NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

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

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

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

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

    I’ll start with our Top Ten list.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New Horizons for International Tourism Education: GUU and RIAT Sign Cooperation Agreement

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On February 4, 2024, an agreement was signed between the State University of Management and the Russian International Academy of Tourism.

    On behalf of GUU, the agreement was signed by Rector Vladimir Stroyev, on behalf of RIAT – by Rector Evgeny Trofimov. Also present at the meeting were Vice-Rector of our university Maria Karelina, Director of the Institute of Personnel Management, Social and Business Communications of GUU Alexey Chudnovsky, Vice-Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Tourism Management of RIAT Elena Aliluyko, Vice-Rector for Development of Master’s and Postgraduate Programs of the Academy of Tourism Tatyana Rassokhina and Director of the Center for International Educational Programs, Projects and Public Relations of RIAT Alexey Ryabov.

    Welcoming the guests, Vladimir Stroyev noted that the Russian International Academy of Tourism has always been one of the leaders in its specialized sector. Now the state pays special attention to this area. Despite the fact that the key area for the State University of Management is industry management, tourism disciplines in the Institute of Management and Budgetary Culture are also in demand, so it makes sense to strengthen work in this area. Speaking about the international activities of the State University of Management, the rector reported that our university has a secretariat of the Eurasian Network University, which has recently been joined by educational institutions in Transnistria and Cuba, and Iran is showing increasing interest.

    “In addition to love and friendship, ESU also has material contours: 345 places for additional professional education, a budgetary master’s program, the Eurasian Olympiad,” Vladimir Vitalyevich shared. The rector also spoke about the university’s work within the BRICS Business School and the foreign internships organized by the State University of Management for graduates of the Presidential Program for the Training of Management Personnel for the Organization of the National Economy of the Russian Federation – “also entrepreneurial tourism.”

    Rector of the Russian Academic Materiel Union Evgeny Trofimov briefly spoke about the 55-year history of the academy, complained about the objective difficulties in developing international cooperation related to the geopolitical situation in the world, but at the same time noted the successes in maintaining business ties with the largest European universities and international tourism organizations, which warmly congratulated the Russian Academic Materiel Union on its anniversary in May. Some joint programs were successfully defended and will continue to operate. In addition, new agreements were signed with universities in India and the Philippines. Evgeny Nikolaevich reported that during the crisis in relations, the academy added new programs to its portfolio of educational services: customs, law, logistics, design and architecture. In total, the Russian Academic Materiel Union currently trains students in 28 areas. The academy has six branches: in Yerevan, Kazan, Pskov, two in the Moscow region and one in Moscow, at the Izmailovo hotel complex. Secondary vocational education is growing rapidly; the number of graduates has recently increased from 60 to 750 people per year.

    Vladimir Stroyev specifically focused on the development of network educational programs at the State University of Management: “We clearly understood that no university, even a large and state-owned one, can advance its agenda alone. Universities now face so many important tasks that it is very difficult to cope with them on their own. Only together are we strong.”

    Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Maria Karelina told the guests that Vladimir Stroyev and Alexey Chudnovsky were awarded the state prize in the field of education for organizing and conducting the “University Shifts” program, which is also related to tourism.

    Alexey Chudnovsky thanked his colleagues for the visit and noted their long-term joint work on international programs. It is natural that our universities came to sign a cooperation agreement. First of all, the emphasis will be on combining efforts to develop international educational programs.

    “They are of interest to your and our students, so we are taking the first step towards network agreements that will expand coverage and provide an opportunity to use each other’s network programs. Tourism is a messenger of peace, it must be taken seriously. We have something to offer each other, we are opening a second wind to international relations in the field of education and will work on additional agreements to give more opportunities to our common students,” Alexey Danilovich summed up the meeting.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/04/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Grenada: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Grenada

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Summary

    Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in budget balances, a build-up of government deposits, and a reduction in public debt. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island, affecting around 15 percent of the population. In response, the authorities triggered the suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.

    Subject: Credit bureaus, Debt sustainability, Economic sectors, Environment, External debt, Financial institutions, Financial markets, Imports, Insurance, International trade, Labor, Labor markets, Natural disasters, Public debt, Tourism

    Keywords: Credit bureaus, Debt sustainability, Fiscal stance, Imports, Insurance, Insurance companies, Labor markets, Natural disasters, Tourism

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Grenada

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    February 4, 2025

    Washington, DC: On January 24, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Grenada.

    Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in the fiscal position and reduction in public debt. The financial system remained stable. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island. The authorities responded swiftly with a package of fiscal measures, including suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.

    Grenada’s near-term economic growth is projected to remain resilient at 3.9 percent in 2025, buoyed by limited hurricane damages to tourism infrastructure and the authorities’ large recovery and reconstruction spending. Sizable government savings and triggering of disaster-contingent instruments create fiscal space for these spending needs. Assuming a subsequent timely return to the fiscal rules, public debt is projected to continue falling and reach the debt target of 60 percent of GDP by 2030.

    Over the medium-term GDP growth is projected to slow given the tourism sector operates near its peak-season capacity. Key downside risks include the threat of further natural disasters, potential shocks to tourism demand, and the uncertain scale of future CBI inflows, while the domestic non-bank financial system faces rising vulnerabilities from the continued rapid expansion of credit unions and the rising costs of property insurance. Prospective hotel developments and public investment projects represent upside risks to the medium-term growth outlook.

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Grenada’s robust economic performance in 2023 and the first half of 2024, buoyed by strong tourism. Directors also commended the authorities’ swift and prudently tailored response to Hurricane Beryl, which supported disaster-relief and helped mitigate the impact on economic growth. Noting that the medium-term outlook remains subject to risks from natural disasters, uncertain Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) flows, and other external shocks, they encouraged the authorities to exercise continued fiscal prudence and to pursue structural reforms to boost long-term growth and enhance resilience, while leveraging Fund technical assistance.

    Directors welcomed Grenada’s commitment to fiscal prudence and debt sustainability and emphasized the importance of a timely return to the suspended fiscal rules. In that context, they noted the need for continued expenditure prioritization and revenue mobilization to create fiscal space for future investment needs, including for climate resilience. Further strengthening public investment management and budget planning processes would also be important. Directors also saw merit in developing a more uniform framework for managing all CBI resources and encouraged continued progress in resolving outstanding official arrears.

    Directors welcomed the banking system’s resilience despite repeated shocks. They emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthened oversight in the rapidly expanding credit union sector. Directors encouraged strengthening data collection and regional collaboration in the property insurance sector, given rising premiums. They also agreed that further enhancements in the AML/CFT frameworks are essential, including to safeguard correspondent banking relationships.

    Directors commended the authorities’ implementation of Grenada’s Disaster Resilience Strategy including investments in a risk-layering framework of disaster-contingency insurance and financing instruments. Moving forward and noting the risk of future natural disasters, they emphasized the importance of further advancing the energy transition and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, with support from private financing.

    Directors also encouraged sustained structural reform efforts to foster long-term growth, including investing in active labor market policies and continuing efforts to support off-season and niche tourism. Addressing data gaps is also important.

    It is expected that the next Article IV Consultation with Grenada will be held on the standard 12-month consultation cycle.

    Table 1. Grenada: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2019–29

     

    Rank in UNDP Human Development Index

    73

    Infant mortality rate per ‘000 births (2021)

    14.4

    out of 189 countries (2021)

    Adult illiteracy rate in percent (2014)

    1

    Life expectancy at birth in years (2021)

    75

    Poverty rate in percent of population (2019)

    25

    GDP per capita in US$ (2021)

    10,449

    Population in millions (2021)

    0.13

    Unemployment rate (2021 Q2)

    11.1

     

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    Est.

    Proj.

    National income and prices

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    GDP at constant prices

    0.7

    -13.8

    4.7

    7.3

    4.7

    3.6

    3.9

    3.3

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7

    GDP deflator

    3.3

    -0.3

    2.8

    2.2

    2.7

    1.4

    1.4

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer prices, end of period

    0.1

    -0.8

    1.9

    2.9

    2.2

    1.2

    1.9

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Money and credit, end of period

    Credit to private sector

    1.4

    3.1

    3.8

    2.1

    3.8

    3.8

    4.2

    4.4

    4.6

    4.5

    4.5

    Broad money (M2)

    2.9

    9.1

    8.5

    9.9

    1.4

    3.7

    5.2

    5.4

    4.8

    4.8

    4.8

    Central government balances (accrual)

    Revenue and grants

    26.6

    28.1

    31.5

    32.7

    36.9

    44.1

    30.5

    29.3

    29.2

    28.9

    28.8

    Expenditure

    21.6

    32.7

    31.2

    31.8

    28.9

    39.5

    39.4

    33.1

    29.6

    29.2

    28.9

    o.w. Capital expenditure

    2.6

    9.6

    8.6

    10.2

    9.3

    11.7

    12.2

    8.7

    6.2

    5.8

    5.6

    Primary balance

    6.8

    -2.6

    2.1

    2.6

    9.5

    8.0

    -5.1

    -1.2

    1.5

    1.5

    1.5

    Overall balance

    5.0

    -4.5

    0.3

    1.0

    8.0

    4.7

    -8.9

    -3.8

    -0.4

    -0.3

    -0.1

     

    Central government debt (incl. guaranteed) 1/

    58.5

    71.4

    70.0

    62.8

    60.5

    59.3

    58.1

    53.9

    53.2

    51.4

    49.6

    Domestic

    14.6

    16.2

    15.3

    12.8

    11.3

    11.1

    9.7

    7.8

    7.1

    6.9

    7.0

    External

    44.0

    55.2

    54.7

    50.0

    49.2

    48.2

    48.5

    46.1

    46.0

    44.5

    42.6

    Public debt (incl. debt of SOEs and SBs)

    62.7

    89.5

    86.6

    78.8

    75.2

    73.3

    71.4

    66.5

    65.2

    62.9

    60.6

    Savings-Investment balance

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Savings

    14.6

    16.3

    15.6

    18.0

    30.8

    28.3

    18.1

    17.8

    15.8

    15.3

    14.9

    Investment

    24.9

    32.4

    30.1

    29.1

    39.9

    41.5

    31.9

    28.4

    25.7

    24.5

    24.0

    External Sector

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Gross international reserves (millions of dollars)

    234.1

    290.9

    324.2

    352.6

    389.1

    435.1

    364.5

    364.8

    390.3

    405.6

    424.6

    (in months of imports)

    5.2

    5.6

    4.9

    5.0

    4.8

    5.2

    4.3

    4.2

    4.3

    4.3

    4.3

    Current account balance, o/w:

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Exports of goods and services

    54.6

    41.1

    47.9

    57.8

    62.8

    63.8

    62.5

    62.8

    63.0

    62.6

    62.3

    Imports of goods and services

    55.8

    52.2

    55.4

    64.3

    63.7

    69.9

    68.5

    65.6

    65.0

    63.8

    63.4

    External debt (gross)

    64.7

    92.5

    94.8

    90.0

    86.9

    85.4

    85.4

    82.6

    82.3

    80.5

    78.4

    Sources: Ministry of Finance; Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; United Nations, Human Development Report; World Bank WDI; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

    1/ Includes the impact of the debt restructuring agreement for the 2025 bonds.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry by a Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – MAURILIO JASTINTO-JUAREZ (“JASTINTO-JUAREZ”), age 50, a citizen  of Mexico, was sentenced on  January 27, 2025 for illegal reentry by a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.  He was sentenced to (6) six months imprisonment, (1) one year of supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. 

    According to court documents, JASTINTO-JUAREZ, illegally reentered the United States after being previously removed on December 16, 2022.  JASTINTO-JUAREZ was discovered in the United States when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems became alerted to his presence via the collection of his  fingerprints by the Louisiana State Police (“LSP”).  The LSP obtained his fingerprints subsequent to their arrest of him for driving while intoxicated in Houma, La. on March 17, 2024.

    U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Grenada

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 4, 2025

    Washington, DC: On January 24, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Grenada.

    Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in the fiscal position and reduction in public debt. The financial system remained stable. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island. The authorities responded swiftly with a package of fiscal measures, including suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.

    Grenada’s near-term economic growth is projected to remain resilient at 3.9 percent in 2025, buoyed by limited hurricane damages to tourism infrastructure and the authorities’ large recovery and reconstruction spending. Sizable government savings and triggering of disaster-contingent instruments create fiscal space for these spending needs. Assuming a subsequent timely return to the fiscal rules, public debt is projected to continue falling and reach the debt target of 60 percent of GDP by 2030.

    Over the medium-term GDP growth is projected to slow given the tourism sector operates near its peak-season capacity. Key downside risks include the threat of further natural disasters, potential shocks to tourism demand, and the uncertain scale of future CBI inflows, while the domestic non-bank financial system faces rising vulnerabilities from the continued rapid expansion of credit unions and the rising costs of property insurance. Prospective hotel developments and public investment projects represent upside risks to the medium-term growth outlook.

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Grenada’s robust economic performance in 2023 and the first half of 2024, buoyed by strong tourism. Directors also commended the authorities’ swift and prudently tailored response to Hurricane Beryl, which supported disaster-relief and helped mitigate the impact on economic growth. Noting that the medium-term outlook remains subject to risks from natural disasters, uncertain Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) flows, and other external shocks, they encouraged the authorities to exercise continued fiscal prudence and to pursue structural reforms to boost long-term growth and enhance resilience, while leveraging Fund technical assistance.

    Directors welcomed Grenada’s commitment to fiscal prudence and debt sustainability and emphasized the importance of a timely return to the suspended fiscal rules. In that context, they noted the need for continued expenditure prioritization and revenue mobilization to create fiscal space for future investment needs, including for climate resilience. Further strengthening public investment management and budget planning processes would also be important. Directors also saw merit in developing a more uniform framework for managing all CBI resources and encouraged continued progress in resolving outstanding official arrears.

    Directors welcomed the banking system’s resilience despite repeated shocks. They emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthened oversight in the rapidly expanding credit union sector. Directors encouraged strengthening data collection and regional collaboration in the property insurance sector, given rising premiums. They also agreed that further enhancements in the AML/CFT frameworks are essential, including to safeguard correspondent banking relationships.

    Directors commended the authorities’ implementation of Grenada’s Disaster Resilience Strategy including investments in a risk-layering framework of disaster-contingency insurance and financing instruments. Moving forward and noting the risk of future natural disasters, they emphasized the importance of further advancing the energy transition and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, with support from private financing.

    Directors also encouraged sustained structural reform efforts to foster long-term growth, including investing in active labor market policies and continuing efforts to support off-season and niche tourism. Addressing data gaps is also important.

    It is expected that the next Article IV Consultation with Grenada will be held on the standard 12-month consultation cycle.

    Table 1. Grenada: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2019–29

     

    Rank in UNDP Human Development Index

    73

    Infant mortality rate per ‘000 births (2021)

    14.4

    out of 189 countries (2021)

    Adult illiteracy rate in percent (2014)

    1

    Life expectancy at birth in years (2021)

    75

    Poverty rate in percent of population (2019)

    25

    GDP per capita in US$ (2021)

    10,449

    Population in millions (2021)

    0.13

    Unemployment rate (2021 Q2)

    11.1

     

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029

    Est.

    Proj.

    National income and prices

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    GDP at constant prices

    0.7

    -13.8

    4.7

    7.3

    4.7

    3.6

    3.9

    3.3

    2.7

    2.7

    2.7

    GDP deflator

    3.3

    -0.3

    2.8

    2.2

    2.7

    1.4

    1.4

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer prices, end of period

    0.1

    -0.8

    1.9

    2.9

    2.2

    1.2

    1.9

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Money and credit, end of period

    Credit to private sector

    1.4

    3.1

    3.8

    2.1

    3.8

    3.8

    4.2

    4.4

    4.6

    4.5

    4.5

    Broad money (M2)

    2.9

    9.1

    8.5

    9.9

    1.4

    3.7

    5.2

    5.4

    4.8

    4.8

    4.8

    Central government balances (accrual)

    Revenue and grants

    26.6

    28.1

    31.5

    32.7

    36.9

    44.1

    30.5

    29.3

    29.2

    28.9

    28.8

    Expenditure

    21.6

    32.7

    31.2

    31.8

    28.9

    39.5

    39.4

    33.1

    29.6

    29.2

    28.9

    o.w. Capital expenditure

    2.6

    9.6

    8.6

    10.2

    9.3

    11.7

    12.2

    8.7

    6.2

    5.8

    5.6

    Primary balance

    6.8

    -2.6

    2.1

    2.6

    9.5

    8.0

    -5.1

    -1.2

    1.5

    1.5

    1.5

    Overall balance

    5.0

    -4.5

    0.3

    1.0

    8.0

    4.7

    -8.9

    -3.8

    -0.4

    -0.3

    -0.1

     

    Central government debt (incl. guaranteed) 1/

    58.5

    71.4

    70.0

    62.8

    60.5

    59.3

    58.1

    53.9

    53.2

    51.4

    49.6

    Domestic

    14.6

    16.2

    15.3

    12.8

    11.3

    11.1

    9.7

    7.8

    7.1

    6.9

    7.0

    External

    44.0

    55.2

    54.7

    50.0

    49.2

    48.2

    48.5

    46.1

    46.0

    44.5

    42.6

    Public debt (incl. debt of SOEs and SBs)

    62.7

    89.5

    86.6

    78.8

    75.2

    73.3

    71.4

    66.5

    65.2

    62.9

    60.6

    Savings-Investment balance

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Savings

    14.6

    16.3

    15.6

    18.0

    30.8

    28.3

    18.1

    17.8

    15.8

    15.3

    14.9

    Investment

    24.9

    32.4

    30.1

    29.1

    39.9

    41.5

    31.9

    28.4

    25.7

    24.5

    24.0

    External Sector

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Gross international reserves (millions of dollars)

    234.1

    290.9

    324.2

    352.6

    389.1

    435.1

    364.5

    364.8

    390.3

    405.6

    424.6

    (in months of imports)

    5.2

    5.6

    4.9

    5.0

    4.8

    5.2

    4.3

    4.2

    4.3

    4.3

    4.3

    Current account balance, o/w:

    -10.4

    -16.1

    -14.5

    -11.0

    -9.1

    -13.1

    -13.8

    -10.6

    -9.9

    -9.1

    -9.1

    Exports of goods and services

    54.6

    41.1

    47.9

    57.8

    62.8

    63.8

    62.5

    62.8

    63.0

    62.6

    62.3

    Imports of goods and services

    55.8

    52.2

    55.4

    64.3

    63.7

    69.9

    68.5

    65.6

    65.0

    63.8

    63.4

    External debt (gross)

    64.7

    92.5

    94.8

    90.0

    86.9

    85.4

    85.4

    82.6

    82.3

    80.5

    78.4

    Sources: Ministry of Finance; Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; United Nations, Human Development Report; World Bank WDI; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

    1/ Includes the impact of the debt restructuring agreement for the 2025 bonds.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/03/pr25026-grenada-imf-executive-board-concludes-2024-article-iv-consultation

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Mark Cuban Foundation and the Cosmosphere Bring AI Education to Hutchinson Teens

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HUTCHINSON, Kan., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Mark Cuban Foundation is proud to announce a pioneering museum pilot program in partnership with the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. The program will bring the highly acclaimed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp to Hutchinson area high school students. This collaboration emphasizes the Foundation’s mission to reach students in underserved and previously unconnected regions, providing them with opportunities to engage with innovative technology.

    The program aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and its applications to future careers. Students can select from six tracks: healthcare, arts and entertainment, business and entrepreneurship, computer science, sports science, or education and career readiness. Driven by the belief that fostering interest in AI at a young age is crucial for preparing the next generation for their future, the AI Bootcamps are introductory and accessible to students in 9-12 grade with an interest in technology. Students do not need any familiarity with computer science or programming to attend.

    This free AI Bootcamp is hosted for underserved high school students with a transparent focus on recruiting girls, students of color, first generation college students, and those from low to moderate income households. The AI Bootcamp Program provides students with lunch and a snack, transportation assistance, and technology equipment during bootcamp.

    “As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, it’s crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it,” said Mark Cuban, founder. “While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with the Cosmosphere, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means.”

    This year’s bootcamp, taking place in Hutchinson on March 17- 19, is hosted and staffed by the Cosmosphere, a space museum with one of the largest collections of U.S. and Soviet space artifacts. It features the Apollo 13 command module, an SR-71 Blackbird, a planetarium, and hands-on exhibits for all ages.

    Cosmosphere is one of more than 25 host companies selected to host camps across the U.S.

    “At the Cosmosphere, we’re passionate about igniting curiosity in young minds and empowering the next generation of innovators. This AI bootcamp, in partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation, represents a tremendous opportunity to do just that,” said JoAnna Strecker, Cosmosphere Vice President of Education. “We’re grateful to the Mark Cuban Foundation for their support in making this dream a reality, and we can’t wait to see the incredible things these students will achieve.”

    Apply for the bootcamp at: markcubanai.org.

    Watch Mark Cuban’s message about Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here.

    To learn more, visit markcubanai.org.

    This bootcamp is facilitated with support from Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp Program’s media partner, Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for investor relations, public relations and marketing professionals.

    About Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp Initiative
    The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th – 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn’t, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org.

    About Cosmosphere

    The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Located at 1100 North Plum in Hutchinson, KS, its collection includes U.S. space artifacts second only to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. This unique collection allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any museum in the world while offering fully immersive education experiences that meet Next Generation Science Standards. The Cosmosphere also features the Carey Digital Dome Theater, offering daily documentary showings, a digital Planetarium, Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab Experience, where visitors experience live science demonstrations, and CosmoKids, an interactive STEAM area for children accompanied by an adult.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClain Statement on President Trump’s Tariff Negotiations

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – WASHINGTON – Earlier today, President Donald Trump announced he reached a deal with Mexico to start reversing the deadly fentanyl and border crises, pausing the anticipated tariffs for one month. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also initially agreed to send 10,000 soldiers to the United States-Mexico border to help stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration.
     
    Then, following a phone call with President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada will implement its $1.3 billion border plan. Canada will also appoint a new Fentanyl Czar and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering. 
     
    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain released the following statement:
     
    “The days of America getting walked all over are gone. Countries are starting to find out that negotiations will no longer be a one-way street,” McClain said. “President Trump made a promise to put American farmers, producers, and workers first – and he has kept it. Today’s deals are major steps toward leveling the playing field, securing our borders, and saving lives. House Republicans look forward to working alongside the President on policies that put our country first.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Seafarer Capital Partners Reveals Key Drivers of Performance in Emerging Markets Value Investing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LARKSPUR, Calif., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Drawing on fourteen years of fundamental research and investing in global emerging markets, and over eight years of hands-on experience in managing the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX), Seafarer Capital Partners (Seafarer) recently published a white paper providing empirical data and evaluating key opportunity sets found in emerging markets value investing.

    The new white paper, titled “Revisiting the Seven Sources of Value in Emerging Markets,” examines practical lessons the Seafarer Value team has learned in its pursuit of investing in seven distinct sources of value in the emerging markets, which were first identified by Seafarer in 2016. The full paper is available on Seafarer’s website here.

    “Rather than taking a traditional approach focused solely on simplistic valuation multiples, Seafarer’s approach to value investing in emerging markets started with the idea that these markets present a number of distinct underlying sources of value that may give rise to viable investment opportunities,” said Brent Clayton, author of the white paper and co-portfolio manager of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. “This paper looks back on our team’s practical experience pursuing these sources of value in emerging markets, including opportunities and risks we have become more attuned to.”

    The white paper reviews all seven sources of value identified at the launch of the Value Fund (read the original 2016 white paper here) and breaks out the impact of each source on the Fund’s performance since inception (see included chart). The commentary also includes a nuanced analysis of these sources of value and provides “emblematic stock” examples to help practically illustrate the sources of value in action.

    The key lessons shared in the white paper, by source of value, include the following:

    • Asset Productivity: Companies that are among the lowest-cost, highest-margin operators within their industries have been able to survive prolonged cyclical downturns. Such business resiliency can render the exact timing of the cycle less important.
    • Structural Shift: Highly-cash generative companies structurally shifting to a lower growth rate provided fruitful opportunities for the strategy, particularly in China in 2016 and Brazil in 2020.
    • Balance Sheet Liquidity: Companies with high levels of cash on their balance sheets have been more prone to be “value traps” than anticipated. While a potential source of latent value, it can also be a sign of poor capital allocation or weak corporate governance.

    The paper provides detailed discussion of lessons learned while pursuing investing in each of the seven sources of value and includes one portfolio holding for each of the sources as an illustration.

    “Finding low-priced stocks in the emerging markets is not difficult. The challenge is finding low-priced businesses with both sustainable competitive advantages and management teams that think carefully about how they steward corporate capital,” said Clayton. “A focused and long-term approach has been critical to realizing value across the seven opportunity sets that this strategy pursues.”

    About the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund
    The Seafarer Overseas Value Fund (tickers: SIVLX, SFVLX, SFVRX) seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund invests primarily in the securities of companies located in developing countries. The Fund invests primarily in common and preferred stocks. The Fund’s portfolio is comprised of securities identified through a bottom-up security selection process based on fundamental research. The Fund seeks to produce a minimum long-term rate of return by investing in securities priced at a discount to their intrinsic value.

    About Seafarer Capital Partners
    Seafarer Capital Partners is an investment adviser focused on emerging markets. Seafarer offers investment portfolios that seek to participate in the opportunities afforded by the growth and progress in the developing world. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach. Seafarer’s objective is to provide long-term investment portfolios that offer sustainable growth, reasonable income, suitable diversification and which mitigate volatility. The firm serves as the investment adviser to the Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Fund and the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund. Founded in 2011, Seafarer is a wholly employee-owned firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.seafarerfunds.com.

    1 Percentages in the chart are based on the aggregate contribution to total return for portfolio holdings in each primary source of value divided by the aggregate contribution to total return of all portfolio holdings from the inception of the Seafarer Overseas Value Fund on May 31, 2016 through September 30, 2024. They exclude cash and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund. A portfolio holding’s primary source of value is defined as the intended driver of value Seafarer was targeting over the majority of a position’s holding period. Sources: Bloomberg, Seafarer.

    ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor for the Seafarer Funds.

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before making an investment decision. This and other information about the Funds are contained in the Prospectus, which may be obtained by calling (855) 732-9220. Please read the Prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

    Important Risks:  An investment in the Funds involves risk, including possible loss of principal. International investing involves additional risks, including social and political instability, market and currency volatility, market illiquidity, and reduced regulation. Emerging markets are often more volatile than developed markets, and investing in emerging markets involves greater risks. Fixed income investments are subject to additional risks, including but not limited to interest rate, credit, and inflation risks. Value investments are subject to the risk that their intrinsic value may not be recognized by the broad market. An investment in the Funds should be considered a long-term investment.

    The views and information discussed herein are as of the date of publication, are subject to change, and may not reflect Seafarer’s current views. The views expressed represent an assessment of market conditions at a specific point in time, are opinions only and should not be relied upon as investment advice regarding a particular investment or markets in general. Such information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. It should not be assumed that any investment will be profitable or will equal the performance of the portfolios or any securities or any sectors mentioned herein. The subject matter contained herein has been derived from several sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of compilation. Seafarer does not accept any liability for losses either direct or consequential caused by the use of this information.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3388df52-1d76-4853-aa15-51bbf250f6dd

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jonas Gamso, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of Knowledge Enterprise for the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University

    Volunteers hand out USAID flour at the Zanzalima Camp in Ethiopia. J. Countess/Getty Images

    “No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy,” observed Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen in his 1999 book “Development as Freedom.”

    My recent research doesn’t tackle Sen’s central argument – premised on the belief that democratic leaders prioritize food security because they cannot win reelection if the most basic needs of their constituents are not met – head on. Instead, I explored an auxiliary question: Do democratic governments cope better than their autocratic counterparts when their countries are confronted by sudden drops in food aid?

    The answer is a resounding “yes.”

    I came to that conclusion by analyzing food insecurity data from 110 countries from 2000 to 2020.

    Food aid – a form of international assistance in which donors give food, or funds to buy food, to low- or middle-income countries – has recently fallen, reaching fewer people in 2024 than in 2023, according to estimates from the World Food Program, a United Nations agency. Major donors like Germany and the United States have reduced or suspended aid, citing budgetary constraints or concerns about theft, including to some of the neediest countries, such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Ethiopia. Adding to concerns, the Trump administration has signaled that it may move to “close down” the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the largest provider of global food assistance.

    At the same time, the world has faced a significant hunger crisis since 2019 due to a combination of factors, including the impacts of civil conflict, climate change and stubbornly high prices.

    I wanted to determine whether food aid cuts and rising hunger are connected, and if democracy matters. I started by cataloging instances when countries had experienced significant reductions in food aid inflows. I then looked at whether those “aid shocks” were followed by upticks in food insecurity, using data from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization. Finally, I assessed whether the relationship between aid shocks and food insecurity varied across countries and political systems.

    The results indicate that autocracies experience heightened food insecurity when sharp cuts to international food assistance occur, whereas democracies keep their people fed.

    For example, autocratic Eswatini, an absolute monarchy in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland, experienced a food aid shock in 2010 that was followed by a 2 percentage point uptick in the prevalence of undernourishment. In contrast, when Mongolia, a robust democracy, experienced an aid shock in 2007, undernourishment actually declined by about 3 percentage points.

    On the one hand, this isn’t entirely surprising, as democratic leaders – unlike their autocratic counterparts – have to face the public in national elections, and winning is difficult when people are experiencing widespread hunger. Because leaders in a democracy are more accountable to their citizens, they make more of an effort to make up for the lost aid or cushion the adverse effects of food aid shocks on their populations.

    On the other hand, democracies often struggle to move quickly, due to their complex policymaking processes and checks and balances. This may lead some to conclude that it is harder for them to move nimbly during a foreign aid crisis.

    Why it matters

    While many question the effectiveness of aid, including food aid, my findings suggest that cutting it – as some critics suggest – will have negative effects on the health and well-being of vulnerable people around the world. Already, food systems experts have expressed fears over the Trump administration’s proposed aid freezes and the potential breaking up of USAID.

    For this reason, donor nations should be cautious about halting or rapidly shifting their foreign giving.

    At the same time, donor governments, which are mostly Western democracies, have often used aid as a tool for promoting democratic institutions, at times cutting off aid to autocratic countries that abuse human rights. While this practice seems sensible to donors that wish to punish or discourage autocrats, my findings raise a significant concern: People living in autocratic countries may be left starving when aid is withdrawn.

    And donor nations could take further steps to support democratization and democratic resilience, particularly in countries that are vulnerable to food insecurity. For example, donors can engage with civil society groups in aid-recipient nations, empowering them with tools and techniques to promote, protect and preserve democratic institutions. This way, countries will be more resilient and less likely to fall into crisis levels of hunger if and when aid cuts occur.

    What’s next

    While there is a tendency to treat governments as either “democratic” or “autocratic,” that approach obscures a good deal of nuance. Democracies vary in terms of their rules, procedures and governing structures. Likewise, autocracies can differ greatly from one another, with military regimes, personalist dictatorships and party-based autocracies each having unique characteristics.

    Moving forward, I hope to dig into these varieties of democracy and autocracy to see how countries representing each respond to aid shocks.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

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

    – ref. Hunger rises as food aid falls – and those living under autocratic systems bear the brunt – https://theconversation.com/hunger-rises-as-food-aid-falls-and-those-living-under-autocratic-systems-bear-the-brunt-247759

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/PARAGUAY – Appointment of new director of the Pontifical Mission Societies

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 4 February 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On January 2, 2025, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), appointed Sister Justina Santander, SSPS, as national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Paraguay for the period 2025-2030.Sister Justina Santander, 66, and of Paraguayan nationality, has more than 40 years of religious and missionary life in the Missionary Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit. For 33 years, she worked as a missionary abroad, mainly in Botswana. She has a diploma in spirituality and pastoral care from The Milltown Institute in Ireland, where she also studied English. She obtained a degree in religious education and another in educational management from the University of South Africa, and has participated in numerous specialization courses, including one on sign language and inclusive education.Last year, she took part in leadership and spiritual development at the Mater Dei Pastoral Center in South Africa. Her pastoral duties include her work as director of the St. Arnold Primary School in Tonota (Botswana), coordinator of the HIV/AIDS program at St. Joseph School, superior in the community of Gaborone, and teacher of religious and Christian education at St. Joseph Kale School, where she developed a pastoral program for orphanage students with specific needs, among other tasks. In addition, she worked at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert in Francistown and is a member of missionary animation at the Society of the Divine Word, in Paraguay. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 4/2/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s trade war is forcing Canada to revive a decades-old plan to reduce U.S. dependence

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Blayne Haggart, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brock University

    After threatening Canada and Mexico with illegal tariffs, and Canada with annexation, United States President Donald Trump has agreed to hold off on imposing tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days. This decision came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Trump and committed to strengthening border security.

    While this temporary reprieve provides some breathing room, the long-run question of how Canada should handle Trump and the American descent into authoritarianism remains.

    Early responses seem to have coalesced around two policies: for Canada to trade less with the U.S. and more with other countries and to strengthen the internal Canadian economy.

    Reducing Canada’s dependence on the U.S. economy is necessary in our current moment, as I’ve previously argued. But it will impose significant costs on Canadians and require a fundamental readjustment in how we think about our economy and society.

    The Third Option, revived

    This current crisis isn’t taking place in a historical vacuum. More than 50 years ago, similar concerns about Canada’s dependence on the U.S. led to a policy discussion centred on what became known as the “Third Option.”

    In 1972, then-Secretary of State for External Affairs Mitchell Sharp wrote a paper called “Canada-US Relations: Options for the Future.” At the time, international politics were in a moment of transition, and the U.S. was recalibrating its understanding of its national interest.

    Sharp proposed reconsidering the Canada-U.S. relationship. He observed that while Canadians recognized the benefits of ties with the U.S., they were increasingly wary of the direction of the relationship and in support of measures to “assure greater Canadian independence.”

    Echoing today’s concerns, Sharp argued that the central question for Canada was whether its interdependence with the U.S. would “impose an unmanageable strain on the concept of a separate Canadian identity, if not on the elements of Canadian independence.”

    The options that Sharp proposed are the same ones on offer today:

    1. The First Option: Maintain Canada’s current relationship with the U.S. with minimal policy adjustments
    2. The Second Option: Move toward closer integration with the U.S.
    3. The Third Option: Pursue a long-term strategy to strengthen the Canadian economy and reduce vulnerability

    From three options to one

    Sharp’s analysis is clear on the costs and benefits of free trade. In terms of benefits, economic prosperity would be easier to attain. In fact, this proved decisive in 1988, when Canada embraced the Second Option — closer integration through the 1988 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

    But, as Sharp warned presciently, a free-trade agreement would be a “well-nigh irreversible option for Canada” because it would tie the country so closely to the U.S., raising the cost of disentanglement.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. would always be free to redefine the relationship for any reason. This is what happened in 2001 when the U.S. prioritized security over prosperity in response to the 9/11 attacks. It’s what’s happening now.

    As in 2001, deeper integration remains a tempting response to the U.S. But the risks from integration are even greater now, given that Trump is dismantling U.S. democracy at home and trying to bully its neighbours in unprecedented ways.



    Read more:
    How constitutional guardrails have always contained presidential ambitions

    Already, Canada is struggling to recruit American allies to fight against the tariffs because U.S. businesses and politicians are afraid to stand up to Trump. Choosing to more deeply integrate would only worsen Canada’s position, making it a part of the U.S. economy while losing even more political influence.

    And that’s without addressing the morality of collaborating with a country that is currently setting up a concentration camp for migrants in Guantanamo Bay.

    Autocratic governments, as Trump’s administration is demonstrating with his ultimatums against Canada and Mexico, are bullies who will always push the advantage. Taking their demands at face value is a surefire way to surrender Canadian autonomy one piece at a time. So, the First Option — maintaining the status quo — is also off the table.

    Which leaves the Third Option.

    The mortal peril facing Canada

    The Third Option has become more appealing across the political spectrum mainly because the U.S. is forcing Canada’s hand. The uncertainty Trump has injected into the relationship, even in the presence of a trade agreement, has made it more costly for businesses to engage in cross-border trade.

    If Trump’s tariff threat remains, and his attack on the rule of law continues, the U.S. market will become even more unattractive, not least because of the toxic uncertainty Trump has injected into the relationship.

    But his actions also underscore the new, extreme danger Canada now faces.

    As Sharp recognized in 1972, shared social values were the bedrock of successful Canada-U.S. relations. He understood that, for the Third Option to work, the relationship needed to be “harmonious.” Even as he considered ways to reduce Canada’s dependence, he never doubted Canada and the U.S. were “broadly compatible societies.”

    That shared foundation — “based on a broad array of shared interests, perceptions and goals” — made it possible for Canada to chart its own path while maintaining a productive relationship with the U.S.

    Today, that assumption no longer holds. The U.S., under Trump, is acting as an expansionist imperial power with little regard for international law.

    This is the needle Canadian politicians have to thread. By geography alone, Canada must continue to have a relationship with the U.S. But the absence of shared values makes it incredibly difficult to have any kind of healthy, productive relationship.

    The cost of democracy

    As Sharp recognized, there is a cost to following the Third Option. It will require a “deliberate, comprehensive and long-term strategy” on a scale not seen since the 1960s — meaning higher taxes, more government intervention and a level of global engagement Canada hasn’t undertaken in quite a while.

    This must all be done in a landscape where Canada and the U.S. no longer share values — a shift even ardent Canadian nationalists recognized was necessary for Canadian independence — while pursuing policies that do not antagonize the U.S.

    For the Third Option to be viable today, Canadians must embrace an independent Canadian identity based on respect for democracy, pluralism, the rule of law and human rights. It likely requires consensus that U.S. authoritarianism is wholly unacceptable to Canada.

    Canada is being pushed toward the Third Option as the least worst approach. But, as was true in Sharp’s time, the Third Option come at a cost. Independence and democracy don’t come for free.

    Blayne Haggart 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. Trump’s trade war is forcing Canada to revive a decades-old plan to reduce U.S. dependence – https://theconversation.com/trumps-trade-war-is-forcing-canada-to-revive-a-decades-old-plan-to-reduce-u-s-dependence-248433

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio holds a joint press availability with Costa Rican President Chaves – 11:50 AM

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio holds a joint press availability with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in San Jose, Costa Rica, on February 4, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7fNrxsKMyM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Sunrun’s Power Plant Programs Complete Successful 2024 with Expansion and Innovation To Support Power Grids Across the Country

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, announced today that its growing portfolio of virtual power plants (VPPs) successfully supported power grids across the country in 2024 with a combined instantaneous peak of nearly 80 megawatts—a capacity greater than many traditional fossil-fuel power plants. These innovative programs leveraged Sunrun’s fleet of residential solar and battery systems—the largest in America—empowering customers to generate, store, and share their own solar energy.

    In 2024, more than 20,000 Sunrun customers participated in 16 virtual power plant programs across nine states and territories. From California and Texas to Puerto Rico and New England, the customers’ batteries supplied on-demand, stored solar energy to augment power resources during hundreds of critical energy events.

    “Utilities are at a point where they can’t grow fast enough for the increased demand for electricity, which is why they are coming to Sunrun for help,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “Our power plant portfolio is at an inflection point because we have the resources and expertise to quickly develop, deploy, and scale programs to provide smart, controllable load. Combining solar with storage not only provides American families with energy independence and peace of mind, but also the ability to support the grid when it’s needed most.”

    Extreme weather events and soaring electricity demand underscore the importance for these power plant programs. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation warns that over half the U.S. faces blackout risks in the next decade due to capacity shortfalls, as peak demand continues to climb with the rise of artificial intelligence, domestic manufacturing growth, and electrification of the economy. According to the Department of Energy, data center load growth has tripled over the past decade and is expected to more than double by 2028.

    Sunrun’s 2024 virtual power plant initiatives have demonstrated the ability to enhance grid reliability, lower harmful emissions, and decrease costs for all electricity customers. Notable examples of performance include:

    • California: Over 16,000 Sunrun customers participating in California’s statewide CalReady program—the nation’s largest single-owner virtual power plant—delivering an average of 48 megawatts of stored solar energy to the grid during peak evening hours in the summer months. Output peaked at 54 megawatts, enough to power approximately 48,000 homes—equivalent to a city the size of Santa Monica.
    • Puerto Rico: Over 4,000 customers’ batteries participating in Sunrun’s PowerOn Puerto Rico program provided vital backup energy to the island’s grid during more than 70 energy shortfall events. Within just an hour’s notice, Sunrun dispatched its batteries as a single power plant to avoid rolling blackouts to help keep the lights on for communities across Puerto Rico.
    • Texas: Sunrun partnered with Tesla Electric, a retail electricity provider operated by Tesla Energy Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Tesla, Inc., and Vistra on two virtual power plants in the Lone Star State. Still growing, the Tesla Electric program leverages home batteries to provide reserves during peak consumption. Customers receive an annual payment, currently set at $400 per Powerwall, while Sunrun earns recurring revenue through the program. The Vistra partnership also offers customers financial incentives and credits.
    • New York: Sunrun activated the state’s largest residential virtual power plant in collaboration with Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. Over 300 solar-plus-storage systems provided stored solar energy during peak demand events in the summer. Participating customers received a free or heavily discounted home battery in exchange for their commitment to the 10-year program, while Sunrun received upfront payments from O&R.
    • Maryland: Sunrun launched the nation’s first bidirectional electric vehicle-to-home virtual power plant, partnering with Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, to utilize a small group of customer-owned Ford F-150 Lightnings. BGE was awarded grant funding from the Department of Energy to create the program, and Sunrun developed and operated this first-in-the-nation electric vehicle VPP. Participating customers earned several hundred dollars by sharing energy from their F-150 Lightning trucks.

    “My wife and I earned nearly $1,700 just by sharing the energy from our Ford Lightning,” said Sunrun customer Brian Foreman. “It’s exciting to be an early adopter of this technology and making extra money with our electric truck is just an added bonus.”

    “Sunrun is executing its virtual power plant strategy at a scale that is unmatched, and we’re excited to monetize more battery assets and secure additional, recurring revenue streams in 2025,” said Sunrun President and Chief Revenue Officer Paul Dickson. “With over half of new Sunrun customers installing storage, we are laying a strong foundation to create future programs where there is value for our customers, benefit to the grid, and revenue for Sunrun.”

    Sunrun’s storage-first approach has positioned it to become one of the nation’s largest distributed power providers, serving as a vital resource for utilities and grid operators in protecting Americans from outages, pollution, and rising energy costs. Peak season customer enrollment in Sunrun’s power-sharing programs grew approximately 100% year-over-year in 2024.

    “Sunrun is the industry leader, and we’re proving that every utility can and should have a virtual power plant program,” said Chris Rauscher, head of Grid Services at Sunrun. “Our largest and most successful programs are in Puerto Rico and California—places with vastly different power grids—but both equally benefiting from Sunrun customers’ solar-plus-storage systems being networked together to augment supply. I want to thank our amazing team which has turned the dream of VPPs into a reality.”

    About Sunrun
    Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com.

    Media Contact
    Wyatt Semanek
    Director, Corporate Communications
    press@sunrun.com

    Investor & Analyst Contact
    Patrick Jobin
    SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
    investors@sunrun.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining Announce Subsequent Acquisition Transaction and Completion of Offer

    Source: Agnico Eagle Mines

    • The Offer has now expired and Agnico Eagle has taken-up and acquired 95.6% of the issued and outstanding O3 Mining shares
    • Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining will enter into an amalgamation agreement under which Agnico Eagle will acquire all remaining O3 Mining shares by way of amalgamation
    • Remaining O3 Mining shares (other than shares held by dissenting shareholders) and warrantholders who exercise their warrants after the amalgamation will receive $1.67 per share in cash
    • Questions or Need Assistance? Contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group for assistance at 1-877-452-7184 or email assistance@laurelhill.com 

    (All amounts expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted)

    TORONTO, Feb. 4, 2025 /CNW/ – Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) (“Agnico Eagle“) and O3 Mining Inc. (TSXV: OIII) (OTCQX: OIIIF) (“O3 Mining“) are pleased to jointly announce the expiry of Agnico Eagle’s board-supported take-over bid (the “Offer“) for all of the outstanding common shares of O3 Mining (the “Common Shares“) for $1.67 in cash per Common Share. Agnico Eagle has taken-up and acquired an aggregate of 114,785,237 Common Shares that were tendered to the Offer, representing approximately 95.6% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis. As a result, as of the date hereof, Agnico Eagle beneficially owns, and exercises control and direction over, an aggregate of 115,842,990 Common Shares, representing approximately 96.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis. This includes the additional 4,360,806 Common Shares (the “Deposited Shares“) tendered to the Offer during the mandatory 10-day extension period that expired at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on February 3, 2025. The aggregate consideration payable for the Deposited Shares is $7,282,546. Agnico Eagle will pay for the Deposited Shares by February 6, 2025.

    Subsequent Acquisition Transaction

    Agnico Eagle Abitibi Acquisition Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agnico Eagle, and O3 Mining will amalgamate under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Amalgamation“), with the amalgamated entity (“Amalco“) becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agnico Eagle. The Amalgamation will constitute the subsequent acquisition transaction contemplated by the Offer (the “Subsequent Acquisition Transaction“), by which Agnico Eagle will acquire ownership of 100% of the Common Shares.

    Each O3 Mining shareholder (other than Agnico Eagle and any O3 Mining shareholder who validly exercises dissent rights in relation to the Amalgamation) will, upon completion of the Amalgamation, receive one redeemable preferred share of Amalco (each, a “Redeemable Preferred Share“) for each Common Share held immediately prior to the effective time of the Amalgamation. The Redeemable Preferred Shares will be automatically redeemed effective immediately following the effective time of the Amalgamation for $1.67 in cash per Redeemable Preferred Share (the “Redemption Consideration“) held immediately prior to the effective time of the Amalgamation. The Redemption Consideration is the same as the consideration that was offered to O3 Mining shareholders under the Offer.

    The Amalgamation must be approved by (i) at least two-thirds of the votes cast by O3 Mining shareholders at a special meeting of O3 Mining shareholders (the “Meeting“) and (ii) a simple majority of the votes cast by O3 Mining shareholders at the Meeting, excluding votes from O3 Mining shareholders required to be excluded by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101“). As Agnico Eagle beneficially owns, and exercises control and direction over, Common Shares carrying more than two-thirds of the votes attached to all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares and the Common Shares taken-up and acquired under the Offer represent more than a majority of the votes attached to the Common Shares that may be voted in the “minority” vote under MI 61-101, Agnico Eagle is able to ensure the successful outcome of the shareholder votes in respect of the Amalgamation. The O3 Mining board recommends that O3 Mining shareholders vote FOR the Amalgamation.

    Additional information regarding the terms of the amalgamation agreement and the Amalgamation will be provided in the management information circular of O3 Mining (the “Circular“) for the Meeting. It is anticipated that the Circular will be mailed to O3 Mining shareholders in February 2025 and the Meeting will be held in March 2025. Copies of the amalgamation agreement and the Circular will be made available on O3 Mining’s issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The Amalgamation is expected to close prior to March 31, 2025. Following completion of the Amalgamation, the Common Shares will be de-listed from the TSX Venture Exchange and O3 Mining will make an application to the Ontario Securities Commission to cease to be a reporting issuer under Canadian securities laws. Upon O3 Mining ceasing to be a reporting issuer, O3 Mining will no longer be subject to the ongoing continuous disclosure and reporting obligations currently imposed on O3 Mining as a reporting issuer and will be a private company that is wholly-owned by Agnico Eagle.

    Information for Warrantholders

    Certain Common Share purchase warrants of O3 Mining (the “Warrants“) remain issued and outstanding, which are governed in accordance with the warrant indenture dated August 28, 2024 between O3 Mining and Odyssey Trust Company, as warrant agent. These Warrants are exercisable at $1.45 per Warrant until August 28, 2026. O3 Mining intends to enter into a supplemental indenture to provide that holders of such Warrants will receive, on exercise of their Warrants in lieu of Common Shares, $1.67 in cash following the Amalgamation.

    Updated Early Warning Disclosure Regarding O3 Mining

    Immediately prior to the take-up of the Deposited Shares under the Offer, Agnico Eagle beneficially owned, and exercised control and direction over, 111,482,184 Common Shares, representing approximately 92.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis, and 270,000 Warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 270,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $1.45 per Warrant. In addition, Agnico Eagle holds a convertible senior unsecured debenture in the principal amount of $10,000,000 dated June 19, 2023 (the “Convertible Debenture“). Assuming the full exercise of all Warrants held by Agnico Eagle and the full conversion of the Convertible Debenture immediately prior to the take-up of Deposited Shares under the Offer, Agnico Eagle would beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 116,630,233 Common Shares, representing approximately 93.1% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis.

    Agnico Eagle acquired an additional 4,360,806 Deposited Shares pursuant to the Offer during the mandatory 10-day extension period, representing all of the Common Shares validly deposited and not withdrawn as of 11:59 p.m. (EST) on February 3, 2025, for aggregate consideration of $7,282,546 in cash. As a result, as of the date hereof, Agnico Eagle beneficially owns, and exercises control and direction over, an aggregate of 115,842,990 Common Shares, representing approximately 96.5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a basic basis. Assuming the full exercise of all Warrants held by Agnico Eagle and the full conversion of the Convertible Debenture, Agnico Eagle would beneficially own, and exercise control and direction over, 120,991,039 Common Shares, representing approximately 96.6% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a partially-diluted basis.

    An early warning report in respect of the foregoing will be filed by Agnico Eagle in accordance with applicable securities laws. To obtain a copy of the early warning report, please contact:

    Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
    c/o Investor Relations
    145 King Street East, Suite 400
    Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7
    Telephone: 416-947-1212
    Email: investor.relations@agnicoeagle.com

    Agnico Eagle’s head office is located at 145 King Street East, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2Y7. O3 Mining’s head office is located at 155 University Avenue, Suite 1440, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B7.

    Advisors

    Edgehill Advisory Ltd. is acting as financial advisor to Agnico Eagle. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is acting as legal advisor to Agnico Eagle.

    Maxit Capital is acting as financial advisor to O3 Mining. Bennett Jones LLP is acting as legal advisor to O3 Mining. Fort Capital is acting as financial advisor to the Special Committee of independent directors of O3 Mining. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to the Special Committee.

    Odyssey Trust Company will act as depositary for the Amalgamation and Laurel Hill Advisory Group is acting as information agent. If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group, by phone at 1-877-452-7187 or by e-mail at assistance@laurelhill.com.

    About O3 Mining Inc.

    O3 Mining Inc. is a gold explorer and mine developer in Québec, Canada, adjacent to Agnico Eagle’s Canadian Malartic mine. O3 Mining owns a 100% interest in all its properties (128,680 hectares) in Québec. Its principal asset is the Marban Alliance project in Québec, which O3 Mining has advanced over the last five years to the cusp of its next stage of development, with the expectation that the project will deliver long-term benefits to stakeholders.

    About Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading sustainability practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on current expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations about future events as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information and statements are based on estimates of management by O3 Mining and Agnico Eagle, at the time they were made, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the structure, consideration, timing and completion (if at all) of the Subsequent Acquisition Transaction; the ability of Agnico Eagle to complete the Subsequent Acquisition Transaction to acquire 100% of O3 Mining by way of the Amalgamation (if at all); and the timing of the mailing of the Circular, the Meeting and completing the Amalgamation. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in formulating the forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining that any second-step transaction will be successful and the ability to achieve goals, including the integration of the Marban Alliance property to the Canadian Malartic land package and the ability to realize synergies arising therefrom. Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining caution that the foregoing list of material factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining believe, or believed at the time, to be reasonable expectations and assumptions, there is no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither O3 Mining, nor Agnico Eagle nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. O3 Mining and Agnico Eagle do not undertake, and assume no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a forecast, projection or estimate of the future financial performance of Agnico Eagle or any of its affiliates or O3 Mining.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

    View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agnico-eagle-and-o3-mining-announce-subsequent-acquisition-transaction-and-completion-of-offer-302367380.html

    SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MLK Legacy Awards Presented at Living Legacy Convocation

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn’s MLK Legacy Awards for 2025 were presented on Friday, Jan. 31 during a ceremony at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. The ceremony was part of the MLK Living Legacy Convocation, which featured Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Todd Dulaney and UConn’s Voices of Freedom gospel choir.

    The MLK Legacy Awards at UConn are presented by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and recognize members of the community who have demonstrated a commitment to raising awareness, fighting injustices, assisting their communities, and embodying the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolence. The awards affirm and honor work and a continued dedication to making communities just, equitable, and fair for all people.

    This year’s winners by category are:

    Undergraduate Student – Andy Zhang ’26 (CLAS)

    Zhang is pursuing dual degrees in economics and environmental sciences. The Sandy Hook native works as an intern in the Office of Sustainability and is the founder and president of the UConn chapter of Plant Futures. He is also an intern with Friends of the Earth. Zhang is passionate about progressive policy and food advocacy and hopes to pursue a career focused on creating equitable and sustainable food systems through innovative policy solutions.

    Graduate Student – Adanma Akoma

    Akoma is a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and focuses on advanced characterization of materials used for industries that include energy and biomedicine. She serves as the president of BlackSTEM – a group for Black scholars pursuing graduate degrees in the STEM field and is the creative director and founder of the Writing Black Collective (WBC).  Her most recent project for WBC provides a platform for a cohort of writers that aim to demystify the challenges that are often faced by minority students in pursuit of doctoral degrees.

    Community Member – Nelson Merchan

    Merchan is a business advisor at UConn’s Small Business Development Center. In 2019, he was recognized as the state’s top business advisor for securing the highest lending impact. Merchan is a board member of the Western Connecticut State University Foundation, Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, and Housatonic Industrial Corp. Merchan has participated in entrepreneurship development programs in Costa Rica, Chile, and El Salvador.

    Alumni – N. Chineye (Chi) Anako ’12 (CLAS)

    Anako is a public health practitioner whose work has focused on the intersection of public health and health equity solutions. She is currently the regional director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Trinity Health. She also serves as administrator of the 3+1 Language Services Program at the organization, which provides cultural and linguistic services to patients. Anako serves on the board of the Copper Beech Institute and Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.

    Faculty – Kate Capshaw

    Capshaw is associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She has shaped cluster hires that brought new faculty to UConn, worked with departments on inclusion, and supported research and pedagogy on diverse topics and approaches. She is a professor of English and social and critical inquiry, teaching courses on Black youth culture, the graphic novel, and youth literatures. Her research focuses on the role of Black childhood to social justice movements, and she has published books on the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, and 19thcentury Black childhoods, along with  dozens of essays on race, culture, and creativity.

    Staff – Alexis T. R. Monteiro

    Monteiro is a residence hall director committed to fostering equitable and developmental spaces for students and professionals. A first-generation First Year Experience instructor, Monteiro champions impactful initiatives like the prayer room and “Humans of UConn” art exhibit in McMahon Residence Hall. He is the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging chair of the Northeast Association of College and University Housing Officers and chair of the Black Professional Network for the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International.

    Team – College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Strategic Vision Implementation Committee

    This committee includes faculty and staff representing the nine academic units in the college. The committee’s goal is to develop mechanisms to build systems with clear and meaningful commitment to DEIJ in the college. The group’s four priority areas are: increasing the diversity of CAHNR community; creating inclusive, culturally sustaining learning environments; identifying and addressing harmful institutional policies and practices; and creating pathways to successful community engagement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nearly 20,000 live animals seized, 365 suspects arrested in largest-ever wildlife and forestry operation

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    4 February 2025

    138 countries and regions join forces to target fauna and flora trafficking worldwide

    LYON, France – Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

    Operation Thunder 2024 (11 November – 6 December) brought together police, customs, border control, forestry and wildlife officials from 138 countries and regions, marking the widest participation since the first edition in 2017.

    Authorities arrested 365 suspects and identified six transnational criminal networks suspected of trafficking animals and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Such species are illegally trafficked to meet specific market demands, whether for food, perceived medicinal benefits, “luxury” and collector items or as pets and competition animals.

    Globally, more than 100 companies involved in the trafficking of protected species were identified.

    The operation led to the rescue of 18 big cats, including these tiger cubs in the Czech Republic.

    The seized animals were sent to conservation centres, where their health was assessed while awaiting repatriation or rehabilitation.

    Organized crime networks profit from the demand for rare plants and animals, like this bird seized in Mexico.

    More than 5,877 live turtles were seized during Operation Thunder, including these ones in Tanzania.

    Morocco conducted intelligence-led investigations and seized over 50 snakes of various species.

    12 live pangolins were seized during the action weeks, such as this one in Mozambique.

    These Oryx were seized in Iraq. The collection of DNA is a crucial part of supporting prosecutions.

    1,731 other reptiles were seized live, like these blue-tongued lizards in Australia.

    Overall, nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, were rescued.

    33 protected primates were seized during the operation, this one was discovered in Chile.

    An example of a deer seized in North Macedonia during the operation that was jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

    This primate was rescued in Indonesia during Operation Thunder.

    The live animals, which included big cats, birds, pangolins, primates and reptiles were rescued in connection with 2,213 seizures made worldwide.

    Where possible, wildlife forensic experts collected DNA samples before transferring the animals to conservation centres, where their health was assessed while awaiting repatriation or rehabilitation, in line with national frameworks and relevant protocols.

    The collection of DNA is a crucial part of supporting prosecutions, as it helps confirm the type of species and its origin or distribution, shedding light on new trafficking routes and emerging trends.

    Large-scale trafficking of animal parts, plants and endangered species

    In addition to the live animals, participating countries seized hundreds of thousands of protected animal parts and derivatives, trees, plants, marine life and arthropods.

    Timber cases represent the most significant seizures, primarily occurring in sea cargo container shipments, while most other seizures took place at airports and mail processing hubs.

    Authorities also investigated online activities and found suspects using multiple profiles and linked accounts across social media platforms and marketplaces to expand their reach.

    More than 100 companies involved in the trafficking of protected species were also identified.

    Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL Secretary General said:

    “Organized crime networks are profiting from the demand for rare plants and animals, exploiting nature to fuel human greed. This has far-reaching consequences: it drives biodiversity loss, destroys communities, contributes to climate change and even fuels conflict and instability.

    “Environmental crimes are uniquely destructive, and INTERPOL, in cooperation with its partners, is committed to protecting our planet for future generations.”

    Ian Saunders, WCO Secretary General, said:

    “Operation Thunder continues to shed light on a crime that is often not a priority for enforcement actors. Through our joint efforts we have established cooperation mechanisms that facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence, and we have refined our enforcement strategies.

    “The illegal wildlife trade is still rapidly growing, highly lucrative and has devastating effects. The WCO remains committed to supporting its members and partners to effectively combat this serious crime.”

    This leopard hide was seized in Namibia, during the largest-ever global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking.

    As well as this leopard skin coat discovered in Poland, Polish authorities also seized 300 seahorse tablets.

    This Mariposa butterfly found in Peru was one of 5,991 pieces and 233kg of arthropods seized globally.

    This wood in Brazil was among 49,572 pieces, 214.9 tonnes and 1340 m3 of timber seized worldwide.

    These sea cucumbers and shark fins were seized in Mozambique.

    Nearly 4.5 tonnes of pangolin scales were seized in Nigeria.

    Mongolia reported the seizure of 40 m3 of timber.

    This skull, discovered by Mexican authorities, was among 53 pieces of big cats seized around the world, including claws, furs, and skulls.

    Python skin products, like this one seized in Italy, are perceived as high-end or luxurious items.

    This coral, found in Italy, was one of 493 pieces and 21.41kg of coral seized globally.

    Indonesia reported two instances of trafficking of African ivory.

    Significant seizures include:

    • Indonesia: 134 tonnes of timber headed to Asia via ocean freight.
    • Kenya: 41 tonnes of exotic timber headed to Asia via ocean freight.
    • Nigeria: 4,472 kg of pangolins scales
    • Türkiye: 6,500 live songbirds discovered during a vehicle inspection at the Syrian border.
    • India: 5,193 live red-eared ornamental slider turtles concealed in passenger suitcases arriving from Malaysia at Chennai Airport.
    • Peru: 3,700 protected plants intercepted en route from Ecuador.
    • Qatar: Eight rhino horns found in a suspect’s luggage while transiting from Mozambique to Thailand.
    • United States: One tonne of sea cucumbers, considered a seafood delicacy, smuggled from Nicaragua.
    • Hong Kong, China: 973 kg of dried shark fins originating from Morocco seized at the airport.
    • Czech Republic: Eight tigers, aged between two months and two years, discovered in a suspected illegal breeding facility.
    • Indonesia: 846 pieces of reticulated python skin, from the world’s longest snake species, concealed on board a ship.
    • More than 300 firearms, vehicles and poaching equipment.

    Building a global intelligence picture of wildlife and timber trafficking

    Regular operations such as Thunder enable investigators to build a comprehensive global intelligence picture and detailed offender profiles, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of enforcement efforts and resolution of cross-border cases.

    Cooperation between various stakeholders is essential for effectively combating transnational criminal networks, from seizure to arrest and prosecution, as the data collected enable customs administrations to refine their risk management and compliance strategies, and stay one step ahead of criminals, ensuring that their contribution to the fight against wildlife crime is dynamic and responsive.

    Ahead of the operation, countries exchanged actionable intelligence on ongoing cases and high-value targets, updating critical information on 21 INTERPOL Red Notices for suspected traffickers wanted internationally. This exchange continued throughout the operation, with officers using the secure channels provided by both INTERPOL and the WCO to communicate in real time.

    The Operation Thunder series is backed by the CITES Secretariat and carried out under the partnership framework of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC). The 2024 edition was co-funded by the European Union, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Unlock Your Trading Edge with Axi at the 2025 Money Expo Mexico

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SYDNEY, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi announced that it is attending this year’s Money Expo Mexico, taking place on February 26-27, 2025, at Centro Citibanamex.

    Event attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Axi Select, Axi’s innovative capital allocation program designed to empower ambitious traders on their trading journey, as well as meet Axi Select traders who are well on their way to reaching the $1million milestone. “We invite all traders to visit our team at Booth 14 and uncover the future of trading with Axi,” says Greg Rubin, Head of Axi Select at Axi, before adding “We look forward to networking with fellow traders and showcasing the exceptional benefits of Axi Select. Our program features zero registration fees, capital funding of up to $1,000,000 USD, the opportunity to earn up to 90% of the profits, and advanced tools to accelerate traders’ trading potential.”

    Additionally, visitors can explore their Introducing Broker (IB) and Affiliate programs or learn more about Axi’s longstanding partnership with Manchester City, Premier League Champions. Man City memorabilia and the club’s mascots will be on-site for photos and attendees stand the chance to win exciting prizes from the broker, including signed player shirts and other merchandise.

    The broker has a longstanding partnership with Premier League club, Manchester City FC, as well as LaLiga club, Girona FC, and Brazilian club, Esporte Clube Bahia. In 2023, they also announced England international John Stones as their Brand Ambassador. More recently, the broker was recognised with the ‘Innovator of the Year’ award at the 2024 Dubai Forex Expo, as well as being named ‘Most Innovative Proprietary Trading Firm’ by Finance Feeds.

    The Axi Select programme is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service.

    About Axi

    Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Gold, Oil, and more.

    For more information or additional comments from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOEA Establishes Real-Time Consultation Hotline to Assist Taiwanese Businesses in Responding to U.S. Tariff Measures

    Source: Republic Of China Taiwan 2

    To address the impact of U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese companies operating overseas, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has commissioned the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to implement various support measures, thereby enabling businesses to make adjustments to supply chains and investment strategies. These support measures include:

    1. Establishing a Task Force and Consultation Hotline for Immediate Assistance
    TAITRA has set up task forces in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and South Asia to provide real-time support. A consultation hotline is available at +886-2-27577190.

    2. Providing Customized Services for Businesses to Expand Overseas Deployments
    The MOEA offers market insights for businesses relocating to the U.S. or other regions, which include investment locations, regulations, and partnership opportunities. Companies shifting production to supply local domestic markets receive regulatory guidance and networking support.

    3. Establishing a Service Center for Investment and Trade in the U.S. to Support Supply Chain Relocation
    Under the policy of “Connecting Taiwan to the World”, the MOEA will establish a Taiwan Investment and Trade Center in the U.S. It will help businesses assess investment environments, shift supply chains, and link with local partners.

    4. Strengthening Taiwan-U.S. Industrial Collaboration and Assisting Taiwanese Businesses with Innovation and Upgrading
    ITRI’s North America office will actively promote R&D and manufacturing collaborations, assist businesses in finding local partners, facilitate technological advancement, and boost competitiveness.

    The MOEA will remain committed to monitoring global trade trends and supporting Taiwanese businesses in adapting to market changes.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Resistance to mining grows in El Salvador as environmentalists’ face persecution

    Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage

    Update on El Salvador

    by CISPES

    First published January 31, 2025

    Despite a unanimous October ruling in their favor, five anti-mining activists from the community of Santa Marta will be back on trial on February 3. The retrial sets a dangerous precedent, allowing the Attorney General to move a case to a different jurisdiction through an appeal in search of a guilty verdict. It also comes amidst growing resistance to a December law opening the country to metals mining which reverses a historic national ban on mining passed in 2017.

    At a January 8 press conference, supporters of the Santa Marta 5, as well as leaders of the anti-mining struggle throughout the country, denounced increased harassment and suspicious activity related to mining in the districts of Santa Marta and nearby San Isidro. Since the January 2023 arrests, the organizations have maintained that the trial against the Santa Marta 5 is related to the reactivation of mining. “We have been saying that this case is intended to weaken or eliminate opposition to mining in Cabañas, which has proven to be true with the approval of the new law,” said the University of Central America’s Andrés McKinley.

    “The mask is off,” said Vidalina Morales, president of the Santa Marta Social and Economic Development Association (ADES), who have been warning about the government’s intent to overturn the mining ban for years.

    Morales warned that unknown vehicles have begun entering the community, which is close to a former mining operation. “Our peace of mind as residents of Santa Marta is constantly being threatened by the presence of people from outside our community interrupting our privacy.

    At night there is a lot of activity in our community and we want to denounce this publicly because we [also] experienced this situation prior to the capture of our comrades.”

    The increased activity in the community, according to Morales, has stoked fears that there could be additional criminalization of activists, which could take the shape of additional members of the community being added to the February trial. Other Santa Marta residents report that the Attorney General’s office is building a case against up to 40 additional Santa Marta community members, including Vidalina Morales.

    According to ADES spokesperson Alfredo Leiva, members of the San Isidro community have reported an increased military presence in the areas previously identified by mining interests. “They are sending us the message that it is no longer the companies that are going to protect these areas, but the state, through the army… So the message to the communities is that there may be more repression– not only through judicial processes but also through direct [violent] acts.”

    The new mining law requires the Salvadoran state to operate any new mines (likely through  public-private partnerships, which are permitted under the law), opening the door to further direct confrontation between communities defending their lands and a law enforcement apparatus that has seen its budget and personnel balloon under Nayib Bukele’s government. A State of Exception that eliminates civil liberties and further empowers the police and military has also been in place since March 2022. The State of Exception has been repeatedly used to militarize organized communities, including Santa Marta, and led to the detention of Morales’s son in 2023.

    Speaking at a January 15 press conference, ADES member Peter Nataren denounced the role of the United States in supplying equipment to the Salvadoran Armed Forces. “We, as a community, have privately asked U.S. authorities on multiple occasions to please stop equipping the Salvadoran military, for example, with helicopters and drones. At this point, our only option is to make that public because we know this has now become an issue of communities defending their land on one side and the military on the other.”

    “People are not going to let their land be taken away or their water polluted. So that is going to lead to violence and the current U.S. ambassador has been equipping the Salvadoran army, which he has been doing since he arrived,” Nataren continued.

    Nataren explained that U.S. mining companies Titan Resources Limited and Thorium Energy Alliance signed an agreement with the Salvadoran government. He called on U.S. organizations to pursue the details of the agreement under U.S. law, as it has been classified as confidential for five years in El Salvador.

    Resistance to the Mining Law Grows

    Following the initial wave of protests against the mining law in December, Salvadorans have taken to the streets in greater numbers to show their opposition to the measure. A January 12 march, convened by the Popular Rebellion and Resistance Bloc (BRP) in commemoration of the 1992 Peace Accords, highlighted the member-organizations’ opposition to the mining law. The march drew thousands of participants and ended with an impromptu rally at the steps of the National Library.

    On January 19, thousands more attended a rally, also held at the National Library, convened by a new group of young Salvadorans called the Voice of the Future Movement. While the crowd was largely made up of young people, including students from the University of El Salvador, a January 22 survey by the Francisco Gavidia University revealed that only 23.5% of all Salvadorans support the new mining law.

    Rally organizers, along with the Catholic Church and student organizations have been circulating a petition of Salvadorans who oppose the mining law, which has already gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The Catholic Church, as well as leaders in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Baptist Churches, have been outspoken against mining, with San Salvador Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas calling it “a life or death situation.”

    According to Alfredo Leiva, in the absence of a law prohibiting metals mining, the only option left is for communities to band together. “In such a small, densely populated, and deforested country, mining is akin to suicide. Therefore, if we want to continue living in this country, we need to organize ourselves creatively because the legal instrument that we had to prohibit mining no longer exists.”

    Original article: https://cispes.org/article/resistance-mining-grows-environmentalists%E2%80%99-trial-approaches

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on new Trump tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement today after President Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China:

    “When President Trump accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention last July, he made this promise to the American people: ‘starting on day one, we will drive down prices to make America more affordable.’ Today, on day thirteen of his presidency, he imposed tariffs that will send prices skyrocketing.

    “China, Mexico, and Canada are our three largest trading partners. American families will soon pay higher prices for avocados and appliances, diesel fuel and dog toys, car parts and Christmas lights, tomatoes and tequila, beer and gas. It’s the largest tax increase on working Americans in a long time, and it will cost them thousands of dollars every year. President Trump is making America expensive again.

    “These countries will promptly retaliate against President Trump’s tariffs with tariffs of their own. Thanks to President Trump’s needless trade war, the workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers who produce American exports will soon find it harder to reach their foreign customers. These tariffs will hit Delaware’s poultry growers, who export more chickens to Mexico and Canada than anywhere else, especially hard.

    “These tariffs not only make Americans poorer, they also make us less safe. One of our biggest assets is our global network of allies and partners, while our adversaries only have nervous neighbors and client states. Today, President Trump is transforming two of our closest partners into nervous neighbors. It sends a clear message to would-be allies: aligning with the United States won’t protect you from economic bullying. Judging the various levels of today’s tariffs, it may put you even more at risk.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons’ resolution reaffirming USAID’s role in safeguarding U.S. national security blocked on the Senate floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) went to the Senate floor to introduce and ask for unanimous consent on a resolution reaffirming the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s independence is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.

    The resolution is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s potential elimination of USAID and pause to the vast majority of U.S. foreign assistance programs, including reports that President Trump would sign an executive order folding the agency into the State Department— moves that are illegal without congressional approval. 

    “We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security,” Senator Coons said on the Senate floor. “Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades.”

    Senator Coons spoke on the unlawful efforts to defund and destroy USAID by President Trump and Musk and demanded clarity amid purges of USAID’s top personnel, aid freezes, and chaos. He highlighted USAID’s vital humanitarian assistance work during global conflicts and other crises, including efforts to counter terrorism recruitment in the Philippines and to reduce the number of children pulled into gangs supporting organized crime and human trafficking. He also pointed out that while Republicans claim to be concerned about cutting costs, our entire foreign aid budget accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget.

    U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) objected.

    The resolution introduced by Senator Coons expressed “the sense of the Senate that [USAID] is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.” The resolution has 42 cosponsors. The full text of the resolution is available here. 

    Earlier today, the Washington Post published an op-ed from Senator Coons highlighting the dangers posed but the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID.

    A video and partial transcript of Senator Coons’ comments are available below.

    WATCH HERE.

    SENATOR COONS: “Mr. President, if I might further expound on the resolution and respond to the comments by my colleague, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee on which I serve. The resolution I sought to advance today is a simple statement of fact. It reviews the history of USAID, its creation as an independent agency, and its recognition in a law I helped write just last year—that to reorganize it explicitly requires congressional consultation and notification in advance.

    The statement of the resolution, the core point, is that USAID is essential to the national security of the United States, because it mitigates threats abroad before they reach us here, it promotes global stability, it addresses the root causes of migration and extremism, and secures the leadership and influence of the United States in an era of strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. 

    Let me speak to a few points, if I might: the power of the purse, process matters, one percent, and who wins. Rolling back the decades of work and relationships that the nonprofits and AID do around the world is creating a vacuum – a vacuum that will be filled by bad actors. So in a country where we’ve long-funded the PEPFAR program, started by President Bush, long-supported on a bipartisan basis, that provides anti-retrovirals and testing and nurses and support and clinics; to abandon that, to defund that, to shut that down, simply creates an opening for a bad actor to come in and say ‘The Americans abandoned you. Sorry for your luck. Here we are. We want to help.’ The Chinese have invested hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars advancing their interests through investing in infrastructure, building partnerships in critical minerals, becoming the leads on port operations, and delivering humanitarian aid. We should not shut down our assistance to the world in a way that creates this vacuum. Who wins is the first question. My concern is our adversaries.

    Second, process matters. As those of us who are lawyers know, it’s backwards to start with an executive order that shuts down the funding for an organization and entity, to invade and occupy its headquarters, to have an unelected department get into its systems, to lay off and furlough its senior leadership, and then notify Congress of the intent to begin a conversation about reorganization. I welcome a chance to have a conversation about the future of our development assistance around the world, and my hope is that it will continue, because I have case after case to review here about the good work it does. But to shut down the funding and to cause lots of our partners to lay off their key staff, then begin a conversation about reorganization, is to get it backwards in terms of process and the law.

    I’m an appropriator. Why should we bother coming to an agreement on appropriations here in the Senate, pass a law, send it to the president, he signs it – and then in the next Congress and the next president, they can shut it down and claw it back? It gets to the very question of the power of the purse, which in Article 1 of the Constitution is the power of this body. Going forward, of course, as my colleague said, elections have consequences. It is true that President Trump and the new majority here will put their imprimatur on the policy priorities across a wide range of agencies and programs, absolutely. I expect that discussion and that fight – but this is reaching back and shutting down. 

    One percent – one percent, actually, less than one percent of the total federal budget goes to these vital humanitarian programs around the world. I’ll give you a few examples of what has been stopped in its tracks: a U.S. organization funded through AID has stopped its counterterrorism work in the Philippines that was reducing recruitment and radicalization. We walked away from that work. In Mexico, an organization that reduces the number of children recruited by gangs to help move drugs and migrants across our border has had its funding cut off. I remember trips I took, bipartisan delegations I was a part of, that went and visited AID-funded work where folks were delivering critical care. St. Mary’s clinic in Kibera – in Nairobi, in Kenya: one of the worst informal settlements – slums – I’ve ever been in in my life, and these dedicated, caring, capable folks delivering vital life assistance. In Liberia during Ebola, I will never forget meeting with the nurses, doctors, volunteers, the Liberians who were helping save lives. Why does this matter? Today there is an Ebola outbreak in Kampala, Uganda, and it’s the disease monitoring and testing, it’s the clinics and the nurses that keep these diseases controlled and managed on the other side of the world before they come here.

    Failing to sustain this work in an efficient and effective way is to fail to show the values of the United States, to show we’re not a reliable partner, it’s to show that the decades of bipartisan support for critical initiatives like PEPFAR have been abandoned because they’re no longer considered a smarter strategic investment by one party, while the other party will fight for it.

    My fondest hope is that we will yet find there is bipartisan support for continuing and sustaining these investments, but it’s unclear, because the unelected leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, is even now tweeting, ‘shut it down, close it off.’ My hope is that Secretary Rubio’s comments today on television about sustaining many of the critical functions of AID will win out, but I’m not confident – because it’s unclear to me who’s really driving this initiative. 

    Let me close: We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security. President Trump’s first defense secretary, General James Mattis, said to us in a hearing that if foreign aid were to get cut, he would need to buy more bullets, because foreign aid around the world helps us build relationships of support, combat terrorism and extremism, advance our values and priorities, and make us safer and more secure. I cannot think of a more troubling development than this long-trusted, capable, bipartisan effort at helping bring our values to the world and helping secure our nation would be cut off, abruptly, roughly, in a way that violates the law and the spirit of our long bipartisan compromise.

    Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades. My hope is that even though this resolution was opposed and thus defeated tonight, that the determination to support this great work will survive and thrive and prevail.”

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He is the former Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 3rd, 2025 Heinrich Speaks Out Against President Trump’s Tax on New Mexico Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Trump’s tariffs will increase prices, cost families as much as $1,200 per year

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on President Trump’s announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% tariffs on China:

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs are a tax on New Mexico’s working families. Trump’s tariffs will raise costs, kill jobs, and weaken our economy, costing New Mexicans up to $1,200 per household. With Mexico as New Mexico’s largest trading partner, Trump’s trade war and tariffs tax will directly hurt New Mexico’s farmers, businesses, and consumers.

    “We need to be putting the interests of working people first, not last. And that starts by lowering costs, not raising them.”

    While the effective dates of the tariffs are shifting, their catastrophic impacts are indisputable.

    Background on How New Mexico’s Economy Relies on Trade with Mexico

    New Mexico’s solid economic growth after pandemic-era disruptions was spurred in large part by cross-border commerce. An unnecessary trade war with Mexico drummed up by President Trump threatens to drive up prices for groceries, gas, cars, and other consumer goods, erasing wage increases and straining New Mexicans’ wallets. 

    Benefits to New Mexico from Trade with Mexico

    • In 2023, $28 billion worth of goods came through the Santa Teresa Port of Entry (STPOE), which Heinrich has pushed to expand by introducing legislation, securing federal appropriations, and urging leaders in Congress and the Executive Branch to prioritize this project.
    • The STPOE supported over 7,000 jobs and contributed $2 billion to New Mexico’s economy in 2023.
    • Since 2020, an additional 2,000 jobs in New Mexico have been added by the increased economic activity around STPOE.
    • New Mexico exported $3.4 billion to Mexico in 2023.
    • In 2021, exports supported 15,000 jobs in New Mexico.
    • Mexico is New Mexico’s largest trade partner, amounting to 70% of the state’s total goods exported in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 02.03.2025 Sen. Cruz Announced as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the announcement of subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress on the Committee. Sen. Cruz will be the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.
    Sen. Cruz said, “As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, I intend to pursue a robust oversight agenda and hearings schedule, with a focus on countering the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory practices toward our African partners. I will also focus on addressing threats posed by terrorist groups, freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, illicit finance across the continent, and diplomacy targeting us and our allies by malign actors. I look forward to also continuing work on other subcommittees strengthening strategic partnerships across the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.”
    BACKGROUND
    The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittees Sen. Cruz sits on holds jurisdiction over the following areas:
    Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy:
    The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.
    Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia, as well as regional intergovernmental organizations. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for counterterrorism matters.
    Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba, and the other countries in the Caribbean, as well as the Organization of American States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports. In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for transnational crime, trafficking in persons (also known as modern slavery or human trafficking), global narcotics flows, civilian security, democracy, human rights, and global women’s issues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As Trump deportations intensify, Pacific Island nations worry they could be overwhelmed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henrietta McNeill, Research fellow, Australian National University

    In his first term, Donald Trump deported far fewer people from the United States than his three predecessors: Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

    Just weeks into his second term, however, Trump is making the deportation of immigrants one of his top priorities. Immigration raids on those who have overstayed their visas and non-citizens with criminal histories have already commenced, with arrests increasing dramatically in recent days.

    His administration has announced plans to build a migrant detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba that could hold up to 30,000 people awaiting deportation. Trump has also threatened to use a little-known law from 1798 to speed up the process, bypassing immigration courts.

    While much of the attention has focused on the hundreds of thousands of migrants at risk of being deported to Latin America, many Pacific islanders are likely to be ordered to leave, as well.

    A list from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement of people with “final orders of removal” includes some 350 migrants from Fiji, 150 from Tonga and 57 people from Samoa, among others.

    Unsurprisingly, Trump’s threats have invoked fear across the Pacific. Prominent Fijian lawyer Dorsami Naidu told the ABC:

    We’ve had lots of people who have served prison sentences in America get sent back to Fiji where they introduce different kinds of criminal activities that they are well-groomed in.

    It should be noted, though, that not all of the people with orders to leave have been convicted of serious crimes. Many have simply overstayed their visas or may have only committed a minor infraction. Most want to turn their lives around.

    Lack of support

    Criminal deportations from the US, Australia and New Zealand have increased dramatically over the past decade, yet there is still a crucial lack of funding to support reintegration services.

    Concerns about the repercussions of criminal deportations are particularly high in Tonga, which received more than 1,000 returnees from 2009–20, nearly three-quarters of whom were from the US.

    One Tongan commentator suggested Trump’s decision would “unleash a wave of deportees that could drown Tonga and other Pacific nations in crisis”.

    Though some Tongan returnees are accepted back into families and societies, many struggle. A large number left the country when they were young and often have limited understanding of the local language and culture. As such, they experience difficulties reintegrating into society.

    My research shows that some deported Pacific islanders with criminal histories may turn “back to what they know” in the absence of support, which at times means involvement in the drug trade if there are no other means of gainful employment.

    In countries like Tonga where there is an escalating methamphetamine problem and a lack of employment opportunities, this is understandably concerning.

    Tonga, like other Pacific countries, struggles to fund organisations that crucially assist with deported peoples’ reintegration needs in order to prevent the risk of (re)offending. The countries deporting these individuals (such as the US, New Zealand or Australia) rarely provide any assistance, despite repeated requests from Pacific governments and non-governmental organisations.

    Can these countries negotiate instead?

    Countries can push back against Trump’s decisions to deport their citizens. Colombia was the first to do so, when President Gustavo Petro initially refused to allow military planes carrying deported migrants to land.

    Petro’s refusal was met with fury in Washington. Trump threatened a number of retaliatory trade measures, prompting Petro to eventually relent.

    Pacific states have previously tried to push back against deportations during the COVID pandemic. Samoa and Tonga, for instance, used diplomatic channels to request a “pause” on removals while they grappled with the unfolding health crisis.

    Australia and New Zealand complied with the request, but the US did not. Instead, it used punitive measures to force states into continue receiving deportations.

    For instance, the US blacklisted Samoan and Tongan nationals from the list of states eligible for seasonal work visas, affecting these countries’ economies. They were not returned to the list until they “complied” with US removals.

    International law mandates that countries accept their own citizens if they are deported. Those that refuse are deemed “deviant states”, which can cause problems for both the deporting state and returnees trapped in limbo.

    However, there are other ways of delaying deportation orders.

    For example, Samoa has requested additional information from the countries trying to deport Samoans and will not issue travel documents (for example, a passport) until this request is complied with. This information includes evidence of an individual’s connection to Samoa and family ties in the country.

    Samoan authorities maintain this helps organisations like the Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust find their families and arrange appropriate accommodation, aiding with their reintegration.

    Countries like Colombia and Samoa are acting in the interests of their citizens. While many have legitimate concerns about returnees potentially turning to crime once they are in their home countries, these states also want to challenge the perception that all migrants are criminals.

    As Petro, the Colombian president, was quick to point out:

    They are Colombians. They are free and dignified, and they are in their homeland where they are loved […] The migrant is not a criminal. He is a human being who wants to work and progress, to live life.

    Henrietta McNeill 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. As Trump deportations intensify, Pacific Island nations worry they could be overwhelmed – https://theconversation.com/as-trump-deportations-intensify-pacific-island-nations-worry-they-could-be-overwhelmed-248900

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: European stocks, euro slide due to US tariff concern

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    European stock markets and the euro currency took a sharp hit on Monday, as the latest U.S. tariff measures fueled concerns.

    Monday’s trading sessions marked the first since U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Saturday to impose a 25-percent additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10-percent tariff hike on imports from China, which has drawn widespread opposition and immediate retaliations.

    The euro weakened from 0.959 euros per dollar on Friday, before the tariff announcement, to 0.981 euros per dollar on Monday.

    European stock markets also reacted negatively to the developments. While major exchanges recovered slightly toward the end of the session, all closed with losses of at least 1 percent.

    In Milan, the blue-chip index on the Italian Stock Exchange ended 1.4 percent lower after dropping as much as 2.5 percent earlier in the day. France’s Paris Stock Exchange shed 1.3 percent, while blue chips on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany declined 1.1 percent.

    London’s blue-chip stocks also fell 1.1 percent on Monday.

    Bond markets were not spared from the turbulence, as yields climbed and investors moved capital into perceived “safe” markets.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US stocks extend losses on tariff concerns

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, the United States, on Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. stocks ended lower on Monday, as investors reacted to the Donald Trump administration’s planned tariff rollout.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 122.75 points, or 0.28 percent, to 44,421.91. The S&P 500 sank 45.96 points, or 0.76 percent, to 5,994.57. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 235.49 points, or 1.20 percent, to 19,391.96.

    Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with technology and consumer discretionary leading the laggards by losing 1.80 percent and 1.35 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer staples and utilities led the gainers by going up 0.68 percent and 0.46 percent, respectively.

    The tariffs, originally set to take effect Tuesday, include 25 percent duties on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on Chinese imports, with Canadian energy imports facing a reduced 10 percent rate.

    After a Monday morning call with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump agreed to postpone tariffs on Mexican imports for a month following Sheinbaum’s commitment to deploying troops at the border to curb fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.

    Later on Monday, Trump said the tariffs on Canada announced on Saturday “will be paused for a 30 day period” to see whether or not a final economic deal with Canada can be structured.

    U.S. major indexes narrowed losses in the morning session thanks to the latest development.

    “This is a very fluid and evolving situation,” said Victoria Greene at G Squared Private Wealth. “For now, our baseline thesis is the bulk of these are transitory and likely more watered down with concessions. We are on top of developments and watching how this may affect earnings, the U.S. dollar and inflation.”

    While concerns persist over potential price hikes and economic strain, Wells Fargo Investment Institute noted Monday that the administration’s “targeted and gradual approach” aims to mitigate disruptions to U.S. growth.

    Paul Christopher, head of global investment strategy at the institute, emphasized that services remain the primary economic driver, while the industrial sector continues to struggle with weak pricing power amid a manufacturing downturn.

    “It’s probably going to take several quarters to have a noticeable impact,” Christopher said. “You could eventually see some higher prices, but not right away.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump says US to pause tariffs on Canada for one month

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference on an aircraft collision at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the tariffs on Canada announced on Saturday “will be paused for a 30 day period” to see whether or not a final economic deal with Canada can be structured.

    “Canada has agreed to ensure we have a secure Northern Border, and to finally end the deadly scourge of drugs like Fentanyl,” Trump said in a post on social media platform Truth Social.

    In a post on X earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he “just had a good call with President Trump,” noting that “proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together.”

    “Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan – reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border,” Trudeau said.

    “In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million,” Trudeau continued.

    Trump said in his post that he is “very pleased with this initial outcome,” and the tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for 30 days to allow further negotiations.

    Trump signed executive orders on Saturday to impose a 25 percent additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10-percent tariff hike on imports from China, which has drawn widespread opposition and immediate retaliations.

    The tariff order on Canada is 25 percent on all imports and 10 percent on energy products. Canada immediately hit back with 25 percent tariffs on 155 billion Canadian dollars (107 billion U.S. dollars) worth of American goods.

    Earlier on Monday, Trump said that he had “very friendly conversation” with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and the two sides agreed to “immediately pause” the anticipated tariffs for one month and continue negotiations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump says US agrees to pause tariffs on Mexico for one month

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had “very friendly conversation” with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and the two sides agreed to “immediately pause” the anticipated tariffs for one month and continue negotiations.

    “I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” Trump said in a post on social media platform Truth Social.

    “We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico,” Trump continued.

    “I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries,” said the U.S. president.

    Trump signed executive orders on Saturday to impose a 25-percent additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10-percent tariff hike on imports from China, which has drawn widespread opposition and immediate retaliations.

    “The tariffs could increase how much U.S. consumers and businesses pay for goods coming from Canada, Mexico and China — including electronics, toys, shoes, fresh produce, lumber and cars. Tariffs are paid by companies importing goods into the U.S., similar to a tax,” according to a report by NBC News.

    The new tariffs mean that U.S. companies would have to either reduce profits or implement cuts to protect their margins, the report said, adding that the implications could be “wide-reaching” across the U.S. economy.

    Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Sheinbaum on Saturday instructed the Secretariat of Economy to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to defend Mexico’s interests in response to the levies imposed by the Trump administration.

    “We categorically reject the White House’s slander against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory,” the Mexican president said on the social platform X.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia won’t escape the fallout of the Trump trade chaos

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney

    In a hectic 24 hours of trade diplomacy, US President Donald Trump has paused his threatened 25% tariffs on US imports from Canada and Mexico, while keeping 10% tariffs on imports from China.

    Australian companies with operations in Canada or Mexico such as Rio Tinto, whose Canadian operations export billions of dollars of aluminium to the US, have won a temporary reprieve. But the risk of weaker economic growth in China will weigh heavily on companies that export to our largest trading partner.

    And Trump has hinted all US imports of aluminium and copper, including from Australia, may be his next target.

    The Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Tuesday that although Australia is not immune when there are escalating trade tensions, “we are pretty well-placed to navigate them.”

    However, even if Australia manages to stay out of Trump’s sights, Australians cannot expect to come out of a trade war unscathed. Due to the complexity of global supply chains, it is difficult to predict exactly how Australia would be affected, but here are a few key factors that would likely come into play.

    Our largest trading partner

    About 40% of Australia’s exports go to China, making it the biggest destination by far, according to data for 2023 from UN Comtrade. Most of this is Australian iron ore and other minerals that are used in China’s construction and manufacturing sectors.

    If Trump’s tariffs further slow the
    already sluggish Chinese economy, this will reduce demand for the goods it buys from Australia.

    If China’s demand for iron ore falls significantly, this will not only hurt the Australian mining sector, but it could trigger a fall in the Australian dollar, making the things Australians buy from abroad more expensive.

    But the size of the impact of the latest tariffs on China remains to be seen. China has already absorbed the tariffs from the first Trump administration, and the latest increase is much smaller than the 60% tariff he previously proposed.

    Trade diversion

    The one positive effect for Australia of US tariffs on other countries is that, because they raise the price of other countries’ exports to the US, they may make some Australian exports more competitive. This is something economists call trade diversion. For example, the tariffs on Canadian aluminium would have shifted US demand toward aluminium produced in Australia.

    The tariffs on China will divert relatively little trade to Australia because there is not much overlap between the products China and Australia export to the US.

    But China’s retaliatory tariffs could make a significant impact. China responded to the US tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term with tariffs on American wheat and other agricultural products. A similar move this time could create an opening for Australian farmers to fill the gap.

    But it is not all good news. The US exports diverted away from the Chinese market will also compete with Australian products in other countries. So, while Australian wheat may become more competitive in China, US wheat may displace Australia’s in the Philippines.

    A weaker Aussie dollar?

    Tariffs also tend to cause the currency of the country imposing them to rise because they reduce demand for goods denominated in foreign currencies.

    The flip side is a weaker Australian dollar, which dropped to a five-year low after the tariffs were flagged. The currency has now fallen nearly 10% since November.

    Again, this raises the cost of imports to Australia, which could lift inflation.

    Network disruption

    If the tariffs on Canada and Mexico are confirmed in 30 days’ time, the greatest impact will be in the supply chain disruption they will cause.

    Analyses of the tariffs Trump imposed on China in 2018 found most of the cost was borne by US businesses that use imported inputs. But because North American production networks are so highly integrated, and have been for decades, the effect of tariffs on Canada and Mexico will be much more disruptive to all North American producers.

    As economic networks expert Ben Golub explains, the concern is not just that auto prices will rise, but that if key parts of the production network fail, such as if small but important intermediate suppliers go out of business, the effects of the tariffs could cascade into major disruptions.

    Eventually, businesses will develop alternative supply chains, but the short-run pain could be considerable.

    For Australians, this could mean higher prices and supply disruptions, not just for the products we buy from the US, but for anything that depends on a North American supplier at any stage in the production process.

    We are still feeling the effects of the supply chain disruptions caused by COVID, including the jump in inflation in 2021 and 2022 and the subsequent high interest rates and global backlash against incumbent political parties. That includes Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office.

    Similar disruptions may be in store if this skirmish becomes a major global trade war. Even if Trump’s promised tariffs never actually materialise, we may still see the same effects on a smaller scale because the trade policy uncertainty from just the threat of a trade war has similar effects on business activity as actual tariffs.

    Whatever transpires, even if Australia can escape direct involvement in a trade war, it cannot escape the shockwaves that reverberate through the global economy. The question is whether it will be a ripple or a tsunami.

    Scott French 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. Australia won’t escape the fallout of the Trump trade chaos – https://theconversation.com/australia-wont-escape-the-fallout-of-the-trump-trade-chaos-248883

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –