       11,791       22,984       21,802  
    Canada                                
    Product sales     13,021       8,263       39,864       30,938  
    Services     4,948       3,795       15,823       12,789  
    Total Canada     17,969       12,058       55,687       43,727  
    Other Countries                                
    Product sales     2,825       2,209       4,181       3,525  
    Services     2,048       3,632       3,607       4,494  
    Total other countries     4,873       5,841       7,788       8,019  
    Total                                
    Product sales     27,776       19,022       62,842       50,780  
    Services     8,678       10,668       23,617       22,768  
    Total revenues   $ 36,454     $ 29,690     $ 86,459     $ 73,548  
     

    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    (In thousands, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures 

    EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Less Distributions to Non-Controlling Interest and Net Working Capital (our “non-GAAP financial measures”) are not defined under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), are not measures of net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, gross profit and gross margin (inclusive of DD&A), cash provided by (used in) operating activities, working capital or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, and are subject to important limitations. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies in our industry and are not measures of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial measures have important limitations as analytical tools and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our financial performance as reported under GAAP, and they should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, gross profit, gross margin, cash provided by (used in) operating activities, working capital or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as measures of operating performance or as alternatives to cash flow from operating activities as measures of our liquidity.

    However, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Less Distributions to Non-Controlling Interest and Net Working Capital are key metrics that management uses to assess the period-to-period performance of our core business operations or metrics that enable investors to assess our performance from period to period relative to the performance of other companies that are not subject to such factors, or who may provide similar non-GAAP measures in their public disclosures.

    The tables below set forth reconciliations of our non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable measures of financial performance calculated under GAAP:

    NET WORKING CAPITAL

    Net working capital is defined as total current assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents, minus total current liabilities, excluding current maturities of long-term debt. Net working capital excludes cash and cash equivalents and current maturities of long-term debt in order to evaluate the investments in working capital that we believe are required to support our business. We believe that net working capital is useful in analyzing the cash flow and working capital needs of the Company, including determining the efficiencies of our operations and our ability to readily convert assets into cash.

        June 30,     December 31,  
        2025     2024  
    Working capital   $ 87,164     $ 80,151  
    Cash and cash equivalents     (25,372 )     (25,880 )
    Current maturities of long term debt     2,200       2,141  
    Net working capital   $ 63,992     $ 56,412  
     


    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    (In thousands, except per share data)
    (Unaudited)

    ADJUSTED GROSS PROFIT AND ADJUSTED GROSS MARGIN

    Adjusted gross profit is defined as total revenues minus cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense, which we present as a separate line item in our statement of operations. Adjusted gross margin represents adjusted gross profit as a percentage of total revenues.

        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
        June 30,     June 30,  
        2025     2024     2025     2024  
    Total revenues   $ 36,454     $ 29,690     $ 86,459     $ 73,548  
    Total cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense     23,456       17,719       51,606       44,006  
    Total depreciation and amortization associated with cost of sales     729       653       1,444       1,269  
    Gross Profit   $ 12,269     $ 11,318     $ 33,409     $ 28,273  
    Gross Margin     34 %     38 %     39 %     38 %
    Exclude total depreciation and amortization associated with cost of sales     (729 )     (653 )     (1,444 )     (1,269 )
    Adjusted Gross Profit   $ 12,998     $ 11,971     $ 34,853     $ 29,542  
    Adjusted Gross Margin     36 %     40 %     40 %     40 %
     


    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)

    EBITDA, ADJUSTED EBITDA, ADJUSTED EBITDA MARGIN, AND ADJUSTED EBITDA LESS SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

    EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before interest expense, net, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted to exclude certain items which we believe are not reflective of ongoing operating performance or which, in the case of share-based compensation, is non-cash in nature. Adjusted EBITDA Margin represents Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues. Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation is defined as Adjusted EBITDA minus share-based compensation expense. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is an important measure that excludes costs that do not reflect the Company’s ongoing operating performance, legal proceedings for intellectual property as further described below, and certain costs associated with our capital structure. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation presents our financial performance in a manner that is comparable to the presentation provided by many of our peers.

    We periodically incur legal costs associated with the assertion of, or defense of, intellectual property, which we exclude from our definition of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation, unless we believe that settlement will occur prior to any material legal spend (included in the table below as “Professional Fees”). Although these costs may recur between periods, depending on legal matters then outstanding or in process, we believe the timing of when these costs are incurred does not typically match the settlement or recoveries associated with such matters, and therefore, can distort our operating results. Similarly, we exclude from Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation the one-time settlement or recovery payment associated with these excluded legal matters when realized but would not exclude any go forward royalties or payments, if applicable. We expect to continue to incur these legal costs for current matters under appeal and for any future cases that may go to trial, provided that the amount will vary by period. 

        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
        June 30,     June 30,  
        2025     2024     2025     2024  
    Net income (loss)   $ 1,698     $ (2,839 )   $ 6,152     $ (286 )
    Income tax (benefit) expense     (1,032 )     270       (359 )     757  
    Interest expense, net     68       115       110       215  
    Depreciation     1,235       1,134       2,439       2,207  
    Amortization     167       167       334       334  
    EBITDA     2,136       (1,153 )     8,676       3,227  
    Share-based compensation (a)     646       667       1,198       1,433  
    Professional fees (b)     370       677       1,359       930  
    Foreign currency exchange (gain) loss (c)     (1,201 )     507       (1,198 )     1,005  
    Other (d)     272       218       402       398  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 2,223     $ 916     $ 10,437     $ 6,993  
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin     6 %     3 %     12 %     10 %
    Adjusted EBITDA Less Share-Based Compensation   $ 1,577     $ 249     $ 9,239     $ 5,560  

    _______________________

    (a) Represents non-cash compensation charges related to share-based compensation granted to our officers, employees and directors.
    (b) Represents non-capitalizable costs of professional services primarily incurred or reversed in connection with our legal proceedings associated with the assertion of, or defense of, intellectual property as further described above as well as the cost incurred for the evaluation of potential strategic transactions.
    (c) Represents realized and unrealized foreign currency exchange gains and losses primarily due to movement in the foreign currency exchange rates during the applicable periods.
    (d) Represents the impact of a research and development subsidy that is included in income tax expense in accordance with GAAP along with other charges and credits.
       


    NCS MULTISTAGE HOLDINGS, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)

    FREE CASH FLOW AND FREE CASH FLOW LESS DISTRIBUTIONS TO NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST

    Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment (inclusive of the purchase and development of software and technology) plus proceeds from sales of property and equipment, as presented in our consolidated statement of cash flows. We define free cash flow less distributions to non-controlling interest as free cash flow less amounts reported in the financing activities section of the statement of cash flows as distributions to non-controlling interest. We believe free cash flow is useful because it provides information to investors regarding the cash that was available in the period that was in excess of our needs to fund our capital expenditures and other investment needs. We believe that free cash flow less distributions to non-controlling interest is useful because it provides information to investors regarding the cash that was available in the period that was in excess of our needs to fund our capital expenditures, other investment needs, and cash distributions to our joint venture partner.

        Six Months Ended  
        June 30,  
        2025     2024  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 1,876     $ 4,099  
    Purchases of property and equipment     (745 )     (633 )
    Purchase and development of software and technology     —       (53 )
    Proceeds from sales of property and equipment     271       293  
    Free cash flow   $ 1,402     $ 3,706  
    Distributions to non-controlling interest     (900 )     (500 )
    Free cash flow less distributions to non-controlling interest   $ 502     $ 3,206  

    The MIL Network –