NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tax Reform – New poll shows public don’t want corporate tax cuts

    Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

    Tax Justice Aotearoa welcomes the latest Horizon poll which shows poll only 9% of respondents support a cut to corporate tax rates. (ref. https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360621413/poll-suggests-few-support-corporate-tax-breaks )

    TJA chair Glenn Barclay said the findings aligned with a recent petition organised by Tax Justice Aotearoa in which 13,000 people called on Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis to say NO to corporate tax cuts, in response to their earlier suggestions New Zealand’s corporate tax rates were too high.

    “These signatures were collected in little over three weeks which is an indication of the level of public opposition to corporate tax cuts,” Mr Barclay said.

    “Corporate tax cuts will do little to boost the economy but will instead end up costing us a lot of money – with a 1 percentage point reduction in corporate tax equal to $650m.

    “$650m is nearly the same as Te Whatu Ora’s deficit and is the equivalent of 1,187 hospital bed nights a year.

    “$650m would more than fully fund the School Lunch Programme over two years, or could be used to employ up to 6,300 nurses

    “It is also enough to maintain benefits’ link to wages for four years,” Mr Barclay said.

    “This is money we need when important public services, such as healthcare and school lunches, are under pressure.

    “We also welcome the strong support for a capital gains tax and a wealth tax in this survey, which aligns with surveys we conducted in 2023.

    “We strongly call on the government not to introduce cuts to corporate taxes in this year’s budget.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA President: “Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students”

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: Eric Jotkoff

    Published: March 19, 2025

    Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, take away support for students with disabilities, and cut job training programs 

    National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s reported Executive Order pushing to end the Department of Education:    

    “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires.   

    “Last week Trump and Musk fired — without cause — nearly half of the Department of Education staff, trying to get rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the services and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities for students, and ensure programs like FAFSA can function.  

    “Now, Trump is at it again with his latest effort to gut the Department of Education programs that support every student across the nation. If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.    

    “In moving forward with this, Trump is ignoring what parents and educators know is right for our students. This morning, in hundreds of communities across the nation thousands of families, educators, students, and community leaders joined together outside of neighborhood public schools to rally against taking away resources and support for our students. And, we are just getting started. Every day we are growing our movement to protect our students and public schools.   

    “We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance.”    

     
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     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Tech Secretary to bang the drum for closer AI partnership with the US

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    UK Tech Secretary to bang the drum for closer AI partnership with the US

    Technology Secretary Peter Kyle will set out Britain’s credentials as the global hub for AI investment on a visit to the United States this week (18th-25th March).

    Strengthening UK-US ties to boost AI investment.

    UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle will set out Britain’s credentials as the global hub for AI investment during his visit to the United States this week (18 to 25 March), highlighting how both countries can evolve their special relationship in the age of AI as the UK government puts the technology at the heart of its Plan for Change.  

    Speaking at Nvidia’s annual conference in San Jose (20th March), Peter Kyle will outline how the government is “rewiring” Britain’s economy to run on AI, paving the way for communities across the country to seize on the transformative opportunities presented by the technology and moving wealth creation away from just Silicon Valley and London.  

    Addressing business leaders, developers and innovators, the Technology Secretary will lay out his vision for how AI and advanced technologies are being put to work to help solve some of our most complex shared challenges, as Britain becomes a by-word for innovation.

    The technology is already being harnessed in the UK to improve public services and spark fresh economic growth – a central pillar of the government’s Plan for Change. Peter Kyle will now outline how the UK’s AI sector – valued at over $92 billion and projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2035 – will position Britain as the second leading AI nation in the democratic world, with a wealth of investment opportunities now being opened to US companies and financial backers alike. 

    Central to his message will be Britain’s readiness for AI investment, with a particular focus on how ‘the relics of economic eras past will be transformed into the UK’s innovative AI Growth Zones’.

    A key component of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, these are strategically designated areas designed to rapidly attract large-scale AI investment through streamlined regulations and dedicated infrastructure.

    These hotbeds of AI development represent a pipeline of new opportunities for companies to scale up and innovate, with the Technology Secretary to call for investors to step forward and participate in a new kind of partnership.  

    Speaking at Nvidia’s annual conference, the Technology Secretary is expected to set out how these Growth Zones, with access to large power connections, and a planning system designed to cut the time it takes to start up construction, will help to build a compute infrastructure which the UK ‘has never seen before’. 

    The government has already received hundreds of proposals from local leaders nationwide and industry, underscoring Britain’s readiness to leverage artificial intelligence to rejuvenate communities and drive economic growth across the country. 

    This will drive higher living standards across the UK – a primary focus for the government over the next four years – with AI Growth Zones poised to deliver the jobs, investment, and the thriving business environment which will put more money in people’s pockets and realise its Plan for Change.

    At the Nvidia conference, the Technology Secretary is expected to say: 

    In empty factories and abandoned mines, in derelict sites and unused power supplies, I see the places where we can begin to build a new economic model. 

    A model completely rewired around the immense power of artificial intelligence. 

    Where, faced with that power, the state is neither a blocker nor a shirker – but an agile, proactive partner. 

    In Britain, we want to turn the relics of economic eras past into AI Growth Zones.

    As part of the visit, Peter Kyle will also meet with key companies in the US tech sector including Open AI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and Vantage – banging the drum for more companies to set up shop in the UK as their Silicon Valley home from home. 

    Additionally, the Technology Secretary is expected to say: 

    There is a real hunger for investment in Britain, and people who are optimistic about the future, and hopeful for the opportunities which AI will bring for them and their families.

    States owe it to their citizens to support it. Not through diktat or directive, but through partnership.

    The Prime Minister and the President of the United States have placed AI at the heart of the trans-Atlantic relationship. Visiting the White House last month, the Prime Minister confirmed both nations are setting to work on a new economic deal which will put advanced technologies at its heart.  

    Since laying out its new vision for AI at the start of the year and giving the technology a frontline role in delivering the government’s Plan for Change, the UK has already seen a wealth of backing from American investors who are looking to set up a home from home on British shores.  

    Major recent investments include a £12 billion commitment from Vantage Data Centers to significantly expand Britain’s data infrastructure, creating approximately 11,500 jobs. Last month, the UK Government also formalised a partnership with Anthropic to enhance collaboration on leveraging AI to improve public services nationwide. 

    By deepening these partnerships with leading US tech firms and investors, the UK’s AI sector is poised for sustained growth as it continues removing barriers to innovation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM: Barrow a blueprint for positive impact of defence spending across the country

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    PM: Barrow a blueprint for positive impact of defence spending across the country

    Barrow is a blueprint for how defence spending can boost communities up and down the country, the Prime Minister will say while on a visit to the town today.

    • Keir Starmer joins Vanguard Class submarine crew returning home from nuclear deterrent patrol to thank them for their silent service
    • Comes as he visits Barrow to lay the keel of the next generation Dreadnought submarine, the next generation of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
    • Prime Minister announces His Majesty The King will confer the ‘Royal’ title to the Port of Barrow in recognition of the town’s unique and critical contribution to national security
    • New £28 million funding package for T-Levels set to benefit Furness College in Barrow to support submarine builders of the future.

    Barrow is a blueprint for how defence spending can boost communities up and down the country, the Prime Minister will say while on a visit to the town today.

    It comes as he announces the King has agreed to confer the ‘Royal’ title to the Port of Barrow in recognition of the town’s unique and critical contribution to national security as home of nuclear submarine building in the UK.

    The visit follows the Prime Minister secretly joining submariners returning home to loved ones a few days ago, hearing firsthand the ‘hot’ debrief of their long operational tour keeping the UK and NATO Allies safe.

    The Prime Minister boarded the boat as it returned to UK waters, known as ‘a Day Zero’, to thank submariners for their months of silent service deep under water. He is the first Prime Minister to join a Day Zero since 2013.

    The Prime Minister also met families waiting for their relatives to return from sea, many of which had experienced significant life milestones while their loved ones were on deployment, including four submariners who returned home to newborn children.

    Since 1969, the nuclear deterrent has been the cornerstone of UK security and continuously delivered by the Royal Navy – with at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine patrolling the seas undetected at all times. 

    The keel for the first nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine was laid in Barrow in 1959, before its launch in 1960. Two years later, the UK declared its nuclear capability to NATO.

    And this afternoon, the Prime Minister will lay the keel to the first boat of the next generation nuclear armed submarines, knowns as the Dreadnought class. 

    Dreadnought will deliver the next generation of our nuclear deterrent, to protect our people and allies from the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life for decades to come.

    It is also expected to support more than 30,000 jobs across the country, from the heart of BAE Systems in Barrow, to small and medium enterprises up and down the country. 

    Barrow will also play a vital role in delivering the AUKUS programme – a joint endeavour between Australia, the United States and the UK – with the first SSN-AUKUS attack submarines being built at the BAE Systems site.

    Last month, the Prime Minister announced that this government will increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament.

    That will equate to an extra £13.4 billion on defence, allowing this government to go further than ever to make sure the benefit of that investment is felt in British people’s pockets. 

    The Barrow submarine workforce alone has grown by more than 1000 people in the past six months, with those working in the defence nuclear sector earning approximately 20% above the national average wage.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    When I say that our Plan for Change is delivering security for working people and renewal for our country, there is no better blueprint than Barrow.

    Defence spending here is supporting highly skilled jobs, driving opportunities for young people and delivering world class capabilities to keep us all safe, but it’s also crucially putting money in the pockets of hardworking people.

    This week, I saw firsthand the sacrifice our submariners are making every day to keep our country safe, but I know they are only able to do that because of the support of the town of Barrow.

    Each and every person living and working in Barrow is contributing to our nation’s defence, whether that is building our world-class submarine programme, or supporting the workforce here through vital public services or proud family businesses.

    The Prime Minister will also announce that His Majesty the King has agreed to confer the title ‘Royal’ to the Port of Barrow in recognition of the town’s undue role in guaranteeing the nation’s security.

    The title is a recognition of the dedication and commitment of the people of Barrow in delivering the submarines that protect the nation, now and for decades to come. His Majesty hopes to visit the town in due course to mark the town’s proud heritage and prosperous future. 

    As part of recognising that contribution, and ensuring the community is able to continue delivering the nuclear deterrent for generations to come, new funding to support the wider community will be announced by the Prime Minister.

    That will include a new £28 million funding package for T-Levels, delivered by providers across England including Furness College in Barrow.

    The funding will help to equip and inspire students to be the next generation of submarine builders, with industry-relevant skills and knowledge, and leading to skilled employment, apprenticeships, or higher education both in the defence sector and beyond.

    This is on top of the Barrow Transformation Fund, a £200 million government package to strengthen the local economy, support sustainable growth and boost opportunities for the people of Barrow.

    As part of that fund, a £5 million pot to invest in schools to boost aspiration and support the needs of the young people of Barrow will also be opened.

    The funding priorities will be co-designed with representative leaders from across Barrow’s schools, ensuring the money is spent by the people who know best about how to improve the future of young people in the town.

    The fund also delivers on the government’s commitment to ensure those on the frontline of public services are empowered in decision making.

    A further £5 million will be provided for grants to community and voluntary organisations to allow local people to improve their local area.

    Defence Secretary John Healey said:

    Today’s keel laying is a demonstration of our government delivering for defence and fulfilling our first duty: to keep the British people safe.

    Our triple lock pledge for Britain’s nuclear deterrent will see all four Dreadnought-class submarines built in Royal Barrow – a generational commitment that is transforming this town. This is one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in this country, representing the very best of British engineering.

    Our commitment to the nuclear deterrent is unshakeable – it is the ultimate guarantor of our national security and the security of our NATO allies. And this national endeavour is also an engine for jobs and growth in Barrow and beyond.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Councils backed with over £500m to restore family services

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Councils backed with over £500m to restore family services

    Funding for preventive services doubled to over half a billion pounds to drive restoration in family and parenting support across every English council.

    More vulnerable children will be prevented from falling through the cracks as the government restores vital family support services, delivering on its plan for change to give every child the best start in life. 

    New guidance sets a clear expectation on all councils and their partners to reform family support services to enable earlier intervention and better protect children from harm.  

    Key reforms include introducing a single ‘front door’ to support services in every local area. This will make it clear to families struggling with complex needs such as mental health issues, disabilities and substance misuse, where and how they can access help. 

    This could mean embracing digital services or bringing different teams and services into an existing setting, such as a family hub. Bringing help from health visitors, housing support teams and mental health specialists into one place, will make it clear to parents where to access help and improve join up with existing universal support. 

    Thousands more family help leads will be matched with families to coordinate support and resources, taking responsibility for getting them the support they need to stop issues escalating. This will importantly end the frustrating experience of vulnerable families being passed from team to team, forced to tell their story time and time again.  

    These radical reforms are all backed by over half a billion pounds for councils in 2025/2026 – double their allocation in previous years – rebuilding the vital support infrastructure needed to reduce the number of children going into care.  These changes are urgently needed, with eight in ten parents unable to access the services they need in their child’s early years.  

    The measures build on the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to better support vulnerable children. Representing the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation, the bill paves the way for a unique child identifier, like an NHS number, a register of children not in school, and a requirement for every council to have multi-agency child safeguarding teams.

    Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby said: 

    For too long, vulnerable children and families have been left to struggle – battling fragmented services and receiving support when it’s too late.  

    Backed by over £500m and delivering our Plan for Change, we’re putting an end to this injustice and building back crumbling family support services, to keep children safe and enable more families to achieve and thrive together. 

    Whether seeking help with supporting a child’s development or for substance misuse, families can feel assured that they will get the right help at the right stage, as this government delivers the real change that matters to families.

    The government inherited a broken system, with children and families facing poor outcomes and barriers to opportunity. 

    While spending on services for families at crisis point – which local authorities have a legal duty to provide – has skyrocketed by £4 billion since 2013, investment in early preventative support which isn’t statutory has plummeted by £900m. 

    At the same time, those known to children’s services are seven times more likely to face permanent exclusion from school and care-experienced young people making up around a quarter of the adult prison population. 

    Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby, visited a children’s centre in Redbridge to hear about the implementation of reforms so far.

    One parent said:

    I want to be the best father I can be for my children, but I was struggling to parent and build meaningful bonds.

    I self-referred myself after finding out about the services online. The team facilitated a plan for me, which included attending a parenting programme to learn more parenting skills and understand how I can improve my relationship with my children. So far, it’s taught me a lot and had a really positive impact on my family.

    Reflecting on their experience, another local parent said:

    After being referred by our school, my family was matched with a coordinator to support challenges with my children’s disabilities. I was facing a lot of red tape and struggling to navigate the system. After providing us with a whole-family plan, my coordinator has made this much smoother and really helped to bridge our relationship with the school. They’ve also made sure I have access to support for lots of other challenges, including mentoring and housing.

    I was hitting lots of walls trying to get help, but the service has really transformed by experience – I wish I’d known about this sooner so I could have referred myself.

    These reforms will driver greater collaboration between agencies, bringing together professionals with different expertise and backgrounds to ensure children don’t fall through the cracks.  

    From the point parents are expecting a baby, support services such as parenting skills, domestic abuse counselling and financial advice will be wrapped around the family, with the needs of the whole family considered throughout their journey.  

    Chief Executive Officer at the National Children’s Bureau, Anna Feuchtwang, said:

    The Families First Partnership Programme has enormous potential to provide earlier support and better address the needs of children within their family networks.

    With further investment in preventative services, shared workforce development and stability, these reforms present a huge opportunity to reorient child and family services towards enabling and supporting wellbeing.

    It is critical that roll out is informed by the ongoing evidence from the FFC pathfinders and that all children, including those with disabilities, are able to benefit.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New NSW Privacy Commissioner appointed

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: New NSW Privacy Commissioner appointed

    Published: 20 March 2025

    Released by: Attorney General, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government

    Ms Sonia Minutillo has been appointed as the new NSW Privacy Commissioner to deliver an independent voice on the administration of privacy legislation.

    Ms Minutillo’s appointment allows her to continue promoting, protecting, and enhancing the privacy rights of the people of NSW.

    The NSW Privacy Commissioner investigates and conciliates complaints about breaches of privacy, advises government agencies, businesses, and other organisations on how to ensure the right to privacy is protected.

    The Commissioner also oversees NSW Government agency reviews of reported breaches with a view to developments in policy, law, and technology that may impact privacy.

    Ms Minutillo will continue to provide oversight of and advice to NSW public sector agencies on compliance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2022 and in protecting the personal information of individuals.

    Ms Minutillo was formerly the Director of Investigation and Reporting at the Information and Privacy Commission, leading its regulatory functions including the conduct of reviews, complaints, investigations, and proactive compliance program.

    She has been acting NSW Privacy Commissioner since August 2023.

    Find out more about the Information and Privacy Commission NSW here.

    Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:

    “The Privacy Commissioner plays an important role in ensuring accountability in NSW Government by ensuring the public sector handles personal information responsibly and take steps to prevent and manage any data breaches.

    “Ms Minutillo has demonstrated her expertise in this area while acting as Privacy Commissioner over the past 18 months, drawing on her experience leading programs in the fields of industrial relations and employment rights and obligations under NSW and Commonwealth legislation.

    “I congratulate Ms Minutillo on her appointment and look forward to working with her to uphold the privacy of every NSW resident.”

    Attorney General Michael Daley said:

    “As the NSW Privacy Commissioner, Ms Minutillo will drive integrity and strong accountability in the public sector to underpin robust governance at every level.

    “I welcome Ms Minutillo to this significant role. Her extensive experience and qualifications make her well-placed to continue the important work of promoting and protecting the privacy rights of the NSW community.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Key events coming up for storm-affected communities

    Source: Auckland Council

    Date and time

    Meeting name

    Meeting location

    20 March, 6.30pm

    East Coast Bays community storm recovery

    The Rothesay Room, Heart of the Bays, 2 Glen Road, Browns Bay

    22 March, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Urlich Drive and Arodella Crescent

    Waimoko / Urlich Esplanade Reserve, Rānui

    24 March, 6pm-9.30pm

    Māngere Community Recovery Planning

    Māngere Bridge Library

    26 March, 6.30pm

    Māngere – Te Ararata Creek flood resilience project meeting

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    27 March, 6.30pm

    Māngere – Harania Creek flood resilience project meeting

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    28 March, 4.30-6.30pm

    Street Chats – Mayfair Place, Clover Drive, Lincoln Garden Close

    Grass area next to 1 Meadowcroft Lane, Henderson

    29 March, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Chilcott Road

    Inanga / Chilcott Brae, 19 Chilcott Road, Henderson

    29 March, 2pm-4pm

    Street Chats – Candia and Pooks roads

    Either 3 or 8 Candia Road, Swanson

    30 March, 1pm-3pm

    Hadfield Street Reserve community celebration

    Hadfield Street Reserve, knoll near Poaka Place entrance, Beach Haven

    31 March, 6pm-9.30pm

    Māngere Community Recovery Planning

    Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, 35a Cape Road, Māngere

    4 April, 4.30-6.30pm

    Street Chats – Camphora Place

    Vacant site next to 7 Camphora Place, Rānui

    5 April, 10am-12noon

    Street Chats – Waimoko Glen and Birdwood Road

    24a Waimoko Glen, Swanson

    5 April, 2pm-4pm

    Street Chats – Wilsher Crescent

    Vacant site at 41 Wilsher Crescent, Henderson

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Q&A: What is a blue-green network?

    Source: Auckland Council

    A blue-green network is a system of waterways (blue) and parks (green) that give stormwater space to flow and help reduce flooding where people live.

    After severe weather events in 2023, Auckland Council prioritised blue-green projects to better protect our communities from flooding.

    As part of our Making Space for Water 10-year flood resilience programme, we identified 12 focus areas around the region that could benefit the most from a blue-green project.

    What has the council been doing to reduce flood risk in Auckland?

    We have been working hard to assess all the potential project areas to decide if there is an infrastructure solution that can deliver significant flood reduction to the community and that is affordable for ratepayers.

    These assessments are very complex, they involve multiple stages of research, analysis and decision making before a feasible solution can be presented to the council’s Governing Body and central government funding partners for approval. If approved, further stages of design, consenting and engagement are undertaken before a project is ready to construct. This process before construction generally takes 2-3 years.

    Why has the amount of funding allocated to these projects changed?

    Following major 2023 storms, a co-funding package with the Government has given us the opportunity to ‘retreat’ high-risk homes and deliver some key resilience projects sooner than expected.

    Within this funding package, buy-outs have been the first priority to get high-risk homeowners out of harm’s way. Now that we understand more which high-risk areas still need mitigations, and how much funding we have remaining from the package, we can start prioritising flood resilience projects.

    What is the process for delivering the blue green projects?

    While we are working as quickly as possible, we can’t progress all projects at the same time, so they’ll be developed and delivered across several years.

    Central and local government representatives will work together to guide each project through a five-stage process. At each stage decisions will need to be made which will determine whether the project can proceed to the next stage.

    Our staged approach is crucial due to the scale of these projects – they’re expensive and can be disruptive. We want to ensure value for Aucklanders.

    As these projects are made up of a number of connected works and they will make a huge difference to those that live in the area, we will be working together with iwi and the community in prioritised project areas and setting up opportunities in the coming months to meet and start to gather their input to help shape the designs.

    What stage is each project at?

    Two projects in Māngere have already been prioritised, with construction starting soon, because they could be delivered in a reasonable timeframe to reduce the risk to life for local homes.

    Feasibility assessments have been completed for all 12 areas originally identified in the blue-green networks initiative.

    In Ōpoutūkeha / Cox’s Creek, Grey Lynn and Meola-Epsom, much of the flood risk has been managed through the voluntary buy-out programme. Removing these houses will give sufficient space for water to flow.

    Finding a suitable solution to reduce flooding for the Kumeū River catchment has been challenging. The council, with engineering experts, has thoroughly explored several options including building stop banks, extending a flood way, diverting the river, and creating detention ponds upstream.

    Although a lot of work has gone into these ideas, none are feasible due to high costs, environmental impacts, and the high level of residual flood risk faced by the community. We are now working with other council teams and the government to find the best solutions for the community.

    The remaining blue-green projects will take longer to develop as they will need to be funded by the council through the Long-term Plan process. We will aim to deliver these projects over the following 10 years. In areas where larger scale projects cannot be funded right now, we will look for ways to accelerate smaller works that may help to reduce the impacts of lower-level flooding.

    Blue-Green project status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    ·       Harania Creek, Māngere

    ·       Te Ararata Stream, Māngere.

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Funding approved, community engagement underway.

    Construction expected to start April/ May 2025.

    ·       Rānui / Clover Drive

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Council funding approved, pending crown business case approval.

    ·       Wairau Valley

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Community engagement underway.

    Business case being developed.

    ·       Whangapouri (Pukekohe)

    ·       Te Auaunga (Mt Roskill)

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Early design and modelling underway.

    ·       Whau Stream (Blockhouse Bay / Lynfield)

    ·       Opanuku Stream (Henderson)

    ·       Porter’s Stream

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Potential options identified.

    ·       Cox’s Creek

    ·       Epsom

    ·       Kumeū

    N/A

    Not progressing through blue-green networks initiative.

    Alternative projects may be scoped in future if required.


    What are the current priorities for development?

    Projects in Harania Creek and Te Ararata Stream are underway and expected to start construction later this year.

    A detailed prioritisation analysis has determined that Clover Drive in Rānui is the next area proposed to progress. Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee approved funding in February 2025.

    This area was identified as the next priority based on several criteria due to its potential for reducing risk to life, improving community health and wellbeing, and delivering economic benefits to residents and businesses. Addressing flooding risks in this area also stands to lead to improved water quality and broader environmental benefits. Approval to progress is also required from Crown, with a decision expected in March.

    How does Wairau Valley fit into the overall plan?

    Given the Wairau Valley’s size and the complexity of required mitigations, addressing flooding issues requires a phased approach. This will involve significant long-term investment, community input, and collaboration. The council will be promoting opportunities for the community to participate and provide input into early designs to maximise local benefits before submitting a detailed business case in the coming months. A catchment-wide approach will ensure optimal outcomes for the community.

    This flood resilience work will bring many additional benefits to the community, including better water quality, more open space, improved biodiversity, and better connectivity. We look forward to working together to develop and deliver these improvements.

    What else is being done to reduce flooding in blue-green areas in the meantime?

    We understand that residents may feel anxious about more storms and heavy rain, especially if they were seriously affected in the 2023 storms.

    For those areas that have not been prioritised in this phase but are still included in the blue-green programme, early design and modelling is underway so that projects are ready to progress as soon as funding can be allocated.

    Maintenance and monitoring of critical waterways and infrastructure has been increased to help to improve water flow during smaller storms. We are also looking at other opportunities such as flood intelligence and flood warning systems that will help to reduce risks from severe weather events. Alongside this we continue to update our flood modelling data so that we can base our decisions and recommendations on the most up-to-date information and better prepare and support Aucklanders when future weather events occur.

    Guides offering property level advice to reduce the impacts of flooding in multiple languages can be found on Flood Viewer and in libraries across the region.

    What are the plans for the vacant land once Category 3 houses are cleared?

    More than 1,200 high-risk Auckland properties are expected to be purchased by Auckland Council before the end of 2025 – making it one of the largest land acquisition programmes undertaken in New Zealand.

    We are carefully deciding what to do with this storm-affected land, with decisions expected to take years.

    We want to ensure Auckland’s land is used effectively to provide homes and maintain strong communities, while managing risk and reducing the financial impact to ratepayers.

    If we keep the land, options for use could include:

    • flood resilience and stream management

    • adding it to neighbouring parkland or bush

    • managing it as high-hazard land.

    If we don’t keep the land, options could include:

    • sale for safe redevelopment

    • sale with conditions to manage the risk (such as converting ground floor units to storage)

    • sale to neighbours for extra backyard space.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Vocus’ proposed acquisition of TPG enterprise, government and wholesale business not opposed

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC will not oppose Vocus Group Limited’s proposed acquisition of TPG Telecom Limited’s (ASX: TPG) fixed line business, enterprise, government, and wholesale customer base as well as its fibre and transmission networks.

    Vocus supplies fibre and network services to government, enterprise and wholesale customers. It also supplies communications and technology services to small and medium sized businesses, and retail telecommunications services to consumers.

    Vocus also owns a fibre network, which includes domestic inter-capital transmission and metropolitan fibre infrastructure serving business premises.

    TPG is a major telecommunications company which supplies fixed broadband services to consumers, business and government customers. It also supplies wholesale telecommunication services.

    The ACCC’s review focused on how closely Vocus and TPG compete in the supply of data network and connectivity services, including fixed-line internet services, to large enterprise and government customers.

    “Our investigation found that Vocus concentrates on supplying large enterprise and government customers, whereas TPG focuses on the small and medium enterprise segment of the market,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams said.

    The ACCC notes the introduction of NBN Co’s wholesale Enterprise Ethernet product in 2018 has significantly reduced barriers to entry and expansion to supplying large customers. This product has enabled providers with no or a small fibre footprint to compete for larger customers.

    “After the acquisition, Vocus will continue to face strong competitors including Telstra, Optus, Aussie Broadband, Superloop and managed service providers in supplying government, large enterprise, and SME customers,” Dr Williams said.

    As part of the review, the ACCC also considered the impact of the acquisition in the supply of fixed line voice services, NBN wholesale aggregation services, and data centre, cloud and security services.

    “Overall, we did not find that the acquisition would likely result in substantially lessening competition in any market,” Dr Williams said.

    More information can be found on the ACCC’s website at Vocus Group Limited – TPG Telecom Limited.

    Note to editors

    In considering the proposed merger, the ACCC applies the legal test set out in section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act.

    In general terms, section 50 prohibits acquisitions that would have the effect, or be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition in any market.

    Background

    The assets that Vocus is proposing to acquire from TPG include the following:

    • Network assets: TPG’s fibre network, including metropolitan, domestic, inter-capital and international subsea cable systems, and data centres that are primarily used for business, enterprise, government, wholesale and SME.
    • Vision Network: a wholly-owned subsidiary of TPG, Vision Network is a fixed line broadband network that provides residential broadband access services in selected areas of Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, as well as Geelong, Ballarat and Mildura.
    • Wholesale, government and enterprise products and services: TPG provides fixed line fibre and fixed line network services to wholesale, enterprise and government customers under the TPG Telecom and AAPT brands.

    TPG also operates a mobile network, which includes the Vodafone brand in Australia. However, this is not part of the proposed acquisition.

    TPG’s consumer, business, enterprise, government, and wholesale mobile customers as well as its consumer and “small office home office” retail fixed line customers and business unit will also be excluded from the proposed acquisition.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Committee Passes Two Bipartisan Bills Led by Peters to Bolster Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chains and Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed two bipartisan bills authored by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) that aim to bolster domestic semiconductor supply chains and strengthen U.S. manufacturing policy.    
    “To support manufacturers in Michigan and throughout the United States, we need our industry partners, economic developers, and lawmakers reading from the same playbook,” said Senator Peters. “These bipartisan bills would help build a coordinated effort to attract new investments in our manufacturing sector, create good-paying jobs, and reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries for the semiconductor technologies that help power our economy.” 
    Peters’ Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act – which he introduced with U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL) – would help to strengthen federal efforts to expand domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The bill would direct the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program, in collaboration with other federal agencies and state economic development organizations, to develop strategies that would attract investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturers and supply chains. Peters’ bill – which previously passed the Senate with unanimous support – would help address the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor technologies that has disrupted a range of industries in recent years including manufacturers and automakers in Michigan.    
    “We appreciate Senator Peters’ continued commitment to strengthening our national security and economic resilience by building up the semiconductor industry and supply chain here in America,” said Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “As technology evolves and integrates further into every aspect of our lives, this industry remains poised for growth. Senator Peters’ understands that it is imperative we continue to collaborate in a bipartisan manner at the state, regional, and federal level on behalf of American workers, and especially future generations of innovative Michiganders.”  
    “American Automakers are grateful to Senator Peters for his leadership on this bipartisan legislation, which will boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen our nation’s supply chains,” said Governor Matt Blunt, President of the American Automotive Policy Council. “This legislation is vital for U.S. automakers and their supplier partners, helping to foster economic growth throughout the U.S. auto sector.”    
    The committee also passed Peters’ National Manufacturing Advisory Council for the 21st Century Act, which would establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Advisory Council would bring together leaders in manufacturing, labor, and education to advise both Congress and the Secretary of Commerce on how best to ensure the United States remains the top destination globally for investment in manufacturing. It would serve as a bridge between the manufacturing sector and federal government to improve communication and collaboration, and better support the industry and its workforce. The bill – which he introduced with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) – passed the Senate with unanimous support last Congress.    
    “This initiative, the National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act, is designed to improve the resources and support for our nation’s small and medium-size manufacturers, which are a truly vital driver of our economy. I applaud Senator Peters for his steadfast, unwavering commitment to American manufacturing,” said Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, the Michigan representative of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).   
    “We applaud Senator Gary Peters for introducing this bill to improve the federal government’s planning and coordination of efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing,” said Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. “Recent supply chain disruptions have made clear that it is time for the United States to shore up its critical manufacturing capabilities, which will not only better prepare us for the next crisis but also create jobs and boost the economy. This increased coordination between the many programs designed to support our manufacturers and their workers is an important step towards rebuilding our industrial base. We are grateful to Senator Peters for his efforts to bolster American manufacturing.”   
    “The Association of Equipment Manufacturers applauds Senator Gary Peters and Senator Marsha Blackburn for their continued leadership on behalf of the manufacturing sector and for introducing legislation that will prioritize a national strategy focused on ensuring American manufacturing policy can rapidly respond to changes in the global marketplace,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations. “Our economic prosperity and national security depend on a strong manufacturing sector, and establishing a National Manufacturing Advisory Council will help unleash innovation and mobilize a comprehensive, coordinated, and competent national effort in support of the manufacturing sector and its workforce.”     
    “We commend Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for introducing legislation to establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council,” said Ana Meuwissen, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association. “This council will be a forum for manufacturers and other key stakeholders to provide input to the Department of Commerce (DOC) on important long-range issues such as workforce, supply chain, technology, and defense industrial base. The NMAC legislation would also foster better coordination of federal manufacturing policy in the DOC and across the federal government. When this legislation is enacted, it will be an asset to assist in retaining U.S. competitiveness in critical manufacturing sectors like motor vehicle parts.”     
    Peters has made expanding domestic manufacturing and strengthening U.S. supply chains a top priority. Peters helped craft and pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes a provision Peters secured funding to support the domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies and ensure that projects supporting critical manufacturing industries, such as the auto industry, are given priority status. This funding was in addition to $50 billion already in the bill to incentivize the production of semiconductors of all kinds in the U.S. – for a total of $52 billion.   
    The CHIPS and Science Act also included Peters’ bipartisan Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act, which ensures federal incentives to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing include U.S. suppliers that produce the materials and manufacturing equipment that enable semiconductor manufacturing. Peters’ provision directly supports Michigan manufacturers like Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) in Hemlock, Michigan which was recently awarded up to $325 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The project will allow the company to expand production of hyper-pure polysilicon needed to manufacture semiconductor chips and is expected to create 180 good-paying manufacturing jobs, as well as thousands of construction jobs, in Michigan.        
    Peters additionally supported and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which will strengthen domestic manufacturing, onshore our supply chains, combat the climate crisis and create millions of American jobs.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Tours Furniture Manufacturer in Lisbon to Discuss Energy Efficiency Upgrades, Visits Mount Cabot Maple in Lancaster During Maple Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Lancaster, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, toured DCI Furniture in Lisbon to learn more about how the business is using federal funding to make energy efficiency upgrades. Later, Shaheen visited Mount Cabot Maple in Lancaster to celebrate Maple Month and hear about the challenges facing the Granite State’s maple industry. Photos from today’s events can be found here.

    In Lisbon, Shaheen visited DCI Furniture, a family-owned furniture manufacturing company, to learn more about how the business is using federal funding to install a new combined heat and power system that uses wood waste for fuel. The project will improve energy efficiency, decrease costs and reduce emissions at the facility.

    “Efficiency is the cheapest, fastest way to meet our energy needs, and DCI Furniture is a poster child for thinking about energy in a smart way,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was pleased to see firsthand how DCI is using federal funding that I’ve championed to make energy efficiency upgrades that will save money, reduce emissions and benefit the local forest-based economy—it’s just the kind of made-in-New Hampshire project we need to see more of.”

    The project has been awarded funding through programs Shaheen champions, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program, the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wood Grant program and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made huge investments in energy efficiency, including $550 million for Industrial Research and Assessment Centers and assistance for small- and medium-sized manufacturers to implement efficiency upgrades based upon her longstanding bipartisan legislation with former U.S. Senator Rob Portman. Shaheen also helped introduce legislation to enhance the Forest Service’s Community Wood  Grant program that is providing funding for this project. 

    Later in Lancaster, Shaheen visited Mount Cabot Maple to hear more about how the farm has benefitted from federal funding from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and underscore the challenges facing the Granite State’s maple industry in the wake of the Trump Administration’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico and federal funding freeze.

    “Our maple syrup producers are an integral and delicious part of New Hampshire’s identity,” said Senator Shaheen. “It was great to visit Mount Cabot Maple today during Maple Month to tour the farm and learn more about how this North Country staple is weathering the impacts of Trump’s funding chaos and tariffs on Canada.”

    Shaheen co-leads the Market Access, Promotion and Landowner Education Support for Your Regionally Underserved Producers (MAPLE SYRUP) Act with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to extend and expand the federal maple support program, which supports the U.S. maple syrup industry through research and education, natural resource sustainability and the marketing of maple syrup and maple-sap products.

    Shaheen has also been outspoken against the Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs on Canada and Mexico and chaotic funding freeze and cuts. Recently, Shaheen forced a vote in the Senate on her Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act to limit the President’s ability to levy sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Shaheen has also hosted a series of roundtables and discussions with Granite Staters to better understand and highlight the direct consequences of the Trump administration’s funding chaos and uncertainty. Following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze grants and loans disbursed by the federal government in January, Shaheen immediately condemned the move and spoke on the Senate floor against the decision to freeze federal grants and loans that families, seniors and small businesses rely on for critical, often life-saving services. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leader of Multi-Year ‘Operation Fox Hunt’ Repatriation Campaign Directed by the People’s Republic of China Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Defendant Repeatedly Harassed U.S. Resident and His Family to Coerce Repatriation to the PRC

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, defendant Quanzhong An, 58, of Roslyn Heights, New York, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for his participation in a scheme to cause the coerced repatriation of a U.S. resident (the U.S. Resident) to the PRC as part of the PRC government’s international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” In addition to the term of imprisonment, An was ordered to pay a financial penalty of approximately $5 million, including approximately $1.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Resident and his family, as well as a $50,000 fine. An pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was charged in October 2022.

    As set forth in the government’s sentencing memoranda and other court filings, An was a leading member of an international campaign to threaten, harass, and intimidate the U.S. Resident and his family members, with the goal of coercing the U.S. Resident to repatriate to the PRC. An participated in the multi-year scheme to elevate his status within the PRC government as a means of furthering his own economic interests.

    An’s involvement in the repatriation scheme began in 2017, when he attempted to locate the U.S. Resident by visiting the home of the U.S. Resident’s adult son, without notice or invitation. The following year, An sent his daughter, as well as two PRC government officials, to the home of the U.S. Resident’s son. An subsequently met with the U.S. Resident’s son on numerous occasions, during which time An served as a mouthpiece for the PRC by conveying threatening messages on behalf of the PRC government. For example, An said he did not want to pronounce “ruthless words” from the PRC government but stated that PRC officials would “keep pestering [the U.S. Resident’s son], [and] make [his] daily life uncomfortable” if the son was unable to convince his father to repatriate to the PRC. An’s harassment continued unabated from 2017 until his arrest in 2022. An’s conduct intimidated individuals living in the United States and their loved ones in the PRC – just as it was intended to do – for the benefit of the PRC government.

    At sentencing, Judge Matsumoto considered that An participated in additional criminal conduct. Specifically, he perpetrated a bank fraud and money laundering scheme to defraud U.S. financial institutions so that he could enjoy continued access to U.S.-based bank accounts. As part of this scheme, he moved millions of dollars from the PRC into the United States, deliberately deceiving U.S. financial institutions regarding the source and purpose of the funds.

    The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit the FBI’s website.

    Supervisory Official Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backshies of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Solomon, Meredith A. Arfa, and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Claire S. Kedeshian of the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters and Madeline O’Connor and Daniel Saavedra of the Eastern District of New York’s Financial Litigation Program are assisting with restitution matters. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Loan Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Michigan man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan.

    Donald Nchamukong, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, to commit loan fraud and to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025.

    Starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and a co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme.  

    Kalita was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme and a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering.

    The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the monetary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial, and Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case.

    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 https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

    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 (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Cedar Rapids Homicide Suspect

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Marshals today arrested a man in Nevada who is wanted on several charges in Iowa. 

    Donnie Danell White, 51, is wanted in connection to a deceased individual found in southwest Cedar Rapids. White is wanted in Linn County on charges of murder in the first-degree and nonconsensual termination of pregnancy.     

    On March 14 investigators with the Cedar Rapids Police Department contacted the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force requesting assistance in the location and apprehension of White. Task Force officers began to follow up on leads throughout Cedar Rapids and developed information indicating White had fled the state following the murder.  Officials began coordinating with the U.S. Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force. 

    Officers with the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force today narrowed their search to an area in the 2900 block of West Washington Avenue in Las Vegas.  U.S. Marshals approached the suspect shortly after 3 p.m. and White eventually surrendered to the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force.  White was arrested without incident and transported for processing.  He will remain in custody until extradition to Iowa.

    The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. Nationwide, 60 local task forces are dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. These task forces also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters. The Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is comprised of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Corrections.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Court Sentences Hino Motors Ltd., a Toyota Subsidiary, and Imposes Over $1.6B in Penalties for Emissions Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View plea agreement here. View criminal information here.

    Today, U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for the Eastern District of Michigan accepted Hino Motors, Ltd.’s guilty plea to a one-count criminal information charging it with having engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy to defraud both the U.S. government and American consumers and illicitly smuggle goods into the country. Judge Goldsmith also sentenced Hino, a Toyota subsidiary, to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation — during which it is prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States — and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. The court also entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.

    According to court records, between 2010 and 2019, Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. The engineers also submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in false fuel consumption values being calculated for its engines, and failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, Hino Motors, Ltd. imported and sold over 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022. These engines were primarily installed in heavy-duty trucks manufactured and sold by Hino nationwide.

    “Hino unlawfully imported over 105,000 engines that did not comply with U.S. emissions standards and lied about what it was doing. Hino’s criminal conduct gave it an unfair business advantage over other law-abiding companies, including American companies, and generated over $1 billion in gross proceeds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing our Clean Air Act emissions standards.”

    “Our office is steadfast in its commitment to holding corporate actors accountable when they lie to government regulators, illicitly smuggle goods into our county, and then fraudulently sell those goods to American consumers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan.

    “Hino falsely certified compliance with the Clean Air Act so that it could profit off Americans by sending illegal, polluting engines into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s plea and sentencing demonstrates that companies who intentionally evade our nation’s environmental laws, including by fabricating data to feign compliance with those laws, deserve punishment and will be held criminally accountable.”

    “By pleading guilty, Hino Motors, Ltd. has admitted to orchestrating a deliberate and years-long fraud scheme that put profit over principle,” said Acting Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division “It doesn’t matter how complex the scheme is, the FBI is committed to holding individuals and organizations responsible for their actions.”

    Special agents of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the criminal case.

    Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind for the Eastern District of Michigan handled the criminal prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gjon Juncaj handled the criminal forfeiture matters. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Lowell Town Hall, Warren Lays Out Three Ways She’s Fighting Back Against Trump, Musk’s Dangerous Government Takeover

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 19, 2025
    Video of Remarks (YouTube)
    Boston, MA – At a town hall in Lowell, MA on Tuesday, March 18th, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) laid out her strategy to fight Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s dangerous government takeover hurting Massachusetts families and invited neighbors from Lowell to join her in the fight. 
    Transcript: Senator Warren’s Opening Remarks Town Hall in Lowell, MAMarch 18, 2025 
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: It is so good to see all of you. So, look, I’ve got to start out in a pretty hard place. And that is: our country is under assault right now, assault from within.   
    Donald Trump ran for office, promising on Day One to lower costs for American families. He repeated that over and over and over — ran ads on it, talked about it at every rally, said that one thing he could promise: on Day One, he’d lower costs for American families. 
    After he got elected, the very first interview he gave, he said that was why he won, because he made that promise to lower costs for American families. Are your costs any lower? 
    Audience: No! 
    Senator Warren: No, in fact, look at what Donald Trump has been doing since he was sworn in. Here we are going into the third month. Oh, Lord. Going into the third month and what is he doing? He’s trying to end entire agencies in government. 
    We’ve got the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – woohoo! The cop on the beat so you don’t get cheated on your credit card, on your mortgage, on your car loan, just tried to sweep that completely off the books. Elon Musk tried to kill the CFPB — just take them out. Take them out. 
    The Department of Education, there for our little children, there for people trying to get a college diploma, there to make sure that a good public education is available for all of our kids — and they’re trying to take them out.  
    And as co-president Musk comes through with his chainsaw, he’s getting rid of the “fat” that we don’t need in government. You know, like the nuclear scientists that take care of fissionable material. Getting rid of air traffic controllers, who keep us safe while we’re on airplanes. Getting rid of the people who do the testing to make sure that we can drink the water and breathe the air. Getting rid of the people who inspect food that comes from foreign countries to make sure that we can safely eat it. That’s what he thinks is cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. 
    And understand, they don’t stop there. They also were out trying to cut off our future – end the money that goes into medical research, into scientific research. End the money that goes into higher education. End the money that goes into building the very foundations of our future. That’s what they’re trying to do and they’re throwing it up. They’re throwing up tons of it, every minute.  
    People say to me, “I can’t keep up. I can’t keep up with the headlines. There’s too much going on every day.” Understand this: that is exactly the plan. That is the plan. Because their hope is if you feel overwhelmed, if you can’t keep up with every piece of it, that you will simply cover up your head, give up, and let them do whatever they want. Well, I have to say to them: Not on my watch. Not on my watch. 
    So you look at the list of things they’ve done, and it may feel random to you. It’s like what? And they’re over here doing what? I didn’t even know that thing existed and they did what? There’s a whole lot of that going on, but again, that’s the hope. When you’ve got a really ugly plan that nobody much likes – Democrats don’t like it, Independents don’t like it, and the majority of Republicans don’t like it, you’ve got to find a way to ram it through, with nobody seeing it until it’s too late. 
    So what are they really doing with all those cuts? What is that chainsaw really about? Why shut down these departments? Why take down money that we invest in pediatric cancer research? I’ll tell you what it’s really for. What the Republicans in Congress and Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to do is they want to have a $4.7 trillion giveaway to a handful of billionaires and billionaire corporations, paid for on the backs of seniors, veterans, public workers, little kids, and we are here to say no to them. No.  
    So this is really important: the next time you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, the next time you’re thinking, “I’m not sure I’m following this next piece,” stop and say to yourself, “Oh wait, that is the plan. That is the plan. And we are the people who are fighting back.”  
    Here’s why I’m here tonight: I want to tell you three things I’m doing – and you know I come with an ask – I’m going to ask you to do three things, and then we’re going to do some questions, I want to hear from you, and want to talk about other things going on.  
    So what are we doing? What am I trying to do? I’ll tell you what I’m doing. I’m doubling down on the Constitution of the United States of America. 
    I’m putting my chips on the table and let’s just remember — Constitutional Law 101, three parts to government. It is the job of Congress to write the laws and enact the laws. That’s our job. It is the job of the administration to administer those laws, to carry them out faithfully. And it is the job of the courts to go after the administration and hold them accountable if they fail to follow the law.  
    So, Part One for me right now, for a whole lot of folks, is we’re taking Donald Trump and Elon Musk to court. Not once, not twice, we are in over a hundred lawsuits now. And they’re not through, because understand this: what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing is illegal. They are violating the law. We’ve just got to say it right out loud. 
    And listen, for any of you who run into your buddies who may have voted for Donald Trump because they thought he was going to lower prices – they say, “Well, he got elected.” Yeah, he got elected, and Republicans control the House and the Senate. If they want to change the law, the Constitution tells us how to do it. You start in Congress, you write new laws, then the administration can administer those laws. But no unelected guy with a chainsaw gets to come out here and shut down agencies and fire people that are working on behalf of the American people. 
    So that’s Part One. We are in court. And the early decisions – look, they’re not all perfect, not every case is going to line up the right way, but it’s looking hopeful. The courts are doing what they should be doing. They’re calling people out who are not following the law. And the latest sign is it’s moving all the way up to Elon Musk by name. So Part One. 
    Alright, Part Two: job in Congress. Go back to what I was talking about earlier. All the noise, all the sand in the gears, all the terrible things they’re trying to do, underlying all that is trying to hand over our government to the billionaires, to a handful of billionaires and billionaire corporations. This is going to be the fight over taxes, and that may sound boring – it is not. It is fundamentally who this government works for. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, a handful of billionaires who stood up there on the podium when Donald Trump was sworn in, they say that the United States’ people, the people of this country, should give them $4.7 trillion in giveaways and make everyone else pay for it. Because that is their vision of America. An America that works even better for the billionaires and even worse for everyone else.  
    I am a Democrat, and what it means to be a Democrat is every one of those guys needs to pay their fair share and we need to invest in Americans. So this fight is the big fight, and this is the fight in front of us. This is the one coming up right away. So that’s going to be the second thing. We’re going to be in this fight everywhere we possibly can.      
    Part Three is I’m doing everything I can, along with others, to help raise a movement. Ultimately, we’ve got the courts, we’ve got Congress, but real power in this nation is the American people. Real power is here, right here in Lowell, Massachusetts. Real power are the people who continue to pay attention, the people who continue to reach out, the people who continue to make their voices heard. 
    That’s why so much of this fight is trying to get people just to give up. Trying to overwhelm them so they’ll just cover up their heads. Trying to say it’s all too complicated, trying to do it all with the emojis, and let’s do this, make fun of people, let’s try to take them down. Because they want you to give up. Because you are the true source of power. 
    So last week, I was not here in Massachusetts, I was in Texas. Bernie is in Iowa. Where was Tim Walz — we’ve got a bunch of people out — Wisconsin, that’s exactly right. But that’s the idea, we’ve got to raise it, we’ve got to raise it together. So those are three things that I’m working on, trying to get all of my friends in the Senate and friends everywhere to work on.
    But I’m here to ask you to be part of this as well. And here are my three asks for you: the first one is tell the stories. We build a grassroots movement one blade of grass at a time. And you can say cut federal employees and it may sound like cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. But when you talk about that you have a child in a pediatric cancer trial that is supported by federal dollars, and taking those federal dollars away can threaten that child’s life, that’s a story that everybody else in America needs to hear. 
    When you’re ready to talk about your neighbor down the street who is trying hard to be able to live independently — serious accident has got to have some home health care — and Elon Musk, the richest man on this planet, thinks that the way we save money is we tell that person, “You don’t get a home health aide, you have to move into a nursing home. That’s all that’s going to be available for you.” And then turns around it says to people who are in nursing homes, there’s not going to be enough support for you. I don’t know what the plan is there. We’re just going to set people out on the corners? Tell those stories. Tell them real. Tell them from your family, tell them from your neighbors, tell them from your cousins, but tell those stories. That’s number one. It is the best possible way to meet people where they are and get them to understand the importance of this fight. 
    Second part: do not underestimate the power of organization. Have I got some Indivisibles here? Power of organization. Any other groups that we’ve got in here? How about unions? Have we got anybody that works with unions? I don’t have to persuade you about the power of organization, right? 
    Organization, but I mean this in every way you can magnify your voice. You got a Facebook group? That’s organization. You got a bunch of friends you went to school with 22 years ago and you still keep in touch? That’s organization. And if some of them don’t live in Massachusetts, that’s even better organization, because this is how we keep moving these stories out. We’re going to push these stories out the door. And organizing keeps us going. So that’s the second part. One voice is loud, but two voices are more than twice as loud, so lots of organization. 
    Third point: take care of yourself. We’ve got to do some self-care and some care for each other. So there’s a reason on the airplane that they always do the little thing about adjust your own mask before trying to help anyone else. You’ve got to keep breathing oxygen.
    You’ve got to stay in this fight. And there are a lot of ways that we can do this, each of us will find our own. I have a very large golden retriever. He might be a little too large. Bruce, however, always just describes him as he’s large-boned. He does like spaghetti, though. Patting a Golden Retriever is part of health. 
    I do a lot of self care in this, and I want to say this for all of you, it also fits with the point about telling stories and organization. If you’ve got more people in the fight with you. You’ve got more people to keep you going when you’re kind of in the down part of this to remind you of the good parts. 
    We have a rule in our office, and that is when anything good happens – and I get it, kind of few and far between sometimes – but when something good happens, when we get a good court decision that comes down, when we see an agency where somebody stands up and says, “Well, I’m just going to have to fire me then, because I’m not leaving without you.” We pass that around and we all stop and feel good about it for a minute, reminding each other that we are in this fight together. 
    So three things I’m working on, three things I’m asking you to work on, because now we get down to the bottom part of this, and that is: this is hard. I never thought our nation would face something like this. An unelected billionaire with a chainsaw is making decisions to get rid of thousands of people that we count on every day to keep this country going.
    I never thought I would be at a time when a President of the United States would be saying, “Yeah, recession, it worked out fine.” I never thought I would be in a place where the Republicans in Congress would be so spineless. But despite all of that, despite what we are up against, despite it all, I am fundamentally optimistic and I am optimistic for this reason. I know what it means to fight a righteous fight.
    This is a righteous fight, and we are in this together. There is no one I would rather fight alongside, but the good people of Lowell, Massachusetts, of all of Massachusetts, and of the United States of America.
    Thank you. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Multi-Year “Operation Fox Hunt” Repatriation Campaign Directed by the People’s Republic of China Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Repeatedly Harassed U.S. Resident and His Family to Coerce Repatriation to the PRC

    BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, defendant Quanzhong An was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to 20 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), for his participation in a scheme to cause the coerced repatriation of a U.S. resident (the “U.S. Resident”) to the PRC as part of its international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.”  In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Matsumoto ordered An to pay a financial penalty of approximately $5 million, including approximately $1.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Resident and his family, as well as a $50,000 fine.  An pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was charged in October 2022.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Sue Bai, Supervisory Official and head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (“FBI”) announced the sentences.

    “Quanzhong An acted at the direction of the PRC government to harass and intimidate individuals living on U.S. soil as part of a pernicious scheme to force their repatriation to the PRC,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Thanks to our collective efforts, the scheme failed, and the defendant has been brought to justice.  Our Office remains steadfast in its efforts to protect both U.S. national security interests and individuals living in our District from transnational repression schemes perpetrated by hostile foreign powers.”

    Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations for its work on the case.

    “For years, Quanzhong An threatened, harassed, and attempted to intimidate a U.S. resident and his family at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, with the ultimate goal of strong-arming the individual into leaving the United States and returning to China to face an unknown fate.  Today’s sentencing represents justice for this victim and his family, and demonstrates to others that the FBI is committed to protecting all victims of transnational repression,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies.  “Threats, harassment, and intimidation – whether perpetrated by individuals or nation states – will not be tolerated in this country, and the FBI will continue to lead the charge to protect all individuals who are threatened and harassed on U.S. soil.”

    As set forth in the government’s sentencing memoranda and other court filings, An was a leading member of an international campaign to threaten, harass, and intimidate the U.S. Resident and his family members, with the goal of coercing the U.S. Resident to repatriate to the PRC.  An participated in the multi-year scheme to elevate his status within the PRC government as a means of furthering his own economic interests.

    An’s involvement in the repatriation scheme began in 2017, when he attempted to locate the U.S. Resident by visiting the home of the U.S. Resident’s adult son, without notice or invitation.  The following year, An sent his daughter, as well as two PRC government officials, to the home of the U.S. Resident’s son.  An subsequently met with the U.S. Resident’s son on numerous occasions, during which time An served as a mouthpiece for the PRC by conveying threatening messages on behalf of the PRC government.  For example, An said he did not want to pronounce “ruthless words” from the PRC government but stated that PRC officials would “keep pestering [the U.S. Resident’s son], [and] make [his] daily life uncomfortable” if the son was unable to convince his father to repatriate to the PRC.  An’s harassment continued unabated from 2017 until his arrest in 2022.  An’s conduct intimidated individuals living in the United States and their loved ones in the PRC – just as it was intended to do – for the benefit of the PRC government.

    At sentencing, Judge Matsumoto considered that An participated in additional criminal conduct.  Specifically, he perpetrated a bank fraud and money laundering scheme to defraud U.S. financial institutions so that he could enjoy continued access to U.S.-based bank accounts.  As part of this scheme, he moved millions of dollars from the PRC into the United States, deliberately deceiving U.S. financial institutions regarding the source and purpose of the funds.

    The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States.  If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States  Attorneys Alexander Solomon, Meredith A. Arfa, and Antoinette N. Rangel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters and Assistant United States Attorneys Madeline O’Connor and Daniel Saavedra of the Office’s Financial Litigation Program are assisting with restitution matters.

    The Defendant:

    QUANZHONG AN
    Age: 58
    Roslyn Heights, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-460 (KAM)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2023 Article IV Consultation with El Salvador

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    March 19, 2025

    Washington, DC: On March 20, 2023, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with El Salvador.

    Despite a series of adverse external shocks, the Salvadoran economy has fared relatively well to date, and is estimated to have grown by 2.8 percent in 2022. Annual inflation jumped to 7¼ percent, mainly due to high global food prices while fuel price inflation was moderated by large subsidies. Vulnerabilities mounted, with international reserves falling below 2 months of imports. In the context of limited financing options, the fiscal deficit narrowed to 2½ percent of GDP, but fiscal policy is expected to turn expansionary in 2023. Under current policies, public debt is on an unsustainable path. 

    The economy is expected to grow by 2.4 percent in 2023, but the outlook is fragile, given the macroeconomic imbalances and a less favorable international environment. A comprehensive and credible policy package is urgently needed to put public debt on a firmly declining path and strengthen macroeconomic and financial stability.

    Over a year after the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender, its use has been minimal but risks for financial and market integrity, financial stability, and consumer protection remain and need to be addressed. 

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors noted the strong post‑pandemic recovery supported by the authorities’ timely responses to shocks and the improved security situation. Pointing to the fragile outlook amid rising risks and vulnerabilities, Directors urged the authorities to adopt a comprehensive plan to address macroeconomic imbalances, including unsustainable public debt and limited reserve coverage, along with structural reforms to support stronger, inclusive growth.

    Directors welcomed recent fiscal efforts but underscored the urgent need for an ambitious fiscal consolidation plan, based on greater revenue mobilization and efficiency of spending, including better targeting energy subsidies and social safety nets and rightsizing the wage bill. This is critical to put public debt on a firm downward trajectory and allow a gradual return to international capital markets. Restoring and upgrading the Fiscal Responsibility Law would also improve the transparency and credibility of fiscal policy. Directors stressed the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the pension system to limit contingent liabilities.

    Directors noted that the banking system remains healthy but cautioned against rising exposures to the sovereign and the erosion of liquidity buffers. They called for raising banks’ reserve requirements, enacting promptly the Financial Stability Bill, closing regulatory gaps, and continuing to implement the 2020 Safeguards Assessment recommendations.

    Directors underscored the importance of narrowing the scope of the Bitcoin law and removing Bitcoin’s legal tender status. They noted that while Bitcoin has had a minimal impact on financial inclusion, high risks to financial integrity and stability, fiscal sustainability, and consumer protection persist. Directors urged that Bitcoin transactions be transparently disclosed, together with the financial statements of public companies operating in the Bitcoin ecosystem. They also called on the authorities to carefully weigh the implications of the new crypto assets legislation and avoid expanding government exposure to Bitcoin.

    Directors stressed the importance of structural reforms to strengthen governance, the investment climate and productivity. They called for continued efforts to strengthen fiscal transparency, public procurement, AML/CFT legislation, and the independence of the judicial system. Directors also stressed the importance of enhancing human capital, infrastructure, and climate resilience, as well as continuing to upgrade the statistical framework.

    El Salvador: Selected Economic Indicators

    I. Social Indicators

    		  

    Per capita income (U.S. dollars, 2021)

    4,408

    		  

    Population (million, 2021)

    6.5

    		  

    Percent of pop. below poverty line (2021)

    24.6

    		  

    Gini index (2019)

    		  

    39

    		  
                     

    II. Economic Indicators (percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    		  
     
               

    Proj.

    		  

    2018

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    		  
                     

    Income and Prices

    		                

    Real GDP growth (percent)

    2.4

    2.4

    -8.2

    10.3

    2.8

    2.4

    1.9

    		  

    Consumer price inflation (average, percent)

    1.1

    0.1

    -0.4

    3.5

    7.2

    4.1

    2.1

    		  

    Terms of trade (percent change)

    -3.9

    1.7

    4.8

    -7.6

    -1.6

    5.0

    0.7

    		  

    Sovereign bond spread (basis points)

    424

    453

    760

    837

    1,485

    …

    …

    		  
                     

    Money and Credit

    		                

    Credit to the private sector

    57.3

    59.1

    66.3

    61.8

    63.1

    61.2

    60.0

    		  

    Broad money

    54.8

    59.1

    70.4

    61.5

    58.5

    58.5

    60.5

    		  

    Interest rate (time deposits, percent)

    4.2

    4.3

    4.1

    3.9

    …

    …

    …

    		  
                     

    External Sector

    		                

    Current account balance 

    -3.3

    -0.4

    0.8

    -5.1

    -8.3

    -5.4

    -5.3

    		  

    Trade balance

    -21.7

    -21.2

    -21.0

    -28.6

    -31.4

    -27.5

    -27.4

    		  

    Transfers (net)

    20.6

    21.0

    24.4

    25.9

    24.0

    22.9

    22.4

    		  

    Foreign direct investment

    -3.2

    -2.4

    -1.1

    -1.1

    -0.2

    -1.6

    -2.2

    		  

    Gross international reserves (mill. of US$)

    3,569

    4,446

    3,083

    3,426

    2,440

    2,798

    3,382

    		  
                     

    Nonfinancial Public Sector

    		                

    Overall balance

    -2.7

    -3.1

    -8.2

    -5.6

    -2.5

    -3.4

    -3.4

    		  

    Primary balance

    0.9

    0.6

    -3.8

    -1.1

    2.2

    0.3

    0.4

    		  

    Of which: tax revenue

    18.0

    17.7

    18.5

    20.1

    20.3

    19.0

    19.0

    		  

    Public sector debt 1/

    70.4

    71.3

    89.4

    82.4

    77.2

    76.1

    78.3

    		  
                     

    National Savings and Investment

    		                

    Gross domestic investment

    18.4

    18.3

    18.9

    22.2

    20.7

    19.8

    19.4

    		  

    Private sector 2/

    15.7

    15.9

    16.9

    19.6

    18.8

    17.4

    17.1

    		  

    National savings

    15.1

    17.9

    19.8

    17.1

    12.4

    14.5

    14.2

    		  

    Private sector

    14.7

    18.0

    25.4

    19.5

    12.8

    14.9

    14.9

    		  
                     

    Net Foreign Assets of the Financial System

    		                

    Millions of U.S. dollars

    2,655

    3,372

    3,618

    3,022

    1,114

    1,227

    1,400

    		  
                     

    Memorandum Items

    		                

    Nominal GDP (billions of US$)

    26.0

    26.9

    24.6

    28.7

    31.6

    33.7

    35.1

    		  
                     

    Sources: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, Ministry of Finance, and IMF staff estimates.

    		  

    1/ Gross debt of the nonfinancial public sector.

    		  

    2/ Includes inventories.

    		  

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

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

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/19/pr25069-el-salvador-imf-executive-board-concludes-2023-article-iv-consultation-with-el-salvador

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Wearable Devices Announces Full Year 2024 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    YOKNE’AM ILLIT, Israel, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW) (“Wearable Devices” or the “Company”), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    Asher Dahan, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wearable Devices, commented, “2024 was characterized by strategic capital allocation and the execution of our growth strategy as we delivered our Mudra Band for Apple Watch, and entered into several collaborations with companies and contractors at the forefront of their respective industries. With a strong focus on technological breakthroughs and innovation, we introduced the Mudra Link, a universal gesture control wearable wristband in September 2024. This launch marked a significant milestone in our neural interface technology, enabling seamless, touch-free interaction with a wide range of digital devices. The Mudra Link is open for orders, and we have started to ship the Mudra Link to customers in the first quarter of 2025. We invested significant resources in pursuit of these milestones, mainly due to strategic investments primarily in sales and marketing and research and development as we continue to innovate and showcase our technology, as well as an enhanced focus on business development on the business-to-business (“B2B”) side of our business.”

    “Collaborations represent a key part of our business, and we expect our B2B offerings to be a significant driver of revenue for us as we grow. At the beginning of 2024, we launched the B2B Mudra Developer Kit (“MDK”), providing our B2B customers with enhanced capabilities and additional features that improve our B2B offering. The MDK allows original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) to design new, customized gestures to create a user interface specifically tailored to their needs. At the beginning of 2024, we announced a collaboration agreement with Qualcomm Incorporated (“Qualcomm”), for the development of products using the Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform. In October 2024, we announced an innovative collaboration with TCL-RayNeo™ (“RayNeo”), a leader in augmented reality (“AR”) technology, aiming at bringing mass-market neural interface wristband for AR glasses to life. We anticipate interest in our B2B product to grow as the market for wearable devices and AI-based technology expands, with more and more customers recognizing the value that our products can add to their operations.

    “Our business-to-customer (“B2C”) product, the Mudra Band, is an award-winning aftermarket band for the Apple Watch that enables touchless control of multiple Apple devices. In addition, we’re seeing considerable interest in the Mudra Link, and during the first quarter of 2025 we commenced shipment of our first manufacturing batch to Mudra Link customers. 2024 was characterized by strategic capital allocation and the execution of our growth strategy, with a focus on three key areas: technological breakthroughs and innovation, adoption trends and market outlook, and strategic positioning for future growth.

    First, we continued to lead in innovation with groundbreaking technologies that enable natural, touch-free interaction. Second, we are witnessing an increasing adoption trend in neural interface solutions, with growing interest from both consumers and business partners. Finally, we are well-positioned for future growth, supported by our marketing efforts, strong presence at leading trade shows such as CES and MWC, and the growing recognition of Mudra Link as a market-defining product. We continue to receive orders for the product and see significant growth potential as our technology and capabilities evolve.”

    Mr. Dahan concluded, “We have a comprehensive strategy with innovative B2B and B2C offerings to maximize our presence in what we believe to be a market that is poised for tremendous growth. We are very encouraged by the progress that we made in 2024 and believe that Wearable Devices is positioned for transformation in coming years, as we continue to invest in our operations, bring innovative products to market, and showcase the breadth and depth of our technology.”

    2024 and Recent Business Highlights:

    Strategic Collaborations & Expansion

    • Signed a collaboration agreement with Qualcomm to elevate extended reality (“XR”) experiences using Mudra neural technology.
    • Collaborated with RayNeo to lead the neural control revolution for AR glasses, positioning Mudra ahead of competitors like Meta.
    • Signed a reseller agreement to scale licensing efforts in South Korea and China.

    Product & Technology Innovations

    • Launched Mudra Link, the first AI Neural Interface Wristband for Android and beyond, expanding accessibility of neural gesture control.
    • Released the Mudra Developer Kit (MDK) for B2B customers, enabling OEMs to create tailored user interfaces.
    • Unveiled AI-powered Large MUAP Models to revolutionize gesture control with personalized neural interactions.
    • Showcased future AI-powered gesture personalization technology, advancing next-gen human-computer interaction.

    Market Recognition & Sales Expansion

    • Awarded the CES 2025 Innovation Award in XR Technologies and Accessories for Mudra Link.
    • Chosen as Best Wearable of CES 2024 by SlashGear.com.
    • Featured in Mashable, VentureBeat, and leading tech magazines.

    Strategic Deployments

    • Successfully completed the first-stage deployment testing for a leading XR glasses OEM, meeting key evaluation criteria.
    • Demonstrated Mudra technology integration with Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces at CES 2025 and AWE 2024.
    • Showed positive results on Lenovo’s XR headset, validating Mudra’s neural technology for next-gen spatial computing.

    Intellectual Property & Regulatory Progress

    • Filed a patent application for touchless pinch-to-zoom technology for AR/VR (virtual reality) applications.
    • Secured a Chinese patent for its AI Gesture-Controlled Interface.
    • Expanded international IP portfolio with a neural wrist technology patent filing in South Korea.

    Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights:

    • Revenues: Revenues increased from $82 thousand in 2023 to $522 thousand in 2024, marking a significant step forward in the Company’s transition toward a commercially driven business. This growth was primarily driven by increased sales of the Mudra Band, demonstrating early market adoption and growing demand for neural interface technology. While revenues are still at an early stage, the upward trend reflects positive momentum and a foundation for future expansion.
    • Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses decreased by 11% to $3.0 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $3.3 million in the full year of 2023, reflecting the successful completion of key development phases, particularly Mudra Link, and a transition toward production and sales. The Company continued to focus on creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software and hardware.
    • Sales and Marketing Expenses: Sales and marketing expenses increased by 4% to $2.1 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $2.0 million in the full year of 2023, related to the Company driving awareness of its technology and products across various channels including participation at multiple leading industry conferences.
    • General and administrative expenses: General and administrative expenses decreased by 1.3% to $2.8 million in the full year of 2024 compared to $2.9 million in the full year of 2023.
    • Net Loss: Net loss increased to $(7.9 million), or $(24.2) per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to a net loss of $(7.8 million), or $(38.4) per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

      The per share information reflects the Company’s 1-for-20 reverse share split, which became effective on October 10, 2024, and an additional 1-for-4 reverse share split, which became effective on March 17, 2025.

    • Cash Position: Cash and deposits as of December 31, 2024 were $4.0 million.
    • Inventory: Inventory increased to $1.2 million at the end of 2024, as part of the completion of the transition phase from research and development to production and to serve our planned B2C and B2B initiatives in 2025.

    About Wearable Devices Ltd.

    Wearable Devices Ltd. is a growth company developing AI-based neural input interface technology for the B2C and B2B markets. The Company’s flagship product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch, integrates innovative AI-based technology and algorithms into a functional, stylish wristband that utilizes proprietary sensors to identify subtle finger and wrist movements allowing the user to “touchlessly” interact with connected devices. The Company also markets a B2B product, which utilizes the same technology and functions as the Mudra Band and is available to businesses on a licensing basis. Wearable Devices Is committed to creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software, and hardware to set the input standard for the Extended Reality, one of the most rapidly expanding landscapes in the tech industry. The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq market under the symbol “WLDS” and “WLDSW,” respectively.

    Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the benefits, capabilities, advantages and expected demand, an increasing adoption trend in neural interface solutions, with growing interest from both consumers and business partners, momentum and growth of our products and technology, our expectation for the growth of the B2B market and that our B2B offerings will be a significant driver of revenue for us as we grow, our anticipation that interest in our B2B product will grow as the market for wearable devices and AI-based technology expands and our belief that Wearable Devices is positioned for transformation in coming years. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our use of proceeds from the offering; the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 15, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Investor Contact:

    Michal Efraty
    IR@wearabledevices.co.il

    WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
     
        December 31  
        2024       2023  
        U.S. dollars
    in thousands    		  
    Assets      
    CURRENT ASSETS:            
    Cash and cash equivalents     3,089         810  
    Short-term bank deposits     862         4,045  
    Governmental grant receivable     17         108  
    Other receivables and prepaid expenses     322         757  
    Inventories     1,226         1,032  
    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS     5,516         6,752  
                     
    NON-CURRENT ASSETS:                
    Long-term bank deposits     –         54  
    Right-of-use assets     330         592  
    Property and equipment, net     130         194  
    TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS     460         840  
    TOTAL ASSETS     5,976         7,592  
                     
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                
    CURRENT LIABILITIES:                
    Accounts payable     157         410  
    Advance payments     83         312  
    Convertible promissory note     770         –  
    Accrued payroll and other employment related accruals     402         579  
    Accrued expenses     392         190  
    Lease liabilities     291         297  
    TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES     2,095         1,788  
    Lease liabilities     21         278  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     2,116         2,066  
                     
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:                
    Ordinary shares no par value : Authorized 50,000,000 as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023; Issued and outstanding 707,463 shares as of December 31, 2024 and 254,843 shares as of December 31, 2023.     67         57  
    Additional paid-in capital     32,895         26,692  
    Accumulated losses     (29,102 )       (21,223)  
    TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY     3,860         5,526  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY     5,976         7,592  
    WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
     
        Year ended December 31  
        2024       2023       2022    
        U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts)  
                       
    Revenues     522         82         45    
    Cost of revenues     437         (62 )       (10 )  
    GROSS PROFIT     85         20         35    
    Research and development, net     (2,964 )       (3,316 )       (2,271 )  
    Sales and marketing expenses, net     (2,096 )       (2,008 )       (1,370 )  
    General and administrative
    expenses    		     (2,845 )       (2,882 )       (1,948 )  
    Initial public offering expenses     –         –         (904 )  
    OPERATING LOSS     (7,820 )       (8,186 )       (6,458 )  
    Financing income (expenses), net     (52 )       372         (38 )  
    LOSS BEFORE TAX EXPENSES     (7,872 )       (7,814 )       (6,496 )  
    Tax expenses     (7 )       –         –    
    NET LOSS AND TOTAL                           
    COMPREHENSIVE LOSS     (7,879 )       (7,814 )       (6,496 )  
                             
    Net loss per ordinary shares,                        
     basic and diluted *     (24.2 )       (38.4 )       (42.4 )  
    Weighted average number of                               
    ordinary shares and pre-
    funded warrants outstanding
    basic and diluted *    		     325,690         202,515         153,465    
      * The share and per share information in these financial statements reflects the 1-for-20 reverse share split became effective on October 10, 2024 and an additional 1-for-4 reverse share split of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares became effective on March 17, 2025.
    WEARABLE DEVICES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
     
        Year ended December 31  
        2024       2023     2022    
        U.S. dollars in thousands  
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:                    
    Net loss     (7,879 )       (7,814)       (6,496)    
    Adjustments required to reconcile net loss to net cash used in                           
    operating activities                          
    Depreciation     107         68       23    
    Interest expenses on convertible promissory note     4         –       –    
    Accrued interest on deposits     (3 )       (45)       –    
    Share based compensation expenses     182         241       790    
    Unrealized gain from foreign currency derivative activities     68         (68)       –    
    Marketing expenses paid in ordinary shares     100         –       –    
    Provision for inventory write-off     75         –       –    
                               
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities items:                          
    Decrease in accounts receivable     –         –       8    
    Decrease (increase) in inventories     (269 )       (1,026)       5    
    Decrease (increase) in governmental grants receivables     91         (54)       8    
    Decrease (Increase) in other receivables and prepaid expenses     357         (136)       (496)    
    Increase (decrease) in advance payments     (228 )       (41)       79    
    Increase (decrease) in deferred revenues     –         (12)       (12)    
    Increase (decrease) in accounts payable     (253 )       254       84    
    Increase (decrease) in accrued payroll and other employment
    related accruals    		     (177 )       163       194    
    Increase in accrued expenses     212         36       99    
    Net cash used in operating activities     (7,613 )       (8,434)       (5,714)    
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:                          
    Purchase of property and equipment     (43 )       (194)       (48)    
    Decrease (Increase) in deposits, net     3,240         (4,054)       –    
    Prepayments of leasing     –         –       (18)    
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     3,197         (4,248)       (66)    
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:                          
    Proceeds from issuance of shares issued in the public offering, net
    of issuance cost    		     1,578         1,670       –    
    Proceeds from issuance of units of ordinary shares and warrants in
    connection with the initial public offering, net of issuance
    expenses    		             –       14,319    
    Proceeds from issuance of SAFEs     –         –       500    
    Refund to SAFE investors     –         –       (100)    
    Proceeds from credit line     –         –       800    
    Repayment of credit line     –         –       (800)    
    Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares as a result of exercise of
    warrants    		     –         1,449       160    
    Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares associated with the
    SEPA    		     4,353         –       –    
    Proceeds from issuance of convertible promissory note     1,920         –       –    
    Repayment of convertible promissory note     (1,156 )                    
    Net cash provided by financing activities     6,695         3,119       14,879    
                               
    Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     2,279         (9,563)       9,099    
    Cash and Cash Equivalents at the beginning of year     810         10,373       1,274    
    Cash and cash equivalents at the end of year     3,089         810       10,373    
    Supplemental Disclosure:                          
    Interest paid     49         –       40    
    Interest received     (144 )       (305)       –    
    Conversion of SAFEs to equity     –         –       400    
    Right-of-use asset recognized against lease liability     –         644       229    

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds Feeding Our Future Mastermind and Co-Defendant Guilty in $250 Million Pandemic Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Two individuals have been convicted by a federal jury for their roles in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    “Aimee Bock and Salim Said took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out a massive fraud scheme that stole money meant to feed children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “The defendants falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which they fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds.  That money did not go to feed kids.  Instead, it was used to fund their lavish lifestyles. Today’s verdict sends a message to the community that fraud against the government will not be tolerated.”

    “Stealing from the federal government is stealing from the American people – plain and simple. The egregious fraud uncovered in the Feeding our Future case represents the blatant betrayal of public trust. These criminals stole hundreds of millions in federal funding meant to feed hungry children during a crisis and instead funneled it into luxury homes, cars and lavish lifestyles while families struggled,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not allow criminals to rob federal programs and walk away unscathed. We will expose their schemes, dismantle their networks, and ensure they face the full weight of justice.”

    “Aimee Bock, Salim Said, and others took advantage of a global pandemic to rob food programs, aimed at serving those in need, of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars during a time when so many people were struggling,” said Ramsey Covington, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Instead of overseeing the distribution of meals to low-income children, Bock’s organization enabled meal site operators to commit fraud. This verdict is the product of dedicated investigators and prosecutors to bring accountability to those who brazenly stole from the American public. IRS Criminal Investigation is deeply committed to working with our partner agencies to combat these types of fraud schemes and ensure our American tax dollars serve their intended purpose.”

    “Today’s verdict reaffirms how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service plays in protecting the American consumer from these types of fraudulent schemes and in ensuring that the nation’s U.S. mail stream is not used by criminals to prey upon our citizens and programs intended to aid those in need during difficult times.  The bold egregious nature in which these fraudsters victimized our children and programs intended to feed them during a world-wide pandemic illustrates their callous disregard for human decency and overall greed,” Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division stated. “This investigation is a tremendous example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our FBI law enforcement partners can work side by side in an effort to bring these fraudsters to justice.”

    Historically, the Federal Child Nutrition provided meals to children in school-based programs or activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, as well as allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs. 
    As proven at trial, Aimee Bock, 44, was the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Salim Said, 36, former co-owner of Safari Restaurant, was jointly tried with Bock. Together, they oversaw a massive fraud scheme carried out by sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship. 

    As proven at trial, Feeding Our Future employees recruited individuals and entities to open Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota. These sites, created and operated by Bock, Said, and others, fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. Bock and Said created and submitted false documentation, including fraudulent meal counts consisting of fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. Feeding Our Future submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and then disbursed the fraudulently obtained Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to their co-conspirators involved in the scheme.

    To accomplish their scheme, Bock and Said created dozens of shell companies to enroll in the program as food program sites, and to receive and launder the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme. In exchange for sponsoring these sites’ fraudulent participation in the program, Feeding Our Future received more than $18 million in administrative fees to which it was not entitled. In addition to the administrative fees, Feeding Our Future employees solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future. Many of these kickbacks were paid in cash or disguised as “consulting fees” paid to shell companies created by Feeding Our Future employees to make them appear legitimate.

    As proven at trial, Said’s Safari Restaurant reported approximately $600,000 in annual revenue in each of the three years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Safari Restaurant enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. By July 2020, Said claimed to be serving meals to 5,000 children per day, seven days a week. In total, Said claimed to have served over 3.9 million meals to children from the Safari Restaurant food site between April 2020 and November 2021. Said also claimed that Safari Restaurant provided more than 2.2 million meals to other food sites involved in Feeding Our Future’s fraud scheme.

    In total, Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota, and in doing so, went from receiving and disbursing approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Throughout the course of their scheme, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. The defendants used the proceeds of their fraudulent scheme to purchase luxury vehicles, residential and commercial real estate in Minnesota as well as property in Ohio and Kentucky, real estate in Kenya and Turkey, and to fund international travel.

    After a six-week trial, Bock was convicted on four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Said was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, eight counts of bribery, one count conspiracy to commit money laundering and five counts of money laundering. 

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned in Long Island Federal Court on Terrorism and Racketeering Charges After His Arrest in Mexico

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant, Who Was Added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in February, Was a Founding Member of the Transnational Criminal Organization’s Ranfla en las Calles Leadership Structure

    CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as “MS-13,” was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging him, along with a dozen other high-ranking MS-13 leaders, with directing the transnational criminal organization’s unlawful activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades.  Roman-Bardales, who had been a fugitive for nearly three years and was added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List last month, was arrested by the FBI on March 18, 2025 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California.  Roman-Bardales had been located and arrested by Mexican authorities in Veracruz on March 17, 2025, and after it was determined that he was an El Salvadoran citizen with no valid status in Mexico, he was expelled from Mexico.  Roman-Bardales is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, narco-terrorism conspiracy, and alien smuggling conspiracy.  Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.  Roman-Bardales was ordered detained pending trial in the Eastern District of New York.

    Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney General, John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Leslie Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arraignment.

    “MS-13 is a terrorist organization and this case reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to putting terrorists behind bars,” stated Attorney General Bondi.  “Members of MS-13 and similar groups should live in fear knowing that we will hunt them down, prosecute them, and deliver swift American justice for their heinous crimes.”

    “The prosecution in the Eastern District of New York of this international fugitive, who is one of the most senior leaders of the MS-13 in the world, is another momentous step in the dismantling of this evil criminal enterprise, whose bloodshed and reign of terror traverses all boundaries,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Thanks to the relentless and brave work of United States law enforcement, he will soon face reckoning in a courtroom on Long Island where his transnational criminal organization has impacted so many communities.”

    Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego (HSI), the FBI’s San Diego Field Office and the Government of Mexico for their assistance.

    “FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Roman-Bardales has been extradited to the United States to be held accountable for the extreme and depraved violence and terror his leadership of MS-13 allegedly brought to the streets of the United States and across North America,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies.  “The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners are committed to eradicating MS-13 and all violent transnational criminal organizations wherever they operate as we protect our nation.”

    As set forth in court filings, Roman-Bardales and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales.  They exercise significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world.  Roman-Bardales was himself a founding member of the Ranfla en las Calles and oversaw the “Western Zone” of MS-13 in El Salvador.  In the related case of United States v. Henriquez, et al., a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York previously indicted 14 members of the Ranfla Nacional, who functioned as MS-13’s “Board of Directors.” Formal extradition requests have been submitted by the United States and remain pending for 11 of those defendants who either are or were in custody in El Salvador.

    As further alleged, the defendants have engaged in a litany of violent terrorist activities aimed at influencing the policies of the government of El Salvador (GOES) and at obtaining benefits and concessions from GOES; targeting GOES law enforcement and military officials; employing terrorist tactics such as the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and grenades; operating military-style training camps for firearms and explosives; using public displays of violence to intimidate civilian populations; using violence to obtain and control territory; and manipulating the electoral process in El Salvador.

    Further, these defendants authorized and directed violence in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere as part of a concerted effort to expand MS-13’s influence and territorial control.  As the leaders of the MS-13 transnational criminal organization, these defendants were an integral part of the leadership chain responsible for supervising MS-13 cliques in the United States that engaged in extreme violence, including countless murders, attempted murders, assaults, and related offenses.  For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for carrying out more than 80 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.

    Several of these defendants, including Roman-Bardales, coordinated MS-13’s expansion into Mexico (the Mexico Program), at the direction of the Ranfla Nacional, which was a coordinated effort to maintain MS-13’s continuity of operations in response to law enforcement pressure previously exerted by the United States and GOES.  Additionally, Roman-Bardales and the Mexico Program forged alliances with Mexican cartels, and engaged in narcotics trafficking, immigrant smuggling, extortion, kidnappings, and weapons trafficking.  As alleged in the indictment, the MS-13’s Mexico Program murdered some migrants bound for the United States, including suspected members of the rival 18th Street gang and MS-13 members attempting to flee MS-13 in El Salvador without permission.  Drug trafficking was an important part of MS-13’s moneymaking operation, especially in Mexico, and the defendants used MS-13’s large membership in the United States to generate financial support for MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador.

    This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13 and comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Eastern District of New York; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the District of Massachusetts; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  Additionally, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.  Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted of the charges, Roman-Bardales faces up to life in prison or the possibility of the death penalty.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Justina L. Geraci, Paul G. Scotti, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kerryanne Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello. 

    The Defendant:

    FRANCISCO JAVIER ROMAN-BARDALES (also known as “Veterano de Tribus”)
    Age: 47
    Ahuachapán, El Salvador and Veracruz, Mexico

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-429 (JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with European Parliament President Metsola in Brussels

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    19 Marzo 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in Brussels today.

    The meeting provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on the issues on the agenda for tomorrow’s European Council meeting and Euro Summit, starting with the latest developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. Lastly, there was a particular focus on boosting European competitiveness.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Budget Delivers Record Revenue Sharing and Lowers Property Tax Rates

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 19, 2025

    All Saskatchewan communities and their residents share in the economic success of Saskatchewan through Municipal Revenue Sharing (MRS), which will be a record $361.8 million this year. This is an increase of $21.6 million, or 6.3 per cent, from the 2024-25 Budget.

    “Municipal Revenue Sharing remains a reliable and predictable tool for Saskatchewan municipalities to make investments they need to build strong and vibrant communities,” Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz said. “Municipal Revenue Sharing can be used by those local governments to invest in services and programs that everyone in Saskatchewan relies on while keeping property taxes as low as possible.”

    MRS provides predictable, unconditional funding to Saskatchewan cities, towns, villages and rural municipalities based on three-quarters of one point of provincial sales tax revenue from two years prior. 

    At $361.8 million, the 2025-26 MRS program is 184 per cent higher than the revenue shared in the inaugural 2007-08 Budget at $127.3 million. More than $4.6 billion in provincial funding has been allocated to support municipalities through this program since 2007-08.

    The Government of Saskatchewan is also reducing the Education Property Tax (EPT) mill rates for all property classes to offset the impact of property revaluation. Total revenue to government will remain unchanged from the 2024-25 Budget, aside from base growth due to new construction in Saskatchewan.

    Property Class

    2024 Mill Rates

    2025 Mill Rates

    Agricultural

    1.42

    1.07

    Residential

    4.54

    4.27

    Commercial/Industrial

    6.86

    6.37

    Resource

    9.88

    7.49

    The reduction in all EPT mill rates is estimated to save Saskatchewan property owners more than $100.0 million annually. 

    For more information on the EPT mill rates, visit: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/taxes-and-investments/property-taxes/education-property-tax-system.

    In addition to a record setting MRS investment, the 2025-26 Budget includes $172.0 million in municipal investments including:

    • $76.5 million for the provincial portion of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (Government Relations);
    • $29.0 million in policing grants (Corrections, Policing and Public Safety);
    • $18.4 million for the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (Highways);
    • $11.6 million grant to provincial Libraries (Education); and
    • $8.6 million for the Urban Connector Program (Highways).

    Residents can see MRS investment by community on the Saskatchewan dashboard under People and Community. Use the left-right toggle in the dashboard to see the historical investment for the province or by community. 

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: 2025-26 Budget: Delivering For You

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 19, 2025

    Saskatchewan’s 2025-26 Provincial Budget is delivering for the people of Saskatchewan.

    Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabled a budget today that delivers on the priorities of Saskatchewan people – affordability, health care, education, safer communities and responsible financial management – while addressing the challenges of a growing province.

    “We understand this budget is being delivered at a very volatile time, due to the constantly changing tariff threats from the United States,” Reiter said. “Right now, we do not know what tariffs the U.S. may impose or how long they may last. As a result, it was not possible to build the exact impact of tariffs into the budget.

    “However, we are not letting the tariff threat prevent us from following through on our commitments to the people of Saskatchewan. Our strong financial position means we are well-positioned to weather the impact of any tariffs that may be imposed on Canada and Saskatchewan.”

    As a signal of strong financial management, the Government of Saskatchewan is delivering a balanced budget in 2025-26, with a surplus of $12 million.

    Affordability

    In the 2025-26 Budget, the Government of Saskatchewan continues to take action to ensure the province remains the most affordable place in Canada to live, work, raise a family and start a business.

    The budget reduces income taxes for every resident, family and small business in the province. It also helps make life more affordable for seniors, families with children, persons with disabilities, caregivers, new graduates, first-time homebuyers and people renovating their homes.

    The taxation changes introduced in the 2025-26 Budget, including the initiatives in The Saskatchewan Affordability Act, provide over $250 million in tax savings this year. This is in addition to the more than $2 billion in affordability measures in each and every budget.

    The affordability measures in the 2025-26 Budget include those that help make life more affordable and those that support our growing province. Among the measures are:

    • Raising the basic personal exemption, spousal and equivalent-to-spousal exemption, dependent child exemption and the seniors supplement by $500 a year, for the next four years – over and above the impact of indexation – for the largest personal income tax reduction in the province since 2008;
    • Increasing monthly income assistance benefits by two per cent for Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) and Saskatchewan Assured income for Disability (SAID) clients;
    • Increasing the Disability Tax Credit and Caregiver Tax Credit by 25 per cent;
    • Doubling the Active Families Benefit refundable tax credit from $150 to $300 per child and doubling the income threshold to qualify to $120,000 to make children’s sports, arts, cultural and recreational activities more affordable for more Saskatchewan families;
    • Reinstating the Home Renovation Tax Credit, which will allow homeowners to save up to $420 annually in home renovation expenses, while seniors undertaking home renovations can save up to $525; 
    • Increasing the Graduate Retention Program benefit by 20 per cent to a maximum of $24,000; and
    • Permanently maintaining the small business tax rate at one per cent, benefiting more than 35,000 small businesses in Saskatchewan and saving them over $50 million in corporate income taxes annually.

    Property owners will also receive relief in this year’s budget. All education property tax mill rates will be reduced to absorb the increase in property assessment values and ensure this assessment year is revenue neutral for the province in each property class. This change will save property owners in the province more than $100 million annually.

    This is in addition to the Government of Saskatchewan extending the carbon tax exemption on home heating, which is expected to save the average Saskatchewan family approximately $480 in 2025.

    Health Care

    The 2025-26 Budget delivers better patient access and safer, more responsive care for Saskatchewan residents.

    Over the last two years, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested $15.7 billion in health care in the province. In the 2025-26 Budget:

    • The Ministry of Health receives a record $8.1 billion, an increase of $485 million, or 6.4 per cent;
    • The Saskatchewan Health Authority receives an increase of $261 million, or 5.6 per cent, for a record $4.9 billion budget; and
    • The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency receives $279 million, an increase of $30 million, or 12.2 per cent.

    This funding will provide better access to acute care programs and services to improve patient outcomes, such as:

    • Reducing surgical wait times as part of an ambitious plan to perform 450,000 procedures over four years; and
    • Realigning services at Saskatoon City Hospital to address inpatient capacity pressures by opening more than 100 beds.

    Mental health and addictions programs and services receive $624 million – 7.7 per cent of the overall Health budget – to deliver critical support and investments in Saskatchewan, including an increase of $20 million for targeted initiatives. This includes continued progress on the multi-year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, and expanded access to mental health and addictions services and care by delivering on the commitment to add 500 addictions treatment spaces across the province, doubling the public health system’s capacity.

    To ensure the professionals are in place to provide health care services, this year’s budget accelerates the hiring of health care professionals through the Health Human Resources Action Plan.

    The 25-26 Budget also invests in steady and significant progress on multiple infrastructure projects.

    Due to the positive response to the Regina Urgent Care Centre, planning is underway for additional urgent care centres in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert and North Battleford, as well as second urgent care centres in Regina and Saskatoon. 

    The budget also provides new capital funding for the expansion of Complex Needs Emergency Shelters in new communities, building on the pilot projects in Regina and Saskatoon. 

    Overall, health capital funding will increase by $140 million, for a total of $657 million – the highest ever capital budget to deliver major health infrastructure projects.

    Education

    Kindergarten to Grade 12

    The 2025-26 Budget delivers increased opportunities and supports for kindergarten to Grade 12 students, parents and teachers across Saskatchewan. 

    Over the last two years, more than $5 billion has been invested in kindergarten to Grade 12 education. In this year’s budget, the Ministry of Education receives $3.5 billion, an increase of $184 million, or 5.5 per cent, over the previous year. That includes an increase of $186 million, or 8.4 per cent, in school operating funding for a total of $2.4 billion.

    The 2025-26 Budget also includes an increase of $130 million to fund the new teacher collective agreement and address growing student enrollment and the challenges facing today’s classrooms. 

    Building on the success of last year’s pilot project in eight Saskatchewan schools, the budget provides funding for 50 additional specialized support classrooms throughout the province. The specialized classrooms help reduce interruptions by providing additional supports to students who need them. 

    Student literacy is another area of emphasis in the 2025-26 Budget. Learning to read is one of the most valuable skills developed during childhood and sets the foundation for lifelong academic success. For this reason, this year’s budget provides additional funding to improve kindergarten to Grade 3 reading levels in Saskatchewan.

    The budget delivers on the challenges of student enrolment growth by investing in new schools with a $191 million school capital budget. This includes ongoing funding for the 21 new or consolidated schools and three major renovations underway across Saskatchewan, as well as funding to begin planning for one new replacement school and preplanning for four new schools in the Saskatoon area.

    Post-Secondary

    The 2025-26 Budget also supports students as they advance into post-secondary education. It provides opportunities that will allow students to pursue post-secondary education close to home while focusing on programs that meet the needs of Saskatchewan’s labour force and provincial economy.

    The Ministry of Advanced Education receives $788 million in this year’s budget, with $1.6 billion invested in post-secondary education over the past two years. As part of their budget, universities, technical schools, Indigenous institutions and regional colleges will receive $718 million in operating and capital funding.

    Health care training is a key priority as part of the province’s Health Human Resources Action Plan. New and expanded programs will help build a stronger health care workforce to meet the needs of Saskatchewan residents, including training seats in areas of critical need. This includes supporting:

    • 60 new training seats this year – more than 900 training seats overall – for nurse practitioners, registered psychiatric nurses and medical radiologic technologists; and
    • Four new training programs that will be ready to accept students in fall 2025 (physician assistant) and fall 2026 (speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy).

    The 2025-26 Budget also delivers work on strategies to address veterinary services in rural and urban communities. This includes working toward an expansion of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in the future.

    To help ensure predictable and stable funding for the province’s post-secondary institutions, the 2025-26 Budget extends the current multi-year funding agreement for an additional year. The extension will allow government and post-secondary institutions time to work through the potential impacts of the federal government’s reduction of foreign student visas, before engaging in another multi-year funding agreement.

    Community Safety

    The 2025-26 Budget delivers safer communities across the province by enhancing the presence of law enforcement in Saskatchewan. 

    Over the last two years, $2 billion has been invested into community safety. For the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety will receive $798 million, including $119 million for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, while the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General will receive $271 million.

    Increases to the Municipal Police Grant Program will help frontline officers respond to more calls for service, while increased funding for the RCMP will support operations in the province and the RCMP First Nations Policing Program. The budget also includes funding for previous commitments for approximately 100 new municipal police officers, 14 new Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods personnel and funding for the Saskatchewan Police College to train more officers in the province.

    This enhanced law enforcement presence extends to the border with the United States. The Saskatchewan Border Security Plan was introduced in January 2025 to mobilize Provincial Protective Services officers to work in partnership with provincial policing services and federal agencies to boost law enforcement near the border.

    To complement the increased presence of law enforcement personnel, the 2025-26 Budget includes funding to improve safety for correctional staff, offenders and the public, as well as address capacity concerns at correctional facilities. 

    Additional investments will be made in interpersonal violence programs and services, including second-stage housing. The budget also delivers funding to create a more accessible court system for municipal bylaw offences and ensuring cases are complete and ready to move to trial more quickly. 

    Delivering More For You

    The 2025-26 Budget delivers on the priorities of affordability, health care, education, community safety and fiscal responsibility. However, it delivers more than that. Some of the other important initiatives in this year’s budget include:

    • A record $362 million in municipal revenue sharing, an increase of $22 million, or 6.3 per cent, from 2024-25.
    • New funding to start multi-year repair and renovation projects for 285 Saskatchewan Housing Corporation-owned units in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert.
    • Funding for expanded homelessness services developed through the Provincial Approach to Homelessness. This includes investments in the Rental Development Program to partner with third-party organizations to develop new supportive housing units for people who need additional support to live independently.
    • Over the past two years, funding from the Ministry of Social Services has created 120 new emergency shelter spaces, 155 new supportive housing spaces, new street outreach services and an expanded income assistance mobile workforce serving clients on-site at more than 30 community-based organization locations.
    • A grant to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan to fulfill the Government of Saskatchewan’s two-year commitment to help families and food banks with high food costs.
    • A $20 million increase across government in funding for community-based organizations.
    • The creation of a new Saskatchewan Young Entrepreneur Bursary, which is an annual grant of $285,000 for a maximum of 57 bursaries distributed to support youth entrepreneurship in the province.
    • The creation of a new Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Tax Credit, a 45 per cent non-refundable tax credit for individuals or corporations that invest in the equity of an eligible Saskatchewan small and medium size enterprise.
    • Introduction of the Low Productivity and Reactivation Oil Well Program to encourage industry to make new capital investments in low-producing and inactive horizontal oil wells.
    • Investment in capital projects that will improve our provincial transportation system, including:
      • Passing lanes for Highway 10 between Fort Qu’Appelle and Melville, and Highway 17 north of Lloydminster;
      • Highway 39 twinning at Weyburn; 
      • Ongoing corridor improvements on Highway 5 east of Saskatoon; and 
      • Improvements of more than 1,000 kilometres of provincial highways.

    Fiscal Responsibility

    The surplus forecast for the 2025-26 Budget leaves Saskatchewan in one of the strongest financial positions among provinces.

    The surplus is driven by forecast revenues of $21.1 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion, or 6 per cent, compared to last year. Total expense is projected to be $21.0 billion, which is an increase of $909 million, or 4.5 per cent, from the 2024-25 Budget.

    Non-Renewable Resources revenue accounts for 12.8 per cent of total expense in this year’s budget. 

    Another sign of Saskatchewan’s strong financial position is the province’s net debt position, which remains the second lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio among Canadian provinces at 14.6 per cent. 

    The Government of Saskatchewan’s prudent financial management is also reflected in the province’s credit ratings. Saskatchewan currently maintains the second-best credit rating among the provinces when the ratings from the three major agencies – Moody’s Investors Service, Morningstar DBRS and S&P Global – are considered.

    Saskatchewan’s strong financial position in this year’s budget is buoyed by the provincial economy’s solid performance in 2024. Building upon this momentum, the Saskatchewan economy is expected to continue to grow in 2025 with real GDP projected to grow by 1.8 per cent according to the average private-sector forecast. 

    For more information on the 2025-26 Provincial Budget, please review the budget materials and ministry news releases on saskatchewan.ca/budget. 

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Innovation Saskatchewan Delivering Research Infrastructure to Strengthen Global Leadership

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 19, 2025

    Innovation Saskatchewan, the provincial government’s innovation agency, is investing in research infrastructure to support Saskatchewan’s world-class research community.

    The 2025-26 Budget includes a $3.0 million commitment to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and an additional $4.1 million commitment to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) for enhancements to equipment and infrastructure.

    These targeted investments will strengthen existing facilities foundational to the province’s research landscape, making it easier for innovators to develop ideas in Saskatchewan, attract and retain top talent and share high-demand solutions with the world.

    “Saskatchewan is a global leader in cutting-edge research and technological innovation,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding said. “By investing in the province’s world-class research community, we are accelerating made-in-Saskatchewan solutions to global challenges, creating jobs and driving economic growth to achieve our 2030 Growth Plan goals.”

    A cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s research leadership is its network of world-class research centres, including CLS, a major international research facility home to Canada’s only synchrotron and one of the most advanced in the world, and VIDO, a global leader in infectious disease and vaccine research for over half a century.

    The additional $3.0 million for CLS matches federal funding to add new state-of-the-art equipment essential to continuing reliable and sustainable operations. The funding ensures CLS will remain at the forefront of research innovation and enhance its ability to advance scientific discovery.

    The additional $4.1 million commitment for VIDO builds on Innovation Saskatchewan’s $15.0 million commitment in 2021 to expand capabilities for the organization to become Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research. This includes upgrading facilities to containment Level 4 standards – the highest level possible. Once completed, VIDO will be Canada’s only non-governmental facility capable of handling the world’s most dangerous pathogens, elevating Saskatchewan’s role in global health security.

    “For decades, Saskatchewan has strategically built a dynamic research ecosystem and CLS and VIDO are central to that vision,” Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said. “Strengthening our commitments will broaden our impact, securing our province’s future and cementing our reputation as a global research leader.”

    In addition to the 2025-26 research investment, Innovation Saskatchewan continues planning for the redevelopment of the Galleria, the flagship building at its Innovation Place research and technology park in Saskatoon. The west wing is being transformed into a multi-tenant space for scaling companies – particularly those in agtech and other key sector industries – with integrated laboratories, pilot plant space and other specialized infrastructure to support Saskatchewan’s growing technology sector.    

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: 2025-26 Health Budget Delivers Record Funding for Better Patient Access, More Responsive Care

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 19, 2025

    The 2025-26 Budget delivers on key health care commitments including better access to acute and emergency care, team-based primary care and continuing care services. This year’s budget also supports progress on the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, accelerates health care workforce hiring and continues building on future infrastructure projects, including new hospitals, long-term care homes and additional urgent care centres. 

    The record Ministry of Health budget is $8.07 billion, an increase of $484.6 million, or 6.4 per cent, over the previous year. The Saskatchewan Health Authority will receive a $261.1 million increase, or 5.6 per cent, for a total record budget of $4.94 billion. 

    “This year’s budget delivers on key commitments to deliver more timely access to our health care system,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “Our government will provide significant budget investments to increase access to acute care in Saskatoon, perform more surgeries, increase access to specialized diagnostic imaging and invest in programs that connect all Saskatchewan residents to a primary health care provider.

    “This budget also expands glucose monitoring coverage to vastly improve quality of life and ease financial impacts for nearly 10,000 Saskatchewan people with diabetes. We will open the highly anticipated Breast Health Centre in Regina to provide a full range of services and wraparound support for women experiencing a challenging diagnosis.”

    The 2025-26 Budget provides better access to acute health care services for safer, more responsive patient care with total investment increases of $88.1 million. 

    Plans to ramp up surgical volumes this year through a $15.1 million investment increase will kickstart ambitious plans to perform 450,000 procedures over four years and reduce surgical wait times. This investment will introduce the innovative robot-assisted surgery program at Pasqua Hospital in Regina and enhance other services to meet this aggressive four-year surgical target.

    Optimizing space and realigning services at Saskatoon City Hospital will help address capacity pressures in Saskatoon with a multi-phased approach to open more than 100 acute care beds. This $30.0 million investment will support physical space upgrades to expand acute care and convert outpatient and other spaces to inpatient units.

    Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will receive a $6.6 million increase for additional paramedics in the system and Diagnostic Imaging will receive a $6.0 million boost to increase specialized medical imaging volumes to continue gains made in patient wait times.

    Other 2025-26 acute care investment increases include: 

    • $7.6 million for enhanced and expanded pediatric care, including specialist recruitment in areas of endocrinology, rheumatology and other specialties. The budget will also support additional multidisciplinary staff and physicians in pediatric gastroenterology, allergy and immunology, and cardiology programs, as well as enhancements to physician staffing at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Prince Albert;
    • $6.6 million for HealthLine 811’s Virtual ER Physician Program to expand support to a minimum of 25 small-to-medium rural Emergency Department locations;
    • $4.3 million to bolster the province’s kidney health programs to better meet patient demand for hemodialysis services closer to home;
    • $2.0 million for enhanced laboratory medicine services; 
    • $1.9 million to complete and fully staff the new Breast Health Centre in Regina; and
    • $1.9 million to support operational costs for the Regina Urgent Care Centre. 

    “Rural and northern Saskatchewan receive important focus in this budget with extensive kidney health enhancements and staffing for satellite hemodialysis services in rural locations, including Meadow Lake, North Battleford, Tisdale and Fort Qu’Appelle,” Rural and Remote Minister Lori Carr said. “A virtual ER physician program demonstrating great success will expand to more rural communities at risk of service disruptions this year, and increases to EMS will improve response times and stabilize services across the province.” 

    The 2025-26 Budget will deliver better and more prompt patient access to team-based primary care settings and preventative care initiatives to meet the health care needs of Saskatchewan people with a $42.4 million increased investment. 

    A $5.0 million increase will support primary care improvements, including the expansion of a new model of care called Patient Medical Homes to new communities following a successful pilot in Swift Current that demonstrated better access to primary care for patients. 

    In addition, a $7.1 million increase is provided for immunizations and program enhancements. Beginning April 1, 2025, nearly 10,000 Saskatchewan patients managing diabetes will benefit from a $23.0 million investment for a Glucose Monitoring Expansion Program for young adults aged 25-and-under and seniors aged 65-plus. 

    The 2025-26 Budget also includes new funding to support the transition to HPV self-screening for cervical cancer, make progress on a provincial lung cancer screening program, lower breast cancer screening eligibility to age 43 and support operations to add a second mobile mammography bus that will increase capacity for women in rural and northern Saskatchewan. 

    The 2025-26 Budget will further provincial commitments to accelerate the hiring and growth of the health care professional workforce in the third year of the ambitious, multi-year Health Human Resources Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain employees.

    The College of Medicine will add 10 more in-province physician training seats for family medicine, anesthesia, plastic surgery and other specialties, for a total of 150 provincial seats, as part of a $7.4 million increase. 

    Supports for 65 new and enhanced permanent full-time nursing positions in 30 rural and northern locations across Saskatchewan for improved nursing stability and reduced reliance on contract nurses will receive a $4.9 million increase.

    In addition, this year’s budget includes an additional $94.6 million increase for physician services to support the province’s efforts to recruit and retain doctors, including funding for negotiated Saskatchewan Medical Association fee increases, increased utilization of services and additional physicians. 

    This year’s budget will continue building momentum on strategic investments and successful programming within the multi-year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan to improve patient access to professionals and services, delivering the help and support needed to overcome mental health and addictions challenges. This budget provides new capital funding to expand Complex Needs Emergency Shelters into new communities.

    Saskatchewan residents will see steady and significant progress throughout the province on multiple infrastructure projects, such as new hospital builds and long-term care facilities, with a total record capital investment of $656.9 million, a $140.1 million increase over last year.

    Major infrastructure investments include:

    • $322.4 million for Prince Albert Victoria Hospital construction;
    • $40.0 million for Regina Long-Term Care Specialized Beds construction;
    • $33.8 million for construction of the La Ronge Long-Term Care facility;
    • $24.4 million for Weyburn General Hospital construction; 
    • $10.0 million for Grenfell Long-Term Care project construction; and
    • $3.0 million to advance the Saskatoon Urgent Care Centre (UCC), in partnership with Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments.

    Due to the success of Regina’s UCC model in reducing emergency room pressures and providing access to thousands of patients, planning is underway for additional UCCs in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert and North Battleford, as well as second UCCs in Regina and Saskatoon. 

    Additional funding will continue to support ongoing projects, including the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, Rosthern Hospital, Royal University Hospital’s ICU Expansion, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency’s (SCA) Saskatoon Patient Lodge, Esterhazy Integrated Care Facility and long-term care projects in several communities including Regina, the Battlefords, Watson and Estevan.

    Other capital investments include leading-edge and upgraded technology, equipment and innovations to shape the future of health care.

    The 2025-26 Budget will ensure Saskatchewan people receive strengthened continuing care support to remain at home and within their communities for as long as possible. A $7.1 million increase will fund care for all ages – from children with complex medical needs to seniors – to support individuals of all ages and patients in the most appropriate community setting.

    The SCA will continue to deliver access to world-class care with additional funding toward oncology drugs, therapies and treatment options. The SCA will see an increase of $30.4 million, or 12.2 per cent, for a total record budget of $279.3 million. 

    The 2025-26 Budget also delivers on the Government of Saskatchewan’s commitment to provide a Fertility Treatment Tax Credit to improve affordability for individuals and couples to access fertility treatments.

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: Busiest emergency departments in Australia slash ramping

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 19 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Health

    Some of the busiest emergency departments in Australia have seen significant reductions in hospital ramping, according to the latest Bureau of Health Information quarterly results.

    One of the key indicators of hospital ramping is the proportion of patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes – also known as Transfer of Care (TOC).

    St George Hospital – which received over 82,000 ED attendances last year – saw a 25 percentage point improvement in transfer of patient from paramedic to ED staff in the December 2024 quarter compared with the same period the previous year.

    Blacktown Hospital – which received over 67,000 ED attendances last year – saw a 23.2 percentage point improvement.

    Campbelltown Hospital – which received over 92,000 ED attendances last year – saw a 9.3 percentage point improvement.

    Liverpool Hospital – which received over 90,000 ED attendances last year – saw a 7.2 percentage point improvement.

    These improvements come despite the health system recording the highest ever number of patients arriving to EDs by ambulance – almost 200,000 in a single quarter.

    The Minns Labor Government has invested half a billion dollars into ED relief, which includes:

    • $189 million in tax relief to incentivise GPs to maintain bulk-billing rates, meaning people with non-life-threatening conditions don’t need to present to the ED
    • $171.4 million to expand statewide virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED
    • $100 million to back in our urgent care services to become a mainstay and key instrument of the health system in providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients
    • $70 million to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours
    • $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times
    • $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
    • $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

    Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park:

    “Relieving pressure on our emergency departments and ensuring people receive care in a timely manner have been top priorities of our government.

    “Such significant challenges have been met with a significant half-a-billion dollar investment in ED relief.

    “Today, I’m so pleased to see encouraging progress in our effort to reduce ramping.

    “But I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, because there is still much more to do.

    “I do want to reiterate that people who present to hospitals with non-life-threatening conditions can still expect to wait long periods in the ED.

    “So if you do have a non-life-threatening condition, I strongly encourage you to phone HealthDirect on 1800 022 222 where you can avoid an unnecessary wait in the ED, and receive care outside of the hospital including through urgent or virtual care services.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Hong Kong: Article 23 law used to ‘normalize’ repression one year since enactment – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Just one year after its passage, Hong Kong’s Article 23 law has further squeezed people’s freedoms and enabled authorities to intensify their crackdown on peaceful activism in the city and beyond, Amnesty International said.

    “Over the past year, Article 23 has been used to entrench a ‘new normal’ of systematic repression of dissent, criminalizing peaceful acts in increasingly absurd ways,” said Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks.

    “People have been targeted and harshly punished for the clothes they wear as well as the things they say and write, or for minor acts of protest, intensifying the climate of fear that already pervaded Hong Kong. Freedom of expression has never been under greater attack.”

    People convicted and jailed for peaceful expression

    The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (known as Article 23) took effect on 23 March 2024. Amnesty International’s analysis shows that 16 people have since been arrested for sedition under Article 23. Five of them were officially charged under the law, and the other 11 were released without charge. None of those arrested is accused of engaging in violence, while the authorities have accused two of them of inciting violence without yet disclosing any details.

    Three of the charged individuals – after facing around three months’ pre-trial detention – were convicted for, respectively, wearing a T-shirt and mask printed with protest slogans; criticizing the government online; and writing protest slogans on bus seats. They were sentenced to between 10 and 14 months in prison.

    The remaining two charged people have been held in detention awaiting trial since November 2024 and January 2025, respectively. They are accused of publishing “seditious” posts on social media platforms.

    Article 23 entrenches denial of bail

    The presumption against bail in national security cases, originally imposed by the Beijing-enacted National Security Law (NSL), has now been extended to offences under Article 23. Among the five individuals charged under Article 23, the two who applied for bail had their applications denied because the magistrate believed they may “continue to commit acts endangering national security” – the same reasoning used to deny bail to others prosecuted under the NSL, including newspaper founder Jimmy Lai and opposition politicians.

    The remaining 11 individuals arrested under Article 23 are variously accused of publishing “seditious” posts, commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and spreading “disinformation”. Despite having been released by the police without official charge, they remain at risk of prosecution at any time because Article 23 does not impose a time limit on bringing criminal charges.

    “Article 23 has been wielded by the Hong Kong government as a tool to suppress critical voices with the ultimate aim of eradicating them. Alongside the NSL, it has handed the authorities virtually unchecked power to arrest and jail anybody criticizing the government. The result is a Hong Kong where people are forced to second-guess what they say and write, and even what they wear,” Sarah Brooks said.

    “The now default use of pre-trial detention and refusal of bail are alarming examples of how Article 23 has been used to reinforce the repressive tools first introduced under the NSL.”

    ‘National security’ as a trump card overriding established laws

    Article 23 has also been weaponized to impose additional punitive measures against dissidents already serving sentences. Under the existing Prison Rules, last amended in 2014, prisoners with good conduct were eligible for early release after serving two-thirds of their sentences. However, according to new rules set by Article 23, the prison authorities can waive this practice if the release would be “contrary to the interests of national security”.

    Notably, at least two jailed activists have been denied early release, despite the fact that they were not convicted under Article 23 and had already begun serving their sentences before its enactment.

    One of the activists – who was convicted of incitement to wound, a charge unrelated to any national security legislation – was barred from early release despite Article 23 expressly stating that the new rules apply only to prisoners convicted of offences endangering national security.

    “Retroactively denying early release based on vague national security justifications undermines legal certainty and due process. The government’s failure to comply with the very text that it drafted further raises serious concerns about the arbitrary application of Article 23,” Sarah Brooks said.

    Extraterritorial application against overseas activists

    The worrying impact of Article 23 on human rights is not restricted to Hong Kong. Authorities have invoked Article 23’s extraterritorial scope to penalize a total of 13 Hong Kong activists residing overseas, including in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. These penalties have included the cancellation of passports, suspension of lawyer licenses, removal from company directorships and prohibition of financial transactions, restricting a range of human rights such as their freedom of movement, right to privacy and right to work.

    These measures have been imposed alongside arrest warrants issued under the NSL, each carrying a HK$1 million (US$128,700) bounty, for these 13 individuals and six other overseas activists.

    “By sanctioning activists overseas, the Hong Kong government is attempting to extend its draconian laws beyond its borders to target potentially anyone, anywhere. The situation has resulted in a chilling effect on individuals who persist in exercising their freedom of expression, even after departing from the city. The international community cannot afford to ignore Article 23’s intended extraterritorial reach,” Sarah Brooks said.

    “We urge the Hong Kong and Chinese governments to immediately repeal Article 23, the NSL and any other legislation which violates international human rights laws and standards. We also call on other governments to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hongkongers, in particular those actively defending human rights, within their jurisdictions.

    “The rising risk of transnational repression, which Amnesty has documented and which is explicitly tied to Hong Kong’s national security legislation, demands a response by governments worldwide. As a start, that means denouncing incidents of transnational repression and pursuing accountability for criminal acts targeting activists and others in the country of residence.”

    Background

    On 19 March 2024, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council unanimously voted to pass the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance based on Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

    The law, which took effect on 23 March 2024, introduced China’s definition of “national security” and “state secrets”, together with other broadly defined offences which further restricted freedom of expression and the right to protest. It also replaced a widely used colonial-era sedition law with its own provisions on sedition which now expressly cover acts or speech which do not incite violence. The maximum prison sentence for sedition was increased from two to seven years, or up to 10 years if involving “collusion with an external force”.

    Amnesty International submitted an analysis of its proposals to the government during the consultation period, concluding that the offences and changes to investigatory powers are contrary to Hong Kong’s human rights obligations. After the law was passed, Amnesty International issued a briefing paperproviding an in-depth analysis of the effects of the law on both Chinese and non-Chinese individuals, in particular via its purported extraterritorial application.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Joins Ecobank and Soto Gallery for 2nd edition of the +234Art Fair to elevate African art and empower artists

    SOURCE: Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

    Visitors will experience a wide range of artistic expressions, including painting, sculpture, visual and digital art, installations, and more

    LAGOS, Nigeria, March 19, 2025/ — Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the leading infrastructure solutions provider in Africa, has announced its support for the +234Art Fair, coming on as partners for the second year in a row. This aligns with the Corporation’s commitment to empowering and elevating the continent’s youth, with more than 260 young artists expressing interest in exhibiting their works at the second edition of the international art fair, organized by Soto Gallery in collaboration with Ecobank Nigeria Limited, AFC and Craneburg Construction Company.

    This meticulously curated five-day event, titled “Championing Patronage in Nigerian Art,” will feature the works of emerging and un-galleried artists. The fair will run from March 27th to March 31st at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, located at 270B1, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, starting daily at 10:00 AM.

    Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation, stated, “The +234Art Fair aligns with AFC’s advocacy strategy of empowering and elevating Africa’s youthful population, thereby fostering job creation, skills development, value retention and rapid economic growth. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Ecobank to help drive Africa’s creative industry forward by creating a catalyst for promoting African art and artists locally and on the global stage.”

    Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director and Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, shared, “As a Pan-African bank, this fair is an important initiative in our commitment to economic growth and investing in Africa’s next generation of talent. It offers emerging artists a unique opportunity to showcase their works to key decision-makers, influencers, and a global audience.”

    Mrs. Tola Akerele, Founder of +234 Art Fair and Soto Gallery Foundation, emphasized, “Patronage in the art world goes beyond financial support; it’s about building relationships that allow artists to grow and sustain their creative practices. The 2025 edition of the +234 Art Fair aims to show how meaningful support can impact an artist’s journey and the broader art ecosystem, fostering essential connections along the way.”

    The +234 Art Fair celebrates the dynamic talents of Nigeria’s emerging artists, offering them a vital platform to share their work with a broader audience. Visitors will experience a wide range of artistic expressions, including painting, sculpture, visual and digital art, installations, and more. The fair will also feature interactive workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities for artists, art enthusiasts, and key stakeholders in the creative sector.

    The event is expected to draw a diverse group of attendees, including Nigerians, Africans, international residents, government officials, policymakers, diplomats, and global art lovers.

    About AFC:
    AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

    Seventeen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 45 member countries and has invested over US$15 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.

    www.AfricaFC.org

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova held a meeting of the Presidential Commission on Veterans Affairs

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova held the first meeting of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation on Veterans’ Affairs in its new composition. The members of the commission discussed the results of the implementation of measures to improve the socio-economic situation of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, as well as issues of informing participants in the special military operation about the support measures they are entitled to and the mechanisms for receiving them.

    “The President of the country declared 2025 the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. Today, the most important topic on the agenda is support for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Those who, without sparing themselves, 80 years ago brought Victory closer, defended our country, their loved ones and their home. Historical memory and truth are our responsibility to future generations,” Tatyana Golikova emphasized.

    In accordance with the decree of the President, a one-time payment will be made to all those who fought for the Motherland on the anniversary of the Great Victory. Over 23 billion rubles have been allocated for these purposes; payments will be received by almost 332 thousand citizens. Preparations for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory are being carried out at all levels. The head of state has instructed federal and regional authorities to provide all possible assistance to veterans in resolving issues of their social protection. One of the priority tasks is to provide medical care, dispensary observation and drug provision to veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

    Much attention is paid to those who stood up to defend our country in the conditions of a special military operation. The government maintains a dialogue with the participants of the SVO on an ongoing basis, taking into account which additional decisions are made. Thus, a new section “Procedure for providing medical care to combat veterans” has been included in the program of state guarantees for free provision of medical care to citizens. Since January of this year, SVO participants have been undergoing medical rehabilitation and spa treatment in 12 rehabilitation centers of the Social Fund.

    A system of providing complexes of state services, services, measures of active employment policy, measures of state support, as well as mechanisms of interaction with employers has been formed on the basis of regional employment services. Monitoring of participants of the SVO and members of their families who applied to employment services for employment purposes has been organized, according to which more than 18.5 thousand participants of the SVO and members of their families applied to employment services, they were provided with more than 58 thousand services. In addition, training of SVO participants has been organized, and within the framework of the national project “Personnel” it is envisaged to reimburse part of the costs to the employer for equipping workplaces for employment of persons with disabilities.

    Other measures are also being taken. The government has issued a number of instructions aimed at informing participants of the SVO about the support measures they are entitled to and the mechanisms for receiving them in various areas – taxation, education, housing, medicine, rehabilitation, prosthetics and others. At the instruction of the head of state, a special section has been created on the Unified State Services Portal, which contains all the necessary information for SVO participants and their family members about existing support measures – from federal to municipal, and a search for measures depending on the life situation has been implemented.

    Following the meeting, Tatyana Golikova instructed the commission members to send proposals to the Russian Ministry of Labor for their compilation in order to formulate a work plan for the commission for 2025. In addition, she instructed:

    — The Ministry of Labor of Russia, together with the Social Fund of Russia and other government agencies, shall ensure control over the implementation of the lump-sum payment established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 15, 2025 No. 15 “On the lump-sum payment to certain categories of citizens of the Russian Federation in connection with the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945”;

    — The highest executive bodies of the subjects are recommended to continue implementing measures to improve the socio-economic situation of veterans of the Great Patriotic War together with veteran, volunteer and public organizations, paying special attention to proactively resolving issues of material and living conditions, including citizens living in remote areas, and, if necessary, to provide additional targeted assistance and support measures to veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Also, together with medical organizations, within the framework of the powers established by federal legislation and the legislation of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to ensure that veterans of the Great Patriotic War undergo medical examinations and dispensary observation on an ongoing basis, including by sending medical workers to the veteran’s home, organizing the delivery of the veteran to the medical organization and back using transport purchased within the framework of the national project “Demography” and regional programs for the modernization of primary health care;

    — In order to provide the most complete and timely information to participants of the SVO and their family members about the possibility of receiving social support measures and the conditions for their provision, the highest executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation shall update information on the Unified Portal about current regional measures of social support for participants of the SVO and their family members and the conditions for their provision (hereinafter referred to as on an ongoing basis upon updating or adoption of relevant regional acts) and ensure that participants of the SVO and their family members are informed about the possibility of receiving information about available social support measures on the Unified Portal;

    — The Russian Ministry of Health, together with the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, should work on the issue of expanding the information section of the Unified Portal in terms of filling it with information on the provision of medical care to participants in the SVO and their family members, including issues of providing psychological and psychotherapeutic care, medical rehabilitation and spa treatment;

    — The State Foundation “Defenders of the Fatherland” together with the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation shall submit to the commission proposals aimed at raising awareness among participants of the SVO and their family members on monitoring satisfaction with the completeness and quality of social support measures, assistance and services provided to them.

    At the next meeting of the commission, it is planned to consider issues related to the employment of SVO participants.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –