NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Leanne N. Phelps, Associate research scientist, Columbia University

    Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests.

    What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history.

    Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period. As wet conditions declined around 5,500 years ago, major social, cultural, and environmental changes ensued across the continent.

    We’re part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who recently published a study about how diverse African communities adapted to climate variability over the past 10,000 years. This is the first study to explore thousands of years of change in people’s livelihoods across the continent using isotopic data.

    This continent-wide approach offers novel insights into how livelihoods formed and evolved across space and time.

    Prior theories often assumed that societies and their food systems evolved in a linear way. In other words they developed from simple hunting and gathering communities to politically and socially complex societies practising agriculture.

    Instead, what we see is a complex mosaic of adaptable strategies that helped people survive. For 10,000 years, African communities adapted by mixing herding, farming, fishing and foraging. They blended different practices based on what worked at different times in their specific environment. That diversity across communities and regions was key to human survival.

    That has real lessons for food systems today.

    Our research suggests that rigid, top-down development plans, including ones that privilege intensifying agriculture over diversified economies, are unlikely to succeed. Many modern policies promote narrow approaches, like focusing only on cash crops. But history tells a different story. Resilience isn’t about choosing the “best” or most “intensive” method and sticking with it. Rather it’s about staying flexible and blending different strategies to align with local conditions.

    The clues left behind

    We were able to develop our insights by looking at the clues left behind by the food people ate and the environments they lived in. We did this by analysing the chemical traces (isotopes) in ancient human and domestic animal bones from 187 archaeological sites across the African continent.

    We sorted the results into groups with similar features, or “isotopic niches”. Then we described the livelihood and ecological characteristics of these niches using archaeological and environmental information.



    Read more:
    Tooth enamel provides clues on tsetse flies and the spread of herding in ancient Africa

    Our methods illustrated a wide range of livelihood systems. For example, in what are now Botswana and Zimbabwe, some groups combined small-scale farming with wild food gathering and livestock herding after the African Humid Period. In Egypt and Sudan, communities mixed crop farming – focused on wheat, barley, and legumes – with fishing, dairy, and beer brewing.

    Herders, in particular, developed highly flexible strategies. They adapted to hot plains, dry highlands, and everything in between. Pastoral systems (farming with grazing animals) show up at more archaeological sites than any other food system. They also have the widest range of chemical signatures – evidence of their adaptability to shifting environments.

    Our study also used isotopic data to build up a picture of how people were using livestock. Most animal management systems were reliant on grasses (plants such as millet and tropical pasture), and adapted to diverse ecological conditions. Some systems were highly specialised to semi-arid and mountainous environments. Others included mixed herds adapted to wetter or lower elevation regions. In other cases, animals were kept as stock in small numbers to supplement other livelihoods – providing milk, dung, and insurance against crop failure.



    Read more:
    Pastoralists are an asset to the world – and we have a lot to learn from them

    This adaptability helps clarify why, over the past millennium, pastoral systems have remained so important, especially in areas with increasing aridity.

    Mixed livelihood strategies

    The study also provides strong evidence for interactions between food production and foraging, whether at community or regional level.

    Dynamic, mixed livelihood strategies, including interactions like trade within and between communities near and far, were especially apparent during periods of climatic stress. One of these periods was the end of the African Humid Period (from about 5,500 years ago), when a drier climate created new challenges.

    In south-eastern Africa, from 2,000 years ago, there was a rise of diverse livelihood systems blending herding, farming and foraging in complex ways. These systems likely emerged in response to complex environmental and social change. Complex changes in social networks – especially around sharing land, resources, and knowledge – likely underpinned the development of this resilience.



    Read more:
    Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet

    How the past can inform the future

    Ancient livelihood strategies offer a playbook for surviving climate change today.

    Our analysis suggests that over thousands of years, communities that combined herding, farming, fishing and gathering were making context-specific choices that helped them weather unpredictable conditions. They built food systems that worked with the land and sea, not against them. And they leaned on strong social networks, sharing resources, knowledge and labour.

    Past responses to climate shifts can inform current and future strategies for building resilience in regions facing socio-environmental pressures.

    Leanne N. Phelps is affiliated with Columbia Climate School at Columbia University; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK; and NGO Vaevae based in Andavadoake, Toliara, Madagascar

    Kristina Guild Douglass receives funding from The US National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with the NGO Vae Vae.

    – ref. Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times – https://theconversation.com/africans-survived-10-000-years-of-climate-changes-by-adapting-food-systems-study-offers-lessons-for-modern-times-260240

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Verkhovna Rada extended martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine until November 5

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Kyiv, July 15 /Xinhua/ — The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Tuesday adopted bills to extend the martial law and general mobilization in the country for another 90 days – until November 5 of this year. This was reported on Telegram by parliamentarian Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

    The martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine were supposed to expire on August 7. Both legal regimes were extended for the 16th time.

    For the approved bills to come into force, they must be signed by the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

    Martial law and general mobilization were introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 due to the outbreak of armed conflict with the Russian Federation. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Leanne N. Phelps, Associate research scientist, Columbia University

    Imagine living in a place where a single drought, hurricane, or mudslide can wipe out your food supply. Across Africa, many communities do exactly that – navigate climate shocks like floods, heatwaves, and failed harvests.

    What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history.

    Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period. As wet conditions declined around 5,500 years ago, major social, cultural, and environmental changes ensued across the continent.

    We’re part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who recently published a study about how diverse African communities adapted to climate variability over the past 10,000 years. This is the first study to explore thousands of years of change in people’s livelihoods across the continent using isotopic data.

    This continent-wide approach offers novel insights into how livelihoods formed and evolved across space and time.

    Prior theories often assumed that societies and their food systems evolved in a linear way. In other words they developed from simple hunting and gathering communities to politically and socially complex societies practising agriculture.

    Instead, what we see is a complex mosaic of adaptable strategies that helped people survive. For 10,000 years, African communities adapted by mixing herding, farming, fishing and foraging. They blended different practices based on what worked at different times in their specific environment. That diversity across communities and regions was key to human survival.

    That has real lessons for food systems today.

    Our research suggests that rigid, top-down development plans, including ones that privilege intensifying agriculture over diversified economies, are unlikely to succeed. Many modern policies promote narrow approaches, like focusing only on cash crops. But history tells a different story. Resilience isn’t about choosing the “best” or most “intensive” method and sticking with it. Rather it’s about staying flexible and blending different strategies to align with local conditions.

    The clues left behind

    We were able to develop our insights by looking at the clues left behind by the food people ate and the environments they lived in. We did this by analysing the chemical traces (isotopes) in ancient human and domestic animal bones from 187 archaeological sites across the African continent.

    We sorted the results into groups with similar features, or “isotopic niches”. Then we described the livelihood and ecological characteristics of these niches using archaeological and environmental information.



    Read more:
    Tooth enamel provides clues on tsetse flies and the spread of herding in ancient Africa

    Our methods illustrated a wide range of livelihood systems. For example, in what are now Botswana and Zimbabwe, some groups combined small-scale farming with wild food gathering and livestock herding after the African Humid Period. In Egypt and Sudan, communities mixed crop farming – focused on wheat, barley, and legumes – with fishing, dairy, and beer brewing.

    Herders, in particular, developed highly flexible strategies. They adapted to hot plains, dry highlands, and everything in between. Pastoral systems (farming with grazing animals) show up at more archaeological sites than any other food system. They also have the widest range of chemical signatures – evidence of their adaptability to shifting environments.

    Our study also used isotopic data to build up a picture of how people were using livestock. Most animal management systems were reliant on grasses (plants such as millet and tropical pasture), and adapted to diverse ecological conditions. Some systems were highly specialised to semi-arid and mountainous environments. Others included mixed herds adapted to wetter or lower elevation regions. In other cases, animals were kept as stock in small numbers to supplement other livelihoods – providing milk, dung, and insurance against crop failure.



    Read more:
    Pastoralists are an asset to the world – and we have a lot to learn from them

    This adaptability helps clarify why, over the past millennium, pastoral systems have remained so important, especially in areas with increasing aridity.

    Mixed livelihood strategies

    The study also provides strong evidence for interactions between food production and foraging, whether at community or regional level.

    Dynamic, mixed livelihood strategies, including interactions like trade within and between communities near and far, were especially apparent during periods of climatic stress. One of these periods was the end of the African Humid Period (from about 5,500 years ago), when a drier climate created new challenges.

    In south-eastern Africa, from 2,000 years ago, there was a rise of diverse livelihood systems blending herding, farming and foraging in complex ways. These systems likely emerged in response to complex environmental and social change. Complex changes in social networks – especially around sharing land, resources, and knowledge – likely underpinned the development of this resilience.



    Read more:
    Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet

    How the past can inform the future

    Ancient livelihood strategies offer a playbook for surviving climate change today.

    Our analysis suggests that over thousands of years, communities that combined herding, farming, fishing and gathering were making context-specific choices that helped them weather unpredictable conditions. They built food systems that worked with the land and sea, not against them. And they leaned on strong social networks, sharing resources, knowledge and labour.

    Past responses to climate shifts can inform current and future strategies for building resilience in regions facing socio-environmental pressures.

    Leanne N. Phelps is affiliated with Columbia Climate School at Columbia University; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK; and NGO Vaevae based in Andavadoake, Toliara, Madagascar

    Kristina Guild Douglass receives funding from The US National Science Foundation. She is affiliated with the NGO Vae Vae.

    – ref. Africans survived 10,000 years of climate changes by adapting food systems – study offers lessons for modern times – https://theconversation.com/africans-survived-10-000-years-of-climate-changes-by-adapting-food-systems-study-offers-lessons-for-modern-times-260240

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Airlines Agrees to Pay $8.1M to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations Related to Payroll Support Program

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Delta Air Lines Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding compensation to certain corporate officers and employees that exceeded the compensation limits Delta agreed to as part of its participation in the Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP).

    The PSP was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide payroll support to passenger and cargo air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. The program was administered by the Department of Treasury (Treasury), and participating air carriers were required to enter into written agreements with Treasury that imposed certain conditions in exchange for the receipt of PSP funds. Among other program requirements, PSP agreements included limitations on the amount of compensation that PSP participants could pay to certain corporate officers and employees earning annual compensation in excess of $425,000. 

    Delta entered into PSP agreements with Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under which Delta agreed to the PSP compensation limits. The settlement resolves allegations that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta awarded compensation to some corporate officers and employees that exceeded the limits set by the PSP agreements. Delta allegedly violated the False Claims Act by inaccurately certifying compliance with PSP requirements in quarterly reports submitted to Treasury, as well as by not notifying Treasury of the breach once it was discovered by Delta, which would have given the government the right to demand the return of funds.

    “The PSP was intended to provide critical assistance to the airline industry during the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who failed to abide by the terms and conditions governing their receipt and use of federal funds.” 

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to safeguard the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations, and we remain steadfast in our determination to hold recipients of public funds to the highest standards,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by H. Remidez LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. H Remidez LLC  v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 1-23-cv-01116 (N.D. Ga.). The whistleblower will receive $850,500 in connection with the settlement.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque for the Northern District of Georgia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delta Airlines Agrees to Pay $8.1M to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations Related to Payroll Support Program

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Delta Air Lines Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding compensation to certain corporate officers and employees that exceeded the compensation limits Delta agreed to as part of its participation in the Department of the Treasury’s Payroll Support Program (PSP).

    The PSP was established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to provide payroll support to passenger and cargo air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits. The program was administered by the Department of Treasury (Treasury), and participating air carriers were required to enter into written agreements with Treasury that imposed certain conditions in exchange for the receipt of PSP funds. Among other program requirements, PSP agreements included limitations on the amount of compensation that PSP participants could pay to certain corporate officers and employees earning annual compensation in excess of $425,000. 

    Delta entered into PSP agreements with Treasury in 2020 and 2021, under which Delta agreed to the PSP compensation limits. The settlement resolves allegations that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Delta awarded compensation to some corporate officers and employees that exceeded the limits set by the PSP agreements. Delta allegedly violated the False Claims Act by inaccurately certifying compliance with PSP requirements in quarterly reports submitted to Treasury, as well as by not notifying Treasury of the breach once it was discovered by Delta, which would have given the government the right to demand the return of funds.

    “The PSP was intended to provide critical assistance to the airline industry during the pandemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who failed to abide by the terms and conditions governing their receipt and use of federal funds.” 

    “When companies accept federal assistance, especially generous pandemic-relief funds like those at issue here, they owe a duty to the American people to respect the conditions placed on those funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “We will continue to enforce all available laws to punish the misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

    “Our criminal investigators have been at the center of this investigation as a core part of our responsibility to safeguard the integrity and efficiency of Treasury programs and operations, and we remain steadfast in our determination to hold recipients of public funds to the highest standards,” said Treasury Deputy Inspector General Loren Sciurba.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by H. Remidez LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. H Remidez LLC  v. Delta Air Lines Inc., No. 1-23-cv-01116 (N.D. Ga.). The whistleblower will receive $850,500 in connection with the settlement.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, with assistance from the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

    The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque for the Northern District of Georgia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Son of ‘El Chapo’ and a Head of Sinaloa Cartel—Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO – OVIDIO GUZMAN LOPEZ, who succeeded his father—Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo”—as one of the heads of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Chicago to federal drug charges.

    Guzman Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of knowingly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.  The guilty plea was entered as part of a multi-district plea agreement with the government that resolves charges against Guzman Lopez brought by grand juries in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of New York.

    U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman did not set a sentencing date.  Guzman Lopez has been detained without bond following his extradition from Mexico to the United States in 2023.

    The guilty plea is the result of a collaboration between the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of New York, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Jose A. Perez, Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Ray Rede, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona, and Robert Murphy, Acting Administrator of the DEA.  Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Justice Department’s Offices of International Affairs and Enforcement Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Erskine, Erika Csicsila, and Michelle Parthum of the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Jane Y. Chong, Sarah L. Kushner, and David J. Robles of the Southern District of New York; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California; and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.

    The guilty plea was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs).

    “Today’s historic guilty plea sends yet another crystal-clear message that this Administration is going to shut down and hold accountable transnational criminal organizations and their highest-ranking members and associates,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “Under my leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  Our enforcement work will also extend to drug trafficking organizations, narcotics traffickers, and other dangerous criminal enterprises that seek to poison the American public with illegal and harmful drugs.  Our successes stem from our close partnership with federal prosecutors across the country as well as our tight collaboration with our many law enforcement partners.”

    As heirs to the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman Lopez stated in his plea agreement that he and his three brothers, collectively known as “the Chapitos,” assumed their father’s leadership role following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016 and subsequent conviction in the Eastern District of New York.  Guzman Lopez admitted in the plea agreement that he coordinated the transportation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals from Mexico to the United States border, at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms.  Guzman Lopez used a network of couriers affiliated with the cartel to smuggle the drugs into the United States using vehicles, rail cars, tunnels, aircraft, and other means, the plea agreement states.

    After the drugs were distributed throughout the United States, individuals working for Guzman Lopez used bulk cash transport, wire transfers, trade of goods, and cryptocurrency to launder the illicit proceeds and ensure that the money was transmitted to Guzman Lopez and other members of the cartel in Mexico, the plea agreement states.  Guzman Lopez admitted that he and his cartel associates perpetrated violence against law enforcement officials, civilians, and rival drug traffickers in order to protect the cartel’s drug trafficking activities.

    As part of his plea agreement, Guzman Lopez agreed to the entry of an $80 million forfeiture money judgment.

    “Today’s guilty plea is another major step toward holding the Sinaloa Cartel and its leaders accountable for their role in fueling the fentanyl epidemic that has plagued so many Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton.  “We remain committed to dismantling the Cartel’s entire fentanyl infrastructure and ensuring that the Chapitos and their violent organization can no longer flood our communities with this poison.”

    “With each passing day, you are seeing the sunset of the Sinaloa cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon.  “The Chapitos’ latest violence reflects their fading future.  Their leaders who remain free are now paranoid, distrusted and desperate.”

    “The guilty plea by Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of ‘El Chapo,’ is a real victory for both the United States and Mexico but also a clear win for the rule of law,” said HSI Acting SAC Rede.  “So much blood and violence lay with the Guzman family as well as spreading terror and plaguing both sides of the border with deadly drugs and weapons–no more.  It’s impossible to measure the amount of work HSI and partner agencies have spent in securing this guilty verdict, but what is clear and evident is that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement and our nation’s laws.  Deliberate and coordinated teamwork resulted in today’s victory.”

    Guzman Lopez’s three brothers—IVAN ARCHIVALDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, JESUS ALFREDO GUZMAN SALAZAR, and JOAQUIN GUZMAN LOPEZ—were also charged with drug trafficking in U.S. indictments. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested last year and remains detained in U.S. custody without bond.  He pleaded not guilty to charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois and is awaiting trial.  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are charged in both the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of New York. They are not in custody and warrants have been issued for their arrests.  The U.S. State Department has issued rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their arrests and convictions.  [See the reward information here and here.]

    The public is reminded that the charges against Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez are merely allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: International Relations (IR) Committee Chairperson Is Unavailable for Media Interviews on National Security Allegations

    Source: APO


    .

    The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, has since the media briefing given by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, received requests from the media to comment on his removal from the position of Premier of the North West Province.

    Mr Mahumapelo is unavailable for media interviews and for comment on the grounds that, among other things, he is a Member of Parliament. Parliament has established processes and procedures for the Portfolio Committee on Police, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Standing Committee on Intelligence relating to the national security allegations.

    Furthermore, Mr Mahumapelo has a case in the North West High Court in Mafikeng and is suing for defamation against the Revolutionary Council and three others. Mr Mahumapelo received threats that if he did not get out of the position he would be killed. Threats on his life are due to political interference and evidence will be presented before the constituted committees as and when required.

    As a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress, the NEC will first look into the matter and decide on its approach as a collective of the ANC.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Committee Mobilises Joint Oversight to Tackle Municipal Audit Failures

    Source: APO


    .

    The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), together with the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and other relevant parliamentary oversight committees, have committed to a coordinated approach to municipal oversight.

    This follows the alarming municipal audit outcomes that the Office of the Auditor-General (AG) reported to the committee earlier this year.

    During the committee meeting this morning, the Chairperson, Dr Zweli Mkhize, expressed deep concern at the lack of progress in municipal finances. The audit outcomes for local government for the 2023/24 financial year showed that only 16% of 257 municipalities achieved clean audits, while the rest either regressed or remained stagnant, with audit opinions ranging from qualified to disclaimers or non-submissions. When she presented the audit outcomes to the committee earlier this year, the AG noted that, despite having exercised all available remedial powers under the amended Public Audit Act, the audit outcomes remained largely unimproved.

    In response to this, Dr Mkhize said that the committee will adopt a revised and more collaborative oversight model with a focus on intergovernmental accountability. Based on this new model, the committee will, with relevant oversight committees, conduct joint visits to provinces and municipalities, beginning with the Free State on 24 and 25 July. Oversight visits to the North West and Eastern Cape will then follow. According to the Chairperson, the committee wants to avoid duplication, promote institutional coherence and ensure that every sphere of government accounts for its constitutional responsibilities through this collaboration.

    During these oversight visits, Members of Parliament will engage with Premiers, Speakers of the provincial legislatures, Members of Executive Councils (MECs), municipal mayors, Speakers of municipal councils, and accounting officers. Provincial legislatures will also be involved in the process. “The purpose of this,” the Chairperson said, “is to evaluate the systemic causes behind repeat audit failures and to demand clear responses on what corrective actions have been taken and what measures are in place to prevent further regression.” The focus is on accountability and ensuring that there are consequences to prevent repeat offenders, the Chairperson said, adding that this will help improve governance and ensure effective service delivery.

    He said the committees would pay particular attention to repeat disclaimer audit opinions, the poor quality of financial statements, overreliance on consultants without any tangible improvement, and persistent irregular expenditure. Unfunded budgets, non-functional internal audit units and poor contract management will also come under the spotlight.

    Dr Mkhize confirmed that the committee sought legal clarity about coordinating oversight across spheres of government. He said the committee solicited several legal opinions to ensure the planned oversight is rooted in the principles of cooperative governance with due regard for the autonomy of each sphere of government. The Chairperson said the committee is satisfied that the oversight plan now aligns with constitutional provisions.

    “This new approach,” he said, “reflects Parliament’s commitment to proactively preventing dysfunction rather than reacting to failures. It is designed to hold not only municipalities accountable but also provincial governments, which are constitutionally obligated under Section 154 of the Constitution to support and monitor local government. Premiers and MECs will therefore be asked to account for how they have fulfilled their oversight roles, particularly in cases where municipalities have consistently underperformed.”

    The Chairperson said this joint oversight model is an institutional response to the Auditor-General’s earlier call for decisive intervention and her letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly. “The Office of the Auditor-General should not be placed in a position where it is compelled to perform administrative duties, such as correcting municipal submissions,” he said. “The AG’s function is to provide independent audit outcomes, not to compensate for governance failures.”

    Dr Mkhize reiterated the importance of this new collaborative oversight approach and said it is an important shift from fragmented accountability to a much-needed collective responsibility. “We intend for this model to serve not only as a corrective measure but also as a blueprint for systemic reform and to ensure that audit reports reflect tangible improvements in governance and service delivery at the municipal level,” he said.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Alice Mak meets officials in Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    On the second day of a visit to Beijing, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today called on State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Executive Deputy Director Xu Qifang and other officials.

     

    Miss Mak briefed Mr Xu on the work of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), including ongoing initiatives on district governance, youth development and women’s affairs. She also thanked the HKMAO for its support and guidance.

     

    Miss Mak also called on Communist Party of China Central Committee Society Work Department Vice Minister He Zhiliang to exchange views on grassroots governance.

     

    The HYAB highlighted that district governance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has entered a new phase, with executive-led governance being fully implemented. It said that the District Councils, “the three district committees” and Care Teams form a troika, co-operating to serve citizens, under the leadership of District Officers.

     

    The HYAB and the Home Affairs Department also conduct training to enhance District Council (DC) members’ capabilities in discharging their duties. Last year, this included arranging visits to Shanghai and Zhejiang for them to learn about grassroots governance on the Mainland.

     

    Miss Mak said the HYAB will continue to unite district forces and enhance service efficiency to increase the public’s happiness and contentment.

     

    She then met State Administration for Religious Affairs Vice Minister Wang Zhigang to exchange views on religious affairs.

     

    Stressing that the Hong Kong SAR Government maintains close communication with religious groups in Hong Kong, she described the harmonious relationships between different religious groups, adding that in addition delivering teachings they provide education, medical and welfare services, making significant contributions to the community.

     

    In the afternoon, Miss Mak attended an inauguration ceremony for a Youth Internship Programme at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

     

    She highlighted that the six-week programme is an important co-operation project co-organised by the HYAB and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and gives Hong Kong youth high-end scientific research internship opportunities during the summer vacation every year.

     

    Miss Mak congratulated the 20 young Hongkongers who made it through a highly competitive selection process.

     

    Speaking at the ceremony, she commented the National 14th Five-Year Plan has driven Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology centre.

     

    She also outlined that the Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to nurturing scientific research talent.

     

    Miss Mak expressed her hope that the programme will nurture students’ passion for scientific research and serve as the starting point for their contributions to Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development and to the country.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor launches new £12m Green Roots Fund to boost capital’s green and blue spaces

    Source: Mayor of London

    • Mayor launches new fund at the start of London Climate Action Week – the largest city-wide climate event in Europe
    • London will stage more than 700 events across the week to accelerate global climate action, showcasing how London is a global climate leader
    • More than 45,000 people to come to London to take part in events
    • Sadiq urges community groups, boroughs and stakeholders to apply for up to £500,000 – to green neighbourhoods, rewild communities and clean local rivers

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is starting London Climate Action Week with the launch of a new Green Roots Fund, which will invest more than £12 million to make neighbourhoods across the capital greener, healthier and more climate resilient.

    The new fund, which sees Sadiq deliver on his 2024 Election Manifesto pledge, will support the creation and improvement of London’s green and blue spaces, such as parks, community gardens, wetlands and rivers. This includes projects that will restore habitats for nature to thrive and could reintroduce lost species.

    Research shows that those from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities are more than twice as likely to live in an area deprived of green space [1], while more than one in five households in London have no access to a garden. [2] The new fund will tackle this social injustice, empowering communities with the opportunity to increase their access to green and blue spaces.

    The new £12 million fund will award grants ranging from £10,000 to £500,000 over the next three years to community groups, boroughs and stakeholders to pay for trees, wildflower meadows, parklets and waterway improvements.

    The launch comes at the start of London Climate Action Week, which is taking place this week (21-29 June) and is the largest city-wide climate event in Europe.

    Now in its seventh year, London Climate Action Week hosts more than 700 in-person and virtual events (double the number of events from last year) and attracts more than 45,000 people to the capital. It mobilises London’s unparalleled array of organisations committed to accelerating global climate action, showcasing how London is a global climate leader.

    Sadiq has led the way and after he launched the world’s first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and expanded it to cover the whole capital in 2023, ULEZ is now the largest clean air zone in the world. It covers every borough of London, helping the capital’s almost ten million residents breathe cleaner air. It has been crucial to protect the health of Londoners, support children’s lung growth, and reduce the risk of people developing asthma, lung cancer and a host of other health issues related to air pollution. [3]

    City Hall is involved in a number of events for London Climate Action Week. This includes: 

    1. A seeds giveaway, today (23 June) to encourage Londoners to create habitats and food sources to benefit nature. A total of 12,000 seed packets will be handed out by volunteers at 12 stations in areas that have less access to green space.*
    2. A week of discussions at Goals House which will feature the Mayor and explore topics including sustainable cities, design and creativity and the impact of businesses on biodiversity and the loss of nature.
    3. A Climate Innovation Forum in Central London that will see the Mayor discuss pioneering green initiatives with international leaders across government and business.
    4. The inaugural London Climate Action Week Youth Summit at ZSL, which will bring together over 150 young changemakers to explore how young Londoners can take climate and nature action in the city

    Since he took office in 2016, the Mayor has transformed London’s natural spaces, improving and creating over 900 hectares of green space – equivalent to more than 2,000 football pitches. He has restored 3.7km of river, creating habitat for wildlife to flourish.

    Through his Grow Back Greener Fund, the Mayor has already awarded over £4 million to 135 community-led projects, supporting Londoners to create and improve over 30 hectares of green space (1,140 tennis courts) and plant over 25,000 trees. [4]

    Since taking office in 2016, Sadiq’s initiatives have led to the planting of over 600,000 trees across London (including two new woodlands), totalling 85 hectares of tree-filled green spaces for everyone to enjoy. [5]

    In addition, the Mayor has invested over £2.5 million since 2021 through his Rewild London Fund, into projects that have supported the restoration and rewilding of London’s most valuable places for nature. [6]

    Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to launch my new Green Roots Fund to deliver spaces across our capital that are greener, healthier and more climate resilient.

    “I want to encourage all community groups to get involved in helping to transform our neighbourhoods and ensure that all Londoners can benefit from nature.

    “I am thrilled to be announcing this new investment during London Climate Action Week as our capital delivers the largest city-wide climate event in Europe.

    “The benefits of nature should be for everyone and I am committed to making this a reality for all Londoners, as we continue to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

    Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, said: “London Climate Action Week provides a platform to showcase our capital as a global climate leader.  

    “It is fantastic Sadiq is delivering on his Manifesto pledge this week to launch London’s Green Roots Fund and kickstart a series of over 700 events across our capital over the coming days.

    “I urge Londoners to get involved in the many in person and virtual events across the coming days as the Mayor and I work to deliver more natural spaces in our city that are accessible to all.”

    London Climate Action Week Founder and Chair Nick Mabey said: “London Climate Action Week 2025 is more than double the size of last year and attracting even greater international participation.

    “This shows the depth of London’s climate solutions sector whether in finance, clean tech or fashion and the enthusiasm of Londoners to be part of climate action.

    “This energy across the whole of society shows how divorced the current elite political discussion on net zero is from economic and grassroots reality.”

    Friends of Mostyn Garden Project / Muslim Women of Merton Co-ordinator Neaz Ahmed said: “The Mayor’s Grow Back Greener Fund enabled us to tackle social injustice and empower communities with the opportunity to increase their access to green and blue spaces.

    “We worked with volunteer women from the local community to make a piece of derelict land useable and a focus for the community,  including the Tranquil Corner where we meet in peace and tranquillity. It has now attracted further funds to clear up and establish seating and paths.”

    London Wildlife Trust Director of Nature Recovery, Sam Davenport, said: “We’re in the midst of an ecological emergency, and now more than ever, nature needs all of us.

    “As proud partners of the Mayor’s Rewild London Fund, we’ve seen the inspiring results that come from empowering London’s communities to act for wildlife.

    “This renewed commitment to nature recovery from the Mayor is a welcome next step toward a greener, wilder, and more resilient London.”

    National Park City Foundation and London National Park City Chair Navdeep Deol said: “With the support of the Mayor’s team we have been able to deliver vital and timely microgrants to a number of our National Park City Ranger projects, so that they can focus on their important work to make London greener, wilder and healthier and support communities across the capital.

    “The programme strengthens capacity and resilience within the voluntary sector in a way that is both equitable and scalable without the complexity of traditional funding models. The Green Roots Fund creates new opportunities to kick-start and grow new community led and grassroots action right across London.” 

    Wildlife Gardeners of Haggerston Chair, Gideon Corby, said: “Receiving the Mayor of London’s Grow Back Greener and Rewild London funding allowed us to do so much work on Hackney Marshes and along the Old Lea River.

    “We have worked hard to increase the chances for wildlife to thrive; removing problematic plants and reintroducing reedbeds, returning the natural complexity of flow to the river and building refugia to allow wood mice, field vole and shrew populations.

    “GLA funding gave us local people the chance, and privilege, to do work we are immensely proud of and we’d do it all again!”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary Vaccaro, Lecturer in Social Work, McMaster University

    Many women without children in their care who become homeless in Canada remain homeless for many years. Yet their experiences remain misunderstood and largely ignored because of the ways we define and measure homelessness in Canada.

    I have worked in the women’s emergency shelter system in Hamilton, Ont., since 2012. I have met many women who have been navigating homelessness for years — with no permanent solution to their housing crisis. For my PhD in social work, I interviewed 21 women who had experienced homelessness for a year or longer in Hamilton. I asked them about their experiences, and through art-based activities, about their ideas for housing and support.

    What I learned in the interviews, combined with existing research, highlights a hidden crisis. Within our current system resides a profound human cost that manages, instead of resolves, homelessness.

    Many women who experience homelessness do so for far longer than the federal government’s definition of chronic homelessness, which is six consecutive months or 18 months over three years. Research from the United Kingdom that focuses on long-term and unresolved homelessness for women found that the ways women experience homelessness is to “go around in circles” without having their housing or support needs met.

    Among the women I spoke with, more than half had been experiencing homelessness for 10 years or longer. Six of the the women said they have never had a safe place of their own to live for the entirety of their adult lives.

    All of the women who participated in this project accessed the services offered by the homeless serving sector, including shelters and outreach workers, designed to resolve their homelessness. Yet none of these women were able to have their housing and support needs met.

    This means their experience of homelessness has persisted for years, and even decades.

    Homelessness often starts in their teens

    More than half of the participants I spoke with first experienced homelessness before they turned 18. Their primary route into youth homelessness was gender-based violence. They ran away from home when they were teenaged girls to escape violence and became caught in a cycle of events that include: hospitalization, incarceration, staying in youth shelters, living in group homes and unsafe places.

    The Pan-Canadian Women’s Housing and Homelessness Survey, as well as a study on Toronto youth, echo what the women I spoke with told me. Studies from the United States also confirm similar patterns — homelessness begins early in life for a majority of women, and is often followed by a chronic, chaotic churn of precarious housing and homelessness situations.

    The women in my study described a frustrating and exhausting cycle of going among institutions such as hospitals, jails, emergency shelters, drop-in programs and transitional housing programs. They had all spent periods of time living outdoors, in encampments, in motels, with unsafe people and in other precarious and temporary housing arrangements. This phenomena is well-documented in existing Canadian research.

    Better definitions, better data

    The Canadian government defines those who have been homeless and using shelters for more than 180 days a year as experiencing “acute chronicity.”

    Another term used by the federal government for individuals who have accessed shelters at least once in each of the last three years is “prolonged instability.”

    People who meet one or both of these criteria are considered to have the highest housing needs in the country.

    According to recent federal data, women and gender-diverse people across Canada experience slightly higher rates of acute chronicity than men (13.4 per cent for men, 15.4 per cent for women, and 13.9 per cent for gender-diverse people). But the real numbers for women are likely much higher due to under-reporting.

    Research shows women remain invisible to official systems during periods of homelessness. For example, the available data relies solely on information about emergency shelter usage. It does not capture experiences of homelessness that occur outside of the shelter system.

    Women are less likely than their male counterparts to access shelters and other formal supports. Instead, they rely on precarious, unsafe and temporary housing arrangements to navigate homelessness.

    In Canada, there are also fewer emergency women-specific shelter beds than for men

    Rethinking responses to long-term homelessness

    For the women I spoke with, the official 180 days or three years that makes someone officially chronically homeless in Canada does not even begin to describe the length and complexity of their experiences of homelessness.

    They described wanting to live in supportive, gender-specific housing programs that foster community and care. Highly supportive housing typically integrates health and social services and a range of other support services. This type of integrated housing does exist across Canada — examples are the Block Line Supportive Housing Program operated by YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo and the Women’s Building (Alpha House) in Calgary — but there is not enough of it.

    The current measurements from the government of Canada fall short of capturing the complexity of the homeless experience for many Canadian women.

    Government officials must therefore not only rethink their definitions of those in the most housing need, they must develop responsive housing solutions to meet the needs of women who have been homeless for many years.

    Mary Vaccaro consults for YWCA Hamilton. She receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens – https://theconversation.com/how-women-are-trapped-in-years-of-homelessness-that-often-begin-in-their-teens-259239

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA to hold a ‘critical‘ meeting with Formula 1 in two weeks

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has revealed that a significant meeting is set to take place in the next two weeks with representatives from Formula 1 (F1). 

    The Kyalami Grand Prix has been granted permission to modify its design, paving the way for a potential return of F1 to the country.

    “Many laughed when I uttered the words ‘Formula 1 must come back to South Africa’. One man in particular, who didn’t laugh was Toby Venter, the owner of the Kyalami racetrack. 

    “When I told him that government doesn’t have the money to host Formula 1 because of other more urgent priorities and we would not be able to help him pay for the track to reach F1 standards, he looked me in the eye and said he would see it [as] his patriotic duty to do just that.

    “We have had multiple meetings with the management of F1, with a crucial one happening in the next two weeks.“

    The Minister was speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, presenting a R6.3 billion budget aimed at unlocking local talent in both sports and the arts and culture.

    “To those who say the country can’t afford to host the F1, I’m saying the country can’t afford not to… We hosted the best FIFA World Cup. We put our country on the map for big events and should not turn back now.” 

    According to McKenzie, what will be different this time is that government will not be expected to pay.

    Meanwhile, he announced that companies like MTN, MultiChoice, Heineken, and many others have expressed their support for this initiative.

    “They will be present with us in the meeting with Formula 1 at the end of the month.” 

    However, he stressed that those who believe that F1 is not important should consider the countries that are holding onto their F1 spots on the calendar.

    “They see the value in it, and it can’t be called a world championship if it misses an entire continent, sub-Saharan Africa in particular.” 

    He also expressed gratitude to everyone who joined the mission to promote the sport of spinning, including Red Bull and Cell C.

    “People were laughing when we said we’re going to make spinning big, but already this sport has left the townships and now Sam Sam is wowing the likes of Max Verstappen with his skills in Austria.”

    Samkeliso Thubane, also known as Sam Sam, is a prominent South African spinning motorsport athlete sponsored by Red Bull. 

    He is recognised as the world’s first official Red Bull spinning athlete and has gained international acclaim for his skills, performing at the reopening of Red Bull Hangar-7 in Austria.

    LIV Golf

    The country is exploring the potential of bringing a LIV Golf tournament, a professional men’s golf tour, to South Africa as early as next year.  

    “Golf has not broken through to the masses and we hope to achieve that with LIV Golf. It’s not only golf, but also culture,” McKenzie said.

    The Minister said he hoped to eclipse Australia’s attendance of more than 100 000 at a single event over three days.

    Olympics

    Meanwhile, he said the draft document has been developed, and plans are being finalised to send as many athletes as possible to the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

    The Minister said last year, they travelled to Olympic House in Switzerland to express the country’s interest in hosting the Summer Olympic Games in South Africa in 2036.

    VAR

    McKenzie announced that they are finalising the funding process for video assistant refereeing (VAR) to ensure fairness in football matches, from the Premier Soccer League to international fixtures — meeting global standards.

    “It is a necessity. We see stadiums vandalised when bad refereeing happens, and the success of teams like Mamelodi Sundowns makes global teams want to play here, but they get second thoughts because we don’t have VAR.“ – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 15 July 2025 Departmental update Integrating HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections with primary health care: learning from countries

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Countries are facing acute challenges and new opportunities in how HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STI) services are funded and delivered. In recent years and months, efforts to strengthen country ownership, integration and sustainability have accelerated as donor funding declines.

    Many countries are increasingly adopting a primary-health care (PHC) approach to address HIV, viral hepatitis and STI epidemics as part of a broader holistic and people-centred approach to health.

    A new policy brief Integrating HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with primary health care: learning from countries highlights progress and lessons learned from efforts to converge, link and integrate these services with PHC in several low- and middle-income countries.

    The overall experiences from selected countries in this brief – Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Viet Nam, and Zambia – show varied challenges, approaches and outcomes aligned with the 4 strategic and 10 operational levers described in the WHO/UNICEF PHC Operational Framework.

    Acting on only 1 or 2 levers limits impact and reach in the context of complex ecosystems. Countries that prioritized 4 or more areas at the same time – across both strategic and operational levels – achieved the most sustainable results. The integration of disease-focused responses and services with PHC has led to improved access to services, enhanced service delivery, stronger community engagement, improved health outcomes and sustainable financing. 

    The policy brief recommends strengthening coordination and governance through strong political leadership, securing sustainable funding, and adopting a health system–focused approach. It advocates for task sharing within the health workforce and emphasizes meaningful community engagement to build trust and ownership. Addressing stigma and discrimination is a key priority, alongside leveraging digital technologies to improve service delivery. Finally, it highlights the importance of engaging the private sector to support innovation and expand reach.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: What Flowers Say: New Exhibition at the School of Design

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University “Higher School of Economics” –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    HSE ART GALLERY in partnership with the platform Artz. Vork continues the cycle of group exhibition projects from the “Big Themes” series, rethinking fundamental ideas and offering new interpretations of timeless concepts. This time, the theme of the exhibition was flowers – their images, symbolism and meanings.

    Flowers are traditionally associated with transience: they do not live long, quickly fade, and disappear almost without a trace. Therefore, flora in art often becomes an image of memory, loss, something that slips away but continues to exist. Alexandra Lurye, Maria Panina, Anna Stavinozhenko, and Alina Kerimova work in this vein. In the context of the climate and political crisis, flora is increasingly acquiring features of vulnerability and anxiety — as in the works of Anastasia Kovaleva, Alexandra Zamurueva, and Polina Filippova. Some artists — Irina Afanasyeva and Galya Fadeeva — radically rethink the very idea of the “language of flowers,” rejecting established symbols in favor of new ways of expression. When we talk about flowers, we most often imagine something living, fragile, tangible. But what happens when flora loses its materiality and turns into a digital image? This question is asked by Masha Rogova, Dariella, and Olga Filina. Flowers at the exhibition become a reason for a conversation about identity, personal history and deep self-reflection — in the works of Inga Tatarshao, Ekaterina Ivanitskaya and Marya Dmitrieva. Separately, the exhibition presents “Flower Horoscope” — a fantasy digital project by the art group Agey Tomesh.

    One of the conceptual lines of the exhibition is the metaphorical convergence of the phenomena of herbarium and collecting. To collect a herbarium and to collect art means to touch time. In both cases, it is about choosing, selecting and preserving what can disappear. However, in the post-digital era, when the boundaries between the physical and the virtual are increasingly blurred, a new form of interaction with art is emerging – phygital collecting, combining the material (physical) and the digital (digital). Being part of the exhibition program Biennale of private collections, the project invites us to reflect on the nature of phygital collecting. This format became the basis of the platform Artz. Vork, where viewers can find all the works on display — add a memorable piece to their digital collection and purchase a print based on it. The Flower Horoscope is an archaic system of symbolic classification found in cultural layers of the supposed pre-continental period. Unlike astrological systems based on observation of stellar movement, this model correlates human individuality with phenological cycles — the flowering time of plants, seasonal weather changes, and the migration of fauna.

    Each day of the modern calendar year corresponds to a certain type of ancient plant (usually a flower), supposedly possessing its own “character” or behavioral metaphor. It is believed that a person born on this day inherits the qualities attributed to “his” plant, as well as its supposed role in the natural-social structure.

    Choose a flower

    Art group Agey Tomesh, Dariella, Ira Afanasyeva, Marya Dmitrieva, Alexandra Zamurueva, Ekaterina Ivanitskaya, Alina Kerimova, Anastasia Kovaleva, Alexandra Lurye, Maria Panina, Masha Rogova, Anna Stavinozhenko, Inga Tatarshao, Galya Fadeeva, Olga Filina, Polina Filippova.

    HSE ART GALLERY in the Vinzavod Contemporary Art Center4th Syromyatnichesky Lane, 1/8с6 (entrance C8, floor 2)

    Gallery opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday | 12:00–20:00Free admission by prior arrangementregistration

    Director of HSE ART GALLERY: Vassa Pyrkova Curator of HSE ART GALLERY: Ilya Kronchev-IvanovProducers: Anna Aravina, Polina Saratovskaya, Anastasia Shabashova, Elena KirpuGraphic design: HSE DESIGN LAB

    We use cookies to improve the HSE website and make it more convenient to use. More detailed information about the use of cookies can be found Here, our rules for processing personal data are – Here. By continuing to use the site, you confirm that you have been informed of the use of cookies by the HSE website and agree with our rules for processing personal data. You can disable cookies in your browser settings.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: McKenzie unveils R6.3 billion budget to boost local talent in sports and arts

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has tabled a R6.3 billion budget this morning that he believes will help unlock local talent in both the sports, and arts and culture sectors.

    “Change is difficult, but it’s necessary… Access and opportunity matter, and even the greatest of talents need that opportunity. That is why, to invest in all our talent, both in sport, and arts and culture, as well as preserving our heritage, the department has a budget of R6.3 billion for the 2025/26 financial year,” McKenzie said on Tuesday in Parliament. 

    Under Programme 2, Recreation Development and Sport Promotion, the Minister announced that the department will allocate R1.281 billion. 

    To continue supporting sports in the country, McKenzie said R98.5 million will be allocated toward federation support.

    “One of the biggest changes coming for our federations will be the provision of an office building for them to share, as many have been running their sports out of the boots of their cars.” 

    WATCH | 

    [embedded content]

    To support and develop local talent, the department has allocated over R627 million through the conditional grant for this financial year. 

    According to the Minister, funding will be used for the purchase of equipment and attire for schools, clubs and hubs, as well as for training individuals in coaching, technical officiating, administration courses, and employment opportunities.

    Repatriation

    Under Programme 4, Heritage Promotion and Preservation, the department has allocated R2.787 billion, which includes R1.6 billion for the construction, maintenance, upgrading, and operation of valued libraries.

    “Following the success of our inaugural programme to return the remains of South African fallen heroes from Zimbabwe and Zambia last year, we shall continue to repatriate the human remains of freedom fighters who fell outside the country during the struggle.

    “I am told that there could still be 5 000 bodies that need to be returned, and we should not rest until they are home.” 

    READ | Government, judiciary reaffirm commitment to justice

    The Minister said they are currently negotiating with Scottish authorities to repatriate the remains of Khoi and San ancestors from the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum by September 2025. 

    He also mentioned that government is nearing the conclusion of the reburial process for 58 ancestral remains from the Northern Cape.

    This effort is guided by the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team, which includes representatives from the Nama, Griqua, Korana, and San communities.

    Museums

    The ministry is also driving a campaign, under the theme: “Reimagining South African Heritage for a New Era”, which is aimed at making museums relevant to a new, curious generation, ultimately increasing visitor numbers.

    “One of the first projects we are focusing on is Robben Island, which is undergoing a major revamp and facelift.”

    Creative arts

    Under Programme 3, focused on Arts and Culture Promotion and Development, his department is allocating R1.725 billion. 

    To enhance skills and transform the cultural and creative industries, he stated that they will continue to recruit and place approximately 300 young people. 

    This initiative aims to improve their chances of gaining employment and becoming self-employed in creative fields.

    Sector clusters

    He announced that the interim boards for the 17 sector clusters within the cultural and creative industry are now fully operational. 

    These boards are responsible for organising their respective sectors, promoting collaboration, and addressing challenges such as copyright protection, fair labour practices, and equitable distribution of funding. 

    According to the Minister, they will receive a total budget of R34 million to support their operations.

    “We understand the frustration of our creatives. For the past 30 years and the years before that, they have not seen their lives change for the better.”

    In support of the preservation and development of the Khoi and San languages, the N|uu language in particular, the department is setting aside R2 million for a targeted call for proposals to preserve these languages. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mary Vaccaro, Lecturer in Social Work, McMaster University

    Many women without children in their care who become homeless in Canada remain homeless for many years. Yet their experiences remain misunderstood and largely ignored because of the ways we define and measure homelessness in Canada.

    I have worked in the women’s emergency shelter system in Hamilton, Ont., since 2012. I have met many women who have been navigating homelessness for years — with no permanent solution to their housing crisis. For my PhD in social work, I interviewed 21 women who had experienced homelessness for a year or longer in Hamilton. I asked them about their experiences, and through art-based activities, about their ideas for housing and support.

    What I learned in the interviews, combined with existing research, highlights a hidden crisis. Within our current system resides a profound human cost that manages, instead of resolves, homelessness.

    Many women who experience homelessness do so for far longer than the federal government’s definition of chronic homelessness, which is six consecutive months or 18 months over three years. Research from the United Kingdom that focuses on long-term and unresolved homelessness for women found that the ways women experience homelessness is to “go around in circles” without having their housing or support needs met.

    Among the women I spoke with, more than half had been experiencing homelessness for 10 years or longer. Six of the the women said they have never had a safe place of their own to live for the entirety of their adult lives.

    All of the women who participated in this project accessed the services offered by the homeless serving sector, including shelters and outreach workers, designed to resolve their homelessness. Yet none of these women were able to have their housing and support needs met.

    This means their experience of homelessness has persisted for years, and even decades.

    Homelessness often starts in their teens

    More than half of the participants I spoke with first experienced homelessness before they turned 18. Their primary route into youth homelessness was gender-based violence. They ran away from home when they were teenaged girls to escape violence and became caught in a cycle of events that include: hospitalization, incarceration, staying in youth shelters, living in group homes and unsafe places.

    The Pan-Canadian Women’s Housing and Homelessness Survey, as well as a study on Toronto youth, echo what the women I spoke with told me. Studies from the United States also confirm similar patterns — homelessness begins early in life for a majority of women, and is often followed by a chronic, chaotic churn of precarious housing and homelessness situations.

    The women in my study described a frustrating and exhausting cycle of going among institutions such as hospitals, jails, emergency shelters, drop-in programs and transitional housing programs. They had all spent periods of time living outdoors, in encampments, in motels, with unsafe people and in other precarious and temporary housing arrangements. This phenomena is well-documented in existing Canadian research.

    Better definitions, better data

    The Canadian government defines those who have been homeless and using shelters for more than 180 days a year as experiencing “acute chronicity.”

    Another term used by the federal government for individuals who have accessed shelters at least once in each of the last three years is “prolonged instability.”

    People who meet one or both of these criteria are considered to have the highest housing needs in the country.

    According to recent federal data, women and gender-diverse people across Canada experience slightly higher rates of acute chronicity than men (13.4 per cent for men, 15.4 per cent for women, and 13.9 per cent for gender-diverse people). But the real numbers for women are likely much higher due to under-reporting.

    Research shows women remain invisible to official systems during periods of homelessness. For example, the available data relies solely on information about emergency shelter usage. It does not capture experiences of homelessness that occur outside of the shelter system.

    Women are less likely than their male counterparts to access shelters and other formal supports. Instead, they rely on precarious, unsafe and temporary housing arrangements to navigate homelessness.

    In Canada, there are also fewer emergency women-specific shelter beds than for men

    Rethinking responses to long-term homelessness

    For the women I spoke with, the official 180 days or three years that makes someone officially chronically homeless in Canada does not even begin to describe the length and complexity of their experiences of homelessness.

    They described wanting to live in supportive, gender-specific housing programs that foster community and care. Highly supportive housing typically integrates health and social services and a range of other support services. This type of integrated housing does exist across Canada — examples are the Block Line Supportive Housing Program operated by YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo and the Women’s Building (Alpha House) in Calgary — but there is not enough of it.

    The current measurements from the government of Canada fall short of capturing the complexity of the homeless experience for many Canadian women.

    Government officials must therefore not only rethink their definitions of those in the most housing need, they must develop responsive housing solutions to meet the needs of women who have been homeless for many years.

    Mary Vaccaro consults for YWCA Hamilton. She receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. How women are trapped in years of homelessness that often begin in their teens – https://theconversation.com/how-women-are-trapped-in-years-of-homelessness-that-often-begin-in-their-teens-259239

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Champagne to participate in G20 and G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meetings in South Africa

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 15, 2025

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, will participate in G20 and G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ (FMCBG) Meetings, in Durban, South Africa, from July 17 to 18. 

    Prior to the Meetings, during a short stay in Cape Town, the Minister will meet with local businesses and government officials with an eye to advance bilateral partnerships, economic development and innovation collaboration.

    In Durban, the Minister, together with Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, will chair the fourth G7 FMCBG Meeting under Canada’s G7 Presidency. The agenda builds on the important progress made by Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at the G7 in Banff and the shared steps Canada and its partners are taking together to reduce ongoing trade and economic policy uncertainty.

    G7 Ministers and Governors will also discuss Russia’s illegal and unjust war against Ukraine, as well as actions to improve supply chain resilience Australia and South Korea have been invited to join the discussion on supply chains.

    The G20 FMCBG Meetings will focus on the global economy and on issues related to the international financial architecture, international taxation and ways to improve longer-term growth prospects in Africa and across the G20. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: White River Bancshares Co. Reports Net Income of $3.30 million, or $1.34 Per Diluted Share, in 2Q25; Results Driven by Loan Growth and Net Interest Margin Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — White River Bancshares Company (OTCQX: WRIV) (the “Company”), the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas (the “Bank”), today reported net income increased to $3.30 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $1.85 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2024. The Company reported net income of $2.63 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the prior quarter. In the first six months of 2025, net income increased to $5.93 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, compared to $2.36 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, in the first six months of 2024. All financial results are unaudited and all per share data has been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected September 4, 2024.

    “We had a strong second quarter—the most profitable quarter we’ve ever had,” said Gary Head, Chairman and CEO. “We have been blessed to have incredible loan growth throughout the history of our company, and we build on that momentum quarter after quarter. Our Signature Bank family is the best group of bankers I’ve been associated with in my 43-year banking career. Their teamwork and commitment to excellence consistently go above and beyond expectations.”

    “As a community bank, expanding our deposit base to support new loan growth is critical,” said Scott Sandlin, Chief Strategy Officer. “Our Bank has made deposit gathering a primary focus, and our team has done an outstanding job—deepening relationships with existing clients while also bringing in new customers. As a result, total deposits increased 4.0% during the second quarter of 2025 and 23.2% year-over-year. At quarter end, demand and non-interest bearing accounts represented 18.7% of total deposits, and savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts represented 38.4% of total deposits. We will continue to actively seek more opportunities to grow deposits in the coming quarters to meet the increasing demand for loans.”

    Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights:

    • Net income for the second quarter of 2025 increased to $3.30 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, compared to $1.85 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net interest income increased 31.7% to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $9.0 million in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net interest margin (“NIM”) increased 31 basis points to 3.56% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.25% in the second quarter of 2024.
    • The Company recorded an $800,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025, compared to a $432,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net loans increased 21.6% to $1.194 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $982.3 million at June 30, 2024.
    • Nonperforming loans represented 0.03% of total loans at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.00% a year ago.
    • Total deposits increased $235.3 million, or 23.2%, year-over-year, to $1.249 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $1.014 billion at June 30, 2024.
    • Core deposits (demand and non-interest-bearing, savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts, CDs under $250,000 and CDARs reciprocal deposits) represented 70.10% of total deposits at June 30, 2025.
    • Tangible book value per common share was $41.17 at June 30, 2025, compared to $37.00 a year ago.

    Income Statement

    In the second quarter of 2025, the Company generated a return on average assets of 0.94% and a return on average equity of 12.62%, compared to 0.79% and 10.64%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2025 and 0.63% and 8.26%, respectively, in the second quarter of 2024.

    “Our second quarter net interest margin expanded by 17 basis points from the previous quarter and 31 basis points year-over-year, driven by loan growth and increased yields on our interest-earning assets,” said Brant Ward, President. NIM was 3.56% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.39% in the first quarter of 2025, and 3.25% in the second quarter of 2024. In the first six months of 2025, NIM expanded 37 basis points to 3.48%, compared to 3.11% in the first six months of 2024.

    Net interest income increased 31.7% to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $9.0 million in the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily due to year-over-year loan growth. Total interest income increased 24.8% to $21.2 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $17.0 million in the second quarter of 2024, primarily attributable to the increase in loans. Total interest expense increased to $9.3 million in the second quarter of 2025, from $8.0 million in the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to an increase in deposit costs. In the first six months of 2025, net interest income increased 31.9% to $22.5 million, compared to $17.1 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Noninterest income increased 7.9% to $2.1 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in secondary market fee income, which more than offset the decrease in wealth management fee income during the second quarter of 2025. In the first six months of 2025, noninterest income increased 14.5% to $4.0 million, compared to $3.5 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Noninterest expense was $8.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $8.1 million in the second quarter of 2024, as expenses have normalized following the investment in expanding the Company’s market presence over the past few years. In the first six months of the year, noninterest expense increased 6.0% to $17.4 million, compared to $16.4 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Balance Sheet

    Total assets increased 18.4% to $1.434 billion at June 30, 2025, from $1.211 billion at June 30, 2024, and increased 4.0% compared to $1.379 billion at March 31, 2025. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $25.6 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $49.5 million a year ago. Investment securities totaled $140.5 million at June 30, 2025, an increase from $115.5 million at June 30, 2024.

    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses, increased 21.6% to $1.194 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $982.3 million at June 30, 2024, and increased 5.9% compared to $1.128 billion at March 31, 2025.

    Total deposits increased 23.2% to $1.249 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $1.014 billion at June 30, 2024, and increased 4.0% compared to $1.201 billion at March 31, 2025. Demand and non-interest-bearing deposits decreased less than 1% compared to June 30, 2024, while savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts increased 37.6% compared to June 30, 2024.

    FHLB advances were $21.5 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $54.3 million at June 30, 2024, and $21.6 million at March 31, 2025. Total stockholders’ equity increased to $102.5 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $92.0 million at June 30, 2024, and $100.5 million at March 31, 2025. Tangible book value per common share was $41.17 at June 30, 2025, compared to $37.00 at June 30, 2024, and $40.33 at March 31, 2025.

    Credit Quality

    Due to strong quarterly loan growth, the Company recorded an $800,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025. This is compared to a $670,000 provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2025, and a $432,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2024.

    There were $365,000 in nonperforming loans at June 30, 2025. This compared to $420,000 in nonperforming loans at March 31, 2025, and $32,000 in nonperforming loans at June 30, 2024. Nonperforming loans represented 0.03% of total loans on June 30, 2025, 0.04% of total loans on March 31, 2025, and 0.00% of total loans a year ago.

    “We remain conservative in building our credit loss reserves, continually reviewing our loan mix, assessing growth trends, and factoring in both regional and national economic conditions to ensure our allowance remains appropriately calibrated,” said Jeff Maland, Chief Risk Officer. The allowance for credit losses was $14.0 million, or 1.16% of total loans, at June 30, 2025, compared to $13.3 million, or 1.17% of total loans, at March 31, 2025, and $12.4 million, or 1.25% of total loans, at June 30, 2024.

    Net loan recoveries were $11,000 in the second quarter of 2025. This compared to net loan charge-offs of $137,000 in the first quarter of 2025, and net loan charge-offs of $111,000 in the second quarter of 2024.

    Capital

    The Bank’s capital ratios continued to exceed regulatory “well-capitalized” requirements, with a Total risk-based capital ratio estimate of 11.69%, a Tier 1 ratio of 10.44%, and a Leverage ratio of 9.12% for the Bank at June 30, 2025.

    About White River Bancshares Company

    White River Bancshares Company is the single bank holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas, headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bank has locations in Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers, Brinkley, Harrison and Jonesboro, Arkansas. Founded in 2005, Signature Bank of Arkansas provides a full line of financial services to small businesses, families and farms. White River Bancshares Company (OTCQX: WRIV), trades on the OTCQX® Best Market.  

    In the second quarter of 2025, the Signature Bank celebrated its 20-year anniversary of service to its Arkansas communities. In tandem with the celebration, the organization updated its mission statement:
    We are committed to being a trusted local bank for business owners, individuals, and families who seek personalized service from people they know. Our mission is to empower our customers to strengthen their connections through every interaction, ensuring that their dollars are reinvested locally to support the growth and prosperity of the community we share. We have a passion for preserving the traditions of community banking as we embrace the power of technology.

    About the Region

    White River Bancshares Company is headquartered in thriving Northwest Arkansas in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA. The region is home to the corporate headquarters for Walmart Stores Inc, Sam’s Club, Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transport. Hundreds of other market-leading companies including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Rubbermaid maintain offices in the region in order to maintain their relationships with the locally based Fortune 500 companies. Northwest Arkansas is also home to the state’s flagship public educational institution, The University of Arkansas, and its Sam M. Walton College of Business. The region has seen significant growth in its medical and arts infrastructures with the continued expansion of Washington Regional Medical System, Northwest Medical System, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Walton Arts Center have led the expansion of the arts. Northwest Arkansas has been repeatedly recognized in recent years as one of the best places to live in the country and remains one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. In May 2024, Walmart issued a relocation mandate requiring most of its remote employees, as well as most of its office workers in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto to move to, in most cases, Bentonville by November 1, 2024. While the company did not disclose a number, Bloomberg reported that the number of Walmart employees who would be moving to Bentonville would be in the thousands. Walmart is making a major investment in its hometown facilities, building a new, 350-acre headquarters campus, including walking and biking trails, a hotel, fitness facilities and a large childcare center.

    The Company has expanded eastward, with new markets in Jonesboro and Harrison. Jonesboro, located in Craighead County, is a city located on Crowley’s Ridge in the northeastern corner of Arkansas. It is the home of Arkansas State University and the cultural and economic center of Northeast Arkansas. Jonesboro also houses the region’s hospital network. U.S. Steel Corp. announced that it would locate a new $3 billion steel factory in Northeast Arkansas in Osceola, a move expected to create 900 jobs with an average pay over $100,000 annually, making it the largest capital investment project in Arkansas history. Harrison sits below Branson, Missouri, which is a family tourist destination and outdoor recreation, and is well known as an entertainment destination.

    The Company currently operates out of ten locations; three in Washington County; three in Benton County; two in Monroe County; one in Boone County; and one in Craighead County.

    The housing market in Washington and Benton counties remains robust. According to the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors, the average home in Washington County sold for $429,000 in May 2025, with an average of 97 days on the market. For Benton County, the average house sold for $461,000, with an average of 92 days on the market.

    Source:
    http://www.nwarealtors.org/market-statistics/

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements about future events. These forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions of management of the Company and the Bank and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms. Our ability to predict results of future events and the actual effect of future plans or strategies are inherently uncertain, and actual results may differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or that could affect the outcome of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates; the economic health of the local real estate market; general economic conditions; credit deterioration in our loan portfolio that would cause us to increase our allowance for loan losses; legislative or regulatory changes; technological developments; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; the quality or composition of our loan and securities portfolios; demand for loan products in our market areas; deposit flows and costs of capital; competition; retention and recruitment of qualified personnel; demand for financial services in our market areas; and changes in accounting principles, policies, and guidelines. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

    Contact: Scott Sandlin, Chief Strategy Officer
      479-684-3754
       
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Unaudited)
                   
        For the Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
          2025     2025     2024  
                   
    INTEREST INCOME              
    Loans, including fees   $ 19,611,698   $ 18,315,006   $ 15,763,452  
    Investment securities     1,431,773     1,258,571     1,083,415  
    Federal funds sold and other     175,917     232,978     162,250  
    Total interest income     21,219,388     19,806,555     17,009,117  
                   
    INTEREST EXPENSE              
    Deposits     8,538,199     8,312,455     7,106,512  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances     296,860     393,057     448,263  
    Notes payable     477,735     475,425     398,017  
    Federal funds purchased and other     7,113     13,022     21,787  
    Total interest expense     9,319,907     9,193,959     7,974,579  
    NET INTEREST INCOME     11,899,481     10,612,596     9,034,538  
    Provision for credit losses     800,000     670,000     432,000  
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES     11,099,481     9,942,596     8,602,538  
                   
    NON-INTEREST INCOME              
    Service charges and fees on deposits     162,185     171,186     154,816  
    Wealth management fee income     994,100     1,017,829     1,065,553  
    Secondary market fee income     223,956     128,824     113,926  
    Bank owned-life insurance income     82,190     80,603     80,478  
    Gain on sales and write-downs of foreclosed assets     15,475     –     326  
    Other     616,667     544,141     527,064  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME     2,094,573     1,942,583     1,942,163  
                   
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE              
    Salaries and benefits     5,185,716     4,931,692     4,784,556  
    Occupancy and equipment     1,189,886     1,145,101     936,818  
    Data processing     857,198     858,115     704,080  
    Marketing and business development     609,549     397,137     473,618  
    Professional services     699,968     650,708     617,890  
    Amortization of other intangible assets     53,037     53,036     53,037  
    Other     326,224     393,498     494,203  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE     8,921,578     8,429,287     8,064,202  
                   
    Income before income taxes     4,272,476     3,455,892     2,480,499  
    Income tax provision     974,775     826,085     631,462  
    NET INCOME   $ 3,297,701   $ 2,629,807   $ 1,849,037  
                   
    EARNINGS PER SHARE              
    Basic (1)   $ 1.35   $ 1.07   $ 0.81  
    Diluted (1)   $ 1.34   $ 1.07   $ 0.81  
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
           
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME  
    (Unaudited)  
                 
          Six Months Ended  
          June 30,  
          2025   2024  
                 
    INTEREST INCOME            
    Loans, including fees     $ 37,926,704   $ 30,758,374  
    Investment securities       2,690,344     2,012,455  
    Federal funds sold and other       408,895     258,404  
    Total Interest Income       41,025,943     33,029,233  
                 
    INTEREST EXPENSE            
    Deposits       16,850,654     14,091,305  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances       689,917     968,582  
    Notes payable       953,160     796,034  
    Federal funds purchased and other       20,135     100,047  
    Total interest expense       18,513,866     15,955,968  
    NET INTEREST INCOME       22,512,077     17,073,265  
    Provision for credit losses       1,470,000     1,080,000  
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES       21,042,077     15,993,265  
                 
    NON-INTEREST INCOME            
    Service charges and fees on deposits       333,371     305,165  
    Wealth management fee income       2,011,929     1,911,059  
    Secondary market fee income       352,780     170,990  
    Bank owned life insurance income       162,793     160,359  
    Gain on sales and write-downs of foreclosed assets       15,475     1,376  
    Other       1,160,808     976,319  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME       4,037,156     3,525,268  
                 
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE            
    Salaries and benefits       10,117,408     9,784,089  
    Occupancy and equipment       2,334,987     1,864,942  
    Data processing       1,715,313     1,494,649  
    Marketing and business development       1,006,686     937,315  
    Professional services       1,350,676     1,287,757  
    Amortization of intangible asset       106,073     106,073  
    Other       719,722     898,039  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE       17,350,865     16,372,864  
                 
    Income before income taxes       7,728,368     3,145,669  
    Income tax provision       1,800,860     787,404  
    NET INCOME     $ 5,927,508   $ 2,358,265  
                 
    EARNINGS PER SHARE            
    Basic (1)     $ 2.42   $ 1.11  
    Diluted (1)     $ 2.42   $ 1.11  
                 
      (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                 
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS  
    (Unaudited)  
                   
        June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024  
                   
    ASSETS                      
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 25,604,276     $ 48,360,156     $ 49,495,763    
    Investment securities     140,544,711       134,968,153       115,526,915    
    Loans held for sale     2,442,642       874,009       997,907    
    Loans     1,208,102,220       1,141,369,199       994,754,063    
    Allowance for credit losses     (14,033,740 )     (13,347,855 )     (12,434,130 )  
    Net loans     1,194,068,480       1,128,021,344       982,319,933    
    Premises and equipment, net     37,411,490       35,647,835       30,442,837    
    Foreclosed assets held for sale     –       310,406       777,606    
    Accrued interest receivable     7,024,823       6,629,881       5,433,391    
    Bank owned life insurance     9,942,100       9,859,911       9,614,851    
    Deferred income taxes     4,522,795       4,220,559       4,788,942    
    Other investments     7,925,019       6,782,614       8,094,125    
    Intangible assets, net     1,697,167       1,750,204       1,909,313    
    Other assets     2,783,012       1,825,830       1,733,790    
    TOTAL ASSETS   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
                   
    LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Deposits:              
    Demand and non-interest-bearing   $ 233,078,431     $ 231,331,391     $ 233,230,007    
    Savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts     479,532,136       456,733,576       348,391,562    
    Time deposits     536,591,123       512,882,444       432,248,979    
    Total deposits     1,249,201,690       1,200,947,411       1,013,870,548    
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances     21,518,084       21,593,143       54,314,495    
    Notes payable     26,159,110       26,141,832       26,090,002    
    Operating lease liability     21,918,414       20,029,714       15,930,503    
    Reserve for losses on unfunded commitments     1,603,000       1,478,000       1,433,000    
    Accrued interest payable     2,636,403       2,731,699       2,714,687    
    Other liabilities     8,433,777       5,798,159       4,745,292    
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     1,331,470,478       1,278,719,958       1,119,098,527    
                   
    Stockholders’ equity:              
    Common stock (1)     24,876       24,882       24,698    
    Surplus (1)     102,893,483       102,784,831       102,457,705    
    Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)     6,787,654       4,714,375       (2,484,500 )  
    Treasury stock, at cost     (1,284,359 )     (1,265,731 )     (1,132,905 )  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (5,925,617 )     (5,727,413 )     (6,828,152 )  
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     102,496,037       100,530,944       92,036,846    
                   
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                   
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY
    SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
                   
        (Unaudited)  
        Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
                   
    FOR THE PERIOD              
    Net income   $ 3,297,701     $ 2,629,807     $ 1,849,037    
    Net income before taxes     4,272,476       3,455,892       2,480,499    
    Dividends declared per share (1)     0.50       –       0.50    
                   
                   
    PERIOD END BALANCE              
    Total assets   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
    Total investments     140,544,711       134,968,153       115,526,915    
    Total loans, net     1,194,068,480       1,128,021,344       982,319,933    
    Allowance for credit losses     (14,033,740 )     (13,347,855 )     (12,434,131 )  
    Total deposits     1,249,201,690       1,200,947,411       1,013,870,548    
    Stockholders’ equity     102,496,037       100,530,944       92,036,846    
                   
                   
    RATIO ANALYSIS              
    Return on average assets (annualized)     0.94 %     0.79 %     0.63 %  
    Return on average equity (annualized)     12.62 %     10.64 %     8.26 %  
    Net loans/Deposits     95.59 %     93.93 %     96.89 %  
    Total Stockholders’ Equity/Total assets     7.15 %     7.29 %     7.60 %  
    Net loan losses/Total loans     -0.00 %     0.01 %     0.01 %  
    Uninsured & unpledged deposits     32.37 %     31.00 %     31.21 %  
                   
                   
    PER SHARE DATA              
    Shares outstanding (1)     2,448,246       2,449,317       2,435,700    
    Weighted average shares outstanding (1)     2,448,734       2,446,747       2,291,316    
    Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (1)     2,454,485       2,451,161       2,291,316    
    Basic earnings (1)   $ 1.35     $ 1.07     $ 0.81    
    Diluted earnings (1)     1.34       1.07       0.81    
    Book value (1)     41.87       41.04       37.79    
    Tangible book value (1)     41.17       40.33       37.00    
                   
                   
    ASSET QUALITY              
    Net (recoveries) charge-offs   $ (10,889 )   $ 136,970     $ 110,968    
    Classified assets     402,406       853,745       1,090,758    
    Nonperforming loans     364,853       419,985       32,054    
    Nonperforming assets     364,853       730,391       809,660    
    Total nonperforming loans/Total loans     0.03 %     0.04 %     0.00 %  
    Total nonperforming loans/Total assets     0.03 %     0.03 %     0.00 %  
    Total nonperforming assets/Total assets     0.03 %     0.05 %     0.07 %  
    Allowance for credit losses/Total loans     1.16 %     1.17 %     1.25 %  
                   
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                   
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE  
    (Unaudited)  
                                           
        Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
          2025       2025       2024    
        Average       Average   Average       Average   Average       Average  
        Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate  
                                           
    Interest-earning assets:                                      
    Federal funds sold and other   $ 15,102,485   $ 175,917   4.67 %   $ 23,287,989   $ 232,978   4.06 %   $ 11,798,448   $ 162,250   5.53 %  
    Investment securities available-for-sale (1)     138,229,178     1,289,470   3.74 %     133,405,472     1,208,821   3.67 %     114,427,481     941,900   3.31 %  
    Loans receivable     1,169,591,045     19,611,698   6.73 %     1,106,648,533     18,315,006   6.71 %     973,396,880     15,763,452   6.51 %  
    Total interest-earning assets     1,322,922,708   $ 21,077,085   6.39 %     1,263,341,994   $ 19,756,805   6.34 %     1,099,622,809   $ 16,867,602   6.17 %  
    Noninterest-earning assets     81,927,528             81,821,189             74,503,352          
    Total assets   $ 1,404,850,236           $ 1,345,163,183           $ 1,174,126,161          
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                      
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 985,435,006   $ 8,538,199   3.48 %   $ 937,669,969   $ 8,312,455   3.60 %   $ 770,303,642   $ 7,106,512   3.71 %  
    FHLB advances and federal funds purchased     26,552,308     303,973   4.59 %     36,654,930     406,079   4.49 %     40,440,625     470,050   4.67 %  
    Notes payable     26,150,819     477,735   7.33 %     26,131,761     475,425   7.38 %     25,506,601     398,017   6.28 %  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,038,138,133   $ 9,319,907   3.60 %     1,000,456,660   $ 9,193,959   3.73 %     836,250,868   $ 7,974,579   3.84 %  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities     261,876,451             244,466,979             247,820,333          
    Total liabilities     1,300,014,584             1,244,923,639             1,084,071,201          
    Stockholders’ equity     104,835,652             100,239,544             90,054,960          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,404,850,236           $ 1,345,163,183           $ 1,174,126,161          
    Net interest-earning assets   $ 284,784,575           $ 262,885,334           $ 263,371,941          
    Net interest spread       $ 11,757,178   2.79 %       $ 10,562,846   2.61 %       $ 8,893,023   2.33 %  
    Net interest margin           3.56 %           3.39 %           3.25 %  
                                           
    (1 ) Excludes investments in bank stock (Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, and First National Bankers Bankshares).      
                                           
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE  
    (Unaudited)  
                               
        Six Months Ended June 30,  
          2025       2024    
        Average       Average   Average       Average  
        Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate  
                               
    Interest-earning assets:                          
    Federal funds sold and other   $ 19,172,625   $ 408,895   4.30 %   $ 10,071,062   $ 258,404   5.16 %  
    Investment securities available-for-sale (1)     135,830,651     2,498,291   3.71 %     114,434,010     1,842,786   3.24 %  
    Loans receivable     1,138,293,665     37,926,704   6.72 %     967,102,566     30,758,374   6.40 %  
    Total interest-earning assets     1,293,296,941   $ 40,833,890   6.37 %     1,091,607,638   $ 32,859,564   6.05 %  
    Noninterest-earning assets     81,874,656             72,612,145          
    Total assets   $ 1,375,171,597           $ 1,164,219,783          
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                          
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 961,684,434   $ 16,850,654   3.53 %   $ 766,601,621   $ 14,091,305   3.70 %  
    FHLB advances and federal funds purchased     31,575,711     710,052   4.53 %     45,594,923     1,068,629   4.71 %  
    Notes payable     26,141,343     953,160   7.35 %     25,500,463     796,034   6.28 %  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,019,401,488   $ 18,513,866   3.66 %     837,697,007   $ 15,955,968   3.83 %  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities     253,207,317             240,831,655          
    Total liabilities     1,272,608,805             1,078,528,662          
    Stockholders’ equity     102,562,792             85,691,121          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,375,171,597           $ 1,164,219,783          
    Net interest-earning assets   $ 273,895,453           $ 253,910,631          
    Net interest spread       $ 22,320,024   2.70 %       $ 16,903,596   2.22 %  
    Net interest margin           3.48 %           3.11 %  
                               
    (1 )   Excludes investments in bank stock (Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, and First National Bankers Bankshares).
                               

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: White River Bancshares Co. Reports Net Income of $3.30 million, or $1.34 Per Diluted Share, in 2Q25; Results Driven by Loan Growth and Net Interest Margin Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — White River Bancshares Company (OTCQX: WRIV) (the “Company”), the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas (the “Bank”), today reported net income increased to $3.30 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $1.85 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2024. The Company reported net income of $2.63 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the prior quarter. In the first six months of 2025, net income increased to $5.93 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, compared to $2.36 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, in the first six months of 2024. All financial results are unaudited and all per share data has been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split effected September 4, 2024.

    “We had a strong second quarter—the most profitable quarter we’ve ever had,” said Gary Head, Chairman and CEO. “We have been blessed to have incredible loan growth throughout the history of our company, and we build on that momentum quarter after quarter. Our Signature Bank family is the best group of bankers I’ve been associated with in my 43-year banking career. Their teamwork and commitment to excellence consistently go above and beyond expectations.”

    “As a community bank, expanding our deposit base to support new loan growth is critical,” said Scott Sandlin, Chief Strategy Officer. “Our Bank has made deposit gathering a primary focus, and our team has done an outstanding job—deepening relationships with existing clients while also bringing in new customers. As a result, total deposits increased 4.0% during the second quarter of 2025 and 23.2% year-over-year. At quarter end, demand and non-interest bearing accounts represented 18.7% of total deposits, and savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts represented 38.4% of total deposits. We will continue to actively seek more opportunities to grow deposits in the coming quarters to meet the increasing demand for loans.”

    Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights:

    • Net income for the second quarter of 2025 increased to $3.30 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, compared to $1.85 million, or $0.81 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net interest income increased 31.7% to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $9.0 million in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net interest margin (“NIM”) increased 31 basis points to 3.56% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.25% in the second quarter of 2024.
    • The Company recorded an $800,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025, compared to a $432,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net loans increased 21.6% to $1.194 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $982.3 million at June 30, 2024.
    • Nonperforming loans represented 0.03% of total loans at June 30, 2025, compared to 0.00% a year ago.
    • Total deposits increased $235.3 million, or 23.2%, year-over-year, to $1.249 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $1.014 billion at June 30, 2024.
    • Core deposits (demand and non-interest-bearing, savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts, CDs under $250,000 and CDARs reciprocal deposits) represented 70.10% of total deposits at June 30, 2025.
    • Tangible book value per common share was $41.17 at June 30, 2025, compared to $37.00 a year ago.

    Income Statement

    In the second quarter of 2025, the Company generated a return on average assets of 0.94% and a return on average equity of 12.62%, compared to 0.79% and 10.64%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2025 and 0.63% and 8.26%, respectively, in the second quarter of 2024.

    “Our second quarter net interest margin expanded by 17 basis points from the previous quarter and 31 basis points year-over-year, driven by loan growth and increased yields on our interest-earning assets,” said Brant Ward, President. NIM was 3.56% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.39% in the first quarter of 2025, and 3.25% in the second quarter of 2024. In the first six months of 2025, NIM expanded 37 basis points to 3.48%, compared to 3.11% in the first six months of 2024.

    Net interest income increased 31.7% to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $9.0 million in the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily due to year-over-year loan growth. Total interest income increased 24.8% to $21.2 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $17.0 million in the second quarter of 2024, primarily attributable to the increase in loans. Total interest expense increased to $9.3 million in the second quarter of 2025, from $8.0 million in the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to an increase in deposit costs. In the first six months of 2025, net interest income increased 31.9% to $22.5 million, compared to $17.1 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Noninterest income increased 7.9% to $2.1 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in secondary market fee income, which more than offset the decrease in wealth management fee income during the second quarter of 2025. In the first six months of 2025, noninterest income increased 14.5% to $4.0 million, compared to $3.5 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Noninterest expense was $8.9 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared to $8.1 million in the second quarter of 2024, as expenses have normalized following the investment in expanding the Company’s market presence over the past few years. In the first six months of the year, noninterest expense increased 6.0% to $17.4 million, compared to $16.4 million in the first six months of 2024.

    Balance Sheet

    Total assets increased 18.4% to $1.434 billion at June 30, 2025, from $1.211 billion at June 30, 2024, and increased 4.0% compared to $1.379 billion at March 31, 2025. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $25.6 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $49.5 million a year ago. Investment securities totaled $140.5 million at June 30, 2025, an increase from $115.5 million at June 30, 2024.

    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses, increased 21.6% to $1.194 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $982.3 million at June 30, 2024, and increased 5.9% compared to $1.128 billion at March 31, 2025.

    Total deposits increased 23.2% to $1.249 billion at June 30, 2025, compared to $1.014 billion at June 30, 2024, and increased 4.0% compared to $1.201 billion at March 31, 2025. Demand and non-interest-bearing deposits decreased less than 1% compared to June 30, 2024, while savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts increased 37.6% compared to June 30, 2024.

    FHLB advances were $21.5 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $54.3 million at June 30, 2024, and $21.6 million at March 31, 2025. Total stockholders’ equity increased to $102.5 million at June 30, 2025, compared to $92.0 million at June 30, 2024, and $100.5 million at March 31, 2025. Tangible book value per common share was $41.17 at June 30, 2025, compared to $37.00 at June 30, 2024, and $40.33 at March 31, 2025.

    Credit Quality

    Due to strong quarterly loan growth, the Company recorded an $800,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025. This is compared to a $670,000 provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2025, and a $432,000 provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2024.

    There were $365,000 in nonperforming loans at June 30, 2025. This compared to $420,000 in nonperforming loans at March 31, 2025, and $32,000 in nonperforming loans at June 30, 2024. Nonperforming loans represented 0.03% of total loans on June 30, 2025, 0.04% of total loans on March 31, 2025, and 0.00% of total loans a year ago.

    “We remain conservative in building our credit loss reserves, continually reviewing our loan mix, assessing growth trends, and factoring in both regional and national economic conditions to ensure our allowance remains appropriately calibrated,” said Jeff Maland, Chief Risk Officer. The allowance for credit losses was $14.0 million, or 1.16% of total loans, at June 30, 2025, compared to $13.3 million, or 1.17% of total loans, at March 31, 2025, and $12.4 million, or 1.25% of total loans, at June 30, 2024.

    Net loan recoveries were $11,000 in the second quarter of 2025. This compared to net loan charge-offs of $137,000 in the first quarter of 2025, and net loan charge-offs of $111,000 in the second quarter of 2024.

    Capital

    The Bank’s capital ratios continued to exceed regulatory “well-capitalized” requirements, with a Total risk-based capital ratio estimate of 11.69%, a Tier 1 ratio of 10.44%, and a Leverage ratio of 9.12% for the Bank at June 30, 2025.

    About White River Bancshares Company

    White River Bancshares Company is the single bank holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas, headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bank has locations in Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers, Brinkley, Harrison and Jonesboro, Arkansas. Founded in 2005, Signature Bank of Arkansas provides a full line of financial services to small businesses, families and farms. White River Bancshares Company (OTCQX: WRIV), trades on the OTCQX® Best Market.  

    In the second quarter of 2025, the Signature Bank celebrated its 20-year anniversary of service to its Arkansas communities. In tandem with the celebration, the organization updated its mission statement:
    We are committed to being a trusted local bank for business owners, individuals, and families who seek personalized service from people they know. Our mission is to empower our customers to strengthen their connections through every interaction, ensuring that their dollars are reinvested locally to support the growth and prosperity of the community we share. We have a passion for preserving the traditions of community banking as we embrace the power of technology.

    About the Region

    White River Bancshares Company is headquartered in thriving Northwest Arkansas in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA. The region is home to the corporate headquarters for Walmart Stores Inc, Sam’s Club, Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transport. Hundreds of other market-leading companies including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Rubbermaid maintain offices in the region in order to maintain their relationships with the locally based Fortune 500 companies. Northwest Arkansas is also home to the state’s flagship public educational institution, The University of Arkansas, and its Sam M. Walton College of Business. The region has seen significant growth in its medical and arts infrastructures with the continued expansion of Washington Regional Medical System, Northwest Medical System, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Walton Arts Center have led the expansion of the arts. Northwest Arkansas has been repeatedly recognized in recent years as one of the best places to live in the country and remains one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. In May 2024, Walmart issued a relocation mandate requiring most of its remote employees, as well as most of its office workers in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto to move to, in most cases, Bentonville by November 1, 2024. While the company did not disclose a number, Bloomberg reported that the number of Walmart employees who would be moving to Bentonville would be in the thousands. Walmart is making a major investment in its hometown facilities, building a new, 350-acre headquarters campus, including walking and biking trails, a hotel, fitness facilities and a large childcare center.

    The Company has expanded eastward, with new markets in Jonesboro and Harrison. Jonesboro, located in Craighead County, is a city located on Crowley’s Ridge in the northeastern corner of Arkansas. It is the home of Arkansas State University and the cultural and economic center of Northeast Arkansas. Jonesboro also houses the region’s hospital network. U.S. Steel Corp. announced that it would locate a new $3 billion steel factory in Northeast Arkansas in Osceola, a move expected to create 900 jobs with an average pay over $100,000 annually, making it the largest capital investment project in Arkansas history. Harrison sits below Branson, Missouri, which is a family tourist destination and outdoor recreation, and is well known as an entertainment destination.

    The Company currently operates out of ten locations; three in Washington County; three in Benton County; two in Monroe County; one in Boone County; and one in Craighead County.

    The housing market in Washington and Benton counties remains robust. According to the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors, the average home in Washington County sold for $429,000 in May 2025, with an average of 97 days on the market. For Benton County, the average house sold for $461,000, with an average of 92 days on the market.

    Source:
    http://www.nwarealtors.org/market-statistics/

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements about future events. These forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions of management of the Company and the Bank and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms. Our ability to predict results of future events and the actual effect of future plans or strategies are inherently uncertain, and actual results may differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or that could affect the outcome of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates; the economic health of the local real estate market; general economic conditions; credit deterioration in our loan portfolio that would cause us to increase our allowance for loan losses; legislative or regulatory changes; technological developments; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board; the quality or composition of our loan and securities portfolios; demand for loan products in our market areas; deposit flows and costs of capital; competition; retention and recruitment of qualified personnel; demand for financial services in our market areas; and changes in accounting principles, policies, and guidelines. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

    Contact: Scott Sandlin, Chief Strategy Officer
      479-684-3754
       
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Unaudited)
                   
        For the Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
          2025     2025     2024  
                   
    INTEREST INCOME              
    Loans, including fees   $ 19,611,698   $ 18,315,006   $ 15,763,452  
    Investment securities     1,431,773     1,258,571     1,083,415  
    Federal funds sold and other     175,917     232,978     162,250  
    Total interest income     21,219,388     19,806,555     17,009,117  
                   
    INTEREST EXPENSE              
    Deposits     8,538,199     8,312,455     7,106,512  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances     296,860     393,057     448,263  
    Notes payable     477,735     475,425     398,017  
    Federal funds purchased and other     7,113     13,022     21,787  
    Total interest expense     9,319,907     9,193,959     7,974,579  
    NET INTEREST INCOME     11,899,481     10,612,596     9,034,538  
    Provision for credit losses     800,000     670,000     432,000  
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES     11,099,481     9,942,596     8,602,538  
                   
    NON-INTEREST INCOME              
    Service charges and fees on deposits     162,185     171,186     154,816  
    Wealth management fee income     994,100     1,017,829     1,065,553  
    Secondary market fee income     223,956     128,824     113,926  
    Bank owned-life insurance income     82,190     80,603     80,478  
    Gain on sales and write-downs of foreclosed assets     15,475     –     326  
    Other     616,667     544,141     527,064  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME     2,094,573     1,942,583     1,942,163  
                   
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE              
    Salaries and benefits     5,185,716     4,931,692     4,784,556  
    Occupancy and equipment     1,189,886     1,145,101     936,818  
    Data processing     857,198     858,115     704,080  
    Marketing and business development     609,549     397,137     473,618  
    Professional services     699,968     650,708     617,890  
    Amortization of other intangible assets     53,037     53,036     53,037  
    Other     326,224     393,498     494,203  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE     8,921,578     8,429,287     8,064,202  
                   
    Income before income taxes     4,272,476     3,455,892     2,480,499  
    Income tax provision     974,775     826,085     631,462  
    NET INCOME   $ 3,297,701   $ 2,629,807   $ 1,849,037  
                   
    EARNINGS PER SHARE              
    Basic (1)   $ 1.35   $ 1.07   $ 0.81  
    Diluted (1)   $ 1.34   $ 1.07   $ 0.81  
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
           
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME  
    (Unaudited)  
                 
          Six Months Ended  
          June 30,  
          2025   2024  
                 
    INTEREST INCOME            
    Loans, including fees     $ 37,926,704   $ 30,758,374  
    Investment securities       2,690,344     2,012,455  
    Federal funds sold and other       408,895     258,404  
    Total Interest Income       41,025,943     33,029,233  
                 
    INTEREST EXPENSE            
    Deposits       16,850,654     14,091,305  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances       689,917     968,582  
    Notes payable       953,160     796,034  
    Federal funds purchased and other       20,135     100,047  
    Total interest expense       18,513,866     15,955,968  
    NET INTEREST INCOME       22,512,077     17,073,265  
    Provision for credit losses       1,470,000     1,080,000  
    NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES       21,042,077     15,993,265  
                 
    NON-INTEREST INCOME            
    Service charges and fees on deposits       333,371     305,165  
    Wealth management fee income       2,011,929     1,911,059  
    Secondary market fee income       352,780     170,990  
    Bank owned life insurance income       162,793     160,359  
    Gain on sales and write-downs of foreclosed assets       15,475     1,376  
    Other       1,160,808     976,319  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME       4,037,156     3,525,268  
                 
    NON-INTEREST EXPENSE            
    Salaries and benefits       10,117,408     9,784,089  
    Occupancy and equipment       2,334,987     1,864,942  
    Data processing       1,715,313     1,494,649  
    Marketing and business development       1,006,686     937,315  
    Professional services       1,350,676     1,287,757  
    Amortization of intangible asset       106,073     106,073  
    Other       719,722     898,039  
    TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE       17,350,865     16,372,864  
                 
    Income before income taxes       7,728,368     3,145,669  
    Income tax provision       1,800,860     787,404  
    NET INCOME     $ 5,927,508   $ 2,358,265  
                 
    EARNINGS PER SHARE            
    Basic (1)     $ 2.42   $ 1.11  
    Diluted (1)     $ 2.42   $ 1.11  
                 
      (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                 
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS  
    (Unaudited)  
                   
        June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024  
                   
    ASSETS                      
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 25,604,276     $ 48,360,156     $ 49,495,763    
    Investment securities     140,544,711       134,968,153       115,526,915    
    Loans held for sale     2,442,642       874,009       997,907    
    Loans     1,208,102,220       1,141,369,199       994,754,063    
    Allowance for credit losses     (14,033,740 )     (13,347,855 )     (12,434,130 )  
    Net loans     1,194,068,480       1,128,021,344       982,319,933    
    Premises and equipment, net     37,411,490       35,647,835       30,442,837    
    Foreclosed assets held for sale     –       310,406       777,606    
    Accrued interest receivable     7,024,823       6,629,881       5,433,391    
    Bank owned life insurance     9,942,100       9,859,911       9,614,851    
    Deferred income taxes     4,522,795       4,220,559       4,788,942    
    Other investments     7,925,019       6,782,614       8,094,125    
    Intangible assets, net     1,697,167       1,750,204       1,909,313    
    Other assets     2,783,012       1,825,830       1,733,790    
    TOTAL ASSETS   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
                   
    LIABILITIES & STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Deposits:              
    Demand and non-interest-bearing   $ 233,078,431     $ 231,331,391     $ 233,230,007    
    Savings and interest-bearing transaction accounts     479,532,136       456,733,576       348,391,562    
    Time deposits     536,591,123       512,882,444       432,248,979    
    Total deposits     1,249,201,690       1,200,947,411       1,013,870,548    
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances     21,518,084       21,593,143       54,314,495    
    Notes payable     26,159,110       26,141,832       26,090,002    
    Operating lease liability     21,918,414       20,029,714       15,930,503    
    Reserve for losses on unfunded commitments     1,603,000       1,478,000       1,433,000    
    Accrued interest payable     2,636,403       2,731,699       2,714,687    
    Other liabilities     8,433,777       5,798,159       4,745,292    
    TOTAL LIABILITIES     1,331,470,478       1,278,719,958       1,119,098,527    
                   
    Stockholders’ equity:              
    Common stock (1)     24,876       24,882       24,698    
    Surplus (1)     102,893,483       102,784,831       102,457,705    
    Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)     6,787,654       4,714,375       (2,484,500 )  
    Treasury stock, at cost     (1,284,359 )     (1,265,731 )     (1,132,905 )  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (5,925,617 )     (5,727,413 )     (6,828,152 )  
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY     102,496,037       100,530,944       92,036,846    
                   
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                   
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY
    SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
                   
        (Unaudited)  
        Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
                   
    FOR THE PERIOD              
    Net income   $ 3,297,701     $ 2,629,807     $ 1,849,037    
    Net income before taxes     4,272,476       3,455,892       2,480,499    
    Dividends declared per share (1)     0.50       –       0.50    
                   
                   
    PERIOD END BALANCE              
    Total assets   $ 1,433,966,515     $ 1,379,250,902     $ 1,211,135,373    
    Total investments     140,544,711       134,968,153       115,526,915    
    Total loans, net     1,194,068,480       1,128,021,344       982,319,933    
    Allowance for credit losses     (14,033,740 )     (13,347,855 )     (12,434,131 )  
    Total deposits     1,249,201,690       1,200,947,411       1,013,870,548    
    Stockholders’ equity     102,496,037       100,530,944       92,036,846    
                   
                   
    RATIO ANALYSIS              
    Return on average assets (annualized)     0.94 %     0.79 %     0.63 %  
    Return on average equity (annualized)     12.62 %     10.64 %     8.26 %  
    Net loans/Deposits     95.59 %     93.93 %     96.89 %  
    Total Stockholders’ Equity/Total assets     7.15 %     7.29 %     7.60 %  
    Net loan losses/Total loans     -0.00 %     0.01 %     0.01 %  
    Uninsured & unpledged deposits     32.37 %     31.00 %     31.21 %  
                   
                   
    PER SHARE DATA              
    Shares outstanding (1)     2,448,246       2,449,317       2,435,700    
    Weighted average shares outstanding (1)     2,448,734       2,446,747       2,291,316    
    Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (1)     2,454,485       2,451,161       2,291,316    
    Basic earnings (1)   $ 1.35     $ 1.07     $ 0.81    
    Diluted earnings (1)     1.34       1.07       0.81    
    Book value (1)     41.87       41.04       37.79    
    Tangible book value (1)     41.17       40.33       37.00    
                   
                   
    ASSET QUALITY              
    Net (recoveries) charge-offs   $ (10,889 )   $ 136,970     $ 110,968    
    Classified assets     402,406       853,745       1,090,758    
    Nonperforming loans     364,853       419,985       32,054    
    Nonperforming assets     364,853       730,391       809,660    
    Total nonperforming loans/Total loans     0.03 %     0.04 %     0.00 %  
    Total nonperforming loans/Total assets     0.03 %     0.03 %     0.00 %  
    Total nonperforming assets/Total assets     0.03 %     0.05 %     0.07 %  
    Allowance for credit losses/Total loans     1.16 %     1.17 %     1.25 %  
                   
                   
    (1 ) Prior periods adjusted to give effect to stock split effected in the form of a dividend on September 4, 2024.  
                   
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE  
    (Unaudited)  
                                           
        Three Months Ended  
        June 30,   March 31,   June 30,  
          2025       2025       2024    
        Average       Average   Average       Average   Average       Average  
        Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate  
                                           
    Interest-earning assets:                                      
    Federal funds sold and other   $ 15,102,485   $ 175,917   4.67 %   $ 23,287,989   $ 232,978   4.06 %   $ 11,798,448   $ 162,250   5.53 %  
    Investment securities available-for-sale (1)     138,229,178     1,289,470   3.74 %     133,405,472     1,208,821   3.67 %     114,427,481     941,900   3.31 %  
    Loans receivable     1,169,591,045     19,611,698   6.73 %     1,106,648,533     18,315,006   6.71 %     973,396,880     15,763,452   6.51 %  
    Total interest-earning assets     1,322,922,708   $ 21,077,085   6.39 %     1,263,341,994   $ 19,756,805   6.34 %     1,099,622,809   $ 16,867,602   6.17 %  
    Noninterest-earning assets     81,927,528             81,821,189             74,503,352          
    Total assets   $ 1,404,850,236           $ 1,345,163,183           $ 1,174,126,161          
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                      
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 985,435,006   $ 8,538,199   3.48 %   $ 937,669,969   $ 8,312,455   3.60 %   $ 770,303,642   $ 7,106,512   3.71 %  
    FHLB advances and federal funds purchased     26,552,308     303,973   4.59 %     36,654,930     406,079   4.49 %     40,440,625     470,050   4.67 %  
    Notes payable     26,150,819     477,735   7.33 %     26,131,761     475,425   7.38 %     25,506,601     398,017   6.28 %  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,038,138,133   $ 9,319,907   3.60 %     1,000,456,660   $ 9,193,959   3.73 %     836,250,868   $ 7,974,579   3.84 %  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities     261,876,451             244,466,979             247,820,333          
    Total liabilities     1,300,014,584             1,244,923,639             1,084,071,201          
    Stockholders’ equity     104,835,652             100,239,544             90,054,960          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,404,850,236           $ 1,345,163,183           $ 1,174,126,161          
    Net interest-earning assets   $ 284,784,575           $ 262,885,334           $ 263,371,941          
    Net interest spread       $ 11,757,178   2.79 %       $ 10,562,846   2.61 %       $ 8,893,023   2.33 %  
    Net interest margin           3.56 %           3.39 %           3.25 %  
                                           
    (1 ) Excludes investments in bank stock (Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, and First National Bankers Bankshares).      
                                           
    WHITE RIVER BANCSHARES COMPANY  
    INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE  
    (Unaudited)  
                               
        Six Months Ended June 30,  
          2025       2024    
        Average       Average   Average       Average  
        Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate   Balance   Interest   Yield/Rate  
                               
    Interest-earning assets:                          
    Federal funds sold and other   $ 19,172,625   $ 408,895   4.30 %   $ 10,071,062   $ 258,404   5.16 %  
    Investment securities available-for-sale (1)     135,830,651     2,498,291   3.71 %     114,434,010     1,842,786   3.24 %  
    Loans receivable     1,138,293,665     37,926,704   6.72 %     967,102,566     30,758,374   6.40 %  
    Total interest-earning assets     1,293,296,941   $ 40,833,890   6.37 %     1,091,607,638   $ 32,859,564   6.05 %  
    Noninterest-earning assets     81,874,656             72,612,145          
    Total assets   $ 1,375,171,597           $ 1,164,219,783          
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                          
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 961,684,434   $ 16,850,654   3.53 %   $ 766,601,621   $ 14,091,305   3.70 %  
    FHLB advances and federal funds purchased     31,575,711     710,052   4.53 %     45,594,923     1,068,629   4.71 %  
    Notes payable     26,141,343     953,160   7.35 %     25,500,463     796,034   6.28 %  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,019,401,488   $ 18,513,866   3.66 %     837,697,007   $ 15,955,968   3.83 %  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities     253,207,317             240,831,655          
    Total liabilities     1,272,608,805             1,078,528,662          
    Stockholders’ equity     102,562,792             85,691,121          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 1,375,171,597           $ 1,164,219,783          
    Net interest-earning assets   $ 273,895,453           $ 253,910,631          
    Net interest spread       $ 22,320,024   2.70 %       $ 16,903,596   2.22 %  
    Net interest margin           3.48 %           3.11 %  
                               
    (1 )   Excludes investments in bank stock (Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, and First National Bankers Bankshares).
                               

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Funding Crisis Leaves Defense Lawyers Working Without Pay

    Source: United States Courts

    The program that pays court-appointed private attorneys to represent indigent federal criminal defendants has run out of money, starting the clock on a painful three-month delay in paying these attorneys and their related service providers for constitutionally mandated legal work. 

    The funding crisis has prompted concern throughout the federal Judiciary that many of these private lawyers, known as panel attorneys, could decline new cases. That could leave defendants, even those on death row, without adequate representation.

    Judge Amy St. Eve, chair of the Judicial Conference’s Budget Committee, said, “The right of a criminal defendant to effective counsel regardless of the defendant’s economic status is guaranteed under our Constitution and the Criminal Justice Act. That fundamental right is at risk because we ran out of funding on July 3 to pay the private practice attorneys appointed to represent federal defendants.” 

    Panel attorneys are paid from funds appropriated by Congress to the Judicial Branch’s Defender Services program. Payments to panel attorneys have been suspended during previous congressional budget crises, but rarely for more than a few weeks in a single fiscal year.

    “These attorneys will not be paid until October 1 for the work they have done and for the work that we continue to ask them to do, unless the Judiciary receives supplemental funding from Congress before then,” St. Eve said. 

    Over 90 percent of defendants in federal criminal cases have court-appointed counsel, because they cannot afford their own lawyer. Nationwide, federal defenders’ organizations handle about 60 percent of publicly financed cases. The remaining 40 percent are assigned to private, qualified defense lawyers who agree to serve on a court’s Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel.

    The continuing resolution to fund the government for fiscal year 2025 passed by Congress in March froze all Judicial Branch funding at the FY 2024 level, which resulted in panel attorney funding running out unusually early. Because of the hard freeze funding level, funding is not available within other Judiciary accounts to address the funding gap. 

    The Judiciary has been in communication with congressional appropriators about the need for $116 million in supplemental funding to mitigate these payment deferrals and avert a continuing crisis. 

    During recent congressional testimony, St. Eve said, “These disruptions in panel attorney payments negatively affect our panel attorneys, potentially reducing their willingness to accept future appointments and jeopardizing the ability to provide necessary and timely representation.”

    There are more than 12,000 private panel attorneys throughout the country who accept CJA assignments annually. About 85 percent of them work for small firms or are solo practitioners who can ill afford long delays in payments for their work. Significant amounts of work affected by the funding freeze have already been performed.

    Some of the attorneys “continue to work but are not getting paid, which obviously is a tremendous hardship, especially for small firms and solo practitioners,” said Judge Cathy Seibel, who chairs the Judicial Conference’s Defender Services Committee.

    The funding shortfall also affects specialists employed by the defense to help effectively present their clients’ cases, such as investigators, interpreters, and expert witnesses. Many of those vital roles may go unfilled for three months, with unpredictable consequences for the criminal justice system.

    For example, in the District of North Dakota, several long-tenured CJA attorneys recently resigned from the panel. The concern among many federal courts is that attorneys will decline appointments and trials will have to be postponed, leaving some defendants detained for longer than necessary or even compromising criminal cases if requirements under the Speedy Trial Act cannot be met.

    The work can’t simply be turned over to federal defender organizations across the country because those offices are already seriously understaffed. Federal defender offices have been under a hiring freeze for 17 of the past 24 months because of tight budgets from Congress. Many defender offices are experiencing increased burnout among employees working excessive overtime.

    Panel attorneys are paid an hourly rate of $175 in non-capital cases, and, in capital cases, a maximum hourly rate of $223, which are significantly lower than market rate. The rates include both attorney compensation and office overhead, such as rent, supplies, and equipment.

    Keep updated on the evolving situation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Great to see how San Francisco is equipping its employees with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Thank you, Daniel Lurie for leading the way!

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Great to see how San Francisco is equipping its employees with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Thank you, Daniel Lurie for leading the way!

    Today we officially gave AI technology to 30,000 city employees, giving them tools to better serve the people of San Francisco. San Francisco is the global home of AI, and now, we’re putting that innovation to work for the people of this city. Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o gives our city workers a powerful, secure new tool to save time and work more effectively. AI is transforming every aspect of our city and our world—and my administration is building a government that reflects the innovative spirit of our city.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with the King of Bahrain

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    15 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, today received at Palazzo Chigi the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who is on a private visit to Italy.

    During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East, and in particular the joint efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. The discussion also provided President Meloni with the opportunity to offer her congratulations on Bahrain’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2026-27 mandate.

    Lastly, the meeting enabled the two leaders to discuss bilateral relations, starting with economic cooperation, also in view of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain’s visit to Rome in September and the agreements that will be signed on that occasion.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji govt offers NZ$1.5m settlement to former anti-corruption head for ruined career

    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior reporter

    The Fiji government looks set to pay around NZ$1.5 million in damages to the disgraced former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency FICAC.

    The state is offering Barbara Malimali an out-of-court settlement after her lawyer lodged a judicial review of her sacking in the High Court in Suva.

    Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka suspended Malimali from her role on May 29, following a damning Commission of Inquiry into her appointment.

    Malimali was described as “universally corrupt” by Justice David Ashton-Lewis, the commissioner of the nine-week investigation, which involved 35 witnesses.

    “She was a pawn in the hands of devious members of government, who wanted any allegations against them or other government members thrown out,” Ashton-Lewis told RNZ Pacific Waves earlier this month.

    Tanya Waqanika, who acts for Malimali, told RNZ Pacific that her client was seeking a “substantial” payout for damages and unpaid dues.

    Waqanika met lawyers from the Attorney-General’s Office in the capital, Suva, on Tuesday after earlier negotiations failed.

    Expected to hear in writing
    She declined to say exactly what was discussed, but said she expected to hear back in writing from the other party the same day.

    A High Court judge has given the government until 3pm on Friday to reach a settlement, otherwise he will rule on the application on Monday.

    “We’ll see what they come up with, that’s the beauty of negotiations, but NZ$1.5 million would be a good amount to play with after your career has been ruined,” Waqanika said.

    “[Malimali’s] career spans over 27 years, but it is now down the drain thanks to Ashton-Lewis and the damage the inquiry report has done.”

    She said Malimali also wanted a public apology, as she was being defamed every day in social media.

    “I don’t expect we’ll get one out of Ashton-Lewis,” she said.

    Adjournment sought
    During a hearing in the High Court on Monday, lawyers for the state sought an adjournment to discuss a settlement with Waqanika.

    However, she opposed this, saying that the government’s legal team had vast resources and they should have been prepared for the hearing.

    Malimali filed a case against President Naiqama Lalabalavu, Rabuka and the Attorney-General on June 13 on the grounds that her suspension was unconstitutional.

    Waqanika said the President suspended her on the advice of the Prime Minister instead of consulting the Judicial Services Commission.

    Government lawyers approached Waqanika offering a compensation deal the same day she lodged a judicial review in the High Court.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji govt offers NZ$1.5m settlement to former anti-corruption head for ruined career

    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior reporter

    The Fiji government looks set to pay around NZ$1.5 million in damages to the disgraced former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency FICAC.

    The state is offering Barbara Malimali an out-of-court settlement after her lawyer lodged a judicial review of her sacking in the High Court in Suva.

    Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka suspended Malimali from her role on May 29, following a damning Commission of Inquiry into her appointment.

    Malimali was described as “universally corrupt” by Justice David Ashton-Lewis, the commissioner of the nine-week investigation, which involved 35 witnesses.

    “She was a pawn in the hands of devious members of government, who wanted any allegations against them or other government members thrown out,” Ashton-Lewis told RNZ Pacific Waves earlier this month.

    Tanya Waqanika, who acts for Malimali, told RNZ Pacific that her client was seeking a “substantial” payout for damages and unpaid dues.

    Waqanika met lawyers from the Attorney-General’s Office in the capital, Suva, on Tuesday after earlier negotiations failed.

    Expected to hear in writing
    She declined to say exactly what was discussed, but said she expected to hear back in writing from the other party the same day.

    A High Court judge has given the government until 3pm on Friday to reach a settlement, otherwise he will rule on the application on Monday.

    “We’ll see what they come up with, that’s the beauty of negotiations, but NZ$1.5 million would be a good amount to play with after your career has been ruined,” Waqanika said.

    “[Malimali’s] career spans over 27 years, but it is now down the drain thanks to Ashton-Lewis and the damage the inquiry report has done.”

    She said Malimali also wanted a public apology, as she was being defamed every day in social media.

    “I don’t expect we’ll get one out of Ashton-Lewis,” she said.

    Adjournment sought
    During a hearing in the High Court on Monday, lawyers for the state sought an adjournment to discuss a settlement with Waqanika.

    However, she opposed this, saying that the government’s legal team had vast resources and they should have been prepared for the hearing.

    Malimali filed a case against President Naiqama Lalabalavu, Rabuka and the Attorney-General on June 13 on the grounds that her suspension was unconstitutional.

    Waqanika said the President suspended her on the advice of the Prime Minister instead of consulting the Judicial Services Commission.

    Government lawyers approached Waqanika offering a compensation deal the same day she lodged a judicial review in the High Court.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji govt offers NZ$1.5m settlement to former anti-corruption head for ruined career

    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior reporter

    The Fiji government looks set to pay around NZ$1.5 million in damages to the disgraced former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency FICAC.

    The state is offering Barbara Malimali an out-of-court settlement after her lawyer lodged a judicial review of her sacking in the High Court in Suva.

    Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka suspended Malimali from her role on May 29, following a damning Commission of Inquiry into her appointment.

    Malimali was described as “universally corrupt” by Justice David Ashton-Lewis, the commissioner of the nine-week investigation, which involved 35 witnesses.

    “She was a pawn in the hands of devious members of government, who wanted any allegations against them or other government members thrown out,” Ashton-Lewis told RNZ Pacific Waves earlier this month.

    Tanya Waqanika, who acts for Malimali, told RNZ Pacific that her client was seeking a “substantial” payout for damages and unpaid dues.

    Waqanika met lawyers from the Attorney-General’s Office in the capital, Suva, on Tuesday after earlier negotiations failed.

    Expected to hear in writing
    She declined to say exactly what was discussed, but said she expected to hear back in writing from the other party the same day.

    A High Court judge has given the government until 3pm on Friday to reach a settlement, otherwise he will rule on the application on Monday.

    “We’ll see what they come up with, that’s the beauty of negotiations, but NZ$1.5 million would be a good amount to play with after your career has been ruined,” Waqanika said.

    “[Malimali’s] career spans over 27 years, but it is now down the drain thanks to Ashton-Lewis and the damage the inquiry report has done.”

    She said Malimali also wanted a public apology, as she was being defamed every day in social media.

    “I don’t expect we’ll get one out of Ashton-Lewis,” she said.

    Adjournment sought
    During a hearing in the High Court on Monday, lawyers for the state sought an adjournment to discuss a settlement with Waqanika.

    However, she opposed this, saying that the government’s legal team had vast resources and they should have been prepared for the hearing.

    Malimali filed a case against President Naiqama Lalabalavu, Rabuka and the Attorney-General on June 13 on the grounds that her suspension was unconstitutional.

    Waqanika said the President suspended her on the advice of the Prime Minister instead of consulting the Judicial Services Commission.

    Government lawyers approached Waqanika offering a compensation deal the same day she lodged a judicial review in the High Court.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji govt offers NZ$1.5m settlement to former anti-corruption head for ruined career

    By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior reporter

    The Fiji government looks set to pay around NZ$1.5 million in damages to the disgraced former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency FICAC.

    The state is offering Barbara Malimali an out-of-court settlement after her lawyer lodged a judicial review of her sacking in the High Court in Suva.

    Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka suspended Malimali from her role on May 29, following a damning Commission of Inquiry into her appointment.

    Malimali was described as “universally corrupt” by Justice David Ashton-Lewis, the commissioner of the nine-week investigation, which involved 35 witnesses.

    “She was a pawn in the hands of devious members of government, who wanted any allegations against them or other government members thrown out,” Ashton-Lewis told RNZ Pacific Waves earlier this month.

    Tanya Waqanika, who acts for Malimali, told RNZ Pacific that her client was seeking a “substantial” payout for damages and unpaid dues.

    Waqanika met lawyers from the Attorney-General’s Office in the capital, Suva, on Tuesday after earlier negotiations failed.

    Expected to hear in writing
    She declined to say exactly what was discussed, but said she expected to hear back in writing from the other party the same day.

    A High Court judge has given the government until 3pm on Friday to reach a settlement, otherwise he will rule on the application on Monday.

    “We’ll see what they come up with, that’s the beauty of negotiations, but NZ$1.5 million would be a good amount to play with after your career has been ruined,” Waqanika said.

    “[Malimali’s] career spans over 27 years, but it is now down the drain thanks to Ashton-Lewis and the damage the inquiry report has done.”

    She said Malimali also wanted a public apology, as she was being defamed every day in social media.

    “I don’t expect we’ll get one out of Ashton-Lewis,” she said.

    Adjournment sought
    During a hearing in the High Court on Monday, lawyers for the state sought an adjournment to discuss a settlement with Waqanika.

    However, she opposed this, saying that the government’s legal team had vast resources and they should have been prepared for the hearing.

    Malimali filed a case against President Naiqama Lalabalavu, Rabuka and the Attorney-General on June 13 on the grounds that her suspension was unconstitutional.

    Waqanika said the President suspended her on the advice of the Prime Minister instead of consulting the Judicial Services Commission.

    Government lawyers approached Waqanika offering a compensation deal the same day she lodged a judicial review in the High Court.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Murqub District youth: “Transitional periods must come to an end”

    Source: APO


    .

    Twenty-two young men and women from Murqub District and the surrounding area joined UNSMIL officials in an online consultation Monday to share their thoughts on the Advisory Committee’s proposals to take Libya to elections and unify state institutions.  

    “The transitional phases have resulted in a loss of trust from the public in the institutions,” said one participant. “All options have pros and cons, but the national dialogue must be linked to the electoral track,” they added. 

    Participants were briefed on the four options put forward by the Advisory Committee in May. As outlined in the  Executive Summary of the Advisory Committee’s report,  the options include:    

    1. Holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, then adopt a constitution;    

    2. Holding parliamentary elections followed by adopting a permanent constitution, followed by presidential elections;    

    3. Adopting a permanent constitution before national elections; or    

    4. Dissolving existing institutions and forming a new dialogue forum that appoints an executive and selects a 60-member constituent assembly to adopt a temporary constitution and electoral laws for national elections.  

    Many of the participants favoured option four; however, others discussed the importance of holding presidential elections and stressed the need for a constitution. Others said Libya already had one dialogue forum and a referendum would be needed to launch a second. 

    “The government must be elected by the people,” said one participant, noting that some of the current leaders have been in power seven years. “Transitional governments must end.” 

    Many participants raised their frustration with those who have acted as spoilers in the past to prevent elections. They highlighted that this would likely happen again and that the UN Security Council needed to be more robust with sanctions to prevent this. 

    “Option four with amendments is the best option,” said another participant, adding that there needed to be strict conditions such as timeframes and limited tasks. 

    A youth council member from Al Khums highlighted the need for transitional justice, reparations and fact finding, saying that very little has been achieved on national reconciliation. Without this, they said, the country would be unable to move forward. 

    “Preventing hate speech and educating the public to build a political culture should be something that UNSMIL focuses on in partnership with the media,” said another participant, with others agreeing that hate speech has a damaging effect on society and political discussion. 

    All participants were encouraged to complete UNSMIL’s poll requesting formal feedback from the public on the political process to ensure that their voices were heard. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United Kingdom Citizen Extradited to Face Charges in $99 Million Wine Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Wellesley was arraigned following his extradition from the United Kingdom (UK), where he was arrested in 2022.  In 2022, Wellesley, along with his co-defendant Stephen Burton, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company he and Burton operated.  Wellesley was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is currently pending trial.  Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial. 

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced Burton’s arraignment. 

    “Today’s arraignment sends a message to all perpetrators of global fraud schemes that my Office will work tirelessly to ensure they answer for crimes committed in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for victims of fraud.”

    “James Wellesley and his business partner allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme defrauding investors out of millions of dollars to finance their own personal expenses. Their alleged deceit spread across years and continents,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Today’s arraignment signals to all criminals that the FBI will practice the same resolve in bringing perpetrators to justice.” 

    “James Wellesley and his co-conspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment. As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ – and in turn profited handsomely – all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “Let it be known, regardless of the nature of the transnational criminal scheme, HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to adapt and evolve to fight global and domestic financial crimes wherever and whenever possible.”

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2017 and continuing through February of 2019, the defendants posed as executives Bordeaux Cellars.  The defendants solicited investors, including residents of the Eastern District of New York, at, among other places, investor conferences held in the United States and overseas.  The defendants claimed to investors that Bordeaux Cellars brokered loans between investors and high-net-worth wine collectors that would be fully collateralized by high-value collections of wine.  The defendants promised that investors would receive regular interest payments from the borrowers, and that Bordeaux Cellars would keep custody of the wine, securing the loans while the loans were outstanding.  As alleged, these representations were lies, the “high-net-worth wine collectors” did not actually exist, and Bordeaux Cellars did not maintain custody of the wine purportedly securing the loans.  Instead, the defendants used incoming loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors and for their own personal expenses, resulting in $99 million dollars’ worth of misdirected funds. 

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. 

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Wellesley’s arrest and extradition from the UK.  This Office thanks UK authorities for their assistance in this matter.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution. 

    The Defendants:

    STEPHEN BURTON
    Age: 58
    United Kingdom

    JAMES WELLESLEY
    Age: 56
    United Kingdom

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-79 (PKC)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United Kingdom Citizen Extradited to Face Charges in $99 Million Wine Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Wellesley was arraigned following his extradition from the United Kingdom (UK), where he was arrested in 2022.  In 2022, Wellesley, along with his co-defendant Stephen Burton, was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme perpetrated through Bordeaux Cellars, a company he and Burton operated.  Wellesley was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Burton was extradited from Morocco in 2023 and is currently pending trial.  Wellesley was ordered detained pending trial. 

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced Burton’s arraignment. 

    “Today’s arraignment sends a message to all perpetrators of global fraud schemes that my Office will work tirelessly to ensure they answer for crimes committed in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “We will not rest in our efforts to seek justice for victims of fraud.”

    “James Wellesley and his business partner allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme defrauding investors out of millions of dollars to finance their own personal expenses. Their alleged deceit spread across years and continents,” stated FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Today’s arraignment signals to all criminals that the FBI will practice the same resolve in bringing perpetrators to justice.” 

    “James Wellesley and his co-conspirator are accused of masterminding their nearly $100 million international fraud scheme that exploited the unsuspecting public, including New Yorkers, for their own selfish enrichment. As alleged, the defendants claimed Bordeaux Cellars boasted a high-value wine stockpile and a clientele of ‘high-net-worth wine collectors’ – and in turn profited handsomely – all while they swindled investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “Let it be known, regardless of the nature of the transnational criminal scheme, HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to adapt and evolve to fight global and domestic financial crimes wherever and whenever possible.”

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2017 and continuing through February of 2019, the defendants posed as executives Bordeaux Cellars.  The defendants solicited investors, including residents of the Eastern District of New York, at, among other places, investor conferences held in the United States and overseas.  The defendants claimed to investors that Bordeaux Cellars brokered loans between investors and high-net-worth wine collectors that would be fully collateralized by high-value collections of wine.  The defendants promised that investors would receive regular interest payments from the borrowers, and that Bordeaux Cellars would keep custody of the wine, securing the loans while the loans were outstanding.  As alleged, these representations were lies, the “high-net-worth wine collectors” did not actually exist, and Bordeaux Cellars did not maintain custody of the wine purportedly securing the loans.  Instead, the defendants used incoming loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors and for their own personal expenses, resulting in $99 million dollars’ worth of misdirected funds. 

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. 

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Wellesley’s arrest and extradition from the UK.  This Office thanks UK authorities for their assistance in this matter.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution. 

    The Defendants:

    STEPHEN BURTON
    Age: 58
    United Kingdom

    JAMES WELLESLEY
    Age: 56
    United Kingdom

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-79 (PKC)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Marking International Women’s Day 2025: Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej & First Ladies of Africa Empower and Uplift Women & Girls Through Education & Healthcare

    Source: APO

    Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany together with First Ladies of Africa who are also their Ambassadors, Ministries of Health, Education, Communication & Gender, mark ‘International Women’s Day 2025’, through their impactful development programs, continuing their 13-year legacy of empowering women and girls.

    Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of the Most Influential African Women for Six Consecutive Years (2019 – 2024) expressed, “Happy International Women’s Day to all the remarkable women and girls around the world!

    Empowering girls and women is at the core of all our initiatives and programs at Merck Foundation. I recognize the immense potential of women to thrive, succeed and excel in any domain they choose, yet they often lack the conducive environment to fully realize their capabilities, especially in underserved communities.

    Therefore, together with our Ambassadors, The First Ladies of Africa, we mark International Women’s Day every day since the last 13 years through our development programs and initiatives such as ‘More Than a Mother’, ‘Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement’, ‘Educating Linda’, and ‘STEM Program’.”

    “Merck Foundation More Than a Mother” is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education and change of mindset.

    “I am thrilled to share that out of the 2,282 scholarships awarded across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, 1046 scholarships, that is nearly 50% have been granted to female medical graduates, empowering them to become future healthcare experts and leaders.

    I am especially proud that we have awarded over 680 scholarships to young doctors, dedicated to advancing women’s health by strengthening reproductive, sexual health, and fertility care capacity.”

    Merck Foundation CEO strongly believes that Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment.

    “I am happy to share that through our “Educating Linda” Program, together with my dear sisters, our Ambassadors, we are contributing to the future of over 700 girls by providing scholarships to continue their education and also providing essential school items for thousands of schoolgirls in many African countries such as Botswana, Burundi, Malawi, The Gambia, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cabo Verde and more.

    Moreover, we have benefitted thousands of girls through our awareness campaign through many initiates like the release of inspiring songs, children’s storybooks, animation films, TV Program and awards for best media, song, film & fashion designs, all aimed at promoting girl education today for women’s empowerment tomorrow”, emphasized Senator Rasha Kelej.

    Merck Foundation also actively empowers women in Science and Technology through its STEM Program and the annual Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Awards that recognize and celebrate the Best African Women Researchers and Best Young African Researchers, fostering research excellence.

    “Our goal is to empower women and young African researchers, enhance their research capacity, and promote their contributions to STEM,” emphasized Dr. Kelej.

    Watch the Episodes of “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” TV program on Supporting Girl Education:

    Episode 2: https://apo-opa.co/4mfjkXN

    Episode 11: https://apo-opa.co/46OtJ7Y

    Episode 14: https://apo-opa.co/4eOnPpH

    Listen to Merck Foundation song about Supporting Girl Education here:

    1. Watch, share & subscribe to the “Girl Can” song here, sung by two famous singers, Irene and Cwezi from Liberia and Ghana respectively: https://apo-opa.co/4eWbPm8
    2. Watch, share & subscribe the “Like Them” song here, sung by Kenneth, a famous singer from Uganda: https://apo-opa.co/4lo4Wfy
    3. Watch, share & subscribe “Take me to School” song here, sung by Wezi, Afro-soul singer from Zambia, to support girls’ education: https://apo-opa.co/4ePQxWU
    4. Watch share & subscribe “Tu Podes Sim” Portuguese song, which means “Yes, You Can” in English by Blaze and Tamyris Moiane, singers from Mozambique in English here: https://apo-opa.co/46GXwPY  
    5. Watch, share & subscribe “Brighter day” song by Sean K and Cwesi Oteng from Namibia and Ghana respectively: https://apo-opa.co/3GInicb

    Watch the Merck Foundation Animation Films to Support Girl Education :

    Ride into to Future: https://apo-opa.co/4lRcDdZ

    Jackeline’s Rescue: https://apo-opa.co/3Gqi1pF

    Read the Merck Foundation storybook addressing the importance of Girl Education:

    1. To read Educating Linda Storybook, pls visit: https://apo-opa.co/46tUZJ9
    1. To read Jackline’s Rescue Storybook, pls visit: https://apo-opa.co/44ulKeY
    1. To read Ride into the Future Storybook, pls visit: https://apo-opa.co/3Io25ox
    1. To read Not Who You Are Storybook, pls visit: https://apo-opa.co/4lCn71q

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

    Contact:
    Mehak Handa
    Community Awareness Program Manager 
    Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
    Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

    Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard:
    Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/4lZ2dt8
    X: https://apo-opa.co/44O0H5M
    YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/4lFl8sQ
    Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/466ZGIB
    Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4lXSrqZ
    Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/4f9GJaN
    Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com
    Download Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/4lu67dm

    About Merck Foundation:
    The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4lZ2dt8), X (https://apo-opa.co/44O0H5M), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/466ZGIB), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4lFl8sQ), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4lXSrqZ) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4f9GJaN).

    The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –