Category: Pandemic

MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Couple Arrested For Stealing More Than $1.7 Million Dollars In COVID Relief Funds

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the indictment and arrests of Earlisha Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) and Somoza Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. If convicted, each faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count. Earlisha Louis is also charged with two counts of illegal monetary transactions. Each of those counts carry a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the pair that the United States intends to forfeit a residence and $1,705,553.80, which are alleged to be traceable to the proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, Earlisha and Somoza Louis devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. These programs were some of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. After receiving one of the loans, Earlisha Louis transferred more than $10,000 of the fraud proceeds between her accounts.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL Security OSI –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI: Payday Ventures is Leading as the Best No Credit Check Loans Platform with No Credit Check Loans Guaranteed Approval in 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York City, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Searching for the best no credit check loans online in 2025? You’re in the right place. When urgent expenses strike and your credit score isn’t where it should be, traditional banks often shut the door. That’s why more Americans are turning to no credit check loans with guaranteed approval alternatives — fast, flexible, and tailored for those with poor or limited credit history.

Payday Ventures acts as a reliable online platform that connects borrowers with trusted lending partners across the U.S. With a simple, secure process, Payday Ventures helps you find loan offers that require no hard credit checks, offering quick access to funds when you need them most.

We’ve done the digging and rounded up the top 5 no credit check loans online for 2025 — all accessible through trusted platforms like Payday Ventures. Let’s break them down.

How Payday Ventures Stands Out As a Leading Marketplace in Providing Emergency Loans Guaranteed Approval & No Credit Check Required

When bills stack up and traditional lenders shut the door, getting fast cash can seem impossible—especially if your credit score isn’t perfect. That’s why no credit check loans online in 2025 are gaining popularity, offering quick, hassle-free access to funds. Payday Ventures plays a crucial role as a trusted loan marketplace, connecting borrowers across the U.S. with reliable lenders who provide emergency loans with guaranteed approval and no credit check required.

Unlike direct lenders that often reject applicants based on credit history, Payday Ventures doesn’t perform hard credit checks or issue loans themselves. Instead, it offers a streamlined way to compare multiple loan offers through a secure platform, making it easier to find no credit check loans with fast approval and minimal paperwork.

Here’s why Payday Ventures stands out:
- No hard credit checks – Soft inquiries only, so your credit score stays protected
- High approval rates – Even borrowers with poor or no credit can receive real offers
- Fast application process – Complete the online form in minutes and get matched instantly
- Trusted network of lenders – Access a broad range of options in one place
- 24/7 availability – Apply anytime, from anywhere in the U.S.
From urgent car repairs to unexpected medical bills, Payday Ventures connects you to emergency loans that cut through the usual red tape. In 2025, it remains one of the best platforms for fast, flexible funding without credit score barriers.

Skip the credit check, snag your cash quick>>

Best Emergency Loans for Bad Credit with Guaranteed Approval in 2025

Big Buck Loans – Best for No Credit Check Loans Alternatives for Bad Credit Borrowers

Why is It Tough to Get a Loan with Bad Credit?

Getting approved for a loan when you have bad credit can feel like an uphill battle. This is because lenders use your credit score as a primary measure of your creditworthiness. A low credit score or negative credit history signals higher risk, making lenders cautious about approving your loan application.
Traditional banks and direct lenders typically prefer borrowers with strong credit histories because they indicate a higher likelihood of timely repayments. If your credit report shows missed payments, defaults, or a high debt-to-income ratio, lenders often view you as a high-risk borrower. Consequently, they may reject your application outright or offer loans with steep interest rates and unfavorable terms.

Moreover, many lenders rely on automated credit scoring systems that automatically filter out applications below a specific credit score threshold. This limits access to conventional loans for people with bad credit, forcing them to look for alternatives.

That’s where bad credit loans and no credit check loans come into play. These loan options often don’t require a detailed credit check, allowing borrowers with poor credit histories to secure fast funding. Many lenders offering emergency loans with guaranteed approval focus more on your current income and ability to repay rather than your past credit mistakes.

Platforms like Payday Ventures help borrowers explore these alternatives by connecting them with lenders specializing in loans for bad credit. This increases the chance of quick loan approval without the usual credit score barriers.

Bad credit? No stress — get your loan fast>>

Best No Credit Check Loan Lender that Provides Loan to Applicants with Bad Credit Scores by Payday Ventures

Big Buck Loans

Big Buck Loans is an online loan-matching service designed to help individuals quickly access short-term loans ranging from $100 to $5000, even with less-than-perfect credit. The platform offers a simple, 100% online application process with no paperwork, allowing users to receive funds in as little as 15 minutes to 24 hours after approval. With interest rates between 5.99% and 35.99% and repayment terms from 3 to 24 months, Big Buck Loans provides flexible options tailored to various financial needs.
The service is free to use, with no fees for applying or matching with lenders. Borrowers must be U.S. citizens or residents, at least 18 years old, have a bank account, earn a minimum of $1000 per month, and be able to afford the loan. The site emphasizes transparency, quick processing, and accessibility, positioning itself as a viable alternative to limited lending apps like Cash App. Additionally, Viva Payday Loans is mentioned as an alternative for those seeking payday or personal loans with similar loan ranges and terms.
Pros:
- Loans from $100 to $5,000
- Fast online application with same-day approvals
- Accepts applicants with poor credit
- Funds can be deposited within 24 hours
- No collateral required
- Operates 24/7 for urgent financial needs
Cons:
- Only available in select states
- Loan terms vary by lender, not standardized
How is Payday Ventures Making it Possible to Provide Instant Payday Loans Online Guaranteed Approval Alternatives?

When urgent cash needs arise, access to quick funds becomes crucial. However, traditional lenders often impose strict credit requirements and lengthy approval processes, leaving many borrowers stranded—especially those with poor credit. This is where Payday Ventures steps in, revolutionizing the way borrowers find instant payday loans online with guaranteed approval alternatives.

Payday Ventures acts as a trusted loan marketplace rather than a direct lender. By partnering with a broad network of vetted lenders, it connects borrowers with multiple lending options tailored to their financial needs. This unique approach enables borrowers to bypass traditional credit checks and complicated paperwork, which are common roadblocks in securing fast loans.

Here’s how Payday Ventures makes it possible:
- Access to No Credit Check Loans: Payday Ventures specializes in linking borrowers to lenders who offer no credit check payday loans. This means applicants don’t have to worry about their credit history impacting approval, making it an ideal solution for people with bad or no credit.
- Guaranteed Approval Alternatives: While no lender can guarantee approval outright, Payday Ventures improves your chances by presenting multiple loan offers instantly. This competitive selection increases the likelihood of finding a loan that fits your situation without the usual credit score barriers.
- Instant Online Application: The platform’s streamlined online application process can be completed in minutes from any device, offering borrowers immediate access to loan offers without lengthy waits or in-person visits.
- Wide Range of Loan Options: Whether you need a small payday advance or a larger emergency loan, Payday Ventures connects you with lenders offering flexible loan amounts, repayment terms, and competitive rates—all designed to meet diverse borrower needs.
- Secure & Confidential Platform: Payday Ventures prioritizes user security and privacy, ensuring that your personal information is protected throughout the loan matching process.
By focusing on speed, convenience, and inclusivity, Payday Ventures empowers borrowers across the U.S. to access instant payday loans online and other guaranteed approval loan alternatives—even when traditional banks say no.

In 2025, Payday Ventures continues to be a leading marketplace for fast, reliable, and accessible payday loan solutions, making financial emergencies easier to manage with minimal hassle.

No credit check required! Whether your credit’s good, bad, or somewhere in between, grab your loan today and breathe easy knowing cash is on the way!

How to Apply for No Credit Check Loans Online for Bad Credit with Payday Ventures?

Applying for no credit check loans online when you have bad credit can feel overwhelming—but Payday Ventures makes the process simple, fast, and secure. Here’s how you can get started and increase your chances of quick approval for loans designed for borrowers with less-than-perfect credit.

Step 1: Visit Payday Ventures’ Website

Start by heading to the Payday Ventures platform, a trusted marketplace that connects you with multiple lenders offering no credit check loans and loans for bad credit. The site is user-friendly and available 24/7, so you can apply whenever it’s convenient.

Step 2: Complete the Online Application Form

Fill out the short application form with basic personal and financial information. Payday Ventures uses this data to match you with lenders who specialize in bad credit loans and emergency loans with guaranteed approval. The process is quick—usually taking just a few minutes.

Step 3: Review Loan Offers

Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive multiple loan offers tailored to your profile. These offers often include instant payday loans online with flexible terms and no credit check requirements. Take your time to review interest rates, repayment periods, and loan amounts before making a decision.

Step 4: Select the Best Loan Option

Choose the loan that best fits your financial needs. Payday Ventures connects you directly to the lender, so you can finalize the loan agreement with confidence. Because the platform partners with a wide network of lenders, your chances of finding a suitable loan increase significantly—even with bad credit.

Step 5: Get Funds Quickly

After approval, funds are typically deposited into your bank account within 24 hours or less, depending on the lender. This fast turnaround makes Payday Ventures a reliable solution for urgent cash needs.

Bad credit dragging you down? Forget the hassle of credit checks and get approved fast with funds sent right to your account>>

Benefits of Using Payday Ventures for No Credit Check Loans Same Day Guaranteed Approval in 2025

When fast cash is a must, finding reliable no credit check loans with same day guaranteed approval can make all the difference. Payday Ventures stands out as a premier online loan marketplace, helping borrowers across the U.S. access quick funding without the hassle of traditional credit checks. Here are the key benefits of using Payday Ventures in 2025:

Fast Access to Emergency Cash

Payday Ventures connects you to lenders offering same day payday loans online, so you can receive funds quickly—often within 24 hours. This speed is crucial when facing urgent expenses or financial emergencies.

No Credit Check Required

Unlike banks and direct lenders that perform hard credit inquiries, Payday Ventures specializes in linking you with lenders who offer no credit check loans. This means your credit history won’t hold you back, making it easier for borrowers with bad or no credit to get approved.

Guaranteed Approval Alternatives

While no lender can promise 100% approval, Payday Ventures increases your chances by presenting multiple loan options tailored to your financial profile. This marketplace approach offers guaranteed approval alternatives by matching you with lenders most likely to approve your application.

Variety of Loan Options

Whether you need a small payday loan or a larger emergency cash advance, Payday Ventures provides access to a broad range of loan amounts and terms. This flexibility lets you choose the best loan suited to your immediate financial needs.

Simple and Secure Online Process

Applying through Payday Ventures is quick, with a streamlined online application that takes just minutes to complete. The platform uses advanced security measures to keep your personal and financial information safe throughout the process.

No Hidden Fees or Surprises

Transparency is a priority—Payday Ventures ensures you can review loan terms clearly before accepting any offer. This helps avoid unexpected fees and gives you peace of mind.

24/7 Availability

Financial emergencies don’t follow a schedule. Payday Ventures allows you to apply for no credit check loans same day anytime, anywhere in the U.S., making it convenient and accessible.

Don’t let bad credit stand between you and your goals. No credit checks here — just quick, easy loans ready when you are>>

Eligibility Criteria for No Credit Check loans Same day Guaranteed Approval

Getting approved for no credit check loans same day guaranteed approval requires meeting certain basic eligibility criteria. While these loans are designed to be accessible—even for borrowers with bad or no credit—lenders and loan marketplaces like Payday Ventures still set minimum standards to ensure responsible lending. Here’s what you typically need to qualify in 2025:

1. Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to apply for no credit check payday loans or any form of instant emergency loans online. Some lenders may require applicants to be 21 or older depending on state laws.

2. Proof of Income

Lenders need to verify that you have a stable source of income to ensure you can repay the loan. This can include regular employment, self-employment, government benefits, or other consistent income sources.

3. Active Bank Account

An active checking or savings account in your name is essential. Funds for your loan will typically be deposited directly into this account, and repayments are usually withdrawn automatically.

4. U.S. Residency

Most lenders require applicants to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Some may also accept those with valid work permits or other legal documentation.

5. Valid Contact Information

You must provide a working phone number and email address to facilitate communication during the application and loan approval process.

6. Minimal Documentation

Unlike traditional loans, no credit check loans usually require minimal paperwork. Basic identification (like a driver’s license or state ID) and proof of income are generally sufficient.

Forget credit checks and long waits. Apply now, even with bad credit, and get a fast loan tailored to your budget and timeline>>

Real Borrower Stories: How Payday Ventures Helped People Get No Credit Check Loans in 2025

Payday Ventures isn’t just another online loan marketplace—it’s a platform that has helped thousands of real people across the U.S. secure emergency funding when traditional options failed them. Below are a few real-world examples and user testimonials that highlight how no credit check loans with same day approval through Payday Ventures made a difference.

Case Study 1: Sarah – Freelance Designer from Arizona

Sarah had just wrapped up a slow month with freelance clients when her car suddenly broke down. With bad credit and no savings to spare, she turned to Payday Ventures for help. Within minutes of submitting the simple online form, she was matched with multiple lenders offering instant payday loan alternatives with no credit check required.

Loan Amount: $600
Approval Time: Under 2 hours
Credit Score: 510
Outcome: Funds deposited same day

“I didn’t think I’d qualify for anything with my credit, but Payday Ventures helped me find a lender fast—and no one even asked about my score.” – Sarah

Case Study 2: Jason – Warehouse Worker in Georgia

Jason was hit with an unexpected utility bill just days before payday. His credit history had taken a hit during the pandemic, so traditional loans were off the table. After searching online, he landed on Payday Ventures, known for connecting users with no credit check same-day loans. He completed the application on his phone during a break and had approval by the time he got home.

Loan Amount: $350
Approval Time: 1 hour
Credit Score: 476
Outcome: Bills paid, lights stayed on

“It was easier than ordering pizza. Zero paperwork, no calls, just fast help when I needed it.” – Jason, GA

Case Study 3: Mia – Part-Time Student in Illinois

Mia needed to cover textbook costs and rent for the month. With limited income and no credit history, she struggled to find any loan options. A friend recommended Payday Ventures, which specializes in bad credit and no credit loan options with guaranteed approval alternatives. She was matched with a lender offering flexible repayment and a quick turnaround.

Loan Amount: $500
Approval Time: Same day
Credit History: None
Outcome: Covered expenses without parental help

“It was my first time applying for a loan, and I was nervous. But it was simple and quick. No pressure, no surprises.” – Mia, IL

Who needs credit checks when you’ve got No credit check loans? Bad credit is no barrier here — just quick, easy cash to keep you moving forward>>

Important Considerations: Risks, Legal Notes & Responsible Borrowing Practices

While no credit check loans with guaranteed approval can offer fast financial relief, it’s important to understand the risks and responsibilities involved before applying through platforms

Risk Factors to Be Aware Of
- Higher Interest Rates: Many bad credit loan alternatives come with higher APRs due to the lack of credit checks. Always review the total repayment amount before agreeing to any terms.
- Short Repayment Windows: Most same day payday loan alternatives have shorter repayment periods, which can create additional stress if not managed properly.
- Debt Cycle Risk: Repeated borrowing can lead to a cycle of debt. These loans are best used for genuine emergencies, not ongoing expenses.
Legal Disclaimers You Should Know
- Payday Ventures is not a lender: It does not issue loans or perform credit decisions. It simply connects users with a network of vetted third-party lenders.
- Loan terms vary: Lenders in the Payday Ventures network may operate under different state regulations. Always read their terms, privacy policies, and legal notices before accepting an offer.
- Availability may differ by state: Not all loan types or features are available in every U.S. state due to lending laws and caps on interest rates.
Ethical Borrowing Guidelines
- Borrow only what you need: Just because you qualify for a loan doesn’t mean you should take the full amount. Keep repayment manageable.
- Be honest on your application: Providing accurate information ensures a smoother experience and helps avoid delays or denials.
- Understand the full cost: Before accepting a loan offer, make sure you understand the APR, fees, and payment schedule.
- Explore alternatives if possible: If you have access to community support, side gigs, or budget adjustments, consider those options before taking out a high-interest loan.
Need cash but hate credit checks? Same here. That’s why we made loans that skip the fuss and deliver the funds fast>>

Payday Ventures vs. Traditional Lenders: Why Same-Day No Credit Check Loans Are a Smarter Choice in 2025

When comparing Payday Ventures to traditional banks or credit unions, the differences are clear—especially for borrowers with bad credit or no credit history who need fast, same-day loan alternatives without going through a credit check.

1. Credit Check Requirements
- Traditional Lenders: Always perform hard credit checks, which can impact your score and lead to rejections if you have poor credit.
- Payday Ventures: Connects you with lenders who don’t require hard credit checks. Only soft inquiries are made, which do not affect your credit score.
2. Speed & Accessibility
- Traditional Lenders: Long application processes, in-person paperwork, and days of waiting.
- Payday Ventures: Entirely online with a fast, secure form. Get matched with offers and funds deposited as soon as the same day.
3. Approval Rates
- Traditional Lenders: Strict approval criteria focused on credit score, employment history, and banking relationships.
- Payday Ventures: Designed for high approval odds, even for those with bad credit or limited credit background.
4. Application Process
- Traditional Lenders: Involve multiple steps—appointments, documentation, and credit reports.
- Payday Ventures: Just a few minutes to complete one form. No faxing, no paperwork, 100% online.
5. Flexibility & Loan Variety
- Traditional Lenders: May not offer small-dollar or short-term loans, especially to riskier applicants.
- Payday Ventures: Gives you access to a network of lenders offering no credit check, same-day payday loan alternatives in various amounts and terms.
Credit hurdles? Forget them! Step up, apply now, and watch your cash worries disappear — no credit check, no stress. Your loan, your way>>

Conclusion: Why Payday Ventures is the Top Choice for No Credit Check, Same Day Loans in 2025

In 2025, when fast access to cash matters more than ever and credit scores can still hold borrowers back, Payday Ventures stands out as a trusted solution for no credit check loans with same-day guaranteed approval alternatives.

Unlike traditional lenders that rely heavily on rigid credit assessments, Payday Ventures connects users with a broad network of vetted lenders willing to offer emergency loans without requiring hard credit checks. Its 100% online platform is fast, secure, and built for convenience, allowing borrowers to submit one quick form and receive multiple loan offers, often within minutes.

Whether you’re dealing with an unexpected expense, temporary cash shortfall, or simply need bad credit payday loan alternatives, Payday Ventures makes the process simple, transparent, and judgment-free. With high approval odds, flexible loan options, and same-day funding possibilities, it remains one of the most reliable choices for no credit check loans online in the U.S. today.

If you’re looking for fast, flexible, and credit-friendly financing, Payday Ventures is the go-to marketplace to explore your options — without the wait, stress, or score penalties.

FAQs Regarding No Credit Check Loans with Same-Day Guaranteed Approval in 2025

Does it cost anything to apply through Payday Ventures?

No, applying through Payday Ventures is completely free. There are no hidden fees or application charges to use the platform. You simply fill out one secure online form, and Payday Ventures connects you with multiple no credit check loan options instantly.

How fast can I get money from a no-credit-check loan?

With Payday Ventures, borrowers can receive funds as soon as the same day if approved. The application process is quick—usually under 5 minutes—and once you accept an offer from a lender, the money is typically deposited within 24 hours.

What are the best loan providers for bad credit with guaranteed approval?

Payday Ventures works with a trusted network of lenders (Big Buck Loans) who specialize in bad credit loans, no credit check payday loan alternatives, and guaranteed approval options. Instead of searching lender by lender, Payday Ventures lets you compare multiple offers in one place—increasing your chances of getting approved quickly.

How fast can I get a bad credit loan through Payday Ventures?

Very fast. Most users receive loan offers within minutes of submitting their application. Once approved, funds are commonly transferred on the same business day, depending on the lender and your bank’s processing speed.

Are these no credit check loans safe and legitimate?

Yes. Payday Ventures partners only with vetted, reputable lenders in the U.S like Big Buck Loans. The site uses bank-level encryption to keep your personal information secure and ensures that you are only connected with legal and compliant lenders offering no credit check loan alternatives.

Can I use a loan from Payday Ventures to pay off other debt?

Absolutely. Borrowers often use these loans for debt consolidation, overdue bills, or other personal expenses. While Payday Ventures doesn’t dictate how you use the funds, many choose it to bridge gaps in cash flow or reduce high-interest debt.

What’s the typical APR on bad-credit personal loans?

APR can vary based on the lender, loan amount, and repayment term. However, by using Payday Ventures, you can easily compare multiple loan offers side-by-side and choose the one with the most favorable rates—even if you have bad or no credit.

Who qualifies for no-credit-check loans?

Most U.S. adults qualify as long as they are 18+, have a steady income, and possess an active checking account. Payday Ventures doesn’t require a credit score, making it one of the best platforms for those seeking no credit check loans online in 2025.

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The MIL Network –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Improving cholera outbreak response in Angola’s hardest-hit regions

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With the severe cholera outbreak in Angola, residents are understandably alarmed. “What can we do to avoid getting sick?” asked Maesso Damião, a resident of Zaire Province, to World Health Organization (WHO) public health experts who recently visited the province. The team responded with simple advice on food hygiene, water treatment, and seeking early medical treatment. “This information can save our lives,” said Damião.

In Angola, more than 25,000 cases and almost 800 deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2025 when the outbreak was declared. In Zaire Province, nearly 174 cases have been reported, with a very high case fatality rate of 5.7% as of 13 June 2025. Considering that 1% is the benchmark to indicate early and adequate treatment, the urgency to control the cholera outbreak is clear.

During its week-long visit to Zaire, the multidisciplinary WHO team visited the municipalities of Soyo, Nzeto, and M’banza Kongo, where cholera has affected vulnerable communities, including fisherfolk and informal traders. The team’s assessment revealed the challenges facing the response: treatment centres without adequate beds, shortages of materials, underreporting of cases, lack of sanitation, and difficulties in preparing chlorine solutions.

The WHO team supported the improvement of the quality of care and biosafety (safe working practices when handling infectious agents) in four cholera treatment centres, the improvement of water safety, and distributed essential supplies and safe drinking water. They also trained 140 health professionals in epidemiological surveillance, clinical management, and infection prevention and control.

“WHO’s support has enabled us to ensure crucial conditions to contain the outbreak, highlighting the importance of community involvement in disease prevention. This will allow us to adopt crucial measures for the future, prevent diseases and save lives,” said Zaire’s Provincial Health Director, Dr João Bernardo.

Collaboration with community leaders is essential to strengthen the response at the local level. More than 700 people took part in awareness-raising sessions at churches, beaches, and town squares.

“Cholera is not only a medical emergency, but also an emergency of sanitation, treated water, information, dignity, and social justice. We must continue to work together to eliminate cholera and protect the population,” says Dr Raquel Medialdea-Carrera, WHO epidemiologist from WHO’s Pandemic hub in Berlin and a member of the WHO team currently working on the ground in Angola.

Dr Indrajit Hazarika, WHO Representative in Angola, reinforced the importance of this integrated approach: “While the cholera outbreak is a cause for great concern, it also represents a critical opportunity for us to strengthen cooperation and the health systems and build more robust emergency preparedness. Our common goal is a healthier and more resilient Angola, and to that end, we hope we can count on everyone’s support.”

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

MIL OSI Africa –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: China’s Everest obsession: following Mallory’s footsteps a century on, I saw how tourism and climate change are transforming the mountain
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Carl Cater, Associate Professor in Tourism Marketing, Swansea University

Chinese tourists at Everest’s northern base camp, Rongbuk in Tibet, photograph the world’s highest mountain. Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND

To the discerning eye, other mountains are visible – giants between 23,000 and 26,000 feet high. Not one of their slenderer heads even reaches their chief’s shoulder. Beside Everest they escape notice, such is the pre-eminence of the greatest. (George Mallory, 1922)

The climbing season on Mount Everest peaks in late May and early June every year. Extreme weather patterns at this location and altitude mean the main climbing season is remarkably short, perhaps only a few weeks between the winter freeze and monsoon storms.

Even within that time, the precise location of the jetstream that accelerates wind speeds at the summit creates pinchpoints of ideal climbing conditions, leading to images of long queues of mountaineers at particularly challenging points such as the Hillary Step – named after one of the two men who first climbed Everest on May 29 1953.

In the 30 years after Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first stood at the summit, only 150 men and women matched their feat. But since then, the number of climbers has sky-rocketed. In 2019, a record 877 people summited the mountain, and in 2024 ascents were only just shy of this.

Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to climb Everest in 1993, has described how the “global obsession with the world’s highest mountain is shaping its future and the future of the people who work on it”.

Stephens said her ascent in 1993, when there was only one commercial expedition on the mountain, felt like a watershed moment. Since then, commercial expeditions have mushroomed on Everest’s southern base camp on the Khumbu glacier (altitude: 5,364 metres), which now boasts a wide range of facilities including coffee shops and party tents.

The explosion of interest in climbing Everest has been aided by the fact that, despite its altitude and dangers, it is far from the most difficult high-altitude mountain. A member of the Tibet Mountaineering Association who had summited five times told me, on a good day, Everest was “very straightforward” – and that climbing Denali in Alaska (North America’s tallest peak) had been much more difficult.

By the end of 2024, there had been 12,884 ascents and 335 deaths on Everest, a survival rate of 97.4%. But the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 metres, combined with avalanches, extreme weather and frostbite, will always present significant hazards to the people who visit these slopes.

Read more:
Fifty years ago, Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Everest – why do so few people know her story?

This climbing season, a Scottish former marine described quitting his attempt 800 metres below the summit after encountering two dead climbers. Meanwhile, four other ex-British special forces soldiers including UK government minister Alastair Carns used xenon gas and hypoxia training to travel to Everest and summit in under a week – leading to concerns that this could further increase the number of people attempting to scale the increasingly crowded mountain.

But while images of high-altitude queues and stories of occasional fatalities hog the headlines, most visitors to Everest do not attempt to climb it. And by far the majority of these tourists are on the “other side of Everest”, in China-administered Tibet.

Unlike a century ago, Everest is now easily accessed by tarmacked roads. (To compare the images, move the white bar right and left.) Sandy Irvine/Royal Geographical Society (1924)/Carl Cater (2024)

China’s “economic miracle”, combined with its desire to develop peripheral regions, has meant that Qomolangma (the Tibetan name for Everest) is now easily accessible, with tarmacked roads all the way to the northern base camp at Rongbuk (altitude: 5,150 metres).

From having lower numbers of visitors than the Nepalese side 20 years ago, the Tibetan side of Everest now welcomes more than half a million tourists a year – the vast majority from mainland China. Short Chinese holidays mean most of these visits are whistlestop trips that also take in the nearby high-altitude cities of Lhasa and Shigatse. Because of the lack of altitude acclimatisation time, many tourists carry oxygen bottles or wear oxygen backpacks during their visits.

Retracing the earliest routes

To better understand the impact of tourism on Everest, I visited the Tibetan side in June 2024 as a guest of Linsheng Zhong, professor of human and tourism geography at China’s Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research.

The date of our visit was significant, being a century since the disappearance of early Everest adventurers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine on June 8 1924. We set out to examine both the human and environmental changes that have occurred over the intervening hundred years – using century-old journals and photographs as a baseline.

As geographers rather than high-altitude mountaineers, our aim was to retrace some of the reconnaissance routes used by the British in the 1920s – a time when Nepal was closed to foreign visitors. Between 1921 and 1924, three expeditions organised by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club visited Tibet with the aim of being the first recorded people to climb Mount Everest. None, as far as we know, reached the top – and the remains of the two leaders of the final expedition, Mallory and Irvine, were only discovered on Everest many years later.

While the vistas are equally spectacular today, climate change has had a significant impact on glaciers throughout the region. Recent scientific estimates suggest that there has been between a 26% and 28% reduction in the glaciers surrounding Everest between the 1970s and 2010.

In 1921, the leader of the first expedition, Charles Howard-Bury, camped just below the Langma pass – the highest but most direct easterly route to Everest – and photographed “a peak of black rock with a glacier just below it”. It is apparent from this “slider” comparison, using a photograph I took from the same spot, how much this hanging glacier has retreated over the past century.

This glacier to the south of the Langma pass has retreated significantly. Charles Howard-Bury/Royal Geographical Society (1921)/Carl Cater (2024)

The human impact on Everest

Everest’s permanent northern base camp at Rongbuk in Tibet now welcomes up to 3,000 visitors a day in high season. Tourists are initially disgorged into a regimented tented village – modern versions of Tibetan yak herder accommodation.

Some of these jet-black tents, made from thick yak hair which breathes when dry and is waterproof when wet, provide simple (but heated and oxygenated) accommodation for the hardier tourists who want to be at the mountain early for the best photo opportunities.

Wandering up the astroturf lining the central boulevard, we meet a range of souvenir sellers before reaching the “world’s highest post office” and a circular plaza commemorating the various scientific and political achievements of the region. The near-landscape is largely brown: when he was here, Mallory described the contrast between the rain-shadowed “monotonously dreary, stony wastes” of Rongbuk with the beauty of the snowy mountains looming above.

Today, a boardwalk takes tourists marginally further to Rongbuk monastery – founded in 1902 and rebuilt after being damaged during the Chinese Cultural Revolution – and a final viewpoint of the north face of Everest. A yellow sandstone band is clearly visible just below the summit – evidence that this mighty mountain was once at the bottom of the ocean.

An astroturf walkway in the tourist village at Everest’s northern base camp, Rongbuk in Tibet.
Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND

The mood on our trip was a sharp contrast to my visit in November 2007, when our Tibetan guide had been keen to evade any security checkpoints (albeit to maximise his personal profit, rather than any ethical standpoint). With only a few thousand annual, mostly international, visitors, the facilities back then were very limited, beyond a warning to tourists to proceed no further or face significant fines – and a shiny new sign proclaiming mobile phone coverage.

However, we were able to walk to the snout of the Rongbuk glacier, a jumble of shattered sandstone rocks at the terminal moraine. Today, tourists cannot go far beyond the monastery and are corralled on new boardwalks.

Tourism has brought rapid economic change to this region of the Tibetan plateau – including diversifying from traditional livelihoods. Central government efforts to reduce overgrazing in the fragile ecosystem have led to a system of payments to traditional herders – and a drop in livestock numbers from a peak of nearly 1 million in 2008 to below 700,000 today.

In contrast, the permanent human population of the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve (the protected area that includes the Tibetan side of Everest) has more than doubled since the 1950s to more than 120,000 people, with especially accelerated growth over the last decade coinciding with the rise in tourism. The Pang La pass which crosses into the Rongbuk valley, described as “desolate” by English mountaineer Alan Hinkes in the 1980s, is now festooned with souvenir shops and mobile coffee baristas.

Concern about the environmental impacts of these tourists led to the introduction of a fleet of electric buses in 2019, with visitors instructed to park their vehicles in the small town of Tashi Dzom before taking a 30-minute electric bus ride to the northern Everest base camp.

Tourists are brought up the mountain to Rongbuk in electric buses.
Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND

Now there are plans to move the bus transfer station to a gleaming new park centre closer to the main highway, to save tourists having to drive the numerous switchbacks over the Pang La pass to Tashi Dzom, then negotiate traffic jams and parking challenges nearer the peak.

This is partly to cope with another western import to China: the concept of the “road trip”. For Chinese car enthusiasts, the 5,000-kilometre Route 318 from Shanghai to the foot of Everest is now one of their most popular long-distance drives.

‘The most beautiful valley in the world’

We visited the east and north faces of Everest in Tibet armed with photographs and accounts from those three early British expeditions more than a century ago – the first recorded attempts to climb the world’s highest mountain.

The first (1921) expedition led by Howard-Bury, an army lieutenant-colonel, botanist and future Conservative MP, was a detailed scientific and topographical survey of the area. In their attempts to find a route to the summit, approaches via the northern (Rongbuk) and eastern (Kama) valleys were reconnoitred.

Views of Kharta, location of the 1921 expedition’s second base camp. Charles Howard-Bury/Royal Geographical Society (1921)/Carl Cater (2024)

Although less visited than the Khumbu base camp in Nepal or the Rongbuk base camp in Tibet, the eastern approach to Everest via the Kama valley is a wonderful trek with unobstructed views of the immense eastern face of Everest. Howard-Bury described the allure of the valley which remains today:

We had not been able to gather much information locally about Mount Everest. A few of the shepherds said that they had heard that there was a great mountain in the next valley to the south … They called this the Kama valley, and little did we realise at the time that in it, we were going to find one of the most beautiful valleys in the world.

The valley is accessed from the settlement of Kharta, a small-but-booming town on the banks of the Bong Chu-Arun river. Just below Kharta, the river enters a steep gorge, dropping from nearly 4,000m to 2,000m as it enters Nepal. Today, the Kama valley route is becoming popular with Chinese trekkers, although there are very limited facilities to deal with their impact on the area – notably, the human and plastic waste.

The 1921 expedition selected Kharta as the location of its second base camp after several months of exploration at Rongbuk. All were relieved to find such an amenable climate and greenery after the dry and cold of the Tibetan plateau. With the help of the dzongpen (village head) and a local fixer, they rented a farmhouse where many of the photos from the expedition were later developed. Located in a grove of poplar and willow with small streams trickling along its boundary, we also visited this farmhouse – now owned by a Tibetan farmer who cheerily showed us around and introduced the three generations of his family.

Three generations of the Tibetan family who now own the farm used by the 1921 British expedition.
Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND

The British expeditions’ investigations of the Kama valley are of particular interest as this valley sits on the climatic boundary between drier and wetter areas to the north and south of the Himalayan range. Howard-Bury described thick mists coming up the Kama valley each evening, providing significant moisture to the region:

As usual, in the evening, the clouds came up and enveloped us in a thick mist … When we started the following morning, there was still a thick Scotch mist which made the vegetation very wet … On the opposite side of the valley were immense black cliffs descending sheer for many thousand feet.

A profusion of mountain plant life.
Carl Cater, CC BY-NC-ND

Still evident today, this precipitation, combined with great variations in altitude and temperature, supports a profusion of plants – as well as animal life that our predecessors described as “extraordinarily tame”. Now as then, in summer, the hillsides are covered with the yellow, white and pink flowers of rhododendrons and azealas, and huge juniper trees grow in the lower valley. Howard-Bury described spending “the whole afternoon lying among the rhododendrons at 15,000 feet – admiring the beautiful glimpses of these mighty peaks revealed by occasional breaks among the fleecy clouds”.

Adorned with prayer flags, the high passes are still used by local people as portals to the sacred Kama valley. In 1921, when he crossed the Langma pass to enter this “sanctuary”, Mallory wrote that the grumblings of his previously stubborn porters had suddenly transformed into “great friendliness” and “splendid marching” – such that they were “undepressed with the gloomy circumstance of again encamping in the rain”. Descending into the Kama valley, Howard-Bury effused:

To the west, our gaze encountered a most wonderful amphitheatre of peaks and glaciers. Three great glaciers almost met in the deep green valley that lay at our feet. One of these glaciers evidently came down from Mount Everest.

While the topography here remains largely unchanged, the very significant reduction in the volume of the central glacier is evident in these comparison images:

The spectacular Kama valley photographed from below the Langma pass. Mount Everest is the distant right peak. Charles Howard-Bury/Royal Geographical Society (1921)/Carl Cater (2024)

In 1921, the expedition wrote that the outflow from the Kangshung glacier (which descends from Everest) had to “hurl itself into a great ice cavern” in order to flow under the Kandoshang glacier (from Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest peak) and become the Kama river. Today, as a result of glacial retreat, that ice cavern is no longer present and the main stream from the Kangshung glacier flows unimpeded along the snout of the Kangdoshang glacier.

Further up the valley, the 1921 expedition established another base camp in the high meadows towards the head of the valley at Pethang Ringmo, which, as well as a final camp stop for trekking groups today, remains an important grazing area for migratory yak herders. These herders were important sources of information for the early explorers, but today there is some evidence of overgrazing. Howard-Bury commented:

We found ourselves among pleasant grassy meadows – it was a most delightfully sunny spot at 16,400 feet, right under the gigantic and marvellously beautiful cliffs of Chomolönzo – now all powdered over with the fresh snow of the night before and only separated from us by the Kangshung glacier, here about a mile wide. Great avalanches thunder down its sides all day long with a terrifying sound.

A century later, avalanches continue to show us this is a dynamic landscape in a state of constant flux. Often, we would glimpse the rapid tumbling of ice and snow in a long white cloud, rushing down the steep couloirs seconds before the terrifying sound reaches you – reminding us of one of the major threats to climbers.

The ‘gigantic’ cliffs of Mount Chomolönzo viewed from Pethang Ringmo. Charles Howard-Bury/Royal Geographical Society (1921)/Carl Cater (2024)

At the head of the Kama valley, the Kangshung face of Everest is perhaps the most impressive of all the sides of the mountain, towering some two miles above the glacier below. Both the north-east (Tibetan) and south-east (Nepalese) ridges – the most popular routes to the summit – are clearly visible from here. The Kangshung face itself was not climbed successfully until an assault by an American team in 1983, and the first British ascent of Everest without oxygen by Stephen Venables in 1988.

While initially, the mountains and peaks look remarkably similar to the 1920s, the drop in the level of the glacier quickly becomes apparent. The ordered glacial flow has been replaced by rocky detritus and numerous perched lakes, leaving a lunar-like landscape.

During his first visit, and despite having spent much of his life in the mountains of Europe, Mallory wrote that he was in awe of the vista here:

Perhaps the astonishing charm and beauty here lie in the complications half-hidden behind a mask of apparent simplicity, so that one’s eye never tires of following up the lines of the great arêtes, of following down the arms pushed out from their great shoulders, and of following along the broken edge of the hanging glacier covering the upper half of this eastern face of Everest.

This view of the south-east ridge of Mount Everest shows the retreating Kangshung glacier. George Mallory/Royal Geographical Society (1921)/Carl Cater (2024)

While Everest was the prize sought by all the expeditions, the sight of the Makalu massif, dominating the Kama valley to the south, appears to have had a greater impact on both the climbers. Howard-Bury claimed it was by “far the more beautiful mountain of the two”, while Mallory “saw a scene of magnificence and splendour even more remarkable than the facts suggest”. He wrote:

Among all the mountains I have seen, and, if we may judge by photographs, all that ever have been seen, Makalu is incomparable for its spectacular and rugged grandeur. It was significant to us that the astonishing precipices rising above us on the far side of the glacier as we looked across from our camp – a terrific awe-inspiring sweep of snow-bound rocks – were the sides not so much of an individual mountain, but rather of a gigantic bastion or outwork defending Makalu.

In fact, according to Howard-Bury, “the shepherds would insist that Makalu was the higher of the two mountains, and would not believe us when we said that Mount Everest was the higher”.

The future of the Everest region

This historical comparison of hundred-year-old images and quotes represents both the enduring mountains but also the rapid changes that the Himalayas now face. Forces of tourism on one hand and climate change on the other are posing huge challenges for these marginal environments.

Our research shows that tourist and climbing activity is having significant impacts on the region. The causes are both directly at the mountain but also at home, particularly in the damage that all of our consumptive lifestyles are having on Himalayan glaciers.

Of course, these activities have also brought much-needed development opportunities to local populations, and the residents of both the Nepalese and Tibetan sides are generally much better off than populations in less-visited areas of their respective countries.

The expected redesignation of the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve as a national park in the current Chinese central government plan may bring opportunities for further management locally as the crowds continue to grow. However, we also identified a shortfall in protecting the significant cultural heritage and longstanding spiritual relationship to the mountain, which is often eclipsed by its physical size.

Perhaps a more balanced relationship to the mountain and its people is required, one that reevaluates our rather unhealthy obsession with just one peak. Reading the accounts from the 1920s, one is aware that there was a deep reverence for the region – not only from local people but also from its British visitors.

Journeys through Tibet’s Kama valley to Mount Everest more than a century apart. Video: Carl Cater and Linsheng Zhong.

In the intervening years, summit bids on the Tibetan side have historically been much lower than in Nepal. Closed to outsiders for much of the latter half of the last century, Tibetan ascents briefly became more popular in the 1990s and 2000s, with a few well-organised commercial operators. But closures in 2008 during Olympic preparations, and again during the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2023, once again meant a much-reduced number of attempts.

Combined with less reliance on foreign exchange, China has been able to exert much more control on the climbing industry, and in 2024 did not charge a permit fee at all, preferring to ensure climbers were appropriately experienced. There may be merit in this approach, as no one was killed on the Tibetan side in 2024, as opposed to the eight climbers who perished on the southern side.

But on both sides of the mountain, it is highly unlikely that our global obsession with Everest will wane. As longtime chronicler Alan Arnette notes, the mountain has an “immutable attraction that is oddly perverse”. So, it is important we continue to monitor the changes in this dynamic landscape wrought by both its visitors and climate change.

To counter the rising commercialisation of both mountaineering and mountain tourism requires, above all, greater respect for our mountains and the people who reside on them. According to Lakhpa Puti Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountain Academy, notes:

The Himalayan mountains are holy spots – and we, the Sherpas, worship them. Before climbing any mountain we worship it, begging apologies on having to step on it on the top, and asking to absolve the sin we are going to incur from this particular violence.

Watch more image comparisons of the Everest expeditions here. All historical photographs are published courtesy of the Royal Geographical Society. Slider comparisons built using Juxtapose.

For you: more from our Insights series:
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Carl Cater received funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ President’s International Fellowship Initiative. With thanks to Linsheng Zhong, Professor of Human and Tourism Geography at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

– ref. China’s Everest obsession: following Mallory’s footsteps a century on, I saw how tourism and climate change are transforming the mountain – https://theconversation.com/chinas-everest-obsession-following-mallorys-footsteps-a-century-on-i-saw-how-tourism-and-climate-change-are-transforming-the-mountain-257656
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The Club World Cup 2025 shows sharing the stage is the future of global sport

Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Cook, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Nottingham Trent University

Before it kicked off, the all new revamped and expanded men’s 2025 Fifa Club World Cup had already attracted controversy.

Some think even more football matches at the end of a long season pose a risk to player welfare. Others are concerned about a lack of fan engagement.

But aside from these issues the tournament, which features 32 clubs from around the world, provides fresh evidence of a new model emerging in global sport.

This event, which is being staged in 12 different cities across the US, is the latest experiment in “polycentric” hosting, where multiple locations collaborate as destinations for international sporting events.

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

The next men’s Fifa World Cup in 2026 will take place across the US, Canada and Mexico. Four years later, the event will be spread across different continents, starting in South America, before moving to Europe and Africa. In between, the men’s Euros of 2028 will be co-hosted by the UK and Ireland.

The trend is not limited to football. The 2026 Winter Olympics is being shared in Italy between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Commonwealth Games are also moving towards a more pragmatic model of hosting.

Our research, which focused on the men’s Euro 2020 tournament (delayed by COVID and held in 2021), suggests that polycentric hosting has many advantages.

Spanning 11 European countries, Euro 2020 was conceived as a celebration of the tournament’s 60th anniversary.

From a branding perspective, this posed significant challenges. Each city had its own visual identity, with localised fan engagement strategies.

Without a singular geographic or cultural anchor, Uefa, the governing body of European football, had to balance the benefits of celebrating local diversity with the need for a coherent overarching narrative.

Yet overall, the format worked. Despite the pandemic’s disruption, the tournament still reached broad audiences and activated fanbases in multiple regions.

Instead of one city or nation shouldering the financial and logistical burden of building infrastructure, accommodating visitors, and managing security and transport, responsibilities were shared.

A team effort

This can significantly reduce the risk of the problem of “white elephants” where expensive stadiums or facilities fall into disuse after an event has finished.

By using infrastructure and venues which already exist, the environmental and economic costs of hosting are minimised. It also makes hosting more feasible for countries that might not have the capacity to do it alone.

At the same time, many of the perceived benefits of staging sports events – such as economic boosts to local economies, increases in tourism, improved transport links, and civic pride – can be shared more widely. Rather than one host reaping all the rewards, several places can potentially benefit, engaging local communities and stimulating regional development.

Euro 2020, on the road to Wembley.
Michael Tubi/Shutterstock

Collaborative multi-host formats also allow for widespread sharing of knowledge and opportunities for innovation. When cities and organising committees work together, they can bring diverse perspectives, cultural insights, operational practices, and even healthy competition to the table.

We found that the development of friendly rivalries between Euro 2020 hosts actually encouraged a competitive mindset that motivated organising committee staff to attempt to outperform counterpart cities.

Read more:
Trump’s travel ban casts shadow over the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup and other US-hosted sporting events

Meanwhile Uefa enabled those different cities to develop branding strategies which reflected local character while contributing to a broader European narrative of unity through sport. One example was each city selecting a landmark bridge to tie in with the tournament’s overarching “bridging Europe” theme.

This collaborative way of thinking also led to creative and inclusive ideas. Glasgow, for example, integrated a cultural festival into its role as a host city, featuring local artists and musicians.

Polycentric tournaments aren’t without challenges of course. There is a risk of fragmentation, where the tournament feels like a series of disconnected mini-events rather than something cohesive.

But overall, the environmental, economic and cultural benefits can be substantial. And what began as a celebratory one-off with Euro 2020 is fast becoming the design for future major sport events.

By sharing the spotlight, cities and countries also share the strain and the opportunity. The age of the single host nation isn’t over, and the looming Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup is a stark reminder that above all, money still talks. But the era of shared hosting is clearly here, and might just be what global sport and its fans need.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Club World Cup 2025 shows sharing the stage is the future of global sport – https://theconversation.com/the-club-world-cup-2025-shows-sharing-the-stage-is-the-future-of-global-sport-256117

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Seminar to explore leveraging of AfCFTA for inclusive development

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Human Sciences Research Council’s Africa BRICS and Global South (ABGS) research unit will host a seminar focused on utilising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to promote regional health-industrial integration and foster inclusive development across the continent.

The ABGS research unit, based at the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC), focuses on issues related to Africa, BRICS, and the Global South.

Their research explores topics like economic integration, health security, and the role of BRICS in the Global South.

The hybrid seminar will be held at the HSRC Building in Pretoria on Tuesday, 17 June 2025.

Presented by Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Geoffrey Banda, the seminar will focus on how the AfCFTA can be a powerful catalyst for strengthening Africa’s local health security through increased and resilient regional trade, industrialisation, and innovation.

“The seminar will further explore how aligning health and industrial policy within the framework of the AfCFTA can drive job creation, enhance resilience, and support the continent’s broader development ambitions under Agenda 2063,” the advisory read.

In his recent book, “Cancer Care in Pandemic Times: Building Inclusive Local Health Security in Africa and India”, Banda makes a strong argument for an interdisciplinary approach that combines health research with industrialisation and regional economic integration.

The HSRC said this approach aims to develop sustainable and context-specific solutions to the health challenges faced in Africa.

Key themes to be explored include the vulnerabilities associated with reliance on global supply chains, the intentional connection between health and industrial capabilities, the transition to new technologies along with industrial capabilities, and the use of the AfCFTA to scale innovative procurement.

“This approach aims to gradually develop continental innovation ecosystems that support resilient regional trading systems.”- SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

June 14, 2025

MIL-OSI: MoneyHero Group Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Adjusted EBITDA loss improved by 49% YoY to US$(3.3) million
Improving revenue mix with high-margin insurance and wealth revenue accounting for 25% of revenue, up 11 pp YoY
Cost of revenue fell by 55% YoY and accounted for 44% of revenue, down 20 pp

SINGAPORE , June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoneyHero Limited (Nasdaq: MNY) (“MoneyHero” or the “Company”), a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

Management Commentary:

Rohith Murthy, Chief Executive Officer, stated:

“We began 2025 with strong momentum, building on the strategic pivot we initiated last year. In Q1, we made significant financial progress — reducing net loss to US$(2.4) million from US$(13.1) million during the same period last year, improving our Adjusted EBITDA loss to US$(3.3) million, and lowering our cost of revenue by 20-points to 44% of total revenue. These improvements reflect our disciplined focus on enhancing revenue quality, operating leverage, and margin expansion.

“Our strategy is delivering. By reallocating resources toward higher-margin verticals such as insurance and wealth, we are steering the business toward sustainable, profitable growth. These verticals now account for 25% of total revenue, an increase of 11-points year-over-year. Notably, our car insurance platform, launched in partnership with bolttech, is outperforming our expectations by driving higher conversion rates and recurring revenue with seamless end-to-end journeys and real-time pricing.

“We have also made substantial operational efficiency gains. Following last year’s restructuring to reset our cost base, we are leveraging AI across the organization to maintain a lean cost structure as we scale. From content creation and service automation to engineering workflows, AI is enhancing workforce productivity, reducing inquiry volumes, and improving user experience — all while keeping expenses flat. Consequently, our unit economics continue to improve quarter after quarter.

“Our member base is rapidly expanding, with registered MoneyHero Group Members increasing by 38% year-over-year to over 8 million. Leveraging these insights, we have refined our strategy and optimized our marketing spend to deliver highly personalized offers that boost user engagement – achieving stronger results with marketing costs falling 25% year-over-year.

“We are encouraged to see growing signs of recovery in the Philippines, a key market for us. After a major banking partner exited last year, we recently secured new partnerships with BPI and RCBC, restoring product supply across key verticals. These partnerships significantly strengthen our market position and offerings, and we anticipate a meaningful rebound in our performance during the second half of 2025 as these partnerships scale.

“Looking ahead, our priority throughout the remainder of the first half of 2025 will be to consolidate our recent operational gains. In the second half, we expect to accelerate topline growth by activating our robust pipeline of banking partnerships, strategically scaling our higher-margin insurance business, and launching Credit Hero Club in collaboration with TransUnion. Credit Hero Club will provide consumers with free credit scores, credit monitoring, and personalized financial product recommendations, thereby driving higher user engagement and conversion rates. This strengthens our confidence in accelerating our revenue growth and reaching positive Adjusted EBITDA in the later part of the year.

“With no debt and US$36.6 million in cash, we are well-positioned to invest in high-return growth initiatives and capitalize on opportunities as the regional personal finance comparison sector evolves. Our focus on disciplined execution, quality growth, and prudent capital deployment uniquely position us to lead market consolidation, deliver long-term shareholder value, and scale efficiently in a dynamic environment.”

Danny Leung, interim Chief Financial Officer, added:

“Our financial performance during the quarter clearly reflects the progress we are making following our strategic pivot in the second half of 2024, with a strong focus on revenue quality and disciplined operational management.

“While revenue declined 35% year-over-year as part of our strategic focus on improving quality, revenue mix substantially improved with high-margin verticals increasingly accounting for a larger proportion. Personal loans increased from 15% to 17% of total revenue, insurance grew from 8% to 13%, and wealth surged from 6% to 12%, further reducing our reliance on relatively lower-margin credit cards which decreased 13-points to 57%. Cost of revenue also fell by 55% year-over year and accounted for 44% of total revenue, a 20-point decrease. Combined, this significantly improved gross margins and underscores the effectiveness of our strategy to reposition toward higher-quality, sustainable revenue.

“Our operational efficiency initiatives are already proving to be highly effective, with total operating expenses falling by 26% year-over-year across advertising and marketing, technology, employee benefits, and general administrative costs. We are carefully managing costs while strategically investing in growth areas such as customer acquisition, technology re-platforming, and advanced data infrastructure.

“As a direct result of expanding gross margins and reduced operating expenses, net loss narrowed substantially to US$(2.4) million this quarter from US$(13.1) million during the same period last year—a significant improvement of over US$10 million. Adjusted EBITDA loss also improved markedly, narrowing from US$(6.4) million to US$(3.3) million year-over-year, underscoring our clear trajectory toward sustainable profitability.

“Looking ahead, we expect Adjusted EBITDA to improve throughout 2025, supported by steadily expanding margins and sustained operational efficiency. We remain confident in our ability to achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA in the later part of the year. Our strong cash position and disciplined investment strategy will ensure we remain focused on profitable growth and delivering sustained value to our shareholders.”

First Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights

Revenue decreased by 35% year-over-year to US$14.3 million in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a strategic shift toward diversifying revenue mix to enhance revenue quality and the high base effect set during the same period last year with significant marketing and customer acquisition spending in the credit card vertical to expand market share.
- Revenue from insurance products increased by 4% year-over-year to US$1.9 million in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 13% of total revenue, compared to 8% during the same period last year.
- Revenue from wealth products increased by 20% year-over-year to US$1.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 12% of total revenue, compared to 6% during the same period last year.
Cost of revenue decreased by 55% year-over-year to US$6.4 million and accounted for 44% of revenue, a decrease of 20 percentage points from 64% during the same period last year, reflecting improved gross margins through rewards costs optimization.
Total operating costs and expenses, excluding net foreign exchange differences, decreased to US$18.3 million in the first quarter of 2025 from US$30.4 million during the same period last year. This reduction was driven by more targeted and cost-efficient marketing campaigns, combined with strategic streamlining of technology costs to simplify workflows, and a comprehensive HR cost restructuring initiative.
Net loss for the period narrowed sharply to US$(2.4) million during the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$(13.1) million in the same period last year, supported by lower operating costs as well as lower non-operating expenses including foreign exchange differences and changes in fair value of financial instruments.
Adjusted EBITDA loss improved to US$(3.3) million in the first quarter of 2025 from US$(6.4) million in the prior year period.

First Quarter 2025 Operational Highlights

Monthly Unique Users for the three months ended March 31, 2025, of 5.7 million
MoneyHero Group Members, to whom the Company provides more tailored product information and recommendations, grew by 38% year-over-year to 8.1 million as of March 31, 2025
MoneyHero sourced 399,000 applications and had 155,000 approved applications in the first quarter of 2025

Capital Structure

The table below summarizes the capital structure of the Company as of March 31, 2025:

Share Class	Issued and Outstanding
Class A Ordinary	29,949,193¹
Class B Ordinary	13,254,838
Preference Shares	2,407,575
Total Issued Shares	45,611,606
Employee Equity Options	618,717²
Issued Class A Ordinary Shares Underlying Employee Equity Options	(618,717)³
Total Issued and Issuable Shares⁴	45,611,606

^{_____________________________________
1} Includes 618,717 shares issued to Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited (“Computershare”) which are held in trust pending exercise of share options and settlement by Computershare to the underlying exercising option holder.
² Includes granted but unexercised options as well as exercised options, pursuant to which the shares have not yet been issued as of March 31, 2025.
³ Issued in advance to Computershare and held in trust pending exercise of share options and settlement by Computershare to the underlying exercising option holder.
⁴ Public Warrants, Sponsor Warrants, Class A-1 Warrants, Class A-2 Warrants and Class A-3 Warrants are excluded since they are out of the money.

Summary of financial / KPI performance

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
	(US$ in thousands, unless otherwise noted)
Revenue	14,314		22,175
Adjusted EBITDA	(3,309	)	(6,440	)

Clicks (in thousands)⁵	2,081		N/A
Applications (in thousands)⁶	399		495
Approved Applications (in thousands)⁶	155		206

Revenue breakdown

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
	US$	%	US$	%
	(US$ in thousands, except for percentages)
By Geographical Market:
Singapore	5,084	35.5	8,944	40.3
Hong Kong	6,396	44.7	7,716	34.8
Taiwan	1,054	7.4	1,402	6.3
Philippines	1,779	12.4	3,979	17.9
Malaysia	–	–	133	0.6
Total Revenue	14,314	100.0	22,175	100.0

By Source:
Online financial comparison platforms	12,638	88.3	18,058	81.4
Creatory	1,676	11.7	4,117	18.6
Total Revenue	14,314	100.0	22,175	100.0

By Vertical:
Credit cards	8,173	57.1	15,426	69.6
Personal loans and mortgages	2,495	17.4	3,297	14.9
Wealth	1,663	11.6	1,387	6.3
Insurance	1,892	13.2	1,827	8.2
Other verticals	91	0.6	239	1.1
Total Revenue	14,314	100.0	22,175	100.0

_____________________________________
⁵ As of July 1, 2024, we transitioned from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. Consequently, we are unable to provide comparable click data for this period following the transition. Please refer to the section titled “Key Performance Metrics and Non-IFRS Financial Measures” for more information regarding the change in methodology.
⁶ Due to the nature of our business, there is often a delay in receiving confirmation of the number of Applications and Approved Applications by our commercial partners. As a result, the disclosed figures may utilize estimations if data is unavailable.

Key Metrics

	For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
	(in millions, except for percentages)
Monthly Unique Users⁷
Singapore			1.3			22.6	%
Hong Kong			1.0			17.3	%
Taiwan			1.8			31.2	%
Philippines			1.7			29.0	%
Total			5.7			100.0	%

Total Traffic⁷
Singapore			3.1			17.6	%
Hong Kong			3.3			18.7	%
Taiwan			5.9			33.5	%
Philippines			5.3			30.1	%
Total			17.5			100.0	%

	As of March 31,
	2025				2024
	(in millions, except for percentages)
MoneyHero Group Members
Singapore	1.4	16.7		%	1.2	21.0	%
Hong Kong	0.9	11.0		%	0.7	12.6	%
Taiwan	0.4	4.6		%	0.3	4.5	%
Philippines	5.5	67.7		%	3.4	57.2	%
Malaysia	0.0	0.0		%	0.3	4.8	%
Total	8.1	100.0		%	5.9	100.0	%

Conference Call Details

The Company will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, June 13, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time / 8:00 p.m. Singapore Standard Time to discuss the Company’s financial results. The MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) Q1 2025 Earnings call can be accessed by registering at:

Webcast: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/q7ymzw9v
Conference call: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI715b6ae9a0fa497a9a90877eaad916ac

The webcast replay will be available on the Investor Relations website for 12 months following the event.

_____________________________________
⁷ As of July 1, 2024, we transitioned from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. Consequently, we are unable to provide comparable monthly unique users and total traffic for this period following the transition. Please refer to the section titled “Key Performance Metrics and Non-IFRS Financial Measures” for more information regarding the change in methodology.

About MoneyHero Group
MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) is a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia. The Company operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. Its brand portfolio includes B2C platforms MoneyHero, SingSaver, Money101, Moneymax and Seedly, as well as the B2B platform Creatory. The Company also retains an equity stake in Malaysian fintech company, Jirnexu Pte. Ltd., parent company of Jirnexu Sdn. Bhd., the operator of RinggitPlus, Malaysia’s largest operating B2C platform. MoneyHero had over 260 commercial partner relationships as at March 31, 2025, and had approximately 5.7 million Monthly Unique Users across its platform for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The Company’s backers include Peter Thiel—co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and the Founders Fund—and Hong Kong businessman, Richard Li, the founder and chairman of Pacific Century Group. To learn more about MoneyHero and how the innovative fintech company is driving APAC’s digital economy, please visit www.MoneyHeroGroup.com.

Key Performance Metrics and Non-IFRS Financial Measures

Historically, we utilized data from Universal Analytics (“UA”), Google’s analytics platform, to measure three key business metrics: monthly unique users, traffic, and clicks. Effective July 1, 2024, Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) replaced UA. The methodologies used in GA4 are different and not comparable to the methodologies used in UA. While Google has provided some guidance on these differences, Google has not made available sufficient information for us to assess the impact (whether positive or negative) of this transition on our key business metrics, nor can we quantify the extent of such impact. Furthermore, due to the adoption of GA4, we have adjusted our definitions of these key business metrics to enhance accuracy and align them more closely with previous definitions under UA. Therefore, we are unable to provide comparable data for monthly unique user, traffic, and clicks for any periods prior to July 1, 2024.

“Monthly Unique User” means as a unique user with at least one session in a given month as determined by a unique device identifier from GA4. A session begins when a user opens an app in the foreground or views a page or screen while no other session is currently active (e.g., the prior session has ended). A session concludes after 30 minutes of user inactivity. To measure Monthly Unique Users over a period longer than one month, we calculate the average of the Monthly Unique Users for each month within that period. If an individual accesses a website or app from different devices within a given month, each device is counted as a separate unique user. However, if an individual logs in and accesses a website or app using the same login across different devices, they will only be counted as one unique user.

“Traffic” means the total number of unique sessions in GA4. A unique session is a group of user interactions recorded when a user accesses a website or app within a 30-minute window. The current session concludes when there is 30 minutes of inactivity or users have a change in traffic source.

“MoneyHero Group Members” means (i) users who have login IDs with us in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, (ii) users who subscribe to our email distributions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia, and (iii) users who are registered in our rewards database in Singapore and Hong Kong. Any duplications across the three sources above are deduplicated.

“Clicks” means the sum of unique clicks by product item on a tagged “Apply Now”, “Express Buy”, “Buy” or similar button on our website, including product result pages and blogs. We track Clicks to understand how our users engage with our platforms prior to application submission or purchase, which enables us to further optimize conversion rates.

“Applications” means the total number of product applications submitted by users and confirmed by our commercial partners.

“Approved Applications” means the number of applications that have been approved and confirmed by our commercial partners.

In addition to MoneyHero Group’s results determined in accordance with IFRS, MoneyHero Group believes that the key performance metrics above and the non-IFRS measures below are useful in evaluating its operating performance. MoneyHero Group uses these measures, collectively, to evaluate ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. MoneyHero Group believes that non-IFRS information, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance and may assist in comparisons with other companies to the extent that such other companies use similar non-IFRS measures to supplement their IFRS results. These non-IFRS measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with IFRS and may be different from similarly titled non-IFRS measures used by other companies. Accordingly, non-IFRS measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of other IFRS financial measures, such as profit/(loss) for the year/period and profit/(loss) before income tax.

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure defined as loss for the year/period plus depreciation and amortization, interest income, finance costs, income tax expenses/(credit), equity-settled share-based payment expenses, transaction expenses, changes in the fair value of financial instruments, non-recurring legal fees, and unrealized foreign exchange differences. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue.

A reconciliation is provided for each non-IFRS measure to the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with IFRS. Investors are encouraged to review the related IFRS financial measures and the reconciliations of these non-IFRS measures to their most directly comparable IFRS financial measures. IFRS differs from U.S. GAAP in certain material respects and thus may not be comparable to financial information presented by U.S. companies. We currently, and will continue to, report financial results under IFRS, which differs in certain significant respects from U.S. GAAP.

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2025		2024
	(US$ in thousands)
Loss for the period	(2,449	)	(13,100	)
Tax expenses	–		52
Depreciation and amortization	302		981
Interest income	(131	)	(595	)
Finance costs	14		8

EBITDA	(2,265	)	(12,654	)

Non-cash items:
Changes in fair value of financial instruments	(473	)	1,346
Equity settled share-based payment arising from employee share incentive scheme	441		623
Unrealized foreign exchange (gain)/loss, net	(1,012	)	4,036

Listing and other non-recurring strategic exercises related items:
Transaction expenses	–		35

Other non-recurring items:
Non-recurring legal fees	–		174

Adjusted EBITDA	(3,309	)	(6,440	)

Revenue	14,314		22,175
Adjusted EBITDA	(3,309	)	(6,440	)
Adjusted EBITDA Margin	(23.1	)%	(29.0	)%

Forward Looking Statements

This document includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States federal securities laws and also contains certain financial forecasts and projections. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this communication, including, but not limited to, statements as to the Group’s growth strategies, future results of operations and financial position, market size, industry trends and growth opportunities, are forward-looking statements. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, including “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “predicts,” “intends,” “trends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. All forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and forecasts and reflect the views, assumptions, expectations, and opinions of the Company, which are all subject to change due to various factors including, without limitation, changes in general economic conditions. Any such estimates, assumptions, expectations, forecasts, views or opinions, whether or not identified in this communication, should be regarded as indicative, preliminary and for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as being necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements and financial forecasts and projections contained in this communication are subject to a number of factors, risks and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the Company’s ability to attract new and retain existing customers in a cost effective manner; competitive pressures in and any disruption to the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) operates; the Group’s ability to achieve profitability despite a history of losses; and the Group’s ability to implement its growth strategies and manage its growth; the Group’s ability to meet consumer expectations; the success of the Group’s new product or service offerings; the Group’s ability to attract traffic to its websites; the Group’s internal controls; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the Group’s ability to raise capital; media coverage of the Group; the Group’s ability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; changes in the regulatory environments (such as anti-trust laws, foreign ownership restrictions and tax regimes) and general economic conditions in the countries in which the Group operates; the Group’s ability to attract and retain management and skilled employees; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on the business of the Group; the success of the Group’s strategic investments and acquisitions, changes in the Group’s relationship with its current customers, suppliers and service providers; disruptions to the Group’s information technology systems and networks; the Group’s ability to grow and protect its brand and the Group’s reputation; the Group’s ability to protect its intellectual property; changes in regulation and other contingencies; the Group’s ability to achieve tax efficiencies of its corporate structure and intercompany arrangements; potential and future litigation that the Group may be involved in; and unanticipated losses, write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges, taxes or other liabilities that may be incurred or required and technological advancements in the Group’s industry. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 on Form 20-F (File No.: 001-41838), registration statement on Form F-1 (File No.: 333-275205), and other documents to be filed by the Company from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, there may be additional risks that the Company currently does not know, or that the Company currently believes are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations, plans, projections or forecasts of future events and view. If any of the risks materialize or the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause their assessments to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. The inclusion of any statement in this document does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. In addition, the analyses of the Company contained herein are not, and do not purport to be, appraisals of the securities, assets, or business of the Company.

For inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations:
MoneyHero IR Team
IR@MoneyHeroGroup.com

Media Relations:
MoneyHero PR Team
Press@MoneyHeroGroup.com

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Loss and Other Comprehensive (Loss)/Income

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
(US$ in thousands, except for loss per share)	2025		2024

Revenue	14,314		22,175

Cost and expenses:
Cost of revenue	(6,363	)	(14,106	)
Advertising and marketing expenses	(4,584	)	(6,132	)
Technology costs	(816	)	(1,851	)
Employee benefit expenses	(4,354	)	(5,878	)
General, administrative and other operating expenses	(2,190	)	(2,387	)
Foreign exchange differences, net	954		(4,112	)

Operating loss	(3,040	)	(12,291	)

Other income/(expenses):
Other income	131		597
Finance costs	(14	)	(8	)
Changes in fair value of financial instruments	473		(1,346	)

Loss before tax	(2,449	)	(13,048	)
Income tax expense	–		(52	)
Loss for the period	(2,449	)	(13,100	)

Other comprehensive (loss)/income
Other comprehensive (loss)/income that may be classified to profit or loss in subsequent periods (net of tax):
Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations	(1,378	)	3,713

Other comprehensive (loss)/income that will not be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent periods (net of tax):
Remeasurement gains on defined benefit plan	–		1
Other comprehensive (loss)/income for the period, net of tax	(1,378	)	3,714

Total comprehensive loss for the period, net of tax	(3,827	)	(9,386	)

Loss per share attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent
Basic and diluted	(0.1	)	(0.3	)

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

	As of March 31,	As of December 31,
(US$ in thousands)	2025	2024

NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Non-current financial asset	600	600
Intangible assets	1,215	1,018
Property and equipment	174	215
Right-of-use assets	1,034	744
Deposits	36	25
Total non-current assets	3,059	2,601

CURRENT ASSETS
Accounts receivable	14,559	13,538
Contract assets	12,571	11,825
Prepayments and other assets	9,413	10,149
Tax recoverable	108	63
Pledged bank deposits	188	185
Cash and cash equivalents	36,634	42,522
Total current assets	73,472	78,282

CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts and other payable	29,400	30,209
Warrant liabilities	920	1,393
Lease liabilities	625	442
Tax payable	33	32
Provisions	30	71
Total current liabilities	31,007	32,147

NET CURRENT ASSETS	42,465	46,135

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES	45,524	48,736

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Lease liabilities	424	294
Provisions	42	–
Deferred tax liabilities	30	30
Defined benefit liabilities	187	185
Total non-current liabilities	683	509

Net assets	44,841	48,227

EQUITY
Issued capital	4	4
Reserves	44,837	48,223
Total equity	44,841	48,227

The MIL Network –

June 13, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: 13 June 2025 Departmental update mRNA Technology Transfer Programme’s Phase 2.0 discussed with partners on the sidelines of G20 Summit
Source: World Health Organisation

In parallel with the G20 Health Working Group, global health leaders are coming together in Johannesburg to set the foundation for a new phase of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme – a pioneering initiative transitioning from proof of concept to sustainable, commercially viable manufacturing, while enhancing pandemic preparedness and regional health security.

Launched in 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), with the support of the Government of South Africa, France, Belgium, Canada, the European Union, Germany and Norway, the Programme has successfully enabled 15 Partners across Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia to receive foundational mRNA technology. Now, it is moving into Phase 2.0 (2026–2030), with the aim of empowering regional manufacturers to scale up commercially sustainable production of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics at Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-grade.

“The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme is delivering on its promise to build capabilities in low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The Pandemic Agreement adopted by the World Health Assembly also includes legally-binding commitments to strengthen local production. We must now translate those commitments into capacity on the ground, so that when the next pandemic strikes, we meet it more equitably and more effectively.”

“This is a unique opportunity, driven by the pandemic. The foundations are in place — but without sustained political will, the promise of equitable mRNA access could slip through our fingers.” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. “What we need now is the courage to build on our investment to date, to align, and to realise the full value and impact of what we started.”

From technology access to market-ready solutions

The Programme is moving from focus on technology acquisition to defining how each partner will translate it into real-world impact. Each manufacturer is now focused on developing an economic case for long-term, flexible, and commercially viable manufacturing — with the capacity to produce mRNA vaccines in inter-pandemic periods and pivoting rapidly in response to future health emergencies.

Product focus areas include:
- mRNA vaccines – for pandemic and priority diseases (e.g., influenza, TB, HIV, malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis);
- mRNA therapeutics – such as oncology and monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments; and
- Biologicals beyond mRNA – including near-term commercial products to support facility viability.
“We have successfully progressed with the technology transfer to eight Partners — a testament to the strength and openness of this platform,” said Prof. Petro Terblanche, CEO of Afrigen Biologics. “What comes next is even more exciting: Afrigen is on the cusp of receiving GMP accreditation, positioning us not only as a technology originator but as a sustainable manufacturing and innovation partner for the Global South. We will continue to work with local and global partners on the development of new vaccines prioritizing the burden of disease in LMICs.”

A diversity of models, one global goal

The Programme’s Phase 2.0 recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all model. Manufacturers will develop tailored business strategies based on national health needs and policy, regulatory maturity and regional market dynamics. Some, like Bio-Manguinhos and Sinergium in Latin America, BioFarma in Indonesia, and Biovac in South Africa, are already piloting investment roadmaps with detailed market, regulatory, and COGS (cost of goods sold) modelling. Others will receive bespoke support to develop their investment cases.

Crucially, sustainability will depend on country and regional-level procurement commitments, pooled purchasing mechanisms, and cross-border alignment — especially in Africa and Asia, where national markets alone may be insufficient to support GMP-level manufacturing scale.

“We need to back science with smart policy,” said Dr Mmboneni Muofhe of South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. “This is about creating a new ecosystem for public health security, grounded in regional ownership, long-term strategy and investments.”

Rising demand meets structural barriers

While market opportunities for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics are growing — from seasonal influenza and HPV to innovative cancer treatments — the Programme acknowledges structural hurdles:
- Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy;
- Shifting donor funding priorities that reduce funding availability;
- High clinical trial costs; and
- Need for supportive policies and well-defined procurement pathways.
The mRNA Programme highlights both the growing interest in regional R&D consortia focused on target diseases of regional relevance like leishmaniasis and malaria, and the drive to advance next-generation technologies focusing on dose sparing, reduced cost of goods and thermostability.

MIL OSI United Nations News –
June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Himax Technologies, Inc. to Hold Annual General Meeting on August 13, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TAINAN, Taiwan, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced that the Company will hold its Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) in Taiwan on August 13, 2025.

Details of the Annual General Meeting are below:

TIME and DATE: TAIWAN 9:30 a.m., August 13, 2025

LOCATION: HIMAX FAB 2 – TAINAN CITY, TAIWAN

Shareholders will vote to adopt the Company’s 2024 Audited Accounts and Financial Reports, re-elect Mr. Yan-Kuin Su as an Independent Director of the Company, amend and restate the Company’s Amended and Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan by the Amendment(s) extending its duration for additional five years to September 6, 2030, and transact any other business brought before the 2025 AGM. Copies of the Company’s Proxy Statement and 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan Amended and Restated as of August 31^st, 2016, 2^nd Amended and Restated as of August 28^th, 2019, 3^rd Amended and Restated as of August 16^th, 2022, and 4^th Amended and Restated as of August 13^rd, 2025 have been filed with the SEC.

Additionally, a copy of Himax Technologies 2024 Annual Report has been posted on the Himax website for download. The Annual Report can be accessed at the following link: https://www.himax.com.tw/investors/financial-information/.

For additional information and travel arrangements, please contact Company or investor relations representatives listed below.

About Himax Technologies, Inc.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a leading global fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. The Company’s display driver ICs and timing controllers have been adopted at scale across multiple industries worldwide including TVs, PC monitors, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, automotive, ePaper devices, industrial displays, among others. As the global market share leader in automotive display technology, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive automotive IC solutions, including traditional driver ICs, advanced in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI), local dimming timing controllers (Local Dimming Tcon), Large Touch and Display Driver Integration (LTDI) and OLED display technologies. Himax is also a pioneer in tinyML visual-AI and optical technology related fields. The Company’s industry-leading WiseEye™ Ultralow Power AI Sensing technology which incorporates Himax proprietary ultralow power AI processor, always-on CMOS image sensor, and CNN-based AI algorithm has been widely deployed in consumer electronics and AIoT related applications. Himax optics technologies, such as diffractive wafer level optics, LCoS microdisplays and 3D sensing solutions, are critical for facilitating emerging AR/VR/metaverse technologies. Additionally, Himax designs and provides touch controllers, OLED ICs, LED ICs, EPD ICs, power management ICs, and CMOS image sensors for diverse display application coverage. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,200 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Himax has 2,603 patents granted and 389 patents pending approval worldwide as of March 31, 2025.

http://www.himax.com.tw

Forward Looking Statements

Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in this conference call include, but are not limited to, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use applications products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortage in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; changes in export license regulated by Export Administration Regulations (EAR); exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

Company Contacts:

Karen Tiao, Head of IR/PR
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Mark Schwalenberg, Director
Investor Relations – US Representative
MZ North America
Tel: +1-312-261-6430
Email: HIMX@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us

The MIL Network –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Portsmouth’s Planning team recognised at prestigious national awards ceremony

Source: City of Portsmouth

This achievement celebrates the team’s exceptional turnaround in planning performance following the pandemic, at the same time as delivering on two major projects that are shaping the future of the UK’s only island city: the Southsea Coastal Scheme and the Somers Orchard housing development.

The Southsea Coastal Scheme, delivered in partnership with Coastal Partners, is the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defence project. Spanning 4.5 km of seafront, it will protect over 10,000 homes, 704 businesses, key infrastructure, and heritage assets for the next 100 years.

The team was also recognised for their work at Somers Orchard, a community-led housing scheme addressing poverty and fire risk in one of Portsmouth’s most deprived areas. Developed with the council’s Housing team and shaped by a Government-funded design code pilot, the scheme received just five objections despite notifying over 900 neighbours—highlighting the success of its inclusive and transparent approach.

Cllr Hugh Mason, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development at Portsmouth City Council, said:

“Being named as a finalist for this prestigious award is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work, innovation and community focus of our Planning team. Their efforts are making a real difference to the lives of Portsmouth’s residents.”

The UK Planning Awards were announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 11th June at the IET London: Savoy Place, where Portsmouth was recognised as being one of five finalists, comprised of the UK’s leading planning authorities.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Demands Transparency from HHS Secretary Kennedy After Abruptly Firing Scientists from CDC’s Vaccine Safety Board

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

Warnock Demands Transparency from HHS Secretary Kennedy After Abruptly Firing Scientists from CDC’s Vaccine Safety Board

Senators Reverend Warnock, Luján, and 20 Senators pressed HHS Secretary Kennedy about the sudden firing of every member of the ACIP

The unprecedented action threatens the health of all Americans and hurts the legitimacy of the historically non-partisan board

Senator Warnock voted against Secretary Kennedy to lead HHS, the agency that oversees the CDC, due to concerns over disturbing comments and long-held beliefs of Kennedy that would threaten health care costs, quality, and access for millions of Georgians and Americans

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) led 21 Senate colleagues in demanding answers from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his sudden decision to fire every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In a letter sent to Secretary Kennedy, Senators Warnock, Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and 20 other Senate colleagues stressed the importance of protecting ACIP’s longstanding reputation as a trusted national authority on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease.

“This unprecedented action will strip Americans of the ability to make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of vaccinations – the complete opposite of ‘radical transparency’ and ‘good science’. We are troubled by your recent announcement to appoint several members to the committee who have a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation. We urge you to restore legitimacy to this historically non-partisan, science-based, and data driven committee and immediately reinstate the members of ACIP you have baselessly fired,” the Senators said.

“This decision appears to be a deliberate effort to repopulate the committee with anti-vaccine demagogues and continue pushing vaccine misinformation to the American people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 80 percent of parents with children under age 18 report that their children receive routine immunizations; however, a divide based on political ideology is growing. The reality is that most Americans trust the science behind vaccines – but through inaccurate information and politicization, you are eroding the trust in vaccines,” the Senators continued.

At the conclusion of the letter, the Senators pressed for greater transparency and emphasized the immediate risk Kennedy’s decision has on Americans’ public health.

“Patient safety and transparency is at the heart of ACIP – Americans deserve the ability to make informed decisions about their health. You are stripping Americans of the freedom to choose by your recent appointments to the committee by centering anti-vaccine ideology. Therefore, we demand that you recuse your personal views on vaccines and restore the ACIP. We urge you to immediately reappoint the members of the committee that you fired and remove those that you have recently appointed that have a documented history of peddling misinformation or undermining vaccine confidence,” the Senators closed.

Earlier this year, Senator Warnock voted against Secretary Kennedy to lead HHS, the agency that oversees the CDC, due to concerns over disturbing comments and long-held beliefs of Kennedy that would threaten health care costs, quality, and access for millions of Georgians and Americans. Since the CDC and its employees became a target of this administration, Senator Warnock has led several efforts defending their employment and the crucial role they play in keeping the nation safe. This includes joining them at a rally, delivering a floor speech opposing Secretary Kennedy’s nomination, demanding answers from administration nominees at Congressional hearings, and more.

In addition to Senators Warnock and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Gary Peters (D-MI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Jack Reed (D-RI).

Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We are deeply concerned by your decision to fire every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This unprecedented action will strip Americans of the ability to make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of vaccinations — the complete opposite of “radical transparency” and “good science”. We are troubled by your recent announcement to appoint several members to the committee who have a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation. We urge you to restore legitimacy to this historically non-partisan, science- based, and data-driven committee and immediately reinstate the members of ACIP you have baselessly fired.

ACIP is a longstanding, trusted national source of science- and data-backed advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Members that serve on this committee must undergo extensive vetting and disclose any conflicts of interest. Firing every member of the committee just before their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 eliminates the advisory board’s ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk. This reckless move is also happening as our nation faces the largest measles outbreak in over 30 years.

This decision appears to be a deliberate effort to repopulate the committee with anti-vaccine demagogues and continue pushing vaccine misinformation to the American people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 80 percent of parents with children under age 18 report that their children receive routine immunizations; however, a divide based on political ideology is growing. The reality is that most Americans trust the science behind vaccines — but through inaccurate information and politicization, you are eroding the trust in vaccines.

This is just one action of many that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently taken to undermine vaccine confidence in the United States. Just over two weeks ago, HHS reversed the CDC recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination. This decision was made without the consultation of ACIP or CDC, narrowing recommendations to exclude healthy pregnant people despite pregnancy increasing the risk for severe infection. Just a day later, HHS announced the termination of a contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine despite warnings of a future pandemic from infectious disease doctors and public health professionals. These deliberate efforts to sow doubt in the safety and efficacy of vaccines have real consequences — people will die.

In addition to advising everyday Americans on their health decisions, ACIP recommendations also influence whether insurance will cover certain vaccines, making them accessible to insured Americans. Furthermore, ACIP determines the vaccine recommendations for the Vaccines for Children program, which ensures underinsured and uninsured children across the nation can access vaccines at no cost. Without these recommendations, vaccines will become out of reach for far too many Americans. These actions contradict your written responses to questions for the record from the Senate Finance Committee, in which you said “yes” in response to a question about your commitment to ensure there are no financial barriers to accessing safe and effective vaccines.

Vaccines are safe and effective and have significantly reduced, and in some cases entirely eliminated, disease. With recent scientific advances in mRNA technology, vaccines are becoming easier and faster to produce in addressing today’s public health crises. It is critical that ACIP maintains its ability to develop science- and data-driven recommendations on vaccination without interference from anti-vaccine ideology.

Patient safety and transparency is at the heart of ACIP — Americans deserve the ability to make informed decisions about their health. You are stripping Americans of the freedom to choose by your recent appointments to the committee by centering anti-vaccine ideology. Therefore, we demand that you recuse your personal views on vaccines and restore the ACIP. We urge you to immediately reappoint the members of the committee that you fired and remove those that you have recently appointed that have a documented history of peddling misinformation or undermining vaccine confidence.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: East Granby Woman Admits $1.1 Million Pandemic Relief Program Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that KAREN GASTON, 44, of East Granby, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to offenses stemming from a scheme to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $1.1 million.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. The CARES Act also authorized SBA to distribute Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietors, to meet operating expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Gaston controlled certain entities including LNK, Elegant Clinical, Ruby Red LLC, and Diamond Shine LLC. LNK and Diamond Shine LLC were operational, but shared resources and employees. Ruby Red LLC had only one client and Gaston was its sole employee. Elegant Clinical was no longer operational. Beginning in approximately April 2020, Gaston submitted loan applications to the PPP and EIDL programs that falsely represented the status of the operations, resources, and employees of these entities. She also filed loan applications at separate financial institutions in order to disguise the true nature of her criminal activity.

Specifically, Gaston’s loan applications falsely represented that her businesses were all active and operating concerns; falsely represented the number of employees and the amount of wages purportedly paid by the businesses; included copies of fraudulent tax returns and tax related documents; and falsely represented that a family member, used as an applicant on an application, was a part owner of one of her entities.

Gaston received $1,163,910 in PPP and EIDL loan funds through this scheme. Instead of using the funds for payroll or other operating expenses, she spent the money on personal expenditures, including travel, food, luxury home goods, expensive jewelry, cars, and paying off her home mortgage.

Gaston pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Gaston has agreed to make full restitution. She also has agreed to the forfeiture of a ring she purchased in July 2020 from the jeweler Harry Winston for $39,521.63.

Gaston is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.

Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

MIL Security OSI –

June 13, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacob Ware, Adjunct Professor of Domestic Terrorism, Georgetown University

A recruit participates in the Army’s future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the streets. The parade aims to display the Army’s history and power.

“It’s going to be incredible,” President Donald Trump recently said. Trump’s 79th birthday also occurs on June 14.

Despite the festivities, however, the parade will occur amid bleak times for the U.S. military, as it experiences a multiyear decline in recruitment numbers. In the face of a pandemic and a strong civilian job market, the Army, Air Force and Navy all missed their recruitment goals in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the Army missed its quota by 25%.

In 2024, the U.S. military met its recruitment target, which supports the argument that the bump is not due to Trump, as recruitment levels began to rise again before his reelection. But in some cases, the U.S. military has met its recruitment goals by lowering target numbers.

And as a scholar of terrorism and targeted violence, I believe a close reading of available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military.

Gun violence data

Regardless of one’s personal politics, the data on U.S. gun violence makes for painful reading.

Almost 47,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2023. In 2022, there were 51 school shootings in which students were injured or killed by guns. And gun injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 19.

Data about the perceptions of gun violence is equally staggering, especially among American youth between ages 14 and 30.

Four out of five American youth believe gun violence to be a problem, and 25% have endured real active-shooter lockdowns, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, where I serve as a survivor fellow, the Southern Poverty Law Center and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab.

Moreover, these perceptions have considerable impacts on youth mental health and their sense of safety. Studies have linked concern over school shootings among adolescents with higher rates of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

As Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of education during the Sandy Hook tragedy, said in 2023: “Unfortunately, what’s now binding young people across the country together is not joy of music, or sports, or whatever, it’s really the shared pain of gun violence – and it cuts through race and class and geography and economics.”

National security threat

In the past couple of years, polls taken of Generation Z youth, born between 1997 and 2012, suggest mental health and mass shootings are among the most important political issues motivating this band of voters.

Gun violence, in other words, is a national security emergency, undermining the U.S. government’s ability to protect its citizens in their schools, places of worship and communities.

As former Marine Gen. John Allen wrote in 2019: “Americans today are more likely to experience gun violence at home than they might in many of the places to which I deployed in the name of defending our nation.”

U.S. Army National Guard members stand outside the Army National Guard office during training on April 21, 2022, in Washington.
AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

Rewriting American culture

Accordingly, gun violence has undercut American patriotism, corroding the U.S. government’s soft power within its own borders. Generation Z, termed by some as the “lockdown generation,” is often derided as less patriotic than its predecessors.

Surprising Gen Z Research.

Also, the belief in American exceptionalism is dropping among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. That perception is combined with less confidence in U.S. global engagement and the efficacy of military solutions.

American culture has long inspired military service, with recruits seduced by action movies and promises of heroic returns to the U.S. But American culture today is being rewired into one of suffering, pain and victimhood.

A fear of violence

Gun violence destroys youth tolerance for the violence that defines a career in the U.S. military.

Internal U.S. military surveys of young Americans show that “the top three reasons young people cite for rejecting military enlistment are the same across all the services: fear of death, worries about post-traumatic stress disorder and leaving friends and family — in that order.”

Generations already suffering a shattered sense of safety and place do not see the military as a viable option.

The explanations the U.S. Defense Department gives for dismal recruitment levels focus on the younger generation’s supposed lack of backbone or hatred of America.

D’elbrah Assamoi, from Cote d’Ivoire, signs her U.S. certificate of citizenship after a military training ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2023.
Vanessa R. Adame/U.S. Air Force via AP

Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have blamed alleged “wokeness” for low recruitment levels.

And the Trump administration’s statements about improving recruitment numbers over the past several months overlook both a late Biden-era surge after a pandemic slump as well as the reality that numbers remain depressed due to military services repeatedly lowering their recruitment goals.

Very rarely are introspective questions publicly debated today about the objective attractiveness of military service or the appetite for violence among young people. The problem, I believe, is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic – it’s that they have already been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.

In reversing the slide in recruitment, then, the military could improve its sensitivity to these important concerns.

Highlighting the range of careers within the services that do not involve front-line combat and physical danger could encourage more reluctant would-be recruits to volunteer.

Mental health support also could be made an essential element of military training and lifestyle − not a resource only for those bearing the hidden side-effects of life in the ranks. Encouraging those suffering from treatable mental health issues to seek meaning in service could also boost recruitment numbers.

Jacob Ware is a gun violence survivor and serves as a Survivor Fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety.

– ref. US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it – https://theconversation.com/us-armys-image-of-power-and-flag-waving-rings-false-to-gen-z-weary-of-gun-violence-and-long-term-recruitment-numbers-show-it-257090

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Warnock, Blunt Rochester Lead Senate Push Slamming Secretary Kennedy for Decision to Gut Nation’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and Replace Them With Vaccine Skeptics

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) led a group of 19 Senate colleagues in condemning U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s decision to gut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appoint several members to the committee with a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation. In the letter, the lawmakers raise the alarm on the dangers of gutting the ACIP and urge Secretary Kennedy to immediately reappoint the members of the committee he fired.

“We are deeply concerned by your decision to fire every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This unprecedented action will strip Americans of the ability to make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of vaccinations — the complete opposite of ‘radical transparency’ and ‘good science,’” wrote the senators.

The senators raised the alarm on the recent appointment of several members to the committee, “We are troubled by your recent announcement to appoint several members to the committee who have a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation. We urge you to restore legitimacy to this historically non-partisan, science-based, and data-driven committee and immediately reinstate the members of ACIP you have baselessly fired.”

“ACIP is a longstanding, trusted national source of science- and data-backed advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Members that serve on this committee must undergo extensive vetting and disclose any conflicts of interest. Firing every member of the committee just before their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 eliminates the advisory board’s ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk,” continued the senators.

“We urge you to immediately reappoint the members of the committee that you fired and remove those that you have recently appointed that have a documented history of peddling misinformation or undermining vaccine confidence,” the senators concluded.

In addition to Senators Luján, Warnock, and Blunt Rochester, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We are deeply concerned by your decision to fire every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This unprecedented action will strip Americans of the ability to make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of vaccinations — the complete opposite of “radical transparency” and “good science”. We are troubled by your recent announcement to appoint several members to the committee who have a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation. We urge you to restore legitimacy to this historically non-partisan, science-based, and data-driven committee and immediately reinstate the members of ACIP you have baselessly fired.

ACIP is a longstanding, trusted national source of science- and data-backed advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Members that serve on this committee must undergo extensive vetting and disclose any conflicts of interest. Firing every member of the committee just before their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 eliminates the advisory board’s ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk. This reckless move is also happening as our nation faces the largest measles outbreak in over 30 years.

This decision appears to be a deliberate effort to repopulate the committee with anti-vaccine demagogues and continue pushing vaccine misinformation to the American people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 80 percent of parents with children under age 18 report that their children receive routine immunizations; however, a divide based on political ideology is growing. The reality is that most Americans trust the science behind vaccines — but through inaccurate information and politicization, you are eroding the trust in vaccines.

This is just one action of many that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently taken to undermine vaccine confidence in the United States. Just over two weeks ago, HHS reversed the CDC recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination. This decision was made without the consultation of ACIP or CDC, narrowing recommendations to exclude healthy pregnant people despite pregnancy increasing the risk for severe infection. Just a day later, HHS announced the termination of a contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine despite warnings of a future pandemic from infectious disease doctors and public health professionals. These deliberate efforts to sow doubt in the safety and efficacy of vaccines have real consequences — people will die.

In addition to advising everyday Americans on their health decisions, ACIP recommendations also influence whether insurance will cover certain vaccines, making them accessible to insured Americans. Furthermore, ACIP determines the vaccine recommendations for the Vaccines for

Children program, which ensures underinsured and uninsured children across the nation can access vaccines at no cost. Without these recommendations, vaccines will become out of reach for far too many Americans. These actions contradict your written responses to questions for the record from the Senate Finance Committee, in which you said “yes” in response to a question about your commitment to ensure there are no financial barriers to accessing safe and effective vaccines.

Vaccines are safe and effective and have significantly reduced, and in some cases entirely eliminated, disease. With recent scientific advances in mRNA technology, vaccines are becoming easier and faster to produce in addressing today’s public health crises. It is critical that ACIP maintains its ability to develop science- and data-driven recommendations on vaccination without interference from anti-vaccine ideology.

Patient safety and transparency is at the heart of ACIP — Americans deserve the ability to make informed decisions about their health. You are stripping Americans of the freedom to choose by your recent appointments to the committee by centering anti-vaccine ideology. Therefore, we demand that you recuse your personal views on vaccines and restore the ACIP. We urge you to immediately reappoint the members of the committee that you fired and remove those that you have recently appointed that have a documented history of peddling misinformation or undermining vaccine confidence.

Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jacob Ware, Adjunct Professor of Domestic Terrorism, Georgetown University

A recruit participates in the Army’s future soldier prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Chris Carlson

The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and heavy pieces of military equipment will roll through the streets. The parade aims to display the Army’s history and power.

“It’s going to be incredible,” President Donald Trump recently said. Trump’s 79th birthday also occurs on June 14.

Despite the festivities, however, the parade will occur amid bleak times for the U.S. military, as it experiences a multiyear decline in recruitment numbers. In the face of a pandemic and a strong civilian job market, the Army, Air Force and Navy all missed their recruitment goals in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the Army missed its quota by 25%.

In 2024, the U.S. military met its recruitment target, which supports the argument that the bump is not due to Trump, as recruitment levels began to rise again before his reelection. But in some cases, the U.S. military has met its recruitment goals by lowering target numbers.

And as a scholar of terrorism and targeted violence, I believe a close reading of available data on military recruitment suggests U.S. gun violence may be largely to blame for the lack of interest in joining the military.

Gun violence data

Regardless of one’s personal politics, the data on U.S. gun violence makes for painful reading.

Almost 47,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2023. In 2022, there were 51 school shootings in which students were injured or killed by guns. And gun injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 19.

Data about the perceptions of gun violence is equally staggering, especially among American youth between ages 14 and 30.

Four out of five American youth believe gun violence to be a problem, and 25% have endured real active-shooter lockdowns, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety, where I serve as a survivor fellow, the Southern Poverty Law Center and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab.

Moreover, these perceptions have considerable impacts on youth mental health and their sense of safety. Studies have linked concern over school shootings among adolescents with higher rates of anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

As Arne Duncan, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of education during the Sandy Hook tragedy, said in 2023: “Unfortunately, what’s now binding young people across the country together is not joy of music, or sports, or whatever, it’s really the shared pain of gun violence – and it cuts through race and class and geography and economics.”

National security threat

In the past couple of years, polls taken of Generation Z youth, born between 1997 and 2012, suggest mental health and mass shootings are among the most important political issues motivating this band of voters.

Gun violence, in other words, is a national security emergency, undermining the U.S. government’s ability to protect its citizens in their schools, places of worship and communities.

As former Marine Gen. John Allen wrote in 2019: “Americans today are more likely to experience gun violence at home than they might in many of the places to which I deployed in the name of defending our nation.”

U.S. Army National Guard members stand outside the Army National Guard office during training on April 21, 2022, in Washington.
AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File

Rewriting American culture

Accordingly, gun violence has undercut American patriotism, corroding the U.S. government’s soft power within its own borders. Generation Z, termed by some as the “lockdown generation,” is often derided as less patriotic than its predecessors.

Surprising Gen Z Research.

Also, the belief in American exceptionalism is dropping among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. That perception is combined with less confidence in U.S. global engagement and the efficacy of military solutions.

American culture has long inspired military service, with recruits seduced by action movies and promises of heroic returns to the U.S. But American culture today is being rewired into one of suffering, pain and victimhood.

A fear of violence

Gun violence destroys youth tolerance for the violence that defines a career in the U.S. military.

Internal U.S. military surveys of young Americans show that “the top three reasons young people cite for rejecting military enlistment are the same across all the services: fear of death, worries about post-traumatic stress disorder and leaving friends and family — in that order.”

Generations already suffering a shattered sense of safety and place do not see the military as a viable option.

The explanations the U.S. Defense Department gives for dismal recruitment levels focus on the younger generation’s supposed lack of backbone or hatred of America.

D’elbrah Assamoi, from Cote d’Ivoire, signs her U.S. certificate of citizenship after a military training ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2023.
Vanessa R. Adame/U.S. Air Force via AP

Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have blamed alleged “wokeness” for low recruitment levels.

And the Trump administration’s statements about improving recruitment numbers over the past several months overlook both a late Biden-era surge after a pandemic slump as well as the reality that numbers remain depressed due to military services repeatedly lowering their recruitment goals.

Very rarely are introspective questions publicly debated today about the objective attractiveness of military service or the appetite for violence among young people. The problem, I believe, is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic – it’s that they have already been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.

In reversing the slide in recruitment, then, the military could improve its sensitivity to these important concerns.

Highlighting the range of careers within the services that do not involve front-line combat and physical danger could encourage more reluctant would-be recruits to volunteer.

Mental health support also could be made an essential element of military training and lifestyle − not a resource only for those bearing the hidden side-effects of life in the ranks. Encouraging those suffering from treatable mental health issues to seek meaning in service could also boost recruitment numbers.

Jacob Ware is a gun violence survivor and serves as a Survivor Fellow at Everytown for Gun Safety.

– ref. US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it – https://theconversation.com/us-armys-image-of-power-and-flag-waving-rings-false-to-gen-z-weary-of-gun-violence-and-long-term-recruitment-numbers-show-it-257090

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Former ACIP Member from WA State Raise Alarm Over Purge of Entire CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

NEW: Kennedy’s new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation

***WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s unprecedented decision on Monday to fire every single member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Dr. Helen Chu joined Senator Murray for the press conference, a professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who was a member of ACIP until Monday—when she was fired by Secretary Kennedy alongside the entire panel of experts. Senator Murray and Dr. Chu laid out just how unprecedented and unthinkably dangerous this move is, and what it means for the future of vaccine policy and public health.

On Wednesday, RFK Jr. announced eight new appointees to ACIP, including Dr. Robert Malone, a close adviser to RFK Jr. who downplayed the deaths related to one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. in years, and Vicky Pebsworth, who is listed as a board member and volunteer director for the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that is notorious for spreading vaccine misinformation.

“RFK Jr. took a dangerous, practically unthinkable step to undermine public health and vaccine confidence—he fired every single member of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel,” said Senator Murray on today’s press call. “And he is already packing the panel with people who advocated letting COVID rip through communities, who serve as board members of vaccine disinformation groups, who promoted conspiracies and quack treatments for COVID and measles—and he is just getting started! It is really just about impossible to underscore how reckless and unprecedented this is. I mean, even some Republicans who voted for him—only did so after he convinced them he wouldn’t go this far. Of course they should have known better—I even warned them! You can’t trust this guy, he has a long history of attacking science and vaccines at every turn, he’s not going to give up that crusade when you give him tremendous power to wage it. But they ignored the obvious warnings—and now here we are. Let’s be clear, RFK Jr. is not just crossing a red line for public health, he is sprinting into dangerous, uncharted territory in support of totally deranged conspiracies, and he is dragging us all along with him. He is putting our communities—and our families—in harm’s way.”

“The means by which vaccines are recommended for use in the United States is a careful, deliberate and rigorous process that has been in place for over 60 years. ACIP is widely regarded as the international gold standard for vaccine decision-making. Other countries have, in the past, considered the United States as a model to guide their own vaccine policies because they could be sure decisions were unbiased and based on evidence. But that may no longer be the case,” said Dr. Helen Chu, a professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Until Monday, Dr. Chu was also a member of ACIP until Secretary Kennedy abruptly dismissed the entire Committee this Monday. “We cannot dismantle a system that has allowed for open, evidence-based dialogue among experts, that has supported transparent, clear decision-making. We cannot replace it with a process driven by one person’s beliefs. In the absence of an independent unbiased ACIP, we can no longer trust that safe and effective vaccines will be available to us and the people around us. I worry about the health and safety of people in our country—and the future of our public health infrastructure.”

Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s dismantling of HHS and attacks on America’s public health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans’ health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.

In particular, Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments.

Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:

“I am here today to sound the alarm for public health, and to sound it as loud as I possibly can. Because this week, RFK Jr. took a dangerous, practically unthinkable step to undermine public health and vaccine confidence. He fired every single member of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel. Every. Single. One.

“And he is already packing the panel with people who advocated letting COVID rip through communities, who serve as board members of vaccine disinformation groups, who promoted conspiracies and quack treatments for COVID and measles—and he is just getting started! It is really just about impossible to underscore how reckless and unprecedented this is.

“I mean—even some Republicans who voted for him—only did so after he convinced them he wouldn’t go this far. Of course, they should have known better—I even warned them! You can’t trust this guy. He has a long history of attacking science and vaccines at every turn—he’s not going to give up that crusade when you give him tremendous power to wage it. But they ignored the obvious warnings. And now here we are.

“Let’s be clear, RFK Jr. is not just crossing a red line for public health, he is sprinting into dangerous, uncharted territory in support of totally deranged conspiracies, and he is dragging us all along with him! He is putting our communities and our families in harm’s way.

“Here’s what everyone needs to know. The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel has a simple, important job. Look at the data. Look at the science. And make recommendations on the vaccines FDA has approved as safe and effective.

“That work has serious repercussions. These recommendations impact public confidence and trust in our vaccines. These recommendations are trusted by health care providers as they talk to patients and discuss their personal health decisions.

“And these recommendations affect whether health plans—including Medicare and Medicaid—are required to cover vaccines at zero cost to patients or insurance companies can force Americans to foot the bill for vaccines that keep them safe or parents get guidance about which vaccines their children should receive and when.

“Guess what happens when vaccines become more expensive for patients? Guess what happens when Trump’s highest-ranking health official ignores the facts and tells people our vaccine experts can’t be trusted? Guess what happens when RFK Jr. packs the CDC advisory committee wall-to-wall with his favorite anti-science grifters and conspiracy pushers?

“Fewer people are going to get vaccinated. This is not rocket science.

“Maybe they think—because of RFK’s Jr.’s disinformation—that measles isn’t a big deal. Maybe they think—incorrectly—that it’s safer to get whooping cough than the vaccine. Maybe they just can’t afford it anymore—because the vaccine they wanted to protect their family is no longer covered by insurance.

“Whatever the reason, the result is going to be the same. Diseases we can fight—diseases we can prevent—spreading like wildfire through our communities, through our schools, through our nursing homes. Kids are going to be hospitalized, even killed, all because one conspiracy theorist thinks he knows better than qualified medical experts, and centuries of research.

“We’ve already seen an historic measles outbreak on RFK Jr.’s watch. His response to it has been a complete disaster, promoting quack cures and spreading lies about vaccines, as cases skyrocket.

“And, if RFK Jr.’s flood of disinformation is allowed to drown out real science, it’s not just going to be measles—we are going to see a full parade of horrors come raging back.

“We have to speak up. And we have to make sure we are countering nonsense with reality with facts. We have to make sure parents get the message: that vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving.

“And so, I am using my megaphone today, to not just raise the alarm, but to raise up the voice of an expert who knows the science of vaccines and who knows the stakes of this moment.

“I’m pleased to be joined by one of the CDC advisory members RFK Jr. is trying to silence through firing: UW’s own Dr. Helen Chu. Thank you all for joining this call today.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Workers need better tools and tech to boost productivity. Why aren’t companies stepping up to invest?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers turn their attention to improving productivity growth across the economy, it will be interesting to see what the business community brings to a planned summit in August.

Labour productivity (output per hour worked) has barely grown this decade.

Much of the focus in the current debate has been on the role of workers (labour) and industrial relations. Less discussed has been low business investment (capital).

Labour will be more productive if each worker can use more capital: machinery, equipment and technology. Over the medium term, providing workers with more capital – “capital deepening”, in the jargon – tends to be the main contributor to labour productivity growth.

But business investment as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) is currently at its lowest level since the mid-1990s.

Investment is low in both the mining and non-mining sectors. In the latest national accounts report for the March quarter, business investment in machinery and equipment fell 1.7%.

The average worker now uses less capital equipment – machines and computers – than a decade ago. Investment just hasn’t kept pace with growth in employment.

Read more:
‘Hard to measure and difficult to shift’: the government’s big productivity challenge

Why is investment so weak?

One possible reason was put forward by then Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe in 2023. He suggested that, during the COVID pandemic, firms concentrated on surviving. Seeking out more efficient ways to produce was a lower priority. But post-pandemic, firms seem to have been slow to pivot back to an efficiency focus.

Another reason may be that, until recently, wage growth has been slower than the growth in prices of goods and services produced. This may have reduced the incentives for firms to invest in the equipment needed to boost labour productivity.

A key driver of investment is profitability. Firms are more likely to fund investment from retained earnings than by borrowing or raising capital. But the share of corporate profits in the economy has been quite high in recent years. So this does not explain low investment.

The ‘animal spirits’ are lacking

Business confidence – what economist John Maynard Keynes famously called “animal spirits” – is another important driver.

Share prices, both in Australia and the rest of the world, have grown strongly in recent years. The S&P/ASX 200 index of Australian share prices is close to its all-time high. This would suggest financial markets are very optimistic about the prospects of Australian companies.

Direct surveys of Australian businesses from National Australia Bank suggest conditions (the current situation) and confidence (about the future) are around their long-term average level. So this also does not explain the low investment.

One contributor to low investment may be that firms are applying inappropriately high “hurdle rates”. These refer to the minimum return firms expect from an investment before they will undertake it.

Hurdle rates tend to be “sticky” over time, meaning they do not move much. Many companies still apply hurdle rates of over 12%. These were appropriate back when interest rates and inflation were much higher, but seem too high now as borrowing costs have fallen with interest rate cuts.

The Productivity Commission has suggested one contributor to low investment could be a higher risk premium. Since the global financial crisis in 2007-08, companies and investors may have become more cautious about taking on risk.

Another factor could be growing market power of Australian companies that dominate a sector, making them complacent rather than striving to improve their performance.

The high degree of uncertainty

The Reserve Bank recently compiled two measures of uncertainty. One is derived from stock markets. The other is based on the number of news articles about policy uncertainty.

Both show the current environment is as uncertain now as it was during the early stages of the global financial crisis in 2007–08 and the COVID pandemic.

Investment in machineray and equipment went backwards in the March quarter.
Parilov/Shutterstock

A common response to uncertainty is to defer decisions on both investment and hiring new workers until the outlook is clearer. A study by the Reserve Bank found that greater uncertainty did indeed reduce investment. But the size of the impact was – you guessed it – uncertain.

What can be done?

Business lobbies often attribute low rates of investment (and anything else they think people may not like) to “excessively high” corporate tax rates. But at 30% for large companies and 25% for small, the company tax rate is low by historical standards.

Some multinational firms may be deterred from entering the Australian market as our company tax rate is above that in some other jurisdictions. It is hard to tell how important this effect is. Company tax is only one of many factors that affect the comparative risk and return of Australia as an investment destination.

The Productivity Commission is investigating whether the corporate taxation system could be made more efficient rather than just lowering rates.

In the meantime, however, firms may be encouraged to invest more by a more stable domestic economic outlook. Inflation is back within the central bank’s 2-3% target range. Employment is around an all-time high proportion of the working age population. The election has removed some political uncertainty with a government holding a clear majority.

Businesses should stop whingeing and start providing workers with the tools they need to become more productive.

This article is part of The Conversation’s series, The Productivity Puzzle. Read the previous article here.

John Hawkins was formerly a senior economist in the Reserve Bank and the Australian Treasury.

– ref. Workers need better tools and tech to boost productivity. Why aren’t companies stepping up to invest? – https://theconversation.com/workers-need-better-tools-and-tech-to-boost-productivity-why-arent-companies-stepping-up-to-invest-257806

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Made In America: Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing And The Health Care Supply Chain.

Subcommittee Chairman Carter’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today’s hearing is critical in addressing our nation’s reliance on adversarial countries for essential medications and health care products. This dependence not only jeopardizes our national security and patient safety, but also highlights the urgent need to increase domestic and friend-shored manufacturing.

“Let me be clear: The United States should never be dependent on the Chinese Communist Party for the antibiotics and essential medicines. But that’s exactly the dangerous position we are in today.

“In 2002, the United States manufactured 72 percent of the pharmaceuticals it consumed. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 37.5 percent. We didn’t just outsource manufacturing—we outsourced the sovereignty and safety of our health care system.

“We saw the impacts of this reliance firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a conversation I had with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, under the Trump Administration, the United States saw a downtick in the amount of PPE and pharmaceuticals coming to our country from China in the fall of 2019. We didn’t learn about COVID-19 until January 2020.

“China knew there was an unidentified sickness in its own country, concealed it, and then withheld medical supplies so the United States was less prepared when COVID-19 hit our shores.

“As both a pharmacist and a member of Congress, I know how critical these medicines and supplies are — especially for our national security. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, over 323 drugs were in shortage during the first quarter of 2024 – an all-time high – and cancer patients were often forced to switch treatments, adjust dosage regimens, or, in extreme cases, unable to receive their lifesaving medications. There was no comprehensive effort to support American manufacturers or reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains.

“That is unacceptable.

“Thankfully, President Trump is taking meaningful action by demanding real investment in our domestic production base and putting an end to decades of failed ‘America Last’ policies that left our supply chains hollowed out and put our patients, constituents, and families at risk.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, we are bringing manufacturing back to America. Since the start of this year – the start of President Trump’s second term – Johnson & Johnson broke ground on a new $2 billion facility in North Carolina, Amgen announced a $900 million manufacturing expansion in Ohio, AbbVie committed $10 billion to invest in the United States, and Sanofi announced plans to invest at least $20 billion.

“And these are just a few examples. This is just the start.

“I look forward to hearing from my other colleagues about the recent investments in their districts and states during this hearing today, and I am thrilled to see what additional investments continue to flow and thrive under an Administration focused on unleashing innovation and bringing capacities back home.

“Along those lines, I commend recent efforts by this Administration to bolster domestic production, but we must do our part in Congress as well. This hearing will make it clear that more can be done to eliminate burdensome regulatory barriers, streamline processes that impede our competitiveness on the global stage, and establish the proper incentives to ensure we are creating the environment to allow innovation to flourish.

“It is no coincidence that Georgia – the No. 1 state in the nation to do business – is home to Manus Bio, who has invested nearly $60 million and created over 100 jobs with the acquisition of a new manufacturing facility in Augusta. We need more policies at the federal level that mirror the pro-growth examples we have in the state of Georgia.

“That is why House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which incentivizes domestic medical supply production by rewarding companies that build their products in America, like USAntibiotics, who is the last remaining end-to-end domestic U.S. manufacturer of amoxicillin, the most prescribed antibiotic in the country.

“This is about protecting American lives, empowering American workers, restoring American sovereignty, and reinforcing U.S. leadership in medical innovation.

“China is not our friend. Every product component that then turns into a vial of medicine or a piece of medical equipment that is made in China is a missed opportunity to strengthen our economy and protect our people.

“It is time to act. We need to view pharmaceutical and health care supply chain independence just as we are viewing energy independence. I am proud to stand with President Trump and all those committed to putting America First in our health care system—starting with the medicines we rely on every day.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why can’t we stop feeding monkeys? Experts explain the reasons behind a dangerous habit

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sian Waters, Research fellow at the Department of Anthropology, Durham University

A monkey waits for food from tourists in Thailand.
Miroslaw Gierczyk/Shutterstock

We’ve seen it happen. For example, a visit to the Ouzoud waterfalls in Morocco’s High Atlas led to an encounter with a group of nearby tourists feeding chips – supplied by the tour guide – to some waiting Barbary macaques. Pointing to a nearby sign that read “do not feed the monkeys” was met with complaints about spoiling their fun.

Scenes like this play out across the globe. Feeding wild primates is common in many countries. Scientists have spent years studying its effects on primate behaviour. But much less attention has been paid to the other side of the interaction – the people doing the feeding.

Our recent research explores not just the effects on animals, but why people feed monkeys in the first place. Understanding that is essential if we want to change behaviour and keep both humans and primates safe.

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

As tourism expands and infrastructure develops, humans and primates are living in closer quarters than ever before. Some species like macaques and baboons readily adapt to living in developed areas by foraging in rubbish bins and dumps.

Habitat loss also plays a major role. The wide scale destruction of primate habitat means they come to rely on human food waste or people feeding them.

In some tourism hot spots, feeding the primates, known as “provisioning”, is deliberate but regulated, ensuring tourists see the monkeys but cannot feed them. In others, tourists feed even endangered species freely, with little oversight. That’s when problems arise.

Thieving monkeys steal from tourists and barter for treats on BBC’s Planet Earth.

Uncontrolled feeding brings animals and humans into unusually close contact, and not always in welcome ways. Primates can become aggressive, resulting in bites, scratches and potential disease transmission. They may enter homes and shops, damage property, or intimidate people. Some primates even learn to beg or to steal valuables, returning them only when a food bribe is offered in exchange.

When food sources suddenly disappear, this type of behaviour can escalate. For example, during the pandemic, some macaque populations in Thailand made headlines as “gangs” that caused chaos when tourists stopped visiting. When animals are seen as a public nuisance, calls for culling or relocation often follow.

Read more:
Why monkeys attack people – a primate expert explains

Nutrition is another issue. The types of foods given to primates are usually calorie-rich and highly processed. Excess consumption of these foods can make primates obese or lead to chronic disease like diabetes. The extra calories allow some species to reproduce every year, leading to larger group sizes and compounding human-wildlife conflict.

Feeding of packaged foods also results in large amounts of plastic and other litter left behind by people. New roads contribute to this problem by offering opportunities to vendors to sell food to road users. The resulting food waste can attract monkeys to the roadside where passing motorists throw them more food. This puts both people and primates at risk of road accidents.

Some societies have fed monkeys for centuries and these interactions can be neutral or positive. However, many instances of people feeding primates causes negative interactions, so understanding why people feed monkeys is vital.

Feeding wildlife often results in plastic waste.
maxontravel/Shutterstock

Why people do it

As primate experts, we deal with the negative effects of uncontrolled monkey feeding all the time and know the complexities of this common human behaviour. Our recent review of the relevant research coupled with our own field experiences found a surprising range of motivations for why people feed primates.

We found that feeding primates could be a religious obligation, a way to perform a good deed or obtain good fortune. It may be helpful in managing a person’s mental health. Many people feed primates for emotional reasons like pity, or to feel a connection to the animals.

At some sites, residents have a vested interest in the continued practice of monkey feeding as it provides them with an income. Tour guides often receive higher tips when they can provide close animal encounters. Bus and taxi drivers can benefit from taking tourists to sites where they can observe and feed wild primates.

Read more:
Three surprising reasons human actions threaten endangered primates

Attempting to stop people from feeding primates is difficult as most perceive it as an enjoyable and carefree activity. Campaigns must be carefully designed and relevant to the local context. This includes understanding why people are feeding primates in the first place.

As scientists we need to better communicate the negative effects of feeding primates to a wider audience. We also need to prevent it from becoming an accepted activity, particularly in areas that could prove dangerous to both people and primates, such as roadsides.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. But talking to people who feed primates to understand why they do it is fundamental for designing effective management strategies in future.

Sian Waters is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group’s Section for Human-Primate Interactions (SHPI) and receives funding from

Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, NL
Ouwehand Zoo Foundation NL
Re:Wild

Tracie McKinney is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group’s Section for Human-Primate Interactions (SHPI).

– ref. Why can’t we stop feeding monkeys? Experts explain the reasons behind a dangerous habit – https://theconversation.com/why-cant-we-stop-feeding-monkeys-experts-explain-the-reasons-behind-a-dangerous-habit-257485

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Mitigating AI security threats: Why the G7 should embrace ‘federated learning’

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Abbas Yazdinejad, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Artificial Intelligence, University of Toronto

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world, from diagnosing diseases in hospitals to catching fraud in banking systems. But it’s also raising urgent questions.

As G7 leaders prepare to meet in Alberta, one issue looms large: how can we build powerful AI systems without sacrificing privacy?

The G7 summit is a chance to set the tone for how democratic nations manage emerging technologies. While regulations are advancing, they won’t succeed without strong technical solutions.

In our view, what’s known as federated learning — or FL — is one of the most promising yet overlooked tools, and deserves to be at the centre of the conversation.

Read more:
6 ways AI can partner with us in creative inquiry, inspired by media theorist Marshall McLuhan

As researchers in AI, cybersecurity and public health, we’ve seen the data dilemma firsthand. AI thrives on data, much of it deeply personal — medical histories, financial transactions, critical infrastructure logs. The more centralized the data, the greater the risk of leaks, misuse or cyberattacks.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service paused a promising AI initiative over fears about data handling. In Canada, concerns have surfaced about storing personal information — including immigration and health records — in foreign cloud services. Trust in AI systems is fragile. Once it’s broken, innovation grinds to a halt.

Why is centralized AI a growing liability?

The dominant approach to training AI is to bring all data into one centralized place. On paper, that’s efficient. In practice, it creates security nightmares.

Centralized systems are attractive targets for hackers. They’re difficult to regulate, especially when data flows across national or sectoral boundaries. And they concentrate too much power in the hands of a few data-holders or tech giants.

But instead of bringing data to the algorithm, FL brings the algorithm to the data. Each local institution — whether it’s a hospital, government agency or bank — trains an AI model on its own data. Only model updates — not raw data — are shared with a central system. It’s like students doing homework at home and submitting only their final answers, not their notebooks.

This approach dramatically lowers the risk of data breaches while preserving the ability to learn from large-scale trends.

Where is it already working?

FL could be a game-changer. When paired with techniques like differential privacy, secure multiparty computation or homomorphic encryption, it could dramatically reduce the risk of data leaks.

In Canada, researchers have already used FL to train cancer detection models across provinces — without ever moving sensitive health records.

Artificial intelligence has been used to train cancer detectiom models.
(Shutterstock)

Projects like those involving the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network have demonstrated how FL can be used to predict chronic diseases such as diabetes, while keeping all patient data securely within provincial boundaries.

Banks are using it to detect fraud without sharing customer identities.Cybersecurity agencies are exploring how to co-ordinate across jurisdictions without exposing their logs.

Read more:
Health-care AI: The potential and pitfalls of diagnosis by app

Why the G7 needs to act now

Governments around the world are racing to regulate AI. Canada’s proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, the European Union’s AI Act, and the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI in the United States are all major steps forward. But without a secure way to collaborate on data-intensive problems — like pandemics, climate change or cyber threats — these efforts may fall short.

FL allows different jurisdictions to work together on shared challenges without compromising local control or sovereignty. It turns policy into practice by enabling technical collaboration without the usual legal and privacy complications.

And just as importantly, adopting FL sends a political signal: that democracies can lead not just in innovation, but in ethics and governance.

Hosting the G7 summit in Alberta isn’t just symbolic. The province is home to a thriving AI ecosystem, institutions like the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and industries — from agriculture to energy — that generate vast amounts of valuable data.

Picture a cross-sector task force: farmers using local data to monitor soil health, energy companies analyzing emissions patterns, public agencies modelling wildfire risks — all working together, all protecting their data. That’s not a futuristic fantasy — it’s a pilot program waiting to happen.

A foundation for trust?

AI is only as trustworthy as the systems behind it. And too many of today’s systems are based on outdated ideas about centralization and control.

FL offers a new foundation — one where privacy, transparency and innovation can move together. We don’t need to wait for a crisis to act. The tools already exist. What’s missing is the political will to elevate them from promising prototypes to standard practice.

If the G7 is serious about building a safer, fairer AI future, it should make FL a central piece of its plan — not a footnote.

Abbas Yazdinejad 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.

Jude Kong 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. Mitigating AI security threats: Why the G7 should embrace ‘federated learning’ – https://theconversation.com/mitigating-ai-security-threats-why-the-g7-should-embrace-federated-learning-258670

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Many Russian speakers in Ukraine have switched language – but changing perceptions may be much harder

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Oleksandra Osypenko, PhD researcher in linguistics, Lancaster University

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a lot of Ukrainians who would normally have used Russian as their first language started instead to speak only in Ukrainian. It was part of a cultural shift, particularly in areas close to Russia. Streets were renamed, statues of Russians taken down and Russian literature taken off the shelves of bookshops.

But language does more than merely signal a person’s identity. We wanted to find out whether a change in the language a person uses could influence they way they think in their everyday lives. Our research suggests encouraging people to speak more Ukrainian in public isn’t enough to shift the influence of the Russian language on people’s perceptions.

In a study published in 2024, Ukrainian linguistics expert Volodymyr Kulyk documented a marked decline in the everyday use of Russian by Ukrainians since the invasion in February 2022. Many individuals, Kulyk found, were voluntarily abandoning Russian in response to the invasion, often viewing the language itself as a symbol of Putin’s aggression.

His survey found that only 44% of Ukrainians reported using Ukrainian as their primary language in 2012, compared to 34% who said they primarily spoke Russian, and 22% had used both. By December 2022, the percentage of people who said they primarily spoke Ukrainian had risen to 57.4% and Russian use had dropped to just 14.8%, with the remaining 27.8% reporting using both languages.

Kylyk found that this was even more pronounced in public spaces. In the workplace, use of Ukrainian increased from 41.9% in 2012 to 67.7% in December 2022. Online, the consumption of Ukrainian-language content by Ukrainians soared from 11.6% to 52.2%, while that of Russian-language content fell from 48.6% to just 6%

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The idea that language shapes thought, known as the “linguistic relativity principle” was first articulated by American linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1950s. Numerous subsequent studies have since provided evidence supporting the principle.

Researchers have shown that learning a new language or increasing the use of one can subtly reshape the way a person views the world.

One way to test this is by looking at grammatical gender. In 40% of the world’s languages – including Ukrainian and Russian – objects are assigned a gender. For example, the word for “sock” is masculine in Russian and referred to using a pronoun “he” (носок – nosok), while in Ukrainian it is feminine and referred to using as “she” (шкарпетка – shkarpetka). Using grammatical gender allows us to examine how such purely linguistic categories influence our perception.

Previous studies have shown that people tend to associate grammatically masculine nouns with stereotypically male qualities such as strength or aggression and feminine nouns with softness or gentleness. These are associations that can shape real-world judgments in unexpected ways.

For example, a 2020 study led by French linguist Alican Mecit found that French and Spanish speakers perceived the pandemic as less threatening when it was referred to as la COVID-19 (feminine), and more dangerous when called le coronavirus (masculine), affecting how cautious they were in daily life.

Masculine or feminine?

To explore these effects in context of Ukraine’s ongoing language shift, we conducted a study in late 2023 to examine whether speaking Ukrainian or Russian affects people’s perception of everyday things, by asking our participants to rate objects as more masculine or feminine.

Our participants also completed Ukrainian and Russian proficiency tests and filled out a questionnaire about their language habits. We asked them about what languages they used on a daily basis, with family and friends, and which language they considered their dominant one. After analysing this data, we discovered an interesting trend.

Some of our results showed exactly what we had thought. Participants with higher proficiency in Russian showed a statistically significant influence of Russian on the way they viewed the world. The same was true for those more proficient in Ukrainian.

This suggested that the language a person is most skilled in – as measured by tests, not just their own reports – has a strong influence of their perception, even when they are not consciously using that language.

In other words, the deeper your knowledge of a language, the more it shapes your unconscious patterns of thought.

But when we looked at participants’ self-reported language use, we unexpectedly found that even those people who said they used Ukrainian more than Russian day-to-day, with their family and friends, still showed perceptual patterns aligned with Russian. These were Ukrainians whose first language was Russian but who had made a deliberate switch to Ukrainian.

For example, when rating gendered objects as more masculine or feminine, these participants made choices that reflected Russian grammatical gender rather than Ukrainian – so, to use our example from earlier in this article, they saw a sock as being inherently a male thing.

This suggested one of two possibilities. Either they had overstated their use of Ukrainian, possibly due to social pressure. Or they were genuinely switching to Ukrainian, but Russian continued to unconsciously influence their thinking. This mismatch was especially common among those who claimed to use Ukrainian in informal settings, like at home or with friends.

So, even as more Ukrainians shift away from using the Russian language because of the war, the influence of Russian can still be found in how they perceive the world.

What does this mean for language policy?

Ukraine’s language policies have been a matter for debate event before the 2022 invasion. In fact, one of the reasons Vladimir Putin gave for launching his “military operation” was because of what he claimed was a “genocide” against Russian speakers in Ukraine, something the Ukrainian government strenuously denied.

But it should be noted that Ukraine passed a law in 2019 (which came into force at the beginning of 2021, titled On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language. This required the use of Ukrainian in all spheres of public life, including education, science, culture, media, advertising and customer service. The law drew some international criticism as possibly discriminatory and caused considerable disquiet in Russian-speaking communities.

Read more:
Ukraine: how a controversial new language law could help protect minorities and unite the country

So while language policy in Ukraine has focused on promoting Ukrainian language in public and professional settings, including schools and workplaces, our findings suggest that these formal uses of language do not necessarily change the way people think.

The bigger shifts seem to come from informal, everyday language use, especially at home. It is in those personal, emotionally rich contexts that language appears to shape thought most deeply.

Oleksandra Osypenko 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. Many Russian speakers in Ukraine have switched language – but changing perceptions may be much harder – https://theconversation.com/many-russian-speakers-in-ukraine-have-switched-language-but-changing-perceptions-may-be-much-harder-257765

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Aegon Annual General Meeting approves all resolutions
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Amsterdam, June 12, 2025 – Aegon Ltd.’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) today approved all resolutions on the agenda. This included the final dividend for 2024 of EUR 0.19 per common share, bringing Aegon’s total dividend for 2024 to EUR 0.35 per common share. The meeting also approved all proposed appointments to the Board of Directors, including the reappointment of three existing members and the election of three new members.

The full details of the resolutions approved during the AGM can be found in the AGM archive on Aegon.com.

Contacts

Media relations Investor relations

Veronique Lefel Yves Cormier

+31 (0)6 15 67 64 24 +31(0) 70 344 8028

veronique.lefel@aegon.com yves.cormier@aegon.com

About Aegon

Aegon is an international financial services holding company. Aegon’s ambition is to build leading businesses that offer their customers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Aegon’s portfolio of businesses includes fully owned businesses in the United States and United Kingdom, and a global asset manager. Aegon also creates value by combining its international expertise with strong local partners via insurance joint-ventures in Spain & Portugal, China, and Brazil, and via asset management partnerships in France and China. In addition, Aegon owns a Bermuda-based life insurer and generates value via a strategic shareholding in a market leading Dutch insurance and pensions company.

Aegon’s purpose of helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, Aegon seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues. Aegon is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, domiciled in Bermuda, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. More information can be found at aegon.com .

Forward-looking statements
The statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following are words that identify such forward-looking statements: aim, believe, estimate, target, intend, may, expect, anticipate, predict, project, counting on, plan, continue, want, forecast, goal, should, would, could, is confident, will, and similar expressions as they relate to Aegon. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions and trends and involve risks and uncertainties. In addition, any statements that refer to sustainability, environmental and social targets, commitments, goals, efforts and expectations and other events or circumstances that are partially dependent on future events are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Aegon undertakes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which merely reflect company expectations at the time of writing. Actual results may differ materially and adversely from expectations conveyed in forward-looking statements due to changes caused by various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following:
- Changes in general economic and/or governmental conditions, particularly in Bermuda, the United States, the United Kingdom and in relation to Aegon’s shareholding in ASR Nederland N.V. and asset management business, the Netherlands;
- Civil unrest, (geo-) political tensions, military action or other instability in a countries or geographic regions that affect our operations or that affect global markets;
- Changes in the performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, such as with regard to:
  - The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in Aegon’s fixed income investment portfolios;
  - The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities Aegon holds;
  - The effects of declining creditworthiness of certain public sector securities and the resulting decline in the value of government exposure that Aegon holds;
  - The impact from volatility in credit, equity, and interest rates;
- Changes in the performance of Aegon’s investment portfolio and decline in ratings of Aegon’s counterparties;
- The effect of tariffs and potential trade wars on trading markets and on economic growth, globally and in the markets where Aegon operates.
- Lowering of one or more of Aegon’s debt ratings issued by recognized rating organizations and the adverse impact such action may have on Aegon’s ability to raise capital and on its liquidity and financial condition;
- Lowering of one or more of insurer financial strength ratings of Aegon’s insurance subsidiaries and the adverse impact such action may have on the written premium, policy retention, profitability and liquidity of its insurance subsidiaries;
- The effect of applicable Bermuda solvency requirements, the European Union’s Solvency II requirements, and applicable equivalent solvency requirements and other regulations in other jurisdictions affecting the capital Aegon is required to maintain and our ability to pay dividends;
- Changes in the European Commissions’ or European regulator’s position on the equivalence of the supervisory regime for insurance and reinsurance undertakings in force in Bermuda;
- Changes affecting interest rate levels and low or rapidly changing interest rate levels;
- Changes affecting currency exchange rates, in particular the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP exchange rates;
- The effects of global inflation, or inflation in the markets where Aegon operates;
- Changes in the availability of, and costs associated with, liquidity sources such as bank and capital markets funding, as well as conditions in the credit markets in general such as changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness;
- Increasing levels of competition, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, emerging markets and in relation to Aegon’s shareholding in ASR Nederland N.V. and asset management business, the Netherlands;
- Catastrophic events, either manmade or by nature, including by way of example acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war and pandemics, could result in material losses and significantly interrupt Aegon’s business;
- The frequency and severity of insured loss events;
- Changes affecting longevity, mortality, morbidity, persistence and other factors that may impact the profitability of Aegon’s insurance products and management of derivatives;
- Aegon’s projected results are highly sensitive to complex mathematical models of financial markets, mortality, longevity, and other dynamic systems subject to shocks and unpredictable volatility. Should assumptions to these models later prove incorrect, or should errors in those models escape the controls in place to detect them, future performance will vary from projected results;
- Reinsurers to whom Aegon has ceded significant underwriting risks may fail to meet their obligations;
- Changes in customer behavior and public opinion in general related to, among other things, the type of products Aegon sells, including legal, regulatory or commercial necessity to meet changing customer expectations;
- Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels;
- Third-party information used by us may prove to be inaccurate and change over time as methodologies and data availability and quality continue to evolve impacting our results and disclosures;
- As Aegon’s operations support complex transactions and are highly dependent on the proper functioning of information technology, operational risks such as system disruptions or failures, security or data privacy breaches, cyberattacks, human error, failure to safeguard personally identifiable information, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including with respect to third parties with which Aegon does business, may disrupt Aegon’s business, damage its reputation and adversely affect its results of operations, financial condition and cash flows;
- Aegon’s failure to swiftly, effectively, and securely adapt and integrate emerging technologies;
- The impact of acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, product withdrawals and other unusual items, including Aegon’s ability to complete, or obtain regulatory approval for, acquisitions and divestitures, integrate acquisitions, and realize anticipated results from such transactions, and its ability to separate businesses as part of divestitures;
- Aegon’s failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies, as well as other management initiatives related to cost savings, Cash Capital at Holding, gross financial leverage and free cash flow;
- Changes in the policies of central banks and/or governments;
- Litigation or regulatory action that could require Aegon to pay significant damages or change the way Aegon does business;
- Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect profitability, the distribution cost of or demand for Aegon’s products;
- Consequences of an actual or potential break-up of the European Monetary Union in whole or in part, or further consequences of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and potential consequences if other European Union countries leave the European Union;
- Changes in laws and regulations, or the interpretation thereof by regulators and courts, including as a result of comprehensive reform or shifts away from multilateral approaches to regulation of global or national operations, particularly regarding those laws and regulations related to ESG matters, those affecting Aegon’s operations’ ability to hire and retain key personnel, taxation of Aegon companies, the products Aegon sells, the attractiveness of certain products to its consumers and Aegon’s intellectual property;
- Regulatory changes relating to the pensions, investment, insurance industries and enforcing adjustments in the jurisdictions in which Aegon operates;
- Standard setting initiatives of supranational standard setting bodies such as the Financial Stability Board and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors or changes to such standards that may have an impact on regional (such as EU), national (such as Bermuda) or US federal or state level financial regulation or the application thereof to Aegon;
- Changes in accounting regulations and policies or a change by Aegon in applying such regulations and policies, voluntarily or otherwise, which may affect Aegon’s reported results, shareholders’ equity or regulatory capital adequacy levels;
- The rapidly changing landscape for ESG responsibilities, leading to potential challenges by private parties and governmental authorities, and/or changes in ESG standards and requirements, including assumptions, methodology and materiality, or a change by Aegon in applying such standards and requirements, voluntarily or otherwise, may affect Aegon’s ability to meet evolving standards and requirements, or Aegon’s ability to meet its sustainability and ESG-related goals, or related public expectations, which may also negatively affect Aegon’s reputation or the reputation of its board of directors or its management;
- Unexpected delays, difficulties, and expenses in executing against Aegon’s environmental, climate, or other ESG targets, goals and commitments, and changes in laws or regulations affecting us, such as changes in data privacy, environmental, health and safety laws; and
- Reliance on third-party information in certain of Aegon’s disclosures, which may change over time as methodologies and data availability and quality continue to evolve. These factors, as well as any inaccuracies in third-party information used by Aegon, including in estimates or assumptions, may cause results to differ materially and adversely from statements, estimates, and beliefs made by Aegon or third-parties. Moreover, Aegon’s disclosures based on any standards may change due to revisions in framework requirements, availability of information, changes in its business or applicable governmental policies, or other factors, some of which may be beyond Aegon’s control. Additionally, Aegon’s discussion of various ESG and other sustainability issues in this document or in other locations, including on our corporate website, may be informed by the interests of various stakeholders, as well as various ESG standards, frameworks, and regulations (including for the measurement and assessment of underlying data). As such, our disclosures on such issues, including climate-related disclosures, may include information that is not necessarily “material” under US securities laws for SEC reporting purposes, even if we use words such as “material” or “materiality” in relation to those statements. ESG expectations continue to evolve, often quickly, including for matters outside of our control; our disclosures are inherently dependent on the methodology (including any related assumptions or estimates) and data used, and there can be no guarantee that such disclosures will necessarily reflect or be consistent with the preferred practices or interpretations of particular stakeholders, either currently or in future.
Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Aegon are described in its filings with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 2024 Integrated Annual Report. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, Aegon expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Aegon’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Attachment
- 20250612_PR_Aegon Annual General Meeting approves all resolutions
The MIL Network –
June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rhode Island Sees Decrease in Drug Overdose Deaths, Continues a Two-Year Decline

Source: US State of Rhode Island

Governor Dan McKee and the Governor’s Overdose Task Force announced today that overdose deaths in Rhode Island dropped 25% since 2022 – continuing a two-year decline and falling to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the newly released data from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Substance Use Epidemiology Program, 329 people lost their lives to accidental overdoses during 2024. This is an 18.6% decrease in overdose deaths compared to 2023.

These data indicate that Rhode Island is showing notable progress in its 2030 Action Plan goal to reduce overdose deaths by 30%.

“This is a sign of hope,” said Governor Dan McKee. “We know there is still much work ahead, but the steps we are taking are saving lives. We must keep engaging, listening, and providing support to individuals, families, and communities. We will stay vigilant to prevent further loss of lives.”

The Governor’s Overdose Task Force focuses on four key areas guided by the State’s Strategic Plan: Prevention, Rescue and Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Recovery. This work is centered in racial equity, ensuring that diverse community voices are heard and valued in decision-making processes. Additionally, the Task Force combines data-driven insights and community engagement to connect Rhode Islanders to local resources.

“At the heart of this work is our deep commitment to addressing the stigma that prevents individuals and families from accessing lifesaving resources,” said Governor’s Overdose Task Force Director Cathy Schultz. “The Task Force and its nine work groups continue to normalize conversations about substance use disorder and overdose. That is what it will take to help end this crisis.”

“Together, we can amplify the voices of the community who have lived experience, creating judgment-free environments where people can feel heard and valued. By doing so, we can help empower our fellow Rhode Islanders to feel safe to reach out and connect with local services and supports,” said Governor’s Overdose Task Force Community Co-Chair Alex Gautieri.

“The fact that we are still losing people tells us that we still have much work to do,” said Richard Leclerc, Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals.”That means all of us have to continue to work together strategically to help people understand that overdose deaths are preventable, that help and care are available, that people can and do recover from substance use disorders.”

“Every single overdose death is preventable. Recovery is within reach for every person living with the disease of addiction,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “We need to keep coming together as families, as communities, and as a state to build on this momentum and continue reducing the number of drug overdose deaths in Rhode Island.”

Overview of 2024 Rhode Island Fatal Overdose Data

Fatal drug overdose data in Rhode Island are collected by the Office of the State Medical Examiners and State Health Laboratories. Because many cases require complex drug testing, it can take several months to complete and confirm yearly overdose data.

These data show:

– Most people who died from a drug overdose were male (70%), similar to previous years. – In 2024, individuals age 45 to 54 experienced the highest burden of overdose (59.3 per 100,000 residents), followed by those age 55 to 64 (55.6 per 100,000 residents). – The rate of fatal overdose decreased among all age groups except for Rhode Islanders age 55 to 64. – In 2024, the rate of fatal overdoses decreased among all race and ethnicity groups in Rhode Island. – Non-Hispanic, Black Rhode Islanders still experience the highest burden of fatal overdose followed by non-Hispanic, white Rhode Islanders, and Hispanic or Latino Rhode Islanders. – Opioids and fentanyl continue to drive the overdose epidemic in Rhode Island. – In 2024, 69% of overdose deaths involved any opioid (including fentanyl), while 57% involved fentanyl specifically. – The total number of opioid-involved fatal overdoses in 2024 decreased by 36% compared to 2022. – Cocaine-involved overdose deaths surpassed fentanyl-involved overdose deaths for the first time since 2013, with 6 in 10 (61%) involving cocaine. – In most of these cases, another substance was also present with cocaine in an individual’s system according to toxicology reports. – Eight in 10 overdose deaths took place in private settings like homes. – The municipalities with the highest rates of fatal overdoses were Woonsocket (58.1 overdose deaths per 100,000 residents); Providence (45.4 per 100,000 residents); Pawtucket (33.3 per 100,000 residents); Cranston (25.5 per 100,000 residents); and Warwick (21.7 per 100,000 residents). Please note: Rates are calculated only for municipalities with 15 or more fatal overdoses occurring in 2024.

The following are several examples of statewide overdose prevention and intervention efforts:

– Rhode Island’s opioid settlement funds, secured through national opioid settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and the consultants advising, is bringing?more than $285 million in cash and lifesaving medication to Rhode Island. All funds recovered through Rhode Island’s opioid settlements are used for opioid treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts to address the opioid overdose epidemic. – Community-based harm reduction organizations continue to deploy teams to communities most impacted by overdose, including underserved individuals and families. Peer outreach specialists connect individuals to harm reduction resources (i.e., naloxone), basic needs, and treatment/recovery services. – Centralized naloxone supply hubs are available for community-based organizations to access free naloxone. In 2024, 60,741 naloxone kits were distributed by pharmacies, healthcare professionals, and community organizations to individuals across the state, including 43,655 naloxone kits distributed by community-based organizations. – The Rhode Island Recovery-Friendly Workplace Initiative designated 40 new workplaces during 2024, all of them receiving support for policies and training to create a healthy and supportive work environment for people in recovery. There are now 180 workplaces working with our Recovery-Friendly Workplace team. – Recovery community centers across the state saw 2,066 individuals attending individual, group, and recreational peer-based recovery support services during 2024. – 988 individuals participated in the State’s recovery housing program during 2024. The program includes 472 grant-funded beds at 41 total recovery houses. – Vending machines offer low-barrier access to free supplies that support Rhode Islander’s health needs, including reduction of fatal overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, oral and lung cancers, and bacterial skin infections. Additionally, the vending machines provide basic needs supplies to support hygiene. In 2024, these vending machines were available in several locations in the state and distributed 21,673 supplies. – Project Weber/RENEW opened the nation’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center in 2024. The center is a place for people to access comprehensive services and use pre-obtained substances under the supervision of medical professionals and trained staff. – Women of childbearing age and pregnant and parenting people who use substances are served by perinatal peer recovery support specialists and women’s health street outreach teams. – Multi-channel public awareness campaigns continue to educate Rhode Islanders about fentanyl, naloxone, safe medicine/substance storage, and local treatment and recovery support services. – Local-level overdose response planning and implementation is underway for the development of community overdose engagement (CODE) plans and activities, focusing on youth substance use prevention, racial equity, recovery (including supporting families), and emerging issues.

Learn More and Connect with 24/7 Help

– Visit PreventOverdoseRI.org for more overdose data and local resources for treatment, recovery support, and overdose prevention supplies and services.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Trade Commissioner visits Guatemala to boost economic ties
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
World news story

UK Trade Commissioner visits Guatemala to boost economic ties

English

Español de América Latina

Jonathan Knott, the UK’s Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, will visit Guatemala on June 16-17 to strengthen trade and investment between the two countries.
This visit comes at a key moment, as Guatemala has become the UK’s most dynamic commercial partner in Central America. Last year, trade between the two countries hit a record £376 million, even surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

During his visit, Commissioner Knott will meet with leaders of major Guatemalan companies and British multinational firms to address specific trade challenges. Key sectors of focus include agriculture, textiles, and financial services.

He will also hold strategic meetings with Guatemalan government officials to explore new opportunities for economic cooperation.

Commissioner Jonathan Knott said:

This is my third visit to Guatemala. I’ve been here both as a tourist and professionally, and I know more than just the capital. I’m excited about this trip because Guatemala has proven to be a reliable and dynamic trade partner. We’re here to build on that momentum.

UK Trade Commissioners act as economic ambassadors, promoting exports, investment, and trade policy on behalf of the British government.

The UK has strengthened its presence in the region through the UK-Central America Association Agreement. This deal gives Guatemala preferential access to UK markets. The gradual removal of tariffs under this agreement is a big opportunity for Guatemalan products like specialty coffee, cardamom, and manufactured goods. The Commissioner will also encourage Guatemala to support a fair and rules-based global trade system.

Trade Highlights: UK–Guatemala Boom:

The UK imported £261 million worth of goods from Guatemala, mainly agricultural products.

The UK exported £115 million to Guatemala, mostly machinery and financial services.

Trade between the two countries is growing at 30.1% annually, making Guatemala the UK’s fastest-growing market in Central America.

The main goals of this visit are to remove trade barriers, improve the implementation of the UK-Central America Association Agreement, and support Guatemala’s economic development through financial tools and expert knowledge sharing.

Commissioner Knott will also reaffirm the UK’s support for Guatemala’s efforts to modernize infrastructure, fight corruption, and promote inclusive and sustainable development.

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Published 12 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Pingree Rips into GOP Agriculture Appropriations Bill for Failing to Deliver on Health, Food Security, and Farm Resilience

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Today in the full Appropriations Committee markup of the Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026, Senior Appropriator Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) called out the Trump Administration’s hypocrisy, touting a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda while stripping access to healthy food away from families and children. A summary of the bill is available here.

“14,000 families use WIC in my state. That’s a lot in a state of only 1.3 million people. This is a way to make sure we have healthier fruits and vegetables and better health outcomes for young children in their diet,” Pingree said. “You know, this is the administration of ‘MAHA’—Make America Healthy Again. And how do we expect to make America healthy if we are not going to make sure that people get that healthy food in their diet?”

[embedded content]

Watch Pingree’s opening remarks here; Watch the full markup here.

In her opening remarks, Pingree also railed against the bill’s attacks on supporting farmers impacted by the effects of climate change, dispelling the notion that these programs are “woke” or part of a “liberal climate change agenda.”

“When we talk about conservation funds and the cuts there, or the ‘climate change agenda’ as if it’s some woke thing – who deserves more attention than our farmers who are dealing with this extreme weather? That is our responsibility and these programs that help them to access no till agriculture or cover crops or more irrigation. These are the very things that we should be funding now,” Pingree said. “Our farmers deserve our attention. This is not woke. This is not some crazy liberal climate change agenda. This is what’s really going on with our weather right now. And we are derelict in our duty. We are not holding up our responsibility to farmers.”

A transcript of Pingree’s full remarks is copied below:

I’m disappointed that I can’t support this bill. The Agriculture Appropriations Committee in this bill is my second favorite subcommittee after, of course, the work I do with Mr. Simpson on the Interior bill. And I am sorry that this bill isn’t a better piece of work from this committee.

One of the things I love about this bill is that we’re really focusing on farmers and what people eat, and we need to ask ourselves, as we look at this bill in its entirety, what are we doing to help our farmers stay on their farms, to access capital, to be sure that they can purchase or own a farm, to increase their family income, to make ends meet, and to keep their farms in business during these ever challenging times?

The reason you’ll hear a lot today, and we’ve already heard some about the cuts to the local food purchase assistance program and the local foods and schools programs, and I’m going to talk about it today in much more detail in an amendment, is because it is such a good example of a program that was designed to give farmers contracts to supply food to local schools, food banks, and other entities in our home states.

We spend so much time talking about how to get more healthy foods in our diets, how to make sure we give farmers the contracts they need, and for the farmers in Maine who lost those contracts when this was ridiculously cut, it was part of making ends meet. It was part of their winter income. As part of what they had planned for everything from yogurt to carrots to apples to a whole variety of other things.

And that was true in states across the country. And we’ve ended that program and that is an example of something that we should be doing the reverse of in this program. There are other cuts to making sure people get healthy food in their diet, the cuts to WIC – fruits and vegetables that we will talk about more in an amendment today, 14,000 families use WIC in my state.

That’s a lot in a state of only 1.3 million people. And again, this is a way to make sure we have healthier fruits and vegetables, better health outcomes for young children in their diet. You know, this is the administration of “MAHA” – Make America Healthy Again. And how do we expect to make America healthy if we are not going to make sure that people get that healthy food in their diet?

Housing is another cut in this bill. Housing is the number 1 or 2 issue for so many people in my state. The cost of housing, the challenges with finding affordable housing. And we are making cuts there, $46 million of cuts overall to rural development staffing. I have a constituent in my district, Hillary, who is disabled in her 40s.

She was getting a home through an RD loan. It’s her only viable pathway to home ownership. She’s taken all the steps she needs to: completed her homebuyer education, submitted her paperwork on time … But after years of delays, because of funding cuts, she’s finally where she should be, but there is no staff to process her loan to answer the phone.

Her calls and emails are going unanswered, and there’s a question about whether or not she will get to the finish line. Those staffing cuts are throughout our districts, in our local offices, and we talk about how to make sure our farmers are able and eligible to get the funding, whether it is, through a conservation program, through a loan.

But so many of our offices now are understaffed and underfunded, and I know we will be talking more about that. We’ll talk about the cuts. The Dairy Farmers Innovation program. In my state, dairy farmers are under assault, just barely making it. Now, so many of the amendments we’ll have today, we’re going to hear this reply: “Oh, that’s just woke Democratic thinking” or “that’s climate change agenda” or that’s “pre-pandemic money or pandemic money that we don’t need anymore.”

But you know we learned a lot of lessons in the pandemic. We learned that our supply chains were broken, that we should buy more locally. That’s why we have these programs. Yet we’re having them cut out from under us. When we talk about conservation funds and the cuts there, or the “climate change agenda” as if it’s some woke thing – who deserves more attention than our farmers who are dealing with this extreme weather? That is our responsibility and these programs that help them to access no till agriculture or cover crops or more irrigation or a whole variety of other things are the very things that we should be funding now.

Our farmers deserve our attention. This is not woke. This is not some crazy liberal climate change agenda. This is what’s really going on with our weather right now. And we are derelict in our duty. We are not holding up our responsibility to farmers and to making sure our constituents get that healthy food. We’ll have many opportunities to talk about this today.

I’m sorry, I have to oppose this bill.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Passaic County Lawyer Sentenced to 21 Months for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $300,000 in COVID-19 Relief Funds

Source: US FBI

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey attorney was sentenced to 21 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Morton Chirnomas, 62, of Clifton, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with wire fraud. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal Court. Chirnomas was also ordered to serve three years’ supervised release.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

From May 2020 to September 2020, Chirnomas fraudulently obtained a $150,000 loan through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans program. He also falsely obtained $200,000 in unemployment insurance benefits using the names and identities of other people without their authorization.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

###

Defense counsel: Saverio A. Viggiano, Newark, New Jersey

MIL Security OSI –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Cabinet assures nation of the monitoring of new COVID variant

Source: South Africa News Agency

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Cabinet has assured South Africans that government, through the Department of Health, is closely monitoring the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, known as Nimbus or NB.1.8.1.

“Cabinet calls on all citizens to ensure good hygiene practices, including avoiding unnecessary hand shaking, washing hands with soap, covering the mouth when coughing, using a mask when one has flu and staying home when one is not feeling well,” Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday, in Cape Town.

This as the virus is associated with a rise in cases in certain regions of Asia.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we demonstrated that through these simple measures we could reduce the spread of respiratory illness.”

The Minister was briefing members of the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 11 June 2025.

According to Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa has robust surveillance systems that is managed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

READ | SA closely monitoring new COVID variant spreading across Asia

The NICD manages a comprehensive sentinel surveillance programme that systematically tests for key respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. Currently, data show very low SARS-CoV-2 activity. –SAnews.gov.za

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MIL OSI Africa –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Canada’s $80 Billion Defence Modernization Package Signals Strategic Shift—Draganfly Positioned for Rapid Growth with Integration of DND-Specified Radio Systems
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Toronto, ON , June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a decisive move to fortify Canada’s national security capabilities, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced an $80 billion long-term defence investment package focused on technological modernization, domestic industrial capacity, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This landmark announcement, inclusive of robust support for drone development and Canadian manufacturing, marks a generational shift in federal defence procurement strategy.

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8), an award-winning, industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer. Draganfly is positioned to contribute to objectives within the Our North Strong and Free (ONSAF) defence policy expansion. Draganfly’s interoperable and multi-mission family of UAS platforms is strategically aligned with stated DND priorities such as “Expanding and Enhancing Existing and Emerging Military Capabilities” related to border security and Arctic sovereignty. Demonstrating this adaptability, Draganfly confirms the successful integration and demonstration of a Department of National Defence (DND)-specified radio communications system into its flagship drone platforms, in addition to several other communication system integrations to support interoperability with existing assets. These integrations help prime the company for eligibility in upcoming federal UAS procurements that emphasize secure, interoperable, and sovereign systems.

Draganfly, with multiple R&D and Manufacturing sites in Canada, is one of the world’s longest standing commercial UAS manufacturers. The capacity for expansion of domestic production, in combination with long standing strategic relationships that Draganfly holds with various related technologies providers across various Five Eyes regions uniquely positions Draganfly as a technology integrator and solutions provider.

This week’s developments signal a major policy realignment by Ottawa, anchoring defence spending to strategic domestic priorities such as resilient supply chains, sovereign manufacturing, and interoperability with NATO and Five Eyes partners. The emphasis on drone capabilities and homeland industrial content is particularly relevant in an era marked by asymmetric threats and hybrid warfare.

Prime Minister Carney’s announcement effectively maps a multi-year demand curve for Canadian aerospace, cybersecure communications, and autonomous systems providers. Analysts anticipate that a minimum of 20% of the $80B envelope will be earmarked for next-generation battlefield technologies, with drones expected to account for a significant share of this investment.

Draganfly’s ability to support existing architecture and protocols while providing the ability to rapidly test and adopt emerging technologies with domestic manufacturing and engineering expertise is poised to support these pillars of the Defence Modernization package. Adoption of Draganfly product for testing and use by Canadian and US Military Customers and Prime Contractors through 2024 and 2025, validates its platforms for critical applications such as reconnaissance, force protection, and logistics resupply. This positions Draganfly as one of the few Canadian OEMs and Supply Chain Managers capable of delivering mission-ready systems that meet both tactical requirements and industrial policy criteria.

Strategic Implications for Capital Markets and Domestic Industry
- Domestic Preference: The federal focus on Canadian manufacturing aligns with the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy, making domestically-integrated platforms poised to win procurement bids.
- Supply Chain Security: In an age of escalating global tensions, Canada is reducing reliance on foreign critical components. Draganfly’s control over its own airframe and avionics IP gives it a defensible advantage.
- Dual-Use Upside: Beyond military contracts, the integrated communication system enhances the company’s value proposition in emergency response, disaster relief, and public safety markets.
- Revenue Catalysts: Analysts expect RFIs and RFPs for defence-grade drones to accelerate in the second half of 2025, with contract awards potentially materializing as early as Q1 2026. Draganfly’s early compliance could provide a first-mover advantage.
About Draganfly

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO; CSE: DPRO; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of quality, cutting-edge drone solutions, software, and AI systems that revolutionize how organizations can do business and serve their stakeholders. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 25 years, Draganfly is an award-winning industry leader serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections, security, mapping, and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity, and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money, and lives.

NASDAQ (DPRO)
CSE (DPRO)
FSE (3U8)

Media Contact:
Erika Racicot
Email: media@draganfly.com

Company Contact:
Email: info@draganfly.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward-looking ‎‎‎‎information” as ‎‎‎‎defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎and information can ‎‎‎‎generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‎‎‎‎‎“may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, ‎‎‎‎‎“estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar ‎‎‎‎terminology. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎and information are based on forecasts of future ‎‎‎‎results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and ‎‎‎‎assumptions that, while believed by ‎‎‎‎management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant ‎‎‎‎business, economic and ‎‎‎‎competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements ‎‎‎‎include, but are not ‎‎‎‎limited to, statements with respect to Draganfly’s interoperable and multi-mission family of UAS platforms being strategically aligned with stated DND priorities such as “Expanding and Enhancing Existing and Emerging Military Capabilities” related to border security and Arctic sovereignty as well as the statement regarding analysts’ anticipation that a minimum of 20% of the $80B envelope will be earmarked for next-generation battlefield technologies, with drones expected to account for a significant share of this investment. Forward-‎‎‎‎looking statements and information are subject to various ‎known ‎‎and unknown risks and ‎‎‎‎‎uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to ‎control or ‎‎predict, that ‎‎‎‎may cause ‎the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be ‎materially ‎‎different ‎‎‎‎from those ‎expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions ‎about ‎‎such ‎‎‎‎risks, uncertainties ‎and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the potential ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎impact of epidemics, ‎pandemics or other public health crises, including the ‎COVID-19 pandemic, on the Company’s business, operations and financial ‎‎‎‎condition; the ‎‎‎successful integration of ‎technology; the inherent risks involved in the general ‎‎‎‎securities markets; ‎‎‎uncertainties relating to the ‎availability and costs of financing needed in the ‎‎‎‎future; the inherent ‎‎‎uncertainty of cost estimates; the ‎potential for unexpected costs and ‎‎‎‎expenses, currency ‎‎‎fluctuations; regulatory restrictions; and liability, ‎competition, loss of key ‎‎‎‎employees and other related risks ‎‎‎and uncertainties disclosed under the ‎heading “Risk Factors“ ‎‎‎‎in the Company’s most recent filings filed ‎‎‎with securities regulators in Canada on ‎the SEDAR ‎‎‎‎website at www.sedar.com and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on EDGAR through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes ‎‎‎no obligation to update forward-‎looking ‎‎‎‎information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-‎‎‎looking information represents ‎‎‎‎‎managements’ best judgment based on information currently available. ‎‎‎No forward-looking ‎‎‎‎statement ‎can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. ‎‎‎Accordingly, readers ‎‎‎‎are advised not to ‎place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or ‎‎‎information.‎

The MIL Network –
June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeffrey A. Hayes, Professor of Education and Psychology, Penn State

College students are facing mental health challenges, but not all is lost. Bevan Goldswain/Getty Images

The word “crisis” is used frequently and, I would argue, inaccurately, to depict the psychological well-being of today’s college students.

It is true that college students’ mental health has deteriorated in many regards during the past two decades.

The Healthy Minds Study, which gathers national survey data on tens of thousands of students annually, has found that the percentage who considered suicide in the prior year rose from 6% in 2007 to 13% in 2024. The percentage of students who made a specific suicide plan tripled during that period.

While some news reports portray the current state of student mental health as an unprecedented crisis, the full picture is more nuanced. As a psychologist who has been researching college student mental health for more than 20 years, as summarized in my recent book, “College Student Mental Health and Wellness: Coping on Campus,” I believe recent data suggests a turning of the tide.

The 2024 Health Minds Study found a slight decrease over the previous two years in the percentage of students contemplating suicide.

Data also reveals a similar decline in the percentage of students dealing with severe anxiety from 2022 to 2024.

The study marks the first time since data collection began on suicide or severe anxiety that there has been a two-year decrease in either area.

Reason for concern

The demand for psychological services at college and university counseling centers has outpaced growth in undergraduate enrollment.
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

To be clear, there is reason for concern about the psychological well-being of college students.

Healthy Minds Study researchers found that in 2007, 9% of college students were taking psychotropic medication such as antidepressants. In 2024, that number had grown to 26%.

A 2024 national survey conducted by the American College Health Association found that more than a third of students received mental health care in the previous year.

The demand for psychological services at college and university counseling centers has outpaced growth in undergraduate enrollment more than fourfold.

From 2013 to 2021, suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety worsened, particularly among Native American and Alaskan Native students and other students of color.

During that same time, there was a 13% increase in students who were at risk for developing an eating disorder.

Findings from another national dataset gathered by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, an international network of more than 800 college and university counseling centers, indicate that from 2010 to 2024, depression symptoms increased 18% among students receiving psychological services, general anxiety symptoms rose more than 25%, and social anxiety symptoms climbed more than 30%.

In addition, students’ family-related distress steadily increased during the past decade.

The sky is not falling

Despite disturbing trends in student mental health, recent data suggests that fewer students are contemplating suicide and dealing with anxiety.
Ariel Skelley/Getty Images

Despite these challenges, there is good news regarding decreases in the share of students considering self-injury and reporting depression symptoms.

Data from the Healthy Minds Study reveals that the percentage of students considering self-injury has not increased the past two years, after more than doubling from 14% in 2007 to 29% in 2022.

A similar pattern can be found in Center for Collegiate Mental Health data about depression. Depression symptoms have decreased each of the past two academic years.

The network has been collecting depression data since 2010, and never before have scores dropped in consecutive years.

Other researchers have noted a similar recent decrease in depression among college students.

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health data also indicates that students’ academic distress peaked following the onset of COVID-19 and declined each of the past three years, returning to pre-pandemic levels. Students’ frustration has also shown a gradual, 7% decline from 2010 to 2024.

Furthermore, for the first time since 2012, there has been a two-year uptick in college students who are flourishing, according to data from the Healthy Minds Study. Other researchers have found a similar recent trend, accompanied by a decrease in student loneliness.

More good news, based on data, about what students put in their bodies: Symptoms related to eating disorders have not increased in any of the past four years, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. Data from the network indicates that current alcohol use is at its lowest level since 2010, declining 29% over that period.

Binge drinking has also decreased 18% since 2012, according to the Healthy Minds Study.

We need data, not dread

Mental health professionals need accurate data to support the psychological well-being of college students.
SeventyFour/Getty Images

Valid data can help in discerning the truth about college student mental health.

Data that captures national trends in college student psychological well-being is needed to support mental health professionals. For example, as data reveals emerging trends, such as an increase in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, training can be provided to clinicians in treating students with these concerns.

Campus mental health professionals and administrators can also use data to advocate for resources they need to support students. For instance, our research has found that students of color are more likely to seek psychological help when there are therapists on staff from the same ethnic or racial background. This data can inform hiring practices at college and university counseling centers.

Finally, continuous data collection can help determine how college student mental health is impacted by specific events, such as pandemics, campus shootings and laws that eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social anxiety decreased, while general anxiety spiked.

These events may not affect students equally.

International students, a group that already experiences heightened suicidal thoughts, may be particularly impacted by recent news of visa cancellations and deportations.

Jeffrey A. Hayes has received a research grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to study college student suicide.

– ref. The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends – https://theconversation.com/the-complex-reality-of-college-student-mental-health-data-reveals-both-challenges-and-positive-trends-257086

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Julene Paul, Assistant Professor of Planning, University of Texas at Arlington

The 49 bus connects the Strawberry Mansion, Grays Ferry and University City neighborhoods. Courtesy of SEPTA

When the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched the 49 bus route in Philadelphia in early 2019, those who most benefited were older adults and people who already ride the bus – and not commuters who were persuaded to ditch their cars for public transportation, according to our new research.

Some of the largest benefits of Route 49 came in saved time and fewer transfers for existing users of other transit routes.

We are a professor of city planning and a professor of statistics and data science who recently published a study on Route 49, SEPTA’s newest local bus service, in the peer-reviewed journal Transportation Research Record.

Route 49 launched in early 2019 and was the first local bus service that SEPTA added to its system in nearly a decade. It connects two residential Philadelphia neighborhoods – Strawberry Mansion in North Philadelphia and Grays Ferry in South Philadelphia – with the job-rich University City area in West Philadelphia.

Public transit agencies often try to court “choice” riders – people who have a reasonable chance of choosing to either drive or use public transportation for a given trip, and who tend to be higher income.

SEPTA, however, didn’t necessarily focus on choice riders with the design of Route 49. But planners at the agency did tell us during our data collection that many commuters to University City don’t take public transit.

We found that early riders of Route 49 tended to be previous transit riders who seldom drove before the line’s launch. They took other SEPTA buses, or did not make that trip.

Riders ages 65 and older, who are less likely to be commuters, were even more likely to have simply switched bus routes to make the same trip they regularly made before the new service line began.

Why it matters

While ridership on most SEPTA routes has declined in the post-pandemic era, Route 49 is one of the only Philly bus or train lines to see ridership growth. It had the largest post-COVID rebound of any bus line in SEPTA’s network.

For new bus and rail lines to be financially sustainable, they must attract enough riders. The fares those riders pay allow agencies to run services more regularly and have the line be cost effective.

While it’s always difficult to attract new riders, the past few years have been especially challenging for U.S. transit agencies. National transit ridership remains only about 80% of what it was when the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.

Getting people back onto buses and trains will require agencies to understand what attracts people to new transit lines. If public transit agencies want to recapture ridership and echo the success of bus services like Route 49, it may be best for them to talk to current users rather than potential public transit converts.

How we do our work

To understand how new riders used Route 49, we boarded Route 49 buses throughout the route and conducted in-person surveys with over 350 riders in early 2019. We wanted to capture feedback and data from users of the service shortly after it was launched.

In addition to asking riders what they used Route 49 for and how they took the same trip before its launch, we recorded characteristics such as age, income and gender.

What’s next

Drawing on our 2019 survey data, we plan to explore how new Route 49 riders learned about the transit line and decided to begin riding the new service. Did they hear about it from agency flyers or websites? From seeing new bus lines on the road, or from friends discussing it? Analyzing these answers can help transit agencies enhance access for all travelers.

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

Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends – https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-bus-line-in-philadelphia-is-defying-post-pandemic-transit-trends-256064

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 13, 2025

TIME and DATE:	TAIWAN 9:30 a.m., August 13, 2025

LOCATION:	HIMAX FAB 2 – TAINAN CITY, TAIWAN

Media relations	Investor relations
Veronique Lefel	Yves Cormier
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veronique.lefel@aegon.com	yves.cormier@aegon.com

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Updates to this page

Reason for concern

The sky is not falling

We need data, not dread

Why it matters

How we do our work

What’s next